PELLET DISPENSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to pellet dispensing apparatus and method and, more particularly, to such apparatus and method pertaining to dispensing nutritional products, pharmaceutical products and the like and to organizing such products for convenient dispensing and use of such products by a user.

BACKGROUND

Today's nutritional supplement category is very fragmented and confusing for consumers to shop and consume. There are too many ingredients/brands/claims in the shopping environment that makes the shopping very challenging. Consumers tend to take multiple types of supplements (e.g. multi-vitamins, products for bone health, heart health, gastrointestinal health, etc.), and they have different dosing regimens. It is hassle for people to keep taking multiple types of supplements and stick to the dosing regimen, e.g., a major compliance issue, due, for example, to the following: Multiple types of supplements are different sizes and shapes. A user may need to use both hands to open the bottle, take the pills and close the bottles. Also, supplement containers are drug bottle-like, and, thus, are unappealing or unattractive; they typically are stocked inside a user's cabinet and are hard to see and can be easily forgotten and skipped. There is no connection or motivation to the consumers to keep taking them. Without compliance, it is hard to enjoy the health benefits of the supplements.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Briefly, in accordance with an aspect of this technology pellets, for example, capsules, caplets, pills or the like, are contained in respective dispensing containers that are conveniently available to dispense the pellets for use as desired.

In accordance with another aspect of this technology, pellets are stored so as to be conveniently available to be dispensed when the pellets are desired by a user, and the dispensing is provided in a controlled way.

A first aspect of the invention relates to a pellet dispensing apparatus, comprising a plurality of pellet dispensers, each comprising a reservoir configured to contain a plurality of pellets and a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense a quantity of pellets in response to selective operation of the dispensing mechanism; and a support configured to support a plurality of pellet dispensers in respective relative locations allowing for selective individual operation of respective dispensing mechanisms to dispense respective pellets.

Some other aspects include the following, e.g., as are set forth in respective claims, as follows:

An aspect of the invention relates to pellet dispensing apparatus, including a plurality of pellet dispensers, each including a reservoir configured to contain a plurality of pellets and a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense a quantity of pellets in response to selective operation of the dispensing mechanism, and a support configured to support a plurality of pellet dispensers in respective relative locations allowing for selective individual operation of respective dispensing mechanisms to dispense respective pellets.

Additional aspects include one or more of the following:

the support includes a generally vertical support structure supporting the pellet dispensers;

the support includes a plurality of generally vertical columns each supporting the pellet dispensers in a one-dimensional array along the respective vertical column, and a fastener holding respective pairs of respective generally vertical columns in side-by-side relation, whereby the pellet dispensers are arranged in a two-dimensional array;

wherein the support includes a base and an upstanding support structure, the pellet dispensers respectively arranged in spaced apart locations along the upstanding support structure;

the dispensers have an outlet from which to dispense pellets, and the support extends in a generally vertical sloping direction such that the dispensers slope downwardly for gravity to tend to urge pellets in the reservoir toward the reservoir outlet;

the pellet dispensers are in a two-dimensional array on the support;

the support has openings in which the dispensers are supported;

a key prevents rotating of a dispenser that is positioned in a respective opening;

the openings are of a size to provide a friction fit for respective dispensers to

tend to relatively securely retain the dispensers therein;

the support includes a generally horizontal support structure and an attachment to attach respective dispensers to the support structure;

the attachment includes a plurality of openings in which respective dispensers are located;

the support includes a plurality of generally horizontal support structures arranged in generally parallel, longitudinally spaced relation;

the support structure includes a tree structure having a central support and a plurality of branches extending from the central support, and respective branches and the attachment including a holder to hold a respective dispenser to a branch;

the support further includes a base, the central support extending up from the base;

the branches are arranged in spiral ascending relation;

the pellets include nutritional products or pharmaceutical products, and the support and dispensers are configured to conveniently dispense such products for use;

the support includes a generally flat support structure, and mounts configured to hold respective pellet dispensers to the support structure;

the generally flat support structure includes a generally circular disc;

the mounts include recesses in the generally flat support structure, and wherein the pellet dispensers are configured to fit in respective recesses;

the support includes a generally vertical column supporting the pellet dispensers in a one-dimensional array along the generally vertical column.

Another aspect relates to a pellet dispensing container, including a reservoir configured to contain a plurality of pellets to be dispensed, the reservoir having an open area through which pellets may be loaded into the reservoir, a cap positionable with respect to the reservoir to block pellets from exiting the reservoir via the open area, the cap and reservoir having respective outlets, and wherein with the cap positioned with respect to the reservoir to cover the open area, the cover and reservoir being relatively movable and cooperative selectively to align the outlets to dispense a prescribed pellet quantity.

Additional aspects relate to one or more of the following,

the prescribed pellet quantity includes one pellet at a time;

the cap is rotatable with respect to the reservoir to provide for selective aligning of the outlets to dispense a prescribed pellet quantity;

the cap includes a plurality of outlets that respectively align with the reservoir outlet based on the rotational relation of the cap and reservoir;

the cap includes a generally circular form factor and the cap outlets are arranged in spaced-apart locations generally about the perimeter of the cap;

further including an indexer configured to identify that the reservoir outlet and one of the cap outlets are aligned for dispensing function;

further including a connecting interface attaching the cap and the reservoir;

the connecting interface includes a generally hollow cylindrical body attachable at one end to the reservoir and attachable at the other end to the cap so as to permit relative rotation between the connecting interface and the cap;

further including a resilient connection between the cap and the reservoir;

the resilient connection includes a raised portion about at least a part of an exterior surface of the reservoir, a recess in at least part of an interior surface of the cap, at least part of the cap being resilient to allow flexing of the cap to position the recess over the raised portion for an interference fit to retain the cap and reservoir together while permitting relative rotation of the cap and reservoir;

the cap is separable from the reservoir by flexing the cap to release the recess of the cap from the raised portion of the reservoir;

further including a key for orienting the container with respect to a support to locate the reservoir outlet at a relatively low position (low potential energy location) to facilitate moving of pellets toward the reservoir outlet when the container is positioned in such support;

the reservoir outlet includes a slot through a wall of the reservoir at a location in proximity to the cap;

the cap includes a plurality of openings through the cap, and wherein the cap is rotatable relative to the reservoir to selectively align respective cap openings with the reservoir outlet;

further including a resilient snap connection between the cap and the reservoir holding the two together while permitting the cap to rotate relative to the reservoir;

further including a child resistant impediment to resist dispensing function of the pellet dispensing;

the child resistant impediment includes an opening through at least a part of the cap and a spring-loaded button extendable through the opening to resist rotating of the cap relative to the reservoir, the button being accessible in the opening to be manually pressed against the spring loading to permit the cap to be rotated to carry out the dispensing function.

at least part of the exterior surface of the cap is rough to facilitate grasping thereof and rotating the cap relative to the reservoir;

the reservoir includes open area through which pellets may be placed into the reservoir, the cap including a mount configured to attach the cap with respect to the reservoir permitting rotating of the cap, and a cover wall positionable with respect to at least part of the open area of the reservoir to block exiting of pellets from the open area of the reservoir when the cap is attached with respect to the reservoir;

the reservoir including an annular wall circumscribing the open area, and an opening in the annular wall for passing pellets therethrough to a cap outlet entrance area, the cap outlet including an entrance area to receive a quantity of pellets from the reservoir and an exit area from which a quantity of pellets may be dispensed from the container, the entrance area and exit area of a cap outlet being relatively arcuately displaced in the cap, connected for movement of pellets from the entrance area to the exit area, and cooperative with the reservoir such that while a quantity of pellets is entering the entrance area the exit area is blocked from dispensing pellets;

the cap includes a plurality of cap outlets arranged in the cap in arcuately separated locations and cooperative with the reservoir annular wall, the opening in the reservoir annular wall, and the reservoir outlet such that with the cap oriented with respect to the reservoir to receive a pellet at the entrance area of a cap outlet the exit areas of the cap outlets are blocked to prevent dispensing of a pellet from the respective cap outlet, and with the exit area of a cap outlet is aligned with the reservoir outlet to dispense a pellet the entrance areas of the cap outlets are blocked from receiving pellets from the reservoir.

