Abstract:
A dispenser for small objects, such as candy, pills, tablets, and other objects of similar size. The dispenser includes a housing having a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two opposing side walls. The housing defines an interior volume and an aperture providing access to the interior volume. A cover is movably attached to the housing and has a closed position for securing objects within the interior volume and at least one opened position for displaying and/or dispensing the objects from the interior volume. Two flanges depend from the cover. The flanges are functionally engaged respectively with the sides walls of the housing such that the cover is laterally movable with respect to the housing, selectively rotatable about an axis defined in the housing, and movable into the closed and opened positions including a stowed position in which the cover is opened, the cover is substantially flush with the housing and, except for the thickness of the cover, the cover does not extend substantially beyond the planes of the front wall and the side walls.

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/253,880 filed Sep. 25, 2002 now abandoned. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to a dispenser for small objects, such as candy, pills, tablets, and other objects of similar size. In particular, the present invention relates to a dispenser having a housing and a cover that can be opened to multiple different stable opened positions, including a stowed position in which the cover is substantially flush with the housing and does not extend substantially beyond the boundaries of the housing. 
   2. Related Background Art 
   Dispensers for small objects, such as candy, pills, tablets, and other objects of similar size are well known in the art. Such dispensers take a variety of forms. For example, they may be formed of a hollow body and a separately formed top portion, the top portion comprising a flat surface having an aperture and a closure element that allows access to objects within the hollow body of the dispenser through the aperture when open, while securing objects within the hollow body when closed. Such dispensers may require lifting or pressing the closure element in order to open the aperture. Examples of dispensers of these types can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,538,731, 5,636,732, 4,144,985, 5,273,177 and 4,095,712. 
   Other dispensers comprise box-like containers with lids that slide open, e.g., U.S. Design Pat. No. 407,972, lids that rotate open, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,979,223, 5,709,305 and 5,718,347, or lids that slide and rotate open, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,430. Still other dispensers comprise box-like containers with drawers that slide out of the containers, e.g., U.S. Design Pat. No. 400,006 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,833,143, 3,888,350, 4,113,098 and 4,126,224. A number of these dispensers include locking mechanisms to keep the dispenser securely closed, for example, to prevent young children from having access to pills stored in the dispenser. 
   One problem of conventional dispensers such as those mentioned above is that, while such dispensers are generally designed to be compact, they tend to lose their compact size when they are placed in a fully opened position in order to dispense the contents. Thus, for example, in dispensers having a drawer, the drawer may be virtually the same size as the container, so that opening the drawer causes the dispenser to increase in size to up to twice its closed size. In dispensers having a lid, when the lid is opened the lid generally protrudes to a great extent, since the lid is often as wide or as long as one of the dimensions of the container. 
   While U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,469 discloses a tool box having a lid that can be stored flat against the bottom of the box, in order to store the lid in this fashion the lid must be disengaged from the box, inverted, and then reattached to the box. This is a cumbersome and inconvenient way of storing the lid and retaining the compact size of the opened box. 
   Another problem occurring in conventional dispensers is the inability to be opened into a plurality of different stable opened states, which are stably open to different degrees so as to allow different rates of dispensing. Thus some dispensers have only a single opened state, e.g., a state designed for dispensing a small amount of the contents or a state designed for dispensing the entire contents, but do not have both of these states or additional states which would allow for multiple dispensing rates. 
   Another problem occurring in conventional dispensers is accidental spillage. For example, some dispensers permit being opened only to a wide open state, in which accidental spillage can easily occur. Relatedly, other dispensers allow for a plurality of opened states whereby the dispenser can be opened to different degrees, but do not permit an opened state designed for dispensing only a small amount of the contents. Again, in some dispensers that allow for such a plurality of opened states, these states are not stable. That is, the user may not be able to rely on the dispenser&#39;s remaining in a particular (partly) opened state. Rather, the dispenser may easily, and without the user so intending, open itself to a wider opened state, which may cause the contents to spill out against the user&#39;s wishes. In addition, some conventional dispensers, especially those with locking mechanisms, such as childproof dispensers, require a significant amount of force to open them. When using such a dispenser, the user can easily unintentionally cause the dispenser to suddenly open to a state that is opened to a greater extent than desired, which can easily cause accidental spillage of the contents. 
   Another problem with conventional dispensers is the presence of protrusions, rough edges, sharp points or the like, which can snag or tear a user&#39;s clothing or scratch a user&#39;s hand. Such hindrances tend to be present especially when the dispensers are placed in an opened state, because in this state the door, flap, closure element, or the like, which often has a surface that is rough or jagged, generally protrudes from the dispenser and hangs free. 
   The present invention provides a dispenser that solves the above problems, as explained below. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a dispenser for storing and dispensing small objects, comprising a housing including a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two opposing side walls, the housing defining an interior volume and an aperture providing access to the interior volume. A cover is movably attached to the housing and has a closed position for securing objects within the interior volume and at least one opened position for displaying and/or dispensing the objects from the interior volume. Two flanges depend from the cover. The flanges are functionally engaged respectively with the sides walls of the housing such that the cover is laterally movable with respect to the housing, selectively rotatable about an axis defined in the housing, and movable into the closed and opened positions including a stowed position in which the cover is opened and the cover is substantially flush with the housing. 
   Yet another embodiment of this invention is directed to a dispenser for storing and dispensing small objects, comprising a housing including a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two opposing side walls, the housing defining an interior volume and an aperture providing access to the interior volume. A cover is movably attached to the housing and has a closed position for securing objects within the interior volume and at least one opened position for displaying and/or dispensing the objects from the interior volume. Two flanges depend from the cover. The flanges are functionally engaged respectively with the sides walls of the housing such that the cover is laterally movable with respect to the housing, selectively rotatable about an axis defined in the housing, and movable into the closed and opened positions including a stowed position in which the cover is opened and in which the cover does not extend substantially beyond planes of the front wall and the side walls. 
   Yet another embodiment of this invention is directed to a dispenser as in the previous embodiment wherein, when the cover is in the stowed position, the cover also does not extend substantially beyond the plane of the rear wall. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1A–1E  are top perspective views of a dispenser of the invention. In particular,  FIG. 1A  shows a cover of the dispenser in the fully closed position.  FIG. 1B  shows the cover in a first opened position.  FIG. 1C  shows the cover rotating.  FIG. 1D  shows the cover in a fully opened position.  FIG. 1E  shows the cover in a fully opened and stowed position. 
       FIGS. 2A–2E  are bottom perspective views of a dispenser of the invention, showing the cover of the dispenser in the same positions as shown in  FIGS. 1A–1E , respectively. 
       FIGS. 3A–3E  are sequential schematic illustrations of the relative movement and cooperative relationship between the components of a dispenser of the invention. In these figures, the positions of the cover correspond respectively to those of  FIGS. 1A–1E  and  2 A– 2 E. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates, from the underside, a cover of a dispenser of the invention disengaged from a housing. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  are schematic views showing, when viewed from the interior or underside, the upper portion of the housing and portions of the cover visible through the aperture of the housing or around the edges of the upper portion of the housing.  FIG. 5A  shows the cover in a fully closed position, for illustrating the operation of stops in stopping the cover from moving beyond the front wall of the housing and the operation of the catch in locking the cover in the fully closed position.  FIG. 5B  shows the cover in a first stable opened position, for illustrating the operation of a rib in stabilizing the cover in the first stable opened position and in facilitating the shift in movement of the cover from sliding to rotating. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a housing of a dispenser of the invention in an opened or unassembled state. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing how the cover of  FIG. 4  is engaged with the housing of  FIG. 6 , when the housing of  FIG. 6  is in a closed or assembled state. 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic view for illustrating an embodiment of the invention in which the cover is fully stowed underneath the housing in an opened position, whereby the cover does not extend beyond the boundaries of the housing. 
       FIGS. 9A–9C  are schematic views for illustrating an embodiment of the invention in which the dispenser is formed more in the shape of a cube and additional grooves are provided in the side walls of the housing, whereby the cover is stowed flush against the rear wall of the housing rather than against the bottom of the housing. 
       FIG. 10  is a schematic view for illustrating an embodiment of the invention in which grooves are provided on extended flanges of the cover and projections engaging the grooves are provided at the rear of the side walls of the housing. 
