JPS62224352A - Tablet container - Google Patents

Abstract

A tablet container (10) having a cover (11) and sliding tray (12) is used for dispensing birth control tablets for either a twenty-one-day or twenty-eight-day cycle. Normally, the tray (12) does not slide completely out of the cover (11) and is stabilized with respect thereto when open. The case resembles a cosmetic compact and is reuseable in that once birth control tablets contained in a blister pack (37) are used up, a new blister pack may easily be inserted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to tablet containers, and more particularly, the present invention relates to containers for holding and concealing tablets arranged in blister packs and for use for purposes such as birth control.

2,',... and '-' The use of birth control tablets generally requires that the tablets be taken daily, one tablet at a time, in a preselected order. The tablets are dispensed according to either a 21 day cycle or a 28 day cycle regimen. It has been found that the use of blister packs arranged in 7 columns, each individually, or in 3 or 4 rows to form 21 or 28 day rolls, provides a satisfactory approach.

Since blister packaging may be carried by birth control users, it is necessary to protect the tablets in blister packaging from damage that may occur during cycling. This need has led to numerous structures for holding blister packages. Many of the prior art containers for holding birth control blister packages are relatively complex and expensive to manufacture in that they have latches and hinges.

Plus they sometimes get clogged. These devices are exemplified by the dial container disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,165,709. The operation of these dial-type dispensing containers is not always clear to all users (sometimes resulting in errors in dispensing the tablets due to the complexity of these dispensing containers). The type is exemplified by the containers of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,283,885 and 4,165,709.

Possibly U.S. Patent Nos. 3,677.397 and 3,50
There are some pill containers for birth control that have flexible covers, as exemplified by No. 4,788. These particular constructions do not adequately protect the tablets in that pressure applied to the cover may damage the tablets or cause them to be accidentally dispensed through the I-lay in which they are placed. To avoid this, many commercially available containers have dome-shaped covers.

U.S. Patent Nos. 3,527.190 and 3,584,59
No. 8, No. 3, No. 579.883, No. 3,630,171
No. is a typical example of a tablet container that uses a hinged cover. Containers that use hinged covers are relatively expensive because they require both hinges and latches. These parts must be carefully molded and are subject to wear and tear.

Furthermore, when these containers have a compartment for dispensing tablets, the dispensed tablets tend to get stuck in the compartment. Containers using hinged covers therefore have several disadvantages.

There are a number of patents disclosing tablet receiving trays arranged within sleeves, however these structures are not specifically amenable to dispensing birth control tablets to ameliorate the shortcomings of prior art birth control containers.

For example, U.S. Patent Nos. 3,033,355 and 3,
397.770 disclose partial covers, however they do not disclose how to attach the indicator strip or support the blister package. Nor do they disclose a reliable connection between the cover and the tray or a structure to prevent the tray from deflecting with respect to the cover. U.S. Patent No. 1,988.134
No. discloses a tray that can be slid into a sleeve having a stop, but does not disclose an easily fabricated stop that adequately supports the tray with respect to the cover that accommodates it. Trays with complex and wide surfaces, such as the sleeve or cover in which the tray is housed, are often prone to jamming as debris tends to accumulate on the curving surfaces.

In view of the above considerations, there is a need for containers for tablets, such as blister-packed birth control tablets, that do not suffer from drawbacks such as those of the patents discussed above. moreover,
There is a need for such containers in which the containers have a cosmetic-like appearance.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved container for storing and dispensing a supply of tablets, such as birth control tablets, which must be dispensed for a preselected cycle. It is to be.

Further objects and benefits of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon further consideration of this specification.

In view of the above objects and benefits, the present invention contemplates a tablet container for holding a blister package having thereon a row of tablets arranged in a predetermined pattern, the blister package sliding into a cover member. It is placed on a freely housed tray member. The tray member has a deck having a row of through holes in a pattern that corresponds to the pattern of rows of tablets in a pristine package. The length of the deck part of the tray is slightly shorter than the length of the cover to provide a portion of the tray that remains in the cover when all of the tablets are exposed, so that the tray is stable when fully withdrawn. It is shaped and does not bend. Locking means are provided to hold the tray with all tablets exposed so that the cover cannot be removed from the tray.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the invention provides for storing birth control tablets according to a 21-day or 28-day cycle;
and used for dispensing. The holes in the deck are therefore arranged in seven columns of three rows each for a 21-day cycle, or in seven columns of four rows each for a 28-day cycle. Adjacent to the deck is a ramp for a display of indicators aligned with each column representing each day of the week.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover does not have a bottom. The cost of the cover is thus minimized, the container is easy to open, and the blister packaging is visible.

Various other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated and better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tablet container according to the invention, showing the closed container.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tablet container of the present invention, showing the tablet container in an open position.

FIG. 3 is a partially sectional plan view of the tablet container showing how the end of the tray member is locked within the cover member.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is an end cross-sectional view of the container showing the container when it is closed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective bottom view of the tablet container when the container is partially opened.

FIG. 7 shows how 21 birth control tablets are placed in the tray of the tablet container and how the day of the week strip is attached to the adjacent blister pack of the tablet container. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a tray with a blister package placed thereon, showing how tablets are dispensed from the tray.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention showing a tray with holes for a 28 day birth control cycle.

FIG. 10 is a still further embodiment of the present invention showing holes arranged for a 28 day cycle where the holes are relatively large to accommodate larger tablet sizes than those used in the embodiment of FIG. It is a top view of a specific example.

Referring to FIG. 1, a portion of 1, there is shown a tablet container, generally designated by the number 10, which includes a cover member, generally designated by the number 11, and a tray, generally designated by the number 12. It includes members. The tray member 12 is a tablet container 1
0 fits completely within the cover member 12 when closed.

The cover member 11 is rectangular in shape and includes a top portion 13 and a pair of side walls 14. Each sidewall 14 has a pair of concave longitudinal grooves 15 therein that converge into a flat surface 16. The longitudinal grooves 15 and the flat surfaces 16 give the tablet container 10 a compact appearance for containing, for example, a cosmetic product therein rather than a tablet such as a birth control tablet. A pair of opposing lips 17 extend inwardly from the sidewall 14 and allow the tray member 12
and cooperates with the top portion of the cover member 11 to form a track for slidably retaining the tray member within the cover member 11.

Referring now primarily to FIG. 2, in which the pill case is shown in an open position, the tray 12 is inserted into the cover 11 from within the cover 11.
Hole 20 formed in the deck, generally designated by number 21
It is seen that it is slidable to an open position that displays and provides access to a complete row of . The deck 21 has an upper surface 22 and a lower surface 23, and the hole 20 extends through the deck 21 from the upper surface to the lower surface. Hole 2
0 array has a column of 7 holes for a 21 day cycle;
Formed in rows of three holes. The deck 21 has an end wall 26. It is surrounded by walls including side walls 27 and rear wall 28. A slope 29 that slopes from the side wall 30 toward the deck 21 is arranged on the fourth side. The slope 29 has a rectangular elongated recess 31 which corresponds to the day of the week strip (7th
(see index strip 32 in the figure). End wall 26
and 28 and a wall 33 depending from slope 29 for holding a blister package 37 (FIGS. 7 and 8).
It has an ear 35 thereon which is spaced from the top surface 22 of the deck (see figure).

Referring now to FIG. 3, the tray member 12 of the container 10 is retained within the cover member 11 by a pair of resilient projections 40 that project laterally of the tray member 12 so that the tray member 12 is completely It can be seen that it is received within a pair of opposing slots 41 when pulled to the open position. The protrusion 40 engages a stop 42 located at the end of the slot 41, thus preventing the tray member 12 from sliding completely out of the cover member 11.

Tray member 12 has an open frame 43 protruding rearwardly from rear wall 28 adjacent deck 21. Frame 43 is rigidly attached to tray member 12 and remains within cover member 11 when tray member 12 is fully extended. The tray member 12 is therefore secure with respect to the cover member 11 when extended, and the top wall 13 and side wall 1 of the cover member
4 remains aligned with the space in the cover member defined by the inner surface of 4. Frame 43 has a rearward flange 44 extending between a lower surface 46 of top 13 of cover member 11 and an inner surface 47 of an opposing lip 17 projecting inwardly from side wall 14 of the cover member. The rear wall 28 adjacent to the deck 21 is also the top wall 1
3 to the top surface 47 of @17 so that the entire tray member 12 is supported with respect to the cover member 11.

As seen in FIG. 6, the cover member 11 has a top 13 but is open at the bottom. Therefore, by simply looking at the bottom of the tablet case, one can tell at a glance whether a blister package 37 is loaded into the tablet case.

7 and 8, the exemplary blister package 37 shown in FIGS. 2.3.6 and 7 has tablets packaged therein for use in a 21 day birth control cycle. . Aligned with the tablets is an indicator strip 32 in an elongated recess 31 in the ramp 29, which strip has the days of the week printed in sequence thereon. Each container is provided with a number of display strips 32, each starting from a different day of the week and continuing sequentially from that day. Strip 32 preferably has an adhesive backing so that it can be easily secured within recess 31. As seen in FIG. 8, for each day of the cycle, tablets 50 are dispensed from tablet container 10 by pushing in the direction of arrow 51 with a finger. This is the lower foil layer 52 of the blister package 37.
is broken, allowing the tablet 50 to fall through the aligned holes 20 into the user's hand. The user simply selects 50 tablets if there are no tablets in the array for a particular day.
Know that the tablets for a particular day have been dispensed so you can assume they have already been taken.

Of course, if there is a pill in the array for a particular day, the user will know to take the pill.

As seen in Figures 3.9 and 10, an angled wall 55 is placed below the ear 35 and adjacent walls 26 and 28 so that the shape of the deck 21 is trapezoidal. Blister package 37 is also trapezoidal in shape to match the shape formed by angled wall 55. The blister package 37 can thus be properly positioned within the tray 12 with respect to the case.

Second. 3. The arrangement of holes 20 shown in Figures 6 and 7 is for a 21-day cycle that can depart from any day of the week, the user selects her departure date, selects a label with a particular departure date, Place it in place.

The tablets 50 used in this cycle typically contain two constant components and are relatively large, requiring relatively large pores 20. A complete cycle actually lasts 21 days with 21 days of intake and 7 days of rest.

Referring now to FIG. 9, an embodiment of the present invention in which the holes 20'' are arranged in an arrangement for a 28 day cycle with 7 columns (one column for each day of the week) and 4 rows. is illustrated. In this example, the tablets 50 for each day of the week contain different amounts of active ingredient and a single level of placebo. The configuration of FIG. 9 is for starting any day of the week. There are arrays similar to Figures 2.3.6 and 7 with seven different labels, each array starting from a different day of the week.

Next, referring to FIG. 10, tray 12'' also has two
There are 8 holes 20". However, the indicator strip 3
There are no slopes 29 or elongated recesses 31 for accommodating 2. This is because the container 10'' is adapted to hold a blister pack (not shown) designed for Sunday start only, with the blister pack having the day of the cycle printed directly on it. In structure, there are 21 tablets 50 with the active ingredient and 7 tablets containing the placebo.

The above specific example of the tablet case 10 is 21 days or 28 days.
A pill case is disclosed that houses all the pills needed for a daily birth control cycle. The pill case 10 is unobtrusive and attractive in appearance, resembling a compact rather than a case for birth control pills. The arrangement of dispensing holes 20 in combination with the day of the week indicators provides a convenient and reliable structure for accurately following a 21-day or 28-day prescription cycle.

From the above description, those skilled in the art can ascertain the essential features of the invention and can make various changes and modifications to adapt it to various uses and conditions without departing from its spirit and scope. I can do it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tablet container of the present invention in a closed state;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container in the fully open state, FIG. 3 is a plan view, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the container and the blister package for tablets contained therein, FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the tray containing the blister package, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the tablet container according to another example. The plan view, FIG. 10, is a plan view of a tablet container according to yet another specific example. 10 is a tablet container, 11 is a cover member, 12 is a tray member, 20 is a hole, 21 is a deck, 40 is a protrusion, 41 is a slot, 37 is a blister package, and 50 is a tablet. FIG, LI FIG, 8 FIG, 9 FIG, 10

Claims (11)

[Claims] (1) A container for dispensing tablets held in an array in a blister package, the container having no bottom and having a cover member for covering the contents of the container; and the cover member for supporting the blister package. a tray member housed within the tray, comprising a deck against which the blister package rests, the deck having an array of through holes corresponding to the array of tablets held in the blister package; a member; a retaining member for retaining the tray member within the cover member and including a track for guiding one member over the other member; stop means for preventing complete detachment of the tray member from the cover member; and stop means for preventing the tray member from being completely disengaged from the cover member; and means for limiting the extent of protrusion from the cover member. (2) The tablet container of paragraph 1, comprising a surface disposed on the tray adjacent the deck for displaying instructions for use of the tablets in the blister package aligned with the through-holes in the deck. (3) the deck has first and second surfaces;
a surface of which is in close contact with the blister packaging, a second surface of which is exposed;
A second blister pack is capable of dispensing tablets from the blister pack by pushing the blister pack so as to force the tablets from the first surface through the holes and out of the second surface.
Tablet container. (4) the cover member has a top panel for covering the first surface of the deck when the tray member is received within the cover member, the cover member being adjacent to the second surface of the deck member; 4. The tablet container of claim 3 which is open and has a pair of opposing side walls for retaining a tray member therebetween and a rear wall for stopping the tray member. (5) The tablet container of paragraph 4, comprising a plurality of ears disposed in spaced relationship with respect to the first surface of the deck for holding the blister package in intimate contact with the first surface. (6) A tablet container according to paragraph 5, comprising a pair of opposing guide walls disposed adjacent the first surface of the deck for accurately orienting the blister package with respect to the array of holes through the deck. . (7) the stop means includes a pair of opposing longitudinally extending grooves in a pair of opposing side walls of the cover member;
a pair of resilient protrusions on the tray member received within the opposing grooves, the opposing grooves having a stop adjacent the open end of the cover, the stop being configured to allow the tray member to be in the fully open position. 5. The tablet container of claim 4, wherein the projection engages the projection to limit protrusion of the tray member from the cover member. (8) the tray member has generally flat sidewalls, the sidewall of the cover member has a lip projecting into the inner wall, the tray member is received within opposing sidewalls of the cover member, and the top of the cover member and said inwardly projecting lip. (9) The tablet container according to item 8, wherein the side wall of the cover member has an outer surface formed by a pair of concave vertical grooves separated by respective projecting flat portions. (10) The arrangement of the tablets in the blister package and the arrangement of the holes in the deck are arranged in 7 columns and 4 rows, each column corresponding to a day of the week, and the arrangement of the tablets in each blister package. A tablet container according to clause 9 which provides a 28 day cycle for use. (11) The arrangement of the tablets in the blister pack and the arrangement of the holes in the deck are arranged in seven columns and three rows, each column corresponding to a day of the week, and the arrangement of the tablets in each blister pack. A tablet container according to clause 9 which provides a 21 day cycle for use.