Container, storage and filled cone producing apparatus and method of using the same

Abstract

A filled or unfilled cone storage apparatus wherein the apparatus includes a containment portion having channels disposed therein for housing filled or unfilled cones. The apparatus also includes a guide plate disposed within the containment portion. The apparatus can also include a lid portion for engaging with the containment portion to close the cone storage apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A filled or unfilled cone storage apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a containment portion for housing filled or unfilled cones;   a guide plate disposed within the containment portion; and   a lid portion for engaging with the containment portion to close the cone storage apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the guide plate includes openings that allow access to the containment portion of the cone storage apparatus. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the guide plate is disposed atop internal walls in the containment portion, the internal walls cooperate to create channels that are generally aligned with the openings in the guide plate. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising a packing plate disposed between the guide plate and the lid portion, the packing plate having openings disposed therein in general alignment with the openings in the guide plate. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the openings in the packing plate are larger than the openings in the guide plate, the openings in the packing plate and the guide plate are sized responsive to the size of the diameter of the cones at locations where the openings in the guide plate and the packing plate are adjacent to the cones. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the openings in the packing plate and the openings of the guide plate are sized such that the diameter of the openings in the packing plate are substantially the same diameter as a wider, open end of an unfilled cone and the diameter of the openings in the guide plate are substantially the same size as the diameter of the cones at the location of the guide plate. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the packing plate has an extended member that extends upward from the packing plate toward the lid portion for a user to grasp so the packing plate can be inserted and removed from the containment area. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the openings disposed in the packing plate include a tapered edge that funnels smokable material into the unfilled cones. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the lid portion is releasably securable to the containment portion. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further including a tamping device for use by the user to tamp smokable material down into an unfilled cone. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the internal walls can be disposed in the containment area in any manner such that a plurality of channels are created in the containment area. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the containment area includes four internal walls that create five channels. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the guide plate is secured to an inner wall of a sidewall that extends from a base portion to create the containment portion. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the guide plate can be secured to the inner wall of four sidewalls that extend from the base portion to create the containment portion. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the guide plate is secured inside the containment area a certain distance from the base portion so the filled or unfilled cones can engage the openings in the guide plate when the filled or unfilled cones are deposited in the cone apparatus.