HK40032569B - Dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Dispensing device

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a dispensing device and, more particularly, to a dispensing device capable of dispensing a desired size or number of tablets or pills.

Background

Many people require or eat tablets, pills, mints, candies, etc. daily. Existing dispensing devices are inconvenient to dispense such objects and may present difficulties in such dispensing. For example, people sometimes want to eat smaller sized candy. At other times, they may require larger sized objects, such as chewing gum. In addition, at times accurate dispensing may be required, for example when dispensing pills, while at other times dispensing may be less accurate, for example when the user is dispensing candies. Existing dispensing devices are not well suited to meet these requirements. Moreover, many existing dispensers are not designed to be reusable, thereby creating waste. Accordingly, there is a need for a dispensing device that addresses one or more of the above-identified deficiencies.

Drawings

For a complete understanding of the present disclosure and its features and advantages, reference is made to the following description that is provided when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, background, technical field, and headings of the present disclosure. The same numbers and/or letters may be repeated throughout the disclosure and different figures as identical elements or functionally equivalent elements.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one aspect of a dispensing device in a dispensing configuration.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the dispensing device of figure 1 in a stowed configuration.

Fig. 3A is a perspective view of the back face of the dispensing device of fig. 1 in a stowed configuration.

Fig. 3B is a perspective view of the back of the dispensing device of fig. 1 shown in a stowed configuration with the lid open.

Fig. 4A to 4B are perspective views showing inner side faces of left and right halves of the dispensing device of fig. 1.

Fig. 5A is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the bottom of the baffle device and the dispensing device.

Fig. 5B is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of a barrier device.

Fig. 5C is a perspective view showing yet another embodiment of the baffle means and the barrier means.

Figures 6A-6B are perspective views of the inside faces of the left and right halves showing another embodiment of the funnel device.

Fig. 7A is a simple cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of fig. 2, illustrating one embodiment of a funnel of a dispensing device.

Fig. 7B is a simplified cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of fig. 2, showing the funnel formed by the two sides of the dispensing device.

Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view showing the conveying member.

Fig. 9A is an exploded view of the conveyance member of fig. 8.

Fig. 9B is a perspective view illustrating a storage side of the conveying member of fig. 8.

Fig. 10A-10B are perspective views illustrating other embodiments of the baffle device of the transport member of fig. 8.

Fig. 11A-11C are perspective views illustrating other embodiments of an adjustment device of the transport member of fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a carrying retainer showing the delivery structure of fig. 8.

Fig. 13A is a perspective view of the left half of the dispensing device showing an alternative embodiment of the adjustment plate and barrier means.

Fig. 13B is a perspective view of a dispensing device employing the adjustment plate of fig. 13A.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a dispensing device having a cover disposed over a button of an adjustment device.

Detailed Description

It is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to details of the description, and that various other modifications and applications are contemplated. Further changes in the apparatus, design, configuration or methodology may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit of the scope of the disclosure described herein, and therefore, the details of the description in this disclosure are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Additionally, it will be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to a particular type or shape of tablet or pill, and it should be understood that throughout the specification and claims the term "tablet or pill" is used to include capsules, chewing gum, mints, candies, or various small snack bars or any other item that may be dispensed from a device.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a dispensing device may include a delivery member and a housing. In the first, stowed configuration, the transport member may be located within a resting compartment in the housing, while in the second, dispensing configuration, the carrying holder of the transport member is removed from the housing for dispensing the tablets or pills. A holder outlet is provided on the housing, and the delivery member is reciprocally movable between a stowed configuration and a dispensing configuration through the holder outlet.

The baffle means of the conveying member and/or the barrier means defined between the two sides of the dispensing device may divide the housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The upper compartment may serve as a storage compartment for storing tablets or pills and the transport member may be located in the lower compartment, i.e. the rest compartment, when in the stowed configuration.

The retainer baffle device may guide the tablets or pills from the storage compartment into the carrying retainer of the delivery member.

Several transverse or inclined or tilted bodies may be configured on at least one side of the housing to form a funnel between the storage chamber and the carrying holder of the delivery member to facilitate rolling or other moving of the tablets or pills from the storage chamber into the carrying holder smoothly or in a line when in the stowed configuration.

At least one side of the dispensing device may be curved to form a funnel between the storage chamber and the carrying holder of the delivery member to facilitate smooth or lined up transfer of the tablets or pills from the storage chamber into the carrying holder in the stowed configuration.

