Time medication container

• US 6,317,390 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2000
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew Cardoza
• Original Assignee: Andrew Cardoza
• Inventors: Cardoza, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld, Andrew H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODWIN, JEANNE M
• Application Number:
  US09/480,524
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/89, 368/107-109, 368/278, 221/2-3, 221/15, 215/219, 215/220, 215/40, 206/533, 206/534, 206/535
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• 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 timed medication container for sounding an alarm when medication needs to be taken. The timed medication container includes a bottle for housing medication. A cap for removably closing the bottle has a top wall. The top wall has a top surface. Control circuitry is fixedly mounted in the top wall of the cap. The control circuitry is adapted for tracking elapsing time, subtraction, and activation of an alarm. The control circuitry comprises a microprocessor. A display displays information from the control circuitry. The display is mounted on the control circuitry. A surface of the display is generally flush with the top surface of the top wall. The display is operationally coupled to the control circuitry. A plurality of bores is in the top wall of the cap. A button for programming the control circuitry is in each of the bores in the cap. Each of the buttons is fixedly coupled to the control circuitry.

Claims

1. A timed medication container for tracking dosages and times of medication use, said timed medication container comprising:

a bottle for housing the medication;

a cap for removably closing said bottle, said cap having a top wall, said top wall having a top surface, and said cap having a side wall, said side wall having an annular flange; and

control circuitry being fixedly mounted in said top wall of said cap, said control circuitry being adapted for tracking elapsing time, subtraction, and activation of an alarm, said control circuitry comprising a microprocessor;

a display for displaying information from said control circuitry, said display being mounted on said control circuitry, said display being operationally coupled to said control circuitry;

a plurality of bores, each of said bores being in said top wall of said cap;

a plurality of buttons for programming said control circuitry, one of said buttons being in each of said bores in said cap, each of said buttons being fixedly coupled to said control circuitry;

a pair of contacts, said contacts each being fixedly mounted on said annular flange, said contacts being generally diametrically opposed, each of said contacts having a wire connected thereto, each of said wires being operationally coupled to said control circuitry, each of said wires being mounted on said annular flange, said side wall and said top wall of said cap; and

a conductive strip for completing an electrical connection between said pair of contacts, said conductive strip being generally annular and extending in a continuous manner about the open end of said bottle such that said diametrically opposed pair of contacts are abuttable against said strip at all rotational positions of said cap, said conductive strip being at a juncture of a lip of said bottle and said open end of said bottle, said conductive strip being made from a conductive material.

2. A timed medication container as in claim 1, wherein said lip is annular and has threads formed thereon.

3. A timed medication container as in claim 1, wherein said display comprises a liquid crystal display.

4. A timed medication container as in claim 1, further comprising:

a ridge, said ridge extending away from an inside surface of said top wall;

a safety device for preventing accidental opening of said bottle, said safety device being a tube, said tube having a top edge and a bottom edge, said tube being hollow, an exterior diameter of said tube being greater than an inner diameter of said annular flange such that said tube is held in said cap between said annular flange and said top wall, an inner surface of said tube having threads thereon for coupling to threads on said lip of said bottle, said top edge of said tube having a notch therein, wherein said cap is pressed toward said bottle and turned such that said ridge catches said notch allowing said safety device to rotate with respect to said bottle.

5. A timed medication container for tracking dosages and times of medication use, said timed medication container comprising:

a bottle for housing the medication, said bottle having an open end, said open end having a lip thereon, said lip being annular, said lip having threads formed thereon;

a cap for removably closing said bottle, said cap having a top wall and a side wall with a bottom edge, said top wall having a top surface, said top wall having a generally circular shape, said bottom edge being generally annular, said bottom edge having an annular flange thereon, said flange extending radially inward;

control circuitry being fixedly mounted in said top wall of said cap, said control circuitry being adapted for tracking elapsing time, subtraction, and activation of an alarm, said control circuitry comprising a microprocessor;

a display for displaying information from said control circuitry, said display being mounted on said control circuitry, a surface of said display being generally flush with said top surface of said top wall, said display being operationally coupled to said control circuitry, wherein said display comprises a liquid crystal display;

four bores, said bores being in said top wall of said cap, each of said bores being generally located adjacent to said side wall;

four buttons for programming said control circuitry, one of said buttons being in each of said bores in said cap, each of said buttons being fixedly coupled to said control circuitry;

a pair of contacts, said contacts each being fixedly mounted on said annular flange, said contacts being generally diametrically opposed, each of said contacts having a wire connected thereto, each of said wires being operationally coupled to said control circuitry, each of said wires being mounted on said annular flange, said side wall and said top wall of said cap;

a conductive strip for completing an electrical connection between said pair of contacts, said conductive strip being generally annular and extending in a continuous manner about the open end of said bottle such that said diametrically opposed pair of contacts are abuttable against said strip at all rotational positions of said cap, said conductive strip being at a juncture of said lip and said open end of said bottle, said conductive strip being made from a conductive material;

a ridge, said ridge extending away from an inside surface of said top wall;

a safety device for preventing accidental opening of said bottle, said safety device being a tube, said tube having a top edge and a bottom edge, said tube being hollow, an exterior diameter of said tube being greater than an inner diameter of said annular flange such that said tube is held in said cap between said annular flange and said top wall, an inner surface of said tube having threads thereon for coupling to said threads on said lip of said bottle, said top edge of said tube having a notch therein, wherein said cap is pressed toward said bottle and turned such that said ridge catches said notch allowing said safety device to rotate with respect to said bottle.