US 8,757,382 B1Granted

Container apparatus with single-pill dispensing and related method

OwnerRobert J. Crawfordinventor

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Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure involve a pill-filtering article that is located and secured inside a pill container. According to one example embodiment, an assembly of articles distributes one pill at a time in the form of a single-pill dispensing apparatus that includes a pill-storage container and such a pill-filtering article. The container has an inner wall, an upper portion with a rim region where a cap may be secured, and a lower portion for containing pills. The pill-filtering article has a size and a shape that facilitates securing the article inside the pill-storage container near the inner wall, above the lower portion, and below the upper rim region, and also configured with a plurality of channel-defining regions including a first channel-defining region through which one-pill at a time passes and including a second channel-defining region through which one pill at a time passes.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a pill-storage container;
a pill-filtering article configured and arranged to facilitate securing the pill-filtering article inside the pill-storage container near an inner wall thereof and below an upper surface of the pill-storage container,
the pill-filtering article being configured and arranged to include a first portion corresponding to a channel-defining region for passing one pill at a time, and a second portion corresponding to a region of the pill-filtering article other than the channel-defining region, wherein the channel-defining region is configured for being secured within the pill-storage container and arranged to facilitate passage of pills through a formed aperture, thereby defining an aperture boundary through the channel-defining region for permitting passage of the pills one pill at a time based on at least one of pill size and pill shape,
the pill-filtering article and the first portion, that corresponds to the channel-defining region, being configured and arranged to, after the formed aperture is provided via the channel-defining region, to pass the pills sequentially through the channel-defining region based on at least one of pill size and pill shape, and
the pill-filtering article and the second portion of the pill-filtering article being configured and arranged to, after the formed aperture is provided via the channel-defining region, block the pills.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/923,172Filed 20 Jun 2013 · continuation
Priority: 29 Jul 2010
Granted: 24 Jun 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B65D 83/049
For dispensing annular, disc-shaped, spherical or like small articles, e.g. tablets or pills: the dispensing means forming a part of a removable…
A61J 1/03
Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes: for pills or tablets
A61J 7/0076
Devices for administering medicines orally, e.g. spoons ; Pill counting devices; Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine:…
B65D 51/22
Caps, lids, or covers co-operating with an inner closure arranged to be opened by piercing, cutting, or tearing: having means for piercing,…

Family

Application61/368,995Us provisional application · filed 29 Jul 2010
Application12/917,725Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Nov 2010
US 8,469,194 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0024880 A1Published application
US 8,757,382 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.