Patent Publication Number: US-6707763-B2

Title: Closure cap including timer and cooperating switch member and associated methods

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/266,153, filed on Feb. 2, 2001, titled MEDICATION RECORDING CLOCK and Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/341,177, filed on Dec. 13, 2001, titled DUAL CHILD-RESISTANT AND DISPENSING CLOSURE both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of containers, and, more particularly, to closure caps for pill containers and associated methods. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A closure cap is typically used to selectively cover the open upper end of a container, such as used for pills or medication. One problem that arises with medication, both prescription and nonprescription, is that patients sometimes do not remember to take the medication at the designated times e.g., every four hours. Alternately, sometimes patients do not remember when the last time that medication was taken. In an attempt to address these problems, various timers have been developed. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,661 titled “Medication Dosage Timing Apparatus” to Walters describes a closure cap having an integral timer. The timer is activated and deactivated by a moveable disk that engages and disengages a battery beneath the timer. The timer cap, and more specifically, the moveable disk, described in the Walters patent, however, may be somewhat awkward and unreliable. The disk may stick in position if it is not properly aligned. Accordingly, the timer cap described in the patent may be difficult to manipulate and may not provide an accurate indication of time. 
     Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,123 titled “Medication Timer” to Durso describes a programmable medication timer on a closure cap that indicates the appropriate time for the user to take medication. The timer described in the Durso patent, however, is relatively complicated and requires specific programming to remind the user to take medication. 
     Current closure caps are generally adapted for use either with child-proof containers or containers having threaded openings. Moreover, a timer cap adapted for a pill container having a threaded opening cannot be used on a child-proof container, and vice-versa. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a closure cap that is reliable and which may also be compatible with both child-proof pill containers, e.g., child-resistant pill containers and pill containers having a threaded opening, e.g., senior-friendly pill containers. 
     This and other objects, features, and advantages in accordance with the present invention are provided by a closure cap comprising a lower housing portion and an enlarged upper housing portion connected thereto and defining a shoulder therebetween. The shoulder engages adjacent upper portions of the pill container when the closure cap is secured thereon. The closure cap also preferably includes a switch member being biased outwardly from an opening in the shoulder. The switch member is movable between an outwardly extending position and a retracted position based upon contact with adjacent upper portions of the pill container as the closure cap is secured thereon. The closure cap further preferably includes a timer carried by the housing and cooperating with the switch member for generating an indication relating to a length of time that the switch member has been in the retracted positioned. The length of time corresponds to a time since the closure cap was most recently secured onto the pill container. Accordingly, the closure cap provides a relatively straightforward and reliable timing function for the user. 
     The timer preferably includes a display and circuitry connected thereto for displaying the length of time since the switch member was most recently moved to the retracted position. The display may include a digital display. The closure cap further preferably includes a battery carried by the housing for powering the circuitry. The switch member may comprise a generally cylindrical pin that has rounded-over end edges. The lower housing portion preferably includes a threaded outer surface portion and the upper housing portion preferably includes an outer gripping surface having a plurality of vertically extending ridges. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the closure cap may also include a removable child-proof adaptor ring to be carried by the housing to adapt the housing to engage a child-proof locking mechanism of the pill container. The removable child-proof adaptor ring preferably includes an upper portion engaging adjacent outer surface portions of the upper housing portion and a lower portion connected to the upper portion and being in radially spaced apart relation from adjacent surface portions of the lower housing portion. In other words, the closure cap can also advantageously be interchangeably used between child-proof pill containers and pill containers having threaded portions adjacent the opening. 
     The objects, features, and advantages in accordance with the present invention are also provided by a method for generating an indication relating to a length of time since a closure cap was most recently secured to a pill container. The method includes providing a housing having a lower housing portion and an enlarged upper housing portion connected thereto and defining a shoulder therebetween. The shoulder engages adjacent upper portions of the pill container when the closure cap is secured thereon. The method also includes biasing a switch member outwardly from an opening in the shoulder. The switch member is movable between an outwardly extending position and a retracted position based upon contact with adjacent upper portions of the pill container as the closure cap is secured thereon. The method also includes generating an indication relating to a length of time since the closure cap was most recently secured to the pill container based upon a length of time since the switch member was most recently moved to the retracted position. 
