Apparatus and method for storing and dispensing an item of food

1. A food storage and dispensing device comprising:

a food holder having (i) a bottom that includes a longitudinally disposed support surface, (ii) a pair of opposed side walls coupled to the bottom, and (iii) first and second ends, the holder configured to contain a sliceable item of food on the support surface and between the side walls, the food holder having a dispensing opening located at the first end, and the side walls defining a longitudinal axis parallel thereto;

a lid moveably mounted over the food holder so as to have an open position and a closed position;

an end cap, having an upper edge coupled to the lid at a location proximate to the first end, the end cap oriented to cover the dispensing opening when the lid is in the closed position, and having a lower edge opposite the upper edge, the lower edge configured to slice the sliceable item of food when the lid is moved from the open position to the closed position;

an advancer, slidably mounted in the food holder to move longitudinally along the food holder, and configured to engage against the sliceable item of food; and

a ratchet advance mechanism having a plurality of rigid components, coupled to the lid and to the advancer, and configured to incrementally move the advancer, and consequently the sliceable item of food, towards the dispensing opening each time the lid is moved to the open position from the closed position,

wherein the ratchet advance mechanism comprises a movable toothed rack coupled to the lid, longitudinally disposed in the food holder, and a first pawl disposed on the advancer, the movable toothed rack positioned to engage against the first pawl, the lid configured to advance the movable toothed rack and the advancer toward the dispensing opening when the lid is moved to the open position from the closed position, and to retract the movable toothed rack from the dispensing opening when the lid is moved to the closed position.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the ratchet advance mechanism further comprises a stationary toothed rack, longitudinally disposed in the food holder, and a second pawl disposed on the advancer, the stationary toothed rack configured to restrain the advancer from motion when the lid is moved to the closed position and to permit motion of the advancer when the lid is moved to the open position.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the second pawl is the same pawl as the first pawl, and the stationary toothed rack and the movable toothed rack are mounted so that both racks engage with the first pawl.

4. The device according to claim 2 , wherein a member, selected from the group consisting of the movable toothed rack and the stationary toothed rack and a combination thereof, in a cross sectional view orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, is bowed toward the sliceable item of food so as to create a compressive force orthogonal to the longitudinal axis on the sliceable item of food to reduce a risk that the sliceable item of food would fall out of the food holder.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the ratchet advance mechanism is configured to act upon the advancer after the end cap has moved past the dispensing opening.

6. The food storage and dispensing device comprising:

a food holder having (i) a bottom that includes a longitudinally disposed support surface, (ii) a pair of opposed side walls coupled to the bottom, and (iii) first and second ends, the holder configured to contain a sliceable item of food on the support surface and between the side walls, the food holder having a dispensing opening located at the first end, and the side walls defining a longitudinal axis parallel thereto;

a lid moveably mounted over the food holder so as to have an open position and a closed position;

an end cap, having an upper edge coupled to the lid at a location proximate to the first end, the end cap oriented to cover the dispensing opening when the lid is in the closed position, and having a lower edge opposite the upper edge, the lower edge configured to slice the sliceable item of food when the lid is moved from the open position to the closed position;

an advancer, slidably mounted in the food holder to move longitudinally along the food holder, and configured to engage against the sliceable item of food;

a ratchet advance mechanism having a plurality of rigid components, coupled to the lid and to the advancer, and configured to incrementally move the advancer, and consequently the sliceable item of food, towards the dispensing opening each time the lid is moved to the open position from the closed position; and

an increment adjuster, mounted to occupy any of a plurality of distinct positions on a member selected from the group consisting of the lid, the food holder, and the ratchet advance mechanism, wherein each position of the increment adjuster causes an interruption in the path of motion of the lid, as the lid is moved from the closed to the open position, by a different incremental amount so as to regulate advance of the sliceable item of food through the dispensing opening and therefore thickness of a resulting slice.