DISPENSING APPARATUS

• US 3,854,625 A
• Filed: 02/13/1974
• Issued: 12/17/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ervin L. Kuebler
• Original Assignee: Ervin L. Kuebler
• Inventors: Kuebler, Ervin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skaggs, H. Grant
• Application Number:
  US05/438,331
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 221/197,198,226,228-230,232,247,250,267,279,280,303,306-311,200,299-301,264 133/5A
• US Class Current: 221/198
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/0431 Disc-like articles arranged in a pile on their flat side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/045 Pen-like with pocket-clip
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/0481 One reciprocating action, e.g. to or from
• 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

Abstract

This invention pertains to an apparatus for dispensing articles of uniform size, such as, tablets, pills and the like. An outer housing encloses a dispensing member. The dispensing member comprises an upper and lower portion. The lower portion includes a cavity for placement of a plurality of the articles to be dispensed and an opening in one end thereof for dispensing articles from the apparatus. The upper portion includes a button protruding external of the outer housing for translating the dispensing member from a first position to a second position when depressed and spring bias means for applying constant dispensing pressure to the articles. A second spring bias means is also provided to return the dispenser from the second position to the first position when the depressed button is released. A retaining member is provided on the inner end of the outer housing opposite from the button for allowing a single article to be dispensed when the dispenser is in the second position and ready the next single article for dispensing when the button is released and the dispensing member returns to its first position.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing objects of uniform size comprising:

a hollow outer housing having an upper portion with an aperture therethrough and a lower portion with an inner retaining member positioned inward from an outer open end, said open end having a larger diameter than said inner retaining member;

a movable dispensing member disposed within said hollow outer housing and movable from a first position to a second position said dispensing member comprising an upper portion forming an operating button, said button passing through said aperture and has sliding engagement therewith for translating said dispensing member downwadly when depressed and a lower portion having a cavity of uniform diameter for storing a plurality of loose fitting objects for dispensing, a normally restrictive inner wall portion having a smaller diameter than said cavity and a normally flaired outer lip having a larger diameter than said cavity, when said dispensing member is in said first position said inner retaining member is positioned adjacent the normally flaired lip for applying inward pressure thereto for deforming same to a diameter less than said cavity thereby restricting the dispensing of the bottom most object in said cavity and the deforming of said normally flaired lip causes said normally restrictive inner wall portion to bow outwardly to a diameter equal to said cavity thereby allowing unrestricted movement of the objects therethrough and when said operating button is depressed, said dispensing member moves downwardly to said second position placing said normally flaired lip below said inner retaining member thus allowing said normally flaired lip to return to its original configuration for releasing said bottom most object and allowing said restrictive inner wall portion to return to its normal configuration for retaining the now bottom most object and preventing its release therethrough.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the distance between said retaining member and said open end is greater than the height of said objects to be dispensed.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said hollow outer housing includes a guide member positioNed inwardly from said inner retaining member for guiding the translation of said dispensing member.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said lower portion of said dispensing member additionally comprises a plurality of equally spaced slots with progressively diminishing width originating at said normally flaired outer lip and terminating at said normally restrictive inner wall portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said slots are substantially closed when said movable member is in said first position.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising a compressable coil spring surrounding said movable member and retained thereby at one end thereof and retained at the other end by said lower portion of said hollow outer casing for returning said movable member from said second position wherein said spring is compressed to said first position wherein said spring is relaxed when said depressed operating button is released.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said objects to be dispensed are spherical.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said outer casing comprises a removeably engaged upper and lower portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the engagement of said upper and lower portion is by threaded means.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said upper portion of said dispensing member additionally comprises downward biasing means applying dispensing pressure on said objects to be dispensed.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said downward biasing means comprises a first coil spring within said upper portion of said dispensing member and positioned between the inner side of said operating button and the upper outer end portion of a plunger housing, a second coil spring positioned between the upper inside of said plunger housing and the top surface of a plunger positioned within said plunger housing with the lower end of said plunger applying constant downward pressure on the upper most item to be dispensed.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the lower portion of said movable dispensing member is removable.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said objects to be dispensed are tablets.