U.S. patent number 3,744,672 [Application Number 05/290,893] was granted by the patent office on 1973-07-10 for pill dispenser.
Invention is credited to Elsie R. M. Dangles, Thomas C. Dangles.
United States Patent |
3,744,672 |
Dangles , et al. |
July 10, 1973 |
PILL DISPENSER
Abstract
A container for easily loading, storing and discharging pills
and including upper inner and lower outer annular storage tiers
each divided into twelve radially extending arcuately spaced
pie-shaped compartments and numbered on a lower base plate
consecutively from midnight to noon for the upper tier and noon to
midnight for the lower tier. Each tier is covered by a rotatable
dial having a first horizontal opening for loading pills in each
tier compartment and a second vertical opening adjacent and
clockwise spaced from the first opening for selectively discharging
pills from each compartment at a prescribed hour.
Inventors: |
Dangles; Thomas C. (Oak Lawn,
IL), Dangles; Elsie R. M. (Oak Lawn, IL) |
Family
ID: |
23117949 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/290,893 |
Filed: |
September 21, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/82; 206/534;
312/209; 206/533; 221/155; 312/234.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
83/0454 (20130101); B65D 2583/0409 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
83/04 (20060101); B65d 083/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/42
;221/2,79,81,82,112,113,119,155,103 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Kocovsky; Thomas E.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A pill dispenser comprising:
a base unit having a stepped shaped contour forming a plurality of
tiers and said base unit also having a central portion,
a plurality of fin-like wall members extending radially from said
central portion and forming pill storage compartments on each
tier,
dial cover means fitted for rotatable movement over each tier and
the associated storage compartments to thereby prevent
unintentional discharge of the contents of each storage
compartment, and
each dial cover means including a top pill loading opening and also
including a side discharge opening to thereby provide means for
loading pills into the compartments upon selected indexing of said
rotatable dial cover means, and also to thereby provide means for
selectively discharging pills from said compartments.
2. The invention according to claim 1, and
each pill storage compartment having an inclined floor portion for
urging pills from said pill storage compartments.
3. The invention according to claim 1, and
said dial cover means having a locking offset extending around the
periphery thereof,
said base unit having locking bead means for receiving the dial
cover means and thereby rotatably fastening the dial cover means to
said base unit.
4. The invention according to claim 1, and
said central portion of the base unit being hollow and forming a
receptacle for receiving and storing a pill bottle.
5. The invention according to claim 1, and
said pill dispenser comprising a two tier base unit having an upper
tier and a lower tier and each tier having 12 numbered compartments
corresponding to the hours of the day.
6. The invention according to claim 1, and
said base unit having a hollow central portion being of clear
plastic material,
each dial cover means being of clear plastic material thereby
permitting observation of the interior of each compartment
including the bottom thereof,
a base unit bottom member having base unit engaging bores for
supporting said base unit and having the hours of the day contained
on the upper surface thereof for observation through the clear
plastic base unit and the dial cover means.
7. The invention according to claim 1, and
said plurality of tiers including a first upper tier and a second
lower tier being vertically and radially spaced from the upper
tier.
8. The invention according to claim 7, and
said upper tier containing 12 numbered compartments and said lower
tier also including 12 numbered compartments.
9. The invention according to claim 1, and
said base unit being a hollow clear plastic member with an upper
tier and a lower tier and having an annular bead with a convex
portion extending outwardly of the base unit around the periphery
thereof, and said annular bead also having a concave portion facing
the central portion of said base unit, and
a disc member having engaging portions insertable into the concave
portion of the annular bead to thereby rigidify the base unit and
stabilize the dimensional characteristics of the base unit and the
associated annular bead,
said disc member including indicia of the hours of the day
contained thereon.
