DISPENSING CONTAINER

Abstract

A novel chewing gum box includes a gum storage chamber, a storage chamber cover, a funnel apparatus, a gum introducing plate, a gum carrying groove, a carrying groove baffle, a push handle, a spring baffle, guide rails, guide rail grooves, a spring groove, and a spring. The gum storage chamber is communicated with the gum carrying groove through the funnel apparatus. The gum carrying groove is connected to the push handle and is capable of reciprocating along the guide rails and the guide rail groove. When retrieving gum, the box body is tilted and shaken first to allow gum in the storage chamber to slide along the gum introducing plate into the gum carrying groove via the funnel apparatus. The push handle then is actuated to have the gum pushed out along the guide rail and the guide rail groove, so that the gum is available for retrieval.

Claims

1. A dispensing container, comprising: a housing having a first side, a second side, and a storage chamber formed therebetween, the housing further including a cover; a holder configured to reciprocate between a stored position located within the housing and a dispensing position located external to the housing to dispense contents of the storage chamber; a plate adjacent to a funnel apparatus, the plate extending between the first side and the second side, wherein the container is configured such that the contents pass through the funnel apparatus and into the holder; and a baffle movable with the holder, the baffle configured to prevent the contents of the container from falling into a gap formed when the holder moves to the dispensing position; wherein the funnel apparatus comprises a plurality of transverse or obliquely vertical or slope bodies that are arranged on each of the first and the second sides of the housing or one of the first and the second sides of the housing, the edges of the bodies forming a gradually narrowing space from the storage chamber to the holder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0007] The following contents will further illustrate the invention by integrating figures and embodiments:

[0008] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the solid diagram of the chewing gum box with a gum carrying groove in a retracted position.

[0009] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the chewing gum box of FIG. 1 when the chewing gum carrying groove is pushed out.

[0010] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the reverse side of the chewing gum box of FIG. 1 with the storage chamber cover in an open position.

[0011] FIG. 4 is an isometric isolated view of a chewing gum box showing the inner side of a left-half part of the chewing gum box and showing a hopper.

[0012] FIG. 5 is an isometric isolated view of another embodiment of a chewing gum box showing the inner side of the left-half part of the chewing gum box and showing another hopper.

[0013] FIG. 6 is an isometric isolated view of the chewing gum box of FIG. 4 showing the inner side of the right-half part of the chewing gum box and showing a hopper.

[0014] FIG. 7 is an isometric isolated view of the chewing gum box of FIG. 5 showing the inner side of the right-half part of the chewing gum box and showing another hopper.

[0015] FIG. 8 is an isometric isolated view showing the left side of the chewing gum carrying groove.

[0016] FIG. 9 is an isometric isolated view showing the right side of the chewing gum carrying groove.

[0017] The definitions of numbers in the figures: 1. chewing gum storage chamber, 2. storage chamber cover, 3. funnel apparatus, 4. chewing gum introducing plate, 5. chewing gum carrying groove or holder, 6. carrying groove baffle, 7. push handle, 8. spring baffle, 9. guide rail, 10. guide rail groove, 11. spring groove, 12. spring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The chewing gum box is mainly composed of a chewing gum storage chamber 1, a storage chamber cover 2, a funnel apparatus 3, a chewing gum introducing plate 4, adjacent the funnel apparatus 3, the introducing plate 4 dividing the box into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper chamber defining the storage chamber 1, a chewing gum carrying groove or holder 5, a carrying groove baffle 6, a push handle 7, a spring baffle 8, guide rails 9, guide rail grooves 10, a spring groove 11 and a spring 12.

[0019] In order to dispense chewing gum, a user may obliquely shake the box body to transfer chewing gum in the chewing gum storage chamber 1 into the chewing gum carrying groove or holder 5, e.g., by causing the gum to slide along the chewing gum introducing plate 4 via the funnel apparatus 3. The chewing gum carrying groove 5 may include a plurality of parallel sidewalls and a base extending between and joining those sidewalls, where both the sidewalls and the base extend parallel to a direction of motion of the gum-carrying groove 5. As such, the sidewalls and base may form a cavity or bucket for receiving and confining the gum to be dispensed as and after the carrying groove 5 is moved into a pushed out or dispensing position. The user then may push the push handle 7 to have the chewing gum in the chewing gum carrying groove 5 be pushed out along the guide rail 9 and the guide rail groove 10. The push handle 7 translates along a groove that extends completely through one of the sides of the box. Once the gum carrying groove 5 is in a pushed out or dispensing position, the user then may take out the chewing gum from the groove 5.

[0020] The carrying groove baffle 6 is movable with the chewing gum carrying groove 5 and is configured to prevent chewing gum from falling into the gap that is formed during the course of pushing out the chewing gum carrying groove 5. The carrying groove baffle 6 also is configured to nest with the chewing gum introducing plate 4 when the groove is not pushed out.

[0021] Additionally, once the chewing gum carrying groove is pushed out, the user can loosen the push handle 7 so that the chewing gum carrying groove 5 can return to the inside of the box body under the effect of the spring 12. Moreover, the dispenser is configured such that the storage chamber cover 2 may be hingedly opened to add new chewing gum, e.g., when the chewing gum in the storage chamber 1 has been taken out completely. Thus, the apparatus is rationally designed, structurally simple, and convenient to use.