ES2746352T3 - Blister packaging for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like, comprising a protrusion (2) adapted to define a cavity (3) that is closed by a film (21) and protrudes from a flat region (5) of the packaging blister, said protuberance (2) being adapted to exert a pushing action against a sanitizing product (4) housed within said cavity (3), characterized in that said film (21) comprises a proximal part (22), which is close to cavity 3 or substantially adjacent thereto, and which is heat-sealed to said flat region (5) and a distal part (23) that is not heat-sealed to said flat region (5), said protrusion (2) being defined in a region (9) that is undercut with respect to said flat region (5), and because said proximal portion (22) of said film (21) substantially coincides with said undercut region (9).

Description

DESCRIPTION

Blister packaging for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like.

The present invention relates to blister packaging for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like. More specifically, the invention relates to blister packaging that is adapted to be used to house a sanitizing product, such as, for example, sanitizing tablets for sanitary ware and the like.

As is known, in order to sanitize the interior of a sanitary appliance, sanitizing tablets are generally used which are adapted for application to the interior wall of a sanitary appliance. The application of said tablets takes place by means of a blister packaging that houses the tablet inside it and which is provided with lateral wings that make it possible, once folded back so that they overlap in the area that houses the tablet, to exert pressure on the lateral accommodation area of the tablet to obtain the expulsion thereof when it is in contact with the interior wall of the sanitary apparatus. In this way, the sanitizing tablet is ejected from the blister pack and remains attached to the inner wall of the sanitary appliance thanks to its adhesive properties.

However, conventional types of blister packaging suffer from some drawbacks, which are mainly due to the fact that the presence and the need for lateral wings that can be folded backwards in the region behind the area that houses the tablet implies that the packaging The blister has large dimensions and, therefore, the packaging in which it is marketed must also have corresponding dimensions.

Furthermore, a blister package provided with side wings must also have special recesses in the wings to allow insertion of the user's fingers to carry out the folding of the wings and to exert the consequent pressure action on the cavity. central that houses the tablet to obtain its expulsion from said cavity.

A further problem affecting conventional devices refers to keeping the sanitizing product inside the blister package during the operations of applying the same on the surface of the sanitary apparatus.

In fact, to close the blister packaging in a way that preserves the sanitizing product housed therein, which normally, as mentioned, is presented for example in the form of a pill or cake, a film is used, heat-sealed to the blister packaging. which can then be removed during application. However, the removal of the heat-sealed film generates instability in the system, so that, as a consequence of this operation, the sanitizing product no longer lodges firmly in its receptacle.

In particular, during film removal, conventional blister packaging types are subjected to elastic or elastic-plastic deformation, so that the sanitizing product, even if it is initially pinched tight in the blister packaging, undergoes a change that makes that it is no longer properly integrated with the blister packaging. When the blister pack is turned over or, in any case, when it is moved, the sanitizing product may fall from the blister pack in which it is housed before the user has had sufficient time to place said blister pack against the wall of the sanitary appliance.

This occurs because the blister packaging is necessarily made to undergo deformation, which is an essential characteristic that makes possible the application of the product. However, said deformation also takes place, in an inconvenient way, at the time of the removal of the film that closes the blister package.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a blister packaging for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like, in which the application of the sanitary product on the sanitary appliance is facilitated, with its removal from the blister packaging only at the correct time with respect to the conventional types of blister packaging. DE 102009039675 A1 and WO 2013/054124 A1 describe, for example, blister packages according to the preamble of claim 1.

Within this purpose, an objective of the present invention is to provide blister packaging for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like, which makes it possible to apply the product housed therein to a sanitary appliance in a convenient and practical manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide blister packaging for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like, in which the sanitizing product is ejected from the blister packaging even in the absence of the wings generally present in conventional blister packaging types and while At the same time, the risk of the product housed inside it being inadvertently ejected or falling out of the blister package before it has been placed in the correct position for product application is minimized.

Another object of the present invention is to provide blister packaging for sanitizing products that is highly reliable, that can be applied in a simple and practical way and that presents a low cost.

This purpose and these and other objectives that will become more apparent below are achieved by a blister pack for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like, comprising a protrusion adapted to define a cavity which is closed by a film and which protrudes from a flat region of the blister package, said protuberance being adapted to exert a pushing action against a sanitizing product housed inside said cavity, said film comprising a proximal part, which is close to or substantially adjacent to the cavity and which it is heat sealed to said planar region, and a distal part that is not heat sealed to said planar region, said protrusion being defined in a recessed region with respect to said planar region and said proximal part of said film substantially coinciding with said recessed region.

The additional features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of two preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of the blister pack according to the present invention, which are illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a blister package;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the blister package of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the blister package 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a blister package according to the present invention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the blister package according to the present invention;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the blister package according to the present invention;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of the blister package according to the present invention.

