Food Dispensing Device

Abstract

The invention is a handheld device for storing and dispensing a portion of a food product, such as a stick of butter, easily and evenly onto a hot pan, grill, toast, sandwiches, vegetables, or any hot or cold item. The invention has a housing with an internal cavity into which the food product may be placed, with a piston which is used to advance the food product toward an outflow end of the housing. An end cap may be placed over the outflow end of the housing, trapping the food product within the housing in a cavity between the cap and the piston, keeping the food product fresh between uses. The sides of the tubular housing are flexible, allowing the piston to be held within the housing at a desired location.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A dispenser for a solid food product, the dispenser comprising:
 an elongated housing comprising
 an entrance end, 
 an outflow end, 
 elongated side panels extending between the entrance end and the outflow end, and 
 an internal cavity extending between the entrance end and the outflow end and within the elongated side panels; 
   a piston capable of entering and moving within the internal cavity; and   an end cap capable of covering the outflow end of the elongated housing.   
     
     
         2 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , where the elongated side panels are capable of flexing inward toward the internal cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , where the internal cavity is capable of containing a stick of butter or margarine. 
     
     
         4 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , where the elongated housing is comprised of thermal resistant material. 
     
     
         5 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , where the piston is comprised of an internal face and an external face, where the internal face further comprises protrusions capable of engaging the solid food product. 
     
     
         6 . A dispenser for a stick of butter or margarine, the dispenser comprising:
 an elongated tubular housing surrounding an internal cavity, the housing and cavity extending between an entrance end and an outflow end, where the housing is comprised of flexible elongated side panels, and the internal cavity, entrance end and outflow end have a consistent shape capable of containing the stick of butter or margarine;   a piston capable of moving within the internal cavity; and   an end cap capable of covering the outflow end.   
     
     
         7 . The dispenser of  claim 6 , where the housing is comprised of thermal resistant material. 
     
     
         8 . The dispenser of  claim 6 , where the piston is comprised of an internal face and an external face, where the internal face further comprises protrusions capable of engaging the solid food product. 
     
     
         9 . A dispenser for a solid food product, the dispenser comprising:
 an elongated housing comprising
 an entrance end, 
 an outflow end, 
 an elongated side extending between the entrance end and the outflow end, and 
 an internal cavity extending between the entrance end and the outflow end and surrounded by the elongated side; and 
   a piston capable of entering and moving within the internal cavity.   
     
     
         10 . A dispenser of  claim 9 , further comprising an end cap capable of covering the outflow end.