CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING PILLS, TABLETS AND CAPSULES

CONTENANT POUR LA DISTRIBUTION DE PILULES, DE COMPRIMES ET DE CAPSULES

English Abstract

A container for dispensing pills, tablets and
capsules, comprising a box (10) with a hinged lid
(16), at least one compartmented tray (21) within
the box and having a plurality of rows of compartments
(22) to contain the pills or tablets to be taken
at predetermined intervals, the lid including
parallel rows of windows (17) each aligned with a
compartment (22) with the lid closed, and a sheet of
acetate film (35) extending across the tray (21) in
sealed contact with the upper edges thereof, the
sheet (35) being perforated (at 37) over each
compartment (22) to enable the contents of the
compartments to be selectively discharged through the
windows (17) without opening the lid (16). Preferably,
also, sliding transparent shutters (~) occlude
the windows (17) until opened to pe~~~ access
therethrough.

Claims

CLAIMS
1. A container for dispensing Fills, tablets and capsules,
comprising a box with a hinged or removable lid, a
compartmented tray within the box having a plurality of rows
of compartments to contain the pills or tablets to be taken at
predetermined intervals, the lid including a plurality of
windows each aligned with one or more compartments with the lid
closed, and a sheet or film extending across at least some of
the compartments of said tray in sealed contact with the upper
peripheral edges thereof to occlude and individually seal said
at least some compartments, said sheet or film being capable
of selective removal or rupturing thus to permit the contents
of said one or more compartments to selectively be discharged
through said windows without opening the lid.
2. A container according to claim 1, including shutters to
occlude the windows, which may be opened selectively to permit
access to a selected region or regions of said sheet or film.
3. A container according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein
said compartmented tray is removable from the box with the lid
open, and wherein said sheet or film extends across all of the
compartments in the tray and is in sealed contact with the
upper peripheral edges of the compartments.
4. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
wherein said sheet or film is perforated in zones such as to
provide selective access separately to each one of said
compartments.
5. A container according to claim 2, wherein each said
shutter is disposed slidably with respect to one row of windows
in the lid and includes a catch device whereby the shutter may
be slid open incrementally to expose one or more of the windows
in said row.

6. A container according to claim 2, wherein said shutters
are transparent.
7. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 6
wherein said sheet or film is of a thin transparent acetate
material such that it may be removably attached to said tray
by a previously applied adhesive along the upper compartmental
edges and the peripheral edges of the tray.
8. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
wherein said tray is formed from a semi-rigid lightweight
plastic which may be removed from the container when the lid
is opened.
9. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
including at least two removable compartmented trays located
in superimposed relationship within the box, each said tray
having a sheet or film extending across and sealing the
compartments.

Description

CA 02088594 1999-09-28
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A CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING PILLS, TABLETS AND CAPSULES
THIS INVENTION concerns a container for dispensing pills,
tablets and capsules.
It is known to provide such a device which includes a tray
having a plurality of compartments to contain the pills,
tablets and capsules to be taken at predetermined intervals,
the tray being removably located within a drawer slidable
within an outer container having a partially transparent front
face so that the pills within the compartments may be viewed
without opening the drawer. In the front face there are a
number of sliding shutters which may be withdrawn selectively
and progressively for the discharge of the contents of
individual compartments. Also on the front face there is
provided indicia representing, for example, the days of the
week and period during each day.
On a rear face of the container further information is
visible to identify the patient and the medicines to be taken
together with such further information as may be required
including, for example, the name of the administering doctor,
the dosage and the number of tablets to be taken in each day.

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This kind of device may be used by individual patients
within the community but more usually in hospitals and other
establishments where the dosage of medicines for patients may
be made up, say, once a week from a central dispensary.
An object of the present invention is to provide an
improved device of this general kind which is more universally
adaptable to different situations, and which contains a
greater amount of information for use by the dispensing staff
and/or by the patient.
According to the present invention there is provided a
container for dispensing pills, tablets and capsules,
comprising a box with a hinged or removable lid, a
compartmented tray within the box having a plurality of rows
of compartments to contain the pills or tablets to be taken at
predetermined intervals, the lid including a plurality of
windows each aligned with one or more compartments with the
lid closed, and a sheet or film extending across at least some
of the compartments of said tray in sealed contact with at
least some of the upper peripheral edges thereof to occlude
same, said sheet or film being capable of selective removal or
rupturing thus to permit the contents of one or more
compartments to be discharged

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through said windows without opening the lid.
Preferably, there are provided shutters to occlude the
windows, which may be opened selectively to permit access to
one or more compartment for the discharge of the contents.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by
way of example only, with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a container made in accordance
with the invention.
Fig. 2 is an underneath view;
Fig. 3 is a view of one end;
Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken along line IV-IV
of Fig . 1;
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but
incorporating a modified internal configuration.
A container for dispensing pills, tablets or capsules,
made in accordance with the invention comprises a box 10
having a base, side and front walls.

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2o~s~~~
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12 and 13 respectively, and a rear wall 14.
Hingedly attached at 15 to the rear of side
walls 12 is a lid 16 which when closed covers the
interior of the box. The lid 16 includes rows of
windows 17 through which the interior of the bo}: is
visible, and in the example shown there are 7 rows
representing the days of the weep and each containing 6
separate windows representing 6 periods of each day.
Slidably located beneath the windows of each
of the 7 rows is a transparent sliding shutter 18
supported beneath the underside of the lid 16 by shelf
supports 19 (see Figs. 4 and 5) formed integrally With
the lid. Click stops 20 or similar catch devices are
provided such that the shutters 18 ma}~ be slid open.
incrementally to expose one or more of the six windows
in each daily row and to prevent the shutters fron:
being easily removed entirely from the lid.
As may be seen from the cutaway illustration
in Fig 1, the box l0 contains a~removable tray 21 which
is formed to provide a plurality of compartments 22
each beneath one of the windows 17 in the lid when
closed. Two edge regions of the tray 21 include leages
23 and 24 to which ma.y be adhered pri:~ted strips of
paper on which the days of the week and either a series

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of numbers or times of the day, respectively are visible. For
this purpose, slots 25 and 26 respectively are provided in the
lid 16 so that when it is closed the printed material is
visible through the slots.
Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, a card 27 is placed in the
bottom of the box 10 beneath the tray 21 and contains printed
material which is visible through one or more cut-outs or
windows 28 in the bottom of the box. The printed material may
provide information, for example, as to the patient's name,
his doctor and the medicines, dosages and times appropriate to
that patient. The card 27 is loosely located in a recessed
portion of the bottom of the box and may be readily replaced
by first removing the tray 21, but it is otherwise held
captive therein by the tray. Therefore, by turning the box
over the printed material may be easily read.
In one end wall 12 of the box there is provided a further
window 29 and a slot 30 (see Fig. 4) to contain a further
label on which the patient's details may be printed and
perhaps containing a photograph of the patient as illustrated
at 31 so that basic information concerning the patient may be
viewed from the side of the container when a number of such
containers are stacked together.

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Slots 25 and 26 may be closed by replaceable
plugs 32 (see Fig. 3) so that the information otherwise
visible beneath the slots may be interchangeable. In
this way, alternative information may be provided
without changing the information printed on the sides
of the tray 21. For example, information in different
languages or in braille may be provided on the device
for specialised use.
A catch 33 is provided at the front of the
box whereby the lid may be normally retained in the
closed position but it will be seen that when the lid
is opened,.. the tray 21 may be filled without the tray
being removed from the box containing the patient's
details.' This avoids the likelihood of incorrect
medicines being dispensed to patients.
As will'be seen from Figs. 1 and 4, a thin
acetate sheet or film 35 may be placed in sealed
contact with the upper edges of the tray 21. The sheet
35 may be sealed only around the outer peripheral edges
of the tray or alternatively also around the top edges
of each compartment, by the application of an adhesive
as indicated by dotted lines 36 applied either to the
tap of the tray or to the sheet, or both, before the
sheet is applied. The sheet is applied after the tray

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is filled.
The sheet 35 may be translucent or
transparent and may be of such material as to be '
capable cf being punctured selectively to permit the
contents of one or more compartments to be discharged
through the windows 17. Zone perforation 37 of the
sheet 35 along one or more edges of the compartments 22
is preferable to assist opening in this way. The
perforation 37 may alternatively be over the central
regions of the compartments.
r
In some cases, the need for the sliding .
shutters 18 will be avoided by the use of such a sheet
,.,
or film. In practice, the sheet or film 35 may ,be
applied with the tray 21 in situ or before insertion
.'~ into the box .
Again,~in some cases the sheet or film 35 may
be reusable indefinitely or until the adhesive strips
36 become ineffective. In this case, dispensing of the
contents would be not be puncturing but by peeling back
the sheet 35, perhaps at the start of a week in which
case the shutters 18 would be required to occlude the
compartments 22 until the contents of each compartment
are required.
47hen required, with the lid hinged oiler, the

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entire tray 21 may be withdrawn from the bor. for
cleansing or replacement, and so the card 27 may be
replaced or updated after removal of the tray.
The other card may be removed from slot 29 in
the side wall 12 of the box once the lid is hinged
open.
The box and lid are preferably made from a
rigid plastics material and the shutters 18 from a
transparent plastics material, whilst the tray 21 is
preferably vacuum formed from a semi-rigid lightweight
plastics so as to be inexpensively replaceable when
worn or,broken. The cards carrying patient information
may be of paper and thus replaceable when amendment is
required, or alternatively~of a so-called wipe-clean
plastics which may be written upon using an indelible
pen.
Referring now to Fig. 5, in a modified form,
the box may Contain two (or more) trays 22 stacked in
superimposed relationship, each filled with pills or
tablets, and each sealed with a separate sheet or film
35. For this purpose the box. may be made deeper, or
the trays shallower. With this modification, two or
more weeks' supply of medication can be stored in the
container, and when each uppermost tray becomes empty

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it should be placed at the bottom of the stack.
It is not intended to limit the invention to
the above example only. For example, shutters 18 may
be other than transparent, the numbers and sizes of the
windows in the lid and the compartments in the tray may
be different from those illustrated and described, and
the patient information to be provided on the underside
of the.container may be written in indelible ink on a
_ _.. _ . ,
panel of wipe-clean material.
The tray 21 may be in the form of
compartmental walls formed, perhaps integrally, within
the box.
The plugs 32 which are interchangeable to
provide different information may be colour-coded for
identification.
The lid 16 may be slidable or fully removable
with respect to the box to expose the compartments of
the tray, provided that the tray need not be removed
from that part of the box or lid containing the patient
information.

Representative Drawing