Abstract:
A bottle includes an indictor and a listing of times and/or days for administering pills. The indicator may be disposed on a cap or on the bottle. The strip is disposed opposite the indicator; on the bottle or the cap, respectively. The indicator and strip indicate a next prescribed time to take a pill or the last time a pill was taken.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a container, and more particularly to a bottle indicating a date or time period. 
         [0003]    2. Discussion of Related Art 
         [0004]    Containers for planning or tracking a persons&#39; use of medication or vitamins include elongated containers having separate compartments for each day of the week. These containers can be cumbersome to fill and require that different pills be allocated to different compartments correctly. These steps are a factor in non-compliance with doctor&#39;s orders or manufacture&#39;s suggested daily requirements. 
         [0005]    Therefore, a need exists for a bottle indicating a date or time period. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a bottle system comprises an indictor disposed on one of the bottle or a cap, and a listing indicating times and/or days for administering contents of the bottle, the listing being disposed on one of the bottle or the cap, opposite the indictor. 
         [0007]    The bottle system further comprises a ring coupled to the cap, the ring comprising a notch for receiving the indicator. The ring rotates on the cap. The ring substantially prevents the cap from being removed from the bottle when the notch is misaligned with the indicator. 
         [0008]    The bottle and the cap each comprise tabs, which cooperate to lock the cap to the bottle, wherein a diaphragm coupled to the cap applies a force against the bottle to secure the tabs in a locked position. 
         [0009]    The indicator and listing indicate a next prescribed time to administer the contents or the last time the contents where administered. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0010]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in more detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings: 
           [0011]      FIGS. 1A-C  are top views of a bottle, cap, and ring, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 2A-D  are side views of a bottle, cap, and ring, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a bottom view of a cap, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 4A-C  are perspective views of a bottle, cap, and ring, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an assembled bottle, cap, and ring, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 6A-D  illustrate opening and closing a bottle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a diagram of a cap and bottle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A-C ,  2 A-C and  3 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a bottle  101  cooperates with a lid  102  and ring  103 . The lid  102  includes a listing of times and/or days for administering medication, vitamins, and the like. The ring  103  includes a notch  104 , which cooperates with an indicator  105  disposed on the bottle  101 . 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A ,  2 A, and  3 , the bottle  101  and the cap  102  comprise a locking mechanism for securing the cap to the bottle. The locking mechanism comprises cooperating tabs  106 / 107 . Referring to  FIGS. 2D , the lock mechanism further comprises a diaphragm  201  disposed inside the cap for applying a force against an upper part of the bottle in a closed position. The diaphragm  201  pushes the bottle  101  away from the cap  102  and thus engages the cooperating tabs  106 / 107  when the cap  102  is appropriately arranged. 
         [0020]    The number of tabs  106 / 107  and the position of the tabs  106 / 107  are arranged such that the listing, e.g., a day-of-the-week indication, is aligned with the indicator  105  when the cap is in a locked position (see for example,  FIGS. 6A-1D ). 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary embodiment of the locking mechanism includes substantially square tabs  107  disposed on one of the bottle or the cap. The locking mechanism further includes a shaped tab  106  (see  FIG. 2A ), adapted to receive and secure the square tabs  107 . An opposing force is maintained between the cap  102  and bottle  101 , for example, by a diaphragm disposed in the cap, wherein the bottle deflects the diaphragm such that the diaphragm generates the opposing force. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that other locking mechanisms may be used. 
         [0022]    Optionally, a ring  103  is disposed under the cap  102 . The ring  103  rotates on to the cap  102  and engages into the indicator  105  when aligned with the notch  104  and depressed. Referring to  FIG. 2D , the ring  103  includes a rib  202  cooperating with a grove  203  (see  FIG. 2B ) in the cap  102  to secure the ring  103  to the cap  102 . The ring  103  is disposed having a friction fit, wherein rotation of the ring  103  is substantially prevented from freely rotating. When the cap  102  is rotated, the notch  104  and the indicator  105  stay engaged. This substantially prevents a user from putting the cap  102  back in the wrong position. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 6A-D  show a sequence of opening a bottle  101 . Note that if the ring  103  is turned out of alignment with the indictor  105  on the bottle  101 , the indicator  105  cannot engage in the notch  104 , and the cap  102  cannot be depressed to disengage the tabs  106 / 107  and open the bottle  101 . Accordingly, the ring  103  may be implemented as a further locking mechanism, substantially preventing opening of the bottle  101 , by disposing the notch  104  in a misaligned position with respect to the indicator  105 . 
         [0024]    In the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1A and 3 , seven tabs  106 / 107  are disposed on each of the bottle  101  and cap  102 . This is an example of a bottle used where a dose is needed once per day. 
         [0025]    The indicator  105  and listing (e.g., see  FIG. 6C ,  601 ) may be disposed on the cap  102  or on the bottle  101 . Where the listing  601  is disposed on the bottle, the listing  601  may rotated on the bottle  101  each time a cap  102  is depressed and turned in a direction to open the bottle  101 . The listing  601  rotates one increment each time the bottle  101  is opened. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a system may include a bottle  101 , a cap  102 , and an indicator  105 , without implementing a ring. The indicator  105  may be disposed on the bottle  101  or cap  102 , and be disposed opposed a listing, for example, of dates and/or times. Further the indicator  105  may be provided in relief or as a graphic. 
         [0027]    Having described embodiments for a bottle indicating a date or time period, it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments of the invention disclosed which are within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the disclosure.