COMBINED CANDY CONTAINER AND CARD HOLDER

Abstract

The device includes a plastic body in two hinged halves or portions and a tray. When the device is closed, the tray is held between the two portions. A candy-chamber (for holding several small candies) is defined between the tray and the candy-portion, and a card-pocket (for holding one business-card) is defined between the tray and the card-portion. When the candies are all gone, the body is opened and the tray is removed, whereupon the candy-chamber and the card-pocket are aggregated into a single large storage container.

Description

This invention relates to card-holders, of the kind used to hold commercial business cards. Such business cards typically are two inches by three-and-a-half inches, and a business card holder is correspondingly constrained as to its dimensions. Holders for small candy items can easily be of the same rectangular size as a business card, and there are old designs in which a card-holder has been combined with a candy-holder.

Small candy-containers (commonly known as “mint-cards”) on which business-card-type messages are (permanently) printed are well known. The containers may include e.g a flip-cap dispenser through which the candies can be controllably dispensed. Also known is a combination container having a candy-chamber for candies and a card-pocket for storing and displaying a business-card.

The devices described herein include a candy-chamber and a card-pocket, which are separated by a separator. The separator can be in the form of a tray that is detachable from the body of the device. When the tray is detached and removed, and the body is re-closed, a large storage-container, having good utility, is then created within the body.

Also, when the tray is detachable from the body, the body can be injection-moulded very simply. In particular, an aperture (serving as a card-entry-slot) can be simply moulded into a card-panel of the body.

Alternatively, the separator or tray can be moulded integrally with the body. In that case, an aperture for the card-entry-slot can be inexpensively moulded into the body provided the separator or tray does not overlie the area of the body in which the aperture is to be formed, at least during moulding.

Preferably, in the present device, the candy-chamber should be secure, during normal operation, so that it is (almost) impossible for the candies to be spilled out of the candy-chamber. In the present design, when the candies are gone, the device can be opened up and the tray removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The new technology will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a combined candy-container and card-holder device, the device being shown with a candy-portion and a card-portion of the body of the device in a relatively partly-open position.

FIG. 2 is a similar view to that of FIG. 1, except that the candy-portion and the card-portion are opened out fully. Also in FIG. 2, a tray of the device has been removed from the body. Also in FIG. 2, a portion of the card-portion is cut away to show a hinge of the body.

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of a tray of the device of FIG. 1

FIG. 4 is a side elevation, in cross-section, of the body of the device of FIG. 1, shown with the candy-portion and the card-portion in another partly-open position.

FIG. 5 is a similar view to that of FIG. 4, shown with the candy-portion and the card-portion in a closed position. In FIG. 4, some candies are shown inside the device.

FIG. 6 is a pictorial view of the device of FIG. 1 in a closed position, viewed from the candy-side. In FIG. 6, a flip-cap of the candy-portion is shown in an open position.

FIG. 7 is a another pictorial view of the device of FIG. 1, viewed from the card-side. In FIG. 7, the flip-cap is shown in a closed position. In FIGS. 6,7, the tray has again been omitted from the device.

FIG. 8 is a view like FIG. 4 of another device, in which the tray is hinged to an edge of the card-portion.

FIG. 9 is a view of the width of the device of FIG. 8

FIG. 10 is a view of the length of the device of FIG. 8.

The scope of the patent protection sought herein is defined by the accompanying claims. The apparatuses and procedures shown in the accompanying drawings and described herein are examples.

In the device 20 shown in the drawings, a body 23 of the device is formed as a plastic moulding. The body 23 is in two halves or portions, being a candy-portion 25 and a card-portion 27. The two portions are joined together by hinge 29 (which preferably comprises two parallel living-hinges) moulded into the plastic. (For good living-hinge performance, the plastic of the body 23 preferably should be polypropylene.)

The device includes a detachable tray 30 (FIG. 3). The tray 30 is configured and dimensioned to rest on a ledge 32, between side-walls 34 of the candy-portion 25 of the body 23. Clearance between side-walls 36 of the tray 30 and the side-walls 34 of the card-portion 27 should be between about 0.5 mm and about 2 mm. The ledge 32 is shown as extending uninterruptedly all around the card-portion 27. Being uninterrupted, the ledge 32 helps prevent contaminants entering the candy-chamber 38 from the card-pocket 40, by effectively sealing the tray 30 onto the ledge 32.

FIG. 5 shows the tray 30 in position. When the two halves (i.e the candy-portion 25 and the card-portion 27) of the body of the device are closed together with the tray 30 in place (FIG. 5), the device 20 defines a candy-chamber 38 and a card-pocket 40.

What may be termed, in the orientation of FIG. 5, the “ceiling” of the card-pocket 40, is defined by the floor 43 of the tray 30, and its “floor” by a card-panel 45 of the card-portion 27. The height of the card-pocket 40, thus formed, should be greater than the thickness of the inserted card; thus, the clear height of the card-pocket 40 should be between about 0.5 mm and 1 mm, and the ledge 32 should be configured accordingly.

The card-panel 45 preferably is substantially transparent (FIG. 7), as moulded in plastic, so that display material on a business card placed in the card-pocket 40 is visible through the card-panel 45. (Preferably, the rest of the device 20 is not transparent—although it should be translucent enough to enable a person to make out whether any candies remain inside the device.)

A person inserts a business-card into the card-pocket 40 through a card-entry-slot 47. The designer should see to it that the card-entry-slot 47 is wide enough to enable this operation, whereby the slot 47 should be at least about 3 mm wide.

The length of the card-pocket 40 should be longer than the length of a business card, with enough margin to enable a person, having inserted the card into the card-entry-slot 47, to slide the card along the length of the card-pocket. This operation, of course, entails bending the card. The amount of bending depends on the width of the card-entry-slot 47—the narrower the card-entry-slot, the more the card must bend, during insertion. The above dimensions of the card-entry-slot readily accommodate this bending.

The business card as referred to herein is typically made of cardboard, between about 0.25 mm and 0.35 thick. The “card” might be of e.g plastic, of about the same or slightly smaller thickness. It should be noted that a typical credit card (thickness 0.75 mm) is too thick to bend sufficiently to be able to pass through the card-entry-slot in the card-panel of the device.

Once the card is fully assembled into the card-pocket 40, the card flattens out. The inserted card is then free to move within the confines of the card-pocket 40. The card-pocket 40 should be wide enough that, upon insertion of the card, the card does not become snagged between the side-walls 49 that define the card-pocket 40. Typically, the designer should provide that the width of the card-pocket 40 (i.e the distance between the side-walls 49) is about 2 mm to 6 mm clear of width of the card. (The side-walls 49 of the card-pocket 40 are, in the device 20, structurally unitary with the side-walls 34 of the card-portion 27, the ledge 32 lying at the junction between the two side-walls 34,49.)

Typically, the designer will configure the card-pocket 40 and the card-entry-slot 47 such that the inserted business-card 50 lies partly exposed (FIG. 7) within a cut-out 52 in the card-panel 45, to assist in the insertion of the card 50. The thickness of the card 50 is only slightly clear within the height of the card-pocket, to the extent that minor distortions of the plastic body 23, and any slight non-flatness of the card itself, mean that the card 50 inevitably contacts the floor and ceiling of the card-pocket 40, and friction at the contact points restrains movement of the card 50.

This frictional restraint on movement of the card 50 is advantageous in the sense that the card does not tend to shuttle back and forth within the card-pocket 40 during normal usage of the device, but the restraint does makes it difficult to remove the card.

In fact, such restraint on removing the card may be regarded as advantageous in itself, in that the restraint deters users from extracting the card. The device is intended (among other things) to be used as a promotional handout, i.e to promote the business of the donor handing out the device. The donor does not want their business card to be taken out, and perhaps another card substituted—at least, not until all the candies are gone.

The preferred method whereby the business card 50 can be removed from the card-pocket 40 is explained below. It will be understood that the cut-out 52 is not essential, in that the card can still be removed, by the said method, even if the card were buried completely within the card-pocket, i.e even if the card-entry-slot were so configured that no portion of the inserted card 50 is exposed. When the cut-out 52 is present, the area of the card that is exposed should be small, i.e no more than about two sq. cm.

