Medicine container with medicine taking time schedule

Abstract

A medication container contains a medication time schedule and a schedule indicator. When the container is opened and completely closed, the schedule indicator can automatically point to the next medication time.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 606556, filed December 5, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0002] Taking medication on time and in the correct dosage is a fundamental requirement for patients. However, sometimes patients forget to take their medication or forget whether they have taken it on time. Therefore, medication containers with built-in medication time indicators are very useful for improving patient medication adherence. Currently, there are many devices designed to improve medication adherence. Some of these devices are standalone reminders and trackers, requiring patients to manually operate them before or after removing the medication from the container. A drawback of these devices is that patients may forget to operate the reminders and trackers even after taking the medication. Other devices have a built-in time schedule indicator within the medication container. This built-in time schedule indicator automatically activates when the patient opens and / or closes the container lid. Almost all built-in time schedule indicators in the prior art are located inside the container lid. This invention places the built-in time schedule indicator on the container body (receptacle) of the medication container. This invention aims to provide a medication container with a simple and easy-to-operate medication time indicator that helps users see the time of their last or next dose. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention discloses a medication container with a medication schedule and an indicator mechanism. The container, using a main body (receptacle) and a lid, allows the schedule pointer to indicate the predetermined medication time when the container is open and fully closed. The container can be designed as a 7-day medication schedule or a 7-day morning and afternoon medication schedule. Brief description of the attached figures

[0004] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drug container with a medication progress indicator and a limit band with a medication progress array.

[0005] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container assembly, including the container, a ratchet belt with a medication schedule indicator, and a stop belt with a medication schedule array.

[0006] Figure 3 is a perspective view of all components of the drug container.

[0007] Figure 4 is a view of the bottom of the container.

[0008] Figure 5 shows a view of the top of the container.

[0009] Figure 6a is a perspective view of the drug container lid.

[0010] Figure 6b is a view of the bottom of the drug container lid.

[0011] Figure 6c is a cross-sectional view of the drug container lid.

[0012] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of a drug container.

[0013] Figure 8 is a partial bottom view of the container, ratchet belt, and cover engaging; the retaining belt is not shown.

[0014] Figure 9a is a schematic diagram of a ratchet belt with a medication schedule indicator.

[0015] Figure 9b is a top view of the ratchet belt.

[0016] Figure 9c is a partial schematic diagram of the cross-section of the ratchet belt, which is located on a reference plane passing through the tooth groove.

[0017] Figure 10a is a schematic diagram showing the engagement of the cam latch, locking lug, drive teeth of the lid, and driven teeth of the ratchet belt with indicator when the lid is in the passage position.

[0018] Figure 10b is a schematic diagram showing the engagement of the cam latch, locking lug, drive teeth of the lid, and driven teeth of the ratchet belt with indicator when the lid is in the locked position.

[0019] Figure 10c is a schematic diagram showing the engagement of the cam latch, locking lug, drive teeth of the bottle cap, and driven teeth of the ratchet belt with the pointer when the bottle cap is in the unlocked position.

[0020] Figure 11a is a perspective view of the drug container in the second embodiment.

[0021] Figure 11b is a perspective view of the drug container cap in the second embodiment.

[0022] Figure 11c is a perspective view of the drug container cap in the second embodiment.

[0023] Figure 11d is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of the drug container portion in the second embodiment.

[0024] Figure 12a is a perspective view of the drug container in the third embodiment.

[0025] Figure 12b is a perspective view of the drug container cap with a C-shaped slit in the third embodiment.

[0026] Figure 12c is a perspective view of the drug container with downward ratchet teeth in the third embodiment.

[0027] Figure 12d is a perspective view of a ratchet belt with a semi-circular pointer, upward pawl teeth, and rigid driven teeth.

[0028] Figure 13a is a schematic diagram of a non-child safety cam lock.

[0029] Figure 13b is a schematic diagram of a non-child-safe cam lock. Detailed description

[0030] The drug container disclosed herein comprises two main parts: a drug container and a lid. In a first embodiment, the drug container 1 shown in FIG1 includes a container 101, a lid 201, a time indicator 302, a stop band 401, and a schedule array 402. The lid 201 covers the opening of the container 101. The container assembly shown in FIG2 includes the container 101, an annular ratchet band 301 with a time indicator 302, and a stop band 401 with a schedule array 402. The stop band is fixed to the outer wall surface of the container 101. The surface of the stop band 401 uniformly displays a 7-day medication schedule array. The schedule array 402 has an array of symbols for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as shown in FIG1 and FIG2. The 7-day schedule can have various symbol array options, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7; Mo, Tu, We, Th, Fr, Sa, and Su; or I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII. The symbol elements of the 7-day schedule are evenly distributed on the retaining band 401, which has a ring-shaped structure. In addition to displaying the medication schedule array 402, the retaining band 401 also supports and holds the ratchet band 301 in the correct position on the outer wall of the receiver 101. The medication schedule array 402 can be printed on the retaining band 301 or printed on an adhesive strip made of paper or plastic and then pasted onto the retaining band 301.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the drug container 1 includes a receiver 101, a retaining band 401, a ratchet band 301, a sealing plug 210, and a cap 201. The receiver 101 is a cylindrical, rigid, one-piece vial, consisting of four parts from bottom to top: the first part is the main container portion 102 with the largest volume; the second part is the ratchet portion 103; the third part is the cam locking portion 105; and the fourth part is the container edge portion 110. In other embodiments, the fourth part 110 of the receiver can be omitted. Multiple snap-fit ​​grooves 111 are provided on the outer wall of the main container portion 102 for securing the retaining band 401. The retaining band 401 has multiple protrusions 403 that can engage with the grooves 111. In other embodiments, the drug receiver without snap-fit ​​grooves 111 and the retaining band without protrusions 403 can be secured with adhesive. Multiple outwardly protruding ratchet teeth 104 are provided around the outer wall of the ratchet portion 103. The ratchet teeth have a positive hook angle, i.e., they are tilted forward. In the cam latch portion 105, a plurality of evenly spaced cam latches 106 are provided. Each cam latch 106 includes a locking groove 107 and a stop 108. Between two adjacent cam latches 106, there is a channel 109 defined by the circumferentially outer space of the wall of the receiver 101 and the ends of the two adjacent cam latches 106, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The plurality of channels 109 in the cam latch portion 105 allow the drive teeth 205 of the cover 201 and the locking lugs 204 (as shown in Figure 3) to align and pass through. The receiver edge 110 with a tapered structure allows the cover 201 to easily slide in and cover the opening of the receiver 101.

[0032] The cover 201 includes a circular plate 203 and an annular sidewall 202 connected to the plate 203, forming a container with an opening. The inner surface of the sidewall 202 is provided with multiple locking lugs 204 and drive teeth 205, as shown in Figures 6a, 6b, and 6c. The drive teeth 205 are triangular when viewed from the bottom and have positive hook angles. The locking lugs 204 are rectangular blocks whose edges may be tapered or rounded. In this embodiment, the locking lugs 204 and drive teeth 205 are separate protrusions. In another easily manufactured embodiment, the locking lugs 204 and drive teeth 205 are combined into a single inwardly projecting protrusion. A sealing plug 210, made of a flexible material (e.g., plastic), is installed inside the cover 201, such as... Figure 7As shown. The corrugated structure 212 can be pressed against the edge 110 of the container, thereby sealing the container 101. The flexible sealing plug 210 has a protruding portion 211 that abuts against the cover plate 203, generating a biasing force that disengages the cover 201, thereby locking the locking lug 204 in the recess 107. The engagement of the cam latch 106 and the locking lug 204 is a typical medication container locking mechanism that prevents children from accessing the medication in the container 101. To remove the cover 201 and sealing plug 210 from the container 101, the cover 201 needs to be pressed down and rotated.

[0033] In the first embodiment, the number of multiple retaining slots 111, cam latches 106, locking lugs 204, and drive teeth 205 are all five. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, five cam latches 106 are provided on the container 101. Figure 4 shows a bottom view (view from bottom to top) of the container 101, and Figure 5 shows a top view (view from top to bottom) of the container 101. Thirty-five retaining ratchet teeth 104 are provided on the outer periphery of the wall of the ratchet portion 103. The number thirty-five is the product of the five cam latches 106 and the number of seven days in the schedule array 402. For the present invention, the number of schedule elements must be greater than the number of cam latches. The optimal number of multiple ratchet teeth around the outer periphery of the container wall depends on the number of cam latches and the number of medication administration schedule elements. It should be an integer divisible by the number of cam latches and the number of schedule array elements. Figure 8 schematically shows a bottom view of part of the container 101, the ratchet belt 301, and the cover 201. Tooth 104 has a positive hook angle, enabling it to reliably engage with ratchet belt 301.

