Title: Medicine dispensers

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. In a medicine dispenser including a case having means defining a number of medicine compartments, and at least one cover slidable in the case over the compartments between a closed position closing the compartments and an open position opening the compartments for access through the top of the case; the improvement comprising lock means for locking said cover against movement between said positions thereof, said lock means including at least a stop thereon mounted for movement in the case between a first position in the path of movement of the cover for engaging a selected one of a plurality of abutment surfaces of the cover and blocking the cover against movement and a second position out of the path of the cover for permitting movement of the cover, said lock means further including a manually operable actuating member mounted to the case for movement relative to the case and being connected to the stop for actuating the stop between said positions thereof upon movement of the actuating member relative to the case.

2. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said manually operable actuating member includes a resilient member for biasing the stop into locking position preventing movement of the cover.

3. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said manually operable actuating member has one end fixed to the case and an opposite end spaced from the case and being connected to the stop to move the same, said actuating member being formed from resilient material such that when released it will bias the stop to said first position thereof.

4. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said cover has said abutment surfaces projecting therefrom to be engageable with said stop to prevent movement of the cover when the stop is in said first position thereof.

5. The improvement defined in claim 4 wherein the cover has the plurality of abutment surfaces spaced along the length thereof to define recesses for receiving the stop to prevent movement of the cover upon engagement with one of the abutment surfaces.

6. The improvement defined in claim 5 wherein said abutment surfaces are spaced along an edge portion of the cover.

7. The improvement defined in claim 5 wherein said cover has a plurality of locking ears spaced along the length thereof with the abutment surfaces formed on one of the ends of the locking ears and wherein the opposite ends of the locking ears are inclined to provide cam surfaces for engaging and moving the stop out of the path of the cover upon movement of the cover towards closed position closing the compartments.

8. The improvement defined in claim 1 incorporated in a medicine dispenser including a plurality of rows of medicine compartments and a plurality of associated covers movable between positions closing and opening the medicine compartments respectively and wherein said lock means includes a plurality of stops associated with each of the covers.

9. The improvement defined in claim 8 wherein said lock means includes an elongated locking strip mounted for slidable movement in the case and wherein said stops are fixed to the locking strip at locations spaced along the length of the locking strip and wherein said manually operable actuating member is fixed to the locking strip and is positioned externally of the case to be manually operable for moving the locking strip to move the stops into and out of locking positions relative to the associated cover.

10. The improvement defined in claim 9 wherein said actuating member has one end fixed to the case and an opposite end being fixed to the locking strip and being movable relative to the case to move the locking strip.

11. The improvement defined in claim 10 incorporated in a case having a top including a plurality of ribs spaced laterally from each other defining the plurality of rows of medicine compartments and wherein said locking strip extends transversely through apertures in the ends of said ribs.

Other info:

Inventors: Moe, Kjell (Stocksund, SW)

Application Number: 722877
Filing Date: 1976-09-14
Publication_date: 1977-12-13
Assignee:
Primary Class(es): 206/1.5 206/538, 206/539, 220/345.3, 220/345.5, 312/234
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3537422	Nov, 1970	Moe	312/209.
3618559	Nov, 1971	Moe	116/121.
3651979	Mar, 1972	Severson	220/346.
3812963	May, 1974	Zahuranec et al.	220/346.
3888350	Jun, 1975	Horvath	206/540.
3942630	Mar, 1976	Phillips	206/1.
3949899	Apr, 1976	Jacobs	220/346.

Other Refs: 2,029,081

Dec, 1970	DT

Primary Examiner: Yasich, Daniel M.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Mouzavires; William E.