Patent Application
20240058221
The present disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202222211898.X, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on Aug. 22, 2022, titled “REMINDER APPARATUS AND MEDICATION CONTAINER”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to the technical field of item reminder apparatus, and in particular, relates to a reminder apparatus and a medication container.
Medications are generally received in a medication bottle or box. With respect to some patients, a variety of medications need to be taken and taken frequently. Therefore, the patients may easily take the medication repeatedly for one time or miss the current medication. As a result, within a medication administration cycle, the patient may take an insufficient dose of the medication or an overdose of the medication. This leads to a poor treatment effect or causes damages to health of the patients.
According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a reminder apparatus is provided. The reminder apparatus includes: a housing and a rotation block; wherein the rotation block is rotatably arranged in the housing, an identification structure is arranged on a surface of the rotation block, and a viewing window is defined on the housing, such that the identification structure is exposable via the viewing window in the case that the rotation block is rotated.
According to a second aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a medication container is provided. The medication container includes: a container body and the reminder apparatus as described above; wherein the container body is configured to receive a medication, and the reminder apparatus is fixed to the container body.
By reading the detailed description of preferred embodiments hereinafter, various other advantages and beneficial effects become clear and apparent for persons of ordinary skill in the art. The accompanying drawings are merely for illustrating the preferred embodiments, but shall not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. In all the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals denote like parts. In the drawings:
Reference numerals in the embodiments and denotations thereof:
100—Reminder apparatus; 110—housing; 120—rotation block; 130—identification structure; 111—viewing window; 121—circumferential outer wall of rotation block; 112—abutting inner wall; 122—damping structure; 1221—polygonal abutting section; 131—first identification portion; 132—second identification portion; 12211—abutting face; 12211a—abutting faces at two ends; 12211b—abutting face at a middle section; 12211aa—first face; 1221ab—second face; 12211ba—third face; 12211bb—fourth face; 113—base; 114—lid; 1132—arc-shaped section; 123—toggle structure; 1231—toggle lever; 1111—first inner wall; 1112—second inner wall; 114a—receiving space; 1131—second latch; 1141—first latch; 1141a—first arc-shaped face; 1131a—second arc-shaped face; 1141b—first flat face; 1131b—second flat face; 1113—spacer plate; 200—medication container; 210—container body.
The embodiments containing the technical solutions of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments hereinafter are only used to clearly describe the technical solutions of the present disclosure. Therefore, these embodiments are only used as examples, but are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms used herein in the specification of present disclosure are only intended to illustrate the specific embodiments of the present disclosure, instead of limiting the present disclosure. The terms “comprise,” “include,” and any variations thereof in the specification, claims, and the description of the drawings of the present disclosure are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion.
In the description of the present disclosure, the terms “first,” “second,” and the like are only used for distinguishing different objects, but shall not be understood as indication or implication of relative importance or implicit indication of the number of the specific technical features, the specific sequence or priorities. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “multiple” or “a plurality of” signifies at least two, unless otherwise specified.
The terms “example” and “embodiment” in this specification signify that the specific characteristic, structures or features described with reference to the embodiments may be covered in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. This term, when appears in various positions of the specification, neither indicates the same embodiment, nor indicates an independent or optional embodiment that is exclusive of the other embodiments. A person skilled in the art would implicitly or explicitly understand that the embodiments described in this specification may be incorporated with other embodiments.
In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “and/or” is merely an association relationship for describing associated objects, which represents that there may exist three types of relationships, for example, A and/or B may represent three situations: only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists. In addition, the symbol “/” generally represents an “or” relationship between associated objects before and after the symbol.
In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “multiple” or “a plurality of” signifies more than two (including two), unless otherwise specified. Likewise, the term “a plurality of groups” or “multiple groups” signifies more than two groups (including two groups), and the term “a plurality of pieces” or “multiple pieces” signifies more than two pieces (including two pieces).
In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms “central,” “transversal,” “longitudinal,” “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” “circumferential,” and the like indicate orientations and position relationships which are based on the illustrations in the accompanying drawings, and these terms are merely for ease and brevity of the description, instead of indicating or implying that the devices or elements shall have a particular orientation and shall be structured and operated based on the particular orientation. Accordingly, these terms shall not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.
