NZ507097A - Tablet container comprising a liquid component separated from a solid medicament - Google Patents

Abstract

The container (3) is configured to be suitable for drinking from and comprises means to store a remedy (6) and consumable liquid (4); separating means to prevent interaction between the liquid and remedy; and a lid (7) for sealing the container. The separating means, such as a waterproof wrapping or a waterproof sealing envelope, may be removed to expose the remedy to the liquid to allow the remedy to be readily consumed with the liquid. The remedy is preferably a non-prescription medicine, vitamin or mineral supplement, and the liquid may be fruit juice, water or other liquid that will not interact harmfully with the remedy.

Description

Patents Form # 4 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title: TABLET CONTAINER We, 1) SISSON, Andrew 2) THORNE GEORGE, Vikki, Nationality A 1) New Zealand citizen 2) New Zealand citizen Address' 1) 18 Vaughans Rd, RD2, New Zealand 2) 18 Vaughans Road, RD 2, Albany, New Zealand, do hereby declare this invention to be described in the following statement: C r i, 2 5 SeV 2 Ui w - ^ PF04 IWP nk FEE CODE-1040 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the field of remedy containers and more specifically, to containers for remedies which are generally consumed with a liquid.

BACKGROUND Recently remedies such as mild analgesics, hypnotics, anti-histamines and anti-motion remedies have become more widely available. Consumers can now purchase certain therapeutic remedies from not only pharmacies, but also from supermarkets, dairies, petrol service stations, ferry stations, train stations as well as airports.

Many purchases are made by people in transit who urgently require some pain relief or other therapeutic remedy Generally remedies come in form of a tablet or capsule and need to be taken with water or dissolved in water. As it is necessary to take these remedies with water or another liquid, the consumer is forced to purchase some sort of beverage. The need for liquid to consume the 15 drug can pose a problem when access to liquids is limited.

In addition, tablets usually come in packs which contain a number of doses rather than the prescribed dose needed This can make the taking of medication expensive, inconvenient, and can cause unnecessary waste.

Throughout the specification the term "remedy" includes any medicine or treatment for pain, 20 ailments, deficiencies and the like and includes dietary supplements.

OBJECT It is an object of the invention to provide an improved remedy container or one which at least provides the public with a useful choice. u440\ts 700/nd STATEMENT OF INVENTION In one aspect the invention provides a container including a means for keeping separate, liquid component a consumable liquid and a solid component comprising a remedy wherein in use, the solid component can be transported and readily consumed with the liquid 5 component Preferably the container is configured so as to be suitable for drinking from.

Preferably the container is made of a robust waterproof material which is resistant to tearing or damage under pressure More preferably the means for separating the liquid component from the solid component 10 comprises a waterproof wrapping or a waterproof sealing envelope.

Preferably the container comprises a cup, glass, or other kind of drinking vessel having a lid which includes the said envelope.

Preferably the lid of the container seals the container by a waterproof seal.

Preferably the lid is made from a durable waterproof material.

More preferably the waterproof material comprises foil or plastic.

Preferably the waterproof material is additionally biodegradable.

Preferably the liquid component comprises water, fruit juice or other liquid.

Preferably the solid component comprises a non-prescription remedy including but not limited to a medicine, vitamin or mineral supplement.

Preferably the solid component additionally includes a taste neutraliser such as a mint.

More preferably the medicine includes comprises mild analgesics, hypnotics, antihistamines and anti motion remedies.

Preferably the container additionally has a safety seal u440\cs 700/nd BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which: FIG 1 Plan view of remedy container.

FIG 2 Cross-section through centre of remedy container.

FIG 3 Plan view of bi-layer lid portion.

FIG 4 Plan view of variation.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The following examples are given by way of illustration only and shall not be taken as being 10 in any way limiting as to the spirit and scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures.

In the preferred embodiment the invention relates to a container capable of maintaining separately a liquid component, and a solid component.

The liquid component comprises a consumable liquid 4 such as water. Alternatively a fruit juice, cordial, or carbonated liquid may be used. Care needs to be taken when selecting the liquid 4 to ensure there is no harmful interaction with the remedy 6 to be administered therewith.

