GB1580583A

GB1580583A - Packaging

Info

Publication number: GB1580583A
Application number: GB6359/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: UHLMANN MASCHF JOSEF
Current assignee: UHLMANN MASCHF JOSEF
Priority date: 1977-04-02
Filing date: 1978-02-17
Publication date: 1980-12-03
Also published as: IT7853128V0; FR2385608A1; DE2714877A1; ES240231Y; IT7867712A0; ES240231U; JPS53123297A

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO PACKAGING (71) We, JOSEF UHLMANN MASCHIN ENFABRIK GMBH & Co O KG, a German Company of 7958 Laupheim, Germany do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a press-through packet for small articles, especially tablets, consisting of a deformable foil possessing deformable pockets for the small articles and of a retainer foil connected therewith for closing the pockets and capable of being pressed through and torn by the small articles when pressure is applied to the pockets of the pocket foil.

Such press-through packets, rendering individual packaging of the small articles possible, are known in various forms. The pocket foil and the retainer foil can consist of synthetic plastics material, paper or metal, in so far as these materials permit a sealed connection of the two foils or, as in the case of paper or metal, may be provided with suitable coatings which render possible the sealing of the foils. In order in this case that the small article such as a tablet, may be taken in a simple manner from a pocket, the retainer foil is so thin that the tablet can be pressed out of the pocket through the retainer foil, which then tears, by light finger pressure upon the pocket foil with corresponding deformation of the pocket.The press-through retainer foil is usually a smooth foil consisting of paper or metal, which is sealed as a cover over a thermoplastic synthetic plastics foil forming the pocket foil, in which the pockets are shaped by deep drawing.

Irrespective of their configuration individually, such press-through packets in turn are generally packed singly or in quantity in cartons, hinged-lid packets or the like in order, for example, to secure the press-through packet against unintended pressing through of individual tablets or the like. Moreover, surfaces are provided on the outer packaging for example for indications of content, use and publicity, which are absent from the heavily relieved press-through packet with its pockets formed into the pocket foil. Alternatively the outer packaging may provide an externally neutral make-up which does not directly disclose the character of a tablet packet and/or the tablet content. This applies particularly to press-through packets of regularly required tablets which therefore are constantly carried in handbags and the like.

The individual packaging of tablets or the like in the form of press-through packets on the one hand and the further packaging of these press-through packets in cartons, hinged-lid packets and the like on the other hand not only cause considerable expense as regards production but also are complicated in use, since for the withdrawal of a tablet the press-through packet itself must first be taken from its surrounding packaging and must be returned into the surrounding packaging after the pressing through of the tablet.

A tablet packing has, however, been proposed in British Patent Specification No.

1086653 wherein the tablets are first packed in an ordinary press-through packet, this packet then being mounted in a cardboard outer wrapper formed so that, when open, it permits the tablets to be pressed out of the press-through packets without the need to take the press-through packet out of the wrapper.

The invention is based upon the problem of forming a press-through packet so that it does not require a separate additional packaging or wrapper but nevertheless is largely secured against accidental pressing through of tablets and still provides the possibility of being shaped so that it is not immediately ecognisable as a tablet packet, and/or permits a make-up of attractive external form and-if desired-with smooth surfaces for indications of content, use or publicity.

This problem is solved according to the invention by a press-through packet for small articles comprising a deformable pocket foil possessing deformable pockets for the small articles and of a retainer foil connected therewith so as to close the pockets and capable of being pressed through and torn by the small articles by application of pressure upon the pockets of of the pocket foil, the pocket foil being formed as one of two hollow packet shells connected by a hinge joint to be folded about the joint, the packet shells being formed with peripheral side walls that come into engagement to surround a closed packaging cavity between the packet shells when folded, the cavity then containing the pockets with the press-through retainer foil (with or without an external detachable protective foil) on the outside of the packet.

A form of packet which is preferred for reasons of simple and thus economical production has the hinge joint connecting the two packet shells formed in the form of one or more channels extending parallel with the hinge axis, so that the packet can be formed from one piece of deep-drawable synthetic plastics foil. Then the packet shells including the hinge joint connecting them and the pockets in the packet shells can be produced by one single deepdrawing operation. As a rule only one of the packet shells will be made with pockets.

