Abstract:
A dispensing apparatus having a lower housing having an opening, and a reservoir piece seated inside the lower housing and having a containing section that holds at least one item to be dispensed, the containing section having an enclosing wall, a base and an opening provided in the enclosing wall that communicates with the interior of the containing section. A biasing element is positioned between the base of the reservoir piece and the lower housing, with the biasing element normally biasing the reservoir piece to a non-dispensing position where the openings are not aligned. The apparatus also has an upper housing, and the upper housing and lower housing can be squeezed together to cause the reservoir piece to move downwardly against the normal bias of the biasing element, so as to align the openings to arrive at a dispensing position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to toys, and more particularly to a toy which dispenses candy. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Candies and toys have always gone together. Children enjoy eating candy as much as they enjoy playing with toys. Therefore, candy is often provided in fanciful or interesting containers that would appeal to a child. 
     One type of candy container comes in a fanciful shape or design, and can itself be a toy. Unfortunately, the child has to open the container to access the candy, which can be inconvenient and often results in spillage if the child is not careful. 
     Another type of candy container can be toys or candy containers that dispense candy. A simple and longstanding example of such a toy is a gumball machine. Gumball machines are often provided with lights and sounds that are generated when a candy is being dispensed. Children enjoy the visual stimulation and novelty provided by these candy dispensers. One drawback associated with gumball machines is that they can be large or bulky. 
     In addition, it is often desirable to provide candy containers in a size that allows a user or child to place it into his or her pocket so that a child can have a toy that also functions as a candy container. The large or bulky gumball machines would be unwieldy for such a purpose, and the containers that do not automatically dispense candy can be inconvenient to use. 
     Thus, there remains a need for a container for storing candy, which is small enough to allow it to fit inside a pocket, yet provides convenient dispensing of the candy stored therein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, there is provided a dispensing apparatus having a lower housing having an opening, and a reservoir piece seated inside the lower housing and having a containing section that holds at least one item to be dispensed, the containing section having an enclosing wall, a base and an opening provided in the enclosing wall that communicates with the interior of the containing section. A biasing element is positioned between the base of the reservoir piece and the lower housing, with the biasing element normally biasing the reservoir piece to a non-dispensing position where the openings are not aligned. The apparatus also has an upper housing, and the upper housing and lower housing can be squeezed together to cause the reservoir piece to move downwardly against the normal bias of the biasing element, so as to align the openings to arrive at a dispensing position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an upper perspective view of a candy dispenser according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a lower perspective view of the candy dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3A  is an exploded upper rear perspective view of the candy dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3B  is an exploded lower front perspective view of the candy dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded front perspective view of the candy dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front view showing the candy dispenser of  FIG. 1  without the upper housing when in the non-dispensing position. 
         FIG. 6  is a front view showing the candy dispenser of  FIG. 1  without the upper housing when in the dispensing position. 
         FIG. 7  is an upper perspective view showing the candy dispenser of  FIG. 1  without the upper housing when in the dispensing position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. In certain instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices and mechanisms are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail. 
     The present invention provides a candy dispenser that can be sized and shaped to fit inside a pocket, and can automatically dispense the candy contained therein by simply squeezing the candy dispenser. Even though it has been described in connection with candy, the present invention can be used for almost any item. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-7 , the candy dispenser  10  has an upper housing  12  and a lower housing  14  that together define an interior space. The upper housing  12  and lower housing  14  can both have a hemispherical shape, and the upper housing  12  can be sized to be larger than the lower housing  14  such that the annular edge  16  of the upper housing  12  can overhang the periphery of the lower housing  14 . The lower housing  14  has a generally U-shaped opening  18  cut from its upper edge  20 . A curved support wall  22  extends from the bottom of the interior of the lower housing  14 , and a curved guide wall  24  also extends from the bottom of the interior of the lower housing  14 , but at a location between the U-shaped opening  18  and the support wall  22 . 
     The dispenser  10  also includes a platform  28  and a reservoir piece  30 . The platform  28  has a horizontal top wall  32  that is shaped with two curved edges, and a rear curved vertical wall  34  is provided at the rear edge of the top wall  32 . The rear wall  34  extends from slightly above the top wall  32  to below the top wall  32 , and has an opening  36  at the bottom of the top wall  32  near the center. The opening  36  is surrounded and partially defined by a U-shaped ringed support  38  that defines a generally U-shaped collection area  40  at the front facing side. The platform  28  also includes two rearwardly-extending curved wings  42  that are sized, shaped and adapted to be seated on (and aligned with) a cut-out region  44  at the opposite ends of the support wall  22 . The platform  28  is seated on the lower housing  14  by resting the front peripheral edge of the top wall  32  on top of the upper edge  20  of the lower housing  14  adjacent the U-shaped opening  18 , and resting the wings  42  on the support wall  22  at the cut-out regions  44 . The platform  28  can then be secured to the lower housing  14  by screws  46  extended through screw posts  48  and  50  provided on the platform  28  and the lower housing  14 , respectively. Two vertical slots  52  are defined at the opposite ends of the support wall adjacent the location of each cut-out region  44 . 
     The reservoir piece  30  functions to house the candy or other item to be dispensed. The reservoir piece  30  has a generally cylindrical storage section  54  (see  FIG. 7 ) defined by a rear convex wall section  56  and a front concave wall section  58  that extends inwardly. The front section  58  has an opening  60  that is sized and shaped to be aligned with the opening  36  of the platform  28 . Two tabs  62  extend on opposite sides of the rear section  56 , with each tab  62  adapted to slide up and down in a separate slot  52 . The upper part of the cylindrical storage section has ledge portions  64  that are adapted to be engaged with corresponding retaining ledges  65  that are provided in the upper portion of the upper housing  12 . The bottom wall  66  of the reservoir piece  30  has a curved slit  68 . 
     A biasing element (e.g., spring  70 ) is provided between the bottom wall  66  and the bottom of the lower housing  14 . 
     The dispenser  10  is constructed in the following manner. The reservoir piece  30  is first seated into the lower housing  14  in a manner where the tabs  62  are fitted into the slots  52 , and the curved guide wall  24  extends through the curved slit  68 . The spring  70  is positioned between the bottom wall  66  and the bottom of the lower housing  14 . The curved support wall  22  provides rear support for the rear section  56  of the reservoir piece  30 . The platform  28  is then slid in from the front so that the wings  42  are fitted into the cut-out regions  44  and cover the slots  52 , thereby defining a stop member for the upper limit of motion for the tabs  62  inside the slots  52 . The screws  46  are then extended through screw posts  48  and  50  provided on the platform  28  and the lower housing  14 , respectively, to secure the platform  28  to the lower housing  14  with the reservoir piece  30  retained inside the lower housing  14  in a manner where it can move up and down as guided by the tabs  62  inside the slots  52 . Note that the opening  36  on the platform  28  is always aligned with the U-shaped opening  18  on the lower housing  14 , but the opening  60  of the reservoir piece  30  is not always aligned with the opening  36 . The spring  70  normally biases the container piece  30  upwardly. At this point, the interior of the cylindrical storage section  54  can be filled with candy. Preferably, the candy or item should be sized and shaped (e.g., rounded or spherical or almost any shape that allows for the candy to pass through the openings  36  and  60 ) so that the candy can roll along the travel paths (described below) for the dispenser  10 . The upper housing  12  can then be secured to the top of the cylindrical storage section  54  by twisting or turning it about the ledge portions  64  and  65  to secure the ledge portions  64  to the corresponding retaining ledges (not shown) that are provided in the upper portion of the upper housing  12 . 
     In the normal non-dispensing position as shown in  FIG. 5 , the spring  70  normally biases the reservoir piece  30  upwardly so that the opening  60  is mis-aligned with the opening  36 . As a result, the contents inside the cylindrical storage section  54  cannot exit the opening  60 . 
     When the user wishes to dispense an item (e.g., a candy) from the interior of the cylindrical storage section  54 , the user grips the dispenser  10  with one hand and presses or squeezes the upper housing  12  and lower housing  14  together. This force overcomes the natural bias of the spring  70  and causes the reservoir piece  30  to move downwardly, with the guide wall  24  sliding through the slit  68  and the tabs  62  travelling along the slots  52 , which in turn causes the opening  60  to align with the opening  36 . See  FIG. 6 . In this manner, the interaction between the curved guide wall  24  and the curved slit  68 , and the tabs  62  travelling in the slots  52 , function as a type of track along which the reservoir piece  30  can experience reciprocal movement. This alignment allows the contents (e.g., a rounded candy piece) to roll through the openings  60 ,  36  and to the U-shaped collection area  40  (see  FIG. 4 ) at the front facing side of the platform  28 , where the user can retrieve the item. When the user&#39;s grip is released on the housings  12  and  14 , the spring  70  will naturally bias the reservoir piece  30 , causing the opening  60  to again be mis-aligned with the opening  36 . During the dispensing operation, the guide wall  24  is positioned entirely inside the cylindrical storage section  54  opposite the opening  60  and functions to guide the candy towards the opening  60 . However, the curved guide wall  24  is not positioned in the cylindrical storage section  54  when the candy dispenser  10  is in the non-dispensing position. 
     The candy dispenser  10  can be provided in any size but preferred size is one where the user can hold it in his or her hand, since the user will need to grip it in one hand to dispense a piece of candy. This size will also allow the candy dispenser  10  to easily fit inside a pocket. 
     Thus, the present invention provides a candy dispenser  10  that can be sized and shaped to fit inside a pocket. The candy dispenser  10  can be easily operated for use to automatically dispense the candy contained therein by simply squeezing or gripping the candy dispenser  10 . 
     The above detailed description is for the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. In certain instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, components, mechanisms and methods are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail.