EP1006054A1 - Blister package - Google Patents

Abstract

Blister pack, especially for pills, has extra cell to contain part of a pill, and a corner of a semi-rigid sheet folds over to cover it. The pack consists of a sheet (3) of a semi-rigid material with a series of cells (8) to receive pills which can be broken in half. The cells are covered by a layer of a sealing material (22) which can be broken to extract the pills one at a time. One end of the semi-rigid sheet has an additional cell (9) designed to receive a half pill. The sheet has a fold line (12) which allows its corner (3) to be folded over and inserted in a slit (27), protecting the half pill until required for use.

Description

• une plaquette d'un matériau semi-rigide, présentant une face comportant une première zone creusée d'une pluralité d'alvéoles de conditionnement dont chacun est propre à recevoir un produit complet et une deuxième zone creusée d'un alvéole supplémentaire propre à recevoir un fragment de produit, chaque alvéole de conditionnement contenant un produit complet dans un état initial de l'emballage, à savoir alors que l'emballage est intact avant toute extraction des produits conditionnés,
• une feuille d'un matériau déchirable, appliquée à plat sur ladite première zone et solidarisée avec la plaquette au moins autour de chaque alvéole de conditionnement de façon à l'obturer dans ledit état initial de l'emballage,
• une amorce rectiligne de pliage de la plaquette, aménagée dans celle-ci au niveau de ladite deuxième zone et décalée par rapport à l'alvéole supplémentaire, pour délimiter dans la plaquette, à l'opposé de l'alvéole supplémentaire par rapport à l'amorce de pliage, un couvercle rabattable par pliage autour de celle-ci jusqu'à une position d'obturation de l'alvéole supplémentaire, l'alvéole supplémentaire débouchant à cet effet dans ladite deuxième zone à l'intérieur d'un contour géométrique symétrique du contour du couvercle par rapport à l'amorce de pliage lorsque la plaquette se présente à plat avant rabattement du couvercle,
• des moyens de verrouillage provisoire du couvercle dans ladite position d'obturation, aménagés dans la plaquette au niveau de ladite deuxième zone, pour permettre à un utilisateur de retenir provisoirement un fragment de produit dans l'alvéole supplémentaire, au moyen du couvercle occupant ladite position d'obturation.

The present invention relates to a packaging of the "blister" type, more particularly intended for the packaging of breakable products such as tablets and comprising for this purpose:

• a wafer of semi-rigid material, having a face comprising a first hollowed out zone of a plurality of conditioning cells, each of which is suitable for receiving a complete product and a second hollowed zone of an additional cell suitable for receiving a product fragment, each packaging cell containing a complete product in an initial state of the packaging, namely when the packaging is intact before any extraction of the packaged products,
• a sheet of tearable material, applied flat on said first zone and secured to the wafer at least around each packaging cell so as to seal it in said initial state of the packaging,
• a rectilinear primer for folding the wafer, arranged in the latter at the level of said second zone and offset relative to the additional cell, to delimit in the wafer, opposite to the additional cell relative to the folding initiation, a cover which can be folded down by folding around the latter to a position for closing off the additional cell, the additional cell opening for this purpose in said second zone within a symmetrical geometric contour of the outline of the cover relative to the folding initiation when the plate is flat before the cover is folded down,
• means for temporarily locking the cover in said closed position, arranged in the plate at said second zone, to allow a user to temporarily hold a fragment of product in the additional cell, by means of the cover occupying said position shutter.

A packaging of this type is described in the European patent N ° 0 146 063 B1, in the form of a band, the said face of which is elongated in a longitudinal direction and has said second area in a longitudinally extreme position; sheet of tearable material leaves this second area clear and the additional cell, thus open when the plate is flat before the lid is folded down, is empty in said initial state of the packaging. In this known packaging, the rectilinear folding initiation of the wafer is arranged transversely, between the additional cell and the cover which thus constitutes a part longitudinally extreme of the wafer, when the wafer is presented flat before folding the lid. To temporarily lock the lid of this known packaging in the closed position of the cell additional, a double annular rim, delimiting an annular groove, is arranged over the entire periphery of the additional cell, in relief on said face of the wafer, and a simple annular rim, complementary to said groove, is arranged, also in relief on said face, at the level of the cover, to fit into said groove when the cover occupies said closed position and thus immobilize the cover in this position. Longitudinally opposite the bend leader, the lid of this known packaging is extended by a triangular tab which facilitates its grip in order to apply traction to open it to new additional socket; before closing the cover, this tab forms a point extending longitudinally the plate.

This known packaging has the advantage, in comparison with the previously known "blister" type packages, containing neither blister additional reception of a product fragment, let alone cover temporary closure of such a cell, to allow safe shelter, without risk of losing it, a fragment of a product such as a used tablet only in part.

Retaining the cover in the closed position of the cell additional by fitting the annular rim of the cover into the groove bounded by the double annular rim arranged around the cell additional also makes it possible to establish a seal around it, but we observe that such a seal is rarely necessary, all the more more than the product fragment such as a tablet stored in the blister usually used very quickly after you have used a first fragment.

This consideration must be compared to the fact that this mode of known embodiment of the means for temporarily locking the cover in the closing position of the additional cell has a certain number of drawbacks.

One of these drawbacks is that the layout, rims on the cover and around the additional cell mutual interlocking results in the formation of protrusions on said face of the plate, when the plate is flat, before folding down the cover, while the plate generally has, moreover, in relief on a face opposite to said face, projections corresponding to each of the alveoli due to an arrangement of the alveoli, as indeed mutual interlocking edges, by thermoforming of the wafer, the constituent material is suitably chosen for this purpose.

However, the arrangement of projections respectively on either side of the wafer, namely on one side thereof in the form of the cells and the other side of it in the form of the locking edges of the cover around the additional cell, causes a complication of tools and method of manufacturing the wafer, which results in a increase in cost price in comparison with the platelets of traditional "blister" type packaging, with no cell additional receipt of a product fragment, nor cover closing of such a cell.

In addition, the temporary locking of the cover in its position obturation of the additional cell requires, in the case of the packaging described in the aforementioned European patent, a certain precision of relative positioning before that by pressure applied to the cover towards the rest of the plate, we cause mutual nesting locking. If the cover is not thus placed in a position narrowly defined with respect to the additional socket before we applies this thrust, the risk of damaging the edges and consequently to render unusable the means for temporarily locking the cover in the closed position of the additional cell when applying said pressure are particularly high. However, the precision of relative positioning required to avoid this risk is not easy to achieve the fact that the connection of the cover with the rest of the plate around a bend leader does not precisely define an axis of mutual articulation. Also, even if you take great care in this regard, the longevity of such locking means, that it is necessary to use repeatedly until all of the packaged products have not used, remains problematic due to risk of deformation permanent and wear of mutual interlocking edges.

Two other embodiments of a package of the same type are described in European patent application No. 0 148 118 A2.

In one of these embodiments, illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of this document, the packaging is practically identical to that described in the aforementioned European patent, except that the temporary locking of the cover in its closed position for the additional cell by fitting two reliefs of the cover into recesses arranged respectively on either side of the additional cell.

In the other of these embodiments, illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of this document, the packaging differs from that described in the European patent cited above by the fact that the relative position of the cell extra and the cover is different in that they are juxtaposed transversely in a longitudinally extreme zone of the insert, so that the fold start is longitudinal and it takes in addition to providing between the first and second zones a transverse line of breakage of the plate between the cover and the rest of the plate, and by the causes the temporary locking of the cover in its closed position additional cell is effected by partial fitting of a counter-cell, arranged in relief on the cover, in the additional cell.

We therefore find in these two embodiments all the aforementioned drawbacks of the packaging described in the European patent No. 0 146 063 B1, in terms of the presence of projections on either side of the plate when it is flat, before the cover is folded down, with the ensuing consequences, in terms of difficulties in reconciling a need for precise relative positioning of the reliefs of the cover and of the counterpart which constitute the counterpart with a connection of the cover and the rest of the wafer by a folding primer and in terms of longevity problematic.

In addition, the locking of the cover in the closed position is probably unstable in the case of the two embodiments of the packaging described in European patent application No. 0 148 118 A2, to less to realize undercut the counter-cell and the cell additional, or complementary reliefs and hollows, which allows to ensure an effective mutual anchoring but considerably complicates the process and equipment used for thermoforming the wafer in complicating in particular the demolding after thermoforming.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these disadvantages and, to this end, the present invention provides a packaging of the type indicated in the preamble, characterized in that the locking means provisional include a notch arranged in the plate, at the level of said second zone, opposite the initiation of folding relative to the cell additional, said notch being positioned and shaped so that it intersects said symmetrical geometric contour of the contour of the cover and when the cover occupies said closed position, can engage and retain a marginal area of the cover inside said notch by elastic bending of the material constituting the wafer while the cover lies flat around the additional cell.

Admittedly, a package according to the invention has no sealing of closure of the additional cell when the cover occupies its shutter position of it but this disadvantage compared to a packaging conforming to the teachings of European patent N ° 0 146 063 B1 is generally insensitive given that the fragment of product temporarily stored in this additional cell is generally used quickly. However, we keep all the security of retention of the product fragment inside the additional cell because of applying the cover flat around it.

In comparison with the packaging described in the European patent above, as with the packaging described in the European patent application N ° 0 148 118 A2, the packaging according to the invention is very simple easy to use since the layout locking means does not require the formation of any relief to the opposite of the reliefs corresponding to the alveoli, that is to say of no projection on said face of the plate, and that we can admit wide tolerances relative positioning of the cover and the rest of the plate when filling the additional socket without risking or obstructing possibilities of engaging a marginal area of the cover inside the notch by elastic bending of the material of the insert, nor damage the packaging to the point where it will prevent the product from locking cover in the closed position of the additional cell. And yet, the engagement of a marginal zone of the cover in the notch when the cover occupies its closed position ensures safe the stability of this shutter position and therefore to retain effectively a fragment of product in the additional cell. This mode of cooperation of the lid with the notch does not risk either permanent deformation or wear on either side in normal conditions of use and has all the longevity required by the number of operations to close and reopen the cell additional resulting from the number of breakable products usually additional resulting from the number of breakable products usually packaged in one package.

