US20090050584A1

US20090050584A1 - Linear chip pusher

Info

Publication number: US20090050584A1
Application number: US11/895,238
Authority: US
Inventors: Tim S. Muhlbaier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-08-24
Filing date: 2007-08-24
Publication date: 2009-02-26

Abstract

A linear chip pusher for dispensing food items, such as potato chips, from a container is disposed within the bottom end of the container and includes a ram that is linearly slidable through the cavity of the container for pushing potato chips out from the opening at the egress end of the container and a rod attachable to the ram and manually gripped by the individual to facilitate pushing the ram through the cavity of the container in a linear and controlled manner so that the potato chips can be sequentially dispensed from the opening of the container in the desired quantity for consumption.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to food dispensing devices, and more particularly pertains to a manual device for pushing food items stacked within a container out of the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Food items are packaged, stored, and dispensed from bottles, boxes, cans, and containers in a variety of ways. Plastic condiment bottles are squeezed to dispense the condiment (generally ketchup or mustard) from a nozzle while the dispensing of pills, for example, from a pill bottle, requires one to simultaneously press down on, and rotate, the lid to dispense pills therefrom. Some types of containers, such as for detergent soap, salt and pepper, and pet food, include a pivotal chute on the side of the container and which is openable to dispense the food items and products therefrom and closable for storage. And, of course, the pop-top opener is now the ubiquitous opening mechanism for all manner of aluminum beverage containers and cans.
One of the most popular dessert, snack, and picnic food items is the venerable potato chip, and while potato chips generally are packaged in plastic bags that once opened are not resealable in an efficient manner, a popular alternative is to package potato chips in elongated cylindrical containers or cans. The potato chips are nested together in a stacked contiguous arrangement within the cylindrical container and one end of the container includes a removable lid from which the potato chips are dispensed.
However, the diameter of the containers is such that one's fingers cannot gain easy access to the potato chips and therefore the common method of dispensing the potato chips is to upend the container and dump the chips into one's open hand or upon a floor, table, counter top, or plate. This has the undesired consequence of spilling out more potato chips than desired, and also—if this is done on a carpeted floor—spilling bits and crumbs of potato chips on the surface. Thus, a more efficient way to dispense potato chips from a container in a controlled and clean manner is a desirable goal.
For example, the Raccaforte patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,456) discloses a dispensing carton for dispensing small candles, and which includes an upper portion having a sliding tab that is slid for uncovering dispensing holes through which the candles are removed.
The Leibetseder et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,379) discloses a process of packaging stacks wherein the stacks consist of nested cuplike objects with the objects having the form of elongate objects so that the stacks are fed into the container for processing.
The Gordon et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,682) discloses a paperboard container having a recloseable lid and the lid includes a tab that is manually gripped for opening the container.
The Gibbons et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,431) discloses an oxygen impermeable leak free container having a number of contiguous barrier layers each of which is composed of a polymer material.
The O'Brien patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,442 B1) discloses an apparatus for stacking articles, such as video cassette or CD containers, in a side-by-side configuration, with the apparatus including a transfer location, a pusher device, a support platform, a hold-back member, a stack pusher assembly, and an outfeed conveyor assembly.
The Stewart et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,122 B1) discloses a paperboard container for dispensing items stored therein and which is movable between a sealed orientation and an open dispensing orientation.
Nonetheless, despite the ingenuity of the above devices, there remains a need for a manually operable device that easily and efficiently dispenses food items from a container without damaging the food items during the dispensing thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprehends a manually operable device for dispensing food items, and especially potato chips, from an elongated, generally cylindrical, can or container. The container includes a bottom end and an upper or egress end having an opening. The bottom end is sealed off with a removable freshness seal and a removable lid seals the egress end. The container defines an interior cavity where the food items, such as the potato chips, are contained in a nested contiguous arrangement for dispensing therefrom in a sequential manner starting with the potato chips adjacent the opening at the egress end.
The potato chip dispensing device includes a linear chip pusher that is disposed within the container at the bottom end thereof. A freshness seal closes off the ram or pusher of the linear chip pusher from the exterior environment until one wants to open the container for dispensing and consuming potato chips. The ram includes an outer end, and the outer end is further defined by at least four inverted body portions that inwardly taper to a blind hole. The individual inserts the rod into the blind hole after the freshness seal is removed, then removes the lid at the egress end and slowly begins to push the ram through the cavity of the container, and as the ram linearly moves through the cavity potato chips are sequentially dispensed from the egress end for consumption.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a linear chip pusher for dispensing food items from a container wherein the linear chip pusher is disposed at the bottom end of the container for the food items;
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a linear chip pusher for dispensing food items from a container that simplifies the act of dispensing and eating food items, such as potato chips, from the container;
It is still yet another objective of the present invention to provide a linear chip pusher for dispensing food items that allows for easy access to food items located at the bottom end of the container;
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a linear chip pusher that eliminates the need to dump the food items out of the container thereby spilling crumbs and causing the food items to break into pieces as they are dumped out of the container; and
Still yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a linear chip pusher that can be configured to dispense food items, such as potato chips, stored in square or rectangular-shaped cans and containers.
These and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a perusal of the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the linear chip pusher of the present invention illustrating a representative cylindrical container for food items such as potato chips, and the rod for attachment to the ram of the linear chip pusher;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the linear chip pusher of the present invention illustrating the removal of the lid and the freshness seal so that the linear chip pusher can be accessed for dispensing food items such as potato chips;

