SEALED PACKAGE FOR ADHESIVE WOUND DRESSING, AND APPARATUS THEREFORE

Abstract: The invention refers to a preferential rapidly opening package for adhesive bandages comprising a wrapping, obtained by the union of two half-wrappers (I1, I2), in which is enclosed the adhesive bandage provided with an adhesive support (A), and in which the pulling of the ends of said half-wrappers (I1, I2) causes the preferential removal of one of said half-wrappers (I1, I2).

Description: T I TLE sealed package for adhesive wound dressing, and apparatus therefore DESCRIPTION The present invention refers to a new sealed package for wound dressing adhesive tapes and bandages m general, which allows a preferential rapidly opening. The invention moreover refers to the means for manufacturing that package. The well known dressing adhesive tapes comprise an adhesive support housing a wound dressing pad or similar, covered by two protecting films which must be manually removed before the application. Generally, said dressing adhesive tapes are packed into envelopes, coverings or wrappers, made by two paper or plastic sheets, which can be opened acting on two lateral flaps. For a more practical and hygienic use of the dressing adhesive tapes, have been patented and manufactured rapidly opening packages which allow to open the package and to remove the protective films simply by pulling out the ends of the same covering, which breaks m two half-packages. The present invention is a substantial improvement of a package of the type disclosed m the Dotta patent US 4,235,337. The product disclosed in the above mentioned patent has an undifferentiated opening system. Indeed, pulling the ends of the package, the user will draw first the left or right half-package, indifferently, uncovering the corresponding part of the tape. The uncovering of the bandage will then be completed by drawing, again by pulling, the remaining portion of the package. In this solution it is necessary that the two bandage parts ro be uncovered are equal, each corresponding to a half part of the bandage, in order to avoid the risk, m case the two parts are differently dimensioned, that a smaller portion is uncovered firstly, instead of the larger one. When the bandage is used, it is however a problem for the user to correctly position the bandage relatively to the wound part, because only half bandage is visible and available. The user is led to entirely uncover the bandage - before its application - keeping between two fingers the uncovered adhesive part and drawing out the remaining half-package. In order to avoid this improper use, which could make void the practicality and sterility of the product, it should be better that the user had available, after the removal of the first half-package, an uncovered bandage portion leaving open the whole dressing pad, so that it is easier to position the bandage grasping the remaining half-package and drawing it away only when the part of the bandage comprising the dressing pad has been applied to the skin. Main object of the present invention is therefore to meet this need providing a predetermined preferential opening m the package. Advantageously, according to the invention, about 2/3 of the adhesive bandage will result always uncovered after the first drawing of the ~> package; this can be accomplished maintaining the possibility of manufacturing the package according to the method disclosed in the Dotta patent US 4,418,822 which allows to reuse the protective sheet or imer of the adhesive support for obtaining the protective films of the bandage. The characteristics and advantages of ~ he present invention will result clearly from the following description of a preferred embodiment, presented as a non-limitative example, and with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows schematically a rapidly opening package for adhesive bandages according to the prior art; Figure 2 shows schematically an asymmetrical package for adhesive bandages according to the prese - invention; Figure 3 shows the package of Figure 2, partially opened; Figure 4 is partial enlarged sectional "iew of the package according to the invention, partially opened; Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of a protective film realised according to the invention; Figure 6 is a schematic view of an apparatus for the manufacturing of the package according to the invention; Figure 7 is a schematic partial top view of a manufacturing phase of the package according to the invention; Figure 8 shows a plurality of bandage packages arranged as bellows; Figure 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention; Figure 10 is longitudinal sectional view of the package of Figure 9; and Figure 11 is a schematic view of the device for realising the zig-zag cut. As shown m figure 1, the package for adhesive bandages according to the prior art is obtained by means of a paper wrapping made of two half-wrappers Ii and I 2 , welded together m correspondence of the areas Si, S 2 , Ei and E 2 . Inside the package shown m Figure 1 is housed an adhesive bandage consisting of a dressing pad G fixed to a strip of adhesive support A having a substantially rectangular shape and having an adhesive surface. Between the half-wrappers Ii and I 2 and the adhesive bandage are moreover provided two protective films Pi and P2, generally made of silicone paper, attached to the corresponding half-wrappers Iχ and I 2 of the paper wrapping by means of a bonding agent m correspondence of the areas Ci and C 2 . According to the example of Figure 1, when two pulling forces are applied m opposite directions to the ends Ei and E 2 of the package, according to the arrows Fi and F, the half-wrapper Ii or the half-wrapper I 2 , indifferently, and the corresponding film Pi or P 2 , will be initially detached, due to the symmetry of the components . A first step towards the solution of the problem of how differentiating the opening of the package Ii, I 2 is given by providing an asymmetrical package and protective films having different dimensions. In particular, as shown m figure 2, the film Pi will extend to cover all the dressing pad G, while the film P 2 will be reduced to the dimensions of the adhesive support below. According to this configuration, pulling out the ends Ei and E 2 of the package, the whole dressing pad G, and the portion of the adhesive support A on the same side (on the left m Figure 2), will be uncovered firstly. This happens because the film Pi has its initial portion m contact with the dressing pad G and therefore is completely or m part separated from the adhesive present on the adhesive layer A which, on the contrary, holds m place the film P 2 . At the end of this phase, Figure 3, about 2/3 of the adhesive bandage are therefore free from the wrapping, as the half-wrapper Ii has been completely removed. At this point, the user applies the uncovered portion of the adhesive support A on the skin and, pulling the opposite end E 2 of the half-wrapper I 2 , will uncover the remaining part of the adhesive support. However, that operation could be difficult because the half-wrapper I 2 , which is still m place, must be pulled according to a direction substantially parallel to the adherence plane of the film P 2 to the adhesive support below. Said attempt will generally cause a permanent distortion or a rupture m the adhesive support of the bandage. The problem to be solved will be therefore hov." to obtain the separation of the protective film P 2 once the film Pi has been removed and the adhesive bandage has been applied to the wound. In figure 4 it is shown schematically the solution idea of the above mentioned further problem, wherein the protective film P 2 is provided with, in correspondence of the area glued to the half-wrapper I 2 , an alteration or distortion for reducing the surface in contact with the adhesive, i.e. an embossing causing a plurality of projections SP. As clearly shown in Figure 5 the projections SP have preferably the shape of an hemisphere (with a diameter of about 2 mm) and are arranged on two or more staggered lines, as a honeycomb structure. According to that configuration, the surface of the film P 2 actually in contact with the adhesive of the support A is largely reduced, and consequently it is reduced the resistance to removal. Moreover, the higher thickness of the protective film P 2 in correspondence of the projections SP (about 1 mm instead of 0.07 mm), relatively to the reduced area of the anchoring area C 2 , causes a torsion effect on the film P 2 which contributes to facilitate the separation of the film itself from the adhesive support A. In this way, the film P 2 can be removed with a relatively lower pulling force, so that the adhesive bandage is not deformed, said force being however greater then the force needed for opening the package and uncovering the 2/3 of the bandage, due t: the low adherence to the aαhesive of the film PI. Obviously, the idea underlying the present invention can be accomplished by means of another press_ng method, other than embossing, which reduces the contact surface of the protective layer to be removed, which is m contact with the adhesive. In order to the same effect it will be possible to perform, for instance, a knurl, a perforation with the removal or not of the relative cutting, an indentation, etc. This ^eans that the pressing operation could produce concavities, instead of convexities, facing the adhesive, as eL as simply cut out areas; the essential thing is that tne contact surface is reduced and, preferably, that the film thickness is increased. With reference to Figures 6 and 7 it is shown schematically an apparatus for producing the protective film according to the invention. Said apparatus comprises substantially a couple of rotating dies male 1 and female 2, through wrich passes the protective fi±m P, preferably obtained reusing the protective sheet previously removed from the