Medication dispenser

Abstract

The invention relates to a medication dispenser with a plurality of receiving compartments (1) arranged laterally next to one another, each of which can be closed by means of a pivotable lid (2), the pivoting device (3) of which is designed such that the lid (2) rests with its area opposite the pivoting device in the pivoted-open position on the support surface (4) on which the dispenser is placed.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a medication dispenser with several compartments arranged side by side, each of which can be closed by means of a pivoting lid.

[0002] Such a weekly medication dispenser is known, for example, from EP 2 180 868 A1. It has a rectangular base with seven compartments divided by partitions, each with its own hinged lid, so that each compartment can be accessed individually. The seven compartments in the base of the known weekly medication dispenser have an equally sized rectangular layout, and at least one long side of the base, namely the dispensing side, has an outwardly curved wall. The upper edge of the partitions is curved along its length, and the seven dimensionally stable and elastic lids that cover and close the seven compartments fit perfectly.

[0003] The curvature of the partition walls and the longitudinal edges of the lids is selected in such a way that the lids do not rest on the partition walls when closed, so that when a pressure force is exerted on the middle or rear area of ​​the curved elastic lid, the locking parts which hold the lid in the closed position begin to loosen between the lid and the lower part.

[0004] A significant disadvantage of this medication dispenser is that opening the lid requires two-handed operation. First, the lid must be pushed down onto the base, thereby moving the locking tab out of the recess and out of the locking mechanism's counterpart. This can be difficult for patients with disabilities.

[0005] A further disadvantage of the known dispenser is that, since the lid does not rest on the partition walls when closed and the closure parts begin to separate from each other when a pressure force is exerted on the middle or rear area of ​​the domed lid, the lid(s) may inadvertently open when the dispenser is grasped and held.

[0006] A disadvantage of the familiar weekly dispenser is, among other things, the loading and unloading of medication. The lid that closes the compartments can only be opened in a roughly vertical position, which makes handling considerably more difficult for patients, especially those with mobility impairments. Furthermore, the dispenser's stability is in need of improvement. Occasionally, the container tilts.

[0007] Based on this, the invention is based on the object of improving the handling of the dosing device.

[0008] This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments can be found in the subclaims.

[0009] The medication dispenser has several compartments arranged side by side, forming the dispenser's lower shell. Each compartment can be closed with a pivoting lid. The pivoting mechanism is designed so that, when pivoted open, the lid rests on the surface on which the dispenser is placed.

[0010] Fully opening the lid provides better access to the respective compartment, making it much easier to fill the dispenser and remove medication, especially if the patient has a motor impairment. For example, the patient can insert their index finger into the compartment from the back, drag it along the bottom, and push the medication out through the removal side of the dispenser. The risk of accidentally leaving medication in the compartment is eliminated.

[0011] According to a first embodiment of the invention, the lid, with its area opposite the pivoting mechanism, rests on the support surface on which the dispenser is placed when pivoted open, forming an anti-tip device. Since the lid rests with its edge on the base, such as a tabletop, when opened, the dispenser cannot tip over during filling or dispensing of medication. Furthermore, unlike conventional medication dispensers, the hinges cannot be overloaded when the lid is open, which significantly improves the dispenser's durability.

[0012] The lid has a preferably rounded edge in the area of ​​the pivot mechanism, which serves as a bearing for the pivot pins formed on the back of the storage compartments. This bearing for the pivot pins proves to be particularly stable and also easy to install, with no risk of the lid becoming detached from the pivot pin.

[0013] The bearing formed by the rounded edge area can be designed as a closed bearing, whereby the hinge pins then move laterally when engaged during assembly.

[0014] Preferably, the bearing is designed as a hinge tube which is slotted for clipping into the hinge pins, so that during assembly there is no risk of the hooks formed on the cover breaking off, as in the prior art.

[0015] Preferably, the slot of the hinge tube is oriented such that the lid can be clipped onto the hinge pins from above. This allows for simple assembly, as the lid is snapped onto the bottom shell from above, rather than as in the prior art, where the lid must be pushed from the back to the front, with the risk of breaking off the hooks for the hinge pins attached to the lid.

[0016] From a design and assembly point of view, it is particularly advantageous if the hinge pins are formed on extensions that extend outwards at the rear of the compartments.

[0017] The distance between the hinge pins and the back of the compartments should be such that the lid can be pivoted freely with the bearing or hinge tube.

[0018] According to a further aspect of the invention, the lid has an outward-facing projection on its edge area, which, when closed, faces the removal area of ​​the receiving compartment. This outward-facing tongue enables easy and effective opening of the lid. The larger contact surface for the user's fingers ensures easier opening of the respective compartment, especially for older people. The projections also make it possible to distinguish between the front and back of the dispenser.

[0019] In a further development of this concept, the invention provides that the projections of the dispenser lid form a wave-shaped edge when closed, so that the respective day of a weekly dispenser can be determined by simply counting the wave peaks and troughs. The wave shape also prevents inadvertently opening a compartment adjacent to the desired compartment and, for example, taking the wrong dosage or the wrong medication.

[0020] According to one concept of the invention, the lower tray formed by the compartments has an asymmetrical contour in cross-section, in that the rear wall extending in the longitudinal direction of the dispenser and located in the region of the pivoting device and the front wall located in the dispensing area have different wall heights, preferably with the front wall being lower than the rear wall. This asymmetrical contour line of the lower tray also enables visually impaired patients to distinguish where the dispensing area and the rear area with the hinged device of the dispenser are located.

[0021] Preferably, the front wall in the removal area is rounded so that it is easier to push the respective medication out of the receiving compartment.

[0022] To ensure a defined closure of the lid, the lids have ribs on their underside facing the storage compartment. When the lid is closed, these ribs rest against both long sides of the compartment's dividers and, preferably, also against the inside of the front wall of the respective compartment. This allows even visually impaired patients to feel whether the lid is in the closed position.

[0023] The inventive measure aims in the same direction: the rear wall of the receiving compartments has recesses into which the longitudinal webs on the long sides of the lids engage when closed. This measure also ensures that the effective closed position of the dispenser can be detected by touch.

[0024] The lid is held in the closed position by means of a locking device, for example the locking device can have a locking lug on the underside of the lid at its front end, which engages in a locking recess on the outside of the front wall of the respective receiving compartment when the lid is in the closed position.

[0025] The locking device, in particular the locking lugs, are movable, preferably elastically mounted on the front ends of the lid, for example, molded onto the lid in the case of plastic lids, so that opening the lid requires a simple one-handed operation rather than cumbersome two-handed operation. Accidental opening of the lid is also avoided.

[0026] According to an independent idea of ​​the invention, the lid can be designed to be rigid, stiff or dimensionally stable, so that compared to the prior art with elastic material of the lid, more cost-effective plastic material can be used and, in addition, an easier-to-handle one-hand operation for opening the lid without incorrect operation is possible.

[0027] According to the invention, it is also conceivable for the lids to rest completely on the walls separating the compartments or the outer side wall of the lower shell, which significantly improves the strength of the dispenser and also prevents accidental opening of the lid, as can be the case in the prior art. Lids of adjacent compartments span the shared partition wall by up to half. The lids and partition walls can also have adjacent curvatures along their longitudinal extension.

[0028] To distinguish the top of the dispenser from the bottom, the lid is curved outwards.

[0029] For visually impaired people, it may also be advisable to design the material of the lid to allow for the application of Braille.

[0030] To prevent the contact surface of the dispenser or the lower tray from misaligning with a support surface, such as a tabletop, downwardly projecting edges or a corresponding number of feet can be provided on the narrow sides of the underside. The raised contact surfaces reduce the risk of rotation on smooth surfaces.

[0031] Further objects, advantages, features, and possible applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing. All described and / or illustrated features, individually or in any meaningful combination, constitute the subject matter of the present invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their interrelationship.

[0032] Showing: Fig. 1 a possible embodiment of a weekly dosage dispenser for medication according to the invention with compartments for medication provided in the lower part and the lid in the closed position in a perspective view, Fig. 2 the weekly dosing device according to Fig. 1 with lids partially in the open position, Fig. 3 the weekly dosing device according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 in a cross-sectional view, Fig. 4 the weekly dispenser as shown in the previous figures, seen from the bottom, Fig. 5a, b a lid according to the preceding figures seen from the top and the bottom in a perspective view and Fig. 6 the lower part of the dispenser in perspective view.

[0033] Fig. Figure 1 shows a possible embodiment of a weekly dispenser according to the invention. In the embodiment chosen here, its lower part or lower tray 11 consists of seven individually accessible compartments 1 with an approximately rectangular layout, with the compartments 1 being separated from one another by partition walls 9.

[0034] As is particularly evident from Fig. As can be seen in Figure 3, the dispenser has an asymmetrical cross-section, with the rear wall 12 and the front wall 13, located opposite in the dispensing area, having different wall heights. In the embodiment chosen here, the front wall 13 is lower than the rear wall 12, allowing differentiation even for visually impaired patients.

[0035] To open the lid 2, a pivoting device 3 is provided, which is designed in such a way that the lid 2, in the pivoted-open position, rests on the support surface 4 on which the dispenser is placed, forming a tilt protection, as can be seen from Fig. 2. By fully opening the lid 2, the removal of medication as well as filling is made much easier, especially for patients with motor disabilities.

[0036] The swivel device 3 has, as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6, a hinge tube 5 at the rear end of the lid 2 with a slot 7, which is oriented in such a way that the lid 2 can be clipped onto the hinge pin 6 on the lower part or the lower shell 11 in a simple manner. As can be seen in particular from Fig. 6, the pivot pins 6 are formed on extensions 14, with the extensions 14 adjoining the rear wall 12 of the compartments 1. The distance between the hinge pins 6 and the rear wall 12 of the compartments 1 is dimensioned such that the lid 2 with the bearing or hinge tube 5 can be freely pivoted and rests on the support surface 4 for the dispenser, for example, the table surface, forming a tilt protection.

[0037] The cover 2 has according to Fig. 1 to 5 has an outwardly pointing projection 10 on its free end facing the removal area of ​​the dispenser, wherein the projections 10 of the lid 2 form a wave-shaped edge in the closed position, as can be seen in particular from Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. This serves to haptically differentiate the individual compartments from one another, for example by allowing visually impaired patients to feel the crest of the wave and open the respective compartment 1 without simultaneously inadvertently opening the lid 2 of an adjacent compartment 1.

[0038] The lids 2 are held in the closed position by a locking device 17. For this purpose, a locking lug 18 is provided at the front end of the lids 2, which engages in a locking recess 19 on the front wall 13 of the respective receiving compartment 1.

[0039] To ensure a defined closure of the lid 2, the lids 2 have webs 15 on their underside facing the receiving compartment 1. When the lids 2 are in the closed position, these webs rest against both long sides of the partition walls of the compartment 1 and preferably also against the inside of the front wall 13 of the respective compartment 1. This allows even visually impaired patients to feel whether the lid 2 is in the closed position.

[0040] Furthermore, the lids are curved outwards to make it possible to distinguish between the top and bottom of the dispenser.

[0041] The lower shell 11 and lid 2 are made of plastic material. The lid 2 is dimensionally stable and rigid. The lid 2 is opened with one hand, simply by inserting the locking lug 18, which is elastically molded onto the lid 2, for example, via a film hinge. Removal of the medication is possible by pivoting the locking lug 18 out of the locking recess 19 on the front wall 13 of the respective compartment 1.

[0042] In the closed position, the lids 2 rest completely on the partition walls 9 of the receiving compartments, with the lids 2 of adjacent receiving compartments 1 spanning approximately half of the common partition wall 9. The fact that the lids 1 rest practically completely on the curved partition walls 9 prevents accidental opening of the lid 1.

[0043] The material of the lid 2 is designed for applying a Braille inscription 20, which can be applied to the outside of the lid.

[0044] The contact points 21 of the dispenser on a contact surface 4 are arranged in such a way that the contact area is not over-determined. For example, downwardly projecting edges or a corresponding number of support feet 21 are provided on the narrow sides of the lower shell 11. List of reference symbols 1 storage compartment 2 lids 3 Swivel device 4 Support surface, table level 5 hinge tube 6 pivot pins 7 slot 8 extension 9 Partition wall 10 protrusion, tongue 11 Lower shell 12 Rear wall 13 Front wall 15 jetty 16 Recess 17 locking device 18 locking lug 19 Recess 20 Braille characters 21 Stand QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] EP 2 180 868 A1

[0002]

Claims

[1] Medication dispenser with several laterally arranged receiving compartments (1), each of which can be closed by means of a pivoting cover (2), the pivoting device (3) of which is designed such that the cover (2) rests with its area opposite the pivoting device in the pivoted-open position on the support surface (4) on which the dispenser is placed. [2] Medication dispenser according to claim 1, characterized by that the cover (2) with its area opposite the pivoting device (3) is supported in the pivoted-open position on the support surface (4) to form an anti-tilt device. [3] Medication dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the cover (2) has a preferably rounded edge region in the region of the pivoting device (3), which serves as a bearing for the pivot pins (6) formed on the back of the receiving compartments. [4] Medication dispenser according to claim 3, characterized by that the bearing (5) is designed as a hinge tube (5) which is slotted for clipping into the hinge pins (6). [5] Medication dispenser according to claim 4, characterized by that the slot (7) of the hinge tube (5) is oriented such that the cover (2) can be clipped onto the hinge pins (6) from above. [6] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the hinge pins (6) are formed on extensions (8) which extend outwards on the rear wall (12) of the compartments (1). [7] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the distance between the hinge pins (6) and the rear wall (12) of the compartments (1) is dimensioned such that the cover (2) with bearing or hinge tube (5) can be pivoted freely. [8] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the lid (2) has an outwardly pointing projection (10) on its edge region facing the removal area of ​​the receiving compartment in the closed position. [9] Medication dispenser according to claim 7, characterized by that the projections (10) of the lid (2) of the dispenser form a wave-shaped edge in the closed position. [10] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the lower shell (11) formed by the compartments has an asymmetrical contour in cross-section, wherein the rear wall (12) extending in the longitudinal direction of the dispenser and arranged in the region of the pivoting device (3) and the opposite front wall (13) located in the removal region have different wall heights, preferably the front wall (13) is lower than the rear wall (12). [11] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the front wall (13) located in the withdrawal area is rounded to allow the respective medication to be pushed out. [12] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the lids (2) have, on their underside facing the receiving compartment (1), webs (15) in the closed position of the lids (2) on the two long sides and preferably also on the inside of the front wall (13) of the compartments (1). [13] Medication dispenser according to claim 11, characterized by that the rear wall (12) of the receiving compartments (1) has recesses (16) into which the webs (15) on the long sides of the lids (2) engage in the closed position. [14] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the lids (2) are held in the closed position by means of a locking device (17) with preferably elastically flexible locking elements. [15] Medication dispenser according to claim 13, characterized bythat the locking device (17) has a locking lug (18) on the underside of the lid (2) at its front end, which engages in a locking recess (19) on the front wall (13) of the receiving compartment (1) when the lid (2) is in the closed position. [16] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the locking lug (18) is arranged movably, in particular elastically, at the front end of the cover (2). [17] Medication dispenser with several laterally arranged receiving compartments (1), each of which can be closed by means of a pivotable lid (2), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the cover (2) is stiff or rigid, at the front end of which the locking device (17), in particular the locking lug (18) is elastically arranged. [18] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the lid (2) preferably rests completely on the partition walls (9) dividing the receiving compartments (1). [19] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the lids (2) are curved outwards. [20] Medication dispenser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the material of the cover (2) is designed for applying Braille (20).

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