Homeopathic products generally take the form of spherical pills or granules with a diameter in the order of 4 to 5 mm. The granules are contained in a cylindrical tube so that the user can take a number of granules in order to comply with a homeopathic treatment. This is a difficult operation insofar as the user commonly takes too many granules and then has to put some granules back in the tube after they have come into contact with his fingers and may have been contaminated.

It is for this reason that granule dispensers are ound on the market as a replacement for the conventional tubes, such dispensers being intended to dispense the granules individually up to the required number. It should be noted that, insofar as the active principles are located on the surface of the granules, the majority of these dispensers have a receptacle in order to prevent contact with the fingers and avoid detracting from the efficacy of the product. Most of the known dispensers have very complex granule collecting mechanisms with a frustoconical chute which allows a single granule to be collected, but whose operation is subject to disturbances due to several granules becoming wedged together.

In general, a granule dispenser of the type mentioned above, an example of which is described in document EP- 0.290.972, has a movable element sliding in a case and having a pusher at the top and a spring exerting an upward

force so that the movable element is held in the raised position in the absence of any intervention. The movable element is lowered when the user exerts a force on the pusher in opposition to the action of the spring, the case being closed at the bottom by a receptacle in which a granule is collected when the movable element is in the lowered position.

To prevent several granules from becoming wedged together, it was proposed to use a chute with a helical ramp, as described in document FR 2.643.881. However, in said document, it is necessary to slide a ring over the sleeve of the case in order to be able to collect the granule in the bottom receptacle, which has first been removed to be held in the other hand. Insofar as both hands are needed to slide the ring over the sleeve, it is then very difficult, if not impossible, for the user to hold the receptacle, with his other hand, in the position for collecting the granule.

A simpler device with a helical ramp, overcoming the disadvantages of the device described above, formed the subject of French patent application 97.02243. However, this device has a movable element with a recess for receiving the granule, so again it was liable to cause the granules to become wedged.

It is for this reason that one object of the invention is to provide a device for dispensing spherical items, such as homeopathic granules, which is simple, inexpensive and perfectly reliable.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which has a minimum number of parts mouldable in plastic and which does not need an assembly list.

The subject of the invention is therefore a device for dispensing spherical or similarly shaped items, such as homeopathic granules, comprising a case for containing the spherical items to be dispensed, inside which there are a dispensing chute and a movable element with a pusher at the

top and a spring exerting an upward force so that the movable element is held in the raised position in the absence of any intervention, the movable element being lowered when a force is exerted on the pusher in opposition to the upward force exerted by the spring, the case being closed at the bottom by a receptacle in which a spherical item is collected each time the movable element is lowered.

The chute has a central recess, whose diameter is slightly greater than the diameter of the spherical items, for bringing the case into communication with the receptacle, and a helical or quasi-helical ramp carrying several spherical items and terminating at the central recess so that the spherical item situated at the end of the ramp is introduced into the central recess, the latter having a flexible abutment retaining the end spherical item when the movable element is in the raised position, and the movable element forcing the spherical item past the abutment, through deflection of the latter, so that it is collected in the receptacle when the movable element is lowered by the user.

The objects, subjects and characteristics of the invention will be understood more clearly from the following description referring to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional view of the granule dispenser according to the invention, Figure 2 is a cross-section of the dispenser of the invention in its preferred embodiment, Figure 3 is a front view of the chute incorporated in the granule dispenser illustrated in Figure 1, and Figure 4 schematically shows the spring used in the granule dispenser when it is made of plastic and moulded with the movable element of the dispenser.

The dispenser according to the invention illustrated in Figure 1 is composed essentially of a case 10 closed at the bottom by a detachable receptacle 12 for receiving the spherical items such as homeopathic granules.

Inside the case 10 there is a movable element 14 with a central stem 16 and a pusher 18 for ejecting a granule when the user exerts a downward force in opposition to the action of a spring 20, which is integral with the movable element 14 and located at the bottom thereof.

The receptacle 12 preferably pushes onto the case 10 and can easily be detached from the case after it has collected the prescribed number of granules.

Inside the case and integral with the latter, there is a chute 22 with a central recess 24, whose diameter is slightly greater than the diameter of a granule. As shown in Figure 1, a first granule 26, and one only, is introduced into the central recess 24 and is retained by a flexible abutment 28. When the user exerts a downward force on the pusher 18, the central stem 16 exerts a thrust on the granule situated in the recess 24, causing the abutment 28 to deflect and thereby allowing the granule to fall into the receptacle 12. When the user releases the pressure on the pusher 18, the central stem 16 rises and enables a second granule 30 to enter the central recess, where it remains blocked above the flexible abutment 28.

It should be noted that, until the granule dispenser illustrated in Figure 1 is used for the first time, it has a tamperproof ring 32 preventing the pusher 18 from being pushed down. To be able to use the dispenser, the user simply has to tear off the ring 32.

When the user exerts a pressure on the pusher 18, after the tamperproof ring has been removed, the movable element 14 moves down until a shoulder 34 on the movable element 14 is stopped by an abutment 36 integral with the case 10. When the user subsequently releases the pressure on the pusher, the spring 20 pushes the movable element up again until a shoulder 38 is stopped by the abutment 36.

The shoulders 34 and 38 are the ends of a waist which is cut into the outer wall of the movable element and whose length, determining the distance between the 2 shoulders,

represents the displacement of the movable element inside the case, which displacement has to be chosen so as to enable the central stem to push the granule past the abutment 28 and into the receptacle 12.

Finally, the tightness of the dispenser is assured by a sealing ring 40 integral with the case 10, which remains in permanent contact with the outer wall of the movable element 14.

The case 10 shown in longitudinal section in Figure 1 is preferably cylindrical in shape and has axial symmetry.

In the preferred embodiment, the case 10 has a square section with rounded corners, shown in Figure 2, but it could have a circular or pentagonal (especially hexagonal) section.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the chute 22, shown in a front view, has an opening 42 through which the granules, such as the granules 26 and 30, enter the chute in order to reach the central recess 24, the first granule 26 being retained by the flexible abutment 28.

The upper edge of the chute 22 is in the form of a helical or quasi-helical ramp from the highest portion 44 to the lowest point 46 via the intermediate portion 48. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the ramp is inclined outwards over its major part comprising the high portion 44 and the intermediate portion 48. The inclination then reverses between the intermediate portion 48 and the lowest point 46. This outward inclination prevents the granules from being attracted by gravity towards the axis of the chute and becoming wedged due to a possible vaulting effect, except for the two or three granules at the bottom of the ramp, which are directed towards the entry point 46 before entering the central recess by virtue of the inwardly inclined slope of the ramp.

It should be noted that the flexible abutment 28, located opposite the lowest point 46 in the central recess, makes it possible to keep the granule 26 in contact with

the opposite edge of the recess, as shown in Figure 3, and to keep the second granule behind, thereby avoiding the wedging which could occur when the central stem 16 is depressed by the pusher in order to discharge the granule 26.

The spring 20 is a spiral spring which can be made of metal, but can also be made of plastic. In the latter case, it is advantageous to mould a single piece comprising the cylindrical outer wall of the movable element 14 and the spring 20, which then takes the form of several helical turns, as illustrated in Figure 4.

In the example illustrated, the spring part comprises 4 turns, 50,52,54 and 56, fixed on the one hand to the base of the outer wall of the movable element and on the other hand to a ring 58-which is square with rounded corners in the preferred embodiment-located at the bottom of the case 10.

It will be noted that, whether made of metal or plastic, the turns of the spring 20 are in contact with the granules, making it possible to agitate the granules each time the spring is compressed or relaxed, and thereby producing an anti-vaulting effect and preventing the possibility of wedging.

As has now been seen, the dispenser according to the invention is extremely simple and minimizes all the disadvantages (such as wedging of the granules) inherent in the dispensers of the prior art. Moreover, by using a spring in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the dispenser is reduced to a set of 3 plastic parts which can easily be moulded by the well-known moulding techniques.

Finally, the axial symmetry of the dispenser, combined with its specific mode of operation, obviates the need for an assembly list and hence simplifies assembly.