Another aspect relates to a pellet dispensing container, including a reservoir configured to contain a plurality of pellets to be dispensed, an outlet from the reservoir from which pellets are to be dispensed, the outlet including an opening, a movable compartment having a wall configured to close the outlet opening, a compartment opening to receive pellets into the compartment and for dispensing pellets from the compartment, and an actuator configured to move the compartment from a first orientation to receive pellets via the compartment entrance and a second orientation to dispense pellets via the compartment exit while blocking receiving of pellets in the compartment entrance.

Additional aspects include one or more of the following,

the movable compartment is pivotable between such orientations;

further including a spring biasing the movable compartment to a closed orientation and an actuator rod configured to move the movable compartment from closed orientation to dispensing orientation.

Another aspect relates to a pellet dispensing container, including a reservoir configured to contain a plurality of pellets to be dispensed, an outlet from the reservoir via which pellets are to be dispensed, the outlet including a rotatable wheel having a plurality of compartments therein, a wall separating the rotatable wheel from the reservoir, an opening in the wall configured to guide pellets from the reservoir to a respective compartment, a dispensing outlet at approximately the opposite side of the rotatable wheel relative to the opening in the wall, and a rotator configured to rotate the rotatable wheel to move a compartment for position receiving a pellet via the opening in the wall to drop a pellet from the compartment dispensing the pellet through the dispensing outlet.

One or more further aspects relate to the following,

the rotator includes a spindle and a knob for manual grasping to rotate the rotatable wheel.

Another aspect relates to a dispensing container including a reservoir configured to contain a plurality of pellets to be dispensed, a cover attached to the container, an outlet opening in the cover to dispense pellets, and a slide member positioned on the cover and movable between closed position blocking said opening and open position to dispense pellets.

Another aspect relates to a pellet dispensing system, including a support and a plurality of dispensing containers, the support configured to hold the containers in spaced apart relation for respective operation to dispense pellets.

One or more further aspects relate to the following,

the support includes a circular body configured to retain dispensing containers in a circular array, and recesses in the circular body to retain the dispensers in the body;

further including an alignment mechanism to align respective dispensing containers in a preferred direction;

further including a release mechanism to facilitate removing respective dispensing containers from the body;

further including a spring biasing the slide member to closed position.

Another aspect relates to a cap to dispense pellets from a reservoir, including a mount configured to attach the cap with respect to the reservoir, wherein the reservoir has an open area through which pellets may be placed into the reservoir, a cover wall supported by the mount and positionable with respect to at least part of the open area of the reservoir to block exiting of pellets from the open area of the reservoir, a dispensing outlet positionable with respect to the reservoir to receive pellets from the reservoir, and wherein the dispensing outlet is selectively operable to discharge a prescribed pellet quantity in response to operating of the dispensing outlet.

One or more additional aspects include the following,

the dispensing outlet includes a plurality of dispensing openings, each of which is selectively movable into position to cooperate with the reservoir to discharge a prescribed pellet quantity in response to operating;

the dispensing outlet includes a plurality of dispensing compartments respectively configured to receive at least one pellet from the reservoir based on relative location of the compartment with respect to a reservoir outlet, and each dispensing compartment having a discharge opening to dispense the at least one pellet in response to aligning of the discharge opening with an outlet opening of the reservoir;

the cap is rotatable about an axis, wherein each dispensing compartment has a arcuate extent along the path of rotation of the cap, the dispensing compartment having an entrance alignable with an opening in the reservoir to receive the at least one pellet while a wall of the dispensing compartment blocks dispensing the at least one pellet, the entrance of the dispensing compartment and the discharge opening are located arcuately displaced along the arcuate extent, and wherein the dispensing outlet receives the at least one pellet from the dispensing compartment and discharges the at least one pellet while a wall of the dispensing compartment blocks receiving at least one pellet from the reservoir.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and the related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described in the specification and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but several of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be suitably employed.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

Although the invention is shown and described with respect to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that equivalents and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of the specification. The present invention includes all such equivalents and modifications, and is limited only by the scope of the claims.

Also, although the various features are described and are illustrated in respective drawings/embodiments, it will be appreciated that features of a given drawing or embodiment may be used in one or more other drawings or embodiments of the invention.

It should be emphasized that the term “comprise/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.”

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Likewise, elements and features depicted in one drawing may be combined with elements and features depicted in additional drawings. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and primed reference numerals designate parts that are similar to parts designated by the same unprimed reference numerals.

In the annexed drawings:

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of a pellet dispensing apparatus;

FIG. 1B is a side elevation view of the pellet dispensing apparatus of FIG. 1A and of FIG. 1C mentioned below;

FIG. 1C is a front view of a single column of pellet dispensers in a vertical support column;

FIG. 2A is a schematic isometric view illustrating an opening in a pellet dispensing apparatus support and a key mechanism to prevent rotating of a pellet dispenser when it is positioned in an opening in the support;

FIGS. 2B and 2C are schematic illustrations of operation of a pellet dispenser rotating the cap of the pellet dispenser from non-dispensing orientation (FIG. 2B) to pellet dispensing orientation (FIG. 2C);

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are schematic illustrations of several columns of pellet dispensing apparatus and a technique for connecting plural pellet dispensing apparatuses together;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a pellet dispensing container (also referred to as pellet dispenser) according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5A is a front view of the pellet dispensing container of FIG. 4 showing the pellet dispensing outlet closed;

FIG. 5B is a section view of the pellet dispensing container looking in the direction of the arrows 5B-5B of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A is a front view of the pellet dispensing container of FIG. 4 showing the pellet dispensing outlet open;

FIG. 6B is a section view of the pellet dispensing container looking in the direction of the arrows 6B-6B of FIG. 6A showing the pellet dispensing outlet open;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section view schematically illustrating the indexing button or child proof locking button;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a cap for the pellet dispenser of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9A is a front view of the cap of FIG. 8;

FIG. 9B is a section view of the cap looking in the direction of arrows 9B-9B of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 9C is a side elevation view of the cap of FIG. 8;

FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are, respectively, isometric, side elevation and front views of the reservoir of the pellet dispensing container of FIG. 4;

FIG. 10D is a section view of the reservoir looking in the direction of the arrows 10D-10D of FIG. 10C;

FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11C are, respectively, isometric, side elevation and front views of a cap of another embodiment of pellet dispensing container of FIGS. 13A and 13B;

FIG. 11D is a section view of the cap looking in the direction of the arrows 11D-11D of FIG. 11C;

FIG. 11E is a plan view of a pellet blocking wall of the cap;

FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C are, respectively, isometric, side elevation and front views of the reservoir of the pellet dispensing container of FIGS. 13A and 13B;

FIG. 12D is a section view of the reservoir looking in the direction of the arrows 12D-12D of FIG. 12C;

FIGS. 13A and 13B are, respectively, vertically oriented and horizontally oriented side views of another embodiment of pellet dispensing container, the illustration in FIG. 13A showing the indexing or child proof button, and the illustration in FIG. 13B showing a side of the pellet dispensing container in which the indexing button is not seen;

FIG. 13C is a front view of the pellet dispensing container of FIG. 13B looking in the direction of arrows 13C-13C—the pellet dispensing container being oriented in locked position such by the indexing or child proof button mechanism and no pellet being loaded into the cap outlet or dispensing from the cap outlet;

FIG. 13D is a section view of the pellet dispensing container looking in the direction of the arrows 13D-13D of FIG. 13C;

FIG. 13E is a section view of the pellet dispensing container looking in the direction of the arrows 13E-13E of FIG. 13D;

FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C are similar to FIGS. 13C, 13D and 13E, respectively, but with the cap having been partly rotated with respect to the reservoir such that a pellet is loading or has loaded from the reservoir into the cap outlet while no pellet is being dispensed;

FIGS. 15A, 15B and 15C are similar to FIGS. 13C, 13D and 13E, respectively, but with the cap having been further rotated to achieve a relationship of the cap to the reservoir such that a pellet is being dispensed from the cap outlet while no pellet is loading from the reservoir into the cap outlet;

FIGS. 16A, 16B and 16C are the same as FIGS. 13C, 13D and 13E after the cap has been rotated sufficiently far to achieve the locked condition;

FIG. 17A is a schematic view of a disc-like pellet dispensing mechanism according to another embodiment of pellet dispensing apparatus, showing pellet dispensers in a support holder, and FIG. 17B is an enlargement of FIG. 17A;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of the support or holder of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19A is a section view along the lines 19-19 of FIG. 18, but including another embodiment of pellet dispensers therein, and FIG. 19B is an enlargement of FIG. 19A;

FIG. 20 is a side elevation front view of the pellet dispensing container of FIG. 18;

FIG. 21 is a top view of the pellet dispensing container of FIG. 20 showing the dispensing outlet in the cap closed;

FIG. 22 is a section view looking along the lines 22-22 of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a top view of the pellet dispensing container of FIG. 20 showing the dispensing outlet in the cap open;

FIG. 24 is a section view looking along the lines 24-24 of FIG. 23;

FIGS. 25 and 26 are schematic section views of another embodiment of pellet dispensing container, respectively, with the dispensing outlet closed and open;

FIGS. 27 and 28 are schematic illustrations similar to FIGS. 25 and 26 showing more details of the dispensing outlet;

FIG. 29 is a schematic section view of another pellet dispensing container using a rotating wheel to carry pellets from the reservoir to the dispensing outlet;

FIG. 30 is a schematic section view similar to FIG. 29 but showing a pellet being dispensed from the dispensing outlet;

FIG. 31 is an elevation view of the pellet dispenser of FIGS. 29 and 30 showing a spindle on which is mounted a the dispensing wheel and a knob for manually rotating the spindle and wheel to dispense pellets;

FIG. 32 is a schematic isometric view of another pellet dispensing apparatus embodiment in which the dispensing containers are carried on a carousel, tree-like or chandelier type support;

FIG. 33 is a schematic illustration of a pellet dispensing container of the pellet dispensing apparatus of FIG. 32; and

FIG. 34 is a schematic isometric view of the support for the pellet dispensing apparatus of FIG. 32.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout.

Various features of the invention tend to bring supplement products from “behind the cabinet doors” to out on display, e.g., on the dining or kitchen table or counter, kitchen counter, desk top, and so on, whereby they may serve as a reminder or incentive to take, e.g., to eat, to swallow, and so on, the supplement products. Various features of the invention provide aesthetically appealing presentation of the products, e.g., nutritional products, pharmaceutical products or the like (hereinafter for brevity these will be collectively referred to as health products), provide a number or series of products in one organizer that can be easily personalized to meet individuals' needs of particular types of supplements they need to take, and provide easy, simple, one touch dispensing mechanism for people to collect the necessary pellets that can be taken as part of a meal experience, with or without a meal, in the office, on the go, at home, etc.

The terms “pellet” and “pellets” are used herein. Although these terms may be presented in the singular or plural, it is understood that use of the plural may include singular and use of singular may include plural. Moreover, the term pellet is collectively used and means not only a pellet of a nutritional product, but also means capsule, caplet, pill, granules, and so on. Thus, in the description below and in the claims reference to the term “pellets,” “pellet quantity” or “quantity of pellets,” for example, includes a single pellet or more than one pellet.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE RESPECTIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts in the several drawing figures, and initially to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C (sometimes collectively referred to as “FIG. 1”) a dispensing apparatus 10 in accordance with an embodiment is illustrated. The dispensing apparatus 10 includes a number of dispensing mechanisms 11 (sometimes referred to herein at pellet dispenser or pellet dispensing container), and a vertical support structure 12 that holds and supports one or more pellet dispensers 11 in respective relative locations. In FIG. 1A there are several pellet dispensers 11 mounted on the support 12 in spaced-apart positions, for example, in the illustrated 3 by 3 array. The number of pellet dispensers 11 in the dispensing apparatus may be more or fewer than as illustrated, and the arrangement of pellet dispensers in/on the support structure 12 may be different than as illustrated. In FIG. 1C there are three pellet dispensers 11 arranged in a single column on a column or columnar-type support 12′. FIG. 1B is a side or end view representative of both the dispensing apparatus 10 of FIG. 1A and the dispensing apparatus 10′ of FIG. 1C, which includes the single columnar support 12′.

The respective pellet dispensers 11 are configured to contain a number of pellets, and the pellet dispensers are located in the support 12 in a manner that facilitates dispensing pellets for use by a person. The pellet dispensers may be conveniently operated by a person to dispense one pellet (or if desired, more than one pellet) at a time. Therefor, in using the dispensing apparatus 10 of FIG. 1A or 10′ of FIG. 1C, a user may selectively operate one or more of the pellet dispensers to dispense respective pellet(s) as desired. According to an embodiment of the invention, a method of dispensing pellets, includes selecting a pellet dispenser that is held in a support among a plurality of other pellet dispensers, and operating the pellet dispenser to dispense a prescribed quantity of pellets.

As is seen in FIG. 1, the support 12 includes a vertically upstanding wall portion 13 and a base support 14. The pellet dispensers 11 are mounted in the wall 13, and the base 14 supports the entire dispensing apparatus 10, for example, from a surface on which the dispensing apparatus is placed, such as, for example, a table top, counter top, cabinet, shelf, and so on. The wall 13 and base 14 may be a single integral structure or may be made of several parts that are fastened together. The wall and/or base may be made of plastic, metal, wood, or some other material that is relatively rigid to hold the shape of the dispensing apparatus 10 with the pellet dispensers 11 conveniently available for use, for example, as is illustrated in FIG. 1. Moreover, as is seen in FIG. 1B, for example, the wall 13 may be sloped in a somewhat forward direction from the base 14 such that a pellet dispenser nearer the top of the dispensing apparatus 10 is more forward relative to the base than is a relatively lower pellet dispenser 11. Such an arrangement facilitates dispensing a pellet from a relatively higher pellet dispenser 11 without having it drop onto a relatively lower pellet dispenser. In FIG. 1B arrows 15 indicate the approximate dropping direction of a pellet from a pellet dispenser 11 due to such forwardly sloping wall 13. Another advantage of such orientation of pellet dispensers 11 in a sloping wall 13 of the support 12 is the convenience of placing part of a person's hand beneath a pellet dispenser and between adjacent pellet dispensers to obtain a pellet from a relatively upper pellet dispenser.

Still further, an advantage of such arrangement of pellet dispensers in a sloping wall 13 of the support 12 is the downwardly sloping direction of the pellet dispensers to take advantage of gravity to urge or to draw pellets toward the respective outlet of each of the pellet dispensers. Thus, as is seen in the drawing, the wall 13 is not vertical but rather is sloped at an angle of at least several degrees relative to vertical.

As is seen in FIG. 1A, the dispensing apparatus 10 includes three of the columnar dispensing apparatuses 10′ connected together in parallel or otherwise placed together in parallel to make up a composite dispensing apparatus system. More or fewer of the columnar dispensing apparatuses 10′ may be used to increase or to decrease the size of the dispensing apparatus 10 and the number of pellet dispensers 11 therein. An exemplary mechanism for attaching together a pair of columnar dispensing apparatuses 10′ is illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C.

As is seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, each pellet dispenser 11 includes a reservoir 16 and a cap or cover 17. At least a portion of the reservoir 16 extends through the support 12 wall 13 with the pellet dispenser 11 mounted in the support 12 while the cap 17 is exposed to be manipulated by a person to dispense pellets from the pellet dispenser. An example of a mounting arrangement for mounting pellet dispensers in the support wall 13 is illustrated in FIG. 2A, and in mounted relation to the support wall 13, operation of the pellet dispenser 11 by rotating the cap 17 is illustrated in FIGS. 2B and 2C.

Referring to FIG. 2A, an example of a mounting mechanism between a pellet dispenser 11 and the support wall 13 of support 12 is illustrated. The support wall 13 has a mounting opening 20 into which a portion of a pellet dispenser 11 is positioned and is retained in the support wall. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2A at least a portion of the reservoir 16 of the pellet dispenser 11 may be inserted through the opening 20 in the support wall 13 to be held in the support wall. Various mechanisms may be used to retain the pellet dispenser 11 mounted in the support wall 13. For example, there may be a friction fit between the reservoir 16 and the wall 21 that surrounds the mounting opening 20. The friction fit may be provided by a slight angular taper in the wall 21 whereby the diameter of the mounting opening at the front face 13f where the pellet dispenser 11 is inserted into the opening 20 is slightly larger than the diameter of the wall 20 circumscribing the mounting opening 20 near the relatively back face 13b of the support wall 13. Alternatively, the reservoir 16 may be tapered so that the diameter of the external wall 16e of the reservoir 16 first inserted into the mounting opening 20 is slightly smaller than the external diameter of the reservoir 16 closer to the cap 17. In addition to or alternatively to such friction fit, a different structure may be used to retain the pellet dispenser 11 in the opening 20 of the support wall 13. Other arrangements may be used to position and hold a pellet dispenser 11 in the support 12.

A key mechanism 22 aligns the pellet dispenser 11 relative to the support wall 13 to orient the pellet outlet to facilitate dispensing pellets from the pellet dispenser. For example, the key mechanism 22 may orient the pellet dispenser 11 such that the pellet outlet opening 23 of the pellet outlet is at the bottom or relatively lower point or location of the pellet dispenser to take advantage of gravity urging or pulling a pellet out from the pellet dispenser 11. The key mechanism 22 includes, for example, a key tab 24 and a key slot 25. In the illustrated embodiment key tab 24 is on the pellet dispenser 11, for example, as a protruding portion of the reservoir 16, and the key slot 25 is a cutout in the wall 21 circumscribing the mounting opening 20 in the support wall 13. In use of the key mechanism 22, as the pellet dispenser 11 is inserted into the mounting opening 20, the key tab 24 must be aligned with the key slot 25 to be inserted therein as the other portion of the reservoir is urged into and through the mounting opening 20. The key mechanism 22 prevents the pellet dispenser 11 from rotating relative to the mounting opening 20 as the cap 17 is rotated to dispense one or more pellets from the pellet dispenser. Other types of key mechanisms may be used for the described purpose. Moreover, if desired, various other shape configurations may be used to prevent the pellet dispenser 11 from rotating relative to the mounting opening as the cap 17 is rotated to dispense pellets.

In FIGS. 2B and 2C exemplary alignment of the pellet outlet opening 23 of the cap 17 of a pellet dispenser 11 is illustrated. In FIG. 2B, the pellet outlet opening 23 is illustrated depicting a non-dispensing orientation, and in FIG. 2C the cap 17 is illustrated in a pellet dispensing orientation. For example, in FIG. 2B a pellet may already have been dispensed from the pellet dispenser 11 of which the cap 17 is part, and, that may be the only pellet that would be dispensed from the pellet outlet opening 23 without further rotating the cap 17. The arrow 26 represents such further rotating of the cap 17. Upon such further rotating, for example, a chamber (not shown in this drawing) adjacent the pellet outlet opening 23 may fill with a pellet, and upon completing a rotation of the cap 17 to the orientation illustrated in FIG. 2C, the pellet 27 in such chamber may be dispensed from the pellet outlet opening 23. Various arrangements to achieve such a loading of a pellet in the pellet dispensing chamber are described by way of exemplary embodiments below.

Turning to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, a connecting mechanism 30 for connecting a pair of dispensing apparatuses 10a′, 10b′ is illustrated. As was mentioned above, each dispensing apparatus 10a′, 10b′, respectively, includes a support wall for 13a, 13b with openings 20a, 20b to receive and mount respective pellet dispensers 11(not shown). The connecting mechanism 30 includes respective pairs of interacting resilient tabs 31, 32 that are mounted on the back surface 33a, 33b of the respective support walls 13a, 13b, as is illustrated. The tabs 31, 32 are resilient and respective pairs of tabs interact with each other to retain together a pair of support walls 13a, 13b in attached side-by-side relation in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3C. The tabs 31, 32 may be attached to respective support walls by adhesive, by mechanical fasteners, e.g., screws or rivets, or by some other means. The tabs 31, 32 may be integrally formed with, e.g., as by molding or other forming technique the respective support walls 13a, 13b.

As is seen clearly in FIGS. 3B and 3C, the tabs 31 extend beyond the side edge 34a of the support wall of 13a and the tab 32 is formed and positioned to receive the tab 31 when the side edges 34a, 3b are engaged, e.g., as is illustrated in FIG. 3C, such that the tab 32 interacting with a surface portion 35 of the back 33 of the support wall 13b to retain the tab 31.

The tabs 31, 32 each include a respective curved portion 31c, 32c. The curved portions are configured such that the convex surface of tab 31, e.g., the top surface as is illustrated in FIGS. 3B and 3C, fits in engagement with or at least closed proximity at least partly engaging, the concave surface of the corresponding tab 32, e.g., as is illustrated in FIG. 3C. The tab 32 and the wall portion 35 of the support wall 13b cooperate to hold or to retain the tab 31 with the side edges 34a, 34b of respective support walls 13a, 13b in engagement, as is illustrated in FIG. 3C.

The curved portions 31c, 32c of the resilient tabs 31, 32 may be other than curved, e.g., they may be somewhat bent in a triangular shape, a rectangular shape or some other form to provide similar functions as described above.

It will be appreciated that other forms of attachment mechanism be used to attach together adjacent pellet dispensing apparatuses 10a′, 10b′. Moreover, it will be appreciated that respective pellet dispensing apparatus 10a, 10b may include two sets of tabs, one set similar to those shown at 31 and 32 at the respective confronting side edges 34a, 34b, as is illustrated, and another set extending from the other side edges 34a′ and 34b′ (FIG. 3A). Such an arrangement allows more than two pellet dispensing apparatuses to be attached together in side-by-side relation in the manner described above. It also will be appreciated that other techniques may be used to interconnect pellet dispenser apparatuses. For example, in FIG. 3A two dispensing apparatuses, each of which has pellet dispensers in a one-dimensional array, can be connected by the connecting mechanism to provide the pellet dispensers in a two-dimensional array.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the dispensing apparatus 10 of FIG. 1A, for example, may be formed in a modular manner whereby several, e.g., two or more, columnar pellet dispensing apparatus 10a′, 10b′ and/or two or more pellet dispensing apparatuses 10, for example, are connected to form two or more columns, e.g., as is shown as three columns in FIG. 1A. Furthermore, it also will be appreciated that the support 12 (FIG. 1) may be formed providing the desired number of openings for mounting pellet dispensers 11, e.g., in a 3 by 3 array as shown in FIG. 1A or in some other arrangement. Thus, the support 12 need not be formed of attached columns but rather may be an integral structure.