An outlet adjustment device may be disposed on the holder outlet of the housing, and a button may engage the outlet adjustment device to change a dimension of the holder outlet. A further adjustment plate may be provided on the barrier means to change the dimensions of the opening defined between the holder outlet of the housing and the barrier means.

The adjustment device may be configured on the transport member to change the dimension of the carrying holder.

The button connected to the delivery member has a detent or other means to prevent accidental movement of the delivery member when in the stowed configuration.

Additionally, it is within the teachings of the present disclosure that the dispensing device may be formed of any suitable material, such as, but not limited to, plastic, synthetic material, metal, rubber, natural, or any other suitable material, and may be transparent or opaque.

Figure 1 shows the dispensing device 6 in a dispensing configuration. The dispensing device 6 may comprise a delivery member 10 and a housing 8 at least partially enclosing the delivery member 10. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the housing 8 may be formed from a single or multiple elements, either separately or integrally formed. For example, the housing 8 may have front and rear shells 11, 9, top and bottom portions 12, 14, right and left end walls 16, 18. The corner 20 between the left end wall 18 and the top 12 may be chamfered, cut, etc., which may prevent the dispensing device 6 from colliding with the user's mouth when the user removes a tablet or pill from the dispensing device 6. One or more of the front and rear cases 11 and 9, the top and bottom portions 12 and 14, the right and left end walls 16 and 18 may be curved to enlarge the internal volume of the dispenser or to provide comfort to the user. In alternative embodiments, housing 8 may have other suitable configurations that allow for the functionality described herein. For example, the housing 8 may be configured as a cube, sphere, cylinder, or the like. Additionally or alternatively, the shell may be configured in the shape of an animal, cartoon character, or the like, which may be noticeable to a child or other user.

As shown in fig. 1, a retainer outlet 28 is configured on the left sidewall 18 near the bottom 14. The delivery member 10 may be configured for reciprocal movement between a stowed configuration (see fig. 2) and a dispensing configuration through the holder outlet 28. Additionally, the button 50 may be formed with the delivery member 10 or otherwise operatively coupled to the delivery member 10 such that a user may push the button 50 forward to engage the delivery member 10 to move it from the stowed configuration to the dispensing configuration. The delivery member 10 may engage a spring 74 (see fig. 6A) to provide a biasing force for automatically returning the delivery member 10 to the stowed configuration when the user's force is removed. In one embodiment, the exit adjustment device 26 may be disposed adjacent the holder exit 28, and the button 52 may engage the exit adjustment device 26 to move the plate 26 up or down to change the dimensions of the holder exit 28, e.g., to prevent an unrelated tablet or pill 68 from rolling out of the holder exit 28 as the user operates the device 6.

To enhance the user's grip, a ridge or bar 38 may be constructed on the top 12 of the housing 8. Ridges 38 may be formed as over-molded elements that are softer or lower durometer than housing 8, and it should be understood that ridges 38 may have any configuration that provides the intended function. For example, the ridges 38 may be sinusoidal, may include a plurality of intersecting line segments, and the like.

As shown in fig. 2, the dispensing device 6 is in a stowed configuration with the transport member 10 located in the housing 8. The button 50 and recess 69 may have detents or other means 58 (see fig. 1) to prevent accidental movement of the delivery member 10 when the dispensing device is in the stowed configuration. The button 50 may be pushed up along the detent means 58 to a locked position such that the delivery member 10 cannot be engaged. When it is desired to actuate the delivery member 10, the button 50 may then be pushed down to the unlocked position, thereby disengaging the button 50 from the detents 58.

As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the dispensing device 6 may have a cover 51 disposed on the rear shell 9 of the housing 8 and may be hinged on the top 12 of the housing 8. In fig. 3A, the cover 51 is in the closed position. In fig. 3B, the cover 51 is in the open position. Thus, the user can refill the tablet or pill 68 by opening the cover 51. The cover 51 may be made of the same material as the rest of the dispensing device 6. Additionally or alternatively, the cover 51 may be made of a transparent material so that the user can see how many tablets or pills are in the dispensing device 6. Furthermore, the cover 51 may comprise a material that is capable of glowing or shining in the dark, so that the dispensing device 6 may be easily positioned at night or in a dark room.

As shown in fig. 4, the housing 8 may have a first side and a second side coupled to each other to define an interior of the housing therein, and the conveying member 10 may be reciprocally movable between the two sides. In one embodiment, the delivery member 10 may include a carrying holder 30, a baffle device 32, and an adjustment device 24. The carrying holder 30 is for holding and carrying a tablet or pill 68, and a rear portion of the carrying holder 30 may include or be coupled to the baffle device 32. An adjustment device 24 may be provided on the transport member 10 to change the internal dimensions of the carrying holder 30 so that the dispensing device 6 can dispense tablets or pills 68 of various sizes or desired numbers.

A piece of barrier means 36 may extend between the first and second sides adjacent the end of the baffle means 32 to prevent tablets and pills 68 from falling into the gap formed when the delivery member 10 is moved to the dispensing position. The barrier means 36 may cooperate with the baffle means 32 to divide the housing 8 into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The upper compartment may serve as a storage compartment 55 to store tablets or pills 68, and the delivery member 10 may be located in the lower compartment, the resting compartment, in the stowed configuration.

Turning to the alternative configuration of fig. 5A, a baffle device 32 may cooperate with a portion of the base 14 to prevent tablets and pills from falling into the gap formed when the transport member 10 is moved to the dispensing position. In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 5B, the barrier 36 may extend toward the holder outlet 28, and an opening 60 may be defined between the barrier 36 and the holder outlet 28, and the expanded barrier 36 may divide the housing 8 into an upper chamber for storing tablets or pills, and a lower chamber, i.e., a resting chamber, for placement of the transport member 10. In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 5C, the barrier means 36 and baffle means 32 may be inclined downwardly to the bottom 14 to enlarge the storage compartment 55.

In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 13A, the barrier 36 may extend toward the holder outlet 28, and the opening 60 may be defined between the barrier 36 and the holder outlet 28. The adjustment plate 62 may be configured adjacent the opening 60 on the barrier device 36, and the button 35 (see fig. 13B) may engage the adjustment plate 62 to allow the adjustment plate 62 to slide or reciprocate to change the dimensions of the opening 60 to allow different sized tablets or pills to pass therethrough and into the carrying holder 30.

As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, because the storage chamber 55 is configured between the two sides of the housing 8 and the dimension between the two sides is greater than the width of the carrying holder 30 (see fig. 7A), the dispensing device 6 can include a funnel device 40 to facilitate rolling or otherwise spilling tablets and pills from the storage chamber 55 into the carrying holder 30 when in the stowed configuration. It is within the teachings of the present disclosure that the funnel 40 may have any suitable configuration and manner for the intended function. For example, in one embodiment, some transverse or diagonal or inclined bodies (see fig. 4A-4B) may be disposed on at least one side of the housing 8 such that the sides or edges of the bodies define the funnel 40 between the storage chamber 55 and the carrying holder 30 (see fig. 7A). In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 6A and 6B, the funnel 40 may be defined by other bodies that are tilted or inclined without the use of a transverse body. In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 7B, the curved inclined sides of the housing 8 may constitute the funnel 40 between the storage compartment 55 and the carrying holder 30.

As shown in fig. 4A, the outlet adjustment device 26 may be disposed proximate the holder outlet 28 as is conventional in the art, and a button 52 (see fig. 1) engages the outlet adjustment device 26 to change the dimensions of the holder outlet 28 to prevent different sized tablets or pills from rolling out of the holder outlet 28 as the user operates the dispensing device 6.

To assemble the housing 8, snap-fit engagement members 42 and receiving openings 44 are provided on both sides of the housing 8. The snap-fit engagement members 42 may engage the receiving openings 44 to hold the housing 8 in the closed position.

As shown in fig. 6A, the spring groove 70 may be configured on one side of the housing 8 and the coil spring 74 may be located therein. Spring 74 may have a first end configured to couple to a spring hook 72 (see fig. 9B) disposed on delivery member 10 and a second end coupled to housing 8 or otherwise constrained within housing 8 to facilitate reciprocating movement of delivery member 10.

Fig. 8 shows a close-up detail view of the transport member 10. Transport member 10 may include a carrying holder 30, an extension 32, a guide rail 22, and an adjustment device 24. The carrying holder 30 is used to hold and carry tablets or pills. In addition to the configurations provided in the figures, the carrying holder 30 may alternatively be configured as a capless case, bucket, or the like. As shown in fig. 12, the carrying holder 30 may include one or more angled bodies 82 defined therein to facilitate dispensing or holding of the tablets or pills. The carrying holder 30 may be transparent so that the user can observe its condition. In one embodiment, guide rails 22 may be configured on transport member 10 to complement and interface with guide slots 46 (see fig. 6A) configured on the sides of housing 8 to facilitate reciprocating movement of transport member 10.

As shown in fig. 8, the baffle device 32 may be a plate or other planar structure that is attached to or integrally formed with the rear portion of the carrying holder 30 to direct the tablets and pills in the storage compartment 55 toward the carrying holder 30. The baffle means 32 may also serve to divide the housing 8 into an upper compartment storage chamber and a lower compartment resting chamber and cooperate with the barrier means 36 to prevent the tablets or pills 68 from falling into the gap defined when the dispensing structure is moved to the dispensing configuration (see figure 4). It is within the teachings of the present disclosure that extension 32 may be formed of any suitable configuration and manner for the intended function. For example, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10B, the extensions 32 may be formed from an array of vertical plates, with the edges of the plates forming the surfaces 32 to achieve the intended function. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10A, the barrier device may have a long handle extension 34 to enhance the comfort of operation for the user. Furthermore, the snap-in portion 21 (see fig. 8) fixed on the extension 32 is complementary to the protrusion 23 of the adjustment device 24 to fix the adjustment device 24 in one or more predetermined positions.

As shown in fig. 9A, the adjustment device 24 may be an L-shaped plate. A portion of the adjustment device 24 may be located on the baffle device 32 and a portion of the adjustment device 24 may be disposed within the carrying holder 30. The projection 23 fitted on the adjusting device 24 is complementary to the catch 21 of the flap device 32, thereby controlling the movement of the adjusting device 24. The handle 25 may be secured to the adjustment device 24 and may be coupled to the button 56 to allow a user to adjust the adjustment device 24 (see fig. 1). When the dispensing device 6 is in the stowed configuration, the user may first push the button 50 upwards to the locking position, or hold the delivery member 10 at the retainer outlet 28. The user may then push the button 56 (see fig. 2) to engage the adjustment device 24 (see fig. 8) to change the internal dimensions of the carrying holder 30 to hold a desired size or number of tablets or pills.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the adjustment device 24 may be formed in any suitable configuration or manner to provide the desired functionality for changing the internal dimensions of the carrying holder 30. For example, as shown in fig. 11A, the baffle device 32 may be short and the adjustment device 24 may have a long extension. In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 11B, the adjustment device 24 may be a narrow, long L-shaped plate to change the width dimension of the carrying holder 30. In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 11C, the adjustment device 24 may be disposed below the baffle device 32.

As shown in fig. 14, a cover 48 may be provided on the housing 8 to cover and conceal the button 56 of the adjustment device 24.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure that the dispensing device 6 can dispense a desired size or number of tablets or pills, and that the user can change the dimensions of the holder outlet 28, carrying holder 30 and opening 60, respectively, or cooperate to adjust such dispensing to suit the desired number or size of tablets or pills.

While the foregoing detailed description refers to several examples and embodiments, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the relevant art will be able to make various modifications and changes to the described embodiments without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof. It should also be understood that it is within the scope of the present disclosure if all elements or steps which perform substantially the same function, respectively, in substantially the same way to achieve the same result as what is claimed are not significantly different from what is claimed.

Claims (14)

1. A dispensing device configured to dispense one or more small articles of different desired sizes and/or different desired quantities, the dispensing device comprising:

a container comprising a storage compartment and a resting compartment;

a transport member comprising a carrying holder and a holder adjustment device,

a holder outlet disposed on the container, the transport member configured to move in a reciprocating manner through the holder outlet between a stowed configuration and a dispensing configuration, wherein in the stowed configuration the transport member is located in a resting compartment of the container,

wherein the carry holder comprises at least one side wall and a base that moves reciprocally between the stowed configuration inside the container and the dispensing configuration outside the container to hold the one or more small items for access by a user, and the holder adjustment device is configured to adjust at least one dimension of the carry holder such that the carry holder carries the different desired sizes and/or the different desired numbers of the one or more small items between the stowed configuration and the dispensing configuration;

wherein the holder adjusting means comprises: a first holder adjustment device disposed on the transport member to change an inner dimension of the carrying holder; and a second holder adjusting device disposed near the outlet of the carrying holder and changing a dimension of the outlet of the carrying holder by moving upward or downward; and

a first button configured to engage the delivery member in a reciprocating manner, the first button including a detent, wherein in the stowed configuration, engagement of the detent of the first button locks the delivery member to prevent inadvertent movement of the delivery member,

wherein in the stowed configuration, the detent of the first button is configured to lock the transport member and the second button is configured to engage the second holder adjustment device, moving the second holder adjustment device up or down to carry the different desired size and/or the different desired number of the one or more small items.

2. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein in the stowed configuration, the one or more small items in the storage chamber are configured to be moved into a carrying holder of the transport member by a funneling device, and wherein the first button urges the transport member into the dispensing configuration for dispensing the small items.

3. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the holder adjustment device is an L-shaped plate, and wherein a handle facilitates the L-shaped plate to change at least one dimension of the carrying holder to carry the different desired size and/or the different desired number of one or more small items.

4. The dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a spring having a first end coupled to the container and a second end coupled to the carrying holder, the spring configured to automatically return the carrying holder from the dispensing configuration to the stowed configuration.

5. The dispensing device of claim 2, wherein the funnel device comprises a transverse, canted, or tilted body disposed on at least one of a first side and a second side of the container, or wherein the funnel device comprises at least one of a curved first side of the container and a curved second side of the container.

6. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more small items comprise candy, chewing gum, tablets, or pills.

7. The dispensing device of claim 2, further comprising: a first lid hingedly coupled to the storage compartment, wherein opening the first lid allows the one or more small items to be refilled into the storage compartment, and wherein a second lid covers the second button.

8. The dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the container is configured in the shape of an animal or cartoon figure.

9. A dispensing device configured to dispense one or more small items of different desired sizes and/or different desired quantities, the dispensing device comprising:

a container, comprising:

a first side surface of the first side surface,

a second side surface which is provided with a first side surface,

a storage compartment, and

a placing room is arranged in the shelf room,

wherein the storage compartment and the resting compartment are formed between the first side and the second side and span an area between the first side and the second side;

a transport member, comprising:

the carrying and the holding device are carried by the user,

holder adjusting device, and

a baffle plate device is arranged on the upper surface of the shell,

wherein the transport member is configured to be located in the rest chamber in a stowed configuration;

a holder outlet disposed on the container, the transport member configured to move in a reciprocating manner through the holder outlet between the stowed configuration and the dispensing configuration;

wherein the carrying holder comprises at least one side wall and a base that moves reciprocally between the stowed configuration inside the container and the dispensing configuration outside the container to hold the one or more small items for access by a user, and the holder adjustment device is configured to change at least one dimension of the carrying holder such that the carrying holder carries the different desired sizes and/or the different desired quantities of the one or more small items between the stowed configuration and the dispensing configuration;

wherein the holder adjusting means comprises: a first holder adjustment device disposed on the transport member to change an inner dimension of the carrying holder; and a second holder adjusting device disposed near the outlet of the carrying holder and changing a dimension of the outlet of the carrying holder by moving upward or downward;

a first button configured to engage the delivery member, wherein in the stowed configuration, a detent of the first button locks the delivery member to prevent inadvertent movement of the delivery member;

a funnel device spanning between the first side and the second side of the receptacle.

10. The dispensing device of claim 9, wherein the funnel device comprises a transverse, angled, or slanted body disposed on at least one of the first and second sides of the container, or the funnel device comprises at least one of a curved first side and a curved second side of the container.

11. The dispensing device of claim 9, wherein the container is configured in the shape of an animal or cartoon figure.

12. The dispensing device of claim 9, wherein a corner of the container above the holder outlet is curved, cut, or rounded and is configured to prevent the dispensing device from striking a user's mouth during operation.

13. A device configured to dispense small items, the dispensing device comprising:

a container comprising a sidewall;

a holder outlet disposed on a sidewall of the container;

a transport member comprising a carrying holder and a holder adjustment device,

wherein the delivery member is configured to move in a reciprocating manner through the holder outlet between a stowed configuration and a dispensing configuration;

an outlet adjustment device disposed on the holder outlet, the outlet adjustment device configured to change at least one dimension of the holder outlet; and

a handle configured to engage with the holder adjustment device to change the at least one dimension of the carrying holder to cause the carrying holder to carry a desired size or a desired number of small items,

wherein the holder adjustment device and the outlet adjustment device cooperate to dispense a desired size or a desired number of small items stored by the container.

14. A device configured to dispense small items, the device comprising:

a container, comprising:

a first side surface of the first side surface,

a second side surface which is provided with a first side surface,

a storage compartment, and

shelving room

A transport member configured to be located in the rest chamber in a stowed configuration and configured to move in a reciprocating manner between the stowed configuration and a dispensing configuration;

funnel means adjacent to the barrier means spanning between the first and second sides of the container; and

an adjustment device on the barrier device configured to adjust at least one dimension of the funnel device to allow small items of a desired size to move through the funnel device into the carrying holder of the conveying member, wherein the combination of the funnel device and the barrier device or the combination of the funnel device, the barrier device, and a portion of the baffle device of the conveying member define a boundary between the storage compartment and the resting compartment.