Programmed pill dispenser

Claim 2

A pill dispenser comprising a substantially circular base having a plurality of circumferentially spaced pill receiving pockets therein; a cover for said pockets, said cover having a single pill exit therein; means supporting said cover for rotation on said base, said base having an elongated arcuate slot opening toward said cover and concentric with said base; ratchet teeth on said cover aligned with said slot; and an actuator reciprocable in said slot and cooperating with said teeth for rotating said cover on said base to sequentially align said pill exit with successive pockets and allow removal of pills from individual successive pockets while keeping the remaining pockets covered.

Claim 3

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 1, in which said actuator is reciprocated between first and second positions, said positions being circumferentially spaced by a dimension equal to the increment of spacing of said pockets; and biasing means normally maintaining said actuator in said first position.

Claim 4

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 2, in which the spacing between adjacent teeth is substantially equal to the spacing of said pockets so that movement of said actuator from said first position to said second position will advance said pill exit in one direction from one pocket to the next adjacent pocket.

Claim 5

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 3, further including means on said base engaging said ratchet teeth for preventing rotation of said cover in the opposite direction.

Claim 6

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 1, in which said pill receiving pockets open upwardly.

Claim 7

A pill dispenser comprising a substantially circular base having a plurality of circumferentially spaced pill receiving pockets therein; a cover for said pockets, said cover having a single pill exit therein; means supporting said cover for rotation on said base; and drive means for rotating said cover on said base to sequentially align said pill exit with successive pockets and allow removal of pills from individual successive pockets covered, said drive means including an actuator; guide means on said base defining an arcuate slot with at least a segment of said actuator slidable in said slot for guiding said actuator between first and second positions, said positions being circumferentially spaced by a dimension equal to the increment of spacing of said pockets; and biasing means normally maintaining said actuator in said first position.

Claim 8

A pill dispenser comprising a substantially circular base having a plurality of circumferentially spaced pill receiving pockets therein; a cover for said pockets, said cover having a single pill exit therein; means supporting said cover for rotation on said base; and drive means for rotating said cover on said base to sequentially align said pill exit with successive pockets and allow removal of pills from individual successive pockets covered, said drive means including an actuator; guide means on said base defining an arcuate slot with at least a segment of said actuator slidable in said slot for guiding said actuator between first and second positions, said positions being circumferentially spaced by a dimension equal to the increment of spacing of said pockets; and biasing means normally maintaining said actuator in said first position.

Claim 9

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 6, in which said biasing means includes a spring integral with said actuator and located in said slot.

Claim 10

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 21, in which said actuator has a gripping portion extending from said slot and said base has a gripping portion, with said biasing means including a spring integral with the base gripping portion and having a free end engaging said actuator gripping portion.

Claim 11

A pill dispenser comprising a base having a circular central portion and an annular recess surrounding said central portion; means dividing said annular recess into a plurality of pill receiving pockets of equal size; a cover supported for rotation on said central portion and overlying said annular recess with a single pill exit in said cover, said pill exit having a dimension corresponding substantially to the dimension of one of said pockets; and cooperating means between said base and cover for advancing said pill exit into alignment with successive pockets to allow removal of individual pills from the respective pockets, said cooperating means including an actuator; means defining an arcuate slot adjacent the periphery of said base, said actuator having an arcuate segment slidable in said slot; biasing meanS cooperating with said actuator for normally maintaining one end of said segment in engagement with one end of said slot and defining a first position for said actuator; said actuator being moveable from a first position to a second position to advance said pill exit from one pocket to another.

Claim 12

A pill dispenser comprising a base having a circular central portion and an annular recess surrounding said central portion; means dividing said annular recess into a plurality of pill receiving pockets of equal size; a cover supported for rotation on said central portion and overlying said annular recess with a single pill exit in said cover, said pill exit having a dimension corresponding substantially to the dimension of one of said pockets; and cooperating means between said base and cover for advancing said pill exit into alignment with successive pockets to allow removal of individual pills from the respective pockets, said cooperating means including an actuator; means defining an arcuate slot adjacent the periphery of said base, said actuator having an arcuate segment slidable in said slot; biasing meanS cooperating with said actuator for normally maintaining one end of said segment in engagement with one end of said slot and defining a first position for said actuator; said actuator being moveable from a first position to a second position to advance said pill exit from one pocket to another.

Claim 13

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 9, in which said actuator has a gripping portion extending from said slot and said base has a gripping portion adjacent said slot.

Claim 14

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 10, in which said biasing means includes a spring between the opposite end of said arcuate slot in the base and said slidable arcuate segment of said actuator.

Claim 15

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 10, in which said biasing means includes a spring located between said gripping portions.

Claim 16

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 12, in which said spring is integrally formed with said actuator.

Claim 17

A pill dispenser as defined in claim 9, in which said cover has a portion overlying said slot and said cooperating means includes ratchet teeth on said portion of said cover and a finger extending from said arcuate segment of said actuator and engaging said ratchet teeth, said base having a finger engaging said ratchet to prevent rotation of said cover in one direction.

Claim 18

A programmed pill dispenser comprising a circular base having a central hub extending from one surface thereof and a plurality of pill receiving pockets of equal size and equally spaced around said hub; a cover having an opening receiving said hub and supporting said cover for rotation on said base, said cover having a single pill aligned with said pockets; a plastic actuator for rotating said cover and having a segment with said base having an arcuate slot receiving said segment; biasing means between said base and said actuator, said biasing means normally maintaining said actuator in a first position and accommodating movement to a second position; gripping means on said base and said actuator for moving said actuator from the first to the second position; cooperating means on said cover and said actuator for rotating said cover on said base as said actuator is moved from the first to the second position to align said pill exit with a next adjacent pocket; and retaining means between said cover and base for preventing relative rotation as said actuator is moved from the second to the first position by said biasing means.

Claim 19

A programmed pill dispenser comprising a circular base having a central hub extending from one surface thereof and a plurality of pill receiving pockets of equal size and equally spaced around said hub; a cover having an opening receiving said hub and supporting said cover for rotation on said base, said cover having a single pill aligned with said pockets; a plastic actuator for rotating said cover and having a segment with said base having an arcuate slot receiving said segment; biasing means between said base and said actuator, said biasing means normally maintaining said actuator in a first position and accommodating movement to a second position; gripping means on said base and said actuator for moving said actuator from the first to the second position; cooperating means on said cover and said actuator for rotating said cover on said base as said actuator is moved from the first to the second position to align said pill exit with a next adjacent pocket; and retaining means between said cover and base for preventing relative rotation as said actuator is moved from the second to the first position by said biasing means.

Claim 20

A programmed pill dispenser as defined in claim 15, in which said base is formed of plastic material and said biasing means includes a resilient plastic spring integral with said gripping means on said base and engages said gripping means on said actuator, said actuator having a major portion extending beyond said base to substantially enclose said spring.

Claim 21

A programmed pill dispenser as defined in claim 15, in which said biasing means includes a resilient plastic spring integral with said actuator and located in said slot with a free end engaging one end of said slot and in which a portion of said cover closes said slot.

Claim 22

A programmed pill dispenser as defined in claim 15, in which said cover is formed from a transparent plastic material and said hub has indicia of periodicity serially arranged adjacent the periphery of the upper surface thereof that are aligned with the respective pockets to indicate when a pill has been taken for a given period.

Claim 23

A programmed pill dispenser as defined in claim 18, further including a removeable tab having a peripheral dimension substantially equal to the periphery of the hub and secured to the upper surface of the hub with said indicia of periodicity on said tab.

Claim 24

A programmed pill dispenser as defined in claim 18, in which said cover is formed of a molded plastic material and the indicia of periodicity are molded into said hub.

Claim 25

A programmed pill dispenser as defined in claim 15, further including cooperating means between said actuator and said base for initially maintaining said actuator in a storeD position where said biasing means is in a relaxed condition.