FIG. 2 a is a perspective view of the linear chip pusher of the present invention illustrating an alternative embodiment for the freshness seal wherein the freshness seal includes a centrally located perforated cover that can be punctured for allowing insertion of the stem into the ram without removal of the freshness seal;

FIG. 3 is an assembly view of the linear chip pusher of the present invention illustrating the alignment of the linear chip pusher with the bottom end of the container prior to disposition therein adjacent the bottom end;

FIG. 4 is side elevational view of the linear chip pusher of the present invention illustrating the pusher or ram of the linear chip pusher;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the linear chip pusher of the present invention illustrating the configuration of the pusher and the blind hole of the pusher into which the stem is inserted;

FIG. 6 is a sectioned elevational view of the linear chip pusher of the present invention illustrating the disposition of the linear chip pusher within the container at the bottom end; and

FIG. 7 is a sectioned elevational view of the linear chip pusher of the present invention illustrating the disposition of the linear chip pusher within the container as the ram moves through the cavity of the container for ejecting and dispensing several chips from the opening at the egress end of the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 is a food product or food item dispensing device disposed within a container or can for dispensing food items or products in a controlled and efficient manner therefrom in order to eliminate the haphazard discharge of the items or products or the spilling of the items and products on the floor, ground, counter top, picnic table, etc. creating the consequent mess of broken and damaged food items and scattering of the crumbs. While the food product-dispensing device of the present invention is adaptable for dispensing various food items/products, it is particularly suited for dispensing potato chips that are stored and packaged in some type of linear stacked configuration or arrangement.
Thus, shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, and 7, is an elongated cylindrical can or container 10 having a continuous outer wall surface 12 and a continuous interior wall surface 14. The cylindrical container 10 includes an egress end 16 and an opposite bottom end 18, and the egress end 16 is further defined by an opening 20. Furthermore, an interior cavity 22 extends from the bottom end 18 to the egress end 16 and registers with the opening 20, and located within the interior cavity 22 are the food items, such as a plurality of potato chips 24, that are contiguously stacked and nested together in a linear configuration or arrangement that substantially fills the cavity 22 of the container 10. FIG. 7 further shows several potato chips 24 being fully ejected and dispensed from the egress end 16 of the container 10. A removable lid 26 closes off the opening 20 at the egress end 16 and a freshness seal 28 closes off the cavity 22 of the container 10 at the bottom end 18. As shown in FIG. 2 a, the freshness seal 28 can include a perforated cover 30 centrally located thereon that can be punctured to allow insertion of elements hereinafter to be described.
Illustrated in FIGS. 3-7 is the food product or item dispensing device that is also referred to as a linear chip pusher 32. The linear chip pusher 32 is disposed within the cavity 22 of the container 10 at the bottom end 18 thereof and further closes off the bottom end 18. The linear chip pusher 32 is located inboard or inside of the freshness seal 28. The linear chip pusher 32 includes a generally cylindrical ram or pusher 34 having an outside diameter sized to snugly fit within the interior wall surface 14 of the container 10. The ram or pusher 34 includes a flat inner pushing end 36, and, in the preferred embodiment, it also includes a body portion further defined by a plurality of ribs or inverted body portions 38 that inwardly taper to and form a blind hole 40 centrally located on the exterior facing portion of the ram 34. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the body portions or ribs 38 define an outer wall 42, and the body portions 38 have a draft to facilitate the slidable linear movement of the ram 34 through the cavity 22 of the container 10 for dispensing potato chips 24 therefrom. It should be noted that the body portions 38 are in contact with the interior wall surface 14 of the container 10 at all times thereby maintaining the position of the ram 34 within the cavity 22 of the container 10. The ram or pusher 34 is preferably manufactured from plastic and one diameter for the blind hole 40 is ¼ of an inch.
Illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 is a rod or stem 44 that is inserted into the blind hole 40 and is manually gripped by the individual and used to slidably move the ram 34 through the cavity 22 for dispensing potato chips 24. The rod or stem 44 can be of wood or plastic, and may even be a plastic straw. A portion of the rod 44 will extend outwardly or externally from the bottom end 18 of the container 10 to insure that the individual is able to manually grasp the rod 44 even when the ram 34 has been pushed all the way to the egress end 16 for dispensing the last remaining potato chips 24. If the freshness seal 28 of FIG. 2 a were used to cover the bottom end 18, the rod 44 would first puncture the perforated cover 30—with the perforated cover 30 being in axial alignment with the blind hole 40—for attachment to the blind hole 40.
In order to use the linear chip pusher 32 the individual would simply remove the freshness seal 28 and insert the rod or stem 44 into the blind hole 40 of the ram 34. The individual would next remove the lid 26 and then slowly push and slide the ram 34 through the cavity 22, and as the ram 34 is pushed through the cavity 22, the ram 34 will contact the potato chips 24 and force the chips 24, one at a time if the ram 34 is pushed very slowly, toward the egress end 16 and through the opening 20 thereby making the potato chips 24 accessible for dispensing from the container 10 and subsequent consumption. The length of the stem or rod 44 will be substantially equal to the length of the container 10 to allow the ram 34 to be linearly pushed almost completely through the cavity 22 of the container 10 adjacent the egress end 16 in order to eject and dispense the last few potato chips 24 that would have been initially located at the bottom end 18 of the container 10. When the individual is done dispensing the desired number of potato chips 24, the individual can place the lid 26 back over the opening 20 and withdraw the stem 44 leaving the ram 34 in position within the cavity 22 of the container 10. Thus, the ram 34 and the stem 44 are coaxially aligned with the cavity 22 of the container 10, and the nested potato chips 24, during the process of pushing the ram 34 through the container 10 for dispensing the potato chips 24.
It should be noted that while the ram 34 of the preferred embodiment has a cylindrical configuration, the configuration of the ram 34 can be varied to conform to and slidably move within and through containers or cans that are square, rectangular, oblong, etc. shaped. The specific configuration of the ram 34 would not affect its ability to push food items, such as potato chips 24, out of such containers.
A preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, and it should be understood that numerous modifications, alterations, and variations are possible and practicable by those skilled in the art while still coming within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A linear chip pusher for dispensing potato chips from a container having a bottom end, an egress end, and a cavity wherein the potato chips are located, comprising:

a ram disposed within the cavity of the container at the bottom end;

the ram having a centrally located hole and an inner pushing end and the ram capable of slidable linear movement within the cavity of the container;

a rod insertable into the hole and extending externally from the egress end of the container; and

whereupon the rod is inserted into the hole so that the individual can grasp the rod and push the ram within and through the cavity thereby causing the ram to slide within the container with the inner pushing end contacting the potato chips for sequentially ejecting the potato chips from the egress end and dispensing the potato chips from the container.

2. The linear chip pusher of claim 1 wherein the ram includes a plurality of ribs which are in contact with the container during the dispensing of potato chips therefrom.

3. The linear chip pusher of claim 2 wherein the ram is manufactured from plastic.

4. The linear chip pusher of claim 3 wherein the ram and the rod are coaxially aligned with the cavity of the container for dispensing potato chips from the container.

5. The linear chip pusher of claim 4 wherein the ram is cylindrical-shaped.