Dispensing cartridge

• US 10,160,588 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hero Health, Inc. (Hero Health IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hero Health, Inc. (Hero Health IP LLC)
• Inventors: Akdogan, Kutadgu, Von Heifner, Christian, Trigger, Dale, Vepuri, Kalyan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey, Patrick H
• Application Number:
  US15/174,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20170001788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/02 Pill counting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0454 Controlling adsorption controlling temperature swing adsorption B01D53/0462, controlling pressure swing adsorption B01D53/047
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/261 by adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/268 the absorber being enclosed in a small pack, e.g. bag, included in the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0409 the dispensing means being adapted for delivering one article, or a single dose, upon each actuation B65D83/0445 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/32 in combination with an identity check
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A dispensing cartridge may be improved by the inclusion of an actuator and an agitator. Specifically, activation of the actuator may move the agitator within the cartridge to agitate the items and to direct one of the items into a position for dispensing. Concurrently, activation of the actuator may move a cap of the cartridge to align a dispensing hole with the position for dispensing, thereby allowing for the dispensing of a single item.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a reservoir configured to hold a plurality of items;

a chute coupled to the reservoir, the chute including a chute path to direct at least one of the items into a position for dispensing;

a housing about the reservoir and the chute;

a cap for the housing, the cap including a dispensing hole, and the cap movably coupled relative to the chute to permit the dispensing hole to move into and out of alignment with the position for dispensing;

an agitator positionable within the reservoir;

an actuator mechanically coupled to the agitator and the cap, the actuator configured to concurrently move the agitator within the reservoir to agitate the items and move the cap relative to the chute to align the dispensing hole with the position for dispensing;

a first sleeve of the housing, the first sleeve including first sleeve walls and a base comprising the cap, the first sleeve further including the agitator;

a second sleeve of the housing including second sleeve walls and a top, the second sleeve slidably engaged with the first sleeve such that, when a pressing force normal to the cap is applied to an end of the device, the first sleeve and the second sleeve slide relative to one another along the first and second sleeve walls thereby creating a compressed state for the device where the base and the top are separated by a smaller distance than a distance between the base and the top when the device is in an uncompressed state; and

a dispenser tube protruding through the base of the first sleeve and including an item seat, wherein the item seat is concealed by the base of the first sleeve when the device is in the uncompressed state, and wherein the item seat is exposed when the device is in the compressed state,

wherein the chute is disposed within the second sleeve, and wherein the chute includes an item hole and an agitator hole,

wherein the dispenser tube is situated below the item hole, and

wherein, when the first sleeve and the second sleeve slide relative to one another to create the compressed state for the device, the agitator protrudes through the agitator hole of the chute thereby agitating the items and directing one of the items through the item hole and onto the item seat of the dispenser tube such that one of the items is exposed when the device is in the compressed state.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the chute includes surfaces asymmetrically arranged about an axis of the reservoir, the surfaces forming the chute path.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the agitator includes an asymmetrical shape.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one container including the plurality of items, the at least one container engaged with the housing using at least one of:

a snap-fit connection, a screw connection, a friction-fit connection, a pronged connection, and an electromagnet connection.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising an attachment coupled to the housing by an attachment mechanism, wherein one the items is dispensed through the dispensing hole and into the attachment.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising a memory configured to store data regarding the items.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a door and a window, the door in cooperation with the reservoir and configured to allow access to the plurality of items in the reservoir, the window including a translucent surface in cooperation with the reservoir and configured to allow viewing of the plurality of items in the reservoir.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the items has a specific item size and item shape, and wherein the dispenser tube includes a size and shape configured to cooperate with the item size and item shape and to dispense one of the items.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the dispenser tube is removable and replaceable with a second dispenser tube having at least one of a different size and shape.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first surface at a base of the reservoir, the first surface including a first hole; and

a second surface disposed below the first surface and rotatably coupled to the first surface, the second surface including a second hole configured for alignment with the first hole when the first surface and the second surface are placed in a predetermined rotational alignment relative to one another, wherein alignment of the first hole with the second hole forms the dispensing hole for the device.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the dispensing hole is formed in the dispenser tube, the dispenser tube removable from and replaceable to the device to facilitate replacement of the dispenser tube with a second dispenser tube shaped having a second dispensing hole configured to dispense different items having a different shape or size from the plurality of items.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising an adjustable component in-line with the dispensing hole and configured to adjust a size of the dispensing hole to dispense different items having a different size or shape from the plurality of items.