Container with dispenser lid
AssigneeApothecary Products, Inc.
InventorsDaniel Darst, Julia Olson Augdahl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container can be used to store and dispense medication (e.g., vitamins, pills, tablets, etc.) or other discrete objects. The container has a body that holds objects in one or more separate chambers. A dispenser lid can be rotationally aligned to provide access to any of the chambers. A cover on the dispenser lid slides or otherwise moves to selectively open an access aperture defined by the dispenser lid. The cover may be releasably retained in the open and closed positions.
Claims19
A container comprising:
- a body having an open top leading to an interior, the interior being divided into separate chambers;
- and
- a lid mounted at the open top of the body, the lid including:
- a retainer configured to engage the body to secure the lid to the body, the retainer being rotationally fixed relative to the body, and the retainer including a latch finger;
- and
- a dispenser mounted to the retainer, the dispenser being rotatable relative to the retainer into one of a plurality of predetermined rotational positions, the dispenser defining an access aperture that aligns with a respective one of the chambers of the body in each predetermined rotational position, the dispenser carrying an aperture cover that selectively opens and closes the access aperture;
- the dispenser defining a plurality of detents disposed about an inner periphery of the dispenser;
- wherein the latch finger snaps into each detent in turn as the dispenser is rotated relative to the retainer;
- and wherein the dispenser is held in each of the predetermined rotational positions through engagement between the latch finger and a respective one of the detents.
A method of dispensing an object from a container, the method comprising:
- removing a cap from a body of the container to provide access to a lid of the container;
- sliding an aperture cover of the lid to an open position to reveal an access aperture and automatically retaining the aperture cover in the open position;
- and
- rotating a dispenser portion of the lid relative to a retainer portion of the lid to align the access aperture with a chamber within the body of the container, wherein the rotating causes a latch finger of the retainer portion to snap into detents disposed about an inner periphery of the dispenser portion in turn, thereby holding the dispenser portion in each of a plurality of predetermined rotational positions through engagement between the latch finger and a respective one of the detents.
A method of assembling a container, the method comprising:
- inserting a divider into an interior of a body of the container, the body having an open top, the divider separating the interior into a plurality of chambers;
- assembling a lid including mounting a dispenser to a retainer so that the dispenser is rotationally moveable relative to the retainer and is axially stationary relative to the retainer, the dispenser defining an access aperture, wherein the mounting includes positioning a latch finger of the retainer to engage with a plurality of detents disposed about an inner periphery of the dispenser such that the latch finger snaps into each detent in turn as the dispenser is rotated relative to the retainer, thereby holding the dispenser in each of a plurality of predetermined rotational positions;
- mounting the lid to the body by snap-fitting the retainer of the lid to an interior surface of the body, the retainer defining a plurality of apertures;
- securing the retainer in a rotationally fixed position relative to the body wherein each aperture of the retainer aligns with one of the chambers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.