"Dispenser, system and method for dispensing pills"

Abstract

A dispenser, a system and a method dispense pills from a funnel via a notch on a top side of a first disk. The first disk has ridges on a top side of the first disk for transferring the pills from the funnel to a top side of a second disk. The first disk and/or second disk rotate in a first rotational direction to transfer the pills to the second ring via an opening in a ridge of the first disk. A ring located adjacent to the opening of the first disk rotates in a second rotational direction for transferring the pills to a passage which is located adjacent to the ring. A gate and/or a pocket is located between the ring and an interior of the passage which is sized to receive the pills from the funnel. The pocket is sized to receive a pill from the ring of the dispenser. The dispenser has a configuration mechanism for determining and/or for identifying a configuration the pills. One of the pills is inserted between arms of the configuration mechanism to determine the configuration of the pills. A pin is connected to the configuration mechanism for positioning the pin within an interior of the passage based on the configuration of the pills. The pin prevents more than one of the pills from entering the pocket and/or the interior of the passage.

1 . A dispenser for dispensing pills wherein each of the pills has a size, the dispenser comprising:
 a funnel having walls and a height defined between a top end and a bottom end wherein walls of the funnel define an interior of the funnel wherein the wall of the funnel has a notch at the bottom end of the funnel wherein the interior of the funnel is sized to receive a plurality of the pills;   a first disk having a center and a circumference wherein the first disk has a top side and a bottom side located opposite to the top side of the first disk wherein the top side of the first disk has a ridge extending from the center of the first disk outwardly with respect to the circumference of the first disk wherein the funnel is connected to the first disk wherein the first disk and the notch in the wall of the funnel define an opening wherein the opening is sized to receive one of the pills; and   a ring having a top side and a bottom side located opposite to the top side of the ring wherein the top side of the ring is connected to the bottom side of the first disk wherein the first disk rotates in a first direction and further wherein the ring rotates in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.   
     
     
         2 . The dispenser of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a drive unit connected to the first disk and the ring wherein the drive unit rotates the disk and the ring.   
     
     
         3 . The dispenser of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a passage having walls defining an interior wherein the interior of the passage is sized to receive one or more of the pills.   
     
     
         4 . The dispenser of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second disk connecting the first disk and the ring wherein the second disk rotates in the first direction.   
     
     
         5 . The dispenser of  claim 1  wherein the first disk has a rim wherein the rim has an opening sized to receive one of the pills. 
     
     
         6 . The dispenser of  claim 1  wherein the first disk has an apex which extends outwardly with respect to the top side of the first disk. 
     
     
         7 . The dispenser of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a pocket positioned adjacent to the top side of the ring wherein the pocket has an interior which is sized to receive one of the pills.   
     
     
         8 . A system for dispensing pills from a funnel wherein the funnel has walls and a height defined between a top end and a bottom end wherein the walls define an interior of the funnel wherein the interior of the funnel is sized to receive the pills, the system comprising:
 a base having a top side and a bottom side located opposite to the top side of the base wherein the top side of the base has a ring with a lip extending outwardly with respect to the top side of the base wherein the top side of the base and the lip define an interior of the ring wherein the base has a passage with walls defining an interior wherein the interior of the passage is adjacent to the interior of the ring wherein the interior of the passage is sized to receive one or more of the pills;   a first disk having a center, a perimeter, a top side and a bottom side wherein the bottom side of the first disk is located opposite to the top side of the first disk wherein the first disk is connected to the base wherein the first disk is located within the interior of the ring wherein the first disk has a rim adjacent to the perimeter of the first disk wherein the rim extends outwardly with respect to the top side of the first disk wherein the top side of the disk and the rim of the disk define an interior of the first disk; and   a ridge connected to the first disk wherein the ridge extends outwardly with respect to the top side of the first disk wherein the ridge extends from the center of the first disk outwardly with respect to the perimeter of the first disk wherein the ridge rotates in a first direction.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a drive unit connected to the first disk wherein the drive unit rotates the first disk and the ridge.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the base has a pocket which is located adjacent to the ring of the base wherein the pocket is sized to receive one of the pills and is located between the interior of the passage and the interior of the ring. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the base has a pin wherein the pin is located within the interior of the passage. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the base has a second disk wherein the second disk is located between the first disk and the top side of the base wherein the second disk rotates in a second direction and moves the pill into the interior of the passage. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the rim of the first disk has an opening sized to receive one of the pills on the top side of the first disk. 
     
     
         14 . A method for dispensing pills from a funnel wherein the funnel has walls defining an interior of the funnel wherein the interior of the funnel is sized to receive the pills wherein each of the pills has a size and a shape which define a first configuration of each of the pills, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a dispenser wherein the dispenser has a base with a top side and a bottom side opposite to the top side wherein the dispenser has a lip attached to the top side of the base wherein the lip and the top side of the base define an interior of the dispenser wherein the dispenser has a first ring which is connected to the top side of the base wherein the dispenser has a passage with walls defining an interior of the passage wherein the passage is adjacent to the top side of the base wherein the interior of the passage is sized to receive one or more of the pills;   connecting a basket having a pin to the dispenser wherein the basket has walls defining an interior of the basket wherein the pin extends into the interior of the passage wherein the pin is located in a first position within the interior of the passage wherein the pin in the first position and one of the walls of the passage define a first pocket having a first size wherein the pocket is located between the interior of the dispenser and the interior of the passage; and   moving the pin to a second position within the interior of the passage wherein the pin in the second position and the one of the walls of the passage define a second pocket having a second size wherein the second pocket is sized to receive one of the pills from the interior of the dispenser wherein the second size of the second pocket corresponds to the first configuration of each of the pills.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 inserting one of the pills into the interior of the basket wherein the second position of the pin is determined by the one of the pills within the interior of the basket.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 connecting an arm to the dispenser and the basket wherein the arm extends into the interior of the basket.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 rotating the first ring in a direction wherein one of the pills moves from the first ring into the second pocket.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the first ring has a ridge wherein the ridge rotates in a direction and moves one of the pills. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 connecting a first disk to the first ring wherein the first disk has an opening sized to receive one of the pills wherein the first disk rotates in a direction to move one of the pills into the opening.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 moving a portion of the pills from the interior of the funnel into the interior of the passage via the second pocket.