COVER SHEET FOR PILL RECEPTACLE, PILLBOX KIT COMPRISING SAME AND METHOD OF GAINING ACCESS TO A PILL COMPARTMENT

The pillbox comprises a pill receptacle comprising a number of pill compartments and a cover sheet attached to the pill receptacle that has a number defined by borders above each pill compartment. Tearable tab tearing lines are provided on the sealing sheet to form tearable tabs, and each comprises main portion side segments that define a tearable tab main portion therebetween; tongue portion side segments that define a tearable tab tongue portion therebetween, the tearable tab tongue portion linking the tearable tab main portion to one of the cell borders; and a main portion end segment that links the main portion side segments to each other spacedly from the tongue portion. The tearable tabs can be torn away from the remainder of the sealing sheet to allow access to the pill compartments, the tearing of the tearable tab being initiated by either one of grasping the tearable tab tongue portion and peeling the tearable tab away along the tearable tab tongue portion side segments and the tearable tab main portion side segments; and punching the tearable tab in by applying pressure on the tearable tab main portion, with the sealing sheet then tearing along at least one of the tearable tab main portion side segments and the tearable tab main portion end segment. When the tearable tab is punched in, the sealing sheet can alternately tear along a tearable tab intermediate segment in addition to or instead of at least one of the tearable tab main portion side segments and the tearable tab main portion end segment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to pillboxes of the type that comprise a pill receptacle for receiving pills and a cover sheet that can cover and seal the pill receptacle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Medical institutions and pharmacists often distribute numerous pills to patients for consumption. Pillboxes have been developed to facilitate the storage and dispensing of the pills to the patients.

Typical prior art pillboxes include a pill receptacle having twenty-eight pill compartments arranged in seven rows each representing one day of the week and four columns each representing one timeslot of the day, typically that of breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime slots. Such a pillbox will be filled by a pharmacist or other medical professional, and used by a patient or a medical professional such as a nurse who dispenses the medication to a patient, on a given week.

Pills are initially inserted into the pill compartments in such a way as to be organized according to a patient's prescription or schedule. Once the pill receptacle is filled with pills, a cover sheet is used to cover the pill receptacle to enclose the pills in their respective compartments. More particularly, the cover sheet is glued on the top surface of the pill receptacle to seal each individual pill compartment.

Depending on the type of glue that is used, the cover sheet may be either a temporary cover sheet or a permanent cover sheet. A temporary cover sheet uses glue that creates a weaker bond between the cover sheet and the pill receptacle to allow a portion of the cover sheet to be partly or completely removed to access each of the pill compartments, and then reattached to seal the pill compartments again, repeatedly. A permanent cover sheet uses glue that creates a stronger bond between the cover sheet and the pill receptacle such that when the cover sheet is affixed to the pill receptacle, it will not be possible to remove the cover sheet without tearing the sheet since the bond between the cover sheet and the pill receptacle is stronger than the cover sheet itself making reattachment ineffective after tearing. Permanent cover sheets are of particular interest in the case of the present invention.

To access a pill compartment covered by a permanent cover sheet, one needs to tear the cover sheet over the selected pill compartment. This tearing of the cover sheet to access the pills is desirable since it allows the person handling the pillboxes to visually confirm whether a pill compartment was accessed or not. To facilitate the tearing of the cover sheet above a specific pill compartment and to prevent the cover sheet from accidentally and undesirably tearing above other pill compartments the access to which is not desired yet, tearing lines are provided on the cover sheet in register with each pill compartment. When the cover sheet is torn, it will tear along the predictable paths created by these weaker tearing lines that form tearable tabs. The tearing lines are usually either discrete perforations made along a line, continuous cut-away lines, or a number of successive short cut-away lines that form a dashed line configuration. One example of a prior art cover sheet is shown in applicant's Canadian Patent No. 2,207,045.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 on the '045 patent in particular, the cover sheet more particularly comprises a sealing sheet that is formed with the above-mentioned tearing lines and that is glued to the pill receptacle, and with protective tabs provided on the glue-covered surface of the sealing sheet that are shaped to register with the pill compartments. Once the sealing sheet is attached to the pill receptacle, each protective tab will be located above a pill compartment to prevent the pills from coming into contact with the glue-covered surface of the bottom of the sealing sheet. The tearing lines of the sealing sheet will consequently be aligned with and located directly over the contour of the underlying protective tabs. When the sealing sheet is torn to access the pills in a given pill compartment, a tearable tab will be torn along tearing lines that register with the protective tab edges and with the pill compartment side walls.

The cover sheet is formed of two layers: the sealing sheet to which is attached a protective sheet. The protective sheet covers the entire bottom, glue-covered surface of the sealing sheet to avoid the sealing sheet from undesirably attaching to any and all surfaces it comes in contact with during production, storage, transportation and manipulation, before it is attached to a pill receptacle. A silicon liner is provided on the protective sheet to allow it to be easily releasable from the glue-covered surface of the sealing sheet. Protective tab tearing lines on the protective sheet allow a portion of the protective sheet to be removed by being peeled away from the sealing sheet while other portions of the protective sheet will remain attached to the sealing sheet in the form of the protective tabs.

