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.

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.

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.