adhesive support A. Said film P is generally made of silicone paper and is separated, by means of a longitudinal cut, _-n the two parallel tapes P s and P D which will be applied on the adhesive bandages passing on the feeding plane 4. The rotating dies 1 and 2 are obtained b ^ means of metallic cylinders on which are obtained, respectively, a plurality of hemispheric projections or punches la and a plurality of complementary recesses 2a m order to produce a plurality of projections SP on the film P s . Said dies will be opportunely heated if the protective materials used are thermoplastic materials instead of silicone paper or similar. A knife 3 is moreover provided for cutting the protective material P m a longitudinal direction m order to obtain the left P s and the right P D films, which will be applied on the adhesive bandage. In order to allow the cut of the film P by means of the knife 3, a corresponding circumferential groove is provided on the male die 1 laterally to the projections or punches la. Obviously, alternatively to the knife 3, can be provided a circular knife. Downstream the rotating dies 1 and 2 is provided a roller 6 which presses the protective film P on the adhesive support A, to which the dressing pads G have been previously fixed according to well known techniques. A couple of coupling and feeding rollers 5a and 5b is moreover provided for feeding the protective films P s and P D and the adhesive support A before next working phases, that will be performed according to prior art techniques . Advantageously, according to the invention, the punches or projections la are arranged staggered according to a honeycomb pattern, so that, during rotation of the dies 1 and 2, one punch la is always coupled to a corresponding cavity 2a. Consequently, it is not needed that the rotating dies 1 and 2 are motor-driven and/or synchronised by means of gears, this function being accomplished by the co-operation between punches la and cavities 2a during the passage of the protective film P. Naturally the package disclosed may also be realised with two or more protective films which can be obtained, for instance, by cutting by means of a cutting device similar to that disclosed. Referring again to Figure 2, it can be noted that the film P α has a portion relatively large which is over the dressing pad G and that therefore is not welded to the wrapper Ii, nor engaged with the adhesive support A. In order to be correctly removed, the film Pi should fold itself describing a "S", as happens m the packages realised according to the teachings of the Dotta patent US 4,235,337. Moreover, it is to be noted that the film Pi, due to its overall length, considerably projects from the half- wrapper Ii, when the wrapping has been opened, causing an obstacle which is undesirable and causes particularly troublesome consequences when more adhesive bandages are packaged as bellows as shown m Figure 8, because the residual film could cover next package. According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, shown m Figures 9 and 10, it is provided that the gluing point Ci ' is placed near the outer edge of the dressing pad G (on the left m Figures 10 and 11) and that on the film Pi', m correspondence of the outer edge of the dressing pad G, is provided a transversal incision which allows the "S" bending of tr.e film itself. With reference to Figure 9 it is shown, m a perspective view, the adhesive bandage packaged accordirg to this embodiment of the invention wherein the film Pi' comprises a portion Pι' a , completely engaged with tne adhesive, and a portion Pi' which is raised relative to the portion Pι' a , being superimposed to the dressing pad G. In the area separating the two portions Pi ' a and Pi'b is provided a zig-zag incision Z which facilitates folding of the portion Pi'b on the portion Pι' a . Referring now to Figure 10 it is evident that, exercising a suitable pulling force for opening the package, the film Pi' tends to fold over itself m correspondence of the incision Z, being the incision Z comprised between the glue Ci ' and the adhesive support A. Again with reference to Figure 10, it is as much evident that, when the half-wrapper Ii' has been removed, the portion of the film Pi ' a folded onto the portion Pi'b will project little from the edge of the half-wrapper Ii', having the two film portions substantially the same length. In Figure 11 it is shown part of the apparatus for carrying out the incision Z. As it is shown m Figure 11, the incision Z on the film Pi' is obtained by a circular knife CZ rotating around the axis ai m co-operation with the counter cylinder CC to which are placed side by side tne cylinders CFi and CF 2 , both rotating around axis a 2 . In Figure 11 it is shown, with the reference Fi, a slit provided between the cylinders CC and CFi, and with the reference F 2 , a slit provided between the cylinders CC and CF 2 . The slit F 2 , provides an empty area which can be increased or reduced moving the cylinder CC on the left or on the right along the rotation axis a 2 using the slit Fi for varying the counter surface between cylinders CZ and CC . In order to realise the zig-zag cut, the protective material to be cut is moved on the cylinder CFi, CC and CF 2 under the knife CZ (opportunely pressed against the cylinder CC) . The positioning of the cylinder CC between Cylinders CFi and CF 2 determines the width of the incision Z and, consequently, the more or less weakening of the protective film. It is to be noted that the position of the gluing point Ci ' and the position of the incision Z have been presented as a non limitative example, and are to be considered comprised in the same invention solutions m which the area Z and the gluing Ci ' are positioned differently.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Preferential rapidly opening package for adhesive bandages in which are provided: - an adhesive bandage, comprising an adhesive support (A) having a bandage compress or pad (G) , provided with protective material films (Pi, P 2 ) which can be separated from said adhesive support before the application of said adhesive bandage, said films (Pi, P 2 ) extending on one side up to cover substantially the whole bandage pad (G) and on the other side up to cover substantially only the remaining adhesive; - a wrapping (Ii, I 2 ) enclosing said adhesive bandage, which can be separated, by pulling its ends (E x , E 2 ) , m two half-wrappers anchored to corresponding protective material films (Pi, P 2 ) and having different dimensions as a function of the dimensions of the films (Pi, P 2 ) to which they are anchored; characterised m that the removal of protective material (Pi/ P 2 ) not covering the bandage pad (G) is facilitated by the presence of an alteration of the surface of the protective material provided m correspondence of the anchoring area of the protective material to its half- wrapper, suitable for reducing the contact surface with said adhesive support (A) and m that the removal of the remaining protective material is allowed by the isolation from the adhesive support due to the bandage pad (G) , causing therefore a preferential direction opening of the package m favour of the side which comprises said pad. 2. Package according to claim 1, characterised m that the protective material film (P x , P 2 ) extending up to cover substantially the whole bandage pad (G) , has m correspondence of or m proximity of the edge of the pad, a transversal weakening (Z) suitable for facilitating the folding of said film and has likewise a glumg/weldmg (Ci') to the corresponding half-wrapper (Ii, I 2 ) m a middle position relatively to the pad (G) or near the weakening (Z) . 3. Package according to the preceding claims, characterised m that the alteration of the protective material and/or the weakening of the protective material are performed directly when the adhesive bandage is manufactured, preferably by means of the treatment of the protective sheet of the adhesive support recovered for obtaining the protective material films (Pi, P 2 ) . 4. Package according to the claim 1, characterised m that the alteration of the protective material consists of a plurality of projections and/or recesses of the protective material arranged m one or more transversal lines opportunely coupled and staggered, as a honeycomb structure, defining substantially an embossing of the protective material. 5. Package according to the claim 2, characterised m that the transversal weakening (Z) of the protective material consists of a zig-zag cut. 6. Apparatus for manufacturing packages according to claim 1, characterised m that it comprises two rotating cylinder dies, one male (1) and one female (2), cooperating each other and having complementary projections and/or recesses, respectively, through which passes the protective film to be pressed. 7. Apparatus for manufacturing packages according tc claim 5, characterised m that it comprises a circular knife (CZ) having a zig-zag blade and a counter-cylinder (CC) against which partially rests said circular knife (CZ) , through which passes the material to be cut. 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterised m that the counter-cylinder (CC) is adjustable along its rotation axis (ai) for allowing to change the width of the contact surface of the circular knife (CZ) on the counter-cylinder (CC) . 9. Apparatus according to claims 6, 7 and 8, characterised m that said male rotating cylindrical die (1) and said zig-zag knife (CZ) are placed coaxially side by side and supported along the same rotating axis (a x ) and m that said female rotating cylindrical die (2) ana said counter-cylinder (CC) are placed coaxially side by side and supported along the same rotating axis (a 2 ) , or vice versa.

Inventors: DOTTA ANGELO, DOTTA, ANGELO
Applicants: DOTTA ANGELO, DOTTA, ANGELO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A61F15
IPC codes: A61F13, A61F15