Abstract:
Among other things, we describe an apparatus that includes a tubular body elongated along a longitudinal axis and having an interior cavity and a first open end, the interior cavity extending along the longitudinal axis and sized to receive multiple pharmaceutical pills, the interior cavity having a largest cross-sectional dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis that is sized to fit a single pharmaceutical pill within the cavity, the first open end sized to admit a pharmaceutical pill into the interior cavity, and a device to selectively allow insertion and removal of pills from the interior cavity.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This description relates to a pill container. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Pharmaceutical pills, for example, often come in short round plastic bottles with childproof lids. Sometimes people move them into other kinds of containers that are set up to make it easier to take the pills as prescribed during a day or a week. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    In general, in one aspect, an apparatus includes a tubular body elongated along a longitudinal axis and having an interior cavity and a first open end, the interior cavity extending along the longitudinal axis and sized to receive multiple pharmaceutical pills, the interior cavity having a largest cross-sectional dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis that is sized to fit a single pharmaceutical pill within the cavity, the first open end sized to admit a pharmaceutical pill into the interior cavity, and a device to selectively allow insertion and removal of pills from the interior cavity. 
         [0004]    Implementations can include one or more of the following features. The device may include a cap to cover the first open end. The tubular body may have a length greater than a sum of the lengths of longest sides of a maximum number of pharmaceutical pills accommodated by the tubular body. The tubular body may have a polygonal cross-section. The polygonal cross-section may be a hexagonal cross section. The device may have a polygonal shape corresponding to a shape of the polygonal cross-section. The tubular body may have a length of at least five times greater than a width of the tubular body. The device may be affixed to the tubular body by a hinge. The device may include a magnet. The apparatus may include a mechanism that pushes pills through the first open end. The apparatus may include a sliding mechanism housed within the tubular body and operable to push pharmaceutical pills through the first open end. The apparatus may include a spring housed within the tubular body and configured to push pharmaceutical pills through the first open end. 
         [0005]    The tubular body may include a first tubular piece sized to receive a second tubular piece. The first tubular piece may be sized to slidably receive a second tubular piece. The first tubular piece may include threading sized to receive threading of the second tubular piece. The second tubular piece may include a cutout sized to admit at least one pill into a chamber within the second tubular piece. The tubular body may have a length approximately equal to a length of a writing instrument. The apparatus may include a divider housed within the tubular body, in which two spaces formed by the tubular body and the divider are sized to house at least one pharmaceutical pill. 
         [0006]    The device may include a push button. The push button may be configured to open a door covering a second open end of the tubular body. The device may include a sectional door. The sectional door may include sections which open responsive to pressure. Each section may include a spring hinge. The apparatus may include a writing tip. 
         [0007]    In another aspect, in general, an apparatus includes seven pill containers arranged in a hexagonal formation, each pill container including a tubular body elongated along a longitudinal axis and having an interior cavity and a first open end, the interior cavity extending along the longitudinal axis and sized to receive multiple pharmaceutical pills, the interior cavity having a largest cross-sectional dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis this is sized to fit a single pharmaceutical pill within the cavity, the first open end sized to admit a pharmaceutical pill into the interior cavity, and a device to selectively allow insertion and removal of pills from the interior cavity, in which at least part of a magnetic portion of each pill container is in contact with a portion of another one of the pill containers. 
         [0008]    Implementations can include one or more of the following features. The device of each pill container may include the magnetic portion. The body of each pill container may include the magnetic portion. The pill containers may each have a hexagonal shape, and a face of each pill container is in contact with a face of one of the other pill containers. 
         [0009]    In another aspect, in general, an apparatus includes a holder for a chain of elongated pharmaceutical pills arranged in a row in an oblong chamber, in which a largest cross-sectional dimension of the chamber is smaller than an elongated dimension of any of the elongated pharmaceutical pills. 
         [0010]    In another aspect, in general, a method includes manufacturing pill containers, each pill container including a tubular body elongated along a longitudinal axis and having an interior cavity and a first open end, the interior cavity extending along the longitudinal axis and sized to receive multiple pharmaceutical pills, the interior cavity having a largest cross-sectional dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis that is sized to fit a single pharmaceutical pill within the cavity, the first open end sized to admit a pharmaceutical pill into the interior cavity, and a device to selectively allow insertion and removal of pills from the interior cavity, in which at least one pill container has a width different from a width of another pill container. 