If however, the press-through packet is to accommodate a larger number of tablets with minimum packet dimensions, it is possible to form both packet shells with pockets and to arrange the pockets in the two packet shells in relation to one another so that when the packet is closed each pocket of the one shell engages between pockets of the other packet shell.

In detail an arrangement is recommended in which the packet shells, when the packet is closed, have mutually overlapping side walls comprising mutually interengaging detent protuberances and recesses which come into engagement with one another when the packet is closed. Moreover, a separately detachable protective foil can be applied to the exterior of the press-through foil, which is advisable especially if the press-through packet is to be made childproof in the usual manner.

The progress achieved by the invention consists essentially in that the press-through packet according to the invention, due to its formation in the form of two packet shells which are hinged together, in the closed condition of the packet shells con stitutes an independent packet unit which requires no further packaging in cartons or the like, such as is necessary and ordinarily takes place in press-through packets. The second packet shell, hinged over the packet shell formed as the pocket foil makes the accidental pressing through of one of the tablets difficult or impossible when the packet is closed since access to the pockets of the pocket foil is rendered difficult, if not entirely prevented in the case of appropriate rigidity of the covering second packet shell, without prior opening of the packet shells.The second packet shell, hinged over the pocket foil of the press-through packet in the closed packet condition, incidentally offers a smooth surface which can be a carrier of indications of content, use or publicity, or can carry decorative oma mental elements which in combination with the remainder of the form and configuration of the packet shells renders possible a very attractive and if desiredcom- pletely unidentified external configuration and make-up of the packet as a whole.

More especially this covering second packet shell can be made opaque so that the packet contents cannot be seen. Since moreover in the packet shell forming the pressthrough packet, the press-through retainer foil lies on the outside of the packet shell, a smooth external surface results. There is no difficulty in reinforcing the deformable pocket foil by a protective foil which is detachable separately from the retainer foil. This protective foil may consist of strips to be detached one by one as is known per se in connection with childproof press-through packets.

The invention will be explained in greater detail hereinafter by reference to one example shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a pressthrough packet having two packet shells shown in the opened condition of its packet shells, and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the packet of Figure 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrow II in Figure 1.

The press-through packet for tablets or other small articles shown in the drawings consists primarily of two packet shells 1, 2 which are connected by a hingle joint 3 so that they can be hinged together about this joint in the direction of the arrow 4 in Figure 2, and brought into mutual frictional engagement around their edges. In the closed condition, these two shells 1, 2 form a packaging cavity between them. In the example shown in the drawings, the lefthand packet shell 1 is formed as a pressthrough packet. For this purpose it con sists of a deformable pocket foil 6 possessing deformable pockets 5 for the small articles, and of a retainer foil 7 sealed therewith, closing the pockets 5 and capable of being pressed through and torn by the small articles when pressure is applied to the pockets of the pocket foil 6.The pocket foil 6 constitutes the left packet shell 1 with the pockets 5 protruding on the inside of the packet shell 1 into the packaging cavity. The press-through retainer foil 7 lies on the outside of the packet shell 1. The two packet shells 1, 2 including the hinge joint 3, connecting them and made in the form of one or more channels extending parallel with the hinge axis, are produced in one single operation from a single piece of deep-drawable synthetic plastics foil, the pockets 5 being simultaneously shaped into the packet shell 1. The packet shells 1, 2 possess side walls 8 which overlap one another when the packet is closed and comprise mutually associated detent protuberances 10 and recesses 9 that engage one another when the packet is closed.The detent elements are designed so as securely to hold the shells 1, 2 together, but on the other hand so as readily to permit the opening of the two package shells 1, 2 when required. In the example the side wall 8 on the packet part 1 is formed by a bead 12 around which the side wall 8 of the packet part 2 fits externally when the packet is closed. Moreover a separately detachable protective foil can be applied externally to the press-through foil 7, this not being shown in the drawings, since it is known per se in for example child-proof press-through packets.

