The present invention relates to a combination calendar and pill holder/dispenser, and more particularly, to a calendar and pill holder/dispenser which holds a desired consumable product such as vitamins, for example. Specifically, the present invention relates to a pill holder/dispenser of vitamins or other consumable or gift designed generally as an advent-type calendar wherein subject related information is displayed while promoting the daily intake of a vitamin.
Advent calendars which hold a daily piece of candy are known. What is needed is an advent-type calendar for other subject-specific purposes and which include an incentive to use the calendar each day.
In general, one embodiment the present invention is directed to a pill holder/dispenser of vitamins designed generally as an advent-type calendar wherein a particular subject information is displayed while promoting the daily intake of the vitamin. The subject can be prenatal, toddler, or any other desired age group of child or adult (e.g., seniors).
Preferably, the pill holder/dispenser is arranged to have four rows each having seven columns. This arrangement generally corresponds to each row equating to one week (7 days with each row's respective columns representing one day) with all four rows generally equating to one calendar month. In one embodiment the subject comprises a prenatal calendar. Although generally referred to as 9 months of pregnancy, full term is generally regarded as 40 weeks. Using 40 weeks for full term, this would require ten “monthly” calendars (4 weeks per calendar time 10 calendars equals 40 total weeks). However, an embodiment of the present system generally includes provision of nine “monthly” calendars. Only nine calendars are required as the 40 week start date begins at the start date of the last menstrual cycle prior to becoming pregnant. Ovulation (and likely fertilization) generally occurs two weeks later, with most pregnancy tests confirming pregnancy requiring an additional two weeks following fertilization before being able to quantitate a protein indicating pregnancy. Thus, many pregnant women first become aware of, or are ensured of, their pregnancy only after at least four weeks, thereby obviating the need for one “monthly” calendar.
Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, a calendar/dispenser apparatus comprises a tray and cover. The tray has a plurality of recesses and a sufficient thickness such that a pharmaceutical agent may be contained within a respective recess. The cover is arranged above the tray and has a top surface and a bottom surface. A plurality of polygonal die cuts within the cover defines a plurality of doors. Each door is moveable between a normally closed position which conceals the bottom surface of the cover as defined by the door and an opened position which reveals the bottom surface of the cover as defined by the door. The bottom surface of the cover includes a plurality of printed indicia providing health related information with each respective printed indicium printed within an area defined by a respective door. Opening of a respective door permits access to the pharmaceutical agent contained with its respective recess.
The embodiments of the present invention are well-suited to promote the taking of a daily vitamin while simultaneously engaging the target of the subject with subject related information/activities.
In another embodiment, the subject and vitamins are directed and appropriate for a toddler. The vitamins can take any form (e.g., gummy vitamins) and may alternately be another other consumable or gift/toy or any combination thereof. The written material and images on the calendar are also directed to the subject matter (e.g., toddler growth and health). This of course can be tailored to any desired age group including seniors.
In another embodiment, the indicia and/or pictures on the calendar are directed to a comic series (e.g., SUPERMAN or SPIDERMAN) and/or a card collecting game (e.g., similar to the YUGIO or POKEMON card games) wherein each door comprises a card of the collection and is removable from the calendar (e.g., by clean tear off perforations). A single collection may be one or more months provided by each single monthly calendar, for example. Each card may further include indicia telling part of a story (e.g., as in a comic) that continues with each daily card.
The embodiments of the present invention are well-suited to promote the taking of a daily vitamin (or other consumable or gift) while simultaneously engaging the target of the subject with subject related information/activities.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will in part become apparent to those in the practice of the invention, when considered with the attached figures.
The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, wherein like reference numerals are employed to indicate like parts in the various views, and wherein:
Referring to the drawings in detail, and specifically to
The top surface of each door 120 is provided with printed indicia 125. Printed indicia 125 associates its respective door with a respective day so as to enable a user to open doors within the proper sequence. The reverse, or bottom, surface of door 120 includes printed indicia 128. Printed indicia 128 provide relevant health related information to the user or any other information that is relevant to the subject matter of the calendar. For instance, in a preferred embodiment of a prenatal calendar, printed indicia 128 may contain information such as, but not necessarily limited to, fetal development information, maternal health information, an inspirational message, advice on parenting, discount offers, coupons and journal questions. In this example, fetal development information may include pictures, drawings and/or text describing the typical growth progress of a fetus according to the specific day within the gestation period indicated by door 120. Similarly, maternal health information may relate to typical emotional states or hormone levels experienced by expectant mothers at the door-specified time. Each door 120 may be further designed with die cuts so as to be removable from the cover and thereby define a cover opening 140. In this manner, each detached door 120 can be separately added to a journal or scrapbook so that an expectant mother can revisit her pregnancy some later time in the future, perhaps with her child once the child is old enough to understand and appreciate the gift of birth.
In a preferred embodiment, the information provided by printed indicia 128 is arranged such that the leftmost door (A) of each row presents a drawing or photo representing the development stage of the fetus along with a brief description of fetal size and one or two facts about this stage. Moving left to right along a row, the next column (B) provides an inspirational message, factual information regarding this stage of the pregnancy or a fun anecdote about the feelings or concerns experienced by other pregnant women. The third column from the left (C) provides a question designed to cause the expectant mother to reflect upon her pregnancy and upcoming motherhood. Expectant mothers are encouraged to journal these reflections so that these mothers may later read and reminisce upon their pregnancies. The middle column (D) is similar to the second column and again provides an inspirational message, factual information regarding this stage of the pregnancy or a fun anecdote about the feelings or concerns experienced by other pregnant women. The fifth column (E) provides some money saving tips and may further include discounts or coupons for purchasing relevant merchandise (e.g. baby clothes, diapers, cribs and other furniture). The sixth column (F) is similar to the second and fourth columns while the seventh (and last) column (G) re-asks the question of the third column so that the expectant mother can readdress her feelings and reflect upon completing another week in her pregnancy. As can be seen by one skilled in the art, printed indicia 128 may be any desired information and is not specifically limited to the above recitation. The above recitation is merely exemplary and any suitable information or messages are contemplated by the present invention.
Tray 150 is formed to include a plurality of recesses 160. Ideally, the locations of recesses 160 correspond to locations of doors 120 formed on the cover 110. Each recess 160 is adapted to contain one or more pharmaceutical agents 170. Thus, the overall size of the recess is dictated by the volume required to hold a desired one or more pharmaceutical agents. The length and width of the recess may be limited by the physical dimensions of door 120, but the recess depth may be varied to provide the necessary space. It should be understood that the length and width of the recess (and door 120) must be sufficient such that any pharmaceutical agent(s) stored within tray 150 will pass through cover opening 140.
Pharmaceutical agents may be either individual agents packaged within a blister pack or be loose pharmaceuticals having no additional packaging. Preferably, the pharmaceutical agents are solid (pills, capsules, caplets) or semi-solids (chews, gummies, gels). In embodiments for use with loose pharmaceutical agents, tray 150 is fabricated of a suitable plastic material, and more preferably of a plastic material that is gas- and water-tight. For embodiments for storing and dispensing pharmaceutical agents that are packaged within blister packs, tray 150 may be fabricated from cardboard or other suitable card stock materials. Examples of such embodiments will be discussed in more detail below with regard to
In a preferred embodiment, the pharmaceutical agent is a prenatal vitamin, and more preferably is a prenatal vitamin within a blister pack. Using prenatal vitamins in blister packs enables more efficient loading of the vitamins within the tray while minimizing the potential of contaminating the vitamin during assembly of the holder/dispenser.
As shown in
Turning now to
As shown in
Alternatively, as shown in
Directing attention to
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain aspects thereof, other versions are possible as described above. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the aspects contained herein.
All features disclosed in the specification, including the claims, abstract, and drawings, and all the steps in any method or process disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in the specification, including the claims, abstract, and drawings, can be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61894700 | Oct 2013 | US |