         [0011]    Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following description, and from the claims. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a pill container. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a pill container carried by a human being. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are side and perspective views of a pill container. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a cap for a pill container. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 5A ,  5 B, and  5 C are side, top, and front views of a pill container. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  shows a bundle of pill containers. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 7-10B  and  12 A- 17  show other kinds of pill containers. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 11A-11B  show a sectional door. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a pill container  100  having an elongated, tubular body  102  to hold pharmaceutical pills. The shape of the pill container  100  is chosen so that it is convenient for a human being to carry the pill container  100  and access the pills inside. 
         [0021]    The tubular body  102  has an interior cavity  104  (hidden in  FIG. 1  but visible in  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  4 ) that can hold multiple pills lined up in a row. A cap  106  covers one end  108  of the tubular body  102  and can be opened (e.g., removed, slid off, flipped open, or popped off, among other things) to remove pills from the interior cavity  104  and admit pills into the interior cavity  104 . Here, the tubular body  102  has a cross-section  110  in the shape of a hexagon. Other versions of the pill container  100  could have a different shape to the cross-section  110 . For example, the cross-section  110  could have the shape of another kind of polygon, or could have a round shape, or could have another kind of shape. In some implementations, the interior cavity  104  has a shape similar to a shape of the tubular body  102 . For example, if the tubular body  102  has a hexagonal shape (e.g., a hexagonal cross-section), the interior cavity  104  may also have a hexagonal shape. In some implementations, the interior cavity  104  has a shape different from a shape of the tubular body  102 . For example, if the tubular body  102  has a hexagonal shape, the interior cavity  104  may could have a different shape such as a cylindrical shape (e.g., having a circular or oval cross-section). 
         [0022]    When pills are admitted into the interior cavity  104  the pills will accumulate in the cavity in a row because the cross-section  110  of the tubular body  102  causes the cross-section of the interior cavity  104  is large enough to fit at most a single pill rather than multiple pills. A cross-section of the interior cavity  104  is shown in  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  4 . Put another way, the pill container  100  is generally wide enough only to accommodate a single pill at any point along a longitudinal axis  118  of the pill container  100 . Pills may come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and so in some examples, some pills may overlap within a cross-section  110  at certain points along the longitudinal axis  118 . For example, a pill having a rounded edge may contact another pill having a rounded edge in a way that causes the very ends of the rounded edges to minimally overlap. However, the shape of the interior cavity  104  is chosen to minimize overlap of pills within any cross-section  110  of the tubular body  102 . Further, the tubular body  102  has a length  120  that is at least, or greater than, a sum of the lengths of the longest sides of the maximum number of pharmaceutical pills accommodated by the tubular body  102  (e.g., accommodated by the interior cavity  104 ). 
         [0023]    When we refer to pills or pharmaceutical pills, we mean any kind of capsule, tablet, or other pill that is ingested by a human being. The pills could be prescription pills, or off-the-shelf medication like NSAIDs or painkillers, or nutritional supplements such as vitamins or antioxidants, or any other kind of substance. Most pills contain a substance documented in a standard reference for these kinds of substances. The reference work is sometimes called a pharmacopoeia and may be maintained by a governing body of a country, an administrative agency, or a non-profit organization. 
         [0024]    Pills in the shape of capsules usually have an elongated body and rounded edges. One example of a capsule having an elongated shape is shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . Most capsules have a length of between ten and twenty millimeters, but some are slightly smaller or larger. Most capsules also have a diameter of between five and ten millimeters. Capsules can conform to standard sizes which sometimes have numerical designations such as “3,” “2,” “1,” “0,” “00,” and so on. For example, a “0” sized capsule may have a standard length and diameter which is larger than the length and diameter of a “1” sized capsule. Among other things, a capsule having a standard size can contain a consistent dose of a pharmaceutical or nutritional supplement. A pill container  100  could be designed to hold a pill of a particular standard size. Further, one pill container could be produced to hold one size of pill (e.g., one capsule of a standard size), and another pill container could be produced to hold another size of pill. A single pill container could also contain pills of multiple types and having similar, but not identical, sizes. 
         [0025]    Pills can come in other forms besides capsules. Some pills are called tablets, and sometimes have a round shape or oval shape rather than an elongated shape. The diameter of a tablet is usually larger than the diameter of a capsule. Also, some tablets are called softgels, especially tablets with a gelatin coating or encapsulating material. A pill container could even store other kinds of objects that have approximately the same size and shape as a pill. 
         [0026]    The tubular body  102  could be made of a substantially transparent material, or a substantially opaque material, or a substantially translucent material, or portions of the tubular body  102  could be made of any or all of these. Some materials that could be used include a metal material, a plastic material, a wood material, a glass material, fiberglass, stone, rubber, clay, porcelain, bamboo, paper, cardboard, or other natural or synthetic materials, including original materials or recycled materials, disposable materials, or any combination of these. The cap  106  and other components of the pill container  100  could also be made of any of these materials. 
         [0027]    In some implementations, the pill container  100  has a second cap  112  that covers a second end  114  of the tubular body  102 . The second cap  112  can be opened to remove pills from the interior cavity  104  and admit pills into the interior cavity  104 . If the first cap  106  cannot be opened (e.g., if the cap  106  is jammed or stuck) then the second cap  112  can be opened and the second end  114  can be used as an alternative to the first end  108  as a point of access to the interior cavity  104 . 
         [0028]    In some implementations, the pill container  100  has a clip  116  attached to or integrated with the tubular body  102 . The clip  116  allows the pill container  100  to be affixed to an item of clothing. In some examples, the clip  116  can be attached to or integrated with the cap  106  or the second cap  112 . The clip  116  could be made of the same material as the tubular body  102  or could be made of a different material. 
         [0029]    In some implementations, some or all of the components of the pill container  100  are magnetized, e.g., made of a magnetic material or made at least partially of a magnetic material. For example, the cap  106  or the second cap  112  or the tubular body  102  or the clip  116  could be magnetized. If at least one of the components of the pill container  100  are magnetized then the pill container  100  could be affixed to some metal surfaces such as a refrigerator door. 
         [0030]    Pills may be admitted into the interior cavity  104  by a human being who manually opens the cap  106  and inserts pills into the interior cavity  104 , or pills may be admitted into the interior cavity  104  by a machine that inserts pills into the interior cavity  104 , or pills may be admitted into the interior cavity  104  using another technique. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows the pill container  100  in a shirt pocket  200  of a shirt  202  worn by a person  204 . The elongated shape of the pill container  100  gives the container similar dimensions to a pen or other writing instrument. The pill container  100  can be placed in any receptacle, pouch, pocket, or other vessel into which writing instruments can be placed. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the pill container  100  appears to be a writing instrument when placed in the shirt pocket  200 . Because many vessels for writing instruments exist in clothing, briefcases, backpacks, desk drawers, and other types of apparel or luggage, the pill container  100  can fit into many of those existing vessels. A person  204  can thus make use of those existing vessels when carrying his or her pill container  100 . This may make the person  204  more likely to carry the pill container  100  rather than, for example, forget to bring the pill container  100  or find the pill container  100  inconvenient to carry. Further, the person  204  may prefer that the pill container  100  appear to be a writing instrument so that no attention is called to the pill container  100 . 
         [0032]    Writing instruments come in a variety of shapes and sizes and so the pill container  100  could be designed to have any of these shapes and sizes and achieve the goal of mimicking a writing instrument. For example, writing instruments are commonly at least five times as long as they are wide. Accordingly, the pill container  100  can be designed to be at least five times as long as it is wide. A longer pill container  100  can accommodate more pills, because the pill container  100  is generally wide enough only to accommodate a single pill at any point along the longitudinal axis of the pill container  100 . Further, different versions of the pill container  100  can have different widths  122 . Pill containers  100  having one width  122  can accommodate pills having one width, while pill containers  100  having another width  122  can accommodate pills having a different width. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  show a row  300  of pills  302   a - g  within the interior cavity  104  of the tubular body  102  of the pill container  100 . A cross-section  310  of the interior cavity  104  intersects, at most, one pill  302   a - g . Seven pills  302   a - g  are shown in the figure, and no more than seven pills  302   a - g  will fit within the interior cavity  104  of this pill container  100 . Other versions of the pill container  100  could fit a greater or lesser number of pills within their respective interior cavities, for example, depending on the degree to which the interior cavity  104  is elongated along the longitudinal axis  118  of the pill container  100 . Because the pills  302   a - g  are arranged in a row  300 , the pills will retain the order in which they were inserted into the pill container  100  even if the pill container  100  is transported, shaken, or disturbed. 
