TABLET PACKAGE

Abstract

A package includes a case and a card coupled to the case. The card is configured to carry a collection of oral tablets or the like that can be released from the card and then ingested by a consumer

Description

PRIORITY

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61,487,634, filed May 18, 2012, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to packaging for prescription drugs, and particularly to packaging for blister cards. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to containers for storing blister cards.

SUMMARY

A package in accordance with the present disclosure includes a case and a card coupled to the case. In illustrative embodiments, the card is a blister card configured to carry a collection of oral tablets or the like.

In illustrative embodiments, the case includes a tray including a floor, a side wall extending around the floor, and card-elevation means for elevating the card above the floor to form a tablet-receiving chamber bounded by the floor, the side wall, and an underside of the card. The case further includes a card retainer arranged to engage the card to retain the card on the card-elevation means in the elevated position.

In a first embodiment of the case, the tray is a round dish sized to receive a round blister card. The card-elevation means of the tray includes a center card support and a series of outer card supports. The center card support is an upstanding post coupled to the center of the round floor and arranged to extend upwardly toward a top tray aperture defined by the side wall and opening into a tray chamber bounded by the side wall and the floor. Each outer card support is an upstanding wall having a bottom edge coupled to the floor and an outer end edge coupled to the side wall and arranged to extend radially inwardly toward the center card support. Four outer card supports are provided in an illustrative embodiment and positioned to lie in uniformly and circumferentially spaced-apart relation to one another along a circular inner surface of the side wall. A top plate of the center card support and a top edge of each of the radially inwardly extending outer card supports cooperate to form a level platform on which the round blister card is retained to form the tablet-receiving chamber below the round blister card.

The round blister card is retained on the level platform established by the card-elevation means using a card retainer comprising a series of card-retainer segments included in the case and coupled to a circular inner surface of the side wall of the tray. In illustrative embodiments, each of the card-retainer segments is arc-shaped and arranged to lie on an upper portion of the side wall of the tray above the top edges of the outer card supports and below the top edge of the side wall.

In illustrative embodiments, the case in accordance with the first embodiment also includes a removable lid that is adapted to be coupled to the round tray to cover the blister card retained in the round tray. The round blister card is formed to include a tablet-discharge outlet opening into the tablet-receiving chamber formed below the round blister card. In use, a consumer removes the lid from the tray to expose the round blister card. Then the consumer pushes downwardly on the elevated blister card to cause an oral tablet stored in a pocket formed in the blister card to be ejected from the pocket and fall into the underlying tablet-receiving chamber. Finally, the consumer tilts the tray at an angle to cause the loose oral tablet in the tablet-receiving chamber to be discharged from the case through the tablet-discharge outlet formed in the blister card.

In a second embodiment of the case, the tray is a rectangular dish sized to receive a rectangular blister card. The card-elevation means of the tray includes an outer card support arranged to extend around an inner surface of the rectangular side wall of the tray. In illustrative embodiments, the outer card support includes a raised ledge coupled to each of the four segments of the rectangular side wall of the tray. The raised ledges of the outer card support cooperate to form a level platform on which the rectangular blister card is retained to form the tablet-receiving chamber below the rectangular blister card.

In illustrative embodiments, the rectangular blister card is retained on the level platform established by the card-elevation means using a card retainer that is coupled to a rectangular frame that is separate from the tray but is mounted on the tray. The rectangular frame is coupled, for example, by means of a snap connection, to an upper portion of the rectangular side wall to trap a peripheral portion of the rectangular blister card between the raised ledges of the card-elevation means and an underside of the card retainer coupled to the rectangular frame.

In illustrative embodiments, the case in accordance with the second embodiment also includes a discharge spout and a removable lid for the discharge spout. The discharge spout is aligned with a discharge aperture formed in the side wall of the rectangular tray and arranged to open into the tablet-receiving chamber to provide means for discharging tablets stored in the tablet-receiving chamber from the tray after removal of the lid from the discharge spout. In use, a consumer pushes downwardly on the elevated blister card to cause an oral tablet stored in a pocket formed in the blister card to be ejected from the pocket and fall into the tablet-receiving chamber. Then the consumer removes the lid from the discharged spout and tilts the tray at an angle to cause the loose oral tablet in the tablet-receiving chamber to be discharged from the case through a tablet-transport passageway formed in the discharge spout.

Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a case in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure showing a removable lid mounted on an underlying tray;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective assembly view of components included in the case of FIG. 1 showing a removable lid, a round blister card formed to include four pie-shaped color-coded tablet carrier sections and a tablet-discharge outlet located between two neighboring tablet carrier sections, and a round tray including a floor, a side wall surrounding the floor, and a card elevator for elevating the blister card above the floor to form a tablet-receiving chamber bounded by the floor, the side wall, and the underside of the blister card, and showing the center card support and the four radially extending outer card supports that are included in the card elevator of the tray and cooperate to form a level platform supporting the blister card in the elevated position above the floor of the tray;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the tray and blister card of FIG. 2 after the blister card has been placed on the level platform established by the underlying center card support and four outer card supports to cause the tablet-discharge outlet formed in the blister card to open into the table-receiving chamber formed under the blister card and showing two of the four arc-shaped card-retainer segments that cooperate to form a card retainer that is also included in the case and coupled to an inner surface of the curved side wall of the tray to engage a top side of the blister card and retain the blister card in a stationary position on the level platform established by the center card support and the outer card supports;

FIG. 3A is a view of an alternative information card in an elevated position on the tray of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 showing the center card support and two of the four radially inwardly extending outer card supports and showing the tablet-receiving chamber bounded by the floor, the side wall, and the underside of the blister card and configured to receive any loose oral tablets that are discharged from the overlying blister card by a consumer seeking to free such a tablet from the blister card for consumption;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged bottom view of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged front elevation view of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side elevation view of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a case in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure showing a cylinder-shaped removable lid mounted on a discharge spout coupled to a rectangular tray underlying and supporting a rectangular blister card and to a rectangular frame overlying the rectangular tray and carrying a card retainer that cooperates with the tray to trap the blister card in a stationary position therebetween;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective assembly view of components included in the case of FIG. 8 showing a rectangular frame carrying a card retainer along an inner edge thereof, a rectangular blister card, a rectangular tray including a floor, a side wall surrounding the floor, and a card elevator for elevating the blister card above the floor to form a tablet-receiving chamber bounded by the floor, the side wall, and the underside of the blister card, a discharge spout comprising a top spout section coupled to a right end of the rectangular frame and a companion bottom spout section coupled to a right end of the rectangular tray, and a cylinder-shaped removable lid, and showing the raised ledges arranged to lie around the perimeter of the floor that are included in the card elevator of the tray and cooperate to form a level platform supporting the blister card in the elevated position above the floor of the tray;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a bottom plate of FIG. 9 comprising the tray and the bottom spout section of the discharge spout;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the blister card of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a top plate of FIG. 9 comprising the rectangular frame and the top spout section of the discharge spout;

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective assembly view showing that the blister card has been placed on the level platform established by the raised ledges of the card elevator to mate the blister card and the tray to form the tablet-receiving chamber between the floor of the tray and the underside of the blister card and showing that the rectangular frame is about to be mated with the tray to trap the blister card between the card retainer coupled to the frame and the tray;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view of the case taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged sectional view of the case taken along line 15-15 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a portion of the case of FIG. 8 showing the tablet-receiving chamber bounded by the tray floor, the tray side wall, and the underside of the blister card and showing a portion of the card retainer that is coupled to an inner edge of the rectangular frame and arranged to mate with a peripheral portion of the top side of the blister card to retain the blister card in the elevated position on the raised ledges included in the card elevator of the tray.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A package 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the disclosure is shown in FIGS. 1-7. A package 110 shown in FIG. 3A is similar to package 10 but includes an information card rather than a blister card. A package 210 in accordance with a second embodiment of the disclosure is shown in FIGS. 8-16. In each embodiment, a card is retained in an elevated position above a tray floor to form a space between the card and the tray floor. In illustrative embodiments, the card is a blister card configured to store several oral tablets and the space under the blister card is a tablet-receiving chamber sized to receive downwardly falling oral tablets that have been released from a tablet-storage pocket formed in the blister card in response to a downward pushing force applied by a consumer to the pocket of the blister card. In each embodiment, the case is formed to include means for discharging loose oral tablets from the tablet-receiving chamber for consumption by the consumer.

