Dispensing Container

• US 20090223989A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Gelardi, John Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,033,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2215/02 requiring the combination of simultaneous actions
• 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: B65D 85/1009 provided with proffering means B65D85/1054 takes precedence

Abstract

A container adapted for dispensing a product is provided, the container including a storage compartment configured to store a plurality of units of a product to be dispensed; a dispensing chamber for receiving at least one unit of the product, the dispensing chamber configured for movement between a closed and locked position and a dispensing position; a dispensing pathway between the storage compartment and the dispensing chamber, the dispensing pathway sized for passage of at least one unit of the product; a locking mechanism adapted for releasably locking the dispensing chamber in the closed and locked position; and a blocking member operatively positioned to block the dispensing pathway when the dispensing chamber is in the dispensing position.

Claims

1. A dispensing container, comprising:

a storage compartment configured to store a plurality of units of a product to be dispensed, the storage compartment extending longitudinally within a plane;

a dispensing chamber for receiving at least one unit of the product, the dispensing chamber configured for movement between a closed and locked position and a dispensing position;

a dispensing pathway between the storage compartment and the dispensing chamber, the dispensing pathway sized for passage of at least one unit of the product;

a locking mechanism adapted for releasably locking the dispensing chamber in the closed and locked position; and

a blocking member operatively positioned to block the dispensing pathway when the dispensing chamber is in the dispensing position;

wherein the dispensing chamber pivots laterally between the closed and locked position and the dispensing position such that the axis of rotation of the dispensing chamber is substantially perpendicular the longitudinal plane of the storage compartment.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a button that is depressed to release the dispensing chamber from the closed and locked position.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the blocking member comprises one or more ridges adjacent to the dispensing chamber and operatively positioned to block the dispensing pathway when the dispensing chamber is in the dispensing position.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing pathway is sized for passage of a single unit of the product.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment comprises a plurality of products.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the product is characterized by a shape selected from the group consisting of pill, tablet, sphere, sheet, coin, cube, bead, ovoid, obloid, bean, stick, and rod.

7. The container of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, smoking products, smokeless tobacco products, snack products, and confectionery products.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein the product is a smokeless tobacco product.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, candies, mints, and gums.

10. A dispensing container, comprising:

a main body portion defining a storage compartment configured to store a plurality of units of a product to be dispensed, the storage compartment extending longitudinally within a plane, the main body portion comprising an outwardly-extending, resilient locking button; and

a dispensing tray pivotally engaged with the main body portion and comprising a dispensing chamber in communication through a dispensing pathway with the storage compartment of the main body portion, the dispensing tray configured to pivot, around an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the storage compartment, between a closed and locked position wherein the dispensing chamber is inaccessible from the exterior of the container and a dispensing position wherein the dispensing chamber is accessible from the exterior of the container.

11. The container of claim 10, wherein the dispensing tray further comprises an aperture through which the locking button of the main body portion extends when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position such that the locking button is accessible from the exterior of the container.

12. The container of claim 10, wherein the dispensing tray further comprises a button chamber adapted for housing the locking button when the dispensing tray is in the dispensing position.

13. The container of claim 10, wherein the dispensing tray further comprises one or more ridges positioned adjacent to the dispensing chamber and configured to block the dispensing pathway when the dispensing tray is in the dispensing position.

14. The container of claim 10, wherein the dispensing chamber defined by the dispensing tray is open at one end, and wherein the main body portion further comprises an outwardly-projecting lip that covers the open end of the dispensing chamber when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position.

15. The container of claim 14, wherein the dispensing tray further comprises a tab operatively positioned to slidingly engage a slot in the outwardly-projecting lip as the dispensing tray pivots between the closed and locked position and the dispensing position.

16. The container of claim 10, wherein the dispensing tray carries a tab that engages the main body portion and guides the pivoting action of the dispensing tray.

17. The container of claim 10, wherein the dispensing tray comprises a flap operatively positioned to engage the locking button when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position.

18. The container of claim 10, wherein the locking button comprises a recess facing the dispensing tray and the dispensing tray comprises a projection operatively positioned to engage the recess when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position.

19. The container of claim 10, wherein the locking button comprises a recess facing the dispensing tray and the dispensing tray comprises a moveable flap and an adjacent projection, the flap operatively positioned to engage the locking button when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position and the projection operatively positioned to engage the recess when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position, such that depressing the flap will depress the locking button and disengage the projection from the recess of the locking button.

20. The container of claim 10, wherein the storage compartment comprises a plurality of products.

21. The container of claim 10, wherein the product is characterized by a shape selected from the group consisting of pill, tablet, sphere, sheet, coin, cube, bead, ovoid, obloid, bean, stick, and rod.

22. The container of claim 10, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, smoking products, smokeless tobacco products, snack products, and confectionery products.