         [0034]    If the interior cavity  104  of the pill container  100  is empty, a first pill  302   a  can be inserted  304  into the open end  108  of the tubular body  102 . If the pill container  100  is held in an upright orientation  306  or a substantially upright orientation then the first pill  302   a  will slide toward the second open end  114  of the interior cavity  104 . The first pill  302   a  is held inside the interior cavity  104  by the second cap  112 . If the orientation of the pill container  100  changes, the first pill  302   a  may slide from the second open end  114  back to the first open end  108  or anywhere in between. 
         [0035]    If a second pill  302   b  is inserted  304  into the open end  108 , the second pill  302   b  will enter the interior cavity  104  at a position ahead of the first pill  302   a.  Depending on the orientation of the pill container  100 , the second pill  302   b  may slide to contact the first pill  302   a  and rest in position in contact with the first pill  302   a.  The second pill  302   b  may freely slide between the first pill  302   a  and the cap  106 . However, the second pill  302   b  will not pass beyond the first pill  302   a  within the interior cavity  104  because the cross section  310  of the interior cavity  104  is not large enough to admit two pills. If a human being in possession of the pill container  100  wishes to remove the first pill  302   a  at the open end  108  then he or she must first remove the second pill  302   b.  If a third pill  302   c  is inserted, the third pill  302   c  would have to be removed before the second pill  302   b  is removed. 
         [0036]    In this way, pills  302   a - g  inserted into the pill container  100  will remain in the order in which they have been inserted. The pill  302   a - g  most recently inserted into the open end  108  of the pill container  100  is also the first pill that can be removed from the pill container  100 . This configuration is sometimes called “last in, first out” or “LIFO.” As an example of use, a human being could insert a pill to be taken in the evening of the subsequent day prior to a pill to be taken in the morning of the subsequent day. On the subsequent day, when the human being opens the cap  106  to take one pill, the pill to be taken in the morning will be the first pill capable of exiting the interior cavity  104  at the open end  108 . The pills  302   a - g  could be of multiple types and placed in the pill container  100  in an order that conforms to an order in which a human being is to take the pills  302   a - g.    
         [0037]      FIG. 4  shows the cap  106  of the pill container  100 . The cap  106  covers an open end  108  of the tubular body  102 . The open end  108  is a point of access to an interior cavity  412 . This version of the interior cavity  412  has a circular cross section  410 . Thus, this version of the interior cavity  412  has a cylindrical shape. 
         [0038]    The cap  106  is an example of a device that can be used to selectively prevent or allow pills to be inserted into the interior cavity or removed from the interior cavity. When the cap is closed, the cap prevents pills from being inserted or removed. When the cap is opened, the cap allows pills to be inserted or removed. 
         [0039]    The cap  106  is affixed to the tubular body  102  by a spring hinge  402 . The spring hinge  402  is aligned parallel to a longitudinal axis  118  ( FIG. 1 ) of the tubular body  102 . The spring hinge  402  allows the cap  106  to spin around an axis  404  defined by the center of the spring hinge  402 , exposing the interior cavity  412 of the tubular body  102 . The motion of the cap  106  is defined by an arc  406 . The cap  106  can spin clockwise or counterclockwise. The spring hinge  402  biases the cap  106  to a position enclosing the open end  108  of the tubular body  102 . Force must be applied to the cap  106  to place the cap  106  into a different position other than the position enclosing the open end  108  of the tubular body  102 . The cap  106  shown is hexagonal to match the hexagonal shape of the tubular body  102 . However, the cap  106  could have other shapes. For example, if the tubular body  102  were circular in shape, the cap  106  could also be circular in shape. The cap  106  also need not match the shape of the tubular body  102 . 
         [0040]    Other types of caps could be used with the pill container  100 . The cap  106  need not be attached to the tubular body  102  by a hinge. In some examples, the cap  106  could be a twist-off cap which engages with grooves on the tubular body  102  to cover the open end  108 . In some examples, the twist-off cap has “child-resistant” features, similar to the caps used in other pill bottles. In some examples, the cap  106  could be made of rubber or another material that can frictionally engage with the tubular body  102  to resist forces that would otherwise dislodge the cap  106 . 
