EP0929472A2

EP0929472A2 - Tablet dispenser

Info

Publication number: EP0929472A2
Application number: EP97942123A
Authority: EP
Inventors: James Patrick Dale
Original assignee: RPC Containers Ltd
Current assignee: RPC Containers Ltd
Priority date: 1996-09-27
Filing date: 1997-09-26
Publication date: 1999-07-21
Also published as: WO1998013275A2; WO1998013275A3; AU4391997A

Abstract

A tablet dispenser is provided having a button (362) in a major face of its body. Actuation of the button causes a dispensing member (260) to reciprocate in a direction generally perpendicular to that of the movement of the button and dispense a tablet. The dispensing member is preferably driven by double-acting cam means (268, 368). The dispensing mechanism can be provided in a cartridge (250) fitted into a body shell (200), with the button on the cartridge projecting through an aperture (212) in the body shell. The body shell may have a hinged lid (214) to allow refilling. Preferably, the dispensing mechanism includes a feed chamber (322) containing tablets which feeds a dispensing chamber (263) containing a tablet to be dispensed, and a resilient member (266) which grips the tablets in the dispensing chamber to prevent them from being dispensed when the tablet in the dispensing chamber is dispensed.

Description

TABLET DISPENSER

The present invention relates to tablet dispensers which are capable of dispensing individual tablets . Such dispensers are widely used, particularly for dispensing artificial sweeteners into beverages .

A problem which may arise with such dispensers is that more than one tablet may be dispensed at one time and it is not uncommon for tablets to be crushed or damaged leading to irregular dosing and jamming occurring. This is quite clearly inconvenient, since it means that excess tablets must either be discarded, which is also wasteful, or put back into the dispenser which may not always easily be opened. It is usual to dispense tablets onto a surface such as a person's hand to ensure only the correct numbers of tablets is dispensed and this is not only inconvenient but may also be unhygienic. Furthermore, if too many tablets are dispensed into say a beverage, the beverage may have to be discarded as it may prove unpalatable.

The present invention seeks to overcome the above problem, and from a first aspect provides a tablet dispenser comprising a dispensing chamber for receiving a first tablet to be dispensed, a feed chamber for receiving subsequent tablets to be dispensed, and a dispensing member, said feed chamber having an outlet portion for receiving the next tablet to be dispensed, said outlet portion being arranged to grip the said next tablet resiliently during dispensing of the first tablet so as to prevent its entry into the dispensing chamber and thereafter to release the said next tablet into the dispensing chamber. By providing means which grip the next tablet to be dispensed while the preceding tablet is being dispensed, premature entry of the next tablet into the dispensing chamber is prevented, thus preventing accidental premature dispensing of that tablet . Furthermore the next tablet can then be fed to the dispensing chamber in a controlled manner. The invention thus provides for effective metering of tablets to be dispensed. Preferably the feed chamber is arranged above the dispensing chamber and the dispensing member moved transversely to dispense tablets . However other arrangements are possible, for example employing laterally arranged chambers and a vertically movable dispensing member.

Preferably, the next tablet to be dispensed is gripped between opposed wall sections of the outlet portion. Thus a wall of the outlet portion is preferably movable with the dispensing member so as to grip the next tablet as the dispensing member is operated. To obtain a resilient grip, the movable wall portion may be resilient or resiliently mounted, and may cooperate with a fixed opposed wall of the feed chamber to effect the grip. In an alternative arrangement, however, a fixed portion of the outlet portion may be resilient and the movable portion rigid to effect the grip.

Preferably, at least one of, and most preferably both, the walls of the feed chamber are inclined towards the outlet to assist in feeding the tablets towards the outlet, but also so that when they move towards each other, tablets trapped between them are disturbed, helping to prevent bridging of tablets across the feed chamber . In the preferred embodiment, a wall of the feed chamber is resilient, most preferably formed as a resilient tongue connected, at its end remote to the outlet, to the dispensing member. Most preferably, the wall is arcuate, bowing convexly towards the feed chamber. This arrangement has a significant effect in reducing bridging of tablets, particularly straight sided tablets, across the feed chamber. This is believed to be so because, when a tablet is gripped in the outlet portion, the curvature of the wall above the outlet changes, imparting a slight rotational movement to tablets trapped against it, which may be sufficient to dislodge the tablet and thereby break any bridge which may have formed behind the table .

The concept of having a feed chamber wall which can change its shape to mitigate bridging is novel in broad terms, and from a further aspect the invention provides a tablet dispenser comprising a dispensing chamber for receiving a first tablet to be dispensed, a feed chamber for receiving subsequent tablets to be dispensed, and a slidable dispensing member, wherein at least one of opposed walls of the feed chamber is movable towards the other during dispensing and wherein a said opposed wall is capable of changing its shape in the event that a tablet becomes trapped thereagainst .

Further, the concept of a feed chamber having an arcuate or resilient wall is also believed to be novel, so from a further broad aspect, the invention provides a tablet dispenser comprising a dispensing chamber for receiving a first tablet to be dispensed, a feed chamber for receiving subsequent tablets to be dispensed, and a slidable dispensing member, wherein a wall of said feed chamber is movable with the dispensing member, and at least a portion of said movable wall or the wall opposed thereto is convexly arcuate towards the feed chamber and/or is resilient.

The preferred dispensers of the invention may be arranged dispense tablets in a number of ways . In a first embodiment, the dispensing chamber is movable by the dispensing member so as selectively to overlie a dispensing aperture in which position, the tablet merely drops out of the chamber through the aperture. Most conveniently, the dispensing chamber is formed in the dispensing member.

