An indexing cap assembly indexes visual cues or indicia during an open and close cycle so as to help users more easily track container entry as for example with regard to medications so as to ensure proper dosage. The indexing cap assembly basically incorporates six components, including a cover con
An indexing cap assembly indexes visual cues or indicia during an open and close cycle so as to help users more easily track container entry as for example with regard to medications so as to ensure proper dosage. The indexing cap assembly basically incorporates six components, including a cover construction, an indexing plate or wheel, a compression coil or spring, a push plate construction, a gear tray or swing plate construction, and an assembly ring. The cover construction and assembly ring are joined together to essentially form or close the cap assembly with the other parts coaxially aligned and operable therebetween. The indexing wheel is rotatively received within the cover construction such that axial displacements of the push plate advance the indexing wheel and indicia upon its upper surface are sequentially revealed by way of the window formed in the cover construction.
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1. An indexing cap assembly for use with a container construction to track container entry via the cap assembly, the container construction comprising an upwardly extending container rim and a cap retention means for retaining the cap assembly, the indexing cap assembly comprising: a cover construct
1. An indexing cap assembly for use with a container construction to track container entry via the cap assembly, the container construction comprising an upwardly extending container rim and a cap retention means for retaining the cap assembly, the indexing cap assembly comprising: a cover construction, the cover construction comprising an upper cover portion, a cover skirt, a series of assembly ring hooks, a series of cover gears, a cover hub, and a series of plate flange hooks, the upper cover portion comprising an indicator window, the cover skirt extending axially downward from the upper cover portion at a first cover radius and terminating at a skirt terminus, the indicator window radially extending toward the cover skirt, the assembly ring hooks extending radially inward from a cover skirt portion adjacent the skirt terminus, the gears extending radially inward from a cover skirt portion adjacent the upper cover portion, the cover hub comprising a hub slot and extending axially downward from the upper cover portion at a second cover radius, the plate flange hooks extending axially downward from the upper cover portion at a third cover radius intermediate the first and second cover radii;an annular indexing wheel, the indexing wheel comprising a planar upper wheel portion, an inner wheel skirt, an outer wheel skirt, a series of wheel gears, and opposed wheel spring fingers, the inner and outer wheel skirts extending axially downward from the wheel portion at respective first and second wheel radii, the wheel gears extending downwardly from the wheel portion adjacent the outer skirt, the wheel spring fingers extending radially outwardly from the outer wheel skirt and comprising wheel finger termini, the wheel spring fingers being biasable intermediate a wheel finger biased position and a wheel finger relaxed position, the wheel finger termini being at the second wheel radius when in the biased wheel finger position and meshable with the cover gears when in the relaxed wheel finger position;a compression coil spring member, the compression coil spring member having a substantially uniform spring radius;an annular swing plate, the swing plate comprising a planar swing plate portion, a swing plate skirt, an inner skirt flange, a series of angled slots, and a plate spring finger, the plate skirt extending axially downward from the plate portion at a first plate radius, the angled slots being formed in a radially outer surface of the plate skirt, the plate finger having a plate finger terminus, the plate finger extending upwardly from the plate portion at a second plate radius, the plate spring finger being biasable intermediate a plate finger biased position and a plate finger relaxed position, the plate finger terminus being coplanar with the plate portion when in the biased plate finger position and meshable with the wheel gears when in the relaxed plate finger position;a push plate, the push plate comprising a push plate axis, an annular push plate portion, a planar push plate portion, a push plate skirt, a push plate hub, a series of push plate posts, and a push plate rib, the push plate skirt extending upwardly from the planar push plate portion at a first push plate radius, the push plate skirt comprising a push plate terminus, the annular push plate portion extending radially outward from the push plate skirt, the push plate hub extending upwardly from the planar push plate portion at a second push plate radius, the push plate posts extending radially inward from the push plate skirt adjacent the push plate terminus for meshing with the angled slots, the push plate rib extending radially inward from the push plate hub for meshing with the hub slot;an annular assembly ring, the assembly ring comprising an inner ring diameter, an outer ring diameter, a series of ring posts, a series of ring flanges, and a series of ring spokes, the ring posts extending radially inward from the inner diameter for meshing with container mouth hooks of a container, the ring flanges extending radially inward from the inner ring diameter for stopping the annular push plate portion, the ring spokes extending radially outward from the outer ring diameter for meshing with the assembly ring hooks;the annular indexing wheel being rotatively received intermediate the cover gears and the plate flange hooks, the wheel fingers meshing with the cover gears when in the relaxed wheel finger position, the wheel finger termini and cover gears for cooperably step-advancing the annular indexing wheel relative to the cover construction an angular rotational degree equal to 360 degrees divided by a number of cover gears;the plate flange hooks receiving and hook-supporting the inner skirt flange thereby supporting and rotatively mounting said indexing wheel to said cover construction, the plate finger meshing with the wheel gears when in the relaxed plate finger position, the plate finger terminus and wheel gears for cooperably drive-advancing the indexing wheel relative to the cover construction the angular rotational degree;the spring member being supported by the planar push plate portion in radial outer adjacency to the push plate hub, the inner diameter of the push plate hub receiving the outer diameter of the cover hub such that the push plate rib is received in the hub slot, the push plate posts are received in the angled slots, and the spring member is compressed intermediate the planar push plate and upper cover portions, the push plate thereby being spring-biased and movable up and down intermediate an upper wheel-advancing position and a lower gear-resetting position, the push plate posts and angled slots for converting axially-directed force into wheel-advancing force;the assembly ring hooks receiving and hook-supporting the ring spokes of the assembly ring thereby finally assembling the cap assembly, the ring flanges for providing stop structure to the annular push plate portion thereby defining the lower gear-resetting position when the spring member forces the push plate construction in an axial direction away from the upper cover portion, the plate finger terminus resetting at the wheel gear interface when the push plate construction is in the lower gear-resetting position, the ring posts for removably attaching the cap assembly to the container via the cap retention means, the upwardly extending container rim for forcing the planar push plate portion toward the wheel-advancing position when the cap assembly is attached to the container, the spring member for forcing the planar push plate portion toward the gear-resetting position when the cap assembly is detached from the container. 2. The indexing cap assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper wheel portion comprises an upper surface, the upper surface comprising a series of radially-extending indicia, the radially-extending indicia being sized and shaped for visual inspection via the indicator window. 3. The indexing cap assembly of claim 1, wherein the angled slots number three and the push plate posts number three, the angled slots being circumferentially spaced substantially 120 degrees from the push plate posts so as to enhance conversion of axially directed force into rotatively directed force. 4. The indexing cap assembly of claim 1, wherein the push plate comprises a container-aligning skirt, the container-aligning skirt extending axially downward from the planar push plate portion, the container-aligning skirt having a skirt radius cooperable with a container rim radius for locating and enhancing proper alignment of the cap assembly relative to the container when attaching the cap assembly to the container. 5. The indexing cap assembly of claim 4, wherein the skirt radius is lesser in magnitude than the container rim radius being received radially inwardly of the container rim when attaching the cap assembly to the container. 6. The indexing cap assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover construction comprises spoke-receiving slots at an inner cover diameter, both the spoke-receiving slots and the assembly ring hooks for receiving and supporting the ring spokes for enhancing the cap assembly. 7. The indexing cap assembly of claim 6, wherein the ring spokes define circumferentially spaced spoke spaces and the cover construction comprises a series of circumferentially spaced spoke gap filler structures, the spoke gap filler structures being receivable in the spoke spaces for preventing rotation of the assembly ring relative to the cover construction. 8. An indexing cap assembly for mounting to a container to track container entry via the cap assembly, the container comprising a cap retention means and an upwardly extending container rim, the indexing cap assembly comprising: a cover construction, the cover construction comprising an upper cover portion, a cover skirt, a series of cover gears, and a cover hub, the upper cover portion comprising an indicator window, the cover gears extending radially inward from a cover skirt portion adjacent the upper cover portion;an indexing wheel, the indexing wheel comprising, an upper wheel portion, an outer wheel skirt, a series of wheel gears, and at least one wheel spring finger, the wheel gears extending downwardly from the upper wheel portion, each wheel spring finger extending radially outwardly from the outer wheel skirt, each wheel spring finger being biasable intermediate a wheel finger biased position and a wheel finger relaxed position;a spring member, the spring member having a substantially uniform spring radius;an annular swing plate, the swing plate comprising a swing plate planar portion, a swing plate skirt, an inner skirt flange, at least one angled slot, and a spring plate finger, each angled slot being formed in a radially outer surface of the plate skirt, the swing plate finger extending upwardly from the swing plate planar portion and being biasable intermediate a plate finger biased position and a plate finger relaxed position;a push plate, the push plate comprising a planar push plate portion, a push plate skirt, a push plate hub, and at least one push plate post, the push plate hub extending upwardly from the planar push plate portion, each push plate post extending radially inward from the push plate skirt for meshing with a select angled slot; andan