Abstract:
A candy dispenser in the form of a toy spacecraft having a single user action dispensing mechanism is provided. The candy dispenser may include an internal cavity to store candies. The internal cavity may be provided in the form of a cockpit for the spacecraft, with a cockpit windshield serving as a lid to retain candies therein. The dispensing mechanism may include a user-depressable button in the form of a passenger of the spacecraft, which upon a single depression, both loads a candy into a firing chamber, and fires the candy from the spacecraft. After each depression of the passenger button, the button is automatically reset to facilitate ease of use and rapid firing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to toys and, more particularly, relates to candy dispensing toys. 
     Children have long enjoyed the entertainment value offered by candy dispensers. Not only are children typically excited by the end result of obtaining a piece of candy, but the mechanics of presenting and delivering the candy to the child is often equally exciting. Such candy dispensers can be provided in the form of well-known gum ball machines, often provided outside commercial establishments such as supermarkets and the like, wherein the gum ball machine typically includes visually captivating elements such as a large clear globe filled with brightly colored candies, and/or a spiral or labyrinthine pathway for delivering the candy. 
     Candy dispensers may also be provided in the hand-held or portable variety. Such dispensers are provided in a number of forms, with the most common being a toy gun of some sort which is adapted to fire a candy upon manipulation of a trigger. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,631,578 and 2,921,573 provide two examples of toy candy dispenser guns. Similar dispensers may be provided in the form of toy animals, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,360,930 and 5,651,475. 
     While such devices attempt to provide visually and audibly stimulating toys to captivate the interest of children, it is important to understand that the attention span of children is often limited. Complicated and multiply sequenced steps for dispensing a candy can often require time beyond the patience of the child. Moreover, complicated mechanical structures requiring multiple steps such as a toy gun requiring, among other things, a first step of cocking a firing mechanism and a second step of triggering the release of the firing mechanism can lend themselves to mechanical malfunction, fatigue, or failure. This, in turn, can upset the child, or the parent, ultimately leading to the child stopping usage of the toy. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a candy dispenser is provided which may include a candy hopper, an opening, an actuating mechanism, and a trigger mechanism. The candy hopper may include a bottom aperture with the opneing being disposed below the bottom aperture of the hopper. The actuating mechanism may be disposed in the opening and be adapted to move between a firing position at least partially closing the aperture, and a loading position opening the aperture. The trigger mechanism may be connected to the actuating mechanism, with a single actuation of the trigger mechanism moving the actuating mechanism from the firing position to the loading position, and back to the firing position. A piece of candy falls into the opening through the aperture when the actuating mechanism is moved from the firing position to the loading position, and the piece of candy is forcibly ejected from the dispenser when the actuating mechanism moves form the loading position to the firing position. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, such a candy dispenser may be provided wherein the trigger mechanism includes a pivotable plate, an actuation rod connected to the pivotable plate, a drag arm connected to the pivotable plate, and a spring biasing the actuating mechanism toward the firing position. Depression of the actuation rod may rotate the pivotable plate, which in turn pulls the drag arm and drags the actuating mechanism to the loading position. Upon further depression of the actuation rod, the drag bar disengages from the actuation mechanism, and allows the spring to force the actuating mechanism toward the firing position, thus dispensing a candy. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a candy dispenser in the shape of a spacecraft is provided which may include an internal candy reservoir adapted to retain a plurality of candy pieces, and an actuating mechanism that loads and forcibly ejects candy pieces from the dispenser based on a single user action. The forcible ejection of the candies simulates a weapon being fired from the spacecraft. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a toy spacecraft adapted to dispense objects is provided which may include a simulated fuselage, a simulated cockpit, and a simulated passenger mechanism. The simulated fuselage may have a base, with an object dispensing chute being provided in the base of the fuselage. The simulated cockpit may be adapted to store a plurality of objects, with the cockpit being in communication with the dispensing chute. A single depression of the simulated passenger mechanism may cause an object to be fired from the toy spacecraft and another object to be communicated from the cockpit to the dispensing chute. The object dispensed by the toy spacecraft may be in the form of candies. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a method of dispensing candies is provided which may comprise the steps of providing a toy spacecraft having at least one appendage, and depressing the appendage to cause a candy to be forcibly ejected from the spacecraft. The forcible ejection simulates a weapon being fired from the spacecraft. 
     The features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy candy dispensing spacecraft built in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the firing mechanism in a rest position; 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the firing mechanism in an initially depressed position; 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the firing mechanism in a fully depressed and loading position; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the firing mechanism in a released and firing position; and 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the toy candy dispensing spacecraft. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, and with specific reference to FIG. 1, a candy dispenser built in accordance with the present invention is generally depicted by reference numeral  20 . While the dispenser  20  is depicted as a toy spacecraft, it is to be understood that the dispenser can take the form of many other objects other than spacecrafts. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the dispenser  20  may include a fuselage  22 , wings  24 , and propulsion engines  26 . Such simulated elements are all preferably manufactured from plastic and are brightly colored to capture the attention of children. 
     The fuselage  22  may include a cockpit  28  having an operable windshield  30  adapted to open and close to allow access to the cockpit  28 . The cockpit  28  is in communication with a reservoir  32  (FIG. 2) adapted to retain a plurality of candies  34 . The windshield  30  may be mounted to the fuselage using a conventional frictional hinge mechanism  35 . 
     Shown directly behind the cockpit  28  is a simulated passenger  36  provided in a cylindrical seat  38 . In the depicted embodiment, the passenger  36  is in the form of the well-known robotic character “R2 D2” from the motion picture STAR WARS, but other passenger forms, and spacecraft forms, can certainly be employed. Upon depression of the passenger  36 , one of the plurality of candies  34  is loaded into a firing position, and forcibly ejected from the dispenser  20  by a firing mechanism  39 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 2-5, the firing mechanism  39  may include a hammer  40  slidably disposed within a firing chamber or chute  42 . The chute  42  is defined by a pair of raised walls  44  extending from a base  46  positioned below the hammer  40  (see FIG.  6 ). A reservoir or hopper tray  48  is positioned above the hammer  40  and cooperates with the raised walls  44  and base  46  to define the chute  42 . The hopper tray  48  may include an aperture  49  adapted to communicate candies  34  from the reservoir  32  to the chute  42 . 
     The hammer  40  includes a top surface  50 , a front end  51 , a rear end  52 , a recessed bottom surface  54 , and an elongate slot  56 . The front end  51  may include an arcuate recess  58 , while the rear end  52  may include an extension lip  60  upwardly extending from the top surface  50 . A leg  62  downwardly extends from the hopper tray  48  and into the elongate slot  56 . 
     A drag arm  64  is positioned rearward of the hammer  40  and includes a front end  66  having an cross bar  68 , and a rear end  69  having a connection pivot  70 . An engagement lip  71  extends from the cross bar  68 . The drag arm  64  includes a canted section  72  angled with respect to a main section  74 . 
     The drag arm  64  is pivotally connected to a pivot plate  76 . More specifically, the pivot plate  76  includes a first pivot point  78  connected to the connection pivot  70  of the drag arm  64 . The pivot plate  76  includes stubs  80  which pivotally connect the pivot plate  76  to the base  46 . The pivot plate  76  further includes a second pivot point  82  connected to an actuation rod  84 . The actuation rod  84  includes a connection pivot  86  connected to the second pivot point  82 , a main member  88 , and a connection pin  90 . The actuation rod  84  is adapted to reciprocated with the cylindrical seat  38 , with the passenger  36  being mounted onto the connection pin  90 . 
     The firing mechanism  39  may be spring biased and in the depicted embodiment includes an extension spring  91  positioned within the recessed bottom  54  of the hammer  40 . The spring  91  may include a first end  92  connected to the leg  62 , and a second end  94  connected to the rear end  52  of the hammer  40 . First and second return springs  96 ,  98  may be connected between the drag arm  64  and first and second posts  100  downwardly extending from the hopper tray  48 . 
     FIGS. 2-5 show fragmentary cross-sectional views of the fuselage  22  and the firing mechanism  39  at various stages of operation. With initial reference to FIG. 2, the firing mechanism  39  is shown in a rest position. In such a position, a hammer  40  is disposed forwardly within the firing chamber  42 . In so doing, the aperture  49 , adapted to communicate the candies  34  from the reservoir  32  to the firing chamber  42  is blocked by the top surface  50  of the hammer  40 . But for the top surface  50  of the hammer  40 , gravity would allow the candy  34  to fall from the reservoir  32  to the firing chamber  42 . The hammer  40  is retractable into a second or loading position shown in FIG. 4 by depression of the passenger  36 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, upon initial depression of the passenger  36 , the hammer  40  begins to retract within the firing chamber  42 . More specifically, depression of the passenger  36  causes depression of the actuation rod  84 , which is pivotally attached to the pivot plate  76  at the second pivot point  82 . In the depicted embodiment, the pivot plate  76  begins to rotate counterclockwise upon depression of the passenger  36 , which in turn causes rearward retraction of the drag arm  64 , pivotally attached to the pivot plate  76  at the first pivot point  78 . Rearward retraction of the drag arm  64  causes the engagement lip  71  of the drag arm  64  to engage the extension lip  60  provided on the top surface  50  of the hammer  40 . Accordingly, the hammer  40  is rearwardly retracted (to the right in FIGS. 2-5) when the drag arm  64  is rearwardly retracted. 
     Given the geometry of the pivot plate  76 , and the canted shape of a rear end  69  of the drag arm  64 , upon further depression of the passenger  36 , the drag arm  64  is lifted vertically as shown in FIG.  4 . In so doing, the engagement lip  71  disengages from the extension lip  60 . Consequently, when the hammer  40  is rearwardly retracted, it is retracted against the biasing force of the extension spring  91 . As the hammer  40  is rearwardly retracted, the spring  91  is extended such that upon release of the engagement lip  69  from the extension lip  60 , the spring  91  causes the hammer  40  to fire forwardly within the firing chamber  42 . 
     Returning again to FIG. 4, it will be noted that immediately prior to release of the engagement lip  71  from the extension lip  60 , the front end  51  of the hammer  40  is rearwardly retracted sufficiently so that the hammer  40  no longer blocks the aperture  49 , and thus allows a piece of candy  34  to fall from the reservoir  32  into the firing chamber  42 . To facilitate this action, it will be noted from FIG. 6 that the front end  51  of the hammer  40  is provided with an arcuate recess  58  provided both to cup the candies  34  and lessen the length of travel required by the hammer  40  to allow a single piece of candy  34  to be loaded into the firing chamber  42 . 
     Upon release of the engagement lip  71  from the extension lip  60 , the spring  91 , which is under tension, recoils, which in turn imparts force to the hammer  40 , driving the hammer  40  forwardly through the firing chamber  42 . This action imparts force to the candy  34  to eject the candy  34  from the dispenser  20 . Since the dispenser is preferably in the shape of a spacecraft, such ejection of the candy  34  simulates a weapon being fired form the spacecraft. 
     In order to return the passenger  36  to an upright or reset position such as that shown in FIG. 2, after release of the engagement lip  71  from the extension lip  60 , and the release of a user&#39;s thumb from the passenger  36 , the return springs  96 ,  98 , which had been stretched into tension due to rearward retraction of the drag arm  64 , are allowed to recoil. This action pulls the drag arm  64  forwardly, rotates the pivot plate  76 , upwardly directs the actuation rod  84 , and returns the passenger  36  to an outward position relative to the fuselage  22 . This position is again the rest position depicted in FIG.  2 . 
     Therefore, it will readily be appreciated that the user of the dispenser  20  is only required to make a single depression of the passenger  36  to both load a candy  34  into the firing chamber  42 , and fire the candy  34  from the dispenser  20 . In so doing, the passenger  36  is automatically returned to a reset position for subsequent uses, and rapid firing. 
     Modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. This description is to be construed as illustrative only, and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and method may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims is reserved.