Abstract:
A childproof and senior friendly packaging container having a housing that defines a chamber for removably receiving a blister card or sheet. The blister sheet includes a flap on its end that is designed to engage a flap extending into the chamber of the housing to retain the blister card within the housing in an extended position. A node on the blister card flap is sized to fit within a slot or hole on the housing to retain the blister card in a stored position.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/372,198, filed Aug. 10, 2010, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates in general to packaging containers and, more particularly, to packaging containers that are child-resistant and senior friendly. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The number of available consumer pharmaceuticals continues to grow for use in the diagnosis, cure, treatment and/or prevention of diseases or injuries. In fact, the use of pharmaceuticals is so prevalent that there are very few households where they are not present. Due to the chemical nature of many of these medicines, any unintended uses or overdoses may have very damaging or lethal consequences. This is especially true with children who do not understand or appreciate the dangers involved. Accordingly, there has been a need to make the packaging childproof. However, because many people who use pharmaceuticals are elderly and may have lost some of their physical strength and/or coordination, it is also important that any such packaging also be readily usable by senior citizens. 
         [0004]    Therefore, there is a need to produce a packaging container that allows senior citizens and other intended users, but not children, to access the contents of the packaging. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is an improvement over the prior product packaging in the way that the packaging container secures the contents to prevent access from children, while still permitting a senior citizen to access the contents. In particular, the packaging container securely retains a slidable blister card or sheet within a housing that does not allow access to the contents until multiple steps are performed. 
         [0006]    In one embodiment, the packaging container includes a bottom member and a top or cover that form a housing including a sleeve for receiving part of the blister card or sheet. The housing members may comprise a paper-based material, although it is appreciated that other materials may be used and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0007]    The bottom member may be formed from a blank having a bottom panel, a sleeve bottom panel, a central panel, and a pair of wing members. In order to form the bottom member, the central panel is folded on top of the sleeve bottom panel so that a flap at the end of the central panel extends through a corresponding flap opening in the sleeve bottom panel. The central panel and sleeve bottom panel may then be folded over the bottom panel so that the flap extends upwardly, and slots on the bottom panel and sleeve bottom panel are aligned. 
         [0008]    In order to construct the sleeve, sleeve side panels are folded upward until perpendicular with the sleeve bottom panel, wherein the wing members may be folded across and attached to one another. Once the bottom member is assembled, the cover, which may be a substantially seamless formed tray having an opening in one end, may be placed over and attached to the bottom member. 
         [0009]    A blister sheet or card having one end folded down to form a flap having a pair of nodes extending outwardly therefrom may then be inserted with the flap side down into the opening of the housing until the nodes are biased into engagement with the slots on the sleeve bottom panel and bottom panel. In order to release the blister sheet, notches in the slots of the bottom panel may be pressed to bias the nodes out of engagement with the slots while the blister sheet is pulled axially out of the housing. The flap on the blister card will engage the flap extending into the interior of the housing to prevent the blister card from being completely withdrawn from the housing. 
         [0010]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new packaging container that is child-resistant and senior-friendly. 
         [0011]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new packaging container that is better for the environment than conventional packaging containers. 
         [0012]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new packaging container that is safer to open. 
         [0013]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging container that inhibits theft and the inadvertent opening of the packaging. 
         [0014]    Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the packaging container of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the packaging container shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a top prospective view of the packaging container of  FIG. 1  with a blister card extending outwardly therefrom. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of the packaging container of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of a blank for the bottom member of the packaging container shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of a blank for the bottom member of the packaging container shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a top perspective view of the blank for the bottom member of the packaging container shown in  FIG. 5  with the central panel folded under the sleeve bottom panel. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of the blank for the bottom member of the packaging container shown in  FIG. 5  with the sleeve bottom panel and central panel folded over the bottom panel. 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a top perspective view of the bottom member showing the wing members of the blank being folded over to form a sleeve. 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a side perspective view of the bottom member of the packaging container shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is a top perspective view of a blister card for use with the second embodiment of the packaging container of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  is a bottom perspective view of the blister card shown in  FIG. 11  for use with the second embodiment of the packaging container of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail several specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered merely an exemplification of the principles of the invention and the application is limited only to the appended claims. 
