Patent Application
20220185566
This disclosure relates to a retail and storage pack of the blister card type.
The great demand for button cells inevitably also makes the packaging of this mass-produced article an important factor. The packaging must, on the one hand, be economical, but must, on the other hand, also have an appealing appearance to encourage interest in buying. Retail and storage packs of the blister card type are particularly widespread.
EP 259574 A2 discloses an example of a retail and storage pack of the blister card type for button cells, in which the packaging is formed on the one hand by a tear-resistant, preferably transparent film made of PVC or polyvinylidene chloride with cup-shaped embossings to accommodate the button cells, and on the other hand by a closure film made of aluminum that is sealed onto this in a smooth-surface manner. To remove a button cell, the latter needs only to be pushed from the outside through the easily tearable aluminum film.
However, that process can be carried out very easily, possibly even by a small child. To minimize the risk that a small child might unintentionally remove a button cell and swallow it, it is necessary to propose a new retail and storage pack for button cells for button cells which ensures better safety and in particular prevents the accidental removal of a button cell by a child.
We provide a retail and storage pack in a blister card form including a carrier, and a plastics molded part with a planar base surface into which a depression has been introduced by thermoforming, wherein the planar base surface of the plastics molded part is fixed on the carrier such that the depression, together with the carrier, forms a closed receptacle for a cylindrical button cell, the receptacle comprises a central space of circular-cylindrical basic shape into which the button cell is inserted, and the receptacle includes a side space configured as a bulge of the central space and is configured such that it cannot be filled by the button cell.
The FIGURE schematically shows one example of a retail and storage pack of the blister card type (plan view perpendicularly from above) for two lithium button cells. Other examples of the retail and storage pack can contain more than two button cells or else only one button cell.
Our retail and storage pack is distinguished by the following structures:
The carrier is usually a cardboard blank. However, the carrier could also readily be composed of other materials, for example, a plastic, or comprise such materials. Preferably, at least one side of the cardboard blank is printed in color and serves as a support surface for the plastics molded part.
The plastics molded part can essentially be composed of any thermoformable plastic. Preferably, it is composed of a transparent plastic. It is particularly preferably composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), for example.
The planar base surface of the plastics molded part is preferably laminated and/or adhesively bonded onto the carrier, in particular the support surface which is printed in color.
The depression preferably has a planar base and a circumferential wall that connects the base to the planar base surface. In the region of the central space, the base is preferably oriented parallel to the planar base surface and thus also parallel to the carrier. The distance between the base and the carrier defines the height of the central space.
The central space is adapted to the shape and the dimension of the cylindrical button cell inserted therein. The central space preferably has a diameter that exceeds the diameter of the button cell by a factor of 1.05 to 1.3. Further preferably, the central space has a height that exceeds the height of the button cell by a factor of 1.01 to 1.2.
Without the side space, which is preferably configured as a bulge of the central space, the depression and thus also the receptacle is of strictly circular-cylindrical configuration. The presence of the side space ensures a deviation from a strictly circular-cylindrical geometry. The shape of the side space is not significant so the bulge can, for example, be curved in a round manner or else have a corner or several corners. It is important merely that the side space is configured such that it cannot be filled by the button cell. For this purpose, the side space must comprise at least one subregion into which the button cell, even if it should have limited mobility within the recess, cannot penetrate, at least not without destroying or deforming the recess.
This has the advantage that the recess in which the head cell is located can be opened by a scissor cut through the side space, without touching the button cell. This is important insofar as the retail and storage pack of the blister card type is preferably configured such that it cannot be opened without tools to prevent accidental opening by a small child.
The side space particularly preferably has a smaller height than the central space, in particular a smaller height than the button cell located in the central space. This can make the scissor cut easier. In addition, this is the simplest way to effectively prevent the button cell from penetrating into the side space.
The retail and storage pack is particularly preferably distinguished by at least one of the additional structures a. and b. below:
The structures a. and b. above are preferably implemented in combination with one other. By implementing both structures, it can be ensured that in a plurality of receptacles, the receptacles can still be opened only individually.
The retail and storage pack is particularly preferably distinguished by the following additional structure:
a. at least one scissor-cut marking, which leads through the side space or the side spaces, is located on the carrier.
The scissor-cut marking enables precise opening of individual receptacles of the retail and storage pack.
Further preferably, the retail and storage pack is distinguished by at least one of the additional structures a. to c. below:
The structures a. to c. directly above are preferably implemented in combination with one other.
The reinforcement film is, for example, a film made of polyethylene terephthalate, a polyolefin or a PVC film. The film preferably has a thickness of 5 μm to 50 μm.
The reinforcement film makes it possible to design the carrier in a tear-resistant manner. Since the plastics molded part is also usually configured to be tear-resistant, it can thus be ensured that opening of the pack without tools can be ruled out. In particular, the reinforcement film makes it possible to prevent a small child from being able to push a button cell contained in the receptacle through the carrier and thus remove it.
The carrier particularly preferably comprises a cardboard blank covered with the reinforcement film in a full-area manner or else only in certain regions. The reinforcement film may be applied only to that side of the cardboard blank which serves as a support surface for the plastics molded part. However, said reinforcement film may additionally or alternatively also be applied to the back of the cardboard blank and/or shield the edges of the cardboard blank.
In the region in which the planar base surface of the plastics molded part is fixed on the carrier, the carrier is particularly preferably free of perforations, folds or other structural elements that could mechanically weaken it.
The button cell contained in the receptacle is preferably a lithium button cell. Button cells of this type pose a relatively high risk in the case of swallowing.
Further advantages and aspects of our packaging may be found in the following description of a particularly preferred example and on the basis of the drawing.
The retail and storage pack 100 as shown in the FIGURE comprises a rectangular cardboard-based carrier 101 and a transparent plastics molded part 102 made of PVC. A suspension eye 103 is punched into the carrier 101. The plastics molded part 102 comprises a planar base surface 104 into which two depressions 105 and 106 have been introduced by means of thermoforming. Since the planar base surface 104 is glued onto the carrier 101, the depressions 105 and 105 extend perpendicularly upward toward the viewer in the illustration.
To design the carrier 101 in a tear-resistant manner, that part of the carrier 101 which is in contact with the planar base surface 104 is reinforced with the reinforcement film 107 made of PVC. The reinforced carrier 101, together with the depressions 105 and 106, forms the receptacles 109 and 109. The button cells 110 and 111 are located in said receptacles so as to be housed in a childproof manner.
The receptacles 108 and 109 are each subdivided into a central space 112, 113 of circular-cylindrical basic shape into which the button cells 110, 111 are inserted, and a side space 114, 115 configured as a bulge of the central space. The side spaces 114 and 115 have a smaller height than the button cells 110 and 111. The button cells 110 and 111 therefore cannot penetrate into the side spaces 114, 115.
To open the packaging 100, the scissor-cut markings 116 and 117, which lead through the side spaces 114 and 115, are located on the carrier 101.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202019101861.5 | Apr 2019 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2020/056279 | 3/9/2020 | WO | 00 |
