US3817372A

US3817372A - Pocket pill box

Info

Publication number: US3817372A
Application number: US00179132A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-09-09
Filing date: 1971-09-09
Publication date: 1974-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-18

Abstract

A rectangular receptacle provided with a pair of rows of medication-holding compartments or cavities that are transversely aligned. The bottom ends of the rows of the pair of cavities are joined together in a unitary construction. A sliding cover for the first row of cavities and a sliding cover for the second row of cavities oppositely positioned to that of the first row for maintains the medication in place in the cavities. When either cover is slid to one side or another, the exposed cavity readily dispenses the medication therein. At least one of said cavities in said row being of a different size to hold medication other than that taken in a normal sequence or alternatively to hold medical data in case of emergency.

Description

Smith 1 1 POCKET PILL BOX [76] Inventor:

Gerald R. Smith, 4560 Lockboume 1 June 18, 1974 3,225,913 12/1965 Lee ..206/42 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cennamo, Kremblas & Foster [5 7] ABSTRACT A rectangular receptacle provided with a pair of rows of medication-holding compartments or cavities that are transversely aligned. The bottom ends of the rows of the pair of cavities are joined together in a unitary construction. A sliding cover for the first row of cavities and a sliding cover for the second row of cavities oppositely positioned to that of the first row for maintains the medication in place in the cavities. When either cover is slid to one side or another, the exposed cavity readily dispenses the medication therein. At least one of said cavities in said row being of a different size to hold medication other than that taken in a normal sequence or alternatively to hold medical data in case of emergency.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43207 [22] Filed: Sept. 9, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 179,132

[52] US. Cl 206/42, 217/7, 220/20, 220/21, 220/41 [51] Int. C1..... B65d 1/24, B65d 43/12, B65d 83/04 [58] Field 01 Search 220/20, 41, 21; 206/42, 206/3, 217/7, 18

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,045,607 1 1/1912 Payne 206/43 1,286,810 12/1918 Sheppard 206/3 1,933,894 11/1933 Clink 220/20 X 2,777,571 1/1957 Schlesser 220/41 X 2,868,360 1/1959 Domkim 220/41 X 2,958,438 11/1960 Severson... 206/42 X 3,067,869 12/1962 Denton 220/20 X 3,144,152 8/1964 Kopp 220/20 2 o it. 1: i 1 IO 5 g a s g a 40 POCKET PILL BOX BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Medical preparations in-the pill tablet or capsule form are taken at certain times and in certain proportions by a majority of the population. This includes the oral contraceptives but many other drugs are prescribed for sequential dosage over periods of time. The period of time may bewithin a day, a week, or amonth. The dosage prescribed may be hourly, daily or weekly or, as needed. This'presents the problem to the consumer of whether or not the proper dosage has been consumed at the proper time over the entire period. Record keeping, at its best, is most incomplete, essentially valueless. The improperdosages results in defective drug treatment.

A great number of persons obtaining drug treatment require the taking of more than one drug. By coincidence the timing for the taking of-different could be the same but in all probability it is vastly different. With other persons the drug taking may be as needed such as with heart patients, or for other emergency treatment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is-for container for pills, capsules, tablets or the like. The container comprises a first series of compartments and a second series in oppositely positioned relationship; Each compartment is square or rectangular and of a, size to accommodate one or more of the standard sizes of pills, tablets, or capsules. The number of compartments in theseriesis a fixed number havinga direct relationship to the frequency of intake of a given drug. The size of the compartment may be for a single pill or a plurality of pills that may be typical of a daily dosage. One or more of the compartments in either or both series is of a different size or shape to accommodate, the pill, tablet or capsule either at a different frequency or taken in emergencies. The odd compartment(s) may also be used for purposes of medical treatment information in the event of an emergency.

OBJECTS It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a container for medication for a pill, capsule, or tablet having a ready access compartment of a proper size.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a container for medication that has one or more compartments adapted to retain a medication for intake at other than regularintervals or at infrequent intervals.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container for medication that has an opening that exposes one compartment at a time.

Further and other objects will become apparent when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top view or bottom view of the container of the present invention;

FIG. 2,is a flat side view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the container of the present invention having a first slidable opening partially removed to show the top of the series of compartments;

FIG. 5 is a side view such as FIG. 2 but with a portion of the wall removed therefrom to show a side of the compartments; and

FIG. 6 is a side view such as FIG. 3 with the wall removed therefrom to show a second side of the compartments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The receptacle shown in the FIGS. 1 through 6 comprises parallel slightly

rectangular sidewalls

6 and 12, a pair of parallel

rectangular end walls

8 and 10. A pair of slidable ends 2 and 16 cooperate with the

sidewalls

6 and 12 and

ends walls

8 and 10 to form an enclosed boxlike structure.

The structure is compartmentalized first in an upper section and in a bottom section, and secondly compartmentalized into a series of compartments in the upper and bottom'sections. The bulkheads or walls in

parallel relationship

20, 22, 24, 26, etc. define the series of compartments in the upper section and the bulkheads or

walls

34, 36, 38, etc. define the series of compartments in the lower section.

The cross wall or bulkhead 42 is in a direction at right angles to the upper and lower series walls and also at right angles to the sidewalls 6 and I2 and the end walls Sand 10. The wall 42 is positioned intermediate the

sidewalls

6 and 12 and the

end walls

8 and 10 and intersects the upper and lower series of walls. In this way, wall 42 closes the ends of the upper and lower series of compartments and defines the upper series and the lower series of compartments.

The sidewalls l2 and 6 are of a length somewhat greater than that of the upper and lower series walls together (with the intermediate wall 42 therebetween). The portion of the

sidewalls

6 and 12 that is greater in length, is equally divided above 11 and 13 and below 15 and 17 of the compartment walls.

The upper extended portions 11 and 13 of the

sidewalls

12 and 6, each have a slot formed therein at approximately its intermediate portion. Similarly, there is a slot formed in the lower extended

portions

15 and 17. Slidably positioned within the slots in the lower 15 and 17 and upper'll and 13 portions are the

lids

2 and 16. That is, the

lids

2 and 16 have a cross-dimension somewhat greater than the inside spacing between the

walls

6 and 12, but less than the outside spacing of the

walls

6 and 12. In this wall the

lids

2 and 16 are retained in position but may be slid back and forth using the raised portions 4'and 18.

It is to be appreciated that the

lids

2 and 16 closes the upper and lower series of compartments. The end to end series of compartments when closed retain the medication therein; and when the

lid

2 or 16 is slided away in either, each compartment is sequentially opened to permit access to the medication. As a matter of fact, the entire package may be turned upside down to permit the medication to drop out of the next opened compartment. The knob 4 fixedly positioned on lid 2 and the knob 18 fixedly positioned on lid 16 facilitate the movement of the

lids

2 and 16.

As pointed out above, it is quite common for most persons to require more than a single medication. Also, in all probability, the medications are to be taken at different times; or in some instances, the other medications is taken in emergencies.

The dual series compartment medication container of the present invention provides within one or both of the series of compartments a compartment having a different size than that of the remainder of the series. That is, as pointed out above, the series of compartments have a size to accommodate a standard tablet or pill. Whereas the one compartment having a different size will be of a size to accommodate the less frequently taken medication.

In the figures shown, the less frequently taken medication compartment 40 is shown being larger approximately twice the size of the other compartments. it is to be appreciated, of course, that the odd compartment 40 can be smaller or of any other size.

Another useful purpose of compartment 40 is to keep a medical record on the person at all times for emergency purposes.

I claim:

1. A container for capsules or the like arranged to dispense a given amount of capsules over a fixed period of time, comprising:

a four walled boxlike structure,

a dividing wall fixedly positioned in said box in an intermediate position to define upper and lower sections,

a first series of walls fixedly positioned in said box at cross direction to that of said intermediate wall,

a complementary second series of walls,

said first and second series of walls defining a first and second series of compartments, corresponding in number to the days of the week, said compartments of an area to retain a capsule of a given size,

at least one of said series of walls displaced in position relative to said other walls in said series to define an additional compartment of a different size to retain a capsule of a size different than said other capsules,

a first and second enclosure means positioned at the open ends of said boxlike structure to enclose said series of walls including means for retaining said enclosure means in position.

2. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said enclosure means is movable in a bi-direction.

3. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein a pair of said walls defining said boxlike structure has a length in a direction of said series of walls that extends beyond that of said other two walls.

4. A container as set forth in claim 3 wherein said extended length has a groove therein adapted to retain in slidably engagement said enclosure means.

5. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compartment of different size is larger than said other compartment.

Claims

1. A container for capsules or the like arranged to dispense a given amount of capsules over a fixed period of time, comprising: a four walled boxlike structure, a dividing wall fixedly positioned in said box in an intermediate position to define upper and lower sections, a first series of walls fixedly positioned in said box at cross direction to that of said intermediate wall, a complementary second series of walls, said first and second series of walls defining a first and second series of compartments, corresponding in number to the days of the week, said compartments of an area to retain a capsule of a given size, at least one of said series of walls displaced in position relative to said other walls in said series to define an additional compartment of a different size to retain a capsule of a size different than said other capsules, a first and second enclosure means positioned at the open ends of said boxlike structure to enclose said series of walls including means for retaining said enclosure means in position.