Fisherman's Friend Dispenser

Introduction

Everyone who has bought a packet of Fisherman's Friend knows how useless the little paper bag is to get the mints out of. You could transfer them to a small tin but then you have to deal with the rattling sound. Instead I took inspiration from the timeless PEZ dispenser and made a version to fit Fisherman's Friend instead.

Print instructions

• Material: PLA (PETG should work too)
• Nozzle diameter: 0.4mm
• Layer height: 0.2mm
• Infill: 0%
• Supports: Only the ejector needs supports from the build plate only, the rest should be printed without any support
• Print orientation: Same as in the files 

Assembly

You need:

1. 1x Ejector.3mf
2. 1x Pusher.3mf
3. 1x Magazine.3mf
4. 1x Case.3mf
5. 1x PEZ dispenser spring
6. 1x 20mm length filament
7. 1x Small rubber band or O-ring
   
   

Magazine assembly

• Slide the spring (5) into the slot at the bottom of the magazine (3).
• Insert the other end of the spring into the slot at the bottom of the pusher (2).
• Push the T-connector on the pusher into the back of the magazine to lock it into place.
  

Case assembly

• Thread the rubber band (7) through the front and out the back of the ejector (1). I use two pairs of tweezers to do this.
  
• Hook the rubber band around the back of the ejector to keep it in place for now.
  
• Take the loose end of the rubber band and wrap it around the post on the case (4). Stretch the rubber band and wrap it over the ejector to attach it to the case.
  
• Take the end of the rubber band you hooked onto the back of the ejector earlier and stretch it tight. Wrap it around the back of the ejector as many times as you need to make sure it stays tight.
  
• Finally push the ejector into place and thread the piece of filament (6) into the holes to make the pivot point. Trim the filament but leave a few millimeters on each side to make disassembly easier.
  

Using the dispenser

Loading the magazine

• Use one hand to hold the pusher at the bottom of the magazine and add as many mints as you want, it fits a max amount of 10 mints (half a pack).
• Push the magazine into the bottom of the case, making sure that the fronts are aligned, until you hear a click.

Unloading the magazine

• Take a long nail or something small and use it to push the back of the magazine down until you hear a click.

• This should push the magazine down enough so you can hook the spring slot on the bottom to pull the rest out.
  

Future improvements

Right now I am really happy with the design but I am always looking to make improvements:

 The spring inside can get tangled because there is nothing constraining it from only moving up and down. In the original PEZ dispenser this is constrained by the size of the case, unfortunately it's not an option here since the Fisherman's Friend mints are quite a bit larger. A custom spring would be ideal but I do not have the tools or skills to make one, it would also make it less available for makers.

It can be hard to reach the magazine from the back to unload the magazine without a tool (like a key). Ideally it would be nice to be able to unload it just using your fingers (no matter what size).

Leave a comment if you'd like to try to improve the design and I can upload the design files.