U.S. patent application number 10/191367 was filed with the patent office on 2003-02-06 for package for blister pack strips.
Invention is credited to Andersen, Frank, Nielsen, Jacob Sturich, Rex, Jorn.
Application Number | 20030024849 10/191367 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29273304 |
Filed Date | 2003-02-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030024849 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nielsen, Jacob Sturich ; et
al. |
February 6, 2003 |
Package for blister pack strips
Abstract
A package for blister pack strips comprises a blister guide
(11), a strip guide (12), a back cover (3) having a depression (10)
accommodating blisters projecting through the blister guide (11),
and a front cover (8). The package is made by folding a rectangular
sheet (1) having appropriate cut outs forming blister guides (11)
and strip guides (12) and being by folding lines (5, 7, 9) divided
into three outer zones comprising an edge zone forming the front
cover (8), an intermediary zone forming the strip guides (12), and
an inner zone forming the blister guides (11), and a fourth zone
forming the back cover (3).
Inventors: |
Nielsen, Jacob Sturich;
(Naestved, DK) ; Rex, Jorn; (Roskilde, DK)
; Andersen, Frank; (Hillerod, DK) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NOVO NORDISK OF NORTH AMERICA, INC
405 LEXINGTON AVENUE
SUITE 6400
NEW YORK
NY
10017
|
Family ID: |
29273304 |
Appl. No.: |
10/191367 |
Filed: |
July 2, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60313948 |
Aug 21, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/531 ;
206/528 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/0463
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/531 ;
206/528 |
International
Class: |
B65D 083/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 26, 2001 |
PA |
2001 01147 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A package for blister pack strips having a certain width and
which carries at their one end a blister having a certain diameter
perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strip,
characterised in that it comprised comprises: a blister guide,
having a front and a rear side and having cut outs each with a
breadth corresponding to a diameter of a blister; a strip guide
having a front and a rear side and having cut outs each with a
breadth corresponding to the breadth of a strip and being by its
rear side fixed to the front side of the blister guide so that
strips can be located in the cut outs of the strip guide with their
blisters projecting into and through the cut outs of the blister
guide; a back cover fixed to the rear side of the blister guide and
having a depression accommodating the blisters projecting through
the blister guide; and a front cover fixed to the front side of the
strip guide.
2. A package according to claim 1, characterised in that the back
cover is formed by a sheet which has at both its ends a depression
and over this depression a blister strip holder comprising, a
blister guide, a strip guide, and a cover, the back cover being
provided with central folding lines parallel with the blister strip
holders allowing said common back sheet to be folded to form a
booklet shaped folder with the covers of the two blister strip
holders abutting each other.
3. A package according to claim 2, characterised in that it is
manufactured from one sheet which is provided with the necessary
depression and cut outs to form the holders by folding and
gluing.
4. The package according to claim 3, wherein a blank sheet for the
manufacturing of a package according to claim 3, comprises a
rectangular sheet having a central folding line parallel with a
short side of the rectangle and dividing the rectangle into two
symmetric parts each having four zones defined by folding lines
parallel with the a short side of the rectangle, three outer zones
having the same width, and a broader fourth zone adjacent to the
central folding line, the three outer zones comprising an edge zone
having no cut outs, an intermediary zone having strip guide cut
outs, and an inner zone having blister guide cut outs, the strip
guide cut outs beginning at a first folding line defining the
transition between the intermediary zone and the inner zone and
ending a first distance from a second folding line defining the
transition between the middle zone and the edge zone, and the
blister guide cut outs beginning at the first folding line and
ending a second distance from a third folding line defining the
transition between the inner zone and the fourth zone, the fourth
zone being provided with a depression parallel with the folding
lines in a third distance from the third folding line, the third
distance being smaller than the second distance and the depression
having a width so that the sum of the third distance and the width
of the depression is smaller than the width of each of the three
outer zones
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn.119--and incorporates by reference--both provisional
application No. 60/313,948, filed Aug. 21, 2001 and Danish
application PA 2001 01147, filed Jul. 26, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to packages for medicine in blister
packs and a blank for the manufacturing of a package.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] To obtain a sterile storage of medicine tablets or amounts
representing a set dose may be packed in blister packs wherein the
medicine is stored in a cavity formed as a depression in a sheet of
an impermeable plastic material which cavity is sealed by a cover
made from a likewise impermeable material. When a dose of the
medicine is going to be taken, the cover over one cavity is broken
to give access to the stored tablet or medicine. The tablet or
medicine may be forced out of the cavity by pressing the protrusion
which the cavity forms on the rear side of the sheet.
[0006] As shown in DE 44 29 503 blisters may be arranged in an
array on a sheet which may possibly be folded to appear as a small
case or a pocket book to be stored in a pocket. Weakening lines may
be provided between the cavities so that the cavities can be broken
off the sheet to obtain smaller sub stores or to allow successive
disposal of emptied blisters.
[0007] By some medicaments a blister containing one dose must be
inserted in a special administrating apparatus. By such medicaments
the blister package must appropriately allow the blisters to be
broken off one by one or the package must have the shape of a strip
or a band with blisters lying on a line so that the blisters may
consecutively be fed into the administering device.
[0008] It may be preferred to have the blisters separated so that a
strip, which is designed to be inserted into an administrating
apparatus, carries only one blister at its end. Such strips must be
carried in a box or a pill bottle from which they can be taken one
at the time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] An objective of the invention is to provide a package for
convenient storing of such blister pack strips.
[0010] This is obtained by a package for blister pack strips having
a certain width and which carries at their one end a blister having
a certain diameter perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of
the strip, which package comprises,
[0011] a blister guide, having a front and a rear side and having
cut outs each with a breadth corresponding to diameter of a
blister,
[0012] a strip guide having a front and a rear side and having cut
outs each with a breadth corresponding to the breadth of a strip
and being by its rear side fixed to the front side of the blister
guide so that strips can be located in the cut outs of the strip
guide with their blisters projecting into and through the cut outs
of the blister guide,
[0013] a back cover fixed to the rear side of the blister guide and
having a depression accommodating the blisters projecting through
the blister guide, and
[0014] a front cover fixed to the front side of the strip
guide.
[0015] According to an embodiment of the invention the back cover
may be formed by a sheet which has at both its ends a depression
and over this depression a blister strip holder comprising, a
blister guide, a strip guide, and a cover, the back cover being
provided with central folding lines parallel with the blister strip
holders allowing said common back sheet to be folded to form a
booklet shaped folder with the covers of the two blister strip
holders abutting each other. Hereby a wallet like package is
provided which can easily be carried in a pocket.
[0016] The package may be manufactured from cardboard and
preferably from one sheet which is provided with the necessary
depression and cut outs to form the holders by folding and
gluing.
[0017] A raw sheet for the manufacturing of a package may comprise
a rectangular sheet having a central folding line parallel with a
short side of the rectangle and dividing the rectangle into two
symmetric parts each having four zones defined by folding lines
parallel with the a short side of the rectangle, three outer zones
having the same width, and a broader fourth zone adjacent to the
central folding line, the three outer zones comprising an edge zone
having no cut outs, an intermediary zone having strip guide cut
outs, and an inner zone having blister guide cut outs, the strip
guide cut outs beginning at a first folding line defining the
transition between the intermediary zone and the inner zone and
ending a first distance from a second folding line defining the
transition between the middle zone and the edge zone, and the
blister guide cut outs beginning at the first folding line and
ending a second distance from a third folding line defining the
transition between the inner zone and the fourth zone, the fourth
zone being provided with a depression parallel with the folding
lines in a third distance from the third folding line, the third
distance being smaller than the second distance and the depression
having a width so that the sum of the third distance and the width
of the depression is smaller than the width of each of the three
outer zones.
[0018] In the following the invention is described in further
details with references to the drawing, wherein
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 shows schematically a raw sheet from which a package
can be made by folding and gluing,
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a raw sheet with depressions and cuttings ready
for folding to a wallet for storing strips each carrying one
blister,
[0021] FIG. 3 shows the sheet of FIG. 2 folded backward about its
central folding line,
[0022] FIG. 4 shows the sheet of FIG. 3 with a forward folding
along a folding line at the transition between the zone containing
the depression and the zone carrying blister guides,
[0023] FIG. 5 shows the sheet of FIG. 4 with a backward folding
along a folding line at the transition between the zone carrying
the blister guides and a zone carrying strip guides,
[0024] FIG. 6 shows strips with blisters ready for being placed in
the combined blister and strip guides formed by the folding in FIG.
5,
[0025] FIG. 7 shows the strips in FIG. 6 placed in the combined
blister, and strip guides,
[0026] FIG. 8 shows the sheet of FIG. 7 with the a forward folding
of an edge zone along a line between the zone carrying the strip
guides and said edge zone which by this folding covers the blister
carrying end of the strips, and
[0027] FIG. 9 a wallet obtained by a forward folding along the
central folding line.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] A raw sheet ready for the manufacturing of a package for
strips carrying a blister is schematically shown in FIG. 1 and its
real appearance is illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0029] A mainly rectangular sheet 1 has parallel with its short
edges a pair of central folding lines 2 about which the sheet can
be folded. Each of the halves on the respective sides of the
central folding lines 2 comprises four zones which are separated by
folding lines parallel with the central folding line 2 and the
short edges of the rectangle, a central zone 3 adjacent to the
central folding lines 2, an inner blister guide zone 4 adjacent to
the central zone 3 along a folding line 5, an intermediary strip
guide zone 6 adjacent to the blister guide zone 4 along a folding
line 7, and an edge cover zone 8 adjacent to the strip guide zone 6
along a folding line 9. The zones 4, 6, and 8 has equal widths
whereas the zone 3 is somewhat broader than said other zones.
[0030] The central zone 3 has a depression 10 which lowers the
surface of the shown front side of the sheet about 2 mm providing a
corresponding protrusion on the back side of the sheet. The length
of the depression is so that not depressed bands are left at the
ends of the depression. The depression 10 starts at a distance "a"
from the folding line 5, where the central zone 3 meets the inner
zone 4, and has a width so that the distance from the folding line
5 to the edge of the depression facing the central folding lines 2
is smaller than the width of the inner zone 4.
[0031] The inner zone 4 is provided with cut outs 11 which starts
at the folding line 7 where the zone 4 meets the zone 6 and ends at
a distance "b" from the folding line 5, where the zone 4 meets the
zone 3, and has a width which with an appropriate play corresponds
to the diameter of the blisters of the blister packs which are
going to be stored in the resulting wallet.
[0032] The intermediary zone 6 is provided with cut outs 12 which
starts at the folding line 7 and connects to the cut outs 11 in the
inner zone 4. The cut outs 12 ends in a distance "c" from the
folding line 9, where the zone 6 meets the zone 8. The cut outs 12
has a width, which with an appropriate play corresponds to the
width of the blister carrying strips, which the resulting wallet is
provided for.
[0033] The folding lines 2, 5 and 9 are shown as solid lines and
the folding about these lines during the manufacturing process is
designed as a forward folding, i.e. a folding upward relative to
the plane of the shown sheet 1. The folding line 7 is shown as a
dotted line 7 to indicate that the folding about this line
oppositely is a backward folding, i.e. a folding towards the back
of the sheet 1. The folding lines 2 could have been one folding
line but two lines adjacent to each other are preferred to create a
kind of book back.
[0034] The steps of the manufacturing process are illustrated in
the FIGS. 2-9. FIG. 2 shows the raw sheet with its depressions and
cut outs ready for folding.
[0035] The first folding is a backward folding about the folding
line 2 as shown in FIG. 3. Above this folding line was described as
a line for forward folding but this is due to the fact that the
folding along this line is a forward folding in the end
product.
[0036] By the next step the outer end of the sheet is folded
forward along the folding line 5 to cover the central zone 3. Where
the zone 4 abuts the zone 3, i.e outside the depression, it is
glued to this zone.
[0037] Thereafter a backward folding along the line 7 will make
parts of the zone 6 abut parts of the zone 4 and the abutting parts
can be glued together. By the described folding a number of
chambers are provided suited for the accommodation of strips with
blisters.
[0038] FIG. 6 shows a wallet on this step and strips 13 carrying
blisters 14 ready to be placed in the wallet. As it is seen in the
figure the blister has a protrusion on the side facing the
depression in the central zone whereas the side turning away from
this zone is a mainly plane cover sheet 15 covering the cavity,
which is provided in the strip by the forming or the blister. The
blisters 14 fit into the cut outs 11 which are ending in a half
circle to give a good support for the blisters, and the strips 13
which are necessarily broader than the blisters fit into the cut
outs 12 which are correspondingly broader than the blisters.
[0039] FIG. 7 shows the strips with the blisters placed in the
wallet that is finished by folding the outer zone 8 forward up
against the zone 6 and gluing the abutting parts of these zones
together. A final forward folding about the central folding lines 2
makes the two strip holding envelopes abut each other and makes the
whole package appear as a paper wallet as shown in FIG. 9.
[0040] A label glued at both sides of the meeting edges of the
envelopes so that this labes must be broken to get access to the
strips may close this wallet. This way an unbroken label can
indicate that the content of the wallet has not yet been taken into
use.
[0041] The gluing is not necessarily provided over all the abutting
surfaces but can be provided as point shaped gluings within the
abutting areas to provide the package with the necessary
flexibility to allow the strips with the blisters to be pulled out
of the pockets wherein they are stored.
* * * * *