← Back to Patent Explorer
US4753189A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Medicine bottle cap having dosage means

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1986-10-06
•
Granted: 1988-06-28
•
Expires: 2006-10-06
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A medicine bottle unit having a closure for indicating dosage and other information which changes automatically as the closure is rotated on the bottle of the unit. The closure includes an outer cap and an inner member within the cap. The cap and inner member have cooperable indicia thereon. The inner member moves with the cap as the cap is rotated in one direction on the bottle. However, the cap moves relative to the bottle and the inner member when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction on the bottle, thus assuring a change in the information represented by the indicia on the cap and the indicator on the inner member, or by indicia on the inner member visible through a hole in the cap. Several embodiments of medicine bottle unit are disclosed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Gary J. Mastman
  • 👤 Sheldon Wiley
  • 👤 Brian S. Santo

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 20:50
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D41/00; B65D41/02; B65D41/04; B65D41/06; A; A61; A61J; A61J7/00; A61J7/04

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 202 words
A medicine bottle unit comprising: a bottle having an open top; and a closure for the open top thereof, the closure including a hollow cap and an inner member within the cap, said cap being rotatable in opposite directions relative to the bottle to open and close the bottle, said cap and said inner member having relatively shiftable indicia thereon, the inner member having first means for holding it in a fixed position on the bottle as the cap is rotated in one direction relative to the bottle, the inner member having second means permitting it to be movable with the cap as the cap rotates relative to the bottle in the opposite direction, the bottle having a first boss and the cap having a second boss cooperating with the first boss to releasably hold the cap on the bottle, said bosses being movable out of engagement with each other as the cap rotates relative to the bottle permit removal of the cap and inner member from the bottle, said first means engaging the boss of the bottle to prevent rotation of the inner member relative to the bottle as said cap is rotated in said one direction relative to the bottle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 202 words
A medicine bottle unit comprising: a bottle having an open top; and a closure for the open top thereof, the closure including a hollow cap and an inner member within the cap, said cap being rotatable in opposite directions relative to the bottle to open and close the bottle, said cap and said inner member having relatively shiftable indicia thereon, the inner member having first means for holding it in a fixed position on the bottle as the cap is rotated in one direction relative to the bottle, the inner member having second means permitting it to be movable with the cap as the cap rotates relative to the bottle in the opposite direction, the bottle having a first boss and the cap having a second boss cooperating with the first boss to releasably hold the cap on the bottle, said bosses being movable out of engagement with each other as the cap rotates relative to the bottle permit removal of the cap and inner member from the bottle, said first means engaging the boss of the bottle to prevent rotation of the inner member relative to the bottle as said cap is rotated in said one direction relative to the bottle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 112 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner member has an outer periphery, said second means including a projection extending laterally of said outer periphery, the cap having a skirt with an axially extending peripheral groove on the inner surface of the cap for removably receiving the projecting on the inner member, said groove and projection cooperating with each other to prevent rotation of the inner member relative to the cap when the cap is rotated in said one direction on the bottle and to allow movement of the inner member relative to the cap when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction on the bottle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 24 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 2, wherein the projection is wedge-shaped, the groove having a shape complemental to the projection.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 56 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein the inner member has an outer peripheral wall, said wall having the projection thereon and being yieldable to allow the projection of the inner member to move out of the groove of the cap as the cap and inner member move relative to each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 67 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cap has a top, said top having an lower surface, said inner member having an upper surface adjacent to the lower surface of the top, one of the surfaces having a plurality of saw-tooth groove, the other surface having a projection removably received within any one of the grooves, said projection defining said second means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 40 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the runner member has an annular, transversely U-shaped part, the outer margin of the part being in sealing relationship to said bottle when the closure is on the bottle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 106 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner member has an outer periphery, there being a number of spaced projections extending laterally of said outer periphery and defining said second means, the cap having a number of spaced inner peripheral grooves for removably receiving the adjacent projections on the inner member, said grooves and projections cooperating to prevent rotation of the cap relative to the inner member when the cap is rotated in said one direction on the bottle and to allow relative movement of the cap and inner member when the cap rotates in the opposite direction on the bottle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 24 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein each projection is wedge-shaped, the groove having a shape complemental to the projections.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 55 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 8, wherein the inner member has an outer peripheral wall, said wall having said projection thereon being yieldable to allow the projections of the inner member to move out of the grooves of the cap as the cap and inner member move relative to each other.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 273 words
A medicine bottle unit comprising: a bottle having an upper margin, an open top and a closure for the top, said closure including a hollow cap and an inner member within the cap, the bottle having a number of circumferentially spaced first bosses on the upper margin thereof, said cap having an inner peripheral surface with a number of circumferentially spaced second bosses thereon, each second boss being movable into engagement with and beneath a respective one of said first bosses to releasably interconnect the cap and the bottle as the cap is moved in a first direction relative to the bottle, the cap having a number of circumferentially spaced grooves in the inner peripheral surface thereof, said inner member having an outer peripheral surface, there being a number of lateral projections on said outer peripheral surface of the inner member, the projection being removably receivable within the grooves of the cap, said grooves and projections defining a clutch permitting rotation of the cap relative to the inner member when the cap rotates in said first direction relative to the bottle and permitting rotation of the cap and inner member together when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction relative to the bottle, said inner member having means engageable with at least one of said first bosses of the bottle for preventing rotation of the inner member relative to the bottle when the cap is rotated in said first direction, said cap having a hole in the top thereof, said inner member having a mounting part rotatably receivable in the hole, there being relatively shiftable indicia on the cap and inner member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 273 words
A medicine bottle unit comprising: a bottle having an upper margin, an open top and a closure for the top, said closure including a hollow cap and an inner member within the cap, the bottle having a number of circumferentially spaced first bosses on the upper margin thereof, said cap having an inner peripheral surface with a number of circumferentially spaced second bosses thereon, each second boss being movable into engagement with and beneath a respective one of said first bosses to releasably interconnect the cap and the bottle as the cap is moved in a first direction relative to the bottle, the cap having a number of circumferentially spaced grooves in the inner peripheral surface thereof, said inner member having an outer peripheral surface, there being a number of lateral projections on said outer peripheral surface of the inner member, the projection being removably receivable within the grooves of the cap, said grooves and projections defining a clutch permitting rotation of the cap relative to the inner member when the cap rotates in said first direction relative to the bottle and permitting rotation of the cap and inner member together when the cap is rotated in the opposite direction relative to the bottle, said inner member having means engageable with at least one of said first bosses of the bottle for preventing rotation of the inner member relative to the bottle when the cap is rotated in said first direction, said cap having a hole in the top thereof, said inner member having a mounting part rotatably receivable in the hole, there being relatively shiftable indicia on the cap and inner member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 20 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 10, wherein the hole through the cap is centrally located therein.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 21 words
A medicine bottle as set forth in claim 10, wherein the hole is off-center relative to the axis of the cap.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 37 words
A medicine bottle as set forth in claim 11, wherein the inner member having a rivet like central part coupled to the cap and providing a bearing permitting rotation of the inner member relative to the cap.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 22 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 10, wherein the grooves extend axially of the central axis of the cap.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 17 words
A medicine bottle as set forth in claim 10, wherein the grooves and projections are transversely wedged-shaped.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 66 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 13, wherein the inner member has an outer, axially extending wall, the projections being on the outer surface of said outer wall, said outer wall being yieldably coupled to the remaining part of the inner member to allow the projections to move out of the grooves as the cap and inner member move relative to each other.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 69 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 10, wherein the preventing means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs on the outer periphery of the inner member, at least one of said legs engaging at least one of said first bosses on said bottle to prevent rotation of the inner member on the bottle when said cap is rotated in said first direction relative to the bottle.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 43 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein each first projection has an axially extending surface near the open top of the bottle, each leg having an axially extending edge engageable with the bearing surface of the adjacent first boss.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 27 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein each leg extends inwardly at an acute angle from the outer periphery of the inner member.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 20 words
A medicine bottle unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein the inner end of each leg is transversely V-shaped.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3151599A Cited
US4011829A Cited
US4220247A Cited
US4383619A Cited
US4432300A Cited
US4365722A Cited
US4399920A Cited
US4434903A Cited
US4528933A Cited
US4482068A Cited
US4489834A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-06-28 1991-12-28 1992-06-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-06-28 1995-12-28 1996-06-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-06-28 1999-12-28 2000-06-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag