Abstract:
A child resistant product package includes a first panel, a second panel, a tab strip insert, and a blister package. The first panel incorporates at least one blister aperture and at least one tab strip access pad. The second panel includes at least one product access aperture and at least one tab strip grasping pad. The tab strip insert has at least one tab strip. The first panel and the second panel are fastened together. Once fastened together, the first panel and the second panel collectively form a housing for the tab strip insert and the blister package.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/984,274, filed Oct. 31, 2007. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to child resistant blister packaging for the packaging and dispensing of articles. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to a package including a child resistant blister package housing with removable tab strips for encapsulating one or more blister packages and allowing controlled and child-resistant packaging and dispensing of articles. 
     BACKGROUND 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of an exemplary packaging blank and tab strip insert, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of an exemplary package, made from the packaging blank and tab strip insert of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a method for accessing products packaged in the exemplary package of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an additional child resistance feature of the exemplary package of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of an exemplary packaging blank and tab strip insert, according to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of an exemplary package, made from the packaging blank and tab strip insert of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. It must be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure 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. 
     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 disclosure. 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 disclosure. 
     It is contemplated that the present disclosure 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 disclosure 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. 
     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  and a tab strip insert  12  made according to the present disclosure. 
     The packaging blank  10  includes a face panel  14   a  and a back panel  14   b . The face panel  14   a  and the back panel  14   b  are hingedly connected along a foldable score line  16 . Although, in this exemplary embodiment, the panels  14   a ,  14   b  are illustrated as integrally formed as one piece, it should be understood that the respective panels  14   a ,  14   b  can be formed as two separate and distinct pieces. 
     The packaging blank  10  and the tab strip insert  12  can be constructed from any suitable substrate material. Suitable substrate materials include, but are 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 disclosure may be used in conjunction with NATRALOCK® packaging material. Additionally, a tear-resistant layer may or may not be adhered to the packaging blank  10  and/or the tab strip insert  12 . Tear-resistant layers, if included, are often laminated to the blank before cutting. Even if no tear-resistant layers are included as part of the packaging blank  10  and/or the tab strip insert  12 , the packaging blank and/or a package made from the packaging blank  10  and/or tab strip insert  12  may be augmented by tear resistant materials such as, but not limited to, tear resistant tapes, labels, glues, coating, combinations thereof, or the like. Furthermore, it is possible, and in fact contemplated, that an adhesive layer or material may be added to the packaging blank  10  and/or the tab strip insert  12  prior to assembling the packaging blank  10  and the tab strip insert  12  into a package, as will be explained below. The packaging blank  10  and/or the tab strip insert  12  may also be an unbleached board, depending on the desired appearance of the final package. 
     The face panel  14   a  can further include one or more blister apertures  18 . The blister apertures  18  are shaped and dimensioned to receive the blisters  20  of a blister pack  22 . As illustrated, one or more blisters  20  can contain a product  24 , illustrated in  FIG. 1  as a capsule of medication. The face panel  14   a  can further include bending lines  26  and  28 . The bending lines  26  and  28  can be interrupted by one or more tab strip access pads  30 . The tab strip access pads  30  can be defined by severance lines  32  and  34 , and cut lines  36  and  38 . 
     The back panel  14   b  includes one or more product access apertures  40 . The product access apertures  40  are defined by severance lines  42 . The severance lines  42  can be shaped and dimensioned to allow the packaged product to pass therethrough, after or during removal of the material defined by the severance lines  42 , by interfacing with and/or receiving a tool or a force from the product itself in a method that will be described below with reference to  FIG. 3 . The back panel  14   b  further includes one or more tab strip grasping pads  44 . The tab strip grasping pads  44  can be defined by severance lines  46  and  48 , and cut lines  50  and  52 . The tab strip grasping pads  44  can align with and cooperate with the tab strip access pads  30  of the face panel  14   a . It should be understood that the tab strip access pads  30  and the tab strip grasping pads  44  can have any desired shape and dimensions. 