Such an arrangement has the possible disadvantage that the tablet being dispensed itself moves. This may cause crumbling of the tablet as it moves by virtue of its contact with either parts of the dispenser or the next tablet. In an alternative arrangement, therefore, the dispensing chamber is fixed, and the dispensing aperture is provided in an member movable with the dispensing member so as selectively to open or close the bottom of the dispensing chamber. In this arrangement, movement of the tablet with respect to most of the dispenser and the next tablet to be dispensed is avoided, the tablet merely dropping out of the dispensing aperture when the aperture opens the bottom of the dispensing chamber. The next tablet is prevented for being dispensed by being gripped as described above. In the particular embodiments described above, the dispenser member is provided on a side wall of the dispenser body, and the dispensing motion of the dispensing member achieved by the user directly pushing the dispensing member inwardly. However, it has been found that, particularly when the cross-sectional shape of the dispenser has one dimension significantly larger than the other (ie having a "flattish" shape) , users prefer an actuating action which involves pushing the wider faces of the dispenser together, rather than on the narrower faces, as in the previous embodiments. For the sake of clarity, in the following description, the wider faces of the cross-sectional shape will be referred to as major faces, while the narrow faces will be referred to as the sides. Preferably, therefore, the dispenser is provided with a button or the like which is arranged in a major face of the dispenser body and which is connected to the dispensing member by means of a linkage such that pressing the button causes the dispensing member to move to dispense a tablet.

This arrangement is not limited to the particular preferred dispensing arrangements described above, but may be applied to all manner of dispensers, so from a further broad aspect, the invention provides a tablet dispenser comprising a body with a dispensing button arranged in a major face thereof and a dispensing member arranged inside the body, the button being coupled to the dispensing member by means of a linkage, such that pressing the button causes the dispensing member to move in a reciprocating manner, in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the button, to dispense a tablet.

As in the embodiments described above, the dispensing member is preferably mounted for reciprocating movement parallel to the faces of the dispenser body, and the linkage arranged to translate the movement of the button which is generally perpendicular to the faces of the body into the parallel movement .

Although it would be possible to mount the button for rectilinear motion perpendicular to the faces of the dispenser body, for ease of manufacture, it is pivotally mounted, so as to follow an arcuate path when it is depressed.

Preferably the linkage includes cam means arranged between the button and the dispensing member. The cam means may act only to move the dispensing member in one direction, but in order to avoid the need for a return spring acting on the dispensing member, the cam means are preferably double-acting, such that the dispensing member is positively driven in both directions during its reciprocation.

Most preferably, the dispensing member is provided with a cam follower which fits between two cam surfaces linked to, most preferably integrally moulded with the dispensing button, one of said cam surfaces acting on said cam follower to drive the dispensing member in one direction when the button is depressed, and the other one of said cam surfaces acting on said cam follower to drive the dispensing member in the other direction when the button is released.

In order to effect return movement of the button after it is depressed, the dispenser preferably additionally comprises a return spring for returning the button into its rest position. In the preferred embodiment, the spring comprises a leaf spring which engages a reaction surface opposite the button. The spring rate of the spring may be chosen to give a suitable feel to the user.

For ease of manufacture, the spring and the button are integrally moulded from a plastics material and in order to improve spring life, the arrangement is such that the spring is unstressed when the button is in its rest position.

Preferably the button is provided on a dispenser cartridge body which may at least partly define the tablet dispensing and/or tablet feed chambers referred to above and which houses the dispensing member, the cartridge being inserted into a hollow dispenser body.

Such an arrangement is significantly different from existing dispenser designs where the dispensing mechanism is formed partly on the dispenser body and partly on the dispensing member. It has the advantage that the dispensing mechanism may be preassembled and if necessary, inspected or tested before it is inserted into the dispenser body shell.. Furthermore, it means that a substantially simpler dispenser body shape can be provided, for example a substantially cuboid shell. This is advantageous in that it will allow surface finishes such as metallising or plating more easily to be applied to the shell than with the complicated dispenser body shapes as employed up to now.

The provision of a preassembled dispensing cartridge in a dispenser body shell is believed to be novel in its own right, so from a further aspect, the invention provides a tablet dispenser comprising a shell for housing tablets, and a cartridge, the cartridge comprising a cartridge body, a movable dispensing member arranged within the cartridge body and means for moving the dispensing member to dispense tablets from the cartridge. It also extends to a dispensing cartridge for insertion into a hollow dispenser body comprising a cartridge body, a movable dispensing member arranged within the cartridge body and means for moving the dispensing member to dispense tablets from the cartridge. The cartridge may embody the various other features of the invention described above.

With reference in particular to the dispensing button arrangement described above, the cartridge body, the dispensing button, the return spring and cam means are all integrally moulded as a single component. The dispensing member is moulded as a further component, which means that the cartridge comprises on two components .

Preferably the button is formed as one face of the cartridge and hinged to the rest of the cartridge at one end thereof. For ease of manufacture, the cartridge body is preferably moulded with the button opened out, the button then being folded over around its hinge to close one face of the cartridge body during assembly. Latch means may be provided on the button and the cartridge body to retain the button in its closed over position once the cartridge has been assembled. The cartridge is preferably mounted in the dispenser body shell from the lower end of the body shell, and the body shell may be formed with means to retain the cartridge in position. An appropriately shaped opening is provided in a face of the body shell to provide access to the button.

