Child-resistant pill dispenser

The present invention relates generally to the field of product packaging, and in particular to child-resistant pill dispensers.

Various bottles and other pill containers have been developed that are difficult for a child to open. For example, pills are commonly packaged in a bottle having a cap that can only be removed by pressing down onto the cap while twisting it. However, this type of bottle has a number of disadvantages. First, if a child manages to open the bottle, the child has immediate access to the entire contents of the bottle. Second, if an adult user of the bottle fails to properly close the bottle after opening it, the security feature may be completely defeated. Third, a child-proof cap typically provides only a single line of security. If there is a structural failure of the locking cap, no other mechanism is typically provided to prevent children from gaining access to the contents of the bottle. Pill dispensers are known. CH 380 300, JP 11 079 262 and JP 11 208 746 disclose pill dispensers which are formed in the corner of a chassis comprising a pill reservoir, whilst JP 10 297 683 discloses a pill dispenser in the top panel of the chassis. The present invention provides a pill dispenser, comprising: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>a chassis having formed therein a reservoir for holding pills,</li><li>a pill conveyor pivotably mounted into the chassis, the pill conveyor including therein a pocket for receiving a pill,</li><li>the pill conveyor being pivotable between a closed position, in which the pocket is inaccessible from outside of the dispenser, and an open position, in which the pocket is accessible from outside the dispenser,</li><li>the chassis including at least one interior surface defining a path between the reservoir and the pill conveyor pocket when the pill conveyor is in its closed position, the path being blocked by the pill conveyor when the pill conveyor is in its open position, and</li><li>a locking mechanism for releasably locking the pill conveyor in its closed position, wherein the pill conveyor comprises a cover plate and a face plate extending downward from the cover plate, the pocket being formed in the face plate, the pill conveyor including a rear plate extending downwardly from the cover plate, characterised in that the locking mechanism comprises a resiliently deformable strap affixed to the rear plate, the strap butting up against a ledge on the chassis to hold the pill conveyor in its closed position.</li></ul>

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. <ul id="ul0002" list-style="none"><li>Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a pill dispenser according to a first aspect of the invention.</li><li>Figs. 2-4 are a series of perspective views, from different angles, of the pill dispenser shown in Fig. 1.</li><li>Figs. 5-7 are a series of see-through views of the pill dispenser shown in Fig. 1.</li><li>Figs. 8-10 are a series of exploded views of the pill dispenser shown in Fig. 1.</li><li>Fig. 11 is a cutaway view of the pill dispenser shown in Fig. 1.</li><li>Fig. 12 is a closeup cutaway view of the pill dispenser shown in fig. 1.</li><li>Fig. 13 shows a flowchart of a method for securely packaging pills according to an aspect of the invention.</li></ul>

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a child-resistant pill dispenser 10 according to a first aspect of the invention. The pill dispenser 10 includes a chassis 12 with a substantially rectangular profile. Mounted into the chassis is a pill conveyor 14, also referred to as a "coin". The pill conveyor 14 is pivotable between a first, closed position and a second, open position. Figs 2-4 show perspective views, from different angles, of the dispenser 10, in which the pill conveyor 14 has been pivoted into its open position to release a pill from the dispenser 10.

As shown in Fig.3, the pill conveyor 14 includes a pocket 18 dimensioned to receive a pill 16. When the pill conveyor 14 is in its closed position, the pocket 18 is enclosed within the dispenser 10, and is inaccessible from the outside of the dispenser. The pocket 18 is accessible from the outside of the dispenser only when the pill conveyor 14 is in its open position, shown in Fig. 3.

The pill conveyor 14 is provided with a locking mechanism that releasably locks the pill conveyor 14 into its closed position. According to this aspect of the invention, the locking mechanism is provided by a resiliently deformable latching strap 20, seen in Fig 4, for example, that is affixed to a rear surface of the pill conveyor. The illustrated embodiment is exemplary in nature and it is contemplated that any other embodiment of locking mechanism, falling within the scope of the claims, may be used. The strap 20 bows outward so that it overhangs a ledge 22 on the chassis 12. In its resting position, the strap 20 butts up against the ledge 22 to prevent the pill conveyor 14 from being pivoted into its open position.

The pill conveyor 14 is unlocked by applying sufficient pressure to the strap 20 to cause it to flatten against the rear wall of the pill conveyor 14. Once flattened, the strap 20 is now clear of the ledge 22, allowing the pill conveyor 14 to be pivoted into its open position. In order to assist a user in unlocking the pill conveyor 14, an arrow 24 is formed into the pill conveyor 14 generally indicating the direction in which pressure is to be applied. In addition, the word "PUSH" 26 has been formed into the pill conveyor 14.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the strap 20 is recessed in a hollowed-out portion 28 of the chassis 12. Recessing the strap 20 serves a number of purposes, including protecting the strap 20 from damage, or from being accidentally unlocked.

It should be noted that additional security may be provided by adding structural elements to the dispenser such that additional steps must be performed to unlock the pill conveyor and release a pill. For example, it would be possible to modify the dispenser such that the pill conveyor must first be rotated into a suitable orientation before it can be pivoted upward.

The dispenser 10 further includes a pair of ridges 30 and 32 that are shaped to allow the dispenser 10 to be stood on end. This feature could be used, for example, in a counter display, or to store the dispenser in an upright position in a medicine cabinet.

The dispenser 10 is further preferably provided with a square panel 34 that can be used to receive a stick-on label containing product information, directions for use, text, graphics, or other printed material. Alternatively, the square panel 34 may be made transparent to allow a user of the dispenser 10 to look into the dispenser 10 to see how many pills 16 remain. Other portions of the dispenser 10 may also be made transparent, or the entire dispenser 10 may be made transparent, if desired.

Figs. 5-7 are a series of see-through views of the dispenser 10 illustrating how pills 16 are loaded into the pill conveyor pocket 18. The chassis 12 includes a pill reservoir 40 for holding pills to be dispensed. The pill conveyor 14 is pivotably mounted into a compartment 42, shown in Fig. 7, in the chassis 12. The dispenser 10 includes a number of interior surfaces 44 that together define a pathway between the pill reservoir 40 and the conveyor pocket 18. As shown in Figs. 5-7, the pathway 44 has a generally funnel-like shape, ending in a straight chute 46 leading into the conveyor pocket 18. The chute 46 is dimensioned to hold a single pill 16. Thus, when the pill conveyor 14 is in its closed position and a first pill 16a is loaded into the pill conveyor pocket 18, a second pill 16b will be loaded into the chute, abutting the pill 16a in the pocket 18. As described below, the pill 16b in the chute 46 cooperates with the pill 16a in the pocket 18 to provide additional security, as addressed in detail below in conjunction with the discussion of Fig. 12.

Pills 16 contained within the dispenser 10 are extracted from the dispenser 10 one at a time by tilting the dispenser 10, while the pill conveyor 14 is in its closed position, to cause a pill 16 to be loaded into the receiving pocket 18 in the pill conveyor 14, shown in Fig. 3. A gentle shaking of the dispenser 10 may help to load the pill 16 into the pocket 18. It will be seen that the same actions used to load a first pill 16a into the pocket 18 will also cause a second pill 16b to be loaded into the chute 46.

Once the pill 16 has been loaded into the pocket 18, the pill conveyor 14 is unlocked by applying pressure to the latching strap 20 so that it clears the ledge 22. The pill conveyor 14 is then pivoted into its open position, causing the pocket 18 to be exposed to the exterior of the dispenser 10. The pill 16 can then be removed from the pocket 18. If the user wishes to extract another pill 16 from the dispenser 10, the user must pivot the pill conveyor 14 back into its closed position, reload the pocket 18, unlock the pill conveyor 14, and then pivot the pill conveyor 14 back into its open position.

Figs. 8-10 show a series of exploded views from different angles, illustrating the various components used to construct the pill dispenser 10. According to one aspect of the present invention, the dispenser is fabricated from four separate pieces: a chassis 12, a pill conveyor 14, an end cap 50, and a bottom plate 52. The chassis 12, pill conveyor 14, and end cap 50 may be fabricated using an injection molding technique, and the bottom plate 52 may be trimmed from a larger sheet of plastic. If desired, some or all of the components of the dispenser 10 can be designed so that they snap and lock securely to each other, without the need for additional fastening. Alternatively, a suitable adhesive or welding technique may be used to attach the components to each other. It should also be noted that the dispenser 10 may be a single-use disposable unit, or may be designed for multiple uses.

As shown in Fig. 9, the chassis 12 is formed such that the pill reservoir 40 is open at its rear. This allows pills 16 to be quickly loaded into the pill reservoir 40. The loading operation may be performed by hand, or by machine. Once a desired number of pills 16 has been loaded into the reservoir 40, the end cap 50 is then attached to the chassis 12 to seal the pills 16 inside the reservoir 40. As mentioned above, the end cap 50 and chassis 12 may be designed so that the end cap 50 snaps into position and is locked in place. Alternatively, the end cap 50 may be held in place by a suitable adhesive or welding technique.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the pill dispenser 10 is provided to a pharmacy with the end cap 50 not yet attached to the chassis 12. Thus, a pharmacist may load the dispenser 10 at the pharmacy, and then snap the end cap 50 into place to seal the pills 16 inside the dispenser 10. Prescription information may be printed onto a stick-on label that is affixed to the square panel 34, or some other suitable location, on the dispenser 10.

The pill conveyor 14 includes a cover plate 54. In the present example, the cover plate 54 is disc-shaped. However, other shapes may be used without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. A dome 56 is formed into the cover plate 54. The dome 56 provides a gripping surface that may be used to hold the pill conveyor 14 in its open position. Also, the dome 56 generally indicates to a user of the dispenser 10 the pivoting motion of the pill conveyor.

Extending downward from the cover plate 54 is a face plate 58. The pill pocket is formed into the face plate 58. The face plate 58 is dimensioned such that its bottom edge 60 rests on the bottom of the conveyor compartment 42 when the pill conveyor 14 is in its closed position. This arrangement prevents the pill conveyor 14 from being pivoted in the wrong direction. In addition, the face plate 58 serves to block the chute 46 connecting the pill reservoir 40 and the conveyor compartment 18 when the pill conveyor 14 is in its open position.

