U.S. patent number 3,788,517 [Application Number 05/214,712] was granted by the patent office on 1974-01-29 for child-safe pill dispenser.
Invention is credited to Joseph M. Eannarino, Michael S. Granieri, Jr., Henry W. Michaelson.
United States Patent |
3,788,517 |
Eannarino , et al. |
January 29, 1974 |
CHILD-SAFE PILL DISPENSER
Abstract
A rectangular pill dispenser container having two compartments
where one compartment contains pills and has a opening into a
second compartment where a sliding bar with a cavity can accept one
pill at a time and where pressing the bar releases the bar so it
can be pushed with the pill in the cavity so that the pill is
aligned with an opening on the bottom of the bar compartment so
that the pill can be paid out. A pill dispenser of the type
described including a resilient bar and a detent that prevents the
bar from being moved, unless pressed, and the feature that allows
paying out of one pill at a time making the dispenser child-safe
are also enclosed.
Inventors: |
Eannarino; Joseph M. (Rome,
NY), Granieri, Jr.; Michael S. (Rome, NY), Michaelson;
Henry W. (Westbury, NY) |
Family
ID: |
22800142 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/214,712 |
Filed: |
January 3, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/154; 206/807;
206/528; 221/264 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
83/0409 (20130101); B65D 2583/0481 (20130101); Y10S
206/807 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
83/04 (20060101); B65d 083/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;221/263-266,97,152,154,268,272 ;206/42 ;222/359,361,153,559 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Bartuska; Francis J.
Claims
What is claimed as new is as follows:
1. A medicant dispenser comprising:
a rectangular container, with the interior partitioned into the
first and second sections, the first section accomodating the
supply of medicant and having an opening into the second section,
said second section having an opening that allows medicant to be
dispensed from the container;
a top cover sealed to the container which has a dumbbell shaped
opening formed by two large end openings and a narrow connecting
slot;
a pay-out bar slidable in said second section from a closed
position to a pay-out position and having a cavity which receives
medicant from said first section through said opening in said first
section when said bar is in the closed position and upon movement
of said bar to the pay-out position the medicant is dispensed from
the cavity through said opening in the second section, a shield
portion of said bar which closes off the opening in the second
section when said bar is in the closed position, a resilient end
section of said bar having a two diameter pin on which is attached
a button for moving the pin between the locked and unlocked
position, in the locked position the larger diameter of the pin is
biased by the resilient end section into one of the large ends of
the dumbbell shaped opening, said larger diameter of the pin being
greater than the width of said connecting slot, whereupon to unlock
the bar the button is depressed to lower the larger diameter of
said pin below the top cover so that the smaller diameter of said
pin can enter the connecting slot to allow the bar to slide from
the closed position to the pay-out position to dispense medicant or
vice versa to reload the cavity and upon release of the button the
bar can be locked in either the closed or pay-out position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to dispensing containers and more
particularly to child-safe pill dispensing containers where the
dispensing bar requires a press motion to release, an alignment to
drop the pill in the bar cavity and a sliding motion of the bar to
dispense the pill.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices are known in the prior state-of-the-art with a similar
objective in mind, however they are overly complicated and
expensive to produce. Such devices are described in U.S. Pat. No.
3,245,589 issued to Temlick on Apr. 12, 1966; No. 3,355,067 issued
to Espinal on Nov. 28, 1967; No. 3,151,599 issued to Livingston on
Oct. 6, 1964; No. 3,261,455 issued to Gayle et al. on July 19,
1966. The present invention is an improvement in dispensers of this
general type and specific objects of the invention include the
specific combination of structural parts to provide for dispensing
one or more pills or capsules of various sizes.
SUMMARY
This invention relates to a pill dispenser which has a rectangular
container having two compartments where one sealed compartment
contains pills and has an opening into a second sealed compartment
that contains a slide bar. This slide bar has a cavity in alignment
initially with the pill container allows a pill to move through the
compartment opening and into the cavity of the bar. A button which
is attached to the bar is the external mechanism that must be
pressed or pulled in order to clear a detent or post at which point
the bar can be moved with the pill in its cavity. After a short bar
travel the bottom of the bar cavity lines up with the bottom hole
of the container so that the pill may be dispensed external of the
container.
Accordingly, the following are purposes and objects of the
invention:
The provision of a simple extremely low-cost dispenser for pills or
capsules that can be produced easily in large quantities, if
desired.
