U.S. patent application number 12/339730 was filed with the patent office on 2010-06-24 for pill dispenser and pill container system.
Invention is credited to Ray Solari, Soren Solari.
Application Number | 20100155411 12/339730 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42264551 |
Filed Date | 2010-06-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100155411 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Solari; Ray ; et
al. |
June 24, 2010 |
Pill Dispenser and Pill Container System
Abstract
A pill dispensing system, including a box with a plurality of
compartments, a loader designed with loading channels sized and
positioned to correspond with the compartments, an
ergonomically-shaped handheld sorter, and a funneled feeder. Each
loading channel of the loader is lined by two loading channel
walls, said loading channel having a floor between said loading
channel walls, said floor having a midline equidistant from said
loading channel walls, and said floor descending from each loading
channel wall toward said midline of said floor. Whereby for each
loading channel, the end distal to said sorting section has a
notch.
Inventors: |
Solari; Ray; (Playa Del Rey,
CA) ; Solari; Soren; (San Diego, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROJAN LAW OFFICES
9250 WILSHIRE BLVD, SUITE 325
BEVERLY HILLS
CA
90212
US
|
Family ID: |
42264551 |
Appl. No.: |
12/339730 |
Filed: |
December 19, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/87 ;
221/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/87 ;
221/1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 83/04 20060101
B65D083/04 |
Claims
1. A pill loader for use with a pill dispensing box having multiple
pill compartments for desired dosages of medications, the
improvement comprising: said pill loader including a substantially
planar sorting platform upon which pills may be placed for sorting;
a plurality of loading channels on a side of said sorting platform;
each loading channel lined by two loading channel walls; each
loading channel having a floor between said loading channel walls,
said loading channels having a width such that each channel aligns
with a pill compartment of said pill dispensing box such that said
pill loader is capable of being tipped to permit each said
compartment to be loaded with a desired dosage of medication; and,
an overflow channel located at an end of said sorting platform for
returning excess pills to their containers.
2. The pill loader of claim 1, whereby for each loading channel,
the end distal to said sorting section has a notch.
3. The pill loader of claim 1, whereby said floor has a midline
equidistant from said loading channel walls; and said floor
descending from each loading channel wall toward said midline of
said floor.
4. The pill loader of claim 2, whereby for each loading channel,
the end distal to said sorting section has a notch.
5. A pill dispensing system comprising: a box with a plurality of
compartments, each compartment having an opening; a loader
including: a sorting section; an overflow channel connected to one
side of the sorting section; a plurality of loading channels
connected to another side of the sorting section; each loading
channel is lined by two loading channel walls; said loading channel
having a floor between said loading channel walls; whereby, said
loading channels are sized and positioned to correspond to said
openings of said compartments.
6. The pill dispensing system of claim 5, whereby said floor of
each loading channel is recessed.
7. The pill dispensing system of claim 6, whereby said floor has a
midline equidistant from said loading channel walls; said floor
descends from each loading channel wall toward said midline of said
floor.
8. The pill dispensing system of claim 5, whereby for each loading
channel, the end distal to said sorting section has a notch.
9. The pill dispensing system of claim 5, whereby each compartment
includes an additional floor, one end of said additional floor
connected to an edge of the compartment opening.
10. The pill dispensing system of claim 5, whereby said loader
further includes a rounded leg.
11. The pill dispensing system of claim 5, whereby said loader
further includes a leg capable of lining up said loader with said
box.
12. The pill dispensing system of claim 5, whereby the width of a
loading channel matches the width of a corresponding opening.
13. The pill dispensing system of claim 5, whereby each loading
channel is capable of lining up with a corresponding opening.
14. The pill dispensing system of claim 5, further comprising a
sorter.
15. The pill dispensing system of claim 5, further comprising a
feeder.
16. The pill dispensing system of claim 15, further comprising a
sorter.
17. The pill dispensing system of claim 16; whereby, each loading
channel is capable of lining up with a corresponding opening.
18. The pill dispensing system of claim 17, whereby each loading
channel is lined by two loading channel walls; said loading channel
having a floor between said loading channel walls; said floor
having a midline equidistant from said loading channel walls; and
said floor descending from each loading channel wall toward said
midline of said floor.
19. The pill dispensing system of claim 18, whereby for each
loading channel, the end distal to said sorting section has a
notch.
20. A method of dispensing pills comprising the steps of: a)
handling pills using a sorter; b) sorting pills with the sorter
into channels of a loader; c) aligning the loader to a box; d)
tilting the loader until the pills slide into compartments of the
box; e) securing the pills in the compartments until an appropriate
time to dispense the pills; f) opening the appropriate compartment
or compartments containing the pills to be dispensed; g) tilting
the box until the pills slide onto the feeder; and h) transferring
the pills from the feeder to a person taking the pills.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of
medication pillboxes. More specifically, the invention relates to a
pill dispensing system that reduces the handling of pills.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] There are numerous types of medication pillboxes and
dispensers. Among the various goals they attempt to achieve, these
prior art medication dispensers aim to provide ease of use, more
accurate organization, and better child safety features. However,
the prior art medication dispensers do not adequately address the
issue of proper handling of the medication.
[0003] When a patient receives his pills from the pharmacy, the
pills are secured in the pill container and are relatively
germ-free. The process through which a typical patient takes his
daily pills is as follows: a) pills are dumped from the original
container onto a table counter, b) the pills are hand-sorted, c)
the patient picks up the pills and places them into the appropriate
compartments of the pillbox, d) the compartments of the pillbox are
closed and the pills stored until needed, e) the patient opens a
compartment and dispenses the pills into their hand or onto a table
counter, and f) the patient picks up the pills and ingests them.
Virtually all of the above steps require direct handling of the
pills or contact with unclean surfaces, thus leaving ample
opportunity to taint the pills with germs.
[0004] Ideally, the pills should remain germ-free upon ingestion.
Accordingly, what is needed is a pill dispensing system that that
eliminates the direct handling of pills.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The primary object of the invention is to provide a pill
dispensing system that eliminates the direct handling of pills. A
second object of the invention is to provide a pill dispensing
system that provides support for users lacking steady hand control.
A third object of the invention is to provide a pill dispensing
system that reduces the likelihood of mistakes by users.
[0006] In a preferred embodiment of the pill dispensing system, a
box is designed such that it allows pills to be easily poured out
upon tilting a side of the box. The box may contain any number of
compartments, each compartment formed by four side walls, a floor,
and a lid capable of covering an opening atop the compartment. The
intersection of a first side wall and the floor is rounded to
facilitate the tilting of the box. The intersection of the lid and
the first side wall is secured by clip, magnet, or similar
fastening apparatus. The intersection of the opposite side wall and
the lid is hinged to permit easy opening and closing of the lid.
Inside the compartment, there is an additional wall angled such
that pills easily pour out upon tilting the box.
[0007] The number of compartments and the arrangement of those
compartments may depend on the needs of the user. For example, for
a patient with a medication regimen that requires him to take a
pill twice daily, an appropriate box could have two rows of seven
compartments, which the patient would refill once a week. One
skilled in the art will recognize that the number of compartments
and the arrangement of those compartments can be easily manipulated
by connecting interchangeable compartments together in a manner
suitable to the patient's needs. The individual compartments can be
labeled with relevant information or marked for identification. For
example, the lids of the compartments can be labeled with the time
the medication should be taken, the type of medication in the
compartment, or, if there is more than one patient, the name of the
patient to take the medication.
[0008] A second instrument in the pill dispensing system is a
loader designed with loading channels sized and positioned to
correspond with the width and position of the box compartment
openings. The loader has a sorting section connected to the loading
channels at one side of the sorting section and connected to
overflow channels at two other sides of the sorting section. The
overflow channels allow the user to return surplus pills to the
original pill container. Channel walls line each loading and
overflow channel. Each loading and overflow channel has a floor
with a midline equidistant from the channel walls. The floor
descends from each channel wall toward the midline of the floor.
This channel floor design guides the pills toward the middle of the
channel. Slightly recessed grooves or concave halfpipes are
examples of such designs. In addition, the loading and overflow
channels have a V-shaped notch at the end distal to the sorting
section. The grooved or concave floor, the V-shaped notch, and the
channel walls of the loading channels guide the pills toward the
corresponding openings of the compartments as the patient transfers
the pills from the loader to the box.
[0009] The loader has rounded legs upon which the loader can be
easily tilted to a position where the pills slide off the loader.
The loading channels should be set at a height above the first side
wall of the box so that when the loader is tilted, it allows the
pills to be transferred from the loader channels to the box
compartments without the patient having to lift the entire loader.
The sorting section, the channels can be marked with relevant
information, such as the amount and types of pills to be sorted
into the loading channels.
[0010] A third instrument of the pill dispensing system is an
ergonomically-shaped handheld sorter. The sorter is sized to fit
snugly within the channels and allows the patient to sort the pills
without directly handling the pills. One skilled in the art will
recognize that any device can be used as a sorter so long as the
person handling the pills is not in direct contact with the pills.
For example, many kitchen utensils can be used as a sorter.
[0011] A fourth instrument of the pill dispensing system is a
feeder, which, in the preferred embodiment, is a funneled pan. The
pan has two raised protrusions that act as a funnel. One skilled in
the art will recognize that other devices (e.g., certain kitchen
utensils, funnels, etc.) can accomplish the same task. When the
patient is ready to ingest the pills, he can open the lid of the
appropriate box compartment and tilt the box to pour the pills onto
the feeder. The patient can then pour the pills directly into his
mouth or, alternatively, pour the pills into his hand.
[0012] As described above, the pill dispensing system allows a
patient to sort, store, and dispense pills without ever directly
handling the pills. For patients with unsteady or frail hands, the
system also assists with pill dispensing by the following: 1)
guiding the patient's sorting hand via the use of the sorter, which
is designed to fit the channels; 2) eliminating the need to lift
the entire box when transferring pills; 3) eliminating the need to
lift the entire loader when transferring pills; and 4) guiding the
pills directly to the patient's mouth via the feeder. This greatly
reduces the occurrence of accidental spillage of pills onto unclean
surfaces. The features of the pill dispensing system also forces
the user to continuously see and count the number of pills
throughout the pill dispensing process, thereby reducing the
likelihood of mistakes by the user. The system, when correctly used
by the patient, provides accurate and relatively germ-free dosages
of medication.
[0013] The above and other novel features of the invention will be
more fully understood from the following detailed description and
the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a loader in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the loader
consisting of a sorting section, overflow channels on opposite
sides of the sorting section, loading channels, and rounded
legs.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a loader and a sorter in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
showing a patient sorting pills into loading channels and sorting
excess pills through an overflow channel and back into the original
pill container.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a loader and a box in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
showing how pills can be transferred from the loader to the box by
simply tilting the loader.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a box in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the box consisting
of any number of compartments, each compartment formed by four side
walls, a floor, and a lid.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a box and a feeder in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
showing a patient dispensing pills from a compartment of the box to
the feeder.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a feeder in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a patient
transferring pills from the feeder to the patient's hand.
[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a loader in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
the loader consisting of a sorting section, overflow channels on
two sides of the sorting section, loading channels on another side
of the sorting section, and rounded legs.
[0021] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a sorter in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a sorter in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
[0023] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a box in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the box consisting
of any number of compartments, each compartment formed by four side
walls, a floor, and a lid; an additional wall located inside each
compartment is angled such that pills easily pour out upon tilting
the box.
[0024] FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a box and a
feeder in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, showing pills being transferred from the box to the
feeder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] The invention is for a pill dispensing system that reduces
the handling of pills. Preferred embodiments of the present
invention will now be described in detail with reference to the
appended drawings, in which like elements are denoted with the same
reference numerals.
[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a loader in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, a loader
10 consists of a sorting section 110, overflow channels 120
connected to two sides of the sorting section 110, loading channels
130 connected to another side of the sorting section 110, and
rounded legs 140. Each loading channel 130 consists of a grooved or
concave floor 131 that guides pills toward the middle of the
loading channel 130. The end of the floor distal to the sorting
section 110 has a V-shaped notch 132. Loading channel walls 133
line each loading channel 130.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a loader and a sorter in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As
shown, a patient sorts pills in the sorting section 110, also know
as the sorting platform, of a loader 10 using a sorter 20. The
sorting platform 110 is substantially planar in the preferred
embodiment. The pills are sorted into loading channels 130 and
excess pills are sorted through a overflow channel 120 and back
into the original pill container.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a loader and a box in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As
shown, pills can be transferred from a loader 10 to a box 30 by
simply tilting the loader about rounded legs 140. The rounded legs
140 are designed such that it can be position the loading channels
130 slightly above the box 30. The rounded legs 140 are also
positioned such that they guide the loader 10 to line up with the
box 30. The pills are unloaded from the loading channels 130 and
into the box compartments 310 when the loader 10 is tilted about
the rounded legs 140.
[0029] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a box in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, a box 30
consists of several compartments 310. Each compartment 310 is
formed by four side walls 330, a floor (not shown), and a lid
350.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a box and a feeder in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As
shown, a patient can dispense pills from an individual compartment
310 of a box 30 to a feeder 40.
[0031] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a feeder in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, a
patient can transfer pills from a feeder 40 to the patient's hand
or directly to the patient's mouth. The feeder 40 has raised
protrusions 410 that guide the pills.
[0032] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a loader in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As
shown, a loader 10 has rounded legs 140 that facilitate tilting of
the loader 10 to permit pills in the loading channels 130 to be
dispensed into the multiple pill compartments in accordance with
the desired dosages of medications. But clearly it is not a
requirement of the invention that the legs be rounded for the
invention to work for its intended purpose.
[0033] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pill sorter in accordance
with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, a
sorter 20 is ergonomically-shaped to provide greater ease of
use.
[0034] FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a sorter in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As
shown, a sorter 20 is ergonomically-shaped to provide greater ease
of use.
[0035] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a box in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, a box 30
consists of compartments 310, each compartment formed by four side
walls 320, a floor 340, a lid 350, and an additional wall 360
inside the compartment 310 angled such that pills easily pour out
upon tilting the box 30. The lid 350 is joined to the side walls
320 by a hinge 351 at one side and by a fastening apparatus 352 at
the other side.
[0036] FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a box and a
feeder in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention. As shown, pills can be transferred from a box 30 to a
feeder 40 by simply tilting the box 30 about a rounded portion 341
of a bottom wall 340.
[0037] The invention has been described with reference to several
different preferred and alternative embodiments and it is
understood that any modifications thereto or alternate combinations
thereof which would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in
the art are intended to be encompassed. Therefore, the
aforementioned descriptions are in no way intended to limit the
breadth or scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.
* * * * *