Auxiliary container for physical association with conventional medication container

Abstract

An auxiliary container (10) adapted for unintrusive coupling with a conventional medication container (12), such as pill bottle, cream tube, or spray can, wherein the auxiliary container (10) provides an independent storage space (26) which does not require breaking a seal of, removing, or replacing an existing lid (70) or cap of the conventional container (12). In one contemplated use, for example, the auxiliary container (10) is used to store small doses of a supplementary medication (14), such as aspirin, in close association with a primary medication (e.g., a heart medicine such as nitroglycerine), such that both are conveniently available and accessible for immediate use. In a preferred first embodiment, the auxiliary container (10) broadly comprises a body (16); a lid (18); a closure mechanism (20); and a coupling mechanism (22).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to medication containers. More particularly, the invention relates to an auxiliary container adapted for unintrusive coupling with a conventional medication container, such as, for example, a pill bottle, cream tube, or spray can, with the auxiliary container providing an independent storage compartment for a supplementary medication, such as, for example, aspirin, or similar contents, wherein coupling the auxiliary container with the conventional container does not require breaking a seal of, removing, or replacing an existing lid or cap of the conventional container or otherwise exposing its contents.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] It is often desirable to have small doses of a supplementary medication conveniently available and accessible for immediate use, possibly in conjunction with use of a primary medication. For example, arterial occlusion during a heart attack results from platelet aggregation or clumping in the blood. Aspirin alters this process by preventing further clotting within the heart during the heart attack, thereby substantially increasing survivability. Thus, the American Heart Association recommends taking aspirin at the first sign of a heart attack. An estimated 10,000 lives could be saved annually if this recommendation were followed. Similarly, regular use of aspirin after a transient ischemic attack or minor stroke can reduce the occurrence of additional strokes. It is estimated that thousands of strokes and 100,000 deaths worldwide could be prevented through daily, low-dose administration of aspirin.

[0005] Nevertheless, many heart patients carry their primary medication but do not carry aspirin. One reason for this may be the inconvenience of having to carry a separate bottle of aspirin in addition to one or more bottles of the patients' other medication(s). One solution is to carry only a few aspirin tablets, such as, for example, a single dose or a single day's supply. Unfortunately, though this results in less carrying inconvenience, the small tablets are easily misplaced or lost or are otherwise not immediately accessible when needed. Furthermore, where the supplementary medication is carried loosely, an undesirable or unsafe risk of contamination may arise. Additionally, those that do regularly carry aspirin, whether in a bottle or otherwise, are forced, during the onset of a heart attack, to locate both their primary medication and the aspirin, open both child-proof containers, and administer both medications. It will be appreciated that successfully accomplishing this redundant process during the stress and strain of a heart attack is unlikely.

[0006] In the prior art, lids or caps are known that outright replace the existing lid or cap of the primary medication's conventional container to provide a small enclosed space suitable for storing small objects separate from the contents of the main body of the conventional container. While these known lids or caps overcome many of the limitations mentioned above, they are designed to physically replace the existing lid or cap, thereby requiring that the conventional container be opened and its contents exposed. In certain cases, such exposure can be highly undesirable. Sublingual nitroglycerin tablets, for example, can lose potency if exposed for repeated or prolonged periods of time. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that such a replacement lid or cap must be dimensioned to fit a particular size or type of bottle, thereby requiring that an impractically large variety of such lids or caps be manufactured.

[0007] Due to these and other problems in the art, an improved mechanism is needed whereby small doses of supplementary medications may be kept conveniently available for immediate use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention overcomes the above-described problems to provide a distinct advance in the art of medication containers. More specifically, the present invention provides an auxiliary container adapted for unintrusive coupling with a conventional medication container, such as, for example, a pill bottle, cream tube, or spray can, with the auxiliary container providing an independent storage compartment for supplementary medication, such as, for example, aspirin, or similar contents, wherein coupling the auxiliary container with the conventional container does not require breaking a seal of, removing, or replacing an existing lid or cap of the conventional container or otherwise exposing its contents. In one contemplated use, for example, the auxiliary container is used to store aspirin in close association with a primary heart medication (e.g., sublingual nitroglycerine), such that both are conveniently accessible for immediate use.

[0009] In a preferred first embodiment, the auxiliary container broadly comprises a body; a lid; a closure mechanism; and a coupling mechanism. The body substantially defines an interior space wherein, for example, the supplementary medication may be safely stored. The body may affect any suitable and practical size and shape, such as, for example, cylindrical or polygonal, but is preferably approximately large enough to store between 1-6 common aspirin tablets. The body presents an opening to allow access to the interior space and the contents stored therein. The lid is operable to removably cover the opening in the body, thereby securing and protecting the supplementary medication stored therein. The lid may be of any suitable and practical type, such as, for example, flip-up, screw-on, or push-on. The closure mechanism operates to secure the lid over the opening of the body. The closure mechanism may be of any suitable and practical type, such as, for example, catch, latch, detent, or compression. The coupling mechanism functions to removably couple the body with the conventional container. The coupling mechanism may be of any suitable and practical type, such as, for example, adhesive, hook-and-loop, catch, or compression.

[0010] In operation, a user simply couples the auxiliary container with the conventional container using the coupling mechanism. Regardless of the type of coupling mechanism used, it is not necessary to unseal, remove, or replace the conventional container's original lid, thereby eliminating potentially damaging exposure of the contents of the conventional container. It will be appreciated that, depending on the coupling mechanism used, the auxiliary container is potentially usable with any size or type of conventional container, thereby reducing manufacturing and inventory costs by requiring fewer versions than the replacement lids or caps of the prior art. The user then fills the auxiliary container and closes the lid to engage the closure mechanism, thereby securing the lid and preventing loss or exposure of the contents. Thereafter, the contents are available for immediate use whenever and wherever the conventional container is present, without the burden of carrying a separate large container, such as, for example, a large aspirin bottle, or the loss or contamination risk associated with loosely carrying individual pills or doses.

[0011] In one contemplated embodiment, advertisements may be presented on one or more appropriate exterior surfaces of the auxiliary container. These advertisements, it will be appreciated, would most likely be for health-related products or services, such as for example, particular brand names of medications.

[0012] These and other important aspects of the present invention are more fully described in the section entitled DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT, below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

[0014] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an auxiliary container constructed in accordance with a preferred first embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the auxiliary container constructed in accordance with a preferred second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0017] FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an auxiliary container 10 is shown constructed in accordance with a preferred first embodiment of the present invention. The auxiliary container 10 is adapted for unintrusive coupling with a conventional medication container 12, such as, for example, a pill bottle, cream tube, or spray can, with the auxiliary container 10 providing independent storage for a supplementary medication 14, such as, for example, aspirin, or similar contents, in close association with the conventional container 12 and its contents, such that both are conveniently available and easily accessible for immediate use.

[0019] In the preferred first embodiment, the auxiliary container 10 broadly comprises a body 16; a lid 18; a closure mechanism 20; and a coupling mechanism 22. The body 16 substantially defines an interior space 24 wherein, for example, the supplementary medication 14 may be safely stored. The body 16 may affect any suitable and practical size and shape, such as, for example, cylindrical or polygonal. As illustrated, the body 16 is substantially cylindrical, having a radius of approximately between 0.50-1.50 inch, and a depth of approximately between 0.20-0.50 inch, resulting in a volume of between approximately 0.16-0.32 cubic inch. Thus, the body 16 is approximately large enough to store between 1-6 common aspirin tablets. The body 16 presents an opening 26 allowing access to the interior space 24 and the supplementary medication 14 stored therein.

[0020] In one contemplated embodiment, advertisements may be presented on one or more appropriate exterior surfaces of the body 16. These advertisements, it will be appreciated, would most likely be for health-related products or services, such as for example, particular brand names of medications.

[0021] A bevel 30 may be provided on an exterior surface at the opening 26 of the body 16 to facilitate access to the interior space 24. Alternatively, where the lid 18 is a screw-type lid, an exterior surface of the lid 18 may presents knurls (not shown) or other protrusions for enhancing a user's grip.

[0022] A tab 32 may be provided for facilitating removal of the auxiliary container 10 from the conventional container 12, or for providing an attachment point for securing the auxiliary container 10 using a cord, wire, keychain, or fastener. The tab 32 projects radially outward from the exterior surface of the body 16, and includes a hole 34 extending completely through the tab 32 and operable to receive the cord, wire, keychain, or fastener.

[0023] The lid 18 is operable to removably cover the opening 26 in the body 16, thereby securing and protecting the supplementary medication 14 stored therein. The lid 18 may be of any suitable and practical type, such as, for example, flip-up, screw-on, or push-on. As illustrated, the lid 18 is a flip-up lid connected to the body 16 by a hinge 38 or similarly moveable or flexible connection.

[0024] The closure mechanism 20 operates to secure the lid 18 over the opening 26 in the body 18. The closure mechanism 20 may be of any suitable and practical type, such as, for example, catch, latch, detent, or compression. As illustrated, the closure mechanism 20 is a compression-type post/hole coupling mechanism comprising a first portion 40 associated with the body 16 and a second portion 50 associated with the lid 18. The first portion 40 takes the form of an elongated hollow cylinder 42 projecting forth from an interior surface of the body 16 to present a free end 44 having an opening in substantial alignment with the opening of the body 16 and protruding slightly therebeyond. The second portion 50 of the closure mechanism 20 takes the form of an inner elongated hollow cylinder 52 annularly nested within an outer elongated hollow cylinder 53, wherein each cylinder 52,53 projects forth from an interior surface of the lid 18 to present respective free ends 54,55 having openings aligned with and corresponding to the free end 44 of the first portion 40. The inner elongated hollow cylinder 52 is dimensioned so that its free end 54 fits snugly within the opening in the free end 44 of the first portion 40, and the outer elongated hollow cylinder 53 is dimensioned so that its free end 55 fits around the free end 44 of the first portion 40. Thus, when the lid 18 is closed, the free end 44 of the first portion 40 is snugly trapped within the annular space between the inner and outer elongated hollow cylinders 54,55.

[0025] The coupling mechanism 22 functions to removably couple the body 16 with the conventional container 12. The coupling mechanism 22 may be of any suitable and practical type, such as, for example, adhesive, hook-and-loop, catch, or compression. As illustrated, the coupling mechanism 22 is an adhesive-type mechanism comprising a piece of material 60 sized to correspond with a substantially flat exterior surface of the body 16, with the material 60 having a first adhesive side 62 and a second adhesive side 64. The first side 62 is adhered to the substantially flat exterior surface of the body 16, and the second side 64 is adhered to a substantially flat exterior surface of the conventional container 12, such as a lid 70 or other top portion thereof. Thus, the adhesive provides a reliable chemical bond between the body 16 and the conventional container 12.

[0026] It will be appreciated that the concept of the present invention is independent of any particular body shape, lid type, closure mechanism, or coupling mechanism such that a variety of alternative configurations and embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the contemplated scope of the present invention.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, for example, a preferred second embodiment of the auxiliary container 110 is shown which is substantially similar to the above-described embodiment, being also adapted for unintrusive coupling with the conventional container 112 and also operable to store one or more doses of the supplementary medication 114 in close association with the primary medication in the conventional container 112. The preferred second embodiment, however, provides a different type of closure mechanism 120 and a different type of coupling mechanism 122 than those described above.

[0028] The closure mechanism 120 operates to secure the lid 118 over the opening 126 of the body 116. As illustrated, the closure mechanism 20 is a catch-type mechanism comprising a first portion 140 associated with the body 116 and a second portion 150 associated with the lid 118. The first portion 140 takes the form of an elongated protrusion 142 projecting forth from an interior surface of the body 116 to present a male catch end 144 protruding substantially beyond the opening 126 of the body 116, preferably on a side of the body 116 which is substantially opposite the hinge 138. The second portion 150 of the closure mechanism 120 takes the form of a female recess 154 or slot in an interior surface of the lid 118 in alignment with and corresponding to the male catch end 144 of the first portion 140. Thus, when the lid 118 is closed over the opening 126, the catch end 144 of the first portion 140 is snugly received within recess 154 of the second portion 150.

[0029] The coupling mechanism 122 functions to removably couple the body 116 with the conventional container 112. As illustrated, the coupling mechanism 122 is a catch-type mechanism comprising a pair of legs 160 attached to or incorporated into a bottom exterior surface of the body 116 and projecting downwardly therefrom. Each leg 160 includes a flexible portion 162 and, at a distal end of the leg 150, a male catch 164. When pushed onto the lid 170 of the conventional container 112, the flexible portion 162 of the leg 160 deflects sufficiently to allow the male catch 164 to pass over a lip portion 172 of the lid 170, whereafter the flexible portion 162 returns to its original state and the male catch 164 is securely caught under the lip 172 of the lid 170. Thus, the catch-type coupling mechanism 122 provides a reliable coupling between the body 116 and the conventional container 112, which is easily uncoupled with minimal force when access to the conventional container 112 is desired.

[0030] In one contemplated embodiment, an elongated and substantially rigid secondary leg 166 is provided adjacent each leg 160 to aid in stabilizing the auxiliary container 110 on the conventional container 112, thereby helping to prevent the auxiliary container 110 from becoming inadvertently dislodged. The secondary legs 166 are substantially similar to the legs 160, but are preferably longer, extending further down the sides of the conventional container 112, and do not present a catch mechanism, relying instead on close physical proximity and contact with the conventional container 112 to substantially oppose lateral movement of the auxiliary container 110 relative thereto.

[0031] Regardless of the embodiment implemented, the auxiliary container 10,110 may include a number of other features related to safety and convenience, including, for example, conventional child-proof safety features incorporated into the lid 18,118 to prevent access by a child to the contents 14,114 of the auxiliary container 10,110. Furthermore, the auxiliary container 10,110 may present a textual or symbolic message indicating its existence or the nature of its contents 14,114.

[0032] In exemplary use and operation, referring again to the preferred first embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, a user first couples the auxiliary container 10 with the conventional container 12 using the coupling mechanism 22. Where the coupling mechanism 22 is an adhesive-type mechanism, the coupling mechanism 22 should be properly positioned and brought into direct physical contact with the surfaces to be adhered to. Alternatively, where the coupling mechanism 122 is a compressive-type mechanism, such as was described above in the preferred second embodiment, the auxiliary container 110 should be pushed down onto the lid 170 of the conventional container 112 until the male catch 164 of each leg 160 is securely received beneath the lip portion 172 of the lid 170. Regardless of the type of coupling mechanism 22 used, it is not necessary to unseal, remove, or replace the conventional container's 12 original lid 18, thereby eliminating potentially damaging exposure of the contents of the conventional container 12.

[0033] The user may then place the supplementary medication 14 or other contents into the interior space 26 of the auxiliary container 10. The user may then close the lid 18 to engage the closure mechanism 20 which secures the lid 18 and prevents loss or exposure of the supplementary medication 14.

[0034] Thereafter, the supplementary medication 14 is available for immediate use whenever and wherever the conventional container 12 is present. For example, a person at high risk of a heart attack may couple the auxiliary container 10 with the existing lid 70 of their heart medication container 12, whether it be a pill bottle, cream tube, or spray can. One or more aspirin tablets 14 or other medication may then be placed within the interior space 26, and the lid 18 closed. As mentioned, aspirin use upon onset of a heart attack improves survivability, carrying aspirin in a closely associated relationship with the primary heart medication provides a distinct health advantage. When the user perceives the possible onset of a heart attack, he or she, having their heart medicine bottle 12 immediately available, quickly opens the lid 18 of the auxiliary container 10 and consumes the aspirin 14. Thus, the present invention provides the benefits and advantages of immediate aspirin availability while freeing the user from the inconvenience of carrying an aspirin bottle or the loss risk associated with carrying individual pills.

[0035] From the preceding description, it will be appreciated that the auxiliary container of the present invention provides readily accessible storage for supplementary medication or other objects in close association with a primary medication such that both are conveniently available for immediate use. It will be appreciated that, depending on the coupling mechanism used, the auxiliary container is potentially usable with any size or type of conventional container, thereby reducing manufacturing and inventory costs by requiring fewer versions than the replacement lids or caps of the prior art. Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawings, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. Thus, as mentioned, the concept of the present invention is independent of any particular body shape, lid type, closure mechanism, or coupling mechanism such that a variety of alternative configurations and embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the contemplated scope of the present invention.

Claims

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

1. An auxiliary container adapted for physical association with a conventional medication container, the auxiliary container comprising: a body substantially defining an interior space and having an opening providing access to the interior space; a lid corresponding to the opening and operable to removably secure thereover so as to further define the interior space and to restrict access to the interior space; and a coupling mechanism operable to removably couple the auxiliary container with the conventional medication container, wherein such coupling does not require opening the conventional medication container.

2. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 1, wherein the conventional medication container is selected from the group consisting of: bottles, pill bottles, spray bottles, tubes, squeeze tubes, and spray cans.

3. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interior space has a volume of between approximately 0.16-0.32 cubic inch

4. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interior space is substantially cylindrical and has a radius of approximately between 0.50-1.50 inch and a depth of approximately between 0.20-0.50 inch.

5. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 1, wherein the body includes a tab projecting outwardly therefrom, with the tab having a hole operable to receive an attachment mechanism.

6. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lid is hingedly connected to the body.

7. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism includes a chemical adhesive.

8. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism includes a mechanical catch.

9. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism includes a leg depending from the body, the leg having a flexible portion and, at a distal end of the leg, a male catch, wherein the auxiliary container may be pushed onto the conventional medication container such that the male catch mechanically cooperates with the conventional medication container to removably couple the auxiliary container therewith.

10. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism includes an elongated and substantially rigid secondary leg depending from the body so as to be in substantially close physical proximity to the conventional medication container, thereby substantially opposing lateral movement of the auxiliary container relative to the conventional medication container.

11. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 1, further including a closure mechanism for securing the lid over the opening in the body.

12. An auxiliary container adapted for physical association with a conventional medication container, the auxiliary container comprising: a body substantially defining an interior space having a volume of between approximately 0.16-0.32 cubic inch, and the body having an opening providing access to the interior space; a lid hingedly connected to the body and corresponding to the opening and operable to removably secure thereover so as to further define the interior space and to restrict access to the interior space; a closure mechanism for securing the lid over the opening in the body; and a coupling mechanism operable to removably couple the auxiliary container with the conventional medication container, wherein such coupling does not require opening the conventional medication container.

13. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 12, wherein the conventional medication container is selected from the group consisting of: bottles, pill bottles, spray bottles, tubes, squeeze tubes, cans, and spray cans.

14. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 12, wherein the interior space is substantially cylindrical and has a radius of approximately between 0.50-1.50 inch and a depth of approximately between 0.20-0.50 inch.

15. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 12, wherein the body includes a tab projecting outwardly therefrom, with the tab having a hole operable to receive an attachment mechanism.

16. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 12, wherein the coupling mechanism includes a chemical adhesive.

17. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 12, wherein the coupling mechanism includes a mechanical catch.

18. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 12, wherein the coupling mechanism includes an elongated and substantially rigid secondary leg depending from the body so as to be in substantially close physical proximity to the conventional medication container, thereby substantially opposing lateral movement of the auxiliary container relative to the conventional medication container.

19. An auxiliary container adapted for physical association with a heart medication container, the auxiliary container comprising: a body substantially defining an interior space which is substantially cylindrical and has a radius of approximately between 0.50-1.50 inch and a depth of approximately between 0.20-0.50 inch, and the body having an opening providing access to the interior space; a lid hingedly connected to the body and corresponding to the opening and operable to removably secure thereover so as to further define the interior space and to restrict access to the interior space; a closure mechanism for securing the lid over the opening in the body; and a coupling mechanism operable to removably couple the auxiliary container with the heart medication container, wherein such coupling does not require opening the heart medication container.

20. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 19, wherein the heart medication container is selected from the group consisting of: bottles, pill bottles, spray bottles, tubes, squeeze tubes, cans, and spray cans.

21. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 19, wherein the body includes a tab projecting outwardly therefrom, with the tab having a hole operable to receive an attachment mechanism.

22. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 19, wherein the coupling mechanism includes a chemical adhesive.

23. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 19, wherein the coupling mechanism includes a mechanical catch.

24. The auxiliary container as set forth in claim 19, wherein the coupling mechanism includes an elongated and substantially rigid secondary leg depending from the body so as to be in substantially close physical proximity to the conventional medication container, thereby substantially opposing lateral movement of the auxiliary container relative to the conventional medication container.