Abstract:
A pill dispenser having a tray body with multiple side by side compartments and a lid hinged to the body. The lid in a closed position is secured to the body by a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism includes a tongue having multiple shoulders. A first of the shoulders engages a bar attached to the lid so as to hold the lid in a closed position. The lid can be released and opened only by physical flexing of the tongue each time the bar engages the pair of shoulders, making the device child resistant. The tongue is also pivotal and can be moved to a non-locking configuration for use by the infirm where children are not present. The dispenser lid spans over and prevents access to multiple pill receiving compartments when in the closed configuration thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present application is directed to a pill dispenser and, in particular, to such a dispenser having multiple pill receiving chambers that are covered by a single lid when not in use and which are protected by a child resistant latch. 
     Many persons are required for medical reasons to take one or more prescription or over the counter medication pills at multiple times during a day and/or for multiple days during a week. It is difficult for persons to remember when such pills should be taken and persons with failing memory are even more taxed to remember what should be taken and when, as compared to the population in general. 
     Consequently, pill dispensers having trays or the like with multiple cavities or chambers have been developed for use by takers of multiple pills. The cavities can be filled and labeled by date or time so the person using the device can readily determine when something should be taken and what has already been taken. 
     Almost any medicine is a potential hazard to a child for whom the medicine is not intended. Children, especially very young children, will put almost anything in their mouths, including pills. Children often try to open containers and can be poisoned, overdosed or otherwise harmed by taking pills that are not intended for them. 
     Therefore, it is important to protect pill dispensers from access by children. Various child resistant devices have been provided in the past to secure screw-on lids to bottles of pills, as well as various types of child resistant closures for other types of pill holding devices. It is found that it is desirable to improve on the type of child resistant latches previously available and/or to offer alternative devices. 
     While child resistant devices can be effective in preventing access by children, they can sometimes be over effective and prevent access to the person for whom the pills are intended. In particular, many persons that require pills are infirm or lack coordination for one reason or another, such that they are unable to open a pill dispenser with complicated or hard to operate child resistant closures. For example, persons with arthritis may have trouble opening some closures. 
     In some instances such as where the person taking the pills lives alone or at least without any children, it may be desirable to have a pill dispenser that can easily be converted from being child resistant to being easy to open so that the infirm or the like can have access. Consequently, there is need for a pill dispenser having multiple pill holding chambers that are covered by a lid that can alternatively be locked in a closed position that is highly child resistant or easy to open for the infirm and relatively easy to convert between such configurations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A pill dispenser is provided that includes a tray with a plurality of compartments, including chambers, cavities or the like, that are sized and shaped to receive pills. Preferably, the compartments are arranged in side by side relationship and may be arranged in a single column or arranged in a matrix of rows and columns. Preferably, each of the compartments includes an independent hinged lid that can be moved to open or close each compartment independently. The compartment lids preferably are also labeled to indicate a day or hour at which time the contents should be taken. 
     The dispenser also includes a lid that is connected to the tray at one side by a hinge and is selectively joined to the tray on an opposite side by a latch mechanism. The dispenser lid is preferably sized and shaped to cover at least part of the compartment lids when the closure lid is in a closed configuration thereof in such a way as to secured the compartment lids closed, when the dispenser lid is in the closed configuration. It is foreseen that the dispenser lid may be subdivided into multiple units each of which have a hinge and latch mechanism and which secure different groups of compartment lids. 
     The dispenser lid hinge is designed such that the dispenser lid cannot be disengaged at the hinge from the tray, when the dispenser lid is closed. Preferably, the hinge allows easy attachment or removal of the dispenser lid relative to the tray when the dispenser lid is in an open configuration thereof. 
     The latch mechanism includes first and second parts or portions which are respectively fixedly attached to the tray and dispenser lid respectively. It is foreseen that the latch mechanism portions can be interchanged. 
     The first latch portion includes an elongate tongue that is hingedly attached at a lower end to a first of the tray or dispenser lid. The tongue includes a first shoulder in spaced relation from where the tongue is hinged. Further, the tongue includes a second shoulder spaced yet further from the tongue hinge as compared to the first shoulder. The tongue has a first locking configuration and a second non-locking configuration. 
     Attached to the second of the tray and the dispenser lid is a second part or portion that includes a latching bar. The bar is sized, shaped and positioned to be engaged and captured by the tongue first shoulder and thereby secure the dispenser lid in a closed configuration when the latch is in the locking configuration thereof and the dispensing lid is in a closed configuration thereof. 
     An upper end of the tongue spaced from the tongue hinge is engagable by a finger of a user to allow a user to push against and depress or modify the shape of the tongue so the first shoulder disengages from the bar. This releases the bar and allows the dispenser lid to partially open; however, before the dispenser lid can be opened completely, the bar engages the tongue second shoulder. In order to fully open the dispenser lid the tongue must again be depressed to disengage the bar from the second shoulder so the dispenser lid can be completely opened. Therefore, the tongue must be independently depressed or otherwise modified twice in order to allow the dispenser lid to be fully opened, thereby making the dispenser lid child resistant, when the latch tongue is in the locking configuration. The dispenser lid and tray also include gripping regions or ears to allow an adult to grip and open the device. 
     OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the objects of the present invention are: to provide a pill dispenser having a plurality of compartments that are covered at least in part by a common closure lid that is secured in a closed configuration by a latch mechanism that is interchangeable between a child resistant configuration and an easy open configuration for use by the infirm; to provide such a dispenser having such a latch that has a tongue that is hinged and can be moved between a locking position and a non-locking position; to provide such a dispenser having such a latch mechanism wherein the tongue has a pair of spaced shoulders that are sized and shaped to sequentially engage and hold a bar when the tongue is in the locking position thereof such that the tongue must be depressed or otherwise manipulated at least twice in order to fully open the dispenser lid and gain access to pills in the dispenser; and to provide such a dispenser that is easy to use, comparatively inexpensive to produce and especially suited for the intended usage thereof. 
     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. 
     The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pill dispenser in accordance with the present invention having a convertible latch in a locking position with the lid in a closed and child resistant configuration. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the pill dispenser with the lid in an open configuration. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged and fragmentary side elevational view of the dispenser with the lid in the open configuration and with portions broken away to show detail thereof. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged and fragmentary cross sectional view of the dispenser, taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 1, with the lid in a closed configuration and the latch in the child resistant configuration thereof. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged and fragmentary cross sectional view of the dispenser, similar to FIG. 4, except the lid is in a first stage of opening. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged and fragmentary cross sectional view of the dispenser, similar to FIG. 4, except that the lid is in a second stage of being opened and is now in the open configuration thereof. 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged and fragmentary cross sectional view of the dispenser similar to FIG. 4, except that the latch is in an easy open configuration thereof. 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged and fragmentary perspective view of the dispenser with the lid in the closed configuration thereof and with the latch in the easy open configuration thereof. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
     with respect to the drawings, the reference numeral  1  generally represents a pill dispenser in accordance with the present invention. The pill dispenser  1  includes a body or tray  5  having a plurality of pill receiving cavities or compartments  6  and a dispenser closure lid  7  having a hinge  8  and a latch mechanism  9 . 
     The illustrated tray  5  is elongate and has seven pill receiving cavities  6  in side by side relationship to each other. The tray  5  has a bottom  10 , a pair of parallel side walls  11  and  12  and a pair of end walls  13  and  14 . A strengthening and lid supporting ring  18  encircles the tray  5  about halfway between top and bottom thereof except in the region of the latch mechanism  9  and hinge  8 . 
     Each of the pill receiving cavities  6  has a floor  20  and an encircling side wall  21 . Each of the compartments  6  also has an independent closure lid  23  with date and/or time indicia  24  that is hinged to part of the tray wall  11 . Each closure lid  23 , when in a closed configuration, forms a completely enclosed chamber in conjunction with a respective cavity  6 . However, it is foreseen that in certain circumstances, the dispenser closure lid  7  may alternatively be used to close the top of the compartments  6 , rather than having the independent closure lids  23  for that purpose. 
     The illustrated dispenser lid  7  is elongate and is sized and shaped to cover the top of the tray  5 . However, it is foreseen, where individual closure lids  23  are used, that the dispenser lid  7  need not cover the entire tray  5  or alternatively may be divided into two or more closure lid sections that may have separate hinges and latch mechanisms. Also it is foreseen that a dispenser lid may have multiple hinges and/or multiple latch mechanisms. 
     The dispenser lid  7  has a top panel  30  with a surrounding peripheral skirt  31  having a bottom edge  32  that engages and rest on the ring  18  when the dispenser lid  7  is closed. The lid top panel  30  is preferably sized, shaped and designed to engage and bias against the closure lids  23  so as to maintain the latter in a closed position, when the dispenser lid is in the closed configuration thereof. 
     The illustrated hinge  8  has a first section  40  attached to the tray  5  and a second section  41  attached to the dispenser lid  7 . The first section  40  includes a circular bar  42  secured at opposite ends to a pair of struts  44  and  45 , so as to form an opening  46  therebetween. The second section  41  comprises a semi-circular or half sleeve  48  secured at one end thereof to the dispenser lid  7 . An internal surface  50  of the sleeve  48  is sized and shaped to be slidably received on the bar  40  when the sleeve  48  is passed through the opening  46 . The sleeve  48  is so positioned such that when the dispenser lid  7  is fully open, the sleeve  48  can be removed from the bar  42  and such that the sleeve  48  cannot be removed from the bar  42  when the dispenser lid  7  is closed. It is foreseen that the first section  40  and second section  41  can be alternatively placed on the opposite members as compared to those described and that other types of hinges or connecting devices could be used with the lid. 
