Container apparatus with single-pill dispensing and related method

• US 9,511,924 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert J. Crawford
• Original Assignee: Robert J. Crawford
• Inventors: Crawford, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Rakesh
• Application Number:
  US14/311,709
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 221/233, 221/95, 221/252, 221/4, 221/288, 206/539, 206/457, 220/253, 220/258, 220/266, 220/153
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• 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 51/22 having means for piercing, cutting, or tearing the inner closure
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/24 combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0481 the articles passing through a small opening or passage, without additional dispensing devices and without retaining means for the following article
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/049 the dispensing means forming a part of a removable closure, e.g. gripping teeth, cavity

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure involve a pill-filtering article that is located and secured inside a pill container. According to one example embodiment, an assembly of articles distributes one pill at a time in the form of a single-pill dispensing apparatus that includes a pill-storage container and such a pill-filtering article. The container has an inner wall, an upper portion with a rim region where a cap may be secured, and a lower portion for containing pills. The pill-filtering article has a size and a shape that facilitates securing the article inside the pill-storage container near the inner wall, above the lower portion, and below the upper rim region, and also configured with a plurality of channel-defining regions including a first channel-defining region through which one-pill at a time passes and including a second channel-defining region through which one pill at a time passes.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a pill-storage container including an inner wall;

a pill-filtering article configured and arranged to facilitate securing the pill-filtering article inside the pill-storage container near the inner wall and below an upper surface of the pill-storage container,

the pill-filtering article being configured and arranged to include material at a first portion corresponding to a channel-defining region for passing one pill at a time, and also at a second portion corresponding to a region of the pill-filtering article other than the channel-defining region, wherein the channel-defining region is configured for being secured within the pill-storage container and arranged to facilitate passage of pills through a formed aperture and the pill-filtering article is further configured and arranged as a tamper-indicating seal, therein defining an aperture boundary through the channel-defining region for permitting passage of the pills one pill at a time based on at least one of pill size and pill shape,

the pill-filtering article and the first portion, that corresponds to the channel-defining region, being configured and arranged to, after the formed aperture is provided via the channel-defining region, to pass the pills sequentially through the channel-defining region based on at least one of pill size and pill shape, wherein modification of the material causes the seal to break, wherefrom the aperture is formed, and

the second portion of the pill-filtering article being configured and arranged to, after the formed aperture is provided via the channel-defining region, block the pills.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion includes a second channel-defining region configured and arranged to selectively block passage of pills as long as the second channel-defining region is not modified;

and wherein the first and second channel-defining regions are configured and arranged as a tamper-indicating seal, and wherein modification of either of the first channel-defining region or the second channel-defining region causes the seal to break.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion includes a second channel-defining region configured and arranged to selectively block passage of pills as long as the second channel-defining region is not modified;

and wherein the first and second channel-defining regions are configured and arranged as a tamper-indicating seal, and wherein modification of either of the first channel-defining region or the second channel-defining region causes the seal to break, and wherein the pill-filtering article is secured inside the container with an adhesive material.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pill-filtering article is insertable for securing inside the container.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pill-filtering article is secured inside the container with an adhesive material.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pill-filtering article is removably insertable for securing inside the container.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a replacement pill-filtering article with another differently sized or shaped channel-defining region for permitting passage of pills of a different type.

2. An apparatus, comprising:

a pill-storage container;

a pill-filtering article configured and arranged to facilitate securing the pill-filtering article inside the pill-storage container near an inner wall thereof and below an upper surface of the pill-storage container,

the pill-filtering article being configured and arranged to include material at a first portion corresponding to a channel-defining region for passing one pill at a time, and a second portion corresponding to a region of the pill-filtering article other than the channel-defining region, wherein the channel-defining region is configured for being secured within the pill-storage container and arranged to facilitate passage of pills through a formed aperture, therein defining an aperture boundary through the channel-defining region for permitting passage of the pills one pill at a time based on at least one of pill size and pill shape,

the pill-filtering article and the first portion, that corresponds to the channel-defining region, being configured and arranged to, after the formed aperture is provided via the channel-defining region, to pass the pills sequentially through the channel-defining region based on at least one of pill size and pill shape, and

the second portion of the pill-filtering article being configured and arranged to, after the formed aperture is provided via the channel-defining region, block the pills, wherein the second portion of the pill-filtering article includes a second channel-defining region that is configured and arranged to selectively block the passage of pills.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein second channel-defining region, that is configured and arranged to selectively block the passage of pills, includes another aperture boundary configured and arranged to be modified to define another aperture.

18. The apparatus of claim 2, further including a replacement pill-filtering article with another differently sized or shaped channel-defining region and wherein the replacement pill-filtering article is insertable for securing inside the container.

19. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pill-filtering article is insertable for securing inside the container.

20. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pill-filtering article is secured inside the container with an adhesive material.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a pill-storage container having an upper portion;

a pill-filtering article configured and arranged to facilitate securing the pill-filtering article inside the pill-storage container near an inner wall thereof and below the upper portion of the pill-storage container,

the pill-filtering article being configured and arranged to include material with a first channel-defining region, for passing pills of a first type one pill at a time to the upper portion while blocking pills of a second type from passing to the upper portion, and another region configured and arranged to include a second channel-defining region corresponding to the pills of the second type, and wherein the pill-filtering article is further configured and arranged to be secured within the pill-storage container with the first channel-defining region defining a first aperture boundary modifiable for permitting passage of the first type of pills one pill at a time, wherein the first type is different from the second type based on at least one of pill size and pill shape, and

the pill-filtering article being further configured and arranged to, after the formed aperture is provided via modification of the first channel-defining region, pass pills of the first type through the first channel-defining region based on at least one of pill size and pill shape.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pill-filtering article and the first and second channel-defining regions are configured and arranged as a tamper-indicating seal, and wherein modification of the first channel-defining region causes the seal to break wherefrom the aperture is formed.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second channel-defining region is configured and arranged to selectively block the passage of pills to the upper portion and, if the second channel-defining region is modified at a second aperture boundary, to pass pills to the upper portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second channel-defining region is configured and arranged to selectively block passage of pills to the upper portion as long as the second channel-defining region is not modified;

and

wherein the channel-defining regions are configured and arranged as a tamper-indicating seal, and wherein modification of either of the channel-defining regions causes the seal to break.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pill-filtering article is immovably secured inside the container.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pill-filtering article is insertable for securing inside the container.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pill-filtering article is secured inside the container with an adhesive material.

11. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pill-filtering article is removably insertable for securing inside the container.