     The objects, features, and advantages in accordance with the present invention are further provided by a method for adapting a closure cap from use with a pill container having threads to use with a pill container comprising a child-proof locking mechanism. The closure cap includes a timer and a housing carrying the timer. The housing includes a threaded outer surface portion to engage threads of a pill container. The method includes biasing a switch member from the housing that is movable between an outwardly extending position and a retracted position based upon contact with adjacent upper portions of the pill container as the closure cap is secured thereon. The switch member cooperates with the timer. The method also includes engaging a removable child-proof adaptor ring onto the housing to adapt the housing to engage the child-proof locking mechanism of a pill container. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Some of the features, advantages, and benefits of the present invention having been stated, others will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closure cap connected to a pill container according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the closure cap as shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG.  3 . is a cross-sectional view of the closure cap taken through line  3 — 3  in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded side view of the closure cap as shown in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the closure cap  20  includes a housing  30  having a lower housing portion  33  and an enlarged upper housing portion  32  connected thereto and defining a shoulder  34  therebetween. The shoulder  34  engages adjacent upper portions of the pill container  25  when the closure cap  20  is secured thereon. As perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 3, the shoulder  34  has an opening  35  formed therein. 
     A switch member  40  is biased outwardly from the opening  35  in the shoulder  34  and is movable between an outwardly extending position and a retracted position based upon contact with adjacent upper portions of the pill container  25  as the closure cap  20  is secured thereon. The switch member  40  can be made of metal, for example. The switch member  40  is biased outwardly by a spring carried within the upper housing portion  32 . The switch member  40  cooperates with switch contacts carried within the upper housing portion  32  to define a switch which is open when in the outwardly extending position and closed when in the retracted position. The switch member  40  can be provided by a generally cylindrical pin having rounded-over end edges as shown in the illustrated embodiments. 
     The closure cap  20  also includes a timer  50  carried by the housing  30  and cooperating with the switch member  40  for generating an indication relating to a length of time that the switch member has been in the retracted positioned and corresponding to a time since the closure cap was most recently secured onto the pill container  25 . Therefore, when the switch member  40  is in the retracted position, the timer  50  displays the length of time that the switch member has been in the retracted position. This is an effective indication of when the last time that medication was taken. 
     As perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 3, the timer  50  includes a display  52  and circuitry  54  connected thereto for displaying the length of time since the switch member  40  was most recently moved to the retracted position. The display  52  is preferably a digital display, but can also be provided by any other type of display suitable for displaying the elapsed time since the closure cap  20  was most recently secured to the pill container  25 , as understood by those skilled in the art. The closure cap  20  further includes a battery  56  carried by the housing  30  for powering the circuitry  54 . More particularly, the circuitry  54  can include a 4-bit micro-controller, and the display  52  may be a 4-character 7-segment LCD display. The battery  56  can be provided by a 1.5 volt lithium battery, for example. 
     When the closure cap  20  is secured to the pill container  25 , the switch member  40  is moved to the retracted position and the timer  50  begins to track the time that the closure cap  20  has been secured to the pill container  25 . When the closure cap  20  is removed from the pill container  25 , the switch member  40  is moved to the outwardly extending position and the timer  50  is turned off, i.e., the timer  50  stops tracking and displaying the elapsed time. When the closure cap  20  is secured to the pill container again, the timer  50  is reset and the elapsed time is tracked again since the closure cap  20  was last secured to the pill container. 
     As perhaps best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower housing portion  33  includes a threaded outer surface portion  37  and the upper housing portion  32  includes an outer gripping surface  36 . The threaded outer surface  37  of the lower housing portion  33  is adapted to engage corresponding threaded surfaces of the pill container  25  so that the closure cap  20  can be readily secured to the pill container  25 . The outer gripping surface  36  illustratively includes a plurality of vertically extending ridges. The vertically extending edges advantageously allow a user to readily grip the closure cap  20  so that weaker users can manipulate the closure cap  20 . 
