Child's activity toy and disc dispenser therefor

A dispenser for dispensing circular discs onto a flat surface, when activated, comprising:

• a generally cylindrical outer sleeve and a substantially cylindrical dispenser tube, each having a first end and a second end;
• first and second end sleeve caps at the respective first and second ends of the outer sleeve, each having a truncated cone configuration;
• and spring activation means;
• wherein the interior wall of the outer sleeve has a first recess formed therein near the first end, first and second bearing rings formed at each end of the outer sleeve, and a third bearing ring formed at the end of the first recess distal from the first end;
• and a pair of wedge shaped guide probes extending from the second end of the outer sleeve, and arranged 180° from each other;
• wherein the length of the dispenser tube is greater than the combined length of the outer sleeve and the end sleeve caps;
• wherein a stop ring is formed on the outer surface of the dispenser tube in a location so as to be received into said first recess, and so as to cooperate with the side of the third bearing ring closest to the first end of the outer sleeve so as to limit the sliding motion of the dispenser tube in the direction towards the second end of the outer sleeve;
• wherein the spring activation means is a coil spring fitted into the first recess and surrounding a portion of the outer perimeter of the dispenser tube so as to bias the position of the dispensing tube in a direction towards the second end of the outer sleeve;
• wherein a pair of guide slots is formed lengthwise in the dispenser tube at the second end thereof, and each extends towards the first end to a position near the mid-point of the length of the outer sleeve, and a portion of the guide slots is adapted to receive the respective guide probe therein, and wherein the end of each portion of the guide slot closest to the second end of the dispenser tube is adapted to cooperate with the respective guide probe to force the outer end of each respective guide slot to spread apart when the second end of the dispenser tube is pressed so as to cause movement thereof along the outer sleeve and the end sleeve caps towards the first end of the outer sleeve against the bias force of the spring activation means;
• wherein a further pair of slots is formed lengthwise in the dispenser tube in positions intermediate of the pair of guide slots, and to the same length of the guide slots;
• wherein an interference ring is formed on the outer surface of the dispenser tube near the second end thereof so as to limit the sliding motion of the dispenser tube in a direction towards the first end of the outer sleeve;
• and a conical wedge surface is formed sloping inwardly from the side of the interference ring closest to the second end, towards the second end;
• and
• wherein a mating wedge surface is formed on the inner surface of the second end sleeve, sloping outwardly from near the end surface of the second end sleeve and away therefrom;
• and
• wherein the end surfaces of the first pair of segments thereof which are opposite each other extend further away from the second end of the second end sleeve than the end surfaces of the second pair of segments thereof which are opposite each other and intermediate of the first pair of segments;
• whereby the cooperation between the conical wedge surface and the mating wedge surface together with the bias force of the spring activation means, acts to maintain the segments at the second end of the dispenser tube in contiguous positions and thereby so that the dispenser is in its non-dispensing condition;
• and so that upon activation of the dispenser so as to cause movement of the dispenser tube towards the first end of the outer sleeve and the first end sleeve, against the bias force of the spring activation means, the cooperation between the conical wedge surface and the mating wedge surface is overcome so that the contiguous segments are permitted to spread apart one from the other, and thereby so that the dispenser is in its dispensing condition.