PILL DISPENSER
First Claim
1. A pill dispenser comprising:
- a floor adapted to be coupled to a shell to define an inner cavity disposed above the floor for receiving a plurality of pills, the floor having a funneled opening extending therethrough, wherein the funneled opening has an entrance at a top of the floor and a smaller exit below the entrance at a bottom of the floor;
a rotor rotatably coupled adjacent the bottom of the floor and having a plurality of pill receptacles extending from a top surface to a bottom surface of the rotor and a plurality of corresponding separation ramps, wherein each separation ramp extends from the top surface downward to connect with one side of the corresponding pill receptacle; and
a base coupled to the rotor opposite the floor and having a pill-dispense opening; and
an indexing mechanism coupled to the rotor to index the rotor in a rotational direction relative to the base to a plurality of index positions, wherein in each of the index positions one of the pill receptacles aligns with the exit of the funneled opening and another of the pill receptacles aligns with the pill-dispense opening.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pill dispenser is provided with a floor, a rotor rotatably coupled adjacent the floor, a base coupled to the rotor, and an indexing mechanism coupled to the rotor to index the rotor in a rotational direction relative to the base to a plurality of index positions. The floor is adapted to be coupled to a shell to define an inner cavity for receiving pills. The floor has a funneled opening extending therethrough. The rotor has a plurality of pill receptacles extending from a top surface to a bottom surface and a plurality of corresponding separation ramps. Each separation ramp extends from the top surface downward to connect with one side of the corresponding pill receptacle. In each of the index positions, one of the pill receptacles aligns with an exit of the funneled opening and another of the pill receptacles aligns with a pill-dispense opening of the base.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A pill dispenser comprising:
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a floor adapted to be coupled to a shell to define an inner cavity disposed above the floor for receiving a plurality of pills, the floor having a funneled opening extending therethrough, wherein the funneled opening has an entrance at a top of the floor and a smaller exit below the entrance at a bottom of the floor; a rotor rotatably coupled adjacent the bottom of the floor and having a plurality of pill receptacles extending from a top surface to a bottom surface of the rotor and a plurality of corresponding separation ramps, wherein each separation ramp extends from the top surface downward to connect with one side of the corresponding pill receptacle; and a base coupled to the rotor opposite the floor and having a pill-dispense opening; and an indexing mechanism coupled to the rotor to index the rotor in a rotational direction relative to the base to a plurality of index positions, wherein in each of the index positions one of the pill receptacles aligns with the exit of the funneled opening and another of the pill receptacles aligns with the pill-dispense opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A pill dispenser comprising:
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a floor adapted to be coupled to a shell to define an inner cavity for storing a plurality of pills, the floor having a funneled opening extending therethrough; a rotor rotatably coupled to the floor and having a plurality of pill receptacles extending from a top surface to a bottom surface of the rotor and a plurality of corresponding separation ramps, wherein each separation ramp extends from the top surface downward to an intermediate height of the corresponding pill receptacle, wherein each pill receptacle has a width for containing a small dimension of the pills and a total height greater than the intermediate height, the intermediate height being less than a large dimension of the pills; a base coupled to the rotor opposite the floor and having a pill-dispense opening; and an indexing mechanism coupled to the rotor to index the rotor in a rotational direction relative to the base to a plurality of index positions, wherein in each of the index positions one of the receptacles of the plurality aligns with the pill-dispense opening. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A pill dispenser comprising:
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a shell having an inner cavity to receive a plurality of pills, the shell having a plurality of funneled openings defined along a floor of the shell, each funneled opening sized to receive at least one of the plurality of pills; a rotor coupled to the shell adjacent the floor and having a plurality of pill receptacles extending through the rotor; a base coupled to the rotor opposite the shell and having a pill-dispense opening; and an indexing mechanism coupled to the rotor to index the rotor relative to the base to a plurality of index positions, wherein in each index position one of the funneled openings aligns with one of the pill receptacles and one of the pill receptacles aligns with the pill-dispense opening. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification