IE45821B1 - Improved dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

The dispensing package is intended to accommodate packaged material, for example bandaging material in the form of rolls, the package comprising an integral shaped body. In order to achieve a simple structural build-up coupled with a low space requirement of the package two semi-cylindrical package troughs (11 and 12) are hinged to one another on one long side (21 and 22), and sealing elements (35 and 36) are fitted on the opposite long side (31 and 32). A removal opening (50) is provided in the sealed state of the package. Each semi-cylindrical package trough made of a translucent thermoplastic is provided on its free edge with a circumferential flange for arrangement of the hinge and the sealing elements.

Description

This invention relates to a dispenser pack for containing goods in roll form.

To provide holders for emergency wound dressings, adhesive plasters, or wound dressing material in strip form, multi-part housings are known into which a roll of dressing or like material in strip form can be inserted. The strip material is extracted through a withdrawal opening and thus can be withdrawn in desired lengths. Such housings are expensive in construction and have considerable space requirements, so that they are not suitable for despatch together with each new roll.

The invention provides a dispenser pack for contain ing goods in roll form, the dispenser comprising two semi-cylindrical troughs each having four straight free edges, one along each longitudinal side and one across at each end, and a planar flange arrangement with two flanges extending one along each longitudinal side and two flanges extending one across at each end of each trough, the flanges extending outwardly of and from the straight free edges of each trough, one of the longitudinally extending flanges of one trough being connected to one of the longitudinally extending flanges of the other trough to form a hinge and to allow the troughs to pivot about the hinge between a first position in which the two troughs together define a hollow cylinΥ V drical enclosure and a second position in which all the - 3 flanges of the two troughs lie in a common plane, and the other two longitudinally extending flanges, which are not hinged to each other, are provided with cooperating elements to releasably secure the troughs in the first position and to allow the said other two flanges to be spaced apart from each other in the first position to provide an opening into the enclosure.

The dispenser pack can be supplied containing emergency wound dressings, adhesive plasters or dressing material in roll form, in which case it also serves as packaging wrapper· for transport.

In use, dressings of any desired length can be unrolled and cut off without contact with the remaining content of the pack. The packed goods are thus hygienioally protected both prior to and during use. The dispenser pack stands stably, so that the withdrawal opening does not come into contact with the surface on which it is placed, for example a table top. The pack may advantageously consist of translucent or transparent synthetic plastics materials so that the nature and quantity of the contents can always be seen from the exterior.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser, Figure 2 is a plan view of the dispenser shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is an end view of the dispenser, Figure 4 shows the opened-out dispenser in plan view and, Figure 5 shows the opened-out dispenser in end view. - 4 In the embodiment illustrated the dispenser is shown empty. A coreless roll of dressing material can be inserted in the dispenser and the possibility also exists of arranging several rolls of differing packed goods- side by side within the dispenser.

The dispenser consists of a one-piece shaped body 10 of synthetic plastics materials, preferably a deepdrawable material. Thermoplastic synthetic plastics materials of any desired coloration and material thickness can be used. If translucent or transparent synthetic plastics materials are used it will be possible to see, at any time, the contents of the pack in each case.

The shaped body 10 consists of two semi-cylindrical troughs 11 and 12. The troughs 11 and 12 have cylindrical peripheral surfaces 13 and 14 and end faces 15, which are semi-circular in the embodiment illustrated.

In each peripheral surface 13 and 14 there are formed rib portions 16 extending parallel to the longitudinal axes of the troughs. The two portions 16 are provided in each peripheral surface and are substantially wedgeshaped in cross section. The free longitudinal edges 17 of two portions 16 of one semi-cylindrical trough 11 or 12 extend from the surface of the trough at least to the horizontal plane which is perpendicular to the bisecting plane 18 of the troughs 11 and 12 and a tangent to surface 13 or 14. The edges 17 can also protrude beyond the tangential plane to provide support for the dispenser. In every case it is ensured that the dispenser pack can be arranged stably. In place of the continuous rib portions 16 interrupted protruding projections can be provided. 43821 - 5 On the peripheral straight free edges of each trough 11 and 12 a flange is formed extending outwardly of each trough. On longitudinal sides 21 and 22 of the troughs 11 and 12 there are longitudinal flanges 23 and 24 which are connected with one another by a hinge 25. The hinge can be formed by attenuation of material from which the troughs are made. For lengthy use it can also be formed as a film-type hinge.

On the opposite longitudinal sides 31 and 32 the troughs 11 and 12 are provided with flanges 33 and 34. The flanges 33 and 34 are provided with relief embossings 35 and 36. The longitudinal flange 33 carries a relief embossing 35 in the region of each of its ends. Although the relief embossings 36 of the flange 34 can be formed correspondingly, in the example of the embodiment as illustrated they are provided in tabs 38 which are formed as extensions of the longitudinal flange 34 on the trough 12. The tabs 38 are flexible and can be turned from the exterior around the flange 33, as may be seen from Figure 1, when the two pack troughs 11 and 12 are pivotted about the hinge to a first position in which they define a hollow cylindrical enclosure. The relief embossing 36 of the tabs 38, which point - as may be seen from Figure 5 - in the same direction as the relief embossings 35 of the flanges 33, are then brought into engagement with the relief embossings 35. This engagement takes place in press stud manner, for which purpose the relief embossings 35 and 36 are appropriately formed. Both relief embossings 35 and 36 can be conically undercut in order to achieve better fixing. 458-2 - 6 Flanges 43 and 44 are likewise formed on the straight free edges 41 and 42 of the end faces 15 of the troughs 11 and 12. These flanges serve for the reinforcement of the entire pack and prevent tilting of the adjacent flanges 23, 33 and 24, 34 in each case. All the flanges of each trough lie in a common plane and the two troughs can be pivotted from the first position to a second position in which all the flanges of the two troughs lie in a common plane.

When the troughs 11 and 12 are positioned as shown in Figure 1 and the tabs 38 are locked with the longitudinal flange 33, a withdrawal opening 50 of slot form is formed between the longitudinal flanges 33 and 34.

This imparts a uniform guidance to the packed material so that this can be cut off in each case on the free edge of the flanges 33, 34. The longitudinal flanges 33, 34 are each provided with a recess 51 so that the packed material may be grasped satisfactorily in the region of the withdrawal opening 50. When a plurality of rolls of packed goods are contained in the troughs, side by side, it is expedient to provide a corresponding number of recesses 51.

Claims (9)

1. A dispenser pack for containing goods in roll form, the dispenser comprising two semi-cylindrical troughs each having four straight free edges, one along each longitudinal side and one across at each end, and a planar flange arrangement with two flanges extending one along each longitudinal side and two flanges extending one across at each end of each trough, the flanges extending outwardly of and from the straight free edges of each trough, one of the longitudinally extending flanges of one trough being connected to one of the longitudinally extending flanges of the other trough to form a hinge and to allow the troughs to pivot about the hinge between a first position in which the two troughs together define a hollow cylindrical enclosure and a second position in which all the flanges of the two troughs lie in a common plane, and the other two longitudinally extending flanges, which are not hinged to each other, are provided with co-operating elements to releasably secure the troughs in the first position and to allow the said other two flanges to be spaced apart from each other in the first position to provide an opening into the enclosure.

2. A dispenser pack according to Claim 1, wherein the hinge is formed by an attenuation of material.

3. A dispenser pack according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the co-operating elements comprise relief embossings formed in the said other longitudinal flanges for locking engagement with one another.

4. A dispenser pack according to Claim 3, wherein relief embossings are formed on flexible tabs which are provided in extensions of one of the said other longitudinal flanges.

5. Two longitudinally extending ribs, one on each side of the said plane, each rib being substantially wedge-shaped in cross-section and providing a free longitudinally extending edge which projects up to or beyond a second plane which extends perpendicular to the first said plane 10 and is a tangent to the external surface of the trough.

6. A dispenser pack according to any one preceding claim, wherein on at least one trough there is provided

7. A dispenser pack according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pack is formed from thermoplastic synthetic plastics materials.

8. A dispenser pack according to Claim 7, wherein 15 the pack consists of translucent or transparent synthetic plastics materials. - 8 5. A dispenser pack according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the relief embossings are conically undercut.

9. A dispenser pack substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.