Patent Publication Number: US-2004045856-A1

Title: Container with extractable and retractable instructions

Description:
FIELD  
       [0001] Containers and closures or caps for containers, including caps for containers for pharmaceutical or nutritional products such as tablets, capsules, and medicinal syrups.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002] Bottles have long been used as containers for pharmaceutical products such as tablets, capsules, and medicinal syrups. The containers and caps (i.e., closures or tops) of such containers come in various forms, and many advances in container and cap technology have been developed over the last century. In particular, the pharmaceutical and packaging industries have developed many innovative containers and caps that are engineered to be tamper-proof. Such containers and caps are designed so that they can not be easily opened by mischievious children, to whom certain types of medicines may be fatal. Such containers and caps use various configurations of engaging members to form a capped container that is difficult for children to open.  
       [0003] Another aspect of safety that is related to containers of pharmaceutical products concerns instructions for using pills held in a container. Users of pills, tablets and medicinal syrups require detailed and clear instructions regarding dosage, indications, drug interactions, and other important aspects of usage. Without instructions, or with insufficient instructions, users may inadvertently overdose on pills, or may ingest pills that dangerously interact with other medications that the user is taking. For practical and economic reasons, pill bottles must be limited to certain sizes. Most pill bottles range in size from 2.5 centimeters (one inch) to ten centimeters (four inches) in height, and have a radial diameter of, in general, at most 7.5 centimeters (three inches). As such, the area on the outer surface of the bottle to provide printed instructions is limited. Additionally, for consistency reasons, it is desirable to provide the same quantity of directions regardless of whether a pill bottle is small (e.g., for holding 12 pills) or large (e.g., for holding 200 pills). Accordingly, because the area of a small pill bottle is quite limited, it is difficult for pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide all of the necessary instructions on a label attached to the outer surface of the bottle.  
       [0004] Additionally, instructions that are placed on labels on outside surfaces of containers often become smudged and illegible, due to moisture from the environment or from the hands of users. This is another aspect in which traditional apparatuses and methods of providing instructions for medicines have proven inadequate.  
       [0005] The aforementioned problem of insufficient space on containers for instructions is somewhat alleviated by the use of printed inserts in outer packaging (e.g., in a box that holds a pill bottle). Inserts can be folded up so that they can contain a great deal of product information. However, the use of inserts, by their very nature as loose pieces of paper, pose serious risks to medicine users. Specifically, the insert may get lost, and the user will be left with no instructions at all. Or, perhaps worse, the instructions of two different medicines may get mixed up, and the user may consume an improper dosage, which could lead to a fatal result.  
       [0006] What is need is a method and apparatus to provide users with detailed instructions regarding a medicine, in a manner that detailed, complete instructions can be provided, and such instructions have a reduced risk of being lost due to separation from the medicine container.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007] An apparatus and a method for providing instructions to a person regarding the use of the contents of a container are disclosed. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a ribbon housed inside a container. In another embodiment, a ribbon is housed in the container cap, top or closure. A person using the contents of the container may pull the ribbon from the container or cap to read information pertaining to the contents of the container. For example, in the case of a pill container, the ribbon could contain information regarding indications or dosage in respect of the pill. After reading the instructions, the ribbon can be pushed back into the container or cap.  
       [0008] One aspect of the apparatus is that the disclosed configuration reduces the possibility of the instructions getting separated from the container (or contents of the container). If the ribbon is housed in the container, it will remain with the contents held in the container. Additionally, in the case of embodiments where the ribbon is housed in the cap, it can be assumed that after a person uses a portion of the contents of the container, he or she will place the cap on the container to close the container. As such, the instructions will stay with the container, and can be conveniently read again by the user or by other subsequent users. Additionally, because the instructions are housed inside the container or cap, it is less likely that they will become smudged and rendered illegible. In some embodiments, the ribbon may be automatically retracted into the cap by a spring or by other means.  
       [0009] The apparatus provides a method whereby a great deal of information regarding the contents of the container may be stored with the container. The ribbon may be very long in some embodiments, ranging up to several feet in length, or longer. Additionally, users may also record information on the ribbon by marking the ribbon after it has been pulled from the cap. For example, users could mark the ribbon to keep track of when they ingested a pill, or when they began taking the pills, or other useful information.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010] The features, aspects, and advantages of the disclosed subject matter will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims when taken in conjunction with accompanying illustrations in which:  
     [0011]FIG. 1 is an illustration of a perspective view of an embodiment of a container and cap with a retracted instruction ribbon housed in the container.  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is an illustration of a cut-away top view of a ribbon housed inside an annular chamber formed by outer and inner cylindrical walls of a container.  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is an illustration of a view of an embodiment of a container and cap with an instruction ribbon extracted from the container.  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is an illustration of a close-up view of an instruction ribbon.  