assembly ring, the assembly ring comprising at least one ring flange, a cover fastening means for fastening the assembly ring to the cover construction, and a container fastening means for fastening the cap assembly to the container, each ring flange extending radially inward for stopping the planar push plate portion, the annular indexing wheel being rotatively received adjacent the cover gears, the wheel finger meshing with the cover gears when in the relaxed wheel finger position, the wheel finger and the cover gears for cooperably step-advancing the indexing wheel relative to the cover construction an angular rotational degree equal to 360 degrees divided by a number of cover gears, the plate finger meshing with the wheel gears when in the relaxed plate finger position, the plate finger and wheel gears for cooperably drive-advancing the indexing wheel relative to the cover construction the angular rotational degree, the spring member being supported by the planar push plate portion in radial adjacency to the push plate hub, the push plate post being received in the select angled slot, the spring member being compressible intermediate the planar push plate and upper cover portions, the push plate thereby being spring-biasable and movable intermediate an upper wheel-advancing position and a lower gear-resetting position, the push plate post and angled slot for converting axially-directed force into wheel-advancing force, the ring flange for providing stop structure to the push plate thereby defining the lower gear-resetting position when the spring member forces the push plate in an axial direction away from the upper cover portion, the container fastening means for fastening the cap assembly to the cover construction, the upwardly extending container rim for forcing the planar push plate portion toward the wheel-advancing position when the cap assembly is attached to the container, the spring member for forcing the planar push plate portion toward the wheel-resetting position when the cap assembly is detached from the container. 9. The indexing cap assembly of claim 8, wherein the cover hub comprises a hub slot and the push plate comprises a push plate rib, the push plate rib extending radially from the push plate hub for meshing with the hub slot. 10. The indexing cap assembly of claim 8, wherein the upper wheel portion of the indexing wheel comprises an upper surface, the upper surface comprising a series of radially-extending indicia, the radially-extending indicia being sized and shaped for visual inspection via the indicator window. 11. The indexing cap assembly of claim 8, wherein the push plate comprises a container-aligning skirt, the container-aligning skirt extending axially downward from the planar push plate portion, the container-aligning skirt having a skirt radius cooperating with a container rim radius for locating and enhancing proper alignment of the cap assembly relative to the container when attaching the cap assembly to the container. 12. The indexing cap assembly of claim 8, wherein swing plate comprises three angled slots and the push plate comprises three push plate posts, the angled slots being circumferentially spaced substantially 120 degrees from the push plate posts so as to enhance conversion of axially directed force into rotational force. 13. An indexing container and closure assembly comprising: a bottle for storing medication, the bottle comprising an upper neck having an exterior fastener;a cap removably mounted to the bottle, the cap comprising:an indexing wheel comprising a top surface having a series of indicia, a wheel skirt, and wheel gears extending downwardly from the top surface;a cover comprising a closed top having an indicator window, a cover skirt, and a cover hub having a slot, the cover housing the indexing wheel, and the cover rotatably cooperating with the indexing wheel to track cap removal occurrences and display through the indicator window a set of indicia of the series of indicia corresponding to the cap removal occurrences;a spring;a swing plate comprising an outer hub surface having at least one angled slot;a push plate comprising:a planar portion having an upwardly extending hub, the planer portion supporting the spring and engaging the upper neck of the bottle to rotate the indexing wheel an angular distance,a rib extending radially inward from the hub and engaging the slot of the cover hub;at least one post received in the at least one angled slot of the swing plate;an assembly ring comprising a fastener engaging the exterior fastener of the bottle. 14. The indexing container and closure assembly of claim 13, wherein the at least one angled slot is three angled slots and the at least one post is three posts, the angled slots being circumferentially spaced substantially 120 degrees from the posts. 15. The indexing container and closure assembly of claim 13, wherein the indicia are arranged radially and sized for visual inspection through the indicator window. 16. The indexing container and closure assembly of claim 13, wherein the push plate comprises a container-aligning skirt extending axially downward from the planar portion of the push plate, the container-aligning skirt engaging the neck of the upper neck of the bottle. 17. The indexing container and closure assembly of claim 13, wherein the swing plate comprises a plate finger and the indexing wheel comprises at least one wheel finger, the at least one wheel finger step-advancing the indexing wheel relative to the cover, the plate finger drive-advancing the indexing wheel relative to the cover.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (40)
Garby Gage (Boulder CO) Barker Allan (Boulder CO), Adaptor for indicator device.
Killinger, Timothy D.; Rachuk, Kevin J.; Luzbetak, Mark A.; Hunt, Jill M.; Ceniceros, Ashley; Warren, Brian J., Container with adjustable date indicium.
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