Flat pack pill case

Abstract

A thin, credit card sized reusable pill case. A top half lid and bottom half base are joined by a living hinge on one side and a releasable lock on the other side. Individual dosages are secured within the pill case in pods, the pods being sized to fit a particular medication pill to be held therein. Each pod substantially encloses the individual pill while having a finger engagement opening to allow easy extraction of the pill without turning the pill case upside down. Transparent windows formed in the top half case are aligned over the pods to allow the inventory of the pill case to be assessed without opening the pill case. In an alternative embodiment, sawtooth edges are provided to perforate packaging around pre-packaged medications.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A reusable pill case for storing and securing individual pills comprising: 
 a top half lid;    a bottom half base;    a living hinge between said top half lid and said bottom half base along a first edge of said top half lid and said bottom half base;    locking means along a second edge of said top half lid and said bottom half base, said second edge opposite said first edge; and    pods securely retaining individual pills when said top half lid is closed and locked to said bottom half base.    
     
     
         2 . The reusable pill case of  claim 1  wherein said pods comprise upstanding walls substantially enclosing said individual pills.  
     
     
         3 . The reusable pill case of  claim 2  wherein said pods further comprise a finger access opening.  
     
     
         4 . The reusable pill case of  claim 3  further comprising windows formed in said top half lid aligned with said pods.  
     
     
         5 . The reusable pill case of  claim 4  wherein said top half lid comprises multiple top half lids and said bottom half base comprises multiple bottom half bases.  
     
     
         6 . The reusable pill case of  claim 5  wherein said multiple top half lids are independently operable.  
     
     
         7 . The reusable pill case of  claim 6  wherein said pods are sized and formed to accommodate different medications.  
     
     
         8 . The reusable pill case of  claim 7  further comprising windows formed in said multiple top half lids.  
     
     
         9 . A reusable pill case for storing and securing individual dosages of prepackaged medication comprising: 
 a bottom half base having compartments formed therein for receiving said pre-packaged individual doses;    raised sawtooth edges affixed to a top half lid engaging said bottom half base;    wherein said raised sawtooth edges engage and perforate said pre-packaged medication upon closure of said top half lid.