       FIGS. 11A–11F  are perspective views for illustrating an embodiment of the invention in which flanges of the cover hang down on the inside of the side walls of the housing, and grooves are formed on the inside of the side walls. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a dispenser for small objects, such as candy, pills, tablets, and other objects having a similar size. As used herein the term “small objects” refers to pieces of candy, pills, tablets, and any other object having a similar size that may be stored in and dispensed from the dispenser of the invention. 
   First Embodiment 
   A first embodiment of the invention, with modifications, will now be described. 
   A dispenser in accordance with the invention is generally illustrated in  FIGS. 1A–1E ,  2 A– 2 E and  3 A– 3 E.  FIGS. 1A–1E  show the dispenser in a top perspective view, with the cover in different positions from fully closed to fully opened and stowed.  FIGS. 2A–2E  show the dispenser in a bottom perspective view, with the cover in the same positions as shown in  FIGS. 1A–1E .  FIGS. 3A–3E  illustrate schematic views of the relative movement and cooperative relationship between the components of the dispenser, with the cover in the same positions as shown in  FIGS. 1A–1E . Dispenser  10  comprises a housing  11 , a dispensing aperture  12  in housing  11 , an interior volume  13  within housing  11 , and a cover  14  removably and selectively movably attached to housing  11 . Dispenser  10  is designed to hold and dispense candy or other small objects, such objects being visible in  FIGS. 1B–1E . Cover  14  has a fully closed position, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1A ,  2 A, and  3 A, and multiple dispensing and displaying positions, selectively illustrated in  FIGS. 1B–1E ,  2 B– 2 E and  3 B– 3 E. 
   In this illustrated embodiment, dispenser  10  has a preferred shape of ergonomic curvature, although it will be readily appreciated that the shape may be altered. Housing  11  has a top  15 , a bottom  16 , a front wall  17 , a rear wall  18 , and parallel side walls  19 . Bottom  16 , rear wall  18 , and side walls  19  are roughly planar, although with smoothed or rounded edges. Top  15  and front  17  are gently curved, also with smoothed or rounded edges. Top  15  is partly cut-out. Each of the two side walls  19  has a groove  20  provided therein. 
   Cover  14  comprises a front tab portion  21 , a rear flap portion  22 , and two side flanges  23  each overlapping a side wall  19  of housing  11 . Each side flange  23  has a projection  24  provided therein facing side walls  19 . Projections  24  fit into grooves  20  in side walls  19  such that cover  14  can slide back and forth along grooves  20 . As shown, for example, in  FIG. 3A , when cover  14  is slid forward, projections  24  are moved in grooves  20  in the direction of front wall  17 . As shown, for example, in  FIG. 3B , when cover  14  is slid backward, projections  24  are moved in grooves  20  in the direction of rear wall  18 . 
   In addition to sliding, cover  14  can also be partly rotated about pivotal axis A when cover  14  is slid sufficiently rearward along grooves  20 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 1C ,  1 D,  2 C,  2 D,  3 C and  3 D. As shown in  FIGS. 3A–3E  and also by the dotted line in  FIG. 5B , pivotal axis A is defined by the line joining the center points of projections  24  when projections  24  are at the rearmost position in grooves  20 . Thus, pivotal axis A is parallel to planes including top  15 , bottom  16 , front wall  17 , and rear wall  18 , and pivotal axis A is perpendicular to side walls  19 . As shown in  FIG. 3A , if cover  14  is not slid sufficiently rearward along grooves  20 , then rear flap portion  22  of cover  14  is blocked by top  15  of housing  11 , and cover  14  will not be able to rotate about pivotal axis A. Only when cover  14  is slid sufficiently rearward, as shown in  FIG. 3B , can rear flap portion  22  of cover  14  clear rear wall  18  of housing  11 , such that cover  14  may be rotated, as shown in  FIGS. 3C and 3D . 
   Thus, cover  14  can be positioned in a closed position (e.g.  FIGS. 1A ,  2 A and  3 A) or in any one of a plurality of opened positions (e.g.  FIGS. 1B–1E ,  2 B– 2 E and  3 B– 3 E). The closed position and at least some of the opened positions are stable positions such that, once the cover  14  is placed in such a position by the user, cover  14  will not easily slide out of the position of its own accord without the application of intentional force from the user. A first stable opened position is shown in  FIGS. 1B ,  2 B and  3 B. In this position, the cover is opened a small amount. This position is designed for dispensing or displaying single objects or small amounts of objects from the dispenser. A second stable opened position is shown in  FIGS. 1E ,  2 E and  3 E. In this position, the cover is fully opened and also stowed beneath the housing. This position is designed for dispensing or displaying large amounts of the objects in the dispenser. Because the dispenser allows for a plurality of opened positions, the convenience with which the dispenser may be used and the number of ways in which the dispenser may be used is increased. In addition, accidental spillage of the contents of the dispenser is avoidable because the dispenser admits of a stable opened position designed for dispensing single objects or small amounts of objects from the dispenser. 