The solid component comprises remedies 6 in the form of tablets, viscous syrups and pastes. 20 It is preferred that tablets are used. Tablets are substantially dry formulations of a remedy. The remedy may be a medicine such as a motion sickness drug, analgesic, antihistamine, sedative, hypnotic, antacid or it may be a vitamin or mineral supplement. Alternatively, there may be a taste neutraliser such as a mint additionally included in the invention. The taste neutraliser would be individually wrapped and reside in the same compartment as the remedy 25 6. u440\cs 700/nd The dose will be a single dose for an adult but smaller recommended doses for children are advised on the container. Alternatively, there could be containers made specifically for children whereby a smaller dose is provided.

The container itself will comprise a disposable cup 3 together with a lid portion 7 into which 5 a sealed waterproof portion suitable for including the remedy can be incorporated.

The disposable cup 3 may be made of a variety of materials including plastics or coated paper The cup 3 should be made of a waterproof material which is sufficiently strong to withstand the pressures to which it may be subjected to during filling, packaging, delivery and general handling Those skilled in the art will be familiar with appropriate materials from which the cup 3 can be made. These materials include, but are not limited to polypropylene. Alternatively biodegradable materials may be used so the invention may provide an environmentally friendly option to consumers.

The cup 3 can be of various shapes, but in general will be a substantially truncated cone 15 shape having an opening at its widest end. The shape may be varied to suit requirements for packaging and sale. It is recognised the different requirements will prevail depending on whether the sale is over the counter or through vending or dispensing machines.

In general the capacity of the cup 3 will be sufficient to house a volume of between about 30 and 200 ml of liquid 4 as well as the remedy 6. The exact size of the cup will vary according 20 to the drug and its requirements. For example if the remedy is to be dissolved a greater volume of liquid would be required than if the remedy was to be swallowed.

The invention may contain materials to prevent any moisture from destroying the remedies such as a sachet of silica gel crystals and will be inside the cup 3 itself or attached to the lid portion.

The lid portion 7 would be made of a durable yet flexible material such as aluminium foil but other materials such as plastics could be used. The lid portion 7 must be capable of being removed cleanly to reveal a surface suitable for drinking from. The lid portion 7 will provide a handgrip such as a tab 9 that will enable the lid portion 7 to be removed. The seal on the u440\cs 700/nd lid portion 7 will be strong enough to adhere sharply to prevent the lid from being accidentally displaced, and most importantly to prevent young children from consuming the remedy.

The lid portion 7 may contain a pocket so the remedy 6 may be attached to the underside of 5 the lid portion 7. The pocket would be made of a waterproof material. The liquid is preferably made of a resilient foil, having an envelope for containing/holding the remedy. The lid portion 7 can be removed and the envelope/pocket could be opened releasing the remedy for taking or placement into the liquid.

The container 3 may additionally include a safety seal to tamper-proof the container.

The container 3 will include a label that describes the remedy 6, the therapeutic effect, administration, dose rate, side effects, contraindications, and the expiry date. The label could be placed on the lid portion 7 or alternatively on the side of the cup to prevent the label being torn when the lid portion 7 is being removed from the cup.

VARIATIONS There are many ways the invention could be varied. One such variation is to have a liquid component 12 and a remedy component 13 separated by a partition wall 14. This is illustrated in Figure 4. The partition wall 14 would be made of a waterproof resilient material placed inside the cup and would span the diameter of the cup to prevent the liquid partition 12 from mixing with the remedy partition 13. The partition wall 14 would be 20 attached to the sides of the cup by a seal.

An alternative to using a disposable cup is to use a bag or water pouch. The bag would be made from a durable plastic and would have a nozzle or straw to allow the liquid to be consumed The remedy would be wrapped in a waterproof plastic and firmly attached to the bag containing the fluid The bag should be re-sealable allowing for the unwrapped remedy 25 to be placed inside the water reservoir. The bag can then be resealed so that the bag can be shaken to dissolve the remedy. After the remedy has been dissolved the consumer can then drink the contents using a straw or placing their mouth on a nozzle. This would potentially u440\cs 700/nd make the product more cost-effective, easier to transport and store as well as environmentally friendly Another variation would involve biodegradable materials being used to construct the invention. This would increase the environmentally friendly characteristic of the invention.

There could be variations as to the size of the dose whereby adult and child versions will be provided. This variation would allow for children or people with low body weight to purchase a smaller dose of remedy.

The invention could apply to a number of remedies sold without prescriptions. Useful examples are antihistamines, motion sickness remedies, sedatives/hypnotics, antacids and the 10 like. Vitamins and minerals could also be packaged in this way.

There may also be taste neutralisers such as a mint included in the invention so that the unpleasant taste of the remedy can be removed from the consumer's pallet.

The invention could be designed in a shaped to allow for use in dispensing machines in places like airports trainstations, ferries and boats.

The remedies could also be placed on the outside of the cup 3 either on the lid portion 7, or on the bottom of the cup 3 inside a groove or indentation of some sort.

The invention could also contain a lubricant instead of a liquid so that the remedies can be easily inserted inside the rectum. To be able to administer the remedy in this way is useful for people who have motion sickness and require anti-emetics and anti-motion remedies; or 20 if a person is unconscious and cannot swallow.

ADVANTAGES The invention provides consumers with a way of consuming therapeutic remedies that is useful, economical and prevents wastage. Consumers in transit are able to consume therapeutic remedies without having to buy a multi-dose packet and a separate source of 25 liquid to consume with which to take the remedies. As a consequence the invention saves on expense and inconvenience to consumers. u440\cs 700/nd Child safety is viewed as highly important because many children poison themselves each year when left unattended The invention provides some protection against children being harmed only single doses of the remedy are provided. The number of treatments in the invention is significantly lower than in conventional packets meaning the risk to a child will 5 be significantly less than if the child consumed a regular sized packet of remedies Additionally, the invention has a lid that provides some resistance to being opened.

Drug wastage is a problem. Many people keep old remedies around for too long so that either the label is no longer readable, the consumer can't remember what it was used for, or the remedy has expired and is no longer effective. It can be dangerous to use these old 10 remedies Also, purchasing more remedies than are needed is a waste of resources and government subsidy. The invention helps remedy this problem by allowing only single doses of remedies.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification the word "comprise" and variations of that word, such as "comprises" and "comprising", are not intended to exclude 15 other additives, components, integers or steps. u440\cs 700/nd

Claims (14)

1. ^ ~ ^7/ ' , ' '! ^ , , -9- WE CLAIM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 3 0 JUL 2001 RECEIVED 1 A container for convenient consumption of a remedy with a consumable liquid, said container including means to store the remedy and consumable liquid and a separating means provided between the consumable liquid and the remedy to 5 substantially prevent interaction between the consumable liquid and remedy, the separating means being selectively removable to expose the remedy to the consumable liquid to thereby allow the remedy to be readily consumed with the consumable liquid and a lid for sealing the container.
2. 2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is configured so as to be 10 suitable for drinking from.
3. 3. A container as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the container is made of a robust waterproof material which is resistant to tearing or damage under pressure.
4. 4. A container as claimed in any previous claim wherein the separating means comprises a waterproof wrapping or a waterproof sealing envelope. 15
5. 5 A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the container comprises a cup or glass or any drinking vessel and a lid which includes the envelope.
6. 6. A container as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the lid seals the container by a waterproof seal.
7. 7. A container as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the lid is made from a durable 20 waterproof material.
8. 8 A container as claimed in claim 7, wherein the durable waterproof material comprises foil or plastic.
9. 9 A container as claimed in claims 7 or 8, wherein the durable waterproof material is additionally biodegradable. 25
10. 10. A container as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the consumable liquid comprises water, fruit juice, or other liquid which will not interact harmfully with the remedy. u440\clins 701 doc/ND/nd - 10- 1
11. 11 A container as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the remedy comprises a nonprescription remedy including a medicine, vitamin or mineral supplement.
12. 12. A container as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the remedy may additionally include a taste neutraliser such as a mint.
13. 13 A container as claimed in any previous claim, which additionally includes a safety seal.
14. 14. A container substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings. PIPERS Attorneys for 1) SISSON, Andrew J 2) THORNE GEORGE, Vikki INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 3 0 JUL 2001 RECEIVED u440\clms 701 doc/ND/nd ABSTRACT The invention the subject of the present invention relates to a container having means for keeping separate a liquid component comprising a consumable remedy and a solid component comprising a remedy. So that a convenient pack containing a remedy and the liquid required to take the remedy with is provided. G \u440zabs 900