Patent Application
20200008443
This invention relates to a confectionery product, and, more particularly, to a product having a two-section, non-edible housing defining a hollow interior adapted to receive a toy or other novelty item, and a layer of edible material covering a portion of each section of the housing but leaving another portion thereof exposed.
Small novelty items, miniature toys and edible snack items are commonly sold in containers formed of non-edible material such as plastic. Containers of this type may be egg-shaped or round and comprise two half sections which are releasably interconnected at their perimeter edges to form a hollow interior within which the toy or other item may be contained.
In addition to distributing candies and other confectionery items within containers such as described above, a variety of food packages have been introduced over the years to market and sell confectioneries. In many instances, the confectionery item is hollow and formed in a shape appealing to children, e.g. eggs or different animal shapes such as bunnies.
Both of the above-described packages or containers for marketing toy items and confectioneries suffer from limitations and deficiencies. Plastic containers having a prize or edible product in the interior often fail to capture the attention of children, even if decorated with bright color or distinctive designs. While hollow items made entirely of chocolate or other confectionery may attract attention, they can present problems of damage and waste when displayed at retail establishments. Consumers, and especially children, have a tendency to handle such items which may cause walls made of thin chocolate or the like to collapse. Although hollow confectioneries can be sold in protective boxes, cartons or trays, this adds significantly to the cost of such items and reduces the novelty appeal of the product.
One solution to these issues is found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,925,391 and 6,099,872. These patents disclose a product comprising two sections of plastic, each having a peripheral edge, which are releasably connected to one another at such edges to define a hollow interior that may receive a toy or, other novelty item. Each of the two sections is formed with a flange at its peripheral edge which, when the sections are interconnected, abut one another to collectively define a band extending around the circumference of the product which is raised from its outer surface. A layer of chocolate or other confectionery covers the entire outer surface of each section except for the raised band which is visible to provide an indication to the consumer that there is plastic material underneath the chocolate layer.
An issue with products of the type discussed above is that retailers and toy manufacturers are increasingly imposing requirements on chocolate manufacturers to reduce calories in their products in order to meet anti-obesity goals. Additionally, it is relatively costly to manufacture a product of this type wherein a chocolate layer is placed over essentially its entire surface area.
This invention is directed to a confectionery product comprising a two-section, non-edible housing defining a hollow interior adapted to receive a toy or other novelty item, and a layer of edible material covering only approximately half of the outer surface of each section of the housing in order to reduce the calories of the product and its cost.
In a presently preferred embodiment, the housing of the product includes a first section and a second section each having a wall with inner and outer surfaces defining an interior and an open end. The first section is formed with a recess along its inner surface thereof, and the second section is formed with an outwardly extending tab along its outer surface. The two sections may be joined together by inserting the open end of the first section into the open end of the second section such that the tab of the second section engages the recess of the first section thus forming an enclosed interior which may receive a toy or novelty item.
Each of the first and second sections is formed with a flange which extends along its outer surface. Each flange defines two areas or portions of the outer surface of respective first and second sections. When the two sections are connected to one another, the flange of one section meets the flange of the other section collectively forming a seat. One portion of the outer surface of each section is located on one side of the seat and the other portion of the outer surface of each section is on the opposite side of such seat. A layer of chocolate covers that portion of each of the first and second sections which is located on one side of the seat, and the other portion of each of such sections on the opposite side of the seat are exposed. The entire product may be covered by a foil wrap.
The structure, operation and advantages of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring initially to
The product 10 is illustrated in the Figs. as a ball or sphere, but it should be understood that it could be constructed in essentially any other configuration such as egg-shaped, oval, square, rectangular, or, in the shape of any figure such as a rabbit or the like. Each of the individual elements of the product is discussed separately below. Further, throughout the following description, the terms “top,” “bottom,” “upper” and “lower” are meant to refer to directions and/or locations with the product 10 in the orientation shown in the Figs. The terms “inner” and “outer” refer to a radial relationship of structure beginning at a central axis 11 of the product 10 as depicted in
Referring now to
As best seen in
With the first section 14 in the orientation shown in
As illustrated in
The second section 16 has a similar construction to that of the first section 14. It is divided approximately in half by a flange 58 forming a third portion 60 and a fourth portion 62 of its outer surface 48. The flange 58 is defined by a step or offset in the wall 44 where the two portions 60, 62 meet. In the configuration of product 10 depicted in the Figs., wherein the housing 12 is in the shape of a ball or sphere, it can be seen that the circumference of the third portion 60 of the outer surface 48, and its cross sectional area, are greater than the circumference and cross sectional area of fourth portion 62. As such, the flange 58 is raised, or extends in a direction radially outwardly, from the fourth portion 62 to the third portion 60 thereby defining a height dimension of such flange 58 which is the same as that of the flange 38 of the first section 14.
With the second section 16 in the orientation shown in
As viewed in the sequence illustration in
The final step in the assembly operation is depicted in
It can be appreciated from the foregoing that essentially only one-half of the spherical-shaped housing 12 is covered with layer 18, and that a portion of each of the first and sections 14, 16, e.g. portions 42, 62, respectively, receive such layer 18. The other two portions 40, 60 of respective first and second sections 14, 16 are exposed.
While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. For example, the Figs. illustrate a spherical-shaped product 10 but other configurations are considered within the scope of this invention as noted above. In such other configurations, the housing of the product comprises two sections with each section having a flange that defines two portions on the outer surface thereof of different cross sectional area such that a step or offset is formed in the wall of each section at the juncture of such portions. The flanges collectively define a seat, when the two sections are connected, with a layer of confectionery being received over one portion of each section on one side of the seat when assembly of the product is completed while the other portions of such sections have no confectionery layer.
Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
