Abstract:
A medication reminder device provides a C-shaped support for receiving gently tapered pill bottles of a variety of sizes. The support is made in sections to provide an internal cavity receiving a timer. The timer includes, in circuit, a receptacle for a battery, an alarm, a timer assembly for periodically energizing the alarm and an on/off switch. The on/off switch includes an operator exposed through the interior of the support so that inserting a bottle into the support causes the operator to be depressed thereby initiating operation of the timer assembly.

Description:
[0001]     This invention is a device used in connection with a medicine or vitamin bottle to provide a reminder to take the contents of the bottle.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     It is well known in the art to provide devices to remind a person to take medication. Many of these devices are incorporated in or associated with medication bottles, specifically pill bottles. Some of these devices are incorporated into the caps of pill bottles. One complication of reminder devices in bottle caps is that many different size caps must be made to accommodate the different sized bottles thereby aggravating inventory problems, i.e. many expensive bottle caps have to be kept in stock to handle the demand. A partial solution to the replacement of bottle caps is to reuse a reminder cap, i.e. take a reminder cap off an empty medication bottle and use it on a new bottle. One complication is that, occasionally, the cap from the old bottle will not fit the new one. There is also a problem in starting, or restarting, the timer mechanism in the bottle cap to fit or adjust the schedule of the medication in the new bottle.  
         [0003]     Other reminder devices are housed in a receptacle into which the medication bottle is placed. The problems of correctly sizing the receptacle to receive the medication bottle is essentially the same.  
         [0004]     Disclosures of interest are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,996,879; 4,361,408; 4,448,541; 4,504,153; 5,016,230; 5,170,380; 5,233,571; 5,313,439; 5,495,961; 5,724,021; 5,751,661; 6,084,504; 6,158,613; 6,229,431; 6,317,390; 6,335,907; 6,424,599; 6,441,722 and U.S. patent publications 2001/0040500 and 2002/0126585.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     In this invention, a bottle alarm comprises a slightly resilient C-shaped structure that slips over the bottom of a conventional medication bottle. Conventional medication or pill bottles are generally cylindrical but are tapered slightly from a smaller bottom end to a larger open mouth. Although there may be many reasons for the taper, medication bottles are not apt to change because the taper is a solution to a production problem. Medication bottles are plastic and are made by injection molding. In order to extract the mold part that provides the interior of the bottle, the mold part is made slightly smaller at the bottom than at the top. Thus, any device that relies on, or takes advantage of the taper of medication bottles is not apt to go out of style because injection molded bottles will likely continue to be slightly tapered.  
         [0006]     The C-shaped support includes a pair of curved arms having ends spaced apart by a gap. The arms are slightly resilient to clamp onto the medication bottle and to accommodate bottles of slightly different size thereby making the support usable on different sized bottles and reducing the inventory problem. Even though the taper of the bottle is fairly small, most bottles are of a sufficient height so the support can clamp onto one size bottom near its bottom and clamp onto the next larger size bottle nearer its top.  
         [0007]     The C-shaped support carries a timer or clock including a battery receptacle, an alarm, a circuit for connecting the battery to the alarm and an on/off switch. The on/off switch is normally off and includes an operator exposed on the interior of the C-shaped support so, in response to the support being slipped onto the pill bottle, the switch is automatically turned on to close the circuit thereby initiating operation of the timer or clock. The C-shaped support includes a cavity in which the timer is located.  
         [0008]     The circuit may be of any suitable type and is preferably either programmable or several versions of the circuit are made available so the alarm will be sounded at preselected intervals corresponding to the medication requirements of the user.  
         [0009]     It is an object of this invention to provide an improved reminder device used in conjunction with a medication bottle.  
         [0010]     A further object of this invention is to provide an improved alarm that fits easily on conventional medication bottles to remind the user to take the medication.  
         [0011]     A more specific object of this invention is to provide a C-shaped support that slips over the bottom of a conventional pill bottle that contains circuitry to provide a periodic alarm to remind the user to take pills in the bottle.  
         [0012]     These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds, reference being made to the accompanying drawings and appended claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of the medication reminder of this invention disposed on a conventional medication bottle;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the reminder of  FIG. 1  absent the bottle;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a view of the device of  FIG. 2  looking through the gap in the C-shaped support;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the device of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of the circuitry used in the operation of the medication reminder of this invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a view of the C-shaped support, one half being removed to expose the interior, showing a locating mechanism for a circuit board; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of circuitry used in the operation of another medication reminder of this invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , a medication reminder  10  of this invention comprises a support  12  and a timer circuit  14  carried by the support  12 . The support  12  comprises a C-shaped body  16  having a pair of arms  18  having ends  20  separated by a gap  22 . The size of an opening  24  provided by the body  16  is sufficient to pass over the small end of a medication bottle  26  but too small to pass over the top of the bottle  26 . The medication bottle  26  appears to be cylindrical but is slightly tapered from a smaller circular bottom  28  to a larger open top  30  having a lip  32  closed by a lid  34 , all in a conventional manner. The arms  18  are slightly resilient so the arms  18  are stressed as the bottle  26  passes through the support  12 . Thus, the arms  18  captivate or clamp onto an intermediate portion of the bottle  26 .  
