Patent Grant
7784250
This invention relates in general to packaging, and more particularly to a blister pack that is childproof while also being senior-friendly, and more particularly to a blister pack that is constructed of a substantially tear-proof card material, and still more particularly to a blister pack that requires multiple senior-friendly steps to be performed in order to dispense the pills, while remaining substantially childproof.
Heretofore, it has been well known to use blister packs for, among other things, the housing of pharmaceutical pills and liquids. Typically, blister packs consist of a series of blisters formed into a sheet of substantially impermeable clear plastic. The open end of the blister is generally covered with a thin metal foil or peel-off film that may be punctured or removed to access the pill inside the blister.
While the known blister packs work in many respects, problems have arisen in their use. First, known blister packs, similar to the use of a bottle of pills, do not provide for an easy way for consumers to track whether they have taken the necessary medication. Accordingly, if consumers cannot remember if they took the necessary medication, they will either have to forego taking a pill and risk the possibility of not taking the medication, or take another pill and risk the possibility of taking too much of the medication.
Second, because of the nature of the contents of many blister packs, especially pills, there is a need to make the blister packs substantially childproof. In that regard, in blister packs that include separate individual-pill blister packs that are kiss-cut to each other, it is known to have a protective layer over the foil to prevent the pills from being dispensed prior to the removal of the protective layer. The protective layer may generally be removed by using a fingernail to try and peel back the protective layer or by breaking off a removable corner piece of the blister pack and then peeling off the layer. Alternatively, the blister may be protected by a protective layer that includes a perforation in the middle of one of the sides that is designed to facilitate the tearing of the protective layer to access the pill. Such known embodiments are often very difficult to open by hand and often result in jagged or sharp edges. Because a large market for blister packs is senior citizens, who may experience diminished manual dexterity or hand pain from arthritis or the like, a manufacturer must take into account that it should be easy to operate and open, especially for senior citizens. Therefore, there is a need to develop a blister pack that is substantially tamper and tear proof, childproof and senior-friendly.
The present invention is an improvement over the prior blister packs in that the way that products contained therein are removed is unique and comprises an improvement over the prior art. In particular, the housing of the blister pack is preferably made from a substantially tear-resistant material to inhibit pilfering or undesired tearing of the card portion and encloses a blister sheet having a plurality of blisters is enclosed within the housing. A preferred material involves an SBS board coated on one side with a laminate having directional grains, such that when two housing sheets are placed on top of one another, the grains of the sheets substantially criss-cross to make the housing resistant to cutting or tearing in two directions.
In one embodiment, the cavities underneath the blisters are initially aligned such that the pills or other objects housed inside the cavities are substantially perpendicular to the dispensing slots on the bottom sheet of the housing. In order to prevent the blisters from being turned to dispense the pills, a zipper strip is kiss-cut or otherwise attached in perforated-cut fashion to the blisters. Other detachable attachment methods should be contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention. Upon removal or disengagement of the strip, the released blister may be turned until the blister's pill is aligned with its respective dispensing slot, thereby allowing the blister to be depressed so as to push the pill or capsule through the film covering the dispensing slot, in order to enable removal of the pill. While the example shown in this application describes the longitudinal axis of the dispensing slot as initially aligned at 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the blister and the pill contained therein, other angles from that axis should be considered as being within the scope of this invention. In another embodiment, the blisters need to be released and moved or slid into alignment with a slot to permit release of the pill contained therein.
An alternative embodiment of a childproof, senior-friendly blister pack comprises a pair of plastic sheets housed within the substantially tear-proof housing. One of the sheets includes a plurality of blisters that are preferably arranged in a series of rows and/or columns for housing a plurality of pills or other objects, which are retained within the blisters by a thin foil sheet. The second sheet comprises a series of channels that align with the series of rows and/or columns of blisters such that depressing the blister pushes the pill from the blister into the respective channel. The pill may then travel down the channel and into a second channel that traverses the series of channels. Once in the second channel, the pill may then proceed to a pill dispensing area that preferably comprises a dispensing slot that is initially displaced from the second channel or is otherwise covered to prevent the pill from being dispensed without further action.
In operation, the pill may be dispensed in a number of ways including through the use of a cover member that slides between a closed position (i.e., covering the dispensing slot) and an open position (i.e., uncovering the dispensing slot). A twistable or turnable blister may also be used wherein a flange of the blister may initially cover a dispensing slot when in the storage mode. Alternatively, the dispensing slot may be a part of the blister. Rotation of the blister thereby allows the dispensing slot to be uncovered or moved into alignment with the second channel to permit the pill to be dispensed. A zipper strip may also be employed to initially prevent movement of the turnable blister or sliding cover member.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved blister pack that is substantially childproof, yet senior-friendly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a blister pack wherein the housing is manufactured from a printable, substantially tear-resistant material.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved blister pack that requires a blister to be released so as to allow the blister to be moved, for example, turned or slid, in order to enable a pill to be dispensed, so as to prevent undesired dispensing of medication by children.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved blister pack that requires a blister to be released to slide into alignment with a slot to enable the pill to be dispensed so as to prevent undesired dispensing of medication by children.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a blister pack that facilitates the tracking of pill consumption.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a blister pack that is easy and economical to manufacture.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts.
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail several specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered merely an exemplification of the principles of the invention and the application is limited only to the appended claims.
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to
The housing 12 includes a top sheet 22, a bottom sheet 24 and a cover 26. Although the housing is shown in the figures as being constructed from a single sheet of material, it is appreciated that the housing may be comprised of multiple sheets or parts that are attached or initially separate pieces with respect to one another and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it is appreciated that the blister sheet may be used without a cover and not depart from the scope of the present invention.
The top sheet 22 of the housing includes a series of holes 23 shaped to receive the plurality of blisters 16. A zipper strip 25 may also be included on the top sheet 22 that may be removed in conjunction with, or beforehand, to allow the removal of the zipper strip 17 on the blister sheet 14. It is appreciated that the zipper strip 25 may be a uniform strip or may be comprised of a series of distinct strips that are individually located adjacent to a single blister or between a pair of blisters. Furthermore, it is appreciated that the zipper strips may be of a variety of sizes and/or shapes and not depart from the scope of the present invention.
As shown in
In order to facilitate the manufacture of the blister pack, the single sheet 20 of material may be scored as shown in
The housing is preferably made from a SBS board coated on one side with a laminate material having directional grains 50, 52. Such material is easier to cut or tear in the direction of the grain, than against it. Hence, when two housing sheets are folded or otherwise placed on top of one another, instead of the unidirectional grain of the materials all going in the same direction or being parallel, (as it would in a single sheet of material which is less resistant to tearing or cutting in the direction of the grain) the grains 50, 52 of the overlapped sheets serve to overlap. The criss-crossing grains of the overlapped material add strength to the housing and protects against undesired tearing or cutting in two directions. An example of a suitable directional laminated material is a specialty film produced by Valeron Strength Films under the trademark VALERON™. While Valeron is made from a polyethylene material, other such coatings, such as, but not limited to, polypropylene or polyester may be used. While a SBS board coated with a laminated material is used, it is appreciated that other materials having single or multi-directional grains or sufficient strength to resist tearing, including, but not limited to, cloth films, cloth and plastic films, and heat sealable boards and other coatings may also be used and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Examples of such cloth films and cloth and plastic films include those films known by the names SCRIMM and CLAFF. It is further appreciated that the housing may be made from any other materials that are known to be used in blister packs such as, but not limited to, standard board stock, and not depart from the scope of the present invention.
Referring now to
Preferably, the blister sheet is molded from a substantially tear-resistant material, such as a 10 mil PVC, which is substantially transparent to enable the pills to be visible when contained within their respective cavities. However, it is appreciated that the blister sheet may be made from a variety of materials that are opaque, transparent or otherwise and not depart from the scope of the present invention. As shown in
Referring again to
As shown in
In order to make the blister pack, a blister sheet 14 having a number of blisters 16 as shown in
In order to remove the pills 34, the end 31 of on the zipper strip 17, as shown in
It is the two-step zipper strip pulling and blister twisting operation that makes the package substantially childproof because children are not likely to figure out how to release the blister for rotation and alignment with the dispensing slot, yet substantially senior-friendly because seniors should be able to perform these operations with a minimum of manual dexterity or with arthritis pain. Single, double or multiple dose versions of this embodiment should also be considered as part of the invention. Likewise, as indicated above, other blister sheets having any number of blisters, such as, but not limited to, 14 or 30 blisters, should be considered as being within the scope of the invention.
