Article retrieving container

• US 20040195260A1
• Filed: 09/09/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sudax
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sudax
• Inventors: Suda, Kazutake, Suda, Chizuko
• Granted Patent: US 7,036,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/210
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/0463 of special configuration, e.g. simulating an animal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/0477 the container is maintained in the same position during the dispensing of several successive articles or doses
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0409 the dispensing means being adapted for delivering one article, or a single dose, upon each actuation B65D83/0445 takes precedence

Abstract

An article retrieving container in which a novel container for storing articles such as confectionery allowing the articles to be retrieved one by one merely by a cover opening operation is provided, including a container body (3) and a cover body (5) installed on the container body (3), the container body (3) further including an article storage part (21) for storing a plurality of articles (X) such as the confectionery and an article retrieval part (37) having a communication part (41) with the article storage part (21) and an opening for retrieving the articles (X) to the outside, the cover body (5) rotatably installed on the container body (3) further including an article retrieving means (23) for retrieving the articles one by one installed on the inside thereof, whereby the article retrieving means (23) can retrieve the articles (X) by the opening operation of the cover body (5).

Claims

1. An article retrieving container comprising:

a container body;

a cover body installed on the container body; and

an article retrieving element that operates in an interlocked manner with the cover body,

wherein the container body includes an article storage part for storing a plurality of articles and an article retrieval part having an opening through which the articles are to be retrieved to the outside,

the cover body is rotatably installed on the container body and openably closes the opening, and

the article retrieving element retrieves an article positioned in the article retrieval part by an opening operation of the cover body.

2. An article retrieving container according to claim 1,

wherein the article retrieving means has a pinch part for pinching the articles,

wherein an article is pinched by the pinch part when the cover body is closed, and the pinched article is retrieved to the outside when the cover body is opened.

3. An article retrieving container according to claim 1,

wherein the article retrieving part is provided with an article holding part for holding the article at a predetermined position while maintaining an attitude of the article and a regulating member having a regulating part for preventing entry of a new article from the communication part when the cover body is opened.

4. An article retrieving container according to claim 3,

wherein the cover body and the regulating member coaxially rotate while contacting each other, and a rotation force generated by the opening and closing operations of the cover body is transmitted to the regulating member through a contact position therebetween and rotates the regulating member.

5. An article retrieving container according to any one of claims 1,

wherein in order to prevent an article that is passing through the communication part from being obstructed by other articles from a direction that is different from a passing direction, a limiting member for limiting movement of the other articles is provided in the article storage part in the vicinity of the communication part.

6. An article retrieving container according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication part between the article storage part and the article retrieval part through which the articles move from the article storage part to the article retrieval part.

7. An article dispenser comprising:

container means for storing a plurality of articles, wherein the container means includes an article input means for providing access to an interior of the container means for inserting a plurality of articles;

article dispensing means for dispensing at least one of the articles including a holding means for grasping the dispensed article, the holding means rotatably mounted to the container means.

8. The article dispenser of claim 7, further comprising limiting means, operatively coupled to the article dispensing means, for preventing a remaining portion of the plurality of articles from entering the holding means while the one of the articles is being dispensed.

9. The article dispenser of claim 7, wherein the articles comprise confectionery.

10. The article dispenser of claim 7, wherein the article dispensing means comprises pinching means for pinching the at least one of the articles.

11. The article dispenser of claim 7, wherein the at least one of the articles is dispensed while the article input means is in an open position.

12. The article dispenser of claim 7, further comprising supply means for enabling the articles to be supplied to the container means.

13. The article dispenser of claim 7, wherein the container means comprises article urging means for urging the articles toward the article input means.

14. The article dispenser of claim 13, wherein the article urging means comprises a slope means.

15. A method of dispensing articles from a container comprising an article grasping structure mounted on an interior side of a cap rotatably mounted on the container, the method comprising:

rotating the cap to an open position; and

retrieving an article from the grasping structure.