         [0021]     It will be seen that a support  12  of one size can accommodate bottles of somewhat different size because of the taper and height of the bottle and the resilience of the arms  18 . In other words, by a judicious selection of the size of the opening  24  and the resilience of the arms  18 , several size bottles can be accommodated by a support  12  of a given size. Thus, supports  12  in a few sizes can be designed to accommodate bottles of most conventional sizes.  
         [0022]     The body  16  is preferably made of a organic polymeric material and may be injection molded or otherwise manufactured in a conventional manner. Typically, the body  16  is made in two halves  36 ,  38  and joined along a seam  40  thereby providing a cavity  42  for receiving the timer  14  to provide a periodic alarm for alerting the user that it is time to take medicine or pills from the bottle  26 .  
         [0023]     As shown best in  FIG. 6 , the halves  36 ,  38  include locating sockets  44  and pins  46  to align the halves  36 ,  38  together in a conventional manner. The halves  36 ,  38  may be secured together in any suitable manner, if desired, as with adhesives or by making the sockets  44  and pins  46  so the pins  46  may be inserted into the sockets  44  but not withdrawn. The halves  36 ,  38  also provide locating brackets  48  to receive a circuit board  50  providing the electronic components needed to provide the desired reminders, all as will be more fully apparent hereinafter. The body  16  also provides suitable openings  52  so sound from an audible alarm may efficiently exit the body  16 .  
         [0024]     The timer  14  includes, in circuit, a receptacle  54  for receiving a battery  56 , a chip or assembly  58  mounted on the circuit board  50  and providing a timer function, one or more alarms  60 ,  62  and an on/off switch  64  which is normally off. The chip or assembly  58  may be of any suitable type, and preferably includes one or more adjusting mechanisms or buttons  66 ,  68  exposed through dimples or recesses  70 ,  72  on the exterior of the body  16 . By pressing the button  66 , the time delay provided by the assembly  58  is increased and by pressing the button  68 , the time delay provided by the assembly  58  is decreased.  
         [0025]     The alarms  60 ,  62  may be of any suitable type and conveniently include a visual alarm or light provided by a light emitting diode  74  and an audible alarm provided by a horn or other noise maker  76 . The on/off switch  64  is normally open or off and includes an operator or actuator button  78  exposed on the interior of the C-shaped support  12 . When the bottle  26  is slipped over the bottom  28  of the bottle  26  and passes into the opening  24  of the support  12 , the bottle  26  contacts the actuator  78  thereby closing the circuit of the timer  14  and initiating operation of the timer assembly  58 . After energizing one or more of the alarms  60 ,  62  for a predetermined time or the timer circuit is reset, as by slipping the support  12  off the bottle  26 , the circuit  14  turns the alarms off until the next time medication is to be taken.  
         [0026]     In the event the body  16  is made of an opaque material, a suitable opening (not shown) is provided for the light emitting diode  74  so the light emitted therefrom is visible from the exterior of the C-shaped support  12 . Preferably, however, at least one of the body halves  36 ,  38  is transparent or translucent, together which mean the support  12  is non-opaque, and the light emitting diode  74  is inside the support  12 . In this manner, energization of the LED  74  produces a large light source which is the support  12 . It will be appreciated that a second light emitting diode  80  may be provided, of different color, so the support  12  may be illuminated internally in a pulsating style from one color to another. This tends to produce a much more effective alarm.  
         [0027]     The battery  56  may be replaced by providing suitable access to the cavity  42  by the provision of a flap or other removable member  82  on the exterior of the C-shaped support  12 . The time between energizing the alarms  60 ,  62  may be adjusted by manipulation of the circuitry inside the assembly  58  by depressing the buttons  66 ,  68 .  
         [0028]     An interesting feature of this invention is the ability to provide a rechargeable battery and recharge it with a specially shaped battery charger (not shown) having terminals (not shown) to contact terminals  84 ,  86  extending through small openings  88 ,  90  ( FIG. 2 ). When it is desired to recharge the battery  56 , the medication reminder  10  is removed from the bottle  26  and inserted on the battery charger (not shown) which has a slot or other arrangement to avoid depressing the actuator button  78  but allow the terminals  84 ,  86  to make electrical contact with the charger.  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , another medication reminder  92  based on a slightly different principle of operation. The reminder  92  includes a circuit  94  having, in circuit, a receptacle  96  for receiving a battery  98 , a chip or assembly  100  mounted on a circuit board and providing a receiver  102  including an antenna  104 , one or more alarms  106 ,  108  and an on/off switch  110  which is normally off. The circuit board is located inside a support  12  and the switch  110  provides an actuator button  112  exposed through the inside, analogous to the actuator button  78 . The chip or assembly  100  acts to receive a signal from remote site and, in response thereto, energize one or more of the alarms  106 ,  108 . The concept is that the medication user contracts with a vendor who sends a signal at appropriate times which is received by the antenna  102 . The signal may be of any suitable type, such as a conventional radio frequency signal or a pager signal where the receiver  102  is a pager receiver. In this manner, signals may be sent and received at any desired interval.  
         [0030]     The medication reminder  92  also includes a vibrator motor  114  in circuit with the assembly  100  to provide a tactile alarm It will accordingly be seen that there is provided an improved medication reminder device which is usable on tapered generally cylindrical medication bottles of different sizes providing an alarm for notifying the user that it is time to take medication.  
         [0031]     Although this invention has been disclosed and described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms is only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of operation and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.