Referring to the figures, in which identical reference numbers generally designate identical elements, a blister package according to the invention, generally designated by reference number 1, comprises a protrusion 2 defining inside it a cavity 3 to house a sanitizing product 4, eg a sanitizing tablet, for sanitary appliances and the like.

The protuberance 2 is surrounded by a substantially flat region 5 that has a shape, for example rectangular, circular or other.

The sanitizing product 4 is housed entirely within the cavity 3 of the protuberance 2.

The cavity 3 is closed by a film 21, which is only heat-sealed to the blister pack by part of it.

In particular, in the film 21 there is provided a proximal part 22, which is close to or substantially adjacent to cavity 3, and which is heat-sealed to the surface of planar region 5, and a distal part 23 which, by on the contrary, it remains free with respect to the flat region 5.

The heat sealing of the proximal part 22 of the film 21 in the flat region 5 is of the removable type, so that the user can grasp one end of the film 21 and remove it from the blister package 1 to open the cavity 2 and allow the application of the sanitizing product 4.

Considering a radial direction from the center of the cavity 3 towards the outside of the flat region 5, the distal part 23 of the film 21 preferably extends in a length equal to the length of the proximal part 22 of the film 21 along of the same guideline.

Preferably, furthermore, the non-heat-sealed area corresponding to the distal part 23 extends beyond the heat-sealed area corresponding to the proximal part 22 of the film 21.

Figures 1 to 3 refer to a blister package, in which the protrusion 2 is provided with a grip element 12, which protrudes above it, which acts as a handle for the user of the device.

The operation of the device is as follows. The user who wishes to apply the sanitizing product 4 to a sanitary appliance grasps an end of the film 21 that is not heat-sealed to the flat region 5, that is, one end of the distal part 23 of the film 21, and lifts it in the opposite direction with respect to the protrusion 2 and the cavity 3, in order to be able to apply sufficient force thereafter to detach the proximal part 22 of the film 21 from the flat region 5.

Since the heat sealing of the film 21 in the flat region 5 does not affect the peripheral parts of the blister pack, but rather affects the parts adjacent or, in any case, close to cavity 3 and, since cavity 3 is defined by means of the walls of the protuberance 2, which give rigidity to the blister packaging in region 5 affected by the heat sealing of the film 21, together with the fact that the lever arm applied for the removal of the film 21 is defined from the position furthest from the heat sealing area of the film, the operation of separating the film It takes place by applying a concentrated reduced force at the points of greatest rigidity of the blister package, thus minimizing the torsional forces acting on said blister package and which would result in a considerable deformation of the same with the possibility of premature separation of the product. Sanitizer 4 of the cavity walls or ceiling 3.

The material used for the blister packaging can be a conventional plastic material, such as PE, PET or PVC, with a thickness of not more than 0.5 mm and preferably not more than 0.4 mm.

In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the material is approximately 0.2 mm.

Once the film 21 is completely removed, the user, grasping the blister packaging by the grip element 12, places it on the surface of the sanitary apparatus on which the product is to be applied and, exerting adequate lateral pressure on said gripping element 12 and a pressure in the direction of the surface of the sanitary appliance, induces the separation of the sanitizing product from the blister packaging and its attachment to the surface of the sanitary accessory.

The dimensions of the gripping element must be such that they ensure adequate comfort of use for the user, who has to grip the blister packaging with his fingers in a practical and safe way, to exert the necessary force to apply the sanitizing product in the sanitary appliance. . At the same time, the dimensions of the gripping element 12 should not be excessively large, so as not to generate unnecessary volumes and to limit the amount of plastic material necessary to equip the blister packaging. It has been observed that the extension in height of the gripping element 12 should be greater than 10 mm, preferably greater than 12 mm and less than 20 mm. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the optimum height extension of the gripping element 12 is substantially equal to 13 mm.

Figure 4 illustrates a blister package according to the invention in which, differently from the blister package of Figures 1 to 3, the protrusion 2 is defined in a region 9 which is recessed with respect to the flat region 5.

The flat region 5 and the lower region 9 are separated in height by a raised perimeter edge 10, so that said recessed region 9 defines a type of rib around the boss 2 or the cavity 3.

In this embodiment, the film 21 is heat-sealed on the surface of the recessed region 9 and preferably extends outside said recessed region 9, in the flat region 5, covering it totally or partially.

Therefore, the distal part 23 of the film 21 does not actually rest on the surface of the flat region 5, which can facilitate the user to grasp the edge of the film to remove the film itself.

Proximal portion 22 of film 21 may also substantially coincide with the surface of recessed region 9.

