U.S. patent application number 10/888854 was filed with the patent office on 2006-01-12 for reclosable child resistant package.
Invention is credited to Maximillian Kusz.
Application Number | 20060008186 10/888854 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35541451 |
Filed Date | 2006-01-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060008186 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kusz; Maximillian |
January 12, 2006 |
Reclosable child resistant package
Abstract
Disclosed is a reclosable child resistant package having a front
panel and a back panel that are connected together at their bottom,
left, and right sides. The tops of these panels have closing means
preferably consisting of a projection extending from the interior
surface, near the top, of the front panel and a cooperating
depression in the interior surface, near the top, of the back
panel. The package is closed by squeezing the tops of the two
panels together, forcing the projection into the cooperating
depression. Part of the child resistant feature requires that there
is insufficient material above said closing means to grasp for
opening the package. The package is opened by moving the front
panel with respect to the back panel, as indicated. This movement
causes the panels to flex removing a portion of the projection from
the depression. This causes the tops of the panels to separate a
sufficient amount so as to allow one to grasp the tops of the
panels to pull them apart, to fully open the package. The required
movement of the panels with respect to each other for package
opening is the main child resistant feature. This feature is
enhanced by requiring that the package be gripped in a specific
location when moving these panels.
Inventors: |
Kusz; Maximillian;
(Perrysburg, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Maximillian Kusz
9947 Sheffield Rd.
Perrysburg
OH
43551
US
|
Family ID: |
35541451 |
Appl. No.: |
10/888854 |
Filed: |
July 12, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/63 ;
383/65 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2215/00 20130101;
B65D 33/2508 20130101; B65D 33/2541 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/063 ;
383/065 |
International
Class: |
B65D 33/16 20060101
B65D033/16 |
Claims
1) A multiple use package composed of a front panel and a back
panel that are permanently connected at the bottom, the left, and
the right sides, and having closing means at the top of the panels,
and having opening means below said closing means.
2) A multiple use package according to claim 1 having said closing
means being composed of a thicker section at the top of said front
panel and having a projection intermediate the top and bottom of
this thicker section and a cooperating depression located
intermediate the top and bottom of a thicker section at the top of
said back panel, that connect said front and back panels when said
projection is inserted into said depression, and is retained within
said depression until external force is applied to said front and
back panels to dislodge said projection from said depression.
3) A multiple use package according to claim 2 having opening means
being composed of an approximate 1/2 inch.times.1/2 downward
extension of said thicker section on said front panel located below
said closing means and intermediate said left and right sides, and
an approximate 1/2 inch.times.1/2 downward extension of said
thicker section on said back panel located behind said extension on
said front panel, whereby movement of said extension on said front
panel relative to said back panel causes said front and back
thicker sections to flex and to separate as sufficient force is
exerted to dislodge a portion of said projection from said
depression.
4) A multiple use package according to claim 2 having opening means
being composed of an approximate 1/2 inch.times.1/2 downward
extension of said thicker section on said front panel located below
said closing means and intermediate said left and right sides, and
having a groove separating it from said thicker section, and an
approximate 1/2 inch.times.1/2 downward extension of said thicker
section on said back panel located behind said extension on said
front panel, and having a groove separating it from said thicker
section, whereby downward movement of said extension on said front
panel relative to said back panel causes said front and back
thicker sections to flex and to separate as sufficient force is
exerted to dislodge a portion of said projection from said
depression.
5) A multiple use package according to claim 2 where said downward
extension on the front panel and or said downward extension on the
back panel contain indicia.
6) A multiple use package according to claim 1 made of one or more
materials which may be flexible and or resilient.
7) A multiple use package according to claim 2 where said closing
means form a seal to prevent or reduce the ingress and or egress of
gas or liquid.
8) A multiple use package according to claim 2 where said
projection may or may not be uniform throughout its entire
length.
9) A multiple use package according to claim 2 where said
depression may or may not be uniform throughout its entire
length.
10) A multiple use package composed of a front panel and a back
panel that are permanently connected at the bottom, the left, and
the right sides, and having closing means at the top of the panels,
and having opening means at or below said closing means.
11) A multiple use package according to claim 10 having said
closing means being composed of a thicker section at the top of
said front panel and having a projection intermediate the top and
bottom of this thicker section and a cooperating depression located
intermediate the top and bottom of a thicker section at the top of
said back panel, that connect said front and back panels when said
projection is inserted into said depression, and is retained within
said depression until external force is applied to said front and
back panels to dislodge said projection from said depression
12) A multiple use package according to claim 11 having opening
means whereby lateral movement of said thicker section on said
front panel relative to said back panel causes said front and back
thicker sections to flex and to separate as sufficient force is
exerted to dislodge a portion of said projection from said
depression.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention provides child resistant packaging (CRP) for
household products especially pills and capsules. That is, safety
packaging having features that make it difficult for most children
to open yet is easily opened by most adults as required by the
regulations administered by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
While this invention is directed at products that require CRP it is
not limited to these products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
requires that certain products for household use be packaged in
safety packaging or as it is commonly called child resistant
packaging (CRP). Prescription drugs (RX) and certain over the
counter (OTC) medications are among the products regulated. The
majority of the child resistant packaging used for packaging pills
and capsules is composed of reclosable packages consisting of
containers, sometimes called a vial, and closures; and single use
packages such as blister packs.
[0003] The reclosable child resistant packages have a closure that
is removed to gain access to the product within the container. The
closures for these type packages must be manipulated by pushing
down, squeezing, orienting, or taking other action such that the
child resistant mechanism is overcome to enable the consumer to
remove the closure from the container. One such child resistant
package consisting of a container and a closure is shown in patent
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,442 issued to Kusz.
[0004] One type of conventional reclosable packaging consists of
flexible plastic bags having interlocking strips at or near their
opening. These reclosable plastic bags are not child resistant but
they are in common use within the household for storing any number
of items. These plastic bags are also in wide use for packaging
some commercial products that do not require child resistant
packaging. Typically, these packages are opened by grasping
sections of flexible plastic material above the interlocking strips
and pulling them apart to disengage the interlocking strips. This
action opens the package and provides access to the product
contained therein. It is important to note that there is material
extending above the interlocking strips to be used to open the
package. The package is closed by using ones fingers for grasping
both sides of the package over the interlocking strips, squeezing
the strips together, and sliding ones fingers over the length of
the strips so as to engage the interlocking strips over their
entirety. The package shown in patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,100 is
typical of this type of packaging. A common variation of this type
of reclosable packaging consists of replacing the panels of
material used to pull the package open with a zipper like device.
This device is slid back and forth along the interlocking strips to
open the package in one direction and in the opposite direction to
close the package. A typical package is described in patent U.S.
Pat. No. 5,919,535. It is important to note that this type of
package does not have material extending above the interlocking
strips but does have a zipper like attachment, installed over the
interlocking strips, for opening and closing the package.
[0005] The pharmacist dispensing prescription drugs into individual
reclosable packages is similar to a consumer placing items into
plastic bags for storage. If one could invent a way to make these
plastic bags in such a manner as to meet the legal requirements for
this type of packaging, they could be used by pharmacists for
dispensing prescriptions. Further the growth of mail order
prescriptions has brought about a search for packaging that best
suits this market. Currently, the relatively bulky reclosable child
resistant packages consisting of a closure and a relatively rigid
plastic container are in general use. The invention of a child
resistant version of the reclosable plastic bags could provide an
alternative reclosable flat package to the mail order prescription
market.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a child
resistant reclosable package for use mainly by the prescription
drug industry but not limited to use within this industry. This
package would provide a unique child resistant reclosable plastic
bag for use within the average household. The preferred package
itself is flat, flexible, and consists of two generally rectangular
panels connected to each other at the bottom and both sides. There
is an opening at the top of the package for filling product into
the package and dispensing product from the package. On the
interior, at the top of each panel is an interlocking strip used to
close the package when the strips are in engagement. On the
proposed package there are no panels of plastic material above the
interlocking strips suitable for use in opening the package. Nor is
there a zipper like device attached to the exterior of the
interlocking strips for the purpose of opening and or closing the
package by sliding the device along the length of the strips.
Rather, the consumer is instructed to open the proposed package by
grasping the package between the thumb and forefinger, as if to
pinch the package, near the top of the package just below the
interlocking strip. With the thumb in frictional engagement with
exterior of one side of the package, the forefinger is in
frictional engagement with the opposite side of the package. Now
one moves their thumb in a downward direction toward the bottom of
the package while keeping the finger relatively stationary. This
causes the side of the package in contact with the thumb to tend to
move downwardly relative to the side of the package in contact with
the finger. Because the package is grasped near the interlocking
strips this movement will cause the interlocking strip to rotate in
the direction of the thumb while the strip on the side of the
package in contact with the finger rotates toward the side in
contact with the thumb. Continued movement of the thumb causes
sufficient force to be applied to the strip on the thumb side to
separate it from the strip on the finger side, thus opening the
package. The package is restored to its closed position by pinching
the sides of the package together to engage the interlocking
strips. Then sliding ones fingers over the entire length of the
strips completely closes the package.
[0007] An alternate version of this concept would be similar to the
preferred version described above except that rather than opening
the package by moving the front panel in a downward direction
relative to the back panel; the package would be opened by moving
the front panel in a lateral direction relative to the back panel.
That is, the package is opened by grasping the top of the package
over, or slightly below the interlocking strips, between the thumb
and (fore) finger and keeping the thumb in frictional engagement
with the exterior of one strip while moving the thumb to the left,
causing this strip to move to the left relative to the back strip,
which then causes the interlocking strips to separate. Because the
package is flat with the panels connected at their sides,
attempting to slide one panel with respect to the other, the panels
will separate as the front panel attempts to make a U turn at the
end of the left side of the package. Of course the same thing would
happen at the right end of the package. This anticipated opening of
the package in two locations, to the left and right of the area
where the package is grasped, would theoretically require twice as
much force as separating the interlocking strips in a single place
as is the case with the preferred version of this disclosure.
[0008] The front and back panels of the package can be composed of
a single layer of plastic material or multiple layers of
material(s) of sufficient thickness so as to provide desirable
characteristics such as moisture resistance, ultra violet light
resistance, and tear resistance as might be expected by children
using their teeth to gain access to the package contents. Further
these panels can be designed with characteristics that make them
resistant to opening by pinching the front panel with one hand and
the back panel with the other hand and pulling the panels apart.
These characteristics include, but are not limited to the stiffness
or flexibility of the material and the frictional properties of the
surface of the panels.
[0009] To provide a child resistant feature it is anticipated that
the package would need to be gripped by the consumer in a specific
location to open the preferred package by manipulating the panels
as previously described. The specific locations where the package
is to be gripped, between the thumb and finger, could be indicated
by indicia on the front and back panels of the package. To the left
and or right of the indicia the interior of the panels could have a
series of projections designed such that they would prevent or
restrict movement of one panel with respect to the other. The upper
area of the package, that does not include the area indicated to be
used for opening the package, can have means on the interior of the
panels that would prevent the panels from sliding with respect to
each other when the panels are gripped in a location other than
that indicated.
[0010] One such means could be ridges of material protruding from
the interior of the panels such that pressing the panels together
and slight vertical movement, causes the sides of these ridges to
abut and prevents the panels from sliding with respect to each
other; thus making it necessary for the consumer to grasp the
package in a specific location to open the package by the intended
method.
[0011] The proposed package prior to filling is flat. Therefore a
label can be secured to one side of the package with relative ease.
When the package is filled the consumer will have full view of the
entire label rather than having to rotate the package to read the
entire label as is the case with the current cylindrical packages.
While it is anticipated that a label would be attached to the
package, the information contained thereon could be printed
directly on the package using a printer specifically designed for
that purpose.
[0012] While the package as described above teaches a basic
reclosable child resistant package to be disclosed in this
invention, various techniques may be used by those skilled in the
art of package design to enhance specific elements of this concept
and still be within the scope of this disclosure. Such techniques
or specifications include but are not limited to. [0013] 1) The
type, thickness, melt index, physical properties, additives, color,
texture, orientation, or other attribute of the materials used in
the composition of this package. [0014] 2) The design of the
interlocking strips including the number, height, thickness, shape,
or cross section of the male and female portions of the strips and
or the strips themselves. [0015] 3) The presence of any label,
printing, indicia, instructions, pictogram, or other visual aid
dispensed with or on the package for the purpose of instructing how
to open or close the package; or how or where to place ones hands
or fingers when opening or closing the package. [0016] 4) The use
of lubricants or other substances or bumps, groves, ridges, or
other disruption of any of the surfaces of the package so as to
effect the frictional properties or area of engagement between the
surfaces and between any surface contacted by the consumer when
opening or closing the package.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the front panel and the position of
section A-A.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the back panel and the position of
section B-B.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a view of section A-A.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a view of section B-B
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] This description assumes that the reader is familiar with
flat plastic storage bags, composed of two plastic panels connected
together at the bottom and two sides, having interlocking strips at
or near the top of their interior surface. This type of packaging
is well known. What is described here is a preferred version of a
unique child resistant, flat, flexible and reclosable package
having two panels that are connected at the bottom and two sides
and having interlocking means for opening and closing, at the top
of their interior surface.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1 to 4, Package 1 consists of front panel
2 and back panel 12 being permanently connected at the bottom and
the left and right sides while the tops of the panels can be
connected and disconnected to close and open the package,
respectively. Front panel 2 and back panel 12 have thicker portions
4 and 14 at their top, respectively. These thicker portions contain
the means for connecting the panels to close the package. Thicker
portion 4 has a generally circular bead 7 projecting from its
interior wall, along its length, near the top and a generally
semi-circular groove 6 on its outer surface extending only above
indicia 5. Thicker portion 14 has a generally circular depression
17 over the length of its interior wall near the top and a
generally semi-circular groove 16 on its outer surface extending
only above indicia 15. The forcible insertion of bead 7 into
depression 17 is the method to be employed for closing the package.