         [0028]    Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , one embodiment of the improved product packaging container of the present invention, generally designated by the numeral  100 , is shown having a housing  102  and a blister card or sheet  104  having a plurality of blisters or chambers  106  for storing the product  108  to be dispensed. In the embodiments shown and disclosed, the housing is made of a bottom member  110  and a cover or tray  112 . The bottom member  110  and tray  112  can be two separate pieces or can be attached along one or more edges and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0029]    In order to prevent access to the pills or other products  108  to be dispensed when within the housing from children, the housing  102  is preferably made from a material that is tear-resistant. One example of a material that may be used is a SBS board coated with a laminated material having directional grains that, when criss-crossed, adds strength to the housing and protects against tearing or tampering in two directions. A suitable coating is manufactured under the trademark VALERON™ by Valeron Strength Films. While VALERON is made from a polyethylene material, other such coatings such as, but not limited to, polypropylene or polyester may be used. The material used also is preferably printable to allow for advertising, promotional or other information to be displayed on the housing. While a SBS board with a cross-laminated coating is preferred, it is appreciated that other tear-resistant materials including, but not limited to, cloth films, cloth and plastic films, heat sealable boards and other coatings, also may be used and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Examples of cloth films and cloth and plastic films include those films sold under the names SCRIM and CLAF. A corrugate stock also may be used to achieve a more rigid finished packaging product. 
         [0030]    The packaging container is adapted to be childproof by permitting the blister sheet  104  to be securely retained in a stored position within the housing  102  and only releasable upon the execution of a particular series of steps that are not likely to be figured out be a child. The packaging container is also adapted to inhibit the complete removal of the blister sheet  104  from the housing  102  by limiting the axial movement of the blister sheet  104 . 
         [0031]    The bottom member of the housing, as showing in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , may also define an interior sleeve for receiving the blister sheet. Referring now to  FIGS. 5 through 9 , the bottom member of the housing may be formed from an integral blank  200 . The blank includes a bottom panel  202 , a sleeve bottom panel  204  and a central panel  206 . An end panel  208  joins the bottom panel  202  and the sleeve bottom panel  204  along fold lines  210  and  212 . Central panel  206  is joined to the sleeve bottom panel  204  along fold line  214 . A pair of sleeve side panels  220 ,  222  or members extend along the side of the sleeve bottom panel  204  and are joined to the sleeve bottom panel  204  and a pair of wing members  224 ,  226  by fold lines  228 ,  230 , and  232 ,  234  respectively. In one embodiment, one of the wing members  224  is sized to extend substantially across the width of the sleeve bottom panel  204  when folded over. 
         [0032]    Each of the bottom panel  202  and sleeve bottom panel  204  include a pair of rectangular slots  240 ,  242  with a pair of semi-circular notches  244 ,  246  extending therewithin. The slots and notches are located on the panels so that when the bottom member is formed, the slots and notches line up with one another. A pair of openings  250  are formed on the end of the central panel  206  to provide additional space between the two pair of slots  240 ,  242 . While a pair of slots are shown and disclosed, referring to  FIG. 2 , it is appreciated that one, or more than two, slots or openings may be used and not depart from the scope of the present invention. It is further appreciated that the slots may be of a variety of sizes and shapes, and may be used without the notches and not depart from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0033]    On the end of the back side of the central panel  206 , a flap  260  extends inwardly. Flap opening  262  in the sleeve bottom panel  204  is sized to permit the flap  260  to extend into the sleeve interior when constructed. A semi-circular slot  264  may be formed in the end of the bottom panel  202  and the end panel  208  to create an opening in the end of the packaging container  100 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , to permit fingers or the like to extend into the housing  102  and grab the blister sheet  104  to assist in its removal from the housing  102  to dispense the pills or other contents  108 . 
         [0034]    While three panels are shown and disclosed, it is appreciated that the bottom member may be formed without the central panel, wherein the flap would extend inwardly from the sleeve bottom panel. 