The operation of the blister pack in this second embodiment is clearly similar in its entirety to that described above with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

Figures 5 to 8 define a further variation of the embodiment of the present invention, in which a rib 6 centrally passes through the protuberance 2. Said rib 6 defines, inside cavity 3, a raised part 7 that protrudes inside cavity 3.

In this embodiment, cavity 3 substantially coincides with the region that can be grasped by the user to eject the sanitizing product.

In this case, therefore, the sanitizing product 4 housed within the cavity 3 is in contact with the raised part 7. One function of said raised part is to eject the sanitizing product 4 from the blister pack 1 when the user laterally grasps the protrusion 2 and presses the two ends thereof, adjacent to the rib 6, 2a and 2b, so that they come closer together taking advantage of said rib 6, so that the raised part 7 exerts a pushing action against the sanitizing product 4 , expelling it from the cavity 3 formed by said protuberance 2.

Preferably, the raised part 7 extends towards the upper surface of the sanitizing product 4, influencing only a part of the region that can be grasped by the user.

In order to comfortably grasp the protuberance 2, the latter may be provided with recesses 8, which are arranged at the two ends 2a and 2b of said protuberance 2.

The recesses 8 allow the user's fingers to be partially housed and, therefore, exert an action to bring the ends 2a and 2b closer to each other, so that the central rib 6 is closed substantially with the parts 2a and 2b that come into central contact. . In this way, the raised part 7 exerts a pushing action against the sanitizing product 4, expelling it.

The presence of the recessed region 9, adjacent to the flat region 5, allows a better expulsion of the product. In this case, the operation is similar to that described above, except for the different handle that allows a push to expel the product towards the surface of the sanitary apparatus with the only action of bringing the ends 2a and 2b closer.

In practice, it has been discovered that the blister packaging according to the present invention completely achieves the stated purpose and objectives, since it allows the sanitizing product to be expelled without resorting to lateral wings that, when folded back, would exert a pushing action against the sanitizing product.

On the contrary, according to the invention, the pushing action is exerted by means of the rib of the protuberance and by means of the corresponding elevated part defined inside the cavity that houses the sanitizing product, and the presence of the lowered region facilitates it.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (12)

1. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like, comprising a protrusion (2) adapted to define a cavity (3) that is closed by a film (21) and protrudes from a flat region (5) of the blister pack, said protuberance (2) being adapted to exert a pushing action against a sanitizing product (4) housed within said cavity (3), characterized in that said film (21) comprises a proximal part (22), which it is close to or substantially adjacent to cavity 3, and that it is heat sealed to said flat region (5) and a distal part (23) that is not heat sealed to said flat region (5), said protuberance (2) being defined in a region (9) that is undercut with respect to said flat region (5), and in that said proximal part (22) of said film (21) substantially coincides with said undercut region (9). 2. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like according to claim 1, characterized in that said proximal part (22) extends around the entire cavity (3) of said blister packaging (1). 3. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like according to claim 2, characterized in that, at least at one point, said distal part (23) extends, in a radial direction with respect to the center of said cavity (3), in a length that is at least equal to the length of the corresponding heat-sealed segment of said proximal part (22). 4. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said film (21) covers substantially the entire flat region (5). 5. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like according to claim 1, characterized in that a raised perimeter edge (10) is defined between said protuberance (2) and said flat region (5). 6. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary ware and the like according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a gripping element (12) projecting upwards from said protuberance (2). 7. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary devices and the like according to claim 6, characterized in that the height extension of said grip element (12) is greater than 10 mm, preferably greater than 12 mm. 8. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary ware and the like according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said protuberance (2) is affected by a rib (6) that crosses it centrally, defining said rib. (6) inside said cavity (3) a raised part (7) that is adapted to apply a pushing action against said sanitizing product (4) housed inside said blister package. 9. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary devices and the like according to claim 8, characterized in that said cavity (3) coincides with the region that can be grasped by the user for the expulsion of said sanitizing product (4), said raised part (7) extending towards the upper surface of said sanitizing product (4), affecting only a part of said region that can be grasped by the user. 10. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary appliances and the like according to claim 9, characterized in that said rib (6) extends centrally along the entire length of said protrusion (2), and in that said protrusion (2) is provided, laterally with respect to said rib (6), with recesses (8) for insertion of the user's fingers. 11. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary ware and the like according to claim 10, characterized in that said rib (6) divides said protrusion (2) into a first and a second part (2a, 2b), which are adapted to approach each other, in order to apply a pushing action for the expulsion of said sanitizing product (4) that is completely housed inside said protuberance (2). 12. Blister packaging (1) for sanitizing products for sanitary ware and the like according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickness of the blister packaging material does not exceed 0.4 mm and is preferably comprised near 0.2 mm.