Abstract:
A dosage reminder cap provides an easy, effective way to track consumption of medication. A rotating disk provides a tool for marking the either last dose taken or the next dose due to be taken of a prescribed medication in order to facilitate proper consumption of the medication.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]     This application claims priority of prior provisional Application Ser. No. 60/631,950 filed Nov. 30, 2004, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to medicine containers, and more particularly to a dosage reminder cap for prescription medicine containers providing an indication of when the next dose of medicine is due and facilitating tracking of the last dose dispensed from the container.  
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     All prescription medications are accompanied by a doctor&#39;s directions for the frequency and amount of each dose to be consumed by a patient. Many medications must be taken daily in order to be effective, some at multiple intervals during the day. Other medications are only taken as needed, but a patient or care giver needs to know when the last dose was taken to prevent over-dosing. Some of the hazards associated with incorrect consumption, commonly called noncompliance, of medications include prolonged illness, ineffectiveness of the medicine, hospitalization, commitment into a nursing home facility, and death. All of the aforementioned hazards eventually result in increased health care costs to patients and society as a whole.  
         [0004]     Several medicine dose tracking devices are currently available to consumers. Some comprise a container with compartments for multiple doses per day of the week. Others provide an indicator for each day of the week, either on the container closure or on a label placed inside the container whereby each dose of medicine is sealed in an individual packet and dispensed by pushing through a layer of foil. Other devices track the number of times a container has been opened. Each of these devices has limitations.  
         [0005]     Devices that track only the day of the week do not provide any way to track multiple doses per day, unless the medicine is packaged in a foil-lined packet. A foil-lined packet with multiple doses per day is impractical when there are two or more doses per day, because a prescription for longer than a few days requires a package of considerable size, even for the smallest of pills.  
         [0006]     Multiple compartment containers allow patients to place multiple medications together or single, multiple-dose medications into compartments according to the number of doses per day. Although such containers are common, they violate the legal requirement that medications must be stored in properly labeled containers. In addition to the labeling requirement, there are no child safety features and no remedy for displacement of medication, for example falling out of the container; mixing of the doses of medication; or incorrectly dispensing the medication into the container.  
         [0007]     Devices that track the number of times a container is opened present several difficulties. Devices currently available do not provide for opening the container and not taking a dose. Further, there is nothing to help track when the last dose was taken or when the next dose is due, and no way of tracking the quantity of medicine dispensed when the container was opened. In addition to the dosage tracking limitation, available container caps and other constructions are generally round in shape, which do not prohibit the container from rolling off of the surface upon which it was placed.  
         [0008]     The present invention comprises a dosage reminder cap which overcomes the foregoing and other difficulties which have long since characterized the prior art. In accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, a dosage reminder cap contains a dial which is rotated and set to indicate either the last day and dose when the medication was taken or when the next dose is due.  
         [0009]     In accordance with more specific aspects of the invention, a dosage reminder cap for a medicine container comprises a hexagonal shape with each day of the week and multiple doses per day displayed thereon. A round disk with a small window cutout (window disk) is recessed into the hexagonal cap and is affixed therein. The user rotates the window disk clockwise until the desired day and dose is revealed through the window.  
         [0010]     The hexagon shape of the cap prevents the container from rolling and falling off the surface upon which it was placed. The hexagon shape also makes the cap easier to grip and therefore easier to open. The cap is further equipped with a child safety feature for deterring a child from removing the cap from the container and thereby gaining access to the contents thereof.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in connection with the accompanying Drawings, wherein:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a dosage reminder cap comprising a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the dosage reminder cap shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a section view taken along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is perspective view of one component of the dosage reminder cap shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a dosage reminder cap comprising a second embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the dosage reminder cap shown in  FIG. 6 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]     Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is shown a medicine container  20  having a dosage reminder cap  22  installed thereon. The dosage reminder cap  22  comprises a hexagon shaped base  24  and a window disk  26 . The dosage reminder cap  22  threadedly engages the top of the container  20  until it rests upon a lip  28  around the container  20 . The lip  28  has a detent  30  and a tab  31  on one side thereof providing a child safety feature.  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown an enlarged, exploded view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . The dosage reminder cap  22  fastens onto the container  20  by engaging a threaded neck  32  of the container  20 . A notch  34  formed in the base  24  engages the detent  30  and locks the dosage reminder cap  22  in place. In order to unscrew and remove the dosage reminder cap  22 , the tab  31  is pressed down enabling the base  24  to disengage the detent  30 . The base  24  is thereafter pressed down and turned in a counterclockwise direction at the same time.  
