"Dispenser, system and method for dispensing pills"
First Claim
1. A dispenser for dispensing pills wherein each of the pills has a size, the dispenser comprising:
- a funnel having walls and a height defined between a top end and a bottom end wherein walls of the funnel define an interior of the funnel wherein the wall of the funnel has a notch at the bottom end of the funnel wherein the interior of the funnel is sized to receive a plurality of the pills;
a first disk having a center and a circumference wherein the first disk has a top side and a bottom side located opposite to the top side of the first disk wherein the top side of the first disk has a ridge extending from the center of the first disk outwardly with respect to the circumference of the first disk wherein the funnel is connected to the first disk wherein the first disk and the notch in the wall of the funnel define an opening wherein the opening is sized to receive one of the pills; and
a ring having a top side and a bottom side located opposite to the top side of the ring wherein the top side of the ring is connected to the bottom side of the first disk wherein the first disk rotates in a first direction and further wherein the ring rotates in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.
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Abstract
A dispenser, a system and a method dispense pills from a funnel via a notch on a top side of a first disk. The first disk has ridges on a top side of the first disk for transferring the pills from the funnel to a top side of a second disk. The first disk and/or second disk rotate in a first rotational direction to transfer the pills to the second ring via an opening in a ridge of the first disk. A ring located adjacent to the opening of the first disk rotates in a second rotational direction for transferring the pills to a passage which is located adjacent to the ring. A gate and/or a pocket is located between the ring and an interior of the passage which is sized to receive the pills from the funnel. The pocket is sized to receive a pill from the ring of the dispenser. The dispenser has a configuration mechanism for determining and/or for identifying a configuration the pills. One of the pills is inserted between arms of the configuration mechanism to determine the configuration of the pills. A pin is connected to the configuration mechanism for positioning the pin within an interior of the passage based on the configuration of the pills. The pin prevents more than one of the pills from entering the pocket and/or the interior of the passage.
35 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A dispenser for dispensing pills wherein each of the pills has a size, the dispenser comprising:
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a funnel having walls and a height defined between a top end and a bottom end wherein walls of the funnel define an interior of the funnel wherein the wall of the funnel has a notch at the bottom end of the funnel wherein the interior of the funnel is sized to receive a plurality of the pills; a first disk having a center and a circumference wherein the first disk has a top side and a bottom side located opposite to the top side of the first disk wherein the top side of the first disk has a ridge extending from the center of the first disk outwardly with respect to the circumference of the first disk wherein the funnel is connected to the first disk wherein the first disk and the notch in the wall of the funnel define an opening wherein the opening is sized to receive one of the pills; and a ring having a top side and a bottom side located opposite to the top side of the ring wherein the top side of the ring is connected to the bottom side of the first disk wherein the first disk rotates in a first direction and further wherein the ring rotates in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for dispensing pills from a funnel wherein the funnel has walls and a height defined between a top end and a bottom end wherein the walls define an interior of the funnel wherein the interior of the funnel is sized to receive the pills, the system comprising:
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a base having a top side and a bottom side located opposite to the top side of the base wherein the top side of the base has a ring with a lip extending outwardly with respect to the top side of the base wherein the top side of the base and the lip define an interior of the ring wherein the base has a passage with walls defining an interior wherein the interior of the passage is adjacent to the interior of the ring wherein the interior of the passage is sized to receive one or more of the pills; a first disk having a center, a perimeter, a top side and a bottom side wherein the bottom side of the first disk is located opposite to the top side of the first disk wherein the first disk is connected to the base wherein the first disk is located within the interior of the ring wherein the first disk has a rim adjacent to the perimeter of the first disk wherein the rim extends outwardly with respect to the top side of the first disk wherein the top side of the disk and the rim of the disk define an interior of the first disk; and a ridge connected to the first disk wherein the ridge extends outwardly with respect to the top side of the first disk wherein the ridge extends from the center of the first disk outwardly with respect to the perimeter of the first disk wherein the ridge rotates in a first direction. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for dispensing pills from a funnel wherein the funnel has walls defining an interior of the funnel wherein the interior of the funnel is sized to receive the pills wherein each of the pills has a size and a shape which define a first configuration of each of the pills, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a dispenser wherein the dispenser has a base with a top side and a bottom side opposite to the top side wherein the dispenser has a lip attached to the top side of the base wherein the lip and the top side of the base define an interior of the dispenser wherein the dispenser has a first ring which is connected to the top side of the base wherein the dispenser has a passage with walls defining an interior of the passage wherein the passage is adjacent to the top side of the base wherein the interior of the passage is sized to receive one or more of the pills; connecting a basket having a pin to the dispenser wherein the basket has walls defining an interior of the basket wherein the pin extends into the interior of the passage wherein the pin is located in a first position within the interior of the passage wherein the pin in the first position and one of the walls of the passage define a first pocket having a first size wherein the pocket is located between the interior of the dispenser and the interior of the passage; and moving the pin to a second position within the interior of the passage wherein the pin in the second position and the one of the walls of the passage define a second pocket having a second size wherein the second pocket is sized to receive one of the pills from the interior of the dispenser wherein the second size of the second pocket corresponds to the first configuration of each of the pills. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification