GB2341305A - Lollipop stick made from plastics material - Google Patents

Abstract

An elongate article, such as stick 12, for retaining confectionary 14, such as sweets, ice cream or flavoured ice (lollipops), is made from plastics material. The stick 12 preferably has retention means 16 to assist in retaining the confectionary 14 thereon. The retention means 16 is preferably located at, adjacent to or towards a first end 18 of the stick 12, located, in use, within the confectionary 14. The retention means 16 may comprise one or more protruding parts (22, Figs 2-5) extending laterally to the stick 12 and the protruding part may take the form of a rib (28, Fig 10) extending around the stick 12. Alternatively, the retention means may comprise one or more recesses 24, which may extend around the stick 12, or one or more cavities (26, Fig 7) extending through the stick 12. The retention means 16 may also be at the first end 18 of the stick 12 in the form of a sphere (32, Fig 12) or a bar (33, Fig 13). Preferably, the stick 12 is made from recyclable plastics material and the confectionary 14 is frozen water.

Description

2341305 Title: An Elongate Article DescriRtion of Invention The present

invention relates to an elongate article for retaining thereon a consumable substance, hereinafter referred to as confectionery. The term confectionery is used generally as including sweets, ice creams and flavoured ice (conventionally known as lollipops). The invention will be described hereinafter in relation to lollipop sticks, although it is to be appreciated that the invention may be used to support other types of confectionery.

Lollipop sticks have conventionally been made from natural materials such as wood. These natural materials are unable to be recycled, and multiple machining processes are required to produce a lollipop stick from such materials. Furthermore, these materials are prone to splintering and are capable of becoming infected with bacteria, which is undesirable for a lollipop stick intended to come into contact with the mouth of a person.

Another problem of conventional lollipop sticks is that the confectionery tends to slide off them.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or reduce some at least of the problems of conventional lollipop sticks.

According to the first aspect of present invention there is provided an elongate article for retaining confectionery thereon, wherein the elongate article is made from plastics material.

One advantage of the present invention is that the elongate article, or lollipop stick, may be manufactured by a single process, for example by injection moulding. Also, the plastics material from which the lollipop stick is made is not prone to splintering, and is less likely to become infected with bacteria.

2 Preferably the elongate article comprises retention means to assist in retaining the confectionery thereon.

The retention means is preferably located towards a first end of the elongate article, the first end of the elongate article for being located within the confectionery. The retention means may be located at or adjacent the first end of the elongate article.

The retention means may comprise a protruding part extending laterally to the elongate article, which may be in the form of a protruding rib extending around the elongate article. The protruding part may extend substantially perpendicular to the elongate article. The retention means may comprise a plurality of protruding parts.

The retention means may comprises a recess, or alternatively a cavity extending through the elongate article. The recess may extend around the elongate article. The retention means may comprise a plurality of recesses or cavities.

The plastics material is preferably recyclable.

The confectionery may comprise frozen water.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an elongate article as described above having confectionery retained thereon.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure I is an illustration of confectionery retained on an elongate article according to the present invention; and Figures 2 to 13 are illustrations of various embodiments of the elongate article of Figure 1, Figures 8 and 9 being cross-sectional illustrations of embodiments of the elongate article.

Referring now to Figure 1 there is shown an iced lolly 10, comprising an elongate article 12, the elongate article 12 hereinafter referred to as a lollipop stick, and confectionery 14, retained on the lollipop stick 12. In the 3 embodiment illustrated the confectionery 14 is frozen water, and shall hereinafter be referred to as such.

A first end 18 of the lollipop stick 12 is located within the frozen water 14, while a second end 20 of the lollipop stick 12 extends from the frozen water 14, providing a means for a person to hold the iced lolly 10. The lollipop stick 12 is made from a non-toxic, recyclable plastics material and so may be manufactured by a single process, such as injection moulding. By virtue of the lollipop stick 12 being made from a plastics material, it is not prone to splintering, and is less likely to become infected with bacteria, as is often the case with lollipop sticks, and the like, made from natural materials such as wood.

A common problem with confectionery retained on an elongate article is that the confectionery tends to slide off the elongate article, in particular, for the embodiment illustrated, when the frozen water 14 begins to melt. Thus retention means 16 is located towards the first end 18 of the lollipop stick 12 to assist in retaining the frozen water 14 on the lollipop stick 12.

Referring now to Figure 2 there is illustrated the lollipop stick 12 of Figure 1. In this embodiment of the present invention, the retention means 16 comprises two protruding parts 22a, which extend substantially perpendicular to opposing side surfaces of the stick 12, forming substantially the shape of a cross. The protruding parts 22a impede the frozen water 14 from slipping relative to the lollipop stick 12, thus assisting in retaining the frozen water 14 on the lollipop stick 12.

The protruding parts 22a may alternatively extend substantially perpendicular to front and rear surfaces, for example in the form of protruding ribs, as illustrated in Figure 3 by protruding parts 22b. The protruding parts 22(a, b) illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 need not extend substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the lollipop stick 12, but may alternatively extend at some other angle to the surfaces of the lollipop stick 12, as illustrated 4 in Figure 4 by protruding parts 22c. Furthermore the protruding parts 22(a to c) are not limited to being substantially planar, as illustrated in Figures 2 to 4, but may be of any suitable configurafion, for example cylindrical as illustrated in Figure 5 by protruding part 22d.

The retaining means 16 is not limited to comprising protruding parts 22(a to d), but may alternatively comprise recesses 24, as illustrated in Figure 6. Alternatively, the sfick may be provided with a cavity 26, as illustrated in Figure 7, which extends through the lollipop sfick 12.

The embodiments of the present invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 show a lollipop stick 12 having a generally flat, elongate crosssectional configuration, which is illustrated in Figure 8. The lollipop stick 12 is not limited to this flat, elongate cross-sectional configuration, but may comprise any suitable alternative cross-sectional configuration, for example a generally circular cross-sectional configuration, as illustrated in Figure 9.

For each of the embodiments illustrated in Figures 2 to 7 the protruding parts 22 or the recesses 24 are only provided on two opposing surfaces of the lollipop stick 12. Alternatively, the retaining means 16 may comprise a protruding rib 28 provided on and extending around the circumference of the lollipop stick 12, as illustrated in Figure 10.

The retaining means 16 may comprise a plurality of protruding parts, recesses or cavities at various regions along the length of the lollipop stick 12, for example a plurality of recesses 30 provided in and extending around the circumference of the lollipop stick 12, as illustrated in Figure 11.

The retaining means 16 may be provided at the first end of the lollipop sfick 12, as illustrated by a sphere 32 and/or a substantially bar shaped member 33 in Figures 12 and 13 respectively.

The present invention is not limited to a lollipop sfick for retaining frozen water thereon, but may relate to any elongate article upon which any form of confectionery is to be retained.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (18)

1. An elongate article for retaining confectionery thereon, wherein the elongate article is made from plastics material.

2. An elongate article according to claim 1 wherein the elongate article comprises retention means to assist in retaining the confectionery thereon.

3. An elongate article according to claim 2 wherein the retention means is located towards a first end of the elongate article, the first end of the elongate article for being located, in use, within the confectionery.

4. An elongate article according to claim 3 wherein the retention means is located at or adjacent the first end of the elongate article.

5. An elongate article according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the retention means comprises a protruding part extending laterally to the elongate article.

6. An elongate article according to claim 5 wherein the protruding part is of the form of a protruding rib extending around the elongate article.

7. An elongate article according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the protruding part extends substantially perpendicular to the elongate article.

8. An elongate article according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the retention means comprises a plurality of protruding parts.

7

9. An elongate article according to any one of claims 3 to 8 wherein the retention means comprises a recess.

10. An elongate article according to claim 9 wherein the recess extends around the elongate article.

11. An elongate article according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the retention means comprises a plurality of recesses.

12. An elongate article according to any one of claims 2 to I I wherein the retention means comprises a cavity extending through the elongate article.

13. An elongate article according to claim 12 wherein the retention means comprises a plurality of cavities.

14. An elongate article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the plastics material is recyclable.

15. An elongate article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the confectionery is frozen water.

16. An elongate article according to any one of the preceding claims having confectionery retained thereon.

17. An elongate article substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

18. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.