23. The container of claim 10, wherein the product is a smokeless tobacco product.

24. The container of claim 10, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, candies, mints, and gums.

25. A dispensing container, comprising:

a cover plate;

a middle plate fixedly attached to the cover plate and having a first surface facing the cover plate and an opposing surface facing away from the cover plate, the cover plate and the middle plate defining a storage compartment configured to store a plurality of units of a product to be dispensed, the storage compartment extending longitudinally within a plane, the middle plate comprising an aperture in communication with the storage compartment and sized for passage of at least one unit of the product, an outwardly-extending locking button projecting from the opposing surface and configured for movement between a locked position and an unlocked position and being resiliently urged into the locked position, and an outwardly-extending lip projecting from the opposing surface; and

a dispensing tray pivotally engaged with the middle plate and comprising an open-ended dispensing chamber in communication with the aperture of the middle plate, the dispensing tray configured to pivot, around an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the storage compartment, between a closed and locked position wherein the dispensing chamber is inaccessible from the exterior of the container and a dispensing position wherein the open end of the dispensing chamber is accessible from the exterior of the container,

wherein the outwardly-extending lip of the middle plate covers the open end of the dispensing chamber when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position.

26. The container of claim 25, wherein the dispensing tray further comprising an aperture through which the locking button of the middle plate is urged when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position such that the locking button is accessible from the exterior of the container, and one or more ridges positioned adjacent to the dispensing chamber such that the one or more ridges prevent movement of a unit of the product through the aperture of the middle plate when the dispensing tray is in the dispensing position.

27. The container of claim 25, wherein the dispensing tray further comprises a button chamber adapted for housing the locking button when the dispensing tray is in the dispensing position.

28. The container of claim 25, wherein the dispensing tray further comprises a tab operatively positioned to slidingly engage a slot in the outwardly-projecting lip as the dispensing tray pivots between the closed and locked position and the dispensing position.

29. The container of claim 25, wherein the dispensing tray comprises a flap operatively positioned to engage the locking button when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position.

30. The container of claim 25, wherein the locking button comprises a recess facing the dispensing tray and the dispensing tray comprises a projection operatively positioned to engage the recess when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position.

31. The container of claim 25, wherein the locking button comprises a recess facing the dispensing tray and the dispensing tray comprises a moveable flap and an adjacent projection, the flap operatively positioned to engage the locking button when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position and the projection operatively positioned to engage the recess when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position, such that depressing the flap will depress the locking button and disengage the projection from the recess of the locking button.

32. The container of claim 25, wherein the storage compartment comprises a plurality of products.

33. The container of claim 25, wherein the product is characterized by a shape selected from the group consisting of pill, tablet, sphere, sheet, coin, cube, bead, ovoid, obloid, bean, stick, and rod.

34. The container of claim 25, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, smoking products, smokeless tobacco products, snack products, and confectionery products.

35. The container of claim 25, wherein the product is a smokeless tobacco product.

36. The container of claim 25, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, candies, mints, and gums.

37. A method of dispensing a product from a container, comprising:

providing a container comprising a main body portion defining a storage compartment containing a plurality of units of a product to be dispensed, the storage compartment extending longitudinally within a plane, the main body portion comprising an outwardly-extending, resilient locking button; and

a dispensing tray pivotally engaged with the main body portion and comprising a dispensing chamber in communication through a dispensing pathway with the storage compartment of the main body portion, guiding at least one unit of the product into the dispensing chamber of the dispensing tray while the dispensing tray is in a closed and locked position such that the dispensing chamber is inaccessible from the exterior of the container;

depressing the locking button of the main body portion;

while maintaining the locking button in the depressed state, laterally pivoting the dispensing tray into a dispensing position wherein the dispensing chamber is accessible from the exterior of the container, wherein the axis of rotation of the dispensing tray is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the storage compartment; and

removing at least one unit of the product from the dispensing chamber.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the container further comprises an aperture through which the locking button of the main body portion extends and through which the locking button is accessible from the exterior of the container, and wherein said depressing step comprises depressing the locking button into the aperture of the dispensing tray through which the locking button extends.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the locking button comprises a recess facing the dispensing tray and the dispensing tray comprises a moveable flap and an adjacent projection, the flap operatively positioned to engage the locking button when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position and the projection operatively positioned to engage the recess when the dispensing tray is in the closed and locked position, and said depressing step comprises depressing the flap in order to depress the locking button such that the projection is disengaged from the recess of the locking button.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of pivoting the dispensing tray back into the closed and locked position such that the locking button again extends through the aperture in the dispensing portion.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the storage compartment comprises a plurality of products.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the product is characterized by a shape selected from the group consisting of pill, tablet, sphere, sheet, coin, cube, bead, ovoid, obloid, bean, stick, and rod.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, smoking products, smokeless tobacco products, snack products, and confectionery products.

44. The method of claim 37, wherein the product is a smokeless tobacco product.

45. The method of claim 37, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, candies, mints, and gums.