Blister Card with Peelable Strip for a Child-Resistant Package

Abstract

A card for packaging tablets includes a tablet-carrying layer having a plurality of close-ended hollow compartments for housing tablets with each of the compartments having an open end located on an underside of the tablet-carrying layer and a sealing layer secured to the underside of the tablet-carrying layer for sealing the open ends of the compartments. The sealing layer has perforations formed therein defining a plurality of separate strips. The perforations enable each of the strips to be separately peeled away from the tablet-carrying layer without peeling away a remainder of the sealing layer. Each of the strips extends directly under a plurality of the compartments such that, when one of the strips is peeled away from the tablet-carrying layer, the contents of multiple compartments can be dispensed at a given time.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/305,840, filed Feb. 18, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a blister card or like dispensing tray in which a plurality of relatively-small separate items, such as tablets, doses of medicine, or the like can be packaged, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a blister card storable in a hollow protective outer sleeve or case that provides child-resistant, senior-friendly dispensing properties.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,581,642 B2 issued to Knutson et al., 7,617,935 B2 issued to Reilley et al. and 7,806,270 B2 issued to Seibert et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0300923 A1 of Sack et al. are assigned to Anderson Packaging, Inc., the assignee of the present application, and disclose examples of packages including a blister card housed within a molded plastic sleeve or case providing child-resistant, senior-friendly dispensing properties.

Although the packages disclosed by the above referenced patents and published and unpublished applications are suitable for their intended purposes, there is a need for alternate designs of such packages and the blister cards contained by such packages. Typically, it is desirable that such packages are difficult for a young child to open (i.e. receive a so-called “F=1” child resistant rating), yet are readily opened and closed by an intended end-user, such as a senior citizen. Preferably, the blister card is able to be slid between a retracted position in which the items are protected and housed within the package and a dispensing position in which the blister card at least partially extends in an exposed condition from the package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a card for packaging tablets. The card includes a tablet-carrying layer having a plurality of close-ended hollow compartments for housing tablets with each of the compartments having an open end located on an underside of the tablet-carrying layer and a sealing layer secured to the underside of the tablet-carrying layer for sealing the open ends of the compartments. The sealing layer has perforations formed therein defining a plurality of separate strips. The perforations enable each of the strips to be separately peeled away from the tablet-carrying layer without peeling away a remainder of the sealing layer. Each of the strips extends directly under a plurality of the compartments such that, when one of the strips is peeled away from the tablet-carrying layer, the contents of multiple compartments can be dispensed at a given time.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a package having child-resistant, senior-friendly dispensing properties for storing and dispensing tablets is provided. The package includes a blister card having a plurality of blister compartments for holding tablets and a hollow sleeve having an opposed pair of wall panels, an opposed pair of side edges and a dispensing end. The sleeve provides a protective housing for the blister card when the blister card is in a storage position within the sleeve, and the blister card is slidable in an end-to-end direction relative to the sleeve between the storage position and a dispensing position in which the blister card extends at least partially outside the sleeve to expose the blister compartments. The blister card comprises a sheet of plastic material having a plurality of upstanding hollow blister compartments formed therein each having an open end located on an underside of the sheet and a sealing layer bonded to the underside of the sheet for sealing the open ends of the blister compartments. The sealing layer includes a layer of foil directly bonded to the underside of the sheet and a second exterior layer. The sealing layer has perforations formed therein defining a plurality of strips peelable away from the sheet without peeling away a remainder of the sealing layer. Each of the strips extend directly under a plurality of the blister compartments such that, when one of the strips is peeled away from the sheet, contents of multiple blister compartments can be dispensed at the same time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention should become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is perspective view of a first package including a sleeve with a single blister card according to the present invention retained in a storage position;

FIG. 2 is perspective view of a second package including a sleeve with a pair of separate blister cards according to the present invention with one blister card retained in a storage position and the other in a dispensing position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the underside of a blister card according to the present invention with one strip shown partially peeled away from the blister card;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an upper face of the blister card of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the blister card of FIG. 4 taken along line 5-5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to the structure of a blister card having one or more peelable strips enabling dispensing of pills, tablets or the like from the blister card. In addition, the present invention is also directed to the structure of a blister card that can be used as part of a package comprising one or more blister cards contained within a protective hollow sleeve or case.

Examples of the above referenced package are disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/577,228 filed on Oct. 12, 2009, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Other examples are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,581,642 B2 issued to Knutson et al. and 7,617,935 B2 issued to Reilley et al. and 7,806,270 B2 issued to Seibert et al. Various embodiments are disclosed herein and various alterations can be made to the embodiments within the scope of the present invention. The blister card of the present invention can be used with any of the above referenced packages, with other packages, or by itself without a protective sleeve.

Solely for purposes of example, a relatively compact package 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. Package 10 includes a hollow protective sleeve or case 12 housing a single blister card 14 which is capable of being slid into and out of the sleeve 12 between storage and dispensing positions relative to the sleeve or case 12. The purpose of the sleeve 12 is to form a protective compact case for safely housing the blister card 14. Preferably, although not a requirement, the sleeve or case 12 can be provided with child-resistant features that prevent a young child from accessing the tablets or pills contained by the package 10.

The blister card 14 is slid relative to the sleeve 12 in an end-to-end direction through a dispensing end 16 of the sleeve 12 to a dispensing position and can be slid into the sleeve 12 to a storage position. In the storage position, the blister card 14 is held in a substantially stationary position relative to the sleeve 12 and very little movement of the blister card 14 relative to the compact sleeve 12 is permitted.

As an alternative, a relatively compact package 20 is illustrated in FIG. 2 that includes a hollow protective sleeve or case 22 housing two separate blister cards 24 and 26 that can each be slid out of one or opposite ends of the package. In FIG. 2, the blister card 24 is shown in a storage position and the blister card 26 is shown in a dispensing position.

The packages 10 and 20 can include locking mechanisms such that the blister cards automatically become locked in the storage position when fully inserted within the sleeves. In this locked condition, the user is required to perform multiple simultaneous actions to free the blister card from the storage position to enable the blister card to slide relative to the sleeve to the dispensing position. For example, a pair of buttons or the like on opposite side edges of the packages may need to be simultaneously depressed while the front edge of the blister card is pulled out of the sleeve. The above referenced multiple simultaneous actions are preferably of a type not readily accomplished by a young child but that can readily be performed by intended users, such as adults.

Accordingly, the blister card can be slid into the sleeve to the storage position from the dispensing position by being pushed into the sleeve and automatically becomes locked in the storage position and thereafter cannot be slid to the dispensing position until the above referenced multiple simultaneous actions are again performed. The above described operations permit the packages to have child-resistant properties sufficient for a so-called F=1 child resistant rating, yet still are able to be readily opened by an intended user during the entire life of the packages. As one example, the packages can be adapted for use as a unit dose package.

The blister card according to the present invention can be used in one of the above referenced packages. Alternatively, the blister card can be used with other packages or by itself without a protective outer sleeve.

One contemplated embodiment of the blister card according to the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. The blister card 30 can be constructed from multiple layers which are laminated or otherwise secured or bonded together. For example, the blister card 30 can include a tablet-carrying layer 32 having a plurality of separate, spaced-apart, upstanding blister compartments 34. See FIG. 4 which shows an upper face 36 of the blister card 30. In addition, one or more sealing layers 38 can be applied, bonded and/or secured to an underside 40 of the tablet-carrying layer 32 to seal tablets or the like within the blister compartments 34.

By way of example, the tablet-carrying layer 32 can be formed from a thin sheet of plastic or the like in which a plurality of separately-accessible, spaced-apart, upstanding blister compartments 34 are formed such as via a thermoforming or molding operation. A pill, tablet or the like can be loaded into the compartments 34. Preferably, the tablet-carrying layer 32 and/or blister compartments 34 are transparent so that the presence of a tablet within a compartment 34 can be determined via visual inspection of the blister card 30. Thus, the tablet-carrying layer 32 can be a thermoform-able sheet of plastic, such as PVC, PVDC, or the like.

The sealing layer 38 is applied, secured, or bonded to the underside 40 of the tablet-carrying layer 32 and functions to capture the tablets within the blister compartments 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing layer 38 is constructed as a layer of foil 42 laminated to a layer of paper or cardboard 44. The foil 42 confronts the tablet-carrying layer 32 and tablets; while, the paper or cardboard layer 44 forms an exterior underside of the blister card 30. When the sealing layer 38 is separated from the tablet-carrying layer 32, such as being peeled away from the layer 32, the exposed tablet or tablets are free to be dispensed from their respective blister compartments 34. An example of this is illustrated in FIG. 3 which shows a section 46 of the sealing layer 38, including the foil 42 and paper 44, partially peeled away from the tablet-carrying layer 32. Thus, three or four blister compartments 34 are exposed in the peeled condition of FIG. 3. As an alternative, the paper layer 44 can first be peeled away by itself, and then the tablets can be forced or pushed through the single frangible foil layer 42 which can remain bonded to the tablet-carrying layer 32 behind the blister compartments 34.