An embodiment of pellet dispenser 40 is illustrated in FIG. 4 and in FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A and 6B. In FIGS. 5A and 5B the pellet dispenser 50 is closed and in FIGS. 6A and 6B the pellet dispenser is open to dispense pellet(s). As is seen in FIG. 4, the pellet dispenser 40 includes a reservoir or container 41 that contains a number of pellets to be dispensed from the pellet dispenser. The pellet dispenser 40 includes a cap or cover 42 that covers the reservoir 41 and provides for dispensing of pellets through dispensing openings 43 that are formed in the cap. The pellet dispenser 40 may be used as the pellet dispenser 11 that is described above with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, for example.

The reservoir 41 is a hollow container having an interior 44 within the container walls 45. As an example, the container may be generally cylindrical in shape, e.g., as is illustrated in the drawings, or it may be of some other shape. The container 41 may be made of plastic, metal, or some other material. The interior 44 of the container 41 is generally hollow and open to contain a number of pellets 46 (FIGS. 5B and 6B). The back wall 47 of the container 41 may be solid and the side walls 48 may also be solid and generally cylindrical, thus forming a somewhat jar-like shape or configuration for the reservoir 41. At the front face 50 of the reservoir 41 is an access opening 51 through which pellets 46 easily may be placed into the interior 44 when the cap 42 is removed from the reservoir 41. However, with the cap 42 installed on the reservoir 41, a cover wall 52 of the cap covers the access opening 51 to prevent or to block pellets 46 from unintentionally falling out from the reservoir.

The cap 42 has a generally circular or cylindrical form factor. The cap has a mostly solid wall or front face 52, as was mentioned above, and also has a cylindrical side wall 53 that fits over the forward part of the side 48 of the reservoir 41, e.g., toward the front face 50 (toward the left as illustrated in FIGS. 5B and 5C) to mount the cap to the reservoir. As is illustrated in the drawings, the side wall 53 of the cap 42 and the forward portion of the side wall 48 of the reservoir 41 are of a similar or same general shape, e.g., cylindrical, and this allows the cap to be rotated about the axis A of the cap and of the reservoir. A ridge 55 circumscribes all or at least part of the exterior of the reservoir side wall 48, and a corresponding recess 56 circumscribes all or at least part of the cap wall 55. The ridge 55 and the recess 56 cooperate to provide an interference fit as a holding or attaching mechanism 60 to hold the cap to the reservoir while permitting relative rotation of the cap and reservoir. The cap wall 53 and/or the portion of the side wall 48 in the area of the holding mechanism 60 may be flexible/resilient to allow the cap side wall to slide over the ridge to place the ridge in the recess thereby providing a snap connection to hold the cap to the reservoir while permitting the cap to rotate relative to the reservoir about the axis A. The cap 42 can be separated and removed from the reservoir 41 by flexing the cap to release the recess 56 from the ridge 57.

A pellet dispensing outlet 61 of the reservoir 41 allows pellets to be dispensed out from the interior 44 of the reservoir. The pellet dispensing outlet 61 is a slot through the wall near a bottom part of the reservoir in proximity to the cap so that pellets will tend to be pulled or urged by gravity toward the pellet dispensing outlet for dispensing from the pellet dispenser 40.

The cap 42 has one or more cap outlets 43 arranged in spaced-apart locations generally about the perimeter of the cap, each of which may be brought into alignment with the pellet dispensing outlet 61 in a selective manner, one at a time, as the cap is rotated about the axis A. When a cap outlet 43 is aligned with pellet dispensing outlet 61, a pellet 46 may exit the interior 44 of the reservoir 41, thus being dispensed from the pellet dispenser. The size of the pellet dispenser outlet and the cap outlets may be coordinated with respect to the size of the pellets 46 so that only one pellet or several pellets, e.g., a prescribed number of pellets, as may be desired, is/are dispensed in a controlled way when the cap outlet and pellet dispensing outlet are aligned.

A flange 62 circumscribes the exterior of the generally cylindrical shape reservoir 41. The flange is provided relatively near the area where the cap 42 would be installed or is installed on the reservoir. The flange 62 limits the extent to which the reservoir may be inserted into an opening 20 of the support 12 (FIGS. 1A and 1B). Thus, if the pellet dispenser 40 were inserted into an opening 20 of a support 12 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) with the back wall 47 inserted first, the flange 62 would limit the extent of that insertion. The cap 42 would not engage the front surface of the support wall 13 because it is blocked by the flange, and, therefore, as the cap may be rotated during use of a pellet dispenser 40, such rotating would not cause wearing of the support.

Referring to FIGS. 5B, 6C and 7, an indexing device or indexer 65 tends to lock or to retain the cap 42 in position relative to the reservoir 41 to prevent dispensing of pellets. In FIGS. 5B and 7 the indexer 65 is in locked or retaining mode or condition; and in FIG. 6B the indexer is in released mode. The indexer 65 may be operated to release the cap 42 from locked condition so as to permit rotating of the cap. The indexer 65 includes a spring loaded button 66 that is mounted in a compartment 67 and is urged by a spring 68 in a direction out from the compartment through an opening 69. The button 66 may align with respective indexing slots or openings 70 that are in the annular wall 53 of the cap 42. When the button is aligned with a slot 70, it tends to resist or to prevent rotation of the cap. The orientation or location of the indexing mechanism 65, including the location of the button 66, slots 70, and outlet openings 43 of the cap are coordinated so that when the button is extending into a slot, no outlet opening is aligned with the pellet dispensing opening 61; thus, the pellet dispenser 40 then is not in a dispensing mode. However, when the button 66 is pressed either manually or by force being applied upon manual rotating of the cap relative to the reservoir, the cap is able to be rotated to an orientation allowing an outlet opening 43 to align with a pellet dispensing opening 61 to allow dispensing of pellet(s) from the reservoir.

The indexer 65 may be configured such that the amount of force required to press the button sufficiently to allow for rotating of the cap that the force would be greater than force able to be applied by a young child. Therefore, in such configuration the indexer also may serve as a lock making the pellet dispenser 40 as an impediment to resist dispensing usage by a young child as to be to at least some extent child proof.

Turning to FIGS. 8 and 9A-9C, details of the cap 42 are illustrated. The cylindrical side wall 53 has a number of indexing slots or openings 70 that cooperate with the button 66 of the indexer 65 to allow for stepped rotational motion of the cap about the reservoir 41. The locations of the indexing slots 70 are coordinated with the outlets with the cap outlets 43 such that when the cap is aligned with the button 66 in an indexing slot, an outlet 43 is not aligned with the pellet dispensing outlet 61 of the reservoir 41 thereby blocking dispensing of a pellet (or of a number of pellets). A portion of the exterior surface 71 of the cap 42 is roughened, e.g., as by being provided with a number of raised and lowered, e.g., undulating, surface portions, knurling, and so on, to facilitate manual secure grasping of the cap to rotate it relative to the reservoir. The cap 42 may be made of plastic, rubber, or virtually any other material. For example, the cap may be made by plastic injection molding or by some other process.

In FIGS. 10A-10D the reservoir 41 is illustrated in detail. At the front 50 of the reservoir 41 is the open area 51 through which pellets may be conveniently loaded into the reservoir. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated the front 50 includes an annular wall 51a circumscribing the open area 51. The annular wall 51a cooperates with the wall 52 of the cap 42 when the cap and reservoir are assembled to retain pellets in the reservoir, e.g., blocking the pellets from exiting the pellet dispenser except for pellets permitted to exit via the pellet dispensing outlet 61. The pellet dispensing outlet 61 is seen as a cutout in the annular wall 51a and the side wall 48 of the reservoir 41. When the pellet dispensing outlet 61 is aligned with an outlet 43 in the cap 42, a path is provided allowing one or more pellets that are in the reservoir 41 to be dispensed, e.g., as is illustrated by pellet 46 in FIG. 6B.