The additional cell can be closed by the material sheet tearable, then applied flat also on said second zone and secured to the plate also around the additional cell so as to seal it, and remain empty or even contain a tablet in said initial state of the packaging, in which case this additional cell does not constitute than a special conditioning cell. It is then necessary to open this first when we want to use the products packaged in benefiting from the possibility of temporarily keeping a fragment of it in the additional socket, and any appropriate marking can be used to attract the attention of a user in this regard.

However, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sheet of tearable material leaves said exposed second zone leaving the additional cell open when the plate is flat before folding down the cover, the cell additional being empty in said initial state of the packaging. The specificity of the additional socket is then directly perceptible and it is directly usable, that is to say without having to first release from said sheet of tearable material, at the risk of deforming it or to damage it.

Given the characteristic design of a package according to the invention, it is possible to ensure that, in general and as in the case of a traditional type "blister", that is to say not comprising no additional cell for receiving a fragment of product and also does not have a temporary closure cover of such an additional cell, said face of the wafer is flat and devoid of any protrusion when the plate is flat before folding of the cover; in particular, the folding leader can be advantageously arranged in the form of a hollow groove in said second zone. This absence of any projection on said face of the wafer when the latter is flat, before the cover is folded down, and especially when filling product packaging cells breakable such as tablets before placing the foil tearable material, then during this implementation, offers the advantage of compatibility of a packaging according to the invention with machines processing traditional "blisters", with no additional cell or cover temporary closure of such an additional cell. Indeed, such machines generally offer very little play above said face of the plate, so that any presence of a projection on this face risks cause a snag during the various filling operations in breakable products, laying the sheet of tearable material closing the conditioning and transfer cells from one workstation to another, with the consequences of stopping the packaging chains of product and the creation of waste, disadvantage that we may encounter with the packaging described in European patent No. 0 146 063 B1 and in European patent application No. 0 148 118 A2 but which is not not meet with packaging according to the invention.

In one of its preferred embodiments, the packaging according to the invention also makes it possible to remedy other drawbacks of packaging described in European Patent No. 0 146 063 B1 and in the European patent application No. 0 148 118 A2.

In the packaging described in European patent No. 0 146 063 B1, the cover fully extends the wafer beyond what is necessary for the layout of the additional cell and the need apply a relatively large pull to the cover to break the effect of fitting the cover around the additional cell requires the fitting on the cover of a tab which, as we have indicated above, forms a point extending even further the wafer when it is flat, before the cover is folded down. It follows that, for the same number of conditioning cells, the packaging described in this European patent has a space requirement significantly more important than that of traditional packaging of the type "blister", comprising neither additional cell nor shutter cover of such a cell, which results in a much higher consumption of raw material to make the wafer as well as to make the box which, generally, wraps it during its marketing and, before it, during storage; in addition, the volume required for storage of packaging corresponding to the same number of cells of conditioning is increased. In addition, the shape of the wafer of a packaging described in the aforementioned European patent deviates significantly of the usual rectangular shape of "blister" type packages, namely packaging of this type with no additional cell or shutter cover of such a cell, which causes an additional fall of material in manufacturing and requires the use of means of special positioning in the tools and in the transfer between tools.

There are some of these drawbacks in the packaging described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of European patent application N ° 0 148 118 A2 insofar as it has the same position of the cover by compared to the rest of the brochure; however, this packaging does not include the aforementioned pull tab of the cover so that it is less bulky than the packaging described in European patent No. 0 146 063 B1. The packaging described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of European patent application N ° 0 148 118 A2 is certainly even less bulky due to the position relative of the cover and the additional socket, but this position relative entails another disadvantage in that, as indicated previously, it requires a breaking line to be provided between the cover and the rest of the wafer; the layout of this breaking line further complicates the tools necessary for manufacturing the packaging; in in addition, this rupture line constitutes a tear initiation between the first and second areas of the wafer so that, prior to first folding of the cover towards its closed position of the cell extra, it is necessary to take care not to break the plate except the along this breaking line, without going further at the risk of detaching the additional socket and the cover of the rest of the wafer, and that this risk remains as the cover is folded down successively.

The present invention overcomes these drawbacks insofar as it is possible, according to a preferred embodiment, to provide that, when the plate is flat before folding the cover, said face has a generally rectangular, elongated shape in a longitudinal direction, as in the case of packaging traditional type "blister", providing further that said first and second zones are mutually juxtaposed longitudinally, along a rectilinear, transverse, transition line, such that the said second area itself has a defined general rectangular shape by said transition line, by a straight, transverse edge of said face, and by respective end zones of two straight edges, longitudinal, of said face. In such a case, a preferred embodiment of the packaging according to the invention is characterized in that, when the wafer comes flat before the lid is folded down, said general shape said second zone is elongated in a direction transverse, in that the folding primer extends at 45 ° relative to said transition line and to said transverse edge, from one of said edges longitudinal to said transverse edge, namely preferably approximately from the intersection of said longitudinal edge with said transition line, so that the cover corresponds to a corner of the plate and has at the level of said face the general shape of a isosceles right triangle of which the hypotenuse consists of the primer folding and the vertex of the right angle by the intersection between said edge transverse and said longitudinal edge, or between rectilinear extensions of these, at said corner of the wafer, in that the cell between the fold start and the transition line and centered on the bisector of said right angle, and preferably also approximately on a mean longitudinal axis of said face, and in this that said notch is arranged symmetrically with respect to said bisector to receive and hold said corner when the cover occupies said closed position.

A person skilled in the art will readily understand that in this way, packaging according to the present invention, in particular as regards the wafer and by therefore the box for receiving it, a lot of space weaker than a packaging of the type described in European patent No. 0 146 063 B1 or that a packaging of the type described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of European patent application No. 0 148 118 A2 and, in fact, much more close to that of a traditional blister type packaging containing neither additional cell, or closure cover of such a cell, for a same number of complete product packaging cells, which makes it possible to reduce the quantities of material respectively necessary and the storage volumes in comparison with packaging of the type described in the aforementioned European patent. In addition, thanks to the rectangular shape of the wafer before closing the lid, a packaging according to the invention thus designed makes it possible to limit the falls of material constituting the insert and can be processed and handled using tools and transport devices directly from those used with traditional "blister" type packaging, with no cell additional, or shutter cover of such a cell, if compared to the packaging described in the aforementioned European patent. In addition, the first folding of the cover towards its closed position of the cell additional does not require any break between the cover and the rest of the wafer, so that the packaging according to the invention does not have the risks of tearing the wafer between its first and second zones, inherent in the arrangement described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the European patent application No. 0 148 118 A2.

The size of a package according to the invention is still reduced if the notch is fitted in the immediate vicinity of the transition line between the first and second zones, which reduces the longitudinal dimensions of the second zone to a minimum, and if the notch has the shape of a convex arc towards the additional cell, which provides good elastic flexibility, compatible with a easy engagement and removal from the corner of the plate corresponding to the cover, for reduced dimensions of the notch and therefore of said second zone.

Other characteristics and advantages of packaging according to the invention will emerge from the description below, relating to an example nonlimiting, although currently preferred, of realization, as well as attached drawings which form an integral part of this description.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a package according to the invention in its original intact state, as delivered to a future user of the breakable products conditioned by it, namely in this example tablets, i.e. while each blister pack the semi-rigid material wafer is closed by the material sheet tearable and contains a complete breakable product, namely in this example a tablet, and while the additional blister is empty and clear as it is preferred when the packaging according to the invention is found in this initial state, the lid not folded down extending the rest of the brochure.

Figures 2 and 3 show a view of this package in section by plans marked respectively in II-II and III-III in Figure 1.

Figures 4 to 6 show, in corresponding views respectively to those of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, the same packaging which has opened a packaging cell by tearing the material sheet tearable, from which the corresponding tablet was extracted and cut or split in half to consume half while placing the other half in the additional socket, and while we have folded down and locked temporarily the cover in its closed position of this cell extra so packed with half a tablet; Figures 5 and 6 correspond to views of the packaging in section through plans marked in V-V and VI-VI respectively in Figure 4.

Although the packaging 1 according to the invention is illustrated and described in relationship with an application to the packaging of scored tablets 2, for example in two halves, generally lenticular before cutting or breakage, this packaging could apply generally to packaging of any breakable solid product, whatever the use for which is intended for this product, whatever its form and whatever the number of fragments into which it is intended to be divided, usually by arrangement of initiators of rupture suitably arranged for that each fragment has a mass and therefore a content predetermined.

Like previously known blister packs, the packaging according to the invention 1 comprises a plate 3 of a semi-rigid material, for example a thermoformable synthetic material, preferably transparent if tablets 2 do not fear exposure to light, it being understood that other materials and in particular opaque materials could be chosen without departing from the framework of the present invention.

When the packaging 1 is in the initial state, intact, illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, that is to say as it is delivered to the user, the plate 3 when viewed in plan a generally rectangular shape with corners rounded such as 4, defined by a edge 5 connecting two mutually main faces 6, 7 mutually parallel, which will be designated respectively by "upper face" and "lower face", for language conveniences without any limitation as to orientation that can be given to the packaging 1 and in particular to the wafer 3. The faces 6, 7 are flat, except for the recess in the face 6, in particular by thermoforming, as many conditioning cells 8 as 2 tablets to be packaged, as is generally known in the field of making blister type packaging, as well as an additional cell 9 suitable for receiving a fragment 10 of tablet and, according to a preferred embodiment, a groove 11 defining a rectilinear initiation of folding the wafer about an axis 12 of the face 6, under conditions which are characteristic of the present invention and will be described later, and the presence of localized reliefs on face 7 in correspondence with each of the cells 8, 9 and with the groove 11.

The production of each of the cells 8, 9 and of the groove 11 is translated in effect by the formation of a respective relief of the lower face 7. On will observe that, according to this preferred embodiment of the invention, the on the upper face 6 does not however have any projection, which facilitates the production of the cells 8, 9 and of the groove 11 by thermoforming, simplifies the tools necessary for this purpose and generally allows the use of to place tablets 2 in the packaging cells 8, close these and transfer the finished wafer 3 or packaging 1 from one station work to another equipment similar to that used for blisters of the traditional type, comprising only alveoli of packaging of complete tablets and no additional blister receiving a tablet fragment.

The upper face 6 of the plate 3 has the general shape aforementioned rectangular, elongated in a longitudinal direction which one has materialized by an average longitudinal axis 17 of this face 6, which is bounded by two straight longitudinal edges 13, 14 and by two edges also straight transverse 15, 16, mutually connected by rounded corners corresponding to the rounded corners of edge 5 of the booklet 3; for example, the longitudinal edge 13 and the transverse edge 16 are connect at the aforementioned rounded corner 4 of the plate 3.

The cells 8 intended for the packaging of a tablet respective 2 are located in a first zone 18 of face 6, which first zone 18 is delimited by the transverse edge 15, by respective sections 13b, 14b of the longitudinal edges 13, 14, and by a line straight, transverse 19 of transition from the first zone 18 with a second zone 20 of face 6. The transition line 19 is closer to the transverse edge 16 of the face 6 than of the transverse edge 15 of the latter, taking into account that the first zone 18 of the face 6 comprises as much of packaging cells 8 than of tablets 2 to be packaged, namely in the nonlimiting example illustrated ten conditioning cells 8 presented in the form of two identical groups bordering respectively edge 13 and edge 14 and mutually symmetrical about a plane longitudinal symmetry between them, including axis 17, others numbers and arrangements can be chosen by a person skilled in the art without as far as this goes beyond the scope of the present invention. However, the second zone 20 of face 6, delimited by the transition line 19, by the transverse edge 16 and by respective end sections 13a, 14a of longitudinal edges 13, 14, shorter than the sections 13b, 14b thereof, has only one cell, namely the additional cell 9, as well as all or almost all of throat 11. Thus, the first and second zones 18, 20, of generally rectangular shape, are elongated respectively in the longitudinal direction materialized by the axis 17 and in a transverse direction materialized by an axis 21 of symmetry between the transition line 19 and the edge 16 of the face 6 corresponding to the second zone 20 thereof, but this conformation only corresponds to a nonlimiting example, although preferred insofar as it corresponds to a minimum size of the wafer 3, and more generally of packaging 1, and optimal use of this space.

In its first zone 18, corresponding to the cells 8 of packaging of tablets 2 in the complete state, the upper face 6 of the wafer 3 is completely covered with a sheet 22 of a material tearable, which thus closes each conditioning cell 8 therein generally sealingly encloses a respective full tablet 2 when the packaging 1 is in the initial state in which it is illustrated in Figures 1 to 3. For this purpose, the sheet 22 is applied flat on the first zone 18 of the upper face 6 of the wafer 3 and secured to it at least around with each conditioning cell 8, and preferably uniformly distributed over the whole of zone 3, outside the alveoli 8, for example by heat sealing as is known so general in the field of the production of "blister" type packaging. The material of the sheet 22 can be of any type known in this domain, and for example consist of a multilayer complex comprising in particular an aluminum sheet turned opposite to zone 18 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3 and a sheet of thermoplastic material facing this zone 18 and ensuring the joining with it by heat sealing, but this example is in no way limiting.

Preferably, the sheet 22 is limited to the first zone 18 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3, in that it leaves clear the second zone 20 of this upper face 6, including the cell additional 9 intended to receive a fragment 10 of tablet when one begins to consume the 2 tablets initially packaged in the alveoli 8.

In fact, in its part corresponding to the first zone 18 of the upper face 6 of the wafer 3, the packaging according to the invention 1, consisting by the corresponding part of the wafer 3, the sheet 22 and, in a state initial delivery to the user, 2 tablets enclosed in the alveoli packaging 8 at the rate of one tablet 2 per cell 8, is in all comparable to traditional blister packaging, and all knowledge of a person skilled in the art can be applied to the realization of this part of the packaging 1 without leaving the framework of the present invention.

On the other hand, the part of the packaging 1 corresponding to the second zone 20 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3 is characteristic of the present invention. This part, in fact constituted by the single plate 3, will now be described firstly with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 which correspond to the initial state of packaging 1, i.e. to the state in which it is delivered to the user; we will observe that, in this state, the alveolus additional 9 is empty and open.

However, the groove 11 arranged in this part of the plate 3, recessed with respect to the second zone 20 of its upper face 6, defines in this part of the wafer 3 a cover 23 capable of being folded over the socket 9 to close it, by pivoting around the axis 12 by compared to the rest of the wafer so that the parts of the second zone 20 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3 which are separated one of the other by the groove 11 are applied substantially flat one against the other.

For this purpose, the folding axis 12 is oriented at 45 ° relative to the transition line 19 as with respect to the transverse edge 16 of the face upper 6 of the plate 3, and cuts the longitudinal edge 13 of this face 6 at least approximately at the intersection of the transition line 19 with this edge 13, and the groove 11 extends from one to the other of the edges 13 and 16 in having a constant section perpendicular to the axis 12, by example in a semicircle as shown in figure 3.

Thus, the cover 23 corresponds to the corner 4 of the wafer 3 and present when viewed in plan, especially at zone 20 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3, the general shape of a right triangle isosceles of which the hypotenuse is constituted by the axis 12 of folding, the two sides of the right angle by the section 13a of the edge 13 and by a section 16a of the edge 16, both located between line 12 and corner 4, and the top of the right angle through the intersection 24 of respective rectilinear extensions of edges 13 and 16 beyond the rounded corner 4; in a variant not shown that corner 4 is not rounded, that is, that edges 13 and 16 would extend in a straight line until the junction mutual, corner 4 would itself constitute the vertex of the right angle.

Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 4, when the cover 23 is folded flat on the part of the second zone 20 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3 which is located on the same side of the line 12 as the first part 18 of this upper face 6, by deformation of the groove 11 whose section by any cutting plane perpendicular to the axis 12 then becomes approximately circular, as shown in Figure 6, the cover 23 comes to occupy a folded position symmetrical to the position which occupied when it extended directly, coplanarly, the rest of the plate 3, for example in the initial state thereof, illustrated in Figures 1 to 3. In this closed position, the section 13a of the longitudinal edge 13 located between line 12 and corner 4 runs along the transition line 19, being oriented transversely like the latter, and the section 16a of the edge transverse 16 located between line 12 and corner 4 is located between the axis longitudinal middle 17 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3 and the other edge longitudinal 14 of this upper face 6, being oriented longitudinally; if we consider the bisector 25 of the angle at the vertex 24, which is oriented perpendicular to the axis 12, the corner 4 which is symmetrically arranged with respect to this bisector 25 in the initial state of the wafer 3, that is to say when the cover 23 extends coplanarly the rest of this plate, remains symmetrically arranged by relation to this bisector 25.

So that the cover 23 thus folded over the rest to the plate 3 closes the additional cell 9, the latter is located so that, at its mouth in the area 20 of the upper face 6 of the wafer 3, it is entirely located between the groove 11 and a symmetrical contour 28, by relative to the axis 12, of the outline of the cover 23, defined by the corner 4 and the sections 13a and 16a of edges 13 and 16, if we refer to the initial state of the wafer 3 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. Thus, the cell additional 9 is located on the side of the line 12 opposite the cover 23 in the initial state of the insert, being offset from the groove 11 so as not to interfere with it, and it’s more precisely located, in the example illustrated, between the groove 11 and the transition line 19 and centered on the bisector 25 of the angle at the apex 24, for example near immediately from the intersection 26 thereof with the mean longitudinal axis 17 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3.

Thus, when the cover 23 is folded over the part of the second zone 20 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3 which is located on the same side of line 12 as the first zone 18, it rests flat on this part over the entire periphery of the additional cell 9, which it closes totally, and can hold a fragment of tablet therein, provided that the cover 23 is retained in this closed position in means temporary locking, that is to say to release the cover 23 to bring it back by pivoting around axis 12 in the extension coplanar with the rest of the wafer 23 and thus be able to extract from the cell additional 9 fragment 10 of tablet.

To this end, it is provided according to the invention that the means of locking are constituted by a notch 27 arranged in the plate 3 at the level of the second zone 20 of the upper face 6 of this plate 3 and more precisely opposite the additional cell 9 relative to line 12 of groove 11, in a layout and with a conformation such that this notch 27 intersects the geometric outline 28 corresponding to the symmetry of the outline of the cover 23 relative to the axis 12 if we refer to the initial state of the packaging 1 and that, when the cover 23 is folded down as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6, it can engage by its corner 4 and by a marginal zone 29 directly adjacent to it at the interior of the notch 27 by elastic bending of the material constituting the plate 3 in the immediate vicinity of corner 4 and respectively on the part and on the other side of the notch 27, as best shown in FIG. 6, while the cover 23 also lies flat around the additional cell 9.

In the example illustrated, for this purpose, the notch 27 is arranged at immediate proximity to the transition line 19, which it may even exceed slightly at the level of the first zone 18 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3, and has the shape of a convex arc towards the cell additional 9 and symmetrical with respect to the bisector 25 of the angle at vertex 24. Naturally, the notch 27 is offset relative to the cell additional 9 so as not to interfere with it, but its distance by relative to the axis 12 along the bisector 25, which corresponds to its zone the closer to this axis 12, is less than the distance from this axis 12 the intersection of the rounded corner 4 with the bisector 25 to allow it to intersect the symmetrical contour 28 of the contour of the cover 23 relative to axis 12 as previously indicated.

Under these conditions, the packaging according to the invention 1 can be used in the following way.

It is made available to its user in the initial state illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, that is to say in a state in which the cover 23 coplanarly extends the rest of the wafer 3 and in which the sheet 22 closes, preferably in a sealed manner, all of the cells 8 of packaging of a respective tablet 2, in order to retain this tablet, each of the cells 8 containing a complete tablet 2; the socket additional 9 is open and empty and notch 27 has contiguous edges, without level offset as shown in Figure 3.

When the user wishes to take a tablet 2, he tears the sheet 22 facing the corresponding conditioning cell 8, like the show Figures 4 and 5 which must be compared in this respect of Figures 1 and 2. In known manner, this tear can be caused by direct action on sheet 22, for example by means of the nail, or else caused by applying pressure on the relief corresponding to the conditioning cell 8 at the lower face 7 of the plate 3 and repercussion of this push to sheet 22, up to tearing of the latter facing the conditioning cell 8 in question, via tablet 2.

After extracting the latter, the user who wishes to consume only a fragment, for example half in the example illustrated, cut tablet 2, absorb half of it and can replace the other half, or more generally a fragment 10 of this tablet whatever it is, in the additional cell 9 still open. Then the user can fold the cover 28 around the axis 12 on the additional cell 9 thus furnished with the fragment 10 of the tablet and, by bending the material of which the plate 3, engage corner 4 in notch 27 so that the area marginal 29 of the cover 23 comes, through this notch 27, take support against the underside 7 of the plate 3 by a region of this face lower 7 directly contiguous to the notch 27, while the cover 23 also applies flat around the cell 9 to seal it.

Naturally, the marginal zone 29 of the cover 23 which thus engages inside the notch 27 must be as small as possible, within the limits of the effectiveness of the locking thus obtained, so as to limit bending of the material of the wafer 3 necessary for this commitment.

When the user wishes to consume a fragment of compressed, it can reopen the additional cell 9 to extract the fragment 10. To this end, it suffices to initially apply traction to the sections 13a and 16a of the edges 13 to 16 of the plate for lifting the cover 23 relative to the rest of the wafer, which results in a bending of the cover 23, near the corner 4 in particular, and the area of the plate 3 located opposite the notch 27 relative to the line 12, and continue this movement until corner 4 escapes notch 27, this which then allows the cover 23 to be brought back in the extension coplanar with the rest of the wafer 3 by pivoting around the axis 12. The additional cell 9 is thus opened again, and the fragment 10 of tablet 2 becomes accessible.

These operations can be repeated for each of the tablets 2 initially packaged in the packaging cells 8.

It will be observed that the opening and closing operations of the cover 23, that is to say the successive flexions at the level of the groove 11 on the one hand, corner 4 and notch 27, on the other hand, cause sufficient little fatigue to be able to be repeated the number of times required by the number of tablets 2 packaged in the package 1. Naturally, to limit this fatigue, it is not necessary to bring the cover 23 in direct coplanar extension of the rest of the plate 3 each time that the additional cell 9 is opened, as soon as it is sufficiently clear that we can extract fragment 10 from it medicine it contains.

Naturally, although the embodiment of the packaging according to the invention 1 which has just been described currently constitutes a mode of preferred implementation, except for the number of cells 8 of packaging of complete tablets 2 packed in the latter, which is indifferent with regard to the present invention, as well as the form of these packaging cells 8, this packaging could experience many variations without departing from the framework of the present invention.

These variants could notably relate to the positioning and the conformation of the second zone 20 of the upper face 6 of the plate 3 and the various constituent elements of the invention which are are distributed at the level of this zone 20, namely the fold line 12, the cover 23, the additional cell 9 and the notch 27 intended to ensure the provisional locking of the cover 23 in its closed position the additional socket 9.

In addition, the sheet 22 of tearable material could, in particular for reasons of ease of manufacture, cover not only area 18 of the upper face 6 of the wafer 3 but also the area 20 thereof and also be joined to this zone 20, at least around the additional cell 9 to seal it in the same way as the conditioning cells 8, according to a variant not shown but easily deductible, by a person skilled in the art, from the method of implementation of the invention described with reference to Figures 1 to 6, otherwise unchanged; the additional cell 9 could remain empty in the initial state of the packaging 1, as described above, or could itself contain a complete tablet 2 in the same way as the conditioning cells 8, in this initial state of the packaging 1. In the case of this variant, the packaging according to the invention could not be used in the way previously described that on condition that the cell is opened beforehand additional 9 by tearing the sheet 22 facing it, and if necessary that it is emptied of the tablet 2 which it would contain, then of a fragment 10 of this tablet 2 that we would temporarily put back in before you start open and empty the tablet they would contain respectively conditioning cells 8. We could then advantageously attract the attention of a user in this regard by appropriate marking, applied for example on the zone of the sheet 22 corresponding to the zone 20 of the face 6 of the wafer, in particular opposite the additional cell 9.

Claims (11)

Packaging of the "blister" type, more particularly intended for the packaging of breakable products (2) such as tablets and comprising for this purpose: a plate (3) of a semi-rigid material, having a face (6) comprising a first zone (18) hollowed out of a plurality of conditioning cells (8) each of which is suitable for receiving a complete product (2 ) and a second zone (20) hollowed out by an additional cell (9) suitable for receiving a fragment of product (10), each conditioning cell (8) containing a complete product (2) in an initial state of the packaging (1), namely while the packaging (1) is intact before any extraction of the packaged products (10), a sheet (22) of a tearable material, applied flat on said first zone (18) and secured to the wafer (3) at least around each packaging cell (8) so as to close it in said initial state packaging (1), a rectilinear primer (11, 12) for folding the plate (3), arranged therein at the level of said second zone (20) and offset with respect to the additional cell (9), to delimit in the plate ( 3), opposite the additional cell (9) relative to the folding initiator (11, 12), a cover (23) which can be folded down by folding around it until it is in a closed position of the additional cell (9), the additional cell (9) opening for this purpose in said second zone (20) inside a geometric contour (28) symmetrical with the contour of the cover (23) with respect to the folding initiation (11, 12) when the plate (3) is flat before the cover (23) is folded down, means (27) for temporarily locking the cover (23) in said closed position, arranged in the plate (3) at said second zone (20), to allow a user to temporarily retain a fragment of product ( 10) in the additional cell (9), by means of the cover (23) occupying said closed position, characterized in that the means (27) for temporary locking comprise a notch (27) arranged in the plate (3), at the level of said second zone (20), opposite the folding leader (11, 12 ) relative to the additional cell (9), said notch (27) being positioned and shaped so that it intersects said geometric outline (28) symmetrical with the outline of the cover (23) and that, when the cover (23 ) occupies said closed position, one can engage and retain a marginal area (29) of the cover (23) inside said notch (27) by elastic bending of the material of the wafer (3) while the cover (23) rests flat around the additional cell (9). Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional cell (9) is empty in said initial state of the package (1). Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that said sheet (22) leaves said second zone (20) clear, leaving open the additional cell (9) when the plate (3) is flat before folding of the cover (23). Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said face (6) is flat and devoid of any projection when the plate (3) is flat before folding down the cover (23). Packaging according to claim 4, characterized in that the folding leader (11, 12) is arranged in the form of a groove (11) in hollow in said second zone (20). Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that when the plate (3) is flat before folding of the cover (23), said face (6) has a general shape rectangular, elongated in a longitudinal direction (axis 17), said first and second zones (18, 20) being mutually juxtaposed longitudinally, along a rectilinear line (19), transverse, of transition, so that said second zone (20) presents itself a generally rectangular shape defined by said transition line (19), by a rectilinear edge (16), transverse, of said face (6), and by zones respective ends (13a, 14a) of two straight edges (13, 14), longitudinal, of said face (6). Packaging according to claim 6, characterized in that, when the plate (3) is flat before folding down the cover (23), said generally rectangular shape of said second zone (20) is elongated in a transverse direction (21), in that the initiation of folding (11, 12) extends at 45 ° relative to said transition line (19) and to said transverse edge (16), of one (13) of said longitudinal edges (13, 14) to said transverse edge (16), so that the cover (23) corresponds to a corner (4) of the plate (3) and has at said face (6) the general shape of an isosceles right triangle whose hypotenuse is formed by the folding leader (11, 12) and the top of the right angle by the intersection (24) between said transverse edge (16) and said longitudinal edge (13), or between rectilinear extensions thereof, at said level corner (4) of the plate (3), in that the additional cell (9) is fitted between the fold start (11, 12) and the transition line (19) and centered on the bisector (25) of said right angle, and in that said notch (27) is arranged symmetrically with respect to said bisector (25) to receiving and retaining said corner (4) when the cover 23 occupies said position shutter. Packaging according to claim 7, characterized in that the folding leader (11, 12) extends approximately from the intersection of said longitudinal edge (13) with said transition line (19). Packaging according to any one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the notch (27) has the shape of a convex arc towards the additional cell (9). Packaging according to any one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the notch (27) is arranged in the immediate vicinity of said transition line (19). Packaging according to any one of Claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the additional cell (9) is centered approximately on an average longitudinal axis (17) of said face.

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