Article dispensing – With discharge assistant – With separate holdback means
Utility Patent
1998-12-23
2001-01-02
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
With discharge assistant
With separate holdback means
C221S094000, C221S106000, C221S133000, C221S196000
Utility Patent
active
06168046
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vitamin and pill dispensing device and more particularly pertains to dispensing a predetermined quantity of vitamins and pills.
The use of vitamins and therapeutic pills has increased significantly the past years. With this increase in use, there has grown a need to have a pill storage device which may be conveniently used by an individual as a dispenser of pills. Typically, the individual will be using several different vitamins or pills, requiring a multi-compartment device that is easy to use at home or take on the road. An essential requisite of a pill dispenser is the ability from trouble free dispensing of the pills as well as the convenient refilling of the compartments. Furthermore, it is desirable that the container be as airtight as possible in order to preserve the freshness of the pills located in the compartments as much as possible. As such, there appears to be some need for a simple and easy to use vitamin and pill dispenser which can be utilized in a home environment, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need.
The use of dispensing assemblies is known in the prior art. More specifically, dispensing assemblies heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of dispensing objects are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,077 to Capotorto discloses a vitamin dispenser capable of holding different types of vitamins in a plurality of slots with a series of release lever. The Capotorto device appears to release a single pill when depressed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,757 to Rappaport discloses a portable multi-side pill dispenser for releasing pills one at a time. U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,006 to Clover, Jr. discloses a multi-compartment pill dispenser.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a vitamin and pill dispensing device for dispensing a predetermined quantity of vitamins and pills.
In this respect, the vitamin and pill dispensing device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of dispensing a predetermined quantity of various sized and shaped vitamins and pills.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved vitamin and pill dispensing device which can be used for dispensing a predetermined quantity of vitamins and pills. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of dispensing assemblies now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved vitamin and pill dispensing device. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved vitamin and pill dispensing device and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a housing having an upper portion, a lower portion, and an intermediate portion therebetween. The upper portion has an open upper end, a closed lower end, a front face, a rear face, and a pair of opposed side walls. The upper portion has a plurality of divider panels extending between the closed lower end and the open upper end in a spaced relationship thereby separating the upper portion into a plurality of compartments. The closed lower end has a plurality of apertures therethrough whereby each aperture is disposed within one of each of the compartments. The open upper end has a cover member hingedly coupled thereto. The rear face has a pair of slotted apertures therethrough to facilitate securement of the housing a wall area. The intermediate portion has an inverted frustoconical configuration defined by an open upper end and an open lower end. The open upper end of the intermediate portion is integral with the closed lower end of the upper portion. The lower portion has an open upper end and an open lower end. The open upper end of the lower portion is integral with the open lower end of the intermediate portion. The open lower end of the lower portion serves as a dispensing opening. A plurality of release mechanisms couple with the plurality of compartments of the upper portion of the housing. Each of the release mechanisms include a sliding panel extending inwardly of the upper portion immediately above the apertures in the closed lower end. Each of the panels have a spring secured to an interior end thereof whereby the spring urges the sliding panel outwardly with respect to the housing. Each of the panels have an aperture therethrough for selectively aligning with the apertures of the compartments when the panels are pushed inwardly of the housing. Each of the sliding panels have a handle disposed on an exterior end thereof. A plurality of inserts are positionable within the plurality of compartments of the housing above the sliding panels. The inserts have apertures of various sizes and shapes therethrough.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved vitamin and pill dispensing device which has all the advantages of the prior art dispensing assemblies and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved vitamin and pill dispensing device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved vitamin and pill dispensing device which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved vitamin and pill dispensing device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a vitamin and pill dispensing device economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved vitamin and pill dispensing device for dispensing a predetermined quantity of vitamins and pills.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved vitamin and pill dispe
Crawford Gene O.
Ellis Christopher P.
Goldstein & Canino
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