Patent Abstract:
A manually operated dispenser for medicated or non-medicated orally dissolving strips provided in roll form cuts portions of the roll to a predetermined size in the manner of the strips currently available in single sheets and housed in the vial shown in patent Des. 423,302. The dispenser includes spring-loaded structure rotating the roll and presenting material of a predetermined strip length to a cutting blade, then slicing the strip from the roll.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a manually operated dispenser for medicated or non-medicated orally dissolving strips provided in roll form. The dispenser cuts portions of the roll to a predetermined size in the manner of the strips currently available in single sheets and housed in the vial shown in patent Des. 423,302. The dispenser includes spring-loaded structure rotating the roll and presenting material of a predetermined strip length to a cutting blade, then slicing the strip from the roll. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Haner, et al. Des. 423,302 is the vial housing the strips currently on the market. 
     Wise, Re. 22,827, is one of many patents showing a stripping finger used to contact a rotatable cylinder to remove paper from the cylinder. 
     Carriero, U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,395, automatically feeds cards from a stack of cards by the use of detents 12–15. 
     Van Der Does, U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,307, dispenses film from a stack one sheet at a time by clipping the top sheet of the stack after the top sheet is raised by pinching the stack. 
     Stephens, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,403 show a feed roller with a plurality of fingers thereon. Pressure by the fingers on the stack is variable. 
     Wade, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,350 represents a number of structures using two feed rollers one on the top and the other on the bottom of a stack. 
     Simpson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,636 dispenses single sheet from a spring-loaded structure having no moving parts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a dispenser for the orally dissolving strips currently marketed under the trademark POCKETPAKS, for example. The strips, which may be medicated or non-medicated, are packaged and sold in a vial shown in DES. 423,302. The strips rapidly dissolve in the mouth thereby acting as an oral delivery system for drugs, breath freshener, etc. The present invention uses a roll of such strip material and cuts portions of the roll to a desired length. The roll is formed of the strip material plus a base layer serving as a carrier and as a separator. The base layer/separator has at least one apertured edge formed thereon for engaging an advancing mechanism, and delivering a portion of the strip material to a separating and cutting location. The base layer minimizes the adverse effects of temperature and humidity on the strip material by preventing portions of the strip material from contacting other portions of the strip material. For example, the aforesaid POCKETPAKS vial is marked for storage between 59° F.–77° F. and to avoid humidity. Temperature and humidity cause the strip material to become too brittle or too soft or permits them to stick together. 
     A principal object of the invention is to provide a dispenser for a roll of medicinal strip material. Another object of the invention is the provision of a dispenser, which separates the medicinal material from a carrier/separator and cutting the medicinal material to a desired length. A further object is the provision of dispenser of the class described having a base and a spring-loaded removable cover forming a storage space for a roll of medicinal material. A still further object and advantage of the invention is the incorporation of a cutting blade on the spring-loaded cover for cutting the medicinal material to a desired length. Another object and advantage of the invention is the provision of a rack and pinion structure for advancing a portion of the medicinal material from the roll to a carrier separating and cutting station. Another object of the invention is the provision of a dispenser where the roll of material is mounted within a carrier. 
