Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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I RQVE.MENTS IN OR RELATING TO DEVIC'ES FOR DISPENSING ARTICLES
This invention relates to devices for dispensing articles.
According to one aspect of the invention a device for
dispensing articles comprises a store for art:icles, and
dispensing means operable to dispense an article from the store,
operation of the dispensing means being arranged to move an
article from a holding position to a dispensing position.
The dispensing means may comprise first and second parts
between which the article is received in the holding position,
movement of the first and second parts moving the article to the
dispensing position.
There may be a lost motion connection between the first and
second parts so that dispensing movement of the first part only
moves the second part when an article is in the holding
position. There may be means for disturbing articles in the
store. The disturbing means may be operated by the dispensing
means.
There may be a connection between the disturbing means and
the dispensing means arranged to operate the disturbing means on
2~ operation of the dispensing means to dispense an article and on
movement of the dispensing means to a position to receive the
next article to be dispensed. The connection may comprise a
rack and a toothed wheel.
The store may comprise a storage region with an outlet
passage leading to the holding position and arranged to receive
articles in a desired orientation. The disturbing means may
comprise rotary means having elements extending into the store.
The rotary means may have elements extending into the store
region adjacent an inlet to the outlet passage. The store
region may comprise walls inclined towards the inlet, and the
elements move in the store region adjacent the walls.
The device may have a housing having a periphery defining
corners, and the dispensing means comprises an operating member
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at a corner. There may be security means movable between an
operative position in which operation of the clispensing means is
resisted to an operative position in which operation of the
dispensing means is permitted.
There may be means for releasably holding the security
means in the inoperative position. There may be means for
releasably holding the security means in the operative position.
The device may comprise a housing, the security means comprising
a me~ber movably supported in the housing and may be sized to be
hand-held.
According to another aspect of the invention a device for
dispensing articles comprises a store for articles, means
operable to dispense an article from the store, and means
responsive to operation of the dispensing means for counting the
number of operations, the counting means being operable only
when an article is dispensed. Operation of the dispensing means
may move an article from a holding position to a dispensing
position.
The dispensing-means may comprise first and second parts
between which an article to be dispensed is~received~in~the - ~
holding position, and a lost motion connection between the first
and second parts so that the second part moves with the first
part only when an article is received between the first and
second parts, the counting means being responsive to movement of
the second part.
According to another aspect of the invention a device for
dispensing articles comprises a container for articles, a
housing for receiving the container, means associated with the
housing and operable to dispense an article, and means for
resisting removal of the container from the housing until all
the articles have been dispensed. There may be means for
resisting comprising cooperable means of the housing and
container responsive to receipt of the container by the housing.
The cooperable means may comprise first and second formations on
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the container cooperable respectively with first and second
formations in the housing, engagement of the first formations on
receipt of the container moving the second housing formation to
cooperate with the second container formation to resist removal
of the container, operation of the dispensing means to dispense
all the articles moving the second housing formation out of
cooperation with the second container formation. The first
container formation may be rnovable between an operative position
in which the first container formation can cooperate with the
first housing formation and an inoperative position, the first
container formation being moved to the inoperable position by
said engagement of the first formations. The first container
formation may be carried by bistable means so as to be movable
between the operative and inoperative positions. There may be
eject means operable to eject the container from the housing
when the resisting means is rendered ineffective on dispensing
of all the articles. The eject means may comprise spring means
energised by receipt of the container by the housing.
According to a further aspect of the invention a device for
dispensing-articles comprises a container`for articles, a
housing for receiving the container, means associated with the
housing and operable to dispense an article, the container
having an outlet, a closure for the outlet, the housing and
container having cooperable means which open the outlet on
receipt of the container by the housing. The closure may be a
flexible membrane connected to a member, which member on
insertion of the container into the housing engages with the
housing to draw the membrane from the outlet. The closure may
be a flexible membrane, and the housing comprises means operable
on insertion of the container into the housing to cut the
membrane and to move the cut membrane from the outlet. The cut
membrane may be pushed into a recess in the container. The
outlet may have four sides and the membrane extends beyond the
sides of the outlet and the means cuts the membrane along and
outside three sides and pushes the membrane along and outside
the fourth side to move the cut membrane into the recess.
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A device according to the invention may have one or more of
these features.
The invention may be performed in various ways and one
specific embodiment with possible modifications will now be
described by way of example with reference to the accompanying
somewhat schematic drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an
article dispensing device;
Figs. 2 to 4 are part sections through this embodiment
showing dispensing of an articlei
Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 2 of a modification;
Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a section showing an unjamming mechanism;
Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;
Fig. 9 is a section showing a counter mechanism;
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Fig. 1-0 is a section~on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9;
Figs. 11 to 13 are sections showing operation of an
unjamming mechanism;
Figs. 14 A to C show insertion of a hopper;
Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing insertion of a
hopper;
Fig. 16 is an enlarged view of part of Fig. 15;
Figs. 17, 18 show interaction between hopper and counter
mechanism;
Figs. l9 A to D show another form of interaction between
hopper and counter mechanism;
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Figs. 20 A to D show another form of interaction between
hopper and counter mechanism;
Fig. 21 is a perspective illustration of hopper and
cutter;
Figs. 22A to 22D show operation of a foil cutter;
Fig. 23 is a perspective view of a device with lock; and
Fig. 24A to C show operation of the lock.
Fig. 25 is a perspective view of a second embodi~ent.
Fig. 26 to 31D are part sections showing the dispensing
components of the second embodiment.
Fig. 32 is a section through line 32-32 of Fig. 31A.
Fig. 33 is a part-section showing a counter mechanism.
Fig. 34 is a sect1on through line 34-39 of Fig. 33.
Fig.:35 to 37 are sections showing operation of the
unjamming mechanism.
Fig. 38A to D shown details of the hopper-retention
interaction between the hopper and counter wheel.
Fig. 39 to 40 show details of a trigger-lock.
In general a dispensing device for articles is arranged for
ease of use for example for the elderly, infirm or handicapped
and is arranged on each operation to dispense a single article.
A counter may be arranged to indicate the number of articles
dispensed or not yet dispensed. A replaceable hopper can be
used to load the device. The device includes a store in which
the articles are confined to a single plane, the store having an
outlet passage shaped to receive articles in a desired
orientation. When operated the article to be dispensed is moved
from a holding or waiting position to a dispensing position.
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In a first embodiment ~he device 30 for dispensing
articles, for exa~ple pills, ~ablets or capsules or other solid
medicaments, comprises a housing 31 including a dispensing
mechanism 32 and a hopper 33 for use in introducing into the
device articles which are to be dispensed. As shown in Fig. 1,
the device 30 is sized to be held in a hand. It includes a
dispensing element 34 slidably mounted in the housing 31 and a
zone 35 into which an article 36 is dispensed.
Inside the housing 31 is a storage region 37 which receives
the hopper 33. A dispense outlet passage 38 leads from a lower
end of the region 37 which, as seen in Fig. 2, is flanked by
walls 39, 39a which are inclined towards the passage 38. The
region 37 has parallel walls 40, 41 spaced so as to confine the
stored articles 36 to a single plane.
The dispensing elernent 34 includes an operating part 42
which in a datum position is located at a corner of the housing,
Fig. 2. In this position the next article 36a to be dispensed -
is located in a gap 45 between two portions 43, 44 of the
dispensing element 34- and in engagement with a part 46 of`the
housing 31.- When the user presses the~operating pàrt 42 against
a suitable surface so as to move the element slidably upwards in
the housing ~Figs 3, 4) the article 36a is moved laterally so
that the article 36a can fall into the zone 35, during which
movement a part 47 of the element 34 moves into a position
closing the lower end of the passage 38 (Fig. 4). The element
34 includes an offset portion 48 at one side of the gap 45 and
connecting the portions 43, 44.
The element 34 is biased to the datum position by a spring
120 (omitted from some figures) which when the element 34 is no
longer pressed upwards urges the element back to the datum
position and the article 36b at the lower end of passage 38
moves into the gap 45 so as to be ready for dispensing on the
next operation of part 42.
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It is desirable to include in the device 30 a counter or
indicator mechanism 50 to provide an indication of how many
articles have been dispensed from an initial number in the
storage region 37 or how many remain in the region 37. For this
purpose, a wheel 51 is mounted in the housing 31 for rotation on
axis 52 and has numbered peripheral teeth 53 cooperable with an
element 54 connected to portion 43 and slidably guided in the
housing 31 so that on each upward movement of the part 42 the
wheel 51 is turned one tooth. A window 56 in a wall 57 of the
housing 31 displays either the number of articles dispensed or
the number remaining in region 37. The number of teeth 53
corresponds to the number of articles initially in the region
37.
If the part 42 is operated when the region 37 is empty of
articles, it is undesirable for the counter mechanism to be
operated. A lost motion connection is therefore provided
between portions 43, 44. The portion 48 is omitted and element
34 includes a recess 58 in which is slidable tongue 59 extending
from portion 43 and including lip 59a. In the datum position
the lip 59a is at the u~per end of the recess 58 and if an
ar~icle 36a is in the gap 45 dispensing occurs because the
article 36a establishes a connection between portions 43, 44.
If the gap 45 is empty then on upward movement of the part 42
and portion 44, the portion 43 does not move upwards.
One reason why gap 45 may be empty is if the articles 36 in
the lower part of region 37 are bricked or jammed so as not to
pass in succession into the passage 38; an example is shown in
Fig. 12. An article displacing mechanism 60 is provided in the
housing 31 and includes two wheels 61, 62 rotatably mounted in
the housing 31. The wheels 61, 62 have cooperable toothed
peripheral portions 61a, 62a. Wheel 62 has a coaxial toothed
cog 63 which cooperates with a toothed rack 64 on an extension
65 of the part 42 which is slidably guided on housing 31.
The wheels 61, 62 carry a plurality of equiangularly spaced
peys 66, in the case shown three, extending parallel to the axis
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of rotation adjacent the wheel peripheries. On operation of
part 42 the wheels 61, 62 are rotated in opposite senses and one
or more pegs 66 are moved in the storage region 37 inwardly of
surfaces 39, 39a to disturb the articles 36 (Fig. 13) and allow
an article 36a to move into the gap 45. The rack 64 and cog 63
have a 1-way ratchet connection so that the cog 63 is turned
only on upward movernent of rack 64. Other means for article
disturbance could be provided.
The hopper 33 is pushed fully into the housing 31 so that
after insertion the hopper 33 cannot readily be tampered with,
and the hopper is constructed so that tampering before insertion
can be detected. Thus the flat hopper has opposed walls 67, 68
which slidably engage housing walls 40, 41, a top wall 69 and
side walls 70, 71. Wall 71 is inclined towards wall 70 at
corner part 71a so as to direct the articles towards an outlet
72. The outlet 72, before the hopper is inserted into the
housing 31, is closed by a peel-off tape 73 which extends
partway along wall 70 and is attached to a boss 74. When the
hopper is pushed into the top end of the housing 31, the boss 74
locates in a recess 75-adjacent the housing top end and further
movement of the hopper causes the tape 73 to peel away from the
outlet 72, see Figs. 14 A-C, allowing articles to move from the
hopper into the lower end of region 37, the hopper occupying the
upper end.
Preferably the inner face 40a of housing wall 40 has a
keyway 77 cooperable with a boss 78 on wall 70. If the boss 78
is not in the correct position the hopper cannot be inserted
into the housing. Also, the hopper 31 may have a manually
depressable tongue 79 which when pressed can enter a keyway 80
in the inner face 40a. Means are provided to eject or part
eject the hopper 33 from the housing 31 when all the articles
have been dispensed. As mentioned, the number of teeth on the
counter mechanism wheel 51 would correspond to the number of
articles in the hopper before insertion into the housing. The
boss 78 on insertion of the hopper passes through a gap 81
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Fig. 17 ln a ring 82 attached to the counter wheel 51. A
plunger 83 carried on movable arms 8A engages a boss 85 on the
ring 82 and the ring rotates to a position Fig. 18 to block
upward movement of the hopper which thus cannot be removed until
the complement of articles has been dispensed and the gap 81
Fig. 17 is again above the boss 78. Each arm 84 has a flexible
part ~4a and can rotate at an end in support 84b and is
constructed to operate as an over-centre mechanism with upper
(Fig. 18) and lower (Figs. 16,17) stable positions. Insertion
of the hopper moves arms 84 upwards to an upper of its bi-stable
states under the engagement of parts 83,85.
A spring 86 engages between the hopper and the housing and
is compressed by insertion of the hopper so that when the gap 81
is again above the boss 78 the spring 86 moves the ernpty hopper
upwards, the boss 78 passing through the gap 81. A further
hopper identification key 91 on an arm 84 may cooperate with
keyway 92 in inner face 40a. Because the arms 84 are now in the
upper bi-stable position, if the hopper were re-inserted into
the housing the plunger 83 would not engage the boss 85 and the
spring 86 would again eject the empty hopper.
In a modified arrangement, Figs. l9A-D, a structure 87 is
attached to the hopper and includes U-shaped element 87a having
arms 88, 89. Arm 88 can bend at junction gO between~arms 88, ~
89. When the hopper is inserted into the housing,~arm~88 moves`~-
slightly towards arm 89 and they pass through gap 81 and arm 88th~n moves away from arm 89 Fig. l9B so that the hopper cannot
be removed because of engagement with the ring 82. As the ring
is rotated step by step during use, a pip 93 closes arm 88 fully
against arm 89 and they are held in this position by a catch 94
so that (Fig. l9D) when the gap 81 returns to the initial
position the arms 88, 89 can pass through the gap 81 enabling
the spring 86 to eject the hopper. If the hopper is re-inserted
it will again be ejected. The arms 88, 89 form a structure with
two stable positions (Fig. l9A, Fig. l9D).
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In the arrangement of Figs. 20A-D the hopper 33 has an
aperture 96 in which a projecting latch 98 can slide. When the
hopper is inserted the latch 98 at one end of the aperture
engages a shoulder 97 at one end of a cam surface 99 on the ring
82 to move the ring 82 to a hopper-retaining position
(Fig. 20B). As the wheel 51 is rotated in use, the latch 98
engages the cam surface 99 and is moved to the other end of the
aperture 96 when the device 30 is empty, at which stage the
spring 86 ejects the hopper. If the empty hopper is reinserted
the latch 98 does not engage shoulder 97 and the hopper is again
ejected. The latch 98 thus has two operating positions at the
ends of the aperture.
Figs. 21, 22A-D show another means for opening a hopper
with its outlet face closed by a sealed metal foil 100. The
outlet of the hopper is formed by walls 101 surrounded by a
channel 102. Mounted in the housing is a generally rectangular
device 103 open at its ends and having walls 104, 105, 106, 107.
The upper edges of walls 104, 105, 106 are formed as cutters
which cut the foil as the hopper is inserted.
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The edge of wall 107 is convex and this pushes the foil
which has been cut on three sides into one side of the channel
(Fig. 22D). When the hopper has been inserted, the walls
1~4-107 are in the channel lQ2. ~ ~
Preferably the device 30 is provided with a measure of
resistance to undesired use, or child proofing.
AS shown in Fig. 23, one side of the housing 31 is provided
with a trigger-like portion 110 pivoted at one end 111 and
gripped during use. A movable locking member 112 is slidably
mounted to project through an aperture 113 in wall 40. The
member 112 is provided with a tab 114 which prevents movement of
the member 112 in the aperture 113. A latch shown schematically
at 115 connects the trigger 110 and the part 42 so that if the
trigger 110 is in the datum, unsqueezed condition the part 42
cannot be operated to dispense an article. If the tab 114 is
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G.1293 2~2~30
removed by pulling off, the member 112 can move in the aperture
113. The trigger is provided with two spaced notches 116, 117.
With the tab 114 removed and the member 112 at the lower
end of aperture 113, the trigger 110 can be s~ueezed to release
the latch 115 and the part 9i2 can be operated Fig. 24A. The
requirement to squeeze the trigger 110 provides a degree of
child proofing.
If the trigger 110 is in the uns~ueezed state and the
member 112 is moved into notch 116 Fig. 24B, the part 42 cannot
be operated. If the trigger is squeezed and the member 112 is
moved into notch 117 to hold the trigger in sgueezed condition
Fig. 24C, the part 42 can be operated and the child proofing is
removedi this would be for users who through age or infirmity
are unable to, or unable reliably to, squeeze the trigger 110.
It will be noted that the operating part 42 is at a corner
of the housing 31, so that the housing 31 can be rested on any
side without operating the part 4~.
The slidable parts are.guided by walls in the housing some
of which are omitted for clarity.
~ The zone 35 may havè~transparent walls so that a dispensed
~article can be seen, and have one or more apertures 35a Fig. 1 ;~
- ~-through which the dispénsed article can be removed through an
aperture 35A by manipulating the device 30, for example the
article can fall onto a plate or pass direct into a user's
mouth.
If desired the article rest zone 35 could be omitted and
the article fall direct from the device 30.
The position of key and keyway 7S, 77 is different for
different hoppers so that each housing wil] cooperate only with
hoppers with the correct key 78. Hoppers with different keys 78
are loaded with different articles 36. A user with a particular
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housing 31 can only receive articles appropriate to a housing
having the relevant key 78.
There could be a spring to assist in dispensing the article
36a Fig. 4.
A second embodiment is illustrated in Figs. 25-40.
Components having functions similar to those of the first
embodiment retain the same label number.
A device 30 comprises a housing 31 including a dispensing
mechanism 32 and a hopper 33 for use in introducing into the
device articles which are to be dispensed. In this embodiment,
the dispensing zone 35 is located within the dispensing
element 34, which is slidably mounted in the housing 31.
Inside the housing 31 is a storage region 37 which receives
the hopper 33, as in the first embodiment. A dispense outlet
passage 38 leads from a lower end of the region 37 which, as
seen in Fig. 26, is flanked by walls 39, 39a which are inclined
towards the passage 38. The region 37 has parallel walls 40, 41
spaced so as to confine the stored articles 36 to a single
plane.
The dispensing element 34 is located at the base of the~
housing,~`Fig. 26. When the user presses the device downwardly~
on a surface this element retracts into the housing. A ~
shuttle 123 located in a channel in one wall of the housing is
moved to the position shown in Fig. 26 by shuttle driver 124,
25 having a follower 125 which runs in a groove 126 in an
upstanding wall 65 of element 34 (see Figs. 31A-D and 32).
Article 36a drops into position in the gap 45 between
shuttle 123 and a free shuttle 122, which is urged to its
position in Fig. 26 by a light spring (not shown). When the
device is raised, element 34 is returned to its starting
position by means of a spring (not shown).
The shuttle driver 124 returns shuttle 123 to its starting
position (Fig. 28). If the article 36a has successfully fallen
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G.1293
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to its position in Fig. 27, the article is urged into contact
with the free shuttle 122 and moved laterally to the delivery
position in Fig. 28. A final slight retraction of shuttle 123
caused by the cranked top end of groove 126 allows the article
to drop through the dispensing zone into the dispensing
element 3~, from which it can be tipped into the user's hand or
mouth, or into another receptacle.
If article 36a became trapped in the position shown in
Fig. ~9B, then spring 120 would compress and prevent damage to
the trapped article.
The counting mechanism in this embodiment is shown in
Fig. 33. Element 54 has a hole 76 which engages a peg on the
back of free shuttle 122, this peg projecting through a slot in
the housing wall. When the device is operated and an
article 36a is successfully delivered, the element 54 is moved
to the right (Fig. 33), and a ratchet arm on element 54 engages
ratchet teeth 53 on counter wheel 51. Wheel axis 52 comprises a
ratchet mechanism to prevent reversal of counter wheel 51 when
the device is next operated and element 54 is moved to the left.
If no article 36 is dispensed, either because no article falls
into place or because of jamming, then shuttle 122 does not move
and the counter wheel is not advanced. The number of articles -~
;~ dlspensed is viewed through a window 56 in housing 57. ~;~
The means to prevent breaking or jamming in this embodiment -
is shown in Figs. 35-37. The upstanding wall of element 3
terminates in two parallel racks 64 having ratchet teeth. These
co-operate with toothed wheels 63 which extend through the wall
of the housing to drive wheels 61, 62 having blades 66 which are
rotated in the directions indicated when the device is
activated, displacing the articles in a generally upward
direction. Reversal of rotation is prevented by fingers 67
(Fig. 35) provided in the housing wall. The blades are set in
shallow wells in one wall of the housing, the geometry being
such that it is impossible to trap an article between a blade
and the side of the housing.
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In this embodiment, retention of the hopper is effected as
shown in Figs.38A-D. When hopper 33 is inserted into the
housing boss 78 passes through gap 81. A bi-stably mounted
peg 98 mounted within the formation 121 on the hopper engages
shoulder 97 of the counter wheel 51 to rotate it so that boss 78
is trapped within ring 82. AS counter wheel 51 is rotated in
use, peg 98 is moved by cam surface 99 to its second stable
position. The hopper is ejected by a spring when counter
wheel 51 has completed its rotation and boss 78 is again aligned
with gap 81. On re-insertion of the hopper with peg 98 in this
second position; no contact with shoulder 97 would occur, and
counter wheel 51 would not be rotated into the position where
boss 78 is trapped. The hopper would therefore be immediately
ejected.
As in the first embodiment, the trigger device 110
(Fig. 39) must be depressed before the dispensing mechanism can
be activated. In this embodiment, the locking mechanism
comprises a slidable locking member 112 (Fig. 39) which can
engage notch 116 to prevent activation and provide a degree of
child-proofing (Fig 40B). For someone finding a gripping motion
difficult, the trigger can alternatively be locked into its
operating position by engaging member 112 with notch 117, as in
Fig. 40C.
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