The shell itself is preferably a hollow cuboid, which may be formed with a lid. The lid may be fixed or hinged, if it is intended that the dispenser be refillable. If the shell is formed as a single moulding, possible with a hinged lid, it is easier to apply protective and/or decorative coatings to it. Normally, the bodies of dispensers must be formed as two parts, a body and a separate lid, to allow the dispenser to be filled. As a result, if decorative coatings are to be applied, it is difficult to ensure that the coating looks the same on the body and the lid, which can lead to an unaesthetic appearance. However with the shell moulded in one piece, the entire shell can be coated in one operation. For example, vapour deposition techniques can be used to metallize or chrome-plate the dispenser.

Preferably, the lid is moulded integrally with the body shell attached thereto via a strap, the lid being connected to the strap by a first hinge and the strap being connected to the body by a second hinge, the first hinge being more flexible than the second whereby the lid will rotate about the first hinge before the strap rotates about the second hinge.

Such an arrangement which facilitates the initial closing of the lid and helps ensure its proper engagement within the upper end of the shell, is believed to be novel in its own right, and not limited in application solely to tablet dispensers, so from a yet further broad aspect the invention provides a container having a closure integrally moulded therewith, the closure being attached to the container via a strap, the closure being connected to a strap by a first hinge and the strap being connected to the container by a second hinge, the first hinge being more flexible than the second whereby the closure will rotate about the first hinge before the strap rotates about the second hinge .

Preferably the first hinge is thinner than the second hinge to produce the different degrees of flexibility required.

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a first embodiment of the invention in a non-dispensing position;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the dispenser of Figure 1, but in a dispensing position; Figure 3 is a vertical section along line III-III of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a cutaway perspective view of the first embodiment ^• Figure 5 is a vertical section through a second embodiment of the invention in a non-dispensing position;

Figure 6 is a vertical section through the dispenser of Figure 5, but in a dispensing position; Figure 7 is a vertical section along line VII-VII of Figure 5 ;

Figure 8 is a cutaway perspective view of the second embodiment ;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a dispenser according to a third embodiment;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of an unassembled cartridge for use in the dispenser of the third embodimen ,-

Figure 11 is a horizontal section through the assembled cartridge, looking upwards from the top of the lower face of the body of the cartridge, showing the dispensing mechanism in a first state,-

Figure 12 is a horizontal section as in Figure 11, showing the dispensing mechanism in a second state; Figure 13 is a perspective view of an unassembled cartridge for use in a variant of the dispenser of the third embodiment;

Figure 14 is a view of the lid of a container according to the invention in an open position; Figure 15 is a view of the lid of Figure 14 in an intermediate position; and

Figure 16 is a view of the lid Figure 14 in a closed position.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a dispenser for dispensing cubic tablets such as sweetener cubes comprises a one piece moulded polypropylene body 2 and a moulded acetal dispensing member 4 slidably mounted in a base chamber 6 formed in the bottom of the body 2. As will be described in further detail below, a dispensing chamber 8 for receiving a tablet to be dispensed is moulded in the dispensing member 4, and a feed chamber 10 for feeding tablets to the dispensing chamber 8, and having an outlet portion 12, is arranged above the dispensing chamber 8.

The dispenser body 6 defines a main chamber 14 for receiving tablets . The main chamber 14 has a base 16 having inclined ribs 18 for guiding tablets towards an aperture 20 in the base 16 leading into the feed chamber 10. A pair of guide ribs 22 depend from the sides of the aperture for guiding the dispensing member 4 as will be described below.

The body 2 is also formed with two parallel walls 24 extending into the base chamber 6 from a side wall

26. These walls 24 form the front and rear walls of the feed chamber 10. A wall 28 having an inclined portion 30 and a generally vertical portion 32 extends between the walls 24 and defines a fixed side wall of the feed chamber 10.

The body 2 is formed with a bottom wall 36 which has an elongate dispensing aperture 38 formed therein. One side 40 of the base of the body is open to allow for the insertion of and access to the dispensing member 4. The dispensing member 4 is a one piece moulding having a button 60 accessible by a user through an the open side of the base chamber 6 of the body 2. A base member 62 extending away from the button 60 is formed with a generally square section aperture 64 which defines the dispensing chamber 8. As shown in Figure 4, the central longitudinal section 66 of the base member 62 is solid, but, as shown in Figure 3, its side sections 68 are formed with a channel profile to reduce material weight and costs . The dispensing member 4 also has an arcuate resilient tongue portion 70 which is positioned between the walls 20 of the dispenser body 2, so forming a movable wall of the feed chamber. The lower end portion 74 of the tongue 70 and the opposed, vertical wall portion 32 together define the outlet portion 12 of the feed chamber 10.

Triangular crenellations 76 extend longitudinally away from the upper end of the tongue 70 and act to agitate tablets at the entry into the feed chamber 10 as the dispensing member 4 is operated.

A pair of upstanding resilient legs 78 are provided on the end of the base plate 62 and abut against the wall 24 of the body 2 to provide a return spring force to the dispensing member 4.

It will be appreciated that the dispensing member 4 is slidably received and guided in the base chamber 6 of the body 2. The crenellations 76 of the dispensing member 4 are guided between the depending guide walls 22 of the body 2, and the tongue 70 guided between the walls 24. The lower surface of the base plate 52 slides along the upper surface of the bottom wall 36 of the body 2. The dispensing member 4 is introduced into the base chamber 6 through the open side 40 and is retained in position by a rib 80 on the upper surface of the tongue 70 engaging behind a slot 82 in the base 16 of the main chamber 14. When the dispensing member is being introduced, the rib 80 will be deflected downwardly until it fully enters the slot at which point it will spring up into the slot 82 to prevent withdrawal of the dispensing member 4 through the side wall 40. If it is desired to remove the dispensing member 4, the rib 80 can be depressed manually to release the dispensing member 4.

