Inhalant Package

Abstract

A wrapper having a central absorbent area is wrapped around a frangible ampoule containing an inhalant. The absorbent area substantially surrounds the ampoule, and the wrapper projects from the opposite ends of the ampoule. A pressure sensitive adhesive on the inner surface of the wrapper around its central area sticks the inner end of the wrapper to the ampoule and also sticks the outer end of the wrapper to its own outer surface. The projecting portion of the wrapper at each end of the ampoule is flattened on itself to form flat layers of wrapper stuck together by the adhesive. The portion of the wrapper surrounding the ampoule is porous so that when the ampoule is broken fumes or vapor therefrom can escape through the wrapper.

Description

Glass ampoules or vials containing a liquid that will vaporize or give off fumes when released are known. One of the most common ampoules is the ammonia inhalant ampoule. To protect the fingers from injury when the ampoule is broken or crushed and to absorb the released liquid, it is customary to enclose the ampoule in a flexible absorbent cover. A label, carrying information regarding the contents and use of the ampoule, is wrapped around the cover. The cover and the label are applied to the ampoule in succession and therefore require two different operations.

It is an object of this invention to provide an ampoule or the like with a special wrapper that not only encloses or covers the ampoule, but also serves as a label. Another object is to provide an inhalant package that can be quickly assembled.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing a number of ampoule labels carried by a tape;

FIG. 2 is a view of the reverse side of one of the labels;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the beginning of the wrapping of an ampoule in a label;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the label completely wrapped around the ampoule;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged end view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the completed package;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the beginning of the wrapping of an ampoule in a modified embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged end view of the wrapped ampoule; and

FIG. 9 is an end view of the completed package.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a tape 1 of indefinite length carries a plurality of rectangular labels 2 that are stuck to the tape by a pressure sensitive adhesive previously applied to the labels, the surface of the tape being such that the labels can readily be peeled away from it. Each label carries the usual information (not shown) applicable to the ampoule to which the label is to be applied. Applied to the back or inner surface of each label is a thin layer of absorbent material 3. This layer also is rectangular, but considerably smaller than the label so that it will be spaced inwardly from all four edges of the label. The label and absorbent material form an ampoule wrapper. The absorbent material may be fabric, fiber, foamed synthetic resin or a resinous pad formed by applying a liquid resin to the label and then curing it to form absorbent material. If the absorbent material is in the form of a separate pad as shown, it is held in place by slightly overlapping the inner edge of a band of the pressure sensitive adhesive 4 that extends around the marginal portion of the label. It is this adhesive that temporarily holds the label on the tape. The label may be cloth, but if it is impervious material such as paper, the area of the label covering the absorbent pad is provided with perforations 5 so that fumes or vapors can penetrate the label. This area likewise could be covered with the adhesive, but it is preferred not to do so in order to be sure that the perforations will not be clogged by adhesive.

To make the inhalant package, a vial or ampoule 7 (FIG. 3) of glass or other frangible material is filled with the liquid, such as ammonia, that will provide the desired inhalant. The ampoule may be cylindrical or oval in section. Its opposite ends generally will be rounded or more or less pointed. The ampoule is substantially the same length as absorbent pad 3. The label with its absorbent pad is stripped from the carrying tape 1 and placed face down on a support. The ampoule then is laid on the adhesive band at one side of the absorbent pad. As shown in FIG. 3, this will be the inner end of the label that will stick to the ampoule and follow it as it is rolled across the pad to wrap the label around the ampoule. The label is just long enough for its outer end to overlap its inner end so that the adhesive at the outer end will stick to the outside of the inner end of the label as shown in FIG. 5. At this time the package has a cylindrical appearance as shown in FIG. 4, with the label projecting from the opposite ends of the ampoule.

The only further operation required to complete the package is to pinch together the projecting portion of the label at each end of the ampoule in order to flatten it on itself so that there will be flat layers of label stuck together by the adhesive as shown in FIG. 6. The operations just described are readily susceptible to being automated. There is only the one wrapping operation and the single cover for the ampoule. No additional label is required for the package because all of the necessary information can be printed on the flat label before it is applied to the tape. When the package is struck or pinched or bent to crush or break the ampoule, its contents are released and will saturate the absorbent pad, from which they will vaporize and escape through the perforations 5 in the label so that the fumes can be inhaled.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the wrapper is made in one piece instead of from two pieces stuck together. Also, in this case the wrapper 10 is a rectangular piece of cloth or porous fabric that is long enough to be wrapped around an ampoule 11 a sufficient number of times to provide the desired absorbency for the inhalant when the ampoule is broken. Like the label in the first embodiment, the marginal area of the inner surface of the wrapper carries a pressure sensitive adhesive 12. The ampoule is rolled up in the wrapper, the inner end of which sticks to the ampoule and the outer end of which sticks to the outer surface of itself as shown in FIG. 8. The projecting ends of the wrapper then are squeezed together to flatten them as shown in FIG. 9. The outer surface of the fabric wrapper can carry the printed matter desired for labeling the package.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Claims

I claim:

1. An inhalant package comprising a frangible ampoule containing an inhalant, a wrapper having inner and outer surfaces and inner and outer ends and a central absorbent area spaced inwardly from the edges of the wrapper, the wrapper being wrapped around the ampoule in engagement therewith and projecting from the opposite ends of the ampoule, and a pressure sensitive adhesive on the inner surface of the wrapper at the opposite ends thereof and along its opposite sides, the adhesive surrounding said absorbent area, the adhesive at the inner end of the wrapper sticking to the ampoule and the adhesive at the outer end of the wrapper sticking that end to the outer surface of the wrapper, the projecting portion of the wrapper at each end of the ampoule being flattened on itself to form flat layers of the wrapper stuck together by the adhesive, and the portion of the wrapper surrounding the ampoule being porous.

2. An inhalant package according to claim 1, in which said wrapper is formed from a label and a layer of absorbent material secured to the inner surface of the label and spaced inwardly from the edges thereof, and said adhesive is carried by the inner surface of the label around said absorbent material.

3. An inhalant package according to claim 2, in which said absorbent material is a separate pad, and said adhesive extends under the edges of the pad to stick the pad to the label.