Package 10 includes a case 12 and a blister (tablet-carrier) card 14 inside case 12 as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 2. Case 12 includes a tray 16 and a removable lid 18 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2. Tray 16 includes a card elevator 20 including, for example, a center card support 200 and four outer card supports 201-204 as suggested in FIGS. 2 and 5. Card elevator 20 is configured to provide a level platform to support blister card 14 in an elevated position in tray 16 to form a tablet-receiving chamber 22 underneath blister card 14 as suggested in FIGS. 2-4.

Case 12 also includes a card retainer 24 including, for example, four arc-shaped card-retainer segments 241-244 coupled to tray 16 as suggested in FIGS. 2-4. Card retainer 24 is coupled to tray 16 and arranged to engage a top side of blister card 14 as suggested in FIGS. 3 and 4 while blister card 14 is at rest on center card support 200 and outer card supports 201-204 so that blister card 14 is trapped between card elevator 20 and card retainer 24 and thus retained on card elevator 20 in the elevated position.

Tray 16 includes a floor 26 and a side wall 28 coupled to a perimeter edge of floor 26 as shown, for example, in FIG. 2. Side wall 28 cooperates with floor 26 to form a tray chamber 27 containing card elevator 20 and card retainer 24 as suggested in FIGS. 2-4. Tray 16 has a round floor 26 and a curved side wall 28 in an illustrative embodiment as suggested in FIG. 2. Tray 16 is nestable for efficient shipping to and storage at a pharmacy before a blister card 14 is inserted into tray 16.

Blister card 14 is round as suggested in FIG. 2 and sized to lie in tray chamber 27 of tray 16 on the level platform established by center card support 200 and outer card supports 201-204 as suggested in FIGS. 2-4. In an illustrative embodiment, blister card 14 includes a transparent shell 30 made of any suitable material and formed to include a series of tablet-receiving pockets 32. Blister card 14 also includes a laminate backing layer 34 coupled to shell 30 to retain an oral tablet 36 in each of the pockets 32 until needed by a consumer. In an illustrative embodiment, laminate backing layer 34 is made of an aluminum foil. Tablets 36 can be removed from companion pockets 32 in the usual way by pushing downwardly on a pocket 32 of shell 30 to push a tablet 36 through the frangible laminate backing layer 34 to punch a tablet-ejector opening in laminate backing layer 34 and release a tablet 36 from blister card 14.

In an illustrative embodiment, blister card 14 includes four pie-shaped color-coded sections 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D as shown, for example, in FIG. 3. Each of those sections represents one week and normally contains seven tablet-receiving pockets 32 to provide a tablet 36 for each day in that week. (However, section 14A includes nine pockets 32 to provide a total of thirty pockets 32 in blister card 14.)

A relatively narrow fifth pie-shaped section 14E is provided between color-coded sections 14A and 14D in an illustrative embodiment as suggested in FIG. 3. Section 14E is formed to include a half-round tablet-discharge outlet 145 as suggested in FIGS. 2 and 3. Tablet-discharge outlet 145 is configured to open into tablet-receiving chamber 22 provided between blister card 14 and tray floor 26 to provide means for discharging loose oral tablets 36 from tablet-receiving chamber 22 for consumption by a consumer.

In case 12, tray 16 is a round dish sized to receive a round blister card 14. Card elevator 20 of tray 16 includes a center card support 200 and a series of outer card supports 201-204. Center card support 200 is an upstanding post coupled to the center of the round floor 26 and arranged to extend upwardly toward a top tray aperture 29 defined by side wall 28 and opening into a tray chamber 27 bounded by side wall 28 and floor 26. Each outer card support 201-204 is an upstanding wall having a bottom edge coupled to floor 26 and an outer end edge coupled to side wall 28 and arranged to extend radially inwardly toward center card support 200 as suggested in FIG. 2. Four outer card supports 201-204 are provided in an illustrative embodiment and positioned to lie in uniformly and circumferentially spaced-apart relation to one another along a circular inner surface of side wall 28 of tray 16 as suggested in FIG. 2. A top plate of center card support 200 and a top edge of each of the radially inwardly extending outer card supports 201-204 cooperate to form a level platform on which the round blister card 14 is retained to form the tablet-receiving chamber 22 below the round blister card 14.

Blister card 14 is retained on the level platform established by card elevator 20 using a series of card-retainer segments 241-244 included in case 12 and coupled to a circular inner surface of side wall 28. In illustrative embodiments, each of card-retainer segments 241-244 is arc-shaped and arranged to lie in a stationary position on an upper portion of the side wall 28 of tray 16 above the top edges of the outer card supports 201-204 and below the top edge of the side wall 28.

In illustrative embodiments, case 12 also includes a removable lid 18 that is adapted to be coupled to the round tray 16 to cover blister card 14 retained in round tray 16. Blister card 14 is formed to include a tablet-discharge outlet 145 opening into the tablet-receiving chamber 22 formed below the round blister card 14. In use, a consumer removes lid 18 from tray 16 to expose blister card 14. Then the consumer pushes downwardly on the elevated blister card 14 to cause an oral tablet 36 stored in a pocket 32 formed in blister card 14 to fall into the underlying tablet-receiving chamber 22. Finally, the consumer tilts tray 16 at an angle to cause the loose oral tablet 36 in tablet-receiving chamber 22 to be discharged from case 12 through the tablet-discharge outlet 145 formed in blister card 14. The tablet-discharge outlet 145 is a dispensing slot that provides controlled dosing.

A perimeter edge of tablet-carrier card 14 is arranged to lie in closely confronting relation to side wall 28 of case 12 as suggested in FIG. 3. Portions of the perimeter edge of tablet-carrier card 14 and side wall 28 cooperate to form a tablet-discharge outlet 145 configured to open into tablet-receiving chamber 22 provided between tablet-carrier card 14 and floor 26 to provide chamber-outlet means for discharging loose oral tablets 36 from tablet-receiving chamber 22 for oral consumption by a consumer. The perimeter edge of tablet-carrier card 14 includes a concave potion arranged to face outwardly toward an opposing portion of side wall 28 to define the tablet-discharge outlet 145 therebetween as suggested in FIGS. 2 and 3.

An exploded perspective assembly view of components included in case 12 is provided in FIG. 2 and shows a removable lid 18, a round blister card 14 formed to include four pie-shaped color-coded tablet carrier sections 14A-14D and a tablet-discharge outlet 145 located between two neighboring tablet carrier sections 14A-14D, and a round tray 16 including a floor 26, a side wall 28 surrounding floor 26, and a card elevator 20 for elevating blister card 14 above floor 26 to form a tablet-receiving chamber 22 bounded by floor 26, side wall 28, and the underside of blister card 14. Also shown is center card support 200 and the four radially extending outer card supports 201-204 that are included in card elevator 20 of tray 16 and cooperate to form a level platform supporting blister card 14 in the elevated position above floor 26 of tray 16.

An enlarged view of tray 16 and blister card 14 is provided in FIG. 3 to show placement of blister card 14 on the level platform established by underlying center card support 200 and four outer card supports 201-204 to cause tablet-discharge outlet 145 formed in blister card 14 to open into table-receiving chamber 22 formed under blister card 14. Two of the four arc-shaped card-retainer segments 241-242 that cooperate to form a card retainer 20 that is also included in case 12 and coupled to an inner surface of curved side wall 28 of the tray are shown to engage a top side of blister card 14 and retain blister card 14 in a stationary position on the level platform established by center card support 200 and outer card supports 201-204.

Tablet-receiving chamber 22 is bounded by the floor, the side wall, and the underside of the blister card 14. Tablet-receiving chamber 22 is configured to receive any loose tablets 36 that are discharged from the overlying blister card 14 by a consumer seeking to free such a tablet 36 from the blister card 14 for consumption.

Package 10 includes a case 12 that is formed to provide a tablet-receiving chamber 22 for receiving all oral tablets 36 discharged from a blister card 14 retained in case 12. Blister card 14 is supported and retained in an elevated position in case 12 to provide tablet-receiving chamber 22. By supporting blister card 14 in a stationary elevated position, it is relatively easy for a consumer to expel an oral tablet 36 from blister card 14 while blister card 14 remains in case 12 without directly holding blister pack 14.

Case 12 is suitable for use in package 110 along with information card 13 instead of blister card 14 as suggested in FIG. 3A. Thus, case 12 is also adapted for use with a collection of loose oral tablets 36 stored under information card 13. These loose oral tablets 36 may be dispensed from tablet-receiving chamber 22 via a tablet-discharge outlet 145 formed in information card 13.

Package 210 includes a case 212 and a blister (tablet-carrier) card 214 inside case 212 as suggested in FIGS. 8 and 9. Case 212 includes a tray 216, a frame 217, a removable lid 218, and a discharge spout 219 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 8 and 9. Tray 216 includes a card elevator 220 including, for example, four raised ledges 221-224 as suggested in FIGS. 9 and 10. Card elevator 220 is configured to provide a level platform to support blister card 214 in an elevated position in tray 216 to form a tablet-receiving chamber 122 underneath blister card 214 as suggested in FIGS. 9 and 13.

Case 212 also includes a card retainer 2240 including, for example, four card-retainer segments 2241-2244 coupled to an inner edge of frame 217 as suggested in FIGS. 9, 12, and 13. Card retainer 224 is coupled to frame 217 and arranged to engage a top side of blister card 214 as suggested in FIGS. 1, 2, and 14-16 while blister card 214 is at rest on raised ledges 221-224 so that blister card 214 is trapped between card elevator 220 and card retainer 2240 and thus retained on card elevator 220 in the elevated position.

Tray 216 includes a floor 226 and a side wall 228 coupled to a perimeter edge of floor 226 as shown, for example, in FIG. 10. Side wall 228 cooperates with floor 226 to form a tray chamber 227 containing card elevator 220 as suggested in FIG. 10. Blister card 214 also lies in tray chamber 227 when retained in position on card elevator 220 as suggested in FIGS. 14-16. Tray 216 has a generally rectangular floor 226 and a generally rectangular side wall 228 in an illustrative embodiment as suggested in FIG. 10.

Blister card 214 is rectangular as suggested in FIG. 11 and sized to lie in tray chamber 227 of tray 216 on the level platform established by raised ledges 2241-2244 of card elevator 2240 as suggested in FIGS. 13-16. In an illustrative embodiment, blister card 214 includes a transparent shell 230 made of any suitable material and formed to include a series of tablet-receiving pockets 232. Blister card 214 also includes a laminate backing layer 234 coupled to shell 230 to retain an oral tablet 36 in each of the pockets 232 until needed by a consumer. Tablets 36 can be removed from companion pockets 232 in the usual way by pushing downwardly on a pocket 232 of shell 230 to push an oral tablet 36 through the frangible laminate backing layer 234 to punch a tablet-ejector opening in laminate backing layer 234 and release a tablet 36 from blister card 14.

In case 212, tray 216 is a rectangular dish sized to receive a rectangular blister card 214. The card elevator 220 of tray 216 includes an outer card support arranged to extend around an inner surface of the rectangular side wall 228 of tray 216. In illustrative embodiments, the outer card support includes a raised ledge coupled to each of the four segments of rectangular side wall 228 of tray 216. The raised ledges 221, 222, 223, and 224 of the outer card support 220 cooperate to form a level platform on which the rectangular blister card 214 is retained to form the tablet-receiving chamber 122 below the rectangular blister card 214.

