Patent Publication Number: US-9849069-B1

Title: Push operated single pill dispenser

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     None. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a push operated pill, tablet, capsule, or other object dispenser that dispenses a single object at the push of a button. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present dispenser to provide a push operated single pill tablet, capsule, or other object dispenser that dispenses a single object at the push of a button. 
     The present dispenser conveniently dispenses objects directly into the hand/palm of a user one at a time. 
     Further the present dispenser saves users&#39; time in opening the bottle top and taking a single pill by preventing extra pills from coming out. Where more than a single pill comes out of the dispenser the user would then have to take the extra steps of putting the extra pills back into the bottle and touching the extra pills. Further the user may lose the extra pills which unintentionally spill out of other dispenser. 
     The present dispenser is particularly useful for users with stiff fingers or physical limitations which make it difficult to pick up unintentionally dispensed pills. 
     The present dispenser is removably or permanently attachable to a container, such as a bottle, tube, box, or encasement which is suitable for holding one or more object to be dispensed. 
     Further, the present dispenser assists blind persons (and people with low vision) in taking exactly one pill at a time. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The apparatus will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a view of the present dispenser in the undepressed position. 
         FIG. 2  is a view of the present dispenser in the partially pressed position. 
         FIG. 3  is a view of the present dispenser in the partially pressed position. 
         FIG. 4  is a view of the present dispenser in the fully pressed position. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the present dispenser. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the present dispenser. 
         FIG. 7  is a cut away view of the present dispenser along axis  7  of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the present dispenser. 
         FIG. 9  is a view of the bottom of the present dispenser. 
         FIG. 10  is an interior view of the present dispenser. 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded view of the bottom of the present dispenser. 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded view of actuation elements of the present dispenser. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is a push operated pill, tablet, capsule, or other object dispenser  100  that dispenses a single object  201  at the push of a button. As presented herein, the object used in the description is a pill however similar objects such as pills, tablets, caplet, gel caps, pellets, lozenges, pastilles, candy, salts, food items, or other items having a physically compatible form may be dispensed by the dispenser  100 . 
     As shown in at least  FIGS. 1-38 , the dispenser  100  for dispensing a single pill  201  is comprised of a top lid  200  having a dispensing port  205  and a movable push button  210 , and a slider  300  rotatably positioned within the top lid  200 . 
     The slider  300  further including at least one slider slot  310  extending through the body of the slider  300 . 
     The dispenser  100  is optionally attachable to a pill container  900 . The dispenser works on existing round mouth pill bottles of different sizes without requiring the use of a special bottle or container. 
     The dispenser  100  can be operated via single-handed operation or using supplemental devices (not shown) such as a stick or pencil. 
     The overall operation of the dispenser  100  is provided at least in  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , the top lid  200  allows for rotation of the movable push button  210  to adjust the alignment of the rotating slider  300  with respect to the dispensing port  205 . 
     The dispenser  100  further comprises a funnel  700  extending through an opening  610  in bottom lid  600 , wherein the bottom lid  600  supports the slider  300 . The funnel  700  includes an entrance port  710  at a distal end and an exit port  720  at a proximal. The funnel entrance port  710  and exit port  720  form a portion of a dispensing path  110  (see  FIG. 7 ). 
     The dispensing path  110  further extends through the slider slot  310  and through the dispensing port  205  of the top lid  200 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the funnel entrance port  710  is removably or permanently attached to a funnel neck  740  which is attached to a funnel seat  730  which is adjacent to the funnel exit port  720  at the proximal end of the funnel  700 . 
     The funnel entrance port  710 , while shown as a partial horn shaped funnel, may be formed in various shapes including a fully round horn shape, a rectangular shape, taller, shorter, as well as formed in various thicknesses. 
     The funnel neck  740  while shown as having a round shape, may be formed in various shapes including a rectangular shape, triangular shape, taller, shorter, as well as formed in various thicknesses. 
     The funnel exit port  720  may be formed in various shapes including a rectangular shape, triangular shape, taller, shorter, as well as formed in various thicknesses. 
     Further the combination of the shapes of the funnel entrance port  710 , the funnel neck  740 , and funnel seat  730  cooperate to position a single object (such as a pill) at the funnel exit port  720 . 
     For example the inner diameter of the funnel neck  740  may be sized to only allow objects of a selected diameter (or range of selected diameters) to pass through the funnel neck  740  in a single file arrangement. 
     Further, within the funnel seat  730 , the bottom  735  is angled to urge pills  201  towards the funnel exit with minimal pill congestion as it moves along the dispensing path  110 . For example, the steeper the interior angle of the funnel seat bottom  735 , the less pill congestion there is because pills  201  abut the funnel seat bottom  735  angularly. 
     In contrast, the flatter the funnel seat bottom  735  within the funnel seat  730 , the more there is pill congestion as pills move along the dispensing path  110  because when a pill  201  abuts the funnel seat bottom  735  perpendicularly it resists changing direction to exit the funnel exit port  720 . The next pill  201  in a series of pills moving along the dispensing path  110  abuts the pill  201  perpendicularly at the funnel seat bottom  735  and pill congestion occurs. 
     The height, width, thickness, and shape features selected for the funnel seat bottom  735  and the funnel exit port  720  corresponds to the optimum dimensions for the size of the selected pills  201  which will exit the funnel exit port  720  where the optimum dimensions are dimensions which help minimize pill congestion and helps position a single object (such as a pill) at the funnel exit port  720 . 
     The height, width, thickness, and shape features selected for slider  300  corresponds to the optimum dimensions for the size of the selected pills  201  which will exit the funnel exit port  720  where the optimum dimensions are dimensions which help minimize pill congestion and helps position a single object (such as a pill) at the funnel exit port  720 . For example, where the funnel exit port  720  is elongated or circular to respectively accommodate oblong or circular pills, the dimensions (such as height, width, thickness, and shape features) of the slider  300  is appropriately shaped to accommodate respective pills. 
     In the non-use position, as indicated in  FIG. 1 , the movable push button  210  is undepressed, funnel exit port  720  is blocked, and the contents within the funnel  700  are unable enter the slider slot  310  of the slider  300 . 
     Further, in the non-use position with the movable push button  210  undepressed, the dispensing port  205  of the top lid  200  is blocked, and contents within the slider slot  310  are unable to exit the dispenser  100 . 
     More particularly, when the push button  210  is undepressed, spring  500  urges the slider  300  to rotate in a first rotation direction and dispensing port  205  of the top is not aligned with slider slot  310  nor the funnel exit port  720  and therefore a pill within the funnel seat  730  of the funnel or the slider slot(s)  310  of the slider  300  cannot exit the dispenser  100 . 
     When the push button  210  is depressed, push lever  400  urges the slider  300  to rotate in a second rotation direction opposite the first rotation direction. 
     During use of the dispenser  100 , as shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , the user (see hand  101 ) depresses the moveable push button  210 , which causes rotation of the slider  300 . When the slider  300  rotates an appropriate amount, the dispensing port  205  is unblocked and the contents (for example pill  201 ) of the slider slot(s)  310  of the slider  300  and/or the funnel exit port  720  can exit the dispenser  100 . 
     Typically, the user tilts the dispenser  100  while depressing the moveable push button  210  to leverage the use of gravity in urging the pill  201  to exit the dispenser  100 . As shown in at least  FIGS. 5-8 , during use of the dispenser  100 , the funnel  700  is positioned with the funnel entrance port  710  higher than the funnel exit port  720  to utilize gravity to assist in feeding objects into the dispensing path  110  of the dispenser  100 . 
     The dispenser  100  further includes push lever  400  moveably linking together the push button  210  and the slider  300 . When the push button  210  is depressed, the push lever  400  urges the slider  300  to rotate relative to the amount of depression of the push button  210 . 
     Once the user  101  releases pressure on the movable push button  210 , the slider  300  automatically returns to the non-use position shown in  FIG. 1  through the assistance of spring  500  and contents of the dispenser  100  are once again blocked from exiting the dispenser  100 . 
     Pin  250  pivotally attaches push button  210  to top lid  200 . 
     Rod  410  pivotally attaches push lever  400  to push button  210 . 
     At least one lock tab  215  is provided on the push button  210  to assist in securing push button  210  to top lid  200  when push button  210  is not depressed. 
     At least one securing post  220  extends from the interior of top lid  200  and thru at least one securing hole  240  provided on the bottom lid  600 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9-10 , at least one securing pin  230  extends thorough at least one securing post  220  to hold the top lid  200  and the bottom lid  600  together. 
     The dispenser  100  can be manufactured in different colors to provide for quick bottle and/or pill recognition. The dispenser  100  can be manufactured from a range of materials including and not limited to plastic, metals, paper, wood, recycled materials, and biodegradable materials. 
     The dispenser  100  may include braille touch patterns (not shown) of raised dots for blind persons or persons with low vision to aid in selecting the desired pill bottle so the users takes the appropriate pills. The dispenser  100  may include indicia (not shown) to provide information such as a description of the pill contents or information relevant to the user (such as name). 
     Other novel features which are characteristic of the apparatus, as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof can be discerned from the above description considered in connection with the accompanying figures, in which preferred embodiments of the apparatus are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the figures are for illustration and description only and is not intended as a finite definition of the apparatus. The various features of novelty which characterize the apparatus are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this disclosure. The apparatus resides not in any one of these features taken alone, but rather in the particular combination of all of its structures for the functions specified. 
     There has thus been broadly outlined the more important features of the apparatus in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based readily may be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present apparatus. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present apparatus. 
     The foregoing disclosure is sufficient to enable one having skill in the art to practice the apparatus without undue experimentation, and provides the best mode of practicing the apparatus presently contemplated by the inventor. While there is provided herein a full and complete disclosure of the preferred embodiments of this apparatus, it is not intended to limit the apparatus to the exact construction, dimensional relationships, and operation shown and described. Various modifications, alternative constructions, changes and equivalents will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be employed, as suitable, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the apparatus. Such changes might involve alternative materials, components, structural arrangements, sizes, shapes, forms, functions, operational features or the like. Elements of the instant apparatus may be made from a variety of known materials including wood, rubber, metal, or plastic, as well as from any suitable combination of appropriate materials. 
     Accordingly, the proper scope of the present apparatus should be determined only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all such modifications as well as all relationships equivalent to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification.