US3225913A - Capsule and tablet pocket carrier - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 28, 1965 L. M. LEE

CAPSULE AND TABLET POCKET CARRIER Filed Sept. 30, 1965 JUNE /963 INVENTOR. LAUREL M. LEE

FIG.5 F

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofi ice 3,225,913 Patented Dec. 28', 1965 CAPSULE AND TABLET POCKET CARRIER Laurel M. Lee, 3262 Tucker Lane, Los Alamitos, Calif. Filed Sept. 39, 1963, Ser. No. 312,511 1 Claim. (Cl. 20642) The present invention relates to the field of containers, and more particularly to a pocket carrier for capsules or tablets that will visually indicate the days on which said capsules or tablets are to be taken, as well as whether a capsule or tablet had been taken on a certain date.

In recent years due to advances made in pharmacy and medicine, various types of capsules or tablets have been developed, which to be effective, must be taken consecutively for a number of days, as well as on certain days of each month. Although numerous containers for capsules and tablets have been devised and used in the past, such devices merely protect the contents, but in no way indicate the day on which a particular capsule or tablet is to be taken or whether the same has been consumed on that date.

A major object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight, portable carrier for either capsules or tablets in which they are held in predetermined positions where they are superimposed over indicia which informs the user of the particular sequence in which the capsules or tablets are to be taken, as well as whether a capsule or tablet has been consumed on a particular date.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a capsule or tablet carrier in which more than a one-day supply thereof may be carried that is of relatively simple design, is easily operated, yet is sufliciently rugged in construction as to have a long and useful life.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a capsule or tablet pocket carrier that may be fabricated from standard commercially available materials, is inexpensive to manufacture, and as a result is especially well adapted for use as a gift to consumers using a particular brand of capsule or tablet, or may be sold in the low-priced merchandising field.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof, and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the carrier in a closed capsule or tablet carrying position;

FIGURE 2 is a front perspective view of the carrier with a particular monthly calendar removably mounted therein to indicate, due to the positions of the capsules or tablets, the particular dates on which the same are to be taken;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the carrier taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the carrier taken at the same position shown in FIGURE 3, but with the covers thereof in an open position; and

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of the carrier, with a sequentially numbered sheet being removably mounted therein in lieu of the calendar shown in FIG- URE 2.

With continuing reference to the drawing for the general arrangement of the invention, it will be seen to include a substantially rectangular hollow body A in which a number of capsules or tablets B can be removably disposed. The body A, as may be seen in FIGURE 3, includes a rectangular transparent panel C preferably formed from a polymerized resin. A continuous flange D extends around the edge of panel C and projects both forwardly and rearwardly therefrom. A forwardly positioned rectangular cover E is provided which, by hinges F, is connected to the upper forward portion of flange D. A rear rectangular cover G is also provided that is connected to the upper rear portion of flange D by hinges H.

A number of rows of parallel ribs 10 are located on the forward face of the panel C, as are a number of transversely spaced ribs 12 which intersect ribs 10. Ribs 10 and 12 are of substantially the same height as the distance the flange D projects forwardly from panel C. The forwardly projecting portion of the flange D, together with the ribs 10 and 12, cooperatively define a number of compartments H, as can best be seen in FIGURES l and 3. When the rear cover G is in a closed position it cooperates with the rearwardly extending portion of the flange D and panel C to define a rectangular confined space I in which a calendar or indicia is inserted.

The confined space I is utilized to hold one or more sheets K on which visual indicia is imprinted to indicate the sequence in which the capsules or tablets B are to be taken (FIGURE 5), or a calendar K, as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3, that indicates the particular days of the month in which the capsules or tablets B are to be taken. Thus, in FIGURE 2 it will be seen that one sheetof the calendar K is visible through the cover E and panel C. The capsules or tablets B are so arranged in the compartments H that it is evident one of them is to be taken on June 1, with additional capsules or tablets not intended to be taken until a period starting June 10 and continuing on to June 30.

Should the sheet K be used, bearing numbered indicia as shown in FIGURE 5, the sheet is simply placed in the confined space J. The numbers are so spaced in rows and columns on sheet K that one number is positioned behind each compartment H. If the compartments H (FIG- URE 5) are filled with capsules or tablets B for a certain period, the indicia indicate to the user that twenty-seven of the capsules or tablets B have been taken up to the present time. Of course, only a portion of the compartments H need to be filled with capsules or tablets B, but even if partially filled, the carrier operates in the manner described.

The panel C, flange D, together with ribs 10 and 12, are preferably formed as an integral unit from a polymerized resin by injection molding, or the like. The hinges F include cylindrical portions 14 formed as an integral part of flange D that are in coaxial alignment with cylindrical portions 18, also integrally formed as part of the forward cover E, with these portions having a pin 16 extending therethrough to pivotally support the forward cover E from the flange D.

The rear cover G is pivotally supported from hinges P which are identical in construction to the hinges F just described.

The forward cover E and the lower forward portion 20 of the flange D are provided with two integrally formed tabs 22 and 24 respectively, which extend downwardly therefrom and resiliently engage one another when the forward cover is in a closed position to provide a clasp L that removably locks the forward cover in the closed position shown in FIGURE 3.

The rear cover G and the lower rear portion 26 of flange D are provided with tabs 28 and 30 which resiliently engage one another to serve as a clasp M to maintain the rear cover in a closed position, as also shown in FIGURE 3. When the tabs 22 and 24 are manually disengaged the forward cover E can be pivoted upwardly and outwardly, as shown in FIGURE 4, to permit capsules or tablets B to be inserted in or removed from the compartments H. Likewise, by manually disengaging tabs 28 and 30, cover G can be swung upwardly and outwardly to permit either a single sheet K, or a calendar K to be inserted in the confines of space J.

The use and operation of the invention has been described in detail herein and need not be repeated.

Although the present invention is fully capable of inbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments thereof and I do not mean to be limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, other than as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In combination with a generally rectangular multi-page monthly calendar, a portable tablet or capsule medication reminder and dispensing device, which includes:

(a) a transparent rectangular panel which is slightly longer and wider than said calendar;

(b) a continuous flange extending around said panel, which flange projects rearwardly from said panel a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said calendar, with said flange extending forwardly from said panel a substantial distance;

(c) a plurality of parallel ribs arranged in uniformly spaced rows and columns that project forwardly from said panel substantially the same distance as said flange, with the forwardly extending portion of said flange and said ribs cooperatively providing a plurality of compartments of such size that each overlies the day of the month on one of the pages of said calendar when the same is placed in a first space defined by said panel and said rearwardly projecting portion of said flange;

(d) a rearwardly disposed cover;

(e) first means for hingedly supporting said cover from said rearwardly disposed portion of said flange;

(f) second means for removably locking said rear cover to said rear portion of said flange to maintain said calendar in said first space;

(g) a forwardly disposed transparent cover;

(h) third means for hingedly supporting a forward cover from said forward portion of said flange; and

(i) fourth means for removably locking said forwardly disposed cover in abutting contact with the forward extremities of said ribs and said portion of said flange to maintain said tablets or capsules in said compartments in which they are placed until removed therefrom, with all of said tablets or capsules in said compartments being visible to the user through said forward cover to indicate whether the same have been consumed on a particular day shown on said calendar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

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