Patent Application
20110259910
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
This invention relates generally to the field of pill containers and more specifically to a dispensing pill container.
Pills are commonly taken for medical purposes as prescribed by a physician. Some pills, for example nitroglycerin pills, are quite small in size and must be taken at the first sign of heart palpitations that could lead to a heart attack. During such a high anxiety moment, it is difficult for a person to deal with opening a small bottle and dispensing one tiny pill.
To facilitate this potentially life saving activity, it would be helpful for the user to have a pill bottle that is capable of quickly and easily, in a one handed manner, dispensing a single pill. Additionally it would be desirable to have a lock out mechanism that prevents accidental dispensing or dispensing by a young child.
Dispensing containers for pills and candy are known. These include patents:
However, none of the patents sited above as prior art include the unique and novel design that includes the combined features of one handed operation, a lock out feature and an integral pill catch cup that lets the user accurately dispense a pill into the catch cup and then into his or her hand from any pouring angle.
The primary object of the invention is to provide a pill container that allows the user to dispense one pill at a time.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pill container that can be operated with one hand.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pill container that requires the user to use an unlocking mechanism before a pill can be dispensed.
A further object of the invention is to provide a pill container that dispenses a single pill into an open topped cup making it easier and more reliable to pour the pill into the user's hand.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a pill dispensing container comprising: an outer housing, a pill holding chamber, a pill pulling member, a pill catch cup, an activation button, a vertical activation arm, a vertical locking post, a horizontal locking pin, a locking spring, a pill push spring and a pill chamber closure; said pill holding chamber terminating on one end in said pill chamber closure and on the other end in said pill pulling member, said pill holding chamber being sized to hold a single vertical stack of pills downwardly retained by said pill push spring, said pill push spring located above said stack of pills and below said pill chamber closure, said activation bottom fixedly attached to the top portion of said vertical activation arm, said vertical activation arm rotatably pinned at its half way point to adjacent walls of said outer housing, said pill pulling member hingedly attached at one end to said vertical activation arm forming an L shape, said pill pulling member terminating at its opposite end in a J shape, said housing having a bottom plate the includes a pill shaped aperture located to one side of said pill chamber, said bottom plate including a centrally located downwardly disposed cup holding post, said cup holding post terminating at its opposite end to the bottom of said pill catching cup, the lip of the side walls of said pill catching cup and the bottom surface of said housing bottom forming a pill dispensing gap, said horizontal locking pin fixedly attached to the side wall of said vertical locking post, said vertical locking post held in an upward orientation by said locking spring, said housing including an aperture in its side wall that is in alignment with said horizontal locking pin when said vertical locking post is pushed down by said user, so that when a user presses on the top of said vertical locking post, said horizontal locking pin lowers and comes into alignment with said aperture allowing the user to push in on said activation button, and said pushing motion causing said vertical activation arm to rotate about a shaft and causing the pill pulling member to slide outwards, thereby causing said J shaped end to pull a single pill to one side so that it is in alignment with said bottom aperture, allowing said pill to drop down to said pill catching cup.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.
Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.
Referring now to
In the above described and illustrated way, the present invention 100 provides an easy, safe and quick way for a person to have access to a single pill when needed. Additionally, the pill can not be accidentally dispensed until the user activates a locking release mechanism.
While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
