Dispenser Apparatus

Abstract

A dispensing apparatus includes a hollow canister having a canister interior, a dispenser mechanism, and a plurality of stacked containers. The dispenser mechanism is shaped to be placed within the canister and has a bias device with a grasping portion and having open and closed positions, a base unit having a hollow interior and defining at least one opening shaped to receive the grasping portion therethrough to project from outside the base unit into the interior of the base unit, and a selection device moveably disposed with respect to the base unit and operable to selectively place the bias device between the open and closed positions when moved. The containers are each shaped to be stacked together within the hollow interior of the base unit and to be removably held therein by the bias device for individual dispensing of the stacked containers from the base unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dispensing apparatus, comprising:
 a dispenser mechanism having:
 a bias device with a grasping portion and having open and closed positions; 
 a base unit having a hollow interior and defining at least one opening shaped to receive the grasping portion therethrough to project from outside the base unit into the interior of the base unit; and 
 a selection device moveably disposed with respect to the base unit and operable to selectively place the bias device between the open and closed positions when moved. 
   
     
     
         2 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the bias device is a plurality of spring claws;   the base unit has a number of openings corresponding to the plurality of spring claws; and   each spring claw projects into the hollow interior of the base unit.   
     
     
         3 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the spring claws are attached to the base unit using an interlock. 
     
     
         4 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the interlock comprises a tongue and groove interlock. 
     
     
         5 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the base unit has an interlock connecting each of the spring claws thereto; and   the selection device abuts the interlock when the spring claws are in the closed position.   
     
     
         6 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 each of the spring claws has a disengaging device operably connected to the selection device for selectively placing the spring claws in the open and closed positions; and   when the selection device is placed under the disengaging device of the spring claws, the spring claws are in the open position.   
     
     
         7 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the disengaging device on each spring claw is an indentation projecting towards the selection device. 
     
     
         8 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 1 , which further comprises at least one container shaped to be placed within the hollow interior of the base unit and removably held therein by the bias device. 
     
     
         9 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 2 , which further comprises at least one container shaped to be placed within the hollow interior of the base unit and removably held therein by the grasping portion of each spring claw. 
     
     
         10 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one container comprises a plurality of stacked containers each shaped to be stacked together within the hollow interior of the base unit and removably held therein by the bias device for individual dispensing of the stacked containers from the base unit. 
     
     
         11 . A dispensing apparatus, comprising:
 a hollow canister having a canister interior; and   a dispenser mechanism shaped to be placed within the canister and having:
 a bias device with a grasping portion and having open and closed positions; 
 a base unit having a hollow interior and defining at least one opening shaped to receive the grasping portion therethrough to project from outside the base unit into the interior of the base unit; and 
 a selection device moveably disposed with respect to the base unit and operable to selectively place the bias device between the open and closed positions when moved. 
   
     
     
         12 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the bias device is a plurality of spring claws;   the base unit has a number of openings corresponding to the plurality of spring claws; and   each spring claw projects into the hollow interior of the base unit.   
     
     
         13 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the dispenser mechanism is one of removably placed within the canister, fastened within the canister, and integral with the canister. 
     
     
         14 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 11 , which further comprises a plurality of stacked containers each shaped to be stacked together within the hollow interior of the base unit and removably held therein by the bias device for individual dispensing of the stacked containers from the base unit. 
     
     
         15 . A dispensing apparatus, comprising:
 a hollow canister having a canister interior;   a dispenser mechanism shaped to be placed within the canister and having:
 a bias device with a grasping portion and having open and closed positions; 
 a base unit having a hollow interior and defining at least one opening shaped to receive the grasping portion therethrough to project from outside the base unit into the interior of the base unit; and 
 a selection device moveably disposed with respect to the base unit and operable to selectively place the bias device between the open and closed positions when moved; and 
   a plurality of stacked containers each shaped to be stacked together within the hollow interior of the base unit and removably held therein by the bias device for individual dispensing of the stacked containers from the base unit.   
     
     
         16 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein at least some of the containers:
 have a set-off mechanism that prevents one of the containers from stacking entirely into another of the containers; and   are shaped to contain medication therein free from being crushed when the containers are stacked.   
     
     
         17 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the set-off mechanism comprises a plurality of protrusions. 
     
     
         18 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the containers are marked with a corresponding indicator. 
     
     
         19 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the corresponding indicator comprises a day of the week. 
     
     
         20 . The dispensing apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the corresponding indicator comprises a period of a medication schedule in addition to the day of the week.