CA2491007A1

CA2491007A1 - Package for dispensing individual portions

Info

Publication number: CA2491007A1
Application number: CA002491007A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Thomas D. Intini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-12-23
Filing date: 2004-12-23
Publication date: 2006-06-23
Also published as: WO2006066381A1; US20080308449A1

Description

PACKAGE FOR DISPENSING INDIVIDUAL PORTIONS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to packaging and more particularly, relates to the packaging of medicants.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The packaging of medicants is well known in the art and many different types of packaging are employed. Such packaging generally ranges from situations wherein the pills, tablets, capsules or the like are placed in a bulk container to situations wherein they are individually packaged.
In the case where the medicants are dispensed in bulk, a container having a child resistant cap is provided. In the instance wherein the medicants are individually dispensed, normally a blister pack is utilized.
Recently, the use of bulk packaging is being discouraged. This results from the understanding that packaging for medicants should have several properties. The first property is that the package should be tamper evident such that there will be a clear indication when the package has been subject to tampering. A second feature is that the package also be child resistant. Thus, it is obviously desirable that the package prevents young children from accessing the contents thereof. However, in making the package child resistant, it is also important that the package still be readily openable by those taking the medication. Since the most frequent users of medication are seniors, one must take into account the limits of their ability particularly when they are suffering from various physical problems.
A still further property is that the packaging should be compliance friendly.

Recently, studies have indicated that one of the unrecognized problems is that patients do not necessarily take their medications as prescribed by the doctor. The reasons for this are not fully understood but studies have indicated that packaging plays a large role. To this end, more and more pharmaceutical companies are being encouraged to use individual packaging of the medicant whereby instructions can be clearly printed on the package. It is being found that, particularly among seniors, such type of packaging ensures greater compliance with the taking of the medication.
As above mentioned, one of the more common means of packaging individual pills, capsules, tablets or the like is the use of a blister package. Such a blister package usually comprises a laminate of a blister layer having article receiving pockets formed therein and with the article receiving pockets being covered by a blister backing layer.
This blister backing layer is usually an aluminum blister which is rupturable to permit access to the product in the blister pocket. While such packages are inherently tamper evident, it is not very child resistant and indeed can prove attractive to some children since it appears to be a natural curiosity of children to play with such types of packages.
A further problem with the conventional blister package is that there is limited space for printing and instructions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide packaging for medicants and which packaging is tamper evident, senior friendly, child resistant and compliance friendly.
According to one aspect to the present invention, there is provided a container

-2-comprising an upper wall, a bottom wall, first and second sidewalls extending between the bottom wall and the top wall, a cover connected to a side marginal edge of one of the first and second sidewalls, the upper wall having a panel therein, the panel being defined by a line of weakening extending from a free marginal edge of the upper wall, a plurality of tear strips formed in the panel, a blister pack having a blister layer with a plurality of pockets formed therein, a blister layer over laying the blister pockets, the blister pack being secured to the upper wall with the blister layer lying adjacent to the upper wall, each of the blister pockets having one of the tear strips associated therewith.
The packaging of the present invention forms a package which is both attractive and readily portable. It can be formed from a single blank of paperboard and can readily be machine assembled.
The cover provides an additional protection to the tear strips as they are not readily visible.
The arrangement of the tear strip over the blister pocket provides the degree of child resistance required while still being senior friendly. Preferably, the arrangement includes a rupturable blister layer sealed to a backside of the blister sheet to form a continuous cover over the blister pocket with the blister layer having a thickness and being formed of a material which could be ruptured to provide access to the pocket.
There is also provided a reinforcing layer of a paperboard material which has a first side with some portions adhered to the blister layer and the sum of the adhered portions being in registry with the blister pockets. The paperboard layer also will have a line of weakening extending from the first side into the board, the line of weakening

-3-being located in a portion overlying the blister pocket and a line of weakening extending into the board for only a portion of the thickness of the board with a tear strip formed in the reinforcing layer, the tear strip being associated with the blister pocket such that the reinforcing layer will delaminate when the tear strip is pulled.
In a further arrangement, the tear strips are adhered to the blister about the periphery of the tear strip, with a tab member connected to the tear strip at one end thereof, the arrangement being such that when the tab and tear strips are removed, the blister can be ruptured adjacent to the depression and the blister removed.
In a still further arrangement, the reinforcing layer of paperboard material has a first side with at least portions thereof adhered to the blister layer and a tear strip formed in the paperboard layer. The tear strip overlies the blister pocket with the tear strip having a first tab at one end being connected to the tear strip and a second tab at a second end being separated from the tear strip by a cut through the paperboard layer.
Each of the tabs are not adhered to the blister layer and the blister layer has a gripping portion to enable grasping thereof such that it may be removed to gain access to the contents of the blister pocket.
In the first arrangement set forth above, the delamination of the paperboard and the ability to push the product from the pocket is controlled by providing a line of weakening formed in the paperboard on the face which is adjacent to the blister. This line of weakening permits the product to be dispensed from the blister pocket with less effort than would otherwise be the case to thereby render the same a senior friendly package. At the same time, the line of weakening is not evident to a child since it does not extend through that portion of the paperboard which remains covering the blister

-4-pocket.
In the second arrangement, the tear strip is interconnected to a tab and which tab is designed to be lifted to pull the paperboard layer from the back of the blister. In this regard, the paperboard is only adhered to the blister about the periphery of the blister pocket. Thus, after removal of the paperboard layer, the blister may be removed by pushing the blister in the area of a depression formed in the blister layer.
This permits removal of the blister with less effort than would otherwise be the case.
The contents in the blister pocket are conventionally tablets or capsules or the like. However, as will be shown in the description of the preferred embodiments, the package of the present invention can be utilized with liquids and the like.
The materials utilized in the present invention are well known in the art.
Thus, the blister layer may be formed with a number of blister pockets projecting from a front side thereof, each designed to receive a unit dosage of a pharmaceutical product or indeed, some other product. The sheet may comprise a normally rectangular continuous blister sheet of a flexible clear material which cannot be easily torn or ruptured. Typically, such a film would be a vinyl thermoplastic film having a thickness in excess of 10 mil.
The rupturable film sealed to the back side of the blister sheet is also well known in the art and may be selected from many known materials. Typically, such rupturable blisters are of aluminum material having a thickness in the range of 1 mil and which may be joined to the blister sheet by conventional adhesives such as heat seal or coatings well known in the art.
In those applications wherein a paper layer is utilized, it again may use a heat

-5-sealable adhesive and comprise paper having a weight of between 13 pounds to pounds.
The reinforcing layer is preferably a paper product such paperboard. The tear strips in the paperboard layer may be defined by parallel lines of perforations or slits in the outwardly facing side to thereby form longitudinal tear lines which define the tear strip. At one end of the strip, there may be a tab which is not sealed to the blister layer.
In the first embodiment of the present invention, the line of weakening defining the tab may extend into the paperboard for a depth of preferably between 10 and 40%
of the thickness of the paperboard and more preferably, approximately 30% of the thickness.
Where the tab joins the tear strip, there is preferably a cut from the inner facing side of the paperboard which extends between 60 and 90% of the thickness of the paperboard.
In the above described embodiment, there is also provided a line of weakening which is cut into the paperboard from the inner side thereof at the position where the capsule will be ejected from the blister pocket. This line of weakening assists in dispensing of the product and may extend into the paperboard for a distance of between 10 and 40% of the thickness thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments thereof, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the forming sequence for manufacturing the package or container; and

-6-Figure 2 illustrates the sequence for opening the package or container.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As shown in Figure 1, there is provided a package 10 which comprises a central bottom panel 12, a dispensing panel 14, and a cover panel 16.
Between bottom panel 12 and dispensing panel 14, there is provided a sidewall section 20 and similarly, there is provided a sidewall section 18 between cover panel 16 and central bottom panel 12.
Extending outwardly from the marginal edges of dispensing panel 14 are end walls 22 and 24. Similarly, extending outwardly from the marginal edges of bottom panel 12 are end wall sections 26 and 28.
Dispensing panel 14 includes a cut-out 30 for reasons which will become apparent hereinbelow. Cover panel 16 also includes a tab portion 32 for sealing the package.
Mounted on dispensing panel 14 is a blister pack 34. Such blister packs are known in the art and preferably, blister pack 34 is, in conjunction with dispensing panel 14, formed according to one of the teachings set forth in co-pending U.S. patent application Serial Number 10/629,946.
As will be seen from Figure 1, there are provided a pair of lines of perforations 36. In lieu of perforations a die cut or other similar line of weakening may be provided.
As may be seen in Figure l, the package is formed with dispensing panel 14 overlying bottom panel 12 and being spaced therefrom. Subsequently, cover panel 16 lies on top of dispensing panel 14. As may be seen in Figures 1 and 2, tear strips 38 are provided in dispensing panel 14 according to the teachings of co-pending U.S.
patent application 10/629,946.
Finally, tab portion 32 may be sealed to sidewall section 20.
In forming the package, it may be manufactured using heat sealable stock or alternatively hot melt adhesive could be utilized.
As seen in Figure 2, for opening, tab portion 32 is grasped and cover panel 16 raised. Subsequently, the central section of dispensing panel 14 may be accessed by inserting a finger in the cut-out portion 30 and tearing along lines of weakening 36.
Access may then be had to the medicants in blister pack 34.
It will be understood that the above described embodiments are for purposes of illustration only and changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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