Dispenser for flattened articles

• US 20050281706A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• 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
• Granted Patent: US 7,582,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/63
• 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 that engages the uppermost article from the stack and pushes 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 3, wherein the actuation member comprises an engagement member positioned over the stack of articles, wherein the pivoting together of the trigger and the housing forces the engagement member downward to frictionally engage the top surface of the uppermost article.

5. 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.

6. The dispenser of claim 5, 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.

7. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein one of the lower portions includes a cylindrical recess and the other lower portion includes a cylindrical post that is rotatably received in the cylindrical recess.

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

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

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

11. The dispenser of claim 10, 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.

12. The dispenser of claim 11, 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.

13. The dispenser of claim 12, 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.

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

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

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

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

18. The dispenser of claim 15, further comprising a lip seal cover covering the lip seal.

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

20. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein the lip seal comprises two resilient members biased together.

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

22. The dispenser of claim 18, wherein the lip seal cover removably covers the lip seal.

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

24. 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 article of the stack; 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.

25. The dispenser of claim 24, wherein the flexible arm member is hingedly attached to the pusher head.

26. The dispenser of claim 24, wherein the flexible arm member is integrally formed with the pusher head.

27. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the flexible arm member is hingedly attached to the pusher head.

28. The dispenser of claim 24, wherein the hollow body comprises a wall having an aperture through which the flexible arm member slides.

29. The dispenser of claim 28, 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.

30. The dispenser of claim 29, 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.

31. The dispenser of claim 30, wherein the peripheral portion is flared or conically shaped.

32. The dispenser of claim 24, 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.

33. The dispenser of claim 32, 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.

34. The dispenser of claim 32, wherein the flexible arm member straightens as the housing and the body are pivoted toward one another.

35. The dispenser of claim 32, wherein the trigger defines a receptacle in which the housing at least partially nests as the housing and the trigger are pivoted together.

36. The dispenser of claim 32, wherein the body includes a resilient member that seats the body in the housing.

37. The dispenser of claim 32, wherein the housing further comprises an exit from which the articles are dispensed.

38. The dispenser of claim 37, wherein the exit comprises two resilient members biased together to form a lip seal.

39. The dispenser of claim 38, wherein the two resilient members are pushed apart as the articles pass between the two resilient members upon being dispensed.

40. The dispenser of claim 38, wherein the housing further comprises a lip seal cover covering the lip seal.

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

42. The dispenser of claim 40, wherein the lip seal cover removably covers the lip seal.

43. The dispenser of claim 40, wherein the lip seal cover is hingedly attached to the housing.

44. The dispenser of claim 40, wherein the lip seal cover includes a biasing member contacting the lip seal and biasing the two resilient members together.

45. The dispenser of claim 44, wherein the biasing member comprises a leg wedged between the housing and the lip 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 24, wherein the flattened articles comprise test strips.

49. 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 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 test strip of the stack during at least a portion of the dispense stroke, the guide assembly moving the pusher head away from the top test strip as the dispense stroke ends.

50. The dispenser of claim 49, 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.

51. The dispenser of claim 50, 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.

52. The dispenser of claim 51, 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.

53. The dispenser of claim 50, wherein the groove comprises a detent.

54. The dispenser of claim 53, wherein at least one of the cam and post are slidably received in the detent.

55. The dispenser of claim 54, 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.

56. The dispenser of claim 50, 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.

57. The dispenser of claim 56, wherein the pusher head includes the cam and the pusher head pivots about the cam as the inclined portion engages the post.

58. The dispenser of claim 49, wherein the pusher head is spaced away from the stack of test strips when returning from the dispensed position to the home position.

59. The dispenser of claim 49, wherein the pusher head comprises a resilient finger extending downwardly therefrom, the finger engaging the top test strip during the dispense stroke.

60. The dispenser of claim 59, wherein the finger comprises a pair of fingers.

61. The dispenser of claim 49, wherein the hollow body is formed from a moisture absorbing material.

62. 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 contacting the flexible seal and biasing the two resilient members together.

63. The dispenser of claim 62, further comprising a cap covering the flexible seal.

64. The dispenser of claim 63, wherein the cap comprises an opening through which the articles pass upon being dispensed.

65. The dispenser of claim 63, wherein the cap is removably attached to the housing.

66. The dispenser of claim 63, wherein the cap is integrally formed with the biasing member.

67. The dispenser of claim 63, wherein the cap is integrally formed with the housing.

68. The dispenser of claim 62, wherein the biasing member comprises a leg wedged between the housing and the flexible seal.

69. The dispenser of claim 68, wherein the leg comprises a pair of legs.

70. The dispenser of claim 69, wherein each of the legs is wedged between one of the resilient members and the housing.

71. The dispenser of claim 62, wherein the two resilient members are pushed apart as the articles pass between the two resilient members upon being dispensed.

72. The dispenser of claim 62, wherein the flexible seal comprises a lip seal.

73. The dispenser of claim 62, wherein ends of the resilient members overlap.

74. The dispenser of claim 62, wherein the flattened articles comprise test strips.

75. 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 cap covering the flexible seal.

