Abstract:
A packaging blank includes a first panel and a second panel. The first panel defines at least one blister aperture and at least one tool portion. The second panel defines at least one tab strip and at least one tool access portion. The at least one tab strip is at least partially severable from the packaging blank. The at least one tool access portion is substantially completely severable from the packaging blank. The first panel and the second panel are configured to be positioned relative to one another in a face contacting arrangement such that a first portion of a given tool portion is to be operably aligned with a corresponding tool access portion. As such, the first portion of the given tool portion thereby is capable of being accessed by a tool via the corresponding tool access portion.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to child resistant blister packaging for the packaging and dispensing of articles. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a package including a child resistant blister package housing for encapsulating one or more blister packages and allowing controlled and child-resistant packaging and dispensing of articles 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    It is known that blister packaging can be used to store and deliver a wide range of items. Among the many types of items that can be stored and delivered in blister packs are pharmaceutical products, such as tablets, pills, capsules, and other related items. Conventional blister packages include a blister tray that is typically a thermoformed plastic sheet with a plurality of blister cells or depressions formed therein. Typically, after items are placed in the cells, the items are retained and protected in the respective cells by securing a backing sheet to the blister tray. The backing sheet is often a thin layer of metal foil, plastic, paperboard, or other material secured to the back of the blister tray, thereby sealing the cells. In other types of blister packages, the contents are placed in substantially puncture-proof foil containers that can be covered with foil or paperboard backing. 
         [0003]    In many blister packages, the foil backing is thin enough to be punctured mechanically, or ruptured by pressing the blister so that the encapsulated item penetrates the foil backing. If the backing sheet is made from, for example, paperboard, or similar material, then the backing often includes gates in the backing sheet that covers the openings of respective blister cells. In practice, each gate is deformed or manipulated so that it ruptures or partially separates from the surrounding paperboard to allow the item contained within the blister cell to be pushed out of the blister cell for use. 
         [0004]    While the conventional blister packaging is viewed by many to be suitable for most applications, there are several design deficiencies. The conventional packages provide removal of the items from the blister cells, but offer little in the way of resisting child tampering. Child resistance is a feature that is desired, particularly for dose pharmaceutical packaging. 
         [0005]    To address the desirability of child resistance, many blister packaging designs employ materials of increased rigidity, compared to conventional non-child-resistant packages. For example, in increased-rigidity packages, the backing sheet and/or the blister cells can be made thicker and/or more resistant to pressure. As such, a young child is unlikely to be able to generate the pressure required to force the package contents through the increased-strength materials. In addition to the benefits in terms of child-resistance, increased rigidity can provide additional protection for the enclosed materials, which may be, as is the case with pharmaceuticals, fragile and susceptible to breakage. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of an exemplary packaging blank, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of an exemplary package, made from the packaging blank of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates a method for accessing products packaged in the exemplary package of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of an exemplary packaging blank, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of an exemplary package, made from the packaging blank of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  illustrates a method for accessing products packaged in the exemplary package of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of an exemplary packaging blank, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of an exemplary package, made from the packaging blank of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  illustrates a method for accessing products packaged in the exemplary package of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 10-11  illustrate various shapes for tab strips of packaging made in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 12-14  illustrate the pivoting action of tool portions of packaging made in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It must be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms, and combinations thereof. As used herein, the word “exemplary” is used expansively to refer to embodiments that serve as an illustration, specimen, model or pattern. As used herein, the terms “foldable score line” and “severance line” refer to all manner of lines indicating optimal fold or cut locations, frangible or otherwise weakened lines, perforations, a line of perforations, a line of short slits, a line of half-cuts, a single half-cut, a cut line, scored lines, slits, any combination thereof, and the like. 
         [0018]    The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. In other instances, well-known components, systems, materials or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
         [0019]    It is contemplated that the present invention is not limited to the pharmaceutical and personal healthcare related articles referenced with the illustrated embodiment. Instead, embodiments of packaging made in accordance with the present invention can have application in packaging for any small, delicate, sensitive, or portable article. Furthermore, the packaging can be used for larger items as a method of decreasing the incidence of product theft. Examples of articles for which such packaging can be employed include all manner of consumable products such as candy, food, vitamins, tobacco, and the like; all manner of personal care products such as contact lens, birth control devices, smoking cessation patches, hearing aid batteries, and the like; as well as any item that can fit within a portable container. 
         [0020]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like numerals, and wherein like articles and respective elements are, at times, represented by primed numerals,  FIG. 1  is a plan view of an exemplary packaging blank  10  made according to the present invention. 
         [0021]    The packaging blank  10  includes a back panel  12   a  and a face panel  12   b . The face panel  12   b  and the back panel  12   a  are hingedly connected along a foldable score line  14 . Although in this exemplary embodiment, the panels  12   a ,  12   b  are illustrated as integrally formed as one piece, it should be understood that the respective panels  12   a ,  12   b  can be formed as two separate and distinct pieces. 
         [0022]    The packaging blank  10  can be constructed from any suitable substrate material. Suitable substrate materials include, but not limited to, plastics, conventional paperboard, including solid bleached sulfate (SBS) paperboard of suitable weight, size and shape, and combinations thereof. Commercial examples of suitable substrate include EASY SEAL® and EASY SEAL PLUS® self-sealing boards, both of which are currently available from MeadWestvaco Corporation. Additionally, it is contemplated that embodiments of the present invention may be used in conjunction with NATRALOCK® packaging systems. Additionally, a tear-resistant layer may or may not be adhered to the packaging blank  10 . Tear-resistant layers, if included, are often laminated to the blank before cutting. Furthermore, it is possible, and in fact contemplated, that an adhesive layer or material may be added to the packaging blank  10  prior to assembling the packaging blank  10  into a package, as will be explained below. The packaging blank  10  may also be an unbleached board, depending on the desired appearance of the final package. 
         [0023]    The back panel  12   a  further includes a top portion  16   a . The top portion  16   a  is hingedly connected to a spacer portion  18   a  along a foldable score line  20 . The spacer portion  18   a  is hingedly connected to a bottom portion  22   a  along a foldable score line  24 . The bottom portion  22   a  further includes severance lines  26  and tab strips  28 . The severance lines  26  can be shaped and dimensioned to allow removal of material by interfacing with and/or receiving a tool in a method that will be described in more detail below. A tab strip  28  can be defined by a severance line  30  and a cut line  32 , and can further include a pull tab portion  34 . A pull tab portion  34  can include foldable score lines  36 ,  38  and a cut line  40 . As will be explained in greater detail below, the tab strips  28  can have any desired shape and dimensions. For example, the bottom panel  22   a  can be configured to include gates (not shown) that can be left after a tab strip  28  is removed. 
         [0024]    The face panel  12   b  further includes a top portion  16   b . The top portion  16   a  is hingedly connect to a spacer portion  18   b  along a score line  42 . The spacer portion  18   b  is hingedly connected to a bottom portion  22   b  along a score line  44 . Bottom portion  22   b  further includes blister apertures  46  and tool portions  48 . The blister apertures  46  are shaped and dimensioned to receive the blisters  50  of a blister pack  52 . As illustrated, one or more blisters  50  can contain a product  54 , illustrated in  FIG. 1  as a capsule of medication. In the illustrated embodiment, the tool portions  48  are formed by a severance lines  56  in the bottom portion  22   b . A tool portion can further include a cut line  58  and foldable score line  60 . A least a portion of a tool portion  48  can be hingedly connected to the bottom panel  22   b  along a foldable score line  62 . 
         [0025]    With additional reference now to  FIGS. 2-3 , a package  70 , made from packaging blank  10 , is shown. A package  70  is formed by inserting the blisters  50  of a blister pack  52  into respective blister apertures  46 , such that the blisters  50  protrude from the face panel  12   b . After the blister pack  52  is in position, the blank  10  can be folded into a face contacting arrangement, and secured. To fold the blank  10 , the facing surfaces of the bottom panel  12   a  and the face panel  12   b  are brought toward each other by folding along foldable score line  14 . In completing the folding step, the tab strips  28  are aligned with respective blister apertures  46 , and thereby with blisters  50  of blister pack  52 . Likewise, the severance lines  26  cooperatively align with respective tool portions  48 . The face panel  12   b  and the bottom panel  12   a  can be secured to one another, and the blister pack  52  can thereby be held in place, using any desired means or methods. 
         [0026]    In practice, to access an item  54  from a package  70 , a tool  72 , illustrated as a pencil, is pressed onto a tool access portion  74 , which is defined by score line  26  in bottom panel  12   a . When pressure is applied to a tool access portion  74 , the circular piece of material defined by score line  26  is severed from the bottom panel  12   a  and is then pushed into, and applies force to, an interface portion  76  of a tool portion  48 . When force is applied to the interface portion  76 , at least a portion of the tool portion  48  is severed from the face panel  12   b  along severance line  56 . Since a portion of a tool portion  48  is now severed, a user can grasp the severed portion of the tool portion  48  and lift it away from the face panel  12   b , thereby separating most of the tool portion from the face panel  12   b.    
         [0027]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , part of a tool portion  48  is hingedly connected to face panel  12   b  by a foldable score line  62 . As such, tool portion  48  remains attached to face panel  12   b  after severance line  56  has been severed. 
         [0028]    After the tool portion  48  is accessible, the tool portion is folded along foldable score line  60 , by folding the interface portion  76  toward the beginning of a tab strip  28  on bottom panel  12   a , which is visible in the area revealed by lifting a tool portion  48  away from face panel  12   b . The interface portion  76  of tool portion  48  can now be pushed into a pull tab portion  34  of a tab strip  28 . When force is applied to the pull tab portion  34 , the pull tab portion  34  separates from the bottom panel  12   a  along severance line  30 . The pull tab portion  34  can be made more accessible to a user&#39;s grasp by the inclusion of foldable score lines  36 ,  38 , and cut line  40 . This can encourage the pull tab portion  34  to bend up and away from the applied force, thereby encouraging pull tab portion  34  to lift away from the package  70 . At this point, a user can grasp the pull tab portion  34  and pull the pull tab portion  34  away from face panel  12   b , thereby severing tab strip  28  from bottom panel  12   a . As mentioned above, the shape of severance line  30  can be altered as desired to create gates (not shown) to add more child-resistance to the package  70 . Alternative tab strip  28  designs will be discussed in further detail below. 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , an alternative design for a packaging blank  10 ′ is shown. In  FIG. 4 , primed numerals denote features that can have similar structure, design, and/or purpose as the features denoted by unprimed numerals in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         [0030]    The packaging blank  10 ′ includes a bottom panel  12   a ′, and a face panel  12   b ′. The panels  12   a ′,  12   b ′ are hingedly connected along foldable score line  14 ′. Although in this exemplary embodiment, the panels  12   a ′,  12   b ′ are illustrated as integrally formed as one piece, it should be understood that the respective panels  12   a ′,  12   b ′ can be formed as two separate and distinct pieces. 
         [0031]    The bottom panel  12   a ′ can further include a top portion  16   a ′, which is hingedly connected to a spacer portion  18   a ′, along a foldable score line  20 ′. The spacer portion  18   a ′ is hingedly connected to a bottom portion  22   a ′ along a foldable score line  24 ′. 
         [0032]    The bottom portion  22   a ′ further includes tab strips  28 ′. A tab strip  28 ′ can be defined by a severance line  30 ′ and a cut line  32 ′ and can include a pull tab portion  34 ′. A pull tab portion  34 ′ can includes foldable score lines  36 ′,  38 ′ and a cut line  40 ′. As will be explained in greater detail below, the tab strips  28 ′ can have any desired shape and dimensions. For example, the bottom panel  22   a ′ can be configured to include gates (not shown) that can be left after a tab strip  28 ′ is removed. 
         [0033]    The face panel  12   b ′ can include a top portion  16   b ′. The top portion  16   b ′ is hingedly connected to a spacer portion  18   b ′ along a foldable score line  42 ′. The spacer portion  18   b ′ is hingedly connected to a bottom portion  22   b ′ along a foldable score line  44 ′. Bottom portion  22   b ′ further includes blister apertures  46 ′ and tool portions  80 . The blister apertures  46 ′ are shaped and dimensioned to receive the blisters  50  of a blister pack  52 . As illustrated, one or more blisters  50  can contain a product  54 , illustrated in  FIG. 4  as a capsule of medication. In the illustrated embodiment, the tool portions  80  are formed by cut lines  82 ,  84 , and fold lines  86 ,  88  in the bottom portion  22   b ′. The fold lines  86 ,  88  can hingedly connect the tool portions  80  to the bottom panel  22   b ′ and create a fulcrum or pivot point about which the tool portions  80  can rotate. An additional cut line can be made in a tool portion  80 , and the material between cut lines  82  and  90  can be removed to create a graspable edge  90  of a tool portion  80 . 
         [0034]    It should be understood that while the tool portions  80  of the illustrated embodiment are formed from two cut lines  82 ,  84 , some or all of cut lines  82 ,  84  can be substituted for a severance line; thereby increasing the child-resistant qualities of a package made from the packaging blank  10 ′. 
         [0035]    With additional reference now to  FIGS. 5-6 , a package  70 ′, made from packaging blank  10 ′, is shown. A package  70 ′ is formed by inserting the blisters  50  of a blister pack  52  into respective blister apertures  46 ′, such that the blisters  50  protrude from the face panel  12   b ′. After the blister pack  52  is in position, the blank  10 ′ can be folded into a face contacting arrangement, and secured. To fold the blank  10 ′, the facing surfaces of the bottom panel  12   a ′ and the face panel  12   b ′ are brought toward each other by folding along foldable score line  14 ′. In completing the folding step, the tab strips  28 ′ are aligned with respective blister apertures  46 ′, and thereby with blisters  50  of blister pack  52 . The face panel  12   b ′ and the bottom panel  12   a ′ can be secured to one another, and the blister pack  52  can thereby be held in place, using any desired means or methods. 
         [0036]    In practice, to access an item  54  from a package  70 ′, upward pressure, i.e., a pressure that pulls away from the face panel  12   b ′ and the bottom panel  12   a ′, is applied to a pull-away portion  92  of a tool portion  80 . When such a force is applied to the pull-away portion  92 , the tool portion  80  rotates along fold lines  86 ,  88  and an actuator portion  94  of the tool portion  80  thereby rotates downward, i.e., into a pull tab portion  34 ′ of a tab strip  28 ′. This force, applied by an actuator portion  94  to a pull tab portion  34 ′, causes the pull tab portion  34 ′ to at least partially separate from the bottom panel  12   a ′ along cut line  32 ′ and severance line  30 ′. The pull tab portion  34 ′ can be made more accessible to a user&#39;s grasp by the inclusion of foldable score lines  36 ′,  38 ′, and cut line  40 ′. This causes the pull tab portion  34 ′ to bend up and away from the applied force, thereby encouraging pull tab portion  34 ′ to lift away from the package  70 ′. At this point, a user can grasp the pull tab portion  34 ′ and pull away from face panel  12   b ′, thereby severing at least a portion of tab strip  28 ′ from bottom panel  12   a ′. As mentioned above, the shape of severance line  30 ′ can be altered as desired to create gates (not shown) to add more child-resistance to the package  70 ′. Alternative tab strip  28 ′ designs will be discussed in further detail below. 
         [0037]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , an alternative design for a packaging blank  100  is shown. The packaging blank  100  includes a bottom panel  102   a , and a face panel  102   b . The panels  102   a ,  102   b  are hingedly connected along foldable score line  104 . Although in this exemplary embodiment, the panels  102   a ,  102   b  are illustrated as integrally formed as one piece, it should be understood that the respective panels  102   a ,  102   b  can be formed as two separate and distinct pieces. 
         [0038]    The face panel  102   b  can include foldable score lines  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112 . The face panel  102   b  can also include tool access apertures  114 . The tool access apertures  114  can be shaped and dimensioned to receive a tool, a user&#39;s hand, or another suitable device therethrough. Additionally, the face panel  102   b  can include blister apertures  116 . The blister apertures  116  are shaped and dimensioned to receive the blisters  50  of a blister pack  52 . As illustrated, one or more blisters  50  can contain a product  54 , illustrated in  FIG. 7  as a capsule of medication. 
         [0039]    The bottom panel  102   a  can include foldable score lines  118 ,  120 ,  122 , and  124 . The bottom panel  102   a  further includes tab strips  126 . The tab strips  126  can be defined by severance lines  128  and  130 , and cut lines  132 . The tab strips  126  can include a pull tab portion  134  that is defined by severance lines  126  and foldable score lines  118 ,  120 ,  122 , and  124 . In the illustrated embodiment, the severance lines  126  that define the pull tab portions  134  pass through both sides of the bottom panel  102   a . However, severance lines  128  and  130 , as well as cut lines  132 , only pass through a portion of the bottom panel  102   a.    
         [0040]    As will be explained in greater detail below, the tab strips  126  can have any desired shape and dimensions. For example, the bottom panel  102   a  can be configured to include gates (not shown) that can be left after a tab strip  126  is removed. 
