Programmable automatic pill dispenser with pawl indexing mechanism
First Claim
1. A method of automatically dispensing a preselected pill and alerting a user to take said preselected pill at a preset time, comprising:
- (a) providing a programmable timer,(b) programming said programmable timer to transmit a signal at said preset time,(c) providing a series of moveable pill storage compartments and an outlet, each compartment of said series being able to receive at least one pill and discharge said pill by gravity into said outlet when said compartment moves into registration with said outlet,(d) loading a compartment of said series with said preselected pill to provide a loaded compartment,(e) providing an actuation means for automatically moving said loaded compartment into registration with said outlet in response to said signal from said programmable timer, said actuation means including an intermittent action actuator, an index wheel, and a pawl mechanism for effecting the registration of said loaded compartment with said outlet, and(f) providing an alarm to alert said user to take the pill that is discharged, said alarm being activated when said loaded compartment moves into registration with said outlet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device that can be loaded with appropriate pills and programmed to automatically dispense the proper amount(s) and proper type(s) of pill(s) at the proper time(s) each day. The device also includes a system for alerting the pill taker that pills have been dispensed and need to be taken, a system for providing voice messages to coach the pill taker to use the device and consume the pills, a system for alerting an off-site caregiver when the pill taker has not responded as required or when there is a problem with the operation of the device, and a system for the efficient and accurate loading of pills into the device. Major components of the device include a pill storage wheel (100), a cabinet (102), a pill release gate (110), a pill loading indicator template (118), a programmable timer (130), a power spring (134), an index wheel (138), a double ended pawl assembly (144), a solenoid assembly (146), a battery (500), an one shot timing and solenoid driving circuit (504), a blinking LED and buzzer driver circuit (506), a voice message record and playback system (514), and an automatic telehone dialer system (510).
87 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method of automatically dispensing a preselected pill and alerting a user to take said preselected pill at a preset time, comprising:
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(a) providing a programmable timer, (b) programming said programmable timer to transmit a signal at said preset time, (c) providing a series of moveable pill storage compartments and an outlet, each compartment of said series being able to receive at least one pill and discharge said pill by gravity into said outlet when said compartment moves into registration with said outlet, (d) loading a compartment of said series with said preselected pill to provide a loaded compartment, (e) providing an actuation means for automatically moving said loaded compartment into registration with said outlet in response to said signal from said programmable timer, said actuation means including an intermittent action actuator, an index wheel, and a pawl mechanism for effecting the registration of said loaded compartment with said outlet, and (f) providing an alarm to alert said user to take the pill that is discharged, said alarm being activated when said loaded compartment moves into registration with said outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of dispensing a plurality of preselected pills in predetermined amounts over a series of preset times, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a pill dispenser with a series of pill-storage compartments to correspond with said series of preset times, each pill-storage compartment being able to receive a plurality of pills to be dispensed and dispense said pills at said series of preset times, respectively, (b) establishing a series of indicants sufficient in quantity to provide a different indicant for each preset time of said series of preset times, (c) associating each preset time of said series in sequential order with a corresponding indicant from said series of indicants, (d) assigning each pill-storage compartment of said series with the corresponding indicant from said series, (e) providing a pill-supply container which contains a supply of each preselected pill of said pluality, (f) labeling said pill-supply container to provide a labeled container with a label for each preset time when the respective predetermined amount of pills of said pill-supply container will be dispensed, said label displaying the indicant associated with said preset time and a numeral equivalent to said predetermined amount of pills to be dispensed at said preset time, (g) loading said series of pill-storage compartments by transferring from each labeled container the number of pills specified on each label of said labeled container to each compartment of said series assigned the indicant similar to the indicant displayed on said each label, and (h) dispensing at each preset time of said series the contents of the corresponding pill-storage compartment of said series. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A programmable automatic pill dispenser, comprising:
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(a) a cabinet having a rotatable pill-storage wheel and a pill outlet, (b) said rotatable pill-storage wheel having a series of pill-storage compartments disposed concentrically about the center axis of said pill-storage wheel, (c) each pill-storage compartment of said series arranged to receive at least one pill and discharge said pill by gravity via said pill outlet, (d) said pill outlet positioned to discharge said pill by gravity from said pill-storage compartment when said pill-storage compartment moves into registration with said pill outlet, (e) an actuation means for rotating incrementally said pill-storage wheel to move a loaded pill-storage compartment proximal to said pill outlet into registration with said pill outlet when said actuation means is activated, said actuation means comprising an index wheel, an intermittent action actuator, and a pawl mechanism, and (f) a programmable timing means for programming preset times for dispensing preselected pills and enabling the activation of said actuation means at each programmed preset time. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification