Article dispensing – With recorder – register – indicator – signal or exhibitor – Dispenser part position or adjustment indicator
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-14
2002-08-06
Valenza, Joseph E. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
With recorder, register, indicator, signal or exhibitor
Dispenser part position or adjustment indicator
C221S007000, C221S113000, C221S119000, C221S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06427865
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a method and device for dispensing pills or vitamins. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel device for automatically dispensing pills or vitamins that absolves the need for removing caps from bottles.
Many people, particularly the elderly, consume pills, vitamins, natural herbs, and/or other dietary supplements on a daily basis. The consumption of such pills ordinarily requires removing the screw cap from a small bottle. This can become quite cumbersome when performed on a daily basis, and, for individuals with arthritis or other ailments impairing the dexterity of their hands, it can develop into a challenging, if not impossible, task. Further exasperating efforts of the pill taker are the standard child safety caps, a required feature of most medicines, which are designed to prevent children from opening the bottles and accidentally consuming the medicine. Such caps often require the application of extra force, or the manipulation of small plastic parts, which can be extremely difficult for a person suffering from arthritis or similar afflictions.
Thus, there is a need for a system of automatically dispensing pills and vitamins that will avoid the problems associated with opening and closing several small bottles on a daily basis. Such a system should simply and reliably dispense pills. The present invention is designed to address this need.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention is a pill dispensing device designed to obviate the need for repetitive opening and closing pill containers. The device consists of a housing, a dispensing chamber, and means for rotating the chamber such that pills or vitamins are easily dispensed to the user.
One of the advantages of the invention is to provide a rotating chamber with a plurality of slots to contain pills to be dispensed to a user.
Another advantage of the invention is to provide a pill dispensing device that can be manually or automatically advanced such that the user's pills are dispensed.
Another advantage of the invention is to provide a pill dispensing device that contains a removable rotating chamber that can be filled with the desired pills directly by a pharmacist or a pill manufacturer.
Another advantage of the invention is to provide a pill dispensing device that contains a plurality of rotating cylinders such that a variety of pills can be dispensed.
Another advantage of the invention is to provide a pill dispensing device that contains a safety feature such that the pills are not dispensed without the use of a special key or computer code.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4207992 (1980-06-01), Brown
patent: 5014875 (1991-05-01), McLaughlin et al.
patent: 5176285 (1993-01-01), Shaw
patent: 5323929 (1994-06-01), Marlar
patent: 5441165 (1995-08-01), Kemp et al.
patent: 6053358 (2000-04-01), Tong
Stillwell Kenneth
Stillwell, Jr. Kenneth
Crawford Gene O.
Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne, P.C
Valenza Joseph E.
Walsh Gerald M.
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