PHARMACAP

PHARMACAP

English Abstract

The Pharmacap consists of an opening and closeable locking lid for pill
containers used in the
Pharmaceutical field.
The Pharmacap's design consists of two sections. The rim of the upper section
sits flush on the
lip of the pill container; it has a seam dividing its top in half. The front
half with its extending lip
flips up when the back half is pushed down upon. This is possible due to the
fulcrum located
underneath, providing a leverage point.
This upper section is held to the container by the lower section, which is
shaped like a moveable
"O" ring with a small notch cut out. When the "O" ring is rotated and its
missing notch aligns
with the upper section's extended lip, the front half can then flip up.
If the notch doesn't line up with the extended lip, the top section's front
half will not flip up.

Claims

4
CLAIMS
"The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege
is claimed are
defined as follows:"
The current lids used on pill bottles and pill containers in the
Pharmaceutical field require two
hands to open and close. The lids come off completely from the pill
containers; thus, pills can
spill or the lids can be misplaced. The current child-safe lids are extremely
difficult to open for
the elderly or anyone suffering from arthritis or weak handgrip strength.
The Pharmacap solves these problems as it stays attached to the pill
container. The Pharmacap
can be opened using only one hand with ease by the elderly and anyone
suffering with arthritic
pain or weak handgrip strength.
The Pharmacap's unique two component "rotating safety lock" and "push to open"
design
makes it difficult for children to open, as both the upper and lower component
must be rotated to
line up in sync before the upper component front half will flip open from the
force of pushing
down the back half.

Description

CA 02252215 1998-11-10
3
SPECIFICATIONS
This invention, the Pharmacap, relates to the lockable, child-safe, elderly-
friendly lid that is used
to seal the top of containers of pills and vitamins. The Pharmacap's technical
field is
Pharmaceutical (mainly supply containers).
It is common for the elderly or anyone with a weak grip or arthritic pain to
have some difficulty
in opening child-safe lids due to the strength needed in their hands. As well,
generally both hands
are needed in conjunction to operate these lids, making it diff=icult to open
them. Also with the
current lids on the market, the lid completely separates from the container,
causing pill spillage or
misplaced lids.
With the Pharmacap, you only need one hand to open or close the lid which
stays attached to the
pill container. To open the Pharmacap you do not need strength in your grip as
the components
move easily. Yet due to the rotating safety lock, it takes accuracy and two
distinct actions to
unlock the components, thus making it diff=icult for children to open.
In order to open and unlock the upper component from the lower component, the
first step is to
rotate them (Diagram F) so that the extended lip of the upper component
(Diagram H) becomes
completely visible in the lower component's missing notch (Diagram E).
Once this has been achieved, the upper component which is divided into two
halves (Diagram B)
can be opened. Pressure on the back half of this component will cause the
front half to release
from the lower component and flip up (Diagram G). This is possible due to the
solid fulcrm
(Diagram F) located below the two halves of this component. The upper
component is held to the
lip of the pill container by the lower component. When a cross section of the
lower "O" ring
component is examined, its profile is shaped like a horseshoe (Diagram D). The
two ends of this
horseshoe are not equal in length. The bottom lip or end is shorter to allow
easier installation
when fitting it onto the top component and pill container (Diagram J).

Representative Drawing