Small item dispenser
A dispenser for dispensing small items such as pieces of candy is disclosed herein. The dispenser includes a base and a cover rotatably coupled to the base, the base and the cover defining a main cavity thereinbetween. The dispenser includes a pocket within the base that can be separated from the main cavity by rotatable movement of the cover. The cover includes a divider for at least substantially blocking off the pocket from the main cavity when the cover moves from a closed position to an open position such that small items cannot enter the pocket. When the cover is in the closed position, a small item can enter the pocket but cannot be accessed from outside the small item dispenser, and, when the cover is in the open position, the pocket can be accessed from outside the small item dispenser without small items being able to enter the pocket from the main cavity.
The present invention relates generally to dispensers. More particularly, the present invention relates to dispensers for dispensing small items such as pieces of candy.
BACKGROUNDContainers for storing and dispensing small items such as tablets or pieces of candy are well known. Some examples of small item dispensers may include a removable screw top, a peelable seal, a slidable cover, or a snap-fit cap or opening. Once these closures are opened, the items within the containers may be freely poured from the container. One problem often encountered with the dispensers found in the art is that their designs make it difficult for users to control the amount of items to be dispensed from the container. A person wanting one, two, or a few tablets or pieces of candy often has a difficult time controlling the amount of items dispensed from the container and usually has to resort to discarding the unwanted pieces.
SUMMARYOne aspect of the present disclosure relates to a dispenser adapted for easily dispensing small items such as pieces of candy. In one example embodiment, the dispenser includes a base and a cover rotatably coupled to the base, the cover and the base defining a main cavity thereinbetween. The dispenser includes a pocket within the base that can be separated from the main cavity by rotatable movement of the cover with respect to the base. The cover includes a divider for at least substantially blocking off the pocket from the main cavity when the cover moves from a closed position to an open position such that small items cannot enter the pocket. When the cover is in the closed position, a small item can enter the pocket but cannot be accessed from outside the small item dispenser, and, when the cover is in the open position, the pocket can be accessed from outside the small item dispenser without small items being able to enter the pocket from the main cavity.
Examples representative of a variety of inventive aspects are set forth in the description that follows. The inventive aspects relate to individual features as well as combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description merely provide examples of how the inventive aspects may be put into practice, and are not intended to limit the broad spirit and scope of the inventive aspects.
The base 12 and the cover 14 define an interior storage volume 16 for holding a plurality of items 18. As will be discussed in further detail below, the interior storage volume 16 includes a main cavity 20 and a pocket 22 separable from the main cavity 20, wherein the pocket 22 is separated from the main cavity 20 by the rotation of either the base 12 or the cover 14 with respect to the other.
The dispenser 10 includes a first major side 24 and a second opposing major side 26. In the depicted embodiment, the first major side 24 of the dispenser 10 is defined by the base 12 and the second major side 26 of the dispenser 10 is defined by the cover 14. When the dispenser 10 is assembled (as shown at
Referring to
It will be appreciated that a variety of different types of items can be dispensed from the dispenser 10. Preferred items include pieces of candy. In one embodiment, the pieces of a candy can include pieces of hard candy. In a preferred embodiment, the items can include liquid filled (e.g., mint filled) candy. In one example embodiment, the items can include balls or spheres of candy including outer gelatin coatings and an inner liquid candy filling (e.g., a mint filling).
Referring to
When the cover 14 is in the closed position of
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The cover 14 includes a mounting post 38 (
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As discussed previously, the base 12 defines a pocket 22 that is separable from the main cavity 20 by the rotation of the cover 14 or the base 12 with respect to the other. Referring to
The pocket 22 includes an open end 58 configured to communicate with the main cavity 20. The pocket 22 also includes an open side 60 (
As shown at
In one embodiment, the pocket 22 is sized to hold at least one small item. Although the pocket 22 can be sized to hold any number of small items 18 (depending upon the size of the small items stored in the storage volume), according to one preferred embodiment, the pocket 22 is sized relative to the small items such that it can hold exactly one small item 18. In such an embodiment, as depicted, the dispenser 10 allows the items 18 to be individually dispensed from the interior storage volume 16.
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Still referring to
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As discussed above, when the second stop 68 has engaged the first upwardly extending wall 50 of the base 12, (i.e., while the cover is in the open position), the pocket 22 is blocked off from the main cavity 20 by the divider 62 such that small items 18 cannot enter the pocket 22. However, if a small item 18 has previously entered the pocket 22, that small item 18 is accessible from the pocket 22 when the cover 14 is in the open position, as shown in
As discussed above, when the first stop 66 has engaged the first upwardly extending wall 50 of the base 12 (i.e., while the cover is in the closed position), the pocket 22 is open to the main cavity 20 such that small items 18 can enter the pocket 22. However, since the pocket 22 is not aligned with the dispensing opening 28, a small item 18 in the pocket 22 cannot be accessed from outside the dispenser 10.
The above specification provides examples of how certain inventive aspects may be put into practice. It will be appreciated that the inventive aspects can be practiced in other ways than those specifically shown and described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive aspects.
Claims
1. A small item dispenser comprising:
- a base;
- a cover rotatably coupled to the base to define a main cavity thereinbetween for holding small items, the cover rotatable with respect to the base between a closed position and an open position; and
- a pocket within the base that can be separated from the main cavity, the pocket sized to receive and hold at least one small item;
- wherein the cover includes a divider for at least substantially blocking off the pocket from the main cavity when the cover moves from the closed position to the open position such that small items cannot enter the pocket, and, wherein, when the cover is in the closed position, the at least one small item can enter the pocket but cannot be accessed from outside the small item dispenser, and, wherein, when the cover is in the open position, the pocket can be accessed from outside the small item dispenser without small items being able to enter the pocket from the main cavity.
2. A small item dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a first stop configured to stop the cover from rotating past the closed position and a second stop configured to stop the cover from rotating past the open position with respect to the base.
3. A small item dispenser comprising according to claim 1, wherein the base includes a first upwardly extending wall and a second upwardly extending wall, the first wall and the second wall defining the pocket thereinbetween and the cover including a first downwardly extending wall oriented generally perpendicularly to the first and second walls of the base to at least substantially block off the pocket from the rest of the cavity when the cover moves from the closed position to the open position such that a small item cannot enter the pocket.
4. A small item dispenser according to claim 3, further comprising a first stop configured to stop the cover from rotating past the closed position and a second stop configured to stop the cover from rotating past the open position with respect to the base, wherein the first stop is configured to make contact with the first wall of the base when the cover is in the closed position and the second stop is configured to make contact with the first wall of the base when the cover is in the open position.
5. A small item dispense according to claim 4, wherein the first stop includes a tab extending away from the first downwardly extending wall of the cover generally toward the first wall of the base such that the tab contacts the first wall of the base when the cover is in the closed position and wherein the second stop includes a second downwardly extending wall of the cover that extends away from the first downwardly extending wall of the cover generally toward the first wall of the base such that the second stop contacts the first wall of the base when the cover is in the open position.
6. A small item dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the second stop is configured to make contact with the first wall of the base when the cover is in the open position and the first stop is configured to make contact with the second stop when the cover is in the closed position.
7. A small item dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the second stop includes a second downwardly extending wall of the cover that extends generally away from the first downwardly extending wall of the cover toward the first wall of the base such that the second stop makes contact with the first wall of the base when the cover is in the open position and wherein the first stop includes a third upwardly extending wall of the base configured to make contact with the second stop when the cover is in the closed position.
8. A small item dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the cover and the base include a generally round configuration.
9. A small item dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is generally trapezoidal.
10. A small item dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the second wall of the base includes a rounded portion to assist small items in entering the pocket.
11. A small item dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the cover is turned in a clockwise direction with respect to the base to bring the cover from the closed position to the open position.
12. A small item dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes a dispensing opening configured to communicate with the pocket when the cover is in the open position.
13. A small item dispenser according to claim 5, wherein the first and the second stops are integrally formed with the first downwardly extending wall of the cover.
14. A small item dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the cover is removably coupled to the base to allow loading of small items into the main cavity defined between the cover and the base.
15. A small item dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is sized to receive and hold at most one small item.
16. A small item dispenser comprising:
- a first portion and a second portion rotatably disposed with respect to the first portion, the second portion rotatable between a closed position and an open position, the first portion including a first major side and the second portion including a second major side;
- a main cavity for holding small items positioned between the first and second major sides; and
- a pocket separable from the main cavity by rotatable movement of the second portion with respect to the first portion from a closed position to an open position, wherein the pocket communicates with the main cavity for receiving at least one small item when the second portion is in the closed position and wherein the pocket is not accessible from an outside of the small item dispenser when the second portion is in the closed position;
- wherein, when the second portion is moved from the closed position to the open position, the pocket becomes substantially blocked off from the main cavity and the pocket becomes accessible from the outside of the small item dispenser.
17. A small item dispenser according to claim 16, wherein the first portion and the second portion include a generally round configuration.
18. A small item dispenser according to claim 16, wherein the second portion includes an access opening configured to communicate with the pocket when the second portion is moved to the open position.
19. A small item dispenser according to claim 16, wherein the second portion is rotated in a clockwise direction with respect to the first portion to bring the second portion from the closed position to the open position.
20. A small item dispenser according to claim 16, further comprising a first stop configured to stop the second portion from rotating past the closed position and a second stop configured to stop the second portion from rotating past the open position with respect to the base.
21. A small item dispenser according to claim 16, wherein the second portion is separable from the first portion for loading small items into the main cavity.
22. A small item dispenser according to claim 16, wherein the pocket is sized to receive and hold at most one small item.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 8, 2007
Publication Date: Sep 11, 2008
Inventors: Thomas E. Kramer (Coon Rapids, MN), Matthew H. Rust (Hudson, WI), Alan Webb (Prior Lake, MN)
Application Number: 11/715,658
International Classification: B65B 1/00 (20060101);