U.S. patent application number 12/156477 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-08 for bag to gather, removably secure, and track pills and pill organizers in a compact way.
Invention is credited to Namratha Sanka.
Application Number | 20090010575 12/156477 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40221510 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090010575 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sanka; Namratha |
January 8, 2009 |
Bag to gather, removably secure, and track pills and pill
organizers in a compact way
Abstract
A bag that holds pill-organizers within, which together serve as
a rolodex of pill organizers, accommodates several pill organizers
that are commercially available in the market in an orderly and
secure manner. Similar to a rolodex, the pill organizers in the bag
can also be removed individually for refilling with pills and
rearranged back into the bag easily. The bag is completely or
partially lined on the insides or constructed with loop material
such that found on one side of a Velcro.RTM.. The pill organizers
are provided on their under-side with the hook part of the
Velcro.RTM.. This makes it possible to temporarily fasten the pill
organizers along the inside walls of both sides of the bag. The
invention, which is the bag with the pill organizers within, can be
completely closed to look like a compact carrying case. The
invention has additional spaces to provide documentation and other
aids for administration of pills. The bag of pill organizers can be
easily carried in one's hand or on the shoulder with a
shoulder-strap while on a visit to the doctor or medical
professional for a visual examination of pills not yet consumed and
any changes in medication. The present invention can also be
carried as a travel accessory during a user's trip such as on a
cruise. The invention can have various ornamental designs to serve
as identifiers and to cater to the preferences of users. The
invention fills the need for a simple tool to organize pills and
remove the pain of taking pills even while traveling.
Inventors: |
Sanka; Namratha; (Sinking
Spring, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NAMRATHA SANKA
121 NEW YORK AVENUE
SINKING SPRING
PA
19608
US
|
Family ID: |
40221510 |
Appl. No.: |
12/156477 |
Filed: |
June 2, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60932587 |
Jun 1, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
383/25 ; 206/528;
383/40; 383/61.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 13/02 20130101;
A45C 11/00 20130101; A61J 7/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/25 ; 383/40;
383/61.3; 206/528 |
International
Class: |
B65D 33/06 20060101
B65D033/06; B65D 30/22 20060101 B65D030/22; B65D 33/16 20060101
B65D033/16; B65D 83/04 20060101 B65D083/04 |
Claims
1. A bag with multiple individual pillboxes securely held within,
but capable of separating from the bag easily by simply pulling
them apart by hand.
2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said bag which
contains pillboxes opens into two halves, and each half of such bag
has an inside wall built of or equipped with a mechanism of
Velcro.RTM. or like mechanism to hold firmly but temporarily onto
several pillboxes at a time.
3. The invention according to claim 1 where in each of the said
pillboxes further have their undersides equipped with the opposite
kind of fastener allowing for the pillboxes to adhere securely but
temporarily to the inside wall of the invention as explained in
claim 2.
4. The invention according to claim 1 is further equipped with
spaces and pockets to carry medical records and any documentation
to assist the medical professional to check on the consumption of
pills.
5. The invention according to claim 4 will have the facility to
attach various accessories to create extra spaces for items of
value to the user such as a place for plane tickets or currency and
coins.
6. The invention according to claim 1 will have a mechanism like a
zipper or other effective fasteners to effectively close and seal
the invention in order to be able to carry the invention around
during travel or during a visit to the doctor.
7. The invention according to claim 1 further has a strap or a
handle on the outside to allow user to conveniently carry them
around as a travel accessory.
8. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the bag opens up,
further may have only one side with pillboxes, and the other side
serving as a place to store any other item or items that can be
held by Velcro.RTM. or similar compatible fasteners.
9. The invention according to claim 1 is of such capacity that it
can store a 90-day supply of pills for the serious pill consumer.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on the Provisional Application
Ser. No. 60/932,587, filed Jun. 1, 2007.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM,
LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is related to bags, the internal
surfaces of which will have a collection of pill organizers that
can be individually and removably attached to the inside surface of
the bags using material sold in strips or pieces that can be glued
or sewn to the interior surface of the bags, with the complemental
part of such adhering strips or pieces glued or molded to the
external surface of pill organizers; the bags internal surface and
the pill organizers' external surface when thus equipped and
pressed together will form a utility bag to secure the pill
organizers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Pill organizers are used regularly by a variety of people,
whether they are senior citizens who consume a lot of pills to
maintain their health, young individuals who take health
supplements, pregnant women and new mothers taking pills such as
pre-natal vitamins and other vitamins, or medical patients who are
required to take several pills at regular intervals during the day.
