Medication reminder

Abstract

A very simple, effective medication reminder used to designate the day of the week and the daily dosage number of the most recent medication dosage taken by the user (or alternatively the day of the week and the next dosage number to be taken). This invention can be used with medication containers of various sizes and shapes. It can be used over and over on the same pill bottle or it and be easily removed and placed on a new pill bottle. The device is placed on the exterior perimeter of the medication container and comprises a calendar and a marker assembly. The calendar shows the days of the week and is attached to the vertical side of the pill bottle using a weak adhesive. The marker assembly comprises an elastic band and a small tubular shaped sliding marker with the elastic band passing through an axial hole through the sliding marker. The elastic band of the marker assembly is placed over the calendar and around the pill bottle such that it can be repositioned vertically along the perimeter of the pill bottle. The elastic band holds the marker assembly in place by having a small amount of tension in the band. The sliding marker can be rotated about the band to show the daily dosage number and can slide laterally along the elastic band. The user can thus reposition the elastic band and the sliding marker to designate the calendar date and the daily dosage number of the most recent medication dosage taken.

Claims

1. A simple medication reminder device that can be installed on an exterior surface of a medication container to designate a day of the week and a dosage number of a most recent said dosage number taken or a next scheduled said dosage number to be taken by a user, said medication reminder comprises a calendar depicting indicia of said dosage numbers and indicia of said days of the week, further wherein said indicia of dosage numbers and said indicia of days of the week are aligned generally perpendicular to one another, said calendar to be attached to said exterior perimeter surface of said medication container, and also comprises a marker assembly, said marker assembly further comprises a resilient elastic band and a tubular sliding marker wherein said elastic band traverses laterally through an axial hole through said sliding marker such that said sliding marker can be easily urged to slide laterally along said elastic band, further wherein said elastic band along with said sliding marker is placed around said exterior perimeter surface of said medication container over said calendar such that said elastic band, having a predetermined amount of tension, is capable of remaining in place or being easily repositioned vertically and wherein said sliding marker is thus capable of being easily moved laterally along said elastic band and moved vertically in order to be located or relocated over any position of said calendar such that said user can position or reposition said marker over said calendar to designate both said dosage number and said day of the week simultaneously.

2. The medication reminder of claim 1 wherein said sliding marker has an exterior cross-sectional configuration that is a flat sided figure having one said dosage number depicted on at least one of said flat sides.

3. The medication reminder of claim 1 wherein said sliding marker has an exterior cross-sectional configuration that is circular or elliptical, and wherein said calendar further comprises said indicia of at least one said dosage number associated with each said day.

4. The medication reminder of claim 2 wherein said indicia of said days of said calendar are aligned vertically.

5. The medication reminder of claim 2 wherein said indicia of said days of said calendar are aligned horizontally.

6. The medication reminder of claim 3 wherein said indicia of said days of said calendar are aligned vertically and said indicia of said dosage numbers of said calendar are aligned horizontally.

7. The medication reminder of claim 3 wherein said indicia of said days of said calendar are aligned horizontally and said indicia of said dosage numbers of said calendar are aligned vertically.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the medication reminder invention comprising a one week calendar and a sliding marker of square cross-sectional configuration depicting 4 dosage numbers, 1 dosage number on each side of the sliding marker.

(2) FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the marker assembly according to FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the medication reminder invention according to FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of another embodiment of the medication reminder invention comprising a one week calendar depicting dosage numbers 1 through 4 and a sliding marker of circular cross-sectional configuration.

(5) FIG. 5 is a front view of a typical weekly calendar depicting dosage numbers 1 through 4 according to FIG. 4.

(6) FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the medication reminder invention according to FIG. 4.

(7) FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the marker assembly according to FIG. 4.

(8) FIG. 8 is an example of a weekly calendar depicting dosage numbers 1 and 2 according to FIG. 4.

(9) FIG. 9 is an example of a weekly calendar depicting dosage numbers 1 through 4 according to FIG. 4.

(10) FIGS. 10 and 11 are additional examples of weekly calendars depicting dosage numbers 1 through 4 according to FIG. 4.

DRAWING REFERENCE NUMERALS OF THE ELEMENTS

(11) TABLE-US-00001 Elements 10 medication reminder 18 hole 12 marker assembly 20 calendar 14 elastic band 22 day 16 sliding marker 24 dosage number

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(12) The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of the ways in which the various embodiments of the invention may be practiced and to further enable those having skill in the art to practice the principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, the examples given should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

(13) Reference is now made to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout. Reference is made first to FIG. 1 showing a preferred embodiment of the medicine reminder 10 invention applied to a typical medication container. The medication container (pill bottle) is not included as part of this invention but can be of circular, square, or any other cross-sectional configuration. This invention comprises marker assembly 12 and calendar 20. Marker assembly 12 further comprises elastic band 14 and sliding marker 16 wherein sliding marker 16 further comprises hole 18 disposed axially through sliding marker 16, and may include dosage number 24 as shown on FIG. 1. Sliding marker 16 can be made from durable plastic, hard rubber, nylon, fiberglass, aluminum, or wood.

(14) Calendar 20 comprises indicia of days of the week 22. Or, in an alternate embodiment, calendar 20 also comprises indicia of the daily dosage number 24. For use, calendar 20 is applied to the vertical exterior surface of the medication container, and then marker assembly 12 is applied to the medication container with band 14 positioned over calendar 20 and encircling the exterior perimeter of the medication container, while passing axially through hole 18 of sliding marker 16. Elastic band 14 is made of resilient elastic material similar to the elastic rubber of a common rubber-band. The amount of tension of elastic band 14 is sufficient to hold marker assembly 16 in place around the perimeter surface of the medication container, but loose enough such that marker assembly can be easily repositioned up or down vertically by the user. With this embodiment, elastic band 14 is preferably circular or slightly elliptical in cross-sectional configuration and is slightly smaller than hole 18 of sliding marker 16 such that sliding marker 16 can easily slide laterally along elastic band 14 when urged by the user. Hole 18 is similar in cross-sectional configuration to elastic band 14 but is slightly larger and passes laterally through the cross-sectional center of sliding marker 16.

