US3099352A - Calendar reminder and dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

July 30, 1963 w. AVEN 3,099,352

CALENDAR REMINDER AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Sept. 28. 1961 AUGUST 2 3 4 5 678 9l0lll2 l I I 1 Fig. I. Fig.2.

INV EN TOR.

BY Walter 41 m United States Patent 3,099,352 CALENDAR REMINDER AND DISPENSENG DEVICE Walter Aven, 1624 Pontchartrain Drive, Okemos, Mich. Filed Sept. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 141,388 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-78) This invention relates to dispensing devices for pills, vitamin capsules and the like which are to be taken at periodic intervals, and as a reminder to the person taking them, so that they will be consumed at, and only at, the proper time.

The invention contemplates a combination of a base or support member, having indicated thereon, by printing, or otherwise, a series of adjoining serially numbered spaces, such as a Weekly or monthly calendar, to which containers holding the pills or capsules are affixed so as to cover the spaces during which the medicine is to be consumed. Preferably the containers are individual pockets, or in strip form having weakened zones which permit tearing away one dose at a time when each dosage is torn away and consumed, the period for which it is specified is uncovered, thus reminding the user that it has been consumed, and indicating when the next dosage is to be taken.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one form which the invention may take, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the invention; and,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the invention is shown as adapted to a monthly calendar, with the idea that the prescribed dosage be taken daily only. It consists of a flat base 10, preferably of heavy paper on which are printed the month and day and year, if desired. Such bases can be furnished by the pharmacist who prepares and sells the prescription.

Each daily dosage is inserted into suitable containers, such as cellophane strips 11 having individual compartments 12 formed therein. If formed in strips, the containers have weakened zones 13 which are so spaced that each compartment covers one of the dates on the calendar, and permit the compartments to be readily torn from the remainder of the strip, the contents removed, and consumed by the user.

The strips 11 are provided with some form of attaching means, such as an adhesive material at the top edge, so that they can be aflixed to the calendar as shown best in FIG. 2.

Thus, if a prescription calls for the user to take one capsule per day for 16 days starting August 14, the druggist will prepare the necessary daily doses, tear the strips into suitable lengths and aflix them to the calendar over ice the days from August 14 through August 29. Then the patient will tear off a section each day, exposing the number of the day underneath, clearly showing how many days remain in the prescription period, and the next time for taking the required dose.

If the medicine to be taken is not necessarily a doctors prescription, the capsules, pills, and the like can be put up in strips, purchased by the user, and applied by him to the calendar.

It will be apparent, of course, that the calendar may be modified to include more than one area for each day, so as to provide for the taking of two, three, four, or more per day, with each dose in its individual compartment.

It will also be apparent that the compartments may be numbered also, either to correspond with those of the spaces, or simply serially numbered for the period during which the doses are to be taken.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention provides a simple dispensing device for reminding a person, and accurately recording the consumption of medicines that must be taken at definite periods. It can easily be varied to suit the individuals needs, either by the druggist, or by the user himself.

I claim:

A calendar-type medication reminding and dispensing device, the combination including:

(a) a flat base member provided with date-indicating indicia thereon, said indicia pre-printed on said base member for a period of one month; and

(b) strip container means having a series of individual compartment sections for receiving individual dosage elements therein, said strip container means being selectively attachable to said base member so that said compartment sections are in masking registry with predetermined of said date-indicating indicia, each of said individual compartment sections defined by weakened zones whereby said compartment sections are selectively detachable from said strip container means as required by prescription and so as to unmask selected of said date-indicating indicia.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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