EP0600123B1 - Tablet dispenser with a lower dispensing opening - Google Patents

Abstract

A tablet dispenser (1) for delivering individual tablets, in particular sweetner tablets, has essentially a container part (5) for said tablets and an outer part (7), relative to which the container part (5) can be displaced from the top downwards during the dispensing operation. A separating mechanism (3) is actuated by this movement, which mechanism allows in each case one tablet - in special cases possibly also in each case two tablets - to drop out. Provided for the return movement following the dispensing movement is at least one restoring spring (12) which is arranged inside the outer part (7) standing upright from its lower terminating bottom (6) and engages on a sloping surface of the container part (5) facing it, said sloping surface running obliquely downwards from the outer side to the middle of the tablet dispenser (1) so that tablets are deflected towards the delivery shaft (8) while, during the dispensing movement, the restoring spring is deformed radially and laterally outwards and can push the container part (5) up again during the return movement due to its reversed deformation. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a tablet dispenser according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a tablet dispenser is described in EP-A-0 221 413 belonging to the prior art. Document EP-A-0 583 956 describes an acoustic display device according to Article 54 (3) which is part of the prior art and which is formed in that a tongue which projects up into the interior of the container is provided from the bottom of the container and has a wall on the outlet shaft arranged projection cooperates in such a way that upon a downward movement during the dispensing process and the return movement of the projection, the spring deflects in each case and an audible click noise is generated by the interaction of this projection with the projection on the spring. A special spring standing up inside the container must be provided, which means a correspondingly complex production. The protrusion on the side facing away from the delivery chute also represents an additional shaping which increases the manufacturing effort initially in the necessary mold construction and later also in the injection molding process.

From EP-A-0 221 413 a tablet dispenser is known which causes a vibrating vibration movement during the dispensing process in that a spring oriented approximately in the direction of the dispensing movement is provided with projections, along which a counter-projection of the dispensing shaft slides, thereby thereby Shake output shaft and in particular its entrance area and expose it to vibration. A corresponding cracking noise is generated. Here too, the production of this additional arm with projections is to be regarded as complex.

It is therefore the task of creating a tablet dispenser of the type mentioned at the outset, the manufacture of which, in particular, from plastic using the injection molding process, is simple. In particular, the formation of the resilient tongue should be as simple as possible.

This object is achieved with the means and features of claim 1. This enables an acoustic display device without the need to install additional individual parts on the tablet dispenser.

Particularly expedient embodiments of the invention are given in claims 2 to 7.

Claim 8 relates to a further modification of the resilient tongue in the region of the bottom opening with a corresponding one Adjustment of the delivery chute and the projection arranged on it.

It should also be mentioned that the measure of claim 4 has the advantage that the tongue can be made correspondingly stable and wide.

Overall, there is a tablet dispenser in which the tongue located in the floor area at the passage opening can be grasped and pressed down by the projection located on the dispensing shaft until the projection is displaced during the dispensing process to such an extent that the dispensing position has been reached, but then also the tongue can slide past the projection and spring back. When you let go, the opposite happens, so that two cracking noises occur similar to what can be heard, for example, when an electrical pressure switch is actuated. Thus, when the protrusion is appropriately placed on the delivery chute, the user receives a clear acoustic signal that the dispensing process has taken place. This has the advantage that the user, who often cannot see the falling out of a relatively small tablet from the dispensing shaft clearly enough, definitely hears that the dispensing process has taken place properly. Nevertheless, a good return movement is made possible due to the correspondingly strong return springs, since these springs are sufficiently strong to also be able to acoustically indicate the dispensing process.

Fig. 1

eine teilweise im Längsschnitt gehaltene Seitenansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Tablettenspenders in Ausgangslage vor der ersten Benutzung,

Fig. 2

eine der Figur 1 entsprechende Darstellung, wobei der Behälterteil gegenüber dem Außenteil abwärts verschoben ist, so daß eine - nicht dargestellte - Tablette ausfallen kann,

Fig. 3

einen Längsschnitt des Außenteiles in der Orientierung, die der Darstellung der Figuren 1 und 2 entspricht,

Fig. 4

einen Längsschnitt des Außenteiles mit Ansicht einer der Rückstellfedern in gegenüber der Darstellung von Figur 3 um 90 Grad gedrehter Anordnung,

Fig. 5

eine Ansicht der Unterseite des Außenteiles,

Fig. 6

eine teilweise im Längsschnitt gehaltene Seitenansicht eines Behälterteiles in der Anordnung, die der Darstellung gemäß Figur 1 und 2 entspricht,

Fig. 7

eine im Längsschnitt gehaltene Seitenansicht des Behälterteiles in gegenüber Figur 6 um 90 Grad verdrehter Position sowie

Fig. 8

eine Ansicht der Unterseite des Behälterteiles gemäß Figur 6 und 7.

An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the drawing. It shows in a partially schematic representation:

Fig. 1

a partially in longitudinal section side view of an inventive Tablet dispenser in the starting position before the first use,

Fig. 2

2 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 1, the container part being shifted downwards relative to the outer part, so that a tablet (not shown) can fail,

Fig. 3

2 shows a longitudinal section of the outer part in the orientation which corresponds to the illustration in FIGS. 1 and 2,

Fig. 4

3 shows a longitudinal section of the outer part with a view of one of the return springs in an arrangement rotated by 90 degrees compared to the illustration in FIG. 3,

Fig. 5

a view of the underside of the outer part,

Fig. 6

2 shows a side view, partly in longitudinal section, of a container part in the arrangement which corresponds to the illustration according to FIGS. 1 and 2,

Fig. 7

a longitudinal section of the side view of the container part in the position rotated by 90 degrees as well as

Fig. 8

a view of the underside of the container part according to Figures 6 and 7.

A tablet dispenser, designated as a whole, serves for the single delivery of tablets or tablet-shaped bodies, for example sweetener tablets. It has a lower outlet opening 2 located in its use position on its underside, which is preceded by a separating mechanism 3 (see FIG. 2). When pressed onto the upper surface 4 of a container part 5 in the use position of the tablet dispenser 1, this container part 5 is shifted downwards in the vertical direction from the initial position shown in FIG. 1 into the dispensing position shown in FIG. As a result, one tablet is released by the separating mechanism 3 to drop out of the drop opening 2. The displacement of the container part 5 takes place within an outer part 7 having a bottom 6, in which the container part 5 is guided according to FIGS. 1 and 2.

In its lower region, the container part 5 has an outlet shaft 8 which can be moved downwards together with it in the vertical direction, at the lower end of which the already mentioned outlet opening 2 is located. During the dispensing movement, this dispensing shaft 8 can be moved relative to an opening 9 in the closing bottom 6 of the outer part 7 and, in the dispensing position according to FIG. 2, projects downwards over this closing bottom 6. It can clearly be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 7 that the container part 5 has bottom plates 10 sloping downwards in this lower region towards this dispensing shaft 8, through the inclination of which the tablets are each guided to the inlet 11 in the dispensing shaft 8 . This inlet 11 is located at the lowest point of the bottom surface of the container part 5 formed by the bottom plates 10 and bottom plates 10a.

To return the container part 5 from its dispensing position assumed in FIG. 2 to its initial position shown in FIG. 1, return springs 12 are provided between it and the outer part.

In Figures 1 to 4 it can be seen that these return springs 12 are arranged in the outer part 7 from its bottom 6 upstanding. Based 1 and 2, it can also be seen that the length of the return springs 12 is at least the distance between the inside of the end base 6 of the outer part 7 and the underside of the inclined base plate 10 or the base plates 10a of the container part 5 in the starting position according to FIG. 1 of the container part 5, So before the dispensing process, and that the return springs 12 facing the free end of the underside of the oblique base plate pieces 10a can be deflected radially laterally through this oblique underside during the dispensing process against their spring force according to FIG. 2, as is indicated there by dashed lines. It is obvious that this deflection of the return springs 12 produces their spring force, so that after the container part 5 is released, it is pushed back into its starting position according to FIG. 1 by the return springs 12 which straighten up again. According to FIG. 1, the return springs 12 can already be slightly deflected in the starting position in order not to oppose the dispensing process too much, especially at the beginning.

The two return springs 12 are parallel to each other on the inside of the bottom 6 of the outer part 7 upright and both engage an inclined surface of the bottom plate 10 of the container part 5, so that a correspondingly doubled restoring force is available. In the exemplary embodiment, two approximately symmetrically arranged oblique base plate pieces 10a are provided, which lead from the walls 13 of the container part 5 to the discharge chute 8 and one of the upstanding return springs 12 engages from below on each of these inclined base plate pieces 10, both return springs 12 being symmetrically closed a longitudinal center plane E of the tablet dispenser 1 extending between them and are of equal length or strength. Accordingly, a resultant restoring force in the direction of the central axis of the Tablet dispenser 1 generated so that the container part 5 can be easily moved back in relation to the outer part 7 in the starting position when a dispensing process has ended.

