Dispensing top for pill case

• US 5,520,307 A
• Filed: 06/23/1993
• Issued: 05/28/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronee Miller
• Original Assignee: Ronee Miller
• Inventors: Miller, Ronee, Freed, Anna
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REICHARD, DEAN ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/081,678
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 221/2, 221/4, 221/5, 221/7, 221/8, 221/92, 221/123, 221/124, 221/130, 221/131, 221/132, 221/152, 221/154, 221/263, 221/264, 221/265, 221/277, 220/23.4, 220/253, 206/534, 206/459.5
• US Class Current: 221/2
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk

Abstract

A medication dispenser cap and container comprises a base connected to the container and including a non-circular, for example polygonal, indication portion with multiple points or nodes. A cover which also has a non-circular shape is rotatably mounted to the base and moveable into aligned closed position with the base. The base includes multiple openings around its periphery and the cover includes one opening which can be aligned with one of the base openings to dispense medication, for example pills, from the container. The openings are aligned only when the cover is offset with respect to the base. This exposes parts of the base which may carry indicia that indicate when the dosage should be taken.

Claims

1. A medication dispenser cap for a container comprising:

a base adapted to be connected to the container and including a non-circular indicating portion having a plurality of nodes around its periphery for indicating a plurality of dosages, the base including a plurality of closed portions that alternate with base openings around the periphery of the base, each base opening being adjacent a node and each closed portion being between two adjacent nodes; and

a cover mounted for rotation to the base for covering the base openings and closed portions, the cover having a plurality of nodes around its periphery which are equal in number to the nodes of the base, the cover having a cover opening therein, between two adjacent nodes of the cover so that the cover is rotatable into a plurality of closed positions with the nodes of the base and cover aligned and the cover opening aligned with one of the closed portions, and into a plurality of open positions with the nodes of the cover offset from the nodes of the base and the cover opening aligned with one of the base openings for dispensing a medication.

2. A cap according to claim 1, including anti-rotation means engaged between the base and the cover when the cover is in one of the closed positions, for preventing inadvertent rotation of the cover on the base.

3. A cap according to claim 2, wherein the anti-rotation means comprises a stop mounted to one of the base and cover, and a stop recess in the other of the base and cover for receiving the stop, the stop being removable out of the stop recess for permitting rotation of the cover on the base.

4. A cap according to claim 2, wherein said anti-rotation means comprises a lid movably mounted to the cover for closing the cover opening, the base including a stop recess for receiving a portion of the lid when the cover and base are in one of the closed positions, for precluding rotation of the cover on the base, the lid being moveable to a position exposing the cover opening and away from the stop recess to permit rotation of the cover on the base.

5. A cap according to claim 2, including one-way rotation means engaged between the base and cover for allowing rotation of the cover in only one direction on the base.

6. A cap according to claim 5, wherein said one-way rotation means comprises a rack formed on the base and a pawl formed on the cover engageable in the rack.

7. A cap according to claim 1, including one-way rotation means engaged between the base and cover for allowing rotation of the cover in only one direction on the base.

8. A cap according to claim 1, wherein portions of the base are exposed near each node of the base when the cover is in each open position, the base including indicia on each exposed portion indicating the time for a dosage from an open base opening.

9. A cap according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises a sleeve for engagement to a the container, said non-circular indicating portion comprises a flange mending outwardly from the sleeve.

10. A cap according to claim 9, wherein the flange is polygonal.

11. A cap according to claim 9, wherein the flange is non-circular.

12. A cap according to claim 5, wherein the base comprises a sleeve for engagement to a the container, said non-circular indicating portion comprises a flange extending outwardly from the sleeve.

13. A cap according to claim 1, wherein the non-circular indication portion is polygonal, each node of the base comprising a corner of the polygonal shape, the cover being a polygonal solid with each corner of the polygonal solid forming a node of the cover, the cap including one-way rotation means engaged between the base and cover for allowing rotation of the cover in only one direction on the base, and anti-rotation means for locking the cover in one of the closed positions to the base, at least a portion of the anti-rotation means being movable for allowing rotation of the cover on the base into one of the open positions.

14. A dispenser cap and container combination for medication comprising:

a container body with a neck having an opening for receiving medication;

a base connected to the container neck and including a non-circular indicating portion having a plurality of nodes around its periphery for indicating a plurality of dosages, the base including a plurality of closed portions that alternate with base openings around the periphery of the base, each base opening being adjacent a node and each cover portion being between two adjacent nodes; and

a cover mounted for rotation to the base for covering the base openings and closed portions, the cover having a plurality of nodes around its periphery which are equal in number to the nodes of the base, the cover having a cover opening therein, between two adjacent nodes of the cover so that the cover is rotatable into a plurality of closed positions with the nodes of the base and cover aligned and the cover opening aligned with one of the closed portions, and into a plurality of open positions with the nodes of the cover offset from the nodes of the base and the cover opening aligned with one of the base openings for dispensing a medication.

15. A combination according to claim 14, including anti-rotation means engaged between the base and the cover when the cover is in one of the closed positions, for preventing inadvertent rotation of the cover on the base.

16. A combination according to claim 15, including one-way rotation means engaged between the base and cover for allowing rotation of the cover in only one direction on the base.

17. A combination according to claim 16, wherein the base comprises a sleeve for engagement to the neck of the container, the non-circular indicating portion comprising a flange extending outwardly from the sleeve.

18. A combination according to claim 14, wherein the container body includes a plurality of sides which are each at least partly flat, each flat side including engagement means for engaging the flat side of another container to form a cluster of containers.

19. A combination according to claim 18, wherein said engagement means comprises a magnet in each side of the container body.