While the drawings show an example where only one of the two packet shells is formed as a press-through packet, the possibility exists. of course, of additionally forming the right-hand packet shell 2 as a press-through packet, if the packet is to accommodate a larger number of tablets with equal pocket dimensions. In such a case again the pockets 5 of the two shells 1, 2 are directed inwards towards the packaging cavity. In order to keep the packet thickness as a whole small in this case, the possibility exists of arranging the pockets 5 in the two packet shells 1, 2 in relation to one another so that when the packet is closed the pockets of each shell engage between the pockets of the other packet shell. A separately detachable pro tective foil can be applied externally to each of the press-through foils.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A press-through packet for small articles comprising a deformable pocket foil possessing deformable pockets for the small articles and of a retainer foil connected therewith so as to close the pockets and capable of being pressed through and torn by the small articles by application of pressure upon the pockets of the pocket foil, the pocket foil being formed as one of two hollow packet shells connected by a hinge joint to be folded about the joint, the packet shells being formed with peripheral side walls that come into engagement to surround a closed packaging cavity between the packet shells when folded, the cavity then containing the pockets with the press-through retainer foil (with or without an external detachable protective foil) on the outside of the packet.

2. A press-through packet according to Claim 1, in which the two packet shells and the hinge joint connecting them are formed from one single piece of deepdrawable synthetic plastics foil the hinge joint being formed with at least one channel extending parallel to the hinge axis.

3. A press-through packet according to Claim 1, or Claim 2, in which each of the two packet shells is formed by a deformable pocket foil having pockets closed by a retainer foil, the packet shells being arranged in relation to one another so that when the packet is closed the pockets of each shell engage between pockets of the other packet shell while the retainer foils (with or without an external detachable protective foil) are on the outside of the packet.

4. A press-through packet according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the packet shells, when the packet is closed, have mutually overlapping side walls which comprise interengaging detent protuberances and detent recesses which come into engagement with one another when the packet is closed.

5. A press-through packet according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which a separately detachable protective foil is applied externally to the press-through foil or to each such press-through foil.

6. A press-through packet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. sists of a deformable pocket foil 6 possessing deformable pockets 5 for the small articles, and of a retainer foil 7 sealed therewith, closing the pockets 5 and capable of being pressed through and torn by the small articles when pressure is applied to the pockets of the pocket foil 6. The pocket foil 6 constitutes the left packet shell 1 with the pockets 5 protruding on the inside of the packet shell 1 into the packaging cavity. The press-through retainer foil 7 lies on the outside of the packet shell 1.The two packet shells 1, 2 including the hinge joint 3, connecting them and made in the form of one or more channels extending parallel with the hinge axis, are produced in one single operation from a single piece of deep-drawable synthetic plastics foil, the pockets 5 being simultaneously shaped into the packet shell 1. The packet shells 1, 2 possess side walls 8 which overlap one another when the packet is closed and comprise mutually associated detent protuberances 10 and recesses 9 that engage one another when the packet is closed. The detent elements are designed so as securely to hold the shells 1, 2 together, but on the other hand so as readily to permit the opening of the two package shells 1, 2 when required. In the example the side wall 8 on the packet part 1 is formed by a bead 12 around which the side wall 8 of the packet part 2 fits externally when the packet is closed.Moreover a separately detachable protective foil can be applied externally to the press-through foil 7, this not being shown in the drawings, since it is known per se in for example child-proof press-through packets. While the drawings show an example where only one of the two packet shells is formed as a press-through packet, the possibility exists. of course, of additionally forming the right-hand packet shell 2 as a press-through packet, if the packet is to accommodate a larger number of tablets with equal pocket dimensions. In such a case again the pockets 5 of the two shells 1, 2 are directed inwards towards the packaging cavity. In order to keep the packet thickness as a whole small in this case, the possibility exists of arranging the pockets 5 in the two packet shells 1, 2 in relation to one another so that when the packet is closed the pockets of each shell engage between the pockets of the other packet shell. A separately detachable pro tective foil can be applied externally to each of the press-through foils. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A press-through packet for small articles comprising a deformable pocket foil possessing deformable pockets for the small articles and of a retainer foil connected therewith so as to close the pockets and capable of being pressed through and torn by the small articles by application of pressure upon the pockets of the pocket foil, the pocket foil being formed as one of two hollow packet shells connected by a hinge joint to be folded about the joint, the packet shells being formed with peripheral side walls that come into engagement to surround a closed packaging cavity between the packet shells when folded, the cavity then containing the pockets with the press-through retainer foil (with or without an external detachable protective foil) on the outside of the packet.