Pharmacy bottle system including a container having a recessed surface

• US 7,980,391 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2010
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CVS Pharmacy Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosberg, Klaus, Douglas, Patrick L., Grisik, Matthew S., Adler, Deborah B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman; Bryon P
• Application Number:
  US12/705,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20100140133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 206/232, 206/459.5, 206/534, 206/540, 403/06, 403/10, 283/81, 116/308, D95/20, D95/21, D95/50, D95/51, 215/DIG.3
• US Class Current: 206/534
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/00 Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes capsules or the like for oral use A61J3/07; specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments A61B50/30; containers for radioactive substances G21F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/06 Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/28 by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/18 to container necks B65C3/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/0223 characterised by shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/205 Means for the attachment of labels, cards, coupons or the like; cards or coupons for the other types of rigid or semi-rigid containers B65D25/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2501/0081 Bottles of non-circular cross-section

Abstract

A bottle includes a container and a label. The container includes a front portion, a back portion, an opening and a spine portion. The back portion is spaced from the front portion and generally faces away and in an opposite direction from the front portion. The opening is positioned between the front portion and the back portion of the container to at least partially define a first end of the container. The spine portion extends between the front portion and the back portion of the container to define a second end of the container opposite the first end. The label extends over and is in contact with each of the front portion, the back portion and the spine portion of the container. Other bottle and container embodiments are also disclosed herein and provide additional advantages.

Claims

1. A bottle comprising:

a container including;

a front portion,

a back portion spaced from the front portion, the back portion generally facing away and in an opposite direction from the front portion, and

an opening positioned between the front portion and the back portion of the container to at least partially define a first end of the container,

wherein;

the back portion defines;

a side edge,

a recessed surface, and

a contact area extending around three or more sides of the recessed surface,

the contact area is defined within a plane,

the recessed surface is positioned parallel to and offset from the plane,

the recessed surface defines an open side adjacent the side edge of the back portion and opposite one of the three or more sides of the recessed surface, and

the open side of the recessed surface is different than any of the three or more sides of the recessed surface.

2. The bottle of claim 1, further comprising a medication selectively housed within the container.

3. The bottle of claim 1, further comprising a pair of side portions opposite to and spaced from each other, each of the pair of side portions extending between the front portion and the back portion of the container.

4. The bottle of claim 3, wherein each of the pair of side portions comprises a generally rectangular shape, and the front portion of the container extends parallel to the back portion of the container.

5. The bottle of claim 3, wherein each of the pair of side portions comprises a generally trapezoidal shape, and each of the front portion of the container and the back portion of the container extend between the pair of side portions at an angle relative to a vertical plane.

6. The bottle of claim 5, wherein each of the pair of side portions defines a length larger near the first end of the container than near the second end of the container such that the front portion and the back portion of the container are oriented toward convergence with each other near the second end of the container.

7. The bottle of claim 3 wherein:

the recessed surface has a generally rectangular shape and extends laterally at least partially across the back portion of the container with the open side of the recessed surface being adjacent one of the pair of side portions of the container.

8. The bottle of claim 1, further comprising a cap removably coupled with the container to cover the opening, wherein the cap is configured to be placed on a support surface to support the container such that the container extends vertically upward away from the support surface.

9. The bottle of claim 8, further comprising a label extending over and adhered to the front portion and the contact surface of the back portion and extending over and free from contact with the recessed surface of the back portion, wherein the label includes text, and the text on the label is in an upright position over each of the front portion and the back portion of the container when the cap of the container is placed on the support surface such that the container extends vertically upward from the support surface.

10. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the front portion of the container is generally planar.

11. The bottle of claim 1 and further comprising:

a colored ring configured to be removably secured around the opening of the container, wherein the colored ring is selected from a plurality of colored rings.

12. The bottle of claim 1, further comprising a label extending over and in contact with each of the front portion and the contact area of the back portion of the container, wherein the label extends over the recessed surface while being spaced from and free from contact with the recessed surface in a manner defining a slot between the label and the recessed surface opened toward the side edge of the back portion.

13. The bottle of claim 12, wherein the bottle includes a spine portion extending between the front portion and the back portion of the container to define a second end of the container opposite the first end of the container, and the label is a single piece label extending over and in contact with each of the front portion, the back portion, and the spine portion of the container.

14. The bottle of claim 13, wherein an item separate from the label and the container is slidably maintained within the slot such that the item is repeatedly removable from and replaceable into the slot via an opening to the slot adjacent the side edge of the back portion of the container.

15. The bottle of claim 14, in combination with a medication selectively housed within the container, wherein the item is a folded sheet including information regarding one or more of the medication and prescribed use of the medication.

16. A pharmacy bottle comprising:

a container having;

a front portion, and

a back portion spaced from the front portion, the back portion generally facing away and in an opposite direction from the front portion, the back portion defining;

a recessed surface extending at least partially across the back portion of the container, and

a contact surface extending around all but one side of the recessed surface, the contact surface being substantially planar and parallel to the recessed surface, and the one side of the recessed surface being near and extending parallel to an outermost side edge of the back portion of the container.

17. The pharmacy bottle of claim 16, further comprising a label adhered to the container and extending over and spaced from the recessed surface to define a slot between the recessed surface of the back portion and the label, wherein a slot opening is defined near a side edge of the label and the open side of the recessed surface.

18. The pharmacy bottle of claim 17, further comprising an information card removably maintained at least partially within the slot between the label and the recessed surface of the back portion, wherein the information card can be repeatedly slid into and slid out of the slot via the slot opening.

19. The pharmacy bottle of claim 18, wherein the information card is configured to laterally slide into and out of the slot in a direction generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the container, wherein the longitudinal axis of the container extends between a top end and a bottom end of the container.

20. The pharmacy bottle of claim 19, wherein a portion of the information card protrudes from the slot opening while the information card is maintained at least partially within the slot.

21. The pharmacy bottle of claim 19, further comprising a medication maintained within the container, wherein the label and the information card each include information relating to the medication.

22. The pharmacy bottle of claim 17, wherein the label defines a label back portion generally covered with an adhesive backing except for a non-stick portion of the label back portion, and wherein the non-stick portion of the label back portion is positioned to extend over the recessed surface of the container.

23. A medication bottle comprising:

means for containing a medication within the medication bottle;

means for covering a portion of the means for containing the medication, the means for covering including printed information relating to the medication; and

means for providing additional information about the medication, the means for providing additional information being removably stored between and adjacent to each of the means for containing and the means for covering, wherein the means for providing additional information is configured to be repeatedly slid in between the means for containing and the means for covering to store the means for providing additional information, and the means for providing additional information is configured to be repeatedly slid out from between the means for containing and the means for covering for reference by a user of the medication bottle;

wherein the means for containing includes;

a substantially planar surface, and

means for receiving the means for providing additional information, wherein;

the means for receiving is recessed inwardly from the substantially planar surface of the means for containing,

the substantially planar surface extends around at least three sides of the means for receiving, and

the means for covering is spaced from the means for receiving both when the means for providing additional information is stored between the means for containing and the means for covering and when the means for providing additional information is removed from between the means for containing and the means for covering.

24. The medication bottle of claim 23, wherein the means for containing defines a front portion, a back portion positioned generally opposite the front portion, an opening positioned between the front portion and the back portion and a spine portion extending between the front portion and the back portion opposite the opening, and the means for covering is adhered to each of the front portion, the back portion and the spine portion of the means for containing.

25. The medication bottle of claim 24, wherein the front portion and the back portion are each generally planar.

26. The medication bottle of claim 24, wherein the front portion and the back portion are orientated toward convergence with each other near the spine portion of the means for containing.