The provision of a sealed dispenser for pills or capsules of such
construction that makes it difficult for a young child to gain
access to the contents;
The provision of a dispenser for pills and capsules of such
construction that pills or capsules can only be paid out one at a
time;
The provision of a dispenser of such construction that pills or
capsules can be paid out only if a bar is pressed or lifted and
moved by sliding to a bottom opening for pill dispensing external
of the container. This action making it difficult for a child to
operate and yet easily operable by an adult.
The provision of a dispenser of such construction that
informational material, such as instructions, may be packed in the
pay load bar as to be readily accessible to the user upon initial
use.
The provision of a dispenser of such construction that pills or
capsules can be removed one at a time by means of a bar cavity
slide and yet protect the contents from exposure or contamination;
and
The specific combinations, mechanical constructions, elements and
various features of the embodiments is disclosed hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pill box dispenser
assembly.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pill box holder of the
dispenser.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pay load bar.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the top cover of the dispenser.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring generally to FIG. 1 it will be seen that this complete
pill dispenser assembly consists of three basic parts which are
shown individually in FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG. 2 shows the rectangular
pill box holder 1, FIG. 3 shows the pay load bar 8, and FIG. 4
shows the pill box cover 17. The pill box holder 1 consists of the
pill compartment 3 which is separated from pay load bar compartment
4 by two wall separators 2 with a space 7 sufficient to allow the
passage of the diameter of pill 20. Payload bar compartment 4
accomodates payload bar 8 and has a hole 5 of sufficient size to
allow exit of one pill 20 and a slit opening 6 to allow the pay out
of instructional literature 15. Payload bar 8 is placed in payload
compartment 4 such that literature cavity 14 is in line relation
with slit opening 6 and large diameter pin 11 and small diameter
pin 12 face the top opening of pill box holder 2. Pills 20 are
packed into pill compartment 3. Cover 17 is mounted onto pill box
holder 1 such that the large dumbbell opening 19 is in line with
large diameter pin 11. A button 13 is attached to small diameter
pin 12 and heat seal is affected by ultra-sonic means or the like
of the top cover 17 to all contacting top edges of pill box holder
1 and of button 13 to small diameter pin 12.
Referring to FIG. 1, the operation of the pill box dispenser is as
follows:
The pill box dispenser is tilted by the person so that one pill 20
slides into cavity 9 and the person then unlocks the safety feature
by pressing button 13 so that large diameter pin 11 is below the
top cover 17 surface such that small diameter pin 11 can travel
down narrow dumbbell opening 18 when payload bar pushed from one
large dumbbell opening 19 to other large dumbbell opening 19. When
this travel is complete, the pill 20 in the cavity will exit
through the bottom hole 5. Upon release of the button 13 the large
diameter pin 11 will spring back into the large dumbbell opening 19
thus relocking the payload bar 8. The instructional literature 15
is normally machine packed into cavity 14 of the payload bar 8 and
can easily be removed by the user. The spring portion 10 of the
payload bar 8 is preferably made of resilient plastic so that
sufficient downward force can be exerted without fracturing the
plastic and yet will allow a fast return to original integrity when
the force is released. The base portion 16 of payload bar 8
normally covers hole 5 when cavity 9 of payload bar 8 is lined up
with opening 7. This closes off the opening 7 so as to prevent
contaminating elements from entering the dispenser.
Although the above describes the preferred embodiment other
alternate embodiments are possible. For example, the position of
large diameter pin 11 and small diameter pin 12 can be interchanged
so that button 13 must be lifted in order to unlock the payload bar
8 by clearing larger diameter pin 11 from large dumbbell hole 19.
In another embodiment the large diameter holes 19 and large
diameter pin 11 may be eliminated where it is not required to
maintain the childproof feature. In still another embodiment, the
size of the pill cavity 9 is increased to accommodate two pills 20
and hole 5 is enlarged so the two pills 20 can exit.
It will be apparent from the foregoing description that an
extremely simple childproof pill dispenser can be made to accept
and dispense pills and capsules of various sizes and shapes. It
will be apparent to those skilled in the art of the broad
applicability and the broad usage of this invention. While the
invention has been described and disclosed with reference to a
specific embodiment to permit those skilled in the art easily to
practice the invention, it is not intended in the limiting sense.
Therefore, it is expected that insofar as other changes and
variations can be made and incorporate the true spirit of this
invention, they are intended to be included within the scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *