U.S. patent application number 15/500517 was filed with the patent office on 2017-08-10 for device for storing and dispensing food items.
The applicant listed for this patent is Bruce Fougere. Invention is credited to Bruce Fougere.
Application Number | 20170225873 15/500517 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55218256 |
Filed Date | 2017-08-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170225873 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fougere; Bruce |
August 10, 2017 |
Device for Storing and Dispensing Food Items
Abstract
A device for storing and dispensing food items for a
customizable nutrition supply is provided. The food items are
loaded by the user, allowing customization of nutritional content
and sequence. The device may be portable and operated with one
hand, and is sufficiently sealed to store the food items securely,
away from air, dust, and moisture. When the device is operated by
being opened or triggered, it dispenses the next food item, so that
the user may dispense the food item directly into the user's mouth.
The device then closes or is closed.
Inventors: |
Fougere; Bruce; (Oak Park,
IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Fougere; Bruce |
Oak Park |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55218256 |
Appl. No.: |
15/500517 |
Filed: |
July 28, 2015 |
PCT Filed: |
July 28, 2015 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US15/42546 |
371 Date: |
January 30, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62030054 |
Jul 28, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/0418 20130101;
B65D 2583/0481 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 83/04 20060101
B65D083/04 |
Claims
1. A device for storing and dispensing food items for a
customizable nutrition supply, the device comprising: a container;
a food item advancer; and a dispenser opening.
2. The device of claim 1, in which the container is approximately
cylindrical.
3. The device of claim 1, in which the container further comprises
sidewalls that are faired.
4. The device of claim 1, in which the container further comprises
a solid surface exclusive of an opening for loading food items.
5. The device of claim 1, in which the dispenser opening is an
opening in the sidewalls of the container.
6. The device of claim 1, in which the dispenser opening is an open
end of the container.
7. The device of claim 1, in which the container further comprises
a solid surface with a plurality of openings or perforations.
8. The device of claim 1, in which the device further comprises a
top cap.
9. The device of claim 8, in which the dispenser opening is an
opening in the top cap.
10. The device of claim 1, in which the device further comprises a
bottom cap.
11. The device of claim 10, in which the dispenser opening is an
opening in the bottom cap.
12. The device of claim 1, in which the food item advancer is a
spring.
13. The device of claim 1, in which the food item advancer is
affixed near the bottom of the container with a food item advancer
attacher.
14. The device of claim 10, in which the food item advancer is
affixed to the bottom cap with a food item advancer attacher.
15. The device of claim 1, in which the device further comprises a
pusher plate removably affixed to the food item advancer.
16. The device of claim 15, in which the container further
comprises pusher plate alignment guides; and the pusher plate
further comprises a plurality of pusher plate aligners; and the
pusher plate alignment guides and the plurality of pusher plate
aligners slidably engage.
17. The device of claim 1, in which the food item advancer is
affixed near the top of the container with a food item advancer
attacher.
18. The device of claim 8, in which the food item advancer is
affixed to the top cap with a food item advancer attacher.
19. The device of claim 8, in which the container further comprises
rocker arms.
20. The device of claim 8, in which the top cap further comprises
pry arms.
21. The device of claim 8, in which the container further comprises
a container opening hinge, and in which the top cap further
comprises a cover hinge, with the container opening hinge rotatably
attached to the cover hinge.
22. The device of claim 8, in which the container further comprises
a container opening hinge, and in which the top cap further
comprises a cover hinge, with the container opening hinge rotatably
engaged to the cover hinge.
23. The device of claim 8, in which the container further comprises
a container catchment, and in which the top cap further comprises a
cover closure mechanism, with the container catchment reversibly
engageable with the cover closure mechanism.
24. The device of claim 15, in which the pusher plate further
comprises a plurality of pusher plate catchments; and the container
further comprises a plurality of pusher plate retainers that engage
with the plurality of pusher plate catchments; and the container
further comprises a plurality of pusher plate catchment release
mechanisms.
25. The device of claim 15, in which the pusher plate further
comprises pusher plate retainers which reversibly engage with the
container to latch the pusher plate in place.
26. The device of claim 10, in which the bottom cap may be
reversibly attached to the container.
27. The device of claim 26, in which the food item advancer may be
reversibly attached to the bottom cap.
28. The device of claim 8, in which the top cap further comprises a
moderately flexible and elastic material.
29. The device of claim 8, in which the top cap further comprises a
pusher knob and a flexional region; and the dispenser opening
further comprises a flexible dispenser slot in the top cap.
30. The device of claim 29, in which the flexional region further
comprises a more flexible material than the remainder of the top
cap.
31. The device of claim 29, in which the flexional region further
comprises a band wrapping around the top cap.
32. The device of claim 29, in which the flexional region further
comprises a plurality of regions of the top cap.
33. The device of claim 29, in which the flexible dispenser slot
further comprises a plurality of dispenser slot flexors.
34. The device of claim 8, in which the top cap has a top cap
aligner for alignment with the container.
35. A device for storing and dispensing food items for a
customizable nutrition supply, the device comprising: a container;
a cartridge concentric with and narrower than the container; a food
item advancer; and a dispenser opening.
36. The device of claim 35, in which the cartridge further
comprises a cartridge food item opening.
37. The device of claim 35, in which the device further comprises a
pusher plate disposed within the cartridge.
38. The device of claim 37, in which the cartridge further
comprises pusher-cartridge alignment means to align the pusher
plate with the cartridge.
39. The device of claim 37, in which the cartridge further
comprises cartridge slots; and the pusher plate further comprises
pusher plate catchments; and the container further comprises pusher
plate retainers; and the pusher plate catchments protrude through
the cartridge slots to slidably engage with the pusher plate
retainers.
40. The device of claim 35, in which the cartridge further
comprises cartridge-container alignment means; and the container
further comprises cartridge-container alignment guides, and the
cartridge-container alignment means are slidably engaged with the
cartridge-container alignment guides.
41. A device for storing and dispensing food items for a
customizable nutrition supply, the device comprising: a container;
a food item advancer comprising a constant-force spring assembly;
and a dispenser opening.
42. The device of claim 41, in which the constant-force spring
assembly further comprises: a spring housing further comprising a
housing post and a housing string hole; and a spring spool situated
within the spring housing, with the housing post passing through
the spring spool, and with the spring spool further comprising a
spool floor, a spool top, and spool sides with a spool string hole
in the spool sides; and a string; and a constant-force spring
inside the spring spool, with the constant-force spring attached to
the housing post and to the string.
43. The device of claim 42, in which the string: passes through the
spool string hole; is wound around the spring spool; and passes
through the housing string hole.
44. The device of claim 43, in which the device further comprises a
trigger assembly having a trigger assembly string hole, and a
pusher plate having a plurality of pusher plate string holes; with
the string passing through the trigger assembly string hole to the
plurality of pusher plate string holes, and the string passing from
the plurality of pusher plate string holes to attach to a fixed
point in the device.
45. The device of claim 44, in which the trigger assembly further
comprises a dispenser cover, a food item dispenser, and a trigger;
and in which the trigger assembly is rotatably attached to the
container with a trigger assembly mount at a trigger assembly
placement, such that the trigger assembly, when rotated, pinches
the string, reveals the dispenser opening with the dispenser cover,
blocks a food item from advancing, and ejects a food item through
the dispenser opening with the food item dispenser, and when
rotated in the opposite direction, releases the string, covers the
dispenser opening with the dispenser cover, and allows the food
items to advance.
46. The device of claim 41, in which the device further comprises a
top cap; and in which the constant-force spring assembly is
disposed inside of the top cap.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The presently disclosed subject matter relates to storing
and dispensing food items, and more specifically, to devices and
methods for portable storage containers that protect food items,
and that dispense the food items individually.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] People engaged in high-performance endeavors and endurance
sports, such as triathlons, long-distance running, and long bicycle
rides, have significant needs for nutrition during their
competition or performance. In the course of a 50 km run or a 100
mile bike ride, a 160-lb person may burn 600 to 800 calories per
hour. Furthermore, a person's nutritional needs are not limited
solely to replacement of calories expended in the endeavor:
endurance athletes also need to replace particular types of
nutrition, and may need them at specific stages of the workout or
competition. For example, an endurance athlete may need some fat
content in his or her food at the start of a long workout, a higher
percentage of carbohydrates in the middle, and proteins at the end
for an effective recovery. Based on an individual's size, gender,
and level of exertion during an athletic effort, and based on
environmental conditions, people will have different nutritional
needs, both in terms of quantity and content of food.
[0003] The current state of food marketed to athletes does not
fully meet these needs. Most food items targeted to athletes are
based on technology of processed food, specifically that of taking
a mixture of food items and forming it into a bar shape. Some such
products, often referred to generically as energy bars, are shaped
more like traditional chocolate bars and others like thicker
granola bars, while some are smaller bite-sized pieces, and still
other products are more like a viscous goo and not a solid or
malleable bar. These nutritional items fall short in several ways
in the context of athletic competitions, and especially in
endurance athletics.
[0004] One shortcoming of the current food technologies is that it
can be difficult to take in sufficient calories with the currently
existing energy bar products. A typical energy bar contains 200 to
250 calories, and a person, for the purposes of example only, such
as a 160-lb pound male playing basketball or boxing, engaged in a
typical athletic effort may burn 600 to 800 calories per hour,
while a person in an endurance event may burn 600 to 1,000 calories
(for example, refer to research by, Dr. Edward Howley, Professor of
Health and Exercise Science at the University of Tennessee,
available at http://hes.utk.edu/f_s/howley.html). The need to carry
and keep organized multiple nutrition sources is difficult for
people engaged in high-performance endeavors. Second, such
nutritional sources are typically sealed in high-barrier films,
which are most easily opened with two hands. When engaged in a
competition, or a non-competitive but demanding event, it may be
difficult or impractical to use both hands to open an energy bar.
Attempting to open such a nutritional product using only one hand
is quite difficult, and using only one hand plus one's teeth is
challenging and unhygienic, and can often result in the loss of the
energy bar. Additionally, serious injuries can result from a loss
of concentration or control when a user is distracted with an
attempt to open a bar, whether the user is bicycling, running, or
engaged in another activity.
[0005] Third, using current nutritional products, it is very
difficult to customize one's food intake. A user can customize the
amount eaten, such as by cutting the bars up in advance, or eating
portions of a package, but not the content of an individual bar,
and so it is difficult or impossible to customize an order of
nutrition, such as fats, then carbohydrates, then protein. Further,
even if it is possible to find an arrangement of energy bars or
other relatively suitable foods that would provide a desired order
of nutrition, attempting to stack them in order in a bag or pocket
would be cumbersome. Repeatedly finding the right bar and then
opening it would be prohibitively challenging, especially in the
context of an activity where opening a single bar is difficult. The
ability to customize nutritional content and the order in which one
eats the food items is lacking in the current art. Also lacking in
the current art is a way to securely store, carry, and dispense
food using only one hand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention meets all these needs, by disclosing
devices and systems for storing, protecting, and dispensing food
items. The device comprises a dispenser which may be opened and
loaded with food items, so that a user can place food items into
the device for later dispensing and consumption. The user can
choose the content of the nutrition to be consumed by choosing
particular food items, and can customize the order of nutrition to
be consumed by placing the food items in any particular order. Once
closed, the device securely stores and protects the food items,
keeping them free of dust and moisture.
[0007] The device can be loaded with sufficient calories to offset
the calorie deficit created by activity and support a person
engaged in an extreme or endurance event, such as a triathlon,
marathon, or any athletic activity that creates a calorie deficit.
The present invention is simple to operate, in contrast to the
current art relating to energy bars and other foods intended for
athletic and endurance endeavors.
[0008] The present invention allows only one disc (a food item) to
be dispensed per actuation. The device advances another disc into
the ready position. This cycle can then be repeated until the
device is empty. In various embodiments, the device may have a
trigger mechanism actuating an ejector and opening a dispenser slot
cover, so that when the user presses the trigger, the device's
dispenser slot cover opens, a food item is ejected, and the cover
then closes and the device advances all the remaining food items,
so that the next one is ready for dispensing. It has been found
advantageous to all the user to hold the device in one hand and
activate the trigger using a finger or the thumb of that hand. The
food item may be dispensed directly into the user's mouth, so that
true one-handed operation is possible. This is a necessary feature
for many use cases of the present invention, such as bicycling, in
which a user may want to keep one hand on the handlebars and use
the other to pick up the present invention and dispense a food item
directly into the user's mouth. This one-handed system also allows
users to leave their gloves on and still eat, which is important
for winter sport athletes such as alpine skiers, cross-country
skiers, snowboarders, and others.
[0009] Furthermore, the present invention can be used to customize
the nutritional profile that a user takes in, by loading food items
with different caloric and nutritional content into the device in
any order. In this way, the present invention can be used to supply
the user with a desired amount, order, and mix of food and
nutrition, and can deliver it directly to the user for one-handed
consumption without significant risk of dropped or lost food.
[0010] These aspects of the present invention, and other disclosed
in the Detailed Description of the Drawings, represent improvements
on the current art. This summary is provided to introduce a
selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further
described below in the Detailed Description of the Drawings. This
Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential
features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be
used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed
description of various embodiments, is better understood when read
in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of
illustration, there is shown in the drawings exemplary embodiments;
but, the presently disclosed subject matter is not limited to the
specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings,
like reference characters generally refer to the same components or
steps of the device throughout the different figures. In the
following detailed description, various embodiments of the present
invention are described with reference to the following drawings,
in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 shows exploded views of an exemplary inventive
device, with an exploded perspective view in FIG. 1A, an exploded
side elevation view in FIG. 1B, and an exploded side cross-section
view in FIG. 1C.
[0013] FIG. 2 shows exploded perspective views of another exemplary
device, with the device including the container and top cap shown
in FIG. 2A, and the device without the container or top cap shown
in FIG. 2B to show the inner components more clearly.
[0014] FIG. 3 shows multiple views of the outside of the exemplary
device of FIG. 2, with a perspective view of the container with top
cap in FIG. 3A, a perspective view of the container without top cap
in FIG. 3B, and side and front elevation views of the container
with top cap in FIG. 3C.
[0015] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary trigger assembly, in a top view in
FIG. 4A, a perspective view in FIG. 4B, and a side view in FIG.
4C.
[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates multiple views of another exemplary
embodiment of the device, with a cross-sectional elevation view of
the top of the tube without top cap in FIG. 5A, a cross-sectional
elevation view of the top of the tube with top cap in FIG. 5B, a
perspective view of a top cap in FIG. 5C, a side elevation of a top
cap in FIG. 5D, and a front elevation of a top cap in FIG. 5E.
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates multiple views of an exemplary embodiment
of the device, with a side elevation view in FIG. 6A, a front
elevation view in FIG. 6B, a side cross section view in FIG. 6C, a
top view of the top cap in FIG. 6D, and an exploded perspective
view in FIG. 6E.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The presently disclosed invention is described with
specificity to meet statutory requirements. But, the description
itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather,
the claimed invention might also be embodied in other ways, to
include different steps or elements similar to the ones described
in this document, in conjunction with other present or future
technologies. Moreover, although the term "step" may be used herein
to connote different aspects of methods employed, the term should
not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or
between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the
order of individual steps is explicitly described.
[0019] The present subject matter discloses devices and systems for
storing, protecting, and dispensing food items. It has been found
advantageous to have, as shown in FIG. 1, the present invention
comprise a device 100 for storing and dispensing food items for a
customizable nutrition supply, in which the device comprises a
container 102 that is approximately cylindrical in lateral
cross-section perpendicular to the long axis 104, though the
lateral cross-section need not by identical along the length of the
long axis 104 of the container 102. In other embodiments, the
container 102 may be triangular, rectangular, or another shape in
lateral cross-section and may have one or more sidewalls 106 that
define the outside of a cylinder, or that are planar and
perpendicular to a lateral cross-section, creating a container 102
shaped like a triangular or rectangular prism. In still other
embodiments, the container 102 may have sidewalls 106 that are not
planar but instead are curved or faired. In yet other embodiments,
such sidewalls 106 may not be identical to each other. The
sidewalls 106 of the container 102 together with the top cap 108
and bottom cap 110, if present in that embodiment of the present
invention, form the exterior of the device 100. It has been found
advantageous to have the container 102 comprise a solid surface,
exclusive of openings including but not limited to those for
loading food items 112 and dispensing food items 112, as described
below. In some embodiments, it is desirable to build the device 100
with a container 102 that has one or more openings or
perforations.
[0020] The container 102 may, in some embodiments, have a dispenser
opening 114 positioned on the container towards or at the top or
bottom of the container 102, through which the food items 112 may
be dispensed, as discussed in more detail below. The dispenser
opening 114 may, in some embodiments of the present invention, be
positioned on the side of the container 102 so that the longer
dimension of the dispenser opening 114 is oriented perpendicular to
the long axis of the container 102, and so the smaller dimension of
the dispenser opening 114 runs parallel to the long axis of the
container 102, and may be sized to be large enough to allow just
one of the food items 112 through at one time. In other
embodiments, the dispenser opening 114 of the container 102 may be
a top cap 108 or other part that opens to dispense food items 112,
or though which one or more of the food items 112 may be retrieved
by the user.
[0021] The device 100 has one or more food item advancers 116 which
may be any one or more of a tension spring, a compression spring, a
torsion spring, or other spring types. The food item advancer 116
may be affixed at or near the bottom of the container 102 or to the
bottom cap 110 to one or more food item advancer attachers 124, and
to a pusher plate 118. The food item advancer 116 is compressed as
the food items 112 are loaded, and then the food item advancer 116
push the pusher plate 118 which pushes the food items 112 toward a
top dispenser opening 114 or an openable top cap 108 for dispensing
the food items 112. In other embodiments, the food item advancer
116 may be attached to food item advancer attacher 124 at or near
to the top of the container 102, and then extended as the food
items 112 are loaded, so that the food item advancer 116 pull the
pusher plate 118 and thus the food items 112 up towards the
dispenser opening 114 or openable top cap 108. In still other
embodiments, the dispenser opening 114 may be at the bottom of the
container 102, and the food item advancer 116 may then be attached
at or near the top or bottom of the container 102 to, respectively,
push or pull the food items 112 down towards the bottom dispenser
opening 114.
[0022] In still other embodiments of the present invention, as
shown in FIG. 2, the food item advancer 116 may be a constant-force
spring assembly 202. In this or other embodiments, the container
102 may have pusher plate alignment guides 230 on the sides of the
container, and the pusher plate 118 may have a plurality of pusher
plate aligners 232 that slidably engage with the pusher plate
alignment guides 230, allowing the pusher plate 118 to slide up and
down inside the container 102 on the pusher plate alignment guides
230. The top cap 108 may be removably engaged with the pusher plate
alignment guides 230, held by friction or other means, or the top
cap 108 may have a top cap aligner 240 to ensure only one alignment
is possible with the container 102. The constant-force spring
assembly 202 may be contained inside of the top cap 108.
[0023] The constant-force spring assembly 202 may comprise a
constant-force spring 204, a spring spool 206, a spring housing
208, and a string 210. The spring housing 208 may be a cylinder,
with a housing floor, a housing top, and housing sides, and the
spring housing 208 is held in place in the container 102 by the
pusher plate alignment guides 230, by friction or other means. The
spring housing 208 also has a housing post 212 in its center,
extending from the housing floor to the housing top. The spring
housing 208 also has a housing string hole 214 in the housing
sides.
[0024] The spring spool 206 is located inside of the spring housing
208. The spring spool 206 may be roughly a cylinder, with a spool
floor, a spool top, and spool sides, and may have spool rims 216
defined by the diameters of the spool top and spool floor, which
may be equal to each other and larger than the exterior diameter of
the spool sides. The housing post 212 passes through the spring
spool 206, allowing the spring spool 206 to spin freely within the
spring housing 208. The spring spool 206 also has a spool string
hole 218 in the spool sides.
[0025] The constant-force spring 204 sits inside of the spring
spool 206, with the constant-force spring 204 attached to the
housing post 212 at or near the innermost part of the
constant-force spring 204. At the outermost part of the
constant-force spring 204, the string 210 is attached to the
constant-force spring 204. The string 210 passes through the spool
string hole 218, is wound around the spring spool 206 one or more
times, where it is constrained from slipping off of the spring
spool 206 by the spool rims 216. The string 210 then passes through
the housing string hole 214 and then through the trigger assembly
string hole 404 of the trigger assembly 400, described below, and
along the outside of the stack of the food items 112 without making
contact with the food items 112. In this or other embodiments of
the present invention, the pusher plate 118 may have a pusher plate
string hole 224, and the string 210 may pass from the trigger
assembly string hole 404 to the pusher plate string hole 224. In
some embodiments, the pusher plate 118 may have two or more pusher
plate string holes 224, and the string 210 may pass from the
trigger assembly string hole 404, through one pusher plate string
hole 224, under or the pusher plate 118 or through a channel in the
pusher plate 118, through the other pusher plate string hole 224,
and up along the opposite side of the stack of food items 112 to
attach to a fixed point in the device 100, which may be the
container 102, the spring housing 208, or other suitable point as
will be apparent to one of skill in the art, in order to prevent
the pusher plate 118 from twisting inside of the container, and/or
to ensure a smooth operation of the constant-force spring assembly
202 as the food item advancer 116.
[0026] In some such embodiments of the present invention, when the
trigger assembly 400 is operated by the user and rotates about the
location of the trigger assembly placement 302, as shown in FIG. 3,
the trigger assembly 400 pinches the string 210, preventing it from
pulling up the pusher plate 118 while the trigger assembly 400 is
dispensing one of the food items 112, as described in greater
detail below. When the trigger 402, as shown in FIG. 3 and in
greater detail in the views of the trigger assembly 400 in FIG. 4,
is released or returned to its rest position, the trigger assembly
400 rotates back and releases the string 210 from being pinched.
The constant-force spring 204 then coils more, as the topmost of
the food items 112 has been dispensed, pulling the string 210 which
pulls the pusher plate 118, advancing the stack of food items 112
and moving the next of the food items 112 into the ready position,
to be dispensed next.
[0027] In other embodiments of the invention, there are rocker arms
128 affixed to the interior of the container 102, and which are
constructed as elastically attached to or part of the container
102, such that the rocker arms 128 may be moveably engaged against
the food items 112 or may be pushed out of the way of the food
items 112. When the top cap 108 is open, as shown in FIG. 5A, the
rocker arms 128 spring in towards the interior of the container
102, and pinch in to the food items 112 or into space between food
items 112. The rocker arms 128 are positioned to pinch into the
second of the food items 112 in the stack, or into the space
between it and the first of the food items 112. This allows the
first of the food items 112, in the so-called "ready position", to
be dispensed, in this embodiment by the user grabbing the topmost
of the food items 112 or by shaking it or tipping it out of the
container 102, while the second and the rest of the food items 112
are blocked from advancing. When the top cap 108 is closed, as
shown in FIG. 5B, the pry arms 502 come into contact with the
rocker arms 128, and push the rocker arms 128 elastically towards
the sides of the container 102, so that the rocker arms 128 are no
longer preventing the food items 112 from advancing. By means of
the rocker arms 128, the food item advancer 116 is controlled to
advance the food items 112 towards the dispenser opening 114 by
only one of food items 112, that is, by a distance equal or nearly
equal to the thickness (in the direction of the long axis 104 of
the container 102) of only one of the food items 112. The top cap
108 is shown in more detail in FIG. 5C, FIG. 5D, and FIG. 5E,
showing the pry bars 502, the cover hinge 504 that is present in
some embodiments of the invention and is rotatably engaged with the
container opening hinge 130 that is present in some embodiments,
and the cover catchment 506 that is present in some embodiments,
and which engages with the cover closure mechanism 132 that is
present in some embodiments.
[0028] It has been found advantageous in the present invention to
have the device 100 further comprise a pusher plate 118 attached to
the food item advancer 116 at the end of the food item advancer 116
distal to the food item advancer attacher 124, for instance if the
food item advancer 116 is to push the food items 112 toward the
dispenser opening 114. As will be apparent to one skilled in the
art, in some embodiments of the present invention, it may be
desirable to have the pusher plate 118 attached to the food item
advancer 116 proximal to the food item advancer attacher 124. It
has been found advantageous to have the pusher plate 118 comprise a
flat or approximately flat piece shaped roughly like the
cross-sectional profile of the container 102.
[0029] It has been found to be advantageous to have the pusher
plate 118 further comprise one or more pusher plate catchments, and
the container 102 has one or more pusher plate retainers that align
with the pusher plate catchments. The container 102 may also
comprise one or more pusher plate catchment release mechanisms,
which are operated by the user with catchment release mechanism
actuators on the outside of the container 102. The catchment
release mechanism actuators may be buttons, levers, or other means.
In alternative embodiments, the container 102 may have an opening
for the user to directly actuate the pusher plate catchment release
mechanisms.
[0030] In some embodiments of the invention, the pusher plate 118
further comprises a plurality of pusher plate aligners 232, and the
container 102 has one or more pusher plate alignment guides 230
that align with the plurality of pusher plate aligners 232. The
plurality of pusher plate aligners 232 may be protrusions, bumps,
slots, or other suitable means of slidably engaging with the pusher
plate 118, to guide it as it is pushed or pulled by the food item
advancer 116, along the pusher plate alignment guides 230, which
may be slots, tracks, or other suitable means.
[0031] In some embodiments of the invention, the pusher plate 118
and food item advancer 116 are placed by the user in the container
102, and then latched into place by pusher plate retainers at the
end of the container proximate or distal to the dispenser opening
114, allowing the user to easily load the food items 112
individually or in a stack in such an order that they are lined up
to be dispensed in the order desired by the user. In some
embodiments of the invention, a latching bottom cap 110 may be
placed and latched on the bottom of the container 102, and the food
item advancer 116 and pusher plate 118 then inserted from the top
cap 108, aligned with the pusher plate alignment guides 230, with
the food item advancer 116 then compressed or moved to the bottom
of the container 102, at which point the pusher plate catchments
are engaged with the pusher plate retainers, locking the pusher
plate 118 and allowing loading of the food items 112. The bottom
cap 110 may be affixed to the container 102 by means of protrusions
120 that fit into slots 122 in the container 102, or the bottom cap
110 may be threaded to match threads on the container 102, so that
the bottom cap 110 screws on. In other embodiments of the
invention, the food item advancer 116 may be affixed to a latching
bottom cap 110 and then inserted into and latched to the container
102, and thereafter the user may insert the pusher plate 118 into
the container 102. In some embodiments, the pusher plate 118 has
pusher plate catchments which engage with the pusher plate
retainers, locking the pusher plate 118 and allowing loading of the
food items. In still other embodiments of the present invention, a
user may load a stack of food items 112 into the container by
creating the stack and then placing the container 102 over it, or
by other means. In any of these embodiments or others, the bottom
cap 110, food item advancer 116, and pusher plate 118 may be
affixed together by means of screw threads or clips, and then may
be attached to the container 102 by any means as described herein
for attaching the bottom cap 110, or other means. As will be
apparent to one of skill in the art, other arrangements are
possible, and those provided here are by way of illustration only,
without limiting the subject matter claimed.
[0032] It has been found to be advantageous in the present
invention to have the dispenser opening 114 optionally closed off
by means of a dispenser cover 406 which is sized and shaped to fit
and seal the dispenser opening 114. The dispenser cover 406
functions to keep moisture, dust, and air out of the interior space
of the container 102 and away from the food items 112. In some
embodiments of the present invention, the dispenser cover 406 may
be seated in its sealed position against a gasket of silicone,
rubber, or other suitable material placed around or inside of the
dispenser opening 114. In embodiments where the dispenser opening
114 is in the side of the container 102, the dispenser opening 114
may be configured to open by rotating around the long axis 104 of
the container 102, or may be configured to slide up or down
parallel to the long axis 104. In either of the foregoing
embodiments, the dispenser cover 406 may be configured to open to
the inside or outside of the container 102, and may be configured
so that it closes and seals the dispenser opening 114 while
slightly biased to the inside or outside of the outer surface of
the container 102, or so that the dispenser cover 406 seals the
dispenser opening 114 and is flush with the outer surface of the
container 102.
[0033] In embodiments of the present invention where the dispenser
opening 114 is part or all of the top cap 108 or bottom cap 110 of
the container 102, the dispenser cover 406 may be configured to
flip open, with one edge or side hinged to the container 102, and
the opposite edge of the dispenser cover 406 rotating around that
cover hinge 504, defining an angle which runs parallel to the long
axis 104 of the container 102. In other embodiments, the dispenser
cover 406 may be configured to rotate open, perpendicular to the
long axis 104.
[0034] The presently disclosed invention may further comprise a
trigger 402, which both actuates the dispenser cover 406, and
actuates a food item dispenser 408. Actuating the dispenser cover
406 may comprise a direct connection between the trigger 402 and
the dispenser cover 406 such that pushing the trigger 402 directly
slides or rotates the dispenser cover 406 to its open position.
Such a direct connection between the trigger 402 and the dispenser
cover 406 may be a solid part, or a connection by means of one or
more parts connected with lever or rocker connections, cams, gears,
springs, or other suitable mechanism, as will be apparent to one of
skill in the art. In other embodiments, actuating the dispenser
cover 406 may comprise releasing a dispenser cover catch 506 such
that the dispenser cover 406 springs open, impelled by dispenser
cover opening means, which may be a separate spring, or a part or
extension of the container 102 that is elastic and extended to
exert force upon the dispenser cover 406, or may be other suitable
means for opening the dispenser cover 406. In any embodiments, the
dispenser cover 406 may close automatically upon release of the
trigger 402 due to one or more dispenser cover closing means which
may be springs attached to the dispenser cover 406 or the trigger
402, or other suitable means of closing the dispenser cover 406. In
alternative embodiments, the dispenser cover 406 may need to be
closed manually by the user. In some embodiments, the trigger 402
may be a protrusion that slides circumferentially along the surface
of the container 102, describing an arc around the long axis 104 of
the container 102, or which slides in another direction. In other
embodiments, the trigger 402 may be a button that is depressed by
the user, or a latch that is pressed in a direction parallel to the
long axis 104, perpendicular to the long axis 104, or in a
combination of those two orientations, or the trigger may be part
of a trigger assembly 400, as discussed below. In some such
embodiments of the present invention, the trigger 402 actuates the
dispenser cover catch 506, and the dispenser cover opening means
thereupon open the dispenser cover 406. In other embodiments of the
invention, the user may directly operate the dispenser cover catch
506 to open the dispenser cover 406.
[0035] Upon the dispenser cover 406 opening, it has been found to
be advantageous in the present invention to have the food item
dispenser 408 actuated, and push one of the food items 112 out of
the dispenser opening 114. The food item dispenser 408 may, in some
embodiments, be actuated by means of the dispenser cover opening
means, or in alternative embodiments by other food item dispenser
actuating means, which may be a spring or other suitable means for
operating the food item dispenser 408, and which are operably
coupled to the trigger 402. The food item dispenser actuating means
can operate only when the dispenser cover 406 is open. In some
embodiments of the present invention, after the food item dispenser
408 has dispensed one of the food items 112 through the dispenser
opening 114, the food item dispenser 408 returns to its ready
position, impelled by the release of the trigger 402 releasing the
food item dispenser actuating means, or by other means. The
dispenser cover 406 returns to its closed position, releasing the
pusher catchment protrusions which in some embodiments of the
disclosed invention operate to impede the pusher plate 118 while
the dispenser cover 406 is open, and by releasing the pusher
catchment protrusions, the food item advancer 116 can advance the
pusher plate 118 and the food items 112 further towards the
dispenser opening 114 by a distance of the thickness of one of the
food items 112, thus placing another of the food items 112 in the
ready position to be next dispensed. In other embodiments, the
trigger 402 is moved manually back to the ready position.
[0036] In some embodiments of the disclosed invention, the trigger
402, food item dispenser 408, and dispenser cover 406 may be made
as a one-piece trigger assembly 400, which further comprises a
trigger assembly mount 410 that attaches the trigger assembly 400
to the container 102 at the trigger assembly placement 302. In such
embodiments of the invention, when the user operates the trigger
402, the trigger assembly 400 rotates at the location of the
trigger assembly placement 302, and the dispenser cover 406 portion
of the trigger assembly 400 reveals the dispenser opening 114 while
the food item dispenser 408 both pushes the topmost of the food
items 112 out the dispenser opening 114, and blocks the food items
112 from further advancing. When the trigger assembly 400 is moved
back, either by mechanical or manual means, the dispenser cover 406
again covers the dispenser opening 114 and the food item dispenser
408 moves out of the way of the stack of food items 112, allowing
the next of the food items 112 to advance into the ready position.
In some such embodiments of the present invention, the trigger
assembly 400 further comprises a trigger assembly string hole 404,
through which the string 210 of a constant-force spring assembly
202 may pass.
[0037] The container 102 comprises a food item insertion opening
126. In some embodiments, the food item insertion opening 126 is
the bottom of the container 102, with a bottom cap 110 which is
reversibly attachable to the container 102. The bottom cap 110 may
latch to the inside or outside of the container 102, or may latch
into the sides of the container 102 with protrusions 120 that latch
into slots 122 of the container 102, or may screw onto the
container with threading on the bottom cap 110 matching threading
on the container 102. In other embodiments, the food item insertion
opening 126 is an opening that runs the length of the container
102, parallel to the long axis 104, with a hinge that runs the
length of the container 102 parallel to the long axis 104
diametrically opposed to the food item insertion opening 126.
[0038] In alternative embodiments of the invention, the device may
further comprise a cartridge, which is concentric with and narrower
than the container 102. The cartridge is inserted into the
container 102 aligned with the long axis 104. The cartridge may be
loaded with food items 112 before insertion into the container 102.
The cartridge may have a cartridge food item opening that aligns
with the dispenser opening 114. The cartridge may have
pusher-cartridge alignment means that align a pusher plate 118 with
the cartridge as the food item advancer 116 advance the pusher
plate 118 inside of the cartridge towards the dispenser opening
114. In other embodiments, the cartridge may have cartridge slots
that allow the pusher plate catchments to slidably engage,
protruding from inside of the cartridge through the cartridge
slots, with the plurality of pusher plate retainers of the
container 102.
[0039] In some embodiments, the trigger 402 actuates the dispenser
cover 406, and actuates a food item dispenser 408, dispensing food
items 112 from the cartridge, through the cartridge food item
opening and the dispenser opening 114. The cartridge may also
comprise cartridge-container alignment means, which may be slidably
engaged with cartridge-container alignment guides affixed to or
part of the interior of the container 102, to ensure that the
cartridge is properly aligned within the container 102.
[0040] With reference to FIG. 6, FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate an
embodiment of the present invention, depicting a container 102, a
bottom cap 110, and a top cap 108. FIG. 6C further illustrates this
embodiment of the present invention with a cross-sectional view,
taken along the transect A-A' in FIG. 6B, further illustrating in
cross-section a container 102, a bottom cap 110, and a top cap 108,
a plurality of food items 112, food item advancer 116, a pusher
plate 118, and sidewalls 106. Each of FIGS. 6A-6C further depict
the top cap 108. It has been found to be advantageous to have the
top cap 108 comprised, in some embodiments, of a moderately
flexible and elastic material including but not limited to
silicone, and to have the top cap 108 further comprise a pusher
knob 612, a flexional region 614, and a flexible dispenser slot
618. The pusher knob 612 extends away from the container 102 and
may be pressed by a user towards the flexible dispenser slot 618 at
the front of the container 102. The pusher knob 612 flexes,
relative to the rest of the top cap 108, at the flexional region
614, contacting with the inside surface of the pusher knob 612 the
topmost of the plurality of food items 112, and pushing the topmost
of the plurality of food items 112 into and out through the
flexible dispenser slot 618. After the topmost of the plurality of
food items 112 has been moved out through the flexible dispenser
slot 618, and the user has released the pusher knob 612, the next
of the plurality of food items 112 is advanced by the food item
advancer 116 towards the top cap 108.
[0041] The flexional region 614 may comprise a more flexible
material than the other part or parts of the top cap 108, by use of
a different material or composition of matter, or the flexional
region 614 may be made of thinner material than the remainder of
the top cap 108, or may have its relatively higher flexibility than
the rest of the top cap 108 accomplished in another manner now
known or later invented. The flexional region 614 may be one band
wrapping around the top cap 108, as depicted in FIG. 6A, or may be
more than one discrete area of the top cap 108, as the flexional
region 614 appears in FIG. 6D. FIG. 6D is a top cross-section of an
exemplary top cap 108, showing a pusher knob 612, a flexional
region 614, and a flexible dispenser slot 618.
[0042] The flexible dispenser slot 618 may be a simple slit across
the top cap 108. It has been found to be advantageous to have the
flexible dispenser slot 618 further comprise a plurality of
dispenser slot flexors 620 to allow the flexible dispenser slot 618
to open sufficiently to allow the pusher knob 612 to expel the
topmost of the plurality of food items 112 through the flexible
dispenser slot 618.
[0043] FIG. 6E provides an exploded perspective view of an
embodiment of the device 100, illustrating the bottom cap 110, the
container 102, the food item advancer 116, the pusher plate 118,
the plurality of food items 112, and the top cap 108, further
comprising the pusher knob 612, the flexional region 614, the
flexible dispenser slot 618, and the dispenser slot flexors
620.
[0044] Certain embodiments of the present invention were described
above. From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is
one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects set forth
above, together with other advantages, which are obvious and
inherent to the system and method. It will be understood that
certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be
employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations.
It is expressly noted that the present invention is not limited to
those embodiments described above, but rather the intention is that
additions and modifications to what was expressly described herein
are also included within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it
is to be understood that the features of the various embodiments
described herein are not mutually exclusive and can exist in
various combinations and permutations, even if such combinations or
permutations were not made express herein, without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention. In fact, variations,
modifications, and other implementations of what was described
herein will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art without
departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. As such,
the invention is not to be defined only by the preceding
illustrative description.
* * * * *
References