Patent Publication Number: US-6340242-B1

Title: Strap-on storage, reminder and watch device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a strap-on medication storage and reminder watch and more particularly pertains to a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device for allowing the user to conveniently carry one&#39;s medication and to remind the user when to take the medication. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of a strap-on medication storage and reminder watch is known in the prior art. More specifically, a strap-on medication storage and reminder watch heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,802,014; 5,400,301; 3,739,740; 5,157,640; 4,785,981; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 318,237. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device. The inventive device includes a plurality of strap members for fastening about a wrist of a user; and also includes a housing having a top wall, an opening in the top wall, and at least one storage compartment disposed therein and being accessible through the opening in the top wall with the housing having bracket members for attaching the housing to the strap members; and further includes a cover member hingedly attached to the housing for releaseably and securely closing over the compartment of the housing with the cover member being essentially a timepiece having a clock face and a clock setting member movably attached thereto; and also includes a reminder assembly for reminding a user when to take medication; and further includes a locking and releasing assembly for locking and releasing the cover member to and from the housing. 
     In these respects, the strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing the user to conveniently carry one&#39;s medication and to remind the user when to take the medication. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of strap-on medication storage and reminder watch now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new strap-on on storage, reminder, and watch device construction wherein the same can be utilized for allowing the user to conveniently carry one&#39;s medication and to remind the user when to take the medication. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device which has many of the advantages of the strap-on medication storage and reminder watch mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art strap-on medication storage and reminder watch, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a plurality of strap members for fastening about a wrist of a user; and also includes a housing having a top wall, an opening in the top wall, and at least one storage compartment disposed therein and being accessible through the opening in the top wall with the housing having bracket members for attaching the housing to the strap members; and further includes a cover member hingedly attached to the housing for releaseably and securely closing over the compartment of the housing with the cover member being essentially a timepiece having a clock face and a clock setting member movably attached thereto; and also includes a reminder assembly for reminding a user when to take medication; and further includes a locking and releasing assembly for locking and releasing the cover member to and from the housing. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device which has many of the advantages of the strap-on medication storage and reminder watch mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art strap-on medication storage and reminder watch, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device economically available to the buying public. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device for allowing the user to conveniently carry one&#39;s medication and to remind the user when to take the medication. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device which includes a plurality of strap members for fastening about a wrist of a user; and also includes a housing having a top wall, an opening in the top wall, and at least one storage compartment disposed therein and being accessible through the opening in the top wall with the housing having bracket members for attaching the housing to the strap members; and further includes a cover member hingedly attached to the housing for releaseably and securely closing over the compartment of the housing with the cover member being essentially a timepiece having a clock face and a clock setting member movably attached thereto; and also includes a reminder assembly for reminding a user when to take medication; and further includes a locking and releasing assembly for locking and releasing the cover member to and from the housing. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device that easily and conveniently stores the medication and gives off an alarm when it is time to take the medication. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device that eliminates the user from having to worry about where he/she put the medication or from having to worry about taking one&#39;s medication. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a detailed top plan view of the timepiece and the housing of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a detailed top plan view of the present invention with the cover member being opened to expose the compartments. 
     FIG. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the shaft member of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the locking and releasing assembly of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the housing showing the vibrating mechanism therein. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 7 thereof, a new strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, the strap-on storage, reminder, and watch device  10  generally comprises a plurality of strap members  11 , 12  for fastening about a wrist of a user, and also comprises a housing  13  having a top wall  14 , an opening  15  in the top wall  14 , and a plurality of storage compartments  16  disposed therein and being accessible through the opening  15  in the top wall  14 . The housing  13  further has means for attaching the housing  13  to the strap members  11 , 12  including bracket members  40  integrally extending outwardly from ends of the housing  13 . The compartments  16  are adapted to receive and store pills  41  for the user to take. 
     A cover member  18  is hingedly attached to the housing  13  for releaseably and securely closing over the compartments  16  in the housing  13  with the cover member  18  being essentially a timepiece  19  having a clock face and a clock setting member  20  movably attached thereto. The cover member  18  further includes a bottom wall  21 , and a battery access cover  22  removably attached to the bottom wall  21 . 
     A reminder means for reminding a user when to take medication includes an information-displaying window  23  conventionally disposed in the top wall  15  of the housing  13 , and also includes an alarm-type selecting member  24  depressibly and conventionally disposed in the top wall  14  of the housing  13 , and further includes an alarm time-setting member  25  also depressibly and conventionally disposed in the top wall  14  of the housing  13 , and also includes a flashable light-emitting member  26  conventionally disposed through the top wall  14  of the housing  13  for indicating an alarm going off, and further includes a speaker  27  conventionally disposed in and through a bottom wall  17  of the housing  13  for emitting a sound alarm, and further includes a vibrating mechanism  28  conventionally disposed in the housing  13  and capable of vibrating the housing  13  upon an alarm going off, and also includes two contact members  29 , 30  one of which is securely and conventionally disposed in the bottom wall  21  of the cover member  18  near the perimeter thereof and the other of which is securely and conventionally disposed in the top wall  14  of the housing  13 , and further includes an alarm power source  31  such as a battery removably and conventionally disposed in the housing  13 . The contact members  29 , 30  are in contactable relationship with one another upon the cover member  18  being closed upon the housing  13  with the contact members  29 , 30  being adapted to essentially interconnect the timepiece  19  with an alarm mechanism. 
     A means for locking and releasing the cover member  18  to and from the housing  13  includes a stub shaft  33  being securely and conventionally disposed in and extending from the bottom wall  21  of the cover member  18  near a perimeter thereof, and also includes a bore  32  extending through the top wall  14  of the housing  13  and being adapted to receive the stub shaft  33  upon the cover member  18  being closed upon the housing  13 , and further includes a shaft retaining member  35  biasedly and conventionally disposed with a spring  36  in the bore  32  of the housing  13 , and also includes a shaft ejecting member  37  movably disposed in the bore  32  of the housing  13  and being biasedly-disposed with a spring member  38  toward a top of the housing  13 , and further includes a shaft release member  39  depressibly and conventionally disposed in a side wall of the housing  13  and being in contactable relationship with the shaft retaining member  35  for moving the shaft retaining member  35 . The stub shaft  33  includes an end portion having a groove  34  extending therein and about a circumference thereof with the groove  34  being adapted to receive the shaft retaining member  35 . 
     In use, the user sets the times for when the alarm should go off and when he/she is required to take one&#39;s medication and places the medication in the storage compartments  16  of the housing  13 . The user can also set the type of alarm that he/she wishes. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.