U.S. patent application number 10/495830 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-21 for device for dispensing from a blister pack.
Invention is credited to Fry, Andrew Robert, Greenhalgh, Paul, Hurlstone, Christopher John, Pocock, Andrew Gordon, Simpson, Richard Iain, Wu, Reuben, Young, Matthew Egerton.
Application Number | 20050082194 10/495830 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9925842 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050082194 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fry, Andrew Robert ; et
al. |
April 21, 2005 |
Device for dispensing from a blister pack
Abstract
A blister pack dispensing device comprises a housing having
first (10) and second (12) walls and containing a blister pack (23)
and a movable frame (14). The first wall (10) has an array of
apertures (11) which correspond to the array of blisters on the
blister pack (23). The second wall (12) has an array of buttons
(13) which are aligned with the apertures (11). Each button (13) is
provided with a projection (22) while the frame (14) has
corresponding apertures (15). The frame may be urged by a user to a
first position in which the projections (22) on the buttons (13)
are aligned with the apertures (15) to allow the buttons (13) to be
depressed to disperse the blister contents through the apertures
(11). A spring (17) restores the frame (14) to a second position,
when released by the user, such that the projection (22) are
misaligned with the apertures (15) on the frame (14) and prevent
the buttons (13) being depressed.
Inventors: |
Fry, Andrew Robert;
(Hertfordshire, GB) ; Simpson, Richard Iain;
(Cambridge, GB) ; Hurlstone, Christopher John;
(Essex, GB) ; Pocock, Andrew Gordon;
(Hertfordshire, GB) ; Greenhalgh, Paul;
(Buckinghamshire, GB) ; Young, Matthew Egerton;
(Cambridge, GB) ; Wu, Reuben; (Liverpool,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DALY, CROWLEY & MOFFORD, LLP
SUITE 101
275 TURNPIKE STREET
CANTON
MA
02021-2310
US
|
Family ID: |
9925842 |
Appl. No.: |
10/495830 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
November 15, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB02/05149 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/531 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2215/04 20130101;
A61J 1/035 20130101; B65D 83/0463 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/531 |
International
Class: |
B65D 083/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 15, 2001 |
GB |
0127443.0 |
Claims
1. A blister pack dispensing device comprising; a housing for
accommodating the blister pack, the housing comprising: a first
wall provided with a plurality of apertures arranged to correspond
to blisters on the blister pack, a second opposing wall carrying a
corresponding plurality of buttons; and a manually operable locking
mechanism for enabling or disabling depression of the buttons, the
locking mechanism comprising: a movable stop member, the stop
member being movable between a first position in which one or more
buttons are enabled to be operated to dispense the contents of a
blister through an aperture and a second position in which the
buttons are prevented from being operated to dispense the contents
of the blister.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the movable stop member
comprises a frame which surrounds the blister pack.
3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the movable stop member
comprises the blister pack.
4. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the movable stop member
is provided with a plurality of openings each corresponding to a
button and the buttons are provided with projections projecting in
the direction of depression of the button wherein in the first
position the openings are aligned with the projections on the
button to allow the projections to pass through the movable member
and the buttons to be fully depressed while in the second position
the projections engage the movable member to prevent the buttons
from being fully depressed.
5. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the movable stop member
is provided with a plurality of projections each corresponding to a
button and the buttons are provided with openings for accommodating
the projections, wherein in the first position the projections are
aligned with the openings in the buttons to allow the buttons to
pass over the projections and fully depress while in the second
position the projections engage the buttons to prevent them from
being fully depressed.
6. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the movable stop member
is provided with a plurality of projections each corresponding to a
button, wherein in the first position the projections are
misaligned with the buttons to allow the buttons to fully depress
while in the second position the projections engage the buttons to
prevent them from being fully depressed.
7. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the movable stop member
comprises an elongate member having projections that are arranged
to prevent operation of the buttons when the elongate member is in
a first position and to allow operation of at least some of the
buttons when in a second position.
8. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the moveable stop member
is moveable longitudinally between the first and second
positions.
9. A device as claimed in claim 7 in which the movable stop member
is arranged to rotate between the first and second positions.
10. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the movable stop member
is biassed towards the second position.
11. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which a tear propagator is
moulded in or adjacent to the aperture to initiate and propagate a
tear in the foil when a button is depressed.
12. A device as claimed in claim 11 in which the tear propagator is
a pointed projection that extends partially into the aperture.
13. A device as claimed in claim 11 in which the tear propagator is
moulded integrally with the wall.
14. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which cutters are provided
around the apertures on the interior of the first wall, the cutters
being effective to pierce the foil on a blister when the
corresponding button is fully depressed.
15. A device as claimed in claim 14 in which the cutters are
moulded integrally with the wall.
16. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the apertures are
provided with frangible covers which are displaced by the act of
dispensing the contents of a blister.
17. A device as claimed in claim 16 in which the frangible covers
only partially cover the apertures.
18. A device as claimed in claim 16 in which when a button is
depressed the corresponding projection engages with the frangible
cover after passing through the opening to displace the frangible
cover.
19. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the apertures are
covered by hinged covers that are displaced by the act of
dispensing the contents of a blister.
20. A device as claimed in claim 19 in which the hinged covers are
moulded integrally with the first wall and re biasses towards the
interior of the housing.
21. A method of manufacturing a blister pack dispensing device
comprising: producing a one piece thermoplastic moulding comprising
a first wall of a housing having a plurality of apertures spaced to
correspond with the spacing of a blister pack to be contained
within the dispenser and a second wall of the housing having a
plurality of buttons spaced to align with the apertures when the
dispenser is assembled, the first and second walls being joined by
a flexible web portion; and folding the first and second walls
about the flexible web to enclose a blister pack; and joining the
two walls together to form the housing.
22. A method as claimed in claim 21 further comprising inserting a
movable frame between the first and second walls.
23. A method as claimed in claim 21 further comprising moulding the
movable frame integrally with the first and second walls such that
it is connected to the opposite end of one of the first and second
walls by a second flexible web.
24. A method as claimed in claim 23 in which the second web is
joined to a spring means on the frame and when the dispensing
device is assembled the spring means acts as a biassing means for
the movable frame.
25. A method as claimed in claim 21 in which the first and second
walls are joined by a snap fit mechanism.
26. A method as claimed in claim 21 in which the first and second
walls are joined by heat sealing, staking, ultrasonic welding, or
an adhesive.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a blister pack dispensing device
and to a method of manufacturing such a device.
[0002] There is a requirement for devices to allow safe and simple
dispensing of tablets and to prevent as far as possible young
children obtaining access but to allow access by older and less
dextrous persons, for example those suffering from conditions such
as arthritis or whose grip is weak.
[0003] Medicines are often packaged in blister packs which comprise
a plastic sheet having plurality of moulded receptacles (or
blisters) in which one or more tablets are placed covered by a foil
which is pierced or burst to obtain access to the contents of the
blister. Such blister packs are known in two forms, a standard form
with a burstable foil which can be easily "popped" and a child
resistant form which has a thicker non-burstable foil. The
non-burstable foil is normally peeled off to expose a standard
burstable foil. This peeling process may be difficult for persons
suffering from arthritis or having a weak grip so cutting tools
have been provided to pierce the foil. A more dangerous alternative
is to use a pair of scissors.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,4793 discloses a device for inhibiting
removal of an article from a blister-type container having at least
one blister. The device includes a housing surrounding at least a
portion of the container sized to permit movement of the container
between the first and second positions. The housing has a base
positioned facing the blister-type container with at least one base
opening in registry with the blister when the container is in the
first position. The base opening is sized to permit passage of the
article therethrough. The device also includes a biasing member for
biasing the container toward the second position. When the
container is in the second position, the base of the housing is
positioned to inhibit removal of the article from the container.
When the container is moved by an individual against the bias of
the biasing member to the first position, the blister is in
registry with the base opening to permit removal of the article by
applying pressure to the outside surface of the blister to force
the article to rupture the container and pass through the base
opening.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,081 discloses a device for inhibiting
removal of a first article from a first blister-type container
having at least one blister. The device includes a first member or
second blister-type container positioned facing the first
blister-type container with at least one opening in the second
container in registry with the blister when the second container in
the first position. The first container likewise may include an
opening in registry with a second blister of the second container
when the second container is in the first position. The openings in
the first and second containers are sized to permit passage of the
respective articles therethrough. When the second container is in
the second position, the second container is positioned to inhibit
removal of a first article from the first container and the first
container is positioned to inhibit removal of a second article from
the second container. The device may also include a first member
for permitting movement of the second container between the first
and second positions and a second member for maintaining the second
container proximate the container and permitting movement of the
second container between the first and second positions. A locking
member may be provided for locking the containers in the second
position.
[0006] The invention provides a blister pack dispensing device
comprising a housing for accommodating the blister pack, the
housing comprising a first wall provided with plurality of
apertures arranged to correspond to blisters on the blister pack, a
second opposing wall carrying a corresponding plurality of buttons,
and a manually operable locking mechanism for enabling or disabling
depression of the buttons, the locking mechanism comprising a
movable stop member the stop member being movable between a first
position in which one or more of the button(s) is/are enabled to be
operated to dispense the contents of a blister though an aperture
and a second position in which the button is prevented from being
operated to dispense the contents of the blister.
[0007] By providing a locking mechanism, which will be released by
a manual operation by a user, the release of the contents of a
blister by pressing one of the buttons can be inhibited unless two
separate operations are carried out, that is release of the locking
mechanism and depression of one of the buttons.
[0008] The movable stop member may comprise a frame which surrounds
at least some of the blisters of the blister pack.
[0009] In this case, the blister pack can remain stationary within
the housing while the frame in the first position allows the
buttons to be fully depressed to eject the contents from the
blister through the corresponding aperture in the housing while in
the second position the frame prevents the buttons being
sufficiently depressed to eject the contents of the blister.
[0010] In an alternative embodiment the blister pack itself can
constitute the locking mechanism.
[0011] The movable stop member may be provided with a plurality of
openings each corresponding to a button, the buttons being provided
with projections projecting in the direction of depression of the
button; wherein in the first position the openings are aligned with
the projections on the button to allow the projections to pass
through the movable member and the buttons to be fully depressed
while in the second position the projections engage the movable
member to prevent the buttons from being fully depressed.
[0012] This construction gives the advantage that the projections
and openings in the frame can be of smaller area than the buttons
and consequently the distance between the two positions can be
relatively small. This enables the spacing between the blisters to
be minimised.
[0013] Alternatively the movable stop member may be provided with a
plurality of projections each corresponding to a button, the
buttons being provided with openings for accommodating the
projections, wherein in the first position the projections are
aligned with the openings in the buttons to allow the buttons to
pass over the projections and fully depress while in the second
position the projections engage the buttons to prevent them from
being fully depressed.
[0014] In a further alternative embodiment the movable stop member
is provided with a plurality of projections each corresponding to a
button, wherein in the first position the projections are
misaligned with the buttons to allow the buttons to fully depress
while in the second position the projections engage the buttons to
prevent them from being fully depressed.
[0015] The movable stop member may comprise an elongate member
having projections that are arranged to prevent operation of the
buttons when the elongate member is in a first position and to
allow operation of at least some of the buttons when in a second
position.
[0016] The elongate moveable stop member may be moveable
longitudinally between the first and second positions.
Alternatively, the elongate movable stop member may be arranged to
rotate between the first and second positions.
[0017] Cutters, which may be integrally moulded with the first
wall, may be provided around the apertures on the interior of the
first wall, the cutters being effective to pierce the foil covering
a blister when the corresponding button is depressed.
[0018] The provision of cutters in the dispensing pack enables
convenient dispensing of the contents of child resistant blister
packs, that is those packs which have a strong foil over the
blister which needs a cutting tool to pierce it. In addition it
also enables the dispensing of blister contents which may be
damaged by the pressure required to pierce the foil when
transferred through the contents.
[0019] The apertures may be provided with frangible covers which
are displaced by the act of dispensing the contents of a
blister.
[0020] This reduces the possibility of the contents of a blister
being accessed through an aperture by piercing the foil and
allowing the contents to drop through the aperture. Thus the use of
child resistant blister packs is not required when using such a
dispensing device.
[0021] The invention further provides a method of manufacturing a
blister pack dispensing device comprising the steps of: producing a
one piece thermoplastic moulding comprising a first wall of a
housing having a plurality of apertures spaced to correspond with
the spacing of a blister pack to be contained within the dispenser
and a second wall of the housing having a plurality of buttons
spaced to align with the apertures when the dispenser is assembled,
the first and second walls being joined by a flexible web portion;
folding the first and second walls about the flexible web to
enclose a blister pack; and joining the two walls together to form
the housing.
[0022] The method may comprise the further step of inserting a
movable frame between the first and second walls. The method may
further comprise the further step of moulding the movable frame
integrally with the first and second walls and connecting the
movable frame to the opposite end of one of the first and second
walls by a second flexible web.
[0023] The second web may be joined to a spring means on the frame
and when the dispensing device is assembled the spring means may
act as a biassing means for the movable frame. The first and second
walls may be joined by a snap fit mechanism.
[0024] These features lead to a small number of steps being
required to manufacture a dispensing device maximising the
convenience and minimising the cost of manufacture.
[0025] The above and other features and advantages of the invention
will be apparent from the following description, by way of example,
of embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0026] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a dispensing device
according to the invention;
[0027] FIG. 2 shows in unassembled form a first embodiment of a
dispensing device according to the invention;
[0028] FIG. 3 shows in unassembled form a second embodiment of a
dispensing device according to the invention;
[0029] FIG. 4 shows in unassembled form a third embodiment of a
dispensing device according to the invention;
[0030] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of part of a fourth
embodiment of a dispensing device according to the invention;
[0031] FIG. 6 shows plan and cross-sectional views of frangible
covers;
[0032] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a
dispensing device according to the invention;
[0033] FIG. 8 shows the embodiment of FIG. 7 in an exploded
perspective viewed from the side of the second wall;
[0034] FIG. 9 shows an exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 7
viewed from the side of the first wall;
[0035] FIG. 10a shows a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 7;
[0036] FIG. 10b shows a cross-sectional view on line B-B of FIG.
10a;
[0037] FIG. 11a shows a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 7;
[0038] FIG. 11b shows a cross-sectional view on line C-C of FIG.
11a on an enlarged scale;
[0039] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of part of a wall 120 of FIG.
8 on an enclosed scale showing an additional optional feature;
[0040] FIGS. 13a to 13c show a sixth embodiment of a dispensing
device according to the invention;
[0041] FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of
a dispensing device according to the invention in the form of a one
piece moulding before assembly to form the dispensing device;
[0042] FIG. 15 shows on elevation of a part of the embodiment of
FIG. 13;
[0043] FIG. 16 shows in perspective view the moulding of FIG. 14
assembled to form the seventh embodiment of a dispensing device
according to the invention; and
[0044] FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of a blister pack dispensing
device according to the invention which comprises a housing 1 for
containing a blister pack, the housing 1 having an array of buttons
2 which corresponds to the array of blisters on the blister pack
for which the device is designed. The housing 1 has an aperture 3
through which a button 4 projects, the button 4 forming part of an
inhibit frame whose function is to lock the buttons 2 unless the
button 4 is depressed. When the button 4 is depressed buttons 2 are
unlocked and may be depressed to dispense the contents of the
blisters through apertures on the underside of the housing 1. Thus,
in order to dispense the contents of a blister pack contained
within the housing 1 it is necessary to perform two operations
simultaneously, that is depression of the button 4 to unlock the
buttons 2 and depression of one of the buttons 2 to push the
contents of a blister through an aperture in the underside of the
housing 1.
[0045] FIG. 2 shows in unassembled form a first embodiment of a
blister pack dispensing device according to the invention, FIG. 2a
showing the device in plan view, FIG. 2b showing the device in an
elevational view, and FIG. 2c showing the device in perspective
view. As shown in FIG. 2 the dispensing device comprises a first
wall 10 having an array of apertures 11 formed therein. A second
wall 12 is formed with a corresponding array of buttons 13, which
are arranged so that when the device is assembled the buttons 13
are aligned with the apertures 11. A movable frame 14 has a
plurality of apertures 15 which correspond to the buttons 13 in the
second wall 12. The movable frame 14 is connected to the first wall
10 by means of a flexible web or hinge 16 and a portion 17 that, in
operation, forms a biassing means for the frame 14, while the first
wall 10 is connected to the second wall 12 by a further flexible
web or hinge 18.
[0046] The movable frame 14 is provided with a projecting button 19
that, when the device is assembled, projects through an aperture
20, the button 19 corresponding to the button 4 in the device of
FIG. 1. In addition, in this particular embodiment, the apertures
11 are covered by frangible covers (or trapdoors) 21 and each
button in the array of buttons 13 is provided with a projection
22.
[0047] In order to assemble the dispensing device shown in FIG. 2 a
blister pack 23 is placed over the frame 14 as shown in FIG. 2b and
the frame 14 is folded about the web 16 to lie against the wall 10
of the housing. It will be apparent that the blister pack 23 is
sandwiched between the frame 14 and the wall 10 of the housing with
the foil side of the blister pack facing the wall 10 and the
blisters projecting through the inhibit frame 14. The wall 12 is
then folded about the web 18 and a latching projection 24 snap fits
over the end of the wall 10 to hold the device closed. Other means
for holding the device together may be used, for example heat
sealing staking, or ultrasonic welding the two outer walls 10 and
12 or using an adhesive, but the illustrated method allows re-use
of the device by enabling the housing to be opened allowing the
insertion of another blister pack when the contents of the first
blister pack have been dispensed. If the dispensing devices are to
be re-used it is advantageous to provide covers 21 which are also
re-usable or to dispense with the covers.
[0048] Once the device of FIG. 2 has been assembled it has the
appearance of the device shown in FIG. 1 and in operation the frame
14 is biassed by the spring 17 to a position where the apertures 15
are misaligned with the projections 22 on the buttons 13 to prevent
the buttons from being sufficiently depressed to eject the contents
of the blisters. In order to dispense the contents of a blister the
user presses the button 19 against the spring 17 to align the
apertures 15 in the frame 14 with the projections 22 on the buttons
13. As a result the projections 22 can pass through the apertures
15 allowing the buttons 13 to be fully depressed (as can be seen
more clearly from FIG. 5). Where frangible covers 21 are provided
over the apertures 11 the projection 22 on the button 13 presses on
the cover 21 to break the frangible coupling between the cover and
the wall 10 and allow the contents of the blister to be dispensed
through the aperture by further depression of the button 13.
[0049] As will be apparent from the above description the
dispensing device shown in FIG. 2 is formed from a single plastic
moulding and has the advantage of requiring only a small number of
manufacturing steps in order to assemble it. The only components
are the blister pack and the single moulding which merely requires
folding operations, once the blister pack has been placed in
position, to form the completed device.
[0050] FIG. 3 shows in unassembled form, a second embodiment of a
dispensing device according to the invention, FIG. 3a showing the
device in plan view, FIG. 3b showing the device in an elevational
view, and FIG. 3c showing the device in perspective view. In FIG. 3
those elements having the same form and function as corresponding
elements in the embodiment of FIG. 2 have been given the same
reference numerals. The following description will highlight the
differences between the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3 rather than
repeating the description of the common elements. The significant
difference is that the frame 14 is moulded as a separate component
from the walls 10 and 12 of the housing. While this embodiment
requires more parts and further assembly steps it has the advantage
that the housing walls 10 and 12 can be moulded from a different
plastics material from that of the frame 14. This enables the most
suitable material to be chosen for each part, for example the
spring 17 and frame 14 may be moulded from Delrin while the walls
10 and 12 may be moulded from polypropylene. It will also be
apparent from the Figures that the blister pack 23 is positioned on
the opposite side of the frame 14 but this is an inessential
difference as in both embodiments it is possible to place the
blister pack 23 on either side of the frame 14.
[0051] FIG. 4 shows in unassembled form, a third embodiment of a
dispensing device according to the invention, FIG. 4a showing the
device in plan view, FIG. 4b showing the device in an elevational
view, and FIG. 4c showing the device in perspective view. In FIG. 4
those elements having the same form and function as those shown in
FIG. 2 have been given the same reference numerals. The following
description will highlight the differences between this embodiment
and that shown in FIG. 2 and not repeat a description of the common
elements. The embodiment of FIG. 4 is designed to be able to
dispense the contents of child resistant or other blister packs
which have a relatively strong foil which cannot be broken merely
by applying pressure to the blister which is transferred to the
foil by the contents of the blister. Such blister packs need a
cutting tool to remove the foil and while resistant to opening by
young children cause difficulty to those whose manual dexterity is
limited, for example due to arthritis. The embodiment may also be
useful even where a strong foil is not provided but where the
contents of the blister are fragile and likely to be damaged by the
force necessary to burst the foil.
[0052] In the embodiment of FIG. 4 the apertures 11 are surrounded
by cutters 25 rather than being provided with frangible covers. In
addition the buttons 13 are not provided with projections as these
are not required to break the frangible covers. The frame 14 is
provided with apertures 26 through which the blisters on the
blister pack project when the device is assembled. With this
particular embodiment the blister pack 23 moves as the frame 23
moves so that in a first position the blisters are not aligned with
the apertures 11 and a second position where they are aligned with
the apertures 11. Thus when a button 13 is depressed the blister
contents can only be dispensed when a blister is located above the
cutters 25 around the aperture 11. Otherwise the blister pack 23 is
positioned such that the button 13 will not engage with the
blisters.
[0053] As a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 the
buttons may be provided with projections 22 and the frame 14 with
additional apertures 15 which cooperate with the projections 22 to
provide a locking mechanism for the buttons 13 in the same manner
as described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In addition the frame
14 may be of the skeletal form shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This enables
the blister pack to be located in a stationary manner with respect
to the apertures 11, the frame 14 sliding across the blister pack.
The frame 14 shown in FIG. 4 may have the advantage of holding the
blister pack 23 more firmly against the cutters 25 when dispensing
the contents but will cause the blister pack 23 to slide with
respect to the apertures 11 and cutters 25. In order to prevent the
cutters 25 from damaging the foil on the blister pack when it
slides between the misaligned and aligned positions the interior of
the wall 10 is provided with a rib 27 which spaces the blister pack
from the wall, and hence the cutters 25, except when a button 13 is
depressed above a blister when the blister pack deforms to allow
the cutter to pierce the foil. The under surface of the button 13
may be profiled to extend around the blister when depressed to hold
the pack firmly against the cutters 25.
[0054] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view on line x-x of FIG. 1
showing the assembled embodiment of FIG. 2. FIG. 5a shows the frame
14 in its inhibit position where it prevents the button 13 from
being depressed as the projection 22 on the button 13 engages with
the surface of the frame 14. FIG. 5b shows the situation where a
user has moved the frame 14 against the biassing spring 17 to a
position where the projection 22 on the button 13 is aligned with
the aperture 15 in the frame 14. FIG. 5c shows the button 13 being
depressed to dispense the contents of a blister of the blister pack
23. As shown in FIG. 5c the projection 22 passes through the
aperture 15 and engages with the frangible cover 21 to cause it to
break away. The button 13 then presses on the blister causing the
contents to break though the foil and be dispensed through the
aperture 11.
[0055] Devices having frangible covers over the dispensing
apertures will generally be single use, since once the frangible
covers have been broken there will no longer be any means to
prevent access to the blister contents through the apertures 11.
Consequently it would not be desirable to refill the device with a
new blister pack. An alternative might be to provide the covers 21
with a hinge at one point and to provide a latching mechanism at a
diametrically opposite side. Thus the projection 22 could operate
the latching mechanism to allow the cover 21 to hinge outwardly
while once the contents of the blister have been dispensed it is
possible to replace the cover in the closed position. This could be
achieved in a manner similar to battery compartment covers on
portable electrical equipment.
[0056] In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 the provision of
projections 22 on the buttons and apertures 15 on the frame 14
could be reversed, that is the frame 14 could be provided with
projections while the buttons 13 are provided with apertures. In
this embodiment, however, the projections could not then be used to
open the frangible covers shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. An additional
modification would be to provide the frame 14 with projections
which in the second position engage with the lower surface of the
buttons 13 and in the first position are outside the profile of the
button 13. Although in the embodiment shown the apertures 15 are
circular in form, they could be replaced by apertures of any other
shape which would cooperate with the projections 22, or by slots
which are not necessarily wholly enclosed within the frame 14.
[0057] In the further modification of the embodiment shown with
reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 the frame 14 may be dispensed with. In
this case the blister pack 23 forms the manually operable locking
mechanism, the blister pack being provided with apertures 15
corresponding to the apertures 15 in the frame 14. The projections
22 will then either pass through the blister pack to enable the
buttons 13 to be fully depressed and eject the contents from the
blister or additionally open the trap door if the frangible covers
are provided. Again as an alternative the blister pack could be
provided with the projections as previously discussed with respect
to the frame 14.
[0058] FIG. 6 shows in plan and cross-sectional view three possible
constructions for the frangible covers 21. As shown in FIG. 5a the
cover 21 is only connected to the wall 10 by a hinge section 51 and
a small, typically spherical, bridging member 52. The remainder of
the periphery of the cover 21 is separated from the wall 10 by a
small gap 53 around its perimeter. In operation the projection 22
on the push button 13 presses on a portion 53 of the cover 21
causing the bridging section 52 to break and the cover 21 to open
about the hinge 51. FIG. 6b) shows a construction where instead of
a gap 53 being left around the periphery of the cover 21 a
frangible boundary is formed that is a boundary where the
cross-section is reduced. Again the pressure of the projection 22
against the portion 53 of the frangible cover will cause the
frangible boundary to split and the cover to hinge about the hinge
51. In this construction it would not be essential to have the
hinge 51. As an alternative the cover could be allowed to
completely fall out of the dispensing device along with the
contents of the blister.
[0059] This does suffer from the disadvantage, however, that the
cover has to be separated from the contents of the blister before
they can be used. FIG. 6c shows a further alternative where instead
of covering the whole of the aperture 11 a strap is provided across
the aperture. Where the contents of the blister are relatively
large compared with the size of the aperture it is not necessary to
fully cover the aperture to prevent the contents from being
released by breaking the foil through the aperture.
[0060] Thus a relatively simple strap across the aperture will
perform the same function as the cover shown in FIG. 6a and will
operate in the same manner. It should be noted that these covers
are merely examples of those that could be implemented and are not
intended to limit any embodiment of the invention to using one of
these three illustrated covers. In particular the term frangible in
respect of covers is intended to encompass any construction where
internal pressure on the cover will cause it to displace
sufficiently to provide space for the contents of a blister to be
dispensed. Thus any sort of latching mechanism which holds the
cover in place, whether reusable or not will provide a cover which
is frangible in the sense that this term is used in the present
application.
[0061] While the locking mechanism for the buttons 13 has been
shown in the embodiments as a sliding member having apertures or
projections for engaging or disengaging the buttons the invention
is not limited to such a construction. Any manually operated
locking mechanism which efficiently prevents the buttons from being
fully depressed unless operated could be used. Preferably it should
require the user to operate it at the same time as depressing the
buttons but a sequential operation of the locking mechanism and the
depression of the buttons could be used. One possible alternative
locking mechanism could involve a rotatable member which lies
across the buttons in one positions to prevent their depression and
swivels away from the buttons to release them in a second position.
Other mechanisms could be devised to perform this function and some
examples are shown in the further embodiments described below.
[0062] The fifth embodiment of a dispensing device according to the
invention which is illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 12 comprises a housing
101 containing a blister pack. The housing has an array of buttons
102 which correspond to the array of blisters on the blister pack
for which the device is designed. The housing 101 has an aperture
103 through which part of an operable locking mechanism 104
projects. The locking mechanism 104 has a spring arrangement 105
which engages with the housing 101 to bias the locking mechanism
104 to a first position in which the buttons 102 are prevented from
being depressed. The locking mechanism 104 can be moved to a second
position in which the buttons 102 are released so that they can be
depressed by pressing against the end of the member 104 to push it
further into the housing 101 against the force of the spring 105.
The housing 101 comprises a first wall 110 which carries the
buttons 102 and a second wall 120 which contains a plurality of
apertures 124 covered by hinged covers 121.
[0063] The housing 101 is formed by the walls 110 and 120 between
which are sandwiched the moveable stop member 104 and a blister
pack 130. The blister pack 130 is located against the wall 120 with
the blisters positioned over the hinged aperture covers 121. The
moveable stop member is constrained between the blister pack 104
and a groove 111 in the wall 110.
[0064] The buttons 102 have a sidewalls 112 and 113 which are
separated by a gap 114. The actuation of the buttons 102 is
effected by depressing the button 102 where upon the region of the
gap 114 opens to enable the button to straighten and then collapse
onto the top of a blister on the blister pack 130 to collapse the
blister and eject the contents through the hinged cover 121. The
straightening of the button 102 on depression causes it to elongate
and cause a web 115 in the central groove 111 to flex inwardly. The
button 102 on further pressure engages with a blister 131 on the
blister pack 130 and further depression collapses the blister 131
and ejects the contents of the blister 131 through the hinged cover
121 and allows the web 115 to return to its original position.
[0065] The locking member 104 is of an elongate form and comprises
a number of projections 140 which when the locking mechanism is in
the locked position align with the webs 115 to prevent them being
flexed inwardly thus preventing the buttons 102 from being
depressed. When the locking mechanism 104 is pressed inwardly
against the force of the spring 105 the projections 140 become
misaligned with the webs 115 and allow the buttons to be depressed
by allowing the webs 115 to flex inwardly.
[0066] The buttons 102 have a central rib 116 extending along their
length. This central rib engages a blister 131 in the blister pack
130 to cause the blister to collapse and eject its contents through
a hinge cover 121. It will be seen that the rib 116 contacts the
blister 131 near to one edge of the blister. This off centre
contact causes the blister to collapse under a lesser force than if
the initial force was in the centre of the blister. The off centre
contact when the content of the blister is a relatively large solid
object such as a pill, filling the major portion of the blister,
produces a more effective tear of the foil as one edge of the pill
is preferentially forced against a small area of the foil. The
collapse of the blister is accentuated by the small contact area
formed by the control rib on the underside of the button 102 with
the blister surface leading to an initial fold of the blister. The
hinged cover 121 is hinged about a hinge 122 located at the edge of
the blister 131 nearest to the point of contact of the rib 116 onto
the blister 131. Thus the content of the blister on the cover
relatively close to the hinge portion forces the hinge cover to
open more fully. This aids efficient dispensing of the contents of
the blister 131 by providing the largest possible opening for the
discharges of the blister contents.
[0067] In this embodiment the wall 110 is joined to the wall 120 by
means of pegs 123 which are an interference fit in holes 117 in the
wall 110. This structure also adds rigidity to the housing around
its perimeter. Other means of joining the two parts could be used,
for example if the device is to be reusable with new blister packs
then a `snap-fit` arrangement analogous to that shown in the
embodiment of FIG. 2 could be used. The locking mechanism 104 fits
between the wall 120 and the wall 110 in the groove portion 111 and
helps to provide rigidity to the whole structure. The locking
mechanism 104 is arranged to prevent the walls 110 and 120 flexing
towards each other but is also arranged to have as little friction
as possible between itself and those walls so that its resistance
to depression of the end of the mechanism 104 is not so large as to
make the operation of the mechanism 104 too stiff for those with a
relatively weak grip to operate. To this end it will be seen from
FIG. 10b) that the surface area of the mechanism 104 in contact
with the groove 111 and blister pack 130 is kept relatively
small.
[0068] As shown in FIG. 11b which is a cross sectional view on line
C-C of FIG. 11 but on an enlarged scale to enable detail to be seen
more clearly, a blister pack 130 is sandwiched between the wall 110
and wall 120. The blisters 131 are aligned with hinged covers or
trap doors 121 in the wall 120 and with buttons 102 in the wall
110.
[0069] The moveable stop member 104 slides over the blister pack
130 between the blisters 131 and is effective to prevent the
buttons 102 from being depressed when in the first position. A rib
113 presses on the blister 121 when the button 102 is depressed to
cause the blister to collapse.
[0070] The contents of the blister break the foil underneath the
blister and as the button is depressed the trap door 121 is hinged
open to allow the contents of the blister to be ejected. The trap
door 121 is moulded so that it is biassed inwardly of the housing
and is forced to lie flat when the housing is assembled by the
bottom of the blister pack 130. It will be noted that the trap
doors 121 are recessed with respect to the wall 120 to minimise the
possibility of gaining access to the underside of the blisters by
prizing the trap door 121 open.
[0071] FIG. 12 illustrates a modification in which a pointed
projection 125 is moulded into an edge of the aperture 124. When
the content of a blister is to be dispensed the foil on the blister
pack under the blister aligned with the aperture 124 is forced
against the projection 125 causing a tear to be initiated. This
reduces the force required to be transferred through the content of
the blister to break the foil and thus allow the content to pass
through the foil and the trapdoor 121.
[0072] FIG. 13 shows a further embodiment of a blister pack
dispenser according to the invention. FIGS. 13a) and b) are
cross-sections on line D-D of FIG. 13c). FIG. 13c) is a plan view
with the top wall removed of a dispensing device according to the
invention. As shown in FIG. 13a) a blister pack 201 having a
plurality of blisters 211 is placed on the bottom portion of a
dispenser 200 so that it covers trap doors 202. A button 204 is
depressed to move a moveable locking member 205 laterally inwards
towards the blister pack. Buttons 206 are provided in the top wall
210 of the dispenser and are aligned with the blisters 211 on the
blister pack 201 and are provided with a projection 207 which
contacts the blister 211 to collapse the blister and dispense its
contents. A projection 208, when the button 204 is not depressed,
makes contact with the bottom surface 200 of the dispenser pack
preventing the button 206 from being depressed. When the button 204
is depressed the moveable member 205 is moved towards the blister
pack and contacts the projection 208 to deflect it so that it now
contacts the trap door 202 rather than the bottom of the dispenser
200 enabling the button 206 to be depressed and to dispense the
contents of the blister 211. It will be seen that FIG. 13a)
illustrates the situation where the button 206 cannot be depressed
while FIG. 13b) illustrates the situation where the button 204 has
been depressed. The moveable member 205, when the button 204 is
depressed, moves laterally to deflect the projection 208 on the
button 206 so that it engages with the trap door 202 rather than
the bottom of the dispenser 200. The button 206 can then be
depressed and deliver the contents of the blister through the trap
door 202. The trap door 202 is either formed with a frangible
boundary with the dispenser 200 that can be broken by a relatively
small force or is freely hinged along one side so that it opens
with comparatively little force required.
[0073] FIGS. 14 to 16 show a further embodiment of a blister pack
dispensing device according to the invention. FIG. 14 shows a
moulding from which the dispensing device is assembled. The
moulding comprises a first wall 301 having a number of apertures
302 through which the contents of a blister pack are to be
dispensed. A further wall 303 has a number of pockets 304 which
cover the blisters of a blister pack which is arranged to be housed
between the walls 301 and 303. The wall 303 when the blister pack
is assembled is folded over the wall 301. A moveable frame 305
having a button 306 attached thereto is, during assembly of the
blister pack dispensing device, folded over the blister pack and
below the wall 303. Tabs 307 are provided with a first projection
308 and a second projection 309 on the opposite side of the tab as
shown in FIG. 14. On assembly of the dispensing device the tab 307
is folded under the wall 301 so that the projection 308 projects
through apertures 310 in the wall 301. In order to insert the
projections 308 into the apertures 310 the flexible frame 305 has
to be deflected by depressing the button 306 so that cut outs 311
in the frame align with the apertures 310. The projection 308 then
hooks over the frame 305 when the button 306 is released holding
the tabs 307 in place.
[0074] It will be appreciated that when the dispensing device is
assembled the tabs 307 cover the apertures 302 thus preventing any
access to the content of the blister pack through those apertures.
The tabs 307 can only be released when the button 306 is depressed
thus aligning the cut outs 311 with the apertures 310 allowing the
tab 307 to be released. The pockets 304 have a cross-shaped
aperture 312 through their upper surface. When the tabs 307 are
released they can be rotated around the pack so that the projection
309 which has a corresponding cross shaped section is inserted
through the apertures 312 to deform the blister within the pocket
304 and eject the content of the blister through the aperture 302.
The shape of the projection 309 and aperture 312 are preferably
complementary but they do not need to be cross shaped and any
conveniently shaped aperture could be provided. Further it is not
strictly necessary that the apertures 312 are of complementary
shape to the projection 309. It is merely necessary that the
aperture 312 will enable the projection 309 to pass through it.
Ideally the size of the aperture 312 should be smaller than the
contents of the blister to prevent access to the contents from that
side of the dispensing device. However blisters are normally
sufficiently robust to resist entry by small children without a
sharp cutting tool so the pockets 304 could be replaced by
apertures through which the blister projects. It is however
preferred that pockets 304 are provided to cover the blisters and
that the apertures 312 are complementary in shape to the projection
309 and relatively small so that easy access to the blister is not
allowed.
* * * * *