U.S. patent application number 10/253880 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-25 for dispenser with stowable cover.
This patent application is currently assigned to MARS, INCORPORATED. Invention is credited to Baker, Paul Joseph, Croft, Robert, Gedanke, Sergio, Hirst, Richard, Yun, Insun.
Application Number | 20040056035 10/253880 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31993239 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040056035 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Baker, Paul Joseph ; et
al. |
March 25, 2004 |
Dispenser with stowable cover
Abstract
A dispenser for small objects, such as candy, pills, tablets,
and other objects of similar size. The dispenser includes a housing
having a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two opposing side
walls. The housing defines an interior volume and an aperture
providing access to the interior volume. A cover is movably
attached to the housing and has a closed position for securing
objects within the interior volume and at least one opened position
for displaying and/or dispensing the objects from the interior
volume. Two flanges depend from the cover. The flanges are
functionally engaged respectively with the sides walls of the
housing such that the cover is laterally movable with respect to
the housing, selectively rotatable about an axis defined in the
housing, and movable into the closed and opened positions including
a stowed position in which the cover is opened, the cover is
substantially flush with the housing and, except for the thickness
of the cover, the cover does not extend substantially beyond the
planes of the front wall and the side walls.
Inventors: |
Baker, Paul Joseph;
(Saylorsburg, PA) ; Croft, Robert; (Jersey City,
NJ) ; Gedanke, Sergio; (Brooklyn, NY) ; Hirst,
Richard; (Teaneck, NJ) ; Yun, Insun; (New
York, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FITZPATRICK CELLA HARPER & SCINTO
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK
NY
10112
US
|
Assignee: |
MARS, INCORPORATED
|
Family ID: |
31993239 |
Appl. No.: |
10/253880 |
Filed: |
September 25, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/345.1 ;
220/813; 220/818 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2583/0454 20130101;
B65D 83/0481 20130101; B65D 43/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/345.1 ;
220/813; 220/818 |
International
Class: |
B65D 043/16; B65D
043/20 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A dispenser for storing and dispensing small objects,
comprising: a housing including a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall
and two opposing side walls, said housing defining an interior
volume and an aperture providing access to the interior volume; a
cover movably attached to said housing and having a closed position
for securing objects within the interior volume and at least one
opened position for displaying and/or dispensing the objects from
the interior volume; and two flanges depending from said cover,
said flanges being functionally engaged respectively with said
sides walls of said housing such that said cover is laterally
movable with respect to said housing, selectively rotatable about
an axis defined in said housing, and movable into the closed and
opened positions including a stowed position in which said cover is
opened and said cover is substantially flush with said housing.
2. A dispenser for storing and dispensing small objects,
comprising: a housing including a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall
and two opposing side walls, said housing defining an interior
volume and an aperture providing access to the interior volume; a
cover movably attached to said housing and having a closed position
for securing objects within the interior volume and at least one
opened position for displaying and/or dispensing the objects from
the interior volume; and two flanges depending from said cover,
said flanges being functionally engaged respectively with said
sides walls of said housing such that said cover is laterally
movable with respect to said housing, selectively rotatable about
an axis defined in said housing, and movable into the closed and
opened positions including a stowed position in which said cover is
opened and in which said cover does not extend substantially beyond
planes of said front wall and said side walls.
3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cover does not
extend substantially beyond a plane of said rear wall when said
cover is in the stowed position.
4. A dispenser for storing and dispensing small objects,
comprising: a housing, defining an interior volume and an aperture
providing access to the interior volume; a cover, movably attached
to said housing and having a closed position for securing objects
within the interior volume and at least one opened position for
displaying and/or dispensing the objects from the interior volume;
and moving means for moving said cover laterally with respect to
said housing, rotating said cover selectively about an axis defined
in said housing, and moving said cover into the closed and opened
positions including a stowed position in which said cover is
opened, said cover is substantially flush with said housing and,
except for a thickness of said cover, said cover extends only
partially beyond boundaries of said housing or said cover does not
extend substantially beyond the boundaries of said housing.
5. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, further
comprising a groove provided on each of said side walls of said
housing and a projection provided on each of said flanges, whereby
said grooves and said projections are engagable with each other so
as to allow said cover and said housing to selectively slide and
rotate relative to one another.
6. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, further
comprising a groove provided on each of said flanges and a
projection provided on each of said side walls of said housing,
whereby said grooves and said projections are engagable with each
other so as to allow said cover and said housing to selectively
slide and rotate relative to one another.
7. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said grooves
has a front end and an aft end, and the axis is defined by center
points of said projections when said projections are at the aft
ends of said grooves, respectively; and wherein said housing
further comprises a top, and said cover and said top partially
overlap such that, when said cover is in the closed position, said
cover and said housing cannot be rotated relative to one another
until said cover is slid to a rearmost position in which said
projections have slid to said aft ends of said grooves,
respectively, whereby said cover may be moved into the stowed
position by first sliding said cover to the rearmost position, then
rotating said cover about the axis to invert said cover, and then
sliding said cover forward.
8. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein, when
said cover is in the stowed position, said cover is substantially
flush with said bottom of said housing.
9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein said grooves are
substantially L-shaped such that, when said cover is in the stowed
position, said cover is substantially flush with said rear wall of
said housing.
10. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, further
comprising a rib disposed on said cover and functionally engagable
with said housing, whereby said cover can be placed in a plurality
of different stable opened positions in which the objects may be
dispensed from said dispenser, the different stable opened
positions being fixed positions of said cover and being positions
in which said cover is opened to different degrees, thereby
allowing the objects to be dispensed at different dispensing
rates.
11. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said
cover is removably attached to said housing.
12. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said
dispenser further comprises a locking means for locking said cover
in a closed position.
13. A dispenser as claimed in claim 12, wherein said locking means
comprises a releasable catch provided on said cover.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to a dispenser for
small objects, such as candy, pills, tablets, and other objects of
similar size. In particular, the present invention relates to a
dispenser having a housing and a cover that can be opened to
multiple different stable opened positions, including a stowed
position in which the cover is substantially flush with the housing
and does not extend substantially beyond the boundaries of the
housing.
[0003] 2. Related Background Art
[0004] Dispensers for small objects, such as candy, pills, tablets,
and other objects of similar size are well known in the art. Such
dispensers take a variety of forms. For example, they may be formed
of a hollow body and a separately formed top portion, the top
portion comprising a flat surface having an aperture and a closure
element that allows access to objects within the hollow body of the
dispenser through the aperture when open, while securing objects
within the hollow body when closed. Such dispensers may require
lifting or pressing the closure element in order to open the
aperture. Examples of dispensers of these types can be found in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,538,731, 5,636,732, 4,144,985, 5,273,177 and
4,095,712.
[0005] Other dispensers comprise box-like containers with lids that
slide open, e.g., U.S. Design Pat. No. 407,972, lids that rotate
open, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,979,223, 5,709,305 and 5,718,347, or
lids that slide and rotate open, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,430.
Still other dispensers comprise box-like containers with drawers
that slide out of the containers, e.g., U.S. Design Pat. No.
400,006 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,833,143, 3,888,350, 4,113,098 and
4,126,224. A number of these dispensers include locking mechanisms
to keep the dispenser securely closed, for example, to prevent
young children from having access to pills stored in the
dispenser.
[0006] One problem of conventional dispensers such as those
mentioned above is that, while such dispensers are generally
designed to be compact, they tend to lose their compact size when
they are placed in a fully opened position in order to dispense the
contents. Thus, for example, in dispensers having a drawer, the
drawer may be virtually the same size as the container, so that
opening the drawer causes the dispenser to increase in size to up
to twice its closed size. In dispensers having a lid, when the lid
is opened the lid generally protrudes to a great extent, since the
lid is often as wide or as long as one of the dimensions of the
container.
[0007] While U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,469 discloses a tool box having a
lid that can be stored flat against the bottom of the box, in order
to store the lid in this fashion the lid must be disengaged from
the box, inverted, and then reattached to the box. This is a
cumbersome and inconvenient way of storing the lid and retaining
the compact size of the opened box.
[0008] Another problem occurring in conventional dispensers is the
inability to be opened into a plurality of different stable opened
states, which are stably open to different degrees so as to allow
different rates of dispensing. Thus some dispensers have only a
single opened state, e.g., a state designed for dispensing a small
amount of the contents or a state designed for dispensing the
entire contents, but do not have both of these states or additional
states which would allow for multiple dispensing rates.
[0009] Another problem occurring in conventional dispensers is
accidental spillage. For example, some dispensers permit being
opened only to a wide open state, in which accidental spillage can
easily occur. Relatedly, other dispensers allow for a plurality of
opened states whereby the dispenser can be opened to different
degrees, but do not permit an opened state designed for dispensing
only a small amount of the contents. Again, in some dispensers that
allow for such a plurality of opened states, these states are not
stable. That is, the user may not be able to rely on the
dispenser's remaining in a particular (partly) opened state.
Rather, the dispenser may easily, and without the user so
intending, open itself to a wider opened state, which may cause the
contents to spill out against the user's wishes. In addition, some
conventional dispensers, especially those with locking mechanisms,
such as childproof dispensers, require a significant amount of
force to open them. When using such a dispenser, the user can
easily unintentionally cause the dispenser to suddenly open to a
state that is opened to a greater extent than desired, which can
easily cause accidental spillage of the contents.
[0010] Another problem with conventional dispensers is the presence
of protrusions, rough edges, sharp points or the like, which can
snag or tear a user's clothing or scratch a user's hand. Such
hindrances tend to be present especially when the dispensers are
placed in an opened state, because in this state the door, flap,
closure element, or the like, which often has a surface that is
rough or jagged, generally protrudes from the dispenser and hangs
free.
[0011] The present invention provides a dispenser that solves the
above problems, as explained below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention is directed to a dispenser for storing
and dispensing small objects, comprising a housing including a
bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two opposing side walls, the
housing defining an interior volume and an aperture providing
access to the interior volume. A cover is movably attached to the
housing and has a closed position for securing objects within the
interior volume and at least one opened position for displaying
and/or dispensing the objects from the interior volume. Two flanges
depend from the cover. The flanges are functionally engaged
respectively with the sides walls of the housing such that the
cover is laterally movable with respect to the housing, selectively
rotatable about an axis defined in the housing, and movable into
the closed and opened positions including a stowed position in
which the cover is opened and the cover is substantially flush with
the housing.
[0013] Yet another embodiment of this invention is directed to a
dispenser for storing and dispensing small objects, comprising a
housing including a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two
opposing side walls, the housing defining an interior volume and an
aperture providing access to the interior volume. A cover is
movably attached to the housing and has a closed position for
securing objects within the interior volume and at least one opened
position for displaying and/or dispensing the objects from the
interior volume. Two flanges depend from the cover. The flanges are
functionally engaged respectively with the sides walls of the
housing such that the cover is laterally movable with respect to
the housing, selectively rotatable about an axis defined in the
housing, and movable into the closed and opened positions including
a stowed position in which the cover is opened and in which the
cover does not extend substantially beyond planes of the front wall
and the side walls.
[0014] Yet another embodiment of this invention is directed to a
dispenser as in the previous embodiment wherein, when the cover is
in the stowed position, the cover also does not extend
substantially beyond the plane of the rear wall.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIGS. 1A-1E are top perspective views of a dispenser of the
invention. In particular, FIG. 1A shows a cover of the dispenser in
the fully closed position. FIG. 1B shows the cover in a first
opened position. FIG. 1C shows the cover rotating. FIG. 1D shows
the cover in a fully opened position. FIG. 1E shows the cover in a
fully opened and stowed position.
[0016] FIGS. 2A-2E are bottom perspective views of a dispenser of
the invention, showing the cover of the dispenser in the same
positions as shown in FIGS. 1A-1E, respectively.
[0017] FIGS. 3A-3E are sequential schematic illustrations of the
relative movement and cooperative relationship between the
components of a dispenser of the invention. In these figures, the
positions of the cover correspond respectively to those of FIGS.
1A-1E and 2A-2E.
[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates, from the underside, a cover of a
dispenser of the invention disengaged from a housing.
[0019] FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic views showing, when viewed
from the interior or underside, the upper portion of the housing
and portions of the cover visible through the aperture of the
housing or around the edges of the upper portion of the housing.
FIG. 5A shows the cover in a fully closed position, for
illustrating the operation of stops in stopping the cover from
moving beyond the front wall of the housing and the operation of
the catch in locking the cover in the fully closed position. FIG.
5B shows the cover in a first stable opened position, for
illustrating the operation of a rib in stabilizing the cover in the
first stable opened position and in facilitating the shift in
movement of the cover from sliding to rotating.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a housing of a
dispenser of the invention in an opened or unassembled state.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing how the cover of FIG. 4
is engaged with the housing of FIG. 6, when the housing of FIG. 6
is in a closed or assembled state.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a schematic view for illustrating an embodiment of
the invention in which the cover is fully stowed underneath the
housing in an opened position, whereby the cover does not extend
beyond the boundaries of the housing.
[0023] FIGS. 9A-9C are schematic views for illustrating an
embodiment of the invention in which the dispenser is formed more
in the shape of a cube and additional grooves are provided in the
side walls of the housing, whereby the cover is stowed flush
against the rear wall of the housing rather than against the bottom
of the housing.
