Abstract:
Described is a medication recording device for optically enhancing the view of markings on the device. The device includes a bottle cap for connection with a prescription container. Markings indicative of at least one of a time and date are connected with the bottle cap. A prescription recording magnifier (such as a lens) is connected with the bottle cap and positioned over the markings such that the markings can be viewed through the prescription recording magnifier to optically enlarge the markings. This allows a larger portion the population with visual impairment to take advantage of new advances in home medication monitoring. Additionally, the medication recording device can be thrilled to include two lenses, where both lenses that are thrilled or shaped such that the viewing focal point of both lenses converge to a single focal point.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a Non-Provisional Utility Patent Application of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/663,740, filed on Jun. 25, 2012, entitled, “Prescription Recording Magnifier.” 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of Invention 
     The present invention is related to a prescription container and, more particularly, to a medication recording device with a prescription recording magnifier that enlarges visual markings that are used with medication reminders. 
     (2) Description of Related Art 
     Many containers have been made for tracking the intake of medications. In many instances, the bottle cap is not of sufficient size to allow for the characters (i.e., numbers and/or letters) to be of sufficient size to be easily seen. 
     Numerous devices have been patented and produced that allow for a medication user to view items associated with their use of medication. Examples of such devices are as follows. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0187282, by Seijas, discloses a rotating dial affixed with the medication container. Alternatively, U.S. Patent Publication No 2006/0124501, by McNeely, discloses a slider rotating around the top of a medication lid. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,795, by Bartholomew, teaches a slider moving across a medication container lid. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 8,146,528, by Fralick, discloses a thumb wheel rotating on top of the medication lid. While operable to assist a user in identifying when to take a medication, each of these inventions have a limitation of physical size being dictated by the physical size of the container. 
     Such devices could be enlarged to improve visibility, however, that in turn creates additional disadvantages. Examples of such problems are as follows. For example, enlarged containers may be too large and can be clumsy to carry. Additionally, such enlarged containers require more space to store the medications and, further require more materials that must be used and discarded. 
     Thus, a continuing need exists for increasing the ability of a user to view relevant medication information without actually increasing the size of the medication container. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     This invention provides a means for enlarging the visual image presented by a prescription or medication recording or reminding device. Specifically, the present invention is a medication recording device with a prescription recording magnifier that enlarges visual markings that are used with medication reminders. 
     The medication recording device includes a bottle cap for connection with a prescription container. Markings indicative of at least one of a time and date are connected with the bottle cap. Further, a prescription recording magnifier is connected with the bottle cap and positioned over the markings such that the markings can be viewed through the prescription recording magnifier to optically enlarge the markings. 
     The markings include a first set of markings formed on the bottle cap. Additionally, the prescription recording magnifier includes a first light distorting lens component. Further, a slider is rotatably connected with the bottle cap. The slider has a hole formed therethrough, with the first light distorting lens component positioned over the hole. Importantly, the slider is rotatable around the bottle cap to reveal the first set of markings through the first light distorting lens component. 
     In another aspect, a thumb wheel that is rotatably attached with the bottle cap. In this aspect, the markings also include a second set of markings formed on the thumb wheel. Additionally and in this aspect, the prescription recording magnifier includes a second light distorting lens component attached with the bottle cap such that it is positioned over the second set of markings, whereby a user can rotate the thumb wheel to reveal the second set of markings through the second light distorting lens component. 
     In another aspect, the first and second light distorting lens components are each lenses (e.g., convex lenses) that are shaped or positioned such that the viewing focal point of both lenses converge to a single focal point. 
