Abstract
The invention relates to a dispenser (1) for dispensing substantially prismatic, in particular cube-shaped, tablets (5). In addition, the invention relates to an assembly of such a dispenser and several tablets to be dispensed. The invention furthermore relates to a method for dispensing substantially prismatic, in particular cube-shaped, tablets, in particular by using an assembly according to the invention.
Claims
1. Device for dispensing substantially prismatic, in particular cube-shaped, tablets, comprising: A) at least one storage container for tablets, the storage container is provided on an underside with a first dispensing opening for tablets, B) at least one bottom element situated at a distance from the first dispensing opening, underneath the first dispensing opening, and C) at least one separating element situated between the first dispensing opening and the bottom element and provided with a separating compartment for holding a single tablet to be dispensed, the separating compartment is open at a top side and bottom side, wherein the separating element is displaceable in a direction of displacement with respect to the first dispensing opening between: a loading position, in which the separating compartment adjoins the first dispensing opening and the bottom element, so that a tablet from the storage container will move into the separating compartment with the tablet being supported by the bottom element, and an unloading position, in which the separating compartment is situated at a distance from the first dispensing opening, and in which the bottom side of the separating compartment is situated in line with a second dispensing opening for dispensing the separated tablet from the device, wherein the bottom element is provided with at least one tilting rib for tilting a tablet during displacement of the separating element from the loading position to the unloading position in such a way that a base surface of the substantially prismatic tablet comes to lie substantially parallel with the direction of displacement of the separating compartment, and wherein the at least one tilting rib is formed by an offset in the bottom element.
2. Device according to claim 1, in which the separating compartment is substantially cylindrical.
3. Device according to claim 1, wherein at least one tilting rib forms an integral part of a side wall of the storage container and/or of the bottom element.
4. Device according to claim 3, wherein at least one tilting rib forms an integral part of an inclined side wall of the storage container which is positioned in front of the separating compartment in the loading position of the separating element, viewed from the direction of displacement of the separating element from the loading position to the unloading position.
5. Device according to claim 4, in which the side wall is inclined in a direction which partly corresponds to the direction of displacement of the separating element during displacement from the loading position to the unloading position.
6. Device according to claim 1, in which at least a part of a top side of the separating element is configured to support tablets which are situated in the storage container.
7. Device according to claim 1, in which the separating element is configured to be displaced manually by a user between the loading position and the unloading position.
8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the separating element is configured to be pushed from the loading position to the unloading position manually.
9. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device is provided with at least one pressure element for pushing the separating compartment into the loading position.
10. Device according to claim 1, in which a maximum displacement of the separating element is limited by at least one limiting element, in particular a cam.
11. Device according to claim 1, in which the diameter of the first dispensing opening is larger than the diameter of the separating compartment.
12. Device according to claim 8, wherein the first dispensing opening is partly closed off by the separating element in the loading position, so that the separating element is also configured to support tablets which are situated in the storage container.
13. Device according to claim 12, in which the part of the separating element partly closing off the first dispensing opening is provided with at least one pushing element for pushing tablets in the storage container upwards during displacement of the separating element from the loading position to the unloading position.
14. Device according to claim 1, in which the first dispensing opening and the second dispensing opening are out of line.
15. Device according to claim 1, in which the bottom element and the storage container are connected to each other.
16. Device according to claim 1, in which a peripheral wall of the storage container is formed by several mutually connected side walls.
17. Device according to claim 16, in which at least two opposite side walls mutually enclose a groove which is situated above the separating element.
18. Device according to claim 17, in which each of the two opposite side walls which mutually enclose a groove comprises a substantially vertical bottom wall part which is positioned near the separating element, and a diagonal top wall part which is connected to the substantially vertical wall part.
19. Device according to claim 18, wherein a first bottom wall part has a first height and an opposing second bottom wall part has a second height, and the first height is not equal to the second height.
20. Device according to claim 1, in which the second dispensing opening is arranged in the bottom element.
21. Device according to claim 1, in which the separating element closes off the first dispensing opening substantially completely in the unloading position of the separating element.
22. Device according to claim 1, in which the separating element is displaceable according to a substantially linear path.
23. Device according to claim 1, in which the separating element is enclosed between the storage container and the bottom element.
24. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a hand device.
25. Device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pressure element is a spring.
Description
(1) The invention will be explained by means of the non-limiting exemplary embodiments illustrated in the following figures, in which:
(2) FIGS. 1a and 1b show a perspective view of respectively a cross section of a device according to the invention, in which a separating element is in the loading position,
(3) FIGS. 2a and 2b show a perspective view of respectively a cross section of the device according to the preceding figures, in which the separating element is in an intermediate position between the loading position and the unloading position,
(4) FIGS. 3a and 3b show a perspective view of respectively a cross section of the device according to the preceding figures, in which the separating element is in the unloading position,
(5) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of another cross section of the device as illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b, and
(6) FIGS. 5a-5c show successive cross sections of a portable device according to the invention during removal of a tablet from the device.
(7) FIGS. 1a and 1b show a perspective view of respectively a cross section of a portable device 1 according to the invention, in which a separating element 2 is in the loading position. In addition to a separating element 2, the device 1 comprises a storage container 3 and a bottom element 4 connected to the storage container 3. The storage container 3 and the bottom element together form a housing of the device 1. Although not illustrated in the figures, a top side of the storage container 3 can be closed off by means of a lid (not shown). The storage container 3 and the bottom element 4 are made from plastic, as is the separating element 2. The separating element 2 is held securely by the housing of the device 1, but is displaceable with respect to the housing between the illustrated loading position and an unloading position as illustrated in FIGS. 3a and 3b. The storage container 3 can be filled with various types of tablets of different geometries which may successively be dispensed by the device 1. However, in contrast to known devices, the device 1 is particularly suitable for dispensing substantially prismatic tablets in a controlled manner. This is understood to mean tablets which have a substantially flat base surface and a substantially flat top surface, which surfaces are oriented substantially parallel with respect to each other. An example of a prismatic tablet is a cube-shaped tablet 5, as illustrated in the figures. Generally, the storage container will be completely or partly filled with such tablets 5. For the sake of clarity of the figures, these further tablets 5 are not shown. The storage container 3 comprises two opposite curved side walls 6a, 6b and two opposite angled flat side walls 6c, 6d. The angled side walls each have a top wall part 7a, 7b and a bottom wall part 7c, 7d. The transition between a top wall part 7a, 7b and a bottom wall part 7c, 7d may be sharp (discontinuous) (see FIGS. 5a-5c), but may also be more gradual (continuous) (see FIGS. 1a-4) by allowing the top wall part 7a, 7b and the bottom wall part 7c, 7b to adjoin each other by means of a curvature. A sharp (discontinuous) transition between the top wall part and an adjoining bottom wall part is generally preferred in order to prevent tablets 5 from becoming stuck. The bottom wall parts 7c, 7d are oriented substantially vertically and enclose a (fall) groove 8 which is slightly wider than the largest body diagonal of a tablet 5, but preferably smaller than twice the smallest dimension (=rib length) of the tablet 5, so that a single row of tabletsin top viewcan form in the groove. The heights of the vertical wall parts 7c, 7d are not equal, thus significantly facilitating displacement of tablets 5 in the storage container and preventing tablets 5 from becoming stuck. Preferably, the height of the least high vertical wall part substantially corresponds to at least 1 to 1.5 times the largest dimension (rib length) of the tablets 5 used. Such a limited height has the advantage that the volume of the storage container becomes relatively large, which benefits the storage capacity of the device 1. However, the height of the least high vertical wall part is preferably sufficiently high and/or wide to allow several tablets to fit between the vertical wall parts, which will usually be advantageous for the dispensation process. These several tablets may be positioned between the vertical wall parts on top of each other and/or next to each other. All this is also illustrated in FIG. 4. At a bottom side, the side walls 6a-6d discharge into a first dispensing opening 9. This dispensing opening 9 adjoins a part of the separating element 2. In this case, the separating element 2 is provided with a substantially cylindrical separating compartment 10. The diameter 31 of the first dispensing opening is greater than the diameter 32 of the separating compartment. The diameter of this separating compartment 10 has a diameter which is greater than the body diagonal of the cube-shaped tablet 5, but is smaller than twice the smallest dimension of the cube-shaped tablet 5. On the one hand, this makes it possible to position a tablet in the separating compartment 10 in any desired orientation and, on the other hand, prevents several tablets 5 from entering the separating compartment 10 simultaneously. The separating compartment 10 is thus suitable for holding a single tablet. As a tablet 5 will generally position itself in the separating compartment in an unpredictable way and with an arbitrary orientation, it often happens that the tablet 5 does not position itself in the separating compartment 10 in a flat orientation, with the base surface and top surface of the tablet 5 being positioned substantially horizontally and substantially parallel with the direction of displacement 35 of the tablet 5. With such a flat orientation, the tablet 5 will be displaced relatively easily by means of the separating element 2 in the direction of a second dispensing opening 11 which is provided in the bottom element 4, where the tablet 5 will fall from the separating compartment 10 and will be removed from the device 1 via the second dispensing opening 11. This latter orientation of the separating compartment 10 and consequently of the separating element 2 is also referred to as the unloading position (see FIGS. 3a and 3b). During displacement of the tablet 5 of the loading position in the direction of the unloading position, the top surface of the tablet 5, when the tablet 5 is positioned in a flat orientation, will slide off with respect to any tablets situated above, which can be effected relatively easily in an unimpeded manner.
(8) However, generally the tablets 5 are not in a desired flat orientation, but in a tilted, oblique orientation, as is illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b. Upon displacement of the tilted tablet 5 in the direction of the unloading position, a flat side of the tablet 5 will generally engage with another tablet, as a result of which the displacement may be rendered significantly more difficult and may even be prevented. Therefore, the device 1 according to the invention provides one or several tilting ribs. In FIGS. 1a-4, only one tilting rib 12 has been used. This tilting rib 12 is formed by a gradual elevation (offset) of the bottom element 4, viewed in the direction of the unloading position, as a result of which a threshold is formed for the tablet 5 on which the tablet 5 will tilt towards a flat orientation (see FIGS. 2a and 2b) during its displacement in the direction of the unloading position, after which a smooth and relatively unimpeded displacement is made possible. Thus, immediately or virtually immediately after the tablet 5 has been set in motion by displacing the separating element 2 in the direction of the unloading position, the tablet 5 will be tilted by the tilting rib 12, after which a smooth further displacement of the tablet 5 is made possible. The tablets which are situated on top of the tablet 5 to be separated are pushed against the side wall 6b, which prevents these other tablets from preventing the movement of the tablet 5 to be separated. This smooth displacement is improved further by the fact that a top side of the separating element is provided with a pushing element 13 which will displace the tablets in the storage container 3 during displacement of the separating element 5 in the direction of the unloading position. As the bottom wall parts 7c, 7d of the side walls 6c, 6d of the storage container 3 are not of equal height, the pushed tablets 5 will tend to move in the direction of the side wall 6c having the lowest bottom wall part 7c. This lateral pushing movement causes any blockages formed by tablets 5 to be released as much as possible, which is advantageous for the overall displacement process of the tablet 5 to be separated. In the unloading position of the separating element 2, the first dispensing opening 9 is closed off completely by the separating element 2, in which case the separating compartment 10 is also situated at a distance from the first dispensing opening 9. Displacement of the separating element 2 from the loading position to the unloading position is generally carried out manually, by a user pushing against an end side 2a of the separating element 2. Returning the separating element 2 from the unloading position as far as into the loading position may also be effected manually, but generally, a pressure element, such as a spring 33, will be provided between the housing and the separating element 2 which tends to push the separating element 2 back into the loading position.
(9) FIGS. 5a-5c successively show cross sections of a portable device 21 according to the invention during removal of a tablet 22 from the device 21. For the sake of clarity of the illustration of the device 21, the tablets 22 are not shown in FIG. 5a. Constructionally, the device 21 substantially corresponds to the device 1 shown in the preceding figures. The device 21 comprises a funnel-shaped storage container 23 for keeping tablets 21 to be dispensed in stock. The tablets 22 are substantially cube-shaped, for example having the dimensions 444 millimeters, and are preferably at least partly made from a substance chosen from the group consisting of: a pharmaceutical substance, vitamins, minerals, sugar, sweetener, milk powder and confectionary. During use, the storage container 23 is closed off at a top side by an optionally removable lid (not shown). An outer side of the device 21 is defined by four side walls 24 connected to each other and an open bottom element 25 connected to the side walls 24. The storage container 23 is formed by funnel-shaped internal parts 23 which are pushed into the space formed by the side walls 24. The internal parts 23 defining the storage container in this case tightly adjoin on inner side of the side walls 24 of the device 21. The internal parts 23 thus de facto function as the housing of the storage container 23. The internal parts 23 comprise two curved side walls 26a, 26b which extend in line with a direction of displacement 35 of a tablet 22 to be dispensed. The internal parts 23 furthermore comprise two angled side walls 27, only one side wall of which is illustrated. Each angled side wall 27 comprises a vertical wall part 27a and a diagonal wall part 27b, in which the transition between both wall parts 27a, 27b is sharp (discontinuous), thus preventing a blockage caused by a pile of tablets 22. The opposite vertical wall parts 27a differ from each other in height, which results in an asymmetry which further reduces a blockage caused by a pile of tablets 22. A bottom side of the internal parts 23 is provided with a separating element 28 which is displaceably coupled to the internal parts 23. The separating element 28 is displaceable with respect to the internal parts 23 between a loading position (FIG. 5a) and an unloading position (FIG. 5c). The separating element 28 is provided with pressure means, generally a sprung element (not shown) in order to push the separating element 28 into the loading position. The separating element 28 is provided with a substantially cylindrical separating compartment 29 configured to accommodate a single tablet 22. The diameter of this separating compartment 29 has a diameter which is larger than the body diagonal of the cube-shaped tablet 22, but smaller than twice the smallest dimension of the cube-shaped tablet 22. This makes it possible, on the one hand, for a tablet to position itself in any desired orientation in the separating compartment 29 and prevents, on the other hand, several tablets 22 from being able to occupy the separating compartment 29 simultaneously. Due to the fact that a tablet 22 will generally position itself in the separating compartment 29 in an unpredictable way and with an arbitrary orientation, the tablet 29 will often not be positioned in a flat orientation in the separating compartment 29, which may significantly hamper dispensation of the tablet 22. Therefore, it is advantageous to tilt a tablet 22 situated in the separating compartment 29 during displacement of the separating element 28 in such a way that it has a flatter orientation, so that the cube-shaped tablet 22 can be separated relatively easily from any other tablets situated in the storage container 23. This tilting of the tablet 22 is achieved, on the one hand, by an offset 30 in the bottom element 25. On the other hand, tilting the tablet 22 can be achieved by one of the curved walls 26b of the storage container 23 with which the tablet 22 to be dispensed may cooperate in a non-flat orientation. This curved wall 26b also ensures that a tablet 22 situated above a tablet 22 to be dispensed is separated therefrom by sliding it off the latter. A front side 29a of the separating compartment 29, in the loading position adjoining the aforementioned curved wall 26b, is configured to be higher, thus preventing the tablets 22 in the device from becoming stuck. In this exemplary embodiment, the front side 29a is 1 millimeter higher than another part of the peripheral side of the separating compartment 29. A rear part of the separating element 28 is provided with an elevated portion 28a in order to push tablets 22 in an upward direction during displacement of the separating element 28 in the direction of the unloading position. In order to save material, this elevated portion 28a does not have to extend across the entire width of a sorting groove (or fall groove) defined by the vertical wall parts 27a, but the elevated portion 28a may be configured to have a more limited width, as a result of which the elevated portion 28a is de facto formed by a (pushing) rib. The elevated portion 28a preferably adjoins a part of the separating element 28 which is situated at a lower level in a substantially smooth way, thus facilitating the sliding of tablets 22 on the elevated portion 28a. In this exemplary embodiment, the height of the elevated portion substantially corresponds to one time the rib length of a tablet 22. The height of the sorting groove is approximately twice the rib length of a tablet 22.
(10) It will be clear that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments illustrated and described here, but that many variants are possible within the scope of the attached claims which are obvious to the person skilled in the art.
(11) The inventive concepts described above are illustrated by means of several illustrative embodiments. It is conceivable for individual inventive concepts to be applied without likewise applying other details of the described example. It is not necessary to develop examples of all conceivable combinations of the above-described inventive concepts further, as a person skilled in the art will understand that several inventive concepts can be (re)combined to arrive at a specific application.
