Safety locking dispenser

• US 4,164,301 A
• Filed: 07/25/1977
• Issued: 08/14/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arnold A. Thayer
• Original Assignee: Arnold A. Thayer
• Inventors: Thayer, Arnold A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moy, Joseph Man-Fu
• Application Number:
  US05/818,517
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 206/534, 206/538, 206/533, 220/256, 220/255, 220/253, 220/336, 220/345, 220/324, 220/326, 116/121, 221/90, 221/91, 292/87, 292/84, 292/88, 292/89
• US Class Current: 220/253
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0454 the whole forming a circular container with rotating parts B65D83/0463 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0899 Flexible

Abstract

An improved dispenser preferably having seven compartments that are each identified to correspond to a day of the week. The dispenser compartments are formed by partitions arranged within a flat cylindrical housing, the partitions extending outwardly as spokes from a center area thereof, the housing having at least one groove or track formed around a top lip area thereof for accommodating the edge of at least one circular disk that travels therein, said disk either accommodating another disk in an appropriate recess formed therein, or another disk is arranged to travel in a separate groove or track formed also in the housing top lip area, said disks being sandwiched together both having openings formed therethrough that, when aligned, form a passage to allow pills or the like to pass from within the dispenser, the invention including a safety locking arrangement for maintaining the disks together prohibiting alignment of said openings. A number of embodiments of safety locking arrangements for maintaining the disks together are taught by the present invention each embodiment involving a lock that is released by a manual effort that would not be apparent to a child, whereafter the disks can be rotated independently to align their opening to form a passage therethrough.

Claims

1. A safety locking dispenser comprising,

a cylindrical housing that is closed across the bottom thereof;

a plurality of upstanding walls within said cylindrical housing, separating the interior thereof into compartments;

an upper disk means fitted at the edge thereof in a track formed in said cylindrical housing, for closing off the top thereof, so as to rotate therein, having an opening formed therethrough;

a lower disk means arranged within said cylindrical housing, below said upper disk, for closing off the top thereof so as to rotate independently of said upper disk, and having an opening formed therethrough that is similar to said opening formed through said upper disk;

means for releasably locking said upper and lower disks together consisting of,

a tab secured at one end thereof to the upper disk so as to extend in the plane thereof and to be capable of upward flexure therefrom;

said tab having a notch removed therefrom, proximate to its opposite end facing oppositely to the top of said upper disk; and

a bar attached to said lower disk, arranged to extend upwardly therefrom extending through the opening in said upper disk, which bar has a notch removed therefrom leaving a ridge that receives said tab notch thereover.

2. A safety locking dispenser as recited in claim 1, further including letters indicating defined periods, scribed on the outer surface of the cylindrical housing, immediately opposite to select compartments therein;

pointer means associated with the upper disk for alignment with certain of said letters for aligning the opening in the upper disk with a selected compartment; and

means for maintaining, in independent proximity, the lower and upper disks.

3. A safety locking dispenser as recited in claim 2 wherein the means for maintaining, in independent proximity, the lower and upper disks, consists of, a hub formed within the cylindrical housing supporting said lower disk.

4. A safety lock for a dispenser that utilizes, for a closure, overlapping disks that are independently movable to align openings in each consisting of,

a tab secured at one end to an upper disk so as to extend in the plane thereof into an opening formed therethrough, which tab is capable of upward flexure therewith, and has a notch removed therefrom, proximate to its opposite end facing oppositely to a top of an upper disk;

and

coupling means associated with said lower disk for receiving and releasably securing said tab notch thereover;

said coupling means consisting of

a bar attached to said lower disk, arranged to extend upwardly therefrom extending through the opening in said upper disk, which bar has a notch removed therefrom leaving a ridge that receives said tab notch thereover.