U.S. patent application number 10/471435 was filed with the patent office on 2004-07-15 for blister package.
Invention is credited to Winberg, Ragnar.
Application Number | 20040134826 10/471435 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 20283860 |
Filed Date | 2004-07-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040134826 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Winberg, Ragnar |
July 15, 2004 |
Blister package
Abstract
Package of the kind which includes a first foil (1) which has a
plane upper side which surrounds at least one hollow (2), where the
package includes a lid of a second foil (3), which can be split
open, for every hollow, attached to the upper side where every lid
has a flap (4) with which the lid can be split open, where the flap
consists of the first foil (1) and the second foil (3) attached to
each other and where in the first foil there is a straight cut (9)
which separates the flap from the remaining part of the first foil,
characterized by the fact that the cut (9) is on the upper side of
the first foil, that it does not go entirely through the foil and
where the cut, when the flap is strongly bent down, is widened so
that the first foil breaks after which the lid (3) can be split
open.
Inventors: |
Winberg, Ragnar;
(Helsingborg, SE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Rolf Fasth
Fasth Law Offices
629 E Boca Raton Road
Phoenix
AZ
85022
US
|
Family ID: |
20283860 |
Appl. No.: |
10/471435 |
Filed: |
September 10, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
April 17, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/SE02/00752 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/538 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/327 20130101;
B65D 75/366 20130101; B65D 2575/3236 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/538 |
International
Class: |
B65D 083/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 25, 2001 |
SE |
0101433-1 |
Claims
1. Package of the kind which includes a first foil (1) which has a
plane upper side which surrounds at least one hollow (2), where the
package includes a lid of a second foil (3), which can be split
open, for every hollow, attached to the upper side where every lid
has a flap (4) with which the lid can be split open, where the flap
consists of the first foil (1) and the second foil (3) attached to
each other and where in the first foil there is a straight cut (9)
which separates the flap from the remaining part of the first foil,
characterized by the fact that the cut (9) is on the upper side of
the first foil, that it does not go entirely through the foil and
where the cut, when the flap is strongly bent down, is widened so
that the first foil breaks after which the lid (3) can be split
open.
2. Package according to Patent claim 1, characterized by the fact
that the second foil (3) is not attached to the first foil (1)
close to the cut.
3. Package according to Patent claim 1 or 2, characterized by the
fact that in the flap the second foil is attached to the first foil
by means of welding of the two foils.
4. Package according to Patent claim 1 or 2, characterized by the
fact that the second foil in the flap is attached to the first foil
by means of adhesive glue.
5. Package according to Patent claim 1, characterized by the fact
that outside the cut (9) and parallel with it the first foil (1)
and the second foil (3) have been formed to a hollow (12) and that
these foils are not attached to each other in the hollow or in the
area between the cut and the hollow.
6. Package according to Patent claim 1, characterized by the fact
that the second foil (3) has been bent around the outer edge (16)
of the first foil and only outside the cut has been welded to the
first foil in the bent part (17) and that the bent part goes so
much outside the outer edge (16) of the first foil that the second
foil is sufficient to prevent the flap from being bent downwards as
much as is required for the first foil to split at the cut.
7. Package according to Patent claim 1, characterized by the fact
that the second foil (3) has been welded to the first foil (1)
outside the cut (9) and that the second foil inside this welding
area (18), measured at right angles to the cut, is longer than the
first foil.
Description
[0001] The present invention concerns a package which is especially
suitable for medical tablets and capsules. The since long most
common type of medical tablets packed by the piece is such blister
packages where the tablets are pressed out by pressing the blister
bubble so that the lid covering the blister gives way and the
tablet comes out through the broken lid. Especially for old people
and disabled persons tablets from these blisters can be difficult
to press out. The easier they are to press out for everybody the
easier they will also be for small children to press out. On a
partly used blister a child can easily see that some blister
bubbles have been pressed out. It is therefore easy for a child to
understand that to get hold of a tablet you must press the bubble
so that the lid gives way and the tablet is free. This type of
blisters is therefore less childproof. Of course child safety
increases if the bubble is of a thick and stiff material but then
it will also be more difficult to press out for grown-ups.
[0002] Another type of blister for medical tablets is described in
the Swedish Patent 513 535. Here a lid is split open by pulling a
flap directly. Also this can be understood by a little child. This
package is therefore not especially childproof either.
[0003] The present invention concerns a package where greater
security in preventing small children from opening it is obtained
but without becoming difficult to open for people who understand
how to open it.
[0004] The invention has the characteristics which are described in
the patent claims.
[0005] The invention will be described in detail in the following
with the help of figures which show examples of the invention.
Certain measures have been exaggerated for the sake of clarity.
[0006] FIG. 1 shows a package seen from one side.
[0007] FIG. 2 shows the package according to FIG. 1 seen from
above.
[0008] FIG. 3 shows enlarged the combination of a flap with the
remaining lower part of the package.
[0009] FIG. 4 shows the flap according to FIG. 3 but bent
downwards.
[0010] FIG. 5 shows enlarged a second version of a flap.
[0011] FIG. 6 shows the flap according to FIG. 5 but bent
downwards
[0012] FIG. 7 shows a third version of the flap.
[0013] FIG. 8 shows a fourth version of the flap.
[0014] In the figures a relatively thick and stiff first foil is
indicated by 1. From this hollows (bubbles) 2 in which tablets are
to be kept have been pressed out in a well-known manner. The first
foil has a plane upper side which surrounds every hollow. The plane
upper side is entirely covered by a thin second foil 3 which can be
split open, forming a lid over the hollows. The second foil has
been pulled off one of the ten hollows in FIG. 2. The flaps are
indicated by 4 and are the material which is outside the broken
lines 5 in FIG. 2. The shaded area 6 in FIG. 2 is where the second
foil is attached to the upper side of the first foil 1 where it can
be split open. The second foil has been cut through along the lines
7 and 8. A cut 9 has been made in the first foil before the second
foil has been applied. The cut in FIGS. 3 and 4 corresponds to the
broken lines 5 in FIG. 2. The cut separates the flap from the
remaining part of the first foil. The cut does not go entirely
through the first foil 1, which is clearly shown in FIG. 3. In
FIGS. 3 and 4 the second foil is not attached close to the cut but
only in the areas 10 and 11 beside the cut.
[0015] When the second foil is split open, that is the opening of
the lid over a hollow (bubble), the flap must first be bent
downwards as is shown in FIG. 4. When bent down enough the
remaining material gives way below the cut 9. When this has given
way entirely, the flap can be bent upwards and the second foil (the
lid) be split open. When the first foil is bent down, the second
foil is stretched over the more and more widened cut. This is
possible if the second foil can be stretched a little and if it is
not attached close to the cut but can be stretched in the area
between 10 and 11 where it has been attached. If the second foil is
unelastic for instance because it contains an aluminium foil, it
can be attached in area 11 with self-adhesive glue. Then the second
foil can glide on the glue here.
[0016] Other ways of using an unelastic second foil are shown in
FIGS. 5-8.
[0017] In FIGS. 5 and 6 it is shown that the first foil and the
second foil have been formed to a hollow 12 parallel with the cut.
Here the two foils have been welded together in the areas 13 and
14. They have not been welded together over the cut and the hollow.
When the flap is bent down, the material 15 of the second foil is
stretched in the hollow, which is clearly shown in FIG. 6.
[0018] In FIG. 7 is shown that the second foil 3 is bent around the
outer edge 16 of the first foil, and only outside the cut is welded
together with the first foil in the bent part 17 and that the
bending goes so much outside the outer edge 16 of the first foil
that the second foil is sufficient to prevent the flap from bending
downwards as much as is required for the first foil to split at the
cut.
[0019] In FIG. 8 is shown that the second foil 3 has been welded to
the first foil 1 outside the cut and that the second foil inside
this welding area 18, measured at right angles to the cut, is
longer than the first foil.
[0020] A written instruction on the package or on a box containing
the package can say that the flap must first be bent down before
the lid can be split open. This will not be understood by those who
are uninitiated and cannot read. Therefore the design of this
package is more childproof than earlier models. No great strength
is needed to open it and therefore it ought not to be difficult for
an initiated person to do so.
* * * * *