Child-resistant pill dispenser

• US 20050205598A1
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meadwestvaco (WestRock Company)
• Original Assignee: Meadwestvaco (WestRock Company)
• Inventors: Gelardi, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/263
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2215/02 requiring the combination of simultaneous actions
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0409 the dispensing means being adapted for delivering one article, or a single dose, upon each actuation B65D83/0445 takes precedence

Abstract

A child-resistant dispenser for dispensing items, including a chassis (12) having a reservoir (40) for holding items (16) and a conveyor (14) including a conveyor pocket (18) for receiving an item (16a). The conveyor (14) is pivotably mounted within chassis (12) between a closed position in which the conveyor pocket (18) is inaccessible from outside the dispenser (10), and an open position, in which the conveyor pocket (18) is accessible from outside of the dispenser (10). The dispenser further includes a pathway positioned between the reservoir (40) and the conveyor pocket (18) when the conveyor (14) is closed. The pathway is blocked by the conveyor (14) when the conveyor (14) is open. A locking mechanism (20, 22) is provided for releasably locking the pill conveyor (14) in a closed position. A user must simultaneously apply pressure to both the conveyor (14) and the locking mechanism (20, 22) in order to open the conveyor (14).

Claims

1. A system for dispensing, comprising:

a chassis including a reservoir for holding items;

an item conveyor pivotably mounted within said chassis, said item conveyor including a pocket for receiving at least one item;

a pathway positioned between the reservoir and the pocket, said pathway including a chute for holding at least one item wherein said chute is correspondingly aligned with said pocket for guiding said at least one item into said pocket; and

a locking mechanism for releasably locking the item conveyor in a closed position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said chassis further includes at least one interior surface defining said pathway, said pathway being funnel-shaped and terminating into said chute.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said item conveyor includes a cover plate and a face plate extending downward from said cover plate, said pocket being formed within the face plate.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said face plate blocks the pathway between the reservoir and the pocket when said item conveyor is in an open position

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the item conveyor further includes a rear plate extending downward from the cover plate.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the item conveyor further includes a pair of ears extending downward from said cover plate, and wherein there is formed on each ear a nub that fits into a receiving aperture in the chassis such that said item conveyor pivots around said nubs.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a resiliently deformable strap affixed to said rear plate, said strap butting up against a ledge on the chassis to hold said pill conveyor in a closed position.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said strap bows outward, away from the rear plate, and wherein applying pressure to the strap causes the strap to flatten against the rear plate away from said ledge.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the pocket is dimensioned to be deeper than one item so that when said at least one item is loaded in said pocket, a item in said chute protrudes into said pocket.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the item conveyor is fabricated from a resiliently deformable material, such that when pressure is applied to said item conveyor, the at least one item in said pocket pushes the at least one item in the chute away from said pocket.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said item conveyor further includes indicia for indicating a location of where to apply pressure to said item conveyor for opening said item conveyor.

12. The system of claim 1 further including a pair of ridges for supporting said dispenser in an upright position.

13. The system of claim 1 further including a panel for receiving a label containing product information, directions for use, text, graphics, or other printed material, said panel being opaque or transparent.

14. A method for packaging items in a child-resistant dispenser, said method comprising the steps of:

pivotably mounting an item conveyor to a chassis, said item conveyor including a pocket for holding at least one item;

configuring a pathway between a reservoir and said pocket where said pathway includes a chute for holding at least one item, said chute correspondingly aligned with said pocket for guiding said at least one item into said pocket

loading a plurality of items into said reservoir;

attaching an end cap to said chassis for securely holding said plurality of items within said reservoir;

attaching a bottom plate to said chassis; and

releasably locking said item conveyor in a closed position.

15. A method of claim 14, wherein said pivotably mounting an item conveyor to said chassis includes the step of forming a cover plate and a face plate extending downward from said cover plate.

16. A method of claim 15, further including the step of including a pair of ears extending downward from said cover plate, and disposing a nub on each ear, each nub fitting into a corresponding aperture in said chassis.

17. A method of claim 16, further including the step of including a rear plate extending downward from the cover plate and affixing a locking mechanism comprising a resiliently deformable strap to said rear plate.

18. A method of claim 17, further including the step of dimensioning said pocket to be deeper than one item so that when said at least one item is loaded in said pocket, an item in said chute protrudes into said pocket.

19. A method of claim 14, wherein said configuring a pathway between a reservoir and said pocket includes the step of including at least one interior surface defining said pathway, said pathway being funnel-shaped and terminating into said chute.

20. A method of claim 14, wherein said loading a plurality of items into said reservoir includes any one of manually loading a plurality of items into said reservoir and automatically loading a plurality of items into said reservoir.

21. A method of claim 14, wherein said attaching an end cap to said chassis includes any one of permanently attaching said end cap to said chassis and releasably attaching said end cap to said chassis.

22. A method of claim 14, wherein said releasably locking said item conveyor in a closed position includes the step of closing said item conveyor so that said resiliently deformable strap abuts against a ledge of said chassis.

23. A method of claim 14, further including the step of forming indicia on said item conveyor for indicating to a user where to apply pressure to said item conveyor.

24. A method of claim 14, further including the step of including a pair of ridges on said chassis for supporting said dispenser in an upright position.

25. A method of claim 14, further including the step of including a panel within said chassis, said panel being opaque or transparent and receiving any one of a label, information, directions, text, graphics, or other printed material.

26. A method of dispensing an item from a child-resistant dispenser comprising the steps of:

sealing a plurality of items within a reservoir of a chassis;

guiding an item from said reservoir through a chute and into a pocket of an item conveyor, said item conveyor being pivotably mounted to said chassis;

unlocking the item conveyor by applying pressure to a resiliently deformable strap affixed to said item conveyor, said pressure causing the resiliently deformable strap to flatten against a rear plate of said item conveyor away from a ledge of said chassis;

pivoting the item conveyor from a closed position in which the pocket is inaccessible from outside the dispenser to an open position in which the pocket is accessible from outside the dispenser; and

removing an item from the pocket of said item conveyor.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of unlocking the item conveyor further includes applying pressure to the item conveyor to cause a second item protruding within said pocket to move back into the chute and away from said pocket.