In illustrative embodiments, the rectangular blister card 214 is retained on the level platform established by card elevator 220 using a card retainer 2240 that is coupled to a rectangular frame 217 that is separate from tray 216. The rectangular frame 217 is coupled, for example, by means of a snap connection, to an upper portion of the rectangular side wall 228 to trap a peripheral portion of the rectangular blister card 214 between a top side of the rectangular side wall 228 and an underside of a card retainer 2240 coupled to the rectangular frame 216.

In illustrative embodiments, case 212 also includes a discharge spout 219 and a removable lid 218 for the discharge spout 219. Discharge spout 219 is aligned with a discharge aperture formed in side wall 228 of rectangular tray 216 and arranged to open into the tablet-receiving chamber 122 to provide means for discharging oral tablets 36 stored in tablet-receiving chamber 122 from tray 216 after removal of lid 218 from discharge spout 219. In use, a consumer pushes downwardly on the elevated blister card 214 to cause an oral tablet 36 stored in a pocket 232 formed in blister card 214 to fall into tablet-receiving chamber 122. Then the consumer removes lid 218 from discharged spout 219 and tilts tray 216 at an angle to cause the loose oral tablet 36 in tablet-receiving chamber 122 to be discharged from case 212 through a tablet-transport passageway 219F formed in discharge spout 219.

A perimeter edge of tablet-carrier card 214 is arranged to lie in closely confronting relation to side wall 228 of case 212 as suggested in FIGS. 8 and 9. Portions of the perimeter edge of tablet-carrier card 14 and side wall 228 includes a concave portion that is arranged to face upwardly toward the perimeter edge of tablet-carrier card 214 to define a tablet-discharge outlet therebetween as suggested in FIGS. 9 and 13.

A discharge spout 219 is coupled to tray 216 at the tablet-discharge outlet and arranged to extend away from tablet-receiving chamber 122 to provide means for conducting loose oral tablets 36 discharged from tablet-receiving chamber 122 through the tablet-discharge outlet away from tablet-receiving chamber 122. Case 212 further includes card-retainer means coupled to side wall 228 for engaging tablet-carrier card 214 to retain tablet-carrier card 214 on the card-elevation means in the elevated position as suggested in FIGS. 9 and 13-15.

Tablet-carrier card 214 includes a shell 230 formed to include a series of tablet-receiving pockets 232 and a frangible laminate backing layer 234 located between shell 230 and floor 226 and coupled to shell 230 to cover tablet-receiving pockets 232 as suggested in FIGS. 9 and 13-15. Frangible laminate backing layer 234 mates with the card-elevation means. The card-retainer means mates with shell 230.

An exploded perspective assembly view of components included in case 212 is provided in FIG. 9 and shows a rectangular frame 217, a rectangular blister card 214, a rectangular tray 216 including a floor 226, a side wall 228 surrounding floor 226, and a card elevator 220 for elevating blister card 214 above floor 226 to form a tablet-receiving chamber 122 bounded by floor 226, side wall 228, and the underside of blister card 214, a discharge spout 219 comprising a top spout section 219T coupled to a right end of rectangular frame 216 and a companion bottom spout section 219B coupled to a right end of rectangular tray 216, and a cylinder-shaped removable lid 228. Also shown are raised ledges 221-224 that are arranged to lie around the perimeter of floor 226 and are included in card elevator 220 of tray 216 and cooperate to form a level platform supporting blister card 216 in the elevated position above floor 226 of tray 216.

An exploded perspective assembly view showing that blister card 214 has been placed on the level platform established by raised ledges 221-224 of card elevator 220 to mate blister card 214 and tray 216 to form tablet-receiving chamber 122 between floor 226 of tray 216 and the underside of blister card 214 is shown in FIG. 13. Rectangular frame 217 is about to be mated with tray 216 to trap blister card 214 between card retainer 2240 coupled to frame 217 and tray 216 as also shown in FIG. 13. A portion of card retainer 2240 is coupled to an inner edge of the rectangular frame 217 and arranged to mate with a peripheral portion of the top side of blister card 214 to retain blister card 214 in the elevated position on the raised ledges 221-224 included in card elevator 220 of tray 216 as shown in FIG. 16.

Package 210 includes a case 212 that is formed to provide a tablet-receiving chamber 222 for receiving all oral tablets 36 discharged from a blister card 214 retained in case 212. Blister card 214 is supported and retained in an elevated position in case 212 to provide tablet-receiving chamber 222. By supporting blister card 214 in a stationary elevated position, it is relatively easy for a consumer to expel an oral tablet 36 from blister card 214 while blister card 214 remains in case 212 without directly holding blister pack 214.

Claims

1. A tablet package comprising

a tablet-carrier card adapted to carry a collection of oral tablets for oral use by a consumer and

a case including a tray having a floor and a side wall extending around the floor and card-elevation means for elevating the tablet-carrier card to assume an elevated position above the floor to form a tablet-receiving chamber bounded by the floor, the side wall, and an underside of the tablet-carrier card so that an oral tablet released from a tablet-storage pocket formed in the tablet-carrier card through a tablet-ejector opening created on the underside of the tablet-carrier card in response to a downward pushing force applied by the consumer to the tablet-storage pocket will fall into the tablet-receiving chamber.

2. The tablet package of claim 1, wherein a perimeter edge of the tablet-carrier card is arranged to lie in closely confronting relation to the side wall of the case.

3. The tablet package of claim 2, wherein portions of the perimeter edge of the tablet-carrier card and the side wall cooperate to form a tablet-discharge outlet configured to open into the tablet-receiving chamber provided between the tablet-carrier card and the floor to provide chamber-outlet means for discharging loose oral tablets from the tablet-receiving chamber for oral consumption by a consumer.

4. The tablet package of claim 3, wherein the perimeter edge of the tablet-carrier card includes a concave portion arranged to face outwardly toward an opposing portion of the side wall to define the tablet-discharge outlet therebetween.

5. The tablet package of claim 3, wherein the side wall includes a concave portion that is arranged to face upwardly toward the perimeter edge of the tablet-carrier card to define the tablet-discharge outlet therebetween.

6. The tablet package of claim 5, further comprising a discharge spout coupled to the tray at the tablet-discharge outlet and arranged to extend away from the tablet-receiving chamber to provide means for conducting loose oral tablets discharged from the tablet-receiving chamber through the tablet-discharge outlet away from the tablet-receiving chamber.

7. The tablet package of claim 1, wherein the case further includes card-retainer means coupled to the side wall for engaging the tablet-carrier card to retain the tablet-carrier card on the card-elevation means in the elevated position.

8. The tablet package of claim 7, wherein the tablet-carrier card includes a shell formed to include a series of tablet-receiving pockets and a frangible laminate backing layer located between the shell and the floor and coupled to the shell to cover the tablet-receiving pockets.

9. The tablet package of claim 8, wherein the frangible laminate backing layer mates with the card-elevation means.

10. The tablet package of claim 8, wherein the card-retainer means mates with the shell.

11. The tablet package of claim 7, wherein the side wall includes a curved inner surface facing toward the tablet-carrier card and the card-retainer means includes at least two arc-shaped card-retainer segments coupled to the curved inner surface to overlie a peripheral portion of the tablet-carrier card and arranged to lie in spaced apart relation to one another on the curved inner surface.

12. The tablet package of claim 7, wherein the case further includes a frame coupled to the side wall to extend around a peripheral portion of the tablet-carrier card and the card-retainer means includes a card retainer coupled to an inner edge of the frame and arranged to engage a topside of the tablet-carrier card to cause an underside of the tablet-carrier card to lie in a stationary position on the card-elevation means.