         [0041]    With additional reference now to  FIGS. 8-9 , a package  140 , made from packaging blank  100 , is shown. A package  140  is formed by inserting the blisters  50  of one or more blister packs  52  into respective blister apertures  116 , such that the blisters  50  protrude from the face panel  102   b . In the illustrated embodiment, the package  140  contains two single-row blister packs  52 . It should be understood that the package  140  can include less than two blister pack  52  or more than two blister packs, and although the illustrated blister packs  52  appear identical, there can be any number of blister packs  52 , each with a different shape, dimensions, and/or contents. After the blister packs  52  are in position, the blank  100  can be folded into a face contacting arrangement, and secured. To fold the blank  100 , the facing surfaces of the bottom panel  102   a  and the face panel  102   b , are brought toward each other by folding along foldable score line  104 . In completing the folding step, the tab strips  126  are aligned with respective blister apertures  116 , and thereby with blisters  50  of blister pack  52 . The face panel  102   b  and the bottom panel  102   a  can be secured to one another, and the blister pack(s)  52  can thereby be held in place, using any desired means or methods. 
         [0042]    In practice, to access an item  54  from a package  140 , a user places a tool  142  into a tool access aperture  114 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tool access apertures  114  are shaped and dimensioned to accept at least a portion of a standard current-issue U.S. penny. 
         [0043]    In the illustrated embodiment, the tool  142 , in this case a penny is laid down with a leading edge of the penny placed such that an edge of the penny aligns with an edge of a tool access aperture  114 . After placing the tool  142  in place, the entire package  140  is bent along one of the four available foldable score lines  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112 , namely, the fold line adjacent the tool access aperture  114  with which the tool  142  is aligned. It should be noted that after assembly of the package  140  from packaging blank  100 , foldable score lines  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112  are aligned with, and cooperate with, foldable score lines  118 ,  120 ,  122 , and  124 . As the package  140  is being bent, the tool  142  can be held in place. The package  140  can be bent until the force of the tool pushing on a pull tab portion  134  of a tab strip  126  causes the pull tab portion  134  to become severed from the surrounding material of the bottom panel  102   a . Once the pull tab portion  134  is severed from the surrounding material of the bottom panel  102   a , the user can grasp the pull tab portion  134  and pull the tab strip  126  away from the blister pack  52  until the tab strip  126  is either severed from the package  140 , or until there is adequate access to allow an item  54  to pass out of the package  140 . 
         [0044]    Turning now to  FIGS. 10-15 , alternative designs for various features of packaging are illustrated.  FIG. 10  illustrates a package blank  150 . Although the illustrated package blank  150  appears somewhat similar to the package blank  10 ′ of  FIG. 4 , the concepts described herein can be employed with any of the described embodiments, or any embodiment of this invention made in accordance with the concepts of the foregoing description. 
         [0045]    As illustrated, a package blank  150  includes a plurality of tab strips  152 . Although the tab strips  152  are illustrated as having varied designs, shapes, and dimensions, some or all of the tab strips  152  can be substantially identical. Some of the illustrated tab strips have an irregular shape to provide gates  154  upon removal of the tab strips  152 . The tab strips  152  can be formed by severance lines  156 , cut lines  158 ,  160 , fold lines  162 , and combinations thereof. While many of the lines of  FIG. 10  are represented as either cut lines, severance lines, or fold lines, it should be understood that the tab strips  152  can be formed from any desired combination of line types, as desired or required for any particular purpose or application. For example, the inclusion of gates  154  and the varying of line types employed to form the tab strips  152  can change the relative level of child resistance of a package  150 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 11  illustrates variations in design of tab strips, tool portions, and how to vary line type usage to achieve various objectives.  FIGS. 12-14  illustrate in greater detail the pivot action of the tool portions for embodiments of packing in which a tool portion is included, including the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 1-6 . As shown at the top of  FIG. 12 , as the grasping end  170  of a tool portion  172  is lifted away from the packaging  174 , the tool portion  172  rotates about a pivot region  176 . As explained above, a pivot region  176  can be formed by severing most of the tool portion, but leaving at least one edge hingedly connected to the surrounding material along one or more fold lines. As the tool portion  172  rotates about a pivot region  176 , the actuating portion  178  of the tool portion  172  rotates downward, toward the packaging, and applies a force to a pull tab portion  180  of a tab strip  182 . This force causes at least a portion of the pull tab portion  180  of the tab strip  182  to be pushed away from the packaging  174 . A user can then grasp the pull tab portion  180  of a tab strip  182  and sever, at least partially, the tab strip  182  from the surrounding material of the packaging  174 .  FIGS. 13 and 14  illustrate this pivot action from another angle. 
         [0047]    The law does not require and it is economically prohibitive to illustrate and teach every possible embodiment of the present claims. Hence, the above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Variations, modifications, and combinations may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. All such variations, modifications, and combinations are included herein by the scope of this disclosure and the following claims.