Adhesive Bandage And Envelope

Abstract

A packaged adhesive bandage comprising an adhesive bandage and an envelope therefor, said bandage including a backing strip having a tacky adhesive coating on one surface thereof with a dressing pad adhered to the backing strip generally centrally of said one surface, a first package panel having a low adhesion surface contacting said adhesive-coated surface of said bandage and extending beyond the peripheral edges of said bandage, the narrow strip of material having opposed ends and an intermediate adhesive-coated area on one surface, said intermediate adhesive-coated surface being placed in contact with the surface of said backing strip opposite the said one surface coated with said tacky adhesive, said opposed ends of said strip of material lying parallel with said backing strip, and a second package panel overlying said adhesive bandage and said strip of material and extending beyond the peripheral edge portions of said bandage and being secured to said first package panel.

Description

This invention relates to individually packaged adhesive bandage units of the type, in which each unit comprises an adhesive bandage and a package unit therefor affording a sterilized adhesive bandage which may be readily applied to a minor cut or abrasion. In one aspect the invention relates to an improved package for the bandages affording improved handling ease when removing the bandage from the package and when applying the same to the finger or other portion of the body without necessitating contact with the adhesive or the dressing during such application.

Bandages of the type of the present invention have previously been packaged between wrapper sheets or panels which are adhered to each other and separable to afford removal of the bandage. It has also been well known in the art to place the tacky adhesive-coated surface of the backing strip forming the bandage against a treated surface of one panel to support the bandage. Likewise, it is well known in the art to provide a tab on one or both of the packaged panels permitting the same to be grasped and separated, thus exposing the adhesive bandage sandwiched therebetween.

It is interesting to note however that in the prior art adhesive bandage packages, the adhesive-coated base of the bandage is generally not applied to a continuous uninterrupted extent of a package panel affording manufacture of this bandage package by production of the individual bandages, the application of the individually formed bandages in spaced-parallel relation on a low adhesion surface of a continuous strip or carrier web of panel material, the application of a tab to the exposed surface of the backing strip opposite the adhesive-coated surface applied to the carrier web, and overlying the carrier web with second strip of material, sealing the second strip to the carrier web, and separating the individual packages. Thus, the present invention provides a bandage and package which is readily manufactured because of the subsequent laminating steps in the production thereof and the ease of removal and application of the packaged bandage.

The adhesive bandage package of the present invention comprises an adhesive bandage and an envelope therefor. The bandage includes a backing strip having a tacky adhesive coating on one surface thereof and a generally centrally disposed dressing. The adhesive-coated surface of the backing strip is applied to a low adhesion surface of one panel of the package. A separating handle is adhesively secured to the backing strip for the bandage on the side opposite the adhesive-coated surface. This handle member comprises a length of strip material having opposed ends and an intermediate adhesive coated area, which area is secured by said adhesive to the backing strip adjacent one end thereof. A second package panel is disposed over the bandage and the removable handle and is bonded to the first panel sandwiching the bandage and handle therebetween.

The present invention will be more fully understood after reading the following detailed description which refers to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the bandage package of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the package partially opened to expose one end of a bandage;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bandage package of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bandage attached to a finger showing the applied bandage and removal of the handle member.

The adhesive bandages 6 which are packaged in accordance with the present invention generally comprise a backing layer or strip 7 of suitable material such as a plastic film which is coated on one surface with a tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive material 9 and has a gauze pad or other dressing 10 centrally positioned on the adhesive-coated surface. The backing strip 7 of the bandage of the present invention may be any suitable film material treated to provide for adhesion of the tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive thereto. The pad or dressing 10 may be absorbent or nonabsorbent, woven or nonwoven, fibrous or nonfibrous; and may be made from such diverse materials as cotton or synthetic fiber gauzes, felts of cotton, wool and synthetic fibers.

The bandage 6 is packaged between two package panels or halves, 16 and 17. The panels 16 and 17 protect the bandage and are suitably bonded to each other to afford a hermetically sealed package for the bandage.

The panel 16 is made of paper or a thermoplastic film which may naturally have a low adhesion surface or which may be treated or coated on one side with a cohesive substantially nonadhesive low adhesion material. This one surface of the panel 16 is disposed in contact with the tacky pressure-sensitive coated surface of the backing strip of the bandage. The panel 16 extends beyond the periphery of the backing strip and extends to a greater degree beyond one end of the backing strip than the other.

A removable bandage supporting handle 19 is adhesively secured to the backing strip on the side thereof opposite the adhesive-coated surface adjacent one end of the backing strip. This handle is formed of a narrow strip of material having on one surface an area 20 coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive 23. The adhesive-coated area 20 is an intermediate area of the strip of material and affords thereby a tab 21 at one end which extends beyond one end of the bandage to which the adhesive-coated area 20 is applied. The opposite end of the strip of material forms a second tab 22 permitting release of the handle from the bandage backing strip after application of the bandage to the body.

