Device for softening and dispensing an edible spread

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR SOFTENING AND DISPENSING AN EDIBLE SPREAD COMPRISING A CONTAINER MEANS HAVING AN UPPER END, A LOWER END, AND A PERIPHERAL WALL CONNECTING SAID UPPER AND LOWER ENDS AND DEFINING AN INTERIOR CHAMBER DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE A QUANTITY OF SPREAD, RESERVOIR MEANS HAVING AN UPPER END IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER FOR RECEIVING SOFTENED SPREAD, AND AN OPEN LOWER END, DISPENSING MEANS INCLUDING A DOOR MEMBER NORMALLY BIASED INTO A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN IT IS IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OPEN LOWER END OF SAID RESERVOIR MEANS, AN ACTUATING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID DOOR MEMBER TO AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN SOFTENED SPREAD MAY BE DISPENSED THROUGH SAID OPEN LOWER END OF SAID RESERVOIR MEANS, HEATING MEANS THERMALLY ENGAGING AT LEAST A LOWER PORTION OF SAID CONTAINER MEANS FOR SOFTENING SAID SPREAD AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID RESERVOIR MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID SPREAD IN SOFTENED CONDITION, AN OUTER HOUSING HAVING AN UPPER END, A LOWER END AND A PERIPHERAL WALL CONNECTING SAID UPPER AND LOWER ENDS AND DEFINING AN UPPER CAVITY FOR REMOVABLY RECEIVING SAID CONTAINER MEANS AND A LOWER CAVITY FOR REMOVABLY RECEIVING SAID RESERVOIR MEANS, SAID LOWER END OF SAID CONTAINER MEANS TAPERING TO FORM AN EXTERNALLY THREADED SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT, SAID UPPER END OF SAID RESERVOIR MEANS BEING THREADED TO RECEIVE SAID CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT, SAID UPPER END OF SAID RESERVOIR HAVING A FLARED PORTION TO FACILITATE THE THREADED ENGAGEMENT OF SAID CONTAINER MEANS AND SAID RESERVOIR MEANS.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR SOFTENING AND DISPENSING AN EDIBLE SPREAD COMPRISING A CONTAINER MEANS HAVING AN UPPER END, A LOWER END, AND A PERIPHERAL WALL CONNECTING SAID UPPER AND LOWER ENDS AND DEFINING AN INTERIOR CHAMBER DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE A QUANTITY OF SPREAD, RESERVOIR MEANS HAVING AN UPPER END IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER FOR RECEIVING SOFTENED SPREAD, AND AN OPEN LOWER END, DISPENSING MEANS INCLUDING A DOOR MEMBER NORMALLY BIASED INTO A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN IT IS IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OPEN LOWER END OF SAID RESERVOIR MEANS, AN ACTUATING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID DOOR MEMBER TO AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN SOFTENED SPREAD MAY BE DISPENSED THROUGH SAID OPEN LOWER END OF SAID RESERVOIR MEANS, HEATING MEANS THERMALLY ENGAGING AT LEAST A LOWER PORTION OF SAID CONTAINER MEANS FOR SOFTENING SAID SPREAD AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID RESERVOIR MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID SPREAD IN SOFTENED CONDITION, AN OUTER HOUSING HAVING AN UPPER END, A LOWER END AND A PERIPHERAL WALL CONNECTING SAID UPPER AND LOWER ENDS AND DEFINING AN UPPER CAVITY FOR REMOVABLY RECEIVING SAID CONTAINER MEANS AND A LOWER CAVITY FOR REMOVABLY RECEIVING SAID RESERVOIR MEANS, SAID LOWER END OF SAID CONTAINER MEANS TAPERING TO FORM AN EXTERNALLY THREADED SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT, SAID UPPER END OF SAID RESERVOIR MEANS BEING THREADED TO RECEIVE SAID CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT, SAID UPPER END OF SAID RESERVOIR HAVING A FLARED PORTION TO FACILITATE THE THREADED ENGAGEMENT OF SAID CONTAINER MEANS AND SAID RESERVOIR MEANS.