Abstract:
Reminders of daily or other periodic tasks are most desirable when they are simple to operate and easily distinguishable. A reusable device that provides tracking of task performance by multiple independently movable arms that lock into position provides a clear visual cue as to use and eliminates potential unintentional movement of the arms. The arms can be pivotally or slidably mounted to a base. The pivotal mounting can include a mechanical hinge or a flexible material providing a living hinge. The lock releasably secures the arms independently in two or more positions indicating to the user the performance of a task such as taking a medication one or more times during a day or other period of time. At the end of the cycle of use, usually one week, the arms may be reset and the device used again. The device may be small enough and include a fastener to mount it to a pill bottle, specific to what is in need of reminding the user. Another version the device rests on a table, preferably in an area that is frequented by the user to visually remind the user to take the medication or performing another activity.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/341,712, filed Dec. 18, 2001. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to devices used to remind a user to perform a specific task. More specifically, the present invention relates to a reminder used and tracking in relation to taking medicine and other scheduled periodic tasks. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Some individuals, especially the elderly, have difficulty remembering what and of which medications or other ingestible products they have taken that day. Some people take several items every day. Some items such as antibiotics are only taken for a period of time. Some items such as blood pressure medication or thyroid medications will likely be taken for the rest of their lives. In addition, some of these items are taken once a day and others multiple times every day. With this diversity and given that many elderly patients take several medications, keeping them all straight is a bit of a challenge. As the memory and eyesight also fade with age, remembering what was taken and reading each label to see if it should be taken, can present a problem. Even young, alert and healthy individuals who are sometimes overwhelmed by life, work, family and other responsibilities can forget if they have taken their medication or vitamins today. This is especially apparent with temporary treatment, such as antibiotics, where the medication is only taken for a short period of time. In this case the patient is not able to generate a routine based around taking the medication. Other periodic activities can also warrant a reminder, such as brushing their teeth. A physical reminder is desirable that can be positioned on or near the relevant object such as a pill bottle and that includes a lock to avoid inadvertent movement of the reminder arms. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, the invention features a base frame supporting a plurality of independently movable arms. The base frame further includes an indicator to distinguish between the arms. A locking mechanism is also provided to enable the arms to be releasably secured in more than one position relative to the base frame. 
     The system may also include a base frame with a mount, thus enabling the frame to be mounted onto a pill bottle. This mount may include a mounting device including a mechanical fastener or an adhesive fastener, such as two-sided tape. The base may include a table support, thus enabling the frame to be supported on a flat surface such as a table, desk or counter. 
     The plurality of independently movable arms numbers at least seven arms, and are preferably mounted to the base frame by a pivotal mounting such as a living hinge connecting the arm to the frame. The arms may also be mounted to the frame by a slideable mounting. 
     The indicator is preferably comprised of a plurality of symbols, each associated with a specific arm. The symbols may be abbreviations designating the days of the week, or the time of the day. The locking mechanism may be comprised of a mechanical lock, which includes an interference lip, or a friction lock. 
     In another aspect, the invention includes a method of reminding an individual to medicate, including the steps of providing a device as previously disclosed, locating an arm associated with a specific term, assessing the need to medicate upon evaluating the position of the arm and moving the arm in relation to taking a specified medication. This term is preferably a specific day of the week. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other objects of this invention, the various features thereof, as well as the invention itself, may be more fully understood from the following description, when read together with the accompanying drawings, described: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a reminder with all arms in the unlocked position, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a reminder with one arm in the locked position, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a reminder with one arm in a locked position and mounted to a pill bottle, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 a  is a top view of an eight arm paired reminder, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 b  is a front view of an eight arm paired reminder, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 c  is a side view of an eight arm paired reminder, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 a  is a top view of a seven arm unpaired reminder, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 b  is a front view of a seven arm unpaired reminder, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 c  is a side view of a seven arm unpaired reminder, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a front view of an assembled sliding reminder, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a sliding arm of a reminder, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a sliding reminder, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a table support version of a reminder, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     For the most part, and as will be apparent when referring to the figures, when an item is used unchanged in more than one figure, it is identified by the same alphanumeric reference indicator in all figures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is used as a reminder for taking medicine and other periodic use products. What is shown in FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a reminder  10  in the form of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The reminder  10  includes a base frame  12 , which supports a plurality of arms  14 . These arms  14  are movably mounted to the base  12 , in this case being pivotally mounted. The base includes risers  16 , which extend up from the back  18  and are positioned on either side of each arm  14 . The risers  16  act as a lock in that, in this embodiment, they include an interference lip  20 , which extends slightly over the open area between each riser  16 . In this embodiment, each arm  14  includes a tab  22  and a stem  24 . The tab  22  enables articulation with a finger of the user or a blunt object, such as a pencil or an ink pin. The stem  24  may be reduced in size from the tab  22  and offers a means of positioning the tab  22  away from the base  12 . When a tab  22  is displaced to the side between the risers  16 , the interference lip  20  is flexed to allow passage of the stem  24 . As the stem  24  clears the lips  20 , the lips  20  regain their original shape and oppose the reverse movement of the stem  24  and associated tab  22 , thus releasably locking the arm  14  in a down position. This position is shown in the following figure. 
     The end of the stem  24  opposite to the tab  22  is mounted to the base  12  in such a manner that it allows movement of the tab  22  as previously disclosed. This can be done by providing a hinge to mount the substantially rigid structure to the base  18 , or by manufacturing the stem  24  of a pliable material. The latter is considered optimal in view of manufacturability and cost. In FIG. 2 the “Friday” arm  26  is flexed to the side and locked in a down position. In this view the stem  24  is shown to include a reduced area  28 . This reduced area  28  provides a lower section modulus and is therefore more flexible. By manufacturing the reminder  10  from a material that is pliable and resilient (such as polyolefins (e.g. polyethylene), polyurethanes and polystyrenes) the reduced area  28  becomes a “living hinge”. This provides a multitude of deformations of the material without marked structural damage to the material. Another method would be by providing a mechanical hinge through a pivot pin (not shown), which would be received by the stem  24 , thereby allowing it to pivot on the base  12 . This pivot or any other form of making a pivotal attachment is inherently included in this disclosure as being known in the art. 
     A symbol  30  is preferably associated with each tab  22 . This can be marked directly on the tab  22 , as shown here, or on the base  12  near each tab  22 . The symbols  30  can vary according to the intended use of the reminder  10 . In most cases a day of the week in the form of an abbreviation is used. Here the days of the week (starting with Monday) is used and an “A” for a.m. and a “P” for p.m. When a pill or other medication is to be taken once a day, after taking the medication, the arm  14  associated with that day is displaced, down if it was in the up position, or up if it was in the down position. The A/P arm  32  is set down for p.m. and up or a.m. In this case if a medication is to be taken twice a day, morning and evening, this arm  32  will be used with the other arms  14  to remind the user if the medication has been taken that day and which time during the day. As an example being shown here, the medication for that week was started on Friday and was taken in the morning, but has not yet been taken in the evening in that the A/P arm  32  is still in the up position. 
     By setting the arms  14  in pairs, a two position (on and off or up and down) data can be determined from each arm  14  while being placed in a “side by side” arrangement. This is done to reduce the overall size of the reminder  10  while maintaining a tab  22  size that is functionally large enough to be articulated by the finger of a user. This is more clearly illustrated in FIG. 3 where the reminder  10  is attached to a traditional pill bottle  34  (not part of the invention). The orientation of the reminder  10  is not critical to the invention but it is preferable to position the reminder  10  vertically along a side of the bottle  34 . In that there are labels on virtually every pill bottle, it is advantageous to minimize the surface area obstructed by the reminder  10 . The reminder  10  can be attached to the pill bottle  34  in a number of methods. It can be permanently fixed to the bottle, as it would be attached by mechanical fasteners (screws or rivets) or adhesives. The user or pharmacist can also attach it at any time, such as just prior to purchase by the user. An adhesive or double sided tape can be placed on the back  18 , which is then mounted to the side of the pill bottle  34 . The product can be easily mounted to anything, as such, the user can mount one to a tube of toothpaste to remind them to brush their teeth or on the bathroom mirror as a reminder to take one or more medications, vitamins, or to perform any other periodic activity or task. In addition, the reminder  10  can be molded directly into a pill bottle or other container. 
     A top, front and side view of a paired eight-arm reminder  10  is shown in FIGS. 4 a ,  4   b  and  4   c  respectively. Here the tab  22  is clearly shown being supported by the stem  24 , which is pivotally mounted to the base  12 . The interference lips  20  offer a gap that is slightly less than the width of the stem  24 . This provides the interference to lock the arm  14  in a down position and prevent it from falling down when in an up position. The elastic component of the material will tend to keep the arm  14  upright, but in the case of a pivotal mounting the interference lip  20  will aid in reducing the likelihood of inadvertent movement of the arms  14 . In all of the forms of the invention provided in this disclosure, the locking device can also take a variety of forms. Where manufacturer&#39;s tolerances can be held relatively well, the inside of the risers  16  can contact the outside edges of the stem  24 . The friction between these parts can be engineered to be sufficient to lock the arm  14  down when placed in that position, and to prevent it from accidentally “falling” from an up to a down position and yet maintaining the ability to actuate the arms  14  by the user. 
     An alternative form of the reminder is shown in top, front and side views in FIGS. 5 a ,  5   b  and  5   c . Here a seven-arm single row reminder  35  allows for three positions of each arm  14 . The risers  16  on each side of the arms  14  allow for each arm  14  to be locked into position on the right, the left or in the up or neutral position. The basic function of the reminder  35  is similar to that as previously disclosed, only the need for a morning and evening arm (A/P) is no longer needed. A left lock for any of the seven daily arms  14  is associated with the medication being taken that morning. Vertical, or neutral refers to the medication being untaken and to the right, depicting it was taken in the evening. At the end of every week the user moves all arms to the neutral position and starts over. 
     A sliding reminder  36  is shown in FIG.  6 . The arms now take the form of slider arms  38 . The base  12  enables receipt of these slider arms  38  allowing a restricted linear reciprocating motion for each arm  38 . Each slider arm  38  includes a finger tab  40  and a stop  42 . Each tab  40  and stop  42  are connected by a slider bar  44 , which fits into and is guided by a track within the base  12 . The stop  42  provides an end of movement for the arm  38  as it moves within the boundaries of the slider arm  44  as contained by the base  12 . 
     The base  12  optimally includes the symbols  30  which identify the day of the week and/or time of the day. These can be included on the arms  38 , and there would be room on the finger tabs  40  to place a symbol  30 . Though it is understood this can be easily done, it is many times advantageous to have these symbols permanently fixed on the device  38 . As such, molding these symbols into the structure is optimal. If the symbols  30  were molded into the arms  38 , a variety of different arms,  38  would need to be manufactured, inventoried and properly assembled. With the symbols  30  on the base  12 , the arms  38  are all the same part and the base  12  is still one part. The result is a lower manufacturing cost, though functionally the product would work equally well in either embodiment. 
     A single slider arm  38  is shown in FIG.  7 . The finger tab  40  and stop  42  connected by the slider bar  44  is more clearly shown. In this form, the lock is comprised of a dimple  46  on one or more surfaces of the slider arm  38 , preferably as shown here on the slider bar  44 . This dimple  46  offers an interference with a structure on the base  12 . This is functionally equivalent to the interference lips or the friction lock as previously disclosed. The dimple  46  can provide high friction “drag” to oppose movement of the arm  38 , or work with a ramp structure to “snap” over center making two or more distinct positions of the arm  38  relative to the base  12 . 
     The internal structure of the base  12  is more completely shown in FIG.  8 . Here the base  12  is shown to be a two-part construction. This is desirable for the assembly of the arms  38  within the base  12 . The base  12  is comprised of a front portion  48  and a back portion  50 . These portions ( 48  &amp;  50 ) can be secured together by any number of means after the assembly of the arms  38 . An adhesive can be used to weld the front portion  48  and back portion  50  together, or as is shown here, any number of mechanical methods of fastening can be used. As an example, an upper back receiver  52  and a lower back receiver  54  are used to enable receiving the upper end  56  and lower end  58  of the back portion  50 , respectively. A material can be used that is capable of flexing enough to receive and spring back to lock the back portion  50  into place. This design would require no further fasteners. 
     In the preferred embodiment of this version of the invention, a ramp  60  is positioned within the channel  62  that receives the slider rod  44 . This ramp  60  provides a position specific interference to the movement of the arm  38  relative to the base  12  to snap or lock the arm into one of two positions, right or left. Though only one ramp  60  is shown here, each channel can include multiple ramps  60  to provide multiple distinct positions relative to the base  12 . In addition, the ramps can be on one side (front  48  or back  50 ) or both. These are design decisions that are each functionally equivalent to the scope of the invention. On the back  18  of the back portion  50  of the base  12 , an adhesive is shown in the form of a piece of double sided tape  64 . As previously noted, this is one form of attachment that is considered preferable in providing a method of fastening the invention to a bottle or other surface. In this exploded view only four of the eight arms are shown. This is done for illustrative purposes and it is intended that all eight would normally be used. 
     A table-supported version of the reminder  10  is shown in FIG.  9 . Instead of attaching to a bottle or mirror, this version of the invention is intended to be an attractive “sculpture” that rests on a bathroom counter or other location that is environmentally related to the task. This may be a bathroom counter if the purpose is to remind the user to take a medication that is stored in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. The base  12  is preferably constructed of a substantially rigid material such as wood or metal. The arms  66  are supported in notches located in the rim  68  of the base  12 . The end knobs  70  on each arm  66  are used to facilitate grasping the arm  66  as well as to act as a positioning guide and lock to keep the arms  66  in place relative to the base  12 . A ring  72  is used to lock the arm  66  into position on one side or the other of at least one rim  68  of the base  12 . This gives a clear visual cue as to the location of the arm  66  relative to the base  12 , but locks the arm to prevent it from being accidentally moved. In all forms of the invention, rotating arms and sliding arms, but especially with sliding arms, multiple locks  72  can be used to provide multiple positioning of each arm to keep track of taking a medicine or other task that needs to be done several times per day. An example of such a multiple lock arm  74  is shown in one location of this embodiment. 
     The sun  76  and the moon  78  designs are used as examples of other symbols that can be used in addition to abbreviations of days and times in the form of alphanumeric symbols. As before, the day of the week, or any abbreviation deemed appropriate can be placed on the base  12  or any or all of the arms  66  &amp;  74 .