         [0041]      FIGS. 5A ,  5 B, and  5 C show side, top, and front views  500   a,    500   b,    500   c  of the one version of pill container  100   a  and measurements of its components. The pill container  100   a  shown is one example of the pill container  100  and the measurements described here are examples of measurements that could characterize the physical dimensions of a pill container. None of these measurements are required for a pill container to function and other versions of a pill container could have other measurements. 
         [0042]    The total length TL of the pill container  100   a  is 149 millimeters and is the longest dimension of the pill container  100   a.  The width TW of the pill container  100   a  is 17.321 millimeters. In this example, the ratio of length to width of the pill container  100   a  is 8.6, but other pill containers could have another ratio of length to width such as 5 or a different ratio. The tubular body  102   a  has a length TBL of 140 millimeters. The cap  106   a  has a height CH of 5 millimeters. The second cap  112   a  has a height SCH of 3.2 millimeters. A distance SCD of 0.8 millimeters separates the second cap  112   a  from the widest portion of the tubular body  102   a,  such that a narrower portion of the tubular body  102   a  spans the distance SCD. 
         [0043]    The tubular body  102   a  has a hexagonal cross-section  502 . Each face of the six faces of the tubular body  102   a  has a width FW of 8.66 millimeters. The tubular body  102   a  has a thickness TT of 0.6 millimeters, such that the interior cavity  104   a  of the tubular body  102   a  is enclosed by a material 0.6 millimeters thick. The tubular body  102   a  has an indentation  504  that interrupts the hexagonal shape of the tubular body  102   a.  The indentation  504  has a planar surface  506  that extends along a portion of the length of the tubular body  102   a.  The planar surface  506  has a width PW of 10.046 millimeters. The indentation  504  begins at a distance ID of 10 millimeters from the second open end  114   a  of the tubular body  102   a.  A slope  508  defines a first edge of the indentation  504 . The slope  508  has an angle SA of 135.97 degrees as measured from the planar surface  506  of the indentation  504 . 
         [0044]    The clip  116   a  extends along a portion of the length of the tubular body  102   a  and terminates at a distance CLD of 60 millimeters from the open end  108   a  of the tubular body  102   a.  The clip  116   a  has a height CLH of 1.91 millimeters and the clip  116   a  has a width CLW of 6.617 millimeters. The clip  116   a  defines a gap  512  between the clip  116   a  and a planar surface  506  of the indentation  504  of the tubular body  102   a  and the gap  512  has a length GL of 47 millimeters. The interior surface  526  on the bottom of the clip  116   a  is defines a plane that is parallel to the planar surface  506  of the indentation  504  of the tubular body  102   a.  The indentation  504  of the tubular body  102   a  forms the clip  116   a , such that the clip  116   a  is flush with sides of the tubular body  102   a.  Put another way, the clip  116   a  conforms to the polygonal shape of the tubular body  102   a  and does not project beyond the main shape of the tubular body  102   a.  If the tubular body  102   a  were another shape, for example, a cylindrical shape (e.g., having a circular or oval cross-section), then the clip  116   a  could conform to the cylindrical shape. During manufacturing, the clip  116   a  could be formed by cutting a portion of the tubular body  102   a.    
         [0045]    The cap  106   a  has a recessed hexagonal indentation  514  that defines a raised ridge  516  at the edges of the top surface  518  of the cap  106   a.  Each edge of the recessed hexagonal indentation  514  has a length RHL of 6.928 millimeters. The cap  106   a  has a shortest diameter CSD of 7.5 millimeters, such that the shortest diameter CSD is a length from the center of the top surface  518  of the cap to a midpoint  520  of any edge  522  of the cap  106   a.  The angle CEA between any edge  522  of the cap  106   a  and an adjacent edge is 120 degrees. Each edge  522  of the cap  106   a  has cutouts each of which span a length ECL of one millimeter. A portion of the cap  106   a  has a cutout  524  at a location at which the cap  106   a  is joined to the tubular body  102  by a hinge. The cutout has a length CCL of two millimeters. 
         [0046]    This version of the pill container  100   a  has a product logo  528  on one side of the tubular body  102   a.  The product logo  528  spans a length PLL of 20 millimeters. 