During the manufacture of the cover sheet, the protective tabs are formed in alignment with the tearing lines of the sealing sheet. In some prior art devices, this is done with two cutting tools, one over the sheet and one under the sheet, that are aligned with each other to have the tearing lines of the protective sheet and the tearing lines of the sealing sheet made in register with each other. In other prior art devices, this alignment is achieved concurrently with a same cutting tool that extends through both sheets.

The protective tabs generally having the same size as the tearable tabs was up to now seen as common wisdom. Indeed, if the protective tabs were smaller than the tearable tabs, then a portion of the tearable tabs' glue-covered bottom surface would be exposed and the pills could undesirably come into contact with the glue. On the other hand, if the protective tabs were larger than the tearable tabs, then tearing the tearable tabs would be more difficult as the protective tabs would in fact reinforce the overlying sealing sheet at the tearable tab tearing line positions.

It has been found that prior art tabs often hinder the tearing of the sealing sheet due to its frictional engagement against the edges of the remainder of the sealing sheet that are created when the tearable tab is torn above a pill compartment. Indeed, the protective tab having the same size as the tearable tab means that, in effect, the protective tab will slide along the sealing sheet edges and, since the user may not tear the tearable tab in a perfectly aligned fashion, this sliding effectively results in contact between the protective tab and the sealing sheet edges. What is more problematic is that this frictional engagement will sometimes result in the protective tab accidentally peeling away from the cover sheet, exposing the glue covered surface of the cover sheet and possibly allowing the pills to come into contact with the glue. This accidental detachment of the protective tab from the sealing sheet's tearable tab is notably due to the silicon liner on the protective tabs that makes it relatively easy to peel it away.

On another note, one may initiate the tearing of the tearable tabs of prior art sealing sheets either by grasping protruding edges of the tearable tabs and peeling them away from the remainder of the sealing sheet, or by punching them into the pill compartment. In both cases, once at least part of the tearable tab is torn, the tearable tab may then be torn away completely. Different cover sheets have respective tearing line configurations to allow for one of these different tearing initiating options, i.e. peeling or punching in, but not both.

Initiating the tearing of the tearable tab by punching it in requires that the user push on the tearable tab inwardly into the pill compartment, for example with the user's index finger, until the tearable tab is torn from the remainder of the sealing sheet and forced into the pill compartment. The user may then grasp the tearable tab portion that is accessible due to the opening formed when it was punched in, for example between the user's thumb and index finger, to peel or shear the tearable tab and remove it entirely from the remainder of the sealing sheet. To allow the punching in of the tearable tab, the tearable tab is formed by tearing lines that form a closed loop, for example of rectangular shape that corresponds to the contour of the underlying pill compartment, to allow the tearable tab to tear all around the pill compartment edges and be entirely removed. Alternately, the tearable tab can be only partly torn away to access the pill compartment by folding it away from the pill compartment, the tearable tab then remaining partly attached to the remainder of the sealing sheet.

Initiating the tearing of the tearable tab by peeling it requires the user to grasp a protruding edge of the tearable tab, for example between the user's thumb and index fingers, and pull upwardly away from the pill receptacle. This protruding edge is provided in the form of a tongue at a first end of the peelable tab, to facilitate grasping of the peelable tab for peeling it away. The peelable tab is provided with a pair of parallel tearing lines that allow the peelable tab to tear along two sides of the pill compartment. The peelable tab normally remains attached to the sealing sheet at its second end, opposite the tongue, since the absence of a transversal tearing line means that the tearable tab could tear in an undesirable irregular pattern if transversal tearing was attempted. Consequently, this prior art method normally is not intended to allow the tearable tab to be entirely removed from the remainder of the sealing sheet.

It has been found that some users prefer using one or the other of the two tearing methods. For example, elderly patients that need to tear the tearable tab themselves to access their pills, usually find that punching the tearable tab in is easier since it does not require any minute handling of the tearable tab tongue. However, in the case where the pill compartment is completely filled with pills, punching the tearable tab in can be very difficult since the pills will act to support the tearable tab from underneath. So by offering a single option to the users, results in imperfect solutions in some circumstances.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a cover sheet for use with a pill receptacle, comprising:a sealing sheet having top and bottom surfaces and an adhesive on said bottom surface for attachment to the pill receptacle, said sealing sheet comprising at least one cell circumscribed by borders, said cell borders defined by either one ofperipheral edges of an outer periphery of said sealing sheet;cell tearing lines located interiorly of said peripheral edges; anda combination thereof;tearable tab tearing lines on said sealing sheet that are disposed to form tearable tabs on said sealing sheet, with said tearable tab tearing lines comprising, for each said tearable tab:spaced-apart main portion side segments that define a tearable tab main portion therebetween;spaced-apart tongue portion side segments that define a tearable tab tongue portion therebetween, said tearable tab tongue portion further defined between said tearable tab main portion and at least one of said cell borders; anda main portion end segment that links said main portion side segments to each other spacedly from said tongue portion, with said tearable tab main portion further defined between said main portion end segment and said tearable tab tongue portion;
wherein each said tearable tab can be torn away from the remainder of said sealing sheet, with tearing said tearable tab being initiated by either one of:peeling said tearable tab at least along said tearable tab tongue portion side segments and said tearable tab main portion side segments; andpunching said tearable tab in, with said sealing sheet then being torn at least along one of said tearable tab main portion side segments and said tearable tab main portion end segment.

In one embodiment, said cell borders comprise both said cell tearing lines and said sealing sheet peripheral edges, and wherein said cell borders divide said sealing sheet into a number of cells each enclosing respective said tearable tabs, with said tearable tab tongue portions linking corresponding said tearable tab main portions to corresponding said cell borders.

In one embodiment, said cell tearing lines comprise said main portion end segments.

In one embodiment, said main portion end segments are distinct and spaced from said cell tearing lines.

In one embodiment, said cover sheet further comprises a protective sheet removably attached to said bottom surface of said sealing sheet, and protective tab tearing lines on said protective sheet that allow a portion of said protective sheet to be removed from said sealing sheet while other portions of said protective sheet will remain attached to said sealing sheet in the form of protective tabs that correspond to respective tearable tabs such that said protective tabs will remain attached to said tearable tabs when said tearable tabs are torn.

In one embodiment, said sealing sheet further comprises folding lines made on said tearable tabs.

In one embodiment, said tearable tab tongue portions are wider than said protective tab tongue portions.

In one embodiment, said tearable tab tongue portion side segments are concave.

In one embodiment, said tearable tab tearing lines further comprise, for each tearable tab, an intermediate segment extending between said main portion side segments spacedly away from said main portion end segment towards said tearable tab tongue portion, such that when said tearable tabs are punched in, said sealing sheet can tear along said tearable tab intermediate segment instead of or in addition to tearing along at least one of said tearable tab main portion side segments and said tearable tab main portion end segment.

In one embodiment, said intermediate segment is located between said tearable tab main portion and said tearable tab tongue portion, and is curved and concave towards said tearable tab end segment.

In one embodiment, said intermediate segment is located between said tearable tab main portion and said tearable tab tongue portion, and is substantially straight.

The present invention further relates to a pillbox kit comprising:a pill receptacle comprising a number of pill compartments; anda cover sheet comprising:a sealing sheet having top and bottom surfaces and an adhesive on said bottom surface for attachment to the pill receptacle, said sealing sheet comprising at least one cell circumscribed by borders, said cell borders defined by either one of:peripheral edges of an outer periphery of said sealing sheet;cell tearing lines located interiorly of said peripheral edges; anda combination thereof;tearable tab tearing lines on said sealing sheet that are disposed to form tearable tabs on said sealing sheet, with said tearable tab tearing lines comprising, for each said tearable tab:main portion side segments that define a tearable tab main portion therebetween;tongue portion side segments that define a tearable tab tongue portion therebetween, said tearable tab tongue portion further defined between said tearable tab main portion and at least one of said cell borders; anda main portion end segment that links said main portion side segments to each other spacedly from said tongue portion, with said tearable tab main portion further defined between said main portion end segment and said tearable tab tongue portion;
wherein when said sealing sheet is attached to said pill receptacle by applying said bottom surface with said adhesive on said pill receptacle, said tearable tabs will be located over corresponding pill compartments, and each said tearable tab can then be torn away from the remainder of said sealing sheet to allow access to said pill compartments, with tearing said tearable tab being initiated by either one ofpeeling said tearable tab at least along said tearable tab tongue portion side segments and said tearable tab main portion side segments; andpunching said tearable tab in, with said sealing sheet then being torn at least along one of said tearable tab main portion side segments and said tearable tab main portion end segment.

In one embodiment, said cell borders comprise both said cell tearing lines and said sealing sheet peripheral edges, and wherein said cell borders divide said sealing sheet into a number of cells each enclosing respective said tearable tabs, with said tearable tab tongue portions linking corresponding said tearable tab main portions to corresponding said cell borders.

In one embodiment, said cell tearing lines comprise said main portion end segments.

In one embodiment, said main portion end segments are distinct and spaced from said cell tearing lines.

In one embodiment, said cover sheet further comprises a protective sheet removably attached to said bottom surface of said sealing sheet, and protective tab tearing lines on said protective sheet that allow a portion of said protective sheet to be removed from said sealing sheet while other portions of said protective sheet will remain attached to said sealing sheet in the form of protective tabs that correspond to respective tearable tabs such that said protective tabs will remain attached to said tearable tabs when said tearable tabs are torn and will be located above a corresponding pill compartment.

In one embodiment, said sealing sheet further comprises folding lines made on said tearable tabs.