   Moreover, since, as explained, cover  14  cannot be rotated until it is slid sufficiently rearward in grooves  20 , cover  14  cannot be moved directly, that is, in a single, uninterrupted motion, from a completely closed position (e.g.  FIGS. 1A ,  2 A and  3 A) to a completely opened position (e.g.  FIGS. 1D ,  1 E,  2 D,  2 E,  3 D and  3 E). This too prevents accidental spillage of the contents of the dispenser, precluding the dispenser from being suddenly—and without the user&#39;s intention—opened to a wide opened position. 
   After rotation about pivotal axis A, cover  14  may be again slid along grooves  20 . Specifically, cover  14  may now be slid along grooves  20  so as to be stowed underneath housing  11 , while dispenser  10  remains in a fully opened position. In the stowed position ( FIGS. 1E ,  2 E and  3 E), cover  14  is substantially flush with housing  11  and (except for the slight thickness of cover  14  itself) does not extend substantially beyond the boundaries of housing  11 , i.e., beyond top  15 , bottom  16 , front wall  17 , rear wall  18 , and side walls  19 , except for a small portion of cover  14  which extends beyond rear wall  18 . In the stowed position, cover  14  is relatively unobtrusive and removed from view, and the dispenser as a whole retains its compact size. In this position, virtually the entire contents of dispenser  10  may be displayed and objects may easily be dispensed from dispenser  10  at a high dispensing rate. In addition, in this position, the exterior surfaces of dispenser  10  become almost as smoothed all over as they are when cover  14  is in the fully closed position ( FIGS. 1A ,  2 A and  3 A). That is, when cover  14  is in the fully opened and stowed position, as when cover  14  is in the fully closed position, the totality of exterior surfaces of dispenser  10  is relatively free of projections, rough edges, sharp corners, or the like, which could get caught in or snag a user&#39;s clothing or scratch a user&#39;s body. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 A and  5 B, cover  14  may also have one or more stops  25  provided on the underside of cover  14 , a catch  26  on a leading edge of cover  14  (here shown on the leading edge of front tab portion  21 ), and a rib  27  on the underside of cover  14  toward the rear of cover  14 . Stops  25  serve to stop cover  14  from sliding further forward when cover  14  has reached the fully closed position. Catch  26  serves to prevent cover  14  from opening (sliding backward) accidentally from a closed position, which could cause unwanted spillage. If catch  26  is provided, then cover  14  is lifted slightly to begin rearward sliding motion of cover  14  to open dispenser  10 . Rib  27  serves to keep cover  14  from accidentally sliding backward, and hence to keep cover  14  fixed in position, when cover  14  is in the first stable opened position discussed above and illustrated in  FIGS. 1B ,  2 B and  3 B. Rib  27  also facilitates the rotation of cover  14 , helping to stop cover  14  from continuing to slide backward and helping to translate the user&#39;s application of force to slide cover  14  rearward into a force acting to shift cover  14  upward so as to rotate cover  14 . 
   The formation of dispenser  10  will now be discussed with reference to  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  7 . 
   Housing  11  may be formed from a single piece of flexible material by, e.g., vacuum molding, injection molding, or blow molding. As shown in  FIG. 6 , housing  11  is preferably formed as a single piece comprising an upper portion  28  and a lower portion  29  joined by a living hinge  30 . However, housing  11  can be formed as multiple pieces that are molded separately, and attached one to the other by any means known in the art, such as, e.g., a hinge comprising a pin that allows two pieces to be rotatably connected. 
   With housing  11  formed in the preferable manner identified, dispenser  10  may be filled either by opening housing  11  into its two component portions, as shown in  FIG. 6 , or by opening cover  14 , as discussed above. Forming housing  11  as two connected portions also facilitates cleaning the interior of housing  11 . 
     FIG. 4  shows cover  14  by itself, and  FIG. 7  shows how cover  14  and housing  11  may be assembled together. Front tab portion  21 , rear flap portion  22  and flanges  23  of cover  14  are preferably not separately formed elements, but formed simply as integral sections of cover  14 , whereby front tab portion  21 , rear flap portion  22 , flanges  23  and the remainder of cover  14  constitute one continuous, smooth-surfaced member. However, these elements could be formed as separate pieces attached by any means known in the art. 
   As seen in  FIG. 7 , flanges  23  may be formed of material sufficiently flexible that a user may pull them outward from side walls  19 , disengaging projections  24  from grooves  20 , so that cover  14  may be removed entirely from housing  11 , and later snapped back on. Of course, flanges  23  should be formed of a material sufficiently resilient, and/or grooves  20  should be sufficiently deep and projections  24  sufficiently long, that when cover  14  is engaged with housing  11 , there is no danger of cover  14  accidentally coming apart from housing  11 . 
   Housing  11 , cover  14  and all of their component parts may be formed from any appropriate material, such as, e.g., polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, or polypropylene. To allow viewing of the contents, housing  11  and/or cover  14  may be formed from a clear plastic, such as, e.g., polystyrene or clarified polypropylene. 
   Other Embodiments 
     FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of the dispenser of the invention. In the preceding embodiment, cover  14  is only partly stowed under housing  11 , in the sense that a small portion of cover  14  including front tab  21  extends beyond the boundaries of housing  11 , specifically, beyond the plane of rear wall  18 . In the present embodiment, cover  14  may be fully stowed, in the sense that cover  14  does not extend beyond the boundaries of housing  11 . Specifically, in the present embodiment, grooves  20  are made longer. That is, grooves  20  are formed so as to extend farther toward front wall  17 . This allows cover  14 , after rotation, to be slid along grooves  20  farther in the direction of front wall  17 , so that cover  14  no longer extends beyond rear wall  18 . In addition, in this embodiment, rear flap  22  of cover  14  is made slightly shorter so that, when cover  14  is thus slid farther along grooves  20  toward front wall  17 , into the fully stowed position, rear flap  22  does not extend beyond the plane of front wall  17 . In this way, cover  14  may be stowed such that it does not extend beyond the boundaries of housing  11 . It is noted that extending grooves  20  in the direction of front wall  17  does not pose a problem of allowing cover  14  to be slid too far forward when the user is placing cover  14  in the closed position, because stops  25  prevent cover  14  from being slid too far forward, as shown in  FIG. 5A . 
     FIGS. 9A–9C  illustrate another embodiment of the dispenser of the invention. In this embodiment, cover  14  is stowed flush against rear wall  18  rather than against bottom  16 , as in the previous embodiments. This is achieved by forming dispenser  10  more in the shape of a cube and extending grooves  20  in side walls  19 . Specifically, at the rearmost points of grooves  20 , grooves  20  are extended, at a 90 degree angle, in the direction of bottom  16 . In this arrangement, when cover  14  is slid back in grooves  20 , cover  14  is rotated only 90 degrees and is then slid downward in the direction of bottom  16  along the extended portions of grooves  20 . In this way, cover  14  may be stowed flush against rear wall  18  rather than against bottom  16 . 
     FIG. 10  shows another embodiment of the dispenser of the invention. In this embodiment, the position of grooves  20  and projections  24  are reversed. That is, grooves  20  are formed in cover  14 , and projections  24  are formed on housing  11 . In order to achieve this, flanges  23  of cover  14  are formed in a longer, rectangular shape so as to accommodate grooves  20 . Projections  24  are provided at the rear of side walls  19  of housing  11 . 
     FIGS. 11A–11F  show another embodiment of the dispenser of the invention. In this embodiment, side flanges  23  hang down on the interior of side walls  19  of housing  11 , rather than on the exterior. In addition, grooves  20  are formed on the interior of side walls  19  rather on the exterior. Each side flange  23  has a projection  24  provided therein facing a respective side wall  19 , and projections  24  fit into grooves  20  such that cover  14  can slide back and forth along grooves  20 . Continuous slots may be formed in top  15 , rear wall  18  and bottom  16 , as necessary to allow cover  14  to rotate as in the first embodiment. 
   This invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed herein and it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments that fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.