     Finally, as can be appreciated by one in the art, the present invention also comprises a method for forming and using the invention described herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed descriptions of the various aspects of the invention in conjunction with reference to the following drawings, where: 
         FIG. 1  is a top-view illustration of a medication recording device, depicting visual enhancing lenses attached to time keeping components; 
         FIG. 2  is a side-view illustration of the medication recording device, depicting the visual enhancing lenses attached to time keeping components; 
         FIG. 3  is a side-view illustration of a convex lens, depicting an example relationship of a convex lens (in this example) on the viewing ability of a thumb wheel illustrating numbers, letters, time/s and/or date/s; 
         FIG. 4  is a side-view illustration of a convex lens (in this example), depicting an example relationship of a convex lens on the viewing ability of a rotating slider that illustrates numbers, letters, time/s and/or date/s; and 
         FIG. 5  is a side-view illustration depicting how the lenses positioned near both the thumb wheel and rotating slider are formed or otherwise positioned to provide a single, convergent, viewing focal point for both lenses so that the medication recording device can be read with ease from one point. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is related to a prescription container and, more particularly, to a medication recording device with a prescription recording magnifier that enlarges visual markings that are used with medication reminders. The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and to incorporate it in the context of particular applications. Various modifications, as well as a variety of uses in different applications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to a wide range of embodiments. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments presented, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. 
     In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without necessarily being limited to these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. 
     The reader&#39;s attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference. All the features disclosed in this specification, (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is only one example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
     Furthermore, any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. Section 112, Paragraph 6. In particular, the use of “step of” or “act of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, Paragraph 6. 
     Please note, if used, the labels left, right, front, back, top, bottom, forward. reverse, clockwise and counter clockwise have been used for convenience purposes only and are not intended to imply any particular fixed direction. Instead, they are used to reflect relative locations and/or directions between various portions of an object. 
     (1) Description 
     The present invention is directed to a prescription recording magnifier that enhances existing prescription recording and monitoring devices affixed to prescription bottles. As noted above, existing prescription or medication containers are not of sufficient size to allow for the characters (i.e., numbers and/or letters) to be easily seen. Thus, the present invention improves upon the prior art by providing an improved visual display through the addition of a convex lens (or set of lenses) to the mechanics of the medication recording device. In doing so, the present invention provides a device for enlarging the visual image presented by a prescription or medication recording or reminding device. It should be noted that the prescription recording magnifier can be applied to any medication recording or reminding device, a non-limiting example of which includes the device of U.S. Pat. No. 8,146,528, by Fralick, which is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. 
     Thus, the present invention is a medication recording device that includes a prescription recording magnifier for enlarging the visual image presented by such a prescription or medication recording device. At its most basic level, the medication recording device includes a bottle cap with markings (or an image) that indicate a date, time, etc. at which the relevant medication should be taken. The markings are either repositionable and/or a repositionable viewing window is movably attached with the bottle cap to allow for selective positioning of the viewing window over the markings. The prescription recording magnifier (i.e., lens) is positioned over the markings to optically enlarge the markings. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, there are numerous techniques by which such a medication recording device can be accomplished, a non-limiting example of which is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4  and described in further detail below. 
       FIG. 1  provides a top-view illustration of a medication recording device with such a prescription recording magnifier. In this example, the medication recording device includes a rotating slider  32  that is rotatably connected with a bottle cap  33  and that can be rotated around the bottle cap  33  to the select the desired time (as illustrated). In other words, below the rotating slider  32  and on top of the bottle cap  33  are markings  43  (such as time stamps) that run around the top (depicted as element  34  in  FIG. 2 ) of the bottle cap  33 . The rotating slider  32  includes a hole (i.e., viewing window) formed therethrough that allows a user to view a particular marking  43  (i.e., time stamp) through the hole. A first light distorting lens component  41  is attached (i.e., glued or affixed using any suitable mechanism, technique, or device) with the rotating slider  32  such that it is positioned over the hole to allow a user to view the markings below the rotating slider  32  and through the hole. Importantly, the first light distorting lens component  41  is a lens (e.g., clear lens) that is shaped to distort light and visually enlarge the marking  43  on the bottle cap  33  for the user. It should be noted that the term bottle cap  33  is intended to refer to any cap or lid that can be attached with a medication or prescription container. 