         [0021]     The hegaxon shaped base  24  comprises a cavity  36  in the top center therof which is sized to accommodate the window disk  26  recessed therein. Printed within the cavity  36  are two concentric text rows  38  and  40 . The outer row  38  has each of the seven days of the week spaced at equal intervals therearound. The inside row  40  comprises sets of sequential numbers located below, concentric with and aligned with each day of the week displayed in the outer row  38 , each set of numbers beginning with the number 1. In the center of the cavity  36  is an opening  42  for accommodating a pin  44  protruding from the bottom of the window disk  26 . The pin  44  snaps into the opening  42  thereby securing the window disk  26  to the base  24  and providing the axis about which the window disk  26  turns.  
         [0022]     The window disk  26  has a T-shaped window  50  cut out of one edge thereof. The window  50  displays one day of the week from the outer row  38  and one number from the inner row  40 . Below the window  50  is indicator text  52  to assist the patient or person dispensing the medicine. The text  52  comprises the words “Last Dose Taken.” Alternative texts are “Next Dose Due”, “Next Dose To Be Taken”, or other alternative phrases having similar meanings.  
         [0023]     The window disk  26  rotates counterclockwise and stops when the desired day and dose number are displayed through the window  50 . A series of notches  54  are formed in the face of the cavity  36 , such that there is one notch  54  for each corresponding dose number of the inner row  40 . The notches  54  engage a triangular wedge  56  protruding from the bottom of the window disk  26  thereby locking the window disk  26  in place when the desired day and dose number are displayed through the window  50 . To change the day and dose number displayed, a person dispensing the medicine turns the window disk  26  by pressing down in the disk with a thumb or other finger.  
         [0024]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown the engagement of the wedge  56  and the notches  54 . The wedge  56  and the notches  54  have the shape of an isosceles triangle. The isosceles triangle shape allows the wedge  56  to continue forward to the next notch  54  while preventing the wedge  56  from going back to the previous notch  54 .  
         [0025]     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a view of the bottom of the window disk  26  illustrating the location of the pin  44  and the wedge  56 .  
         [0026]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the dosage reminder cap  22  is shown secured in engagement with the container  20 . The inner surface of the base  24  is threaded to engage corresponding threads  58  of the neck  32  of the container.  
         [0027]      FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate a dosage reminder cap  60  comprising a second embodiment of the invention. Many of the component parts of the dosage reminder cap  60  are substantially identical in construction and function to component parts of the dosage reminder cap  22  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5  and described hereinabove in conjunction therewith. Such identical component parts are designated in  FIGS. 6 and 7  with the same reference numerals utilized above in the description of the dosage reminder cap  22 , but are differentiated therefrom by means of a prime (′) designation.  
         [0028]     The dosage reminder cap  60  differs from the dosage reminder cap  22  in that the dosage reminder cap  60  employs an alternative closure and child safety mechanism for engagement with the container  20 ′. The base  24 ′ of the dosage reminder cap  60  comprises two locking tabs  62  on opposite sides for engagement with a lip  63  of the container  20 ′. A circular inner surface  64  of the base  24 ′ secures over the neck  32 ′ of the container  20 ′.  
         [0029]     As shown in  FIG. 7 , to remove the dosage reminder cap  60  from the container  20 ′ pressure is applied to two pressure points  68  equidistant between the tabs  62  on opposite sides of the base  24 ′. As pressure is applied to the pressure points  68 , the tabs  62  are forced outwardly thereby disengaging the tabs  62  from the lip  63  allowing the dosage reminder cap  60  to removed from the container  20 ′.  
         [0030]     Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.