     [0015]FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a ribbon and container.  
     [0016]FIG. 6 is an illustration of a perspective view of an embodiment of a container and cap with a retracted instruction ribbon housed in the cap.  
     [0017]FIG. 7 is an illustration of a view of an embodiment of a container and cap with an instruction ribbon extracted from the cap.  
     [0018]FIG. 8 is an illustration of a top perspective view of an embodiment of a means for retracting an instruction ribbon into a cap.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0019] In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of the disclosed subject matter. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the disclosed subject matter may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In some instances, detailed descriptions of well-known methods and devices are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the disclosed subject matter with unnecessary detail.  
     [0020] An apparatus and method for providing instructions to a person regarding the use of the contents of a container is disclosed. FIG. 1 is an illustration of an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of container  10  and cap  20 , with retracted instruction ribbon  30  housed in container  10 . Throughout this specification, when reference is made to container  10 , or to specific applications concerning medicine, those skilled in the art will not construe such references as limiting the scope of the disclosed matter to containers form pharmaceutical products. Specifically, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed matter covers embodiments of containers that are not used for pills or medicines, but which are used for housing other items or materials, such as nutritional supplements, food, beauty products, chemicals, or other items.  
     [0021] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 2 , container  10  comprises outer cylindrical wall  12 . In embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 2, container  10  also includes inner cylindrical wall  16  that is encompassed by outer cylindrical wall  12 . In such embodiments, inner cylindrical wall  16  forms chamber  13 , and annular chamber  17  is formed between cylindrical wall  12  and inner cylindrical wall  16 . Chamber  13  can hold a number of pills or other contents. In an embodiment, where container  10  is for containing pills and is large, chamber  13  can hold 500 pills or more. In other embodiments, where container  10  is small, chamber  13  may hold 12 pills, or less. It is appreciated that container  10  can be sized to accommodate the desired batch size of the contents. Representatively, with food or chemicals, chamber  13  may have a volume of 0.96 liters (32 ounces), 3.79 liters (1 gallon) or more.  
     [0022] Container  10  also includes threading  14  for attaching cap  20  onto container  10 . Cap  20  comprises threading (not shown) that cooperates with threading  14  so that cap  20  may be screwed securely onto container  10  to close container  10 . It is appreciated that other means may be used to secure cap  20  to container  10 . For example, container  10  may include engageable members, which cooperate with engageable members of cap  20  so that cap  20  may be snapped on to container  10 . Various other configurations for securing cap  20  to container  10  will be apparent to those skilled in the art.  
     [0023] In an embodiment, ribbon  30  is housed in annular chamber  17 . Ribbon  30  may be extracted from annular chamber  17  through aperture  19  in outer cylindrical wall  12  of container  10 . In order to access printed material on ribbon  30 , a user may extract ribbon  30  from container  10  by pulling on tab  31 , which is attached to the free end of ribbon  30 . After the instructions have been read by the user, the user may push ribbon  30  back into container  10 .  
     [0024] Tab  31  has a dimension larger than aperture  19 , and serves as a means for abutting container  10  so as to prevent the free end of ribbon  30  from retracting entirely through aperture  19 . Tab  31  also provides a means for allowing a user to easily hold ribbon  30 . It is appreciated that various structures are adequate for tab  31 , and are also covered by the subject matter disclosed herein.  
     [0025]FIG. 3 is an illustration of an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 with ribbon  30  in an extracted position. After the instructions on ribbon  30  have been read, ribbon  30  can be pushed back into container  10 . Information, such as instructions regarding how to use the contents of container  10  may be printed on ribbon  30 . For example, ribbon  30  may contain instructions such as the indications, dosage and other information about a medicinal pill found in container  10 . After the instructions on ribbon  30  have been read, ribbon  30  can be pushed back into container  10 .  