76. The dispenser of claim 75, wherein the flexible seal comprises a lip seal.

77. The dispenser of claim 75, wherein the flexible seal comprises a channel having two resilient members biased together.

78. The dispenser of claim 77, wherein the resilient members comprise substantially flat walls.

79. The dispenser of claim 78, wherein the flexible seal is formed by turning it inside out after manufacturing.

80. The dispenser of claim 75, wherein the cap comprises an opening through which the articles pass upon being dispensed.

81. The dispenser of claim 75, wherein the cap is removably attached to the housing.

82. The dispenser of claim 75, wherein the cap is hingedly attached to the housing.

83. The dispenser of claim 75, wherein the cap is integrally formed with the housing.

84. The dispenser of claim 75, wherein the cap contacts the flexible seal and biases the two resilient members together.

85. The dispenser of claim 84, wherein the cap comprises a biasing member wedged between the housing and the flexible seal to bias the two resilient members together.

86. The dispenser of claim 85, wherein the biasing member comprises a pair of legs wedged between the housing and the flexible seal.

87. The dispenser of claim 86, wherein the legs comprise a wedge shape.

88. The dispenser of claim 85, wherein the two resilient members are pushed apart as the articles pass between the two resilient members upon being dispensed.

89. The dispenser of claim 75, wherein the flattened articles comprise test strips.

90. 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 comprising a channel having two resilient walls biased together for sealing the opening, the article passing between the two resilient walls upon being dispensed.

91. The dispenser of claim 90, wherein the flexible seal is formed by turning it inside out after manufacturing.

92. The dispenser of claim 90, further comprising a cap covering the flexible seal.

93. The dispenser of claim 92, wherein the cap comprises an opening through which the articles pass upon being dispensed.

94. The dispenser of claim 92, wherein the cap is removably attached to the housing.

95. The dispenser of claim 92, wherein the cap is hingedly attached to the housing.

96. The dispenser of claim 92, wherein the cap is integrally formed with the housing.

97. The dispenser of claim 90, wherein the flattened articles comprise test strips.

98. A method for forming a seal in a dispenser of the type comprising a housing containing a stack of flattened articles and defining an opening through which the articles are dispensed, the method comprising:

(a) forming a flexible seal having two resilient members forming a gap therebetween;

(b) reconfiguring the flexible seal such that the two resilient members are contacting one another and are biased together; and

(c) installing the flexible seal in the opening.

99. The method of claim 98, wherein the forming of the flexible seal comprises molding.

100. The method of claim 99, wherein the molding of the flexible seal comprises injection molding.

101. The method of claim 98, wherein the reconfiguring of the flexible seal comprises inverting the two resilient members.

102. The method of claim 98, wherein the reconfiguring of the flexible seal comprises turning the flexible seal inside out.

103. The method of claim 102, wherein the reconfiguring of the flexible seal comprises inserting a biasing member between the housing and the flexible seal.

104. The method of claim 103, wherein the inserting the biasing member comprises wedging a leg between the housing and the flexible seal.

105. The method of claim 98, wherein the flexible seal further comprises a channel and the resilient members comprise resilient walls that define the channel.

106. The method of claim 98, wherein the resilient members comprise flaps.

107. The method of claim 98, further comprising performing step (a), step (b), and then step (c).

108. The method of claim 98, further comprising covering the flexible seal with a cap.

109. The method of claim 98, wherein the flattened articles comprise test strips.

110. The method of claim 98, wherein the two resilient members return to contacting one another and are again biased together after the articles pass between the resilient members, whereby the dispenser is self closing.

111. A method for loading a test strip from a dispenser to a meter, the dispenser being of the type comprising a housing containing a stack of the test strips and defining an exit through which the test strips are dispensed, the meter comprising an opening for receiving an end of the test strip, the method comprising:

(a) actuating the dispenser such that a meter insertion end of the test strip extends from the dispenser and the dispenser captively holds the test strip;

(b) inserting the meter insertion end of the test strip into the opening of the meter;

(c) captively holding the meter insertion end of the test strip with the meter; and

(d) releasing the captive hold on the test strip from the dispenser.

112. The method of claim 111, wherein step (b) further comprises aligning the meter insertion end of the test strip with the opening of the meter.

113. The method of claim 111, further comprising pulling the dispenser away from the meter after step (d), whereby the test strip remains in the meter.

114. The method of claim 111, wherein:

the dispenser further comprises a trigger pivotably connected to the housing; and

the actuating the dispenser further comprises moving the trigger and the housing together.

115. The method of claim 114, wherein the moving the trigger and the housing together further comprises moving the housing from a home position to a detent position at which an engagement member captively holds the test strip.

116. The method of claim 115, wherein the releasing the flattened article further comprises moving the trigger from the detent position to a fully dispensed position at which the test strip is released from the engagement member.

117. The method of claim 114, wherein the moving the trigger and the housing together further comprises a first movement from a home position to a detent position.

118. The method of claim 117, wherein the moving the trigger and the housing together further comprises a second movement, from the detent position to a dispensed position.

119. The method of claim 118, wherein the first movement and the second movement both comprise moving the trigger and the housing together.