In one embodiment, said tearable tab tongue portions are wider than said protective tab tongue portions.

In one embodiment, said tearable tab tongue portion side segments are concave.

In one embodiment, said tearable tab tearing lines further comprise, for each tearable tab, an intermediate segment extending between said main portion side segments and located spacedly away from said tearable tab end segment towards said tearable tab tongue portion, such that when said tearable tabs are punched in, said sealing sheet can tear along said tearable tab intermediate segment instead of or in addition to tearing along at least one of said tearable tab main portion side segments and said tearable tab main portion end segment.

In one embodiment, said intermediate segment is located between said tearable tab main portion and said tearable tab tongue portion, and is curved and concave towards said tearable tab end segment.

In one embodiment, said intermediate segment is located between said tearable tab main portion and said tearable tab tongue portion, and is substantially straight.

In one embodiment, said pill receptacle comprises receptacle tearing lines defining a number of detachable pill containers each circumscribing a corresponding said pill compartment, each said cell overlying a corresponding said pill container with said cell tearing lines being aligned with corresponding receptacle tearing lines, said pill containers comprising a peripheral wall, an upper flange linked to said peripheral wall and a top mouth opening defined interiorly of said upper flange and allowing access into said pill compartment, with said top mouth opening being larger than said tearable tab.

In one embodiment, said tearable tab tearing lines are aligned with an inclined portion of said peripheral wall.

In one embodiment, said peripheral wall comprises a chamfer near said top flange and said tearable tab tearing lines are aligned with and spaced from said chamfer.

The present invention also relates to a method of gaining access to a pill compartment defined within a pill container to which a sealing sheet cell is attached to seal off said pill compartment, said sealing sheet cell circumscribed by borders and comprising tearable tab tearing lines that are disposed to form a tearable tab, said tearable tab tearing lines comprising:main portion side segments that define a tearable tab main portion therebetween;tongue portion side segments that define a tearable tab tongue portion therebetween, said tearable tab tongue portion further defined between said tearable tab main portion and at least one of said cell borders; anda main portion end segment that links said main portion side segments to each other spacedly from said tongue portion, with said tearable tab main portion further defined between said main portion end segment and said tearable tab tongue portion;
wherein said method comprises tearing said tearable tab away from the remainder of said sealing sheet cell, said tearing being initiated by one ofpeeling said tearable tab at least along said tearable tab tongue portion side segments and said tearable tab main portion side segments; andpunching said tearable tab in, with said sealing sheet cell then being torn along at least one of said tearable tab main portion side segments and said tearable tab main portion end segment.

In one embodiment, said tearable tab tearing lines further comprise, for each tearable tab, an intermediate segment extending between said main portion side segments and located spacedly from said main portion end segment towards said tearable tab tongue portion, such that when said tearable tabs are punched in, said sealing sheet can tear along said tearable tab intermediate segment in addition to or instead of at least one of said tearable tab main portion side segments and said tearable tab main portion end segment.

In one embodiment, said cell tearing lines comprise said main portion end segments.

In one embodiment, said main portion end segments are distinct and spaced from said cell tearing lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-3show a cover sheet20for use with a pill receptacle22according to the present invention. When assembled, cover sheet20and pill receptacle22form a pillbox24as described herein below. When not assembled, cover sheet20and pill receptacle22may form a pillbox kit that may be assembled to create pillbox24.

As shown inFIG. 1, pill receptacle22is made from a unitary sheet of plastic embossed to create a number of pill compartments26wherein pills may be inserted as described herein below. Pill receptacle22defines a flat top surface28and a number of first and second pill receptacle tearing lines30,32that cross each other at right angles to form rectangular detachable individual pill containers34arrayed in seven rows and four columns. It is understood that any number of rows and columns may be formed and detachable pill containers34may have any suitable shape to receive the pills. Above the uppermost first pill receptacle tearing line30is also defined a pill receptacle top marginal portion35used for assembling and identifying the pillbox24, as described hereinafter.

It is consequently possible for a user to detach each individual detachable pill container34from the remainder of the pill receptacle22by tearing the container along the first and second pill receptacle tearing lines30,32that define it, to allow individual pill doses to be distributed to patients without having to bring the entire pillboxes24to the patients.

FIGS. 1-3show that cover sheet20comprises a sealing sheet36having top and bottom surfaces38,40. An adhesive is provided on at least a portion of bottom surface40for attachment to the pill receptacle22.

FIGS. 2-3show that cover sheet20also comprises a protective sheet42removably attached to sealing sheet36on its bottom surface40. Protective sheet42is provided with a silicon liner on its upper surface where it is attached to sealing sheet36, to allow protective sheet42to be readily releasable from the adhesive-covered bottom surface40of sealing sheet36.

