JPH0710175A - Improved distribution device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enable to dispense substances for example, pill, tablets or capsules, containing medicament by engaging the store part and the receiving part each other and dispensing the substances from a store part to a receiving part. CONSTITUTION: In order to dispense substances, a store part 11 and a receiving part 12 are engaged each other and the substances are removed or dispensed from the store part to the receiving part. The store part 11 is arranged to receive detachably a container for the substances 25 having a tear-off element 26 to close an exit. When the store part 11 is left from the receiving part 12, an aperture is closed on one side by a part 32 of a movable member installed slide-free in dispensing zone. Engaging the store part 11 and the receiving part 12, a rib 22 enters a narrow recess 34 of the store part 11, engages and pushes a lower portion 35 of the movable member upward, the part 32 leaves from the aperture, and the substances pass by the aperture and fall into a zone 20 of the receiving part 12. At the same time, the other part 36 of the movable member enters into a groove formed between walls 38 and 39, intercepts the substances to enter to the aperture.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a dispensing device for an object such as a tablet, pill or capsule containing a drug.

[0002]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a storage portion receives an object to be dispensed and a separate actuation portion, the storage portion and the actuation portion adapted to dispense the object from the storage portion. Movable for co-operative engagement. The object is dispensed as the parts move into cooperating engagement. The working portion is adapted to receive the object when dispensing the object. The working part is an upper open receptacle that faces upward when dispensing an object. The storage portion is adapted to limit the object in a single plane. The storage part is
A dispensing opening is provided and the actuating portion has a movable member movable to close the outlet from the opening when the reservoir and actuating portion are disengaged and to unlock the opening by engagement of the portions. . The movable member is adapted to prevent further objects from entering the opening by engagement of the portions. The storage portion has a groove for receiving the object in an aligned direction and communicating with the opening.

The groove is partially constituted by a movable member.
The movable member is adapted to disturb the object in the storage portion by the engagement of the portions. The movable member may have two positions adapted to disturb the object at different positions. It has a device for urging the movable member from the opening to a position blocking the outlet. The actuating portion has an actuating element engageable with the movable member by cooperating engagement of the portions, the actuating element entering a recess in the storage portion. The recess is sized and shaped to closely correspond to the shape of the actuating element. The invention may be carried out in various ways, two specific embodiments with possible variants being described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0004]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A dispensing device 10 for a small object, such as a capsule, pill or tablet containing a drug, comprises a storage portion 11.
And a receiving actuating portion 12. A co-op engagement between the storage part 11 and the receiving actuation part 12 for dispensing objects.
erative engagement) to transfer or dispense objects from storage to receiving. The user preferably can only remove the dispensed object from the receiving part after leaving the storage part and the receiving part. As shown, the receiving portion 12 includes a flat base 13 that contacts a flat surface and an upper surface 1 of the base 13.
Standing upright from 5, almost four sides 16, 17, 18, 19
With a substantially square receiving zone 20 as shown in plan view.
It has the wall 14 which comprises. The side portions 17, 19 are partially cut off at a central portion 20a that also includes the recess 21 of the base portion, as shown. The wall 14 has a peripheral flange 13a. The vertical ribs 22 stand upright in the zone 20. The storage part 11 has an outer rib 11a (not shown in FIGS. 2 to 5), and has an upper housing region 23 and a lower distribution region 2.
Have 4. The reservoir 11 may be a self-contained unit which seeks to dispense all the objects initially contained therein, but the reservoir 11 may for example be an object having a peel-off element 26 closing the outlet 27. Container 25
Is preferably arranged to removably receive. The reservoir 11 is inverted from the position shown in FIG.
, The reservoir 11 can be slid past the container 25 and when an object passes through the lower part of the housing area 23,
Return the assembly to the position shown in FIG. Thus, when empty, the container 25 can be removed and replaced with another similar container.

The distribution area is an inner wall 30 having an opening 31.
And the object is distributed through the opening 31. When the storage part 11 is disengaged from the receiving part 12 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 6), the opening 31 is provided by a movable member or part 32 of the distribution element 33 which is slidably mounted in the distribution area. One side is closed (Fig. 6). Part 11,
When the 12 is engaged, the flat ribs 22 enter the correspondingly shaped recess 34 (FIG. 1) of the member 11 and engage the lower portion 35 of the member 33 to move the member 33 upwards, As a result, the portion 32 moves away from the opening 31 and the object 40 can pass through the opening and fall into the zone 20 (FIG. 7) of the receiving part 12. When the member 33 moves upward, the member 33
The other part 36 of the slides into the assembly groove 37 formed between the walls 38, 39 so as to prevent entry into the opening 31 (FIG. 7) and thus the parts 11, 12 are disengaged. Until further objects are prevented from being dispensed. When these parts are disengaged, the member 33 descends under the force of gravity into the position of FIG. 6 and the further object 40a is the assembly groove up to the opening 31 for distribution when the member 33 then moves upwards. Can be moved downwards. Although gentle vibration of the member 12 assists the downward movement of the member 33, a spring device may be provided to bias the member 33 downward. As shown, the member 33 made of plastic has an elongated foldable portion 42 having an extension 41 at its outer end that is received in a recess inside portion 11. The upward movement of the member 33 causes the portion 42 to flex or bend (see 43 in FIG. 3), and the downward force on the member 33 that helps move the member 33 to the position of FIG. 6 by disengaging the portions 11 and 12. create. If desired, an isolation spring arranged to bias member 33 downward may be provided.

The sliding movement of the member 33 depends on the appropriate inner wall 44,
Guided by 45. The assembly groove 37 includes the wall 45 and the member 3
It is composed of three parts 46. The objects 40 are all the same size and shape. As shown in FIG. 6, the container 2
The interior 47 of the 5 limits the object to a single plane and the groove 37
An internal continuity of the container is formed so that the object remains in its plane. The wall 45 and the portion 46 cause the objects in the groove 37 to be oriented in a common direction from end to end. Only a few objects 40 are shown in FIGS. As the member 33 moves upwards, the portion 46 disturbs the object 40 in the lower part of the reservoir, which helps to put the object in the assembly groove 37.
In the embodiment shown, the member 33 has a further elongated elongated portion 50 guided by walls 51, 52 which also disturb undistributed objects, in the region farther from the groove 37 than the portion 47. It further aids in filling 37 with a properly oriented object 40 to be dispensed. Narrow recess 34
Is sized and shaped such that the member 33 cannot be engaged by the fingers of the user, child or baby, which
A safety feature to prevent undesired distribution of objects.

The user separates the parts 11, 12 while leaving the dispensed object in the receiving part 12. The user can then remove the object from the receiving part 12, for example if the patient is sick and the object is a tablet, the user can use the receiving part or the receiving part 12 to transfer the tablet to the user's mouth. Part 11,
The engagement and disengagement of 12 can be done with only one hand, which is also advantageous for the sick. The shape and size of the reservoir, the assembly groove and the opening 31 are adapted to the different size and shape of the objects to be dispensed with different devices. The part 12 acts as a key or actuating element for dispensing objects and as a receiving part for receiving objects during dispensing. In a variant, the cooperating parts of the opening 31 and the member 33 are sized such that a single dispensing movement of the member 33 dispenses two objects. In a further variant, the working part 1
2 may not accept dispensed objects. 8 and 9 show another embodiment, in which the storage part 60 has an outlet groove 61 formed so as to direct the object in a desired direction, and a distribution member 62 is rotatably mounted in the part 60. 61 (FIG. 9) and two objects 60 when aligned
a diameter opening 6 formed to receive a, 60b
Including 3. The member 62 has an extension 64. Storage section 6
When 0 cooperates with the receiving portion 65, the upstanding portion 66 of the portion 65 engages the extension 64 to rotate the member 62, thus blocking the exit from the groove 61 and the object 60.
The a and 60b can be dropped into the receiving zone 67 of the part 65.

The member 62 returns to the position shown in FIG. 9 by gravity due to the release from the portion 65, and two or more objects are opened in the opening portion 6.
Can be put in 3. In the case shown, the receiving part 6
5 can be attached to the receiving portion 70 for the liquid 71,
For example, if the dispensed object is a tablet, then the stage can be placed in the liquid when the object dissolves and then the liquid drinks,
Or, if possible, the member 65 can be used to transfer the tablet to the user's mouth and the liquid 71 is used to drink the tablet. Even in this case, the storage part 60 is separated from the receiving part. Portion 60 has a dispensing portion 80 that surrounds portion 65 to help place portion 60 over portion 65 in the assembled state.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where a portion of a distribution device is separated.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the device in a separated state, viewed from one side.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the parts co-engaged.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 seen from the other side.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 seen from the other side.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a separation position.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a cooperation position.

FIG. 8 shows a further device in section with the parts engaged.

9 shows the part of FIG. 8 in a separated state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Distributor 11 ... Storage part 12 ... Operating part 22 ... Rib 31 ... Opening 33 ... Actuating member 34 ... Recess 37 ... Groove 40 ... Object

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── —————————————————————————————————— Inventor Nigel Timothy Court London 16 Es Wd 16 6 Esd Gracedale Road 5

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A storage portion having a dispensing opening for receiving an object to be dispensed and a separate actuating portion, the storage portion and the actuating portion cooperatingly engaging to dispense the object from the storage portion. And the actuating portion has a moveable member that is movable to close the outlet from the opening when the storage portion and the actuating portion are disengaged and to unlock the opening by engagement of the portions. , A device for distributing objects. 2. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the actuating portion is an upwardly open receiving portion that faces upwardly when dispensing the object and is adapted to receive the object when dispensing the object. 3. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the storage portion is adapted to limit the object in a single plane. 4. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the movable member is adapted to prevent further objects from entering the opening by engagement of the portions. 5. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the storage portion has a groove formed in part by the movable member for receiving the objects in the aligned direction and communicating with the opening. 6. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is adapted to freely disturb the objects of the storage part at different positions by the engagement of the parts. 7. The dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a device for urging the movable member from the opening to a position blocking the outlet. 8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the actuating portion has an actuating element engageable with the movable member by co-operating engagement of the portions, the actuating element entering a recess in the storage portion. apparatus. 9. The dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the recess is sized and shaped to closely correspond to the shape of the actuating element. 10. An apparatus for substantially dispensing an object as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings and as shown in the accompanying drawings.