Adjustable health improvement device for modifying a daily behavior by reminding a person to take medication

• US 6,325,222 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1999
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RXTRA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: RXTRA, Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Lawrence H., Avery, Allan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOVOSAD, JENNIFER ELEANORE
• Application Number:
  US09/449,753
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 211/65, 211/74, 211/184, 211/43, 211/85.18, 211/175, 211/85, D 6/527-528, D 6/531, D 6/534-535, 248/110, 248/310, 248/311.2, 248/313, 132/308-309, 206/362--36
• US Class Current: 211/65
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0055 Brushes combined with other articles normally separate from the brushing process, e.g. combs, razors, mirrors

Abstract

An adjustable health improvement device for modifying a daily behavior by reminding a person to take medication includes a generally vertical housing for removably holding an instrument, such as a toothbrush, for use in a daily activity. A second adjoining member is operably connected to the housing member and defines therebetween a recess for retaining a container for holding a material, such as medication, to be taken by the person. The second member is movable relative to the housing for adjusting the size of the recess to accommodate various sizes of, for example, medicine bottles. When a person reaches to use the toothbrush, for example, the person is reminded to take the medication due to its close proximity.

Claims

1. An adjustable health improvement device for modifying a daily behavior by reminding a person to take medication, comprising:

a) a first housing member for removably holding an instrument for use in a daily activity;

b) a second member operably connected to said first member and defining therebetween a recess for retaining means for holding a material to be taken by a person;

c) said second member being movable relative to said first member for adjusting the size of said recess;

d) the size of said recess being adjustable to accommodate various sizes of said material holding means;

e) said second member including a front and rear;

f) said first and second members being separated by an uninterrupted vertically extending partition wall;

g) said partition wall extending substantially from the front to the rear of said second member;

h) said first housing member including top and bottom sections;

i) said first housing member including a yoke member for generally vertically holding said instrument therein; and

j) said yoke member being positioned in said bottom section.

2. The health improvement device of claim 1, wherein:

said top section includes an opening; and

a plurality of projections extend radially into said opening.

3. The health improvement device of claim 2, wherein:

said opening is vertically aligned with said yoke member.

4. The health improvement device of claim 2, wherein:

said plurality of projections are flexible.

5. The health improvement device of claim 1, wherein:

said yoke member includes a generally funnel-shaped recess with a drain opening.

6. The health improvement device of claim 1, wherein:

said second member includes an opening substantially across the front thereof for allowing continuous visual inspection of the material in said second member.

7. The health improvement device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for releasably interlocking said first and second members together.

8. The health improvement device of claim 7, wherein:

said second member includes a clip section for engaging a portion of said material holding means and a slidable member for operably connecting to said first member.

9. The health improvement device of claim 8, wherein:

said interlocking means comprises a male member and a female member.

10. The health improvement device of claim 9, wherein:

a) said male member comprises a projection provided on said first member; and

b) said female member comprises a plurality of rectilinearly disposed cavities on said slidable member.

11. The health improvement device of claim 10, wherein:

said cavities are generally oblong in shape and extend transversely to a longitudinal axis of said slidable member.

12. The health improvement device of claim 1, wherein:

said second member is curved and includes inner and outer surfaces.

13. The health improvement device of claim 12, further comprising:

resilient means disposed relative to one of said inner and outer surfaces for tightly retaining said material holding means.

14. The health improvement device of claim 13, wherein:

said resilient means comprises a vertical member mounted at one end thereof on said inner surface of said second member.

15. The health improvement device of claim 13;

wherein;

said resilient means comprises a vertical member cantilevered on said inner surface of said second member.

16. The health improvement device of claim 13, wherein:

said first housing member includes a vertically extending generally arcuate surface; and

b) said arcuate surface is disposed generally opposite to said inner surface of said second member.

17. The health improvement device of claim 16, wherein:

said partition wall includes said arcuate surface.