Protective sheet42comprises protective tab tearing lines44that allow some portions of protective sheet42to be removed from sealing sheet36while other portions of protective sheet42will remain attached to sealing sheet36in the form of protective tabs46. InFIG. 1, only the protective tabs46of protective sheet42remain, while inFIGS. 2 and 3, the entire protective sheet42is shown attached to sealing sheet36.

Each protective tab46comprises a generally rectangular (with rounded corners) protective tab main portion48and a protective tab tongue portion50extending from the main portion48. The tongue portion50is narrower than the main portion48and has concave side edges. Other shapes or configurations of protective tabs46could also be envisioned.

Protective sheet42comprises a pair of protective sheet installation tearing lines51disposed transversally across protective sheet42to define a protective sheet marginal portion53above the topmost installation tearing line51and a protective sheet band55in-between both installation tearing lines51. Installation tearing lines51, band55and marginal portion53are used for assembling pillbox24as described hereinafter.

Sealing sheet36comprises tearable tab tearing lines52that are disposed to form tearable tabs54on sealing sheet36. Each tearable tab54comprises a generally rectangular (with rounded corners) tearable tab main portion56and a tearable tab tongue portion58extending from the main portion56. The tongue portion58is narrower than the main portion56and has concave side edges. Other shapes and configurations of tearable tabs54could also be envisioned.

Sealing sheet36comprises peripheral edges60and first and second cell tearing lines62,64that cross each other at right angles with at least some of cell tearing lines62,64extending from the sealing sheet peripheral edges36. In the embodiment shown in the figures, all cell tearing lines62,64extend from peripheral edges60. Cell tearing lines62,64and peripheral edges60divide sealing sheet36into cells66each enclosing one of the tearable tabs54. The tearing lines62,64are arrayed in seven rows and four columns and, when the sealing sheet36is attached to the pill receptacle22, cell tearing lines62,64lie atop and are aligned with corresponding pill receptacle tearing lines30,32. This allows each cell66to be detached from the remainder of sealing sheet36concurrently with the individual pill compartments34being detached from the remainder of the pill receptacle22. It is understood that any number of rows and columns may be formed by cell tearing lines62,64to have each cell66correspond to an underlying pill receptacle container portion34.

Above the uppermost first tearable tab tearing line62is also defined a sealing sheet top marginal portion68used for assembling and identifying the pillbox24.

Improvements of the present invention over the prior art include the configuration of the tearing lines on the sealing sheet; the relative configuration of the tearing lines of the sealing sheet with respect to those of the protective sheet, forming cooperating tearable tabs and protective tabs; and the relative configuration of the tearing lines of the sealing sheet and of the protective sheet with respect to the shape of the pill compartments. These will now be detailed.

FIGS. 4 and 5show that each tearable tab54defines two sides54a,54band two ends54c,54d.FIGS. 1-5also show that that tearable tab tongue portion58links main portion56to one of the cell tearing lines64and the sealing sheet peripheral edges60. As shown particularly inFIG. 4, tearable tab tearing lines52comprise main portion side segments72,74between which tearable tab main portion56is defined; and a main portion end segment76that links main portion side segments72,74to each other, spacedly from tearable tab tongue portion58, with tearable tab main portion56further defined between main portion end segment76and tearable tab tongue portion58. Tearable tab tearing lines52also comprise tongue portion side segments80,82between which tearable tab tongue portion58is defined; with tearable tab tongue portion58further defined between tearable tab main portion56and either one of a cell tearing line32and a sealing sheet peripheral edge.

Each tearable tab54is located in its corresponding cell66.

The tongue portions58of tearable tabs54define concave side edges that are formed by the tongue portion side segments80,82of tearable tab tearing lines52. These concave side edges are curved and widen towards tearable tab main portion56to help avoid accidental tearing of tongue portion58from main portion56when tearable tab54is peeled, as detailed hereinafter. The concave side edges of tongue portion58also widen towards the tearable tab second end54dto present an overall convergent-divergent shape.

FIGS. 4-8show that each detachable pill container34comprises a peripheral wall84, an upper flange86linked to peripheral wall84and a top mouth opening defined interiorly of upper flange86that allows access into pill compartment26. Peripheral wall84is slightly inclined as it widens towards the top of the pill compartment34, but also because it comprises an outwardly-opening chamfer88near top flange86.

Tearable tabs54are wider than protective tabs46along the two sides54a,54bof the main portion56of tearable tabs54, and more particularly along the two main portion side segments72,74. This is visible particularly inFIGS. 5 and 6.FIG. 6shows the spacing90that identifies this difference in width between tearable tabs54and protective tabs46along the tearable tab main portion side segments72,74.

This difference in width also optionally exists at the tearable tab first end54c, i.e. along main portion end segment76.

Tearable tabs54are also wider than protective tabs46in that tearable tab tongue portions58are wider than protective tab tongue portions46, and more particularly along the side segments80,82that define the tearable tab tongue portions58. This is visible particularly inFIGS. 5 and 8.FIG. 8shows the spacing92that identifies this difference in width in the tongue portion side segments80,82.