Operation of the dispenser will now be described. In a typical resting position, tablets to be dispensed will assume a position as shown in Figure 1. A tablet T to be dispensed sits in dispensing chamber 6 resting on the upper surface of the bottom wall 38 of the dispenser body 2. The next tablet to be dispensed T' sits on top of the first tablet, in the outlet portion 12 of the feed chamber 10 as shown. When the tablet T is to be dispensed, the dispensing member 4 is pushed to the left in the sense of Figure 1 by pressing the button 60. As the dispensing member slides across, the lower end portion 74 of the tongue 70 will engage the next tablet T' to be dispensed. As the dispensing member 4 continues to move, the tablet T' will be gripped resiliently in the outlet portion of the feed chamber between the lower end portion 74 of the tongue and the fixed wall portion 32. The tongue 70 deflects under its own resilience to accommodate movement of the dispensing member, and to provide the resilient gripping force.

When the dispensing member 4 has moved across sufficiently, the bottom of the dispensing chamber 8 moves over the dispensing aperture 38 and the tablet T drops through the dispensing aperture 38, as shown in Figure 2. There is no danger of the next tablet T¹ being dispensed at that time since it is firmly gripped in the outlet portion 12 of the feed chamber 10 and also since the bottom of the feed chamber 10 is closed off by the base plate 62 of the dispensing member 4.

When the button 60 is released, the dispensing member 4 will move back to the right in the sense of Figure 1 under the action of the resilient legs 78. As it does so, the bottom of the dispensing chamber 8 will once more be closed by the bottom wall 36 of the dispensed body 2. Only after the bottom of the dispensing chamber 8 has been closed to a desired degree and the chamber moved back under the outlet portion 12 of the feed chamber 10 will the tongue 70 release the next tablet T' allowing it to drop into the dispensing chamber 8. A subsequent tablet to be dispensed T¹ ' will then be guided by the tapering walls of the feed chamber 10 to sit on top of that tablet, again as shown in Figure 1, ready for the operation to be repeated.

It will be seen from the above that the resilient gripping and subsequent controlled release of the tablet T' permits a controlled feed of tablets to be dispensed and prevents accidental dispensing of more than one tablet at a time.

It will also be apparent from a comparison of Figures 1 and 2 that as the dispensing member 4 moves to dispense a tablet T, the upper part 73 of the tongue 70 changes its curvature. Such an arrangement leads to a reduced possibility of tablets bridging across the feed chamber since as the tongue deforms, a small rotational movement will be imparted to a tablet trapped against the tongue, thereby assisting in dislodging it.

Turning now to Figures 5 to 8, a second embodiment of the invention is disclosed. This embodiment is similar in large part to the first embodiment, but with the major difference that in this embodiment the dispensing chamber is formed as a static chamber in the dispenser body, rather than as a sliding chamber in the dispensing member.

Accordingly, in this embodiment, the dispenser comprises a one piece moulded polypropylene body 102 and a moulded acetal dispensing member 104 slidably mounted in a base chamber 106 formed in the bottom of the body 102.

As will be described in further detail below, a dispensing chamber 108 for receiving a tablet to be dispensed is moulded in the dispenser body 102. A feed chamber 110 for feeding tablets to the dispensing chamber 108 and having an outlet portion 112 is arranged above the dispensing chamber 108.

The dispenser body 102 defines a main chamber 114 for receiving tablets. The main chamber 114 has a sloping base 116 for guiding tablets towards an aperture 118 in the base 116 leading into the feed chamber 110. A pair of guide ribs 118 depend from the sides of the aperture for guiding the dispensing member 104. As in the first embodiment, the body 102 is also formed with two parallel walls 120 extending into the base chamber 106 from a side wall 122. A wall 126 having an inclined portion 128 and a generally vertical portion 130 extends between the walls 120. However, unlike the first embodiment, a further vertical wall 132 extends between the bottom of the walls 120, generally parallel to the vertical section 130 of the wall 126. It will be seen that the walls 120 form the front and rear walls of both the feed chamber 110 and the dispensing chamber 104. Also, the wall 126 defines a fixed side wall of the feed chamber 10. Furthermore, a lower part of the vertical wall portion 130 and the parallel wall 132 form the side walls of the dispensing chamber 104.

In this embodiment, the bottom of the body 102 is open. One side 140 of the base chamber 106 is open to allow for the insertion of and access to the dispensing member 104. Furthermore, guide ribs 142 are provided on the bottom edges of the front and rear walls 144 of the body 102 to support the dispensing member 104.

As in the earlier embodiment, the dispensing member 104 is a one piece moulding having a button 160 accessible by a user through the open side 140 of the base chamber 106 of the body 2. A solid flat base plate 162 is formed to extend away from the button 160, and is formed with a generally square section dispensing aperture 164. The edges of the plate 162 slide on the guide ribs 142 of the dispenser body.

Also as in the earlier embodiment, the dispensing member 104 is formed with an arcuate resilient tongue 170 which is positioned between the walls 120 of the dispenser body 102, so forming a movable wall of the feed chamber. Further, the lower end portion 174 of the tongue 70 and the upper part 176 of the opposed, vertical wall portion 132 together define the outlet portion 12 of the feed chamber.

Triangular crenellations 178 extend longitudinally away from the upper end of the tongue 170 and act to agitate tablets at the entry into the feed chamber 106 as the dispensing member is operated. They are guided between the depending guide walls 124 of the body 102. A pair of upstanding resilient legs 180 are provided on the end of the base plate 152 and abut against the wall 124 of the body 102 to provide a return spring force to the dispensing member 104. The dispensing member 104 is introduced into the base chamber 106 of the body 102 through the open side wall 140 and is retained in position by the upper edge 182 of the tongue 170 engaging behind an edge of the sloping base wall 116 of the main chamber 108.

Operation of this embodiment will now be described. In a typical resting position, tablets to be dispensed will assume a position as shown in Figure 5. A tablet T to be dispensed sits in dispensing chamber 6 resting on the base plate 162. The next tablet to be dispensed T' sits on top of the first tablet T, in the outlet portion 112 of the feed chamber 110 as shown. When the tablet T is to be dispensed, the dispensing member 104 is pushed to the left in the sense of Figure 1 by pressing the button 160. As the dispensing member slides across, the lower end portion 174 of the tongue 170 will engage the next tablet T' to be dispensed. As the dispensing member 4 continues to move, the tablet T' will be gripped resiliently in the outlet portion 112 of the feed chamber 110 between the lower end portion 174 of the tongue 170 and the fixed wall portion 132. The tongue 70 deflects under its own resilience to accommodate movement of the dispensing member, and to provide the resilient gripping force. When the dispensing member 4 has moved across sufficiently, the aperture 148 in the base plate 162 opens the bottom of the dispensing chamber 104 and the tablet T drops through the dispensing aperture 138, as shown in Figure 6. Even though the next tablet T' is above the open aperture, there is no danger of it being dispensed at that time since it is firmly gripped by the outlet portion 112 of the feed chamber 110.

When the button 160 is released, the dispensing member 104 will move back to the right in the sense of Figure 5 under the action of the resilient legs 180. As it does so, the bottom of the dispensing chamber 108 will once more be closed by the base plate 162. Only after the bottom of the dispensing chamber has been closed to a desired degree will the tongue 170 release the next tablet T' allowing it to drop into the dispensing chamber 108. A subsequent tablet to be dispensed T¹ ' will then be guided by the tapering walls of the feed chamber 110 to sit on top of that tablet, again as shown in Figure 5, ready for the operation to be repeated.

It will be clear that the anti-bridging function of the resilient tongue 170 is the same in this embodiment as in the first embodiment.

Turning now to Figures 9 to 12, a third embodiment of the invention is disclosed. This embodiment is similar in some respects to the second embodiment, in that the dispensing chamber is formed as a static chamber rather than a sliding chamber. However, the means used to produce sliding motion of the dispensing member is completely different. Further, it should be noted that the dispensing chamber could equally well be formed as a sliding chamber, as in the first embodiment. With reference to Figure 9, the dispenser 200 of this embodiment comprises a generally cuboid body shell 210 in which a dispensing cartridge 250 is located. The position of the cartridge 250 is indicated schematically by chain lines in Figure 9, but the detail of the cartridge is shown in Figures 10 to 12.

An opening 212 is provided in the front face of the body shell 210, through which is accessible a dispensing button 362 of the cartridge 250 so that it can be depressed by a user's thumb or finger. Clips (not shown) retain the cartridge within the body shell. As is most clearly shown in Figure 10, the cartridge 250 comprises two members, a dispensing member 260 and a cartridge body 280. The dispensing member 260 is a plastics moulding and is reciprocably slidably mounted within the cartridge body 280. It is formed as a rectangular frame, with a row of triangular crenellations 264 forming the top of the frame, a base plate 262 forming the bottom of the frame, a circular section cam follower 268 forming one side of the frame and a bar 270 forming the other side of the frame. A dispensing opening 263 is formed in the base plate 262. A resilient tongue 266 depends from the row of triangular crenellations 264, and forms one side of a dispensing chamber, in the same manner as in the earlier embodiments, as will be described further below.

The cartridge body 280 itself is formed as a one- piece plastics moulding. The cartridge body 280 is generally cuboid, with the front face 360 of the cartridge body 280 being hinged to the rest of the cartridge body 280 at one side, by means of hinge 352. In Figure 10, the cartridge body 280 is shown with the front face opened away from the rest of the cartridge body 280, and in Figures 11 and 12 it is shown with the front face folded over to form the cuboid shape . The button 362 is formed on the front face 360 of the cartridge body 280, and the hinge 352 allows the button to be pushed in by a user to dispense a tablet.

The bottom face 300 of the cartridge body 280 is formed as a plate 302 over which the base plate 262 of the dispensing member 260 can slide. An opening 304 is provided in the face 300 to allow the tablets to drop through it, and posts 306, 308 are provided to guide the base plate 262 of the dispensing member 260 in a linear manner.

One side 310 of the cartridge body 280 has an opening 311 to allow for the insertion of the dispensing member 260, as shown schematically by arrow 400 in

Figure 10. A pillar 312 defines one side of the opening 311. This not only increases the rigidity of the cartridge body 280, but also retains the front face 360 of the cartridge body in position when it has been folded over, as will be described later.

The rear wall 320 of the cartridge body 280 together with walls 322, 324 define the fixed walls of a dispensing chamber 325 and feed chamber 327. These chambers are generally similar in shape to those in the fixed part of the dispensing mechanism of the second embodiment, and so they will not be described here in detail. However, rather than having two centrally positioned symmetrically arranged parallel walls

(denoted by the reference numeral 120 and best shown in Figure 7) , in this embodiment the rear wall 320 forms one of the parallel walls to allow space to accommodate button and dispensing linkage. Two openings 330, 332 are formed in the rear wall, to facilitate the moulding of the guide posts 306, 308, and the rear wall is also formed with an inwardly projecting seat 334, which engages with an end of a leaf spring 366 integrally formed on the back of the button 362, as will be described further below.

