Medicine container cap with time indicator

• US 5,279,422 A
• Filed: 08/25/1992
• Issued: 01/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adams, James E.
• Original Assignee: Adams, James E.
• Inventors: Adams, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US07/934,956
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 206/53 A, 206/459.1, 206/459.5, 215/230, 116/308
• US Class Current: 206/534
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers

Abstract

A device suitable as a closure cap for a medicine container is provided. The device has indicia circumferentially marked on the upper surface of the device representing the time for next taking the medicine in the container. An arm rotatably and pivotably mounted in the center of the device is set to point at the time for next taking the medicine. The arm is releaseably retained in position by cooperating pegs and indentations on the upper surface of the device and the underside of the rotatable arm.

Claims

1. A cap for medicine container containing medicine indicating the time at which the next dosage of the medicine is to be taken, said cap comprising:

a body having releasable fastener means for securing the cap to said container, an upper cap surface, a cap underside and a cap center;

indicia substantially circumferentially located on said upper cap surface representing time increments;

an aperture formed in said cap center;

a shaft protruding through said body and having a first shaft end positioned above said upper cap surface and a second shaft end positioned beneath said cap underside;

an elongated arm rotatably and pivotably mounted on said shaft above said upper cap surface to point at the indicia representing the time at which the next dosage of the medicine is to be taken;

a resilient o-ring mounted between said arm and said upper cap surface and encircling said shaft to maintain said arm in a spaced position above and substantially parallel with said upper cap surface and to allow said arm to pivot perpendicularly relative to said upper cap surface; and

cooperating peg means and indentation means on said arm and said upper cap surface adapted to be releasably engaged to releasably retain said arm in selected orientations relative to said upper cap surface so as to cooperate with said indicia to indicate the time at which the next dosage of medicine is to be taken.

2. A cap as defined in claim 1 wherein said indicia are inscribed on said upper cap surface.

3. A cap as defined in claim 1 wherein said indicia are embossed on said upper cap surface.

4. A cap as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a first shaft boss formed at said first shaft end to retain said arm on said shaft; and

a second shaft boss formed at said second shaft end to retain said shaft in said cap.

5. A cap as defined in claim 4 further comprising:

a concavity formed in said cap underside, said concavity being sized to receive said second boss.

6. A cap for a medicine container containing medicine indicating the time at which the next dosage of the medicine is to be taken, said cap comprising:

a body having releasable fastener means for securing the cap to said container, an upper cap surface, a cap underside and a cap center;

indicia substantially circumferentially located on said upper cap surface representing time increments;

an elongated arm rotatably and pivotably mounted on said cap to point at the indicia representing the time at which the next dosage of the medicine is to be taken;

an aperture formed in said cap center, said aperture having an aperture diameter;

a shaft inserted through said aperture, said shaft having a first shaft end positioned above said arm, a second shaft end positioned beneath said cap underside to support said arm in a substantially parallel relationship to said cap upper side, said shaft further having a shaft diameter smaller than aid aperture diameter to allow said arm to pivot perpendicularly relative to said upper cap surface;

a plurality of circumferentially spaced indentations in said cap upper surface, each of said indentations being associated with a time increment, and

a peg depending from said arm having a lower end which is releasably seatable in said indentations to releasably retain said arm in selected orientation relative to said upper cap surface so as to cooperative with said indicia to indicate the time at which the next dosage of medicine is to be taken.

7. A cap as defined in claim 6 wherein said indicia are inscribed on said upper cap surface.

8. A cap as defined in claim 6 wherein said indicia are embossed on said upper cap surface.

9. A cap as defined in claim 6 wherein there are from 12 to 28 said indentations.

10. A cap as defined in claim 6 further comprising:

a first shaft boss formed on said first shaft end to retain said arm on said shaft; and

a second shaft boss formed on said second shaft end to retain said shaft in said cap.

11. A cap as defined in claim 10 further comprising:

a concavity formed in said cap underside sized to receive said second shaft boss.

12. A cap as defined in claim 11 further comprising:

a resilient o-ring mounted between said arm and said upper cap surface and encircling said shaft to further maintain said arm in a spaced apart position above and substantially parallel with said upper cap surface and to further allow said arm to pivot perpendicularly relative to said upper cap surface.

13. A cap for a medicine container containing medicine indicating the time at which the next dosage of the medicine indicating the time at which the next dosage of the medicine is to be taken, said cap comprising:

a body having releasable fastener means for securing the cap to said container, an upper cap surface, a cap underside and a cap center;

indicia substantially circumferentially located on said upper cap surface representing time increments;

an elongated arm rotatably and pivotably mounted on said cap to point at the indicia representing the time at which the next dosage of the medicine is to be taken, said arm having an arm underside and a first means formed on said underside to engage said upper cap surface;

an aperture formed in said cap center, said aperture having an aperture diameter;

a shaft inserted through said aperture, said shaft having a first shaft end positioned above said arm and a second shaft end positioned beneath said cap underside to support said arm in a substantially parallel relationship to said cap upper side, said shaft further having a shaft diameter smaller than said aperture diameter to allow said arm to pivot perpendicularly relative to said upper cap surface;

a second means circumferentially formed on said upper cap surface, said second means adapted to be releasably engaged by said first means to releasably retain said arm in selected orientations relative to said upper cap surface so as to cooperate with said indicia to indicate the time at which the next dosage of medicine is to be taken.

14. A cap as defined in claim 13 wherein said indicia are inscribed on said upper cap surface.

15. A cap as defined in claim 13 wherein said indicia are embossed on said upper cap surface.

16. A cap as defined in claim 13 wherein there are from 12 to 48 of said pegs.

17. A cap as defined in claim 13 further comprising:

a first shaft boss formed on said first shaft end to retain said arm on said shaft; and

a second shaft boss formed on said second shaft end to retain said shaft on said cap.

18. A cap as defined in claim 17 further comprising:

a concavity formed in said cap underside, said concavity being sized to receive said second shaft boss.

19. A cap as defined in claim 18 further comprising:

a resilient o-ring mounted between said arm and said upper cap surface and encircling said shaft to further maintain said arm in a spaced position above and substantially parallel with said upper cap surface and to further allow said shaft to pivot perpendicularly relative to said upper cap surface.