Several types of pill organizers are commercially available to
cater to the needs of various pill consumers. Filling up a pill
organizer is often a weekly chore for the individuals who are
taking the pills or their care providers. It is a tedious process;
however like any assembly line process once the filling of the pill
organizers is started the repetitive action makes it easier to fill
several weeks' supply of pills where practicable. Pills that are
purchased against a prescription can be orders for several weeks at
a time. The pill consumer or care provider ought to be able to
complete the chore of several weeks at in a single filling session,
thereby saving considerable time and energy due to the efficiency
achieved by repetitive action. The pill consumers or care providers
have to often face the inconvenience of having to open several
bottles of pills multiple times a day based on the prescribed
dosage, and retain the bottles as long as the prescription lasts.
This is inconvenient and prone to costly errors not only at the
time of consuming the pills, but also when the medicine cabinet,
rearranging closets, moving things around the house or when
traveling. Further, it has been observed that when physicians ask
their patients to bring along with them information on the
medications during their visit to the doctor, the patients take
several bottles of medicines with them in a highly disorganized
manner. This makes it difficult or impossible to check at a glance
if the patient has been taking medicines as prescribed or to assess
at a glance if the pills are ready for reorder with another
prescription.
[0006] Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present
invention to provide convenience to persons consuming pills as well
as any care providers including physicians helping such pill
consumers with their consumption of pills to be able to easily
gather, secure, store move, carry, open, keep a track of them at a
glance, and further, with minimal effort be able to temporarily
detach and re-attach pill organizers of any shape and form or
number, at will for convenience or replacement. The invention
prevents clutter in the medicine cabinet; prevents wrongful
medication or mixing up of medication if an elderly couple has
medications that look similar, so long as each of the medicine
consumers use separate colors or identifiers on the invention.
[0007] For most users, pills and pillboxes are not a pleasant chore
to deal with. Adding mechanical devices or electronic devices make
them further intimidating. The present invention makes organizing
of pillbox a simple activity. The present invention makes review of
medication taken also a simple visual activity that can be handled
competently by any medically untrained person with common counting
skills. The present invention also emphasizes on simplicity by
creating a product of convenience using clasps and straps and
fasteners that are easy to understand and use requiring no special
training or learning curve by the end-users. The present invention
aims at replacing the clutter in a medicine cabinet to bring more
structure and organization in a simple visual manner to the chore
of managing and consuming pills from pillboxes day after day. The
present invention also helps users to keep their medications and
pills discreet in neatly closed presentable bags. The present
invention allows the user to take all the pills and keep them
together in one place, neatly organized. The invention includes the
bag which externally is pleasing to the eye can be conveniently
carried during travel.
[0008] Prior art in this field is replete with examples of
organizers that require a lot of administrative skills with
calendars and documentation. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,237
to Brandon which discloses a monthly calendar with daily panels,
requires skills of an accounting clerk and an administrative
assistant combined.
[0009] Other prior art in this field are not designed for
convenience during long travel such as a senior citizen's cruise on
a ship. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,506 to Welles which
discloses a magnetic panel, containers that are not discreet about
the contents or purpose, and complicated forms for medication
compliance.
[0010] The present invention also emphasizes the need of the pill
consumers for some privacy and dignity by covering the pillboxes in
a convenient bag that is discreet and can be carried around like a
fashion accessory. This is an emotional need of the pill takers
that the prior art does not address well. An example is the prior
art in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,085 to Denney that places conventional
pill boxes in ribbed open top trays.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] This and other objects are provided in accordance with the
present invention by an aggregate of pill organizers which may be
individually and removably fastened to the internal surface of a
bag by a synthetic material sold in pieces or strips comprising
complemental parts which adhere when pressed together. This is sold
under the registered trademark VELCRO.RTM., which is manufactured
by American VELCRO Inc. of Manchester, N.H.
[0012] VELCRO.RTM. or the like, is applied by adhesive or sewn-in
to both inside-surfaces of the bag and the outer surface of the
pill organizers. This enables the pill organizers to be applied,
removed and replaced at will. The VELCRO.RTM. or like material may
be sewn in or applied by adhesive to the inside of the bag in the
shape of parallel strips or other patterns, or completely covering
or partially covering the inside surface of the bag. The
complemental part of the VELCRO.RTM. or like material will be
applied to the pill organizers by adhesive or may be molded to the
surface of the pill box in strips, circles or other pattern to
enable easy removal without compromising on the stability of the
pill organizer when adhered to the bag after pressing the
complemental VELCRO.RTM. surfaces against one another.
[0013] The bag itself may be shaped to adapt and hold any of a
number of pill organizers of different shapes and styles. The bags
themselves may be ornamental in design and may have a monogram or
other decorative item or symbol attached or sewn in for fashion or
identification. The bag may make a fashion statement as well. The
bag may be made of denier nylon or fabric or leather or other
synthetic material. The bag may have other utilitarian items
attached as accessories such as planner or other aids to memory or
fashion accessories.
[0014] These and other objects, features and advantages will be
better understood by a study of the detailed description
hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 shows an image similar to an open book, with a
frontal perspective of the inside panel of the right-side surface
of the bag of the type contemplated by this invention, and a
partial-vertical perspective of the inside surface of the left-side
surface of the same bag, with various pill organizers attached to
the inside-surfaces by VELCRO.RTM. adhesive surfaces on one side of
the pill organizers and the inner surfaces of the bag, which has a
zipper running along three edges of the bag to close and secure the
several pill organizers. The bag itself has three open edges that
act as lips which can be secured by pulling a zipper through its
uninterrupted length along all three open edges and the fourth edge
that has no opening, acts as the spine.
[0016] FIG. 2 shows the diagonal-top view of the invention when the
zipper is closed on the three edges. When closed with the zipper,
the invention has sufficient volume to cover the depth of any pill
organizer. This requires the zipper to be placed on
[0017] FIG. 3 shows the invention resting on its spine.
[0018] FIG. 4 shows the invention when disassembled, with the
inside surfaces of the invention revealing strips made of
VELCRO.RTM. material or the like.
[0019] FIG. 5 shows the pill organizers with the underside bearing
complementing VELCRO.RTM. strips that complement the VELCRO.RTM.
adhesive or sewn-in inside-surfaces of the bag or other patterns
including dots. Complementing VELCRO.RTM. may also be molded to the
surface of the pill organizers as an inherent part of the pill
organizer itself.
[0020] FIG. 6 shows the invention when disassembled, with the
inside surfaces of the invention revealing the VELCRO.RTM. sewn in
to form the inside surfaces of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 7 shows devices for closing the bag other than use of
zipper running along the three open edges.
[0022] FIG. 8 shows how the invention can adapt to different styles
and designs of pill organizers.
[0023] FIG. 9 shows attachments that can hold relevant additional
information for the user of the invention such as prescriptions or
laminated medicine descriptions that usually come along with
prescribed medicines.
[0024] FIG. 10 shows examples of straps that can be added to the
invention to make them easy to carry around.
[0025] FIG. 11 shows how the invention can be further modified to
include various accessories and allow for carrying other utility
items to combine purposes while organizing the pills.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] The preferred embodiment illustrated is not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed.
Rather, it is chosen and described to better explain the principles
of the invention and to enable one having an ordinary skill in the
art to utilize the invention.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a bag
which is open on three edges, with the fourth edge being the spine
1. A continuous zipper 2 runs along the three open edges. The bag
opens like a book, and has a left-panel 2b and a right-panel 2c.
Each angle of the open book other than the spine 1 has a lip 2a on
the right panel and 2d on the left panel, which has a zipper along
the rim. When closed, the zippers come together to result in a flat
surface along the three open edges of the bag, much like a
hardback. The zipper has a grip 4 big enough to comfortably grip
and open or close the bag. Both panels of the bag are deep enough
to accommodate the depth 3a of the pill organizers 3. The drawing
in FIG. 1 shows the bag stacked with pill organizers 3b one below
the other.
[0028] FIG. 2 shows the invention resting on one of its three edges
7a. The three edges 7a, 7b, 7c are flattened to create volume
inside the bag when closed. The width of the continuous running
upper-lip 2d and lower-lip 2a along the three edges are equal, as a
result of which, when the bag is closed the zipper 6 divides the
length of the three edges equally.
[0029] FIG. 3 shows the invention resting on its spine 7 and the
zipper grip 6a in position once the bag is closed. The bag can have
an exterior of leather, or it can be a fashion accessory with
ornaments attached to it 6b for fashion or identification or
personalization with monogram 6c. The bag will be made of flexible
material such as leather, simulated leather, denier nylon or fabric
or other synthetic flexible material allowing the pill organizers
inside to be wedged out for ease of removal and reinstatement, by
pushing the outside of the bag with the palm of one's hand, and
touching the pill organizers with one's fingers to tilt each pill
organizer and easily pull it out or adjust its positioning on the
VELCRO.RTM..