The pill conveyor 14 further includes a rear wall 62 extending downward from the cover plate 54. The latching strap 20 is affixed to this rear wall 62. Between the face plate 58 and the rear wall 62 are a pair of ears 64 on which are formed nubs 66 that lock into receiving apertures 68 in the conveyor compartment. The nubs 66 serve as pivot points for the pill conveyor 14.

As mentioned above, the pill conveyor 14 may suitably be fabricated using an injection molding technique. As described below, in addition to the strap 20 being resiliently deformable, it is also desirable for the rest of the pill conveyor 14 to be resiliently deformable, while being sufficiently rigid to prevent failure of the security function.

As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the bottom side of the chassis 12 is irregularly shaped. Accordingly, a bottom plate 52 is attached to cover the bottom side of the chassis 12. In addition to giving the bottom side of the assembled dispenser 10 a finished appearance, the bottom plate 52 also serves to prevent a child from gaining access to the underside of the pill conveyor 14, possibly interfering with its security function.

Fig. 12 shows a cutaway view of the dispenser 10, illustrating the operation of the invention. As shown in Fig. 12, pills 16 are guided up to the pocket 18. The pocket 18 has a shape and size to hold only a single pill 16. If desired, the pocket 18 may be modified to hold two or more pills 16 without departing from the scope of the invention.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the pocket 18 is dimensioned to be slightly deeper than the diameter of a pill 16. Thus, after a first pill 16a has been loaded into the pocket 18, a second pill 16b in the chute 46 will protrude slightly into the pocket 18. The portion of the second pill 16b protruding into the pocket 18 will tend to interfere with the pivoting of the pill conveyor 14, even where the locking strap 20 has been pushed clear of the ledge 22.

The second pill 16b is pushed clear of the pocket 18 by applying additional pressure to the pill conveyor 14. This additional pressure causes the front face 58 of the pill conveyor 14 to deform slightly, causing the pill 16a in the pocket 18 to push the pill 16b in the chute 46 out of the way, thereby allowing the pill conveyor 14 to be pivoted into its open position. Thus, even if there is a failure of the latching strap 20, it will be seen that it will still be difficult for a child to extract a pill 16 from the dispenser 10, as pressure would still have to be applied to the pill conveyor 14 to push the pill 16b in the chute 46 out of the way.

Fig. 13 shows a flowchart 100 illustrating the operation of a child-resistant dispenser according to the invention. In the first step 102, pills are sealed into the pill compartment 40 of the dispenser 10. This step may be performed at a manufacturing facility, at a pharmacy, or even at home. In the next step 104, a pill is worked into the pill conveyor pocket while the pill conveyor is in its closed position. In the step 106, the pill conveyor is unlocked. As described above, the pill conveyor is locked using a suitable locking mechanism, which preferably includes a deformable locking strap 20 butting up against a ledge 22. Step 106 is accomplished, in this case, by applying pressure to the locking strap 20 in the indicated direction. As further described above, a further locking action may be provided by a second pill protruding into the pill conveyor pocket. In that case, in step 106, additional pressure may be required to push the second pill out of the way. In step 108, the pill conveyor is pivoted upward, or otherwise moved, to expose the pill, which is extracted from the dispenser in step 110. In step 112, the pill conveyor pill conveyor is returned to its closed position, which causes the pill conveyor to re-lock. Steps 104-112 are repeated, as necessary, to extract additional pills.

Thus, it will be seen that the pill dispenser has a number of aspects that make it difficult for a child to gain access to the pills. First, the child must maneuver a pill into the pocket, which requires a certain amount of coordination. Then, the child must maintain the position of the pill in the pocket while attempting to unlock the pill conveyor. Unlocking the pill conveyor requires pressure to be exerted on the strap in one direction, and maintaining that pressure while pivoting the pill conveyor, taking care to make sure that the pill continues to be held in the pocket. If the child somehow manages to release one pill, the child must re-lock the pill conveyor and repeat the above steps to release a second pill. Thus, accidental access to pills in the dispenser is limited to one pill at a time, and not the entire contents of the dispenser. Even if a child somehow can repeat the skill required to remove a pill from the dispenser, the time and effort required for a child to remove multiple pills from the dispenser may increase the probability that an adult will notice what the child is doing and make a timely intervention. Also, a child may become bored or frustrated and give up before removing too many pills from the dispenser.

Further, even if the latching strap fails, there is some fallback protection provided by the use of a deformable pill conveyor. As described above, in addition to causing the latching strap to release, pressure must also be applied to the pill conveyor to cause the front face of the pill conveyor to deform, to allow the pill conveyor in the pocket to push away the second pill in the chute. Also, it is impossible for an adult to accidentally leave the dispenser open, or to accidentally fail to close the dispenser properly, in a manner that allows access to the pills in the container.

While the foregoing description includes details which will enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be recognized that the description is illustrative in nature and that many modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of these teachings. Therefore, the scope of the invention is solely defined by the claims appended hereto.