Nutritional supplements dispenser and methods
An indexable dispenser is provided for use with a supplements cartridge having a plurality of serving chambers each sealed by a membrane to store a volume of supplement. The dispenser has a housing, a lance, an electrical power source, and a wireless transmitting and receiving device.
1. An indexable dispenser for use with a supplements cartridge having a plurality of serving chambers each storing a volume of supplement therein, the dispenser comprising:
a housing to receive and at least partially surround an outer perimeter of the supplements cartridge, wherein the housing supports the cartridge for rotation therein about a central axis of the cartridge;
an extraction mechanism supported by the housing and having a member movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the member is spaced apart from the cartridge in the first position, and wherein the member is configured to engage the supplements cartridge and open a select one of the plurality of serving chambers in the supplements cartridge in the second position to dispense supplement therefrom;
an electrical power source; and
a wireless transmitting and receiving device, the device configured to transmit and/or receive a wireless signal indicative of dispensing of supplements and/or a time of dispensing.
2. An indexable dispenser for use with a supplements cartridge having a plurality of serving chambers each storing a volume of supplement therein, the dispenser comprising:
a housing to receive and at least partially surround an outer perimeter of the supplements cartridge,
an extraction mechanism supported by the housing and having a member movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the member is spaced apart from the cartridge in the first position, and wherein the member is configured to engage the supplements cartridge and open a select one of the plurality of serving chambers in the supplements cartridge in the second position to dispense supplement therefrom;
an electrical power source; and
a wireless transmitting and receiving device, the device configured to transmit and/or receive a wireless signal indicative of dispensing of supplements and/or a time of dispensing;
wherein the member of the extraction mechanism is a lance, wherein the lance is configured to breach a membrane of the cartridge in the second position, wherein each serving chamber in the cartridge is sealed by the membrane.
3. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the dispenser further comprises an electric motor to rotate and index the cartridge in the housing relative to the extraction mechanism.
4. The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a hub supported for rotation by the housing and for engagement with the cartridge, wherein a user manually rotates the hub to index the cartridge.
5. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the housing defines a window positioned such that an orientation of the cartridge relative to the extraction mechanism is visible to a user.
6. The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a vessel having a base defining an open mouth, the vessel configured to selectively connect to the housing to receive dispensed supplement from the cartridge via the open mouth.
7. The dispenser of claim 6 wherein the vessel further comprises a cap connected to the base moveable from a first position to cover the open mouth and seal the vessel and a second position to uncover the open mouth of the vessel to dispense supplements therefrom.
8. The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a travel case sized to receive the housing and the cartridge.
9. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the electrical power source is a battery; and
wherein the housing defines a compartment sized to receive the battery.
10. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is configured to transmit and/or receive a wireless signal.
11. The dispenser of claim 10 wireless transmitting and receiving device is configured to communicate with a Bluetooth enabled device, a mobile device, a router, a computer, a cellular network, and/or the internet.
12. The dispenser of claim 10 wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is configured to transmit and/or receive the wireless signal via a Bluetooth protocol.
13. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is in communication with a mobile device to send push notifications to the mobile device.
14. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the supplement comprises at least one of a vitamin, a mineral, a fiber, a fatty acid, a protein, an amino acid, an herbal medicine, a bodybuilding supplement, a pharmaceutical, a therapeutic, a medicine, a drug, and a treatment.
15. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is further configured to transmit and/or receive a wireless signal indicative of a user notification; and
wherein the dispenser further comprises a user interface supported by the housing, wherein the user interface is configured to visually and/or audibly output the user notification.
16. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is further configured to transmit and/or receive a wireless signal containing data indicative of a user notification for a reminder for a user to take a supplement at a specified time; and
wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is further configured to wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is further configured to transmit and/or receive the wireless signal indicative of dispensing of supplements and/or a time of dispensing to a remote server in communication with the dispenser to calculate actual usage of the supplements cartridge and order another supplements cartridge based on the actual usage.
17. A method comprising:
wirelessly transmitting a first signal indicative of dispensing of supplements and/or a time of dispensing from a dispensing device in response to a nutritional supplement being dispensed from a supplements cartridge having a plurality of serving chambers with a volume of nutritional supplement disposed therein;
wirelessly receiving a second signal indicative of a user notification for a reminder for a user to take a supplement at a specified time;
outputting the user notification in response to receiving the second signal via a user interface via a visual notification and/or an audible notification; and
calculating actual usage of the supplements cartridge based on the data indicative of the dispensing of supplements and/or the time of dispensing for ordering another supplements cartridge based on the actual usage.
18. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the member of the extraction mechanism is a lance, wherein the lance is configured to breach a membrane of the cartridge in the second position, wherein each serving chamber in the cartridge is sealed by the membrane.
19. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is further configured to transmit and/or receive a wireless signal indicative of a user notification; and
wherein the dispenser further comprises a user interface supported by the housing, wherein the user interface is configured to visually and/or audibly output the user notification.
20. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is further configured to transmit and/or receive a wireless signal containing data indicative of a user notification for a reminder for a user to take a supplement at a specified time; and
wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is further configured to wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving device is further configured to transmit and/or receive the wireless signal indicative of dispensing of supplements and/or a time of dispensing to a remote server in communication with the dispenser to calculate actual usage of the supplements cartridge and order another supplements cartridge based on the actual usage.