The top wall 340 of the cartridge body 280 is formed with a generally rectangular opening 342, to allow tablets to fall into the dispensing mechanism. The wall 332 extends generally centrally along the opening 342. When the dispensing member 260 is assembled into the cartridge body, the portion of the opening in front of the wall 332 is closed off by the row of triangular crenellations 264 on the dispensing member 260, to channel tablets into the feed and dispensing chambers arranged behind the wall 332. The top wall 340 is also provided with a pair of depending guide posts (not shown) , similar to those provided on the bottom face, to guide the upper row end of the dispensing member 260 in a linear manner. The left side 350 of the cartridge body 280 is formed as a solid wall, and the front face of the cartridge body is pivotably connected to that wall by means of live hinge 352. The front face 360 is formed on one side with the button 362 and on the other side with a leaf spring 366 and cam means 368. The button 362 is formed on the side which faces forward when the cartridge has been assembled, and is formed with a raised rim 364 which, when the cartridge is assembled in the body shell 210, extends through the opening 212 formed in the front face thereof .

The cam means 368 are formed as upper and lower cam members 370, 372. Since the upper and lower cam members are formed the same way, only the lower set will be described. The lower cam members 370 are formed by two projections 374, 376 which between them define a cam track 378. The width of the cam track 378 is only very slightly greater than the diameter of the cam follower 268 formed on the dispensing member 280, which is adapted to engage between the projections 374, 376, as best shown in Figures 11 and 12. This small clearance between the cam follower 268 and the cam track 378 avoids slack in the mechanism. The cam members 370, 372 also include lugs 380, 382 at their free ends. These lugs 370, 372 are adapted to engage behind the pillar 312 on the right side of the cartridge body 280 when the button 268 is folded closed. The sides of the lugs 370, 372 which approach the bar 312 when the cartridge body is being folded closed have curved faces 384, 386, and the opposite sides of the lugs have flat faces 388, 390. As the cartridge body is folded closed, the pillar 312 is pushed outwardly by the curved surfaces 384, 386 on the lugs 380, 382. Once the lugs 380, 382 have passed the bar 312, the pilar snaps back into place over the flat faces 388, 390 of the lugs, to latch the cartridge body closed.

The leaf spring 366 extends from the rear of the button 362. When the front face of the cartridge body 280 is folded shut, the free end of the spring 366 engages with the seat 334 provided on the rear wall of the cartridge body, as shown in Figures 11 and 12. The leaf spring is shaped to give the desired feel during dispensing. To this end, the end 367 of the spring 366 attached to the button 362 is thicker than the end 369 remote from the button.

The dispensing cartridge is assembled as follows. The cartridge body 280 is moulded in the position shown in Figure 10, with the front face 360 positioned folded away from the remainder of the cartridge body. In a first assembly step, the dispensing member 260 is slid into the cartridge body 280, as shown by the arrow 400. The base plate 262 of the dispensing member 260 fits between the rear wall 320 and the guide posts 306, 308.

In a second step, the front face 360 is folded towards the remainder of the cartridge boάy 280, as shown by the arrow 402. As the front face is folded over, the lugs 380, 382 on the cam members approach the pillar 312. When the lugs 380, 382 contact the thin bar 312, they start to deform it outwardly, as described above. As the front face 360 is pushed further, the cam follower 268 of the dispensing member 260 enters the cam track 378 and the pillar 312 snaps back into place over the flat faces 388, 390 of the lugs 380, 382 to retain the front face 360 in a closed position. At the same time, the free end of the leaf spring 366 engages with the seat 334. The leaf spring is arranged so that in this condition it is substantially unstressed, thereby increasing its operating life.

The dispensing cartridge 250 is then fully assembled and ready for installation in a dispenser body shell 200. In the embodiment of Figures 9 to 12, the body shell is a hollow rectangular tube 210 having an open bottom and a hinged lid 214 provided at its upper end. Details of the lid 214 will be described further below. The body shell 210 may have been pre-treated, for example metallised, to give a desired cosmetic finish. The cartridge 250 is inserted into the open bottom of the body shell 210, the button 362 being depressed to give clearance for the raised rim 364. The cartridge 250 is pushed in until it reaches a stop where it is retained by suitable clips or other means. (If the dispenser is to be sold as a sealed unit, then the cartridge can be permanently and non-removably located in the shell by adhesives or the like.) In this position the button 362 is aligned with, and its rim 364 extends through, the opening 212 in the body shell.

In the preferred filling arrangement, the lid 214 is closed first, the body shell 210 filled with tablets from the bottom, and the cartridge 250 then inserted to close the bottom of the shell 210.

The operation of the cartridge 250 will now be described, with particular reference to Figures 11 and 12. When the button 362 is depressed from its rest position shown in Figure 11, the projections 374, 376 of cam members 370,372 push on the cam follower 268, to move it to the lef as shown in Figure 12. This pushing moves the dispensing member 260 to the left, to align the opening in the base plate 262 of the dispensing member 262 and the opening 304 in the flat plate 302, and dispense a tablet from the dispensing chamber. As in the earlier embodiments, as this is occurring, the next tablet to be dispensed is being resiliently gripped between the lower vertical part of the wall 324 and the resilient tongue 266 of the dispensing member 260 to prevent it being dispensed accidentally.

The depression of the button 362 deforms the leaf spring 366 to the position shown in Figure 12, so that when the user then releases the pressure on the button 362, the deformed leaf spring 366 urges the button 362 back towards its original position. As the button moves, the other projection 374, 376 of the cam members 370, 372 pushes against the other side of the cam follower 268, to urge the dispensing member 260 back to its original position. As it does so, the next tablet to be dispensed is released by the resilient tongue 266 of the dispensing member and falls into the dispensing chamber, ready for dispensing. Thus it will be seen that an entire dispensing cycle is carried out by pressing and releasing the actuator button 362.

Because the cam follower 268 is positively driven by the cam members 370,372 in both directions of movement of the dispensing member 260, there is no need to provide a separate return spring acting on the dispensing member 260. Instead, the leaf spring 366 returns both the dispensing member 260 and the button 362 back to their original positions.

Figure 13 illustrates a variant of the dispensing cartridge shown in Figures 9 to 12. In the cartridge of Figure 13, the dispensing opening 304 in the plate 302 is offset to one side compared to that in the embodiment shown in Figures 9 to 12. To accommodate^* the opening, one of the guide posts 306 is omitted. The dispensing opening 263 in the base plate 262 of the dispensing member 260 is similarly offset.

The opening 263 in the dispensing member 260 is arranged such that when the dispensing member 260 is in its rest position, the opening 263 is located below the feed chamber. A tablet in the feed chamber will drop into the opening, but will be prevented from falling from the dispenser by the plate 302 of the cartridge. The opening 263 thus effectively forms a dispensing chamber, in a manner similar to that of in the first embodiment.

The base plate of the dispensing member has a raised region 265 adjacent the dispensing opening 263. This raised region 265 engages with the tablet when the dispensing member 263 moves, and pushes it along to above the opening 304 in the plate 302. The wall 322, which forms part of the feed chamber, is shorter in this variant than in the version shown in Figures 9 to 12, in order to allow the raised region to pass beneath it. A further wall 329 is provided extending from the rear wall 320 of the cartridge body 280, and connected to the lower end of wall 328. The wall 329 is above the opening 304. Tablets which are being pushed along by the raised region 265 will come up against this wall 329, and will be urged downwards towards the opening 304. This, combined with the force of gravity acting on the tablet, ensures that the tablet will be positively dispensed. As is clear from the above, the dispensing mechanism itself is fully contained in the cartridge 250. This is distinct from the first and second embodiments, where a part of the dispensing mechanism was formed by moulding the shell of the dispenser. As a result, the same cartridge 250 can be used with a number of different shells without affecting the operation of the dispensing mechanism. All that the shell needs to do is provide a location for the cartridge, and allow access to the actuator button. However, it is envisaged that the cartridge will find its principal use in dispensers for sweetener tablets and the like, as in the dispenser shown in Figure 9.

As mentioned above, the body shell 210 of the dispenser of Figure 9 is formed as a one-piece moulding with a hinged lid shown in its closed position in full lines and its open position in dotted lines. This allows access to the interior of the dispenser, for example to allow refilling. The outer surface of the lid 214 is generally flush with the body shell 210, and the lid 214 is formed with a depending wall 216 which fits closely inside the open top of the body shell 210 when the lid 214 is closed.

The lid 214 is hinged to the body shell 210 via a strap 450, shown more clearly in Figures 14 to 16. The lid is connected to the strap 450 by means of a first hinge 452, and the strap 450 in turn connected to the body shell 210 by means of a second hinge 454. The first hinge 452 is thinner than the second hinge 454, for reasons which will be explained further below. The body shell 210 is moulded with the lid 214 opened out to lie beside the main body shell 210 as shown in Figure 14. This considerably facilitates the moulding process. The lid 214 is then folded over to close the top of the body shell. As the lid 214 is folded over, because the first hinge 452 between the lid 214 and the strap 450 is thinner than the second hinge 454 between the strap 450 and the body shell 450, it is more flexible, and so will flex before the second hinge 454. Accordingly, the lid 214 first pivots about the first hinge 452 by about 90° relative to the strap by 450 to the position shown in Figure 15, whereafter the strap 450 and lid 214 pivot together through 90° relative to the body shell 210, to the position shown in Figure 16, where the lid 214 closes the body shell 210. The strength of the hinge 254 helps ensure that the lid 214 engages properly within the top of the body shell 210, and that the strap 250 lies flush with the body shell 210.

Clip means, not shown, may be provided between the lid 214 and the body shell 210 to keep the lid 214 in its closed position. Furthermore, a bracing member 456 may extend across the top of the body shell 210 to provide some degree of rigidity in that region. It will be clear to the skilled reader that variations may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example while the invention has been described in the context of dispensing cubic tablets, quite clearly other shapes of tablet can be dispensed, and the gripping portions of the feed chamber outlet may be suitably shaped to receive such shapes .

If desired, in the third embodiment described, the shell may be formed with a fixed lid for hygiene reasons, or to reduce the chance of tampering with the contents of the dispenser. Further, the dispenser may be used for dispensing medicinal tablets, and in this case it is preferable for the entire course of tablets to be sealed inside the dispenser, so again access to the inside of the dispenser is undesirable.

Also, it will be clear from the above, that the shape of the body shell need not be a parallelepiped, as shown in Figure 9, but any desired shape, as long as the cartridge can be located therein and the button actuated.

Furthermore, whilst the embodiments described have a horizontally slidable dispensing member, a vertical arrangement could be used, with a suitable arrangement of the feed and dispensing chambers and the actuating mechanism as necessary.

