The present invention relates to a confectionary container. Confectionary is popular throughout all societies, and children are a major consumer of confectionary. Children also require entertaining with toys and games, but there are relatively few games involving confectionary.

The present invention seeks to address this issue.

According to the present invention there is provided a confectionary container comprising: a chamber for storing confectionary;

a domed base and an upper surface;

an egress that is openable so as to allow confectionary to be removed from the container and a closable so as to prevent confectionary being removed from the container; wherein

the upper surface is substantially flat;

the egress is either formed between the upper surface and the domed base or is formed on the domed base.

By providing a substantially flat upper surface the container may have indicia printed on its upper surface, and by forming the egress between the upper surface and the domed base or on the domed base contamination of the chamber owing to the printing process is avoided, thereby allowing loose confectionary to be stored inside the chamber. Furthermore, by providing such an egress the top of the container may remain a flat unbroken surface to aid playing games as described below as snagging of items of confectionary on an egress closure is avoided.

In some embodiments the egress is spaced from the upper surface.

In some embodiments the egress is openable and closable by means of a slidably mounted covering.

In some embodiments the covering mounted within the chamber. In some embodiments a covering is releasably retained position wherein the egress is closed by a protrusion mating with a recess. In some embodiments the protrusion is formed on the covering and the recess is formed on an inner wall of the chamber.

In some embodiments the protrusion is formed on an inner wall of the chamber and the recess is formed on the covering.

In some embodiments the egress is provided by the upper surface being hingeably attached to the domed base.

In some embodiments the upper surface is substantially circular.

In some embodiments the confectionary container is substantially hemispherical.

In some embodiments the confectionary container is formed of a plastics material. In some embodiments the confectionary container comprises printed indicia on its upper surface.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of playing a game with a confectionary container made in accordance with any preceding statement of invention comprising the steps of:

removing a piece of confectionary from the container via its egress;

balancing the piece of confectionary on the upper surface; and

spinning the confectionary container on the domed base. In order that the present invention may be more fully understood specific embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a confectionary container made in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention with its egress closed;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 1 with its egress open;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the covering of the egress of the container of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a side view of the container of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a confectionary container made in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention with its egress closed;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 5 with its egress open.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 a confectionary container 1 comprises a domed base 2 and a substantially flat and circular upper surface 3.

As best illustrated by Figure 4 domed base 2 is continuously curved. That is to say that it does not comprise a flattened portion to rest upon, but instead has minimal contact with a surface upon which it rests, thereby allowing for container 1 to be freely rotated.

Together domed base 2 and upper surface 3 define a chamber for the storage of confectionary.

Side of domed base comprises substantially rectangular egress 4, which is openable and closable by means of covering 5.

Covering 5 is curved in profile so as to be slidably mounted on an internal wall of domed base 2.

Covering 5 comprises a grip 6 that projects outwardly and allows a user to readily slide covering 5 between a first position wherein egress 4 is closed and a second position wherein egress 4 is open.

Covering 5 further comprises a domed protrusion 7 that mates with a recess (not shown) formed on the internal wall of domed base 2 so as to releasably retain covering 5 in its first position. Domed base 2, upper surface 3 and covering 5 are all formed of a plastics material.

Upper surface 3 may have printed thereon one or more indicia, which may be promotional images and text or other markings.

Owing to confectionary container 1 being rotatable upon its domed base container 1 may be used to play a variety of games, two of which will now be described for illustrative purposes.

In a first game players firstly set a minimum number of revolutions that must be achieved upon a player's turn.

A first player may then open egress 4 by moving covering 5 from its first position to its second position, and remove a piece of confectionary from the chamber of container 1.

The player may then balance the piece of confectionary on the upper surface 3 of container 1 and then spin the container.

Provided that the minimum number of revolutions of container 1 are achieved on that turn and the piece of confectionary remains balanced upon container 1 the player is allowed to keep the piece of confectionary for consumption.

However, if the minimum number of revolutions is not achieved or if the confectionary falls from upper surface 3, container 1 and piece of confectionary in play move to the next player in order for them to take their turn.

Once all players have taken a turn the minimum number of revolutions required on a turn is increased by one, thus making the game progressively more difficult.

In a second game that requires two players each player is each provided with a number of pieces of confectionary. Again a minimum number of revolutions that a person is required to spin the container on their turn is determined at the outset of the game.

A first player bets a chosen number of pieces of confectionary by positioning them on upper surface 3 and then spins container 1 Provided that the minimum number of revolutions is obtained by a player the number of pieces of confectionary that they gambled are donated to the first player by the second player.

However if the minimum number of revolutions is not met the confectionary or if any confectionary falls from upper surface 3 the confectionary gambled is donated to the second player. The second player then takes a turn to bet a chosen amount of confectionary.

Once both players have taken a turn the minimum number of revolutions required on a turn is increased by one, thus making the game progressively more difficult. It will be apparent that in order for a game requiring revolutions to be counted to be easily played some form of indicia are desirable on upper surface 3.

As such in many embodiments it is preferable to have indicia printed on upper surface 3. Owing to the toxicity associated with some printing processes it is advantageous to position egress 4 of container away from upper surface 3.

By providing an egress 4 that is not formed in upper surface 3 inadvertent contamination of the chamber of container 1 is avoided. It is particularly beneficial if an egress 4 is spaced from upper surface 3 as the chances of contamination are further reduced.

Thus, in the present embodiment egress 4 is located on the side of domed base 2, thereby allowing container 1 to be filled with loose confectionary.

Turning to a second embodiment of a confectionary container made in accordance with the present invention and Figures 5 and 6, a container 8 comprises a domed base 9 and a substantially flat and circular upper surface 10.

Together domed base 9 and upper surface 10 define a chamber 11 for the storage of confectionary. Upper surface 10 is attached by hinge 17 to domed base 9 such that in its first position upper surface 10 acts as a lid to domed base 9 and when hinged away from domed base 9 into a second position (as illustrated in Figure 6) an egress into chamber 11 is provided. The egress of container 8 is therefore formed between upper surface 10 and domed base 9.

To assist a user in operating upper surface 10 as a lid a notch 16 is formed in the exterior wall of domed base 9. Notch 16 is positioned diametrically opposite hinge 17. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.