Abstract:
An automatic pill dispenser which also provides heated drinking water as required includes a housing for securing pill boxes, a display, a heater, and a controller. The display and the controller are secured to the housing. The heater is secured to the housing and supports a cup placed thereon. The controller is electrically connected to the heater. The controller controls the display to display an invitation to request heated water when the automatic pill dispenser is dispensing pills. The controller controls the heater to heat water in the cup when heated water is requested.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to automatic pill dispensers, and particularly to an automatic pill dispenser with a water heater. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Certain pilled medications are best consumed with warm water. An automatic pill dispenser generally provides a function that dispenses pills automatically. In some cold areas or in winter, heated water cools quickly, and the patient consuming pills may be required to transfer heated water from a vacuum flask, which can be very inconvenient if a pill regimen is large. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0004]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of one embodiment of an automatic pill dispenser. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from a different aspect. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is a partially assembled, isometric view of the automatic pill dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of circled portion IV of the automatic pill dispenser of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  is an assembled, isometric view of the automatic pill dispenser of  FIG. 1 , showing a heater in an opened position. 
           [0009]      FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5 , but viewed from a different aspect. 
           [0010]      FIG. 7  is similar to  FIG. 5 , but showing the heater in a closed position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show one embodiment of an automatic pill dispenser. The automatic pill dispenser includes a housing  10 , a controller  20 , a display  21 , and a heater  300 . 
         [0013]    The housing  10  is used for receiving pill picking structures (not shown), such as a plurality of pill cases and picking arms. The housing  10  includes a top wall  11 , a bottom wall  12 , and a ring wall  13  connected between the top wall  11  and the bottom wall  12 . In one embodiment, the top wall  11  is substantially parallel to the bottom wall  12 . The top wall  11  secures the controller  20 . A receiving case  15  is located in a bottom surface of the bottom wall  12 . The receiving case  15  includes a bottom plate  151 , a rear plate (not shown), and two side plates  155 . In one embodiment, the bottom plate  151  is substantially parallel to the bottom wall  12 , the rear plate is substantially perpendicular to the side plates  155 , and the bottom plate  151 , and the side plates  155  are substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate  151  and the bottom wall  12 . The receiving case  15  receives the heater  300 . 
         [0014]    The heater  300  includes a box  30 , an installation plate  31 , an electric heating plate  50 , a conducting strip  60 , and a temperature sensor  70 . 
         [0015]    The box  30  includes a top board  32 , two side boards  35 , and a front board  36 . In one embodiment, the top board  32  is substantially parallel to the installation plate  31  and substantially perpendicular to the side boars  35 . Two pressed portions  311  extend from the installation plate  31 . Each press portion  311  defines two limiting slots  3112 . The top board  32  defines an opening  321 . In one embodiment, the opening  321  is circular. A flange  39  perpendicularly extends from each of the installation plate  31 , the top board  32 , and the side boards  35 . The flange  39  engages with edges of the receiving case  15 , to prevent the heater  300  from moving out of the receiving case  15 . An operation portion  361  protrudes from the front board  36 , and the operation portion  361  is hollow and operable to allow the heater  300  to slide. 
         [0016]    The box  30  further includes two limiting blocks  313  and two resilient members  37 . Each pressed portion  322  receives one of the resilient members  37 . The resilient members  37  elastically mount the limiting blocks  313 . In one embodiment, each resilient member  37  is a compressed spring. 
         [0017]    The electronic heating plate  50  is electronically connected to the controller  20 . The controller  20  controls the electronic heating plate  50  to heat up or to stop heating. 
         [0018]    The conducting strip  60  includes a flat portion  61  and a ring portion  63  extending from a ring edge of the flat portion  61 . A limiting space  65  is defined by the flat portion  61  and the ring portion  63 . The limiting space  65  is a placement for a cup  500 . In one embodiment, the flat portion  61  is circular, and a diameter of the flat portion  61  is substantially equal to a diameter of the opening  321 . 
         [0019]    The temperature sensor  70  senses temperatures of the electronic heating plate  50  and sends information as to the temperatures to the controller  20 . 
         [0020]      FIGS. 3-7  show that in assembly, the limiting block  313  is moved to be aligned with the pressed portion  311 . A first end of the resilient member  37  is secured to a top end of the pressed portion  311 , and a second end of the resilient member  37  is secured to the limiting block  313 . The limiting block  313  is moved to slidably receive the limiting piece  3131  in the limiting slot  3112 . Thus, the limiting block  313  is slidably received in the pressed portion  311 . When the resilient member  37  is uncompressed, a part of the limiting block  313  extends out of the installation plate  31 . The limiting block  313  can be pressed to elastically deform the resilient member  37  into the pressed portion  311 . The conducting strip  60  is located in the opening  321 , and the ring portion  63  is secured to the edges of the opening  321 . The electronic heating plate  50  is secured under the flat portion  61 . The temperature sensor  70  is secured to the electronic heating plate  50 . The box  30  is secured to the installation plate  31  by screws or other methods. Thus, the heater  300  is assembled completely. 
         [0021]    The heater  300  is slantingly placed in the receiving case  15 . The heater  300  is slid into the receiving case  15  until it abuts the rear plate  153 , the limiting block  313  is pressed upwards by the bottom plate  151 , and the resilient member  37  is elastically deformed. The resilient member  37  exerts elastic force on the heater  300  to engage the heater  300  with the receiving case  15 . The front board  36  covers the receiving case  15 . In this position, the heater  300  is located in a closed position (as shown in  FIG. 7 ). 
         [0022]    In use, the controller  20  controls the display  21  to display a message inviting a user to request hot water when the automatic pill dispenser starts to pick pills. If the user chooses yes, the controller  20  controls the display  21  to display a message to prompt the user to pull out the heater  300  and put the cup  500  on the heater  300 . Then the box  30  is slid out of the receiving case  15  through the operation portion  361 , the resilient member  37  rebounds to release the limiting block  313  to abut a surface supporting the automatic pill dispenser, and the heater  300  is in an opened position. A moving direction of the limiting block  313  is substantially perpendicular to a sliding direction of the box  30 . The cup  500  is placed in the limiting space  65 . The limiting block  313  abuts the supporting surface to prevent the heater  300  and the cup  500  from hanging in the air and dropping. The electronic heating plate  50  heats water in the cup  500  through the conducting strip  60 . The temperature sensor  70  senses the temperature of the electronic heating plate  50  and sends temperature information to the controller  20 . The controller  20  compares the sent temperature with a preset temperature and stops the electronic heating plate  50  when the sent temperature is greater than the preset temperature. In at least one embodiment, the preset temperature can be about 80 degrees, for example. Other preset temperatures are possible within this disclosure. 
         [0023]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and the arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure, to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.