Consequently, protective tabs46have a contour that generally conforms to that of protective tabs54, albeit being narrower along main portion side segments72,74and along tongue portion side segments80,82.

The top mouth openings of the detachable pill containers34are larger than the tearable tabs54. This is visible particularly inFIG. 6where the spacing94exists at the tearable tab main portion56. This is also visible inFIG. 8where the spacing96exists at the tearable tab tongue portion58.

In use, when sealing sheet36is attached to pill receptacle22by applying its adhesive-covered bottom surface38on pill receptacle22as described above, corresponding tearable tabs54and protective tabs46will be located over corresponding pill compartments26. Tearable tabs54may be torn to access the pill compartments26.

Two different ways of initiating the tearing of tearable tabs54are made possible according to the present invention. More particularly, tearable tabs54can be torn either by peeling them or by punching them in. After the tearing of a tearable tab54has been initiated, this tearable tab54may be further torn by peeling or shearing it away from the remainder of the sealing sheet36, until the tearable tab54is partly or completely removed from the remainder of the sealing sheet36to allow access within the pill compartments26.

Initiating the tearing of tearable tabs54by peeling them requires that the user grasp the tearable tab tongue portion58, for example between his thumb and index fingers, and peel tearable tab54upwardly away from the pill container34to which its cell66is attached, as suggested inFIG. 5. Once the tearing has been initiated, the user may maintain his grasp on the tongue portion58or otherwise grasp the now accessible tearable tab main portion56to further tear tearable tab54partly or completely along tearing lines52by further peeling or by shearing. Tearable tab54may tear at least along tearable tab tongue portion side segments80,82and tearable tab main portion side segments72,74to allow the peeling of tearable tab54as shown inFIG. 5. The tearable tabs54may remain partly attached to cell66, for example at main portion first end segments76where they will be hinged, as shown inFIG. 5; or they may be entirely detached from cell66in which case tearable tab end segments76will also be torn. In either case, the tearable tab tongue portions58will remain attached to the tearable tab main portions56when tearable tabs54are peeled. Access to the pill compartments26may then be had.

Initiating the tearing of tearable tabs54by punching them in requires that the user push on the tearable tabs54inwardly towards pill compartments26, for example with his thumb, until the tearable tabs54are partly torn from the remainder of sealing sheet36as they are forced into pill compartments26. Once a tearable tab54is partly punched in, the user may grasp the portion of tearable tab54that is accessible through the hole formed by the punched in tearable tab54, for example between his thumb and index fingers, to tear the tearable tab54partly or entirely from the remainder of the sealing sheet36. This second step may be accomplished for example by peeling or shearing the tearable tab54away from the remainder of the sealing sheet36. When tearable tabs54are punched in, tearable tab tearing lines52can tear along tearable tab main portion side segments72,74, tearable tab tongue portion side segments80,82and/or tearable tab main portion end segment76, depending on where the pressure is applied by the user's finger. Tongue portions58will remain attached to main portion56and will be torn concurrently therewith.

If tearable tab54were to be still attached at the extremity54dalong a cell tearing line64to an adjacent tearable tab54, this cell tearing line64would rupture to allow the targeted tearable tab54to be entirely torn from the remained of the sealing sheet36. Alternately, tearable tab tongue portion58may be adjacent to an outer free edge of the sealing sheet36, this outer free edge being either one of the sealing sheet's peripheral edges or an edge formed by the removal of the pill compartment34and cell66from the remainder of the pillbox24.

FIGS. 9 and 10show a second embodiment of the invention wherein primed reference numbers refer to structures that are similar to the non-primed structures of the first embodiment. In the embodiment ofFIGS. 9 and 10, the sealing sheet36′ of the cover sheet20′ comprises, for each tearable tab54′, tearable tab tearing lines52′ that comprise a tearable tab intermediate segment155that links the tearable tab main portion side segments72′,74′ between the main portion56′ and the tongue portion58′. Intermediate segment155is consequently substantially parallel to end segment76′ and is located approximately above one end wall of the underlying pill container34.

In this embodiment, intermediate segment155may tear when tearable tab54′ is punched in. The user may then peel or shear the tearable tab54′ partly or completely away from the remainder of sealing sheet36′.

FIGS. 11 and 12show yet a third embodiment of the invention wherein double primed reference numbers refer to structures that are similar to the non-double-primed structures of the first embodiment ofFIGS. 1-8or the single primed structures of the second embodiment ofFIGS. 9 and 10. In the embodiment ofFIGS. 11 and 12, a curved intermediate segment165is provided instead of the straight intermediate segment155of the second embodiment. Curved intermediate segment165extends between the side segments72″ and74″ of tearable tab54″, and is located spacedly from the end segment76″ towards tearable tab tongue portion58″.FIGS. 11-12show that intermediate segment165is more particularly located approximately over one end wall of the pill container34opposite end segment76″, i.e. between the tearable tab main portion56″ and the tearable tab tongue portion58″; although it could also be located at another position, such as near the center of tearable tab main portion56″. Intermediate segment165is concave towards the tearable tab main portion56″.

Curved intermediate segment165may be used to punch tearable tabs54″ in as follows: first, the user presses on the tearable tab main portion56″ with his finger near the concave side of intermediate segment165. This will force tearable tab54″ to tear partly along intermediate segment165and possibly also partly along one or both side segments72″,74″. This will form a prehension edge on the tearable tab54″ that will allow the user to grasp the partly torn tearable tab main portion56″ between his index and thumb, to peel or shear the entire tearable tab54″ from the remainder of the sealing sheet36″. The folding line98″ will help the user grasp the partly torn tearable tab main portion56″ by allowing it to fold as compression prehension pressure is applied by the user's fingers. As shown in this embodiment, punching the tearable tab in consequently allows the tearable tab to be subsequently grasped and peeled or sheared away.

According to the invention of the first, second and third embodiments, it can consequently be seen that when a tearable tab54,54′ or54″ is punched in, at least one of the tearable tab main portion side segments72,74,72′,74′,72″,74″, the tearable tab main portion end segment76,76′,76″ or the tearable tab intermediate segments155,165(if the latter are present) are torn to initiate the tearing of the tearable tab. As noted above, this will be followed by some peeling or shearing action being accomplished to partly or entirely remove the tearable tab54from the remainder of the sealing sheet36.

It can consequently further be seen that, according to the present invention, tearing the tearable tabs54(or54, or54″) can be initiated by either one of the peeling or punching in of the tearable tabs54to yield the desired result of ultimately tearing the tearable tabs54from the remainder of the sealing sheet36. The result is that users may decide to punch tearable tabs54in or peel them away without having to consider which teaming initiation method should be used, as both methods will work without discrimination and possibly without the users even noticing whether the cover sheet enables both methods to work. In either case, an obvious prehension edge will be formed that the used will intuitively grasp to continue the tearing of the tearable tab54after the tearing initiation has occurred. This means that users, such as elderly patients who can have more difficulty with the minute handling of the tearable tab tongues, can punch the tearable tab in; while other users can peel the tearable tab, for example if the pill container is filled with pills to the brim making it difficult to punch the tearable tab in.

A further advantage of the present invention relates to the fact that whether the tearable tab54tearing is initiated by peeling or punching, the entire tearable tab54may ultimately be torn away from the remainder of the sealing sheet36, if the user so desires. This is allowed by the tearable tab54being defined by a closed loop that will allow this entire tearing and removal of tearable tab54. This advantage takes particular value if a new sealing sheet should be installed over the existing one, for example if pill replacement is to be accomplished by the medical personnel handling the pill receptacle. Indeed, in such a case, the tearable tab54covering the pill container where pills are being replaced needs to be entirely removed to avoid hindrance of the new overlying sealing sheet.

It is noted that, in alternate configurations of the tearing lines (not shown), the tongue portion side segments80,82could be coextensive with the main portion side segments72,74in which case the tearable tab tongue portion58would be as large as the tearable tab main portion56. Tongue portion58could alternately be larger than main portion56, or could have side segments having a different shape, even though the illustrated shape with concave side edges is considered advantageous.

FIGS. 2 and 4show that sealing sheet36may comprise folding lines98made on tearable tab main portions56. More particularly, first and second folding lines98,98are provided on tearable tab main portions56and they are parallel to and spaced-apart between main portion end segments76,78. The purpose of folding lines98is to facilitate grabbing the tearable tab main portion56when it is torn away from the remainder of sealing sheet36after having been punched in. Indeed, without the folding lines, the tearable tab54may then slip between the user's fingers; while the folding lines will help the tearable tab54to fold between the user's fingers when it is compressed.

As noted above, the protective tabs46remain attached to the tearable tabs54when the latter are torn, notwithstanding which of the tearing methods is being used, i.e. peeling or punching in. As noted above and according to the present invention, the tearable tabs54are wider than the protective tabs46and this avoids that the protective tabs46either hinder the tearing of tearable tabs54and also, importantly, that the protective tabs46be accidentally peeled away from the tearable tabs54. Indeed, the outer edges of the protective tabs46will be spaced apart by a distance equal to spacing90relative to the inner edge of the remaining portion of the sealing sheet cell66. This spacing90will avoid friction between the respective edges of the main portion58of protective tab46and the remaining portion of sealing sheet cell66.

This is also true at the location of tearable tab tongue portion58, namely the tearable tab tongue portion58is larger than the protective tab tongue portion50by a distance equal to spacing92. This avoids contact between the edges of the protective tab tongue portion and the edges of the remaining portion of the sealing sheet cell66adjacent to tongue portion58.

It is further noted that sealing sheet36is not in contact with pill receptacle22at the position of tearing lines52. This is materialized at spaces94and96respectively at tearable tab main portion56and tongue portion58.

More particularly, as shown inFIG. 6, this is enabled at main portion56by the tearable tab tearing lines52being aligned with an inclined portion of the pill compartment peripheral wall84. Specifically, tearing lines52are aligned with and spaced from the peripheral wall chamfer88near its top flange86. This positioning of tearing lines52allows the sealing sheet36to avoid being in contact with pill receptacle22at tearing lines52which would make the tearing of tearable tab54more difficult. However, by locating tearing lines52above chamfer88, the exposed portion of the bottom surface40of the sealing sheet36that extends along spaces90,94, i.e. between the outer edge of protective tab46and the upper flange86of pill receptacle22, will not be reachable by the pills and the pills will consequently not come into contact with this exposed portion of the sealing sheet bottom surface40.

As shown inFIG. 8, the sealing sheet36not being in contact with pill receptacle22at the position of tearing lines52is also enabled at tearable tab tongue portion58by the fact that the protective sheet tongue portion50underlies the tearable tab tongue portion58in combination with the tearable tab tongue portion58being wider than the protective tab tongue portion58. Even though the effective thickness of protective sheet46is small, this will nonetheless result in sealing sheet36sloping from atop protective sheet tongue portion50down towards the pill receptacle upper flange86. The tongue portion side segments80,82of tearing lines52are located in this slope, spacedly above upper flange86.

As shown inFIGS. 4,5,7and8, a finger opening100is provided at one end of the pill receptacle upper flange86to facilitate grasping the tongue portions50,58of tearable tab54and protective tab46.

It is noted that cell tearing lines62,64and first and second pill receptacle tearing lines30,32, although advantageous, are not mandatory. For one thing, a pillbox without individually detachable pill compartments (not shown) could be provided. Such a pillbox would have all tearable tab tongue portions adjacent to a peripheral edge of the pillbox. Or, alternately, individual pill compartments could be detached by cutting them away without cell tearing lines62,64and first and second pill receptacle tearing lines30,32to facilitate this operation. Cell tearing lines62,64could be drawn on the sealing sheet36, instead of being punched or cut therein, to identify where the cut should be made with scissors.

In the absence of cell tearing lines62,64, a single cell could be defined as the entire sealing sheet area36. Thus, according to a general statement of the present invention, sealing sheet36comprises at least one cell circumscribed by borders, these borders being either one of:peripheral edges of an outer periphery of the sealing sheet;cell tearing lines located interiorly of the peripheral edges; anda combination of the sealing sheet peripheral edges and cell tearing lines.

As can be seen inFIGS. 1-3, to assemble pillbox24, the band55of protective sheet42is first removed. The exposed portion of the bottom glue-covered surface40of sealing sheet36is then applied against the flat top surface28of pill receptacle22at a position immediately above the uppermost pill receptacle tearing line30. Preferably, an embossment is further made on top surface28to facilitate this alignment by providing a visual and tactile cue that the sheet is being properly positioned. With this alignment done, the marginal portion53of protective sheet42is then removed and the thusly additionally exposed portion of the marginal portion68of sealing sheet36is affixed to the marginal portion35of pill receptacle22. A tray (not shown) may optionally be used to facilitate this first installation step. Such a tray comprises openings shaped and configured to receive the pill compartments26and also comprises alignment pins engageable within alignment holes70made through pill receptacle22, sealing sheet36and protective sheet42. The pillbox24may be removed from the tray at any time after the marginal portion68of sealing sheet is affixed to the marginal portion35of pill receptacle22. At this point, the cover sheet20is attached only by the marginal portion68of sealing sheet36being affixed to marginal portion35of pill receptacle22and, in the remaining part of cover sheet20, sealing sheet36remains protected by protective sheet42.

Pills may then be dispensed by the appropriate medical personnel into pill compartments26. To access the pill compartments26, cover sheet20may be raised, similarly to what is shown inFIG. 1, while all pill compartments26are exposed, since the bottom surface40of the entire portion of sealing sheet that comprises cells66remains covered by protective sheet42and consequently is not attached to pill receptacle22yet.

Once the pills are inserted into pill compartments26, portions of protective sheet42are removed from sealing sheet36by being peeled away such that only protective tabs46remain attached to the bottom surface of sealing sheet36. The glue covered bottom surface38of sealing sheet36is then applied against and attached to the top, flat surface28of pill receptacle22. With sealing sheet36attached to pill receptacle22with a strong adhesive, a so-called permanent attachment is created preventing the pill compartments from being accessed without the sealing sheet or the pill receptacle being torn or cut. The protective tabs46that remain attached to the bottom surface38of sealing sheet36are positioned so as to be located above each pill compartment26to avoid that the pills come into contact with the glue covering the sealing sheet's bottom surface38.

The pillbox may then be distributed to other personnel who may distribute the pills to the patients by detaching the individual pill containers34and the associated sealing sheet cells66from the remainder of the pillbox24for distributing individual pill doses to the patients. Patient, date, medicine and other desired identification information may be printed on the top surface38of sealing sheet36, both on its top marginal portion68and on each individual cell66.