Packaging for laminar objects with improved opening properties

Abstract

A primary packaging for laminar objects is disclosed, comprising an upper (3) and a lower strip (2). The fusion of the strips (2, 3) encloses an inner region, suitable for accepting a laminar object and comprises, in the outer areas of said strips, regions where both packaging strips are not joined to each other and where said strips are not congruently arranged one on the other.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the packaging of sheet-like articles, for example film-like or oblate-like medicaments, which are also referred to as wafers.

[0002] Film-like or oblate-like medicaments for oral administration are known, for example, from DE-A 24 32 925 A1 and EP 219 762 B1. They differ from conventional solid presentation forms such as tablets or capsules, in particular, by their geometrical shape and their flexibility. These wafers thus generally have a surface area of between approximately 2 and approximately 20 cm2 and only have a thickness of between 50 and 500 &mgr;m. On account of this low thickness, these wafers are generally also very flexible. In addition, many are mukoadhesive, which, in the case of oral intake, results in this presentation form adhering to the roof of the mouth.

[0003] Such wafers are packaged in plastic containers as are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. Design 371,723. It is also possible for such wafers to be packaged in a blister pack (so-called thermoformed pack). These are known, for example, from GB-A 2,311,760 A. Finally, it is also possible for these wafers to be packaged in a sealed bag comprising two identical layers. From the point of view of the material required and the ease of production, this solution is the most advantageous in most cases. A corresponding primary pack is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,007,848.

[0004] However, difficulties may arise as these packs are opened since, on account of the small surface area and the low height, they are difficult to grip. A pack which encloses the wafer between two sheets has thus been developed, the top web and bottom web being located one above the other and being connected to one another such that, on the one hand, by a composite arrangement of the webs, the wafer is sufficiently protected and, on the other hand, on the borders, there are locations at which the two webs are not connected to one another. It is possible for the individual webs to be gripped here in order for the pack to be torn open more easily. This solution is described in DE-A 198 00 692 A1.

[0005] A further disadvantage exhibited by primary packs which are produced from two identical or two different packaging-material webs is that the force which has to be applied in order to open these packs may result in the sensitive wafer possibly being damaged.

[0006] However, since the packaging-material webs are usually extremely thin and, in part, transparent, it may be very laborious, in particular for the elderly, to grip the top web and bottom web individually in order to tear open the primary pack.

[0007] The object of the invention is thus to make available a primary pack for sheet-like articles which allows the top packaging-material web and the bottom packaging-material web to be gripped separately in a particularly straightforward manner and thus ensures easy opening of the primary pack.

[0008] The object is achieved by a primary pack for sheet-like articles which comprises a top web and a bottom web, the top web and the bottom web of the primary pack not being located congruently one above the other. By virtue of the composite arrangement of the webs, on the one hand, the sheet-like article (wafer) is sufficiently protected, and is preferably sealed in in an air-tight manner, and, on the other hand, the primary pack has, at least on an outer region of one web of the composite web arrangement, locations at which the two packaging-material webs are not connected to one another and at which the webs are not located congruently one above the other. There are thus regions in which only one of these packaging-material webs is present.

[0009] This makes it possible to achieve the situation where each individual packaging-material web of the composite web arrangement in the primary pack can be gripped at its outer region by the thumb and index finger of one hand in each case. The advantage of the primary pack according to the invention, then, is that the thumb and index finger of the one hand which the user uses to grip a packaging-material web is not located in the immediate vicinity of the thumb and the index finger of the other hand. Instead, during opening of the primary pack according to the invention, the thumb and index finger of one hand are all set spatially (to the rear and/or laterally) in relation to the thumb and index finger of the other hand. This results in a considerable reduction in the spatial loading in the outer region of the packaging-material webs during the opening of the primary pack, which ultimately results in the action of opening the primary pack being considerably easier.

[0010] It is possible, finally, in this way to solve the problem of making it easier to separate the top and bottom webs of a sealed primary pack for sheet-like articles (wafers).

[0011] The following definitions serve for explaining the subject matter according to the invention and the use thereof.