In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be noted that unless otherwise specified and defined, the terms “mounted,” “coupled,” “connected,” “fixed,” and derivative forms thereof shall be understood in a broad sense, which, for example, may be understood as fixed connection, detachable connection or integral connection; may be understood as mechanical connection or electrical connection, or understood as direct connection, indirect connection via an intermediate medium, or communication between the interiors of two elements or interactions between two elements. Persons of ordinary skill in the art may understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure according to the actual circumstances and contexts.
For patients who need to take varieties of medications frequently, they may easily forget to take medications, or miss the current medications or take an overdose of medications, resulting in insufficient dose or causing damages to their health. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a reminder apparatus for the patients for reminding them to take medications.
To overcome the above problem, the present disclosure provides a reminder apparatus. In the reminder apparatus, a rotation block is rotatably arranged on a rotation block, and a viewing window is defined on a housing, such that in the case that the rotation block is rotated, an identification structure on a surface of the rotation block may be exposed via the viewing window. In this way, the exposed identification structure may be configured to remind a user whether a medication is taken or whether an item is finished.
Referring to
The reminder apparatus 100 is configured to remind users whether a pre-scheduled item needs to be performed, for example, reminding items that need to be performed in daily life, especially some periodical items. The reminder apparatus 100 may be a reminder apparatus for medication taking, or may be a reminder apparatus for other daily-scheduled items.
The identification structure 130 may be a time text, a label, a sticker, a scale, a recessed mark or the like, and is configured to remind users whether an item is to be performed.
Specifically, the reminder apparatus 100 may be placed in the vicinity of a medication bottle or attached on the medication bottle, and the identification structure 130 may be a colored label for reminding a patient whether the medication has been taken. In practice, the rotation block 120 may be rotated in advance, such that the colored label is hidden in the housing 110. In this state, the user is reminded to take the medication when necessary. In the case that the user takes the medication, the rotation block 120 is rotated, such that the colored label is exposed via the viewing window 111, to remind the user that this medication taking is finished. In this way, the user is prevented from forgetting to take the medication or taking the medication repeatedly. Further, a plurality of rotation blocks may be arranged, for example, three rotation blocks. The three rotation blocks are rotated, such that three identification structures 130 are hidden in the housing 110. The patient is reminded to take the medication in the morning, at the noon and in the evening every day. When the patient takes the medication in the morning, one of the rotation blocks 120 is rotated, such that one of the identification structures 130 is exposed to remind the patient that he or she has taken the medication in the morning, whereas he or she subsequently needs to take the medication at the noon and in the evening. When the patient has taken the medication at the noon, another of the rotation blocks 120 is rotated. In this case, two of the identification structures 130 are exposed to remind the patient that he or she has taken the medication in the morning and at the noon, whereas he or she needs to take the medication in the evening. Such operations are repeated until the patient finishes the medication taking in the evening. Preferably, the identification structure 130 may be set to texts saying morning, noon and evening, or date identifications of morning, noon and evening may be arranged on the housing 110 in the vicinity of the rotation block 120 to remind the patient whether the medication has been taken at the specific time.
The rotation block 120 is rotatably arranged in the housing 110, such that in the case that the rotation block 120 is placed in the housing 110, the rotation block 120 is rotatably engaged with the housing 110. The engagement between the rotation block 120 and the housing 110 is structurally simple, which facilitates manufacturing, and lowers manufacturing costs. The identification structure 120 is arranged on the surface of the rotation block 120, and the viewing window 111 is defined on the housing 110, such that in the case that the rotation block 120 is rotated, the identification structure 130 is exposed via the viewing window 111. In this way, the user may know, from the exposed identification structure 130, whether the current medication has been taken. Nevertheless, in the case that the identification structure 130 is not exposed, the user may be reminded, by the identification structure 130, to take the medication at a specific time.
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The damping structure 122 is preferably made of an elastic material. In the case that the rotation block is rotated, the damping structure 122 is abutted against the abutting inner wall 112 and is elastically deformed, such that the rotation block is rotatable relative to the housing.
The damping structure 122 may be a wavy elastic sheet arranged on the rotation block 120, and correspondingly, a wavy elastic sheet may also be arranged on the abutting inner wall 112. By engagement between these two wavy elastic sheets, the action force between the rotation block 120 and the housing 110 may be increased, and meanwhile a tactile sense of the user when rotating the rotation block 120 is improved. The damping structure 122 may also be a rubber ring sleeved onto an outer wall of the rotation block 120 to increase a friction resistance between the rotation block 120 and the housing 110.
In the case that the abutting inner wall 112 is arranged on the housing 110, the damping structure 122 on the rotation block 120 is rotated to be engaged with the abutting inner wall 112 to increase the action force between the rotation block 120 and the housing 110 during rotation of the rotation block 120, which achieves a better damping effect. In this way, the tactile sense of the user when rotating the rotation block 120 may be improved. In addition, the damping structure 122 is arranged on the circumferential outer wall of the rotation block 120, such that in the case that the reminder apparatus 100 is shaken, the rotation block 120 may not be easily rotated due to a reaction force between the damping structure 122 and the abutting inner wall 112, and the identification structure 130 is still maintained at an original properly-adjusted state. This prevents incorrect reminders.
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The damping structure 122 is set to the polygonal abutting section including the plurality of adjacent abutting faces 12211, such that in the case that the rotation block 120 is rotated, the plurality of abutting faces 12211 are successively abutted against the abutting inner wall 112. Specifically, in the case that a state where one of the plurality of abutting faces 12211 is abutted against the abutting inner wall 112 is transitioned to a state where another of the plurality of abutting faces 12211 is abutted against the abutting inner wall 112, a greater reaction force may be caused between a joint of these two abutting faces 12211 and the abutting inner wall 112, such that a better damping effect is achieved. In addition, in the case that the plurality of abutting faces 12211 are successively abutted against and engaged with the abutting inner wall 112, the tactile sense of the user when rotating the rotation block 120 is effectively improved.
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In the first direction and the second direction, one is a clockwise direction, and the other is a counterclockwise direction. Still referring to
Specifically, the first identification portion 131 may be a green label, and the second identification portion 132 may be a red label; wherein the second identification portion 132 may be configured to remind the user that the medication needs to be taken at the specific time, and the first identification portion 132 is configured to remind the user that the medication has been taken. Specifically, in the case that the user finds that the second identification portion 132 is exposed via the viewing window 111 (as illustrated in
The first identification portion 131 and the second identification portion 132 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the rotation block 120, such that in the case that the rotation block 120 is rotated along the two directions, the first identification portion 131 and the second identification portion 132 are respectively exposed to remind the patient of two different medication taking items, such that the patient is prevented from forgetting to take the medication or repeatedly taking the medication. The abutting faces 12211a at the two ends are arranged away from the identification structure 130 along the radial direction of the rotation block 120, such that in the case that the rotation block 120 is rotated along the two directions, one of the abutting faces 12211a at the two ends is abutted against the abutting inner wall, and hence the first identification portion 131 or the second identification portion 132 is exposed. In addition, since the area of the abutting face 12211a at either of the two ends is greater than the area of the abutting face 12211b at the middle section, the abutting faces 12211a at the two ends are more stably abutted against the abutting inner wall 112, such that in the case that the rotation block 120 is properly rotated, the first identification portion 131 or the second identification portion 132 is maintained in a better state. This prevents the case where in the case that the rotation block 120 is touched by mistake, the state of the identification structure 130 is changed and thus the medication taking item is incorrectly reminded to the patient.
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The housing 110 is set to include the base 113 and the lid 114, such that during assembling of the reminder apparatus 100, the rotation block 120 may be firstly placed in the lid 114, and then the lid 114 is covered on and fixed to the base 113. In this case, the assembling of the reminder apparatus 100 is completed. The entire process is convenient and quick, and easy to operate. In this way, an efficiency of assembling the reminder apparatus 100 may be effectively improved.
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Specifically, an outer wall of the arc-shaped section 1132 on the base 113 may be attached to the medication bottle having an arc-shaped surface by an absorption structure or an adhesive to fix the base 113 onto the medication bottle, such that the reminder apparatus 100 is movable with the medication bottle. This more conveniently reminds the patient whether the medication needs to be taken.