While a blister pack having seven blisters is shown in the figures, it is appreciated that the blister sheet may have any number of blisters and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Additionally, although a blister sheet having an even number of columns of blisters is shown so that a pair of blisters may be released at the same time, it is appreciated that the blisters on the blister pack may be arranged in any configuration, including in a single column or otherwise. For example,
Each of the adjacent blisters 102 in a row is attached at the base 104 to each of the adjacent blisters 102 by a zipper strip 108. In order to prevent the last blister in a row from being released with the penultimate blister, a zipper strip 108 is also preferably attached to the side of the last blister 102 in the row. The top sheet 110 of the housing 111 may also have a removable strip 112 to cover part of the zipper strip 108. A hole 114 in the top sheet 110 of the housing 111 of the blister pack 100 is preferably sized such that the end 116 of the zipper strip 108 extends into the hole 114 to allow for it to be grabbed to facilitate its removal. In order to facilitate the grasping of the zipper strip 108 and to prevent the last blister 102 from being rotated prior to removal of the zipper strip 108, the end 116 of the zipper strip 108 may also have a node 118 or other projection.
In operation, the pills 107 are arranged in the cavities 104 of the blisters 102 such that the pills 107 are not aligned with the dispensing slot 120 of the bottom sheet 122 of the housing 111. Removal of the zipper strip 108 and removable strip 112 releases one of the blisters 102. The blister 102 may then be rotated until the cavity 106 of the blister 102 aligns with the dispensing slot 120 of the bottom sheet 122 of the housing 111. The blister 102 may then be depressed to push the pill 107 through the foil sheet 124 covering the dispensing slot 120 to dispense the pill 107. Although it is preferred that a thin film or foil sheet be used, it is appreciated that the dispensing slot may be uncovered or covered by another means including a removable cover.
While two rows of four blisters are shown and disclosed, it is appreciated that any number of blisters may be used and arranged in any number of rows and columns. Additionally, it is appreciated that the zipper strips may be attached to one blister or to any number of blisters and not depart from the scope of the present invention.
Turning to
In the preferred embodiment, the housing is made from a SBS board coated on one side with a laminated material having directional grains 195, 196 that overlap so that when two housing sheets having grains 195 and 196 that extend in different directions are placed on top of one another such that the grains overlap, the criss-crossing grains of the materials add strength to the housing and protect against tearing or tampering in two directions. A suitable coating is manufactured under the trademark VALERON™ by Valeron Strength Films. While Valeron is made from a polyethylene material, other such coatings such as, but not limited to, polypropylene or polyester may be used. The material used also is preferably printable to allow for advertising, promotional or other information to be displayed on the housing. While a SBS board with a cross-laminated coating is preferred, it is appreciated that other materials having single or multi-directional grains or sufficient strength to resist tearing, including, but not limited to, cloth films, cloth and plastic films, heat sealable boards and other coatings, also may be used and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Examples of such cloth films and cloth and plastic films include those films known by the names SCRIM and CLAFF.
As shown in
Referring to
In order to facilitate the removal of the zipper strips 312, 322, a tab 324 at the end of the blister sheet zipper strip 312 extends through a hole on the top sheet 304 to allow the tab 324 to be grasped to remove the zipper strip 312 so as to release the blister 310. Once released, the blister 310 can be slid along the channel 314 from position A and into vertical alignment with the corresponding dispensing slot 316 in position B. The pill 318 within the blister 310 can then be pushed through the film 320 covering the slot 316. While four sliding blisters 310 are illustrated, other arrangements having one or more blisters 310 and channels 314 should be contemplated as being within the scope of the invention. It is the two-step zipper strip pulling and blister sliding operation that makes the package substantially childproof, yet senior-friendly because seniors should be able to perform these operations with a minimum of manual dexterity or with arthritis pain. It is further appreciated that the pill may initially be misaligned with the dispensing slot. Accordingly, in order to dispense the pill 318 through the dispensing slot 316, the blister 310 must be slid and rotated within the channel 314 until the pill 318 is aligned with the dispensing slot 316.
Referring to
The housing includes a top sheet 420, a bottom sheet 422 and a cover 424. Although the housing is shown as being constructed from a single sheet of material, it is appreciated that the housing may be comprised of multiple sheets that are attached to one another and not depart from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, while the housing preferably includes a cover, it is appreciated that the blister pack may forego a cover and not depart from the scope of the present invention.
The top sheet 420 of the housing 402 includes a dispensing slot 426 and a plurality of holes 428 sized and shaped to receive the blisters 406 and the turnable blister 410. It is appreciated that the dispensing slot 426 may initially be covered in a known way such as, but not limited to, a pull-away zipper strip.
The bottom sheet 422 of the housing 402 preferably includes a hole 430 sized and shaped to accommodate all of the channels 414 of the second blister sheet 412. While a large hole is shown and disclosed, it is appreciated that there may be multiple holes to accommodate the various channels or the housing may be of sufficient depth such that the channels may be entirely contained within the housing so that the bottom sheet may be a uniform sheet without any holes.
The housing is preferably made from a SBS board coated on one side with a laminate material having directional grains that overlap when two housing sheets are folded or otherwise placed on top of one another to add strength to the housing and further protect against undesired tearing or cutting. Such material is easier to cut or tear in the direction of the grain, than against it. Hence, when two housing sheets are folded or otherwise placed on top of one another, instead of the unidirectional grain of the materials all going in the same direction or being parallel, (as it would in a single sheet of material having uni-directional grain which is less resistant to tearing or cutting in the direction of the grain) the grains of the overlapped sheets serve to overlap. The crisscrossing grains of the overlapped material add strength to the housing and protects against undesired tearing or cutting in two directions. An example of a suitable laminated material having directional grains is a specialty film produced by Valeron Strength Films under the trademark VALERON™. While Valeron is made from a polyethylene material, other such coatings including, but not limited to, polypropylene or polyester may be used.
While a SBS board coated with a laminated material is used, it is appreciated that other materials having single or multi-directional grain or sufficient strength to resist tearing, including, but not limited to, cloth films, cloth and plastic films, heat sealable boards and other coatings, may also be used and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Examples of such cloth films and cloth and plastic films include those films known by the names SCRIMM and CLAFF. It is further appreciated that the housing may be made from any other materials that are known to be used in blister packs such as, but not limited to, standard board stock, and not depart from the scope of the present invention.
Referring again to
The second blister sheet 412 includes a plurality of first channels 414 that correspond to the columns or rows of blisters from the blister sheet 404. The channels 414 extend into a second channel 436 that traverses the plurality of the channels 414. While it is preferred that a second channel be used, it is appreciated that the blister pack may use one or more first channels that are each preferably associated with an individual dispensing mechanism and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, while the pills may be dispensed through the dispensing slot 426, it is appreciated that the end of the second channel 436 may include a dispensing slot that may initially be covered by a thin film of other covering. Removal of the covering will thus allow the pills to be dispensed through the slot.
In order to make the blister pack, the blister sheet is molded from a substantially tear-resistant material, such as a 10 mil PVC, which is substantially transparent to enable the pills to be visible when contained within their respective cavities. However, it is appreciated that the blister sheet may be made from a variety of opaque, transparent or other known materials and not depart from the scope of the present invention. In particular, the first blister sheet 404 and second blister sheet 412 are preferably molded and constructed such that the first blister sheet has a plurality of blisters aligned in one or more columns or rows and a turnable blister associated therewith, and the second blister sheet has one or more first channels extending in the same direction as the columns or rows from the blister sheet and a second channel running traversely to the one ore more first channels. Each of the blisters includes a cavity for housing a pill.
It is appreciated that the twistable or rotatable blister is preferably a separate element so that it may be rotated in relation to the first blister sheet. While a rotatable blister having a pill-shaped cavity to facilitate the grasping and rotation of the blister is shown and disclosed, it is appreciated that the blister also may comprise bulges comprising grasping surfaces of different sizes and shapes. Additionally, it is appreciated that the blister may be turned using any known means including, but not limited to, a slot for insertion of an object such as, but not limited to, a coin or key-like object, whereby the coin or other object may be turned, twisted or pushed after it is placed within the slot to turn the blister.
Once the blister sheets are molded, the pills may then be placed in the cavity of the blister. With the pills inside the cavity of the blister, a foil sheet 440 or other cover is attached to the bottom of the blister sheet 404. Although it is preferred that a thin film or foil sheet be used, it is appreciated that the dispensing slot may be uncovered or covered by other means. After the pills are inserted into the cavities and covered by the foil cover, the blister sheet may then be attached to the second blister sheet in a known way including, but not limited to, adhesive, tape and/or staples and the like.
In order to form the housing, the housing sheet is folded along a scored line 442 separating the tops sheet 420 and the bottom sheet 422. With the blister sheets arranged in between the top and bottom sheets 420, 422, the top and bottom sheets may then be fixedly attached to one another using a heat-activated or other type of adhesive or any known method such as, but not limited to, tape, staples and/or other fasteners to securely retain the sheets together and prevent tampering of the blister pack. The housing also may be folded along additional scored lines 444, 446 to provide a cover 424 for the blister pack. It is appreciated that the foregoing description represents a preferred method of making the blister pack of the present invention and that the invention is not limited to this particular method.
In order to remove the pills, the cavity 407 of the blister 406 is depressed to push a pill 408 through the foil sheet and into the respective first channel. The blister pack may then be tilted or moved to allow the pill 408 to travel down the first channel 414 and into the second channel 436. In the preferred embodiment, the turnable or rotatable blister 410 includes a flange 434 that initially blocks passage of the pill 408 to the dispensing slot 426 prior to activation. In the preferred embodiment, the flange includes a hole or gap 439 that is sized to allow for the pill 408 to travel through the dispensing slot 426 to be dispensed. In operation, rotation of the blister 410 moves the flange 434 away from the slot 426, thereby aligning the hole 439 with the dispensing slot 426 to allow the pill 408 to be dispensed from the blister pack.
It is further appreciated that the rotatable blister may be temporarily locked into a closed or open position. While it is appreciated that the blister may be locked into position in one of a variety of known ways, one embodiment comprises a push and turn blister. As shown in
Furthermore, it is appreciated that the traverse second channel or dispensing slot may be temporarily blocked in any number of ways including, but not limited to, a slidable panel or wall that may selectively block passage of the pill. It is appreciated that in order to block passage of the pills to the respective dispensing slot, the second channel 436 of the second blister sheet 412 may include a slot or hole in its sidewall 455 to allow a wall or other member to be inserted into the second channel 436 to block passage of the pill to the dispensing slot 426.
In the preferred embodiment, when in a first position designated by reference letter A, the cover member 462 covers the dispensing slot 466, thereby preventing the housed pill from being dispensed. By moving or sliding the cover member 462 within the cover member channel 464 to a second position generally designated by the letter B (shown in phantom), the dispensing slot 466 is uncovered, thereby allowing the pill to be dispensed through the slot. The cover member 462 may thereafter be pushed back into position A to prevent further dispensement of any pills. While the embodiment shown and disclosed requires the cover member to be manually moved between position A and position B, it is appreciated that the cover member may be automatically returned to position A through a known way such as, but not limited to, springs, rubber bands, or other elastic-like elements serving to bias the cover to a closed position. It is further appreciated that the cover member may initially be prevented from movement within the cover member channel through the use of a zipper strip 468 that is initially removably attached to the cover member in a known way such as, but not limited to, kiss-cut or other detachable methods. Removal of the strip thereby releases the cover member and allows it to be moved or to slide within the cover member channel to prevent pills from being dispensed.
It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, but it is understood that this application is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/651,831, filed on Aug. 28, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,206 issued on Jun. 17, 2008, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/406,779, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, filed on Aug. 29, 2002 and PCT Application Ser. No. PCT/US 2002/31224, filed on Oct. 1, 2002.
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| Number | Date | Country |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080223747 A1 | Sep 2008 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60406779 | Aug 2002 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10651831 | Aug 2003 | US |
| Child | 12130363 | US |
