Abstract:
A main housing contains a fluid confection attached to a support for a solid confection. The fluid confection can be combined with the solid confection by dipping the solid confection into the fluid confection or by passing the fluid confection through a passage in the solid confection by tilting or pulling a vacuum on a tube in the main housing base. A secondary housing can be provided on the main housing for independently containing a second fluid confection that can be passed through the solid confection passage with the first fluid confection in the main housing transferred to the solid confection by dipping.

Description:
[0001]    This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/961,772 filed Sep. 24, 2001 having the title “Candy Dip It And Lick It” and now 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    A main housing contains a fluid confection attached to a support for a solid confection wherein the fluid confection can be applied to the surface of the solid confection.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    The basic concept of mixing two different tastes together to produce a combination of tastes or a third taste is old. M. Stanger, U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,980, issued Dec. 8, 1970, teaches a solid consumable attached to one or both ends of a straw for use with a liquid. R. Marchewka et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,632, issued May 30, 1978, teaches a beverage cooling device with a straw having a semi-flexible, spherical container around the straw for containing a liquid “foodstuff” that can be frozen, exposed and mixed with a beverage to flavor it. R. Knowlton, U.S. Pat. No. 2,226,474, issued Dec. 24, 1940, teaches a solid confection on one end of a stick that protrudes into a frozen confection for preferably alternate consumption. C. Claff, U.S. Pat. No. 2,121,185, issued Jun. 21, 1938, and A. Kreske, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,482, issued Oct. 21, 1980, and “Desmettre,” French Publication 2,604,061 of Mar. 25, 1988, teach a solid confection on a stick with provision for internally dispensing a second fluid provided internally to mix the flavors of the two. C. Claff provides openings within the solid confection for dispensing the second fluid onto the surface of the solid confection and A. Kreske, Jr. and Desmettre provide the second fluid flavoring through a hollow passage. R. Russell, U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,425, issued Jun. 28, 1974, teaches a “solid on a stick” that is hollow for providing a liquid flavoring to coat any solid consumable held on the stick. T. Coleman, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,324,527, issued Jun. 28, 1994, and Re 35,577, reissued Aug. 5, 1997, teaches a solid confection with a flow-through for fluid confection.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Plural flavor confections are consumable simultaneously by securing a solid confection on a main housing containing a fluid confection (a liquid, gel or paste). The solid confection can be dipped into the fluid confection in the main housing or the fluid can be transported to the solid confection through passages in the solid confection by gravity or vacuum on a tube in a relatively rigid main housing. A secondary enclosure can be formed on the main housing to contain a third flavor confection in fluid form. An opening or hollow tube can be used between the solid confection and housing with a plug used to control fluid flow. The secondary enclosure can be removably secured to the main housing and the solid confection can be provided with a nipple and provided with a protective cover.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a side view of the candy holder illustrating a lollipop on a stick.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a side view of a modification in which a hard candy is molded into the end of a detachable end cap.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIGS. 3 and 4 are side views of another modification with a secondary enclosure attached (FIG. 3) and removed (FIG. 4).  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is another side view of a further modification having a hollow tube for fluid transport.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is another side view of a still further modification of a simplified embodiment.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 7 and 8 are examples of different configurations of solid confections.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIGS. 9 and 10 are side views for gravity and vacuum dispensing of fluid confections. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a side view of the confection device  1 . The main housing  8  forms a reservoir  11  into which a liquid or gel or fluid confection  9  is stored. A detachable end cap  7  closes the upper open end of the housing. The end cap can be secured in a fluid tight manner by threads, friction or other means on the lower end of the end cap. The end cap is provided with a holder support  5  for a solid confection  4  on a stick  2 . The holder support  5  includes an aperture  6  for securing the confection stick. The confection and upper end of the end cap  7  can be enclosed by a protective cover  3  secured to the top of the end cap.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a side view of a confection device  10  with a modified end cap  17  having a top section  16  provided with a nipple  12  for securing a solid confection  4  directly onto the detachable end cap by molding. As an additional feature the end cap and the nipple can be provided with the aperture  6  of FIG. 1 for reception of a confection stick after the consumption of the original solid confection  4 .  
         [0016]    The housing end and end cap are preferably formed by molding. The end cap may include an aperture  6 . A liquid/gel/paste candy substance  9  is made and placed into the reservoir  11  of the housing  8 . The end cap  7  is placed onto the housing  8 . The end cap may include a lollipop  4  on a stick  2  with one end of the stick secured in the aperture or the end cap may be provided with a lollipop formed onto the end of the end cap  16 . A protective cover  3  may be secured to the upper end  16  of the end cap to protect the candy. When one desires to consume a portion of the lollipop  4  and the liquid/gel/paste candy, the protective cover is removed, the end cap  16  is removed, and the lollipop can be dipped into the liquid/gel/paste candy substance  9 . It would be obvious to one that the lollipop can be consumed without dipping the lollipop into the liquid/gel/paste candy substance or by dipping the lollipop into the liquid/gel/paste candy substance so that the lollipop in combination with the liquid/gel/paste candy can be consumed together. Once sufficient lollipop and/or lollipop and liquid/gel/paste candy substance has been consumed, the end cap may be placed back onto the housing and the protective cover may be replaced to protect the lollipop portion that remains. Obviously, the lollipop on the stick can be removed from the cap for consuming the candy combination and, after use, the stick with the remaining lollipop thereon can be replaced on the cap and the cap returned to the housing. The cap can be replaced onto the housing and then the lollipop on the stick can be replaced on the cap. The cover can then be replaced to protect the candy. The lollipop on the stick and also the liquid/gel/paste candy can be replenished when it has been consumed. In the modification shown in FIG. 2, the lollipop can be consumed and subsequent thereto a lollipop on a stick can be secured to the end cap for further pleasure.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 3 and 4 are side views of a modified embodiment  30  of the confection device. The solid confection  34  is provided with a passage  32  that extends to an opening  33  in a top end  22  of a secondary enclosure  36  reservoir  42  separated from the main housing  38  enclosure  41  by a barrier  35  of the secondary enclosure  36 . The main housing  38  has an open top end and a bottom closed end  21 . The reservoir  42  may be empty  39  or contain a liquid confection  43 . The secondary enclosure is removably secured to the primary housing  38  by a threaded connection  37 . The solid confection can be associated with a first fluid confection  43  that can flow through an opening  33  and solid confection passage  32  to outside the solid confection  34 . A second fluid confection  19  can be supplied to the solid confection  34  by dipping  14  it into the main housing  38  through the upper opening at the threaded  37  area. A protective cover  3  is removably secured on the secondary enclosure  36  by fastening the cover over a friction cover securing provision  23 .  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a side view of a further modified embodiment  50  of the confection device. The solid confection  54  has a passage  52  through it with the top or outer end having a removable plug  51  and mid and/or lower extent provided with a straw or hollow tube  56  that extends through the secondary enclosure  53  and into the main housing  58 , essentially to its lower end  21 . This embodiment permits the liquid/gel/paste  59  to be transferred onto the solid confection  54  by sucking or vacuum created on the upper end  27  of the solid confection after removal of the plug  51 .  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a side view of a further modified embodiment  60  of the confection device. The solid confection  64  is provided with a passage  62  that extends to an opening  63  in the upper extent or end  28  of the main housing  68 . A plug  61  can be used to block fluid flow from inside the main housing  68  to outside the solid confection. The plug can be a thin film of solid confection extending over the upper end of the passage  62  that can be removed by licking or dissolving it as the solid confection is consumed. The fluid confection  69  is removed from the main housing  68  by tilting the confection device or by sucking on the solid confection in a tilted position.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIGS. 7 and 8 show solid confection holding upper extensions  70 ,  80  for placement on secondary enclosures or main housings. The confection upper extensions  70 , 80  have covers  78 , 88 . In FIG. 7 a plug  73  controls flow of fluid confections through a hollow tube  74  through the solid confection  72 . The hollow tube extends beyond the solid confection  72  to form a nipple  71 . In FIG. 8, the solid confection  82  is provided with a passage  83  blocked at its upper end with a plug  81  and has a larger passage at its lower end  84  than it has at its upper end  83  for reception of a hollow tube. The plug  81 , as in FIG. 6, can be a film of solid confection formed over the upper end of the passage  83 . A hollow nipple  85  is provided for securing the solid confection in place.  
         [0021]    The nipple  71  is a part of or extension of the hollow tube  74  protruding beyond the upper surface of the solid confection  72 . The plug  73  can be a part of the solid confections that can be penetrated by insertion of an implement through the tube  74 . The plug  73  can alternately be a seating means closed or opened by an obstruction on the upper surface of a main or secondary housing the confection holder is placed over.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIGS. 9 and 10 depict fluid confection being dispensed. FIG. 9 shows the confection device  30  of FIG. 3 tilted to dispense fluid confection  19  through the passage  32  onto the solid confection surface  97 . FIG. 10 shows the confection device  50  of FIG. 5 with the plug removed and a vacuum or sucking on the top of the solid confection  54  used to draw fluid confection  59  through the tube  56  and passages  52  and onto the surface  57  of the solid confection  54 .  
         [0023]    It is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is illustrative only and that changes, variations, substitutions, modifications and equivalents will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art and that such may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.