     The latch mechanism  9  includes a first portion  60  and a second portion  61  with the first portion  60  being located on either the tray  5  or the dispenser lid  7  with the other portion  61  being located on the opposite of the tray  5  or lid  7 . 
     The latch mechanism first portion  60  includes a support structure  63  secured to the tray  5 . Located within the support structure  63  is a pair of parallel walls  64  that are sized and positioned to function as a fulcrum for a latch or tongue  68 , as will be described later. It is foreseen that the walls  64  could be replaced by a single wall or the like that provide a similar function of backing the latch and allowing the latch to be bent backwards over same. 
     Pivotally attached to the outermost lower edge of the support structure  63  is the tongue  68 . The tongue  68  is elongate and flexibly attached at the lower end thereof to the support structure  63 . The tongue  68  has a first non-locking position or configuration that is seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, wherein the tongue  68  extends forwardly or at an angle to the vertical, as seen in FIG. 7, and a second locking position or configuration that is seen in FIGS. 4 to  6 , where the tongue  68  extends upwardly or vertically, as viewed in FIG.  4 . 
     The illustrated tongue  68  is sized to snugly and preferably frictionally fit between the support structure sides  63 , when the tongue  68  is in the locking position so that the sides  63  restively hold the tongue  68  in the locking position. The illustrated tongue  68  also includes three panels  70 ,  71  and  72  (FIG. 4) of approximately equal length that overlap slightly relative to one another so as to form the overall tongue  68  and, in particular, to produce a first shoulder  75  that is spaced from the location where the tongue  68  is hinged to the support structure  68 . The juncture of the panels  70 ,  71  and  72  also forms a recess  77  with the shoulder  75  forming one side thereof. Mounted on the most upper or distal panel  72  of the tongue  68 , is a second shoulder forming structure  80 , such as a bead, hook, pawl, flange or the like. The structure  80  has a second shoulder  81  formed on the lower side thereof that is generally parallel to the first shoulder  75  and to the location whereat the tongue  68  hinges to the support structure  63 , but is spaced from both. The shoulders  75  and  81  are located on the same side of the tongue  68 . An upper end  83  of the tongue outer panel  71  is engagable by the finger of a user, so that the user may push of twist the tongue  68  and thereby bend or otherwise deform the tongue  68 . 
     The latch mechanism second portion  61  includes a bar  85  that is supported in spaced relationship from the dispenser lid  7  by a pair of supports  90  and  91  at opposite ends thereof. The bar  85  is sized, shaped and positioned to snugly fit in the recess  77  with a low profile compared to the panels  70  and  72  on either side thereof, as is shown in FIG. 4, when the lid  7  is closed and the tongue  86  is in the locking position thereof. In such a configuration the bar  85  has an upper surface  93  that engages the shoulder  75  and thus locks, holds or secures the bar  85  in the recess  77 . 
     When the bar  85  is held in the tongue recess  77 , as seen in FIG. 4, and it is desired to open the dispenser lid  7 , the user grasps a pair of ears  94  on opposite sides of the lid  7  and the body of the tray  5  with fingers of opposite hands, then while pulling the lid  7  up and tray  5  down, the user pushes inwardly or toward the tray  5  against the upper panel  72  of the tongue  68 . The tongue  68  is thereby bent over the walls  64  so that the upper portion of the tongue  68  flexes so that the shoulder  75  is no longer located in the path of the bar  85  and this releases the bar  85  from the recess  77 . The bar  85  is seen released from the recess  77  in FIG. 5 at which time the upper surface  93  of the bar  85  then engages and becomes captured by the shoulder  81  of the structure  80 . The user must then again depress the upper panel  72  of the tongue  68  so as to flex the tongue  68  over the walls  64  and free the surface  93  from the shoulder  81 , and in this manner allow the lid  7  to be fully opened. This double shoulder ( 75  and  81 ) construction requires multiple operations to be performed which make the device more difficult to open for a child and, therefore, more child tamper resistant. 
     If no children are in the house or other facility where the device is to be used and it is difficult for the user to open a child resistant closure, the tongue  7  can be placed in the non-locking position seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, so that the lid  7  closes and is held in place by frictional engagement with the tray  5 , but is relatively easy to open. 
     It is foreseen that the double shoulder latching concept of the illustrated embodiment can also be used in conjunction with closures of other types than the particular closure device illustrated. 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.