Abstract:
A covered retracted confectionery including a housing with covers hinged adjacent the top for movement between closed and open positions. The lower part of each of the covers being contacted by a part of a shaft moveable in the housing between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to the housing to keep the covers closed against the force of gravity. A confectionery carried adjacent the top of the shaft is enclosed by the covers until they are manually moved to the open position by operation of an actuator slideably mounted on the exterior of the housing against a bias. Upon release of the actuator, the bias will automatically retract the shaft and confectionery as well as close the covers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to novelty confectionery devices and more particularly to closed storage devices for confectioneries which have not yet been consumed or are not fully consumed by the user. 
     2. Background Art 
     Confectioneries, particularly hard candy such as lollipops, have long been popular, including as part of novelty items. For example, Klundt U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,681 issued Jul. 20, 2004 shows a ring, wearable by the user, with a spring connecting a holder for a lollipop, consumable by the user. In Coleman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,453 issued Jun. 22, 1999 a replaceable lollipop is received atop a cylindrical dispenser for small pieces of candy or gum with a slotted dispensing shaft that is pressed upwardly against the bias of a spring into the small pieces to dispense them through the shaft. 
     Efforts have been made in the prior art to enclose confectioneries such as lollipops which have not yet been consumed or are not fully consumed by the user. For example, Silverstein et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,352 issued Oct. 24, 2000 shows an upwardly spring biased hard candy in a cylindrical barrel with a removable cap. 
     In at least the mid 1990&#39;s Chupa Chups sold a product under the register trademark “PEN POP” which was both a pen and a lollipop; sliding a button down exposed a pen for writing and sliding the same button up retracted the pen and exposed the lollipop through a split top cover (generally styled as the head of a licensed character) for consumption. Later in the 1990&#39;s, a similar confectionery product, but without the pen feature was sold by a company doing business as Fantazzmo under the registered trademark “SLIDE POP”. Coleman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,318 issued Jul. 2, 1996 shows a housing for replaceable hard candy with a split cap or top that is spring biased to close once the candy is manually retracted. 
     All of these prior art products have the disadvantage that the consumer, usually a child, had to remember to manually move the actuator down to again cover the confectionery after it was exposed and partially consumed. Accordingly, there remains a need for a closed retracted confectionery that will automatically retract the exposed confectionery and close once the consumer releases the actuator. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is concerned with providing a covered retracted confectionery including a housing having an interior and an exterior as well as a top and a bottom, covers hinged adjacent the top of the housing for movement between closed and open positions, each of the covers having a lower tab projecting inwardly toward the center of the housing, a shaft having a top and a bottom, the shaft mounted for movement between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to the housing, a confectionery carried adjacent the top of the shaft, a flange adjacent the top of the shaft below the confectionery, the flange engaging the plates of the hinged covers to close the covers when the shaft is retracted, an actuator slideably mounted on the exterior of the housing to move the shafted from the retracted position to the extended position, and a bias urging the shaft and the confectionery into the retracted position below the closed hinged covers. 
     The bias may be a spring such as a coil spring which is positioned to be pushed into compression when actuator moves the shafted from the retracted position to the extended position or which is positioned to be pulled into compression when actuator moves the shafted from the retracted position to the extended position. 
     The covered retracted confectionery may have the shaft with a bottom plug and a lower portion extending upwardly from the bottom plug, the housing with an inwardly projecting wall with an opening through which the lower portion of the shaft fits for movement, the bottom plug of the shaft not fitting through the inwardly projecting wall opening, a coil spring with an internal diameter through which the lower portion fits, but the bottom plug of the shaft does not fit, and the coil spring with an external diameter that does not fit through the inwardly projecting wall opening. The shaft may have openings adjacent the bottom of the shaft; and the bottom plug may be secured to the shaft by a peg having barbs that lock into the openings adjacent the bottom of the shaft. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a left side view of the embodiment of shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded left side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , without the character facial features for ease of illustration and without a lollipop; 
         FIG. 4  is a left side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  showing the internal components without the left side of the housing, and without the character facial features for ease of illustration; 
         FIG. 5  is a left side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  showing the internal components without the left side of the housing, without the character facial features for ease of illustration, and with the cover open and the candy exposed for consumption; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the inner shaft shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a rear view of the inner shaft shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a right side view of the inner shaft shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, in which like elements are identified by like reference numerals, there is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4  and  5  a covered retracted confectionery  10 . As illustrated in the drawings, a hard candy lollipop  12  on a stem  14  is replaceably inserted in a shaft  20 , more particularly in bore  22  through the top  24  of shaft  20 . The confectionery may be a generally spherical hard candy as illustrated in the drawings, or it may be of any other desired shape. Similarly the stem may be a generally cylindrical piece of wood, compressed paper, plastic or other suitable material conventionally used for lollipops, and it could be tubular or rectangular in cross section or of some other convenient shape. Indeed, the stem may be omitted and the confectionery may be mounted directly on shaft  20 . Moreover, the confectionery may be other than a hard candy, as for example a chocolate. 
     An outer housing  30 , which is illustrated in the drawings as a generally hollow cylinder may be of any desired cross-sectional shape, as for example an oval, square or octagon. For purposes of manufacture it may be injection molded of ABS plastic in two generally semi-cylindrical portions  32  and  34  and then connected along a generally vertical parting line (not shown) by an adhesive, ultrasonic welding or the like forming a substantially open interior  36 . Adjacent its bottom  38 , outer housing may be provided with an enlarged rim  40  to serve as a base and facilitate standing it upright. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , rim  40  may be a separate piece attached to housing  30 , while as illustrated in  FIG. 5  rim  40  may be an integrally formed part of housing  30 . 
     Adjacent its top  44 , housing  30  has two pairs of integrally molded tangentially extending spaced apart leafs  46 . More particularly, one pair of each of leafs  46  extends tangentially out from the front and back of each semi-cylindrical portion  32  and  34  adjacent top  44 . As is best shown in  FIG. 1 , each leaf  46  has a support branch  48  projecting generally perpendicular to the leaf toward the flat edge of the semi-cylindrical portion. A hole  50  extends through each leaf  46 . 
     When semi-cylindrical portions  32  and  34  are secured together, holes  50  of each of the opposed front leafs are generally axially aligned with each other and holes  50  of each of the opposed back leafs are generally axially aligned with each other. Also, as is perhaps best illustrated in  FIG. 1 , when portions  32  and  34  are secured together a notch  54  extending down from top  44  to branches  48  is formed between each opposed leaf  46  as a result of the corners being eliminated from between each leaf  46  and the flat edge of the semi-cylindrical portion, and from each branch  48  to top  44 . In addition, a short, narrow slot  58  depends below each set of opposed branches as a result of material eliminated adjacent each flat edge of the semi-cylindrical portions below each branch  48 . 
     Intermediate bottom  38  and top  44 , closer to top  44  as illustrated in the drawings, one side, more particularly left portion  34  is formed with an oblong closed slot  62  surrounded by a recess  64 . Inside of housing  30 , more proximate bottom  38  than top  44 , formed of substantially perpendicularly inwardly projecting shelves  68 , is interior wall  70  with a generally centrally disposed opening  72 . 
     Mounted on top of housing  30  is a cover  80  formed of mating front half  82  and back half  84  molded of a plastic such as ABS. As shown in the drawings, cover  80  is basically spherical and hollow. The cover may be any other desired shape such as a hollow cube or pyramid. Moreover, the cover may be formed of more than the two halves; it may be formed of three, four, or even more mating pieces. Cover, topper or head  80  may also be conveniently made in the form of a recognizable object such as ball used in a particular sport or as the head of some character. Indeed, housing  30  may be made in a complementary form, such as a baseball bat for a baseball topper, or the body of a character to match the head. For ease of illustration, cover  80 , more particularly front half  82  is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  with two dimensional eyes  86 , a three dimensional nose  88 , and a two dimensional mouth  90 . 
     Each cover half has a substantially hemi-spherical portion  94  with a depending neck  96  and a further depending, generally centrally disposed tang  98 . Projecting inwardly toward housing  30  from adjacent the bottom of tang  98  is a tab  100 , and projecting out sideways from adjacent the bottom of tang  98  are a pair of opposed pins  102 . The interiors of hemi-spherical portions  94  are conveniently sized so lollipop  12 , or whatever other confectionery they are designed for, does not come into contact with the plastic when cover  80  is closed. 
     Cover  80  is pivotally or hingedly mounted atop housing  30  for movement between the closed position illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5  and the open position illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . More particularly, each pair of opposed pins  102  is received in a corresponding one of holes  50  in a leaf  46  to form a hinge and pivotally mount mating front and back halves  82  and  84  of cover  80  between right and left portions  32  and  34  of housing  30 . Slot  58  facilitates assembly of the housing  30  and cover halves  82  and  84  as it provides give or flex when inserting hinge pins  102  in holes  50 . As long as housing  30  is in a generally upright or vertical position, each of cover halves  82  and  84  will drop down into the open position of  FIGS. 3 and 5  unless they are restrained. 
     On top  24  of shaft  20  is a dome shaped circular disc  106  having a larger diameter than shaft  20 . As is best shown in  FIG. 4 , the underside of disc  106  abuts tab  100  of each cover half  82  and  84  to restrain them in the closed position of  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 . 
     Shaft  20 , which may be molded of a plastic such as polypropylene, has a generally hollow interior below disc  106  down to bottom  110  of shaft  20 . Extending substantially radially outward are integrally molded guide ribs of a diameter larger than shaft  20  and less than interior  36  of housing  30 . An elongated plate  118  with a substantially centrally disposed opening  120  is also integrally molded as part of shaft  20 . Plate  118 , which as best shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  is spaced from shaft  20 , is connected to shaft  20  by radial arm  122  and portions of guide ribs  114 . Shaft  20  also has a number of openings  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132 ,  134  and  136  needed to core out molded shaft  20  based on the direction the manufacturing tool needs to come from to accomplish creating a hole for the lollipop stem and create slots for locking in a bottom plug. 
     Bottom  110 , as well as the lower portion of shaft  20  up to plate  118 , readily fits and is supported for reciprocating movement substantially along the axis of housing  30  in opening  72  of wall  70 . As is shown in the drawings, the portion of shaft  20  having openings  132 ,  134  and  136 , is disposed below wall  70  in both the open and closed positions of covered retracted confectionery  10 . Surrounding the lower portion of shaft  20  below wall  70  is a coil spring  140 . 
     The spring has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of shaft  20  so the shaft may freely move inside the spring and its outer diameter is smaller than interior  36  of housing  30 . As shown in the drawings coil spring  140  is of a convention design having a constant inner diameter and a constant outer diameter. However, as long as the upper coil is larger than opening  72 , spring  140  will abut the underside of wall  70  and be kept below wall  70 . Spring  140  may be otherwise be of any appropriate size and suitable material to overcome the force of gravity keeping cover halves  82  and  84  open in its expanded position shown in  FIG. 4  as long as it is not so strong as to preclude a user such as a small child from readily compressing it to the position shown in  FIG. 5   
     A bottom plug  148  having an integrally molded upwardly projecting bifurcated barbed peg  150  fits into bottom  38  of housing  30  and abuts the lower coils of spring  140 . Plug  148 , more particularly peg  150 , is secured on bottom  110  of shaft  20 . Bifurcated peg  150  is compressed upon its insertion into bottom  110  until barbs  152  and  154  expand into openings  132  and  134 , respectively, to lock bottom plug  148  onto bottom  110  of shaft  20 . Staggering the respective height of barbs  152  and  154  rather than having them aligned facilitates assembly in cooperation with the openings in shaft  20  and causes a one-time snap locking plug  148  in shaft  20  to occur only if assembled correctly to ensure there is no small part safety issue. 
     An actuator button  160  having a bifurcated stem  162  with a circumferential slot  164  is inserted though oblong slot  62  of housing  30  and secured in aperture  120  with plate  118  frictionally engaging slot  164 . Stem  162  is received for sliding reciprocating movement in oblong slot  62  with actuator button  160  moveable generally vertically along the outside of housing  30  as shown in the drawings. 
     In operation the user manually pushes actuator button  160  upwardly, moving shaft  20  including disc  106 , lollipop  12 , and bottom plug  148  upwardly inside housing  30 . As disc  106  moves upwardly away from its abutment with tabs  100  of hinged cover halves  82  and  84  allowing them to drop open from the force of gravity, lollipop  12  is exposed for consumption. At the same time, the upward movement of bottom plug  148  compresses spring  140 . Accordingly, when actuator  160  is released, the bias of compressed spring  140  will automatically retract shaft  20  with lollipop  12 , and at the same time move disc  106  back down into contact with tabs  100  and cause cover halves  82  and  84  to pivot back up to the closed position. 
     Such automatic retraction and closure helps keep the confectionery from getting dirty or contaminated by dust, bugs, or the like. It also helps keep the confectionery from ending up sticking to a seat, or table, or the like. Moreover, at retail in a point of purchase display, the confectionery will not be exposed until the user slides a “try me” button up on a package, and then the product will not be left open because it will close automatically once the prospective purchaser leaves or removes the package for purchase. There is also the advantage of a somewhat unexpected magical effect of the automatic closure of the topper halves. 
     As an alternative, a spring may be provided between say the upper guide rib  114  and an inner wall similar to wall  70  but positioned below tangs  98  such that the spring is pushed into compression when actuator bottom  160  is moved up to open the cover and expose the confectionery. In a still further variation, the bias could be proved by an elastic band or the like rather than a spring. Such an elastic band would be stretched when actuator bottom  160  is moved up to open the cover and expose the confectionery, and would then automatically pull shaft  20  down when button  160  is released. In a still further modification, the bias could operate directly on the actuator button. 
     While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described with some variations and alternatives, further variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended in the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications that come within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.