Dispenser for flattened articles

• US 7,582,262 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Arnold, Peter L., Yoder, Randy Edward, Miller, Thomas, Funke, Tom, Casler, Daniel Paul, Joseph, Abner David, Meador, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin; Walter D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramdhanie; Bobby
• Application Number:
  US10/871,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20050281706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 422/99
• US Class Current: 422/430
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0811 with means for assisting dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48757 Test elements dispensed from a stack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/045 for sheet shaped or pliable articles

Abstract

A substantially moisture-proof, airtight dispenser for both storing and dispensing several flattened articles such as diagnostic test strips. The inventive dispenser includes a novel pivotable housing that a user need merely grab and squeeze to eject a test strip. Independent movement of the user'"'"'s fingers to push a button or turn a knob is unnecessary to dispense a strip, which makes the present invention well suited for diabetics suffering from nerve damage in their extremities and other complications resulting from the disease. The invention includes a novel flexible arm member and pusher head that engage and push an article from the dispenser as the two parts of the housing are pivoted together. The articles are dispensed through an exit that is configured with a novel flexible seal that maintains the dispenser substantially airtight. Several inventive seal embodiments and methods of making the same are disclosed.

Claims

1. A dispenser for flattened articles, comprising:

a hollow body containing a stack of the articles and defining an opening through which the articles are dispensed;

a pusher head slidably disposed in the body between a home position and a dispensed position, the pusher head having an engagement member for engaging the top surface of the top article of the stack when the pusher head is in the dispensed position, the pusher head being positioned above the top surface of the top article of the stack when the pusher head is in the home position; and

a flexible arm member attached to the pusher head, the flexible arm member being actuable to move the pusher head into engagement with the top article in the stack and move the top article at least partially through the opening, wherein the flexible arm member flexes when actuated to rotate the pusher head from the home position to the dispensed position.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the flexible arm member is hingedly attached to the pusher head.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the flexible arm member is integrally formed with the pusher head.

4. The dispenser of claim 3, wherein the flexible arm member is hingedly attached to the pusher head.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the hollow body comprises a wall having an aperture through which the flexible arm member slides.

6. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the flexible arm member includes a sealing member and the aperture includes a sealing surface, the sealing member engaging the sealing surface when the pusher head is positioned in the home position.

7. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein the sealing member comprises a flexible flange that circumscribes the flexible arm member, the flexible flange engaging a peripheral portion of the aperture when the pusher head is positioned in the home position.

8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the peripheral portion is flared or conically shaped.

9. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a housing in which the hollow body is positioned and a trigger pivotably connected to the housing, the flexible arm member being connected to the trigger, wherein pivoting movement of the trigger toward the housing causes the flexible arm member to move the pusher head into engagement with the top article in the stack and move the top article at least partially through the opening.

10. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein pivoting movement of the trigger away from the housing causes the flexible arm member to bias the pusher head away from the stack of articles.

11. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the flexible arm member straightens as the housing and the body are pivoted toward one another.

12. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the trigger defines a receptacle in which the housing at least partially nests as the housing and the trigger are pivoted together.

13. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the body includes a resilient member that seats the body in the housing.

14. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the housing further comprises an exit from which the articles are dispensed.

15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the exit comprises two resilient members biased together to form a lip seal.

16. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein the two resilient members are pushed apart as the articles pass between the two resilient members upon being dispensed.

17. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein the housing further comprises a lip seal cover covering the lip seal.

18. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the lip seal cover comprises an opening through which the articles pass upon being dispensed.

19. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the lip seal cover removably covers the lip seal.

20. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the lip seal cover is hingedly attached to the housing.

21. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the lip seal cover includes a biasing member contacting the lip seal and biasing the two resilient members together.

22. The dispenser of claim 21, wherein the biasing member comprises a leg wedged between the housing and the lip seal.

23. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein the leg comprises a pair of legs.

24. The dispenser of claim 23, wherein each of the legs is wedged between one of the resilient members and the housing.

25. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the flattened articles comprise test strips.

26. A test strip dispenser, comprising:

a hollow body containing a stack of test strips and defining an opening through which the test strips are dispensed;

a pusher head positioned above the stack of test strips and slidably disposed in the body between a home position and a dispensed position, movement of the pusher head from the home position to the dispensed position defining a dispense stroke in which the pusher head frictionally engages a top surface of the top test strip and pushes the top test strip from the stack at least partially through the opening, movement of the pusher head from the dispensed position to the home position defining a return stroke; and

a guide assembly that biases the pusher head against the top surface of the top test strip of the stack during at least a portion of the dispense stroke, the guide assembly rotating the pusher head to engage the top surface of the top test strip during the dispense stroke, the guide assembly rotating the pusher head away from the top test strip as the dispense stroke ends.

27. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the guide assembly comprises a groove defined by the body and at least one of a cam and a post extending from the pusher head and slidably received in the groove.

28. The dispenser of claim 27, wherein the pusher head includes the cam and the cam defines a pivot axis about which the pusher head pivots when moving toward and away from the stack of test strips.

29. The dispenser of claim 28, further comprising an actuable arm member hingedly attached to the pusher head, wherein actuating the arm member reciprocates the pusher head between the home and the dispensed positions and pivots the pusher head toward and away from the stack of test strips.

30. The dispenser of claim 27, wherein the groove comprises a detent.

31. The dispenser of claim 30, wherein at least one of the cam and post are slidably received in the detent.

32. The dispenser of claim 31, wherein the pusher head is biased against the top test strip when the at least one of the cam and post are slidably received in the detent.

33. The dispenser of claim 27, wherein the pusher head includes the post and the groove further comprises an inclined portion that engages the post as the dispense stroke ends and thereby moves the pusher head away from the top test strip, whereby the top test strip can be easily pulled from the dispenser.

34. The dispenser of claim 33, wherein the pusher head includes the cam and the pusher head pivots about the cam as the inclined portion engages the post.

35. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the pusher head is spaced away from the stack of test strips when returning from the dispensed position to the home position.

36. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the pusher head comprises a resilient finger extending downwardly therefrom, the finger engaging the top test strip during the dispense stroke.

37. The dispenser of claim 36, wherein the finger comprises a pair of fingers.

38. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the hollow body is formed from a moisture absorbing material.

39. A dispenser for flattened articles, comprising:

a housing containing a stack of the articles and defining an opening through which the articles are dispensed;

a flexible seal disposed in the opening, the flexible seal comprising two resilient members for sealing the opening, the article passing between the two resilient members upon being dispensed; and

a biasing member positioned adjacent the flexible seal, the biasing member configured to contact and squeeze the two resilient members together.

40. The dispenser of claim 39, further comprising a cap covering the flexible seal.

41. The dispenser of claim 40, wherein the cap comprises an opening through which the articles pass upon being dispensed.

42. The dispenser of claim 40, wherein the cap is removably attached to the housing.

43. The dispenser of claim 40, wherein the cap is integrally formed with the biasing member.

44. The dispenser of claim 40, wherein the cap is integrally formed with the housing.

45. The dispenser of claim 39, wherein the biasing member comprises a leg wedged between the housing and the flexible seal.

46. The dispenser of claim 45, wherein the leg comprises a pair of legs.

47. The dispenser of claim 46, wherein each of the legs is wedged between one of the resilient members and the housing.

48. The dispenser of claim 39, wherein the two resilient members are pushed apart as the articles pass between the two resilient members upon being dispensed.

49. The dispenser of claim 39, wherein the flexible seal comprises a lip seal.

50. The dispenser of claim 39, wherein ends of the resilient members overlap.

51. The dispenser of claim 39, wherein the flattened articles comprise test strips.

52. A dispenser for flattened articles, comprising:

a housing containing a stack of the articles and defining an opening through which the articles are dispensed; and

a flexible seal disposed in the opening, the flexible seal including two resilient first walls, each of the first walls having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surfaces each having a convexly curved profile, the curved profile of each of the inner surfaces positioned adjacent one another for biasing the first walls together to seal the opening, the article passing between the two resilient first walls upon being dispensed, the flexible seal including two second walls, each of the second walls extending between the housing and one of the first walls.

53. The dispenser of claim 52, further comprising a cap covering the flexible seal.

54. The dispenser of claim 53, wherein the cap comprises an opening through which the articles pass upon being dispensed.

55. The dispenser of claim 53, wherein the cap is removably attached to the housing.

56. The dispenser of claim 53, wherein the cap is hingedly attached to the housing.

57. The dispenser of claim 53, wherein the cap is integrally formed with the housing.

58. The dispenser of claim 52, wherein the flattened articles comprise test strips.