[0034] As shown in Figures 9a, 9b, and 9c, the ratchet belt 301 includes an annular ratchet belt body 305, seven inwardly pointing pawl teeth 303, seven outwardly pointing driven teeth 304, and a schedule pointer / flap 302. The seven pawl teeth 303 and the seven driven teeth 304 are evenly distributed around the ratchet belt body 305. The central angle between two adjacent pawl teeth or driven teeth is 360 degrees divided by seven. The number of driven teeth 304 matches the number of schedule elements. In other embodiments, the number of pawl teeth is not necessarily seven. In other embodiments, the pawl teeth are not necessarily evenly distributed around the ratchet belt body. The pawl teeth 303 have a positive hook angle that matches the positive hook angle of the ratchet teeth 104. As shown in Figure 8, the driven teeth 304 also have a positive hook angle that matches the hook angle of the drive teeth 205 of the cover 201. The ratchet belt 301 is made of a flexible material, such as plastic or metal. The pawl tooth 303 and the driven tooth 304 are also flexible. The flexibility of the teeth is achieved by forming C-shaped grooves 306 on three sides around the pawl tooth 303 and C-shaped grooves 307 on three sides around the driven tooth 304. Both C-shaped grooves pass through the ratchet belt 305. The flexibility depends not only on the shape and size of the grooves but also on the material properties and the thickness of the ratchet belt body. When the gentle slope side of the pawl tooth 303 or the driven tooth 304 is subjected to a thrust, the C-shaped grooves allow the tooth tips to bend towards the ratchet belt body 305. This is because the pawl tooth 303 and the driven tooth 304 can bend when a radial force is applied. However, when a tangential force is applied to the steep slope side of the tooth, the pawl tooth 303 or the driven tooth 304 can withstand a larger tangential force. This innovative design of the ratchet belt 301 allows it to rotate only in one direction on the ratchet portion 103 of the container 101. In the first embodiment, viewed from a top view, the ratchet belt 301 rotates clockwise. In other embodiments, all the teeth of the drug container can be designed to allow the ratchet belt to rotate counterclockwise.

[0035] For the drug container 1, there are three defined states: 1) Open state, in which the container 101 and the lid 201 are separated; 2) Passage state, in which the locking lug 204 and the drive tooth 205 are located in the passage 109; 3) Locked state, in which the lid 201 is engaged with the container 101, and the locking lug 204 is located in the locking groove 107. From the open state to the locked state or vice versa, the lid 201 will always pass through the passage state, such as... Figure 10a As shown. In the channel state, the cover 201 can move vertically upwards and separate from the receiver 101, or it can be rotated or pressed downwards and rotated. Rotation causes the drive tooth 205 to engage with the adjacent driven tooth 304, and then rotates the ratchet belt body 305 and the pointer 302. From the channel state to the locked state, as shown... Figure 10b As shown, when the driven tooth 304 rotates 360 degrees divided by seven, the pointer 302 moves from one progress array element to another. However, when the user rotates the lid 201 but does not fully lock it, the container 1 may be in an undefined state, such as... Figure 10c As shown. At this time, pointer 302 cannot correctly indicate the progress table array element. Fortunately, the present invention uses pointer 302 to display the medication progress table array 402 in an open circular space, which has higher fault tolerance than the window indicator on the lid in some prior art. The user can easily determine the position of the last or next medication time in the medication progress table array 402 based on the position indicated by pointer 302. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an auxiliary tool to help users determine the last medication time in case they forget whether they have taken the medication according to the schedule. Typically, pointer 302 can be set to indicate the next medication time or the last medication time. If the user is accustomed to always operating the medication container 1 in the order of state 1 to 2 to 3, or 3 to 2 to 1, and does not rotate in the opposite direction during opening or closing, then pointer 302 should always correctly indicate the preset medication progress scale. When the medication container 1 is in an undefined state, the user can easily remove the lid 201, rotate the ratchet belt 301 with their finger, and recalibrate the position of pointer 302 on the medication progress scale 402.

[0036] In the second embodiment, Figure 11a , 11b11c and 11d show the drug container 2. The cam latch 106 and ratchet belt 301 are the same as in the first embodiment. However, the sealing plug 210 and the limiting band 401 in the first embodiment are not used in this embodiment. In the second embodiment, the medication schedule scale 402 can be printed directly on the outer surface of the drug container 121, or printed on an adhesive tape sticker and then affixed to the outer surface of the drug container 121. The outer periphery of the top edge 123 of the drug container 121 is tapered. Unlike the limiting band, there is a raised rib 122 on the outer surface of the drug container 121 to limit the movement of the ratchet belt 301. The same ratchet portion 103 is still used in the drug container 121. The lid 221 has an annular flexible inner wall 226 and a top plate 223 for covering and sealing the drug container 121. The outer wall 222 has multiple opening slots 227 above multiple locking lugs 224. These openings 227 simplify the manufacturing process of the cover 221. Locking lugs 224 and drive teeth 225 are protrusions located on the inner surface of the outer wall 222. In this embodiment, lugs 224 and drive teeth 225 are combined into a single protruding block structure. The inner wall 226 connects to the outer wall 222 and has a top plate 223 that provides a biasing force to disengage the cover 221, thereby keeping the locking lugs 224 locked in the cam latch and maintaining a seal on the opening of the socket 121.

[0037] In the third embodiment, container 3 is another variant of container 1, with different structures for its ratchet belt 301, container 101, and lid 201, as shown in Figures 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d. The novel container 131, as shown in Figure 12c, inherits all the features of container 101 except for the ratchet portion 103. In the new ratchet portion 133, multiple ratchet teeth 134 are provided below the cam latch portion 105, with their tips pointing towards the bottom of the container. The novel ratchet belt 311, as shown in Figure 12d, includes an annular ratchet belt body 315, seven upwardly protruding pawl teeth 313, seven driven teeth 314, and an indicator / protrusion 312. An opening slot 316 allows the pawl teeth 323 to bend downwards. The driven teeth 314 are rigid and have a positive hook angle. The indicator 312 is a semi-circular protrusion. When the container 3 is in the locked state, pushing / pulling this indicator protrusion better prevents the ratchet belt 311 from rotating accidentally. To accommodate the rigid driven tooth 314, as shown in Figure 12b, multiple flexible drive teeth 235 are provided on the cover 231. Except for the drive teeth 235, all features of the cover 231 are the same as those of the cover 201. The drive teeth 235 are drive teeth 205, with C-shaped grooves 236 on three sides around them. The C-shaped grooves 236 pass through the sidewall 232 of the cover. The C-shaped grooves 236 allow the tips of the drive teeth 235 to bend inwards or outwards.

[0038] In the above embodiments, all drug containers have a 7-day medication schedule. For a schedule containing fourteen scheduling elements (e.g., Monday morning, Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning, Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning, Wednesday afternoon, Thursday morning, Thursday afternoon, Friday morning, Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon), the schedule pointer rotates at smaller angles each time. The number of cam latches on the container wall is more flexible, and can be five, six, seven, or more. In a fourth embodiment, drug container 4 has a container with a fourteen-symbol array element, six cam latches, and forty-two ratchet teeth. The ratchet belt of container 4 has fourteen driven teeth and seven pawl teeth. The lid of container 4 has six locking lugs and six drive teeth. Container 4 can be a variant of container 1, 2, or 3.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the cam latch 106 is designed for child safety, so the lid can only be unlocked from the container by pressing down and rotating. However, the cam latch in this invention can also be designed for non-child safety, so the lid can be unlocked by rotating instead of pressing down. Figure 12a and 12bIn this design, two variations of the cam latch 106 are not child-safe. The cam latch 140 has a receiving groove 141 with a bevel 142, instead of the vertical surface of the cam latch 106. The bevel 142 allows the locking lug 204 to slide out of the receiving groove 141 under rotational force without pressing down on the cover. Figure 13b The cam latch 150 shown does not even have a receiving slot. Instead, the cam latch 150 has a flat surface 151.

[0040] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, features, and methods, those skilled in the art will understand that many alternatives, novel features, novel combinations, modifications, and variations will be apparent. Therefore, the preferred embodiments and descriptions above are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit. Various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Claims (as amended under Article 19 of the Treaty) 1. A container with a schedule array, comprising: A lid with multiple locking lugs and multiple drive teeth on the inner surface of its sidewall; A container assembly, comprising: A receiver having a plurality of cam latches for engaging with the locking lugs, and a plurality of ratchet teeth on the outer surface of its wall; An array of schedules is displayed on the outer surface of the container wall or on a limiting band attached to the outer surface of the container wall; A ratchet belt has a plurality of pawl teeth for engaging with the ratchet teeth, a plurality of driven teeth for engaging with the drive teeth, and a pointer for indicating the progress array. A device for biasing the lid toward the detachment direction. 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cam lock is a cam lock with a child-proof locking groove. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cam lock is a non-child-proof cam lock. 4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet teeth are outwardly projecting portions with positive hook angles located on the outer surface of the container wall. 5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the tips of the ratchet teeth face the bottom of the container. 6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet teeth are provided with a C-shaped groove surrounding the ratchet belt. 7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the driven tooth is provided with a C-shaped groove surrounding the ratchet belt. 8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the drive teeth are provided with a C-shaped groove surrounding the lid. 9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of cam latches is five. 10. The container of claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of ratchet teeth is an integer that can be divided by the number of the cam latches and the number of the progress array elements. 11. A container with a schedule array, comprising: A lid with multiple locking lugs and multiple drive teeth on the inner surface of its sidewall; A container assembly, comprising: A receiver having a plurality of cam latches for engaging with the locking lugs, and a plurality of ratchet teeth on the outer surface of its wall; An array of schedules is displayed on the outer surface of the container wall or on a limiting band attached to the outer surface of the container wall; A ratchet belt has a plurality of pawl teeth for engaging with the ratchet teeth, a plurality of driven teeth for engaging with the drive teeth, and a pointer for indicating the progress array. A sealing and biasing plug installed in the cap. 12. A container comprising: A cover with multiple locking lugs and multiple drive teeth on the inner surface of its side wall. A container assembly, comprising: A receiver having a plurality of cam latches for engaging with the locking lugs, and a plurality of ratchet teeth on the outer surface of its wall; At least one symbol is displayed on the outer surface of the container wall or on the limiting band connected to the outer surface of the container wall; A ratchet belt has a plurality of slit pawl teeth for engaging with the ratchet teeth, and a plurality of slit driven teeth for engaging with the drive teeth, and at least one symbol is provided on the ratchet belt; A device for biasing the cover in the disengagement direction. 13. The container of claim 12, wherein at least one symbol displayed on the outer surface of the container wall or on a limiting band connected to the outer surface of the container wall is a progress chart array. 14. The container of claim 12, wherein at least one symbol constructed on the ratchet belt is a progress pointer.

Claims

1. A container with a schedule array, comprising: A lid with multiple locking lugs and multiple drive teeth on the inner surface of its side wall; A container assembly, comprising: A receiver having a plurality of cam latches for engaging with the locking lugs, and a plurality of ratchet teeth on the outer surface of its wall; An array of schedules is displayed on the outer surface of the wall of the container or on a limiting band connected to the outer surface of the wall of the container; A ratchet belt has a plurality of pawl teeth for engaging with the ratchet teeth, a plurality of driven teeth for engaging with the drive teeth, and a pointer for indicating the progress array. A device for biasing the lid toward the detachment direction.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cam lock is a cam lock with a child-proof locking groove.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cam lock is a non-child-proof cam lock.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet teeth are outward protrusions on the outer surface of the wall of the container, having a positive hook angle.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the tips of the ratchet teeth face the bottom of the container.

6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet teeth are provided with a C-shaped groove surrounding the ratchet belt.

7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the driven tooth is provided with a C-shaped groove surrounding the ratchet belt.

8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the drive teeth are provided with a C-shaped groove surrounding the lid.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of cam latches is five.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of ratchet teeth is an integer that can be divided by the number of the cam latches and the number of the progress array elements.

11. A container with a schedule array, comprising: A lid with multiple locking lugs and multiple drive teeth on the inner surface of its side wall; A container assembly, comprising: A receiver having a plurality of cam latches for engaging with the locking lugs, and a plurality of ratchet teeth on the outer surface of its wall; An array of schedules is displayed on the outer surface of the wall of the container or on a limiting band connected to the outer surface of the wall of the container; A ratchet belt has a plurality of pawl teeth for engaging with the ratchet teeth, a plurality of driven teeth for engaging with the drive teeth, and a pointer for indicating the progress array. A sealing and biasing plug installed in the cap.

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