Abstract:
A package includes a container made from a paperboard, cardboard or other foldable sheet material, including a two telescopic parts which together define the body of the container and which are movable apart in telescopic fashion to open the same, and having at least one pair of internal flaps. One flap of said pair of flaps is on each of the parts, and the flaps are arranged to abut together edge to edge when the parts are moved apart as aforesaid, so as to stop such opening movement. At least one of the telescopic parts is manually deformable inwardly or outwardly to release said abutment and thereby permit opening of the container. A blister pack carrier is arranged within the container and attached to the inside of one of said container parts so as to project outwardly from that part when the container is opened to provide access to the blister pack.

Description:
[0001]    This application is entitled to the benefit of, and incorporates by reference essential subject matter disclosed in United Kingdom Application No. 1419554.9 filed on Nov. 3, 2014 and United Kingdom Application No. 1515772.0 filed on Sep. 7, 2015. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to child resistant packaging, particularly child resistant pharmaceutical packaging. 
         [0004]    2. Background Information 
         [0005]    Pharmaceutical products are frequently supplied in blister packs. A blister pack comprises one or more “blisters” which hold capsules, tablets or other items and whose face is sealed by a foil or other film. The blister contents are dispensed by the user pressing down on the blister, thereby pushing the contents of the blister out through the sealing film. 
         [0006]    Blister packs are normally supplied in an external package from which they must be removed to allow dispensing of the contents. The present invention seeks to provide a package of this type with improved child resistance and which facilitates handling of the blister pack. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    From a first aspect the invention provides a package comprising a container made from a paperboard, cardboard or other foldable sheet material, comprising two telescopic parts which together define the body of the container and which are movable apart in telescopic fashion to open the same, and having at least one pair of internal flaps, one flap of said pair of flaps on each of said parts, which are arranged to abut together edge to edge when the parts are moved apart as aforesaid, so as to stop such opening movement, at least one of said telescopic parts being manually deformable inwardly or outwardly to release said abutment and thereby permit opening of the container, and a blister pack carrier arranged within said container and attached to the inside of one of said container parts so as to project outwardly from that part when the container is opened to provide access to the blister pack. 
         [0008]    With such an arrangement, the intention is that a child will not deduce that it is necessary to deform one of the telescopic parts in a particular manner in order to open the container to gain access to the blister pack inside. Moreover, the blister pack will stay attached to the one part of the container after the container is opened, so that after use the blister pack cannot be misplaced and accidentally not replaced within the container as it will be automatically returned to the container when the container is closed. 
         [0009]    In certain embodiments, pairs of internal flaps are provided on opposed sides of the container. Thus while the invention covers a container which has just a single pair of internal flaps on one side of the container, pairs of flaps may also be provided on two or more opposed sides of the container. 
         [0010]    Preferably the inner one of said telescopic parts is manually deformable inwardly as aforesaid. 
         [0011]    To facilitate this deformation, at least one pair of opposed side walls of the inner container part body may be formed with intermediate lines of weakness which allow those walls to be deformed inwardly to effect release of the abutment to allow the outer part to be removed. 
         [0012]    The line of weakness may, for example, be a fold line, a crease line or a perforated line extending longitudinally of the respective side wall, for example over only a portion of the length of the side wall. 
         [0013]    The line of weakness may be formed generally centrally of the respective side wall, although in certain embodiments it may be displaced from the central axis of the side wall. 
         [0014]    Additional lines of weakness may also be formed in other opposed walls of the inner part to facilitate the deformation. 
         [0015]    The blister pack carrier may be attached to either the inner or the outer part of the container. In some embodiments, however, it is attached to the outer part. 
         [0016]    The blister pack carrier may be attached at one end to the container part, although in other embodiments it may be attached along a side edge thereof. 
         [0017]    In one embodiment, the blister pack carrier may be attached at one end to an end wall of the container part. 
         [0018]    The blister pack carrier may be formed as a single sheet, simply supporting a blister pack. In other arrangements, however, the carrier may be formed from two panels between which the blister pack is received. 
         [0019]    The blister pack carrier may itself provide additional child resistance. Thus, for example, the carrier may be of a construction similar to those shown in GB-A-2451850. In such a construction, a blister pack is slidably received between two panels. One of the panels has one or more openings for movably receiving a blister or blisters of the blister pack. The other panel has one or more dispensing openings aligned with the first panel opening, the first panel and the second panel slidably receiving the blister pack there between. A blocking member is provided which is selectively moveable between a blocking position and a dispensing position. In its blocking position the blocking member prevents movement of the blister into alignment with the dispensing opening, thereby preventing dispensing of the blister&#39;s contents through the dispensing opening, but in its dispensing position it permits the blister to be moved into alignment with said dispensing opening for dispensing the blister&#39;s contents. 
         [0020]    The blocking member may be displaceable out of engagement with an edge of the blister pack (for example as in the embodiment of FIG. 1 of GB-A-2451850) or slidable out of contact with blisters of the blister pack (for example as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3 of GB-2451850). 
         [0021]    In embodiments, the blocking member is arranged at an end of the blister pack carrier remote from the latter&#39;s end of attachment to the container part. 
         [0022]    The blocking member may be formed with the blister pack carrier or a separate member mounted therein. 
         [0023]    The blister pack carrier may be formed as a separate part and suitably attached to one of the container parts. However, in embodiments, the blister pack carrier is formed integrally with that container part. 
         [0024]    In an embodiment, the blister pack carrier is hingedly attached to a panel of the container part. In one embodiment, the panel is an inner panel of the container part lying under the end wall of the container part. 
         [0025]    The invention also extends to a blank for making one of the parts of a container as set forth above. In one embodiment, a blank may comprise a row of side wall forming panels hingedly connected about a plurality of parallel fold lines; a flap attached to one edge of a wall panels for forming an abutment on a wall of the erected container; an end wall forming flap hingedly attached to the opposite edge of one of the side wall forming panels; and a plurality of blister pack carrier forming panels attached to any of the aforesaid panels. 
         [0026]    In certain embodiments, respective flaps are provided on a pair of side wall forming panels to provide abutments on opposed walls of the erected container. 
         [0027]    For example, the blister carrier forming panels may be attached to the other panel of the said pair of side wall panels, for example through an attachment panel. In an alternative arrangement, the blister carrier forming panels are attached to an end of the row of side wall forming panels for example through an attachment panel, for example a glue panel. 
         [0028]    The blister pack carrier panels may comprise a first panel having one or more openings, for example one or more slots, for movably receiving one or more blisters of the blister pack, and a second panel hingedly attached to the first panel and having one or more dispensing openings for alignment with the first panel opening or openings, the first panel and the second panel slidably receiving the blister pack therebetween. The first or second panel may be hingedly attached to the blister pack carrier attachment panel about a further fold line. 
         [0029]    A blocking member forming panel may be hingedly attached to the first or second panel about a yet further fold line. 
         [0030]    The blocking member forming panel may be attached to the first or second panel at an end opposite the end of the first or second panel to the end at which the first or second panel is attached to the side wall forming panels. 
         [0031]    The blocking member forming panel may be attached to the first or second panel by means of one or more sacrificial attachment panels. These attachment panels are removed prior to use to allow the blocking panel to move between its blocking and dispensing positions. 
         [0032]    The present method and advantages associated therewith will become more readily apparent in view of the detailed description provided below, including the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0033]    An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
           [0034]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a package in accordance with the invention. 
           [0035]      FIG. 2  shows the outer part of the container of the package of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 3  shows the inner part of the container of the package of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0037]      FIG. 4  shows a blank for making the outer part of the container of the package of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0038]      FIG. 5  shows the first of a sequence of views of the erection of the blank of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0039]      FIG. 6  shows the second of a sequence of views of the erection of the blank of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0040]      FIG. 7  shows the third of a sequence of views of the erection of the blank of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0041]      FIG. 8  shows the fourth of a sequence of views of the erection of the blank of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0042]      FIG. 9  shows the fifth of a sequence of views of the erection of the blank of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0043]      FIG. 10  shows a blank for making the inner part of the container of the package of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0044]      FIG. 11  shows a modified inner container part. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0045]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a package  2  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprises a container  4  having two body parts  6 ,  8 , in this embodiment an inner part  6  and a removable outer part  8 . A blister pack carrier  10 , which carries a blister pack  12  ( FIG. 2 ) is attached to the outer part  8  as will be described further below. 
         [0046]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , the outer part  8  is formed with a first pair of opposed side walls  14 ,  16  joined by a second pair of side walls  18 ,  20 . The outer part  8  further comprises a top or end wall  22 . The end wall comprises an outer panel  24  and an inner panel  26  folded under the top panel  24 . The blister pack carrier  10  is attached to the inner panel  26  of the top wall, as will be described further below. 
         [0047]    Two flaps  28 ,  30  are attached to the lower edges of the first pair of opposed side walls  14 ,  16  and folded inwardly and glued to the respective side walls to form respective abutment edges  32 ,  34 . 
         [0048]    The blister pack carrier  10  is formed with a blocking member  66  which is slidable in a direction Y to allow the blister pack  12  to be moved to a position in which the contents of individual blisters  35  may be dispensed, as will be discussed further below. The blister pack carrier  10  extends from the outer part  8  a distance which is sufficient to allow a user access to all the blisters  34  of the blister pack  12 . 
         [0049]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , and  FIG. 10 , which shows a blank  200  for forming the inner part  6  of the container. The inner part  6  comprises a first pair of opposed side walls  40 ,  42  a second pair of opposed side walls  44 ,  46  and an end or base wall  48 . A glue flap  49  attaches side walls  42 ,  44  together. 
         [0050]    Flaps  50 ,  52  are attached to the upper end of the first pair of side walls  40 ,  42  and folded outwardly and glued to the outer surfaces of the respective side walls  40 ,  42  to form respective abutment edges  54 ,  56 . 
         [0051]    Each side wall of the second pair of side walls  44 ,  46  comprises a line of weakness  58  formed as a crease line, a fold line or as perforations. The lines of weakness  58  are arranged offset from the centerline of each side wall  44 ,  46  so as to accommodate the width w of the glue flap  49 , which is greater than half the width of the side wall panel  44 . The glue flap  49  does not project beyond the line of weakness  58 , so as to facilitate opening of the container, and the asymmetrical arrangement of the fold line  58  enables a wider glue flap to be accommodated to increase the bond area between the glue flap  49  and the side wall  44 . Of course, depending on the particular size of the container, and in particular the depth of the container, this may not be necessary, and the lines of weakness  58  may be formed centrally of the side walls  44 ,  46 , or even on the other side of the centerline of the side walls  44 ,  46 . 
         [0052]    The upper regions of the walls  40 ,  42  of the first pair of opposed side walls  40 ,  42 , and the flaps  52  attached thereto are each formed with a respective crease line or other line of weakness  60 ,  62  formed generally centrally thereof. This will facilitate opening of the package  2 . 
         [0053]    Returning to the outer part  8 , more detail will now be given of the blister carrier  10  and its method of attachment to the outer part  8 . This can best be understood with reference to  FIGS. 4 to 9 . 
         [0054]      FIG. 4  shows a blank  100  for making the outer part  8  of the container  4 . The blank  100  is of paperboard, cardboard or other foldable sheet material. The blank  100  comprises a plurality of panels for forming the walls of the outer part  8  and a plurality of panels for forming the blister pack carrier  10 . 
         [0055]    The outer part  8  comprises a first pair of side wall forming panels  114 ,  116  and a second pair of side wall forming panels  118 ,  120  hingedly connected about a plurality of parallel fold lines  102 ,  104 ,  106 . A glue tab  108  is hingedly attached to side wall forming panel  114  about a further parallel fold line  110 . 
         [0056]    Flaps  128 ,  130  are hingedly attached to one edge of the first pair of side wall forming panels  114 ,  116  about generally co-linear fold lines  140 ,  142 . An outer end wall forming flap  122  is hingedly connected to the opposite edge of side wall forming panel  114  about a fold line  144 . An inner end wall forming panel  126  is hingedly connected to the opposite edge of side wall forming panel  116  about a further fold line  146 . The fold lines  144 ,  146  are orthogonal to the fold lines  102 ,  104 ,  106 , which join the side wall forming panels  114 ,  116 ,  118 ,  120 . Two glue tabs  148 ,  150  are hingedly attached to the edges of the respective second side wall forming panels  118 ,  120 . 
         [0057]    The panels described above will, when assembled, form the outer part  8 . Attached to the inner end wall forming panel  126  are a plurality of panels which will form the blister carrier  10 . 
         [0058]    A first blister carrier panel  152  is hingedly attached to the inner end wall forming panel  126  about a hinge line  154 . A second blister carrier panel  156  is hingedly attached to the first blister carrier panel  152  about a further fold line  158  which is orthogonal to the hinge line  154 . The first blister carrier panel  152  has a series of slots  160  for slidably receiving rows of blisters  34  of a blister pack  12  (also shown in  FIG. 4 ). The second blister carrier panel  156  has a series of openings  162 , each covered by a removable, e.g. perforated, cover, arranged so as to align with the blisters  34  of the blister pack  12  when the blister pack  12  is in a dispensing position. Respective notches  164  are provided in opposed edges of the first and second blister carrier panels  152 ,  156 . 
         [0059]    A generally T-shaped blocking member panel  166  is connected to the opposite end of the first blister carrier panel  152  by means of first and second attachment panels  168 ,  170  and a fold line  172 . The blocking member  166  is similar in its principle of construction and operation to that shown in FIG. 3 of GB-A-2451850, having recesses  174  for receiving blisters  34  of the blister pack  12  in use, the recesses separated by projections  176 . Also attached to the second attachment panel  168  (but not to the blocking member panel  166 ) are glue tabs  178 ,  180 . An opening  182  is formed between one end of the glue tab  178  and the blocking member panel  166 . 
         [0060]    Assembly of this embodiment will now be described. As a first step, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the blocking member panel  166 , together with glue tabs  178 ,  180  and the second attachment panel  170  are folded inwardly about fold line  172  (as indicated by arrow A) so as to overlie the face of the first blister carrier panel  154 . The glue tabs  178 ,  180  are glued to the first blister carrier panel  152 . 
         [0061]    As a second step, blister pack  12  is then located on the first blister carrier panel  152  with its blisters  34  received in the slots  160 , with the projections  176  of the blocking member panel  166  engaging the so that they are held out of alignment with the openings  162  in the second blister carrier panel  156 . The first and second steps may be performed in reverse order. 
         [0062]    Then as shown in  FIG. 5 , the second blister carrier panel  156  is folded about hinge line  158  (as indicated by arrow B) and glued to first blister carrier panel  152  around its two longer sides and its bottom edge and also glued at its top edge to the glue tabs  180 . It is not glued to the blocking member panel  166 . The blister pack  12  is therefore sandwiched between the first and second blister carrier panels  152 ,  156 . The blank after gluing is illustrated in  FIG. 6 , from which it will also be seen that an edge portion  184  of the blocking member panel  166  is accessible through the notches  164 . 
         [0063]    As a next step, the first and second attachment panels  168 ,  170  are separated from the blank  100  by cutting across line X-X shown in  FIG. 6 . This releases the blocking member panel  166  from the blank  100  so that the blocking member  66  so formed is free to move laterally relative thereto to the extent defined by the opening  182 . The blank  100  after removal of the attachment panels  178 ,  180  is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0064]    Then the flaps  128 ,  130  are folded inwardly about hinge lines  140 ,  142 , as indicated by the arrow C in  FIG. 6  and glued to the inner faces of the side wall forming panels  114 ,  116 . The blank after this stage is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0065]    Then, the blister carrier  10  is folded inwardly about hinge line  146  as illustrated by arrow D in  FIG. 8 . In this position, the blister carrier  10  lies over side wall forming panel  116 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . It will be seen from  FIG. 9  that the blister carrier  10  extends downwardly beyond the side wall forming panel  116 . In fact, the upper end of each slot  160  is spaced a distance d 2  from the lower edge  184  of the side wall forming panel  116  which is greater than the depth d 1  of the inner end wall forming panel  126 . 
         [0066]    The outer  8  part is finally erected by folding the side wall forming panels  114 ,  118 ,  120  inwardly about the respective hinge lines  102 ,  104 ,  106  and gluing the glue tab  108  to the inner surface of the side wall forming panel  120 . The inner top wall forming panel  126  is then folded up through 90° around hinge line  146 , as illustrated by arrow E in  FIG. 9 , and the blister carrier folded down through 90° about arrow F, the glue tabs  148 ,  150  folded inwardly and glued to the inner top wall forming panel  126  and the outer end wall forming panel  122  then folded inwardly and glued to the tabs  148  and the inner end wall forming panel  126  to form the end wall  22  of the outer part  8 . 