     The tab strip insert  12  can include one or more tab strips  54 . The tab strips  54  can be defined by severance lines  56 ,  58 , and  60 . As illustrated, the tab strips  54  can include various features. In  FIG. 1 , these features are illustrated by assigning regions to the tab strips  54  in accordance with the general purpose of that region. A tab strip  54  can include a grasping region  62 , a tamper safety region  64 , and a product access prevention region  66 . 
     The grasping region  62  of a tab strip  54  can be shaped and dimensioned substantially similar to the tab strip access pads  30  of the face panel  14   a , and the tab strip grasping pads  44  of the back panel  14   b . When the tab strip insert  12  is assembled with the packaging blank  10 , the grasping region  62  of the tab strips  54  can align with and cooperate with the tab strip access pads  30  of the face panel  14   a , and the tab stress grasping pads  44  of the back panel  14   b.    
     The tamper safety region  64  of a tab strip  54  is included to increase the tamper-resistance of the tab strips  54 , as will be explained below with respect to  FIG. 2 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tamper safety region  64  is formed by narrowing the tab strip  54  in the area adjacent the grasping region  62 . The purpose of the tamper safety region  64  is illustrated and described below with respect to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     The product access prevention region  66  is designed to further impede unauthorized access to the product  24  in a blister pack  22 . The product access region  66  aligns with and cooperates with the product access apertures  40  of the back panel  14   b  and the blisters  20 . This function of the tab strips  54  is illustrated and described below with respect to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     With additional reference now to  FIGS. 2-3 , a package  70 , made from the packaging blank  10  and the tab strip insert  12 , is shown. A package  70  is formed by inserting the blisters  24  of a blister pack  22  into respective blister apertures  18 , such that the blisters  24  protrude from the face panel  14   a . After the blister pack  22  is in position, the tab strip insert  12  can be placed into position. To place the tab strip insert  12  into position, the grasping portions  62  of the tab strips  54  can be aligned with the tab strip access pads  30  of the face panel  14   a . Similarly, the product access prevention regions  66  of the tab strips  54  can be aligned with the blister apertures  18  of the face panel  14   a . After the tab strip insert  12  is in position, the face panel  14   a  and the back panel  14   b  of the blank  10  can be folded into a face contacting arrangement, and secured. To fold the blank  10 , the facing surfaces of the face panel  14   a  and the back panel  14   b  are brought toward each other by folding along foldable score line  16 . In completing the folding step, the tab strips  54  are aligned with respective blister apertures  18 , and thereby with blisters  20  of blister pack  22 . Likewise, as mentioned above, the tab strip access pads  30  of the face panel  14   a  and the tab strip grasping pads  44  of the back panel  14   b  can be aligned with each other, and with the tab strip grasping regions  62 . The face panel  14   b  and the back panel  14   a  can be secured to one another and to the tab strip insert  12 . Additionally, one or more blister packs  22  can be held in place, using any desired means or methods. 
     In practice, to access an item  24  from a package  70 , a user bends the package  70  along one of the bending lines  26 ,  28 . If the user is looking at the face panel  14   a , then the package portion between the bending line  26 ,  28  and the edge of the package  70  is bent away from the user, as shown in  FIG. 3 . After the package is bent, the tab strip access pads  30  will generally be accessible. As illustrated, the tab strip access pads  30  can be joined to respective grasping regions  62  of the tab strips  54 , and tab strip grasping pads  44  of the back panel  14   b . The user can grasp the tab strip access pads  30 , and any other material joined thereto, and lift the material, i.e., apply a force to the material that pulls a tab strip access pad  30  toward the user if the user is looking at the face panel  14   a . By applying this force to a tab strip access pad  30 , and any material joined thereto, the user can sever the perforations of severance lines  32  and  34  that partially define the tab strip access pads  30 . As illustrated, this force can also sever the perforations of severance lines  46  and  48 , which partially define the tab strip grasping pads  44 , if the tab strip grasping pads  44  are aligned with the tab strip access pads  30 , as illustrated. 
     Once the perforations of the severance lines  32 ,  34 ,  46 , and  48  are severed, the tab strip  54  can be pulled out of the package  70 . The tab strip  54  may be pulled out of the package  70  by withdrawing laterally the tab strip  54  and sliding the tab strip  54  out from between the face panel  14   a  and back panel  14   b , approximately through the area formed by removing the tab strip access panel  30 . 
     After the tab strip  54  is removed, the product  24  is more easily removable by applying a force to the top of the blister  20  behind which the tab strip  54  has been removed. As a force is applied to the blister  20 , the product  24  can be pushed through the backsheeting of the blister pack  22 , and into the product access aperture  40 , defined by a severance line  42 . The applied force must be sufficient to sever the perforations of severance line  42 , after which the product  24  can exit the package  70  through the product access aperture  40 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4 , an additional safety feature of the package  70  is illustrated. As explained above, the tamper safety region  64  can increase the tamper resistance of the package  70 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , if a skewed force is applied to a tab strip access panel  30 , then the grasping region  62  of the tab strip  54  that is joined to the tab strip access panel  30  may be severed from the product access prevention region  66  of that tab strip  54 , making removal of the tab strip  54  from the package  70  difficult, if not impossible. If the product access prevention region  66  of the tab strip  54  remains in the package  70 , then it may be difficult, if not impossible, to push the product  24  out of the package in the intended manner. This feature can add an additional layer of tamper prevention and/or child resistance to the package  70 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , an alternative design for a packaging blank  10 ′ and a tab strip insert  12 ′ is illustrated. In  FIG. 5 , primed numerals are used to denote features that can have similar structure, design, and/or purpose as the features denoted by unprimed numerals in  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     The packaging blank  10 ′ includes a face panel  14   a ′, and a back panel  14   b ′. The panels  14   a ′,  14   b ′ are hingedly connected along a foldable score line  16 ′. Although in this exemplary embodiment, the panels  14   a ′,  14   b ′ are illustrated as integrally formed as one piece, it should be understood that the respective panels  14   a ′,  14   b ′ can be formed as two separate and distinct pieces. 
     The face panel  14   a ′ can include one or more blister apertures  18 ′. The blister apertures  18 ′ can be shaped and dimensioned to receive the blisters  20  of a blister pack  22 . As illustrated, one or more blisters  20  can contain a product  24 , illustrated in  FIG. 5  as a capsule of medication. The face panel  14   a ′ can also include one more tab strip access pads  30 ′. The tab strip access pads  30 ′ can be defined by severance lines  72 ,  74 , and  76 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the back panel  14   b ′ can be substantially identical to the face panel  14   a ′. Hence, though the features of the back panel  14   b ′ are given different names and different reference numerals, relative to the face panel  14   a ′, it should be understood that the determination as to which panel is the face panel  14   a ′ and which panel is the back panel  14   b ′ can be determined solely by orientation of the packaging blank  10 ′. 
     The back panel  14   b ′ can include one or more product access apertures  40 ′. The product access apertures  40 ′ be shaped and dimensioned to allow the packaged product to pass therethrough. As explained above, the product access apertures  40 ′ can have the same shape and dimensions as the blister apertures  18 ′ of the face panel  14   a ′. The back panel  14   b  can further include one or more tab strip grasping pads  44 ′. The tab strip grasping pads  44 ′ can be defined by severance lines  80 ,  82 , and  84 . The tab strip grasping pads  44 ′ can align with and cooperate with the tab strip access pads  30 ′ of the face panel  14   a ′. It should be understood that the tab strip access pads  30 ′ and the tab strip grasping pads  44 ′ can have any desired shape and dimensions. 
     The tab strip insert  12 ′ can include one or more tab strips  54 ′. The tab strips  54 ′ can be defined by severance lines  86 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the severance lines  86  can have any desired features. For example, some or all of a severance line  86  can be replaced with a cut line. Additionally, or in the alternative, the number of perforations along a severance line  86  can be increased or decreased to make severance of a tab strip  54 ′ from the tab strip insert  12 ′ more or less difficult. This may be useful when tailoring the tab strip insert  12 ′ for a desired purpose. Although not illustrated in  FIG. 5 , it should be understood that the tab strips  54 ′ can include a tamper safety region that is substantially similar in function to the tamper safety region  64  of the tab strips  54  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     With additional reference now to  FIG. 6 , a package  70 ′, made from packaging blank  10 ′ and tab strip insert  12 ′, is shown. A package  70 ′ can be formed by inserting the blisters  20  of a blister pack  22  into respective blister apertures  18 ′, such that the blisters  20  protrude from the face panel  14   a ′. After the blister pack  22  is in position, the tab strip insert  12 ′ can be aligned with the blisters  20  of the blister pack  22 . It should be understood that the dimensions of the tab strip insert  12 ′, as illustrated, are substantially identical to the dimensions of the face panel  14   a ′ and the back panel  14   b ′. Therefore, the tab strips  54 ′ of the tab strip insert  12 ′ line up with the tap strip access pads access pads  30 ′, the tab strip grasping pads  44 ′, and the blister apertures  18 ′. After the tab strip insert  12 ′ 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 face panel  14   a ′ and the back panel  14   b ′ are brought toward each other by folding along foldable score line  16 ′. After completing the folding step, the tab strips  54 ′ are aligned with respective blister apertures  18 ′, and thereby with blisters  20  of blister pack  22 . The face panel  14   a ′ and the back panel  14   b ′ can be secured to one another and/or to the tab strip insert  12 ′, and the blister pack  22  can thereby be held in place, using any desired means or methods. 
     In practice, to access an item  54  from a package  70 ′, upward pressure, i.e., a pressure that pulls away from the face panel  14   a ′ and the back panel  14   b ′, is applied to a tab strip access pad  30 ′. When such a force is applied to the tab strip access pad  30 ′, the perforations of the severance lines  72 ,  74  and  76  are severed, thereby severing the tab strip access pad  30 ′ from the surrounding material of the face panel  14   a ′. Additionally, this force can sever the perforations of the severance line  86  of the tab strip insert  12 ′, and the severance lines  80 ,  82 , and  84  of the back panel  14   b ′. After the perforations of severance lines  72 ,  74 ,  76 ,  86 ,  82 , and  84  are severed, the tab strip  54 ′ can be pulled out of the package  70 ′, similar to the tab strip  54  of  FIGS. 1-4 . After the tab strip  54 ′ is pulled out of the package  70 ′, the product access apertures  40 ′ are unobstructed by additional material. Once an adequate force is applied to a blister  20 , the product  24  ruptures or tears through the backsheeting of the blister pack  22 , and the product  24  can pass out of the package  70 ′ through the product access aperture  40 ′ 
     It should be understood that while the product access apertures  40 ′ of  FIG. 5  are illustrated as substantially similar to blister apertures  18 ′, the product access apertures  40 ′ can be defined by a severance line, thereby requiring the removal of material before a product  24  can pass therethrough. 
     While only one blister pack  22  is illustrated in the figures, it should be understood that any number of blister packs  22  can be included in any of the illustrated embodiments. Furthermore, the blister apertures  18 ,  18 ′ need not have identical shape or dimensions. Similarly, product access apertures  40 ,  40 ′ of all embodiments can have an irregular shape to provide gates (not illustrated) and or can include additional layers of material to increase the amount of force required to gain access to the product  24  housed in a blister  20  of a blister pack  22 . It should also be understood that the inclusion of an adhesive layer may be required for some or all of the described embodiments. 
     Additionally, while the illustrated embodiments have generally shown the face panels, back panels, and the tab strip inserts to be of substantially identical shape, dimensions, and/or material, it should be understood that the face panels and back panels of all embodiments made according to the present disclosure need not be symmetrical or substantially identical, and need not be made from material having substantially identical properties. Substantial variations in the shape and dimensions of, as well as the materials used to form the face panels, the back panels, and/or the tab strip inserts are possible and are, in fact, contemplated. 
     While the illustrated embodiments have included packaging blanks made from self-sealing material, it should be understood that glue or other fastening means can be used when assembling the packaging blanks  10 ,  10 ′ and tab strip inserts  12 ,  12 ′ into packages  70 ,  70 ′. 
     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 disclosure. 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.