Claims

1. A tablet dispenser comprising a body with a dispensing button arranged in a major face thereof and a dispensing member arranged inside the body, the button being coupled to the dispensing member by means of a linkage, such that pressing the button causes the dispensing member to move in a reciprocating manner, in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the button, for dispensing a tablet.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said button is pivotally mounted.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , wherein said linkage includes cam means.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cam means is double-acting, such that the dispensing member is positively driven thereby during depression and release of the button.

5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 4, wherein the dispensing member comprises a cam follower which is received between two cam surfaces, one of said cam surfaces acting on said cam follower to drive the dispensing member in one direction, and the other one of said cam surfaces acting on said cam follower to drive the dispensing member in the other direction.

6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein said cam follower is in the form of a pin engaging between the arms of a fork, the surfaces of the arms forming the cam surfaces.

7. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said dispenser additionally comprises a spring for biassing the button into its rest position.

8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7, wherein said spring and said button are integrally moulded from a plastics material.

9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7 or 8 wherein said spring is unstressed when the button is in its rest position.

10. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said button is provided on a dispenser cartridge mounted in a hollow dispenser body.

11. A tablet dispenser comprising a shell for housing tablets, and a cartridge, the cartridge comprising a cartridge body, a movable dispensing member arranged within the cartridge body and means for moving the dispensing member to dispense tablets from the cartridge .

12. A dispensing cartridge for insertion into a hollow dispenser body comprising a cartridge body, a movable dispensing member arranged within the cartridge body and means for moving the dispensing member to dispense tablets from the cartridge.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the cartridge body includes an integrally moulded button and spring for biassing the button into its rest position.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said button is provided on one face of said cartridge body and is hinged at one end thereof .

15. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 10, 11, 13 or 14 wherein the dispenser body comprises a shell with a hinged lid.

16. A dispenser as claimed in claim 15 wherein said lid is connected to the dispenser body by a strap, the lid being connected to the strap by a first hinge and the strap being connected to the body by means of a second hinge, the first hinge being more flexible than the second hinge whereby the lid will rotate about the first hinge before the strap rotates about the second hinge.

17. A container having an integrally moulded hinged closure, wherein said closure is connected to the container body by a strap, the closure being connected to the strap by a first hinge and the strap being connected to the body by a second hinge, the first hinge being more flexible than the second hinge whereby the lid will rotate about the first hinge before the strap rotates about the second hinge.

18. A dispenser or container as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein said first hinge is thinner than said second hinge .

1 . A tablet dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, 13 to 16 or 18 comprising a dispensing chamber for receiving a first tablet to be dispensed, a feed chamber for receiving subsequent tablets to be dispensed, and a dispensing member, said feed chamber having an outlet portion for receiving the next tablet to be dispensed, said outlet portion being arranged to grip the said next tablet resiliently between opposed surfaces during dispensing of the first tablet so as to prevent its entry into the dispensing chamber and thereafter to release the said next tablet into the dispensing chamber .

20. A tablet dispenser comprising a dispensing chamber for receiving a first tablet to be dispensed, a feed chamber for receiving subsequent tablets to be dispensed, and a dispensing member, said feed chamber having an outlet portion for receiving the next tablet to be dispensed, said outlet portion being arranged to grip the said next tablet resiliently between opposed surfaces during dispensing of the first tablet so as to prevent its entry into the dispensing chamber and thereafter to release the said next tablet into the dispensing chamber.

21. A dispenser as claimed in claim 19 or 20 wherein a said wall of the outlet portion is movable with the dispensing member so as to grip the next tablet.

22. A dispenser as claimed in claim 20 or 21 wherein a wall of the feed chamber outlet is resilient or resiliently mounted.

23. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 20 to 22 wherein a wall of the feed chamber is resilient.

24. A dispenser as claimed in claim 23 wherein said wall is formed as a resilient tongue coupled, at its end remote to the outlet, to the dispensing member.

25. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 20 to 24 wherein a wall of the feed chamber is arcuate, bowing convexly towards the feed chamber.

26. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 20 to 25 wherein said feed chamber tapers towards said dispensing chamber .

27. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 20 to 26 wherein said dispensing chamber is movable with said dispensing member so as selectively to lie aligned with or out of alignment with a fixed dispensing aperture.

28. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 20 to 27 wherein said dispensing chamber is static, and a dispensing aperture is provided in a cover member movable with the dispensing member so as selectively to open or close an outlet of the dispensing chamber.

29. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 20 to 28 wherein the feed chamber is arranged over the dispensing chamber, and the dispensing member moves laterally to dispense tablets.

30. A tablet dispenser comprising a dispensing chamber for receiving a first tablet to be dispensed, a feed chamber for receiving subsequent tablets to be dispensed, and a slidable dispensing member, wherein a wall of said feed chamber is movable with the dispensing member, and at least a portion of said movable wall or the wall opposed thereto is convexly arcuate towards the feed chamber and/or resilient.

31. A tablet dispenser comprising a dispensing chamber for receiving a first tablet to be dispensed, a feed chamber for receiving subsequent tablets to be dispensed, and a slidable dispensing member, wherein at least one of opposed walls of the feed chamber is movable towards the other during dispensing and wherein a said opposed wall is capable of changing its shape in the event that a tablet becomes trapped thereagainst .

32. A tablet dispenser comprising a dispensing button arranged in a major face thereof.

33. A tablet dispenser substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 4, Figures 5 to 8, Figures 9 to 12, Figure 13, or Figures 14 to 16.

34. A cartridge for a tablet dispenser substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 9 to 12 and Figure 13.

35. A container substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 9 and 14 to 16.