Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ A PCr/GB90/00209
WO90/092~1 ~ V~ U U~i~
Title: Device or Crushinq Pills And The Like
This lnvention relates to a device for crushing pills and
the like.
It is often the case that a person has difficulty in
swallowing pills due to their size. The present invention
seeks to provide a device which is readily usable to crush
the pills into a powder, to make them easier to ingest.
According to the present invention, there i~ provld@d a
device ~or cirushing pil.l9 and the l:ike, colnpri.~inq a
housing, a rotatable crusher memb@r diie;posed in the
housing, an anvil which is disposed in the housing and with
which the movable crusher member co-operates to crush said
pills or the like, and an opening in the housing through
which said pills or the like are fed to the crusher member.
Preferably, the device also includes a .eceptacle which ~-
receives particles of the crushed pills, the receptacle
forming part of or-being attached to the housing.
'
Advantageously, the anvil and/or the crusher member are
provided with projections (preferably in the form of ridges
or serrations, which may be in herring-bone con~iguration)
to facilitate the crushing process. Such projections can
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also be provided on at least one axial side wall of the
crusher member and/or a surface on the housing which
confronts that side wall.
Desirably, the crusher member is in the general form of a
wheel or drum, and the anvil extends along at least ~art of
the periphery thereoE.
In one embodiment, the crusher member and the anvil are
both generally conical or frusto conical in shape, in which ';
case the opening is preferably provided in a face o~ the
device which is generally perpendicular to the rot~ion
axis of the crusher melnber. In another qrnbocl.im~nt, the
crusher member is gen@ral.ly cy.Lindrical, ln wllleh ea~ th~
opening is preferably provided ,in a face of the housing
which lies generally parallel to the rotation axis of the
crusher member.
Advantageously,-the receptacle is made of transparent or
semi-transparent material, and may also be provided wi.th
graduations.
.
The housing can be composed of two components each of which
defines part of a bearing for the crusher member, these two .
parts co-operating with'each other to define a full,bearing
when the two components are assemble~ together.
Conveniently,,on one,of these,components the bearing
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undercuts an axle of the crusher member and acts to retain
the axle when the two components are separated. The two
components are preferably hinged together or are connected
by a snap-engagement. In a particular example of the
invention, one of these components constitutes the
receptacle.
Preferably, the housing also contains a compartment for
storing spare pills or the like. The compartment and/or
the opening in the housing can be provided with a clcsure
member, which is conveniently hinged to the housing.
The invention will now b~ Eurther dc~cribec1, hy w~y oE~
example only, ~ith re~er~nc~ to the accompAnying dr~wincJ.~,
in which:
Figure l is a sectional side view of a first embodiment o~
a device according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a section taken along the line II-II in
-Figure l;
Figure 3 is a sectional side view of a second embodiment of
a device according to the present invention;
~igure 4 is a sectional side view-o~ a third embodiment o~
a device according to the present invention;
wo 9n/0924, ~46~4~ Pcr/GB90/00209
Figure 5 shows the device of Figure 4 during assembly; and
Figure 6 shows a crusher member which forms part of the
devices of ~igures 3 to 5.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the device shown
therein comprises a pocket-sized enclosed housing 10
composed of a lower casing 11 and a lid 12 which closes an
open mouth at the upper end of the casing 11. On its outer
periphery, the lid 12 is provided with a
downwardly-extending configurated projection 13 which ~orms
a snap-engagement with a similar projection on the Inouth o~
the lower casing 11. This enc3agement i~ ~;UCIl ~5 r~le~Ably
to retain the lid 12 on the low~r casing lL wh.~;lr,~ a:llowin~
relative rotation b~tween these two p~rts.
Depending from the lid 12 in the interior of the housing 10
is a crusher member 14 in the form of a generally conical
drum. The outer surface of this member confronts a
generally conical anvil 15 which is fixed to the lower
casing 11 and which extends around the outer periphery of
the member 14. Although not visible in the drawings, the
anvil 15 has one or more lateral projections at its upper
end which engage in complementary recesses in the upper
edge of the casing 11, thereby holding the anvil 15 against
rotation relative to-.the casin~ 11.- At its lower end, the
anvil 15 is provided with:an outlet 16 and a bearing 17 in
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whicll rotatably locates a spindle 18 on the lower end of
the crusher member 14. The member 14 is thus able to
rotate relative to the anvil 15 about a generally vertical
axis.
At one point in its periphery, the crusher member 14 has a
cut-away portion which defines a recess 19 between the
member 14 and the anvil 15. Aligned with the recess 19 is
an opening 19 in the lid 12, through which a pill or the
like is inserted for crushing. The opening 19 is thus
provided in a face of the device which lies perpendicular
to the rotation axis Oe the member 14. Initially, the piLl
will lodge in the recess 19, but is crushed when ~h~ lic1 12
~and thus the memb~r 1~) is rotAt~d relative to tile anvil
15. To facilitate the crushing process, the confronting
surfaces of the member 14 and the anvil 15 are provided
with projections, which in the illustrated embodiment are
formed by a series of axial ridges or serrations 20.
Powder formed when the pill is thus crushed falls through
the outlet 16 into the lower part of the casing 11, which
acts as a receptacle. If desired, the casing ll~can be
made of transparent or semi-transparent material so that
the user can see how much powder has been produced: the
casing may also be provided with graduations corresponding
to pill dosages. After usage, the lid 12 is detached ~rom
the casing ll and the anvil 15 is removed in order to
enable access to be gained to the powder. Alternatively,
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the ~ottom part of the casing ll can be designed so that it
is removable. `~
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In an alternative arrangement ~not shown), the crusher
melnber 14 is separate from the lid 12 and has a spindle on
its upper end which extends through a bearing in the lid
12. A knob or handle is mountecl on the spindle to enable
the crusher member 14 to be rotated from outside the
housing lO.
Referring now to Figure 3, a second embodirnent of the
invention co~prises a pocket-si2ed housing 21 whleh i.5 0
generally cuboid conigllration and in which a erushc!r w~
22 (shown in broken linesJ is rotatclbly mountec1. '~ 2;
housing 21 is composed of an upper component 23 and a lower
component 24 which have respective part-circular recesses
25,26 in their confronting side faces. These recesses
together define a bearing which receives an axle 27 of the
crusher wheel 22. The periphery of the recess 25 extends
through an angle greater than 180 , so that the axle 27 is
received as a snap-fit therein and is thereby retained in
position when the two components 23 and 24 are separated.
The upper component 23 includes a partition 28 which
divides the interior into two compartments 29 and 30. The
crusher wheel 22 is disposed in the left-hand compartment
29 ~as viewed in ~igure 3J and its outer periphery is
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disposed in close proximity to facing side walls 31 of the
compartment. The walls 31 form anvils and are provided
with projections at least in the regions which confront the
wheel periphery: similar projections are also provided on
the wheel periphery itsel~. At its upper end, the
COlnpartment 29 i5 provided wlth an opening 32 ~which lies
in a face of the device parallel to the rotation axis o~
the wheel 22) which can be closed by means o~ a lid 33.
The right-hand compartment 30 is used for storing spare
pills or the like, and similarly has an opening 34 at its
upper end which can be closed by a lid 35. Ihe lids 33 anc~
35 are advantageously integrally hinged to the partit.ion 28
a.s illustrated, although they may alt~rnatlvely eorln l~r~
of a combined cover which ext~ndis across the top o~ the
housing 21. Such a cover may be hinged to the housing, ~or
example to open in a sideways direction, or can be arranged
to be a sliding fit on the housing, or can be formed
as an entirely separate component.
The lower housing component 24 forms a receptacle to
receive the crushed pills, and is attached to the housing
- co~ponent 23 on one side by a projection 36 which locates
in a recess 37 in the component 23 and on the other side by
a further projection 38 which is a snap-engagement with a
~recess~39 in the component 23. The component 24 is engaged
with the component 23 by first angling the component 24 so
that the projection 36 can be engaged with the recess 37,
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and by then pivoting the component 24 about the projection
36 until the projection 38 comes into engagement with the
recess 39. Other forms of connection can however be used,
and for example the projection 36 and the recess 37 could
be replaced by a hinge. The component 24 can be made of
transparent or selni-transparent material, and/or can be
provided witl~ a graduated scale to indicate the amount of
powdered pills therein.
In order to use the device, a pill or ~ills ~e.g. as
removed from the storage compartment ~0) is/are inserted
through the openiny 32 into the compartlnent 29 c;o that
it/they co(ne to rest acJain~t the wh~el 22~ ~ h~lndl~ ~0
on the wheel is then rotated to eorc@ the pill or pill~
into the gap between the wheel periphery and the
confronting wal}s 31, thereby creating a crushing action
which is facilitated by the aforementioned projections on
these parts. Powder Erom the crushed pill or pills falls
into the receptacle 24, which can then be disengaged from
the component 23 for extraction and subsequent use of the
powder.
