Easy fill lockable pill container

Abstract

A pill container and method for staging and storing pills or other small objects includes a plurality of storage cells, where each cell defines a top opening and a bottom refill opening. Pills are staged in a sorting area disposed on a bottom side of the pill container, allowing verification by sight and feel of a correct number and type of pill before being dropped into the storage cells. A slide bar is moved to an open position to align holes in the slide bar with the refill openings in the bottom of the storage cells, thereby allowing the pills to be loaded into the storage cells. The slide bar is moved back to a closed position to seal the holes in the bottom of the storage cells. A locking mechanism is provided to provide protection again accidental against accidental movement of the slide bar.

1 . A pill container comprising:
 a molded box portion defining a plurality of storage cells for storing one or more pills, wherein each storage cell defines a top opening and a bottom refill opening;   a plurality of lids hingedly attached to the top openings of the storage cells, where each lid provides individual access to a corresponding one of the plurality of storage cells to allow retrieval of the one or more pill stored therein; and   a slide bar attached to a bottom of the molded box portion and adapted to be selectively moved between a closed position and an open position, wherein the slide bar defines a plurality of slide bar openings that align with the plurality of refill openings of the molded box portion to allow pills to be dispensed into the plurality of storage cells when the slide bar is in the open position, and wherein the slide bar openings are moved out of alignment with the refill openings to prevent the one or more pills with the storage cells from escaping through the bottom refill opening when the slide bar is in the closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The pill container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a slide bar locking mechanism adapted to prevent the slide bar from moving from the closed position to the open position.   
     
     
         3 . The pill container of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a lid locking mechanism pivotally attached to the molded box portion and adapted to prevent accidental opening of the lids.   
     
     
         4 . The pill container of  claim 2 , wherein the slide bar moves through an interior of the storage cells, and wherein the molded box portion further comprises:
 a ridge formed on the bottom of the molded box portion to define a pill sorting area when the slide bar is in the closed position; and   a plurality of slots defined in sidewalls of the storage cells to provide sliding attachment of the slide bar to the molded box portion and allow movement of the slide bar between the closed position and the open position.   
     
     
         5 . The pill container of  claim 4 , wherein the molded box portion further defines a tapered sidewall around a top edge of each of the plurality of refill openings to stage pills from the sorting area onto a portion of the slide bar exposed through the plurality of refill openings when the slide bar is in the closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The pill container of  claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of indicia formed on the slide bar, wherein the indicia are positioned to be viewed through corresponding refill openings when the slide bar is in the closed position, the indicia indicating a time interval designated for each storage cell disposed below the corresponding refill opening. 
     
     
         7 . The pill container of  claim 2 , wherein the slide bar moves below a bottom surface of the storage cells, and wherein the molded box portion further comprises:
 a retainer guide surrounding a portion of the bottom of the molded box portion, the retainer guide adapted to provide sliding movement of the slide bar below the molded box portion between the closed and open positions.   
     
     
         8 . The pill container of  claim 7 , wherein the slide bar further defines a ridge on the bottom surface of the slide bar to provide a pill sorting area when the slide bar is in the closed position. 
     
     
         9 . The pill container of  claim 8 , wherein the slide bar further defines a tapered sidewall around a top edge of each of the plurality of slide bar openings to stage pills from the sorting area onto portions of the bottom of the molded box portion exposed through the plurality of slide bar openings when the slide bar is in the closed position. 
     
     
         10 . The pill container of  claim 7 , wherein the slide bar further defines a slot adapted to engage a portion of the slide bar locking mechanism when the slide bar is in the closed position. 
     
     
         11 . The pill container of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a lid locking mechanism pivotally attached to the molded box portion and adapted to prevent accidental opening of the lids, wherein the lid locking mechanism and the slide bar locking mechanism are formed as an integral mechanism to provide for simultaneously locking the lids and the slide bar in a single action.   
     
     
         12 . A pill container comprising:
 a molded box portion defining:
 a plurality of storage cells for storing one or more pills, wherein each storage cell defines a top opening and a bottom refill opening; and 
 a retainer guide surrounding a bottom of the molded box portion, 
   wherein the retainer guide defines a box basin;   a plurality of lids hingedly attached to the top openings of the storage cells, where each lid provides individual access to a corresponding one of the plurality of storage cells to allow retrieval of the one or more pill stored therein; and   a slide bar slidably attached to the bottom of the molded box portion within the box basin and adapted to be selectively moved between a closed position and an open position, wherein the slide bar defines a plurality of slide bar openings that align with the plurality of refill openings of the molded box portion to allow pills to be dispensed into one or more of the plurality of storage cells when the slide bar is in the open position, and wherein the slide bar openings are moved out of alignment with the refill openings to prevent the one or more pills with the storage cells from escaping through the bottom refill opening when the slide bar is in the closed position.   
     
     
         13 . The pill container of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a slide bar locking mechanism adapted to prevent the slide bar from moving from the closed position to the open position.   
     
     
         14 . The pill container of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a lid locking mechanism pivotally attached to the molded box portion and adapted to prevent accidental opening of the lids.   
     
     
         15 . The pill container of  claim 13 , wherein the slide bar further defines a ridge on the bottom surface of the slide bar to provide a pill sorting area when the slide bar is in the closed position. 
     
     
         16 . The pill container of  claim 15 , wherein the slide bar further defines a tapered sidewall around a top edge of each of the plurality of slide bar openings to stage pills from the sorting area onto portions of the bottom of the molded box portion exposed through the plurality of slide bar openings when the slide bar is in the closed position. 
     
     
         17 . The pill container of  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of indicia formed on the bottom of the molded box portion, wherein the indicia are positioned to be viewed through corresponding slide bar openings when the slide bar is in the closed position, the indicia indicating a time interval designated for each storage cell disposed below a corresponding refill opening. 
     
     
         18 . The pill container of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a lid locking mechanism pivotally attached to the molded box portion and adapted to prevent accidental opening of the lids, wherein the lid locking mechanism and the slide bar locking mechanism are formed as an integral mechanism to provide for simultaneously locking the lids and the slide bar in a single action.   
     
     
         19 . A method for storing one or more pills in an integrated pill container comprising a molded box portion defining a plurality of storage cells for storing one or more pills, each storage cell defining a bottom refill opening, the integrated pill container further including a slide bar slidably attached to a bottom of the molded box portion to allow for movement between an open position and a closed position, the slide bar defining a plurality of openings that align with the refill openings of the molded box portion when the slide bar is in the open position, the method comprising:
 placing one or more pills within a basin defined by the bottom of the molded box portion and the slide bar when the slide bar is in the closed position;   staging each of the one or more pills into a region corresponding to one of the plurality of storage cells, wherein the region is defined by one of the refill openings in the molded box portion or the slide bar openings;   selectively moving the slide bar to the open position to align the slide bar openings with the refill openings and dispense the one or more pills within each region into the corresponding storage cell; and   selectively moving the slide bar to the closed position to move the slide bar openings out of alignment with the refill openings and prevent the one or more pills dispensed into the storage cells from escaping through the bottom refill openings.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 locking the slide bar to prevent unintentional movement of the slide bar from the closed position to the open position.