Candy dispenser

An indeterminate outcome actuation mechanism for a candy dispenser having a dispenser housing with a dispenser housing opening, a candy reservoir disposed within the dispenser housing and having a candy reservoir chute aligned with the dispenser housing opening, and a dispenser shield disposed within the dispenser housing and between the dispenser housing and the candy reservoir, the dispenser shield having a dispenser shield wall with a dispenser shield opening there through, and being movable between a dispensing position where the dispenser shield opening is aligned with the dispenser housing opening and the candy reservoir chute and at least one non-dispensing position where the candy reservoir chute is covered by the dispenser shield wall, the indeterminate outcome actuation mechanism comprising:

• an actuation mechanism input device extending out of the dispenser housing and having an input device normal position and an input device actuation position;
• a dispenser shield locking member engaging the dispenser shield when the actuation mechanism input device is in the input device normal position to secure the dispenser shield in one of the dispensing position and the non-dispensing positions, and disengaging the dispenser shield when the actuation mechanism input device is in the input device actuation position to allow the dispenser shield to move between the dispensing position and the at least one non-dispensing position;
• and
• a dispenser shield drive member engaging the dispenser shield when the actuation mechanism input device is displaced from the input device normal position toward the input device actuation position to cause the dispenser shield to move between the dispensing position and the at least one non-dispensing position, wherein the dispenser shield locking member and the dispenser shield drive member allow the dispenser shield to move each instance of the actuation mechanism input device being displaced from the input device normal position to the input device actuation position so that the dispenser shield may be disposed in any one of the dispensing position and the non-dispensing positions when the actuation mechanism input device is displaced back to the input device normal position and the dispenser shield locking member engages the dispenser shield.

A candy dispenser comprising:

• a dispenser housing having a dispenser housing opening;
• a candy reservoir disposed within the dispenser housing and having a candy reservoir chute aligned with the dispenser housing opening;
• a dispenser shield disposed within the dispenser housing and between the dispenser housing and the candy reservoir, the dispenser shield comprising:
• a dispenser shield wall with a dispenser shield opening there through, and
• a dispenser shield shaft operatively connected to the dispenser shield wall and defining a dispenser shield rotational axis about which the dispenser shield rotates, the dispenser shield shaft having a first shaft spline, a second shaft spline, a third shaft spline and a fourth shaft spline extending parallel to the dispenser shield rotational axis and being circumferentially spaced about the dispenser shield shaft;
• and an indeterminate outcome actuation mechanism comprising:
• an actuation mechanism input device extending out of the dispenser housing and having an input device normal position and an input device actuation position,
• a dispenser shield locking member engaging the dispenser shield shaft between adjacent shaft splines when the actuation mechanism input device is in the input device normal position to secure the dispenser shield against rotation, wherein the dispenser shield is positioned at a dispensing position with the dispenser shield opening aligned with the candy reservoir chute and the dispenser housing opening when the dispenser shield locking member engages the dispenser shield shaft between the first shaft spline and the second shaft spline, and the dispenser shield is positioned at one of three non-dispensing positions with the dispenser shield wall covering the candy reservoir chute in when the dispenser shield locking member engages the dispenser shield shaft between the second shaft spline and the third shaft spline, between the third shaft spline and the fourth shaft spline, and between the first shaft spline and the fourth shaft spline, and wherein the dispenser shield locking member is disengaged from the dispenser shield shaft when the actuation mechanism input device is in the input device actuation position to allow the dispenser shield to rotate between the dispensing position and the three non-dispensing positions;
• and
• a dispenser shield drive member engaging at least one of the shaft splines when the actuation mechanism input device is displaced from the input device normal position toward the input device actuation position to cause the dispenser shield to rotate between the dispensing position and the three non-dispensing positions, wherein the dispenser shield locking member and the dispenser shield drive member allow the dispenser shield to rotate each instance of the actuation mechanism input device being displaced from the input device normal position to the input device actuation position so that the dispenser shield may be disposed in any one of the dispensing position and the three non-dispensing positions when the actuation mechanism input device is displaced back to the input device normal position and the dispenser shield locking member engages the dispenser shield shaft.