         [0067]    The blister pack  10  therefore extends outwardly from the open end of the outer part  8 . As the depth d 2  is greater than the depth d 1  as discussed above, the blisters  34  of the blister pack  12  will all lie below the open end of the outer part  8  and thus be easily accessible to a user. Also, as the blocking member  32  is arranged at the opposite end from the attachment to the outer part  8 , it too will be easily accessible to the user. 
         [0068]    Turning briefly to  FIG. 10 , this illustrates a blank  200  for producing the inner part  6  of the container  4 . This blank is conventional apart from the lines of weakness  58  formed in the side wall panels  44 ,  46 , the flaps  52  formed at the upper ends of the side wall panels  40 ,  42  and the crease lines  60 ,  62  formed in the side wall panels  40 ,  42  and flaps  50 ,  52  respectively. The arrangement and purpose of these features has been described above. The erection of the blank  200  is conventional and therefore need not be described in detail. 
         [0069]    In use, it will be appreciated that when the outer part  8  is positioned fully over the inner part  6 , the flaps  50 ,  52  on the inner part  6  and the flaps  28 ,  30  will move past one another. The flaps&#39; abutment edges  32 ,  34 ,  54 ,  56  will prevent the outer part  8  being removed from the inner part  6 . Removal of the outer part  8  is achieved by pressing inwardly the side walls  44 ,  46  of the inner part, and/or on the side walls  40 ,  42  thereof. The lines of weakness  58  in the side walls  46 ,  48  and the crease lines  60 ,  62  in the side walls  40 ,  42  will facilitate the deformation of the side walls  44 ,  46  which draws the side walls  40 ,  42  slightly closer together, this movement being sufficient for the abutment between the pairs of flaps  32 ,  34 ,  52 ,  54  to be temporarily released, so that the outer part  8  can be lifted off the inner part  6 . 
         [0070]    The contents of the blister pack  12  can then be accessed. To do so, a user grips the visible edge of the blocking member  32  and pulls the blocking element outwardly along direction Y as shown in  FIG. 2  into its dispensing position. This moves the projections  176  out of alignment with the blisters  34 , allowing the blister pack  12  to be slid along the slots  60  in the first blister carrier panel  152  to a position in which the blisters  34  align with the covered openings  62  in the second blister carrier panel  156 . The contents of the blister  34  may then be dispensed by pushing the contents out through the openings  62 , breaking the covers in doing so. 
         [0071]    After dispensing, the blocking member  32  may be slid back to its blocking position and the outer part  8  replaced on the inner part  6 . 
         [0072]    Thus two levels of child resistance are provided. Firstly, the child must disengage the outer part  8  and inner part  6  to release the outer part  8 . The child must then operate the blocking mechanism to release the blister contents. 
         [0073]    It will be appreciated that this is a description of just one embodiment of the invention and that variations thereto are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, the blister carrier may be of a different construction, having a blocking member which is depressed out of contact with an edge of the blister pack to allow movement of the blister pack to a dispensing position, as exemplified in FIG. 1 of GB-A-2451850. 
         [0074]    Also, while the blister carrier  10  has been shown to be connected to an end wall of the outer part  8 , it could be attached to another panel. For example, it could be attached to the free edge of the glue tab  108  so that it is attached in effect to a side wall of the outer part  8  rather than the end wall of the outer part  8 . Also, the blister carrier  10  may of course be attached to the inner part  6 , rather than the outer part  8 . 
         [0075]    In a further variation, the blocking member may be formed separately from the remainder of the blister pack carrier and suitably located therein during assembly of the blister pack carrier. 
         [0076]    It should also be noted that although continuous slots  160  have been illustrated in the embodiment above, it will be appreciated that shorter slots may be provided, for example associated with individual blisters  35 . One such arrangement is illustrated in  FIG. 11 . Here, slots  260  accommodate individual blisters  35  rather than a row of blisters. It has been found that this may enhance child resistance, making it more difficult for a child to try to extract a blister pack via the slots in use. 
         [0077]    Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.