CA2046644A1 - Device for crushing pills and the like - Google Patents
Device for crushing pills and the likeInfo
- Publication number
- CA2046644A1 CA2046644A1 CA 2046644 CA2046644A CA2046644A1 CA 2046644 A1 CA2046644 A1 CA 2046644A1 CA 2046644 CA2046644 CA 2046644 CA 2046644 A CA2046644 A CA 2046644A CA 2046644 A1 CA2046644 A1 CA 2046644A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- housing
- components
- pills
- wheel
- crusher
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
- B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
- B02C4/00—Crushing or disintegrating by roller mills
- B02C4/10—Crushing or disintegrating by roller mills with a roller co-operating with a stationary member
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J7/00—Devices for administering medicines orally, e.g. spoons; Pill counting devices; Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine
- A61J7/0007—Pill breaking or crushing devices
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
- B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
- B02C2/00—Crushing or disintegrating by gyratory or cone crushers
- B02C2/10—Crushing or disintegrating by gyratory or cone crushers concentrically moved; Bell crushers
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Food Science & Technology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Crushing And Pulverization Processes (AREA)
- Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)
- Disintegrating Or Milling (AREA)
- Crushing And Grinding (AREA)
- Medical Preparation Storing Or Oral Administration Devices (AREA)
Abstract
A rotatable crusher wheel (22) is mounted in a housing (21) and receives pills via an opening (32). Rotation of the wheel (22) creates a crushing action on the pills, which is facilitated by projections on the wheel periphery and on the confronting internal walls (31) of the housing. The powder formed by the crushing action then falls into a receptacle (24) which can be detached for subsequent removal and use of the powder. The housing comprises two components (23, 24) which together define a bearing for an axle (27) of the wheel (22), the components being separable to allow insertion of the wheel during initial assembly of the device.
Description
~ A PCr/GB90/00209 2~1 ~ V~ U U~i~
Title: Device or Crushinq Pills And The Like This lnvention relates to a device for crushing pills and the like.
It is often the case that a person has difficulty in swallowing pills due to their size. The present invention seeks to provide a device which is readily usable to crush the pills into a powder, to make them easier to ingest.
According to the present invention, there i~ provld@d a device ~or cirushing pil.l9 and the l:ike, colnpri.~inq a housing, a rotatable crusher memb@r diie;posed in the housing, an anvil which is disposed in the housing and with which the movable crusher member co-operates to crush said pills or the like, and an opening in the housing through which said pills or the like are fed to the crusher member.
Preferably, the device also includes a .eceptacle which ~-receives particles of the crushed pills, the receptacle forming part of or-being attached to the housing.
' Advantageously, the anvil and/or the crusher member are provided with projections (preferably in the form of ridges or serrations, which may be in herring-bone con~iguration) to facilitate the crushing process. Such projections can , . . . . , .. . .. , , . . . , , . . . .. - . .. :,. , : . : ~ .: , W090/09~41 2 a 4 ~ 6 ~ 4 ~ PCT/CB90/00209,, , .
also be provided on at least one axial side wall of the crusher member and/or a surface on the housing which confronts that side wall.
Desirably, the crusher member is in the general form of a wheel or drum, and the anvil extends along at least ~art of the periphery thereoE.
In one embodiment, the crusher member and the anvil are both generally conical or frusto conical in shape, in which ';
case the opening is preferably provided in a face o~ the device which is generally perpendicular to the rot~ion axis of the crusher melnber. In another qrnbocl.im~nt, the crusher member is [email protected] cy.Lindrical, ln wllleh ea~ th~
opening is preferably provided ,in a face of the housing which lies generally parallel to the rotation axis of the crusher member.
Advantageously,-the receptacle is made of transparent or semi-transparent material, and may also be provided wi.th graduations.
.
The housing can be composed of two components each of which defines part of a bearing for the crusher member, these two .
parts co-operating with'each other to define a full,bearing when the two components are assemble~ together.
Conveniently,,on one,of these,components the bearing WOgO/09241 ~ Q ~ 4 PCT~GB90/00209 undercuts an axle of the crusher member and acts to retain the axle when the two components are separated. The two components are preferably hinged together or are connected by a snap-engagement. In a particular example of the invention, one of these components constitutes the receptacle.
