Patent Application
20050106290
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to confectioneries and confectionary devices, and more particularly to novelty confectionary devices of the hard candy lollipop or sucker variety.
2. Background Art
Confectionaries, particularly hard candies such as lollipops or suckers, have long been popular with both children and adults. Manufacturers of such candies must package the candy in a suitable device or dispenser for consumption, that provides for consumption of the candy in a clean, sanitary, and otherwise safe manner. In addition, it is desirable to also provide a novel and entertaining presentation, and manner of consuming of the candy product, especially for children. A novelty candy device that emulates use of a generally perceived adult device, such as lipstick, may prove to be desirable for use by children. For adults, a device that evokes a nostalgic recollection of a confectionary treat of their childhood, such as a push up frozen ice confectionary, may be desirable. There are prior art novelty confectionary devices in which a piece of candy is pushed up out of a cylindrical casing or container for consumption.
Coleman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,318 issued Jul. 2, 1996 discloses a single, generally cylindrical piece of candy held within a short cylindrical base. The candy and the base are then housed within another cylindrical body which has a spring biased, split cap covering its upper end. The cylindrical base or holder is elongated and its lower portion serves as a handle for pushing the candy up through the split cap for consumption, and then withdrawing it back through the open split cap into the main body for storage. There is, however, no teaching or suggestion that a series of shorter candy pieces could be serially stacked in the main body. Indeed, the elongated holder handle would preclude more than one piece of candy being stacked in the main body.
Coleman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,085 issued Nov. 20, 2001 also discloses a cylindrical piece of candy that is mounted on a base support that is secured to a push rod for moving the candy out of, and back into, the lower cylindrical portion of a simulated rocket ship. There is a showing of mounting a second piece of candy on the outer end of the push rod so that there would be two pieces of candy for consumption. It also indicates in Column 2, lines 27-28, that the second piece of candy should be covered for sanitary purposes. However, there is still no suggestion of stacking a series of smaller pieces of candy and using the base support of the consumed piece of candy to move the other pieces of candy in the holder to expose the uppermost one for consumption.
Muller-Scherak U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,287 issued May 7, 1974 shows an apparatus for dispensing its individual items in which an item is inserted at the upper end causing the lower most one of a stack of similar items to drop down into a dispensing opening.
Sanchez U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,184 issued Sep. 14, 1999 discloses a combination candy holder writing instrument in which a series of candy pieces are contained within a hollow cylinder. However, there is nothing in anyway teaching or suggesting that any of the candy pieces would be used to advance the dispensing of any of the other candy pieces.
Boyer U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,092 issued Nov. 15, 1983 shows a series of cylindrical holders for generally cylindrical articles in which a single one of the articles is held within an individual cylindrical chamber, and may be dispensed from the chamber by pushing another of the articles into the chamber. While this patent indicates that the holder may be used for a variety of articles such as crayons, bullets, pencils, hair rollers, etc. there is no mention, or any suggestion, that it could be used in connection with candy, or anything else edible. Moreover, it clearly only discloses each individual cylindrical chamber housing a single one of the articles.
There are some stationery products in which an expended eraser or pen point may be reinserted in the bottom of a tubular casing to expose a new eraser or pen point at the top, namely:
Chuang U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,652 issued Sep. 13, 1994 and Chuang U.S. Design Pat. Des. No. 355,442 issued Feb. 14, 1995, marked on the Bensia refill eraser, as well as each of the prior art products, disclose a consumable, although not a comestible product, such as candy, which would be desirable to consume in its entirety for a variety of reasons. However, as is clearly indicated, a significant portion of the eraser is enclosed within the holding barrel, and hence that portion of the eraser cannot be used or consumed. Moreover, the post in the lower portion of the holding barrel is shorter than the barrel itself. Thus, neither the holding barrel itself, nor the post, in anyway help to prevent, what remains after the exposed portion of the eraser is used or consumed, from presenting a choking hazard to younger children.
The present invention is concerned with providing a novelty confectionary device presenting a plurality of individually consumable pieces of candy in a novel and entertaining manner, which a child may readily, and safely use. The novelty confectionary device comprises a casing having an upper end and a lower end, an opening having a pre-selected size and configuration in the upper end the opening in the upper end, an opening having a pre-determined size and configuration in the lower end, the pre-selected size and configuration fitting into, and passing through the opening of the pre-determined size and configuration, the casing having an opening of the pre-determined size and configuration extending from the opening in the lower end to the opening in the upper end, a plurality of individually consumable candy modules carried in the casing, each of the hard candy modules including a base, the base having an outer periphery generally fitting into, and passing through the opening of the pre-determined size and configuration of the lower end, and the casing, the base being of a fixed overall size and configuration not fitting entirely into a standard choke gauge, the base having an upper section and a lower section with each of the candy modules including an entirely consumable candy piece mounted on the upper section of a respective base, and the candy portion having an outer periphery generally fitting into, and passing through the opening of the pre-selected size and configuration of the upper end for consumption.
To further provide a clean, sanitary novelty confectionary device, a removable, clear plastic cap that fits over the candy for minimizing contamination prior to consumption may be provided.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring now to the drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the several views, there is shown in
Carried within casing 22 are a plurality of candy modules 40. As illustrated in the drawings, there are three candy modules 40, although there could, in accordance with the present invention, be as few as two and the maximum number of such candy modules is virtually unlimited. Each of candy modules 40, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings are virtually identical. There may of course be slight differences resulting from manufacturing tolerances. In addition, though not readily capable of being illustrated in the drawings, it may well be desirable to make the various candy modules 40 of different colors and flavors.
