Candy dispenser

Details Candy dispenser Candy dispenser

1999-07-07

2001-03-27

Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)

Article dispensing

With discharge assistant

With separate holdback means

C221S204000, C221S205000, C221S263000, C221S293000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06206235

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to candy dispensers, and in particular, to a hand-held dispenser which can be operated single handedly to dispense individual pieces of candy.
Hand held candy dispensers, such as for PEZ® or TIC-TACS® are well known. Dispensers, such as the TIC-TACS dispensers, are basically a container with an openable lid. These dispensers require the use of two hands to open; one hand to hold the container and the other to open the lid. Some people may be able to hold the container in one hand, and using the thumb of that hand, open the lid. Once the container is opened, the container must be tipped over to dispense the candy. Often, more than one piece of candy is dispensed at a time.
Dispensers, such as PEZ dispensers, include a chamber which holds the candy, a spring biased mechanism which urges the candies up toward the top of the dispenser, and a pusher, which, when operated, pushes the candies out of the dispenser. Although these can be easily operated with one hand, they only work well with candies that can be stacked one on top of the other. They do not work well with candies, such as small round candies, which are held in a random fashion in the dispenser.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, my new candy dispenser includes a container defining a chamber adapted to hold a plurality of pieces of candy in a random fashion. The container has sides, a top, and a bottom which define the chamber. A dispensing tube extends along one side of the container. An opening between the container and the dispensing tube places the chamber in communication with the dispensing tube, near the bottom of the dispensing tube. The opening is sized to admit a single piece of candy from the chamber to the dispensing tube. A leaf spring is mounted to the bottom of the container. The spring has a spring arm which closes the bottom of the dispensing tube and an upwardly extending finger on the spring arm which is received in the dispensing tube. A plunger moves the leaf spring between a relaxed state and a primed state. In the relaxed state, the spring finger is in the dispensing tube and closes the opening between the chamber. In the primed state, the spring arm is urged away from the dispensing tube a distance sufficient for the spring finger to clear the opening to allow a piece of candy to enter the dispensing tube. Upon release of the plunger, the spring returns to its relaxed condition, and the candy is urged up and out of the dispensing tube.
In one embodiment, the plunger arm slides in a channel formed on an inner surface of the container wall. The plunger includes a thumb portion and a plunger arm. At least one finger extends down from a bottom of the dispenser arm. The dispenser container has an opening in the bottom through which the plunger finger extends. The plunger finger contacts the spring arm to move the spring arm from its relaxed state to its primed state when the plunger is depressed. The bottom of the plunger arm defines a knife-edge which closes the opening when the plunger is depressed.
In a second embodiment, the candy dispenser includes a pair of guide tubes adjacent the dispensing tube. The plunger arm is made of two arms or rods which extend through the guide tubes. The plunger thumb portion extends between, and connects, the plunger arms. The spring arm is sized to extend below the guide tubes. The plunger arms are of a sufficient length to move the spring from its relaxed state to its primed state.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 3398857 (1968-08-01), Alio
patent: 3471056 (1969-10-01), Kovac
patent: 3493145 (1970-02-01), Dessoy et al.
patent: 3796347 (1974-03-01), Hafner
patent: 3845882 (1974-11-01), Hass
patent: 4117956 (1978-10-01), von Schuckmann
patent: 4295579 (1981-10-01), Haas
patent: 4415098 (1983-11-01), Haas
patent: 4564124 (1986-01-01), Burton
patent: 5048720 (1991-09-01), Hoke
patent: 5178298 (1993-01-01), Allina
patent: 5785206 (1998-07-01), Chan

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