The illustrated blister card 30 can be generally thin and rectangular and can be of a predetermined length and width. The plurality of separate blister compartments 34 can project a predetermined height from the upper face 36 of the blister card 30. The blister card 30 can include a front margin 48 adjacent a leading front edge 50 of the blister card 30, a rear margin 52 adjacent a distal end 54 of the blister card 30, and a pair of side margins 56 extending lengthwise along the opposite sides of the blister card 30. In the illustrated embodiment, no blister compartments are located in any of the front, rear and side margins, 48, 52 and 56.

As best illustrated in FIG. 4, the blister compartments 34 can be arranged in lines forming one or more rows, 58 and 60, of blister compartments 34. Within each row, 58 and 60, the blister compartments 34 can be aligned in a single-file manner (as illustrated) or can be slightly staggered relatively to each other. The sealing layer 38 can include a series of perforations 62 that define the boundaries of one or more peelable strips, 64 and 66, which in turn defines the extent of the rows, 58 and 60. Of course, any number of rows and any number of strips can be provided. As illustrated in FIG. 3, as the strip 64 is peeled and removed along the length of its respective row 58, additional blister compartments 34 are progressively exposed. In FIG. 3, about three blister compartments 34 are shown exposed.

A benefit of the above arrangement is that any number of tablets can be dispensed from the blister card 30 based on the extent to which a strip, 64 or 66, is peeled from the tablet-carrying layer 32. For example, if a patient is to take one tablet a day, the patient can readily dispense seven tablets at once by removing one of the strips, 64 or 66, and by simultaneously dispensing all seven tablets from one of the rows, 64 or 66. This is desirable since many patients use separately-purchased, re-useable, weekly pill dispensers (not shown). Accordingly, a week's worth of tablets can be readily dispensed from the blister card 30 at one time with minimal effort and then the dispensed tablets can be transferred into the patient's weekly pill dispenser. Of course, this provides only one example, and other number of tablets can be dispensed for any number of reasons. In the example, each row has seven tablets, one for each day of the week; however, any number of tablets can be contained in each row.

Accordingly, the strips, 64 and 66, can be peeled from the underside of the blister card 30 to expose any desired number of blister compartments 34 in a particular row. The perforations 62 guide the peeling/tearing operation along the length of the rows, 64 and 66. In addition, a relief area 68 is formed at the leading edge 70 of each strip, 64 and 66, to enable easy gripping of the leading edge 70 when initial peeling of a strip is desired. Unlike the remainder of the sealing layer 38, the leading edges 70 of the strips, 64 and 66, are not bonded or sealed to the tablet-carrying layer 32 in the relief areas 68. Thus, the patient can readily slip their finger or the like between the leading edge 70 and the layer 32 to initiate peeling of a strip.

In addition to the above features, the blister card 30 can include other optional features. For example, the illustrated card 30 includes a pair of latch-catchers or apertures 72 which cooperates with latching mechanisms in a protective sleeve so that the blister card can be locked within a storage position within the sleeve. Also, additional blister compartments 74, which are not for the purpose of containing tablets, can be formed in the layer 32. The compartments 74 can be provided to space the blister card 30 from the walls of the sleeve and/or to engage retaining structures in the sleeve to prevent withdraw of the card through an end of the sleeve or to prevent complete withdraw of the card from the sleeve when the blister card is in a dispensing position.

The above referenced blister card 30 and packages 10 and 20 are preferably produced utilizing automated, high-speed equipment enabling commercial-sized quantities of the blister cards and packages to be formed, assembled, and loaded with tablets or the like in a cost efficient manner within a relatively short period of time. In some contemplated embodiments, the packages of the present invention can meet and surpass the standards (F=1) required for a child proof package yet are easy to open and close by adults including senior citizens. Further, the blister card and packages can be made of materials that can be readily recycled thereby providing a blister card and packages that are environmentally-friendly and inexpensive to manufacture. Still further, at least some parts of the blister card and sleeves are capable of being made from recycled materials.

While numerous blister cards and packages have been described in detail, various modifications, alterations, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A card for packaging tablets, comprising:

a tablet-carrying layer having a plurality of close-ended hollow compartments for housing tablets, each of said compartments having an open end located on an underside of said tablet-carrying layer; and

a sealing layer secured to said underside of said tablet-carrying layer for sealing said open ends of said compartments;

said sealing layer having perforations formed therein defining a plurality of strips, said perforations enabling each of said strips to be separately peeled away from said tablet-carrying layer without peeling away a remainder of said sealing layer, each of said strips extending directly under a plurality of said compartments such that when one of said strips is peeled away from said tablet-carrying layer, contents of multiple compartments can be dispensed at the same time.

2. A card according to claim 1, wherein said tablet carrying layer has at least one free edge, wherein at least one of said strips extends to said free edge, and wherein a relief area is formed between said strip and said tablet-carrying layer at said free edge such that said strip is not bonded to said tablet-carrying layer adjacent said free edge.

3. A card according to claim 1, wherein said sealing layer includes a layer of foil bonded to said underside of said tablet-carrying layer and a second layer forming an external surface of said card.

4. A card according to claim 3, wherein said second layer of said card is made of paper, paperboard or cardboard.

5. A card according to claim 1, wherein said tablet-carrying layer is a sheet of plastic material with said compartments being formed as a plurality of upstanding blister compartments.

6. A card according to claim 5, wherein said sheet of plastic material is made of PVC or PVDC and is transparent.

7. A card according to claim 1, wherein said card is rectangular, wherein said compartments are aligned in a plurality of rows extending lengthwise on said card, and each of said strips extends underneath one of said rows of compartments.

8. A blister card for packaging tablets, comprising:

a sheet of plastic material having a plurality of upstanding hollow blister compartments formed therein, each of said blister compartments having an open end located on an underside of said sheet; and

a sealing layer bonded to said underside of said sheet for sealing said open ends of said blister compartments, said sealing layer including a layer of foil directly bonded to said underside of said sheet and a paper layer forming an external surface of said blister card;

said sealing layer having perforations formed therein defining a plurality of strips peelable away from said sheet without peeling away a remainder of said sealing layer, each of said strips extending directly under a plurality of said blister compartments such that when one of said strips is peeled away from said sheet, contents of multiple blister compartments can be dispensed at the same time.

9. A blister card according to claim 8, wherein said sheet has a leading edge, wherein each of said strips extends to said leading edge, and wherein a relief area is formed between each of said strips and said sheet at said leading edge such that each of said strips is not bonded to said sheet adjacent said leading edge.

10. A blister card according to claim 9, wherein said sheet is elongate, wherein said blister compartments are aligned in a plurality of rows extending lengthwise on said elongate sheet, and wherein each of said strips extends underneath one of said rows of blister compartments.

11. A blister card according to claim 10, wherein said blister card has at least one latch catcher adjacent an edge of said sheet opposite from said leading edge.

12. A blister card according to claim 11, wherein said latch catcher is an aperture extending through said blister card.

13. A package having child-resistant, senior-friendly dispensing properties for storing and dispensing tablets, comprising:

a blister card having a plurality of blister compartments for holding tablets; and

a hollow sleeve having an opposed pair of wall panels, an opposed pair of side edges and a dispensing end;

said sleeve providing a protective housing for said blister card when said blister card is in a storage position within said sleeve, and said blister card being slidable in an end-to-end direction relative to said sleeve between said storage position and a dispensing position in which said blister card extends at least partially outside said sleeve to expose said blister compartments;

said blister card comprising a sheet of plastic material having a plurality of upstanding hollow blister compartments formed therein each having an open end located on an underside of said sheet and a sealing layer bonded to said underside of said sheet for sealing said open ends of said blister compartments, said sealing layer including a layer of foil directly bonded to said underside of said sheet and a second layer; and

said sealing layer having perforations formed therein defining a plurality of strips peelable away from said sheet without peeling away a remainder of said sealing layer, each of said strips extending directly under a plurality of said blister compartments such that, when one of said strips is peeled away from said sheet, contents of multiple blister compartments can be dispensed at the same time.

14. A package according to claim 13, wherein said blister card includes at least one latch-catcher for cooperatively engaging and catching latches of said sleeve when said blister card is in said storage position to automatically lock said blister card in said storage position within said sleeve when said blister card is slid to said storage position.

15. A package according to claim 14, wherein said at least one latch catcher is an aperture.

16. A package according to claim 15, wherein said sheet has a leading edge, wherein each of said strips extends to said leading edge, and wherein a relief area is formed between each of said strips and said sheet at said leading edge such that each of said strips is not bonded to said sheet adjacent said leading edge.

17. A package according to claim 16, wherein said sheet is elongate, wherein said blister compartments are aligned in a plurality of rows extending lengthwise on said elongate sheet, and wherein each of said strips extends underneath one of said rows of blister compartments.

18. A package according to claim 17, wherein said second layer of said sealing layer is made of paper, paperboard or cardboard.

19. A package according to claim 18, wherein said sheet of plastic material is made of PVC or PVDC and is transparent.