(15) in a preferred embodiment, sliding marker 16 can be tubular and triangular, square, hexagonal or octagonal in exterior cross-sectional configuration and having a dosage number 24 on each of the flat sides wherein sliding marker 16 is rotated about elastic band 14 by the user to show the selected dosage number 24 on the outwardly facing flat side of sliding marker 16. Or, on another embodiment, sliding marker 16 can be circular or elliptical in cross-sectional configuration wherein dosage numbers 24 are included on calendar 20 (FIGS. 4-11), rather than on marker 16. Calendar 20 comprises indicia depicting the days of the week 22 (FIGS. 1-3) and, in an alternate embodiment (FIGS. 4-11), calendar 20 also includes indicia depicting the daily dosage numbers 24. Calendar 20 can be made of thin stick-on sheet material such as coated paper or plastic that is either permanently or removably attached to the exterior perimeter surface of the medication container using a weak adhesive. Days of the week 22 and daily dosage numbers 24 are letters and numerals, respectively, used to designate the day of the week and the daily dosage number 24. In use, the user positions sliding marker 16 laterally, and positions elastic band 14 vertically over the selected point of calendar 20 to show the day of the week 22 and the daily dosage number 24 of the most recent medication dosage taken.

(16) With this simple invention, the user can easily reposition the marker assembly 12 up or down, and reposition the sliding marker 16 laterally to position sliding marker 16 to a location on calendar 20 to show the day of the week 22 and the dosage number 24 of the most recent medication taken by the user (or, alternatively, the next upcoming day 22 and dosage number 24 of the medication to be taken). Sliding marker 16 is of sufficient length to cover one day 22 or one dosage number 24 of an associated day 22 of calendar 20, and has a cross-sectional configuration to contain hole 18. No pencil marks or other markings are ever needed to be marked on the calendar 20, and calendar 20 and the marker assembly 12 can remain in use on the same medication container and be used over and over, week after week. Or, if a new medication container is to be used, the user can remove the calendar 20 and the marker assembly 12 and place them on the new medication container to be used there.

(17) The major advantages of this invention are:

(18) (a) The medication reminder is very simple, practical, effective, and easy to understand and use without requiring a high level of manual dexterity by the user.

(19) (b) The medication reminder can be easily and inexpensively manufactured.

(20) (c) It is versatile and can be used with medication containers of any cross-sectional configuration, and it can be used on either flat or curved surfaces.

(21) (d) It can be easily installed and removed from the medication container.

(22) (e) It can be used over and over, week after week without ever requiring pencil marks or any other markings on the associated calendar component.

(23) (f) It does not require periodic replacement or replacement of any of the components.

(24) (g) It can be removed from one medication container and placed on another medication container and used there.

(25) (h) It can be used conveniently at the location of the medication container (on the medication container itself) right where the medication is located.

(26) (i) It is not cumbersome but is readily noticeable and readable by those having limited vision.

OPERATION AND USE OF THE INVENTION

(27) This medication reminder tracks when the last day and dosage of a medicine or vitamin was taken or, alternatively, when the next dosage is due to be taken. The user attaches the calendar to the exterior vertical side of the medication container. Then the user places the elastic band of the marker assembly over the calendar and around the exterior perimeter of the medication container. The elastic band can be positioned or repositioned vertically, and the sliding marker of the marker assembly can be moved laterally along the elastic band over the calendar to place the sliding marker anywhere over the calendar in a selected position to designate the day of the week and the daily dosage number of the most recent medication dosage taken by the user (or alternatively, to designate the day and dosage number of the next scheduled dosage to be taken). The elastic band and the sliding marker can be repositioned as needed to designate a change in the day of the week and/or a change in the medication dosage number. The medication reminder can remain on the same medication container to be used over and over, week after week. Or, if a different medical container is to be used, the medication reminder can be easily removed from the original medication container and installed on the new container. No pencil marks or other markings are ever needed.

CONCLUSION

(28) It should be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for purposes of description and not of limitation. The above description is considered that of the preferred embodiments only. While these embodiments of the invention have been shown on the drawings and described herein, it is to be understood that they are merely for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Workers skilled in the art will recognize additions, deletions, and other modifications that can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims, and not by the specific examples given.

(29) Currently available medication reminder devices are typically rather complex and too small to be practical and used conveniently when attached to the wide assortment of sizes and shapes of medication containers presently in use. They are often cumbersome to use by individuals with limited manual dexterity, and they can be difficult to read and understand by users having limited vision. Thus, many individuals forgo their use and depend on their sometimes-unreliable memory to comply with their medication schedule. This can result in missed medication dosages or double doses. Inaccurate timing of medications taken can result in adverse health effects and longer illnesses.

(30) From the above-described features, it can be seen that this invention is unique and has a number of significant advantages over the prior art. It is a simple, versatile, and convenient medication reminder that is appropriate for use with any medication container regardless of the shape and size of the container. It is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and can be used over and over, week after week on the same container, or it can be removed and used on a different container. Clearly, this invention is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use, and it should be evident that this invention provides many advantages, is novel, and worthy of patentable merit over the prior art.