Article dispensing – With recorder – register – indicator – signal or exhibitor – Dispenser operated display device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-21
2001-01-23
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
With recorder, register, indicator, signal or exhibitor
Dispenser operated display device
C221S266000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176391
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a candy dispenser for dispensing candy and providing a message when candy is dispensed.
Various types of candy dispensers have been previously designed. For example, one candy dispenser that was marketed more than one year before the filing of this patent is the Power Candy™ with Skittles® device sold by Cap Candy™ as item number 4755. This device is a hand-held, battery-operated candy dispenser having a motor and a push button switch. When the dispenser contains candy and a customer depresses the push button switch, the motor causes the candy to move in an entertaining manner before a piece of the candy is dispensed to the customer.
Another example of a candy dispenser that was marketed more than one year before the filing of this patent is the Mystical Fortune Gumballs™ device sold by Cap Candy™ as item number 4810. This device is a hand-held candy dispenser that, after being shaken by a customer, dispenses a gumball on which a fortune is written.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a candy dispenser that provides a message when a piece of candy is dispensed from it. The candy dispenser is provided with a housing having a compartment adapted to hold candy and an opening through which a piece of candy may be dispensed, an actuating member extending from within the housing and movable between a first position and a second position, a candy dispensing mechanism disposed within the housing that is adapted to release a piece of candy from the housing when the actuating member is moved between the first position and the second position and a message mechanism. The message mechanism is associated with the housing and has a plurality of different messages associated therewith. The message mechanism facilitates a correlation between one of the messages and a characteristic of one of the pieces of candy.
The message mechanism may include a spinner that spins from a first radial position to a second and apparently random radial position when the lever arm is moved from the first position to the second position.
The message mechanism may also include a message disk having different messages thereon, each of the messages being in physical proximity to each of said visual indicators representations such that when the spinner moves to the second and apparently random radial position and the piece of candy is dispensed, a message may be determined by comparing a characteristic of the piece of candy to the visual indicators on the spinner to determine a matching visual indicator and reading a message in physical proximity to the matching visual indicator.
The features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.
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Cap Candy™ Product Brochure, OddzOn Products, Inc., undated prior art.
Annis Jeffrey R.
Bryce Daniel
Hannon Todd
Masibay Joseph
Rehkemper Jeffrey
Bollinger David H.
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
OddzOn, Inc.
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