     Also depicted in  FIG. 1  is thumb wheel  30  that is positioned within the center of the bottle cap  33 , the slider  32 , and a thumb wheel retainer  31 . The thumb wheel retainer  31  is attached with the bottle cap  33  and formed to rotatably hold the thumb wheel  30 . Additionally, the thumb wheel  30  includes a number of markings  35  (a non-limiting example of which includes day stamps) formed around the thumb wheel  30  to allow a user to rotate the thumb wheel  30  to illustrate the desired marking  35 . Thus, the thumb wheel  30  is rotatably attached with the bottle cap  33  such that the thumb wheel can be rotated to reveal a marking  35  indicative of at least one of a time and date. Notably, the rotating slider  32  is rotatable on an X-axis and the thumb wheel  30  is rotatable on a Y-axis. 
     A second light distorting lens component  40  is mounted on top of the thumb wheel retainer  31 . The second light distorting lens component  40  is a lens (e.g., clear lens) that is shaped to distort light and visually enlarge the marking  35  on the thumb wheel  30 . For example, when viewing the bottle cap  33  from above, the markings  35  on the thumb wheel  30  are visually distorted by the shape of the lens through which light passes to enlarge the day (in this non-limiting example) written on the thumb wheel  30 . 
     For further understanding,  FIG. 2  provides a side-view illustration of a medication recording device having the magnifiers incorporated therein. As shown, the slider  32  has a hole  74  that allows it to be positioned around a protrusion  72  (e.g., cylindrical protrusion) that is formed on top of the bottle cap  33 . Thus, the slider  32  can be rotated around the protrusion  72  on the bottle cap  33  to select the desired time (as illustrated in  FIG. 1 ). As was also noted above, the shape of the first light distorting lens component  41  distorts light and visually enlarges markings that are on top  34  of the bottle cap  33 . 
     Also as depicted is the thumb wheel  30  positioned within the center of the bottle cap  33 , the slider  32 , and the thumb wheel retainer  31 . A clear lens (i.e., the second light distorting lens component  40 ) is mounted (i.e., glued or affixed using any suitable mechanism, technique, or device) on the thumb wheel retainer  31  such that the lens covers a central portion of the thumb wheel  31  that includes relevant markings (depicted as element  35  in  FIG. 1 ). It should be noted that the second light distorting lens component  40  is formed to allow gripping elements  70  of the thumb wheel  30  to extend above and beyond the second light distorting lens component  40 . In other words and as shown between  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the thumb wheel  30  includes gripping elements  70  that allow a user to rotate the thumb wheel  30 . Between the gripping elements  70  is a central portion  71  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) of the thumb wheel  30  that includes the markings  35 . The central portion  71  is sunken or otherwise below a level of the gripping elements  70  that straddle the central portion. Thus, the second light distorting lens component  40  is formed such that it covers this central portion  71 , yet allows the gripping elements  70  to protrude beyond the second light distorting lens component  40 . It should also be noted that although  FIG. 2  illustrates the thumb wheel  30  as having gripping elements  70  above the wheel retainer  31 , the thumb wheel  30 , in actuality, has gripping elements  70  that extend all the way around the thumb wheel  30  to allow for ease of rotation of the thumb wheel  30 . 
     It should also be noted that the thumb wheel  30  is affixed with the bottle cap  33  using any suitable mechanism or device. As a non-limiting example, the thumb wheel retainer  31  includes a protrusion  60  with tabs  62 . Thus, in this example, the protrusion  60  can be positioned through the hole  74  of the slider  32  and into the cylindrical protrusion  72  that is formed on top of the bottle cap  33 . The tabs  62  engage with corresponding markings within the cylindrical protrusion  72  to affix the wheel retainer  31  against the bottle cap  33 . 
     When viewing the bottle cap  33  from above, markings  35  (e.g., day markings, etc.) on the thumb wheel  30  are visually distorted by the shape of lens through which light passes to enlarge the day markings  35  (in this case) written on the thumb wheel  30   
       FIG. 3  provides an exposed, side-view illustration of the components required for operation of the optical lens (i.e., the second light distorting lens component  40 ) modification of a prescription recording device. The second light distorting lens component  40  is visually clear to the eye when viewed from position  50 . The shape of the lens (as is well known by those skilled in the art) focuses light  52  onto a small portion of the thumb wheel  30  that includes the markings  35  displayed in earlier figures. 
       FIG. 4  provides an exposed, side view illustration of the components required for operation of the optical lens (i.e., first light distorting lens component  41 ) modification of the prescription recording device. As was the case above, the first second light distorting lens component  41  is visually clear to the eye when viewed from position  53 . The shape of the lens (as is well known by those skilled in the art) focuses light  54  onto a small portion of the bottle cap  33  that includes the markings  43  displayed in earlier figures. 
     Thus, both the first  41  and second  40  light distorting lens components are lenses that are shaped in any suitable manner such that the lenses appear to visually enlarge markings positioned below the lenses. As a non-limiting example, the lenses are convex lenses. 
     In another aspect and as depicted in  FIG. 5 , both convex lenses can be arranged in such a manner (such as formed, shaped or positioned) as to maintain a single focal point (e.g., directly above the thumb wheel) while enlarging each of their individual markings. This is to be contrasted with two lenses both having perpendicular viewing locations directly above the markings and two focal points. Thus, in this aspect, the lenses are positioned or formed such that they have a single focal point for both lenses so that the medication recording device can be read with ease from a single point. As a non-limiting example, at least one of the lenses is tilted a little so that its focal point converges with the other. As another non-limiting example, the lens is formed to have a shape such that the focal points of the two lenses converge. 
     For example and as shown in  FIG. 5 , the markings  35  and  43  that are to he viewed are at locations A and B, respectively. Importantly, the markings  35  and  43  are to he viewed from focal point C through the lenses  40  and  41  (i.e., the light distorting lens components (e.g., convex lenses)). A typical magnification lens provides a viewing point that is perpendicular to the text. Thus, in using two lenses, there would typically be two focal points. However, in the aspect as depicted in  FIG. 5 , the lenses are shaped and/or positioned (using techniques as commonly known by those skilled in the art of lenses) such that the viewing focal point of both lenses  40  and  41  converge to a single focal point C. As a non-limiting example, the lenses  40  and  41  are formed such that the focal point C for both lenses converge above and in the center of the bottle cap  33 . Thus, in this example, the convex lenses  40  and  41  are arranged in such a manner as to maintain a single focal point C directly above the thumb wheel  30  while enlarging each of their individual markings,  35  and  43 , respectively. As such, the lenses operate as magnifiers for the markings  35  and  43  that are affixed with medication recording device. 
     Stated in another manner, the medication recording device includes two sets of markings, a first set of markings  43  and a second set of markings  35 . A prescription recording magnifier includes two lenses, a first lens  41  positioned above the first set of markings  43  and a second lens  40  positioned above the second set of markings  35 . Importantly, the first and second lenses  40  and  41  are formed or shaped such that the viewing focal point of both lenses converge to a single focal point (element C). 
     In summary, the present invention is a medication recording device that includes a prescription recording magnifier for enlarging the visual image presented by such a prescription or medication recording device. The prescription recording, magnifier is one or more lenses (i.e., light distorting lens components) that can be positioned or otherwise affixed with a medication recording device at any desired location. Several non-limiting examples of suitable locations include being positioned over (1) a slider mechanism to reveal any single or combination of visually enhanced numbers, letters, time/s and/or date/s through the viewing portal; (2) thumb wheels to more clearly reveal any combination of visually enhanced numbers, letters, time/s and/or date/s; and (3) a digital device to reveal any single or combination of visually enhanced numbers, letters, time/s and/or date/s. Further, the lenses can be formed and/or positioned such that they share a single viewing focal point.