Patent Publication Number: US-6217136-B1

Title: Retainer and support device for food item

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to a retainer and support device for a food item, and more specifically to a retainer and support device for a spherical food item, such as a jawbreaker. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is known to provide a holder for a lollipop, which is designed to grip the lollipop stick and rotate the stick about its axis as a person licks the surface of the lollipop. This device relies upon the provision of a supporting stick for the lollipop to make the device operable. 
     A need is believed to exist for a retainer and support device that is capable of supporting and rotating a food item that is not mounted on a stick (e.g., a jawbreaker) while permitting a person to lick the surface of the food item. In addition, it is desirable to provide such a retaining and support device that permits the food item to be easily removed therefrom and placed in a person&#39;s mouth, if desired, and thereafter stored in the retainer and support device for future use, either by licking the surface of the food item while it is being rotated within the support device, or by again removing the food item from the device and placing it in the person&#39;s mouth. It is to a retainer and support device of this latter mentioned type that this invention is directed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above and other objects of this invention are achieved in a retainer and support device for a food item including a housing having a recessed wall therein to provide a chamber for receiving a food item, such as a jawbreaker therein. A passageway, or opening, is provided in the recessed wall, most preferably at the bottom thereof, and a product engaging member extends through the passageway to engage and move a food item positioned within the chamber. A manually actuatable drive member cooperates with the product engaging member to drive the product engaging member and thereby move, e.g., rotate, a food item, such as a jawbreaker, retained in the chamber. 
     In a preferred embodiment, a dome or lid is moveably secured to the housing between a closed position for closing the chamber and an opened position for permitting access to the chamber. Most preferably the dome or lid is made of a clear plastic material so that a food item, such as a jawbreaker, positioned within the chamber can be visually seen by the user. A latching member is provided to retain the dome or lid in a closed position, and this latching member can be manually defeated to thereby permit the dome or lid to be opened manually, as desired. 
     In the preferred embodiments of this invention the retainer and support device can be carried in a person&#39;s pocket or purse, and can be attached, through a conventional chain, to a person&#39;s key or key ring. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the retainer and support device in accordance with this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the retainer and support device shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along  4 — 4  of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now in greater detail to the various figures of the drawing wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, a retainer and support device for a food item constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown generally at  10  in FIG.  1 . As illustrated, the retainer and support device  10  is attached to a key ring  12  through a linkage system  14 . The linkage system  14  is attached to a connecting member  16 , in the form of an islet integrally molded as part of housing  18 , which is made of a suitable, moldable plastic material. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the plastic is an approved material of the Food and Drug Administration, such as a food grade acrylonitrile-butadiene acrylate (ABA). In fact, all of the plastic parts of this invention are molded of a food grade ABA material, except for lid  20 , which is made of a K-resin. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  3  and  4 , the housing  18  includes a lower housing section  22  and an upper housing section  24 ; each molded as a separate unit. A drive system  26  is mounted in a lower housing compartment  28  of the lower housing section  22  prior to the upper housing section  24  being adhered to the lower housing section by a suitable bonding agent. 
     As can be seen best in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper housing section  24  includes a concave, recessed wall  30  defining a hemispherical chamber  32  for receiving a food item, such as jawbreaker  34  therein. A passageway  36  is provided through the recessed wall  30 ; preferably at the bottom of the hemispherical curve, for receiving an arcuate portion of a product engaging driven member  38  therein. The product engaging, driven member  38  is in the form of a wheel secured for rotational movement to a rotatably mounted axle  40 . 
     Referring to FIGS.  1  and  2 - 4 , a manually actuatable drive member  42  is in the form of a horizontally rotatable wheel having a knurled peripheral surface  44  extending through passage  46  in a wall section of the lower housing section  22  (FIG.  1 ). The drive member is rotatably mounted about a plastic axle  50  secured within passages  52 ,  53  of the drive member and raised, central hub section  54  of bottom wall  56  of the lower housing section  22 , respectively. To assist in maintaining the drive member  42  in a proper position it is provided with a downwardly extending annular flange  58  closely overlying the peripheral side wall of the central hub section  54 . As can be seen best in FIGS. 3 and 4, a downwardly extending rib  60 , having a low friction knife edge, rotatably engages upper surface  62  of the hub section  54  as the drive wheel  42  is manually rotated. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the horizontally rotatable wheel  42  includes an upwardly directed annular gear  64  that engages the drives vertically oriented driven gear  66  fixedly secured to the rotatably mounted axle  40 . Thus, manual rotation of the wheel  42  causes rotational motion of the axle  40 , and the product engaging driven member  38  affixed thereto, through the cooperation of the annular gear  64  with the vertically oriented driven gear  66 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 through 5, an annular rubber member, or ring,  68  is secured to the outer periphery of the driven wheel  38  and extends through the passageway  36  of the recessed wall  30  to frictionally engage the outer periphery of the jawbreaker  34 , or other food item retained within the hemispherical chamber  32  of the upper housing section  24 , to thereby rotate said jawbreaker within the chamber. In use, a person can lick the jawbreaker as it is being rotated. Alternatively, a person can pop the jawbreaker into his mouth to suck it, and can then return the jawbreaker to the hemispherical chamber  32 , when desired. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, a lid  70 , preferably molded of a clear plastic material, is in the form of an upper hemispherical dome having a lower, stepped edge surface  72  for engaging with an upper stepped surface  73  constituting the upper edge of the hemispherical chamber  32 , to thereby provide a closed compartment for the food item retained within said chamber. 
     The lid  70  includes an integrally molded front locking flange member  74  and a diametrically opposed, rear projecting member  76 . The rear projecting member  76  includes transversely extending, generally curved projections  78 ,  80  that are rotatably received within aligned passages  82 ,  84  of transversely spaced apart, lid supporting projections  86 ,  88 , respectively. This latter arrangement permits rotational movement of the lid  70  between an opened position to permit access to the interior chamber  32 , and a closed position, as shown in FIGS. 1,  3  and  4 , to close the interior chamber. In this latter closed position the front locking flange member  74  of the lid is snapped over an outwardly projecting lip  90  (FIG. 3) integrally molded with the upper housing section  24  to thereby maintain the lid  70  in a closed position. The lid  70  is sufficiently flexible to permit the engagement of the locking flange member  74  with the lip  90  to be manually defeated, to thereby permit the lid to be moved into an opened position when desired. 
     As is illustrated in the preferred embodiment, the food retainer and support device  10  is shown as an attachment to a key chain. However, it should be understood that the device  10  can be employed as a free standing unit, or can be included or attached to other articles, as defined. Also, although the device  10  preferably is molded of food-grade plastic materials, the particular materials used to form the device  10  do not constitute a limitation on the broadest aspects of this invention. 
     Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention that others may, by applying current or future knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.