The second half or package panel 17 is disposed over the bandage and the removable handle 19 and is bonded to the first panel 16. The second panel 17 may be formed of a material such as treated paper or film. The panels 16 and 17 are sealed along the longitudinal peripheral edges and along one end or transverse peripheral edge. They are bonded at 24 along the second transverse edge, which second edge is adjacent the end of the package to which the handle is secured, a distance spaced inward from the peripheral edge to form a free end on each panel 16 and 17 in opposed relation to aid in opening the package.

As shown in FIG. 2 the parts of the package are separated by grasping a free end of each of the panels 16 and 17 in each hand and pulling the same in opposite directions to cause a separation of the two panels at said one end and progressively separating the two panels along the longitudinal peripherally secured edges. Continued movement of the panel 17 from the panel 16 exposes the adhesive bandage 6 secured to the panel 16. Upon completing the separation of the panel 16 from the panel 17, or at least to the other transversely secured end, the bandage 6 is exposed. The handle 19 for separating the bandage 6 from the panel 16 is also exposed. The tab 21 of the strip material may now be grasped readily. The adhesive-coated area 20 of the strip of material forming the handle 19 has a greater adhesion for the backing strip 7 forming the bandage 6 than the adhesive-coated surface of the bandage has for the support surface of the panel 16. Grasping the exposed tab 21 thus readily lifts the bandage from the panel 16 separating the tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive-coated bandage from the low adhesion surface of the panel 16. While maintaining the grasp with one hand on the tab 21 the bandage may be placed against the body to apply the dressing 10 over the wound. The free end of the bandage may be applied and then the supported end may be applied. With the bandage in position with the dressing over the wound, the pressure-sensitive adhesive-coated surface of the bandage is secured to the body or back onto the free end of the bandage. At this stage, the tab 22 may be grasped between two fingers and drawn off the end of the bandage to peel it from the backing strip of the bandage.

The bandage of the present invention is easily manufactured by the continuous process of laminating the members. The bandage is first formed by coating a web of the backing strip with a suitable adhesive having good cohesion for one surface of the backing strip and laminating a dressing centrally thereto. The individual bandages are then formed by diecutting the strip. The severed bandages are applied in spaced-parallel relation along a continuous strip of material having a low adhesion surface from which the panels 16 are formed with the adhesive-coated side of the bandage against the low adhesion surface of the material. The handles are applied by placing the adhesive-coated sections of strip material to the bandage adjacent one end, with the tab 21 extending beyond the end of the bandage. The spaced bandages with the applied handles are then covered by a strip of material from which the panels 17 are formed. The laminations are then moved through a sealing and diecutting member where the panels 16 and 17 are secured together about the periphery of the bandages as by heat and pressure sufficient to soften the thermoplastic and bond it with the fibrous material of member 17. The individual bandages are die-cut by severing the strips at a bonded seam between the successive bandages.

Claims

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A packaged adhesive bandage comprising an adhesive bandage and an envelope therefor, said bandage including a backing strip having opposite ends and a tacky adhesive coating on one surface thereof with a dressing pad adhered to the backing strip generally centrally of the adhesive-coated surface, a first package panel with a low adhesion surface contacting the adhesive coated surface of said bandage and extending beyond the peripheral edges of said bandage, a narrow strip of material having an adhesive-coated area on one surface and an adhesive-free tab formed at an end of said strip, said adhesive-coated area being placed in adhesive contact with the surface of said backing strip opposite the said one surface coated with said tacky adhesive and adjacent one end of the backing strip, said adhesive-free tab lying parallel with said backing strip and extending beyond said one end of the backing strip, and a second package panel overlying said adhesive bandage and said strip of material and extending beyond the peripheral edge portions of said bandage and said tab and being bonded to said first package panel.

2. A packaged adhesive bandage comprising an adhesive bandage and an envelope therefor, said bandage including a backing strip having a tacky adhesive coating on one surface thereof with a dressing pad adhered to the backing strip generally centrally of the adhesive-coated surface, a first package panel with a low adhesion surface contacting the adhesive-coated surface of said bandage and extending beyond the peripheral edges of said bandage, a narrow strip of material having opposed ends and an intermediate adhesive-coated area on one surface, said intermediate adhesive-coated area being placed in adhesive contact with the surface of said backing strip opposite the said one surface coated with said tacky adhesive adjacent one end of the backing strip, said opposed ends of said strip of material lying parallel with said backing strip, and a second package panel overlying said adhesive bandage and said narrow strip of material and extending beyond the peripheral edge portions of said bandage and being bonded to said first package panel.

3. A packaged adhesive bandage of claim 2 wherein the bond between the package panels adjacent said one end of the backing strip is spaced from the end of the panels to form free end portions to aid in the facile opening of the package.