Tablet dispenser for athletes

• US 9,932,166 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salt Mag LLC
• Original Assignee: Salt Mag LLC
• Inventors: Marqua, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Rakesh
• Application Number:
  US15/234,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20170043939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 221270, 221268, 221226, 221255, 221171, 221272, 221229, 221232
• 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 7/0053 Syringes, pipettes or oral dispensers
• 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 2583/0481 One reciprocating action, e.g. to or from
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0418 the articles being substantially flat and stacked one upon the other and the dispensing-closing device sliding the article to be dispensed along the flat side of the next article
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A portable tablet dispensing device is provided for dispensing tablets to an athlete. The dispensing device includes: an elongate magazine body, a tablet follower positioned within the magazine body, the tablet follower being slidable along a vertical length of the magazine body and a spring positioned between the tablet follower and lower end of the magazine body, the spring configured to urge the tablet follower towards the upper end of the magazine body; a dispensing head slidably mounted to the top elongate body and having a tablet pickup shaped to contact a tablet within the cavity of the dispensing head and urge the tablet towards a front of the tablet dispensing device when the tablet pickup moves from the first position to the second extended position.

Claims

1. A portable tablet dispensing device comprising:

an elongate magazine body having an upper end, lower end, and a substantially rectangular cross-sectional area along a length of the elongate magazine body, the elongate magazine body including;

a tablet follower positioned within the magazine body, the tablet follower including a surface area and having a rectangular cross-sectional area that conforms to a cross-sectional area of the magazine body, the tablet follower being slidable along a vertical length of the magazine body between a lower position adjacent the lower end of the magazine body and an upper position adjacent the upper end of the elongate magazine body and

a spring positioned between the tablet follower and lower end of the magazine body, the spring configured to urge the tablet follower towards the upper end of the elongate magazine body;

a hollow dispensing head slidably mounted to the open top end of the elongate body, the hollow dispensing head horizontally slidable between a first position and a second extended position, the hollow dispensing head including;

an aperture formed through a front of the hollow dispensing head, the aperture having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a shape of a tablet stored within the elongate magazine body,

a cavity within the hollow dispensing head and aligned with the aperture formed through the front of the hollow dispensing head, the cavity shaped to receive a tablet from the elongate magazine body within hollow the dispensing head, and

a tablet pickup comprising an inclined wedge extending downwardly, shaped to contact a tablet within the cavity of the hollow dispensing head and urge the tablet partially towards a front of the tablet dispensing device when the hollow dispensing head moves from the first position to the second extended position, the inclined wedge positioned at a center of the cavity within the hollow dispensing head at a rear of the tablet follower;

a tablet retainer attached to the upper end of the elongate magazine body, the tablet retainer having a pair of upright members extending above the upper end of the elongate magazine body and into the hollow dispensing head and a top member extending between the pair of upright members;

wherein the tablet within the cavity of the dispensing head is partially exposed from the portable tablet dispensing device through the aperture formed in the front of the dispensing head after the dispensing head returns to the first position; and

wherein the tablet retainer substantially traps a tablet between the pair of upright members, top member, and tablet follower until the dispensing head urges the tablet towards a front of the tablet dispensing device.

2. The portable dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the elongate magazine body further comprises a shaped front portion including one or more indentations for conforming to a shape of a user'"'"'s hand.

3. The portable tablet dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a tablet sleeve slidabable between a first position within the elongate magazine body and a second position extended from the upper end of the elongate magazine body, wherein the hollow dispensing head is slidably mounted to an upper end of the tablet dispensing sleeve.

4. The portable tablet dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising one or more viewing windows formed along a vertical length of the elongate magazine body.

5. The portable tablet dispensing device of claim 4, wherein the viewing windows are located at positions corresponding to a known number of tablets contained within the tablet dispensing device.

6. A portable tablet dispensing device comprising:

an elongate magazine body having an upper end, lower end, and a substantially rectangular cross-sectional area along a length of the elongate magazine body, the elongate magazine body including

a tablet follower positioned within the elongate magazine body, the tablet follower including a surface area and having a rectangular cross-sectional area that conforms to a cross-sectional area of the elongate magazine body, the tablet follower being slidable along a vertical length of the elongate magazine body between a lower position adjacent the lower end of the elongate magazine body and an upper position adjacent the upper end of the elongate magazine body and

a spring positioned between the tablet follower and lower end of the elongate magazine body, the spring configured to urge the tablet follower towards the upper end of the elongate magazine body;

a tablet sleeve slidabable between a first position within the elongate magazine body and a second position extended from the upper end of the elongate magazine body;

a tablet retainer attached to an upper end of the tablet sleeve, the tablet retainer having a pair of upright members extending from the upper end of the magazine body and a top member extending between the pair of upright members, wherein the tablet retainer substantially traps a tablet between the pair of upright members, top member, and tablet follower;

a hollow dispensing head slidably mounted to an upper end of the tablet sleeve, the hollow dispensing head horizontally slidable between a first position and a second extended position, the hollow dispensing head including

an aperture formed through a front of the dispensing head, the aperture having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a shape of a tablet stored within the elongate magazine body,

a cavity within the hollow dispensing head shaped to receive a tablet within the hollow dispensing head from the elongate magazine body, and

a tablet pickup comprising an inclined wedge extending downwardly, shaped to contact a tablet within the cavity of the hollow dispensing head and urge the tablet partially towards a front of the tablet dispensing device when the hollow dispensing head moves from the first position to the second extended position, the inclined wedge positioned at a center of the cavity within the hollow dispensing head at a rear of the tablet follower;

a tablet retainer attached to the upper end of the elongate magazine body, the tablet retainer having a pair of upright members extending above the upper end of the elongate magazine body and into the dispensing head and a top member extending between the pair of upright members;

wherein the tablet within the cavity of the hollow dispensing head is partially exposed from the portable tablet dispensing device through the aperture formed in the front of the hollow dispensing head and between the tablet retainer and tablet follower after the hollow dispensing head returns to the first position.