The package is opened by removing the bead 7 from depression 17.
This is accomplished by placing ones thumb, with thicker portion 4
being above the thumb, on indicia 5 on the front panel; and
forefinger on indicia 15, with thicker portion 14 being above the
finger, so as to grasp the package. Now one moves the thumb
downwardly, while it is in frictional engagement with the indicia
on the front panel, causing the front panel to move down relative
to the back panel. A way of visualizing this is that as the front
panel moves downwardly, the back panel moves upwardly a short
distance, makes a U turn and begins to move downwardly. It is the
act of performing this U turn or attempting to perform this U turn
that applies force to the bead relative to the depression and
causing the bead to be pulled from the depression. Now referring to
FIG. 3 showing in section the interface between the surfaces of
thicker portions 4 and 14, as the front panel 2 moves downwardly
the thicker portions will begin to rotate in the counter clockwise
direction and several things will happen. The groove 6 will begin
to close while groove 16 will begin to open, the interface between
thicker portions 4 and 14 will begin to spread apart like an
inverted V, and bead 7 will rotate in a counter clockwise direction
within depression 17 as it begins to be pulled from this
depression. Continued downward movement of the thumb will continue
the actions described above until the bead 7 in the area of indicia
5 is pulled completely from the depression 17. With the panels now
separated in this location one can use their fingers to grasp each
panel and completely open the package by pulling the panels
apart.
[0023] The package can be closed by squeezing the tops of the
panels together to force the bead 7 into depression 17 along the
entire length of the bead.
[0024] The design and fit of the bead 7 and the depression 17 can
be such that the ingress or egress of moisture is minimized when
the package is closed. The bead 7 and depression 17 in FIGS. 3 and
4 shows a clearance fit for illustrative purposes but in practice
they could have an interference fit.
[0025] The preferred version of this disclosure is with indicia 5
on the front panel 2 illustrating a debossed arrow pointed toward
the bottom of the package and the bead 7 being on the thicker
portion 4; and with indicia 15 on the back panel 12 illustrating a
debossed arrow pointed toward the top of the package and the
depression 17 being on the thicker portion 14. Alternately, these
arrows could be embossed, outlined, printed, labeled or be applied
by any other means or be pointed in opposite directions and still
be in the scope of this disclosure.
[0026] An alternate method of opening this package is to instruct
the consumer to open the package by sliding the tops of the panels
laterally rather than vertically as described above. By moving the
top 4 of front panel 2 laterally with respect to the top 14 of the
back panel 12 will cause the projection 7 to become dislodged from
the depression 17 as the tops 4 and 14 attempt to make a U turn at
the left and right ends of the package.
[0027] The area indicated by 3 is a series of projections on the
interior of the front panel, to the left and or right of indicia 5,
that would abut a series of projections 13 on the interior of the
back panel, to the left and or right of indicia 15, that would
prevent or restrict vertical movement of the front panel with
respect to back panel 12 when the package is grasped to the left or
right of the indicia 5 or 15 to open the package.
[0028] The bead 7 shown in section A-A located directly above
indicia 5 may differ in profile than that shown in section B-B
located in an area not above the indicia. Further the depression 17
shown in section A-A located directly above indicia 15 may differ
in profile than that shown in section B-B located in an area not
above the indicia. The design of the bead 7 and depression 17 may
vary along their length so as to make it easier to remove the bead
7 from depression 17 above the indicia 5 and 15. The design of the
bead 7 and or depression 17 could be altered over their length in
one or more locations for packages utilizing lateral movement for
package opening.
* * * * *