Pill dispenser

Abstract

A pill container and dispenser includes pill dispenser cap having a rotatable carousel with a pill-receiving chamber. The carousel is rotatable between a position in which the chamber receives pills from a storage component of the pill dispenser, and a position in which the pill can be dispensed from the chamber to a user. The pill dispenser includes systems for detecting the dispensing of the pill, and systems for recording and/or reporting pill dispensing events to a mobile device or remote server to allow compliance tacking. Some embodiments of the pill dispenser require a removal tool to remove a cap assembly from the storage compartment. Some embodiments including a locking ring that prevents the removal tool from removing the cap assembly. The locking ring must be damaged in some embodiments to remove the locking ring from the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A cap for a pill bottle which has a collar, the cap comprising:
 a first snap-fit finger extending downwardly from the cap, the first snap-fit finger having a hook configured to hook onto a collar of a pill bottle;   a second snap-fit finger extending downwardly from the cap, the second snap-fit finger being spaced from the first snap-fit finger and forming a first perimeter gap between the first and second snap-fit fingers, the second snap-fit finger having a second hook configured to hook onto the collar of a pill bottle; and   a complementary lock ring configured to obstruct access to undersides of the first and second snap-fit fingers, the lock ring including a first blocking finger, which, when the cap is snap fit onto a bottle, extends upwardly into the first perimeter gap to leave either no gap or a gap of less than 2 mm between a lateral edge of the first blocking finger and a lateral edge of the first snap-fit finger;   wherein the first blocking finger either leaves no gap or a gap of less than 2 mm between the lateral edge of the first blocking finger and a lateral edge of the second snap-fit finger.   
     
     
         4 . A cap as in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first snap-fit finger includes a first distal end,   the second snap-fit finger includes a second distal end;   when the cap is snap fit onto a bottle, and the first blocking finger of the lock ring is fully inserted between the first and second snap-fit fingers, the lock ring leaves either no gap or a gap of less than 2 mm between the lock ring and the first distal end, and the lock ring leaves either no gap or a gap of less than 2 mm between the lock ring and the second distal end.   
     
     
         5 . A cap as in  claim 3 , further comprising a third snap-fit finger which extends downwardly from the cap, the third snap-fit finger being spaced from the second snap-fit finger and forming a second perimeter gap between the second and third snap-fit fingers; wherein
 the lock ring includes a second blocking finger extending upwardly into the second perimeter gap to leave either no gap or a gap of less than 2 mm between a lateral edge of the second blocking finger and a lateral edge of the second snap-fit finger; and   the second blocking finger leaves either no gap or a gap of less than 2 mm between the lateral edge of the second blocking finger and a lateral edge of the third snap-fit finger.   
     
     
         6 . A cap as in  claim 5 , wherein the first blocking finger comprises a snap-fit finger configured to hook onto the collar of the pill bottle, and the second blocking finger comprises a snap-fit finger configured to hook onto the collar of the pill bottle. 
     
     
         7 . A cap as in  claim 6 , in combination with the pill bottle, wherein the lock ring is configured such that the lock ring has to be damaged in order to remove the lock ring from the collar of the pill bottle when the cap and the lock ring are attached to the pill bottle. 
     
     
         8 . A cap and pill bottle as in  claim 7 , wherein the pill bottle collar is a continuous ring encircling a perimeter of the pill bottle. 
     
     
         9 . A cap and bottle as in  claim 7 , wherein the pill bottle collar has gaps around a perimeter of the pill bottle. 
     
     
         10 . A cap for a pill bottle, the cap comprising:
 a coupler configured to attach the cap to a pill bottle;   a rotating chamber having first and second rotation states, wherein the rotating chamber is configured to receive a pill from the pill bottle through a bottom of the cap when the cap is attached to the pill bottle and the rotating chamber is in the first rotation state, and the pill is removable from the rotating chamber through a top of the cap when the rotating chamber is in the second rotation state; and   a lock ring configured to engage with a pill bottle collar and/or the pill cap in a locking position, wherein the cap cannot be removed with the lock ring in the locking position, and removal of the lock ring from the locking position requires damaging the lock ring.   
     
     
         11 . A cap as in  claim 10 , wherein the cap is configured such that removal of the cap from the bottle requires a tool. 
     
     
         12 . A cap as in  claim 10 , in combination with the pill bottle, wherein the pill bottle has a collar, and the cap coupler is configured to grasp the collar of the pill bottle. 
     
     
         13 . A cap and pill bottle as in  claim 12 , wherein the cap is configured such that removal of the cap from the bottle requires a tool to disengage the cap coupler, and the lock ring prevents access of the tool to the cap coupler. 
     
     
         14 . The cap for the pill bottle of  claim 10 , the cap further comprising:
 a biasing element which biases the rotating chamber toward the second rotation state.   
     
     
         15 . A cap as in  claim 14 , wherein the biasing element comprises a spring. 
     
     
         16 . A cap as in  claim 15 , wherein the spring comprises a torsion spring. 
     
     
         17 . A cap as in  claim 14 , further comprising a movable lid, the movable lid selectively covering and uncovering the rotating chamber when the rotating chamber is in the second rotation state. 
     
     
         18 . A cap as in  claim 17 , wherein the movable lid is slidable. 
     
     
         19 . The cap for the pill bottle of  claim 14 , the cap further comprising:
 a first removably attachable guide surface configured to be attached to the cap to guide a pill toward the rotating chamber from the pill bottle, wherein the first guide surface has a first opening through which a pill travels from the guide surface into the rotating chamber; and   a second removably attachable guide surface configured to be attached to the cap to guide a pill toward the rotating chamber from the pill bottle, wherein the second guide surface has a second opening through which a pill travels from the guide surface into the rotating chamber; wherein   the first opening has a different size and/or shape as the second opening.   
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of accessing a storage compartment in a pill bottle, the pill bottle having an attached cap that is snap-fit to a collar of the pill bottle, and a lock ring attached to the pill bottle, the method comprising:
 permanently deforming the lock ring to permit removal of the lock ring from the pill bottle;   removing the lock ring from the pill bottle;   sliding ramps under each of a plurality of snap-fit fingers of the cap to disengage hooks from a collar of the pill bottle; and   removing the cap from the pill bottle.   
     
     
         22 . The cap for a pill bottle of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first snap-fit finger includes a first distal end,   the second snap-fit finger includes a second distal end; and   when the cap is snap fit onto a bottle, and the first blocking finger of the lock ring is fully inserted between the first and second snap-fit fingers, the lock ring leaves either no gap or a gap of less than 2 mm between the lock ring and the first distal end, and the lock ring leaves either no gap or a gap of less than 2 mm between the lock ring and the second distal end.