US3905479A

US3905479A - Packaging

Info

Publication number: US3905479A
Application number: US455616A
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel F Gerner; Richard S Sauter
Original assignee: Packaging Coordinators Inc
Current assignee: Packaging Coordinators Inc
Priority date: 1974-03-28
Filing date: 1974-03-28
Publication date: 1975-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-16

Abstract

A childproof blister card useful for medicaments in discrete form openable only by a specific succession of steps. The card has a peelable backing and is perforated to enable the peeling to be started. It also has perforated tabs for access to the contents after removal of the backing.

Description

United States Patent Gerner et al.

PACKAGING Inventors: Daniel F. Gerner, Blackwood, N.J.;

Richard S. Sauter, Laverock, Pa.

Packaging Coordinators Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.

Filed: Mar. 28, 1974 Appl. No.: 455,616

US. Cl. 206/531; 206/461; 206/498; 206/820 Int. Cl. B65D 75/42; B65D 75/46; B54D 83/04 Field of Search 206/42, 484, 498, 820

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1959 Cox, Jr. 206/42 l/1961 Sparks 206/42 [451 Sept. 16, 1975 3,054,503 9/1962 Hartman, Jr., et a1 206/42 3,483,845 12/1969 Hartman, Jr 206/42 3,504,788 4/1970 Gray 206/42 3,809,221 5/1974 Compere 206/42 3,835,995 9/1974 Haines 206/484 Primary Examiner-william T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney, A gent, or Firm Charles A. McClure 5 7] ABSTRACT A childproof blister card useful for medicaments in discrete form openable only by a specific succession of steps. The card has a peelable backing and is perforated to enable the peeling to be started. It also has perforated tabs for access to the contents after removal of the backing.

20 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PACKAGING This invention relates to packaging of medicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form, into discrete article enclosures such as are provided by a blister card, and especially to such a package designed so as to be unlikely to be openable by a child of insufficient discretion to treat the contents with due respect.

Blister packaging has become popular in recent years not only for small automotive parts, household articles, and micellaneous hardware but also for medicaments in capsule, lozenge, or pill form. Because the contents are visible and often are brightly colored, children are attracted thereto, with substantial risk of injury if they succeed in opening such a package and ingesting the contents. Accordingly, there is a considerable demand to render such packages too difficult to open for children too young to realize the potential hazard in doing A primary object of the present invention is provision of a blister package readily openable by an adult but not by a child.

Another object is improvement in access closures for blister packages.

A further object is requirement of a specific sequence of several steps for successful opening of blister packages or the like.

Other objects of the present invention, together with means and methods for attaining the various objects, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying diagrams of a specific embodiment of the invention, which is presented by way of example rather than limitation.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blister card of this invention with the overlying flap partly cut away to reveal the underlying flap and contents in part;

FIG. 2 is an edge view of the same package taken at IIII on the preceding view;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the same package opened flat and with part of the normally overlying flap cut away;

FIG. 4 is a rear view corresponding to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken at V\/ on FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section, on the same scale as FIG. 5 and taken at VIVI thereon.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the same package at an early stage of being opened, showing severing thereof along perforations;

FIG. 8 is a like view of the remaining part of the package at a later stage of being opened, showing the backing being peeled off;

FIG. 9 shows the same package at a still later stage, showing the opening of an access tab along perforations; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the same package, on an enlarged scale, at a still later stage, showing the pressing of a capsule through the foil covering an access opening.

In particular, the objects of the present invention are accomplished, in a package having discrete article enclosures, such as a blister card for medicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form, by means of a first strip having a plurality of blister-like protrusions therein outward from one face and leaving corresponding hollows and openings thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a relatively rupturable second strip adherent to the latter face of the first strip and sealing the openings therein, a supporting card therefor overlying the second strip over the hollow openings and having an openable access tab opposite each such opening, and a peelable backing overlying at least the part of the card containing the access tabs without extending to any edge of the card.

More generally, the invention features the combination of such a peelable backing, a partly underlying perforation or equivalent weakening in the card to facilitate peeling of the backing, such underlying access tabs and such underlying access openings covered by rupturable material.

FIG. 1 shows in perspective, and FIG. 2 in edge view from the bottom, package 10 of this invention comprising overlying rectangular flap 11, underlying flap 13 of the like plan, and narrrow rectangular junction strip 12 interconnecting them. Flap 11 is partly cut away in FIG. 1 to reveal the underlying flap and contents in part-also shown from below in FIG. 2. Protrusions 19 in a transparent blister strip (23, see later views) enclose capsules 18, of which four are shown (spaced in pairs from top to bottom and right to left). Stippling of the area surrounding the capsules in FIG. 1 indicates a foil layer (25, see later views) visible through the transparent blister strip.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the same package, opened flat, from front and rear, respectively. Rear flap 13, which is plain overall, is largely cut away, but front flap 11 is shown in its entirety. Not previously visible but shown here is diagonal perforated line 16, which crosses from the upper edge to intersect vertical fold perforation 15, thereby outlining corner tab 20 of the flap. As is apparent from the rear view in FIG. 4, the corner tab partly underlies transparent film backing 29 which is generally rectangular but smaller than the flap and does not extend to any edge of the flap. The backing completely covers all four access tabs 28 visible therethrough, each of which is opposite one of the openings left in the blister strip by formation of the protrusions oppositely directed therein.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show, considerably enlarged, sections taken through multiple-layered portions of the package as indicated on FIGS. 3 and 5. First and

second layers

21 and 27 of the flap sandwich the non-protruding portions of blister strip 23 and foil layer 25 over and sealing the openings therein. First layer 21 has openings therein to accommodate protrusions 19 of the blister strip and each corresponding hollow holds capsule 18 with contents 22 therein. Each of the access tabs is bounded by parallel rows 26 of perforations perpendicular and joined to opposite ends of slits 24, with neither slit nor perforation along the remaining side.

FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are sequential views, at stages in opening the illustrated embodiment of the invention, taken looking at the rear side, with hands shown in phantom overlying the views where appropriate. Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, with the respective flaps opened and coplanar, a person can grip flap l1, junction strip 12, and corner tab 20 of flap 13 in the right hand and the rest of flap 13 in the left hand. This enables the tab to be severed along the diagonal perforated line shown previously, together with the junction strip, along the rest .of vertical perforated fold line 15, and flap 11. (The remnant flap is redesignated 13'.) Then gripping the exposed corner of backing 29 with the left hand while holding onto the marginal part of flap 13 not covered by the backing permits the backing to be peeled off, as shown in FIG. 8. Finally, by inserting a fingernail into one of the slits 24, one can grip an access tab and pull it open along perforated lines 26. (The opened tab is redesignated 28'.) Foil 25, which did not rupture when the tab was opened, is exposed through the resulting rectangular opening and continues to cover the underlying capsule. Finally, as shown in FIG. 10, depressing the corresponding blister protrusion with a finger forces the capsule to erupt through the foil and to the exterior.

First and

second layers

21 and 27 of the card are conventionally formed from a single sheet of tag paper or the like, suitably punched out and perforated, adhesively coated (as with polyethylene) on one face, and folded over to sandwich other components of the package. Blister strip 23 is conventionally made of transparent plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), from which protrusions 19 are vacuum-formed in the usual manner, spaced at regular intervals so as to protrude through punched openings in the first layer of the card sheet. Before being sandwiched by the card material the blister strip has its protrusions filled with the articles being packaged, whereupon foil strip 25 (usually a laminate with a central paper layer sandwiched by thin metal layers) is secured thereto, as by heat-sealing. Then the layers of card material are juxtaposed, with the blister strip and foil therebetween, and are sealed to one another, usually by application of heat and pressure. The discrete pieces of film backing 29 are applied next or at any subsequent stage as may be desired, being formed of appropriately transparent and adherent material. Such a film of polyester (such as polyethylene terephthalate), for example, is heat sealed to the exposed side of the second layer of card material at cations destined to become flap 13 and multiples thereof. Then

perforation lines

15, 16, and 17 are formed in the resulting two-ply card material, and individual cards are cut or stamped therefrom.

The end result is a package that requires sequential severing of perforations between non-connecting edges (as compared with connecting edges of an external corner, for instance), peeling the backing off, and opening an access tab-which necessitates rupturing of the second paper layer of the card along perforated lines-and finally forcing a capsule through the foil layer and an access opening by depression of the opposite blisterlike protrusion. Each of these several steps is sufficiently demanding that a young child can be expected to fail to accomplish one or more of them. Moreover, even if performable individually, they pose the additional problems of being necessarily sequential and sufficiently time-consuming to be discouraging to a child who may be merely playing or who lacks the ability to concentrate long enough on the task to release the contents. A child able to perform all the steps in sequence so as to reach the contents should have sufficient understanding and discretion to avoid ingesting such contents. The safety factor presented by such packaging will tend to protect adults who are too befuddled (as by age, drink, or drugs) to cope with the task of opening the package.

