Patents
There are several patents related to the Pez dispenser. Pez, Inc. has applied for and received patents related to the Pez dispensers. Usually, the patent number is molded onto the stem changed every time Pez, Inc. made a change in the design of the dispenser. The patent number cannot be reliably used to determine how old the dispenser is. Collectors refer to the first two digits of a patent number as a short hand for a given patent number. For example, the 5.9 (5,984,285) patent was granted in 1999, but didn't first appear on a Pez item until 2002. By 2007, 4.9 patented items were still regularly appearing on store shelves. Dispensers can also be found with several non-US patents, such as the German "DBP 818.829" (Deutsches Bundes Patent), and the Mexican "Patent Nr 141,242". The patent number timeline related to Pez dispensers are the following.
| Patent | Year | Name of patent; notes about the patent |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Patent 2,620,061 | 1952 | Pocket article dispensing container; First patent for the Pez dispenser |
| U.S. Patent 3,410,455 | 1968 | Dispensing Device for tablets |
| U.S. Patent 3,845,882 | 1974 | Spring cage for use in a tablet dispensing receptacle |
| U.S. Patent 3,942,683 | 1976 | Tablet dispensing receptacle |
| U.S. Patent 4,966,305 | 1990 | Tablet dispenser |
| U.S. Patent 5,984,285 | 1999 | Plastic spring |
| U.S. Patent 7,523,841 | 2009 | Tray for storing and individually dispensing tablets |
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