US2969144A

US2969144A - Adhesive bandage

Info

Publication number: US2969144A
Application number: US582173A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eli A Zackheim
Original assignee: Johnson and Johnson
Current assignee: Johnson and Johnson
Priority date: 1956-05-02
Filing date: 1956-05-02
Publication date: 1961-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 1978-01-24

Description

nited States Patent O ADHESIVE BANDAGE Eli A. Zackheim, South Plainfield, NJ., assignor to `ohnson & Johnson, a corporation of New .iersey Filed May 2, 1956, Ser. No. 582,173

18 Claims. (Cl. 20G-63.2)

The present invention relates to individual adhesive bandages of the type having a llexible backing coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition. Such adhesive bandages may consist of a simple strip of adhesive tape or may be of the dressing type, in which an absorbent compress or pad is atlixed to the flexible adhesively coated backing to expose the radhesive on the parts of the backing beyond the pad. -An adhesive bandage of this dressing type may take the form of a strip, patch, spot or so-called middle wound bandage.

The usual adhesive bandage of the general type described has its exposed adhesive surface and its pad or compress, if such pad is provided, protected by a facing sheet member or members, and such bandages are sterile and are packaged individually in such a manner that sterility is maintained until the individual package is opened. For that purpose, the bandage, protectively faced as described, is enclosed in an envelope or wrapper. Before such a bandage can be applied to an injured part of the skin, it is necessary to remove the wrapper and then the facing member or members therefrom, in case such facing members are separate from the wrapper.

The present invention relates specifically to individually packaged adhesive bandages of the type in which the facing member or members serve not only the function of directly protecting the exposed parts of the adhesive surface but also as part of the individual wrapper for the bandage and has among its objects to provide a new and improved bandage of this type, which is designed to ensure economy of material and ease of manufacture, which is constructed to permit removal of the combined wrapper and adhesive protection or facing and simultaneous withdrawal of the adhesive bandage by a simple balanced peeling operation without distorting the bandage or curling it out of shape, which is designed to permit removal of the adhesive facing and the simultaneous withdrawal of the adhesive bandage without the fingers coming into contact with the pad or compress or with the adhesive, which can be conveniently handled for application to the injured skin after at least part of the Wrapper is removed without the lingers coming into contact with the pad or compress or with the adhesive surface, which is designed to make it self-evident how the package can be manipulated for its unsealing and removal of the adhesive bandage, which is designed to lie flat with a minimum of bulge, so that it can be cornpactly stored in packs in cartons or containers, and which is designed to form a comparatively short package unit, even though the adhesive bandage may be of standard length.

In accordance with certain features of the invention, the adhesive bandage package unit comprises an adhesive bandage including an adhesive sheet or tape in strip, patch, spot or other suitable form, doubly or reversely folded, to present two overlapping contiguous panels presenting outer adhesive surfaces respectively, and a wrapper for the adhesive bandage comprising two sheets on opposite faces of the bandage in adhesive contact Patented Jan. 24, 1961 therewith. These Wrapper sheets are adapted to be pulled apart, whereupon they peel away from the reversed panels of the bandage to which they are adhesively attached by the adhesive layer on said bandage. This operation exposes the adhesive bandage suiciently to permit the bandage to be applied partially to the injured body surface, while permitting said bandage to be handled through one of the wrapper sheets, without the lingers coming in contact with the bandage, whereupon the wrapper rsheet or sheets remaining attached to the bandage may be peeled olf the bandage by a simple pulling operation.

As another feature of the invention in connection with the Iaforesaid features, one of the sheets serves not only as a wrapper sheet but also as a facing sheet for Athe adhesive, and the two sheets are separable at one end where they come together to form finger tabs by which the sheets may be pulled apart, in the manner described above.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective of an yadhesive bandage in fully extended position to be folded and wrapped in laccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the adhesive bandage reversely folded prior to being wrapped in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view o-f one form of adhesive bandage package unit embodying the present invention; part of the wrapper being shown broken away to expose the interior of the package unit;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the adhesive bandage package unit, part of the wrapper being shown broken away to expose part of the interior of the package unit;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the adhesive bandage package unit taken on lines 5 5 of Fig. 3, but shown on a larger scale;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the adhesive bandage package unit taken on lines 6 6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective showing the Iadhesive bandage package unit in the process of having its wrapper removed therefrom.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown therein applied to an adhesive bandage package unit of the elongated strip type having an absorbent compress or pad and exposed adhesive surfaces, although as far las certain aspects of the invention are concerned, it may be applied to other types of adhesive bandages, as will be described hereinafter more fully. The package unit illustrated consists essentially of 4an adhesive bandage 1&3 and an expendable wrapper 11 therefor. The adhesive bandage 10 comprises a strip 12 of adhesive tape flexible backing material, which may be either woven or nonwoven brous material or non-fibrous material, such as extensible polyvinyl chloride film and which may have the usual ventilation holes. Deposited on backing strip 12 is a layer 13 of pressure-sensitive adhesive which `affords the necessary degree of adhesion to the surface or skin to which the dressing is to be secured. A dressing pad 14, composed preferably of suitably folded woven or non-Woven fabric, paper or other absorbent material, is placed on and secured to the adhesive layer 13. This dressing pad 14 is slightly narrower than the adhesive strip 12 and is much shorter, and this pad is centered on the adhesive strip to form thereon exposed tape margins 15 of adhesive along the sides of the pad and to form exposed

tape end sections

16 and 17 of adhesive beyond the ends of the pad.

Just prior to packaging, the adhesive bandage 10, shown in Fig. l and constructed as described, has one of its tape end sections (as, for example, the tape end sec-v tion 17) reversely folded along a line 18 against the back of the bandage to define two contiguous overlapping panels, with the adhesive layer 13 on the tape end sections 16'and 17 on the outside, as shown in Fig. 2.

To package individually the `adhesive bandage 10, reversely folded as shown in Fig. 2, so that after sterilization, said bandage will remain sterile, there is provided the wrapper 11 in the form of an envelope, comprising two opposing exible sheets or

panels

20 and 21, which are of substantially equal size and shape, except as will be described, and which are wider than the adhesive bandage and longer than said bandage in its reversely folded condition shown in Fig. 2 to cover said bandage. These wrapper sheets and 21 constitute two separate sheets as shown, or may constitute a single sheet doubly folded to define the two

sheets

20 and 21. These

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 are placed in substantial registry on opposite sides of the folded adhesive bandage 10 face to face with said bandage, except to the extent to be noted, and are transversely centered with respect to said bandage to define on said sheets projecting longitudinal margins 2v2 along the sides of the pad 14. The

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 are so placed lengthwise of the folded adhesive bandage 10 to define on said sheets projecting margins 23 at one end beyond the end of the extended tape end section 16 and longer projecting

margins

24 and 25 at the opposite end beyond the fold line 18 of said bandage.

The specific materials from which the different components of the adhesive bandage package unit are made are preferably those described in the U.S. Patent No. 2,703,083. 'Ihat patent discloses a facing member which serves as protection for the adhesive surface of the bandage and which is smooth and continuous and constituted of organic material substantially inert with respect to the adhesive. This type of facing member serves to develop substantially the full sticking powers of the adhesive to which it is protectively applied. Materials proposed for that purpose in the aforesaid patent are vinyl chloride resins and copolymers thereof with vinyl acetate and vinylidene chloride, cellulose acetate, cellophane, epoxy resins, etc. and also resins which may be employed as paper coatings. These materials are also suitable to form, for the purpose of the present invention, the

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 juxtaposed to the adhesive sides of the folded adhesive bandage 10 to serve also as protective facing members therefor. The

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 are desirably made entirely of the organic material described, but as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, each may consist of a sheet having an inner coating or lamina of the facing material applied thereto to form a sheet unit therewith.

.The two

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 come together in face to face contact along the projecting margins 22 and along the projecting end margins 23, in case the

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 constitute two separate sheets, and are hermetically secured together along these margins by -heat sealing, in case the material of these wrapper sheets is thermoplastic, or otherwise by adhesive, to form side seals 26 and end seal 27. The

other end margins

24 and 25 or" the wrapper sheets Ztl and 21 are secured together along a stripparea by heatV sealing or by adhesive to form an end seal 28. The

seals

26, 27 and 23, in rectangular relationship, are continuous around the folded adhesive bandage 10 and serve to enclose hermetically the bandage in the wrapper 11.

Whether heat-sealing or adhesive is employed to form the

seals

26, 27 and 28, these are strong enough to protect the adhesive bandage 10 against contamination during storage but are preferably weak enough to permit these seals to break open by a neat peeling operation without tearing, when the

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 are pulled apart in the process of withdrawing the adhesive bandage from the wrapper 11.

The end seal 28 between the

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 is suiciently narrow and is set inwardly from the outer ends of said sheets suiiiciently to define two separate

iinger pull tabs

30 and 31 on the

wrapper sheets

20 and 21, respectively. One of the wrapper sheets (as, for example, the bottom wrapper sheet 21) is longer than the upper wrapper sheet 20, so that the finger tab 31 on the wrapper sheet 21 projects beyond the linger tab 30, to permit the separation of said tabs in the process of grasping said tabs with the fingers of the two hands preliminary to the breaking of the wrapper 11 to withdraw the adhesive bandage 10 therefrom.

The package unit, formed as described and as shown in Figs. l to 6, has the wrapper sheet 20 pressed into aclhesive face contact with the tape end section 16 and covers the pad 14, while the wrapper sheet 21 is pressed into adhesive contact with the tape end fold section 17 and extends in face contact with the backing 12 of the adhesice tape end section 17. The package unit so formed is at, free from bulges, and shorter than the standard adhesive bandage package unit because of the folded adhesive bandage 10. The package unit is therefore compact and will pack easily into a carton or container.

The adhesive bandage package unit, formed as described, is sterilized either by chemical sterilization or by steam sterilization, in a manner well-known in the adhesive bandage art. The materials employed in forming this package unit will effectively withstand the thermal conditions of both types of sterilization. The adhesive bandage package unit formed as described, will maintain its sterility, until the package unit is opened.

In the operation of the opening the adhesive bandage package unit', the two tabs 3i) and 31 at the ends of the

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 are grasped in the fingers of the two hands and pulled apart to break the end seal 28, and the tabs are continued to be pulled lengthwise of the freed sections of the wrapper sheets to break the side seals 26 progressively and to separate the wrapper sheets. After the wrapper sheet Ztl has been pulled away from the pad 14, to which it is not attached (since it has no adhesive connection thereto) and as soon as this sheet starts to be pulled from the adhesive face of the tape end section 16, the resulting pull on the

adhesive tape

12, 13 is equalized, so that the wrappers not only continue to separate with the progressive breaking of the side seals 26 but start peeling away from the

tape end sections

16 and 17 and causing the folded back tape end section 17 to unfold, as shown in Fig. 7. This operation continues until one or the other of the

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 has been entirely removed from the adhesive bandage 1t).

Since the pulling forces on the

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 are substantially equal, the package unit is under balance and stable equilibrium during the tab pulling operations described, so that no distortion or curling of the adhesive bandage 10 takes place. The

wrapper sheets

20 and 21, although iiexible, have sufiicient rigidity to assist in preventing curlback of the adhesive bandage 10 during this operation. Y Y

Although the two wrapper sheets 20 `and 21 are pulled apart with substantially equal force, and the

tape end sections

16 and 17 in adhesive contact therewith are of substantial equal length, there may be suiiicient differences in the rate of peeling of the adhesive

tape end sections

16 and 17 from the wrapper sheets 2t) and 21 respectively, or s ufiicient differences between the lengths of these tape end sections, to cause one of these wrapper sheets to be completely removed from the adhesive bandage 10 before the otherwrapper sheet is completely detached therefrom. With this other wrapperrsheet still attached to the adhesive bandage 10 and employed as a holder, the exposed adhesive bandage can be partially applied to the injured skin or surface without the lingers coming in contact with the bandage. This other wrapper sheet can -then be completely removed -by pulling on it lengthwise, thereby causing it to peel off easily from the adhesive tape end section to which it is applied.

In the above described operation, one

finger tab

30 or 31 may actually be held by the fingers of one hand while the other finger tab is being pulled by the fingers of the other hand. However, the pulling force on one finge-

r tab

30 or 31 is transmitted to the other finger tab, so that in effect, it can be said that the two finger tabs are pulled apart.

Instead of completely removing `one of the

wrapper sheets

20 and 21 before applying the exposed adhesive bandage on the injured skin or surface, the wrapper' sheets may be pulled until a substantial portion of the adhesive bandage is exposed, and while the two wrapper sheets are still adhesively attached to the

tape end sections

16 and 17 and while the fingers of the two hands are still grasping the

finger tabs

30 and 31 of these wrapper sheets, the bandage may be applied to the injured skin or surface and, at the same time, these finger tabs may be pulled in a direction to complete the application of these tape end sections on the skin or surface and to peel the wrapper sheets from these tape end sections. The final and complete application of the adhesive bandage 10 to the injured skin or surface takes place at the same time the removal of the wrapper sheets 20` and 21 from the adhesive bandage is completed` The invention has been shown applied to a form of adhesive bandage containing an elongated rectangular strip of adhesive to which is afiixed an absorbent rectangular pad or compress. However, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, the invention may be applied to adhesive bandages of other shapes. For example, it can be applied to a so-called patch type of adhesive bandage, in which a square piece of backing material coated with adhesive has a square absorbent pad in the center or to a so-called spo-t type of adhesive bandage in which a round piece of backing material coated with adhesive has a round absorbent pad in the center, or to a so-called middle wound type of bandage in which a comparatively large piece of gauze in the form of a pad has connected thereacross one or more strips of adhesive tape projecting beyond the gauze.

Also, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, the adhesive bandage protected and wrapped in accordance with the present invention may consist simply of a piece of adhesive tape without an absorbent pad, such as the pad 14.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to specific embodiments, it is to be understood lthat it is not to be limited thereto, but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape having a backing, a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive on one surface thereof, and an absorbent pad attached to said surface between the ends thereof and shorter than the tape to leave projecting tape end sections beyond the ends of the pad, one of said tape end sections bei-ng folded back against the backing opposite the pad, whereby the adhesive sides of the tape end sections will be on the outside of the folded adhesive tape, and a wrapper for said adhesive bandage having a section attached to the outside of `the folded tape end section in face contact therewith by the adhesive layer thereon, and having another section attached to the outside of the other tape end section by the adhesive layer thereon, said wrapper sections being arranged to be pulled apart to cause the peeling of said wrapper sections from said tape end sections and the simultaneous withdrawal of the adhesive bandage fro-m the wrapper.

2. An adhesive bandage package unit as defined in claim l, wherein said wrapper sections comprise two sheets on opposite sides of the adhesive bandage to serve as facing sheets for the folded adhesive bandage, said sheets being secured together along the sides and at one end to form an envelope for the adhesive bandage and defining respective finger taps at the other end by which said sheets may be pulled apart to withdraw the adhesive bandage from the wrapper.

3. An adhesive bandage package unit as defined in claim 1. wherein said wrapper sections comprise two sheets of plastic heat-scalable material on opposite sides of the adhesive bandage secured together along the sides by heat-seal and at one end to form an envelope for the adhesive bandage, and defining respective finger tabs at the other end by which said sheets may be pulled apart to break said heat-seals, pull said sheets from the tape end sections and withdraw the adhesive bandage from the wrapper, said sheets being heat-sealed together at said other end along an area leaving said finger tabs free to be pulled apart.

4. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape having a backing and a layer of adhesive on one surface thereof, said tape having an end portion reversely folded back, the remainder of said tape being extended lto its full length free of folds and terminating .in an end portion, a wrapper for said adhesive bandage having a pair of separable sections, and means connecting the adhesive surfaces of the end portions of said bandage to said wrapper sections respectively for movements therewith as they are separated, whereby as said wrapper sections are separated, said end portions are peeled away from said wrapper sections and at the same time said tape is unfolded and withdrawn from the wrapper.

5. An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim 4, wherein said wrapper sections extend a substantial distance beyond the fold line along which the end portion of the tape is reversely folded back to define respective opposed finger tabs by which the wrapper sections can be pulled apart for separation.

6.` An adhesive bandage package unit as described in claim 4, wherein said wrapper sections comprise opposed sheets extending along opposite faces of the folded tape, and said wrapper sheets extend at one end a substantial distance beyond the corresponding end of the tape to Adefine opposed finger tabs respectively by which said panels may be pulled apart for separation.

7. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape having a backing and a layer of adhesive on one surface thereof, said tape being reversely folded along a fold line to define two contiguous overlapping panels with the backings of the panels on the inside face to face and with the adhesive layer on the outsides of said panels, and a pair of separable flexible sheets facing each other on opposite faces of the folded tape to cover said tape and attached to the outsides of said adhesive layer, said flexible sheets extending at one end nearest said fold line a substantial distance beyond said fold line to define Irespective finger tabs permitting said sheets to be pulled apart, whereby when said sheets are pulled apart by pulling on said tabs, said tape panels move with said sheets respectively and at the same time peel away from said sheets to cause said tape to become unfolded and at the same time to be withdrawn from said sheets.

8. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape having a backing and a layer of adhesive on one surface thereof, said tape being reversely folded to define two contiguous overlapping panels with the backings of the panels on the inside face to face and with the adhesive layer on the outsides of said panels, and a pair of separable fiexible sheets facing each other on opposite faces of the folded tape to cover said tape, and being secured Itogether to form a wrapper envelope for the adhesive bandage, said sheets being attached to the outsides of said panels respectively by said adhesive layer, whereby 7 when said sheets are pulled apart, said tape panels move with said sheets respectively and at the same time peel away from said sheets to cause said tape to become unfolded and at the same time to be withdrawn from the wrapper.

9. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape having a backing and a layer of adhesive on one surface thereof, said tape being reversely folded to define two contiguous Overlapping panels with the backings of the panels on the inside face to face and with the adhesive layer on the outsides of said panels, and a pair of separable flexible sheets facing each other on opposite faces of the folded tape to cover said tape and being connected together along the sides yand at one end to form an envelope for the adhesive bandage, said sheets at the other end defining respective finger tabs, and being secured together by a connection which is easily broken when said finger tabs are pulled apart, said sheets being attached to the outsides of said panels respectively by said adhesive layer, whereby when said sheets are pulled apart, said tape panels move with said sheets respectively and at the same time pull away from said sheets to cause said tape to become unfolded and at the same time to be withdrawn from the envelope.

l0. An adhesive bandage package unit comprising an adhesive bandage including an adhesive tape having a backing and a layer of adhesive on one surface thereof, said tape being yreversely folded to define two contiguous overlapping panels with the backings of the panels on the inside face to face and with the adhesive layer on the outsides of said panels, and a pair of separable flexible sheets of smooth heat-scalable plastic material facing each other on opposite faces of the folded tape to cover said tape and connected together at one end, said sheets being heat-sealed together along the sides and defining at the other end respective finger tabs, said sheets being heatsealed together Ialong an area leaving said iinger tabs free to be pulled apart to break the heat-seals, said sheets being attached to the outsides of said panels respectively by said adhesive layer, whereby when said sheets are pulled apart by pulling on said tabs, said tape panels move with said sheets respectively and at the same time peel away from said sheets to cause said tape to become unfolded and at the same time to be withdrawn from the sheets.

11. A packaged adhesive bandage comprising an adhesive bandage and an envelope enclosing the same, said adhesive bandage comprising a backing having a coating of tacky adhesive material `applied on one side thereof and an absorbent dressing pad positioned on said adhesive surface but leaving said adhesive surface uncovered `at each end of said backing, said envelope comprising a pair of opposing panels having smooth inner faces sealed together completely around and outside the edges of said bandage and provided with pull tabs at adjacent end portions, said adhesive bandage being folded at least once so that at least a portion of the adhesive coated surface of at least one of said ends is directly adherent to one of said panels and faces in ya direction opposite to that in which at least a portion of the adhesive coated surface of the remainder of said backing, directly adherent to the other of said panels, faces, whereby upon separating said panels by pulling said tabs in opposite directions one of said ends becomes free of one of said panels and may be grasped to pull the other end of said backing from the other of said panels. Y

l2. A packaged bandage comprising an adhesive bandage and an envelope enclosing the same, said adhesive bandage consisting of :a backing having a coating of tacky adhesive material applied on one side thereof and an absorbent dressing pad positioned on said adhesive surface but leaving said adhesive surface uncovered at the ends of said backing, said envelope cornprising a pair of opposing panels having smooth inner faces sealed together completely around and outside the edges of said bandage and provided with pull tabs at adjacent end portions, said adhesive bandage being folded at least once and being positioned between said panels with at least a portion of the respective ends of said backing facing in opposite directions and being directly adherent to opposing panel faces and with at least one of the ends of said backing extending in a direction away from said tabs.

13. A packaged adhesive bandage comprising an adhesive bandage and an envelope enclosing the same, said adhesive bandage consisting of a backing having a coating of tacky adhesive material applied on one side thereof and an absorbent dressing pad medially positioned on said adhesive surf-ace and leaving said adhesive surface uncovered at each end of said backing, said envelope comprising a pair of opposing panels having smooth inner faces sealed together completely around and outside the edges of said bandage and provided with pull tabs at adjacent end portions, one of said adhesive coated ends being folded under the central portion of said adhesive coated backing with its adhesive surface facing outwardly in a direction opposite to that in which the adhesive surface of the other of said adhesive coated ends faces, whereby the adhesive surfaces of said ends directly contact opposing panels of said envelope.

14. A packaged adhesive bandage substantially as described in claim 13, but further characterized in that said adhesive coated ends both extend in a direction away from said tabs and said tabs are adjacent the fold in said bandage.

l5. A packaged adhesive bandage comprising an adhesive bandage and an envelope enclosing the same, said adhesive bandage consisting of a backing having a coating of a tacky adhesive material applied on one side thereof, an absorbent dressing pad positioned on said adhesive surface and leaving said adhesive surface un covered at each end of said backing, said envelope comprising a pair of opposing panels having smooth inner surfaces sealed together and completely around the edges of said bandage and provided with pull tabs at adjacent end portions, one end of said bandage being folded along a transverse line extending along and adjacent to an edge of said pad so that the end extends under the remainder of the backing with its adhesive surface facing in a direction opposite to that of the adhesive surface of the remainder of said backing and directly adherent in face-to-face contact with the smooth inner surface of one of said panels, the other opposing panel being in direct adherent face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the uncovered adhesive surface of the remainder of said backing.

16. A packaged adhesive bandage comprising an adhesive bandage and an envelope enclosing the same, said adhesive bandage comprising a backing having a coating of tacky adhesive material applied on one side thereof and an absorbent dressing pad positioned on said adhesive surface but leaving said adhesive surface uncovered at each end of said backing, said envelope comprising a pair of opposing panels sealed together completely around and outside the edges of said bandage, said adhesive bandage being folded at least once so that at least a portion of the adhesive coated surface of at least one of said ends is directly adherent to one of said panels and faces in a direction opposite to that in which at least `a portion of the adhesive coated surface of the remainder of said backing, directly adherent to the other of said panels, faces, adjacent end portions of said panels being provided with opening means for forcing the panels apart to open said envelope.

17. A packaged adhesive bandage comprising an adhesive band-age and an envelope enclosing the same, said adhesive bandage consisting of a backing having a coating of tacky adhesive material applied on one side thereof and an absorbent dressing pad positioned on said adhesive surface but leaving said adhesive surface uncovered at each end of said backing, said envelope comprising a pair of opposing panels sealed together completely around and outside the edges of said band-age and provided with pull tabs at adjacent end portions, at least one of the ends of said bandage being reversely folded, at least a portion of the adhesive coated surface of one of said ends being in direct contact with the inner face of one of said panels of said envelope,

y18. A packaged adhesive bandage comprising -an adhesive bandage and an envelope enclosing the same, said adhesive bandage consisting of a backing having a coating of tacky adhesive material applied o-n one side thereof and yan absorbent dressing pad positioned on said adhesive surface but leaving said adhesive surface un- 15 2,703,083

covered at each end of said backing, said envelope cornprising a pair of opposing panels sealed together completely around and outside the edges of said bandage, at least one of the ends of said bandage being reversely folded, yat least a portion of the adhesive coated surface of one of said ends being in direct cont-act with the inner face of one of said panels, adjacent end portions of said panels provided with opening means for forcing the panels apart to open said envelope.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Samuel Sept. 12, 1939 Hamblin Oct. 1, 1940 Gross Mar. 1, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent N0 2,969,144 January 241961 Eli A; Zackheim It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and -that the said Letters Patent should read as i corrected below.

Signed and sealed this 13th day of June 1961u (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner ofAV Patents

Claims

1. AN ADHESIVE BANDAGE PACKAGE UNIT COMPRISING AN ADHESIVE INCLUDING AN ADHESIVE TAPE HAVING A BACKING A LAYER OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ON ONE SURFACE THAREOF, AND AN ABSORBENT PAD ATTACHED TO SAID SURFACE BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF AND SHORTER THAN THE TAPE TO LEAVE PROJECTING TAPE ENS SECTIONS BEYOND THE ENDS OF THE PAD, ONE OF SAID TAPE END SECTIONS BEING FOLDED BACK AGAINST THE BACKING OPOSITE THE PAD, WHEREBY THE ADHESIVE SIDES OF THE TAPE END SECTION WILL BE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FOLDED ADHESIVE TAPE, AND A WRAPPER FOR SAID ADHESIVE BANDAGE HAVING A SECTION ATTACHED TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE FOLDED TAPE END IN FACE CONTACT THEREWITH BY THE ADHESIVE LAWYER THEREON, AND HAVING ANOTHER SECTION ATTACHED TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE OTHER TAPE END SECTION BY THE ADHESIVE LAWYER THEREON, SAID WRAPPER SECTIONS BEING ARRANGED TO BE PULLED APART TO CAUSE THE PEELING OF SAID WRAPPER SECTONS FROM SAID TAPE END SECTIONS AND THE SIMULTANEOUS WITHDRAWAL OF THE ADHESIVE BANDAGE FROM THE WRAPPER