[0030] FIG. 4 shows the invention in FIG. 1 in a disassembled
state, when the pill organizers 3b of FIG. 1 have been removed from
the bag. As shown in FIG. 4, the inside panels of the bag reveal
strips 9 of VELCRO.RTM. material or similar adherent attached to be
able to hold the pill organizers in a removable manner. The
VELCRO.RTM. may alternatively take other patterns to adapt to
corresponding complementary pieces of VELCRO that will be placed on
the pill organizers in such a manner that when pressed together,
they will stay in place inside the bag in stacks one below the
other, or in any other form that the pill organizers are available
and fit inside the bag.
[0031] FIG. 5 shows the pill organizers detached from the bag. The
adherent used is VELCRO or similar synthetic material, allowing for
the attaching and detaching of the pill organizers from within the
bag, possible with little effort. The use of VELCRO or similar
material also allows the individual pill organizers to be detached
if just one pill organizer needs to be removed from the bag at a
given point in time. FIG. 5 also shows corresponding pieces of
VELCRO.RTM. on the pill organizers, such pieces being in the shape
of small rectangles 8 exactly the same width as the strips 9, or
may be in the form of small circles or dots 11 on the underside of
the pill organizers. The VELCRO.RTM. or similar adherent may also
have one of its two complementing parts molded into the pill
organizers 10 to eliminate the need for aligning the rectangle
pieces or the circular pieces or dots during manufacture.
VELCRO.RTM. or similar adherent comes with multitudes of semi-open
hooks on one complementing side and multitudes of loops or fizzy
textured fibers on the other complementing side. FIG. 5 also shows
a cross section of the pill organizer 3 with its underside bearing
the adhered square shaped pieces 8 of VELCRO.RTM. or with the
VELCRO.RTM. or similar adherent molded to the surface of the pill
organizer 10. The pill organizers may come with built-in locking
mechanisms to further secure their contents. The component of the
VELCRO.RTM. or similar adherent which bears the fuzzy textured
fiber will be the one that will be placed on the inside surface of
the panels 2b and 2c of the invention.
[0032] FIG. 6 shows that the VELCRO or similar adherent may also be
applied or sewn in to encompass the entire area 12 of the inside
panels of the bag, thus forming the inside material for the bag,
except the inside of the lips 2a and 2d and the inside of the spine
1.
[0033] Other modifications are shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, and
11.
[0034] FIG. 7 shows the invention with alternatives to the zippers
to secure the bag. A snap or button 13 or other ways to secure the
bag can be used. FIG. 7 also shows other alternatives to the zipper
can be used to secure the bag such as two overlapping flaps 13a and
13b of VELCRO on each on each adjacent edges of the outside of the
bag can be used with at least one of the flaps originating from the
longest open edge of the bag.
[0035] FIG. 8 shows the invention with a different style 15 of pill
organizers adhered on inside panels, demonstrating that the
invention can be used with any type of pill organizer and the bag
will change in dimension and style 14 to accommodate the pill
organizer.
[0036] FIG. 9 shows the invention with a built-in divider 16 placed
between the two panels 2b and 2c, such divider originating in the
inside of the spine 1 of the invention being a transparent sleeve
or a cascading set of multiple transparent sleeves to store and
display descriptions and prescriptions of all the pills that have
been prescribed for the user or all the pills being stored in the
invention.
[0037] FIG. 10 shows examples of how the bag can have convenient
straps 17 for carrying by hand or on the shoulder.
[0038] FIG. 11 shows how the bag may have extra spaces to securely
hold other accessories such as reading glasses 18, cellular phones
19, pens 20, pencils, note pad, zippered pockets 21 for carrying
credit cards, money, medicine bottle labels, prescriptions, contact
information and emergency medical records or codes as well as any
radio-frequency identification chips that contain medical records,
other devices to electronically page the bag to locate it if
misplaced during travel, similar to how one would locate a
telephone handset if one of two are misplaced, or other
transmission or reception devices that help a user connect remotely
with a care-provider.
[0039] Any other like materials can be substituted by one skilled
in the art. While the invention has been described and illustrated
in connection with preferred embodiments, many variations and
modifications as will be evident to those skilled in this art may
be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention,
and the invention as set forth in the appended claims is thus not
to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth
above as such variations and modifications are intended to be
included within the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *