AP882A

AP882A - Condom packaging case.

Info

Publication number: AP882A
Application number: APAP/P/1997/000957A
Authority: AP
Inventors: Vilmorin Yves De; Frederic Baigneres; Christian Arbin
Original assignee: Loops Company
Priority date: 1994-09-12
Filing date: 1995-09-12
Publication date: 2000-10-27
Also published as: FR2724314A1; CN1181000A; DE69516713D1; HK1014855A1; AU3390695A; CA2199857C; WO1996008220A1; ATE192320T1; NO971126L; FI971011A0; DK0789542T3; GR3034103T3; OA10733A; PT789542E; FI117040B; ES2148547T3; JP3146248B2; FI971011A; BR9508831A; CA2199857A1

Abstract

Single use, sealed and tamper-proof condom packaging case. Such a case essentially comprises a body (1) and a cover (2) connected by a lateral hinge (3) of a plastic material made of a single moulded piece. The body comprises an annular groove (4) for insertion of the rolled-in portion (9) of the condom (10) whose reservoir (12) is inserted between the cover and a central stiffening boss (8) when the sealed peripheral welding bead (17) is formed. Applications to condoms.

Description

PACKAGING CASE FOR CONDOMS

The present invention relates to a tight, tamper5 resistant and non-reusable packaging case for condoms.

Known in the field of unit condom packaging are primarily bags consisting of two composite foils facing one another, both of which generally have an aluminum base and plastic material and are heat-sealed around each condom, preferably along rectilinear weld lines perpendicular to each other.

All of these unit packaging bags have one or more of the following drawbacks :

- their tightness depends on the pressure exerted against their wall by any sharp object ;

- maintenance of the integrity of the latex of which the condom consists depends also on the proximity of any sharp object, but above all on the precautions taken in tearing open the composite foils and extracting the condom in such a way that the latter does not come in contact with the aluminum or metal foils ;

- in the case of bags, which is by far the most common form of packaging, the condom is removed in an arbitrary fashion, either in the good direction which makes it possible to take hold of it by the reservoir -hereinafter referred to as cap -- in order to expel the air directly, or in the reverse direction, which involves an additional tedious manipulation as well as errors of usage, causing stains on the outer surface of the condoms ;

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- also, in the case of bags, current production methods do not permit centering the trade name on the heat-sealed product, nor even put the legally required labelling on the material ;

- the cost price of certain packagings is very high.

The object of the present invention is to remedy the 10 aforementioned drawbacks by providing a condom packaging case whose tightness and strength guarantee perfect preservation of the condom under all circumstances ; which, when opened, releases the condom in the good direction so that one can take hold of it by expelling the air through simple pressure of the thumb and index finger and without any risk of deterioration of the latex ; which makes it possible to center any imprint on its two faces ; and the cost of which remains low.

In accordance with the invention, the case is of the tight, tamper-resistant and non-reusable type.

According to an essential characteristic feature of the invention, the case comprises a body and a cover connected by a lateral joint, consisting of a plastic material and integrally molded together, said body comprising an annular recess having a base, an outer wall of slight taper and an inner wall of high taper terminated by a central stiffening bossing, said annular recess being designed for housing the torus of the condom, and the inner wall of high taper being designed to support the inner surface of the condom, connecting the torus of the condom with the latter's terminal cap, said cap being accommodated between the bossing and the cover when the case is in the closed position.

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According to another characteristic feature of the invention, the body comprises an outwardly projecting peripheral edge and a peripheral lip projecting above the annular recess and surrounding the latter, the cover comprising an outwardly projecting peripheral edge and a peripheral groove of the same diameter as the lip and designed to cooperate with the latter to form a fine tight peripheral weld line during the closing operation of the case, said peripheral edges being separated by a short distance when the case is in the closed position.

According to yet another characteristic feature of the invention, the body comprises a cylindrical basin delimited by the lower face of the central bossing and the inner surface of the inner wall of the annular recess and comprises a lid designed to close the basin, and a second lateral joint connecting the lid and the body and integrally molded with the latter. The lid preferably has a peripheral lip projecting perpendicularly to the local surface of the lid and having a slight undercut on its outer face, while the inner peripheral face of the basin is perpendicular to the local surface of the bossing and also has a slight undercut, said two undercuts cooperating in order that the closing of the basin by the lid be effected with firm interlocking to form a tight complementary reservoir.

According to a preferred embodiment, the closed case has the appearance of a circular disk having plane and parallel faces connected by a rounded outer surface of the toric type.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better visualized on ' the basis of the following

AP/P/ 9 7 / 0 0 9 57 description of several possible embodiments, presented in connection with the appended drawings in which :

Fig. 1 is a plain view of a preferred embodiment of 5 the case according to the invention, integrally molded ;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the plane of symmetry X-X of the case shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 shows, on an enlarged scale, a cross-sectional view along the same axis of the closed case and containing a condom represented schematically ;

'9

Fig. 4 is a front view of the closed case shown in

Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the closed case shown in Fig. 3.

In these figures, the same reference numbers denote the same elements.

Referring to all these figures together, the condom packaging case according to the invention is of the tight, tamper-resistant and non-reusable type.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the case comprises, in particular, a body 1 and a cover 2 connected by a lateral joint 3, these three components consisting of a plastic material, preferably a polypropylene- or polyethylene-based plastic, and being integrally molded together.

The body 1 comprises an annular recess 4 having a base 5, an outer wall 6 of slight taper, and an inner wall

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ΑΡ ι> υ Ο 8 8 2 which is inclined or has a high taper and is terminated by a central stiffening bossing 8. The annular recess 4 is designed to accommodate the torus 9 of a condom 10, as will be explained in detail below.

According to an essential feature of the invention, the inner conical wall 7 of high taper is designed to support the inner surface 11 of the condom, which connects the torus 9 with the terminal cap 12 of said condom, the cap 12 being situated between the bossing 8 and the cover 2 when the case is in the closed position.

Actually, the indication of the inner wall 7 and the dimensions of the annular recess 4 are designed in such a way that said wall 7 freely supports the torus 9 of the condom via its inner surface 11, said torus thus being floatingly suspended in the annular recess 4.

Under these conditions, when the cover 2 is abruptly lowered onto the body 1 during one of the production-line operations, the air contained in the cap 12 is violently expelled around the central bossing 8 and its peripheral flow can take place freely, first between the inner surface 11 of the condom and the inner wall 7, then between the floating torus 9 and the base 5, as well as the outer wall 6 of the annular recess 4, without thereby resulting any lateral displacement of said torus 9 with respect, to said annular recess 4.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the body 1 comprises an outwarding projecting peripheral edge 13 in the prolongation of said body 1 and a peripheral lip 14 projecting above the annular recess 4 and surrounding the latter, while the cover 2 comprises a peripheral edge 15 projecting outwardly in the

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ΑΡο u o 8 8 2 prolongation of said cover 2 and a peripheral groove 16 of the same diameter as the lip 14 of the body 1 . It is obvious that the lip 14 and the associated groove 16 may be linked in a tight manner by any heating or adhesive means, and the groove may even be replaced by a second projecting lip exactly opposite the lip 14 to form the tight and tamper-resistant receptacle designed for the condom.

However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the groove 16 of the cover 2 is designed to cooperate with lip 14 of the body 1 to form a thin and tight peripheral weld line 17 during the operation of closing the case, so as to make the latter not only tight but also tamper-resistant, as indicated above.

According to a preferred method of operation, the cover 2 is subjected to the vibrations produced by an ultrasonic head while the body 1 remains fixed, which causes a highly localized temperature rise and the formation of the aformentioned weld seam 17 without any risk of deterioration of the latex of the torus 9 situated near-by, as might be the case with other modes of welding

In the present case, it may be considered that the ultrasonic welding is of the spot-reverse spot type, the .groove 16 being capable of presenting a re-entrant angle of about 90° and the lip 14 a saliant angle of about 60°, the opening of the angle of groove 16 permitting a better flow of the f using material. However, studies which led to this invention have shown that it was equally desirable to consider on the tip of lip 14 a small outwardly projecting lateral part (not shown) and play upon the flexibility of the lip in order to obtain a better weld seam.

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It should be noted that when the case is welded as indicated above, the peripheral edges 13 and 15 remain separated by a short distance 18. Preferably, each of the two outwardly projecting edges has an integrally molded part that is undercut toward the interior, the undercut parts 19 and 20 of the two edges 13 and 15, respectively, being arranged essentially opposite the lateral joint 3, at the same distance from the axis of symmetry 21 of the case passing through said joint 3, and symmetrically with respect to this axis 21.

As a result, the non-undercut parts situated opposite the undercut parts 19 and 20 form two separate miters 22 and 23 symmetrical with respect to the axis 21. These miters constitute a possible means of opening the case by permitting to tear the weld seam 17 and separate the cover 2 from the body 1 against the resistance of said weld seam 17, thereby making the case non-reusable. In effect, if it contains a condom and is not welded or closed in a manner other than indicated, the case can no longer close in a normal fashion due to the fact that the latex of the terminal cap 12 and the air present in the latter offer an elastic resistance to any closing pressure and cause the separation of the cover 2 from the body 1 as soon as this pressure is no longer applied.

According to another feature of the invention, the fact of separating the cover 2 from the body 1 during the first opening of the case by tearing the adhesive strip or tight welding seam 17, makes the terminal cap 12 rise up, thereby making it possible to immediately take hold of said cap 12 in the good direction in order to expel the air from it before use. Moreover, the outer part of the terminal cap 12 is normally lubricated before the

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APO 0 0 8 8 2 operations of closing and welding the case ; the lubricant may be, e.g., one based on alimentary silicone.

According to yet another essential feature of the 5 invention, the body 1 comprises a cylindrical basin 24 delimited by the lower face 25 of the central bossing 8 and the inner face 26 of the inner wall 7 of the annular recess 4, and comprises a lid 27 designed to close the basin 24, as well as a second lateral joint 28 connecting the lid 27 with the body 1 and integrally molded with the latter.

The lid 27 comprises a peripheral· lip 29 projecting perpendicularly to the local surface of the lid 27 and having a slight undercut on its outer surface 30, while the inner peripheral surface 26 of the basin 24 is perpendicular to the local surface of the bossing 8 and also has a slight undercut, these two undercuts cooperating in order that the closing of the basin 24 by the lid 27 takes place with firm interlocking in order to form a tight complementary reservoir.

This reservoir may contain, e.g., either a thin folded hygienic bag.designed to receive the condom after use, or a complementary lubricating gel which may or not be aromatized or may or may not be colored.

Moreover, the lid 27 preferably comprises a thin peripheral edge 31 projecting outwardly in the prolongation of said lid and whose part opposite the second joint 28, at least, is bevelled and cooperates with a small concave zone 32 arranged on the edge of the basin 24 to form a miter 33 of separation of the lid 27 from the basin 24. Obviously, other means of opening the complementary reservoir may be considered.

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When closed, the case advantageously has an ellipsoid or hyperboloid-of-revolution shape in which the bossing 8 may be plane, convex or concave.

However, according to a preferred embodiment, the closed case simply has the general shape of a circular disk of plane and parallel faces connected by a rounded external surface of the toric type. Likewise, by preference, the peripheral edges 13 and 15 of the body 1 and the cover 2, which are separated by a short distance 18, are generally plane.

Moreover, the bossing 8 is preferably plane, so that the basin 24 forms, with the lid 27, a right cylindrical reservoir.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the lid 27 does not project from the surface of the body

1, and, consequently, a label indicating tamper-resistance of the reservoir may be stuck both on said surface and on the lid. This label will preferably include the complete directions for use with all the legally required indications .

By contrast, the lid 2 of the case may be used as an advertising medium for a stuck-on label or for a presentation obtained by stamping or otherwise. Apart from its obvious commercial interest, such advertising will lead the user tc open the case in the good direction,

i.e., with the advertisement and hence cover 2 above and with the directions-for-use label and, hence, lid 27 and the complementary reservoir below. Under these conditions, the user will have no difficulty in taking hold of the

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ΑΡ υ υ υ 8 8 2 condom 10 by its terminal before use .

cap 12 to expel the air from it

Moreover, a number of cases according to the invention may be molded on a mass scale in a known manner, then separated from each other by elimination of the sprues and other external elements. Furthermore, each of the three basic members connected by the two joints 3 and 28, i.e. the cover 2, the body 1 and the lid 27, may have a face situated in a plane (not shown) common to these three members .

It should be understood' that the present invention has been described and represented only for explanatory purposes and by no means in a limitative sense, and any useful modification may be brought to it, particularly in the area of equivalent techniques, without departing from its scope.

Claims

1. Condom packaging case of the tight, tamperresistant and non-reusable type, comprising a body (1) and a cover (2) connected by a lateral joint (3), the body (1)

5. comprising an annular recess (4) having a base (5), an outer 'wall (6) and an inner wall (7) terminated by a central stiffening bossing (δ), the recess (4) being designed for accommodating the torus (9) of the condom (10) and the inner wall (7) being designed to support the

10. inner surface (11) of the condom connecting the torus (9) with the terminal cap (12) of said condom, said cap (12) being accommodated between the bossing (S) and the cover (2) when the case is in the closed position, characterized in that the body (1), the cover (2) and the lateral joint

15. (3) consist of a plastic material and are integrally molded together, the outer wall (6) of the annular recess (4) having a slight taper and the inner wall (7) of said recess (4) having a high taper so as to freely support the torus (9) of the condom via its inner surface (11), said

20. torus (9) thus being floatinglv suspended in the annular recess (4) in such a way that when the cover (2) is abruptly lowered onto the body (1) during one of the production line operations, the air contained in the cap (12) is violently expelled around the central bossing (8),

25. and its peripheral flow may take place freely, first between the inner surface (11) of the condom and the inner wall (7) of the annular recess (4) and then between the floating torus (9) and the base (5) as well as the outer wall (S) of the annular recess (4), in such a way that

30. there results no definitive lateral displacement of said torus (9) with resoect to said annular recess (4) .

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2. Case according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (1) comprises an outwardly projecting peripheral edge (13) in the prolongation of said body and a peripheral lip (14) projecting above the annular recess

5 (4) and surrounding the latter, the cover (2) comprising an outwardly projecting peripheral edge (15) in the prolongation of said cover and a peripheral groove (16) of the same diameter as the lip (14) and designed to cooperate with the latter to form a thin tight peripheral

10 weld seam (17) during the operation of closing the case, said peripheral edges (13, 15) being separated by a short distance (18) when the case is in the closed position.

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3. Case according to Claim 2, characterized in that

15 each of the two outwardly projecting peripheral edges (13,

15) has an integrally molded part undercut toward the interior, the undercut parts (19, 20) of the two edges (13, 15) being arranged substantially opposite the lateral joint (3) at the same distance from the axis of symmetry

20 (21) of the case passing through said joint (3) and symmetrically with respect to said axis (21), the nonundercut parts situated opposite said undercut parts (19, 20) forming two miters (22, 23) symmetrical with respect to said axis (21) and designed for opening the case

25 against the opposition of the weld seam (17).

4. Case according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the body (1) comprises a cylindrical basin (24) delimited by the lower face (25) of the central bossing

30 (8) and by the inner surface (26) of the inner wall (7) of the annular recess (4) and comprises a lid (27) designed to close the basin (24) , characterized in that the body (1) and the lid (27) are connected by a second lateral joint (28) integrally molded with the latter.

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5. Case according to claim 4, characterized in that the lid (27) comprises a peripheral lip (29) projecting perpendicularly to the local surface of the lid (27) and having a slight undercut on its outer surface (30), while

5 the inner peripheral surface (26) of the basin (24) is perpendicular to the local surface of the bossing (8) and also has a slight undercut, these two undercuts cooperating in order that the closing of the basin (24) by the lid (27) takes place with firm interlocking so as to

10 form a tight complementary reservoir.

6. Case according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the lid (27) comprises a thin peripheral edge (31) outwardly projecting in the

15 prolongation of said lid, and of which at least the part opposite the second joint (28) is bevelled and cooperates with a small concave zone (32) arranged on the edge of the basin (24) to form a miter (33) of separation of the lid (27) from the basin (24).

7. Case according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that when closed, it has the general shape of a circular disk having faces that are plane and parallel and connected by a'rounded external surface of

25 the toric type, the peripheral edges (13, 15) of the body (1) and the cover (2) separated by a short distance (18) being plane.

8. Case according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

30 characterized in that the bossing (8) is plane and the basin (24) forms with the lid (27) a right cylindrical reservoir .

9. Case according to any one of claims 4 to 8,

35 characterized in that the lid (27) does not project from

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AP 0 0 0 8 8 2 the surface of the body (1), and a label indicating tamper resistance of the reservoir may be stuck both on said surface and on the lid.

5 10. Case according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the cover (2) of the case is used as an advertising medium.