         [0047]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , a bundle can be formed from a configuration of multiple pill containers. For example, seven hexagonal pill containers  100   b - h  can be grouped together into a bundle  600 . Because the pill containers  100   b - h  each have a hexagonal shape, the pill containers  100   b - h  can be arranged such that an edge  602  of one pill container  100   b  touches an edge  604  of another pill container  100   c.  If this is done for six of the pill containers  100   b - g , then the bundle  600  will form a hexagonal shape. A seventh pill container  100   h  can be placed in the center of the bundle  600 . The bundle  600  can be stored and transported in a manner that conserves space and ensures that the pill containers  100   b - h  stay together. Further, a bundle  600  of seven pill containers  100   b - h  allows the pill containers  100   b - h  to each correspond to a day of a seven-day week. For example, each pill container  100   b - h  can be filled with pills to be taken on the corresponding day of the week. In some examples, each pill container  100   b - h  is labeled with an indicator  606  for the day of the week, for example, a letter such as “M” for Monday. 
         [0048]    In some implementations, portions of the pill containers  100   b - h  are magnetized. For example, the caps  106   b - h  (or second caps  116   b - h  or both) can be made of or partially made of a magnetic material, or the tubular bodies of the pill containers  100   b - h  could be made of or partially made of a magnetic material. If the magnetic poles of the magnetized portions of the pill containers  100   b - h  are aligned correctly then the bundle  600  will stay together and retain its shape. 
         [0049]    In some implementations, the pill containers  100   b - h  could have a shape other than a hexagonal shape. For example, pill containers  100   b - h  having a cylindrical shape (e.g., having a circular or oval cross-section) can be placed in a bundle  600  of seven pill containers or another number of pill containers. 
         [0050]    Many different configurations of pill containers are possible.  FIG. 7  shows a pill container  700  having a tubular body  702  split into multiple compartments  704   a - g . In this example, there are seven compartments  704   a - g  each sized to fit a single pill. Each compartment  704   a  has a cover  706  that can be opened and closed to access the compartment  704   a  within. In some examples, the cover  706  could be partially or completely transparent (e.g., made of a transparent material). In some examples, the cover  706  could be partially or completely opaque (e.g., made of a transparent material). In some examples, the cover  706  could be partially or completely translucent (e.g., made of a translucent material). In some implementations, the cover  706  could be a sliding cover that can be slid  708  to reveal the contents of the compartment  704   a.  In some implementations, the cover  706  could be a flip cover attached to a hinge, such that the cover  706  can be flipped  710  upward to reveal the contents of the compartment  704   a.  In some implementations, a cover  706  spans more than two compartments  704   a - g , such that the cover  706  can be slid  708  or flipped  710  to reveal the contents of multiple compartments  704   a - g.    
         [0051]    In some implementations, each compartment  704   a  can include a buffer material such as a sponge-like material to hold a pill in place and absorb motion of a pill that would otherwise move around within the compartment  704   a.  In some examples, each compartments  704   a - g  is labeled with an indicator  712  for the day of the week, for example, a letter such as “M” for Monday. 
         [0052]      FIG. 8  shows a pill container  800  having a sliding mechanism  802  that can be used to eject pills  804  from an interior cavity  806 . The sliding mechanism  802  has a handle  810  that can be slid  812  along the longitudinal axis  814  of a tubular body  816 . A portion of the sliding mechanism  802  which extends into the interior cavity  806  pushes  818  pills  804  along the longitudinal axis  814  and out of an open end  820  of the interior cavity  806 . The sliding mechanism  802  travels along the path of a groove  822  cut out of the tubular body  816 . 
         [0053]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  show a pill container  900  having an interior spring  902  that applies pressure  904  on the pills  906  within the interior cavity  908  of the pill container  900 . The pressure  904  applied by the interior spring  902  pushes pills  906  out of the interior cavity  908  when a cap  910  is removed from an open end  912  of the interior cavity  908 . Pills  906  can be pushed  914  into the interior cavity  908  when the pill container  900  is loaded with pills, thus compressing  916  the interior spring  902 . When the cap  910  is opened, the interior spring  902  will push  918  the pills  906  outward so they can be consumed by a user of the pill container  900 . 
         [0054]      FIGS. 10A and 10B  show a pill container  1100  having a button  1102  on one end  1104  of a tubular body  1106 . The button  1102  can be pressed  1108  to eject  1110  a pill  1112  from an interior cavity  1114  of the tubular body  1106 . The button  1102  is positioned at one end  1104  of the tubular body  1106  and is attached to a rod  1118  within the interior cavity  1114  which is in turn attached to a ring  1120  at a second end  1122  of the tubular body  1106 . The ring  1120  is in contact with a sectional door  1116  that covers the second end  1122  of the tubular body. When the button  1102  is pressed  1108  then the pressure causes the rod to apply pressure to the ring  1120 , which in turn causes sections  1126  of the sectional door  1116  to open. Pills  1112  can then slide out of the interior cavity  1114 . 
         [0055]      FIG. 11A and 11B  show a close-up view of the sectional door  1116 . This sectional door  1116  has six sections  1130   a - f , although other numbers of sections can be used in other implementations. Each section  1130   a - f  flips  1132  open when pressure  1134  is applied to the section. For example, the pressure  1134  can be applied by a ring  1120  manipulated by a button  1102  ( FIGS. 10A and 10B ). When the sectional door  1116  is open ( FIG. 11A ) pills can exit the interior cavity  1114 , and then the sectional door  1116  is closed ( FIG. 11B ) the second end  1122  interior cavity  1114  is covered by the sections  1130   a - f . In some implementations, some or all of the sections  1130   a - f  include a spring hinge  1136  that biases the sections  1130   a - f  to the closed position  1138 . When the spring hinge  1136  is used, pressure  1134  must be continuously applied to the sections  1130   a - f  to keep the sections  1130   a - f  in the open position  1140 . 
         [0056]    The sectional door  1116  can be used with other versions of the pill container. For example, the sectional door  1116  could be used with the pill container  800  shown in  FIG. 8 . In this example, the pills  804  would apply pressure  1134  to the sections  1130   a - f  to move them to the open position  1140 . 
         [0057]      FIGS. 12A and 12B  show a pill container  1200  having a cap  1202  that flips  1204  upward. The cap  1202  covers an open end  1206  of a tubular body  1208 . When frictional pressure  1210  is applied to an edge  1212  of the cap  1202 , the cap  1202  flips  1204  upward. An interior cavity  1214  can then be accessed. The cap  1202  is affixed to the tubular body  1208  by a hinge  1216  that spans the length or a portion of the length of an edge  1218  of the cap  1202 . The edge  1218  is opposite the edge  1212  of the cap  1202  to which pressure is applied to open the cap  1202 . In some implementations, the shape of the edges  1212 ,  1218  corresponds to the shape of sides  1220  of the tubular body  1208 . 
         [0058]      FIGS. 13A and 13B  show a pill container  1300  that is expandable and contractible. The pill container  1300  has a contracted configuration  1302  and an expanded configuration  1304 . The pill container  1300  can hold a larger number of pills  1306  in the expanded configuration  1304  than the contracted configuration  1302 . The pill container has a rotating handle  1308  at one end  1310  of a tubular body  1312 . When the rotating handle  1308  is rotated  1314  in one direction (e.g., counterclockwise), a second tubular body  1316  extends  1318  outward from the end  1310  of the tubular body  1312 , expanding the space available in an interior cavity  1320 . The second tubular body  1316  is sized to fit within the tubular body  1312 . The second tubular body  1316  engages with threading  1326  within the tubular body  1312 , which provides a guide to the second tubular body  1316  as the rotating handle  1308  is rotated  1314 . The second tubular body  1316  can be extended to any point within the distance  1322  between the end of the tubular body  1312  and the maximum extension  1324  of the second tubular body  1316 . The second tubular body  1316  can be retracted  1328  by rotating  1330  the rotating handle  1308  in another direction (e.g. clockwise). 
