Packaging case for condoms

A single-use, sealed and tamper-proof condom packaging is formed from an integrally-molded body and a cover connected with a lateral hinge. The body has an annular groove for insertion of the rolled portion of the condom whose terminal cap inserted between the cover and the central stiffening boss, after which the peripheral welding bead is formed.

This application is a continuation of PCT Patent Application No. 
PCT/FR95/01166 filed Sep. 12, 1995 designating the United States, which is 
incorporated herein by reference. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a tight, tamper-resistant and non-reusable 
packaging case for condoms. 
Known condom packaging materials are primarily bags consisting of two 
composite foils facing one another, both of which generally have an 
aluminum base and plastic material and which are heat-sealed around each 
condom, preferably along rectilinear weld lines perpendicular to each 
other. 
All of these unit packaging bags have one or more of the following 
drawbacks: 
Their tightness depends on the pressure exerted against their wall by any 
sharp object; 
Maintenance of the integrity of the latex from which the condom if formed 
depends also on the proximity of any sharp object, but above all on the 
precautions taken in tearing open the composite foils and extracting the 
condom in such a way that the latter does not come in contact with the 
aluminum or metal foil; 
In the case of bags, which are by far the most common form of packaging, 
the condom is removed in an arbitrary fashion, either in the "good" 
direction which makes it possible to take hold of it by the 
reservoir--hereinafter referred to as "cap"--in order to expel the air 
directly, or in the reverse direction, which involves an additional 
tedious manipulation as well as errors of usage, causing stains on the 
outer surface of the condom; 
Also, in the case of bags, current production methods do not permit 
centering the trade name on the heat-sealed product, nor the placement of 
legally required labeling on the material; 
The cost of some packaging is very high. 
The object of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned 
drawbacks by providing a condom packaging case whose tightness and 
strength provide good preservation of the condom under all circumstances; 
which, when opened, releases the condom in the "good" direction so that 
one can take hold of it by expelling the air through simple pressure of 
the thumb and index finger and without any risk of deterioration of the 
latex; which makes it possible to center any imprint on its two faces; and 
which is of low cost. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The condom packaging in accordance with the invention is a tight, 
tamper-resistant and non-reusable case. The case comprises a body and a 
cover connected by a lateral joint, formed from a plastic material and 
integrally molded together. The body has formed therein an annular recess 
having a base, an outer wall of slight taper and an inner wall of high 
taper terminated by a central stiffening boss. The annular recess is 
designed to house the torus of the condom, with the inner wall of high 
taper supporting the inner surface of the condom that connects the torus 
of the condom with the latter's terminal cap. The cap is accommodated 
between the boss and the cover when the case is in the closed position. 
The body of the condom case in accordance with the invention advantageously 
has an outwardly projecting peripheral edge and a peripheral lip 
projecting above the annular recess and surrounding the latter. In this 
case, the cover also has an outwardly projecting peripheral edge and a 
peripheral groove of the same diameter as the lip which is designed to 
cooperate with the latter to form a fine tight peripheral weld line during 
the closing operation of the case, said peripheral edges being separated 
by a short distance when the case is in the closed position. 
In a further embodiment of the invention, the body has a cylindrical basin 
formed in the bottom surface, delimited by the lower face of the central 
boss and the inner surface of the inner wall of the annular recess. A lid 
designed to close the basin is connected to the body by a second 
integrally-molded lateral joint. The lid preferably has a peripheral lip 
projecting perpendicularly from the inner surface of the lid and having a 
slight undercut on its outer face, while the inner peripheral face of the 
basin is perpendicular to the local surface of the boss and also has a 
slight undercut, said two undercuts cooperating in order that the closing 
of the basin by the lid be effected with firm inter-locking to form a 
sealed reservoir. 
According to a preferred embodiment, the closed case has the appearance of 
a circular disk having plane and parallel faces surrounded in a rounded 
outer toroidal member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to all these figures together, the condom packaging case 
according to the invention is of the tight, tamper-resistant and 
non-reusable type. 
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the case comprises, 
in particular, a body 1 and a cover 2 connected by a lateral joint 3, 
these three components consisting of a plastic material, preferably a 
polypropylene- or polyethylene-based plastic, and being integrally molded 
together. 
The body 1 comprises an annular recess 4 having a base 5, an outer wall 6 
of slight taper, and an inner wall 7 which is inclined or has a high taper 
and is terminated by a central stiffening boss 8. The annular recess 4 is 
designed to accommodate the torus 9 of a condom 10, as will be explained 
in detail below. 
The inner conical wall 7 of high taper is designed to support the inner 
surface 11 of the condom, which connects the torus 9 with the terminal cap 
12 of said condom, the cap 12 being situated between the boss 8 and the 
cover 2 when the case is in the closed position. 
Actually, the inclination of the inner wall 7 and the dimensions of the 
annular recess 4 are designed in such a way that said wall 7 freely 
supports the torus 9 of the condom via its inner surface 11, said torus 
thus being floatingly suspended in the annular recess 4. 
Under these conditions, when the cover 2 is abruptly lowered onto the body 
1 during one of the production-line operations, the air contained in the 
cap 12 is violently expelled around the central boss 8 and its peripheral 
flow can take place freely, first between the inner surface 11 of the 
condom and the inner wall 7, then between the floating torus 9 and the 
base 5, as well as the outer wall 6 of the annular recess 4, without 
thereby resulting any lateral displacement of said torus 9 with respect to 
said annular recess 4. 
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the body 1 comprises 
an outwardly projecting peripheral edge 13 in the prolongation of said 
body 1 and a peripheral lip 14 projecting above the annular recess 4 and 
surrounding the latter, while the cover 2 comprises a peripheral edge 15 
projecting outwardly in the prolongation of said cover 2 and a peripheral 
groove 16 of the same diameter as the lip 14 of the body 1. It is obvious 
that the lip 14 and the associated groove 16 may be linked in a tight 
manner by any heating or adhesive means, and the groove may even be 
replaced by a second projecting lip exactly opposite the lip 14 to form 
the tight and tamper-resistant receptacle designed for the condom. 
However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the groove 
16 of the cover 2 is designed to cooperate with lip 14 of the body 1 to 
form a thin and tight peripheral weld line 17 during the operation of 
closing the case, so as to make the latter not only tight but also 
tamper-resistant, as indicated above. 
According to a preferred method of operation, the cover 2 is subjected to 
the vibrations produced by an ultrasonic head while the body 1 remains 
fixed, which causes a highly localized temperature rise and the formation 
of the aforementioned weld seam 17 without any risk of deterioration of 
the latex of the torus 9 situated near-by, as might be the case with other 
modes of welding. 
In the present case, it may be considered that the ultra-sonic welding is 
of the spot/reverse spot type, the groove 16 being capable of presenting a 
reentrant angle of about 90.degree. and the lip 14 a salient angle of 
about 60.degree. , the opening of the angle of groove 16 permitting a 
better flow of the fusing material. However, studies which led to 
invention have shown that it was equally desirable to consider on the tip 
of lip 14 a small outwardly projecting lateral part (not shown) and play 
upon the flexibility of the lip in order to obtain a better weld seam. 
It should be noted that when the case is welded as indicated above, the 
peripheral edges 13 and 15 remain separated by a short distance 18. 
Preferably, each of the two outwardly projecting edges has an integrally 
molded part that is undercut toward the interior, the undercut parts 19 
and 20 of the two edges 13 and 15, respectively, being arranged 
essentially opposite the lateral joint 3, at the same distance from the 
axis of symmetry 21 of the case passing through said joint 3, and 
symmetrically with respect to this axis 21. 
As a result, the non-undercut parts situated opposite the undercut parts 19 
and 20 form two separate miters 22 and 23 symmetrical with respect to the 
axis 21. These miters constitute a possible means of opening the case by 
permitting to tear the weld seam 17 and separate the cover 2 from the body 
1 against the resistance of said weld seam 17, thereby making the case 
non-reusable. In effect, if it contains a condom and is not welded or 
closed in a manner other than indicated, the case can no longer close in a 
normal fashion due to the fact that the latex of the terminal cap 12 and 
the air present in the latter offer an elastic resistance to any closing 
pressure and cause the separation of the cover 2 from the body 1 as soon 
as this pressure is no longer applied. 
