Patent ID: 8062248
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
1. A pill dispenser for dispensing a pill into the mouth of an animal, comprising: a dispenser housing having a front wall, a rear wall, and a continuous side wall extending between said front and rear walls, said front and rear walls defining front and rear openings, respectively, and said dispenser housing defining a generally hollow configuration; a pill holding member removably coupled to said housing front wall, said pill holding member defining a frontward bore configured to receive a pill and being in operative communication with said dispenser housing front opening; wherein said pill holding member includes an outer surface having at least one of a ribbed or textured surface configured to retain a food substance to induce an animal to receive said pill holding member into its mouth; an elongate plunger shaft having a distal end adjacent said pill holding member and a proximal end opposite said distal end, said proximal and distal ends being positioned along an imaginary longitudinal axis extending through said dispenser housing and said pill holding member, said plunger shaft being movable between a retracted configuration in which said proximal end extends outwardly from said dispenser housing rear wall and an actuated configuration in which said proximal end is substantially adjacent said dispenser housing rear wall; wherein said pill holding member is completely emptied when said plunger shaft is at said actuated configuration; wherein said plunger shaft defines a plurality of notches spaced apart along said imaginary longitudinal axis; a spring positioned in said dispenser housing and operatively connected to said plunger shaft for selectively moving said plunger shaft between said retracted and actuated configurations such that the pill is ejected from said holding member frontward bore; wherein: an actuator mounted in said dispenser housing, comprising: