WO2002044057A1

WO2002044057A1 - Dispenser

Info

Publication number: WO2002044057A1
Application number: PCT/GB2001/005336
Authority: WO
Inventors: David John Cragie
Original assignee: Invicta Plastics Ltd
Priority date: 2000-12-02
Filing date: 2001-12-03
Publication date: 2002-06-06
Also published as: GB2383994A; GB0311005D0; AU2002222119A1; GB2383994B; GB0029429D0

Abstract

A tablet or sweet dispenser comprises a hollow cylindrical body portion (10) having a body aperture (14), a hollow cylindrical sleeve (18) with a door aperture (20) slidably received within the body portion (10), and an end cap (26). A cam slot (16) is formed in the wall of the cylindrical body portion (10), which extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the body portion. A button or cam follower (22) of the sleeve (18) is guided by the cam slot (16). The button (22) can be manipulated between a pair of limiting positions, the first of which is a non-dispensing position and the second of which is a dispensing position in which the door aperture (20) is aligned with the body aperture (14), and means (24) biasing the sleeve (18) towards its non-dispensing position.

Description

DISPENSER

The present invention relates to a dispenser and in particular to a hand-held dispenser for dispensing tablets, for example medicine in tablet form, and more especially pill-shaped sweets.

According to the present invention there is provided a dispenser comprising a hollow cylindrical body portion with both a body aperture and a cam slot formed in the cylindrical wall thereof, and a hollow cylindrical sleeve rotationally and longitudinally slidably received within the body portion, the sleeve including a door aperture, a cam follower mountable within the cam slot of the body portion for movement between a pair of limiting positions, the first of which is a non-dispensing position and the second of which is a dispensing position in which the door aperture is aligned with the body aperture and means biasing the sleeve towards its non-dispensing position.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a dispenser comprising a hollow cylindrical body portion an inner end of which is at least partly curved with a body aperture located in the cylindrical wall of the body portion; a cam slot also formed in the wall of the cylindrical body portion, the cam slot extending at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the body portion; and a hollow cylindrical sleeve slidably received within the body portion, the sleeve including a door aperture, the sleeve also including a cam follower mountable within a cam slot of the body portion for movement between a pair of limiting positions, the first of which is a non-dispensing position and corresponds to the sleeve lying remote from the at least partly curved end and the second of which is a dispensing position in which the door aperture is aligned with the body aperture with the sleeve lying at or adjacent the at least partly curved end, and means biasing the sleeve towards its non- dispensing position.

Preferably, the at least partly curved inner end is closed and in the form of a dome. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the means biasing the sleeve away from the at least partly curved end comprises a finger made from a resilient material and extending longitudinally away from the wall of the sleeve towards said end.

The finger is conveniently integrally formed with the wall of the sleeve and may be moulded from plastics having a good memory.

The cam follower may be in the form of a button which is located on the sleeve in alignment with the finger.

Preferably, the dome-shaped end of the body portion is hemi-spherical, the distal end of the finger sliding across the inner hemi-spherical end as the sleeve moves towards the dispensing position.

In another embodiment of the invention, a ramp portion may be provided in the dome-shaped end of the body portion, the distal end of the finger sliding across the ramp portion as the sleeve moves towards the dispensing position.

A stop is preferably provided at the end of the ramp which limits movement of the distal end of the finger.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the other end of the body portion includes a hemi-spherical cap, thus providing the dispenser with an overall torpedo shape.

The outer cylindrical surface of the body portion may be faceted.

Conveniently, in one preferred arrangement of the invention the door aperture of the sleeve may be a slot which extends axially of the sleeve from one edge of the sleeve. A flat surface may be provided at one end of the dispenser which enables the dispenser to stand upright on a flat supporting surface for ease of packaging and/or display.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to accompanying drawings in which;

Fig 1 is an exploded view of a dispenser in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig 2 is a front view of an assembled dispenser having a cam and sleeve in a closed position;

Fig 3 is a front view of the assembled dispenser of Fig 2 with the cam and sleeve in a partly open position;

Fig 4 is a front view of the assembled dispenser of Figs 2 and 3 with the cam and sleeve in a dispensing position; and

Fig 5 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with the invention.

Referring firstly to Fig 1 , a body portion of a first embodiment of a dispenser is designated 10. The body 10 is a hollow cylinder having a dome-shaped closed end 12. An elongated body aperture 14 is formed in the cylindrical wall of the body 10 with its axis lying parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body 10.

A cam slot 16 is also formed in the wall of the body 10. The cam slot 16 is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the body 10 with one end lying adjacent the outer end of the body aperture 14 and the other radially outwardly of the body aperture 14. A sleeve 18 is slidably received within the body portion 10. The sleeve includes an elongate door aperture 20 which is alignable with the body aperture 14 in a manner to be described. The shapes of the door and body apertures are identical or substantially so.

The sleeve includes also a raised cam follower which is in the form of a button 22. When the sleeve lies within the body portion the button 22 is received within the cam slot 16. The sleeve 18 can be moved within the body portion 10 by pushing button 22 along the slot 16, as indicated by arrow A in Fig 2. Movement is between two limiting positions, the first of which corresponds to a non-dispensing position, shown in Fig 2, when the sleeve lies remote from the domed end 12, and the wall of the sleeve covers the body aperture 14. The second limiting position, shown in Fig 4, corresponds to the dispensing position when the body and sleeve apertures are aligned with the sleeve lying at or adjacent the dome-shaped end 12. In the dispensing position, one or more items, for example a sweet or pill, contained in the body 10, can be dispensed through the aligned body and sleeve apertures 14,20.

In Fig 3, the button 22 is shown in a position part way along the cam slot 16. In this position, the edge of the elongate door aperture 20 in the sleeve 18 can be seen through the body aperture 14.

A finger 24 is integrally formed with the sleeve 18 and extends in a direction towards the dome-shaped end where the finger engages the inner surface of the dome. Hence, as the button 22 is moved downwardly in the slot 16, an increasing resilient pressure is applied to sleeve urging it away from the dispensing position towards the non-dispensing position. To dispense a tablet contained within the body portion, the button 22 must be pressed firmly towards the dispensing position to align the body and sleeve apertures thus enabling a tablet to be dispensed. From the above, it will be seen that the finger 24 moves over the domed surface in a combination of up and down and rotary movements.

The other end of the dispenser is closed with a closure member 26 which can be of any shape but which in the illustrated first embodiment is domed to match the end 12. This provides the dispenser with an overall torpedo shape. The closure member 26 engages the body 10 with a snap fit.

In use, the dispenser is intended to be hand held in one hand, and the button 22 moved from the non-dispensing to dispensing position in a sliding motion using, for example, the thumb. Tablets contained in the body portion 10 are then released from the dispenser through the aligned apertures 14, 20, and can conveniently be dropped into the dispensing persons' other hand. The number of tablets dispensed is dependent on the size of the apertures 14, 20 and the size of tablets being dispensed. The apertures can be appropriately sized to dispense more than one tablet at a time, for example, two tablets which may be a desired dose of medicine to be taken at a given time. When the button 22 is released, the sleeve 18 returns to the non-dispensing position under the action of the resilient finger 24.

In a second embodiment of the invention, shown in Fig 5, the features in common with those of the first embodiment have the same reference numerals with 100 added. In this embodiment, the dispenser includes a body 110, a sleeve 118 and a closure member 126. A flat surface 128 is provided on the end of the closure member, which enables the dispenser to stand upright on a flat supporting surface for ease of packaging and/or display. A door aperture 120 of the sleeve is provided as a slot which extends axially of the sleeve from one edge 130 of the sleeve. A finger 124 is integrally formed with the sleeve 118, as in the first embodiment, but tapers in width towards its distal end, away from the sleeve 118.

The finger 124 engages a ramp portion (not shown), which is provided as a thickened region of the wall in the dome-shaped end of the body portion 112, the distal end of the finger 124 sliding across the ramp portion as the sleeve 118 moves towards the dispensing position. A stop (not shown) is provided at the end of the ramp which limits the movement of the distal end of the finger 124. A body aperture 114 and cam slot 116 are identical to those of the first embodiment and function in the same manner. A button 122, which slides in the cam slot 116, is not of solid material, but has a hollow centre portion 132, enabling the button to be made with the minimum of material. The components of the dispenser are moulded from plastics, with the sleeve and finger moulded from acetal, an engineering thermoplastics having a good memory.

Whereas in the illustrated embodiments of the invention the means biasing the sleeve to its non-dispensing position consists of the resilient finger 24,124, other forms of biasing may be used such as a helical spring with its ends mounted respectively in the end cap and body portion. The outer cylindrical surface of the body portion 20,120 may be faceted.

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising a hollow cylindrical body portion with both a body aperture and a cam slot formed in the cylindrical wall thereof, and a hollow cylindrical sleeve rotationally and longitudinally slidably received within the body portion, the sleeve including a door aperture, a cam follower mountable within the cam slot of the body portion for movement between a pair of limiting positions, the first of which is a non- dispensing position and the second of which is a dispensing position in which the door aperture is aligned with the body aperture and means biasing the sleeve towards its non-dispensing position.

2. A dispenser comprising a hollow cylindrical body portion an inner end of which is at least partly curved with a body aperture located in the cylindrical wall of the body portion; a cam slot also formed in the wall of the cylindrical body portion, the cam slot extending at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the body portion; and a hollow cylindrical sleeve slidably received within the body portion, the sleeve including a door aperture, the sleeve also including a cam follower mountable within a cam slot of the body portion for movement between a pair of limiting positions, the first of which is a non-dispensing position and corresponds to the sleeve lying remote from the at least partly curved end and the second of which is a dispensing position in which the door aperture is aligned with the body aperture with the sleeve lying at or adjacent the at least partly curved end, and means biasing the sleeve towards its non-dispensing position.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 in which the at least partly curved inner end is closed and in the form of a dome.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 or 3 in which the means biasing the sleeve away from the at least partly curved end comprises a finger made from a resilient material and extending longitudinally away from the wall of the sleeve towards said end.

5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 4 in which the finger is integrally formed with the wall of the sleeve and is moulded from plastics having a good memory.

6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which the cam follower is in the form of a button which is located on the sleeve in alignment with the finger.

7. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 in which the dome-shaped end of the body portion is hemi-spherical, the distal end of the finger sliding across the inner hemi-spherical end as the sleeve moves towards the dispensing position.

8. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 in which a ramp portion is provided in the dome-shaped end of the body portion, the distal end of the finger sliding across the ramp portion as the sleeve moves towards the dispensing position.

9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 8 in which a stop is provided at the end of the ramp which limits movement of the distal end of the finger.

10 A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 9 in which the other end of the body portion includes a hemi-spherical cap, thus providing the dispenser with an overall torpedo shape.

11. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 in which the outer cylindrical surface of the body portion is faceted.

12. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 in which the door aperture of & sleeve is a slot which extends axially of the sleeve from one edge of the sleeve.

3. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2 , 4 to 9, 11 and 12, in which a flat surface is provided at one end of the dispenser enabling the dispenser to stand upright on a flat supporting surface for ease of packaging and/or display.