     The foregoing, as well as further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the following detailed description of my invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of our invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of our invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of our invention, partially assembled; 
         FIG. 4 , is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of our invention; 
         FIGS. 5A–5B , are sectional views of the preferred embodiment of our invention, in a first and a second position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Like reference numerals have been used to designate like parts in  FIGS. 1–5A  and  5 B.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the dispenser of our invention. A circular base portion  6  has a tray  4  formed therein. The tray  4  is positioned beneath a cutting housing  8 . A spring loaded manually depressed top portion  2  is attached to the base  6 .  FIG. 2 , is an exploded view of the dispenser of  FIG. 1 . A roll  26  of medicinal strip material is formed by carrier  17  which has notches  28  and  30  formed along both edges and orally dissolving strip material  25  peelably affixed to the carrier. Roll  26  is inserted into circular roll support  34 . The support  34  has a feed slot  36  formed therein for receiving a portion of the roll  26  and permitting the portion to extend along the surface of the support  34  so that teeth  38  formed on the surface of support  34  thereon can engage notches  28  and  30 . The support  34  has an enlarged end cap portion  32 , which has gear teeth  15  formed along a portion of the surface thereof. A cutting blade  10  is affixed to top portion  2 . This cutting blade is guided within the aperture  12  in the pocket housing  8  both formed in the circular base  6 . The support  34  and the roll  26  mounted therein are in turn supported in a housing  18 . The housing  18  has an inclined floating keeper arm  20  formed interiorly thereof for maintaining tension on the roll  26  while a portion of the roll  26  is conveyed to the cutting blade housing  8 . Circular spring supports  14  and  16  are also formed in housing  18 . Notches  22 ,  24  are formed in the sidewalls of the housing  18  to support roller rod  39  on the housing  18 . Roller rod  39  is inserted into the hollow center of the roll  26  through hole  36 ′ in the end cap  32  of roller support  34 . The notches  22 ,  24  and the diameter of the roller rod  39  are dimensioned such that the roll  26  will always ride in the aperture formed in inclined keeper arm  20 . As the diameter of roll  26  decreases by use of the material, the rod drops down in the notches  22 ,  24 . 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the apparatus of  FIG. 2  showing more detail. In  FIG. 3 , a portion of the roll  26  is shown extending onto the surface of the support  34  with notches  28  engaging teeth  38  (not shown). Springs  3  and  5  are mounted in spring supports  16  and  14 , respectively. These springs fit onto rods  7  and  9  formed in the top portion  2 . As will now be seen, gear teeth  15  are part of a rack and pinion arrangement with gear  13  removeably attached to support portion  11  formed in top  2 . Further detail of the mounting of cutting blade  10  can also be seen in  FIG. 3 . The blade  10  is fit into a blade support pocket  1 . The blade support is a compression fitting removeably supporting the blade  10  in a pocket formed between the two walls of blade support  1 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the parts of  FIG. 3  assembled in its resting position. 
       FIGS. 5A–5B  are sectional views of the apparatus of  FIG. 4  with  FIG. 5B  showing the top  2  fully depressed. When top  2  is depressed, the rack and pinion gear assembly  13 ,  15  causes support  34  to rotate a predetermined distance thereby causing a length of material from roll  26  to be fed to a location where its carrier portion  17  and medicinal material portion  25  are separated, then the material  25  is cut. Separation is accomplished by peeling the carrier  17  from the medicinal portion  25 . The peeling occurs via the finger hook  23  guiding the tounged portion of carrier  17  downwardly while film portion  25  is guided via shield  19  into trough  4 . The teeth  21  hold the carrier preventing it from rolling back when the top portion is returned to its uppermost position. The surface  19  causes the material  25  to be directed into hopper  4  while carrier  17  is directed downwardly into the hollow storage area  27  in the circular base  6 . The medicinal material portion  25  is not so captured but is peeled off the carrier by the hook  23  onto the hopper  4  for cutting by blade  10 . 
     In order for the strip portion  25  is dispensed into the hopper  4 , it must be separated from the carrier  17 . In order to start the required peeling action, the roll is formed with an extension or tongue at its leading edge that is manually fed into the hopper  27  until the edge of the strip portion reaches the hook separator  23 . Separation or peeling will then be effected by the roll advance motion created by the rack and pinion mechanism. Teeth  21  cooperate with keeper arm  20  to form a floating keeper arrangement to insure that the roll does not retract with support drum  34  when the drum returns to set up for the next cutting cycle of metered advancement. This floating keeper maintains tension on the roll  26  because a portion of the roll rides on the arm and is held by teeth  21 . 
     Further modifications to the apparatus of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; accordingly, what is sought to be protected is set forth in the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1