Design / Motivation and Purpose

In our common experiences, we inevitably forget to take medicine on time so we have to spend more time to recover. It motivates us to create an invention which can remind people to take medicine on time. After searching related patents, we found that most inventions are designed for elderly to store multi-day medicines. Because most of the pill boxes are too large to carry or have too much functions (e.g., dehumidifying function), that make the pill boxes high cost / price and inconvenient to carry. To improve above drawbacks, we want to design a cheap, easy carrying and easy operating pill box with a reminding function. We wish this invention can reduce the occurrence of forgetting to take medicine and further improve the user's health and quality of life.

Invention characteristics and originalities

1. Materials are easy to get and low cost. This invention requires only an ordinary electronic watch with alarm function and ordinary pill boxes on the market. These materials are easy to get and much cheaper than the electronic pill boxes so everyone can afford it.

2. Easy making and easy using We combine the bottom of a pill box with the bottom of an electronic watch by Velcro to become a pill box with reminder. If we want to expand the pill box for carrying more medicines, we just have to attach the pill box to another one. We add Velcro on the sides of the original one and new one then these two boxes can combine with easily. As we can see, the method to make an expandable pill box is very simple. In terms of setting the reminding function, all the steps are the same as setting alarms on the electronic watch. Therefore, the device is easy to manipulation.

3. Small size and easy to carry The disadvantage of the normal pill boxes designed for storing more medicine or the electronic pill boxes with reminding function is too big to carry. On the contrary, our invention is easy to carry which just combine an ordinary pill box with an electronic watch.

4. Expandable based on personal needs Because the pill box can be expanded easily by fastening multiple pill boxes with Velcro, the users can determine the required size of the pill box based on the personal needs.

Effectiveness and Instructions

1. Effectiveness
(1) Users can set multiple alarms to remind the time required to take medicines.
(2) Users can expand the pill box to the required size based on the personal needs. The size of the pill box can be reduced, thereby facilitating the carrying.

2. Instructions

(1) Set alarms based on the time required to take medicines.

(2) Put the medicines into the pill box according to their taking orders.

(3) If more space is required for more medicines, we can expand the pill box by fastening two pill boxes with the Velcro attached on the side.

Other considerations:

Because we usually take medicines four times a day at most, the electronic watch capable of four alarms set at least is more preferred.

Invention making processes

1. Motivation
When I got sick, I often forgot to take medicine on time although I already carried the medicines to school, thereby spending more time to recover and feeling uncomfortable. Later, when talking about the inconveniences in the invention class, besides me, I found that our families and my classmates also have the experiences of forgetting to take medicines. Therefore, I decide to invent the pill box with the reminding function.

2. Data survey After searching related patents, we found that most inventions are designed for elderly to store multi-day medicines. Because most of the pill boxes are too large to carry or have too much functions (e.g., dehumidifying function), that make the pill boxes high cost / price and inconvenient to carry. To improve above drawbacks, we want to design a cheap, easy carrying and easy operating pill box with reminding function.

3. Original idea
(1)The design has several significant functions: panel-based input, multiple alarms, vibration, and luminous functions. Why do we need panel-based input? It is easier for users to set the time quickly. Why do we need to support multiple alarms? Since users usually take medicines four times a day (one pack after every meal and one pack before going to bed), we add the function of multiple alarms which can reminds the users to take medicine on time one day. Although few users may take medicines more than four times a day, we do not consider the support for these few special cases in the design of the current version. Why do we need the vibration function? A user may not clearly hear the alarm sound in a noisy place (e.g., restaurant) when it's time for taking medicines. The vibration function can effectively remind the user to take medicine on time. Why do we need luminous function? We first consider that a user may stay in a dark place (e.g., turning off lights for going to bed). When it is time for taking medicine, the user is difficult to find the device quickly in such a place. To effectively attract the user's attention in the dark, we add the luminous function.
(2) The pill box is tenon-mortise expandable. To expand the pill box easily based on personal needs, we add a mortise and a tenon on the sides of pill box that make it easy to compose and decompose two pill boxes. This design satisfies the needs of users'-easy to operate and to carry.

4. How we overcome the difficulties we met during making the invention.
(1) We tried to search an electronic watch on the market with the functions of penal-based input, multiple alarms, vibration and luminous but failed. After discussing with the teacher and our team members, we think that the ideal device may not be sold (or rarely sold) on the market, and we are not capable of implementing such a device by ourselves. And finding such an ideal device contradicts with our original design criteria "easy to get". After compromise, we finally reach a consensus that the function "periodical reminding" is the most important key point. So, we agree to use the electronic watch capable of multi-alarm function instead.
(2) We replace the tenon-mortise with Velcro. Nearly all the pill boxes on the market do not have the tenon and mortise. They mostly are single pill box with multiple compartments or a dual pill box with multiple compartments that make it difficult to expand and carry. After discussing with the teacher and the classmates, we think it is impossible for us to invent such a pill box with mortise and tenon. Besides, the plastic mortise and tenon may be broken easily after using for a period of time, it is necessary to change our original idea. When having a long brainstorm, we suddenly have a flash of idea. We found that the shoes we wear are fastened by the Velcro which has the properties of reusability and durability. Therefore, employing Velcro in our invention should be the best manner so far.
(3) The process of looking for the electronic watch capable of multi-alarms. The ordinary electronic watch we see on the market usually supports only single alarm. If the watch is capable of multi-alarms, it usually is not cheap, contradicting to our design criteria "cheap". We persist in looking for such a cheap watch; heaven helps those who help themselves. We finally find a cheap electronic watch capable of five alarms in a chain retailer.

5. Materials: Velcro, a multi-alarms electronic watch, pill boxes.

6. Invention Manufacturing Process
Step1: tear out a Velcro fastener (Velcro hooks or Velcro loops)


Step 2: attach the Velcro to the one side of the pill box (all the attached Velcro on a pill box must be all Velcro hooks or all Velcro loops)


Step 3: fasten two pill boxes by Velcro


Step 4: fasten the electronic watch capable of five alarms on the back of one pill box by Velcro.


Step 5: done. Encourage yourself.

7. Thoughts:
(1) During the design process, we should always reconsider whether our current design contradicts our original design purpose. When encountering difficulties, we should not give it up. Instead, we should recall what our original design purpose is and restart from the simplest idea. This may help the designers to figure out another better solution.
(2) Although the novel creative design and originality of the invention are very important, the invention inspired from the inconvenience in our daily life is also very significant and practical. This is so-called "irrelevant creativity results in significant invention".
(3) No matter how good the idea is, it will be only a daydream if we do not take actions to realize the idea. It is a great achievement that we utilize the knowledge the teacher taught in the class to solve the inconvenience and problem in our daily life.
(4) In our design process, we encounter several difficulties. For many times, we just want to give up or to intentionally become lazy. Fortunately, our parents give us a lot of encourage and help; and our teacher always tirelessly guides us. All these result in the best realization of our work. We really thank all of your help. Because of your help, we have the opportunity to complete our work. Although this is the first time we participate an invention competition, no matter what the result is, we believe that we have done our best.