Container incorporating an alarm

• US 4,611,924 A
• Filed: 06/07/1984
• Issued: 09/16/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Howard R. Stasin
• Original Assignee: Howard R. Stasin
• Inventors: Stasin, Howard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US06/618,202
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/89, 368/107-113, 368/276-278, 221/2, 221/15, 221/3, 222/638, 222/644
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis

Abstract

A container particularly for medicaments is disclosed. The container includes an alarm which is actuated at a predetermined time each day if the container is not opened during a predetermined time interval prior to said predetermined time. The time interval can be twenty four hours. If the container is opened during said time interval, the alarm is disabled and only actuated at the end of the succeeding time interval. If the alarm is actuated because the container has not been opened during the preceding time interval, opening of the container disables the alarm.

Claims

1. A container comprising a first part and a second part, the parts being movable with respect to one another between a position in which the container is closed and a position in which the container is open, switch means which are actuated by relative movement between the container parts when the container is opened, and an alarm for warning that the container has not been opened during a predetermined interval of time, said alarm being connected to said switch means in such manner that the state of the alarm is altered when the container is opened during said predetermined interval of time so that said alarm is not actuated at the end of said predetermined interval of time.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the alarm is such that while it is not actuated at the end of said predetermined interval once said switch means has been actuated during said predetermined interval, it is actuated at the end of the following predetermined interval if the switch means is not actuated again during said following interval.

3. A container comprising a first part and a second part, the parts being movable with respect to one another between a position in which the container is closed and a position in which the container is open, switch means which are actuated by relative movement between the container parts when the container is opened, an alarm for warning that the container has not been opened during a predetermined interval of time, electronic timing means, manually operable control means for the timing means, the control and timing means being settable so that the alarm is activated at the end of said predetermined interval, and electronic re-setting means for de-activating the alarm so that it is not actuated at the end of said predetermined interval of time if the container is opened during said interval but is only activated at the end of the succeeding time interval.