Tools – Receptacle closure remover – Power- – vacuum- – or fluid pressure-operated
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-11
2003-11-25
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Receptacle closure remover
Power-, vacuum-, or fluid pressure-operated
C081S003250, C081S003310, C081S003320, C081S333000, C081S003360
Reexamination Certificate
active
06651531
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to household appliances, and more particularly is an automated pill bottle opener that operates by pushing down on the cap of the pill bottle, rotating the cap relative to the bottle, and then resealing the bottle after it has been used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The people who need medicine the most are often ill equipped to obtain it. Some medicine bottles can be quite difficult to open if the person trying to open the bottle does not have full use of both hands. As we age and are more and more likely to need medicines, our dexterity may well be impaired by any of several causes—strokes, arthritis, injuries, Parkinson's disease, bursitis, and tendinitis are but a few of the conditions that can limit manual dexterity.
Since there are so many people who might need assistance in opening pill bottles, the prior art includes several examples of devices directed to this function. There are at least two references that disclose a means to press down on the top of a pill bottle cap while twisting the cap. One is the “APPARATUS FOR REMOVING A SAFETY CAP FROM A SAFETY CONTAINER” by Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,181, issued Apr. 7, 1998. Another is the “HAND-HELD CAP OPENER FOR CHILD RESISTANT CONTAINERS” by Mikan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,069, issued Sep. 13, 1988. Both of these devices require the user to supply the power to open the bottle. In fact, the Mikan device would seem to require two hands to operate.
There are also references in the prior art that are related to a device that improves the user's grip on the cap. One such device is the “SELF-GRIPPING CAP REMOVER FOR CHILD RESISTANT MEDICATION CONTAINERS” by Trick et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,763, issued Aug. 2, 1988, and another is the “GRIPPER FOR CONTAINER CAPS” by Allen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,129, issued Oct. 27, 1987. These devices enlarge the surface area that can be gripped, and provide better friction on the cap. However, the user must still supply the power to actually open the cap.
There are also references in the prior art that essentially just provide a better means of gripping two references of this type are the “ONE-HANDED CHILDPROOF MEDICINE BOTTLE OPENER” by Laudani, U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,888, issued Mar. 27, 2001, and the “PILL BOTTLE CAP REMOVAL DEVICE” by Hystead, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,221, issued Nov. 17,1998. The Laudani device provides a mechanism to hold the lower end of the bottle securely in place, and the Hystead device provides a device to grip the cap. Two other references that provide mechanical means to improve a grip on the cap of a bottle are the “MULTI-PURPOSE HAND TOOL” of Penaligon et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,936, issued Apr. 22, 1997, and the “CHILD RESISTANT CONTAINER OPENER” of Silliman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,205, issued Feb. 14, 1978.
There are several devices in the prior art that just aid the user in prying the cap off the bottle. Among these are the “REMOVER FOR CHILD RESISTANT CLOSURE” by Garby et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,859, issued May 24, 1994; the “CONTAINER OPENING TOOL” of Ross, U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,297, issued Feb. 14, 1995; the “TOOL FOR REMOVING CAPS FROM CONTAINERS” of Evans, U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,478, issued May 27, 1975; and the IMPLEMENT FOR OPENING SEALED CONTAINERS” by Joyce, U.S. Pat. No. 2,702,652, issued Feb. 22, 1955.
The prior art does disclose efforts directed to actual removal of a lid. The “JAR LID REMOVER” of Sartell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,019, shows a device that automatically removes a jar lid. However, this device would not appear to work on a pill bottle, as there is no means of applying a downward force to the top of the bottle cap.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that enables a user to open a pill bottle with minimal hand strength and dexterity.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that can apply a downward force while rotating the cap.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that will reseal the pill bottle after it has been used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an automated pill bottle opener. To initiate an opening operation, the user simply places the bottle to be opened on a lower gripping surface that is affixed to a casing of the device. The user then moves a selector in a first direction.
A plunger assembly drives a plunger downward until a top gripping surface of a rotator assembly presses on the top of the bottle cap. As the top gripping surface of the rotator engages the cap, the rotator begins to rotate so that the cap turns with the rotator. As pressure is applied to the top of the cap, frictional contact of the bottom of the bottle with the lower gripping surface inhibits the bottle from rotation while the opener is operating on the cap. After the locking mechanism of the pill bottle cap is released, a pressure sensitive triggering device reverses the direction of travel of the plunger so that the plunger is again raised to its original position.
The automated pill bottle opener of the present invention also provides the user the capability of putting the cap back on the pill bottle as well. To do so, the user simply places the bottle to be resealed on the lower gripping surface with the cap positioned on the top of the bottle. The user then moves the selector in a second direction opposite to that of the direction moved to initiate the opening process. The plunger action of the device is identical, but the direction of rotation of the rotator is reversed so that the cap is latched back onto the bottle.
An advantage of the present invention is that the user does not need to grip the bottle cap to open the bottle.
Another advantage of the present invention is that essentially all the motive power for opening the bottle cap is supplied by the device.
A still further advantage of the present invention is that the device will also replace the cap on the bottle.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4615241 (1986-10-01), Grabarski et al.
patent: 5996441 (1999-12-01), Bateman
patent: 6089124 (2000-07-01), Murphy
Grant Alvin J
Hail III Joseph J.
The Kline Law Firm
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