Abstract:
A pillbox that can be used with a portable electronic device (“PED”) such as a cellular telephone or personal digital assistant includes a generally cubic body portion that is attached to one end of a PED. The body portion defines a compartment within which medication can be placed. Preferably, an extension projects from one wall of the body portion and the extension is connected to the PED. The body portion preferably conforms generally to the contour of the PED. A door is connected to the body portion to permit selective access to the compartment. Other embodiments of the invention include a holster within which the PED can be inserted. In some of the embodiments, the door defines the medication-storage compartment.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   The present application claims priority from, and incorporates by reference, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/457,484, filed Mar. 25, 2003. 

   GOVERNMENT INTEREST IN THE INVENTION 
   The present invention was developed partially with government support under a Small Business Innovation Research Program Grant. The government has certain rights in the invention. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to pillboxes and, more particularly, to a pillbox that can be attached to a portable electronic device such as a cellular telephone or personal digital assistant. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Pillboxes in a wide variety of sizes and shapes have been known for many years. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,372,445; 4,640,560; 5,740,938;and 6,082,544. Unfortunately, as shown by the referenced patents, pillboxes often are large, cumbersome objects that are difficult to transport conveniently. 
   Recently, portable electronic devices such as cellular telephones and personal digital assistants have become widely available. For convenience, any such device will be referred to herein as a “PED.” PED&#39;s purposefully are compact and portable, and usually are carried by their owners at all times. However, PED&#39;s are used only for such purposes as aural communication, mathematical calculations, and so forth. While the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,911 discloses a self-contained programmable time interval alarm for medication administration, the device is large and unwieldy. More specifically, the device employs a housing that employs a clamp with two jaws to accommodate the neck of a medication container. Desirably, a pillbox would be available that could be attached to a PED and carried therewith. Any such pillbox hopefully would be compact, inexpensive, and readily usable. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In response to the foregoing concerns, the present invention provides a new and improved pillbox that can be attached to and carried with a PED. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a generally cubic body portion that is attached to one end of a PED. The body portion defines a compartment within which medication such as pills can be disposed. It is expected that the compartment will have rounded inside corners that will make removing pills easy and which will prevent pills from getting stuck in the corners. Preferably, an extension projects from one wall of the body portion and the extension is connected to the PED. The body portion preferably conforms generally to the shape of the PED. A door is connected to the body portion to permit selective access to the compartment. 
   Other embodiments of the invention include a holster within which the PED can be inserted. Various forms of a medication-holding compartment are provided. For example, the body portion in some embodiments has a generally flat wall. A door defines a medication-holding compartment. The door interacts with the wall to selectively open and close the compartment. In all of the embodiments, it is expected that the pillbox according to the invention will be compact, readily usable, and capable of being manufactured quickly and inexpensively, preferably in a plastics molding operation. 
   The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pillbox according to the invention attached to a PED; 
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the pillbox of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the pillbox of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of the pillbox of  FIG. 1  showing a hinged door in the open position; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the pillbox of  FIG. 1  taken along a plane indicated by line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of the assembled PED and pillbox of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the assembled PED and pillbox of  FIG. 1  taken along a plane indicated by line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a pillbox according to the invention that includes a sliding drawer; 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a pillbox according to the invention that includes a hinged door that defines a medication compartment; 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a pillbox according to the invention that includes a pivotally mounted door that defines a medication compartment; 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a pillbox according to the invention that can be connected to the bottom of a PED; 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a pillbox according to the invention that is included as part of a holster into which a PED can be inserted; 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a pillbox according to the invention that is similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 10 , but in which the door is oriented vertically rather than horizontally; 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a pillbox according to the invention that is similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 9 ; and 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a pillbox according to the invention that is similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 12 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1-7 , a pillbox according to the invention is indicated by the reference numeral  10 . The pillbox  10  can be used with a PED  12 . Suitable PED&#39;s include Samsung Model SPH-i300, Samsung Model SPH-i500, Kyocera Model 7135, Palm One Tungsten E, Palm One Tungsten W and numerous others. It is possible that the pillbox  10  could be manufactured as part of the PED  12 , although it is more likely that the pillbox  10  will be manufactured separately from the PED  12  and used as an aftermarket attachment. 
   The pillbox  10  includes a body portion  14  that fits on the top of the PED  12 . The body portion  14  includes a top wall  16 , a bottom wall  18 , opposing side walls  20 , and a rear wall  22 . The interior surfaces of the walls  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  define a cavity, or compartment  24  within which medication such as pills or capsules can be placed. As used herein, the terms “medication” or “pills” are intended to refer to tablets, capsules, pellets, or any other form of medicine or food (such as candy or breath mints) that can be ingested by a human being. The intersections of the walls  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22 , are rounded, particularly at the corners, in order to prevent pills from becoming wedged or otherwise stuck in the compartment  24 . 
   A door  26  is connected to the forward edge of the bottom wall  18  by a hinge indicated at  28 . The door  26  completely covers the front of the compartment  24  when the door  26  is in the closed position as indicated in  FIG. 1 . 
   A connection between the body portion  14  and the PED  12  is provided. The connection includes a pair of loops  30 ,  32  that extend laterally from the bottom wall  18  near the intersection with the side walls  20 . The loop  30  fits about an antenna  34  included as part of the PED  12 , while the loop  32  fits about a stylus  36  included as part of the PED  12 . A generally rectangular extension  38  projects from the bottom of the rear wall  22 . The extension  38  is connected to the upper, rear portion of the PED  12  by means of hook and loop fasteners  40  ( FIG. 7 ). 
   In the illustrated embodiment, the body portion  14  and the extension  40  are configured to closely match the shape of the portions of the PED  12  with which they are in contact. It is expected that the pillbox  10  will be manufactured from a plastics material such as ABS or a similar material in a molding operation. It is possible to manufacture the pillbox  10  from a more flexible material that could be molded to the shape of the PED  12  after it has been positioned in place on the PED  12 . While a hook and loop attachment has been described, the extension  38  can be adapted to engage slots or protrusions on the rear of the PED  12 , if provided. The extension  38  also could be attached by an adhesive layer. It also is possible for the pillbox  10  to be held in place and protected by a wrap-around sleeve, in a manner similar to commercially available PED&#39;s. 
   The embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIGS. 1-7  has a single-chambered compartment  24  with a single hinged door  26 . It is possible to provide a multi-chambered compartment  24 . For example, there could be four compartments  26  with indications for time of day (morning, noon, evening, night), or seven compartments  26  with indications for each day of the week. If a multi-chambered compartment  24  is provided, either a single door  26  can be used to close all of the chambers simultaneously, or a separate door  26  could be used for each chamber. The hinge  28  can be provided in any of several variations, such as integrated hinges or post hinges. The door  26  can be provided with molded impressions for labels or raised lettering for branding the product or for identifying a particular drug or drugs, manufacturers, or physicians. 
   The pillbox  10  is intended to provide storage for a daily set of pills and to work in conjunction with alarm software on the PED  12 . Preferably, the pillbox  10  is provided with software that reminds the user when to take the medication. The software can be loaded into the PED  12 . If a wireless internet connection is available, a physician, drug manufacturer, or medical supply company can provide the user with reminders and/or information about the medication that should be taken by the patient and a schedule for taking the medication. 
   The body portion  14  is shown as being of a generally cubic shape. The shape of the body portion  14  can be changed to other shapes, if desired, although it is expected that a cubic shape will be preferred for reasons of appearance and functionality. 
   ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 8-15 , several alternative embodiments of the invention are illustrated. The alternative embodiments of the invention share various characteristics, including the capability to be attached to a PED and the use of a movable door that either exposes a medication-storage compartment or which itself forms a medication-storage compartment. 
   The embodiments shown in  FIGS. 11 ,  12 , and  15  are similar to the first-described embodiment of  FIGS. 1-7  because they each have a body portion that defines a compartment within which pills can be disposed, a movable door that is connected to the body portion to selectively cover and uncover the compartment, and a connection between the body portion and the PED. The embodiments shown in  FIGS. 8-10 ,  13 , and  14  are similar to each other because each has a body portion attached to a PED, a movable door that defines a compartment with one or more chambers within which pills can be disposed, and a connection between the door and the body portion. In the description that follows, like reference numerals will be used to indicate components that are similar or identical, or which perform similar or identical functions. 
   Turning first to  FIG. 11 , a pillbox is indicated by the reference numeral  50 . The pillbox  50  has a body portion  52  that is similar to the body portion  14 , including a top wall  16 , a bottom wall  18 , side walls  20 , and a rear wall  22 . The interior surfaces of the walls  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  define a cavity, or compartment  24  within which medication such as pills or capsules can be placed. A door  26  is connected to the forward edges of the sidewalls  20  by tracks indicated at  54 . The tracks  54  permit sliding movement of the door  26 . The door  26  completely covers the front of the compartment  24  when the door  26  is in the closed position as indicated in  FIG. 11 . A connection between the body portion  14  and the PED  12  is provided. The connection includes spaced prongs  56 ,  58  that fit into the typical recharging and data ports included as part of the PED  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the body portion  14  and the extension  40  are configured to closely match the shape of the portions of the PED  12  with which they are in contact. 
   Referring to  FIG. 12 , another embodiment of the invention is indicated by the reference numeral  60 . The embodiment  60  includes a body portion  14  of generally cubic shape to which an upper door  26  is attached by means of a “living hinge.” A holster  62  is connected to and projects from the body portion  14 . The holster  62  is of a size and shape to receive a portion of the PED  12 . To that end, the holster has a bottom wall  64  against which a bottom wall of the PED  12  is in contact and an upwardly extending side wall  66  that is in contact with a sidewall of the PED  12 . The sidewall  66  is opposite to the body portion  14  and contains the PED  12  therebetween. The connection between the PED  12  and the holster  62  includes flanges  68  and ledges  69  that project from the holster  62  and which engage the PED  12 . The foregoing construction permits the PED  12  to be inserted into the holster  62  and retained in place there. 
   Referring to  FIG. 15 , another embodiment of the invention is indicated by the reference numeral  70 . The embodiment  70  is similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 12 . A holster  72  is connected to and extends from the side walls  20  and the rear wall  22  of the body portion  14 . The holster  72  includes sidewalls  74  that conform generally to the shape of sidewalls of the PED  12  and a rear wall  76  that conforms generally to the shape of a rear wall of the PED  12 . The door  26  defines the front wall of the body portion  14 . A tab  76  projects from the upper end of the rear wall  76  and engages the upper end of the PED  12 . A clip  79  is formed as part of the rear wall  76 . The PED  12  is held in place within the holster by the combined action of the sidewall  74 , the rear wall  76  and the tab  78 . The clip  79  enables the holster  72  to be conveniently carried on a user&#39;s belt. 
   Referring to  FIG. 8 , another embodiment of the invention is indicated by the reference numeral  80 . The embodiment  80  includes a body portion  82  attached to the PED  12 , a movable hollow door  84  that defines a compartment within which pills can be disposed, and a connection between the door  84  and the body portion  82 . When the door  84  is in a closed position, it overlies a portion of the flat wall  86  and together with the flat wall  86  defines a compartment. The door  84  has opposed side portions and opposed end portions, the side portions and the end portions defining a perimeter that engages the wall  86  in surface-to-surface contact to establish a closure for the compartment. The compartment is closed when the perimeter of the door  84  is entirely in contact with the wall  86  and the compartment is open when at least a portion of the perimeter of the door  84  is not in contact with the wall  86 . The body portion  82  includes a generally flat wall  86  that lies in a plane and clips  88  that project from opposing sides of the wall  86  to wrap around side wall portions of the PED  12 . The door  84  has a flat surface  85  that stabilizes the PED  12  when it is placed on its back on a flat surface or which can accept an identifying label or molded indicia (not shown). The door  84  also has a pair of indents  87  to enable a user to more readily grasp the door  84 . 
   The connection between the door  84  and the body portion  82  is defined by a pair of spaced, parallel tracks  89  that are included as part of the wall  86  of the body portion  82 . The door  84  is movable back and forth along the tracks  89  in a plane parallel with the plane in which the wall  86  lies. The tracks  89  receive the side portions of the door  84 . The perimeter portion of the door  84  is in contact with the wall  86  during those times that the door  84  overlies the wall  86 . 
   The embodiment  80  includes means for keeping door  84  in a compartment-closed position. The means for keeping the door  84  in a compartment-closed position comprises flexible tabs included as part of the door  84 . The tabs provide an interference fit with the ends of the tracks  89  when the door  84  is centered within the tracks  89 . The tabs are movable in order to be disposed within the tracks  89  when the door  84  is moved toward a compartment-open position. 
   Referring to  FIG. 9 , another embodiment of the invention is indicated by the reference numeral  90 . The embodiment  90  includes a body portion  92  attached to the PED  12 , a movable door  94  that defines a compartment within which pills can be disposed, and a connection between the door  94  and the body portion  92 . One side of the door  94  engages a raised ledge  93 . The door  94  has a depression  95  adjacent the ledge  93 . The body portion  92  includes a generally flat wall  96  that lies in a plane and clips  98  that project from opposing ends of the wall  96  to engage the top and bottom of the PED  12 . As with the door  84 , the door  94  has a flat surface  97  for stabilizing the PED  12  or for accepting a label or molded indicia. The connection between the door  94  and the body portion  92  is defined by a hinge (not shown) that permits pivoting movement of the door  94  out of the plane in which the wall  96  lies. The depression  95  permits the user to grasp and squeeze the door  94  so as to release the edge of the door  94  from the ledge  93 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 14 , another embodiment of the invention is indicated by the reference numeral  100 . The embodiment  100  shown in  FIG. 14  is similar to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 , except that the upper clip  98  is in the form of a loop  102  that fits about an antenna or stylus included as part of the PED  12 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 10 , another embodiment of the invention is indicated by the reference numeral  110 . The embodiment  110  is similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 8 , and includes a body portion  112  attached to the PED  12 , a movable door  114  that defines a compartment within which pills can be disposed, and a connection between the door  114  and the body portion  112 . The body portion  112  includes a generally flat wall  116  that lies in a plane and clips  118  that project from opposing sides of the wall  116  to engage the sides of the PED  12 . The connection between the door  114  and the body portion  112  is defined by a post  120  included as part of a selected one of the wall  116  or the door  114 , and a receptacle  122  for receiving the post  120  that is included as part of the other of the wall  116  or the door  114 . The door  114  is movable relative to the wall  116  by being pivoted about the pin  120  in a plane generally parallel with the plane in which the wall  116  lies. A detent (not shown) is provided to retain the door  114  in that position shown in  FIG. 10  until the user desires to open the door  114 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 13 , another embodiment of the invention is indicated by the reference numeral  130 . The embodiment  130  shown in  FIG. 13  is similar to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 10 , except that the upper clip  118  is in the form of a loop  132  that fits about an antenna or stylus included as part of the PED  12 . 
   As will be apparent from the foregoing description, the pillbox  10  according to the invention is compact, readily usable, and capable of being manufactured quickly and inexpensively. The various embodiments of the invention permit the pillbox  10  to be used with a wide variety of PED configurations and provide desirable options for a user. 
   Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it will be understood that the present disclosure of the preferred embodiment has been made only by way of example and that various changes may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.