13. The tablet package of claim 12, further comprising a discharge spout coupled to the tray at a tablet-discharge outlet formed in the side wall and arranged to extend away from the tablet-receiving chamber to provide means for conducting loose oral tablets discharged from the tablet-receiving chamber through the tablet-discharge outlet away from the tablet-receiving chamber and wherein the discharge spout includes a top spout section coupled at one end to the frame and a bottom spout section coupled at one end to the tray and coupled to the top spout section to define a tablet-conducting passageway therebetween.

14. The tablet package of claim 13, further comprising a removable lid coupled to the top and bottom spout sections to close a downstream opening into the tablet-conducting passageway formed in the discharge spout.

15. The tablet package of claim 1, wherein the tablet-carrier card includes a shell formed to include a series of tablet-receiving pockets and a frangible laminate backing layer located between the shell and the floor and coupled to the shell to cover the tablet-receiving pockets and the frangible laminate backing layer mates with the card-elevation means.

16. The tablet package of claim 15, wherein the card-elevator means is coupled to the side wall and configured to provide a level platform supporting the tablet-carrier card in the elevated position above the floor.

17. The tablet package of claim 1, wherein the tablet-carrier card is formed to include a tablet-discharge outlet configured to open into the tablet-receiving chamber to provide chamber-outlet means for discharging loose oral tablets from the tablet-receiving chamber for oral consumption by a consumer.

18. The tablet package of claim 1, wherein the tray is formed to include a tablet-discharge outlet configured to open into the tablet-receiving chamber to provide chamber-outlet means for discharging loose oral tablets from the tablet-receiving chamber for oral consumption by a consumer.

19. The tablet package of claim 1, wherein the card-elevation means includes a center card support and several outer card supports arranged to lie in spaced-apart orbiting relation around the center card support.

20. The tablet package of claim 19, wherein each outer card support is coupled to the side wall.

21. The tablet package of claim 20, wherein the center card support is an upstanding post coupled to a center of the floor and arranged to extend upwardly toward a top tray aperture defined by the side wall and opening into a tray chamber bounded by the side wall and the floor.

22. The tablet package of claim 19, wherein each outer card support is an upstanding wall having a bottom edge coupled to the floor and an outer end edge coupled to the side wall and arranged to extend radially inwardly toward the center card support.

23. The tablet package of claim 22, wherein a top plate provided at a free end of the center card support and a top edge of each of the radially inwardly extending outer card supports cooperate to form a level platform engaging the tablet-carrier card.

24. The tablet package of claim 23, wherein the tablet-carrier card is retained on the level platform established by the card-elevation means using a card retainer comprising a series of card-retainer segments included in the case and coupled to an inner surface of the side wall of the tray.

25. The tablet package of claim 24, wherein each of the card-retainer segments is arc-shaped and arranged to lie on an upper portion of the side wall above the top edges of the outer card supports and below a top edge of the side wall.

26. The tablet package of claim 1, wherein the card-elevation means includes an outer card support arranged to mate with the tablet-carrier card and extend around an inner surface of the side wall arranged to face toward a perimeter edge of the tablet-carrier card.

27. The tablet package of claim 26, wherein the outer card support includes a raised ledge coupled to each of four segments that cooperate to provide the side wall of the tray with a rectangular shape and the raised ledges cooperate to form a level platform on which the tablet-carrier card is supported.

28. The tablet package of claim 27, wherein the tablet-carrier card is retained on the level platform established by the card-elevation means using a card retainer coupled to a rectangular frame that is separate from the tray but mounted on the tray.

29. The tablet package of claim 28, wherein the rectangular frame is coupled by means of a snap connection to a rectangular upper portion of the side wall of the tray to trap a peripheral portion of the tablet-carrier card between the raised ledges of the outer card supports and an underside of the card retainer arranged to face downwardly toward the floor.

30. The tablet package of claim 1, further comprising a discharge spout and a removable lid coupled to a free end of the discharge spout and wherein the discharge spout is aligned with a discharge aperture formed in the side wall of the tray and arranged to open into the tablet-receiving chamber to provide means for discharging oral tablets stored in the tablet-receiving chamber from the tray after removal of the lid from the free end of the discharge spout.