Patent ID: 7320415

Claim:
A condiment dispenser for dispensing particulate materials, said dispenser comprising: (a) an elongated tubular upper body portion with a central longitudinal axis, said body portion being substantially symmetrical about said axis and having an outer wall and a pair of opposed ends and a hollow interior for holding a supply of said materials; (b) a top structure for closing said tubular body at one of said ends; (c) a tubular bottom structure having a grippable outer wall and defining an outlet opening for selectively dispensing pre-measured quantities of said material through said outlet opening, and supporting said tubular body vertically on a support surface; (d) said bottom structure including a rotor mounted to rotate about said longitudinal axis of said body and drivably coupled to said outer wall of said bottom structure; (e) a holding structure having a plurality of material holding compartments of a shape matching the shape of said outlet opening; (f) said rotor being drivable coupled to create rotation of said compartments relative to said outlet to successively discharge the contents of said compartments downwardly through said outlet; (g) said outer wall of said bottom structure being aligned with said outer wall of said tubular body so that said outer walls together form the outer wall for said dispenser; (h) said rotor has a substantially frustro-conical shape, with the largest diameter thereof at the bottom edge, said bottom edge defining a support plane for supporting said dispenser vertically on a support surface.