Medicine cabinet

• US 4,663,621 A
• Filed: 04/02/1984
• Issued: 05/05/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David J. Field, James F.X. Stafford
• Original Assignee: David J. Field, James F.X. Stafford
• Inventors: Field, David J., Stafford, James F. X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Ralph E.
• Application Number:
  US06/595,882
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/825.56, 340/541, 340/543, 340/545, 340/628, 340/365 R, 340/331, 340/309.4, 368/246, 312/209, 128/666, 128/667, 128/706, 200/61.62, 200/61.64, 221/2, 221/154
• US Class Current: 340/5.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7068 Actuated after correct combination recognized [e.g., numerical, alphabetical, or magnet[s] pattern]

Abstract

A medicien cabinet has a housing and a door. The door is provided with an electrically operated lock which is operable by using the push keys. The opening code for the lock is initially set by inserting four keys into four holes in a four by ten array of holes provided in the casing on the inside of the door. The circuits for the code pre-setting and code inputting circuits are provided on a membrane.

The cabinet is provided with a light emitting diode (LED) and a buzzer which can be operated by timing means at set intervals. The LED and the buzzer also operate while the door is open.

Additional facilities may also be provided on the cabinet.

Claims

1. A medicine cabinet comprising:

a housing having an internal cavity for storing medicine accessible through an opening in said housing;

access means for gaining access to the interior of said housing, the access means including a door sized to cover said opening when placed in a closed position and lock means for releasably securing said door in said closed position;

said lock means including means for inputting a code and means responsive to entry of predetermined combination code for releasing said lock means;

reminder signal means for issuing an audible reminder signal at periodic intervals set by a user;

access alarm means for issuing an audible access alarm in response to an operation of said access means, the access alarm means including means responsive to operation of said inputting means for issuing said access alarm; and

means for inhibiting said access alarm means after issuance of said reminder signal.

2. A medicine cabinet according to claim 1 and further including

an externally accessible compartment on one of said housing and door for receiving a battery;

wherein the lock means includes

an electrically operable latch for releasing said door in response to an electrical door release signal and for securing said door in said closed position when no electrical signal is applied; and

means, adapted to be powered by said battery, for issuing said door release signal to said latch in response to predetermined user input.

3. A medicine cabinet according to claim 2, wherein said lock means includes a keyboard having a plurality of user operable keys, said predetermined user input comprises entry of a predetermined combination code on said keyboard, and said issuing means includes delay means responsive to key entry of a code other than said combination code for inhibiting said door release signal for a predetermined time period.

4. A medicine cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising:

switch means for sensing when said door is in said closed position, and

means responsive to said switch means for setting said lock means when said door is moved to said closed positon and for issuing an audible door open alarm when said door is opened.

5. A medicine cabinet according to claim 4 further comprising:

a temperature sensitive transducer responsive to the body temperature of a human subject for emitting an electrical signal corresponding to the subject'"'"'s body temperature;

a light sensitive transducer responsive to the light intensity of the blood of a human subject for emitting an electrical signal corresponding to the subject'"'"'s pulse rate;

a smoke sensitive transducer responsive to smoke for emitting an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of smoke in the environment of said medicine cabinet; and

a control device mounted to one of said housing and door and electrically coupled to said temperature transducer, light transducer and smoke transducer, including;

means responsive to said temperature electrical signal for displaying the body temperature of said subject;

means responsive to said pulse electrical signal for displaying the pulse rate of said subject; and

means responsive to said smoke electrical signal for issuing an audible smoke alarm.

6. A medicine cabinet according to claim 1, wherein

said housing and door are cooperatively constructed of a user deformable material to permit said door to be forced open without releasing said lock means, in the event of an emergency.

7. A medicine cabinet comprising:

a housing having an opening for gaining access to medicine therein;

a door associated with said housing and sized to cover said opening when placed in a closed position;

lock means for releasably securing said door in said closed position, including;

means for setting a predetermined combination code;

means for inputting a code;

means for comparing a code entered on said inputting means with said predetermined code;

means responsive to said comparing means for releasing said door when said entered code is equivalent to said predetermined code;

said lock means including a single membrane mounted so as to provide two opposed portions respectively facing the exterior and interior of said cabinet, said exterior facing portion comprising said code inputting means and said interior facing portion comprising said code setting means;

each said membrane portion including two opposed layers of said single membrane with a conductive circuit on each layer, a spacing element having a plurality of holes positoined between said two layers, and means for applying pressure to discrete regions of said membrane, so as to form electrical connections between said layers of said membrane through the holes of said spacing element.