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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There have been numerous types of pill dispensing closures. Most of which
have been designed to deter small children from gaining access to
potentially harmful products. Because of their designs a great many of
these closures are difficult and frustrating to the elderly. In many cases
when the person gets the lid off the child proof container, they are left
off and are then easily knocked over or just because of the lack of
individual's dexterity, a large number of pills are dumped out. There are
no devices which allow the dispensing of a single pill of any size without
complicated determinations of opening size. Maier, U.S. Pat. No. 2,630,245
discloses a capsule dispensing device which utilizes the capsules as
roller bearings, however is limited to dispensing of capsules and requires
a few capsules in the mechanism to work properly. Dobkin, U.S. Pat. No.
2,664,223 discloses a pellet dispenser which is designed so that contact
with the dispensed product is avoided. Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,111
discloses a pill container and dispenser having multiple rotatable disks
requiring the individual to move each dish to a designated number on the
container to set the dispenser to dispense the proper size and number of
pills. If the disks are inadvertently moved, too many pills may be
dispensed or none at all. Either of which is frustrating to the individual
trying to get the proper dosage. Uroschevich, U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,847
discloses a child resistent pill dispenser, however, it requires an
individual with a reasonable amount of dexterity to operate. Neavin, U.S.
Pat. No. 3,885,703 discloses a device which necessitates movement of a
handle by a 180.degree. and agitating the pills at the same time. The
device is not useful for dispensing any pills except those of uniform
size. Kramer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,293 has similar disadvantages as the
other child proof dispensing devices already discussed. Frank, U.S. Pat.
No. 4,756,434 has similar limitations as Kramer above. Other such as
Graff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,727 and Sacchetti, U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,057 are
complicated and do not provide the ease of use and simplicity of the
within invention.
Nilson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,851, Thomas, U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,908 and
Veltri, U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,694 are complex dispensing devices and no not
allow the dispensing of a choice of sized product. The devices are also
difficult for the elderly to use.
LaChance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,461 is difficult for the elderly to use as it
requires the individual to lift and disengage the lock mechanism before a
pill can be dispensed.
Spices and the like loose a substantial amount of their aromatics when they
are exposed to the air. Most of the spice dispensers require that the lid
be removed to dispense the spice allowing the spice to be continually
exposed to the air with each use. The present invention eliminates this
problem as once the lid is installed, the dispensing of each portion
permits only a negligible amount of air to contact the spice as it is
dispensed: The dispenser provides the same portion each time without the
difficulty of measuring, although many of the elderly enjoy cooking
because of the lack of dexterity they have difficulty measuring small
quantities of spices without spilling them. The within dispenser
eliminates this problem by measuring out the same quantity of spice each
time.
The within invention provides a dispenser for spices which eliminates the
necessity of removal of the lid and exposure to the air.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is the general object of this invention to provide a dispenser which can
be readily assembled by the user which dispenses a single dose for each
forward and backward movement of the lever.
It is another object of this invention to provide a spill proof re-usable
dispenser.
It is further a object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages of
the tamper resistent and complex dispensing devices of the prior art which
the elderly find extremely difficult and frustrating to use.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a simple
dispenser of pills, capsules and other products one unit at a time.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a dispenser for
spices which keeps the spices fresh and dispenses a single portion without
the removal of the lid and exposure to the air.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser embodying the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser embodying the invention
dispensing a single unit.
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the various parts in their relative position
before assembly.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the base having a dispensing opening
removed.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the dispenser.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the dispenser taken along the lines
6--6 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional top view taken along the lines 7--7 of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a cross sectional bottom view of the dispenser taken along the
lines 8--8 of FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of the cap and dispensing disk.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the dispenser embodying the invention
dispensing spices.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, a dispenser 10 includes a cap 30, base 20
and dispensing disk 40 as shown in FIG. 3. Cap 30 has a dispensing opening
34 allowing pills or other materials to be dispensed to the user and a
slot 36 adapted to receive lever 44 of dispensing disk 40 as shown in
FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 9. Cap 30 has a tongue 32 designed to mate with groove
22 of base 20 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 9. Base 20 has perforations 24 which
allow a certain size opening to be selected depending on the size of unit
to be dispensed as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 8. Dispensing disk 40 has
opening 42 which is offset toward the outer edge of said dispensing disk
40 in a manner that allows opening 42 to move in an arc to receive a unit
through the opening generated by removal of material perforation 24 when
lever 44 is in position "A" as shown in FIG. 5. When lever 44 is moved to
position "B" a unit is to allowed to be dispensed through opening 42 as
shown in FIG. 2. Dispensing disk 40 has opening 42 and lever 44 as shown
in FIG. 3. Base 20 has a locator groove 28 designed to accept locator
tongue 38 of cap 30 securing cap 30 in place so that dispensing disk 40
will align over opening 26 when lever 44 is in position "B" and allows a
unit to be dispensed when lever 44 is moved to position "B" as shown in
FIGS. 2, 5, 8, and 9.
In use, dispenser 10 is obtained in the disassembled condition as shown in
FIG. 3. The individual then selects the size of unit that is desired to be
dispensed and punches out that perforation 26 as shown in FIG. 4. Lever 44
is then inserted through slot 36 of cap 30 in a manner that lever 44
extends outside of cap 30 and this assembly is put on to base 20 utilizing
the locator tongue and locator grooves 38 and 28 respectively. This is
done by looking from the bottom of base 20 through the punched out opening
26 and holding the lever 44 in position 6. Tongue 32 and groove 22 hold
cap 30 on base 20 and locator tongue 38 and locator groove 28 retain cap
30 in place to properly accept product to be dispensed. Dispenser 10 is
then screwed onto a container 60 and held in place by base threads 66 and
container threads 64 as shown in FIG. 6. Dispenser 10 dispenses a single
product, one at a time when the container is tipped on its side or upside
down depending on how full container 60 is and moving lever 44 from
position "B" to position "A", as shown in FIG. 2. Although opening 42 is
shown opposed to lever 44 of dispensing disk 40, opening 42 may be placed
any place off set from the center of said dispensing disk 40 that allows
the opening 42 to align with opening 26 when lever 44 is in position "B"
and to align with opening 42 when lever 44 is in position "A".
FIG. 7 shows the opening 42 aligned over perforation 26 which allows the
product to be received by opening 42 in the inverted position. Powdered
product 64 such as spices may be dispensed from dispenser 10 as shown in
FIG 10.
While the present invention has been described and illustrated with its
preferred embodiments, and with relation to specific problems encountered
by the elderly in the dispensing of products from vitamins to spices, it
is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Applicant
can foresee, and indeed would expect those skilled in the art and equipped
with the present invention to devise various modifications, alterations or
substitutions for the specific structural features of the devices as
described and illustrated. As such, it is the applicants intent to cover
any and all such modifications, alterations, etc. falling within the
spirit and scope of the invention, as expressed by the claims appended
hereto in accordance with the laws of this country.
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