Preferably, the housing also contains a compartment for storing spare pills or the like. The compartment and/or the opening in the housing can be provided with a clcsure member, which is conveniently hinged to the housing.
The invention will now b~ Eurther dc~cribec1, hy w~y oE~
example only, ~ith re~er~nc~ to the accompAnying dr~wincJ.~, in which:
Figure l is a sectional side view of a first embodiment o~
a device according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a section taken along the line II-II in -Figure l;
Figure 3 is a sectional side view of a second embodiment of a device according to the present invention;
~igure 4 is a sectional side view-o~ a third embodiment o~
a device according to the present invention;
wo 9n/0924, ~46~4~ Pcr/GB90/00209 Figure 5 shows the device of Figure 4 during assembly; and Figure 6 shows a crusher member which forms part of the devices of ~igures 3 to 5.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the device shown therein comprises a pocket-sized enclosed housing 10 composed of a lower casing 11 and a lid 12 which closes an open mouth at the upper end of the casing 11. On its outer periphery, the lid 12 is provided with a downwardly-extending configurated projection 13 which ~orms a snap-engagement with a similar projection on the Inouth o~
the lower casing 11. This enc3agement i~ ~;UCIl ~5 r~le~Ably to retain the lid 12 on the low~r casing lL wh.~;lr,~ a:llowin~
relative rotation b~tween these two p~rts.
Depending from the lid 12 in the interior of the housing 10 is a crusher member 14 in the form of a generally conical drum. The outer surface of this member confronts a generally conical anvil 15 which is fixed to the lower casing 11 and which extends around the outer periphery of the member 14. Although not visible in the drawings, the anvil 15 has one or more lateral projections at its upper end which engage in complementary recesses in the upper edge of the casing 11, thereby holding the anvil 15 against rotation relative to-.the casin~ 11.- At its lower end, the anvil 15 is provided with:an outlet 16 and a bearing 17 in W090/09241 2 p g 6 6 4 4 PCT/GB90/OOtO9 whicll rotatably locates a spindle 18 on the lower end of the crusher member 14. The member 14 is thus able to rotate relative to the anvil 15 about a generally vertical axis.
At one point in its periphery, the crusher member 14 has a cut-away portion which defines a recess 19 between the member 14 and the anvil 15. Aligned with the recess 19 is an opening 19 in the lid 12, through which a pill or the like is inserted for crushing. The opening 19 is thus provided in a face of the device which lies perpendicular to the rotation axis Oe the member 14. Initially, the piLl will lodge in the recess 19, but is crushed when ~h~ lic1 12 ~and thus the memb~r 1~) is rotAt~d relative to tile anvil 15. To facilitate the crushing process, the confronting surfaces of the member 14 and the anvil 15 are provided with projections, which in the illustrated embodiment are formed by a series of axial ridges or serrations 20.
Powder formed when the pill is thus crushed falls through the outlet 16 into the lower part of the casing 11, which acts as a receptacle. If desired, the casing ll~can be made of transparent or semi-transparent material so that the user can see how much powder has been produced: the casing may also be provided with graduations corresponding to pill dosages. After usage, the lid 12 is detached ~rom the casing ll and the anvil 15 is removed in order to enable access to be gained to the powder. Alternatively, WO90/09241 ~ 0 4 6 6 ~ ~ PCT/GB90/00209 the ~ottom part of the casing ll can be designed so that it is removable. `~
~, ;;. ~ ..
In an alternative arrangement ~not shown), the crusher melnber 14 is separate from the lid 12 and has a spindle on its upper end which extends through a bearing in the lid 12. A knob or handle is mountecl on the spindle to enable the crusher member 14 to be rotated from outside the housing lO.
Referring now to Figure 3, a second embodirnent of the invention co~prises a pocket-si2ed housing 21 whleh i.5 0 generally cuboid conigllration and in which a erushc!r w~
22 (shown in broken linesJ is rotatclbly mountec1. '~ 2;
housing 21 is composed of an upper component 23 and a lower component 24 which have respective part-circular recesses 25,26 in their confronting side faces. These recesses together define a bearing which receives an axle 27 of the crusher wheel 22. The periphery of the recess 25 extends through an angle greater than 180 , so that the axle 27 is received as a snap-fit therein and is thereby retained in position when the two components 23 and 24 are separated.
