US 5,704,502 AGranted

Closure with forearm engaging tabs for medication containers

OwnerBrian Greenfieldinventor

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Abstract

An apparatus to assist a person having reduced manual dexterity in removing a cap from a container, the apparatus comprising a base and at least two tabs for removing the cap of the container by manual force against the tabs directly applied by one or more of the users's fingers or a narrow portion of an ulnar side of a forearm of the user. The tabs each extend upright from the base and are spaced from each other for engaging opposite sides of the at least one finger or the forearm. The tabs are arranged for twisting open the cap by turning the forearm or the finger solely by movement of the user's arm, so that gripping of the cap is unnecessary, in order to engage the tabs and rotate the cap in an opening direction while one of the fingers on the palm side and the forearm on the ulnar side is positioned between the tabs and against the base. The tabs may either extend parallel to each other or flare outwardly.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An apparatus to assist a user, including a person having reduced manual dexterity, in removing a cap from an opening of a container or securing it to the opening of the container, the apparatus comprising:

a base for extending across the top of the cap, a midline in the plane of said base passing generally through the midportion of said base;
and
means for rotating said base to thereby rotate the cap on the container by manual force, said rotating seam including at least two tabs each extending substantially upright from said base and spaced from each other and substantially equidistant from the midline, said tabs having opposed contact surfaces spaced apart from each other by a distance that accommodates placing a portion of the user's upper limb between s,lid contact surfaces to press against the portion of said base extending between said tabs and said contact surfaces of said tabs, the engagement of said portion of the user's upper limb against said base and said connect surfaces of said tabs while turning the user's upper limb causing a torque to be applied to said base, and hence to the cap, so as to cause a twisting movement of the cap for selectively loosening and securing the cap depending upon a direction of the twisting movement, each opposing contact surface facing in a direction towards the midline and having a top and a bottom, each said contact surface further comprising a first section extending upright from said base from said bottom to said top, and a side section extending upright from said base from said bottom to said top a side of said first section facing the periphery of said base, said first sections of said opposing contact surfaces of said tabs being parallel to each other, and said side sections of said opposing contact surfaces of said tabs diverging away from the midline in the said base and towards the periphery of said base.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/364,603Filed 27 Dec 1994 · continuation in part
Priority: 6 Nov 1991
Granted: 6 Jan 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B65D 41/0485
Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers secured by rotation: with means specially adapted for facilitating the operation of opening or closing
B67B 7/18
Hand- or power-operated devices for opening closed containers: for removing threaded caps
B65D
Containers for storage or transport of articles or materials
B67B
Applying closure members to bottles jars, or similar containers

Family

Serial788,510Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Nov 1991
Serial876,438Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Apr 1992
Serial978,370Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 Nov 1992
US 5,429,257 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,704,502 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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