         [0035]    The bottom member  110  may be formed in the following manner. While the various parts may be attached using adhesive, it is appreciated that they may be connected and held together by using any known means. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the central panel  206  is folded over and attached to the sleeve bottom panel  204  along fold line  214  so that the flap  260  extends through the flap opening  262  and the openings  250  are aligned with the slots  242  and notches  246 . Referring to  FIG. 8 , the sleeve bottom panel  204  and central panel  206 , along with the end panel  208  can then be folded over along fold line  210  and attached to the bottom panel  202 . Sleeve slide panels  220 ,  222  may be folded along fold lines  228 ,  230  to extend substantially perpendicular to the sleeve bottom panel  204 . Wing member  224  may then be folded along fold line  232  to extend over the opening created by the sleeve side panels  220 ,  222  and the sleeve bottom panel  204  such that the other wing member  226  may be folded along fold line  234  and attached to wing member  224  to define a sleeve for receiving part of the blister sheet  104  as disclosed in more detail below. 
         [0036]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the top  112  of the housing  102  may be in the form of a tray having an opening  114  in one end and a rim  116  that extends around the remainder of the tray. In constructing the package, the tray may be placed over the formed bottom member so that the rim  116  may be attached to the portion of the bottom panel  202  around the sleeve. 
         [0037]    In order to further assist in the prevention of theft of the package  100  and its contents, the interconnection between the walls of the top or cover  112  are preferably substantially seamless. Accordingly, the walls will not tend to separate or be easily separated by the consumer to facilitate the unwanted opening of the packaging container and removal of the contents. Additionally, the corners (if any) and/or sides of the chamber may be reinforced to further prevent any tampering with the chamber or its contents. Examples of chambers having reinforced corners and sides include, but are not limited to, chambers having their edges reinforced with fiber-reinforced tape or a fiber laminate, similar to a set-up box. 
         [0038]    It is further appreciated that the tray may also contain an electronic security device such as, but not limited to, a product sensor/transmitter that will set off an alarm to indicate that a consumer or customer may be passing a security sensor and thereby leaving the store with an unpurchased product. Such a sensor would be deactivated upon payment for the product at the point of purchase. 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIG. 11 , one embodiment of a blister sheet  104  for use with the present invention is shown. The blister sheet or card  104  is made from a substantially rigid material such as, but not limited to, aluminum or plastic. The blisters  106 , which are preferably transparent to permit the contents  108  to be viewed, include a chamber that extends outwardly and a rim about the bottom of the chamber that interacts with the blister sheet to secure the blister in place. While the blister pack is shown as having thirty substantially round blisters  106 , it is appreciated that the blister pack may have any number of blisters of varying sized and shapes and not depart from the scope of the present invention. A plurality of dispensing slots are formed on the bottom of the blister sheet  104  and are covered with a thin film or foil sheet  300  so that the pills  108  contained in blisters can be pushed through. 
         [0040]    One end of the blister sheet  104  is folded over along line  304  to create a flap  302  that angles downwardly and inwardly. The material of the blister sheet is resilient so that when the flap is pushed upward toward the bottom of the blister sheet, the flap attempts to return to its original angled position. A pair of nodes  306  are spaced apart on the top of the flap  302  a distance that coincides with the distance between the pair of slots  240 ,  242  on the sleeve bottom panel  204  and packaging bottom panel  206 . Raised areas  310  may be located at the other end of the blister sheet to provide a gripping area for a user to assist in removal of the blister sheet  104 . 
         [0041]    In operation, the blister sheet  104  is inserted into the opening  114  at the end of the package container  100  and slid until the nodes  306  of the flap  302  are biased into engagement with the slots  240 ,  242  of the sleeve bottom panel  204  and packaging bottom panel  202 , thereby limiting further axial movement of the blister sheet  104  relative to the housing  102 . To release the blister sheet  104 , a user must push down on the notches on the bottom panel  202  of the packaging container  100  to push the nodes  306  out of engagement with the slots  240 ,  242 , and grasp the exposed end of the blister sheet  104 . The blister sheet  104  may then be slid and withdrawn from the housing until flap  302  engages the flap  260  on the inside of the housing  102  to prevent further withdrawal. Once the pill  108  is removed, the blister sheet  104  may be pushed back into the packaging housing  102  until the nodes  306  engage the slots  240 ,  242  so as to lock the blister sheet  104  in place. 
         [0042]    It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, but it is understood that this application is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.