Corn holder storage system

Abstract

A corn holder storage unit for retaining one or more corn holders in a safe, sanitary, and convenient manner is disclosed. One or more members defining a cavity and having at least one opening is adapted to accept and retain one or more corn holders, and preferably each member is adapted to retain a pair of corn holders along the member axis. Where the corn holder storage unit is configured to retain a pair of corn holders, the distance between opposing ends of the member should be at least two times the length of the corn holder operative end. Preferably a peripheral structure encloses the one or more members, and cooperation between the member and the peripheral structure prevents the holder from passing through the cavity and from being dislodged from the corn holder storage unit by providing an abutment rim and a variety of retaining fits. In an embodiment, a corn holder storage system is provided, wherein a plurality of tubes is enclosed by a peripheral structure, each of the tubes having two opposing open ends for retaining a plurality of corn holders and concealing the corn holder operative ends.

1 . A corn holder storage unit, comprising:
 at least one tube having a first end configured to receive an operative end of a first corn holder and to retainably engage a grasping end of the first corn holder.   
     
     
         2 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube further comprises a second end configured to receive an operative end of a second corn holder and to retainably engage a grasping portion of the second corn holder. 
     
     
         3 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 2 , wherein the first end and the second end are spaced apart from each other by a distance sufficient to prevent the operative end of the first corn holder from interfering with the operative end of the second corn holder when the first and second corn holder are retainably engaged in the corn holder storage unit. 
     
     
         4 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one tube further comprises a central cross-member extending from an inner surface of the at least one tube between the first and the second end. 
     
     
         5 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 4 , further comprising a first cylindrical wall extending from the central cross-member toward the first end, the first cylindrical wall disposed to receive the operative end of the first corn holder. 
     
     
         6 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 5 , further comprising a second cylindrical wall extending from the central cross-member toward the second end, the second cylindrical wall disposed to receive the operative end of the second corn holder. 
     
     
         7 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 4 , wherein the central cross-member constitutes a substantially planar rib bisecting the at least one tube. 
     
     
         8 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the tubes arranged in parallel for receiving a plurality of the corn holders. 
     
     
         9 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 8 , wherein the tubes are releasably coupled to each other. 
     
     
         10 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 8 , wherein axes of the tubes are substantially parallel to each other and the tubes are coupled to each other. 
     
     
         11 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a peripheral structure enclosing the tubes. 
     
     
         12 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 11 , wherein an abutment structure is disposed within the peripheral structure to abut the operative end of the corn holder to maintain the corn holder's position with respect to the first end and the peripheral structure. 
     
     
         13 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 11 , wherein the abutment structure is an abutment rim of the wall. 
     
     
         14 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is adapted to retain a pair of corn holders along an axis of the at least one tube. 
     
     
         15 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is adapted to retain the corn holder by a snap fit. 
     
     
         16 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is adapted to frictionally retain the corn holder. 
     
     
         17 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is adapted to magnetically retain the corn holder. 
     
     
         18 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is adapted to threadably retain the corn holder. 
     
     
         19 . The corn holder storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein the tubes are releasably coupled to each other. 
     
     
         20 . A corn holder storage system comprising:
 a corn holder including a body having a grasping end and an operative end, a pin extending from the operative end, and a screw structure extending from the operative end;   a corn holder storage unit including a member defining a cavity and having an open end adapted to retain the operative end of the corn holder.   
     
     
         21 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 20 , wherein the member includes two open ends adapted to simultaneously retain the operative ends of a pair of opposing corn holders along a shared axis. 
     
     
         22 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 20 , wherein the member comprises a central stabilizer disposed between the two open ends. 
     
     
         23 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 20 , wherein the unit further comprises a peripheral structure enclosing the member. 
     
     
         24 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 23 , wherein an abutment structure is disposed within the peripheral structure to abut the operative end to prevent the corn holder from passing through the cavity. 
     
     
         25 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 23 , wherein the member is adapted to abut the operative end to prevent the corn holder from passing through the cavity. 
     
     
         26 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 20 , wherein the member is adapted to retain the corn holder by a snap fit 
     
     
         27 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 20 , wherein the member is adapted to frictionally retain the corn holder. 
     
     
         28 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 20 , wherein the member is adapted to magnetically retain the corn holder. 
     
     
         29 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 20 , wherein the member is adapted to threadably retain the corn holder. 
     
     
         30 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 20 , wherein more than one member is coupled adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         31 . The corn holder storage system of  claim 30 , wherein the members are releasably coupled. 
     
     
         32 . A combination corn holder and corn holder storage unit comprising:
 a plurality of corn holders, each corn holder comprising a body having a grasping end and an operative end, a pin extending from the operative end, and a helical screw extending from the operative end;   a corn holder storage unit comprising a plurality of members, each member defining a cavity and having a first end, a second end, and an axis, wherein the first end is open and adapted to conceal the operative end of a corn holder along the axis and the second end is open and adapted to conceal the operative end of a corn holder along the axis.   
     
     
         33 . The combination of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of members each further comprise a stabilizing structure within the cavity between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         34 . The combination of  claim 32 , wherein the unit further comprises a peripheral structure enclosing the plurality of members. 
     
     
         35 . The combination of  claim 34 , wherein the plurality of members are disposed within the peripheral structure to abut the operative ends of the plurality of corn holders. 
     
     
         36 . The combination of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of members are adapted to retain the plurality of corn holders by a snap fit. 
     
     
         37 . The combination of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of members are adapted to frictionally retain the plurality of corn holders. 
     
     
         38 . The combination of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of members are adapted to magnetically retain the plurality of corn holders. 
     
     
         39 . The combination of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of members are adapted to threadably retain the plurality of corn holders. 
     
     
         40 . A corn holder storage system comprising:
 a plurality of corn holders, each corn holder including a body having a bulbous grasping end, a base, and an operative end, a pin and a helical screw extending from the operative end;   a corn holder storage unit including four tubes enclosed by a peripheral structure having a plurality of retaining protrusions formed thereon, each tube having opposing open ends, each open end terminating in an abutment rim, an axis, and a centralized stabilizing structure disposed on an inner surface, the tubes being coupled and adjacent to each other;   wherein each of the tubes is adapted to accept the operative ends of opposing corn holders along the axis and simultaneously retain each base of opposing corn holders between the abutment rim and the plurality of retaining protrusions, the centralized stabilizing structure adapted to accept each operative end.