         [0059]      FIGS. 14A and 14B  show another pill container  1400  that is expandable and contractible. The pill container  1400  has a contracted configuration  1402  and an expanded configuration  1404 . A pull handle  1406  allows a second tubular body  1408  to be pulled  1410  out from a tubular body  1412 , expanding the space available in an interior cavity  1414 . In some implementations, the second tubular body  1408  has teeth  1416 ,  1418  which can engage with indentations  1420 ,  1422  in the wall of the tubular body  1412 . The combination of the teeth and indentations acts as a locking mechanism and resists movement of the second tubular body  1408  relative to the tubular body  1412 . Further, the combination of the teeth and indentations provides discrete units of expansion of the second tubular body  1408 . When the pull handle  1406  is pulled  1410 , a tooth  1416  will disengage with one indentation  1420  and engage with the next indentation  1422 , expanding the interior cavity  1414  by one unit of expansion. In some implementations, the pull handle  1406  is rotated  1424  (e.g., either clockwise or counter-clockwise) to disengage a tooth  1416  from an indentation  1420 , then the pull handle  1406  is pulled  1410 , and then the pull handle  1406  is rotated  1424  again to engage the tooth  1416  with the next indentation  1422 . Other types of locking mechanisms could be used to resist movement of the second tubular body  1408  relative to the tubular body  1412 . For example, a pin or a screw could be used. 
         [0060]      FIGS. 15A and 15B  show a pill container  1500  having a first interior cavity  1502  and a second interior cavity  1504 . Each interior cavity  1502 ,  1504  is sized to contain at least one pill. The first interior cavity  1502  is accessible at a first open end  1506  that is covered by a first cap  1508 , and the second interior cavity  1504  is accessible at a second open end  1510  that is covered by a second cap  1512 . A divider  1520  separates the two cavities. A pill  1514  placed in the first interior cavity  1502  cannot be accessed in the second interior cavity  1504  and vice-versa. Each cavity can be demarcated for a particular purpose. For example, an indicator  1516  placed on the first cap  1508  can indicate that the first interior cavity  1502  contains pills to be taken in the daytime, and an indicator  1518  placed on the second cap  1512  can indicate that the second interior cavity  1504  contains pills to be taken in the nighttime. 
         [0061]      FIGS. 16A and 16B  show a pill container  1600  having an inner tubular body  1602  that functions as a drawer. The inner tubular body  1602  and an outer tubular body  1606  of the pill container  1600  have an approximately similar length  1604  to each other. In a closed configuration  1608 , the inner tubular body  1602  is contained entirely within the outer tubular body  1606 . When a pull handle  1610  of the inner tubular body  1602  is pulled  1612 , a portion of the inner tubular body  1602  is exposed. The inner tubular body  1602  has a cutout  1614  that exposes an inner cavity  1616  of the inner tubular body  1602 . When the cutout  1614  is exposed, pills  1618  can be inserted into or removed from the inner cavity  1616 . 
         [0062]      FIG. 17  shows a pill container  1700  that can function as a writing instrument. As noted above, the various versions of the pill container described herein have approximately the same size and dimensions as a writing instrument. This version of the pill container  1700  has a writing tip  1702  that can be used to write on any conventional writing surface such as paper. One end  1704  of the pill container  1700  has a removable cap  1706  that, when removed, exposes the writing tip  1702 . 
         [0063]    In some implementations, the writing tip  1702  expresses ink and contains an ink tank. For example, the writing tip  1702  may be removable and contain an ink tank that can be refilled or replaced. In some implementations, the writing tip  1702  contains pencil graphite and can be reloaded with graphite pieces. In some implementations, the writing tip  1702  is a stylus tip suitable for use on an electronic device having a touch sensitive surface such as a smartphone or a personal digital assistant or a tablet computer. The pill container  1700  can also contain pills  1708  in a similar manner as the other pill containers described herein. 
         [0064]    In some implementations, a clip  116  ( FIG. 1 ) is attached to the removable cap  1706 , similar to the manner in which a clip is attached to a cap of an ink pen. 
         [0065]    In some implementations, the pill container can be arranged to contain objects other than pills. For example, a pill container  100  ( FIG. 1 ) can be sized to fit a single syringe within an interior cavity, rather than or along with pills. As another example, the pill container  100  can be sized to fit a single headphone device within an interior cavity. For example, the headphone device could be a pair of earbuds and wires attached to the earbuds (e.g. for attaching the earbuds to a music player, smart phone, or other device). 
         [0066]    In some implementations, the pill container can contain electronics, for example, components that provide electronic reminders, or communication devices that can interact with electronic devices such as computer systems or mobile devices such as smart phones. 
         [0067]    Many other configurations are possible. The implementations described here are only examples and other implementations are within the scope of the claims.