JPH0646998B2 - Pill container - Google Patents

Abstract

A tablet container (10) having a cover (11) and sliding tray (12) is used for dispensing birth control tablets for either a twenty-one-day or twenty-eight-day cycle. Normally, the tray (12) does not slide completely out of the cover (11) and is stabilized with respect thereto when open. The case resembles a cosmetic compact and is reuseable in that once birth control tablets contained in a blister pack (37) are used up, a new blister pack may easily be inserted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Background of the Invention 1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to tablet containers, and more particularly, the present invention relates to containers for holding and hiding tablets arranged in blister packs and for purposes such as birth control.

2. TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND PRIOR ART The use of birth control tablets generally requires that the tablets be taken daily, one tablet at a time in a preselected order. The tablets are dispensed according to either a 21-day cycle or a 28-day cycle therapy. It has been found that the use of blister packs arranged in 7 columns, each of which is unique, or in 3 or 4 rows to form a 21 or 28 day cycle, provides a satisfactory approach.

Since blister packs may be carried by birth control users, the tablets in the blister pack need to prevent possible damage during the cycle. This need has led to numerous structures for holding the blister pack. Many of the prior art containers for holding birth control blister packages are relatively complex and expensive to make in that they have latches and hinges. In addition they sometimes get stuck. These devices are exemplified by the dial-type container disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,165,709. The operation of these dial-type dispensers is not always clear to all users, and the complexity of these dispensers sometimes causes tablet dispensing errors. Another type of tablet container that uses an oval or circular array is exemplified by the containers of US Pat. Nos. 3,283,885 and 4,165,709.

There are several tablet containers for birth control with flexible covers, perhaps as exemplified by US Pat. Nos. 3,677,397 and 3,504,788. These particular constructions do not adequately protect the tablets in that the pressure applied to the cover damages the tablets or they are accidentally dispensed through the tray in which they are placed. To avoid this, many commercial containers have domed covers.

U.S. Pat.Nos. 3,527,190, 3,584,598, 3,579,883
No. 3,630,171 is a typical example of a tablet container using a hinge cover. Containers that use hinge covers are relatively expensive because they require both hinges and latches. These parts must be carefully molded and suffer wear and damage. Further, when these containers have a compartment for dispensing tablets, the dispensed tablets are prone to jam within the compartment. Therefore, containers using hinge covers have some drawbacks.

There are numerous patents disclosing tablet containing trays arranged in a sleeve, however, these structures are not particularly suitable for dispensing birth control tablets so as to remedy the shortcomings of the prior art birth control containers. For example, U.S. Pat.
Nos. 355 and 3,397,770 disclose partial covers, however, they do not disclose how to attach the indicator strips or support the blister package. Also, they do not disclose a reliable connection between the cover and the tray, or a structure to prevent the tray from flexing with respect to the cover. U.S. Patent 1,988,13
No. 4 discloses a tray that can slide in a sleeve that has stops, but no disclosure of a stop that is an easily manufactured structure that properly supports the tray with respect to the cover it houses. A tray with a complicated and wide surface with a sleeve or cover in which the tray is housed, because debris tends to collect on the winding surface,
Often clogged.

In view of the above considerations, there is a need for a container for tablets, such as blister-packed birth control tablets, and that does not have the disadvantages of the patents discussed above. further,
There is a need for such a container where the container has a cosmetic-like appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved container for storing and dispensing a supply of tablets, such as birth control tablets, which must be dispensed for a preselected cycle. Is.

Upon further review of the specification, further objects and benefits of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

In view of the foregoing objects and benefits, the present invention contemplates a tablet container for holding a blister package having thereon an array of tablets arranged in a predetermined pattern, the blister package sliding within a cover member. It is placed on a tray member that is freely accommodated. The tray member has a deck having an array of through holes that corresponds to the pattern of the array of tablets in the blister pack. The length of the deck portion of the tray is a little shorter than the length of the cover so as to provide the portion of the tray that remains in the cover when all of the tablets are exposed, which makes the tray stable when fully withdrawn. It is transformed and does not bend. Locking means are provided for holding the tray with all tablets exposed so that the cover does not disengage from the tray.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the present invention stores birth control tablets according to a 21-day or 28-day cycle,
And used for dispensing. Therefore, the holes in the deck are arranged in 7 rows of 3 rows for 21 days or 4 rows of 7 for 28 days. Adjacent to the deck is a ramp for display of indicators aligned with each column representing each day of the week.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover has no bottom. Thus the cost of the cover is minimized, the container is easy to open and the blister package is visible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various other objects, features and benefits of the present invention will be fully appreciated and better understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tablet container according to the present invention showing a closed container.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tablet container of the present invention showing the tablet container in an open state.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of a tablet container showing how the ends of the tray member are locked within the cover member.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional end view of the container showing the container when it is closed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective bottom view of the tablet container when the container is partially opened.

Figure 7 shows a tablet container showing how 21 birth control tablets are placed in the tray of the tablet container and how the day of the week strip is attached adjacent to the blister pack. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a tray with blister packaging placed thereon showing how tablets are dispensed from the tray.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention showing a tray with holes for the 28th birth control cycle.

10 is yet another of the invention showing holes arranged for a 28-day cycle with relatively large holes to accommodate larger tablet sizes than the tablets used in the embodiment of FIG. It is a plan view of a specific example of.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a tablet container, generally designated by the numeral 10, is illustrated, which container comprises a cover member generally designated by the number 11 and a tray member generally designated by the number 12. Includes and. The tray member 12 is a tablet container 1.
When the 0 is closed, it fits perfectly within the cover member 12.
The cover member 11 has a rectangular shape and includes a top portion 13 and a pair of side walls 14. Each side wall 14 has a pair of concave longitudinal grooves 15 therein, which grooves converge on a flat surface 16. The vertical groove 15 and the flat surface 16 form the tablet container 10.
To give a compact appearance, for example, to put cosmetics into it, rather than tablets like birth control tablets. Side wall 14
A pair of opposed lips 17 extending inwardly from the tray member 1
2 to engage the bottom and cooperate with the top portion of the cover member to form a track for slidably retaining the tray member within the cover member 11.

Referring now mainly to FIG. 2, which is shown with the tablet case open, the tray 12 is
Holes 20 generally formed in the deck designated by number 21
It is seen that it is slidable to an open position that displays and allows access to a full row of. The deck 21 has an upper surface 22 and a lower surface 23, and the holes 20 penetrate the deck 21 from the upper surface to the lower surface. Hole 2
The 0 array is a column of 7 holes for a 21 day cycle,
Formed in rows of three holes. The deck 21 is surrounded on its 3 side by a wall including an end wall 26, a side wall 27 and a rear wall 28. On the fourth side, a slope 29 that is inclined from the side wall 30 toward the deck 21 is arranged. The beveled surface 29 has elongated rectangular elongated depressions 31, which are aligned with the rows in the array of holes 20 by the day of the week strip (seventh).
Housing indicator strip 32). End wall 26
And 28 and a wall 33 depending from the slope 29
Has ears 35 thereon for holding a blister package 37 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) away from the top surface 22 of the deck.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the tray member 12 of the container 10 is retained within the cover member 11 by a pair of resilient projections 40, which projections 40 project laterally of the tray member 12, and the tray member 12 is It can be seen that it is housed in a pair of opposed slots 41 when pulled to the open position. The protrusion 40 engages a stop 42 located at the end of the slot 41, thus preventing the tray member 12 from sliding completely out of the cover member 11. The tray member 12 has an open frame 43 adjacent to the deck 21 and protruding rearward from the rear wall 28. The frame 43 is rigidly attached to the tray member 12 and remains within the cover member 11 when the tray member 12 is fully extended. Therefore, the tray member 12 is safe with respect to the cover member 11 when protruding, and the top wall 13 and side wall 14 of the cover member.
Continue to align with the space in the cover member defined by the inner surface of the. The frame 43 extends between the lower surface 46 of the top 13 of the cover member 11 and the inner surface 47 of the opposing lip 17 projecting inwardly from the side wall 14 of the cover member 4 and the rear flange 4.
Have 4. The rear wall 28 adjacent to the deck 21 is also the top wall 13.
From the lower surface 46 of the lip to the top surface 47 of the lip 17,
The entire tray member 12 is supported with respect to the cover member 11.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, the cover member 11 has a top 13 but an open bottom. Therefore, by simply looking at the bottom of the tablet case, it is possible to know at a glance whether the blister pack 37 is loaded in the tablet case.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the blister package 37 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 6 and 7 has the tablets packaged therein for use in the 21th birth control cycle. . In the elongated recess 31 in the bevel 29 is an indicator strip 32 aligned with the tablet, with the strip having the days of the week printed on it in sequence. Each container is provided with a number of indicator strips 32, each starting on a different day of the week and continuing from that day onwards. The strip 32 preferably has an adhesive backing so that it can be easily secured within the recess 31. As seen in FIG. 8, for each day of the cycle, the tablet 50 is dispensed from the tablet container 10 by pushing with a finger in the direction of arrow 51. This breaks the lower foil layer 52 of the blister package 37 and allows the tablet 50 to fall through the aligned holes 20 and into the user's hand. The user knows that the tablets for a particular day have been dispensed, because the tablet 50 can be considered to have already been taken if there are no tablets in the array for that particular day. Of course, if there are tablets in the array for a particular day, the user knows to take the tablets.

As seen in FIGS. 3, 9 and 10, an angled wall 55 is positioned below the ear 35 and adjacent walls 26 and 28 such that the deck 21 is trapezoidal in shape. The blister package 37 is also trapezoidal in shape to match the shape formed by the angled wall 55. Thus, the blister pack 37 can be properly placed in the tray 12 with respect to the case.

The arrangement of holes 20 shown in Figures 2, 3, 6 and 7 is for a 21 day cycle that allows departures from any day of the week, the user has selected her departure date and has a specific departure date. Select a label and place it in place. The tablets 50 used in this cycle typically contain two constant components and are relatively large and require relatively large pores 20. The full cycle is actually 2
It lasts for 21 days, with 1 day of dosing and 7 days of rest.

Referring now to FIG. 9, one embodiment of the invention in which the holes 20 'are arranged in an array for a 28 day cycle with 7 columns (1 row for each day of the week) and 4 rows. Is shown. In this embodiment, tablets 50 for each day of the week contain different amounts of active ingredient and a single level of placebo. The arrangement of FIG. 9 is for starting any day of the week, and an arrangement similar to that of FIGS. 2, 3, 6 and 7 is labeled with seven different labels, each arrangement starting from a different day of the week.

Referring now to FIG. 10, there are still two trays 12 ″.
There are eight holes 20 ". However, the indicator strip 3
There is no bevel 29 or elongated recess 31 for accommodating 2. This is because the container 10 "is adapted to hold a blister pack (not shown) designed only for Sunday start with the day of the cycle on which the blister pack was printed directly. In structure, there are 21 tablets 50 with active ingredient and 7 tablets containing placebo.

The above specific examples of the tablet case 10 are 21 days or 28 days.
Disclosed is a pill case containing all the pills needed for the Nissan restricted cycle. The tablet case 10 is unobtrusive in appearance and attractive, and resembles a compact rather than a case for birth control tablets. The combination of the array of dispensing holes 20 and the day of the week index provides a convenient and reliable structure for accurately following a 21 or 28 day prescription cycle.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and make various alterations and modifications to adapt it to various applications and conditions without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tablet container of the present invention in a closed state,
2 is a perspective view of the container in a fully opened state, FIG. 3 is a plan view, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a lateral sectional view, and FIG. Is a perspective view of the bottom surface, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a container and a blister package of tablets contained therein, FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a tray containing the blister package, and FIG. 9 is a tablet container according to another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a tablet container according to another embodiment. 10 is a tablet container, 11 is a cover member, 12 is a tray member, 20 is a hole, 21 is a deck, 40 is a protrusion, 41 is a slot, 37 is a blister package, and 50 is a tablet.

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A container for dispensing tablets held in an array in a blister package, the container member having no bottom for covering the contents of the container, and the container for supporting the blister package. A tray member housed in a cover member, comprising a deck on which the blister pack is mounted, the deck having an array of through holes corresponding to the array of tablets held in the blister pack The tray member, the holding member that is a means for holding the tray member in the cover member, and includes a track for guiding the other member on one member, and the tray member is Stop means for preventing complete removal from the cover member, and a part of the tray member inside the cover member when the tray member completely projects from the cover member Domaru so on, pill container, characterized in that the tray member and a means for limiting the extent projecting from the cover member 2. A tablet container according to claim 1 having a surface disposed on a tray adjacent to the deck for displaying instructions regarding the use of the tablet in a blister package aligned with the through holes of the deck. . 3. The deck has first and second surfaces, the first surface being in intimate contact with the blister package and the second surface being exposed, thereby allowing the tablets to pass through the holes from the first surface. The tablet container according to item 2, wherein the tablet can be dispensed from the blister package by pushing the blister package so as to push it out of the second surface. 4. The cover member has a top panel for covering the first surface of the deck when the tray member is housed within the cover member, the cover member adjacent the second surface of the deck member. And the cover member has a pair of opposed side walls for retaining the tray member therebetween,
And a third wall having a rear wall for stopping the tray member
Item tablet container. 5. A tablet container according to claim 4 including a plurality of ear members arranged in spaced relationship with respect to the first surface of the deck for holding the blister package in close contact with the first surface. 6. The method of claim 5 including a pair of opposed guide walls disposed adjacent to the first surface of the deck for accurately orienting the blister package with respect to the array of holes through the deck. Tablet container. 7. The stop means comprises a pair of opposed longitudinally extending grooves in a pair of opposed side walls of the cover member, and a pair of resilient projections on a tray member housed in the opposed grooves. The opposing groove has a stop adjacent the open end of the cover, the stop defining the protrusion to limit the projection of the tray member from the cover member when the tray member is in the fully open position. The engaging tablet container of paragraph 4. 8. The tray member has a generally flat side wall, and the side wall of the cover member has a lip protruding into an inner wall.
A tablet container according to claim 7 wherein said tray member is housed within opposite side walls of the cover member and is retained by the top of the cover member and said inwardly projecting lip. 9. A tablet container according to claim 8 wherein the side wall of said cover member has an outer surface formed by a pair of concave longitudinal grooves that are indexed by a flattened flat portion. 10. The array of tablets in the blister pack and the array of holes in the deck are arranged in 7 columns and 4 rows, each column corresponding to a day of the week and each blister pack. The tablet container of paragraph 9, which provides a 28-day cycle for tablet use. 11. The array of tablets in the blister pack and the array of holes in the deck are arranged in 7 columns and 3 rows, each column corresponding to a day of the week and each blister pack. The tablet container of paragraph 9, which provides a 21 day cycle for use of the tablet.