Supports: racks – Tray – Rotatable
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-15
2002-08-27
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Tray
Rotatable
C211S077000, C211S163000, C211S194000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06439406
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a carousel device with a variable number of interlocking tiers, each of which can be partitioned vertically to store the desired size and number of prescription medication bottles.
Carousel devices are known in the art for storing spices, tapes, and other objects. However, none of the existing devices are adaptable to accommodate the many different-sized medication bottles which must be stored in a school clinic.
Hardware storage cabinets have been tried; however, bottles cannot be organized alphabetically by child's name or by time-of-day to be dispensed. Another common method of organization is to place each bottle in a plastic bag and file it in a file divider labeled with each child's name. However, that method works for paper files, not odd-shaped medicine containers. The method also consumes time in removing the bottles from and replacing them in the plastic bags. Other storage systems use rectangular drawers. However, these cannot accommodate large-diameter pill bottles.
School clinics need to have a storage system for prescription medicine containers which facilitates safe handling of medicine in an efficient manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a compact, adaptable, versatile device for the storage of prescription pill bottles. The device is compact enough to fit in limited clinic space; adaptable enough to accommodate the different-sized medication bottles brought to the school clinic; and versatile enough to adjust to daily changes in medication needs.
The storage device is a cylindrical or cube-shaped, rotatable, multiple-tiered unit with adjustable storage compartments. The base, which may be separate from the bottom tier, contains the mechanism allowing the unit to rotate, using a principal similar to that of a lazy susan, or turntable.
Each tier may be interlocked with identical tiers in order to stack them, one atop another. Each tier consists of a horizontal plate with permanent vertical dividers of equal height disposed perpendicular to the plane of the plate and radial to the center. Each divider is high enough to allow most standard prescription pill bottles to be stored on their sides. Each tier has matching radial grooves cut into the top and the bottom surfaces of each plate. When the plates are arranged for stacking, the grooves of two adjacent plates are lined up. Edges of temporary dividers may be inserted into the grooves in order to form separate, wedge-shaped compartments.
The top tier of the unit consists of a flat plate with a shallow ledge around its circumference. Its underside has radial grooves, and it also interlocks with the tier below it. This plate provides upright storage of large bottles, containing either pills or liquid medication, which cannot be stored in any of the compartmentalized tiers. The stacked tiers provide a basis for different organizational schemes, e.g., each tier can accommodate medications to be dispensed at a particular time.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device with adjustable, variable-sized storage compartments for storing prescription medication bottles.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a compact storage device for use in potentially-limited clinic space.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device versatile enough to store a large number of different-sized prescription medication bottles, some of which contain pills and some of which contain liquids.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a storage device which organizes prescription medication bottles so that a nurse can quickly and efficiently find the correct one to dispense medication.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a rotatable storage device which makes access to each prescription bottle quick and easy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a storage device which provides efficient, organized storage of medications which must be kept in their original drug store containers.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a storage device of variable height to accommodate greater or fewer containers, depending on the clinic's needs.
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Gaskin Mary J.
Novosad Jennifer E.
Stodola Daniel P.
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