In FIG. 10D the compartment 67 and opening 69 associated with the indexing mechanism 65 are seen. A mount 68a for the spring 68 (FIGS. 5B and 6B) in the compartment 67 are seen. The mount 68a provides for aligning of the spring 68 in the compartment 67 to operate the button 66 urging the button out from the compartment for exposure in the opening 69.

Referring now to FIGS. 11A-11D, 12A-12D, and 13A-13D another embodiment of pellet dispenser 100 is illustrated. Details of the cap 101 and reservoir 102 for the pellet dispenser 100 are shown in FIGS. 11A-11D and 12A-12D, respectively. Several portions of the cap 101 and reservoir 102 are similar to the cap 42 and reservoir 41 that are described above, for example, with respect to FIGS. 4-10.

In the pellet dispenser 100 the cap 101 and reservoir 102 include a restricted pellet dispensing outlet 103 (FIG. 13D). The restricted pellet dispensing outlet 103 is configured to provide a restriction or limitation on the number of pellets, e.g., one, or more than one, but in any event limited in number and/or size of pellets, that can be dispensed at one time.

Referring to FIGS. 12A-12D, the reservoir 102 includes a side wall 48 that is of cylindrical shape and has a leading or front edge 110. Between the front edge 110 and the interior 44 where pellets would be contained in the reservoir 102, is an annular wall 111. The annular wall is recessed inward of the reservoir 102 relative to the leading edge 110. An inner surface 112 of the reservoir side wall 48 is between the annular wall 111 and the front edge 110 of the reservoir. The reservoir pellet dispensing outlet 61 is cut, molded or otherwise formed in the forward part of the reservoir side wall 48, for example, as is illustrated in FIG. 12A. Also, a pellet loading slot or opening 113 is formed in the annular wall 111, as shown.

As is described further below, the pellet loading slot 113 cooperates with the cap 101 to load one or more pellets into a pellet entrance area of the cap. Moreover, the pellet dispensing outlet 61 is cooperative with respective cap outlets (described further below) to provide the restricted pellet dispensing outlet 103 of the pellet dispenser 100.

Referring to FIGS. 11A-11D the cap 101 is of a shape similar to the cap 42 that is described above so as to cooperate with the reservoir 102 for selective operation to dispense one or more pellets, as desired. Additionally, cap 101 includes several cap outlets 120 that are spaced about the circumference of the cap 101, e.g., as is seen in FIG. 11A. Each cap outlet 120 is cooperative with a pellet dispensing outlet 61 of the reservoir 102 shown in FIGS. 12A-12D, as will be described further below.

The cap 101 has a front wall or a front face 52 and a cylindrical side wall 53. Additionally, the cap 101 has a pellet blocking wall 121 that is generally parallel to the front wall 52 and is spaced apart from the front wall in a direction toward the rear (e.g., to the right relative to the illustration in FIG. 11D) of the front wall and is attached to a cylindrical support wall 122 that is attached to the front wall 52.

The cap 101 also includes a number of pellet receiving and dispensing chambers 123. The pellet receiving and dispensing chambers 123 are located between the front wall 52 and the pellet blocking wall 121 at respective locations distributed about the interior circumference of the cap 101, e.g., as is illustrated in FIGS. 11C and 11D. Struts 124 that are walls extending from the support wall 122 toward, but not reaching, the side wall 53 of the cap, separate respective pellet receiving and dispensing chambers 123 from each other and/or from respective empty spaces or volumes 127 that are between respective pellet receiving and dispensing chambers 123.

Each pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123 in the cap 101 includes two portions, namely, a pellet entrance area 125 and a pellet exit area 126. The two areas 125, 126 are respective parts of the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123, and there is no impediment between those two areas. Therefore, a pellet in the pellet entrance area 125 may move relatively freely to the pellet exit area 126.

FIG. 11E is a plan view of the pellet blocking wall 121. As is seen in FIG. 11, the pellet blocking wall 121 is generally of circular shape and is of a material that is solid or otherwise formed to block movement of pellets through the pellet blocking wall. Additionally, the pellet blocking wall includes a number of cutouts 130 that allow passage of pellets through the space formed by the respective cutouts. In the illustrated embodiment there are six cutouts 130. The cutouts 130 are located about the perimeter of the pellet blocking wall 121 oriented relative to the pellet receiving and dispensing chambers 123, respectively, to allow a pellet from the reservoir to pass through a cut-out 130 into a pellet entrance area 125. Thus, the number of cutouts 130 corresponds to the number of pellet entrance areas 125 and, accordingly, the number of pellet receiving and dispensing chambers 123. The pellet blocking wall 121 also includes about its perimeter area pellet blocking surfaces or flanges 131. The flanges 131 are positioned relative to the pellet receiving and dispensing chambers 123 to block a pellet from the reservoir entering a pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123, as is described further below.

Rotating of the cap 101 relative to the reservoir 102 to obtain aligning of the pellet loading slot 113 with a cutout 130 of the pellet blocking wall 121. The pellet receiving and dispensing chambers 123, including the pellet entrance area 125 and pellet exit area 126 thereof and the cutouts 130 and flanges 131 of the pellet blocking wall 121 are positionally coordinated with each other and with the pellet loading slot 113 and outlet opening 61 of the reservoir 102 such that when a cutout 130 is aligned with the pellet loading slot 113 a pellet may pass through the pellet loading slot 113 and through the cutout 130 into a pellet entrance area 125 of a pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123. Meanwhile, the wall 53 of the cap 52 blocks the outlet opening 61 of the reservoir so that a pellet in the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123 would not be able to exit through the pellet exit area 126 and outlet opening 61.

Thus, rotating the cap 101 to an orientation relative to the reservoir 102 such that the pellet loading slot 113 of the reservoir is aligned with a cutout 130 in the pellet blocking wall 121 of the cap permits a pellet to fall from the interior 51 of the reservoir into a pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123 of the cap.

Rotating the cap 101 further about the reservoir 102 causes a flange 131 to block the pellet loading slot 113 of the reservoir. At this point the pellet exit area 126 of the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123 becomes aligned with the dispensing outlet 61 of the reservoir, allowing a pellet in the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123 to fall through the pellet dispensing outlet 61 and the cap outlet 120. A user may place his/her hand beneath the cap outlet to receive the pellet. Meanwhile, a flange 131 of the pellet blocking wall 121 blocks the pellet loading slot 113 of the reservoir from passing a pellet to the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123 of the cap.

From the foregoing, then, it will be appreciated that the reservoir 102 includes an annular wall 111 circumscribing the open area 51 (volume) of the reservoir. There is an opening, namely, the pellet loading slot, 113 in the annular wall 111 for passing pellets there through to a cap outlet entrance area, namely, the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123. The cap outlet includes the pellet entrance area 125 to receive a quantity of pellets, e.g., one of more pellets, depending on size of pellets relative to size of pellet loading slot 113, size of cutout 130, and so on, for example, from the reservoir. The exit area 126 of the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123 may dispense pellets from the container via the cap outlet 120. The entrance area 125 and exit area 126 of the cap are relatively arcuately displaced in the cap 101, and they are connected for movement of pellets from the entrance area to the exit area, as was described above. The various wall portions, entrance area and exit area, and so of the cap 101 and the reservoir 102 are cooperative such that while a quantity of pellets (one or more as was mentioned above) is entering the entrance area, the exit area is blocked from dispensing pellets.

As is seen in the drawings, the cap 101 includes a plurality of cap outlets 120 arranged in the cap at arcuately separated locations. The cap outlets are cooperative with the reservoir annular wall 111, the pellet loading slot opening 113 in the annular wall, and the pellet dispensing outlet 61 of the reservoir such that with the cap oriented with respect to the reservoir to receive a pellet at the entrance area 125 of the cap, the exit areas 126 of the cap are blocked to prevent dispensing of a pellet from the respective cap outlet. Such cooperative relationship also is such that with the exit area of a cap outlet 120 aligned with the reservoir outlet 61 to dispense a pellet, the entrance areas 125 of the cap pellet receiving and dispensing chambers 123 are blocked from receiving pellets from the reservoir.

FIGS. 13-16 illustrate schematically the alignment and operation of various portions of the pellet dispenser 100. Referring initially to FIGS. 13A-13E, the pellet dispenser 100 is shown in an orientation such that pellets 46 are in the interior 44 of the reservoir 102, and the cap 101 is oriented in a position such that no pellets are in the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123. A flange 131 blocks the pellet loading slot 113, and the side wall 53 of the cap blocks the pellet dispensing outlet 61 of the reservoir. As is represented by arrow 132 the cap may be rotated in a counter clockwise direction.

Upon such counter clockwise rotating, the cap becomes oriented in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 14A-14C. As is shown a cutout 130 of the pellet blocking wall 121 is aligned with the pellet loading slot 113, and a pellet 46 has rolled, or been shaken, or otherwise moved into the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123. At this point the wall 53 of the cap continues to block the pellet dispensing outlet 61 of the reservoir.

It is noted here that in FIG. 13D the button 66 of the indexer 65 extends into the slot 70 of the cap tending to retain the relative orientation of the cap 101 and reservoir 102. However, when the cap has been rotated counter clockwise in the direction of the arrow 132 to achieve the orientation illustrated in FIGS. 14A-14C, a wall portion 53a of the cap presses against the button 66 against the spring force of the indexer to facilitate continued rotating of the cap. The button 66 may be pressed into the compartment 67 by force applied by the wall 53a as the cap commences being turned or the button may be pressed in manually to allow for the cap to be turned. These may be determined, for example, based on the shape of the button, shape of the slot, spring force, and so on.

Continuing operation of the pellet dispenser 100, the cap 101 shown in FIG. 14A, for example, may be rotated in the direction of the arrow 132 still further, thus achieving the alignment of parts illustrated in FIGS. 15A-15C. As is seen in FIG. 15B, the pellet 46 that had been in the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123 in FIG. 14B has been discharged or dispensed. At this point, as is seen in FIG. 15B, a flange 131 of the pellet blocking wall 121 is blocking the loading slot 113, and the pellet dispensing outlet 61 of the reservoir is aligned with the cap outlet 120 to permit the pellet 46 that had been in the pellet receiving and dispensing chamber 123 to pass through the pellet exit area 126 and to be dispensed from the pellet dispenser 100.

Rotating of the cap 101 in the direction of the arrow 132 shown in FIG. 15A, for example returns the cap 101 to an orientation shown in FIGS. 16A-16C that are the same illustrated and described above with respect to FIG. 13A-13E.

Referring to FIGS. 17-24, a travel-type pellet dispenser system 150 is illustrated. The pellet dispenser system 150 includes a travel holder 151 capable of holding a number of pellet dispensers 152. The travel holder 151 is shown as a circular disc-like support structure having distributed in a circular pattern about the disc a number of pellet dispensers 152. The holder 151 is formed of a body 153 that has a number of recesses 154 for containing respective pellet dispensers 152. The pellet dispensers 152 may be of circular form factor, and the recesses 154 may be of a similar shape/form factor. The pellet dispensers 152 may fit snuggly, e.g., by friction fit, in respective recesses 154 so that the pellet dispensers are held relatively securely in the respective recesses. Additionally or alternatively, the pellet dispensers 152 may be held in the respective recesses 154 by a snap fit mechanism. The snap fit mechanism is shown schematically at 155 in FIG. 18, for example, as an aligning ridge that aligns the pellet dispenser 152 appropriately to the recess and also may include a resilient tab, protraction, spring, or other member that mates with a corresponding member, recess, etc. in the pellet dispenser resiliently to retain the pellet dispenser in a preferred orientation, e.g., as is illustrated in FIGS. 17-19. A cutout 156 through the body 153 of the travel holder 151 at each recess 154 provides access to the underside of a pellet dispenser so that force can be applied to the pellet dispenser urging it out from the recessed 154 thereby to remove the pellet dispenser from the travel holder 151. An arrow 157 represents an example of the direction in which force may be applied through a cutout 156 to remove a pellet dispenser 152 from the body 153. An example of a preferred orientation of the respective pellet dispensers 152 in the travel holder 151 is illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 19. The pellet dispensers 152 have a slider to open the pellet outlet. For convenience of operating the pellet dispenser system 150 the orientation of the pellet dispensers 152 and sliders is such that the direction of sliding is from the outside circumference of the travel holder toward the center represented at the center or axis 160 of the system 150. If desired, though, the directional orientation of the pellet dispensers may be other than as is illustrated and described. The travel holder 151 may be of circular form factor or may be of some other form factor, as may be desired.

Referring to FIG. 20, a front view of a pellet dispenser 152 is illustrated. The pellet dispenser includes a cover 161, a case 162, and a slider 163, which may be operated manually to open a pellet outlet 164. A recess 165 in the bottom of the case 162 cooperates with the snap fit aligning ridge 155 of the travel holder 151 (FIGS. 18 and 19).

The case 162 has a hollow interior 170 to contain therein a number of pellets 46. The cover 161 attaches to the case to close the top 171 of the case to retain pellets in the pellet dispenser 152. The cover may be removed from the case to allow pellets to be placed in the case, and the cover may be replaced on the case to contain pellets in the pellet dispenser.

The pellet outlet 164 may be an opening in the top and/or side wall of the cover 161, as is seen most clearly in FIG. 24. The slider 163 may be urged by a spring 172 in a direction to close the outlet 164, e.g., as shown in FIG. 22. The slider 163 may be slid manually against the force of the spring 172 to open the outlet 164 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 24. FIG. 22 illustrates the slider in closed orientation, and an arrow 173 represents the direction to which the slider 163 may be slid to the orientation illustrated in FIG. 23 and FIG. 24 to open the outlet 164.

In using the pellet dispenser system 150, for example, one or more pellet dispensers 152 may be loaded with pellets. To do this, for example, the cover 161 may be removed from the case 162, pellets inserted into the case, and the cover replaced on the case. The pellet dispenser(s) may be placed in the travel holder 151 in respective recesses 154 thereof and appropriately aligned, for example, as was described above to achieve the positioning and orientation in FIG. 17, for example. The sliders 163 of the respective pellet dispensers 152 maintain the pellet outlets 164 closed. The slider of any of the pellet dispensers 152 may be manually slid against the force of spring 172 to open an outlet 164, and a pellet may be dispensed from the given pellet dispenser. The pellet may simply fall out, for example, if the pellet dispenser system 150 were turned appropriately to allow gravity to pull the pellet out from the outlet 164; or, if desired, the pellet dispenser system 150 may be shaken to remove a pellet. If desired, a given pellet dispenser may be removed from the travel holder 151 for use and/or for reloading of pellets therein.

The pellet dispensing system 150 may be conveniently placed in a purse, suitcase, travel bag, and so on and be available for convenient use to dispense pellets, as desired or as needed. The pellet dispensing system 150 also may be used to dispense pellets, as needed, having been stored on a table surface, shelf, cabinet, and so on.

Turning to FIGS. 25 and 26, another embodiment of pellet dispenser 180 is illustrated. The pellet dispenser 180 includes a reservoir 181 and outlet 182 from the reservoir. The reservoir 181 has a hollow interior 183 in which pellets may be loaded and contained ready for dispensing through the outlet 182. The reservoir 181 is a hollow generally cylindrical container, as is illustrated in the drawings; however, the form factor of the reservoir may be different, e.g., the reservoir may be somewhat of polygonal shape or some other shape. A sloped wall 184 guides pellets toward the outlet 182 under the influence of gravity when the pellet dispenser 180 is standing upright, for example, in the orientation illustrated in the drawings. An opening 185 is in the sloped wall 184 to direct pellets to the outlet 182.

