Comestible product dispensers and methods of making and using same

Abstract

Dispensers for comestible products are provided. The dispensers can be made of any suitable material including paperboard and plastic. The dispensers in general open to expose multiple products to the consumer who can select one or more of same. The dispensers are recloseable and can be pseudo-airtight. They can be sized to hold varying amounts and sizes of products. In certain embodiments, glue or adhesive is used to hold the products in place.

1 . A comestible product dispenser comprising: 
 a multi-sided housing with an open side, the open side bounded by multiple edges;    a product compartment hingedly attached to one of the edges; and    wherein the compartment includes a catch and at least one of the sides includes a stop, the stop located to abut the catch when the compartment moves about the hinge to a desired product dispensing position.    
   
   
       2 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment is sized to hold a stack of comestible product sticks.  
   
   
       3 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 1 , which is folded together from a single piece.  
   
   
       4 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 1 , which is made of a material selected from the group consisting of: paper, paperboard, plastic, a polymer and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment includes a front wall that is substantially the same shape and size of the open side.  
   
   
       6 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 5 , wherein the compartment includes at least one side wall connected to the front wall, at least one of the front wall and the side wall defining an opening that aids a consumer in removing products from the compartment.  
   
   
       7 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment and the housing employ a tongue and slit arrangement to aid in holding the compartment in a closed position with respect to the housing when desired.  
   
   
       8 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment in a closed position is disposed inside the housing.  
   
   
       9 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 1 , which includes an outer wrapper and a tear strip.  
   
   
       10 . A comestible product dispenser comprising: 
 a top portion including a top wall and side walls;    a base portion hingedly attached to the top portion; and    a plurality of comestible products each having a side releasably attached to the base portion, the plurality of comestible products being accessible when the top portion is moved away from the base portion.    
   
   
       11 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein the products are attached in a row to the base.  
   
   
       12 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein the products are each wrapped individually in a wrapping, and wherein the wrappings are releasably attached along a side of the wrappings to the base portion.  
   
   
       13 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein the products are adhered to the base.  
   
   
       14 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 13 , wherein adhesion is caused using hot glue, cold glue or both.  
   
   
       15 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein the base includes at least one glue strip and the products are adhered to the glue strip.  
   
   
       16 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 10 , which is folded together from a single piece.  
   
   
       17 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein the comestible products are releasably attached to the base portion so that when the top portion is rotated away from the base three sides of at least some of the products are exposed.  
   
   
       18 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 10 , which includes an outer wrapper and a tear strip.  
   
   
       19 . A comestible product dispenser comprising: 
 a top portion including a top wall and side walls;    a bottom portion hingedly attached to the top portion; and    wherein the top portion and the bottom portion include mating press-fitted sides that hold the top portion and the bottom portion together when it is desired, at least one of the top and bottom portions including press-fitting structures spaced apart so that at least one comestible product can be press-fitted between the structures.    
   
   
       20 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 19 , wherein each of the top and bottom portions includes the press-fitting structures, the structures cooperating to form a pair.  
   
   
       21 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the top and bottom portions includes multiple press-fitting structures spaced apart so that at least one comestible product can be press-fitted in multiple locations on the portion.  
   
   
       22 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 19 , wherein each of the top and bottom portions includes press-fitting structures, the structures sized to collectively hold a desired amount of the products.  
   
   
       23 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 22 , wherein the press-fitting structures of the top portion are sized to hold a different quantity of products than are the press-fitting structures of the bottom portion.  
   
   
       24 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 19 , wherein only one of the top and bottom portions includes the press-fitting structures.  
   
   
       25 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the top portion and bottom portions includes access apertures that aid a consumer in removing one of the products press-fitted therein.  
   
   
       26 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the top portion and bottom portions includes access apertures in multiple orientations that aid a consumer in removing one of the products press-fitted therein.  
   
   
       27 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 19 , wherein the top and bottom portions include mating press-fitting perimeters enabling the portions to be press-fitted together.  
   
   
       28 . A comestible product dispenser comprising: 
 a first portion connected hingedly to a second portion; and    wherein the first and second portions are mated on a shared front side along a profile that varies to (i) hold comestible products within each of the portions and (ii) provide a consumer access to the products.    
   
   
       29 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 28 , wherein the profile is a sinusoidal profile.  
   
   
       30 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 28 , which is made of a material selected from the group consisting of paper, paperboard, plastic, a polymeric material and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       31 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 28  further comprising a flap hingedly attached to one of the first and second portions, the flap covering the shared front side and preventing products from being removed inadvertently from the portions.  
   
   
       32 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 28 , wherein the first portion holds a different number products than the second portion.  
   
   
       33 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 28 , wherein the products are adhesively secured in at least one of the first and second portions.  
   
   
       34 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 28 , wherein the profile includes snap-fitting apparatus that releasably mates the portions when the portions are closed.  
   
   
       35 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 28 , wherein the profile is perforated initially, and wherein the consumer breaks the perforations to gain access to the products.  
   
   
       36 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 35 , wherein the profile is perforated along multiple walls of each of the first and second portions.  
   
   
       37 . A comestible product dispenser comprising: 
 a tray holding at least three stacks of comestible products; and    a sleeve slidingly engaging the tray, the sleeve open on two ends and defining an aperture sized so that a consumer can reach through the aperture of the sleeve to the tray and move the tray relative to the sleeve to extend at least one middle stack past one of the open ends of the sleeve.    
   
   
       38 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 37 , which is made of a material selected from the group consisting of: paper, paperboard, plastic, a polymer and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       39 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 37 , wherein the stacks include individual wrappers holding the products, the wrappers banded together so that the product is removed from the wrapper while the wrapper remains banded.  
   
   
       40 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 39 , wherein a band banding the wrappers is adhered to the tray.  
   
   
       41 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 37 , wherein the stacks include individual wrappers holding the products, the wrappers adhered together so that the product is removed from the wrapper while the wrappers remain adhered together.  
   
   
       42 . The comestible product dispenser of  claim 37 , which includes an outer wrapper and a tear strip.