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US5020037A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Alarm pill box

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1989-01-26
•
Granted: 1991-05-28
•
Expires: 2009-01-26
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Abstract

Abstract An alarm pill box (11) has an alarm cancelled by the opening of a lid (12) to provide access to at least one medication compartment (16,17). An electronic memory is responsive to the cancellation of the alarm and records each cancellation. An associated indicator display (23) provides a visual indication of each record. Additionally, or alternatively, timer adjustment controls are inactive to adjust instant or alarm times when the lid (12) is closed, thereby requiring the lid (12) to be open in order to adjust the times.

Inventors

  • 👤 Malcolm R. Raven

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 10:51
CPC Classifications
G; G04; G04G; G04G15/00; G04G15/006; A; A61; A61J; A61J7/00; A61J7/04; A61J7/0409; A61J7/0481; G04B; G04B37/00; G04B37/12; G04B37/127; A61J7/0418; A61J7/0427; A61J7/0436; A61J7/0454

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 179 words
In a timed medication container having a case with at least one medication compartment; a lid means for covering said compartment; an alarm, display means, and an electronic circuit including a timer programmable to generate alarm actuating signals at each of a plurality of alarm times and display actuating signals, an improvement characterized in that: said display means includes means for indicating the number of times the lid means is opened in response to the alarm; said container further includes a switch actuated by movement of the lid means between closed and open positions, said switch being in a first state when the lid means is closed and being in a second state when the lid means is open; said electronic circuit being responsive to the switch to supply an actuating signal to the indicating means upon a change of state of the switch subsequent to the generation of an alarm signal; and said electronic circuit includes means for setting the plurality of alarm times, said setting means being operable only when the switch is in the second state.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 179 words
In a timed medication container having a case with at least one medication compartment; a lid means for covering said compartment; an alarm, display means, and an electronic circuit including a timer programmable to generate alarm actuating signals at each of a plurality of alarm times and display actuating signals, an improvement characterized in that: said display means includes means for indicating the number of times the lid means is opened in response to the alarm; said container further includes a switch actuated by movement of the lid means between closed and open positions, said switch being in a first state when the lid means is closed and being in a second state when the lid means is open; said electronic circuit being responsive to the switch to supply an actuating signal to the indicating means upon a change of state of the switch subsequent to the generation of an alarm signal; and said electronic circuit includes means for setting the plurality of alarm times, said setting means being operable only when the switch is in the second state.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 36 words
The improvement according to claim 1 further characterized in that said electronic circuit includes means for sequentially displaying pre-set alarm times, said sequentially displaying means being operable only when the switch is in the second state.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 49 words
The improvement according to claim 1 further characterized in that said electronic circuit includes means for postponing actuation of the alarm subsequent ot th generation of an alarm signal for a predetermined time interval, said actuation postponing means being operable only when the switch is in the first state.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3033355A Cited
US4382688A Cited
US4490711A Cited
US4419016A Cited
US4588303A Cited
GB2179919A Cited
US4626105A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-05-27 1994-11-26 1995-05-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-05-27 1998-11-26 1999-05-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-05-27 2002-11-26 2003-05-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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