     The closure cap  20  may also include a removable child-proof adaptor ring  60  to be carried by the housing  30  to adapt the housing to engage a child-proof locking mechanism of the pill container  25 . More particularly, the removable child-proof adaptor ring  60  allows the closure cap to be used with any type of container that uses a child-proof or child-resistant opening, e.g., containers for household detergents, cosmetics, bleach, or any other type of container used to carry material that may be harmful if ingested, as understood by those skilled in the art. The removable child-proof adaptor ring  60  illustratively includes an upper portion  62  engaging adjacent outer surface portions of the upper housing portion  32  and a lower portion  64  connected to the upper portion  62  and being in radially spaced apart relation from adjacent surface portions of the lower housing portion  33 . Therefore, the housing  30  can be readily inserted into the removable child-proof adaptor ring  60  so that the closure cap  20  can be secured to a child-proof pill container as well as to a pill container having a threaded opening. The housing  30  and child-proof adaptor cap  60  are preferably made of plastic, but any lightweight and flexible material can also be used as understood by those skilled in the art. 
     The removable child-proof adaptor ring  60  preferably includes a plurality of tabs extending outwardly from the inner peripheral portions of the lower portion  64 . The plurality of tabs preferably engage a plurality of tabs extending from the pill container  25  so that the child-proof adaptor cap  60  is securely locked when positioned on the child-proof pill container. The pill container  25  is defined as a child-proof pill container because it includes a child-proof lock. The child-proof lock can advantageously be disengaged by depressing a tab, for example, extending outwardly from the pill container  25 . When the child-proof lock is disengaged, the closure cap  20  can be readily removed from the child-proof pill container. The child-proof or child-resistant lock on the pill container can also advantageously be provided by a push-turn mechanism, for example, or any other type of child-proof or child-resistant lock as understood by those skilled in the art. 
     Although the removable child-proof adaptor ring  60  has been described as being used in connection with a closure cap  20  having a timer  50  associated therewith, it shall be understood that the removable child-proof adaptor ring can also advantageously be used with a closure cap  20  that does not have a timer associated therewith. Furthermore, when the removable child-proof adaptor ring  60  is removed from the closure cap  20  it can advantageously be positioned in a storage position over the closure cap. In other words, the upper portion of the removable child-proof adaptor ring matingly engages the upper housing portion of the closure cap so that when the closure cap is secured to the pill container, the removable child-proof adaptor ring is removably connected thereto. 
     As perhaps best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the closure cap  20  can also include a lens  70 , that overlies the timer  50  and connects to inner peripheral portions of the upper housing portion  32 . The lens  70  is preferably a transparent plastic material that protects the timer  50  on the upper housing portion  32 . Indicia  72  can advantageously be positioned on the lens  70 . The indicia  72  can, for example, be advertising indicia or medication instructions, or any other type of indicia as understood by those skilled in the art. 
     Another aspect of the invention is directed to a method for generating an indication relating to a length of time since a closure cap  20  was most recently secured onto a pill container  25 . The method includes providing a housing  30  including a lower housing portion  33  and an enlarged upper housing portion  32  connected thereto and defining a shoulder  34  therebetween. The shoulder  34  engages adjacent upper portions of the pill container  25  when the closure cap  20  is secured thereon. The shoulder  34  has an opening  35  formed therein. The method also includes biasing a switch member  40  outwardly from the opening  35  in the shoulder  34  and generating an indication relating to a length of time since the closure cap  20  was most recently secured onto a pill container  25 . The method also includes moving the switch member  40  between an outwardly extending position and a retracted position based upon contact with adjacent upper portions of the pill container  25  as the closure cap  20  is secured thereon. The step of generating also includes displaying the length of time since the switch member  40  was most recently moved to the retracted position using a timer  50  carried by the housing  30 . 
     Yet another aspect of the invention is directed to a method for adapting a closure cap  20  from use with a pill container  25  having threads to use with a pill container  25  having a child-proof locking mechanism. The closure cap  20  includes a timer  50  and a housing  30  carrying the timer  50 . The housing  30  includes a threaded outer surface portion to engage threads of pill container  25 . The method includes biasing a switch member  40  from the housing  30 . The switch member  40  is movable between an outwardly extending position and a retracted position based upon contact with adjacent upper portions of the pill container  25  as the closure cap  20  is secured thereon. The switch member cooperates with the timer  50 . The method also includes engaging a removable child-proof adaptor ring  60  onto the housing  30  to adapt the housing to engage the child-proof locking mechanism of a pill container  25 . 
     Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.