The return springs 12 are each at a distance both from the outlet shaft 8 and from the outside in the radial direction furthest from this outlet shaft 8 or from the outer wall 14 of the outer part 7. The distance from the outside corresponds at least to the radial evasive movement of the return springs 12 during the dispensing process, as is clear from FIG. 2. The radial outer distance between the respective return spring 12 and the outer wall 14 of the outer part 7 and the helix angle of the bottom plates 10 of the container part 5 leading to the collecting shaft 8 are so matched that the deflected spring end 12a in the dispensing position when the container part 5 is depressed is approximately at the Bears against the inside of the outer wall 14 of the outer part 7 or has a small distance therefrom. Thus, the return springs 12 can simultaneously form a stop for the lowest position of the container part 5 in the outer part 7.

On the basis of Figures 1 to 4 it is clear that the return springs 12 are integrally connected to the end plate 6, whereby it can be seen above all from Figure 4 that the spring width oriented transversely to the deflection direction of the return springs 12 is greater than the spring thickness. The return springs 12 are thus designed as one-piece leaf springs which are protected in the interior of the outer part 7, their thickness and width possibly increasing somewhat towards the end plate 6.

The restoring force of the restoring springs 12 and the helix angle of the bottom plate pieces 10a of the container part 5 are chosen so large in the exemplary embodiment that, in addition to the resetting of the container part 5 together with its filling, an acoustic display device can also be moved and actuated, that is to say the dispensing process can be heard acoustically made so that even under unfavorable lighting conditions the user can see whether a dispensing process has taken place or not. In particular, sweetener tablets are often so small that one cannot be sure during a dispensing process whether a tablet has really been dispensed, which often leads to unnecessary repetitions of the dispensing process. This is prevented by the acoustic display, so that the return springs and their return force receive an additional function. In this case, this acoustic display device, which is explained in more detail below, can be actuated mechanically and a sound, in particular a crack, can be heard by its actuation.

At this point it should also be added with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 that the inclined base plates consist of several parts which are inclined in different directions, the parts serving for the installation of the return springs 12 lying between two base plates 10 leading obliquely towards them and approximately 90 degrees in addition run obliquely. One could also see these points of attack of the return springs 12 as insertion bevels belonging to the discharge shaft 8, which in this way both effect a secure feed of the tablets into the input opening 11 of the discharge shaft 8 and also form the corresponding sliding surface for the spring ends 12a during the return movement.

FIGS. 4 and 5 and FIG. 7 show the structural design of the mechanical-acoustic display device shown. As a mechanical-acoustic display device, a projection 15 is arranged in the bottom area at the opening 9 of the outer part 7 for the delivery chute 8, which is arranged on the side of the delivery chute 8 on the side facing it, with the latter itself or with one that can be seen in FIG Another projection 16 comes into contact during the dispensing movement and can be moved past by a continuation of the dispensing process on the one hand and the return movement on the other hand against a sound-generating resistance.

In the exemplary embodiment, the projection 15, which serves as an acoustic display device and projects into the range of movement of the discharge shaft 8 and its projection 16, is a spring-deflectable tongue which is initially overlapped by the projection 16 arranged on the discharge shaft 8 and facing it and through the downwardly moving discharge channel 8 and its protrusion 16 can be deflected during the dispensing process on the one hand and during the return movement in the opposite direction on the other hand and can be released after a short deflection movement with the generation of a clicking sound. During a dispensing process, the protrusion 16 on the output shaft 8 detects this resilient tongue 15, presses it back a little until it slides past its protrusion 16 again into its starting position due to its deflection, and the subsequent reset movement takes place in the opposite direction an action on the resilient tongue 15 by the projection 16 from below, whereby it first deflects into the interior of the outer part 7 and then jumps back to the projection 16 in the starting position. A user therefore hears two clicks or clicks in quick succession when he lets a tablet drop out of the tablet dispenser 1 as a result of a dispensing process. This Noises are comparable to those that occur when an electrical pressure switch is actuated.

According to FIG. 5, the resilient tongue 15 is formed by two incisions 17 in the end base 6, which lead away from the base opening 9 for the passage of the output shaft 8 and run parallel to one another. At the same time, the tongue 15 is reduced in thickness with respect to the bottom 6, as is particularly evident in FIG. 4. It is advantageous that the tongue 15 is integrally connected to the end plate 6, so that this acoustic display device is made possible without the need to install additional individual parts on the tablet dispenser 1.

The width of the tongue 15 or the distance between the notches 17 delimiting the resilient tongue 15 corresponds to the width of the wall of the collecting shaft 8 facing the tongue, so that the tongue 15 can have the greatest possible width.

7 and 8 is open on one side in order to be able to interact with the separating mechanism 3, the resilient tongue 15 is arranged on the wide side of this discharge shaft 8 which is remote from the open side of the discharge shaft. It is clear from FIGS. 6 and 7, also in connection with FIG. 8, that between two sloping floor plates 10, which do not form the points of attack for the return springs 12, two further slab pieces, also sloping to one another, but transverse to the first-mentioned floor plates 10 10a are arranged, which lead to the inlet 11 of the output shaft 8 and cooperate on their underside with the return springs 12. These plate pieces 10a are relatively narrow, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, their width corresponding to the width of the discharge shaft 8 in this direction.

In Figure 4 it can be seen that the tongue 15 protrudes somewhat into the area of the bottom opening 9. In FIG. 7 it can be seen that the projection 16 on the output shaft 8 is accordingly in a corresponding recess in the wall of this output shaft 8.

Claims (8)

1. A tablet dispenser (1) for discharging single tablets or tablet-like bodies, particularly sweetening tablets, including a dispensing opening (2) situated at the underside in the use position, preceded by a singling out mechanism (3), upon pressure actuation of that face (4) of container section (5) which is situated topside in the use position of the tablet dispenser (1) said dispensing opening releasing one tablet at a time for discharge, wherein in the use position the container section (5) is received so as to be vertically movable in an outer section (7) presenting an end base and has a base plate (10) sloping to a dispensing duct (8) that is arranged at the lower area of said container section and is movable relative to an opening (9) in the end base (6), said base plate conducting tablets inside the container section (5) to the dispensing duct (8) starting at the lowermost point of the bottom surface of said container section (5), and wherein at least one restoring spring (12) arranged between container section (5) and outer section (7) is provided for restoring the container section (5) from the dispensing position to the initial position thereof, characterized in that an audible indicator is provided which is manually actuable, thereby rendering a sound, noise or click audible, and that the restoring force of the restoring spring(s) (12) and the angle of inclination of the base plate(s) (10) of the container section (5) are selected to be so great that the audible indicator is thereby movable in addition to the restoring movement of the container section (5), wherein a projection (15) serving as audible indicator and extending into the area of movement of the dispensing duct (8) is a springily deflectable tongue initially covered by a confronting projection (16) arranged on the dispensing duct (8), and wherein the springy tongue is deflectable by the downwardly moved dispensing duct (8) and projection (16) thereof during the dispensing operation and is deflectable in an opposite direction during the restoring movement and after a short deflecting movement is releasable producing a click, and that the springy tongue (15) is composed in the end base (6) by two slits (17) departing from the base opening (9) for passage of the dispensing duct (8) and leading away from the latter.
2. A tablet dispenser as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the two slits (17) composing the springy tongue (15) run parallel to each other.
3. A tablet dispenser as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the thickness of the tongue (15) is reduced compared to that of the end base (6).
4. A tablet dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the width of the tongue (15) or the spacing of the slits (17) defining the springy tongue (15) corresponds to the width of that wall of the collecting duct (8) which faces the tongue.
5. A tablet dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the restoring spring (12) is arranged upright on the outer section (7) and extends upwardly from its end base (6), that in the initial position of the container section (5) prior to the dispensing operation the length of the restoring spring (12) corresponds at least to the distance from the inside of the end base (6) of the outer section (7) to the underside of the inclined base plate (10) or of a base plate member (10a) of the container section (5), and that during the dispensing operation the restoring spring (12) having its free end facing the underside of the inclined base plate (10) or the like of the container section (5) is deflectable thereby against its elastic force, generating the restoring force.
6. A tablet dispenser as claimed in claim 1 or claim 5, characterized in that the restoring force is augmented in that at least two springs (12) arranged generally parallel to each other are disposed upright on the inside of the end base (6) of the outer section (7) and both engage a sloped surface (10a) of the base plate (10) of the container section (5).
7. A tablet dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the restoring spring(s) (12) is/are integrally connected to the end base (6) and that the spring width oriented crosswise to the direction in which the restoring spring(s) (12) is/are deflected is larger than the spring thickness.
8. A tablet dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the tongue (15) projects slightly into the area of the base opening (9) and the projection (16) on the dispensing duct (8) is within a recess in the wall of the dispensing duct (8).

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