Abstract:
A novelty candy dispenser assembly that includes a hollow housing member having a candy storing section and a candy dispensing section. A stack of candy tablets can be biased towards the dispensing section. An operator input lever can be activated to selectively release an uppermost candy tablet from the stack of candy tablets. The manually operated lever member also rotates a multi-faceted member above the dispensing section that can support an ornamental feature for display to the user. The ornamental feature is moved in coordination with a user activation of the operator input member. A shutter can initially close an opening in a cover member extending over the rotatable member so that the viewer does not see the rotation of the ornamentation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a dispenser for tablets and more particularly to a novelty dispenser having a play action feature where an ornamental image such as a character image can be presented to the user and altered with each operation of ejecting a tablet.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Dispensers of pills, candy, confectionary lozenges have existed for a significant period of time. Breath mints and candy pellets have been provided with a manual operator button or lever to dispense the product to the user. Examples can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,576, U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,915, U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,853, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,575. The prior art has also featured candy dispensers of a novelty configuration, for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,111 wherein the dispenser can be spring biased to propel confectionary items. U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,305 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,206 discloses dispensers for tablets and candies with apparently a character head providing an ornament feature at one end of the dispenser. U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,298 discloses a candy dispenser configured to simulate a beverage can.  
         [0005]     As can be readily determined, a number of different approaches have been taken to provide manually operated dispensers for pills and confectionary items such as candies, and further novelty and ornamental features have been provided, particularly in the dispensing of candy items.  
         [0006]     There is still a need in this field to provide novelty features to induce the purchase of such items above and beyond simply the dispensing of tablets to the user in both the children and adult field.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     A tablet or candy dispenser assembly is provided having a hollow elongated housing member with a storage section and a dispensing section. A stack of tablets can be stored in the storage section and a bias unit can urge the stack of tablets towards the dispensing section. The housing member can be slid open to facilitate the loading of a new stack of tablets. A dispensing member such as hand operated lever is mounted adjacent an opening in the hollow housing member whereby an operator can selectively release an uppermost tablet from the stack of tablets. Mounted above the dispensing section is a rotable member for supporting an ornamental feature for display to the user. The ornamental feature is moved in coordination with the user activation of the operator input member whereby a tablet is dispensed along with the movement of the ornamental feature.  
         [0008]     A cover member can extend over the rotable member and can have an opening or window to expose just one side of the rotable member. The rotable member can be a polyhedral member with multiple facets or sides and appropriate indicia can be provided on each of the facets. For example, an application for small children can have different expressions of a character face that can be rotated and exposed in the window with each dispensing of a candy tablet. A shutter mechanism can also be operated by the operator input member to close the window initially while the rotable member is rotated to provide: a different face when the shutter member opens the window upon the release of the input member.  
         [0009]     As can be appreciated, other novelty features can be provided and an ornamental feature, for example, a novelty statement or comic statement can be provided in text characters. The indicia can also take the form of three dimensional relief images or it can be simply various animal faces painted on flat surfaces.  
         [0010]     As a novelty adult item, breath mints can be disbursed and the rotable member can randomly spin while a shutter member covers the opening and novelty sayings can be presented to the user. To increase the number of text messages, a magnifier lens can be positioned in the opening to enlarge small printed messages while accommodating a larger number of messages to be viewed through the magnifier. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention before a user activation;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view with an operator input depressed and a shutter closing and opening;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view disclosing the dispensing of a tablet with an opening of the shutter to show different ornamental features to the user;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  44  of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is along the line  66  with the input member at a rest position;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  66  disclosing movement of the shutter and rotable member;  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  88  disclosing the shutter and an input member at a rest position;  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  88  showing the input member moved with the shutter being activated to close an opening in the cover;  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  1010  showing the input member at a rest position and a clutch mechanism for positioning a facet of the rotable member in the opening;  
         [0021]      FIG. 10  is cross-sectional view showing the rotation of the operator input for rotating the one-way clutch mechanism;  
         [0022]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional bottom view taken along the line  1111  showing a tablet pusher connected with the operator input member; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 12  is a bottom view taken along line  1212  of the storage housing. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention which set forth the best modes contemplated to carry out the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention.  
         [0025]     The preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in the drawings directed to a dispenser  2  with ornamental features directed to young children for dispensing candy tablets. While the dispenser  2  is an improvement over the prior art dispensers by providing a unique novelty feature, it can be appreciated that such ornamental features can be varied to address different age brackets, for example young adults with the dispensing of candy tablets or breath mint tablets. Thus, the dispenser  2  can be used by both children and adults and appropriate ornamental features can be varied for presentations as a novelty item directed to the particular intended user.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , the dispenser  2  includes a hollow housing member  4  having an upper tablet dispensing section  6  and a lower tablet storing section  8 . As can be appreciated, the terminology up and down is relative and the operation of the tablet dispenser  2  is not limited to any particular orientation since the tablets are biased towards the tablet dispensing section  6 . Hereinafter up and down is relative to  FIGS. 1-4  with dispenser resting on a horizontal support surface. In the preferred embodiment the component parts are molded from a plastic resin with the exception of a compression spring.  
         [0027]     A tablet dispensing opening  10  is positioned at the top of a cylindrical tablet storing section. As can be further appreciated, the hollow housing member  4  is designed to conform to the configuration of the tablets and if the tablets were rectangular, the housing member  4  could be rectangular. In this embodiment we are disclosing candy tablets  12  of a cylindrical configuration.  
         [0028]     Mounted within a hollow housing member  4  is a storage casing  14  of a half cylindrical configuration which is configured for a sliding movement out of the housing member  4  to enable a user to recharge the candy tablets  12 . Mounted at the top of the storage casing  14  is a cylindrical casing  16  that also defines an upper surface or edge of the tablet dispensing opening  10 . A support elevator member  18  has a pair of side flanges  20  and  22  journaled within elongated longitudinal grooves  28 ,  30  of a matching configuration on the interior of the housing member  4 . A compression spring  24  is secured on a keeper  26  integrally molded into the bottom of the storage casing  14 . An elongated slot  27  is on the right hand side of  FIG. 4  permits the flange  22  to pass outside of the storage casing  14  and engage in the elongated groove  28  on the right hand side in the internal cavity of the housing member  4 . A diametrically opposite groove  30  shown in  FIG. 12  journals the flange  20 . The flange  20  faces the open side of the storage casing  14  that is of a dimension to receive the candy tablets  12  with a semi-circular cross sectional opening being slightly larger than the diameter of the candy tablets  12 .  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , at an upper end of the storage casing  14  stops  32  and  34  prevent the support elevator member  18  from egressing through the upper opening in the storage case  14 . When the lowermost candy tablet in the stack abuts against the concentric ledge at the bottom of the cylindrical casing and is subsequently discharged, the stop members  32  and  34  restrain the compression spring  24  from forcing the elevator member  18  out of the opening. Thus, when the hollow housing member  4  is slid downward, the elongated opening on the storage casing  14  is available for the user to restock the candy tablets  12  within the storage casing  14 . This is accomplished by pressing down the support elevator member  18  while inserting a stack of candy tablets  12 .  
         [0030]     Referring again to  FIGS. 1-4 , an operator input lever  36  has a cylindrical tab  38  that extends from a base of a U-shaped structure. The lower portion of the U includes a pusher arm  40  that terminates in a push head  42  having a concentric face matching the outer diameter of the tablets  12 .  FIG. 11  discloses the push head  42  at an initial position shown in  FIG. 1 . The phantom lines disclose the cylindrical tab  38  moved by the user to force out the candy tablet  12 .  
         [0031]     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the upper pusher arm  44  extends within an opening slot in the cylindrical casing  16  and is mounted at its tip on a post  46  extending downward from the bottom of a retention disk  48 . The upper pusher arm  44  also has a traverse leg  50  with an upwardly extending post member  52  that extends through a crescent-shaped opening or a cam opening  54  in the retention disk  48  as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The post  46  has sufficient length that it contacts a horizontal shutter support arm  56  and extends at a right angle from a curved shutter member  58 . The shutter support arm  56  includes an oblong cam opening  60  that captures a post member or follower  52 . The oblong opening  60  provides a lost motion so that the shutter member  58  can be used to close an opening or window  64  in a semi sphere-shaped cover  62  as shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0032]     A rotatable member  66  having, for example, a polyhedral shape is journaled on a clutch plate  68 , as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , and has a series of peripheral stops  70 . A flexible cam follower  72  permits a clutching action in a counterclockwise rotation of the clutch plate  68 . The cam follower  72  can be a thin lever that rotates about a post  74  and is biased by a stop  76  against the peripheral surface of the clutch plate  68 . Movement in a counterclockwise direction permits the rotable member  66  to rotate but any counter movement in a clockwise direction is prohibited by an end of the cam follower  72  engaging a stop  70 .  
         [0033]     In the embodiment shown, the polyhedral member  66  has four facets and a cube-like shape. Accordingly, four stops are provided so that when the operator input lever  36  has its cylindrical tab  38  moved as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the clutch plate  68  advances against the frictional resistance of a flexing cam follower  72 . With this motion, the shutter member  58  is initially advanced to close the opening  64  while the rotable member  66  proceeds to rotate until the post  52  reaches the end of the cam slot  54 . The oblong cam opening  60  associated with the shutter support arm  5 , 6  permits a lost motion so that the shutter  58  stays closed while the clutch plate  68  and rotable member  66  further advance in a counterclockwise direction.  
         [0034]     The upper pusher arm  44  is biased by a spring  78  so that when it is released, the lever  36  returns to its initial position as shown in  FIG. 3  while the push head  42  contacts and discharges a candy tablet  12 . The clutch plate  68 , however, is stopped from rotating by contact of the end of the cam follower  72  with a stop  70 . The return movement of the upper pusher arm  44  of the operator input lever  36  again contacts the shutter member  58  and forces it open to expose a facet of the rotatable member  66 .  
         [0035]     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the shutter member  58  is initially rotated away from the opening  64  and the indicia on the side of the cubic-shaped rotable member  66  is exposed to the opening  64  to the user. When the cylindrical tab  38  on the operator input lever  36  is pushed, initially the shutter  58  closes the opening  64  before the rotatable member  66  rotates so that the child does not see the movement of the facet with the indicia. When the candy tablet  12  is dispensed, the shutter member  58  opens and the child sees a new indicia through the window  64 .  
         [0036]     In operation, a hollow housing member  4  can be retracted from an elongated storage housing  14  and the spring biased elevator member  18  can be depressed against the pressure of the compression spring  24  so that a stack of candy tablets  12  can be loaded into the storage casing  14 . The tablets  12  are biased upward away from the bottom of the cylindrical casing  16 . The casing  16  further provides a frame for supporting a series of levers, disk and cam surfaces that are covered by the semi spherical-shaped cover  62 . The cover  62  has a display window  64  and mounts a shutter member  58  that can cover the window  64  so that when the facets of the rotable member  66  are rotated by the operation of the operator input lever  36 , the viewer will not see the rotation and the subsequent opening of the shutter  64 , upon the return movement of the operator lever  36 , but will view a new facet with different indicia on the rotable member surface having appropriate ornamental features, while at the same time a candy tablet  12  is discharged.  
         [0037]     The preferred embodiment is disclosed in the form of a candy dispenser with ornamental indicia  80  such as various pictures of a kitten. Thus, a child will be pleasantly surprised as the child dispenses a candy tablet and sees different images of the kitten.  
         [0038]     An alternative embodiment could have a molded rotable member  66  where each facet could have a three dimensional relief configuration of a face such as the kitten&#39;s face.  
         [0039]     Another embodiment of the present invention could have text or words to provide different sayings each time the shutter  64  is opened.  
         [0040]     An even further embodiment of the present invention could utilize a rotable member  66  with a large number of facets with a short saying written on each facet, written in a longitudinal direction to maximize the number of sayings such as “you&#39;re cute,” “can I have a date,” etc. for young adults with the dispensing of breath mints. The rotable member can do away with any clutching mechanism that provides a stepwise advancement of each facet of the rotable member and instead could have a random rotation with an operator lever randomly capturing one of the facets when released to open the shutter. The opening further could be an elongated slot with a plastic magnifying lens to enlarge the text message for viewing  
         [0041]     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the amended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.