Each of candy modules 40 includes a base 42 having an outer periphery 44 that fits into, and passes through, openings 30 and 32. Generally, periphery 44 will be of the same pre-determined configuration as that of openings 30 and 32, and be of size only sufficiently smaller to permit the ready passage of base 42 up through opening 32 into opening 30 of casing 22. Base 42 has a lower section 46 and an upper section 48. As shown in the drawings, the outer periphery of base 42 is generally cylindrical, and as is perhaps best illustrated in
At the upper extent of taper 52 there is an inward shoulder 54, on top which is a generally flat cylindrical disc 56 having a peripheral wall 58. Extending further upwardly from disc 56 is, as illustrated in
The piece of candy 66 is molded or formed atop upper section 48, more particularly atop disc 56 and around post 60 to mount candy piece 66 on base 42. Post 60, particularly with its radially extending projections 64, comprises an anchoring component to more securely mount piece of candy 66 on base 42. In addition, post 60, together with upper section 48 and lower section 46 provide base 42, even after piece of candy 66 is entirely consumed, with a fixed overall size and configuration that cannot entirely fit into a standard choke gauge, such as choke tester 72 illustrated in
Lower section 46 of each base 42 of each module 40 has a bottom 68. Extending upwardly through bottom 68 of lower section 46 is a cavity 70 of a size and configuration sufficient to readily receive candy 66 nested in cavity 70. Peripheral wall 58 of disc 56 is of a size, and of course configuration, such as to readily engage cavity 70 adjacent bottom 68 of another module 40 in order to form a connected stack of candy modules 40, such as are illustrated in
A nested, connected stack of three modules 40 is initially inserted through opening 32 in the bottom of casing 22. The length of casing 22 is shorter than the combined length of each of the three bases 42, as illustrated in
Candy piece 66 is generally formed about post 60 by molding the candy when it is in a soft or liquid state. Once the candy cures or hardens it is securely mounted on base 42, particularly with the aid of enlarged transverse projections 64, such that candy 66 cannot be removed from post 60 without dissolving or breaking candy 66. However, when the candy piece 66 is consumed, it may be consumed in its entirety as no portion of candy piece 66 is enclosed by any portion of base 42. Thus, once cap 74 and the wrapper 78 are removed, the exposed candy piece 66 of the then uppermost candy module 40 may be consumed in its entirety.
To assist in providing a clean, sanitary product, a removable cap 74 is provided over candy 66 and minimizes contaminants coming in contact with candy 66. Cap 74 comprises a generally hemispherical dome, conveniently made of a translucent or transparent plastic, having an open bottom end 76, and is formed or molded such that it frictionally engages casing 22 adjacent its upper end 24. Those skilled in the art will recognize that cap 74 is not limited to the embodiment shown. For example, cap 74 could be of a snap-on construction or a screw-on construction, rather than simply an interference frictional engagement with casing 22. For further protection of candy 66 from contamination, each candy piece 66 of each module is covered with a flexible wrapper 78 that is conveniently formed of a foil or plastic, which may be color coordinated with the flavor of candy piece 66 and/or the color of base 42.
In operation, a child, or other user, first removes cap 74, if it is secured to casing 22, and then removes plastic wrap 78 exposing candy 66 of the uppermost module. The child may then consume the exposed candy piece 66 of the uppermost module 40 in its entirety. Alternatively, the child may elect to remove the uppermost candy module 40 and reinsert it through opening 32 in the lower end 26 of casing 22, thereby exchanging the candy modules of different flavors in any order desired. Candy 66 is generally consumed, as are most lollipops, by licking.
After candy piece 66 is consumed in its entirety by the child, the uppermost module may be readily removed through opening 34 in upper end 24 of casing 22. Removal of the module, or more particularly the remaining base 42 after candy piece 66 has been consumed, may be accomplished by either, grasping the now exposed post 60 and pulling the base 42 out in a generally axial direction, or by grasping the exposed upper section 48 and pulling base 42 out in a generally axial direction. As a further alternative, the user may insert a thumb or finger up through opening 32 in lower end 26 of casing 22, into cavity 70 of the lowermost module 40 and push up the stack of modules to completely expose the uppermost module above upper end 24 of casing 22.
Once the uppermost base 42 is removed, it will expose candy piece 66 with its protective wrapping 78 of the next candy module 40 in the connected stack. While as indicated above, the stack of modules may be advanced upwardly in casing 22 by the user pushing upwardly in cavity 70 of the lowermost module 40, upward advancement of the stack of modules is more readily accomplished by reinserting the empty base 42 back through opening 32 into cavity 70 of the then lowermost candy module 40 and pushing upwardly on the exposed lower section 46 of the empty base.
As is best illustrated in
Presently, it is understood that all businesses involved in the manufacture, distribution and retail of toys for children under three must comply with Product Safety Standards (Children's Toys) Regulations. The safety standard states toys should not be of a size that creates a hazard if swallowed or inhaled, or have small parts designed to be removed from the toy that create a hazard if swallowed or inhaled. If a toy, or a part of a toy, can fit completely into the cylinder, then it is too small and does not meet the standard. Generally, anything smaller than a 35 mm film canister will not meet the standard.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, 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 as come within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