10. The invention according to claim 9, and
said pill dispenser having clear plastic dial cover means thereby
permitting observertion of the contents of each compartment, said
base unit being a clear plastic thereby permitting observation of
the indicia of the hours of the day contained on said disc member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Prior art pill dispensers are for pills to be taken daily. However,
it is desirable to provide for a pill dispenser which allows the
user to easily load and later discharge a required pill at certain
specified times during the day or night and where the user can
readily see the pill and the time he is to take the pill.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The nature of the present invention relates to a compact pill
dispenser having a centrally disposed opening for storage of a pill
bottle and also having 12 upper inner and 12 lower outer radially
extending arcuately spaced pie-shaped compartments to provide for
easy loading, storage and dispensing of medicines, such as at a
nurses' station in a hospital or nursing home. The 12 compartments
of both the upper tier and the lower tier are each enclosed by a
rotatable dial cover having a horizontal top opening and a vertical
side opening to provide for loading and discharging of pills. Each
compartment is large enough to store a plurality of pills.
Operating of the dispenser requires loading of pills through the
top opening of the appropriate dial cover and into the storage
compartment corresponding with the hour when the pills are to be
taken. After a complete revolution of the dial cover for pill
loading, further rotation of the dial will begin discharge of the
previously loaded pills through the side opening of the respective
dial.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact pill
dispenser having a plurality of compartments corresponding to the
hours of the day and each numbered for an hour of the day and
having a rotatable dial cover, with a loading opening and a pill
discharging opening, for the compartments to provide for selective
loading and discharging of pills from each compartment at the
required hour.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a
simple, reliable pill dispenser having a minimum number of parts
and being easily assembled and reliable to operate.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pill dispenser of a
clear plastic or transparent material having a base unit with the
hours of the day imprinted thereon to thereby make both the hour
and any stored pills viewable through the rotatable dial
covers.
These and other objects of the present invention will become
apparent from reference to the following description, attached
drawing, and appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the pill dispenser of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 with portions
removed;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the pill dispenser;
and
FIG. 4 is an elevation view, partially in section, of the pill
dispenser.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, it is
noticed that the pill dispenser 10 includes an upper inner annular
tier 12 and a lower outer annular tier 14 each containing a
plurality of radially extending arcuately spaced pie-shaped pill
dispensing compartments 15. A centrally disposed cylindrical
opening 16 extends into the center portion of the dispenser 10 and
is utilized for storage of a pill bottle such as 18.
The dispenser 10, made of transparent material such as plastic, is
a four piece or unit structure comprising a stepped cone shaped
base unit 20 having an upper inwardly spaced inclined annular floor
portion 22 and an outwardly spaced lower downward inclined annular
floor portion 24. A generally vertically extending connecting wall
26 extends from the lower floor portion 24 to the upper floor
portion 22. At the junction of the upper floor 22 and the wall 26
there is an annular concave juncture section or bight or seat 28
which rigidifies the base unit and provides a snap fastening
surface. The lower extremity of the lower floor portion 24 also
includes an annular concave juncture section or bight or seat 30
which likewise strengthens the base unit 20 and provides a snap
fastening ridge.
Extending radially from the centrally disposed opening 16 are a
series of upper and lower fin-like wall portions of dividers 32, 34
which form the side walls of the pill carrying compartments 15. The
upper wall portions 32 are connected with the inclined floor
portion 22 and the top portion or back wall portion 23 of the
cylinder opening 16. Likewise, the lower wall portions 34 are
connected to both the lower floor portion 24 and the connecting
wall 26. To further stabilize the thin walls 32, 34, a stabilizing
ring 35, 35a may be attached to the free edge of each respective
wall 32, 34 (see FIG. 4). These rings 35, 35a may be of a plastic
or metallic material which is held in position by a suitable
adhesive or ultrasonically bonded into position. If metallic
stabilizing rings are utilized they may be positioned in the mold
of the base unit 20 prior to die casting, thus allowing the hot,
fluid plastic to encircle the stabilizing rings 35, 35a and insure
that the walls 32, 34 maintain dimensional stability during
ejection from the mold and subsequent cooling.
The lower portion of base unit 20 is enclosed and rigidified by the
disc shaped member 36 which snaps into the concave back portion of
the annular bead 30. The disc 36 also provides dimensional
stability to the annular bead 30 by urging the bead 30 outward and
into a circular configuration. The hours of the day are contained
on the doughnut shaped disc 36 and are clearly viewed through the
clear plastic separate dial covers 38, 40 and through the clear
plastic base unit 20.
The upper tier 12 is covered by the associated dial 38 as is the
lower tier 14 which is covered by the dial 40. The upper dial 38
has a rounded locking offset 42 which deflects to snap over the
adjacent annular bead 28 to thereby securely hold the dial cover in
place yet permit ease of rotation of the dial 38 about the upper
tier 12. Likewise, the lower tier 14 is covered by a clear plastic
dial 40 which also has a rounded offset 44 extending around the
lower periphery of the lower dial 40. The lower dial 40 is snapped
onto the lower part of the base unit 20 and locked in position when
the locking offset 44 is in place over the annular bead 30. Like
the upper dial 38, the lower dial 40 is fitted onto the lower tier
14 of the base unit 20 to permit ease of rotation of the lower dial
40.
The upper dial cover 38 includes a top opening 48 which is shaped
to conform to the outline of the compartments 15 and expose the
entire compartment for easy loading of pills and capsules. A side
discharge opening 46 is located in the vertical wall of the upper
dial 38 and spaced from the top or loading opening 48 to provide
for loading and discharging of adjacent compartments 15. Similarly
the lower dial 40 includes a side discharge opening 50 and a top
loading opening 52 positioned to permit discharging and loading of
adjacent compartments 15 in the lower tier 14.
THE OPERATION
As noticed in FIG. 2, the upper tier 12 and the lower tier 14 have
compartments numbered from 1 A.M. to noon and from 1 P.M. to
midnight respectively. Because the numbering proceeds in a
clockwise direction, the dial covers 38, 40 are rotated a single
revolution clockwise for pill loading the compartments 15 of both
the upper tier 12 and the lower tier 14 and are rotated a single
revolution clockwise for pill unloading a full 12 hour period for
each dial 12 or 14. The discharge or unloading hole 46 or 50 is
adjacent to but preceding the respective loading hole 48 or 52,
i.e., a particular discharge hole 46 or 50 is spaced one
compartment clockwise from its respective loading hole 48 or
52.
For example, when pills 60 are to be administered in a hospital or
nursing home every three hours beginning at 6:00 A.M., the staff
would load pills into the 6:00 A.M., 9:00 A.M. and noon
compartments in the upper tier 12 and then proceed to load the 3:00
P.M., 6:00 P.M., 9:00 P.M. and midnight compartments of the lower
tier 14. The loading would be completed with inserting the
remaining pill into the 3:00 A.M. compartment of the upper tier 12.
Thus a full 24 hour period may be stored in the dispenser of the
present invention. The sloped floors 22, 24 of each compartment
urge the pills 60 out when the discharge openings 46, 50 are
rotated into alignment with a compartment 15 at the desired or
required time, the first time in the above example being 6:00 A.M.
FIG. 2 shows pill 60 entrapped in a compartment and FIG. 3 shows
the pill 60 release through upper discharge opening 46 by clockwise
rotation of upper cover dial 38. It thus can be seen that one
revolution of each of the upper and lower dial covers is necessary
for pill loading in a 24-hour period and one complete rotation of
each of the dial covers is necessary for pill discharging in a
24-hour period.
Thus it is noticed that the pill dispenser of the present invention
provides a compact, easily operated container for reliably
indicating the time at which certain pills are to be taken and by
the location of the loading opening adjacent the discharge opening
in each dial loading and unloading is facilitated. It is easy to
keep track of which pills have been taken, since the contents of
each compartment may be easily viewed through the transparent
rotatable dial covers 38, 40. The dispenser is compact and may be
conveniently stored at a nursing station in a hospital or at
bedside. The dispenser can easily be manufactured by making four
separate pieces, i.e., the base unit or stand 20, the upper dial
cover 38, the lower cover 40 and the base plate or disc 36, and
these four pieces are then easily assembled together.
The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and
illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto,
except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those
skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able
to make modifications and variations therein without departing from
the scope of the invention.
* * * * *