Dispenser
OwnerDonald J. Greenspaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dispenser is provided for dispensing one or more items, such as pills from a container. The dispensing member is located at or near the top of the container and has an aperture. When the container is closed by a cover and inverted, an item such as a pill passes through the aperture and is positioned between the cover and the top surface of the dispensing member. When the container is turned back to its initial position and the cover removed, a pill can easily be taken off the outer surface of the dispensing member. The dispensing member may form part of the container; may be inserted as a separate member in the container; or it may be located in the cover for the container.
Claims27
A dispenser apparatus for dispensing at least one item at a time which comprises:
- (a) a container having walls and an opening at least at one end thereof through which items can be dispensed with an openable cover overlying said opening, said container holding items for dispensing;
- and
- (b) a dispensing member positioned between the container opening and the items in the container, the member having at least one generally centrally positioned aperture extending therethrough, said aperture being at least slightly larger than the diameter of the largest item to be dispensed, said cover being directly connected to said dispensing member by a flexible hinge, said hinge passing through an opening in the wall of the container, said member having an inner surface juxtaposed to said held items and an outer surface juxtaposed to said container opening, said inner surface being generally flat and perpendicular to the container walls said outer surface sloping downwardly toward said aperture to form at least a partial frusto-conical concave section to support at least one dispensed item which passes through said aperture when said container is turned upside down and then turned at least partially rightside up with said cover over said opening, whereby said dispensed item is available for access on said outer surface upon the disengagement of said cover from said container.
A dispenser and relocator apparatus for dispensing at least one item at a time which comprises a container having sidewalls for holding items to be dispensed, said container having an opening at least at one end thereof through which said items can be dispensed, said container having an inwardly extending ridge adjacent to and extending generally around the circumference of the opening of said container, said ridge being integral with and formed from the internal portion of the container sidewalls to define an annular, radially inwardly extending shoulder of sufficient size and shape to capture one or more of said items upon tilting and at least partially righting of said container, whereby said shoulder supports the one or more items so that at least one dispensed item is available for access on said shoulder.
A one-piece apparatus for dispensing at least one item at a time which comprises a generally cylindrical container having sidewalls, a first portion of which are of a first diameter for holding items to be dispensed, said container having an opening at least at one end thereof through which said items can be dispensed, a second portion of the sidewalls of the container adjacent the opening being of a second diameter greater than the first diameter, a third portion of the sidewalls extending between the first and second sidewall portions to define an inwardly facing annular shoulder having an upper surface, the annular shoulder being of sufficient size and shape to capture one or more of said items upon tilting and at least partially righting of said container, said shoulder having an inward edge, said inward edge having a height extending from the surface of said shoulder toward the opening less than the central cross sectional dimension of said items to be dispensed, whereby said at least one dispensed item is available for access on the shoulder.
A dispenser apparatus for dispensing only a single item at a time which comprises:
- (a) a container having walls and an opening at least at one end thereof through which items can be dispensed with an openable cover overlying said opening, said container holding items for dispensing;
- and
- (b) a generally flat one piece dispensing member positioned proximate the container opening and above the items in the container, the member having at least one generally centrally positioned aperture extending therethrough, said aperture being at least slightly larger than the diameter of the largest item to be dispensed, said member having an inner surface juxtaposed to said held items and an outer surface juxtaposed to said container opening, said outer surface supporting a single dispensed item which passes through said aperture when said container is turned upside down and then turned at least partially rightside up with said cover over said opening, and distance between the outer surface of said member and the cover being sufficient to define a frusto-conically shaped area, the frusto-conically shaped area cooperating with said aperture so that substantially only a single item can be received on said outer surface, the single item normally at least partially blocking the aperture to prevent additional items from passing therethrough whereby said dispensed item is available for access on said outer surface upon the disengagement of said cover from said container.
A one piece apparatus for dispensing at least one discrete item at a time comprising a container having sidewalls for holding items to be dispensed, said container having an opening at least at one end thereof through which said items can be dispensed, said container having a radially inwardly extending ridge having an upper surface and extending generally about the inner surface of said container, said ridge defining an upper portion and a lower portion of said container, said ridge having an inward edge, the inward edge of said ridge defining a central aperture larger than the size of said items to be dispensed so that at least one item can pass through said aperture, said ridge being of sufficient size and shape to capture said items passing through said aperture upon tilting and at least partially righting of said container, said inward edge of said ridge having a height extending from the upper surface of said ridge less than the central cross sectional dimension of said items to be dispensed, whereby said ridge supports said items so that said dispensed items are easily available for access through said container opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.