According to another feature of the invention, the fact of separating the 
cover 2 from the body 1 during the first opening of the case by tearing 
the adhesive strip or tight welding seam 17, makes the terminal cap 12 
rise up, thereby making it possible to immediately take hold of said cap 
12 in the "good" direction in order to expel the air from it before use. 
Moreover, the outer part of the terminal cap 12 is normally lubricated 
before the operations of closing and welding the case; the lubricant may 
be, e.g., one based on alimentary silicone. 
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the body 1 comprises 
a cylindrical basin 24 delimited by the lower face 25 of the central boss 
8 and the inner face 26 of the inner wall 7 of the annular recess 4, and 
comprises a lid 27 designed to close the basin 24, as well as a second 
lateral joint 28 connecting the lid 27 with the body 1 and integrally 
molded with the latter. 
The lid 27 comprises a peripheral lip 29 projecting perpendicularly to the 
local surface of the lid 27 and having a slight undercut on its outer 
surface 30, while the inner peripheral surface 26 of the basin 24 is 
perpendicular to the local surface of the boss 8 and also has a slight 
undercut, these two undercuts cooperating in order that the closing of 
basin 24 by the lid 27 take place with firm interlocking in order to form 
a sealed complementary reservoir. 
This reservoir may contain, e.g., either a thin folded hygienic bag 
designed to receive the condom after use, or a complementary lubricating 
gel which may or may not be aromatized or may or may not be colored. 
Moreover, the lid 27 preferably comprises a thin peripheral edge 31 
projecting outwardly in the prolongation of said lid and whose part 
opposite the second joint 28, at least, is beveled and cooperates with a 
small concave zone 32 arranged on the edge of the basin 24 to form a miter 
33 of separation of the lid 27 from the basin 24. Obviously, other means 
of opening the complementary reservoir may be considered. 
When closed, the case advantageously has an ellipsoid or 
hyperboloid-of-revolution shape in which the boss 8 may be plane, convex 
or concave. 
However, according to a preferred embodiment, the closed case simply has 
the general shape of a circular disk of planar and parallel faces 
connected by a rounded external surface of the toric type. Likewise, by 
preference, the peripheral edges 13 and 15 of the body 1 and the cover 2, 
which are separated by a short distance 18, are generally planar. 
Moreover, the boss 8 is preferably plane, so that the basin 24 forms, with 
the lid 27, a right cylindrical reservoir. 
According to another characteristic of the invention, the lid 27 does not 
project from the surface of the body 1, and, consequently, a label 
indicating tamper-resistance of the reservoir may be stuck both on said 
surface and on the lid. This label will preferably include the complete 
directions for use with all the legally required indications. 
By contrast, the lid 2 of the case may be used as an advertising medium for 
a stuck-on label or for a presentation obtained by stamping or otherwise. 
Apart from its obvious commercial interest, such advertising will lead the 
user to open the case in the "good" direction, i.e., with the 
advertisement and hence cover 2 above and with the directions-for-use 
label and, hence, lid 27 and the complementary reservoir below. Under 
these conditions, the user will have no difficulty in taking hold of the 
condom 10 by its terminal cap 12 to expel the air from it before use. 
Moreover, a number of cases according to the invention may be molded on a 
mass scale in a known manner, then separated from each other by 
elimination of the sprues and other external elements. Furthermore, each 
of the three basic members connected by the two joints 3 and 28, i.e. the 
cover 2, the body 1 and the lid 27, may have a face situated in a plane 
(not shown) common to these three members. 
The present invention has been described and represented only for 
explanatory purposes and by no means in a limitative sense, and any useful 
modification may be brought to it, particularly in the area of equivalent 
techniques, without exceeding its scope.