TABLET DISPENSER

• US 3,651,927 A
• Filed: 10/21/1969
• Issued: 03/28/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James E. Richardson, Lawrence M. Sherman
• Original Assignee: James E. Richardson, Lawrence M. Sherman
• Inventors: Richardson, James E., Sherman, Lawrence M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Summer, Leonard
• Application Number:
  US04/868,173
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 206/42 116/121 221/4,5
• US Class Current: 221/5
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/0409 of dates or follow-numbers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0463 formed in a band or a blisterweb, inserted in a dispensing device or container

Abstract

A dispenser for solid dosage form pharmaceutical preparations which are administered on a regular chronologic schedule. Typically, the dispenser is used for the storage and dispensing of oral contraceptive drugs. The dispenser comprises a base disk having a plurality of circumferentially spaced tablet dispenser apertures, an intermediate table disk, having a corresponding plurality of frangible tablet receptacles, and an overlying locator disk. The locator disk also has a corresponding plurality of apertures and, when the three disks are assembled in superposed, operative relation, each tablet receptacle extends upwardly through one of the apertures in the locator disk. Each tablet is oriented in a vertical position within its own tablet receptacle. Appropriate chronologic indicia are positioned on the base disk to permit alignment of the tablet and locator disks to the particular menstrual cycle of the user. Locking means are provided to secure the tablet and locator disks in the desired orientation and superposed relation with respect to the base disk.

Claims

1. A dispenser for dispensing tablets in a predetermined chronological sequence comprising:

A base member having at least 21 circumferentially spaced tablet dispensing apertures; and

a corresponding plurality of chronological daily indicia located around the periphery of and aligned with the tablet dispensing apertures, said indicia covering at least 21 consecutive days of the week;

A tablet disk comprising;

a planar circular closure member having a plurality of frangible, circumferentially spaced portions therein, a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially aligned, erect, deformable blisters positioned over and secured to the frangible portions of the closure member, Said blisters each defining a tablet receptacle, and, a corresponding plurality of tablets positioned vertically on edge within the tablet receptacles with the plane of each tablet being radially aligned and normal to the plane of said circular closure member;

A locator disk having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures which are of a sufficient size to permit the tablet disk blisters to extend upwardly through the apertures when the tablet and locator disks are assembled in superposed relation;

Means for holding the tablet and locator disks in rotatable, superposed relation on said base member so that said disks can be rotated to position the tablet containing blisters over the base member tablet dispensing apertures and in radial alignment with the chronological daily indicia; and

, Means for releasably locking the tablet and locator disks to prevent rotation with respect to the base member, said locking means cooperating with said tablet disk to eject one tablet from the dispenser when the locking means is actuated.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 further characterized by said locking means being carried on and rotatable with said locator disk.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 further characterized by said locking means being carried on and rotatable with said locator disk and, a beginning of menstrual cycle index positioned on said locator disk with respect to said locking means so that when the index is aligned with the daily indicia representing the day of the week on which the menstrual cycle began, the locking means will eject the tablet that is aligned with the daily indicia which occurs four consecutive days later.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 further characterized by said tablet disk blisters being circumferentially spaced apart by a distance such that the user'"'"''"'"'s forefinger normally covers at least two of the blisters.

5. A dispenser for dispensing tablets in a predetermined chronological sequence comprising:

A base member having at least 21 circumferentially spaced tablet dispensing apertures, a corresponding plurality of chronological daily indicia located around the periphery of and aligned with the tablet dispensing apertures, said indicia covering at least 21 consecutive days of the week; and

at least 21 circumferentially spaced daily beginning of menstrual cycle indicia positioned inwardly from said tablet dispensing apertures;

A tablet disk comprising a planar circular closure member having a plurality of frangible, circumferentially spaced portions therein, a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially aligned, erect, deformable blisters positioned over and secured to the frangible portions of the closure member, said blisters each defining a tablet receptacle, and, a corresponding plurality of tablets positioned vertically on edge within the tablet receptacles with the plane of each tablet being radially aligned and normal to the plane of said circular closure member;

A locator disk having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures which are of a sufficient size to permit the tablet disk blisters to extend upwardly through the apertures when the tablet and locator disks are assembled in superposed relation;

Means for holding the tablet and locator disks in rotatable, superposed relation on said base member so that said disks can be rotated to position the tablet containing blisters over the base member tablet dispensing apertures and in radial alignment with the chronological daily indicia; and

, said tablet and locator disks each having an aperture through which one of the beginning of cycle daily indicia is visible when the disks are assembled in superposed relation on said base member.