The base 113 is set to include the arc-shaped section 1132 recessed towards the lid 114, such that in the case that the rotation block 120 is rotated, the damping structure 122 is more tightly abutted against an inner wall of the arc-shaped section 1132. In this way, structural stability of the rotation block 120 is enhanced.
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Specifically, the toggle structure 123 may be a recess arranged in the circumferential outer wall of the rotation block 120, and a finger is inserted into the recess via the viewing window 111 and toggle the recess to drive the rotation block 120 to rotate.
The toggle structure 123 is arranged on the circumferential outer wall of the rotation block 120, and the toggle structure 123 is exposed via the viewing window 111, such that it is convenient to apply a force to the toggle structure 123 to drive the rotation block 120 to rotate.
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The toggle lever 1231 is protruded from a surface of the housing 110, such that the user may directly and conveniently apply a force to the toggle lever 1231 to drive the rotation block 120 to rotate, with no need of stretching his or her finger into the viewing window 111 that is narrow and small. Further, the toggle lever 1231 is abutted against inner walls on two opposite sides of the viewing window 111 along the circumferential direction of the rotation block 120 to restrict the maximum stroke of the rotation block 120. This prevents the identification structure 130 to be exposed from being hidden in the housing 110 due to over-rotation of the rotation block 120, and finally ensures accuracy of exposing the identification structure 130.
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Specifically, the number of rotation blocks 120 is preferably seven, days Monday to Sunday are marked on the identification structure 130 or at positions on the housing 110 corresponding to the rotation block 120. The rotation block 120 is rotated such that the identification structure 130 is hidden in the housing 110 to remind the patient that the medication needs to be taken for seven days. When the patient takes the medication on Monday, he or she rotates the rotation block 120 corresponding to Monday, such that the identification structure 130 on the rotation block is exposed via the viewing window 111 to remind the patient that he or she has taken the medication Monday. As times goes to Tuesday, when the patient finds that the identification structure corresponding to Tuesday says that he or she needs to take the medication, the patient takes the medication for Tuesday and rotates the rotation block 120 corresponding to Tuesday, such that the identification structure 130 is exposed to remind that the user has taken the medication for Tuesday. Such operations are repeatedly performed until the user takes the medication for Sunday. The state of the identification structure 130 may remind the patient of the time when he or she has taken the medication and the time for the patient to take the medication. In the case that the patient finishes medication taking for a cycle, the rotation block 120 may be reset to remind the patient again whether the medication is taken.
The plurality of rotation blocks 120 are arranged in the housing 110 along the axial direction, the plurality of viewing windows 111 are defined on the housing 110, and the rotation blocks 120 are in one-to-one correspondence to the viewing windows, such that within a medication administration cycle, the rotation block 120 only needs to be rotated once, and the reminder apparatus 100 is capable of reminding the patient that he or she needs to take the medication for multiple times within the cycle. Each time the patient takes the medication, one rotation block 120 is rotated to record and remind that the current medication has been taken. The rotation blocks 120 that have not been rotated remind that the patient needs to take the medication at the proper time. This prevents the patient from forgetting to take the medication or repeatedly taking the medication.
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The medication body 210 may be a medication bottle, a medication box or the like structure configured to receive medications. The base 113 is adaptive to the container body 210 in terms of appearance, such that the base 113 is attached to or engaged on the container body 210, such that it is convenient to remind the patient whether the medication has been taken.
It should be finally noted that the above-described embodiments are merely for illustration of the present disclosure, but are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to these embodiments, a person skilled in the art may also make various modifications to the technical solutions disclosed in the embodiments, or make equivalent replacements to a part of or all technical features contained therein. Such modifications or replacement, made without departing from the principles of the present disclosure, shall fall within the scope defined by the claims and the specification of the present disclosure. Especially, various technical features mentioned in various embodiments may be combined in any fashion as long as there is no structural conflict. The present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein in this specification, but also includes all the technical solutions falling within the scope subject to the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202222211898.X | Aug 2022 | CN | national |
