US20120199592A1

US20120199592A1 - Container for paste or gel candy

Info

Publication number: US20120199592A1
Application number: US13/156,855
Authority: US
Inventors: Carlos Mora-Hernandez; Carlos Mora-Casillas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-02-04
Filing date: 2011-06-09
Publication date: 2012-08-09

Abstract

The present invention is related to a container for paste or gel candy, comprising: a main body geometrically shaped being entirely hollow at its inside and opened at one end to receive and store paste or gel candy; tight closing means being inserted in the main body opened end to perfectly close it and to prevent the vacuum loss at said main body inside and the candy from dripping from said opened end; transferring means located at the opposite end to the main body opened end, which function is to transfer the candy from the container inside to the user's mouth being suctioning or absorbing; and, a cap to close the transferring means. Said main body is formed by one or more pieces and which outer shape may adopt the shape of a figure or image.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is related to the design and manufacture of containers to hold and dispense all kind of candies, and more particularly, it is related to a container for paste or gel candy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The pleasure showed by both kids and adults when having the chance to eat a candy is undoubtedly. There are all kind of candies and for every taste, from the old and classic milk candies to the contemporary and diverse fruit savor pills. It has always been the fascination of kids and grown up to enjoy a candy after the meal, when spending time with friends or simply when something sweet and different wants to be tasted.
In this sense, there are a great variety of sweets and candies, and depending on their physical characteristics, some are sold covered only by a plastic package, some others have a box as a secondary package and some more are hold in a recipient or container, most of times made from a plastic material.
Referring more specifically to candy hold in containers, generally these are candies in the form of paste or gel, wherein said containers have a great diversity of designs such that besides satisfying the taste sense of the consumer with the candy, the designs are intended to be attractive to the eye, especially for infant consumers.
There are several documents in the state of the art disclosing containers to hold and dispense liquid or paste candies. However all have the drawback of having to apply an external force to the container or they require an additional component in order for the product to come out. The container described in U.S. Pat. No. Re 35,577 as an example, refers to a dispenser for liquid candy through a solid candy, wherein said dispenser dispatch an edible liquid from a reservoir through a hollow pole attached to the solid candy, which has inside a plurality of channels to allow the flow of the edible liquid to the user's mouth. The device has a plastic frame or reservoir to hold the edible liquid; being foldable so when a force is applied, this shrinks and the liquid flows out, or also stiff, wherein the force of a piston is required for the liquid to flow out.
In the case of a stiff frame, a threaded shaft inserted in the device lower part is employed. When the shaft rotates, this pushes the liquid through the hollow pole located at the upper part of said frame, and the liquid flows from the hollow pole to the solid candy. As final step, the liquid runs through the channels inside the candy to come out at the upper part thereof towards the user.
As may be seen, the above-described device has the drawback of requiring certain amount of torsion force to rotate the threaded shaft. In addition, since the channels are inside the solid candy as the candy is consumed, the channels may be plugged, thereby increasing the inner pressure of the stiff frame causing an abrupt liquid coming out through an undesired point of the device, and consequently, spilling over the user.
The reservoir and spray dispenser for liquid candy disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,025,232 is a further example of the deficiencies having the candy containers found in the prior art. It comprises a liquid candy dispenser formed by a deposit and a rotatable dispensing nozzle, which allows its movement in multiple directions for a better dispensing of the candy into the user's mouth, as well as for fun. Said dispensing nozzle is connected at one end to a liquid pumping unit which atomizes the liquid candy placed inside the deposit. Another feature of the dispensing nozzle is that it can rotate 360° in one plane and with respect to the pumping unit. However, it has the inconvenient of requiring additional mechanisms for the product dispensing as well as the liquid pumping unit. Likewise, if the user does not have enough strength to press the liquid pumping unit, the system will not work. Finally, due it has a considerable high number of parts, it is more likely for one of said parts to fail and to compromise the liquid candy dispensing.
On the other hand, since more than twenty years the tamarind paste candy entered the Mexican market, which main feature and success, in addition to its flavor, is the container holding it, since besides of being a container is also a dispenser. With regard to this, the candy container of the Industrial Design Registration No 14,844 is formed by two cylindrical bodies, the first body is inserted inside the second body thereby to push the candy inside said second body to the outside. The tamarind candy in form of paste comes out by the upper part of the second body passing through a grid, which gives it its peculiar outlet form like hair.
