DISPENSER WITH A SPOUT

DISTRIBUTEUR POURVU D'UN BEC VERSEUR

English Abstract

A dispenser with a spout holds a plurality of objects,
such as pharmaceutical dosage forms. The dispenser has a
housing defining an interior space that holds the pharmaceutical
products and an opening leading to the interior space. A movable
spout is disposed in the opening and is able to pivot between
a closed position wherein the opening is occluded, or sufficiently
occluded, by the spout thereby preventing objects disposed within
the interior space from exiting the housing through the opening
and an open position wherein the opening is not occluded, or sufficiently
unoccluded, by the spout thereby permitting objects disposed
within the interior space to exit the housing through the
opening. The dispenser also has an opener with a push button
for moving the spout from the closed position to the open position
about the pivot axis when pressure is applied to the opener
wherein the opener engages one end of the spout below the pivot
axis to push another end of the spout outward from the housing.

French Abstract

Distributeur pourvu d'un bec verseur et contenant une pluralité d'objets, telles que des formes galéniques pharmaceutiques. Ce distributeur comporte un boîtier définissant un espace intérieur contenant les produits pharmaceutiques, ainsi qu'une ouverture conduisant à l'espace intérieur. Un bec verseur mobile est placé dans l'ouverture et peut pivoter entre une position de fermeture dans laquelle l'ouverture est condamnée totalement ou suffisamment par le bec verseur, de manière à empêcher que les objets placés dans l'espace intérieur ne sortent du boîtier par l'ouverture, et une position d'ouverture dans laquelle l'ouverture n'est pas condamnée, ou insuffisamment condamnée, par le bec verseur, ce qui permet aux objets placés dans l'espace intérieur de sortir du boîtier par l'ouverture. Ce distributeur possède également un système d'ouverture comportant un bouton poussoir servant à déplacer le bec verseur de la position de fermeture à la position d'ouverture autour de l'axe de pivotement quand on exerce une pression sur ce système d'ouverture qui vient alors en contact avec une extrémité du bec verseur au-dessous de l'axe de pivotement afin de pousser une autre extrémité du bec verseur vers l'extérieur depuis le boîtier.

Claims

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WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A dispenser comprising:
a housing defining an interior space and an opening providing access to said
interior space, said housing comprising:
a top surface;
a base; and
a plurality of walls that extend between and connect said top surface and
said base and which enclose said interior space, wherein one of said plurality
of walls has
said opening formed therein;
a movable spout disposed in said opening;
a pivot axis located along a length of said movable spout between a first end
and a
second end of said movable spout, wherein said spout is able to pivot about
said pivot
axis within said opening between a closed position wherein said opening is at
least
partially occluded by said spout thereby preventing objects disposed within
said interior
space from exiting said housing through said opening, and an open position
wherein said
opening is sufficiently unoccluded by said spout so as to permit objects
disposed within
said interior space to exit said housing through said opening; and
an opener for moving said spout from said closed position to said open
position
about said pivot axis when pressure is applied to said opener, wherein said
opener
engages said second end of said spout below said pivot axis so as to push said
first end of
said spout outwardly from said housing into said open position.
2. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a living hinge connecting said
opener to said
housing.
3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said spout is sized to only allow single
objects to exit
one at a time therefrom.
4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said object is a pharmaceutical product.
5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said base is removable to permit access
to said interior
space for filling said interior space with objects.

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6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said base has a flat surface so said
dispenser is able to
stand upright on a surface.
7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said opener comprises a push button.
8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said movable spout comprises:
a front panel; and
first and second side walls which are connected to said front panel on
opposing sides.
9. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein said front panel is flush with said
housing when said
movable spout is in said closed position and wherein said front panel is
extended outward
from said housing when said movable spout is in said open position.
10. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein said first and second walls are located
inside said
interior of said housing when said movable spout is in said closed position
and wherein
said first and second side walls extend outward from said housing when said
movable
spout is in said open position.
11. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein dispenser further comprises:
first and second shafts extending from said housing across opposite sides of
said opening
at a location corresponding to the pivot axis, wherein said movable spout is
attached to
said first and second shafts.
12. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said base is wider than said top
surface.
13. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said top surface is slanted.

Description

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DISPENSER WITH A SPOUT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention is directed to a dispenser.
Background Art
[0002] Dispensers with a hinged cover are generally known for dispensing
items, such as
pharmaceutical products (e.g., pills), mints or candy. When the cover is in
the open
position the dispenser may be inverted and shaken so as to dispense one or
more of the
items held therein. The items simply exit through an opening and, depending
upon the
force of the shaking, may exit the opening at a variety of angles such that
the items fall in
an unintended location, rather than in the user's waiting hand.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Disclosed herein is a dispenser having a housing defining an interior
space and an
opening in the housing providing access to the interior space. The housing has
a top
surface, a base, and a plurality of walls that extend between and connect the
top surface
and the base and which enclose the interior space, wherein one of the
plurality of walls
has the opening in the housing formed therein. A movable spout is disposed in
the
opening, and a pivot axis is located along a length of the movable spout
between a first
end and a second end of the movable spout. The spout is able to pivot about
the pivot
axis within said opening between a first, or closed, position wherein the
opening is
occluded by the spout, thereby preventing items disposed within the interior
space from
exiting the housing through the opening, and a second, or open, position
wherein the
opening is not occluded, or sufficiently unoccluded, by the spout, so as to
permit items
disposed within the interior space to exit the housing through the opening.
The dispenser
also has a mechanism for moving the spout from the closed position to the open
position.
This mechanism, or opener, serves to pivot the spout about the pivot axis when
pressure
is applied to the opener so that the opener engages the second end of the
spout below the
pivot axis to push the first end of the spout outwardly away from the opening
in the
1

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housing into the open position. The spout may subsequently be moved back into
the
closed position by simple finger pressure against the first end of the spout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES
[0004] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary dispenser in a closed
position.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary dispenser in an open
position.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary dispenser with the spout
removed,
thereby revealing the opening leading into the interior space.
[0007] FIG. 4 is a cut-away of a side view of an exemplary dispenser in a
closed position,
with an item ready to be dispensed when the spout is moved from the closed
position to
the open position.
[0008] FIG. 5 is a cut-away of a side view of an exemplary dispenser in an
open position,
with a dispensed item situated in the open spout.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Disclosed is a dispenser 100, which will be described herein with
reference to
FIGS. 1-5. Dispenser 100 has a housing 102, which has a base 104, a top
surface 106,
and four walls 108 (two of which are shown). Each of walls 108 is connected to
two of
the other walls 108, base 104, and top surface 106. One of walls 108 has an
opening 110
therein (see FIG. 3) that leads to an interior space enclosed by housing 102
of dispenser
100 and may also have an opener 112 attached adjacent to opening 110. A
plurality of
objects 114 may be stored in the interior space of housing 102 until each is
dispensed.
Objects 114 may include, but are not limited to, pharmaceutical dosage forms,
candies, or
vitamins.
[0010] A movable spout 116 is disposed in opening 110 and may pivot about a
pivot axis
P (see FIG. 3) between a closed position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, wherein
spout 116
occludes, or sufficiently occludes, opening 110, thereby preventing objects
114 disposed
within the interior space of housing 102 from exiting housing 102 through
opening 110,
and an open position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, wherein spout 116 does not
occlude, or
sufficiently unoccludes, opening 110, thereby permitting objects 114 disposed
within the
interior space of housing 102 to exit housing 102 through opening 110. Movable
spout

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116 can have a front panel 118 and two side walls 120 attached to opposite
sides of front
panel 118 (see FIG. 2). When spout 116 is in the closed position, front panel
118 may be
flush with wall 108, and side walls 120 can be located within the interior
space of housing
102. When spout 116 is in the open position, side walls 120 can extend out
from opening
110.
[0011] Movable spout 116 can be attached to the housing through two shafts 122
that
extend from wall 108 across opening 110. Shafts 122 are aligned to form the
pivot axis P
about which movable spout 116 pivots. Movable spout 116 can be attached to
shafts 122
at a point along front panel 118 that is between a first end 124 of front
panel 118 and a
second end 126 of front panel 118.
[0012] Opener 112 may be a push button 128 that extends over a portion of
front panel
118 of movable spout 116 below the pivot axis P. Push button 128 may be part
of a flap
130 that is connected to wall 108 having opening 110. Flap 130 may be
connected to
wall 108 having opening 110 through a living hinge, i.e. a thin portion of
plastic that
provides the ability to flex repeatedly without the use of a mechanical hinge.
Opener 112
may move spout 116 from its closed position to its open position when pressure
is applied
to push button 128. A portion of flap 130 engages second end 126 of front
panel 118 of
spout 116 below the pivot axis P, thereby pushing second end 126 into the
interior space
of housing 102 as flap 130 moves into the interior space of housing 102. At
the same
time, first end 124 of front panel 118 of spout 116 moves outward from housing
102 and
side walls 120 extend out from opening 110. When the pressure applied to push
button
128 is released, spout 116 and flap 130 may pivot back to their closed
positions.
Alternatively, spout 116 may subsequently be moved back into the closed
position by
simple finger pressure against first end 124 of front panel 118 of spout 116.
[0013] Housing 102 including push button 128, flap 130, and shafts 122 may be
integrally molded from a suitable polymeric material such as, e.g.,
polypropylene,
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or high density polyethylene (HDPE). Movable
spout
116 may be separately molded from a suitable polymeric material such as, e.g.,
polypropylene, PET, or HDPE.
[0014] Dispenser 100 may be sized and shaped to hold a particular number of
desired
objects 114. Opening 110 and movable spout 116 can be sized and shaped to
allow one
object 114 to exit dispenser 100 when dispenser 100 is shaken while movable
spout 116

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is in its open position. Base 104 can be molded as a separate component that
is attached
to the other parts of the dispenser after the interior of housing 102 has been
filled with
objects 114. Base 104 preferably has a flat surface so that dispenser 100 can
stand
upright on a surface. In one embodiment, base 104 is wider than top surface
106. In
another embodiment, top surface 106 can be slanted (see FIGS. 1-5). One or
more of
walls 108 can include parallel horizontal ridges 132 to aid in gripping
dispenser 100.
[0015] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully
reveal the
general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within
the skill of
the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific
embodiments,
without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of
the present
invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be
within the
meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the
teaching
and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or
terminology
herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the
terminology or
phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled
artisan in light
of the teachings and guidance.
[0016] The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by
any of the
above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in
accordance with
the following claims and their equivalents.

Representative Drawing