U.S. patent application number 10/427064 was filed with the patent office on 2003-11-06 for pill container.
Invention is credited to Howard, Jeremy C., Michas, Luke W..
Application Number | 20030205496 10/427064 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29273104 |
Filed Date | 2003-11-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030205496 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Howard, Jeremy C. ; et
al. |
November 6, 2003 |
Pill container
Abstract
A pill container has a body with a plurality of separate
compartments with each compartment having an opening to provide
access into the separate compartments. A plurality of lids are
attached to the body over the openings wherein each lid has an open
position providing access to a selected one or more of the
compartments. The lids also have a closed position preventing
access to a selected one or more of the compartments. Each lid has
a latching mechanism for maintaining the lids in the closed
position. An unlocking mechanism is movable to a position to unlock
a selected one or more of the lids so that the unlocked lids may be
opened, while one or more of the remaining lids are maintained in
the closed position.
Inventors: |
Howard, Jeremy C.; (Little
Compton, RI) ; Michas, Luke W.; (Westerly,
RI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Robert L. Stearns
Howard & Howard & Howard Attorneys, P.C.
Suite 101
39400 Woodward Avenue
Bloomfield Hills
MI
48304-5151
US
|
Family ID: |
29273104 |
Appl. No.: |
10/427064 |
Filed: |
May 2, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60377426 |
May 2, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/538 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/0445 20130101;
B65D 83/0454 20130101; B65D 43/26 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/538 |
International
Class: |
B65D 083/04 |
Claims
1. A lockable pill container, comprising: a container body defining
a plurality of separate compartments, each having an open top; a
lid member associated with each of the compartments, each lid
member being sized and constructed to overlie the open top of the
associated compartments; a hinge connecting each lid member to the
container body and supporting the lid members for hinged movement
between open and closed positions; a latch member carried on each
lid member positioned to engage an associated catch formed on the
container body when the lid members are moved to the clearest
positions for releasably locking the lid members individually in
the closed positions; and an unlatching mechanism slidably
supported on the container body and moveable there along into
engagement with a selected one of the latch members to forcibly
urge such latch member toward an unlatched condition to enable a
user to open such lid member and gain access to a selected one of
the compartments without necessarily opening all of the lid members
of the pill container.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/377,426, filed May 2, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates generally to pill containers and more
particularly to pill containers having a lockable lid.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] Containers for holding pills are well known to have separate
compartments for keeping pills separate from one another. It is
also known to have at least one lid for closing the compartments of
the container to maintain the pills in the compartments. As shown
in U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,546 to Noble, it is further known to have a
locking member to engage all the lids to lock all the lids in a
closed position. The locking member in Noble is positioned either
in a locked position, thus rendering all the lids of the pill
container locked, or in an unlocked position thus rendering all of
the lids unlocked and movable to an opened position. Thus, though a
pill box having separate compartments with lids and a locking
member to lock all the lids in a closed position is known, it is
not known to have a pill box with lids that are selectively and
separately lockable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides for a pill container with a
body having a plurality of separate compartments with each
compartment having an opening to provide access into the separate
compartments. A plurality of lids are attached to the body over the
openings wherein each lid has an open position providing access to
a selected one or more of the compartments. The lids also have a
closed position preventing access to a selected one or more of the
compartments. Each lid has a latching mechanism for maintaining the
lids in the closed position. The pill container has an unlocking
mechanism that is movable to a position to unlock a selected one or
more of the lids so that the unlocked lids may be opened, while
maintaining one or more of the remaining lids in the closed
position.
[0007] One advantage of the invention is that the lids on a pill
container may be selectively locked or unlocked providing access to
only the desired compartments in the pill container.
[0008] Another advantage of the invention is that an unlocking
mechanism has a locking feature to prevent inadvertent movement of
the unlocking mechanism to an unintended position.
[0009] Another advantage of the invention is that the unlocking
mechanism may be position to unlock one or more of the lids.
[0010] Another advantage of the invention is that the unlocking
mechanism is easy to operate.
[0011] Another advantage of the invention is that the pill
container can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes.
[0012] Another advantage of the invention is that the pill
container is relatively low in cost and easy to manufacture.
[0013] Another advantage of the invention is that the unlocking
mechanism remains attached to the pill container during use, thus
eliminating the possibility of losing components of the pill
container.
[0014] It should be understood that the above list of advantages of
the invention represents only a partial list of advantages, and in
no way is to be construed as a complete list of advantages for the
current invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] These and other features and advantage of the present
invention will become more readily appreciated when considered with
the following detailed description and appended drawings,
wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a first
currently preferred embodiment of a pill container embodying the
current invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 shows an assembled perspective view of the pill
container from FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a the pill container from
FIG. 2 showing a lid of the container in an open position;
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the pill container looking in
the direction of arrow 4 in FIG. 2;
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a view similar as in FIG. 4 showing the
internal workings of a locking mechanism;
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the locking mechanism
showing a force being applied in the direction of arrow F
facilitating slideable movement of the locking mechanism;
[0022] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7
from FIG. 2 showing a lid in a locked position;
[0023] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-8
from FIG. 2 showing the unlocking device deflecting a lock arm of a
lid;
[0024] FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 8
showing a force being applied in the direction of arrow F causing
the lid to open;
[0025] FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 9
showing a force being applied in the direction of arrow F and F'
causing the lid to open and close, respectively;
[0026] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a second preferred
embodiment of a pill container embodying the current invention;
[0027] FIG. 12 shows a bottom view of the pill container from FIG.
11;
[0028] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a third currently
preferred embodiment of a pill container embodying the current
invention; and
[0029] FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of a fourth currently
preferred embodiment of a pill container embodying the current
invention having at least one subdivided compartment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] A first currently preferred embodiment of a pill container
10 embodying the invention is best shown in FIGS. 1-3. The pill
container 10 has a body 12 and a plurality of separate compartments
14 within the container 10 for storing pills. A plurality of lids
16 are attached to the body 12 so that each lid 16 has an opened
and closed position to both permit and prevent access,
respectively, to a selected one or more of the compartments 14. An
unlocking mechanism 18 is movable to a position to allow a user to
unlock a selected one or more of the lids 16 while maintaining one
or more of the remaining lids 16 in the closed position. The
unlocking mechanism 18 ensures that the user only has access to the
desired compartment 14, thus preventing inadvertent removal of
pills other than those intended to be removed from the container
10.
[0031] As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pill container 10 has
seven separate compartments 14, preferably identified as a separate
compartment for each day of the week. The pill container 10 has a
body 12 with two sidewalls 20, 21 spaced and traversing generally
parallel to one another with a pair of end walls 22, 23 attached at
opposite ends of the sidewalls 20, 21. A bottom surface 24 is
attached to the sidewalls 20, 21 and the end walls 22, 23. To form
separate compartments 14, at least one and preferably six dividers
26 traverse between the sidewalls 20, 21. The dividers 26 are
preferably attached to the sidewalls 20, 21 and the bottom surface
24, thus creating compartments 14 that are sealed-off from one
another. However, it should be recognized that the dividers 26 need
not create a seal between the separate compartments 14. Also, it
should be recognized that any number of compartments 14 can be
formed by incorporating the desired number dividers 26 within the
body 12 of the container 10.
[0032] As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a track 28 is recessed into
the bottom surface 24 of the container 10 and spans a substantial
portion of the length of the bottom surface 24. The track has a
plurality of notches 30 extending generally perpendicular to the
track 28 and generally toward the unlocking mechanism 18 so that a
separate notch 30 is preferably formed and centered below each lid
16. Additionally, a notch 30 is preferably formed below each of the
dividers 26 so that a notch 30 is located between each adjacent
pair of lids 16.
[0033] In addition to the track 28 in the bottom surface 24,
another track 32 is formed in the sidewall 20. The track 32 in the
sidewall 20 is substantially similar in length as the track 28 in
the bottom surface 24. Within the track 32 in the sidewall 20,
preferably a separate slot 34 is formed and centered relative to
each compartment 14 to form an opening through the sidewall 20.
[0034] As best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a plurality of recessed
portions 36 are formed in the sidewall 20. The recessed portions 36
are preferably inclined to form a lead-in chamfer at a top surface
38 of the sidewall 20. The recessed portions 36 extend from the top
surface 38 of the sidewall 20 downwardly to the slots 34.
[0035] FIG. 1 shows all the lids 16 in an open position. The lids
16 are preferably attached to the sidewall 21 providing for pivotal
movement of the lids 16 between the open and closed positions. The
lids 16 are shown attached here by a living hinge 40 between an end
41 of the lids 16 and the sidewall 21, though it should be
recognized that any suitable form of hinge may be used. To
facilitate ease in the manufacture of the pill container 10, the
living hinge is preferably used where the sidewall 21 and the lids
16 are molded and formed together as one piece.
[0036] The lids 16 have another end 42 spaced from the hinge 40
with the end 42 preferably incorporating a tab 44 to facilitate
opening of the lids 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the tabs 44 preferably
extend beyond the sidewall 20 when the lids 16 are in a closed
position. With the tabs 44 extending beyond the sidewall 20, and
with the unlocking mechanism 18 positioned to unlock the lid 16, a
user may lift upwardly on a bottom surface of the tab 44 to pivot
the lid 16 about the hinge 40, thus bringing the lid 16 to its open
position.
[0037] Adjacent the end 42 of the lids 16, a clear portion 46 is
preferably incorporated so that the contents within the separate
compartments 14 of the container 10 may be seen readily without
having to open the lids 16. It should be recognized that the clear
portions 46 may be located anywhere within the lids 16, or it may
be eliminated altogether.
[0038] As best shown in FIGS. 7-9, a generally L-shaped latch 48
extends from each lid 16. Each latch 48 has an elastically
resilient leg portion 50 that extends generally perpendicular from
the lids 16 and terminates in a catch portion 52 extending
generally perpendicular from the leg portion 50. The catch portion
52 of each latch 48 is sized to be received in the separate slots
34 in the sidewall 20 when the respective lid 16 is in a closed
position. The catch portions 52 have a flat portion 54 and a
chamfered or camming portion 56 to facilitate locking and opening
of the lids 16, respectively. As best shown in FIG. 7, when a lid
16 is closed, the catch portion 52 extends into the slot 34 such
that the flat portion 54 is received in the slot 34, thus
preventing the lid 16 from being lifted upwardly by a force, thus
rendering the lid 16 both closed and locked.
[0039] The unlocking mechanism 18 is slidably attached to the body
12 to facilitate unlocking at least one or more of the lids, while
one or more of the remaining lids 16 remain in the closed and
locked position. As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the unlocking
mechanism 18 has a slide portion 58 and a detent portion 60. The
slide portion 58 is generally L-shaped and has a first rail 62, as
shown in FIG. 1, that is slidably received in the track 28 formed
in the bottom surface 24 of the container body 12. A second rail
64, as shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 9, of the slide portion 58 is
slidably received in the track 32 formed in the sidewall 20 of the
container body 12. The first and second rails 62, 64 act in
combination to maintain the unlocking mechanism 18 slidably
attached to the container body 12. The slide portion 58 has a
channel 66 that is sized to slidably receive a portion of the
detent portion 60 to maintain the detent portion 60 between the
slide portion 58 and the container body 12. An opening 68 is formed
in the slide portion 58 that is sized to receive another portion of
the detent portion 60 for reciprocating movement therein.
[0040] The detent portion 60 is generally L-shaped having a first
segment 70 shaped to slide within the channel 66 of the slide
portion 58 and along the bottom surface 24 of the container body
12. The first segment 70 is shown having a necked down portion 72
having a catch 74 extending into the track 28 in the bottom surface
24. The catch 74 is slideable within the track 28 and is sized for
locking engagement within the notches 30 in the track 28. A
non-necked down portion 76 facilitates sliding movement of the
detent portion 60 within the channel 66 of the slide portion
58.
[0041] A second segment 78 of the detent portion 60 has a button
portion 80 shaped to be received in the opening 68 of the slide
portion 58 to allow for reciprocating movement of the button
portion 80 within the opening 68. The second segment 78 has a
spring portion 82 preferably formed as one piece with the detent
portion 60, though it should be recognized that any suitable spring
device, such as a coil spring, a Bellville washer, or the like
could be used in conjunction with the detent portion 60. The spring
portion 82 is arcuate in shape wherein an end 84 of the spring
portion 82 abuts and applies a force to the container body 12 such
that the spring portion 82 biases the detent portion 60 away from
the sidewall 20 of the container body 12, as shown in FIGS. 8 and
9. With the detent portion 60 biased outwardly and away from the
sidewall 20 of the container body 12, the catch 74 on the detent
portion 60 is predisposed to engage the first notch 30 within the
track 28, thus locking the unlocking mechanism 18 to prevent the
unlocking mechanism 18 from sliding relative to the container body
12.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, an external force F can be applied to
the button portion 80 causing the spring portion 82 to elastically
deflect, thus permitting the detent portion 60 to slide within the
channel 66 of the slide portion 58. The sliding movement of the
detent portion 60 removes the catch 74 from a respective notch 30
in the bottom surface 24, thus allowing the unlocking mechanism 18
to slide along the track 28 in the bottom surface 24. Once the
unlocking mechanism 18 is located in the desired position, the
applied force F can be released from the detent portion 60, thus
permitting the spring portion 82 to return to its non-deflected
position to bias the detent portion 60 outwardly, thus causing the
catch 74 to engage the respective notch 30.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, the catch portion 52 on the latch 48 is
engaged within the slot 34 in the sidewall 20 so that the flat
portion 54 maintains the lid 16 in a locked position, thus
preventing the lid 16 from being opened. To facilitate locking a
lid 16, the unlocking mechanism 18 can preferably be positioned so
that the catch 74 on the detent portion 60 is positioned within one
of the notches 30 between a pair of lids 16. While the unlocking
mechanism 18 is in this position, all the lids 16 remain in a
locked position.
[0044] As best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the unlocking mechanism 18
can be positioned to enable the user to move one lid 16 or more to
the open position. While the unlocking mechanism 18 is in this
position, one or more of the lids 16 are also maintained in the
closed position. To facilitate opening the lid 16, the catch 74 on
the detent portion 60 is positioned within one of the notches 30
generally centered relative to one of the lids 16. The second rail
64 on the slide portion 58 abuts the catch portion 52 on the latch
48, thus causing the latch 48 to deflect inwardly, as best shown in
FIG. 8. The flat portion 54 of the catch portion 52 is removed from
the slot 34, thus bringing the camming portion 56 into engagement
with an edge of the recessed portion 36 where the recessed portion
36 meets the slot 34. The lid 16 remains secured against opening on
its own, however, the lid 16 is now operable with application of an
external force F to bring the lid 16 to an open position.
[0045] As best shown in FIG. 9, after the camming surface 56 of the
catch portion 52 has cleared the edge of the recessed portion 36 in
response to the force F, the latch 48 engages and slides along the
recessed portion 36 in the sidewall 20. Initially, when the
elastically resilient leg portion 50 of the latch 48 exits the slot
34, it deflects inwardly in response to the interference between
the catch portion 52 and the recessed portion 36. As the catch
portion travels upwardly toward the top surface 38 of the of the
sidewall 20, the interference between the catch portion 52 and the
recessed portion 36 is continually reduced, thus causing the leg
portion 50 to elastically return to its original non-deflected
shape. As best shown in FIG. 10, when the catch portion 52 reaches
the top surface 38 of the sidewall, the elastically resilient leg
portion is returned to the non-deflected shape.