However, due to the construction and configuration of said container, the user and more particularly, little children do not have enough strength to press the first body to dispense the candy. In addition, the shortcoming is that once the first body has been introduced completely inside the second body, it still remains paste candy within it, which in order to be consumed, requires the removal of the first body. Due to the existing friction between the first body side faces and the remaining candy, a great amount of force is required to remove it successfully.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 187,018 discloses another paste candy container with different construction and features than the container described in the above-paragraphs, which is formed by a cylindrical body, an endless screw and a base. No axial force is directly applied on a cylindrical body in this container, instead the torsion principle is used to rotate the endless screw, wherein one of its ends is attached to the base and the other is joined to a base made of plastic, acting to push the paste candy to the outside. The force to rotate the endless screw is applied on the base, this later having a diameter a little bit bigger than the cylindrical body attached to it.
However, like the above container, in some cases the younger users do not have enough strength in their fingers to rotate the base, being unable to draw out the desired candy. Also, due to the conic finish of said cylindrical body (in the form of a crayon) there is remaining candy at the inside, being very difficult to take it out, since the plate, the endless screw and the base have to be removed. In addition, it has the inconvenient that if the base is rotated too hard, the endless screw may jam the plate in the cylindrical body, inhibiting the system functioning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to overcome the drawbacks found in the prior art candy containers, a new container for paste or gel candy has been developed, wherein said candy is drawn out from the inside of said new container by suction or absorption by the user. Said container has in its design, among some advantages, the fact that it may adopt any external shape, either a geometrical shape or the representation of a figure or image, this without affecting the global functioning thereof.
Likewise, the novel container design for paste or gel candy allows, once this has been opened spacing apart one section forming said container, to be reclosed by reversely using the same section that was spaced apart to reach the candy.
The container for paste or gel candy comprises: a main body having a geometrical shape entirely hollow inside and opened in one end to receive and store the paste candy; tight closing means inserted through the main body opened end to perfectly close it and to prevent the vacuum loss inside said main body, as well as to prevent the candy from dripping through said opened end; transferring means located at the opposite end to the main body opened end, which function is to transfer the candy from the container's inside to the user's mouth applying the suction or absorption principle; and a cap to close the transferring means.
Likewise, the main body is formed by one or more pieces and preferably has an outer geometrical shape opened at its lower end.
The transferring means are attached to the cap by a weakened section serving as a breaking point to space apart said transferring means from said cap. Spacing apart the transferring means from the cap has two objects; the first is that the user may obtain the candy suctioning the inside of the container through said transferring means. The second object is to reversely use the cap to close the transferring means to maintain the candy in good physical condition for a later consumption.
The tight closing means are snap-fitted in the main body opened end thus creating a tight closure, to prevent the vacuum loss at said body inside, and the candy from dripping in the space that may remain between said first section and the inner wall of said main body.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Considering the prior art drawbacks, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container for paste or gel candy, having a very simple and practical construction, and however, being highly efficient to dispense the candy contained therein.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a container for paste or gel candy which may be used by all age users, in spite of the force they may have in their hands and arms.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a container for paste or gel candy having the lowest number of moving parts, thereby increasing its operation reliability.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a container for paste or gel candy requiring as essential force, a user's suctioning force to draw out the candy from its inside.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container for paste or gel candy which design allows having in the same container suctioning means for the candy, through a guiding passage or outlet, and by the breaking of one of its parts, having the required means to cover said outlet to maintain the candy in good condition for a later consumption.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container for a paste or gel candy being capable of a hard use by the user while continuing working properly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a container for paste or gel candy which besides of being attractive to the eye, serves as an entertainment media for the user once the container is empty.
Accordingly, it has been looked for suppressing the drawbacks found in the prior art containers for paste or gel candy by developing a container capable of being used by all age persons, being safe in use, and above all, allowing the inside paste or gel candy to be consumed entirely without having to remove the tight closing means, located inside the main body of said container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel aspects considered characteristics of the present invention will be particularly set forth in the appended claims. However, the invention, both for its structure and its functioning, together with other objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood in the following detailed description of a particularly preferred embodiment, when read with relation to the appended figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded front perspective view of a container for paste or gel candy, construed according to the principles of one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an upper front perspective view of the main body forming part of the candy container shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section view taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the upper part of the container for paste or gel candy serving as a cap to said container 100.