[0012] Sheet-like articles (1) within the context of the present invention is to be understood as a three-dimensional article which, in one dimension, has a very small extent relative to the two other dimensions. The actual measurements of said sheet-like article are not particularly critical for this invention, but sheet-like articles which have a length of between approximately 1 and 20 cm, a width of [lacuna] approximately 0.5 and 10 cm and a thickness of from approximately 50 &mgr;m to 1 cm are preferred. Thus, a sheet-like article within the context of the present invention may also assume the form and the dimensions of a conventional tablet or capsule in the pharmaceutical sector. Particularly preferred, however, are sheet-like articles of which the measurements are at the lower level of said dimensions, because these are generally more and more difficult to handle, with the result that the advantages of the invention can be used particularly effectively here. Such particularly preferred sheet-like articles have a length of between approximately 1 and 3 cm, a width of [lacuna] approximately 0.5 and 2 cm and a thickness of from approximately 50 &mgr;m to 500 &mgr;m.

[0013] The nature of the sheet-like article is not critical for the invention. The articles are preferably ones which, for various reasons, have to be packaged in an air-tight manner and/or individually. These articles may be foodstuffs, medicaments, wipes, plastic cards, biologically active material (adhesive) labels, TTSs, etc. Presentation forms for oral application, which may also contain physiological or pharmaceutical active ingredients, are preferred.

[0014] The primary pack comprises a top packaging-material web (3) and a bottom packaging-material web (2), which has regions (5) which are in intimate contact with one another. Since the bottom packaging-material web (2) and the top packaging-material web (3) are connected to one another here, this gives a composite arrangement of the top packaging-material web and bottom packaging-material web which encloses an inner region (4) which is capable of accommodating the sheet-like article. The inner region (4) may be airtight if the region (5) forms a continuous line (weld seam). It is also possible, however, for the inner region (4) to be open if, for example, the region (5) is only of punctiform design.

[0015] The intimate contact in the region (5) is preferably produced by heat-sealing or cold-sealing. The strength of the contact may be set to the requirements of the sheet-like article (1) and of the force required for opening purposes. The strength of this contact is preferably such that said intimate contact can be eliminated upon application of a tensile force which can easily be applied by an adult, without the individual packaging-material webs being destroyed in the process. The person skilled in the art refers to this property as peelable.

[0016] The measurements of the inner region (4), which is capable of accommodating at least one sheet-like article (1), are adapted to the measurements of the sheet-like structure which is to be packaged, and are generally only slightly larger. In the inner region (4), the packaging-material webs are not in contact with one another.

[0017] The materials of the packaging-material webs (2, 3) which can be used within the context of the production of a primary pack according to the invention are the conventional materials which are known for producing sealed bags and blister packs. These include, for example, polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), OPA, polyacrylate (PA), EVOH, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), EC, Barex, Surlyn, paper, aluminum and combinations of these materials.

[0018] It is also possible, however, for the top web and bottom web each to be formed as composite materials comprising two or more layers of the abovementioned materials and, if appropriate, further materials. It is also possible for one or both webs to be designed as a thermoformed blister base.

[0019] The primary pack according to the invention is characterized in that the top packaging-material web (3) and the bottom packaging-material web (2) each have at least one outer region which is located on the border of the region (5) in which the top packaging-material web and the bottom packaging-material web are in intimate contact with one another. In said two outer regions, the top packaging-material web (3) and the bottom packaging-material web (2) are not in contact with one another. Furthermore, they are formed such that they are not located congruently one above the other in the primary pack. This fact makes it possible for an individual to use one hand to grip the outer region of the bottom packaging-material web (2) and, at the same time, to use the other hand to grip the outer region of the top packaging-material web (3). By applying a corresponding tensile force, it is possible, finally, in this case for the pack to be torn open easily.

[0020] In a further embodiment, the primary pack may be of multi-copy design, e.g. with 2, 5, 6 or 10 individual primary packs which are arranged parallel to one another and are separated from one another by predetermined braking lines (6), e.g. a notched line or a perforation.

[0021] In a further embodiment, the coloring of, or the printing on, the top packaging-material web (3) differs from the coloring of, or the printing on, the bottom packaging-material web (2).

[0022] A primary pack according to the invention may be produced as follows:

EXAMPLE 1

Production of a Primary Pack

[0023] First of all a web which serves as bottom packaging-material web is supplied and possibly provided with a contour. The latter is preferably punched in the outer region of the bottom packaging-material web by means of a rotary cutting roller. Individual wafers are then positioned on the bottom packaging-material web. In a following step, the [sic] the top packaging-material web is unrolled from a supply roll and guided onto the bottom packaging-material web provided with the individual wafers. These webs located one above the other are guided into a contour press, in which preferably a closed contour is punched. This produces a closed inner region in which the wafer is located. Once any projecting border which may be present has been separated off, if appropriate a perforation is stamped into the region located between two individual primary packs. Finally, the primary packs may be separated.

[0024] List of designations:

[0025] 1=sheet-like article

[0026] 2=bottom packaging-material web

[0027] 3=top packaging-material web

[0028] 4=inner region of the primary pack

[0029] 5=region between top packaging-material web and bottom packaging-material web in which said webs are in intimate contact with one another

[0030] 6=predetermined breaking line as separating aid for individual primary packs of multi-copy design

[0031] Embodiments of the primary pack according to the invention for sheet-like articles will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows the side view of a primary pack according to the prior art in which the top packaging-material web (3) and the bottom packaging-material web (2) are located congruently one above the other.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows plan views of three different embodiments of the primary pack according to the invention in which the top packaging-material web (3) and the bottom packaging-material web (2) are not located congruently one above the other. The outer regions of the bottom packaging-material web (2) project beyond the outer region of the top packaging-material web (3). The lateral outer boundary may be rectilinear or cut in the form of an arc.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a primary pack in a five-copy embodiment. The non-congruent overlapping of the bottom packaging-material web (2) by the top packaging-material web (3) is brought about by a wave-form cut which, in terms of frequency and phase, has been adapted to the width of the individual primary pack. The individual primary packs are separated from one another by predetermined breaking lines (6).

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a primary pack in a five-copy embodiment. The non-congruent overlapping of the bottom packaging-material web (2) by the top packaging-material web (3) is brought about by a wave-form cut which, in terms of frequency, is adapted to the width of the individual primary pack but has been displaced by half a wavelength.

[0036] FIG. 5 shows a primary pack in a five-copy embodiment. The non-congruent overlapping of the bottom packaging-material web (2) by the top packaging-material web (3) is brought about by a wave-form cut of which the wavelength corresponds to the width of two individual primary packs.

[0037] FIG. 6 shows a primary pack in a six-copy embodiment. The non-congruent overlapping of the bottom packaging-material web (2) by the top packaging-material web (3) is brought about by a rectilinear cut which begins at the region of intimate contact between the top packaging-material web and bottom packaging-material web of the first primary pack and runs to the diagonally-apposite end of the outer region.

[0038] FIG. 7 shows a primary pack as in FIG. 6 but with non-congruent overlapping of the bottom packaging-material web (2) by the top packaging-material web (3) only on one side.

[0039] FIG. 8 shows a primary pack with non-congruent overlapping of the bottom packaging-material web (2) by the top packaging-material web (3) on one side. The lateral outer boundary of the two webs in this case corresponds to a wave-form cut with the same frequency. Offsetting the top packaging-material web (3) in relation to the bottom packaging-material web (2) by one phase brings about the non-congruent overlapping of the two webs.

Claims

1. A primary pack comprising a bottom packaging-material web (2) and a top packaging-material web (3) the packaging-material webs having regions (5) which are in intimate contact with one another, and the regions (5) enclosing an inner region (4) which is capable of accommodating a sheet-like article, wherein the bottom packaging-material web (2) and the top packaging-material web (3) each have at least one outer region on the border of the region (5) in which the packaging-material webs are not in contact with one another and are not located congruently one above the other.

2. The primary pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contour of the outer region of the top packaging-material web (3) and/or the contour of the outer region of the bottom packaging-material web (2) have/has a curved, a wave-form or serrated profile.

3. The primary pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface area of the outer region of the top packaging-material web (3) is larger than the surface area of the outer region of the bottom packaging-material web (2).

4. The primary pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface area of the outer region of the top packaging-material web (3) is smaller than the surface area of the outer region of the bottom packaging-material web (2).

5. The primary pack as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the packaging-material webs contain polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), OPA, polyacrylate (PA), EVOH, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), EC, Barex, Surlyn, paper, aluminum or combinations of these materials.

6. The primary pack as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the color of the top packaging-material web (3) differs from that of the bottom packaging-material web (2).