     [0026]FIG. 4 is an illustration of a close-up view of ribbon  30 , showing an example of the type of information that may be printed on ribbon  30 . Examples of information include, but are not limited to, instructions for use of the contents of container  10 , information about the contents of container  10 , and coupons redeemable toward the purchase of additional containers or other items. In the case of coupons or other information that a consumer or user of container  10  may remove, the coupons or other information may be attached to ribbon  30  by an adhesive so that a consumer or user of container  10  may remove the coupon or other information while the length of ribbon  30  remains unchanged.  
     [0027] In an embodiment, tab  31  serves as a means for abutting cap  20  so as to prevent the free end of ribbon  30  from retracting entirely into ribbon housing  25 . More specifically, in an embodiment, a dimension of tab  31  is larger than a dimension of aperture  28 , and, therefore, tab  31 , as well as a portion of ribbon  30  that is connected to tab  31 , may not be retracted into ribbon housing  25 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that other means may be used to abut cap  20  to prevent ribbon  30  from being completely retracted into ribbon housing  25 . For example, a ring or an L-shaped piece having a dimension larger than a dimension of aperture  28  may be coupled to ribbon  30  to prevent ribbon  30  from fully retracting into ribbon housing  25 .  
     [0028]FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a ribbon and container. Ribbon  30  includes flared barbs  34  and  35  and tapered end  37 . The distance between the outermost edges of flared barb  34  and flared barb  35  defines a distance L 1 . Distance L 1  is greater than a distance L 2 , which is defined by the vertical length of aperture  19 . Accordingly, after tapered end  37  is inserted into aperture  19 , flared barbs  33  and  35  will, on full extraction of ribbon  30 , abut against an inner surface of outer cylindrical wall  12 , therefore preventing ribbon  30  from being extracted entirely out of aperture  19 . It is appreciated that various structures can achieve the purpose of flared barbs  34  and  35 , and such structures also fall under the subject matter of this disclosure. In an embodiment, a dimension of annular chamber  17  will be of slightly larger than a dimension of ribbon  30 , thus causing flared bars  34  and  35  to be bent inside of annular chamber  17 , so that a frictional force results between ribbon  30  and an inner surface of annular chamber  17 . This frictional force allows for a more controlled extraction of ribbon  30 .  
     [0029] In an embodiment, ribbon  30  may be made out of a laminate material, so as to be flexible to bend and adhere to the circular shape of container  10  in the retracted position. It is appreciated that other materials, such as certain polymers (plastics), cloth or metals, will also be adequate for ribbon  30 . In an embodiment, useful articles, such as a mirror or other reflective material, may be affixed to, or a part of, ribbon  30 . In an embodiment, in which container  10  holds lipstick or other cosmetics, one side of ribbon  30  may contain product information, coupons or instructions, and the reverse side of ribbon  30  includes a mirror or other reflective material.  
     [0030]FIG. 6 is an illustration of a view of an embodiment of a container and cap with an instruction ribbon extracted from the cap. In an embodiment, container  10  comprises cylindrical wall  12 , which defines chamber  13 . Chamber  13  can hold a number of pills. In an embodiment, where container  10  is large, chamber  13  can hold 500 pills or more. In other embodiments, where container  10  is small, chamber  13  only holds 12 pills, or less. It is appreciated that container  10  can be sized to accommodate the desired batch size of the contents. Representatively, with food or chemicals, chamber  13  may have a volume of 0.96 liters (32 ounces), 3.79 liters (1 gallon) or more.  
     [0031] Container  10  also includes threading  14  for attaching cap  20  onto container  10 . Cap  20  comprises threading (not shown) that cooperates with threading  14  so that cap  20  may be screwed securely onto container  10  to close container  10 . It is appreciated that other means may be used to secure cap  20  to container  10 . For example, container  10  may include engageable members, which cooperate with engageable members of cap  20  so that cap  20  may be snapped on to container  10 . Various other configurations for securing cap  20  to container  10  will be apparent to those skilled in the art.  
     [0032] Cap  20  includes lower wall  22  and upper wall  24 , which form, in this embodiment, cylindrical chambers. The inner surface of lower wall  22  includes threading (not shown) for attaching cap  20  to container  10 . Cap  20  also includes ribbon housing  25 , which forms a chamber to hold ribbon  30 . Ribbon housing  25  is formed by upper wall  24 , top surface  26  and bottom wall  27 , which lies, generally, between lower wall  22  and upper wall  24 . Ribbon housing  25  has an interior volume sized, in one embodiment, to house a length of ribbon (e.g., paper, plastic, or metal ribbon) with instructions or other information thereon regarding the contents of container. Representatively, the interior volume may have a height on the order of two centimeters (defined by the length of top surface  26 ) and diameter (in the case of a cylindrical cap) on the order of four to five centimeters for a pill container. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, ribbon  30  is fully retracted and is coiled inside ribbon housing  24 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that lower section  22  and ribbon housing  25  can be manufactured as separate pieces to be coupled, or, may be manufactured as a monolithic item having, generally, the features indicated herein. For example, in another embodiment, cap  20  includes only one outer wall  24 , but does not include separate lower wall  22  and upper wall  24 . In such an embodiment, cap  20  further comprises an inner wall encompassed by the outer wall. As such, similar to the embodiment described in FIGS.  1 - 3 , the outer wall and the inner wall define an annular chamber for housing ribbon  30 . In such an embodiment, an inner surface of the inner wall may contain threading for attaching cap  20  to container  10 .  
     [0033] As stated above, ribbon  30  is disposed in ribbon housing  25 . A portion of ribbon  30  extends through aperture  28  in ribbon housing  25 . Cap  20 , in embodiments, includes means for retracting ribbon  30  into ribbon housing  25 . In an embodiment, spring means are used to retract ribbon  30  into ribbon housing  25 , but those skilled in the will recognize that other means for retracting ribbon  30  into ribbon housing  25  may also be adequate, therefore, also fall under the subject matter disclosed herein. In other embodiments, ribbon  30  is pushed back into ribbon housing  25 .  
     [0034] A user may extract a portion of ribbon  30  from cap  20  by pulling on ring  32  to withdraw ribbon  30  from ribbon housing  25 . FIG. 7 is an illustration of a view of an embodiment of container  10  and cap  20  with extracted ribbon  30 . Information, such as instructions regarding how to use the contents of container  10  may be printed on ribbon  30 . For example, ribbon  30  may contain instructions such as the indications, dosage and other information about a medicinal pill found in container  10 . In an embodiment, ring  30  serves as a means for abutting cap  20  so as to prevent the free end of ribbon  30  from retracting entirely into ribbon housing  25 . More specifically, in an embodiment, a dimension of ring  32  is larger than a dimension of aperture  28 , and, therefore, ring  32 , as well as a portion of ribbon  30  that is connected to ring  32 , may not be retracted into ribbon housing  25 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that other means may be used to abut cap  20  to prevent ribbon  30  from being completely retracted into ribbon housing  25 . For example, an L-shaped piece having a dimension larger than a dimension of aperture  28  may be coupled to ribbon  30  to prevent ribbon  30  from fully retracting into ribbon housing  25 .  
     [0035]FIG. 8 is an illustration of a top perspective view of an embodiment of a means for retracting ribbon  30  into cap  20 , that includes spring  36 . As discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize that various other means for retracting ribbon  30  into cap  20  may be used. Specifically, as described above, ribbon  30  is disposed within ribbon housing  25 . A portion or ribbon  30  extends through aperture  28  in ribbon housing  25 . By pulling on ring  32 , a larger portion of ribbon  30  may be extracted from ribbon housing  25 .  
     [0036] In the retracted position, ribbon  30  is coiled around revoluble shell  37  inside of ribbon housing  25 . A distal end of spring  36  is coupled to revoluble shell  37 , and a proximal end of spring  36  is coupled to divided stud  38 . As ribbon  30  is extracted from ribbon housing  25 , revoluble shell  37  will revolve in a first direction to increase tension on spring  36 . Spring  36  is biased so that when ribbon  30  is released, revoluble shell  37  will revolve in an opposite direction as during extraction, and will automatically retract ribbon  30  into ribbon housing  25 . Lock  40  may be deployed to prevent ribbon  30  from retracting into ribbon housing  25  after a portion of ribbon  30  has been extracted from ribbon housing  25 . Additionally, lock  40  may also be used to apply a frictional force to ribbon  30 , so as to allow the user to control extraction and retraction of ribbon  30 , and, therefore, to carefully adjust the length of ribbon  30  that is extracted at any given moment. As stated above, those skilled in the art will recognize that various methods and apparatuses may be used to extract and retract ribbon  30 , and that various methods and apparatuses may be used to lock the retraction means, or to adjust the length of ribbon that is extracted. In this regard, it is appreciated that in embodiments where ribbon  30  is housed inside of an annular chamber, as discussed above, means for retracting ribbon  30  may be located inside the annular chamber, or ribbon  30  may simply be pushed back inside of the annular chamber.