Abstract:
A dispensing container is formed having a housing with an opening at the top and defining an internal cavity. A wheel is rotatably attached to the housing and includes an arm which extends from the wheel and is dimensioned to cover the opening. The wheel with the extending arm is adapted to pivot away from the opening when the wheel is rotated, thereby allowing one to dispense the contents present in the container.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a container, and in particular, to a dispensing container with a rotatable lid for dispensing food products.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Containers for packaging and dispensing food products such as candy come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. These containers may be handheld and adapted to fit in a purse or in a pocket of a shirt or pair of pants. Further, these containers help to prevent damage to the food product contained within and to maintain its freshness. There exists a need for new and improved containers for dispensing food products such as candy.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In accordance with a general object of the present invention, a dispensing container is provided for storing and dispensing food products such as candy wherein the dispensing container has an easy opening lid for dispensing a food product.  
           [0004]    It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a dispensing container dimensioned to fit comfortably in the palm of a hand.  
           [0005]    According to one aspect of the present invention, a dispensing container includes a housing defining an internal cavity and including an aperture. A wheel is rotatably attached to the housing and has an extending arm which is dimensioned to cover the aperture and to pivot away from the aperture when the wheel is rotated, thereby uncovering the aperture. In one advantageous further embodiment, the wheel is biased to cause the arm to cover the aperture.  
           [0006]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a dispensing container includes a housing having two pairs of opposing sides, a bottom, and an opening opposite the bottom. The housing defines an internal cavity. A wheel is rotatably attached to the housing adjacent the opening and the wheel extends through one of the sides. The wheel has an extending arm and the wheel and arm are dimensioned to cover the opening. The arm is adapted to pivot away from the opening when the wheel is rotated for dispensing contents of the container. In one advantageous further embodiment, the wheel is biased to maintain the arm in a position to cover the opening.  
           [0007]    A feature of the present invention relates to the dispensing of food product from the container by rotating the wheel and using a slight pouring action to dispense food product from the container.  
           [0008]    An additional feature of the present invention, in one form thereof, concerns the incorporation of a biased wheel to support the arm so that it covers the opening of the container, thereby preventing food product from inadvertently being dispensed and helping to maintain the freshness of the food product within the container.  
           [0009]    Further features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in, or apparent from, the detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof which follows. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The invention will now be described in detail with respect to preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing container according to the present invention in a closed condition;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 in an opened condition;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partially in section taken along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partially in section taken along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 2;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the main body of the dispensing container according to the present invention, shown in a disassembled condition; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the lid according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]    Referring now to the drawings, like numbers represent like elements throughout the several views. Reference numeral  10  generally identifies a dispensing container shown in a closed condition in FIGS. 1 and 3 and in an opened condition in FIGS. 2 and 4. The container  10  includes a housing having a first pair of opposing sides  12 , 14  and a second pair of opposing sides  16 , 18 . The housing also includes a bottom  20  and an upper opening  22  opposite the bottom  20 . Extending between sides  16  and  18  are mating connectors including three mating connectors  24  and  26 , one set of connectors  24   a  and  26   a  and one set  24   b  and  26   b . Support post  30  provides rigidity to sides  16  and  18 . As shown, all sides of container  10  are made of transparent or translucent material. Of course such sides can also be made of opaque material.  
         [0018]    Lid  50 , which is dimensioned to cover opening  22 , comprising a wheel portion  52  and an extending arm  54 . Wheel  52  includes bore  56  and a plurality of ridges  62  which extend upwardly from the surface of wheel  52 . One ridge  64  extends further from the surface of wheel  52  than the remaining plurality of ridges  62 . The bore  56  is mounted on an axle  36  which is fixed to wall  18 , as shown in FIG. 5A.  
         [0019]    Lid  50  is retracted away from opening  22  by applying a rotational force to wheel  52  in the direction denoted by arrow  80 . This rotational force rotates wheel  52  and in particular, bore  56  about fixed axle  36 , allowing arm  54  to pivot away from opening  22  (FIG. 2). Advantageously, the plurality of ridges  62  provide a gripable surface and ridge  64  provides an additional surface to which one can apply the rotational force. Connectors  24   a ,  26   a  pass through aperture  57  in the arm  54  to provide guide and a stop to limit the angle through which wheel  52  can rotate.  
         [0020]    Lid  50  is biased to be maintained in a closed condition covering opening  22 . The biasing of lid  50  is due to a cooperative engagement between teeth  38 ,  40 , which are fixed to and extending from the surface of side  18 , and tabs  58 ,  60 , extending axially from wheel  52  (FIGS.  3 - 5 ). In this engagement, a portion of tab surfaces  59 ,  61  of tabs  58 ,  60  abut a portion of angled surfaces  42 ,  44  of teeth  38 ,  40  respectively. When a rotational force causes wheel  52  to rotate in direction of arrow  80  (FIG. 1), tab surfaces  59 ,  61  of tabs  58 ,  60  pivotally twist along angled surfaces  42 ,  44 , of teeth  38 ,  40 , respectively, resulting in the deformation of tabs  58 ,  60  shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0021]    Advantageously, tabs  58 ,  60  are constructed of a resilient material such as polypropylene, which provides a resilient, biasing force to return tabs  58 ,  60  to their rest position once the rotational force is withdrawn from wheel  52 . As a result, the biasing force closes lid  50  so that it covers opening  22  after the rotational force is withdrawn.  
         [0022]    Preferably, lid  50  can be rotated by holding container  10  in the palm of one hand while applying a rotational force to ridges  62  and ridge  64  using the thumb of that hand. Food product such as candy is then dispensed into the other hand by slightly inverting or pouring the food product present in the container  10  into the other hand.  
         [0023]    Spanning the space between side  16  and side  18  is a deflector plate  90  formed from deflector plate portions  92 ,  94  extending from sides  16 ,  18  respectively. Deflector plate  90  is angled towards opening  22  and, preferably, extends at least as far from the interior wall surface  96  of side  12  as that of connector  24   b  (best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4).  
         [0024]    Deflector plate  90  acts to deflect food product away from connector  24   b  and towards opening  22  when the food product is dispensed. For example, during dispensing, after arm  54  is retracted from opening  22  and container  10  is tilted to permit dispensing of the food product of container  10 , the food product will be deflected away from connector  24   b  by deflector plate  90 , and directed toward opening  22 .  
         [0025]    Referring now specifically to FIGS. 5A and 5B, container  10  is assembled by first inserting bore  56  of lid  50  onto axle  36  so that tab surfaces  59 ,  61  of tabs  58 ,  60  abut angled surfaces  42 , 44  of teeth  38 ,  40 . Then, side  16  is folded along hinge  28  to align and mate connectors  24 ,  24   a  and  24   b  with complementary plurality of connectors  26 ,  26   a  and  26   b.    
         [0026]    It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that container  10  provides numerous features and advantages. For example, the plurality of ridges and in particular the further extending ridge  64  enables one to readily rotate the wheel  52  which then pivots arm  54  away from opening  22  for easy dispensing of food product from container  10 . Further, a preferable size of container  10  provides for a dispensing container which can fit in the palm of a hand for easy dispensing of food product and which can readily be stowed in a purse or in a shirt, pants, or backpack pocket.  
         [0027]    Although the invention has been described in detail with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skilled in the art that the invention is capable of numerous modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the invention.