Abstract:
The invention provides a substantially child resistant package. A gate panel ( 110 ) and a tab panel ( 130 ) are secured to an aperture panel ( 130 ). At least one aperture ( 123 ) is formed on the aperture panel. At least one gate ( 114 ) is formed on the gate panel and is aligned with the aperture when the gate panel is in contact with the aperture panel. At least one partially detachable tab ( 136 ) is formed on the tab panel and is aligned with the gate when the tab panel is in contact with the gate panel. In an exemplary package, a blister is aligned with and secured to the aperture panel. The gate panel is folded and secured to the aperture panel and blister package. The tab panel is folded and covers at least some portion of the gate panel.

Description:
BACKROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to a child resistant package, such as pharmaceutical package.  
         [0002]     It is well known to use a blister package to contain items such as pharmaceutical pills or other suitable items. A conventional blister package  10  includes a blister base  11 , blister cells  20 , a product  30  and a backing layer  40  as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . The base  11  and cells  20  are typically formed from a substrate such as a thermo-formed plastic. Typically after a product  30 , such as a pill or other suitable product, is placed in the blister cells  20 , a backing layer  40  such as foil, paperboard or other suitable material is secured to the base  11  to cover the open area of the blister cells  20  as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . A product  30  is typically removed from a blister cell  20  by applying pressure or other suitable manipulation of the cell  20  to create an opening, such as a tear or rupture in the backing layer  40 .  
         [0003]     Typically when the backing layer  40  is strong or rigid, for example a paperboard material, gates (not shown) are other suitable weakened areas are formed in the backing layer  40  in the general vicinity of each blister cells  20  to assist with removing the product  30  through the backing layer  40 . A gate (not shown) must be deformed or manipulated to prior to removal of the product  30  through the backing layer  40 .  
         [0004]     While conventional blister packages  10  are suitable for many applications there are several deficiencies in their design. While they provide easy removal of the product  30  as described above, they offer very little resistance for children accessing the product  30 . Child resistance is a feature that is particularly desired for unit dose pharmaceutical packaging. Various regulations or guidelines are prescribed for making packages child resistant. In general, a child resistant package must be designed and operationally tested to ensure that the package offers sufficient resistance to children accessing the product. While child resistance is an important feature, however, it is also desirable that a package be designed so that adults can open a package with minimal instructions. Furthermore it is desirable that a package can be opened by adults lacking manual dexterity or strength. Based on at least the above deficiencies in the prior art, what is needed is a child resistant package.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The invention provides a substantially child resistant package. A gate panel and a tab panel are secured to an aperture panel. At least one aperture is formed on the aperture panel. At least one gate is formed on the gate panel and is aligned with the aperture when the gate panel is in contact with the aperture panel. At least one partially detachable tab is formed on the tab panel and is aligned with the gate when the tab panel is in contact with the gate panel. In an exemplary package, a blister package is aligned with an secured to the aperture panel. The gate panel is folded and secured to the aperture panel and blister package. The tab panel is folded and covers at least some portion of the gate panel. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0006]     Other features of the invention will become more apparent in the description below contain herein and can be further understood by reading the accompanying figures, wherein like characters represent like parts throughout the several views.  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a conventional blister package.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a elevation view of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of a package blank according to the invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of a blister package inserted into the blank of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a side view of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is a plan view after folding the gate panel of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is a side view of  FIG. 7 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 9  is a plan view after folding the tab panel of  FIG. 7 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 10  is a side view of  FIG. 9 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 11  is a plan view of another embodiment according to the invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 12  is a plan view of another embodiment according to the invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 13  is a plan view of another embodiment according to the invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 14  is a plan view after a blister package is placed on the substrate.  
         [0021]      FIG. 15  is a plan view after folding the tab panel. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]      FIG. 4  illustrates a plan view of an exemplary packaging blank  100  according to the invention. An exemplary embodiment of a blank  100  according to the invention is illustrated with a gate panel  110 , an aperture panel  120  and a tab panel  130 . The gate panel  110  is exemplary secured to the aperture panel  120  along perimeter  121 . The tab panel  130  is secured to the aperture panel  120  along perimeter  131 . In an exemplary method the panels  110 ,  120 ,  130  are formed from the same substrate; however they could be formed from separate substrates. It is to be understood that the layout, dimensions, shape and method of forming the panels  110 ,  120 ,  130  are exemplary and variations of the above are within the scope of the invention. For example, the panels  110 ,  120 ,  130  could be separate substrates that are secured to each other in a manner consistent with the method described below.  
         [0023]     The aperture panel  120  is illustrated with exemplary apertures  123 . The apertures are designed and laid out to support a blister package such as the conventional blister package illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . It is to be understood that a wide variety of configurations and shapes are within the scope of the invention. The gate panel  110  is illustrated with exemplary gates  114 . An exemplary gate boundary  112  is illustrated surrounding the gates  114 . In an exemplary method the gate  114  and gate boundary  112  can be formed by partial die cut or other suitable means. The gate boundary  112  is designed to substantially align with the detachable tabs  136  of the tab panel  120  as will be more fully illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 9 . The perimeter  111  of the gate panel  110  is illustrated as a straight line; however it is to be understood that the shape of the perimeter  111  could be altered to aid with opening a formed package. One such shape could be a non-linear curved pattern. The tab panel  130  is illustrated with a plurality of at least partially detachable tabs  136  with a tab perimeter  132 . In an exemplary method the tab perimeter can be formed by partial die cuts or other suitable means. It is to be understood that the tabs  136  could also be removable. In addition the perimeter between the tab panel  130  and aperture panel  120  can likewise be shaped (not shown) to aid with opening a formed package. One such shape could be a non-linear curved pattern.  
         [0024]     The panels  110 ,  120 ,  130  may be formed from any suitable substrate material to include conventional paperboard grades, for example solid bleached sulfate (SBS) paperboard ranging in weight of about  10  point or greater. An exemplary substrate  100  includes a 12-point SBS board manufactured by MeadWestvaco Corporation. The substrate  100  may also be a laminated board, a coated board, an unbleached board, or a synthetic paper depending on the desired appearance of the package. An exemplary substrate has at least one side that is compatible with a printing method. The other side should be suitable for an adhesive coating. Any suitable means for securing the panels  110 ,  120 ,  130  to each other and to secure the blister pack  10  is within the scope of the invention. An exemplary substrate is a board coated on one side with Easy Seal Plus® adhesive manufactured by MeadWestvaco Corporation. The panels  110 ,  120 ,  130  should ideally be arranged and secured to each other so that a formed package would have printing on at least some part of the exterior of the package.  
         [0025]      FIGS. 5-6  illustrate a package  500  after the blister package  10  is secured to the aperture panel  120 .  FIG. 6  illustrates that the blister cells partially extending through the apertures  123 . Direction arrow  7  illustrates an exemplary direction and method of folding the gate panel  110  to substantially cover the backing layer  40  of the blister pack  10 . It is to be understood that the gates  114  are dimensioned and aligned to fit substantially over the backing layer  40  in the vicinity of the perimeter of the blister cells  20 . In an exemplary embodiment, the gate panel is secured to the backing layer  40  and aperture panel  120 . If the panels  110 ,  120 ,  130  have an exemplary adhesive coating, the gate panel  110  and aperture panel  120  can be secured to each other by heating and pressing the panels  110 ,  120  together. It is to be understood that any suitable method of securing the panels is within the scope of the invention.  
         [0026]      FIGS. 7-8  illustrate a package  700  after the gate panel  110  is at least partially secured to the aperture panel  120 . Direction arrow  9  illustrates an exemplary direction and method of folding the tab panel  130  to substantially cover the gate panel  110 . It is to be understood that the tabs  136  are dimensioned and aligned to fit substantially over the gate  114  and gate boundary  112 . In an exemplary embodiment, the tab panel  130  is secured to the gate panel  110 . It is to be understood that any suitable method of securing the panels is acceptable.  
         [0027]      FIGS. 9-10  illustrates a package  900  after the tab panel  130  is secured to the gate panel  110 . It is to be understood that the package  900  could be placed into a container or carton. It could also be place inside a full or partial sleeve (not shown). It could also be wrapped (not shown) with a shrink-wrap material, such as plastic or any other suitable material or means.  
         [0028]      FIG. 11  illustrates another exemplary embodiment according to the invention. The gate panel  210  is illustrated opposing an aperture panel  220 . A tab panel  230  is illustrated secured to the aperture panel  200 . It is to be understood that the gate panel  210  and tab panel  230  should be folded and secured to the aperture panel  220  in a method similar to that described above.  
         [0029]      FIG. 12  illustrates yet another embodiment according to the invention. Two exemplary display panels  250 ,  260  are illustrated secured to panel  220 ,  230  via optional hinge panels  240 . It is to be understood that the display panels  250 ,  260  could contain printed information. They could also support and retain an informational guide such as a booklet, as well as media device such as CD Rom or DVD, as well as a media device retention device such as a hub. Additional display panels (not shown) could also be configured in numerous ways. The scope of the invention includes any suitable configuration of the display panels  250 ,  260  for any suitable purpose.  
         [0030]      FIG. 13  illustrates another exemplary embodiment according to the invention. The gate panel  310  is illustrated opposing an aperture panel  320 . A tab panel  330  is illustrated secured to the aperture panel  200 . In this embodiment, the gate panel  310  is illustrated as being smaller than the aperture panel  320 .  
         [0031]     FIGS.  14  illustrates a blister package  341  secured to the aperture panel  320 . Direction arrow  15  illustrates an exemplary direction and method of folding the gate panel  310  to substantially cover the backing layer  340  of the blister package  341 . It is to be understood that the gates  312  are dimensioned and aligned to fit substantially over the backing layer  340  in the vicinity of the perimeter of the blister cells (not shown). In an exemplary embodiment, the gate panel  310  is secured to the backing layer  340  and aperture panel  320 . It is to be understood that any suitable method of securing the panels is within the scope of the invention.  
         [0032]      FIG. 15  illustrates the gate panel  310  covering the backing layer  340  (not visible). It is to be understood that the tab panel  330  could be folded in the direction of the arrow  16  and secured (not shown) to the aperture panel  320  in a method similar to that described above. If the gate panel  310  is smaller than the aperture panel  320 , than the tab panel  330  can be secured to at least some portion of the aperture panel  320  using any suitable means. It is to be understood that the tab panel  330  can be also secured to at least some portion of the gate panel  310  as well.  
         [0033]     Once given the above detailed description of the invention, many other features, modifications or embodiments of the invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art. Such features, modifications or embodiments are, therefore, considered to be a part of this invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the following claims.