[0046] As best shown in FIG. 10, to close a lid 16, an opposing
force F' can be applied to the lid 16, thus causing the catch
portion 52 of the latch 48 to enter the lead-in chamfer while in
its non-deflected shape. As the catch portion is caused to travel
downwardly by the force F', the catch portion 52 continues to slide
along the recessed portion 36, again causing the leg portion 50 to
deflect as the interference between the leg portion 50 and the
recessed portion 36 increases. When the catch portion 52 reaches
the slot 34 in the sidewall 20, the force resulting from the
elastic deflection of the leg portion 50 under the closing force F'
causes the flat portion 54 of the catch portion 52 to enter the
slot 34. Thus, the leg portion 50 is returned to its non-deflected
shape, rendering the lid 16 closed and locked.
[0047] A second currently preferred embodiment of a pill container
110 embodying the invention is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. The
discussion is limited here to the areas where the first and second
embodiments differ. To facilitate review and description of the
pill container 110, the same reference numbers are applied to parts
in pill container 110 as in pill container 10, with an exception to
where differences result, then they are offset by 100.
[0048] The pill container 110 has sidewalls 120 that are generally
cylindrical in shape. Therefore, instead of the unlocking mechanism
18 sliding in a linear path as in the first embodiment, the
unlocking mechanism 18 is slidable about an arcuate path. The track
132 in the sidewall 120 is preferably continuous, thus permitting
the unlocking mechanism 18 to move slidably about the circumference
of the pill container 110. As shown in FIG. 12, a track 128 in the
bottom surface 24 is arcuate, and shown here as a generally
circular track. Otherwise, the pill container 110 of the second
embodiment remains functionally similar to the pill container 10
from the first embodiment.
[0049] A third currently preferred embodiment of a pill container
210 embodying the invention is shown in FIG. 13. The third
embodiment remains generally similar to the first embodiment,
therefore, the discussion is limited here to the points where the
first and third embodiments differ. To facilitate review and
description of the pill container 210, the same reference numbers
are applied to parts in pill container 210 as in pill container 10,
with an exception to where differences result, then they are offset
by 200.
[0050] The pill container 210 has a slender and somewhat more
compact container body 12 than the container body 12 in the first
embodiment. The sidewalls 20, 21 and the end walls 22, 23 have a
reduced height from those in the first embodiment, thus providing
the more slender profile to the pill container 210. Otherwise, the
pill container 210 in the third embodiment remains similar to the
pill container 10 in the first embodiment.
[0051] A fourth currently preferred embodiment of a pill container
310 embodying the invention is shown in FIG. 14. The fourth
embodiment remains generally similar to the first embodiment,
therefore, the discussion is limited here to the points where the
first and fourth embodiments differ. To facilitate review and
description of the pill container 310, the same reference numbers
are applied to parts in pill container 310 as in pill container 10,
with an exception to where differences result, then they are offset
by 300.
[0052] The pill container 310 has at least one compartment 114
wherein the compartment 114 has at least one partition, shown here
as having two partitions 86, to create three separate
sub-compartments 88, 89, 90 within the larger compartment 114.
Otherwise, the pill container 310 in the fourth embodiment remains
similar to the pill container 10 in the first embodiment.
[0053] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the
preferred embodiment of the preferred invention are possible in
light of the above teachings. The embodiment described only
discloses the currently preferred embodiments of the invention, and
it should be understood that the pill containers as described need
not be limited to the shapes, sizes, and configurations as shown in
the Figures. The disclosed embodiments are intended to be
illustrative rather than definitive thereof.
* * * * *