The upper component 23 includes a partition 28 which divides the interior into two compartments 29 and 30. The crusher wheel 22 is disposed in the left-hand compartment 29 ~as viewed in ~igure 3J and its outer periphery is wo 901092q, 2 0 4 6 ~ ~ ~ PCT/GB90/00209 disposed in close proximity to facing side walls 31 of the compartment. The walls 31 form anvils and are provided with projections at least in the regions which confront the wheel periphery: similar projections are also provided on the wheel periphery itsel~. At its upper end, the COlnpartment 29 i5 provided wlth an opening 32 ~which lies in a face of the device parallel to the rotation axis o~
the wheel 22) which can be closed by means o~ a lid 33.
The right-hand compartment 30 is used for storing spare pills or the like, and similarly has an opening 34 at its upper end which can be closed by a lid 35. Ihe lids 33 anc~
35 are advantageously integrally hinged to the partit.ion 28 a.s illustrated, although they may alt~rnatlvely eorln l~r~
of a combined cover which ext~ndis across the top o~ the housing 21. Such a cover may be hinged to the housing, ~or example to open in a sideways direction, or can be arranged to be a sliding fit on the housing, or can be formed as an entirely separate component.
The lower housing component 24 forms a receptacle to receive the crushed pills, and is attached to the housing - co~ponent 23 on one side by a projection 36 which locates in a recess 37 in the component 23 and on the other side by a further projection 38 which is a snap-engagement with a ~recess~39 in the component 23. The component 24 is engaged with the component 23 by first angling the component 24 so that the projection 36 can be engaged with the recess 37, ~ U ~
W090/092~ PCr/GB90/00209 . '~jj J ` ~ '' , .
and by then pivoting the component 24 about the projection 36 until the projection 38 comes into engagement with the recess 39. Other forms of connection can however be used, and for example the projection 36 and the recess 37 could be replaced by a hinge. The component 24 can be made of transparent or selni-transparent material, and/or can be provided witl~ a graduated scale to indicate the amount of powdered pills therein.
In order to use the device, a pill or ~ills ~e.g. as removed from the storage compartment ~0) is/are inserted through the openiny 32 into the compartlnent 29 c;o that it/they co(ne to rest acJain~t the wh~el 22~ ~ h~lndl~ ~0 on the wheel is then rotated to eorc@ the pill or pill~
into the gap between the wheel periphery and the confronting wal}s 31, thereby creating a crushing action which is facilitated by the aforementioned projections on these parts. Powder Erom the crushed pill or pills falls into the receptacle 24, which can then be disengaged from the component 23 for extraction and subsequent use of the powder.
~igures 4 and 5 depict a third embodiment of the invention, wherein the housing 21 is similarly composed of two components 41 and 42, but in this case the components engage one another along a line q3 which runs, down the length oE the housing. In the illustrated embodiment, ~u~uu~ ~ :
w090/0924l ; ...: . PCT/GB90/00209 these components are hinged to~ether, but they may ins~ead be formed as separate items which are snapped or otherwise joined together. As in the previous embodiment, confronting side faces of the components 41,42 are provided with respective part-circular recesses 44,45 which together deeine a bearing for the crusher wheel axle 27, and the periphery of the recess 44 extends through an angle greater than 180 so that the axle can be retained as a snap-fit therein.
Otherwise, the embodiment of Figures ~ and S is generally similar to that of Figure 3, and similar parts are therefore accorded the same reference numerc~ls. tlowever, the receptacle Eor receiving the cruished pill~s is now formed by a tray 46 which engages the lower l~art of the housing 21. As illustrated, the tray 46 engages partly around the periphery of the ~ousing 21 and partly in a recess 47 which extends through the bottom of the component 42. However, the recess 47 can be omitted and the tray 46 can be enlarged so that it extends completely around the lower periphery of the housing 21. Also, in ~he illustrated arrangement the tray 46 is a snap-fit with the housing 21. However, other forms of engagement can be employed-instead.
igure.4 shows the device in a condition ready ~or use, while Pigure S shows the device during assembly, with the WO90/092~1 2 0~ 6 ~ 4 ~ PCT~GB90/00209-component 41 hinged relat~ive to the component 42 for ~`
insertion of the cru~her wheel 22.
In a modification of the device (not shown~, the component 41 has a projection extending from its lower end to form a snap-engagement with the component 42, thereby retaining ~he components against separation in use.
In a further embodiment ~not illustrated), the components 41,42 are formed as separate items, the component 41 has elongate slots in its side walls extending from the join line 43, the crusher wheel axle 27 is received Ln theise slot~s, and the component 42 has elongate projectlons which extend from the join line 43 and which locate rei~pectively in the elongate slots to retain the axle 27 in position.
. .
In the embodiments of Figures 3 to S, the components 41,42 are detachable from one another. ~owever, in an alternative arrangement (not shown) the components are permanently secured together at the manufacturing stage, so that the.crusher wheel 22 is fixed in position and cannot be moved.
';`
In Figure 6 there is shown a crusher wheel 22 of the ty~e which can be employed in the embodiments of Figures 3 to 5.
The wheel includes a flange 4a at one end of the axle 27 which locates externally of the housing 21 and which serves ~ ~i . .
: . ~
' WO90/09~41 ~ ~ ~ 6 ~!4 ~ PCT/G~90/00209 to restrain movement of the wheel in an axial direction.
Also, the projections on the wheel periphery can be seen at 49: these are shown as having a herring-bone formation, but other forms of projection can equally well be used, such as projections in criss-cross formation, diamonds, axial ridges, bumps, serrations or knurling.
In ~he embodiment of ~igures 3 to S, the wheel 22 is preferably a close axial fit within the housing 21 to prevent pill particles from falling down the sides of the wall. However, the device can be arranged instead 50 that projections are provided on the axial side w~lls o~ e wheel and/or on the confronting suraces of the housing, so that an~ particles are readil~ crushed which ~a ~ll down the sides of the wheel.
In a further embodiment (not illustratedJ, the pill storage compartment 30 is omitted altogether, so that the crusher wheel spans substantially the whole of the breadth of the housing interior. However, it is preferred that the compartment 30 is provided, since then the device can Eor~
a self-contained unit which can be carried througnout the day by the user.
In the embodiments of ~igures 3 to 5, the internal side walls of the housing 21 fall away substantially vertically from the wheel 22, so that passage Oe the crushe(l pill into WO90/0924l 2 0 4 6 ~ 4 4 PCT/GB90/00209 the receptacle is not impeded. However, these walls can instead be arranged to undercut the wheel (e.g. as indicated at broken lines at 50 in Figure 4) so that the crushing action can be continued Eurther around the wheel periphery.
In a further ernbodiment oE the invention (not shown), a brush or other cleaning rnember is provided to clean the crusher wheel as the latter is rotated. This brush is conveniently mounted in the lower part oE the housing, so that particles oE crushed pill cleaned frorn the wheel drop into the receptacle.
It is preEerred that the vzlr.ious components o~ the device are made of plastic~ rnaterials. However, other materials can be used instead, if desired.
.. . : . : ~ .: :: . - .......... . : ~ .
.. . .. ~ . ... .. . .. .. .. .
Title: Device or Crushinq Pills And The Like This lnvention relates to a device for crushing pills and the like.
It is often the case that a person has difficulty in swallowing pills due to their size. The present invention seeks to provide a device which is readily usable to crush the pills into a powder, to make them easier to ingest.
According to the present invention, there i~ provld@d a device ~or cirushing pil.l9 and the l:ike, colnpri.~inq a housing, a rotatable crusher memb@r diie;posed in the housing, an anvil which is disposed in the housing and with which the movable crusher member co-operates to crush said pills or the like, and an opening in the housing through which said pills or the like are fed to the crusher member.
Preferably, the device also includes a .eceptacle which ~-receives particles of the crushed pills, the receptacle forming part of or-being attached to the housing.
' Advantageously, the anvil and/or the crusher member are provided with projections (preferably in the form of ridges or serrations, which may be in herring-bone con~iguration) to facilitate the crushing process. Such projections can , . . . . , .. . .. , , . . . , , . . . .. - . .. :,. , : . : ~ .: , W090/09~41 2 a 4 ~ 6 ~ 4 ~ PCT/CB90/00209,, , .
also be provided on at least one axial side wall of the crusher member and/or a surface on the housing which confronts that side wall.
Desirably, the crusher member is in the general form of a wheel or drum, and the anvil extends along at least ~art of the periphery thereoE.
In one embodiment, the crusher member and the anvil are both generally conical or frusto conical in shape, in which ';
case the opening is preferably provided in a face o~ the device which is generally perpendicular to the rot~ion axis of the crusher melnber. In another qrnbocl.im~nt, the crusher member is [email protected] cy.Lindrical, ln wllleh ea~ th~
opening is preferably provided ,in a face of the housing which lies generally parallel to the rotation axis of the crusher member.
Advantageously,-the receptacle is made of transparent or semi-transparent material, and may also be provided wi.th graduations.
.
The housing can be composed of two components each of which defines part of a bearing for the crusher member, these two .
parts co-operating with'each other to define a full,bearing when the two components are assemble~ together.
Conveniently,,on one,of these,components the bearing WOgO/09241 ~ Q ~ 4 PCT~GB90/00209 undercuts an axle of the crusher member and acts to retain the axle when the two components are separated. The two components are preferably hinged together or are connected by a snap-engagement. In a particular example of the invention, one of these components constitutes the receptacle.
Preferably, the housing also contains a compartment for storing spare pills or the like. The compartment and/or the opening in the housing can be provided with a clcsure member, which is conveniently hinged to the housing.
The invention will now b~ Eurther dc~cribec1, hy w~y oE~
example only, ~ith re~er~nc~ to the accompAnying dr~wincJ.~, in which:
Figure l is a sectional side view of a first embodiment o~
a device according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a section taken along the line II-II in -Figure l;
Figure 3 is a sectional side view of a second embodiment of a device according to the present invention;
~igure 4 is a sectional side view-o~ a third embodiment o~
a device according to the present invention;
wo 9n/0924, ~46~4~ Pcr/GB90/00209 Figure 5 shows the device of Figure 4 during assembly; and Figure 6 shows a crusher member which forms part of the devices of ~igures 3 to 5.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the device shown therein comprises a pocket-sized enclosed housing 10 composed of a lower casing 11 and a lid 12 which closes an open mouth at the upper end of the casing 11. On its outer periphery, the lid 12 is provided with a downwardly-extending configurated projection 13 which ~orms a snap-engagement with a similar projection on the Inouth o~
the lower casing 11. This enc3agement i~ ~;UCIl ~5 r~le~Ably to retain the lid 12 on the low~r casing lL wh.~;lr,~ a:llowin~
relative rotation b~tween these two p~rts.
Depending from the lid 12 in the interior of the housing 10 is a crusher member 14 in the form of a generally conical drum. The outer surface of this member confronts a generally conical anvil 15 which is fixed to the lower casing 11 and which extends around the outer periphery of the member 14. Although not visible in the drawings, the anvil 15 has one or more lateral projections at its upper end which engage in complementary recesses in the upper edge of the casing 11, thereby holding the anvil 15 against rotation relative to-.the casin~ 11.- At its lower end, the anvil 15 is provided with:an outlet 16 and a bearing 17 in W090/09241 2 p g 6 6 4 4 PCT/GB90/OOtO9 whicll rotatably locates a spindle 18 on the lower end of the crusher member 14. The member 14 is thus able to rotate relative to the anvil 15 about a generally vertical axis.
At one point in its periphery, the crusher member 14 has a cut-away portion which defines a recess 19 between the member 14 and the anvil 15. Aligned with the recess 19 is an opening 19 in the lid 12, through which a pill or the like is inserted for crushing. The opening 19 is thus provided in a face of the device which lies perpendicular to the rotation axis Oe the member 14. Initially, the piLl will lodge in the recess 19, but is crushed when ~h~ lic1 12 ~and thus the memb~r 1~) is rotAt~d relative to tile anvil 15. To facilitate the crushing process, the confronting surfaces of the member 14 and the anvil 15 are provided with projections, which in the illustrated embodiment are formed by a series of axial ridges or serrations 20.
Powder formed when the pill is thus crushed falls through the outlet 16 into the lower part of the casing 11, which acts as a receptacle. If desired, the casing ll~can be made of transparent or semi-transparent material so that the user can see how much powder has been produced: the casing may also be provided with graduations corresponding to pill dosages. After usage, the lid 12 is detached ~rom the casing ll and the anvil 15 is removed in order to enable access to be gained to the powder. Alternatively, WO90/09241 ~ 0 4 6 6 ~ ~ PCT/GB90/00209 the ~ottom part of the casing ll can be designed so that it is removable. `~
~, ;;. ~ ..
In an alternative arrangement ~not shown), the crusher melnber 14 is separate from the lid 12 and has a spindle on its upper end which extends through a bearing in the lid 12. A knob or handle is mountecl on the spindle to enable the crusher member 14 to be rotated from outside the housing lO.
Referring now to Figure 3, a second embodirnent of the invention co~prises a pocket-si2ed housing 21 whleh i.5 0 generally cuboid conigllration and in which a erushc!r w~
22 (shown in broken linesJ is rotatclbly mountec1. '~ 2;
housing 21 is composed of an upper component 23 and a lower component 24 which have respective part-circular recesses 25,26 in their confronting side faces. These recesses together define a bearing which receives an axle 27 of the crusher wheel 22. The periphery of the recess 25 extends through an angle greater than 180 , so that the axle 27 is received as a snap-fit therein and is thereby retained in position when the two components 23 and 24 are separated.
The upper component 23 includes a partition 28 which divides the interior into two compartments 29 and 30. The crusher wheel 22 is disposed in the left-hand compartment 29 ~as viewed in ~igure 3J and its outer periphery is wo 901092q, 2 0 4 6 ~ ~ ~ PCT/GB90/00209 disposed in close proximity to facing side walls 31 of the compartment. The walls 31 form anvils and are provided with projections at least in the regions which confront the wheel periphery: similar projections are also provided on the wheel periphery itsel~. At its upper end, the COlnpartment 29 i5 provided wlth an opening 32 ~which lies in a face of the device parallel to the rotation axis o~
the wheel 22) which can be closed by means o~ a lid 33.
The right-hand compartment 30 is used for storing spare pills or the like, and similarly has an opening 34 at its upper end which can be closed by a lid 35. Ihe lids 33 anc~
35 are advantageously integrally hinged to the partit.ion 28 a.s illustrated, although they may alt~rnatlvely eorln l~r~
of a combined cover which ext~ndis across the top o~ the housing 21. Such a cover may be hinged to the housing, ~or example to open in a sideways direction, or can be arranged to be a sliding fit on the housing, or can be formed as an entirely separate component.
The lower housing component 24 forms a receptacle to receive the crushed pills, and is attached to the housing - co~ponent 23 on one side by a projection 36 which locates in a recess 37 in the component 23 and on the other side by a further projection 38 which is a snap-engagement with a ~recess~39 in the component 23. The component 24 is engaged with the component 23 by first angling the component 24 so that the projection 36 can be engaged with the recess 37, ~ U ~
W090/092~ PCr/GB90/00209 . '~jj J ` ~ '' , .
and by then pivoting the component 24 about the projection 36 until the projection 38 comes into engagement with the recess 39. Other forms of connection can however be used, and for example the projection 36 and the recess 37 could be replaced by a hinge. The component 24 can be made of transparent or selni-transparent material, and/or can be provided witl~ a graduated scale to indicate the amount of powdered pills therein.
In order to use the device, a pill or ~ills ~e.g. as removed from the storage compartment ~0) is/are inserted through the openiny 32 into the compartlnent 29 c;o that it/they co(ne to rest acJain~t the wh~el 22~ ~ h~lndl~ ~0 on the wheel is then rotated to eorc@ the pill or pill~
into the gap between the wheel periphery and the confronting wal}s 31, thereby creating a crushing action which is facilitated by the aforementioned projections on these parts. Powder Erom the crushed pill or pills falls into the receptacle 24, which can then be disengaged from the component 23 for extraction and subsequent use of the powder.
~igures 4 and 5 depict a third embodiment of the invention, wherein the housing 21 is similarly composed of two components 41 and 42, but in this case the components engage one another along a line q3 which runs, down the length oE the housing. In the illustrated embodiment, ~u~uu~ ~ :
w090/0924l ; ...: . PCT/GB90/00209 these components are hinged to~ether, but they may ins~ead be formed as separate items which are snapped or otherwise joined together. As in the previous embodiment, confronting side faces of the components 41,42 are provided with respective part-circular recesses 44,45 which together deeine a bearing for the crusher wheel axle 27, and the periphery of the recess 44 extends through an angle greater than 180 so that the axle can be retained as a snap-fit therein.
Otherwise, the embodiment of Figures ~ and S is generally similar to that of Figure 3, and similar parts are therefore accorded the same reference numerc~ls. tlowever, the receptacle Eor receiving the cruished pill~s is now formed by a tray 46 which engages the lower l~art of the housing 21. As illustrated, the tray 46 engages partly around the periphery of the ~ousing 21 and partly in a recess 47 which extends through the bottom of the component 42. However, the recess 47 can be omitted and the tray 46 can be enlarged so that it extends completely around the lower periphery of the housing 21. Also, in ~he illustrated arrangement the tray 46 is a snap-fit with the housing 21. However, other forms of engagement can be employed-instead.
igure.4 shows the device in a condition ready ~or use, while Pigure S shows the device during assembly, with the WO90/092~1 2 0~ 6 ~ 4 ~ PCT~GB90/00209-component 41 hinged relat~ive to the component 42 for ~`
insertion of the cru~her wheel 22.
In a modification of the device (not shown~, the component 41 has a projection extending from its lower end to form a snap-engagement with the component 42, thereby retaining ~he components against separation in use.
In a further embodiment ~not illustrated), the components 41,42 are formed as separate items, the component 41 has elongate slots in its side walls extending from the join line 43, the crusher wheel axle 27 is received Ln theise slot~s, and the component 42 has elongate projectlons which extend from the join line 43 and which locate rei~pectively in the elongate slots to retain the axle 27 in position.
. .
In the embodiments of Figures 3 to S, the components 41,42 are detachable from one another. ~owever, in an alternative arrangement (not shown) the components are permanently secured together at the manufacturing stage, so that the.crusher wheel 22 is fixed in position and cannot be moved.
';`
In Figure 6 there is shown a crusher wheel 22 of the ty~e which can be employed in the embodiments of Figures 3 to 5.
The wheel includes a flange 4a at one end of the axle 27 which locates externally of the housing 21 and which serves ~ ~i . .
: . ~
' WO90/09~41 ~ ~ ~ 6 ~!4 ~ PCT/G~90/00209 to restrain movement of the wheel in an axial direction.
Also, the projections on the wheel periphery can be seen at 49: these are shown as having a herring-bone formation, but other forms of projection can equally well be used, such as projections in criss-cross formation, diamonds, axial ridges, bumps, serrations or knurling.
In ~he embodiment of ~igures 3 to S, the wheel 22 is preferably a close axial fit within the housing 21 to prevent pill particles from falling down the sides of the wall. However, the device can be arranged instead 50 that projections are provided on the axial side w~lls o~ e wheel and/or on the confronting suraces of the housing, so that an~ particles are readil~ crushed which ~a ~ll down the sides of the wheel.
In a further embodiment (not illustratedJ, the pill storage compartment 30 is omitted altogether, so that the crusher wheel spans substantially the whole of the breadth of the housing interior. However, it is preferred that the compartment 30 is provided, since then the device can Eor~
a self-contained unit which can be carried througnout the day by the user.
In the embodiments of ~igures 3 to 5, the internal side walls of the housing 21 fall away substantially vertically from the wheel 22, so that passage Oe the crushe(l pill into WO90/0924l 2 0 4 6 ~ 4 4 PCT/GB90/00209 the receptacle is not impeded. However, these walls can instead be arranged to undercut the wheel (e.g. as indicated at broken lines at 50 in Figure 4) so that the crushing action can be continued Eurther around the wheel periphery.
In a further ernbodiment oE the invention (not shown), a brush or other cleaning rnember is provided to clean the crusher wheel as the latter is rotated. This brush is conveniently mounted in the lower part oE the housing, so that particles oE crushed pill cleaned frorn the wheel drop into the receptacle.
It is preEerred that the vzlr.ious components o~ the device are made of plastic~ rnaterials. However, other materials can be used instead, if desired.
.. . : . : ~ .: :: . - .......... . : ~ .
.. . .. ~ . ... .. . .. .. .. .
Claims (16)
1) A device for crushing pills or the like, comprising a housing, a rotatable crusher member disposed in the housing, an anvil which is disposed in the housing and with which the movable crusher member co-operates to crush said pills or the like, and an opening in the housing through which said pills or the like are fed to the crusher member.
2) A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a receptacle which receives particles of the crushed pills, the receptacle forming part of or being attached to the housing.
3) A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the receptacle is made of transparent or semi-transparent material.
4) A device as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the receptacle is provided with graduations.
5) A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the anvil and/or the crusher member are provided with projections to facilitate the crushing process.
6) A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the crusher member is in the general form of a wheel or drum, and the anvil extends along at least a part of the periphery thereof.
7) A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the crusher member is generally cylindrical, and the opening is provided in a face of the housing which lies generally parallel to the rotation axis of the crusher member.
8) A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the housing is composed of two components each of which defines part of a bearing for the crusher member, these two parts co-operating with each other to define a full bearing when the two components are assembled together.
9) A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the bearing undercuts an axle of the crusher member on one of the components and acts to retain the axle when the two components are separated.
10) A device as claimed in claim 8 or 9 when appended to claim 2, wherein one of the components constitutes the receptacle.
11) A device as claimed in claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the two components are hinged together.
12) A device as claimed in claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the two components are connected by a snap-engagement.
13) A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the housing also contains a compartment for storing spare pills or the like.
14) A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the opening is provided with a closure member.
15) A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the housing is of generally cuboid configuration.
16) A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the housing is pocket-sized.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB898902946A GB8902946D0 (en) | 1989-02-09 | 1989-02-09 | Device for crushing pills and the like |
| GB8902946.6 | 1989-02-09 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2046644A1 true CA2046644A1 (en) | 1990-08-10 |
Family
ID=10651418
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2046644 Abandoned CA2046644A1 (en) | 1989-02-09 | 1990-02-09 | Device for crushing pills and the like |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0457838A1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH04503186A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU5150290A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2046644A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB8902946D0 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1990009241A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2002015838A1 (en) * | 2000-08-23 | 2002-02-28 | Keechun Kim | Apparatus for distributing powder |
| KR101737728B1 (en) * | 2016-01-25 | 2017-05-18 | 박의식 | Syrup medicine preparation assembly-type tablet pulverizer for children |
| CN112473803A (en) * | 2020-11-13 | 2021-03-12 | 湖南连心科技有限公司 | A homogeneity breaker for powder coating production |
| CN113117812B (en) * | 2021-04-14 | 2022-05-17 | 偶极医药科技(徐州)有限公司 | Medicine grinder |
Family Cites Families (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4366930A (en) * | 1981-04-27 | 1983-01-04 | Trombetti Jr Albert V | Tablet pulverizer |
| DE3209691A1 (en) * | 1982-03-17 | 1983-09-29 | Rudolf 6074 Rödermark Dörner | Cylindrical tablet crusher |
-
1989
- 1989-02-09 GB GB898902946A patent/GB8902946D0/en active Pending
-
1990
- 1990-02-09 EP EP19900903606 patent/EP0457838A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1990-02-09 CA CA 2046644 patent/CA2046644A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1990-02-09 AU AU51502/90A patent/AU5150290A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1990-02-09 JP JP50361790A patent/JPH04503186A/en active Pending
- 1990-02-09 WO PCT/GB1990/000209 patent/WO1990009241A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO1990009241A1 (en) | 1990-08-23 |
| AU5150290A (en) | 1990-09-05 |
| EP0457838A1 (en) | 1991-11-27 |
| GB8902946D0 (en) | 1989-03-30 |
| JPH04503186A (en) | 1992-06-11 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |