GB1602197A - Dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

(54) DISPENSING DEVICE (71) We, DRO LIMITED. oft Redcliffe Street, Bristol, BS99 7QY. a British Com- pany, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to a device for dispensing discrete articles such as pills, tablets or the like from a container.

Frequently, containers of pills are left within the reach of small children who are liable, if they are able, to consume a large number of pills, often with disastrous consequences. There is therefore a need for a device for dispensing pills from a container which makes it difficult for a child to remove a large number of pills.

According to the present invention there is provided a container for discrete articles having a dispensing device comprising a stopper for insertion in a tubular entry portion of the container, and at least one resiliently deflectable member in the entry portion and normally projecting inwardly with respect thereto to retain articles within the container, the projecting member being deflectable away from a position where it prevents the passage of articles by movement of the stopper in the entry portion, whereby the stopper receives an article or a limited number of articles so that they can be removed from the container when the stopper is removed but further articles are preventerd from passing by the projecting member, the stopper being completely contained in the entry portion when fully inserted and having an aperture adapted to receive the tip of an adult's finger, the stopper being removable by manipulation by a finger in said aperture.

A container having a dispensing device according to the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification, wherein Figures 1 and 2 show a container for pills in two conditions.

Referring to the drawings; a container 100 for pills 12 is generally cylindrical. A lower portion 106 of the container 100 is provided with a generally tubular insert 101 ws a sufficiently tight friction-fit therein as to irremovable for all practical purposes.

The upper end of the insert has a plurality (e.g. four) of inwardly projecting resiliently deflectable fins 102 which define a central aperture 104 in the container 100. When the fins 102 are in their normal undeflected position shown in Figure 2, the aperture 104 is smaller than the pills 12 contained in the container 100 and so the pills are retained behind the fins 102 and are inaccessible.

A stopper 108 for the container has an outer cylindrical wall 110 which is a push fit inside the insert 101 below the fins 102. As seen in Figure 1, the lower portion 106 and insert 101 are sufficiently long to completely accommodate the stopper 108 when it is fully inserted. The stopper 108 has an inner cylindrical wall 112 coaxial with the wall 110 and joined to it by a shoulder 114 which slopes to facilitate insertion of the stopper in the insert 101. The inner wall 112 forms a stopped aperture in the stopper which is of such a size that an adult can insert his finger in the stopper aperture and remove the stopper from the insert 101 by manipulation.

If a child attempts to remove the stopper however, he will find that his finger is too small to obtain purchase in the stopped aperture, and so he will have great difficulty in removing the stopper. The stopper can be made such that it is necessary to deform the wall 112 temporarily to obtain the necessary purchase for removal; this will make it even more difficult for the child to remove the stopper.

As shown in Figure 1, when the stopper is fully inserted in the insert 101 the fins 102 are upwardly deflected by an upwardly directed cylindrical wall of the stopper which forms a central well 116 in the inner face of the stopper. This well is sized to accommodate one pill 12, but of course could be arranged to accommodate any limited number of pills if desired. When the fins 102 are in the upwardly deflected position shown in Figure 1, the central aperture 104 is slightly larger than in the normal position shown in Figure 2, so that one pill 12 can fall into the well 116 of the stopper. Thus, when the stopper is withdrawn from the insert 101, the pill in the well 116 is taken with it, but remaining pills are retained in the container 100 behind the fins 102 which revert to their normal pill-retaining position as the stopper is removed.If a child does manage to remove the stopper 108, therefore, he will only receive one (or a limited number) of the pills 12.

Optionally, the container 100 can be provided with a false lid 118 irremovably mounted at the top end of the container 1it). The lid 118 has a depending skirt 120 which fits around an upwardly directed circular flange 122 of the container. The skirt 120 and flange 122 are provided with mutually co-operating annular beads 124, the bead of the skirt 120 being retained behind that of the flange 122 to secure the lid 118 on the container.while the retaining faces of the beads 124 are shaped such that the lid 118 is irremovable, the beads have a barb-like cross-section with inclined faces which provide for snap-fit assembly of the lid on the container.a child playing with the container will find that the lid 118 rotates freely on the container without screwing off as might be expected.His attention is therefore directed away from the stopper 108 which is the real access to the contents of the container.

The flange 122 of the container surrounds an aperture 126 which is covered by the lid 118. If desired, no such aperture could be provided so that if a child does manage to remove the lid 118 he still does not have access to the pills 12. However, the aperture 126 is desirably provided so that the container can be filled therethrough prior to assembly of the lid 118.

The container, and the stopper, need not be cylindrical but could be other tubular shapes if desired. Suitably all components are moulded from plastics material, e.g.

low density polyethylene.

The device described is thus extremely safe, having several features designed to prevent a child from obtaining access to the contents. It also has the further advantage that pills are removed from the bottom so that a pill will he located in the well 116 without the need to turn the container upside down.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A container for discrete articles having a dispensing device comprising a stopper for insertion in a tubular entry portion of the container, and at least one resiliently deflectable member in the entry portion and normally projecting inwardly with respect thereto to retain articles within the container, the projecting member being deflectable away from a position where it prevents the passage of articles by movement of the stopper in the entry portion, whereby the stopper receives an article or a limited number of articles so that they can be removed from the container when the stopper is removed but further articles are prevented from passing by the projecting member, the stopper being completely contained in the entry portion when fully inserted and having an aperture adapted to receive the tip of an adult's finger, the stopper being removable by manipulation by finger in said aperture.

2. A container according to Claim 1 wherein the projecting member is provided on an insert located in the entry portion.

3. A container according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 having a plurality of said projecting members.

4. A container according to Claim 3 having four said projecting members.

5. A container according to any one of the preceeding claims wherein the stopper has two coaxial cylindrical walls, the outer wall being a push-fit in the entry portion and the inner wall defining the aperture.

6. A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the stopper has a recess at its inner end for receiving one or a limited number of the discrete arti cles.

7. A container according to Claim 6 wherein the recess is defined by an upstanding wall arranged to deflect the projecting member or members when the stopper is fully inserted.

8. A container according to any one of the preceeding claims having an irremovable false lid remote from the entry portion.

9. A container according to Claim 8 wherein the false lid is rotatable.

10. A container according to Claim 8 or 9 wherein the false lid covers an opening into the container.

11. A container according to Claim, 8, Claim 9 or Claim ln wherein the false lid is an irremovable snap fit on the container.

12. A container for discrete articles, having a dispensing device substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

13. A container for discrete articles substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specifications.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (13)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. stopper is withdrawn from the insert 101, the pill in the well 116 is taken with it, but remaining pills are retained in the container 100 behind the fins 102 which revert to their normal pill-retaining position as the stopper is removed. If a child does manage to remove the stopper 108, therefore, he will only receive one (or a limited number) of the pills 12. Optionally, the container 100 can be provided with a false lid 118 irremovably mounted at the top end of the container 1it). The lid 118 has a depending skirt 120 which fits around an upwardly directed circular flange 122 of the container. The skirt 120 and flange 122 are provided with mutually co-operating annular beads 124, the bead of the skirt 120 being retained behind that of the flange 122 to secure the lid 118 on the container.while the retaining faces of the beads 124 are shaped such that the lid 118 is irremovable, the beads have a barb-like cross-section with inclined faces which provide for snap-fit assembly of the lid on the container.a child playing with the container will find that the lid 118 rotates freely on the container without screwing off as might be expected.His attention is therefore directed away from the stopper 108 which is the real access to the contents of the container. The flange 122 of the container surrounds an aperture 126 which is covered by the lid 118. If desired, no such aperture could be provided so that if a child does manage to remove the lid 118 he still does not have access to the pills 12. However, the aperture 126 is desirably provided so that the container can be filled therethrough prior to assembly of the lid 118. The container, and the stopper, need not be cylindrical but could be other tubular shapes if desired. Suitably all components are moulded from plastics material, e.g. low density polyethylene. The device described is thus extremely safe, having several features designed to prevent a child from obtaining access to the contents. It also has the further advantage that pills are removed from the bottom so that a pill will he located in the well 116 without the need to turn the container upside down. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A container for discrete articles having a dispensing device comprising a stopper for insertion in a tubular entry portion of the container, and at least one resiliently deflectable member in the entry portion and normally projecting inwardly with respect thereto to retain articles within the container, the projecting member being deflectable away from a position where it prevents the passage of articles by movement of the stopper in the entry portion, whereby the stopper receives an article or a limited number of articles so that they can be removed from the container when the stopper is removed but further articles are prevented from passing by the projecting member, the stopper being completely contained in the entry portion when fully inserted and having an aperture adapted to receive the tip of an adult's finger, the stopper being removable by manipulation by finger in said aperture.

2. A container according to Claim 1 wherein the projecting member is provided on an insert located in the entry portion.

3. A container according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 having a plurality of said projecting members.

4. A container according to Claim 3 having four said projecting members.

5. A container according to any one of the preceeding claims wherein the stopper has two coaxial cylindrical walls, the outer wall being a push-fit in the entry portion and the inner wall defining the aperture.

6. A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the stopper has a recess at its inner end for receiving one or a limited number of the discrete arti cles.

7. A container according to Claim 6 wherein the recess is defined by an upstanding wall arranged to deflect the projecting member or members when the stopper is fully inserted.

8. A container according to any one of the preceeding claims having an irremovable false lid remote from the entry portion.

9. A container according to Claim 8 wherein the false lid is rotatable.

10. A container according to Claim 8 or 9 wherein the false lid covers an opening into the container.

11. A container according to Claim, 8, Claim 9 or Claim ln wherein the false lid is an irremovable snap fit on the container.

12. A container for discrete articles, having a dispensing device substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

13. A container for discrete articles substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specifications.