Medicine cup apparatus with ring attachment

Abstract

A medicine cup apparatus that includes a cup having a side wall, bottom panel, open top, and an interior for holding a selected medicine. A ring is affixed to the cup that can fit around a user's finger, allowing the user to more easily hold the medicine cup and administer medicine orally. The ring is affixed to the cup bottom panel permanently or removably.

Claims

1. A medicine cup apparatus comprising: a) a cup having a cup sidewall, bottom panel, and an interior for holding medicine to be administered; b) an attachment having a first end, a second end, and an opening, with said first end located distally from said second end, wherein said first end is connectable to the bottom panel of the cup, and wherein said opening is sized and shaped to accommodate a user's finger, and wherein said second end has a lower surface that enables the cup to rest in an upright position on an underlying support surface; and c) wherein the attachment is textured to allow for a better grip of said attachment.

2. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first end of said attachment is removably connected to the bottom panel of the cup.

3. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cup has volume measurement marks of between about 0 and 15 milliliters.

4. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cover for the medicine cup; and wherein said first end of said attachment is removably connected to the bottom panel of the cup.

5. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 1, wherein the attachment is designed to be collapsible.

6. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 1, wherein said opening is located between said first end and said second end of said attachment.

7. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 1, wherein a part of the attachment lights up.

8. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 1, wherein the attachment facilitates oral administration of a selected medicine in said cup interior when a user places his or her finger in the opening.

9. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a means to operably sync to a mobile device.

10. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 9, wherein the attachment is designed to be collapsible.

11. A medicine cup apparatus comprising: a) a cup having a cup sidewall, bottom panel, and an interior for holding food; b) a ring attachment comprising a ring with a ring opening that is sized and shaped to accommodate a user's finger; c) a base that includes a disk, wherein one side of the disk is attached to the ring and the other side of the disk is connectable to the bottom panel of the cup; d) a stand connected to the ring opposite the cup bottom panel that has a lower surface that enables the cup to rest in an upright position on an underlying support surface; e) wherein the ring attachment is grooved or textured to allow for a better grip of said ring; and f) wherein the ring facilitates feeding of a selected food in said cup interior.

12. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ring attachment is collapsible.

13. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a cover for the medicine cup.

14. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ring attachment is removably connected to the bottom of the medicine cup.

15. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ring attachment is removably connected to the bottom of the medicine cup.

16. A medicine cup apparatus comprising: a) a medicine cup with gradations for measuring and dispensing fluid medicine; b) said cup having a volume of between about 0 and 15 milliliters, a cup side wall, a cup bottom panel and a cup interior; c) a ring attached to the cup bottom panel, the ring being sized and shaped to accommodate a user's finger, wherein the ring facilitates oral administration of a selected medicine contained in said cup interior; d) wherein the ring is textured to allow for a better grip of said ring; and e) a means to operably sync to a mobile device.

17. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a stand that the ring can rest on and remain in an upright standing position.

18. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a cover for the medicine cup.

19. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a cover for the medicine cup.

20. The medicine cup apparatus of claim 16, wherein the ring is removably connected to the cup bottom panel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(4) FIGS. 3-6 show other alternative embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 8 shows various preferred embodiments of the present invention, including one embodiment having a closure lid on the medicine cup; and

(7) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIGS. 1, 2 and 7-9 show a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, designated generally by the numeral 10. FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 show medicine cup apparatus 10. In FIG. 1, cup apparatus 10 is supported at ring or ring attachment 20 to the finger 12 of a user 11. The ring attachment 20 can include ring 30 and base 40. Cup 50 has indicia or measurements 52 that are spaced apart, thus calibrating cup 50 side wall 54 into selected volumes. In FIGS. 1 and 2, indicia 52 can correspond to volumes of 5 ml, 7.5 ml, 10 ml, 12.5 ml, and 15 ml as examples. Cup 50 has bottom panel 56. In FIGS. 1-2, ring 30 attaches to cup 50 bottom panel 56 with base 40 having circular disk 58.

(9) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, ring attachment 20 attaches to the bottom 56 of medicine cup 50. Gradations 52 marked on side wall 54 enable a user 11 to measure the dose of medicine to be taken. Ring 30 easily fits around a user's finger 12 for ease of holding the cup 50 and administering medications. Ring 30 has opening 62 that can be sized and shaped to accommodate a user's finger 12.

(10) In various preferred embodiments of the present invention, ring attachment 20 can be removably attached to medicine cup 50, preferably removably attached to the bottom panel 56 of medicine cup 50. Alternatively, ring attachment 20 can be an integrated, molded unit with medicine cup 50 at bottom panel 56.

(11) FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention, specifically, medicine cup apparatus 10 including medicine cup 50 attached to ring attachment 20 that includes ring 30 and base 40. Ring 30 can easily fit onto a user's finger 12. Base 40 can be attached to ring 30, attached to the bottom 56 of medicine cup 50. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a user 11 can easily slide his or her finger 12 through ring 30 opening 62. In various preferred embodiments of the present invention, ring attachment 20 can be made of latex. Alternatively, in various preferred embodiments of the present invention, ring attachment 20 can be latex-free or made of any of the following: plastics, metals, glass, porcelain, paper, cloth, wood, stone, rubber, foam. In various preferred embodiments of the present invention, ring attachment 20 can be removably attached to medicine cup 50. In various alternative preferred embodiments of the present invention, ring attachment 20 can be permanently attached to medicine cup 50.

(12) FIGS. 3-6 show an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, with medicine cup apparatus 10 including ring attachment 20 attached to medicine cup 50. Ring 30 of ring attachment 20 rests on stand 60. FIG. 2 shows how ring 30 can stand up on its own when ring attachment 20 rests on stand 60. Stand 60 has a flat lower surface 64 for engaging a surface such as a table top, kitchen counter top or a similar flat surface 66.

(13) FIG. 3 illustrates how ring attachment 20 can be attached to stand 60 and how stand 60 can stand up on its own upon a table top 66 even with ring attachment 20 and medicine cup 50 above it. FIGS. 4 and 5 show different ways a user can hold ring 30. FIGS. 7 and 9 show user 11 using medicine cup apparatus 10. FIG. 7 shows liquid or medicine 51 in cup 50 that user 11 is drinking. FIG. 8 shows various preferred embodiments of the present invention, including medicine cup apparatus 10 with lid 15. FIG. 8 also shows grooves/textured surface 32 of ring 30 that can further assist user 11 in gripping ring attachment 20. FIG. 8 additionally shows how ring attachment 20 can light up 35.

(14) In any of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-9, ring 30 can attach to bottom 56 of cup 50 using circular disk 58. Link 68 can join ring 30 to disk 58.

PARTS LIST

(15) The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention: Parts Number Description 10 medicine cup apparatus 11 user 12 finger of user 11 15 lid 20 ring attachment 30 ring of ring attachment 20 32 grooves/textured surface of ring 30 35 light emanating from attachment 20 40 base of ring attachment 20 50 medicine cup 51 liquid/medicine in cup 50 52 gradation/measurement/indicia 54 cup side wall 56 cup bottom/bottom panel 58 circular disk 60 stand 62 opening of ring 30 64 flat lower surface 66 table top/flat surface 68 link

(16) All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. All materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible, unless indicated otherwise.

(17) The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.