~igures 4 and 5 depict a third embodiment of the invention,
wherein the housing 21 is similarly composed of two
components 41 and 42, but in this case the components
engage one another along a line q3 which runs, down the
length oE the housing. In the illustrated embodiment,
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these components are hinged to~ether, but they may ins~ead
be formed as separate items which are snapped or otherwise
joined together. As in the previous embodiment,
confronting side faces of the components 41,42 are
provided with respective part-circular recesses 44,45
which together deeine a bearing for the crusher wheel axle
27, and the periphery of the recess 44 extends through an
angle greater than 180 so that the axle can be retained
as a snap-fit therein.
Otherwise, the embodiment of Figures ~ and S is generally
similar to that of Figure 3, and similar parts are
therefore accorded the same reference numerc~ls. tlowever,
the receptacle Eor receiving the cruished pill~s is now
formed by a tray 46 which engages the lower l~art of the
housing 21. As illustrated, the tray 46 engages partly
around the periphery of the ~ousing 21 and partly in a
recess 47 which extends through the bottom of the component
42. However, the recess 47 can be omitted and the tray 46
can be enlarged so that it extends completely around the
lower periphery of the housing 21. Also, in ~he
illustrated arrangement the tray 46 is a snap-fit with the
housing 21. However, other forms of engagement can be
employed-instead.
igure.4 shows the device in a condition ready ~or use,
while Pigure S shows the device during assembly, with the
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component 41 hinged relat~ive to the component 42 for ~`
insertion of the cru~her wheel 22.
In a modification of the device (not shown~, the component
41 has a projection extending from its lower end to form a
snap-engagement with the component 42, thereby retaining
~he components against separation in use.
In a further embodiment ~not illustrated), the components
41,42 are formed as separate items, the component 41 has
elongate slots in its side walls extending from the join
line 43, the crusher wheel axle 27 is received Ln theise
slot~s, and the component 42 has elongate projectlons which
extend from the join line 43 and which locate rei~pectively
in the elongate slots to retain the axle 27 in position.
. .
In the embodiments of Figures 3 to S, the components 41,42
are detachable from one another. ~owever, in an
alternative arrangement (not shown) the components are
permanently secured together at the manufacturing stage, so
that the.crusher wheel 22 is fixed in position and cannot
be moved.
';`
In Figure 6 there is shown a crusher wheel 22 of the ty~e
which can be employed in the embodiments of Figures 3 to 5.
The wheel includes a flange 4a at one end of the axle 27
which locates externally of the housing 21 and which serves ~ ~i
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to restrain movement of the wheel in an axial direction.
Also, the projections on the wheel periphery can be seen at
49: these are shown as having a herring-bone formation,
but other forms of projection can equally well be used,
such as projections in criss-cross formation, diamonds,
axial ridges, bumps, serrations or knurling.
In ~he embodiment of ~igures 3 to S, the wheel 22 is
preferably a close axial fit within the housing 21 to
prevent pill particles from falling down the sides of the
wall. However, the device can be arranged instead 50 that
projections are provided on the axial side w~lls o~ e
wheel and/or on the confronting suraces of the housing, so
that an~ particles are readil~ crushed which ~a ~ll down
the sides of the wheel.
In a further embodiment (not illustratedJ, the pill storage
compartment 30 is omitted altogether, so that the crusher
wheel spans substantially the whole of the breadth of the
housing interior. However, it is preferred that the
compartment 30 is provided, since then the device can Eor~
a self-contained unit which can be carried througnout the
day by the user.
In the embodiments of ~igures 3 to 5, the internal side
walls of the housing 21 fall away substantially vertically
from the wheel 22, so that passage Oe the crushe(l pill into
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the receptacle is not impeded. However, these walls can
instead be arranged to undercut the wheel (e.g. as
indicated at broken lines at 50 in Figure 4) so that the
crushing action can be continued Eurther around the wheel
periphery.
In a further ernbodiment oE the invention (not shown), a
brush or other cleaning rnember is provided to clean the
crusher wheel as the latter is rotated. This brush is
conveniently mounted in the lower part oE the housing, so
that particles oE crushed pill cleaned frorn the wheel drop
into the receptacle.
It is preEerred that the vzlr.ious components o~ the device
are made of plastic~ rnaterials. However, other materials
can be used instead, if desired.
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