FIG. 5 is an upper front perspective view of the tight closing means forming part of the candy container shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an upper and side perspective view of the container for paste or gel candy construed according the principles of a first alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the container for paste or gel candy shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-section view taken along line B-B′ of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to overcome the drawbacks found in prior art candy containers, a new container 100 for paste or gel candy has been developed, wherein said candy is drawn out from the inside of said new container by suction or absorption applied by a user. Said container has in its design, among some advantages, the fact that it may adopt any external shape, either a geometrical shape or the representation of a figure or image, this without affecting the global functioning thereof.
Likewise, the novel container design for paste or gel candy allows, once this has been opened, spacing apart one section forming said container, to be reclosed by reversely using the same section that was spaced apart to reach the candy.
Now, referring to the accompanying drawings, and more specifically to FIGS. 1 to 5 thereof, a container for paste or gel candy 100 is shown, construed according to the principles of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which has been designed to hold inside a sweet or candy, preferably in paste or gel form, and for the user (not shown in the drawings), when suctioning or absorbing, to be able to draw out said candy. In this sense, the container for candy 100 comprises: a main body 110 formed by at least one piece, which outer shape may be geometrical or may adopt the shape of a figure or image, being entirely hollow at the inside and opened in one end, preferably opened at the lower end to receive and store paste candy, tight closing means 200 being inserted at the opened end of the main body 110 to perfectly close it and to prevent the outlet of air and candy from the container inside 100 through said opened end; transferring means 120 located at the opposite end to the main body opened end 110, which function is to transfer the candy from the container 100 inside to the user's mouth being suctioning or absorbing; and a cap 300 to close the transferring means 120.
As mentioned above, the main body 110 may be formed by one or more pieces, in the embodiment being described, the main body 110 is formed by one piece sectioned lengthwise, such that it has a cylindrically shaped lower section 111 and a hemispherically shaped upper section 112, wherein said lower section 111 extends upwards from the base until it reaches the upper section 112.
In the preferred embodiment being described of the present invention, the lower section 111 includes a plurality of columns 113, equally spaced and distributed one from the other, wherein each spacing or hole has the shape of a half-point-arch 114. The function of the half-point-arch spacing 114 is to lighten the weight of the container 100, as well as to serve as a support and to give aesthetics to said container 100 when this is in a vertical position. In addition, each column 113 includes at its lower end a plurality of protrusions 115 disposed contiguously one to each other.
Further, as may be seen in FIG. 3 of the attached drawings, at the inner wall of the lower section 111, and more specifically, at the upper part of each half-point-arch 114, there are located some bumpers 116, preferably in the shape of half cane, which function is to prevent the expulsion of the tight closing means 200 outwards if the user instead of suctioning, blows inside the container 100.
In the preferred embodiment being described of the present invention, the transferring means 120 are integrally joined to the main body 110 through the upper section 112, being centrally located in said upper section 112, such that the longitudinal central axis of the transferring means coincides with the longitudinal central axis of the main body 110.
In turn, the transferring means 120 are attached to the cap 300 by a weakening section 121 working as a breaking point to space apart said transferring means 120 from said cap 300. Spacing apart the transferring means 120 from the cap 300 has two objects, the first being that the user be able to obtain the candy by suctioning the container 100 inside through said transferring means 120. While the second object is to reversely using the cap 300 to close the transferring means 120 to keep the candy in good physical condition for its consumption later.
In this sense, the transferring means 120 are formed by a hollow cylinder portion allowing obtaining the candy by suctioning or absorbing towards the container inside 100.
The cap 300 is preferably cylindrically shaped having an outer diameter shorter than the inner diameter of the transferring means hollow cylinder portion 120, which upper end 301 is hemispherically shaped. In addition, it includes at least one projection 302, in the preferred embodiment described, it includes a pair of projections 302 located diametrically opposite to each other, which works as a support for the user's fingers at the time of detaching said cap 300 from the transferring means 120.
As mentioned above, once the cap 300 has been detached from the transferring means 120, the user has access to the candy, then, in case the user does not wish to consume all candy at that time, he/she can reclose the container 100 by inserting the cap 300 in the transferring means 120. To achieve this, the cap 300 position is reversed, i.e., it is rotated 180° from its starting position, inserting it by its hemispherical upper end 301 in the transferring means 120, thereby reclosing the container 100.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the cap cylindrical section surface 300, being free from projections 302, may include a face 303 either in low-relief or high-relief.
As the candy container 100 of the present invention was conceived specially having in mind children consumers, columns 113 and projections 115, together with the cap 300, represent a “rag doll”, wherein said columns 113 are alike the legs and said protrusions 115 are alike the paws of said “rag doll”, and said face 303 and projections 302 are alike the face and ears, respectively, of said “rag doll”.
In order to achieve the required vacuum inside the main body 110, and to achieve that the paste or gel candy may be suctioned by the user, tight closing means 200 are used, which in the preferred embodiment of the invention are related to an element formed by two sections, one first section 201 being preferably cylindrically shaped and a second section 202 preferably a conical frustum shaped, which upper end has a planar face 203 and its perimetric wall 204 is hemispherically shaped.
The outer diameter of the first section 201 is shorter than the main body 110 inner diameter, such that the closing means 200 are snap-fitted in the main body 110 opened end, forming a tight closure to prevent the vacuum loss inside said body 110, and that the candy drips in the possible remaining space between said first section 201 and the inner wall of said main body 110.
Likewise, the perimetric wall 204 of the second section 202 has the same curvature than the upper section inner face 112 of the main body 110 to allow said second section 202 to be suitably coupled to said upper section 112, thereby achieving a higher extraction and dispensing efficacy of the paste or gel candy.
For a better functioning and performance of the container for candy 100 of the present invention, as mentioned above, the user may detach the cap 300 from the transferring means 120 to further place said transferring means in his/her mouth 120, and to suction or absorb to transfer the candy from said container 100 to his/her mouth. If for any reason the user decides not to consume more candy at that time, he/she may reversely put the cap 300 in the transferring means 120, preventing polluting the inside of the container 100, and that the candy remains in a good condition for a later consumption.
Referring more specifically to FIGS. 6 to 8 of the appended drawings, a container 400 for a paste candy is shown in the shape of a “pipe”, construed according to the principles of a first alternative embodiment of the present invention, which comprises: a cylindrically shaped main body 410, being entirely hollow at the inside and opened at one end, preferably, opened at its upper end to receive and store paste or gel candy; tight closure means 500 being inserted in the main body 410 opened end to perfectly close it and to prevent air and candy to come out from the container 400 inside through said opened end; transferring means 600 located at the opposite end to the main body 410 opened end, which function is to transfer the candy from the container 400 inside to the user's mouth being suctioning or absorbing, to this purpose using a conical frustum shaped hollow duct 610 being inserted in said transferring means 600; and a cap 700 to close the transferring means 600 through the hollow duct 610.
The perimetric wall 411 of the main body 410 extends from the base 412 upwards to the upper end of said body 410, forming a housing to hold the paste or gel candy, such that said perimetric wall 411 and base 412 are tightly joined forming one piece. Further, the main body 410 includes a perimetric rib 413 located at the upper end, which projects inside the housing such that it works as a bumper to prevent the coming out of the tight closing means 500 from the main body 410, if the user instead of suctioning, blows the container 400 inside.
The transferring means 600 are preferably located at the perimetric wall 411 of the main body 410, proximal to the base 412, and having the form of a hollow cylindrical duct extending from said perimetric wall 411 to the main body 410 outside.
The hollow duct 610 conical frustum shaped includes a rabbet 611 or diameter lowering at one end, preferably at the bigger diameter end and a rim 612 located perimetrically at the edge of said bigger diameter end, which functions as a bumper to prevent that said hollow duct 610 moves out of place when inserted in the transferring means 600 hollow cylindrical duct.
The cap 700 includes a tab 701 preferably in the shape of a butterfly, located at the opposite end to the end joined to the hollow duct 610, which, once spaced apart from the hollow duct 610 is used to close it by reversely inserting it in the orifice if said hollow duct 610 to keep closed the container 400 when the user is not consuming candy.
The cap 700 is integrally joined preferably at the shorter diameter end of the hollow duct 610, by means of a weakening line or section serving as a breaking point to space apart said cap 700 from said hollow duct 610.
As mentioned above, once the cap 700 has been detached from the hollow duct 610, the user has access to the candy, then, in case said user wishes not to consume the candy entirely at that time, he/she may reclose the container 400 by inserting the cap 700 inside the hollow duct 610. To achieve this, the position of the cap 700 is reversed, i.e., it is rotated 180° from its starting position, inserting it at its upper end in the hollow duct 610, thereby reclosing the container 400.
In order to achieve the required vacuum inside the main body 410 and to make the paste or gel candy to be suctioned by the user, tight closing means 500 are used, which in the alternative embodiment of the present invention are related to an element formed by two sections, the first section 501 being preferably cylindrically shaped, and a second section 502, being preferably conical frustum shaped, which upper end has a planar face.
The outer diameter of the first section 501 is shorter than the main body 410 inner diameter such that the closing means 500 are snap-fitted in the main body 410 opened end, thus forming a tight closure to prevent the vacuum loss inside said main body 410, and that the candy drips in the space between said first section 501 and said main body 410 inner wall.
Although in the above description certain embodiments of the container for paste or gel candy of the present invention have been described and shown, in an exemplary and non-limitative manner, it should be noted that several modifications to said container are possible, but without departing from the true scope of the invention, which, in general terms, relates to the structural features of said candy container and to the action by the user of the suctioning or absorbing principle for the drawing out of said candy from the inside of the referred container for candy. The possible modifications of said candy container may have might be the number of elements forming the container, the shape of the main body, the number and shape of the bumpers preventing the coming out of the closure means, among several modifications. Therefore, the invention shall not be restricted except for the prior art requirements and by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A container for paste or gel candy comprising: a main body geometrically shaped being entirely hollow at its inside and opened at one end to receive and store paste candy; tight closing means being inserted in the main body opened end to perfectly close it and to prevent the vacuum loss inside said main body and the candy to drip from the container through said opened end; transferring means located at the opposite end to the main body opened end which function is to transfer the candy from the container inside to the user's mouth being suctioning or absorbing; and a cap to close the transferring means.

2. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 1, wherein the main body is formed by one or more pieces and which outer shape can adopt the shape of a figure or image.

3. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 1, wherein the main body is opened at its lower end.

4. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 1, wherein said main body is opened at its upper end.

5. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 1, wherein said main body is sectioned lengthwise, having a cylindrically shaped lower section and a hemispherically shaped upper section, wherein said lower section extends upwards from the base until reaching the upper section.

6. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 5, wherein said lower section includes a plurality of equally spaced and distributed columns one from the other, wherein each spacing or hollow is in the form of a half-point-arch to lighten the container weight and to work as a support when this is in its vertical position; in addition, each one of said columns includes at its lower end a plurality of protrusions disposed contiguously one to the other.

7. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 6, wherein at the upper part of each half-point-arch there are located bumpers in the shape of half cane, functioning to prevent that the tight closing means be thrown outside if the user, instead of suctioning, blows inside the container.

8. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 1, wherein the transferring means are integrally joined to the main body being centrally located in said upper section such that said transferring means longitudinal central axis coincides with the main body longitudinal central axis.

9. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 8, wherein said transferring means are attached to the cap by means of a weakening section serving as a breaking point to space apart said transferring means from said cap.

10. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 9, wherein the transferring means are formed by a hollow cylinder portion allowing to obtain the candy hold inside the container.

11. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 1, wherein the cap has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter shorter than the hollow cylinder portion inner diameter of the transferring means, which upper end is hemispherically shaped.

12. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 11, wherein the cap includes a pair of projections diametrically opposed one to the other, which serve as a support for the user's fingers at the time of detaching said cap from the transferring means.

13. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 11, wherein when the cap has been detached from the transferring means, it is used to reclose the container by inserting it in the transferring means, and for this purpose, the position of the cap is reversed by rotating it 180° from its starting position and inserting it by its hemispherical upper end in the transferring means, thereby reclosing the container.

14. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 1, wherein the tight closing means are an element formed by two sections, the first section being cylindrically shaped and a second section being conical frustum shaped, which upper end has a planar face and its perimetric wall has a hemispherical shape.

15. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 14, wherein the first section outer diameter is shorter than the main body inner diameter, such that the closing means snap-fit in the main body opened end forming a tight closure to prevent the vacuum loss inside said body and that the candy drips in the possible remaining space between said first section and said main body inner wall.

16. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 14, wherein the perimetric wall of the second section has the same curvature than the inner face of the main body upper section to allow said second section to suitable couple to said upper section and thereby achieving the higher drawing and dispensing efficacy of the paste or gel candy.

17. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 1, wherein the main body is cylindrically shaped having a perimetric wall extending from the base upwards to said main body upper end and includes a perimetric rib located at its upper end, which projects inside the cylindrical body functioning as a bumper to prevent that the tight closing means comes out from the main body if the user, instead of suctioning, blows inside the container.

18. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 1, wherein the transferring means are located at the main body perimetric wall, proximal to the base and having the shape of a hollow cylindrical duct extending from said perimetric wall to the main body outside.

19. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 18, wherein in order to transfer the candy from the transferring means to the user's mouth, a conical frustum shaped hollow duct is used being inserted in said transferring means.

20. A container for paste or gel candy according to claim 19, wherein the hollow duct includes a rabbet or diameter lowering at its bigger diameter end and a rim perimetrically located at the edge of said bigger diameter end, which functions as an arrester to prevent that said hollow duct comes out of place when being inserted inside the transferring means.