PILL CASE

• US 20100012547A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Variant Products, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Variant Products, Ltd.
• Inventors: Gardner, Christopher P.
• Application Number:
  US12/174,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20100012547A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/570
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/0468 of drawer-and-shell type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0445 all the articles being stored in individual compartments

Abstract

A dispenser includes a housing defined by a bay, and a drawer defining an open position and a closed position. The drawer is retained within the bay against a compression force applied by a spring-like member when the drawer is in a closed position.

Claims

1. A dispenser, comprising:

a housing defining a bay; and

a drawer defining an open position and a closed position, the drawer being retained within the bay against a compression force applied by a spring-like member when the drawer is in the closed position.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the drawer defines a knob configured to assist in retaining the drawer within the bay in the closed position.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the drawer defines an arm springingly engaged with a portion of the bay while the drawer is in the closed position.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the drawer defines a stop configured to retain a portion of the drawer within the bay while the drawer is in the open position.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a lock assembly configured to prohibit the drawer from transitioning between the closed position and the open position.

6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an opener configured to assist in ejecting the drawer from the bay, thereby transitioning the drawer from the closed position to the open position.

7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the drawer is comprised of at least two different materials.

8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the drawer is formed from a single piece of material.

9. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the drawer is one of a plurality of drawers retained by the housing.

10. A dispenser, comprising:

a housing defining a plurality of bays;

a drawer disposed in each bay of the plurality of bays; and

a plurality of openers, each opener of the plurality of openers being configured to assist in springingly ejecting a corresponding drawer from the bay in which the drawer is disposed.

11. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein each drawer is retained within the bay in which it is disposed against a compression force.

12. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein an arm of each drawer springingly engages the housing when the respective drawer is in a closed position.

13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the arm forces the respective drawer to contact a respective opener of the plurality of openers when the drawer is in the closed position.

14. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the arm springingly engages an incline defined by the housing when the drawer is in the closed position.

15. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein a knob of each drawer is disposed within a corresponding pocket of the housing when the drawer is in a closed position.

16. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein actuating an opener of the plurality of openers removes the knob from the corresponding pocket of the housing.

17. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein a portion of each opener is rigidly mounted to a top of the housing.

18. A method of dispensing a pill disposed within a drawer of a housing, comprising:

pressing an opener, a portion of the opener being in contact with the drawer;

removing a knob of the drawer from a pocket defined by the housing; and

partially ejecting the drawer from the housing with a spring-like member disposed between the housing and the drawer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein pressing the opener causes an arm connected to the drawer to deflect.

20. The method of claim 18, further including engaging a surface of the housing with a stop connected to the drawer to retain a portion of the drawer within the housing.