[0024] FIG. 10 is a schematic view for illustrating an embodiment
of the invention in which grooves are provided on extended flanges
of the cover and projections engaging the grooves are provided at
the rear of the side walls of the housing.
[0025] FIGS. 11A-11F are perspective views for illustrating an
embodiment of the invention in which flanges of the cover hang down
on the inside of the side walls of the housing, and grooves are
formed on the inside of the side walls.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] The present invention is directed to a dispenser for small
objects, such as candy, pills, tablets, and other objects having a
similar size. As used herein the term "small objects" refers to
pieces of candy, pills, tablets, and any other object having a
similar size that may be stored in and dispensed from the dispenser
of the invention.
[0027] First Embodiment
[0028] A first embodiment of the invention, with modifications,
will now be described.
[0029] A dispenser in accordance with the invention is generally
illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1E, 2A-2E and 3A-3E. FIGS. 1A-1E show the
dispenser in a top perspective view, with the cover in different
positions from fully closed to fully opened and stowed. FIGS. 2A-2E
show the dispenser in a bottom perspective view, with the cover in
the same positions as shown in FIGS. 1A-1E. FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate
schematic views of the relative movement and cooperative
relationship between the components of the dispenser, with the
cover in the same positions as shown in FIGS. 1A-1E. Dispenser 10
comprises a housing 11, a dispensing aperture 12 in housing 11, an
interior volume 13 within housing 11, and a cover 14 removably and
selectively movably attached to housing 11. Dispenser 10 is
designed to hold and dispense candy or other small objects, such
objects being visible in FIGS. 1B-1E. Cover 14 has a fully closed
position, as illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 2A, and 3A, and multiple
dispensing and displaying positions, selectively illustrated in
FIGS. 1B-1E, 2B-2E and 3B-3E.
[0030] In this illustrated embodiment, dispenser 10 has a preferred
shape of ergonomic curvature, although it will be readily
appreciated that the shape may be altered. Housing 11 has a top 15,
a bottom 16, a front wall 17, a rear wall 18, and parallel side
walls 19. Bottom 16, rear wall 18, and side walls 19 are roughly
planar, although with smoothed or rounded edges. Top 15 and front
17 are gently curved, also with smoothed or rounded edges. Top 15
is partly cut-out. Each of the two side walls 19 has a groove 20
provided therein.
[0031] Cover 14 comprises a front tab portion 21, a rear flap
portion 22, and two side flanges 23 each overlapping a side wall 19
of housing 11. Each side flange 23 has a projection 24 provided
therein facing side walls 19. Projections 24 fit into grooves 20 in
side walls 19 such that cover 14 can slide back and forth along
grooves 20. As shown, for example, in FIG. 3A, when cover 14 is
slid forward, projections 24 are moved in grooves 20 in the
direction of front wall 17. As shown, for example, in FIG. 3B, when
cover 14 is slid backward, projections 24 are moved in grooves 20
in the direction of rear wall 18.
[0032] In addition to sliding, cover 14 can also be partly rotated
about pivotal axis A when cover 14 is slid sufficiently rearward
along grooves 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 1C, 1D, 2C, 2D, 3C and
3D. As shown in FIGS. 3A-3E and also by the dotted line in FIG. 5B,
pivotal axis A is defined by the line joining the center points of
projections 24 when projections 24 are at the rearmost position in
grooves 20. Thus, pivotal axis A is parallel to planes including
top 15, bottom 16, front wall 17, and rear wall 18, and pivotal
axis A is perpendicular to side walls 19. As shown in FIG. 3A, if
cover 14 is not slid sufficiently rearward along grooves 20, then
rear flap portion 22 of cover 14 is blocked by top 15 of housing
11, and cover 14 will not be able to rotate about pivotal axis A.
Only when cover 14 is slid sufficiently rearward, as shown in FIG.
3B, can rear flap portion 22 of cover 14 clear rear wall 18 of
housing 11, such that cover 14 may be rotated, as shown in FIGS. 3C
and 3D.
[0033] Thus, cover 14 can be positioned in a closed position (e.g.
FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A) or in any one of a plurality of opened
positions (e.g. FIGS. 1B-1E, 2B-2E and 3B-3E). The closed position
and at least some of the opened positions are stable positions such
that, once the cover 14 is placed in such a position by the user,
cover 14 will not easily slide out of the position of its own
accord without the application of intentional force from the user.
A first stable opened position is shown in FIGS. 1B, 2B and 3B. In
this position, the cover is opened a small amount. This position is
designed for dispensing or displaying single objects or small
amounts of objects from the dispenser. A second stable opened
position is shown in FIGS. 1E, 2E and 3E. In this position, the
cover is fully opened and also stowed beneath the housing. This
position is designed for dispensing or displaying large amounts of
the objects in the dispenser. Because the dispenser allows for a
plurality of opened positions, the convenience with which the
dispenser may be used and the number of ways in which the dispenser
may be used is increased. In addition, accidental spillage of the
contents of the dispenser is avoidable because the dispenser admits
of a stable opened position designed for dispensing single objects
or small amounts of objects from the dispenser.
[0034] Moreover, since, as explained, cover 14 cannot be rotated
until it is slid sufficiently rearward in grooves 20, cover 14
cannot be moved directly, that is, in a single, uninterrupted
motion, from a completely closed position (e.g. FIGS. 1A, 2A and
3A) to a completely opened position (e.g. FIGS. 1D, 1E, 2D, 2E, 3D
and 3E). This too prevents accidental spillage of the contents of
the dispenser, precluding the dispenser from being suddenly--and
without the user's intention--opened to a wide opened position.
[0035] After rotation about pivotal axis A, cover 14 may be again
slid along grooves 20. Specifically, cover 14 may now be slid along
grooves 20 so as to be stowed underneath housing 11, while
dispenser 10 remains in a fully opened position. In the stowed
position (FIGS. 1E, 2E and 3E), cover 14 is substantially flush
with housing 11 and (except for the slight thickness of cover 14
itself) does not extend substantially beyond the boundaries of
housing 11, i.e., beyond top 15, bottom 16, front wall 17, rear
wall 18, and side walls 19, except for a small portion of cover 14
which extends beyond rear wall 18. In the stowed position, cover 14
is relatively unobtrusive and removed from view, and the dispenser
as a whole retains its compact size. In this position, virtually
the entire contents of dispenser 10 may be displayed and objects
may easily be dispensed from dispenser 10 at a high dispensing
rate. In addition, in this position, the exterior surfaces of
dispenser 10 become almost as smoothed all over as they are when
cover 14 is in the fully closed position (FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A).
That is, when cover 14 is in the fully opened and stowed position,
as when cover 14 is in the fully closed position, the totality of
exterior surfaces of dispenser 10 is relatively free of
projections, rough edges, sharp corners, or the like, which could
get caught in or snag a user's clothing or scratch a user's
body.
[0036] As shown in FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B, cover 14 may also have one
or more stops 25 provided on the underside of cover 14, a catch 26
on a leading edge of cover 14 (here shown on the leading edge of
front tab portion 21), and a rib 27 on the underside of cover 14
toward the rear of cover 14. Stops 25 serve to stop cover 14 from
sliding further forward when cover 14 has reached the fully closed
position. Catch 26 serves to prevent cover 14 from opening (sliding
backward) accidentally from a closed position, which could cause
unwanted spillage. If catch 26 is provided, then cover 14 is lifted
slightly to begin rearward sliding motion of cover 14 to open
dispenser 10. Rib 27 serves to keep cover 14 from accidentally
sliding backward, and hence to keep cover 14 fixed in position,
when cover 14 is in the first stable opened position discussed
above and illustrated in FIGS. 1B, 2B and 3B. Rib 27 also
facilitates the rotation of cover 14, helping to stop cover 14 from
continuing to slide backward and helping to translate the user's
application of force to slide cover 14 rearward into a force acting
to shift cover 14 upward so as to rotate cover 14.
[0037] The formation of dispenser 10 will now be discussed with
reference to FIGS. 4, 6 and 7.
[0038] Housing 11 may be formed from a single piece of flexible
material by, e.g., vacuum molding, injection molding, or blow
molding. As shown in FIG. 6, housing 11 is preferably formed as a
single piece comprising an upper portion 28 and a lower portion 29
joined by a living hinge 30. However, housing 11 can be formed as
multiple pieces that are molded separately, and attached one to the
other by any means known in the art, such as, e.g., a hinge
comprising a pin that allows two pieces to be rotatably
connected.
[0039] With housing 11 formed in the preferable manner identified,
dispenser 10 may be filled either by opening housing 11 into its
two component portions, as shown in FIG. 6, or by opening cover 14,
as discussed above. Forming housing 11 as two connected portions
also facilitates cleaning the interior of housing 11.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows cover 14 by itself, and FIG. 7 shows how cover
14 and housing 11 may be assembled together. Front tab portion 21,
rear flap portion 22 and flanges 23 of cover 14 are preferably not
separately formed elements, but formed simply as integral sections
of cover 14, whereby front tab portion 21, rear flap portion 22,
flanges 23 and the remainder of cover 14 constitute one continuous,
smooth-surfaced member. However, these elements could be formed as
separate pieces attached by any means known in the art.
[0041] As seen in FIG. 7, flanges 23 may be formed of material
sufficiently flexible that a user may pull them outward from side
walls 19, disengaging projections 24 from grooves 20, so that cover
14 may be removed entirely from housing 11, and later snapped back
on. Of course, flanges 23 should be formed of a material
sufficiently resilient, and/or grooves 20 should be sufficiently
deep and projections 24 sufficiently long, that when cover 14 is
engaged with housing 11, there is no danger of cover 14
accidentally coming apart from housing 11.
[0042] Housing 11, cover 14 and all of their component parts may be
formed from any appropriate material, such as, e.g., polystyrene,
polyvinyl chloride, or polypropylene. To allow viewing of the
contents, housing 11 and/or cover 14 may be formed from a clear
plastic, such as, e.g., polystyrene or clarified polypropylene.
[0043] Other Embodiments
[0044] FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the dispenser of the
invention. In the preceding embodiment, cover 14 is only partly
stowed under housing 11, in the sense that a small portion of cover
14 including front tab 21 extends beyond the boundaries of housing
11, specifically, beyond the plane of rear wall 18. In the present
embodiment, cover 14 may be fully stowed, in the sense that cover
14 does not extend beyond the boundaries of housing 11.
Specifically, in the present embodiment, grooves 20 are made
longer. That is, grooves 20 are formed so as to extend farther
toward front wall 17. This allows cover 14, after rotation, to be
slid along grooves 20 farther in the direction of front wall 17, so
that cover 14 no longer extends beyond rear wall 18. In addition,
in this embodiment, rear flap 22 of cover 14 is made slightly
shorter so that, when cover 14 is thus slid farther along grooves
20 toward front wall 17, into the fully stowed position, rear flap
22 does not extend beyond the plane of front wall 17. In this way,
cover 14 may be stowed such that it does not extend beyond the
boundaries of housing 11. It is noted that extending grooves 20 in
the direction of front wall 17 does not pose a problem of allowing
cover 14 to be slid too far forward when the user is placing cover
14 in the closed position, because stops 25 prevent cover 14 from
being slid too far forward, as shown in FIG. 5A.
[0045] FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate another embodiment of the dispenser
of the invention. In this embodiment, cover 14 is stowed flush
against rear wall 18 rather than against bottom 16, as in the
previous embodiments. This is achieved by forming dispenser 10 more
in the shape of a cube and extending grooves 20 in side walls 19.
Specifically, at the rearmost points of grooves 20, grooves 20 are
extended, at a 90 degree angle, in the direction of bottom 16. In
this arrangement, when cover 14 is slid back in grooves 20, cover
14 is rotated only 90 degrees, and is then slid downward in the
direction of bottom 16 along the extended portions of grooves 20.
In this way, cover 14 may be stowed flush against rear wall 18
rather than against bottom 16.
[0046] FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the dispenser of the
invention. In this embodiment, the position of grooves 20 and
projections 24 are reversed. That is, grooves 20 are formed in
cover 14, and projections 24 are formed on housing 11. In order to
achieve this, flanges 23 of cover 14 are formed in a longer,
rectangular shape so as to accommodate grooves 20. Projections 24
are provided at the rear of side walls 19 of housing 11.
[0047] FIGS. 11A-11F show another embodiment of the dispenser of
the invention. In this embodiment, side flanges 23 hang down on the
interior of side walls 19 of housing 11, rather than on the
exterior. In addition, grooves 20 are formed on the interior of
side walls 19 rather on the exterior. Each side flange 23 has a
projection 24 provided therein facing a respective side wall 19,
and projections 24 fit into grooves 20 such that cover 14 can slide
back and forth along grooves 20. Continuous slots may be formed in
top 15, rear wall 18 and bottom 16, as necessary to allow cover 14
to rotate as in the first embodiment.
[0048] This invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed
herein and it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and
embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore,
it is intended that the appended claims cover all such
modifications and embodiments that fall within the true spirit and
scope of the present invention.
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