The outlet 182 includes a movable compartment 186 able to pivot from the closed mode/orientation illustrated in FIG. 25 to an open mode/orientation shown in FIG. 26. The movable compartment 186 includes an outlet chamber 187. An opening 190 in the wall 191 of the outlet chamber 187 serves as a pellet inlet to the chamber 187 and a pellet outlet from the chamber 187. When the movable compartment 186 is in the closed orientation shown in FIG. 25, a pellet 46 may fall through the opening 185 in the sloped wall 184 and move under the influence of gravity through the pellet inlet 190 into the chamber 187. When the movable compartment 186 is moved to the orientation illustrated in FIG. 26, pellet(s) in the chamber 187 may fall out (or be shaken out), thus dispensing the pellet(s) through the outlet opening 190.

The movable compartment 187 is of a form factor to fit in an opening 192 near the bottom of the reservoir 181, and the walls 191 of the movable compartment 186 as well as the sloped wall 184 of the reservoir 181 block dispensing of pellets 46 except when a pellet is dispensed from the chamber 187 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 26.

The movable compartment 186 is mounted in the pellet dispenser 180 by a rod 193 and linkage 194. The rod 193 is in a sleeve 195 that blocks contact between pellets 46 in the interior 183 of the reservoir 181 and the rod 193. A spring 196 circumscribing at least a portion of the rod 193 provides a force urging the rod upward to maintain the moveable compartment 186 in the closed mode illustrated in FIG. 25. An actuator button 197 attached at the top of the rod 193 may be pressed into a recess 198 in the cover 199 of the pellet dispenser to urge the rod against the force of the spring 196 in a downward direction relative to the illustration of FIGS. 25 and 26 to move the movable compartment 196 to the open mode illustrated in FIG. 26. When force to the button 197 is released, the spring 196 urges the rod 193 and button 197 upward to pull closed the movable compartment 186 and, thus, the outlet 182 of the pellet dispenser 180.

The cover 199 is removably attached to the top of the reservoir 181. The cover may be removably attached using a threaded connection, snap connection or some other connection to the top of the reservoir 181. The button 197 may be removably attached to the rod 193 by a friction fit or snap fit so that when the cover 199 is removed from the reservoir, the button 197 also may be removed from the top of the rod 193. The button and cover may be replaced on the rod and reservoir, respectively to the configuration shown in FIG. 25. With the cover removed, pellets easily may be loaded into the interior 183 of the pellet dispenser 180. With the cover mounted on the reservoir, the cover prevents pellets from falling out from the reservoir unless intended by actuating the button, rod, and movable compartment.

In using the pellet dispenser 180, pellets may be loaded into the reservoir 181 and the cover 199 closed onto the top of the reservoir. One or more pellets may roll down or flow down into the chamber 187 of the movable compartment 186 via the pellet inlet opening 190 and be ready to be dispensed. When it is desired to dispense a pellet, the button 197 may be pressed to cause a rotating or pivoting of the movable compartment 186 to the orientation shown in FIG. 26 allowing the pellet(s) that are in the chamber 187 to be dispensed. Thus, the opening 190 in the wall 191 of the movable compartment 186 serves as an inlet to the movable compartment 186 when the movable compartment is closed as shown in FIG. 25 and as an outlet from the movable compartment and from the pellet dispenser 180 when the movable compartment is in the orientation shown in FIG. 26.

Turning to FIGS. 27 and 28 another embodiment of pellet dispenser 181′ is illustrated. The pellet dispenser 180′ is similar to the pellet dispenser 180, which is discussed above. However, the pellet dispenser 180′ has a spring 200 that is attached to and/or positioned relative to a wall portion 201 of the reservoir 181 and to the wall 191 of the movable compartment 186. The spring 200 provides force tending to retain the movable compartment 186 to the closed mode shown in FIG. 27. However, in response to a force being applied to the button 197 urging the rod 193 downward, the movable compartment 186 may be moved against the force of the spring 200 to open the outlet 182 to dispense pellet(s) in the chamber 187 in a manner similar to that described above, as is illustrated in FIG. 28. Upon releasing the button 197, the spring 200 returns the movable compartment 186 from the orientation illustrated in FIG. 28 to the closed orientation illustrated in FIG. 27 closing the outlet 182.

FIGS. 29-31 illustrate another embodiment of pellet dispenser 300. The pellet dispenser 300 includes a reservoir 301 having a hollow interior 302 and an outlet 303. Pellets 46 may be contained in the hollow interior 302. A wall 304 separates the hollow interior 302 from the outlet 303. Opening 305 in the wall 304 allows pellets in the hollow interior 302 to drop into a dispensing wheel 306. The wheel 306 is rotatable. The wheel 306 includes a number of compartments 307 into which pellets may drop when a given compartment is aligned with the opening 305. The wheel may be manually turned by a user grasping a handle 308 and turning the wheel to align a compartment 307 with the pellet dispensing outlet opening 309. Thus, as is illustrated in FIGS. 29-31, a pellet 46 may fall through the opening 305 in the wall 304 into a compartment 307. The wheel 306 may be rotated by a user turning the handle 308, e.g., to move respective compartments from alignment with the opening 305 toward the pellet dispensing outlet 309. Thus, as is illustrated, in FIG. 29 a pellet 46 has dropped into one compartment 307. Moving from FIG. 29 to FIG. 30, it can be seen that the handle 308 has been turned in a clockwise direction to load pellets into several of the compartments 307, and one pellet has dropped from a compartment through the pellet dispensing opening 309, thus being dispensed for use.

Referring to FIGS. 32-34, a pellet dispensing apparatus 330 is illustrated. This pellet dispensing apparatus includes a support structure 331 having a base 332, upstanding support rod 333 and a number of branches 334 that extend out from the support rod 333 to hold respective pellet dispensers 335. The support 331 is in tree-branch or chandelier-type arrangement whereby the branches 334 extend outward and hold the pellet dispensers 335 in spaced-apart relation for easy use to dispense pellets. The pellet dispensers 335 are shown schematically having a top 336 with an actuator button 337 that can be pressed to dispense pellets that are stored in the reservoir 338 of the given pellet dispenser. An outlet opening 339 in the pellet dispensers is provided through which pellets may be dispensed from the pellet dispenser.

The pellet dispenser 335 may be virtually any of the various types that are described above or other types. In the illustrations of FIGS. 32-34, the branches include circular support rings 340 into which respective pellet dispensers 335 may be placed and held, e.g., as is shown in FIG. 32. The pellet dispensers 335 may have a flange, circumferential raised area, etc., that cooperates with a support ring 340 so that the pellet dispenser is held above the support 332.

Although the chandelier-type structure of the support 331 is illustrated in FIG. 32 and in FIG. 34 (in solid lines) as having the branches 334 and support rings 340 that hold the respective pellet dispensers in a common plane, the respective branches 334 of the support 331 may be at different respective heights, e.g., as is represented schematically in dash lines at 342 in FIG. 34.

From the foregoing, then, it will be appreciated that the various pellet dispensers and apparatuses described herein may be used to store pellets of the same or of different types in respective pellet dispensers for convenient use. The various apparatuses may be placed in a convenient location for use, such as, for example, on a table surface, on a shelf, in a cabinet, and so on. The pellets and their dispensers may be placed in view of a user, e.g., on a table surface and readily available so that the user will not forget to dispense pellets for personal use, and so one.

CONCLUSION

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described elements (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any element which performs the specified function of the described element (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one or more of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.

PELLET DISPENSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

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