Patent Publication Number: US-6984087-B1

Title: Writing and candy utensil

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to writing and candy utensils and more particularly pertains to a new writing &amp; candy utensil for giving a user something sweet to chew on rather than the end of the writing utensil. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   The use of writing and candy utensils is known in the prior art. More specifically, writing and candy utensils heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
   Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,596; U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,184; U.S. Pat. No. 2,617,324; U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,997; U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,597; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 353,157. 
   While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new writing &amp; candy utensil. The prior art includes various types of writing utensils. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new writing &amp; candy utensil which has many of the advantages of the writing and candy utensils mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new writing &amp; candy utensil which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art writing and candy utensils, either alone or in any combination thereof. The present invention includes an elongate tubular member having open front and back ends; and also includes a writing tip being disposed at the front end of the elongate tubular member; and also includes a candy support assembly being removably attached to the elongate tubular member; and further includes a piece of hard candy being removably supported by the candy support assembly. None of the prior art includes the combination of the elements of the present invention. 
   There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the writing &amp; candy utensil in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
   In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a new writing &amp; candy utensil which has many of the advantages of the writing and candy utensils mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new writing &amp; candy utensil which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art writing and candy utensils, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
   Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new writing &amp; candy utensil for giving a user something sweet to chew on rather than the end of the writing utensil. 
   Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new writing &amp; candy utensil that is easy and convenient to set up and use. 
   Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new writing &amp; candy utensil that prevents the user from biting on the back ends of writing utensils and gives the user something edible and sweet to bite on while using one&#39;s writing utensil. 
   These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a partial exploded perspective view of a new writing &amp; candy utensil according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 3  thereof, a new writing &amp; candy utensil embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
   As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the writing &amp; candy utensil  10  generally comprises an elongate tubular member  11  having open front and back ends  12 ,  13 . A writing tip  14  is conventionally and securely disposed at the front end  12  of the elongate tubular member  11 . 
   A candy support assembly is removably and conventionally attached to the elongate tubular member  11 . The candy support assembly includes a candy cartridge  15  and also includes a candy dispenser  22  being movably disposed in the candy cartridge  15 . The candy cartridge  15  includes a tubular portion  16  having a closed end  17  and an open end  18  and also having a bore being  34  being disposed therein and further having a longitudinal slot  20  being disposed through a side wall  19  thereof and extending from the open end  18  and terminating near the closed end  17  of the tubular portion  16 ; and also includes a threaded boss  21  being conventionally attached to the closed end  17  of the tubular portion  16  and extending outwardly therefrom and being threaded in the open back end  13  of the elongate tubular member  11 . The candy dispenser  22  includes a candy support member  23  being movably disposed in the bore  34  of the tubular portion  16 , and also includes a support release mechanism being conventionally connected to the candy support member  23  for moving and positioning the candy support member  23  in the bore  34  of the tubular portion  16 . The candy support member  23  includes a support disc  24  having a radial-extending slot  25  being disposed therein through a circumferential edge thereof, and also includes a shaft member  26  being conventionally and perpendicularly-attached to the support disc  24  and extending outwardly therefrom. The support release mechanism includes a spring member  33  being disposed in the radially-extending slot  25 , and also includes a release button  27  being conventionally disposed through the longitudinal slot  20  of the tubular portion  16  and being biasedly engaged to the side wall  19  of the tubular portion  16 . The release button  27  includes a shaft portion  28  being disposed through the longitudinal slot  20 , and also includes a head portion  29  being conventionally attached to a first end of the shaft portion  28  and being disposed outside of the tubular portion  16 , and further includes a flange portion  30  being conventionally attached to a second end of the shaft portion  28  and being engageable to the side wall  19  of the tubular portion  16  in the bore  34  of the tubular portion  16 . 
   A piece of hard candy  31  being made of conventional ingredients is removably supported by the candy support assembly. The piece of hard candy  31  has an end and also has an axial slot  32  being disposed in the piece of hard candy  31  through the end thereof with the shaft member  26  being securely engaged in the axial slot  32  of the piece of hard candy  31 . 
   In use, the user would load and attach the piece of hard candy  31  to the shaft member  26  and would substantially retract the piece of hard candy  31  into the bore  34  of the tubular portion  16  using the release button  27 . As the user consumes portions of the piece of hard candy  31 , the user presses upon the release button  27  and slides the release button  27  in the longitudinal slot  20  towards the open end  18  of the tubular portion  16  to expose another portion of the piece of hard candy  31  so that the user can bite it or lick it as the user desires. 
   As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
   With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
   Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the writing &amp; candy utensil. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.