Dispenser for flattened articles

• US 7,919,060 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• 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: Miller, Thomas, Funke, Tom, Casler, Daniel Paul, Joseph, Abner David, Meador, James, Arnold, Peter L., Yoder, Randy Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramdhanie; Bobby
• Application Number:
  US12/502,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20090277923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 422/99, 422/500
• US Class Current: 422/500
• 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 housing pivotably connected to a trigger, the housing carrying a stack of the articles and the trigger comprising an actuation member, the actuation member having a pusher head slidably disposed in the housing between a home position and a dispensed position, the pusher head having an engagement member positioned directly over the top surface of the uppermost article from the stack of articles wherein the pusher head does not contact the uppermost article when the pusher head is in the home position, the engagement member being forced downward to frictionally engage the top surface of the uppermost article from the stack when the pusher head is in the dispensed position and push it at least partially out of the dispenser when the trigger and the housing are pivoted together; and

one of the housing and the trigger defining a receptacle and the other of the housing and the trigger at least partially nesting within the receptacle as the housing and the trigger are pivoted together.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the trigger defines the receptacle.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the actuation member comprises a flexible arm that flexes upon pivoting movement of the trigger relative to the housing.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing and trigger are pivotably connected at bottom portions of the trigger and main housing, wherein the nesting occurs mostly at a top portion of the dispenser.

5. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein the trigger includes the receptacle, the receptacle having an arcuate inner wall and the housing having an arcuate outer wall, wherein the inner and outer walls approximate concentric segments when the trigger and the main housing are pivoted together.

6. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein one of the bottom portions includes a cylindrical recess and the other bottom portion includes a cylindrical post that is rotatably received in the cylindrical recess.

7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the flattened articles comprise test strips, and the dispenser is configured and adapted to dispense the test strips.

8. The dispenser of claim 7, further comprising a cassette disposed within the housing, the cassette containing the test strips.

9. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a spring biasing the trigger away from the housing.

10. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the housing and the trigger pivot between a home position in which the housing and trigger are biased apart by a biasing force of the spring and a dispensed position in which the trigger and the housing are pivoted together against the biasing force of the spring.

11. The dispenser of claim 10, further comprising a locking mechanism which locks the housing and trigger in the home position, wherein releasing the locking mechanism requires a greater force than the biasing force of the spring, whereby accidental dispensing of the articles can be prevented.

12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a protrusion extending from one of the housing and the trigger that is removably received in a recess in the other of the housing and the trigger.

13. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising an exit from which the articles are dispensed.

14. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein the exit comprises a lip seal.

15. The dispenser of claim 14, further comprising a grip portion disposed on the housing, the grip portion integrally formed with the lip seal.

16. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a window for viewing the quantity of articles remaining in the stack.

17. The dispenser of claim 14, further comprising 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 14, wherein the lip seal comprises two resilient members biased together.

20. The dispenser of claim 19, wherein the two resilient members are pushed apart as the articles pass between the two resilient members upon being dispensed.

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

22. The dispenser of claim 21, wherein the lip seal cover is hingedly attached to the housing.

23. A dispenser for flattened articles, comprising:

a housing pivotably connected to a trigger, the housing carrying a stack of the articles and the trigger comprising an actuation member, the actuation member having a pusher head slidably disposed in the housing between a disengaged station and an engaged station, the pusher head is positioned directly above the stack of articles;

wherein the pusher head has an engagement member that does not contact the uppermost article when the pusher head is in the disengaged station, the engagement member being rotatable toward the uppermost article to frictionally engage the top surface of the uppermost article from the stack when the pusher head has pivoted to the engaged station and push the uppermost article at least partially out of the dispenser when the trigger and the housing are pivoted together; and

one of the housing and the trigger defining a receptacle and the other of the housing and the trigger at least partially nesting within the receptacle as the housing and the trigger are pivoted together.