As shown in FIG. 7, there is a substantial distance between the near-edge 54 of the card 50 and the end-wall 56 of the card-pocket 40; in other words, the card-pocket 40 is about 8 mm longer than the length of the card. This distance might alternatively be as little as e.g two millimetres longer than the length of the card, whereby the card is then constrained lengthwise more or less as tightly as it is constrained widthwise by the side-walls 49 that define the card-pocket 40.

It should be noted that, preferably, the card-pocket should not be configured with no end-wall 56 at all (even though that would make insertion of the card an easier task), because the card might, if the device were to be even lightly jarred, then tend to (partially) fall out of the card-pocket—to the likely detriment of the card.

The fact that the card-entry-slot 47 is formed in the card-panel 45 of the card-pocket 40, rather than in the end-wall 56 of the card-pocket, is advantageous in that, the slot being thus disposed, it is almost impossible for the card to fall out accidentally, in that the card has to bend in order for the card to emerge from the card-entry-slot.

On the other hand, it is not ruled out that the card-entry-slot can alternatively be provided in the end-wall 56 of the card-pocket. In that alternative, there would be no aperture (like the card-entry-slot 47) in the card-panel itself. The card-entry-slot can be formed in the end-wall, or the end-wall might simply be omitted, thereby creating the card-entry-slot.

It will be understood that forming the aperture for the card-entry-slot in the card-panel, as is preferred, means that, during moulding of the body, two sections of the mould must close together. That is to say: in order to create the aperture, there must be direct access for the mould to both sides of the card-panel 45. The mould designer can readily provide this moulding-access-to-both-sides of the card-panel, of course, when the tray 30 is detachable—because the tray then is not present, in the mould, during moulding of the body. And of course, during moulding, the body is opened out, whereby the candy-portion and the card-portion do not overlie each other.

The size of a typical N. American business-card is 50.8 mm by 88.9 mm. As to its width, the rectangular card-pocket 32 should be sufficiently loose on the inserted card as to allow the card's ready insertion into the card-pocket, and yet should be tight enough to constrain the inserted card from becoming skewed or otherwise misaligned in the card-pocket, which might be unsightly. Thus, the card-pocket 40 preferably should be a minimum of about 2 mm wider than the card, and no more than about 6 mm wider. As to the length of the card-pocket, preferably the card pocket should be a minimum of about 2 mm longer than the card, and a maximum (in the configuration as shown in FIGS. 2,7) of about 12 mm longer. To cater for the said standard size of card, therefore, the card-receiving width of the card-pocket 40 should be between about 53 mm and 57 mm, and the length of the card-pocket should be between about 91 mm and 101 mm.

The candy-portion 25 of the body 23 is hinged to the body-portion at the hinges 29. These hinges (there are three in the device as shown) might be simple pin-hinges, but as shown they are living-hinges, moulded directly into the plastic.

In fact, the hinges 29 each include two hinge-axes 29a,29b, as may be understood from FIGS. 4,5, spaced by a hinge-bar 60. The two hinge-axes permit the two halves of the body to be in accurate alignment, when the two halves are closed together, as they are in FIGS. 5,6,7. The two halves of the body in fact interlock together quite tightly, and if the hinge were of the conventional single-axis type, that hinge might interfere with the tight interlocking of the two halves and cause misalignments, binding, etc. The two-axis hinge enables the hinge to accommodate itself to the movements involved in locking the two halves together.

A conventional single-axis living-hinge would usually have some resistance to flexing through a full 180 degrees of rotation. The two-axis hinge allows each hinge axis to rotate only ninety degrees. On closing of the device, the hinge 29 is stretched, and the tension assists in pulling the two halves of the body together, thus producing a tight fit.

The design of the interlock between the two halves of the body 23 preferably should be such that, when the two halves are pressed together, i.e when the body 23 goes from the FIG. 4 configuration to the FIG. 5 configuration, the card-portion 27 and the candy-portion 25 will be held together tightly enough to resist becoming separated during normal usage of the device.

This preferred degree of retention tightness is achieved by the engagement of tabs 74 on the candy-portion 25 with corresponding sockets 76 on the card-portion 27. The tabs 74 preferably are an interference fit within the sockets 76. The desired tightness of engagement also comes from the fact that the tabs are inevitably slightly mis-shaped and slightly misaligned with respect to the sockets.

Given that the tabs 74 and sockets 76 are injection-moulded in plastic, the resulting slight imperfections and misalignments are small enough not to interfere with the inter-engageability of the tabs with the sockets. And yet the imperfections and misalignments should be large enough that, once the tabs and sockets have been engaged, a rather heavy force is then required in order to press the tabs fully home into the sockets—whereby a correspondingly heavy force then is required in order to forcibly release the tabs from the sockets, and thereby to separate the two halves. It is recognised that a good compromise of the required accuracy and tolerance is readily achievable, given that the body is injection-moulded with a reasonably-inexpensive degree of precision.

It would not be preferred for the tabs 74 to be replaced by one single continuous “tab”, running uninterruptedly all the way around the candy-portion 25 of the body 23; such a design would likely result in the two halves of the body being inflexible and un-accommodating, making insertion and closure rather too difficult. Especially, from this standpoint, the tabs should not be present around, or at, the corners. Thus, the tabs should be individually small, and should be placed along the (straight) sides of the candy-portion, (and the sockets should be correspondingly placed, of course, along the straight sides of the card-portion), and not at the corners, as shown in FIGS. 1,2.

As mentioned, the extra axis of the two-axis design of the hinges 29 permits sufficient flexibility to allow the two halves of the body to be misaligned (slightly), in order to assist in the alignment of the tabs 74 with the sockets 76. However, what may be termed the hinged spine area 78 (FIG. 2) of the candy-portion should not be actually flexible, as such, and this area 78 should be suitably thickened, to ensure that the line of the hinges 29 remains straight and true.

As to the size and shape of the candy-chamber 38, the rectangular size of a standard business-card dictate the shape and size of the device 20, including the shape and size of the candy-chamber 38. As to height, the height of the candy-chamber is dictated by the need to accommodate candies, which have to be sized complementarily with the height of the candy-chamber. Of course, if the candies were thin, the height of the candy-chamber could be correspondingly small. In order to accommodate reasonably-sized candies, the height of the candy-chamber should be in the range of about 2.5 mm to about 5 mm.

The moulded plastic body 23 is subject to distortions, due both to forces imposed during operation, and to inherent slight instabilities of the plastic material structures. Where this distortion serves to close the card-pocket 40 (FIG. 5), and thus causes the card therein to be gripped more tightly, that is not a problem. However, if distortions of the plastic components were to result in (slight) closing of the candy-chamber 38, that would indeed be a problem, because then the candies might become trapped between the floor 43 of the tray 30 and the panel 67 of the candy-portion 25, leading to tiresome difficulties when dispensing the candies. Pillars 69 are moulded into the tray 30, and serve to hold the floor 43 and the panel 67 far enough apart to ensure that any distortions of the device do not result in the candies being snagged—assuming, of course, that the candies are slightly smaller in nominal height than the pillars 69.

The candies are dispensed from the candy-chamber 38 through a flip-cap 63. The flip-cap 63 is movable between an open position and a closed position, relative to the candy-portion 25 of the body 23. The flip-cap 63 is shown in its open position in FIGS. 1,2,6, and in its closed position in FIG. 7. The flip-cap 63 is hinged to the panel 67 of the candy-portion 25 by means of a single-axis living-hinge 70.

As shown, the axis of the living-hinge 70 is parallel with the sides of the rectangular form of the device 20, but alternatively the axis can run e.g diagonally across the corner.

The flip-cap 63 is provided, on its inside face, with a small ridge or ledge, which snaps over a complementary small ridge or ledge 72 on an aperture-recess-area 65 of the card-portion 27. The intent is that the user can easily flip the flip-cap 63 to its open position by manipulating the flip-cap with one finger, and, having (controllably) dispensed one candy, can easily press the flip-cap back down to its closed position.

It is recognised that the retention force created by the interaction of the ridge 72 with the corresponding ridge on the inside of the flip-cap 63 can easily be engineered by the designer to provide an effective compromise between too much retention force (whereby the user might have difficulty opening the flip-cap) and too little retention force (whereby the flip-cap would be likely to fall open accidentally).

The candy-chamber 38 normally remains closed (i.e in the FIG. 5 position) until the candies are all gone. The idea is that the user, when removing a candy from the device, will be reminded of the information on the business-card stored in the card-pocket 40, each time they take a candy. When the candies are all gone, the user has the option of refilling the candy-chamber with suitable candies. Alternatively, the candy-chamber 38 can be used for storing other articles. However, the field is rather limited as to what these articles might be, other than candies; the presence of the pillars 69 in the tray—the function of which was to make sure the height of the candy-chamber could not decrease and thus trap or snag the candies—interferes with storage of the other articles.

In the device 20, the tray 30 can be removed. The user can simply pry open the candy-portion 25 of the body 23 from the card-portion 27, whereupon the tray 30 can be lifted out. The large storage-chamber that now results aggregates both the card-pocket 40 and the candy-chamber 38. The large storage-chamber, having the shape of a business-card, is suitable for the storage, now, of a large number of business-cards. Typically, a stack of say twenty cards can be stored in the storage-chamber created by removing the tray 30.

Again, after the candies are gone, the user removes and discards the tray 30, thereby creating the large storage-chamber, and this resulting large storage-chamber now has an on-going utility. This may be contrasted with other designs of candy-container in which, after the candies are gone, the device has no functional utility, and the user simply discards the whole device.

Of course, the original business-card that was stored in the card-pocket 40 might now be just one of e.g twenty cards. However, the hope is that users will still associate the still-useful device 20 with the donor of the original card—often enough, at any rate, to make it worthwhile. It will be understood also that it can be very difficult to remove the original card from the card-pocket while the tray 30 remains in place, in that the card would then have to be removed through the card-entry-slot 47; the difficulty arises from the fact that, to remove the card through the card-entry-slot 47, a person would have to bend the card in a way that is awkward to achieve.

Preferably, all the candies are of the same dimensions. Their height of course is smaller than the height of candy-chamber, and preferably is between 3 mm and 6 mm. Preferably, their minor lateral-width is greater than the height of the candy-chamber, whereby the candies lie in the candy-chamber all in the same orientation, and cannot roll therewithin. Preferably, their major lateral width is no more than about twice their height.

Preferably, the size of the aperture, with the flip-cap open, should be small enough to permit the candies to be dispensed only one at once. Preferably, the candies are hard mints, or the like, with a long shelf life. Typically the candy-chamber is sized to carry e.g sixty or eighty candies. The minimum capacity would be about twenty, the candies and the candy-chamber and the aperture being sized accordingly.

Preferably, the designer should arrange that the candy-chamber cannot open wide accidentally, because if that were permitted, large numbers of candies might then spill out unexpectedly and uncontrollably. When the candy-chamber is to be opened wide, e.g for refilling, it is better for that to be done on a special one-off occasion, whereby the person doing the refill can do so e.g while sitting quietly at a table, or otherwise controllably. Of course, the user might perform a dispensing-episode on an ill-advised occasion, such as while driving, so the designer should see to it that the candies are contained robustly and securely enough that, during dispensing (or indeed at any time), they physically cannot all fall out accidentally, but can only leave the candy-chamber through the dispensing-aperture, one at a time.

The candy-chamber can be refilled with candies, if that is desired and if suitable sized candies are available. On the other hand, as mentioned, the tray being detachable, the usage of the device as a storage container can be changed—for storing e.g a stack of cards, or anything else that fits in a rectangular space of that depth, such as keys, coins etc. Of course, the dispensing flip-cap will likely not be of use to assist in dispensing the items stored, unless those items are sized appropriately to the dispensing aperture.

As mentioned, the flip-cap 63 is prevented from opening by the interaction of the ridge 72 with the corresponding ridge on the inside of the flip-cap 63. As mentioned also, the two halves of the body are inhibited from accidentally separating by the retention means provided by the interlock between the tabs 74 and the sockets 76. It should be noted that the retention-means of the flip-cap assists the retention-means between the two halves of the body, in constraining the two halves to stay together.

The retention-means between the two halves of the body should be such that the candy-portion and the card-portion of the body, once having been pressed together, remain together. To achieve the required retention, the design engineer typically would not have to provide an interference fit, as such; the inevitable slight distortions of the plastic material provide sufficient interference to prevent the two halves of the body from separating. On the other hand, the designer preferably should see to it that a person can separate the two portions of the body, and can open the two halves out flat, about the hinge—preferably simply by hand manipulation, although, if the two portions should happen to be snagged together very tightly, it is not too onerous for the person to have to insert a tool such as a point or blade between the two portions, to assist in the opening-out manipulation.

It will be understood that, even with the flip-cap open, the candies cannot just fall out, because the side-walls of the tray extends around the periphery of the aperture. Thus, the person, having opened the flip-cap, also has to turn the device upside-down, so that the tray itself is upside-down, in order for the candies to be released. The need to turn the apparatus upside-down is immediately apparent to the user, of course, and is not a difficult operation. Thus, a sequence of deliberate manipulations have to be carried out in order to release the candies, which is good from the standpoint of preventing the candies from spilling.

In the present device, the candy-chamber should be secure, during normal operation, so that it is (almost) impossible to spill the candies out of the candy-chamber. At the same time, the designer should make it possible for the user to pry open the two halves of the body, forcefully by hand, preferably without the use of tools. The present device is not intended to be thrown away after the candies are gone (unlike conventional devices); rather, the present device is intended to be re-cycled to store other items, or to be refilled with candies. In the present design, the body of the device is be opened up, when the candies are gone. One of the benefits of having a removable tray is that, when the candies are gone, the tray can be removed—and, of course, the pillars are removed along with the tray, whereby the resulting large storage chamber is open to the storage of, for example, a stack of business-cards.

FIGS. 8,9 show an alternative construction, in which the separator or tray is co-moulded along with the card-portion and the candy-portion.

In FIGS. 8,9, there is a second double-axis living-hinge, termed a separator-hinge 83, in addition to the living-hinge shown at 29. The separator-hinge 83 hinges the card-portion 27 of the body and, now, a separator 85.

Thus, in FIGS. 8,9, the tray or separator 85 is integral with the moulded body 80, and cannot be detached from the body. During usage of the device as a combined candy-dispenser and card-holder, the separator 85 lies between, and separates, the candy-chamber 38 from the card-pocket 40.

Even though it might be regarded as a disadvantage, in FIGS. 8-10, that the separator 85 cannot be removed, still the body 80 is possessed of the following advantage, namely that the body 80 can be formed as a simple injection-moulding, and the aperture required for the card-entry-slot 47, positioned in the card-panel 45, can be simply moulded integrally with the injection-moulded body (comprising the card-portion and the candy-portion).

By contrast, it would be expensive to mould a card-entry-slot aperture into e.g the end-wall 56 (FIG. 2). Also, it would be expensive to mould an aperture into a panel of the body if some area or portion of the as-moulded form were, during moulding, to overlie the area of the panel in which the aperture is to be formed. This expense is avoided when the separator is a tray that is moulded separately and is detachable from the card-panel (as in FIGS. 1-7), and the expense is avoided also when the separator is moulded integrally with the card-panel but does not overlie the card-panel during moulding (as in FIGS. 8-10). In FIGS. 8-10, no portion of the as-moulded form is in a non-overlying relationship with the card-panel 45, or at least not with the portion of the card-panel 45 in which is formed the aperture for the card-entry-slot 47.

FIG. 10 shows the body 80 when viewed from the side, showing three separator-hinges 83. FIG. 10 illustrates that the separator-hinges 83 need to be positioned clear of the flip-cap 63. Alternatively, the flip-cap 61 could be on the same side as the hinges 29, if desired—in which case, the hinges 29 now would have to be positioned clear of the flip-cap 63.

With regard to the relationship between a panel and a structure, the terms “non-overlying relationship” and “overlying relationship” are used herein as follows.

• • An overlying relationship: where the normals from the panel encounter the structure.
  • A non-overlying relationship: where the normals from the panel do not encounter the structure.
  • A partial overlying relationship: where some of the normals from the panel encounter the structure, but others of the normals do not.
  • A non-overlying relationship with a portion of the panel: where none of the normals from that portion of the panel encounter the structure—even if the normals from some other portions of the panel do encounter the structure.

In some cases, a short normal (shorter than D) from the panel does not encounter the structure, but a long normal (longer than D) does encounter the structure (e.g the normal encounters a more remote part of the structure). In that case, the panel and the structure would be in a non-overlying relationship, as that term is used herein in the context of the card-holder device, if the distance D were about a centimetre.

The numerals used in the drawings may be summarized as:—

• 20 combined candy-container and card-holder device
• 23 moulded body
• 25 candy-portion of body 23
• 27 card-portion of body 23
• 29 hinge
• 29a +
• 29b hinge-axes
• 30 detachable tray
• 32 ledge
• 34 side-walls of candy-portion 25
• 36 side-walls of tray 30
• 38 candy-chamber
• 40 card-pocket
• 43 floor of tray 30
• 45 card-panel
• 47 card-entry-slot
• 49 side-walls of card-pocket 40
• 50 card
• 52 cut-out in card-panel 45
• 54 near-edge of card 50
• 56 end-wall of card-pocket 40
• 60 hinge-bar
• 63 flip-cap
• 65 aperture-recess-area of card-portion 27
• 69 pillar
• 70 hinge for 63
• 72 ridge/ledge on 65
• 74 tabs
• 76 sockets
• 78 hinged spine area
• 80 body (FIG. 8)
• 83 separator-hinge
• 85 separator

Claims

1. Device comprising a combined candy-container and card-holder, wherein:

[2] the device includes a moulded plastic body and a separator;

[3] a candy-portion of the body and a candy-side of the separator together define a candy-chamber;

[4] the device is so structured that the candy-portion and the separator are relatively movable between an open position and a closed position of the candy-chamber;

[5] in the closed position of the candy-chamber, the separator and the card-portion lie closed together;

[6] the closed candy-chamber is so enclosed as to physically retain and hold a number NC of small candies in the candy-chamber;

[7] the closed candy-chamber is so configured as to present the small candies in readiness to be dispensed from the candy-chamber;

[8] in the open position of the candy-chamber, the separator and the card-portion lie opened apart;

[9] a card-portion of the body and a card-side of the separator together define a card-pocket;

[10] the separator physically separates the card-pocket from the candy-chamber;

[11] the device is so structured that the card-portion and the separator are relatively movable between an open position and a closed position of the card-pocket;

[12] in the closed position of the card-pocket:—

[13] (a) the separator and the card-portion lie closed together;

[14] (b) the closed card-pocket is so configured as to present a card, located in the closed card-pocket, for visual display in or through a card-panel of the card-portion;

[15] (c) the closed card-pocket is so enclosed as to physically retain and hold such card in the closed card-pocket;

[16] in the open position of the card-pocket:—

[17] (a) the separator and the card-portion lie opened apart;

[18] (b) to the extent that the separator is in a non-overlying relationship with at least a portion of the card-panel.

2. As in claim 1, wherein:

[2] the card-panel of the card-pocket is provided with a card-entry-slot;

[3] the card-entry-slot comprises an aperture or through-opening in the card-panel;

[4] the card-entry-slot is so dimensioned and so arranged that a card, e.g a business-card, can be introduced through the card-entry-slot into the card-pocket;

[5] the configuration and arrangement of the card-entry-slot in relation to the card-pocket is such that the card can, with substantial bending of the card—but cannot, without substantial bending of the card—pass completely through the card-entry-slot, from outside the card-pocket into the card-pocket, and vice versa.

3. As in claim 2, wherein the portion of the card-panel that is in a non-overlying relationship with the separator surrounds the card-entry-slot.

4. As in claim 1, wherein:

[2] the separator includes a tray;

[3] the tray is detachable from, and separable from, the body;

[4] in the open-position of the card-pocket, the two portions lie opened, relatively, sufficiently that:—

[5] (a) the tray can be placed and assembled between the two portions; and

[6] (b) the tray can be removed from and separated from the body;

[7] the structure of the body and of the tray is such that the body can be moved between its open-position and its closed-position, whether or not the tray lies assembled between the two portions of the body;

[8] the retention-means, when the body is in its closed-position, is effective to retain and hold the body in its closed-position whether or not the tray lies assembled between the two portions of the body;

[9] the body of the device is so structured that, when the tray is removed from the body, and the body is in its closed-position, the card-pocket and the candy-chamber of the body thereby become aggregated, and thereby form a single large storage-container.

5. As in claim 4, wherein:

[2] the device is capable of being arranged also in a storage-position, in which:—

[3] the candy-portion and the card-portion lie closed together, as in the closed-position;

[4] the tray lies outside the body;

[5] the card-portion and the candy-portion being closed together, and the tray lying outside the body, the card-pocket and the candy-chamber of the body thereby become aggregated, and thereby form a single large storage-container.

6. As in claim 1, wherein, in the open position of the card-pocket, the card-panel and the separator lie opened and apart from each other in that the separator is formed as a physically-separate piece from the card-panel, and the separator lies physically detached from the card-panel.

7. As in claim 1, wherein, in the open position of the card-pocket, the card-panel and the separator lie opened and apart from each other in that the card-panel and the separator are hinged together, and are opened and spread apart about the hinge axis.

8. As in claim 1, wherein the body is a plastic moulding, and the two portions of the body are hinged together, preferably by a living-hinge.

9. As in claim 1, wherein:

[2] the candy-chamber is provided with a dispensing-aperture, through which candies can be dispensed from the candy-chamber;

[3] the device includes an operable dispensing-cover, which is operable, relative to the dispensing-aperture, between a dispensing-enabled position and a dispensing-blocked position; and

[4] the dispensing-aperture is restricted in size, such that the small candies can be dispensed through the dispensing aperture only N at a time, where N is a number that is small in relation to NC, and preferably N is one.

10. As in claim 1, wherein:

[2] the device includes a retention-means, which is effective to hold and retain the card-pocket and the candy-chamber in their closed positions;

[3] the retention-means is so structured as to be effective to:—

[2] (a) hold the two portions of the body together during normal usage of the device, against accidental movement away from the closed-positions; and

[3] (b) permit the two portions to be moved apart by a person, upon applying deliberate and forceful separation thereto, preferably without tools.

11. As in claim 1, wherein:

[2] the card-panel is transparent; and

[3] a card having been placed in the card-pocket, the card-panel covers and encloses a large proportion of such card.

12. As in claim 1, wherein the separator includes a floor and upstanding side-walls, and includes a pillar so structured that the candy-chamber is maintained at a minimum height determined by the height of the pillar.

13. As in claim 1, wherein the card-portion and the candy-portion are integrally co-moulded, and form the body of the card-holder.

14. As in claim 1, wherein:

[2] the card-pocket has a length CPL defined by opposing end-walls of the card-pocket;

[3] the card-pocket has a width CPW defined by opposing side-walls of the card-pocket;

[4] the card-pocket has a height CPH defined between the card-panel and the separator, and when a card is present in the card-pocket, the card is contained between the card-panel and the separator;

[5] the card-pocket is enclosed in that the end-walls, the side-walls, and the panels are so structured as to accommodate and contain the card located within the card-pocket;

[6] the card-entry-slot has a width CSW that is at least about 2½ mm, over a card-entry-slot length CSL of the card-entry-slot.

15. The device of claim 14, in combination with a rectangular card, for example a business-card, wherein:

[2] the card has a length CL, a width CW, and a thickness CT;

[3] the dimensions CPL, CPW, and CPH are larger than CL, CW, and CT, respectively, by such margin that the card-pocket accommodates and contains the card within the card-pocket;

[4] the card-entry-slot in the card-panel has a length CSL that is greater than the width CW of the card;

[5] the card-entry-slot has a width CSW that is between about ten times and about twenty times the thickness CT of the card.

16. As in claim 15, wherein:

[2] CL is between 91 mm and 74 mm, CW is between 55 mm and 50 mm, and CT is between 0.22 and 0.40 mm; and

[3] the aspect ratio of the card is between 1.4 and 1.8.