EP1262422A2

EP1262422A2 - Sugar-coated pill dispenser

Info

Publication number: EP1262422A2
Application number: EP02380094A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Josep Maria Janes Autonell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-05-09
Filing date: 2002-05-07
Publication date: 2002-12-04
Also published as: RU2002112418A; JP2003000678A; CN1392088A; ES1049184U; US20020166869A1; ES1049184Y; MXPA02004662A

Abstract

Sugar-coated pill dispenser, including a container box body (1) and a functional tilting cap (2) adapted to the box by means of a pair of coaxial stubs (1) and a pair of coinciding cavities (14), and a sloping area (5) on the lower face of the cap (2). It has been anticipated that the inside space of the box (1) has a containing part (3) where the pills are stored and a receiving part (4) with suitable width and floor shape to briefly contain the pills next to be used.

Description

SCOPE

This invention refers to a sugar-coated pill dispenser intended, as can be inferred from the title, to facilitate the preservation and controlled taking of sugar-coated pills, tablets and similar.
This device can be made in a size suitable for carrying in a bag or pocket and can be used anywhere.

HISTORY

At present and as a reference to the state-of-the-art, it should be mentioned sugar-coated pill dispensers are known. These consist of containers on the mouth of which a permanent cap with a hole is provided. This in turn has another gyrating cap with another hole of the same diameter as the first one, so that when both holes coincide on suitably turning the second cap the sugar-coated pills come out easily, whilst if both holes do not coincide the sugar-coated pills are prevented from coming out. Both caps usually have an upper cap that closed the container and is easily removable by screwing or similar.
The main disadvantage of this type of sugar-coated pill dispenser is the fact that various sugar-coated pills can accidentally be removed and the coinciding exit holes are valid only for certain shapes and sizes of the pills, which are based on the diameters of said holes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The new dispenser stands our for two basic reasons: it is adapted to contain and deliver pills of different shapes and sizes and to expel the pills individually with each movement of the articulated cap it has.
The first aspect permits the use of the dispenser for many types of products to be taken, both medicinal and sweets or similar. The second aspect is that the device is suitable to be used by elderly persons or those with difficulties to take the medicine in the form of pills or similar in the exact dose.
In order to facilitate the explanation, this description includes sketches in which a performance case of a sugar-coated pill dispenser is represented for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, according to the principles of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows, in a vertical plane section, the upper part of the new dispenser in the moment of delivering a pill.
Figure 2 shows, also in a vertical plane section, the complete dispenser with its cap in the closed position.
Figure 3 shows the body of the dispenser box without its cap and figure 4 is a floor view of the body itself.
Figures 5 and 6 represent the tilting lid of the dispenser according to its lower face and on the side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The elements with numbers in the drawings correspond to the parts indicated below.
The described dispenser basically include the body of the container -1- and the functional articulated cap -2-.
The box -1- has, in a preferred but not obligatory version, a prismatic shape with an oval-triangular base (according to figure 4) and its inside has a space -3- that serves as a container for the sugar-coated pills to be delivered throughout the time the device is to be used, and another grooved space -4-, for example a U-section suitable for the shape and size of the pills to be delivered.
The functional cap -2- is a plate with the same floor shape as the box section -1- and its lower face, opposite said box, has the following elements: a slanted zone -5- at its widest semi-circular end, the angular cavity zone -6-, the U-shaped projecting zone -7-, the elastic tongue -8-, the central tongue -9-, the transversal tongue -10-, the stubs -11- and the U-shaped projecting zone -12- coinciding with the slanting zone -5-.
The cap -2- is operatively adapted to the box -1- in the following way:
The tongue -10- is inserted through its lateral edges into the vertical notches -13- made in the internal walls and opposite the box -1-, acting as an elastic laminar spring when the cap is tilted according to figure -1-.
The stubs -11- are housed in two cavities existing in said internal walls, thus permitting tilting of the cap.
The tongue -9- cooperates with the tongue -8- for guiding and briefly retaining the pills, according to said figure 1.
The U-shaped projection -7- is adapted to and closed the upper part of the space -4- in the same way.
The U-shaped projection -12- is adapted to and closed the upper and semi-circular part of the space -3- in a U-shaped section.
The shape of the angular cavity -6- and that of the tongue -9- are established according to the shape and size of the pills and control them, according to figure 1, whilst the open position of the cap -2- is maintained.
The same figure shows the position of a pill -15- the moment it is expelled, the position of the next pill -16-temporarily held back and the position of another pill -17-to be expelled in third place.
The slanted step -18- on the internal wall of the box helps to position the pill -16-, blocked by the deformation of the tongue -8- pushed by the projection whilst the upper pill -15- is expelled.
The box -1- and cap -2- of the described dispenser will be advantageously made of plastic material, the first preferably stiff and the second semi-stiff, using injection systems or a suitable technical process.

Claims

Sugar-coated pill dispenser, characterized by the fact it includes a container box body (1) and a functional tilting cap (2) adapted to the box by means of a pair of coaxial stubs (11) and a pair of coinciding cavities (14), and a sloping area (5) on the inside face of the cap (2).
Sugar-coated pill dispenser, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact the interior space of the box (1) includes a containing part (3) of the stored pills and a receiving part (4), with suitable width and floor shape to briefly contain the pills next to be used.
Sugar-coated pill dispenser, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact the inside face of the cap (2) defines an angular cavity (6) with the same shape and sizes as the pills (15), an elastic tongue (8) intended to temporarily retain a pill (16) before it is expelled and a central projection (9) in the form of a pushing tongue with the same shape as the pills.
Sugar-coated pill dispenser, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact the inside face of the cap (2) also defines a transversal projection (19) in the shape of an elastic sheet constituting a spring that makes the cap (2) return to its closed position after it is tilted. Said sheet is laterally housed in a pair of grooves (13) on the inside walls of the box (1).