Child resistant pill rotating disk dispenser

• US 6,098,835 A
• Filed: 09/03/1998
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valley Design Corporation
• Original Assignee: Valley Design Corporation
• Inventors: DeJonge, Stuart W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noland, Kenneth W.
• Application Number:
  US09/150,649
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 221/25, 221/26, 221/30, 221/2, 221/5, 221/7, 221/9, 221/15, 221/86, 221/88, 221/82, 206/531, 206/534
• US Class Current: 221/25
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2215/02 requiring the combination of simultaneous actions
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/0409 of dates or follow-numbers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/0486 Linear action transformed in a rotational movement of the dispensing element
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/049 One rotational action of a cylindrical, disc-like or sphere-like element around its own axis, e.g. step-by-step, reciprocating
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0463 formed in a band or a blisterweb, inserted in a dispensing device or container
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/24 Rotary or oscillatory members

Abstract

The present invention is a child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser with a main housing to receive a circular pill package and pill package tray for rotation. The tray contains annularly arranged pill-drop orifices, and hold in place a circular pill package with a plurality of pills arranged to coincide with the pill-drop orifices. The tray has ratchets for engagement with a rotating knob for advancement thereof and the knob is connected to a said main housing central shaft so as to be selectively rotatable and reciprocally movable, with a first vertical position upwardly relative to the pill package tray and a second vertical position downwardly toward the pill package tray. When the knob is in its first vertical position, it is not in rotatable engagement with the ratchets, and when it is in its second vertical position it is in rotatable engagement therewith. A plunger is included for pushing pills through a pill package, through a pill-drop orifice and out the dispensing orifice.

Claims

1. A child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser, which comprises:

(a) a main housing adapted to receive a circular pill package and pill package tray, said main housing having a top and a bottom and having an open inside area sufficient to receive a circular pill package and pill package tray for rotation, said main housing having a central shaft, said central shaft being adapted for movable connection to a pill package tray;

(b) a pill package tray having a central orifice for movable, rotational connection to said central shaft, said orifice being located about said central shaft, said pill package tray further containing a plurality of annularly arranged pill-drop orifices, said pill package tray containing means for receiving and holding in place thereon a circular pill package with a plurality of pills arranged to coincide with said pill-drop orifices, said pill package tray having ratchet means for engagement with a rotating knob for advancement thereof;

(c) a rotating-knob connected to said main housing central shaft so as to be selectively rotatable thereabout and reciprocally movable for a predetermined distance up and down said shaft, said rotating knob having a first vertical position upwardly relative to said pill package tray and a second vertical position downwardly toward said pill package tray, wherein when said knob is in its first vertical position, it is not in rotatable engagement with said ratchet means of said pill package tray, and when said knob is in its second vertical position it is in rotatable engagement with said pill package tray;

(d) a dispensing orifice located on one of said main housing bottom and top, and in alignment with a path of rotation of said pill-drop orifices of said pill package tray, and a corresponding plunger for pushing pills through a pill package, through a pill-drop orifice and out said dispensing orifice by reciprocal pressure, said plunger being located on the other of said main housing top and bottom;

(e) knob biasing means connected to said knob so as to bias same into its first vertical position; and

,

(f) plunger biasing means connected to said plunger to maintain said plunger in a position away from said pill package tray, except when pressed.

2. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 1, wherein said knob and said central shaft include upper stops which contact with one another to prevent rotation of said knob when in its first vertical position and so as to permit rotation of said knob when in its second vertical position.

3. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 1 wherein said shaft contains a plurality of lower stops thereon which correspond to the number of pill-drop orifices of said pill package tray and arranged so as to stop said knob from rotating further when said knob is pressed and to its second vertical position and rotated and being further arranged so as to stop a pill-drop orifice of said pill package tray when said pill-drop orifice is aligned with said dispensing orifice of said main housing.

4. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 3 wherein said lower stops are not in alignment with said upper stops.

5. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 2 wherein said shaft contains a plurality of lower stops thereon which correspond to the number of pill-drop orifices of said pill package tray and arranged so as to stop said knob from rotating further when said knob is pressed and to its second vertical position and rotated and being further arranged so as to stop a pill-drop orifice of said pill package tray when said pill-drop orifice is aligned with said dispensing orifice of said main housing.

6. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 5 wherein said lower stops are not in alignment with said upper stops.

7. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 1 which further includes chronological indicators located on one of said knob and said main housing, and an indicator means located on the other of said knob and said main housing, said chronological indicators being arranged to correspond to said pill-drop orifices.

8. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 2 which further includes chronological indicators located on one of said knob and said main housing, and an indicator means located on the other of said knob and said main housing, said chronological indicators being arranged to correspond to said pill-drop orifices.

9. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 3 which further includes chronological indicators located on one of said knob and said main housing, and an indicator means located on the other of said knob and said main housing, said chronological indicators being arranged to correspond to said pill-drop orifices.

10. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 1 which further includes a dispensing chute on said main housing and located at said dispensing orifice of said main housing.

11. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 1 wherein said plunger is circular and has a diameter less than a diameter of said pill-drop orifices.

12. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 11 wherein said plunger has a lower end which includes puncture means for puncturing a blister pack-type circular pill package.

13. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 1, wherein said knob shaft includes upper ratchet stops which contact with said lock-release mechanism to prevent rotation of said knob when said lock-release mechanism in its first vertical position and so as to permit rotation of said knob when in its second vertical position.

14. A child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser, which comprises:

(a) a main housing adapted to receive a circular pill package and pill package tray, said main housing having a separate top component and a separate bottom component and having an open inside area sufficient to receive a circular pill package and pill package tray and pill package tray for rotation, said main housing having a central shaft, said central shaft being adapted for movable connection to a pill package tray, said separate top component and bottom component being separably connected to one another so as to permit insertion and removal of circular pill packages;

(b) a pill package tray having a central office for movable, rotational connection to said central shaft, said orifice being located about said central shaft, said pill package tray further containing a plurality of annularly arranged pill-drop orifices, said pill package tray containing means for receiving and holding in place thereon a circular pill package with a plurality of pills arranged to coincide with said pill-drop orifices, said pill package tray having ratchet means for engagement with a rotating knob for advancement thereof;

(c) a rotating-knob connected to said main housing central shaft so as to be selectively rotatable thereabout and reciprocally movable for a predetermined distance up and down said shaft, said rotating knob having a first vertical position upwardly relative to said pill package tray and a second vertical position downwardly toward said pill package tray, wherein when said knob is in its first in vertical position, it is not in rotatable engagement with said ratchet means of said pill package tray, and when said knob is in its second vertical position it is in rotatable engagement with said pill package tray;

(d) a dispensing orifice located on one of said main housing bottom and top, and in alignment with a path of rotation of said pill-drop orifices of said pill package tray, and a corresponding plunger for pushing pills through a pill package, through a pill-drop orifice and out said dispensing orifice by reciprocal pressure, said plunger being located on the other of said main housing top and bottom;

(e) knob biasing means connected to said knob so as to bias same into its first vertical position; and

,

(f) plunger biasing means connected to said plunger to maintain said plunger in a position away from said pill package tray, except when pressed.

15. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 14, wherein said knob and said central shaft include upper stops which contact with one another to prevent rotation of said knob when in its first vertical position and so as to permit rotation of said knob when in its second vertical position.

16. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 14 wherein said shaft contains a plurality of lower stops thereon which correspond to the number of pill-drop orifices of said pill package tray and arranged so as to stop said knob from rotating further when said knob is pressed and to its second vertical position and rotated and being further arranged so as to stop a pill-drop orifice of said pill package tray when said pill-drop orifice is aligned with said dispensing orifice of said main housing.

17. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 16, wherein said lower stops are not in alignment with said upper stops.

18. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 14 which further includes chronological indicators located on one of said knob and said main housing, and an indicator means located on the other of said knob and said main housing, said chronological indicators being arranged to correspond to said pill-drop orifices.

19. A child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser, which comprises:

(a) a main housing adapted to receive a circular pill package and pill package tray, said main housing having a top and a bottom and having an open inside area sufficient to receive a circular pill package and pill package tray for rotation, said main housing having a central shaft, said central shaft being adapted for movable connection to a pill package tray;

(b) a pill package tray having a central orifice for movable, rotational connection to said central shaft, said orifice being located about said central shaft, said pill package tray further containing a plurality of annularly arranged pill-drop orifices, said pill package tray containing means for receiving and holding in place thereon a circular pill package with a plurality of pills arranged to coincide with said pill-drop orifices, said pill package tray having ratchet means for engagement with a rotating knob for advancement thereof;

(c) a rotating-knob connected to said main housing central shaft so as to be selectively rotatable thereabout and a separate lock-release mechanism reciprocally movable for a predetermined distance up and down for locking and releasing said knob for rotational movement, said knob having sequential stops corresponding to said pill package tray pill-drop orifices, said mechanism having a first position upwardly and a second vertical position downwardly relative to said pill package tray, wherein when said mechanism is in one of its first vertical position and its second vertical position, it is not in engagement with said knob stops, and when said mechanism is in the other of its first vertical position and its second vertical position it is in engagement with said knob-stops;

(d) a dispensing orifice located on one of said main housing bottom and top, and in alignment with a path of rotation of said pill-drop orifices of said pill package tray; and

,

(e) lock-release mechanism biasing means connected to said mechanism so as to bias same into its first vertical position.

20. The child resistant rotating disk pill dispenser of claim 19 wherein said plunger has a lower end which includes puncture means for puncturing a blister pack-type circular pill package.