Signals and indicators – Indicators – Operator movable
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-20
2004-10-19
Fulton, Christopher W. (Department: 2859)
Signals and indicators
Indicators
Operator movable
C116S309000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06805072
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to indicator devices and, more specifically, to means for indicating the time a substance was prepared and containerized or a container was opened.
The timer can be provided in a number of variations as herein disclosed. A container having a stationary ring and a rotative ring. The stationary ring is labeled incrementally with time periods, such as hours, with smaller increments indicative of shorter time positioned therebetween. The rotative ring has similar time indications with an arrow at the zero or start time. The rotative ring indicative of a start time is moved until the arrow aligns with the actual time that the container was filled. When a user wishes to determine the length of time expired since the container was filled, they obtain the actual time from a watch or clock and refer to a position on the stationary ring correlating to said obtained time whereupon reference made to the rotative ring at the point opposing the stationary will disclose an elapsed time period since the containers contents were prepared. It should be noted that while the rotative ring is herein described as the rotative member, the object of the present invention could easily be achieved by having the time elapsed member as the stationary ring while the clock-like time indicia is displayed on the rotative ring.
Another method of achieving the time duration is disclosed wherein the clock-like indicia or elapsed time indicia is imprinted on the container having a rotative element with the opposing indicia imprinted thereon whereby the rotative member will be moved to a selected position whereby the user can ascertain the elapsed time since the container was prepared or opened.
The present invention provides for an additional element wherein the time indicia is extended by having the days of the week displayed in addition to the hours in a day. At least one indicator graphic such as an arrow is displayed on the exterior of the container is close proximity to the days of the week and hours in the day indicia and whereupon the days of the week are displayed on a rotative member and the hours in the days are displayed on a different rotative member whereby both can be independently moved to be in alignment with the indicator graphic selectively positioned to provide the day of the week and time of day that the container contents were prepared or the container opened.
The present invention provides for another additional element in the form of a collar having an indicator graphic displayed thereon and the rotative elements forming an integral part of said collar whereby said collar can be removably mounted onto a container thereby providing the user with means of selectively aligning the rotative elements with the indicator graphic to visually display the time the container contents were prepared or the container was opened. The mountable time indicator element could also be incorporated into a lid-like device having the indicator graphic and rotative time elements forming an integral part with said lid-like device and wherein said lid-like device can incorporated a hinged element providing means for dispensing part of said container contents and means for sealing said container for later use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other time indicating device designed for control aids. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,450,949 issued to Gattuccio, et al. on Oct. 12, 1948.
Another patent was issued to North on Apr. 19, 1955 as U.S. Pat. No. 2,706,464. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,882 was issued to Babbitt, III on Oct. 23, 1973 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 25, 1974 to Kramer et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,858.
Another patent was issued to Hopkins et al. on Jul. 26, 1977 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,559. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,541 was issued to Villa-Real on Aug. 24, 1982. Another was issued to Hevoyan on Oct. 22, 1985 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,157 and still yet another was issued on Aug. 29, 1989 to Al-Harbi as U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,684.
Another patent was issued to Hoffman on Jan. 9, 1996 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,163. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,990 was issued to Barzana on Apr. 27, 1999. Another was issued to Telega on May 30, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,149 and still yet another was issued on Jul. 18, 2000 to Nichols, Jr. as U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,180.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,450,949
Inventor: Salvatore Gattuccio
Issued: Oct. 12, 1948
A bottle cap comprising an internally threaded sleeve having an integral closure plate at one end, an annular channel provided in the outer surface of the closure plate having opposed annular substantially vertical bearing surface, an internally toothed ring gear rotatably mounted in said channel having an upper annular edge and a lower annular edge for engaging the horizontal bearing surfaces of the channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,706,464
Inventor: Harold D. North
Issued: Apr. 19, 1955
A two-piece container for medicinal capsules, pills or the like provided with dose-time indicating means, and comprising a molded plastic substantially non-yielding cylindrical body member having a substantially uniform cylindrical interior and a reduced cap receiving neck portion extending a substantial distance from the open end of the body and having thereon uniformly spaced ribs and grooves corresponding to divisions of twelve-hours, the ribs and grooves being slightly tapered with respect to the axis of the body, and a closure member having interfitting correspondingly tapered and spaced ribs and grooves and adapted to be frictionally held in any selected angular position when pressed longitudinally upon the body, and the container and closure having coacting graduations and numerals and an indicating pointer imprinted upon the exterior of the surfaces of the body closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3.766.882
Inventor: Dean R. Babbitt, III
Issued: Oct. 23, 1973
This specification discloses a conventional container from which doses of pills are intended to be taken from time to time, and which container includes a main body portion and a cap removably secured on the main body portion by a snap action fastening device. About the open end of the main body portion is a scale indicating hours and inscribed on the cap is a line wich cooperates with this scale. A foam plastic pad is secured to the underside of the cap and cooperates with the upper end of the main body portion to hold the cap in an angularly adjusted position thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,858
Inventor: Howard J. Kramer, et al.
Issued: Jun. 25, 1974
A food storage container which in a preferred embodiment includes a lid with a downwardly extending outer flange of annular shape mountable on a vessel having a round mouth with substantially upright walls, the outer surface of the annular flange having a series of evenly spaced markers designating each a particular day of the week, and the outer upright wall's outer surface extending annularly around the vessel having a series of time-period-interval indications such as typically and preferably the 31 days of the longest months of the year, with the spaces between the days of the week on the lid flange being of a predetermined dimension such that solely one day of the week mark is alignable with any of the one through thirty-one days of the month on the vessel wall, i.e. at any one time it being impossible for more than one of the respective days of the week being aligned with different ones of the thirty-one days of the month, whereby it is possible always to precisely align a specific day with a specific date without the possibility of confusion insofar as other days being aligned with other dates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4.037.559
Inventor: John Leslie Hopkins, et al.
Issued: Jul. 26, 1977
An indicator device for use in connection with milk bottles as a means of indicating a requirement therfor consists of two telescopingly and separably engaged conical members rotably supported one upon another, and co-operating scale and pointer means on the respective parts adapted, according to a relative angu
Fulton Christopher W.
Kroll Michael I
Smith R. Alexander
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