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US 8,261,925 B2Granted
Interlocking storage units
AssigneeApex Medical Corp.
InventorJohn J. Murphy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pillbox comprising a plurality of compartments, each compartment having two side walls, two end walls, and a bottom and each compartment having a top, each top comprising a hinged lid for accessing the compartment, the hinged lid being hinged pivotally at a hinge area; a slot at one of the walls of each compartment disposed parallel to the one wall, further wherein the hinged lid for each compartment is separable from the compartment, each hinged lid having a tab depending from the hinged lid and being pivotable from the lid at the hinge area, the tab being insertable into the slot to secure the hinged lid to the compartment for access to the compartment, the tab being releasably and frictionally held in place in the slot and being removable from the slot integral with the lid when the lid is removed.
Claims14
A pillbox comprising:
- a plurality of individual storage units, each individual storage unit comprising a day-of-the-week designation, two side walls, two end walls, a central wall substantially parallel to the two end walls, and a bottom, wherein each individual storage unit comprises:
- a first compartment bounded by the two side walls, a first end wall of the two end walls, the central wall, and the bottom;
- a second compartment bounded by the two side walls, a second end wall of the two end walls, the central wall, and the bottom, wherein the first and second compartments are configured to have a size to maintain and dispense daily medication;
- a first hinged lid for accessing the first compartment, the first hinged lid connected to the central wall and selectively positionable in a first closed position over a top of the first compartment, wherein the first hinged lid is configured to releasably attach to the first end wall in the first closed position;
- a second hinged lid for accessing the second compartment, the second hinged lid connected to the central wall and selectively positionable in a second closed position over a top of the second compartment, wherein the second hinged lid is configured to releasably attach to the second end wall in the second closed position;
- and
- a first part of a two-part complementary interlocking mechanism on a first side wall of the two side walls, the first part of the two-part complementary interlocking mechanism allowing an individual storage unit to attach releasably to another individual storage unit having a second part of the two-part complementary interlocking mechanism, wherein each individual storage unit is separable from any other attached individual storage unit via the two-part complementary interlocking mechanism.
4 more elements
A pillbox comprising:
- a plurality of individual storage units, each individual storage unit comprising two side walls, two end walls, a central wall substantially parallel to the two end walls, and a bottom, wherein each individual storage unit comprises:
- a first compartment bounded by the two side walls, a first end wall of the two end walls, the central wall, and the bottom;
- a second compartment bounded by the two side walls, a second end wall of the two end walls, the central wall, and the bottom;
- a first hinged lid for accessing the first compartment, the first hinged lid connected to the central wall and selectively positionable in a first closed position over a top of the first compartment, wherein the first hinged lid is configured to releasably attach to the first end wall in the first closed position;
- a second hinged lid for accessing the second compartment, the second hinged lid connected to the central wall and selectively positionable in a second closed position over a top of the second compartment, wherein the second hinged lid is configured to releasably attach to the second end wall in the second closed position;
- a first part of a two-part complementary interlocking mechanism on a first side wall of the two side walls, the first part of the two-part complementary interlocking mechanism allowing an individual storage unit to attach releasably to another individual storage unit having a second part of the two-part complementary interlocking mechanism, wherein each individual storage unit is separable from any other attached individual storage unit via the two-part complementary interlocking mechanism;
- and
- wherein, for each of the individual storage units, the first hinged lid and the second hinged lid are separable from the central wall, the first hinged lid and the second hinged lid each having a tab insertable into a slot of the central wall, the tab being releasably and frictionally held in place in the slot and being removable from the slot.
5 more elements
A pillbox utilizing a two-part interlocking system, the two-part interlocking system comprising a first interlocking mechanism and a second interlocking mechanism, the first and second interlocking mechanisms configured to releasably connect neighboring storage units, the pillbox comprising:
- a plurality of individual storage units each comprising a first side wall, a second side wall, a first end wall, a second end wall, a central wall substantially parallel to the first end wall and the second end wall, and a bottom, wherein each individual storage unit comprises:
- a first compartment bounded by the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall, the central wall, and the bottom;
- a second compartment bounded by the first side wall, the second side wall, the second end wall, the central wall, and the bottom;
- a first hinged lid connected to the central wall and selectively positionable in a first closed position over a top of the first compartment, wherein the first hinged lid is configured to releasably attach to the first end wall in the first closed position;
- and
- a second hinged lid connected to the central wall and selectively positionable in a second closed position over a top of the second compartment, wherein the second hinged lid is configured to releasably attach to the second end wall in the second closed position;
- wherein the plurality of individual storage units comprises:
- a first end storage unit, wherein the first side wall of the first end storage unit comprises the first interlocking mechanism, and wherein the second side wall of the first end storage unit does not include the first interlocking mechanism or the second interlocking mechanism;
- five middle storage units, wherein the first side wall of each of the five middle storage units comprises the first interlocking mechanism, and wherein the second side wall of each of the five middle storage units comprises the second interlocking mechanism;
- and
- a second end storage unit, wherein the first side wall of the second end storage unit does not include the first interlocking mechanism or the second interlocking mechanism, and wherein the second side wall of the second end storage unit comprises the second interlocking mechanism.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.