Although a particular embodiment has been shown and described, modifications may be made therein, as by adding, combining, or subdividing parts or steps, or substituting equivalents, while retaining significant advantages and benefits of the invention, which itself is defined in the following claims.

The claimed invention:

1. In a package having discrete article enclosures. such as a blister card for medicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form, the improvement comprising a first strip having a blister-like protrusion formed therein outward from one face and leaving a corresponding hollow and an opening thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a relatively rupturable second strip adherent to the latter face of the first and sealing the opening, a supporting card including a first layer of material juxtaposed to the first face of the first strip and having an opening therein to accommodate the protrusion and including a second layer of material juxtaposed to the first layer and overlying the second strip, the second layer having a perforated access tab in the part thereof opposite the corresponding hollow opening, and a solid film backing overlying and adherent to the perforated part of the second layer and peelable therefrom.

2. Package according to claim 1, wherein the first and second layers of supporting material are adherent together and to parts of the first and second strips in contact therewith.

3. Package according to claim 1, wherein the access tab is at least partly outlined by perforation of the second layer and by a slit therein to'facilitate initiation of opening of the access tab along the perforation.

4. Package according to claim 1, wherein the supporting material is perforated from an edge to and underlying a corner of the peelable film to facilitate initiation of peeling thereof.

5. A blister card for child-proof packaging of medicaments in discrete capsule, lozenge, or pill form. comprising a non-rupturable transparent plastic strip having a plurality of blister-like protrusions therein outward from one face and leaving a corresponding plurality of hollows and openings thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a rupturable foil strip adherent to the latter face of the plastic strip and sealing the openings therein, a supporting card portion including a first paper layer juxtaposed to the first face of the plastic strip and having one or more openings therein to accommodate the protrusions and including a second paper layer overlying the foil strip and the first paper layer and adherent thereto, the second paper layer having perforated access tabs in the parts thereof opposite the corresponding hollow openings, and a relatively non-rupturable transparent film backing overlying and adherent to the access tabs and surrounding part of the second paper layer and peelable therefrom, the adherent first and second paper layers having a corner tab formed therein and outlined by perforation underlying a corner of the peelable backing to facilitate initiation of peeling thereof, and the perforated access tabs of the second paper layer being exposable by peeling of the backing therefrom and slitted to facilitate initiation of opening thereof along the perforations.

6. Blister card according to claim 5, wherein the perforation of the adherent paper layers includes transverse edge-to-edge perforation enabling the card to be folded flap-like to cover the blister-like protrusions and their contents, and wherein the comer tab perforation for facilitating peeling of the backing extends diagonally from an edge of the card to intersection with such transverse edge-to-edge perforation.

7. Blister card according to claim 6, wherein the perforated access tabs of the second paper layer exposable by peeling the backing therefrom are rectangular in outline, having two opposite edges perforated, one intervening edge slitted, and the other intervening edge neither perforated nor slitted.

8. In a blister card the combination of a first strip having a plurality of blister-like protrusions therein outward from one face, and leaving corresponding hollows and openings thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a relatively rupturable second strip adherent to the latter face of the first strip and sealing the openings therein, a supporting card therefor overlying the second strip over the openings and having an openable access tab opposite each opening, and a peelable backing overlying at least the part of the card containing the access tabs without extending to any edge of the card.

9. Blister card according to claim 8, wherein the card has a tab perforated from one or more edges to and underlying an edge portion of the backing to facilitate initiating peeling removal thereof.

10. Blister card according to claim 8, wherein each of the access tabs is outlined at least in part by perforations.

11. In a package having discrete article enclosures, such as a blister card for medicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form, the improvement comprising a first, non-rupturable strip having a blister-like protrusion formed therein outward from one face and leaving a corresponding hollow and an opening thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a rupturable second strip adherent to the latter face of the first and sealing the opening, a supporting card including a layer of material secured at one face to the hollowed face of the first strip and having an openable access tab in the part thereof overlying the corresponding hollow opening, and a non-rupturable backing strip overlying the access tab and adherent to part of the second strip and peelable therefrom.

12. Package according to claim 11, wherein the backing strip is transparent.

13. Package according to claim 12, wherein the access tab is visible through the backing strip and is at least partly outlined by perforation of the second layer and by a slit therein to facilitate initiation of opening of the access tab along the perforation.

14. Package according to claim 11, wherein the supporting material has a line of weakness from an edge thereof underlying a part of the peelable backing strip to facilitate separation of the supporting material therealong preparatory to initiation of peeling thereof.

15. Package according to claim 14, wherein that edge of the supporting material extends beyond the adjacent edge of the backing strip and thereby exposes an end portion of the line of weakness in the supporting material, thereby further facilitating initiation of peeling.

16. In a blister card having a plurality of blister-like protrusions therein outward from one face, and leaving corresponding hollows and openings thereinto at the opposite face thereof, relatively rupturable material overlying and sealing the openings therein, supporting material therefor overlying the rupturable material and the underlying openings and having an openable access tab overlying each opening, and a peelable nonrupturable backing overlying at least the part of the card containing the access tabs.

17. Blister card according to claim 16, wherein the access tabs exposable bypeeling the backing therefrom have an edge slitted to facilitate opening thereof.

18. Blister card according to claim 16, wherein the supporting material has a tab portion outlined by one or more edges thereon and a line of weakness therebetween, and the backing overlies only part of such line, whereby rupturing of the supporting material along such line as to remove said tab facilitates initiation of peeling of the backing from the rest of the supporting material to expose the parts of the rupturable material overlying the access tabs.

19. Blister card according to claim 18, wherein the card has a comer tab defined by perforation thereof from one or more edges to and underlying an edge portion of the backing to facilitate initiating peeling removal thereof.

20. Blister card according to claim 19, wherein the backing is limited in peripheral extent to leave at least part of such perforation uncovered thereby.

Claims

1. In a package having discrete article enclosures, such as a blister card for medicaments or the like in capsule, lozenge, or pill form, the improvement comprising a first strip having a blister-like protrusion formed therein outward from one face and leaving a corresponding hollow and an opening thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a relatively rupturable second strip adherent to the latter face of the first and sealing the opening, a supporting card including a first layer of material juxtaposed to the first face of the first strip and having an opening therein to accommodate the protrusion and including a second layer of material juxtaposed to the first layer and overlying the second strip, the second layer having a perforAted access tab in the part thereof opposite the corresponding hollow opening, and a solid film backing overlying and adherent to the perforated part of the second layer and peelable therefrom.

3. Package according to claim 1, wherein the access tab is at least partly outlined by perforation of the second layer and by a slit therein to facilitate initiation of opening of the access tab along the perforation.

5. A blister card for child-proof packaging of medicaments in discrete capsule, lozenge, or pill form, comprising a non-rupturable transparent plastic strip having a plurality of blister-like protrusions therein outward from one face and leaving a corresponding plurality of hollows and openings thereinto at the opposite face thereof, a rupturable foil strip adherent to the latter face of the plastic strip and sealing the openings therein, a supporting card portion including a first paper layer juxtaposed to the first face of the plastic strip and having one or more openings therein to accommodate the protrusions and including a second paper layer overlying the foil strip and the first paper layer and adherent thereto, the second paper layer having perforated access tabs in the parts thereof opposite the corresponding hollow openings, and a relatively non-rupturable transparent film backing overlying and adherent to the access tabs and surrounding part of the second paper layer and peelable therefrom, the adherent first and second paper layers having a corner tab formed therein and outlined by perforation underlying a corner of the peelable backing to facilitate initiation of peeling thereof, and the perforated access tabs of the second paper layer being exposable by peeling of the backing therefrom and slitted to facilitate initiation of opening thereof along the perforations.

6. Blister card according to claim 5, wherein the perforation of the adherent paper layers includes transverse edge-to-edge perforation enabling the card to be folded flap-like to cover the blister-like protrusions and their contents, and wherein the corner tab perforation for facilitating peeling of the backing extends diagonally from an edge of the card to intersection with such transverse edge-to-edge perforation.

12. Package according to claim 11, wherein the backing strip is transparent.

16. In a blister card having a plurality of blister-like protrusions therein outward from one face, and leaving corresponding hollows and openings thereinto at the opposite face thereof, relatively rupturable material overlying and sealing the openings therein, supporting material therefor overlying the rupturable material and the underlying openings and having an openable access tab overlying each opening, and a peelable non-rupturable backing overlying at least the part of the card containing the access tabs.

17. Blister card according to claim 16, wherein the access tabs exposable by peeling the backing therefrom have an edge slitted to facilitate opening thereof.

19. Blister card according to claim 18, wherein the card has a corner tab defined by perforation thereof from one or more edges to and underlying an edge portion of the backing to facilitate initiating peeling removal thereof.