Abstract:
A two piece paperboard package that houses a unit dose product on an internal slide card within an outer paperboard shell. This package may have one or more internal or external lock(s) that prevent the slide card from being pulled out without triggering some type of lock release mechanism. This package is focused around providing a child resistant, senior-friendly unit dose package that can be opened and closed numerous times and then finally disposed of.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a two piece paperboard package that houses a unit dose product on an internal slide card within an outer paperboard shell. This package may have one or more internal or external lock(s) that prevent the slide card from being pulled out without triggering some type of lock release mechanism. This package is focused around providing a child resistant, senior-friendly unit dose package that can be opened and closed numerous times and then finally disposed of. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     It is known in the tablet dispenser art to employ a container which comprises the housing having an opening in its top wall and a drawer which slidably sits in the housing. Exemplary of such prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,291 (&#39;291) to L. C. Sledge, entitled “Tablet Dispenser”. While the &#39;291 reference employs a locking feature, the locking feature for the package relies on the lock forming an upward button which, when the drawer is closed, extends up through the opening into the wall of the housing. Also, it must be pointed out that the button may be pushed when it is in the relief zone. The relief zone is used to stop the slide drawer from being pulled out. By having this option, the user may choose to disable the child resistant feature of the &#39;291 reference prematurely by pushing the button to release the drawer from the outer shell. Therefore, a more advantageous system, then, would be presented if such a button assembly could be eliminated. 
     It is also known to employ a unit dose packaging system having a child resistant locking feature. Exemplary of such prior art is commonly assigned, allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/157,292 (&#39;292) to S. B. Johnstone et al. entitled “Unit Dose Packaging System (UDPS) Having a Child Resistant Locking Feature”. While the mechanism of highly advantageous &#39;292 patent application does provide a locking feature, the locking mechanism may be improved to prevent any accidental release of the locking mechanism. 
     It is apparent from the above that there exists a need in the art for a unit dose packaging system which is able to dispense medications and which at least equals the child resistant characteristics of the known dispensers, particularly that of the advantageous &#39;292 dispenser, but which at the same time reduces the likelihood of accidental release of the locking mechanism. 
     It is a purpose of this invention to fulfill this and other needs in the art in a manner more apparent to the skilled artisan once given the following disclosure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally speaking, this invention fulfills these needs by providing an improved unit dose paperboard package having a locking feature, comprising an outer paperboard sleeve and an inner paperboard slide card lockably retained within said outer sleeve, such that said outer sleeve includes a plurality of side panels operatively connected to each other such that one of the plurality of side panels includes an inner slide card retaining means and a first inner slide card releasing means comprised of a cut-out and a node located substantially adjacent to said cut-out and another of the plurality of side panels includes a second inner slide card releasing means comprised of a release button and the inner slide card includes a plurality of unit dose dispensing means and an inner slide card retaining/releasing means located substantially adjacent to said unit dose dispensing means, wherein the improvement in the package comprises the area of said node being slightly larger than the area of said release button. 
     In certain preferred embodiments, the inner slide card retaining means are extension panels. Also, the second inner slide card releasing means includes a release button. Finally, the inner slide card retaining/releasing means includes panel extensions. 
     In another further preferred embodiment, the outer sleeve of the package provides additional protection for the inner slide card, which holds the unit dose product being used. The inner slide portion of the package has a stop feature that connects with a catch feature on the outer sleeve to prevent the user from pulling the inner slide completely away from the outer sleeve. Furthermore, the package is focused around providing a child-resistant, senior-friendly unit dose package that can be opened and closed numerous times and then finally disposed of. 
     The preferred unit dose package, according to this invention, offers the following advantages: lightness in weight; resistance to tampering; child resistance; senior friendliness; excellent durability; ease of assembly; unit dose protection and excellent economy. In fact, in many of the preferred embodiments, these factors of lightness in weight, tamper resistance, child resistance, senior friendliness, durability, ease of assembly, unit dose protection and economy are optimized to the extent that is considerably higher than heretofore achieved in prior, known unit dose packages. 
     The above and other features of the present invention, which will become more apparent as the description proceeds, are best understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters represent like parts throughout the several views and in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of an outer sleeve blank for a unit dose paperboard package with a child resistent lock, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the outer sleeve blank of FIG. 1 with one of the panels folded, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the outer sleeve blank of FIG. 2 with another panel folded, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the outer sleeve blank of FIG. 3 with another panel folded, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a completely constructed outer sleeve for the unit dose package, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of an inner slide card blank for the unit dose package, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view of the blank for the inner slide card of FIG. 6 with one of the panels folded, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a plan view of the inner slide card blank of FIG. 7 with another panel folded, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a plan view of the inner slide card blank of FIG. 8 with one of the panels folded, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a completely constructed unit dose package with the inner slide card located within the outer sleeve and a tear-away section of package showing the locking feature, according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 11 is a plan view of the inner slide care being pulled out, but lockably retained within the outer sleeve of the unit dose package, according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Paperboard is used as a substrate for outer sleeve blank  2  (FIG. 1) and inner slide card blank  100  (FIG. 6) and is, typically, constructed from a sheet of bleached sulphate, solid unbleached sulphate (SUS) or clay-coated newsback (CCNB). Definitively, the term paperboard describes paper within the thickness range of 0.008 to 0.028 inches. The invention is relevant to the full scope of such a range, as applied to packaging and beyond. 
     When used for unit dose packaging stock, the paperboard is usually clay coated on at least one side surface and occasionally on both sides. The paperboard trade characterizes a paperboard web or sheet that has been clay coated on one side as C1S and C2S for a web coated on both sides. Compositionally, the paperboard coating is a fluidized blend of minerals such as coating clay, calcium carbonate and/or titanium dioxide with starch or adhesive which is smoothly applied to the traveling surface. Successive densification and polishing by calendering finishes the mineral coated surface to a high degree of smoothness and superior graphic print surface. 
     With reference first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated an advantageous environment for use of the concepts of this invention. In particular, outer sleeve paperboard blank  2  is illustrated. Blank  2  includes, in part, extension panels  4  and  8 , conventional glue area  6 , side panels  10 ,  18  and  26 , cut away areas  12  and  14 , node  16 , legs  17 , side panels  20  and  24 , cut outs  21  and  28 , end flaps  22  and  32  and release button  30 . 
     Legs  17  are elongations in cut away area  14  and are configured so as to inhibit the entire length of node  16  from deflecting. Release button  30  is cut within panel  26  by conventional techniques. Legs  17  are configured so as to inhibit the entire length of node  16  from deflecting. In this manner, only the area of node  16  between legs  17  will deflect. Also, the area of node  16  between legs  17  is slightly larger than the size of release button  30  which will cause node  16  to deflect only when release button  30  is pressed, thus adding to the child resistance features of the present invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, extension  4  is folded over and adhesively attached to panel extension  8  by conventional techniques. 
     With respect to FIG. 3, extension panel  8  is folded over side panel  10 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, side panel  10  is folded over side panel  18 . Also, as can be seen in FIG. 4, side panel  10  includes conventionally applied adhesive area  34 . 
     As shown in FIG. 5, there is illustrated a completely constructed outer sleeve  50  which includes release button  30  and panel extension  4 . In this manner, panel extension  4  acts as a stopping device that prevents inner slide card  100  (FIG. 9) from being pulled completely out of outer sleeve  50  (FIG.  10 ). In particular, as shown in FIG. 8, folded panels  4  and  8  extend down towards side panel  18  to create the stopping device. 
     With respect to FIG. 6, there is illustrated inner slide card paperboard blank  100 . Blank  100  includes, in part, side panels  102  and  104 , side panel extensions  106  and  108 , conventional unit dose packaging holes  110 , conventional unit dose packaging perforated areas  112 , panels  114  and  116 , side panels  118  and  120  and conventional unit doses  122 . Also, it is to be understood that side panels  102 ,  104 ,  118  and  120 , extensions  106  and  108 , and panels  114  and  116  are constructed of the same material as side panel  10  (FIG.  1 ). 
     In FIG. 7, panels  102  and  118  have been folded over panels  104  and  120 , respectively, such that unit doses  122  extend through holes  110  in panels  102  and  118  and unit doses  122  are trapped in holes  110 . 
     As shown in FIG. 8, extension panel  106  is folded over side panel  102 . 
     As shown in FIG. 9, side panel  118  is folded over side panel  102  along panel  114  to complete the structure of inner slide card  100 . 
     As shown in FIG. 10, inner slide card  100  is located within outer sleeve  50 . 
     Package  150  also includes a locking feature, as previously discussed. The locking feature consists of release button  30 , cut away  14 , node  16 , legs  17  and extension panels  6  and  8 . In this manner, after inner slide card  100  is placed within outer sleeve  50 , extension  106  of inner sleeve  100 , extends past opening  14  of outer sleeve  50  as shown in FIG.  10 . Once extension  106  is moved past opening  114 , extension  106  springs up and enters into opening  14  and is biased against node  16 . Therefore, if the end user attempts to remove inner slide card  100  from outer sleeve  50 , extension  106  slides up along opening  14  to prevent the removal of inner slide card  100  from outer sleeve  50 . However, in order to deactivate the sliding movement of extension  106  along opening  14 , the end user merely has to push release button  30  such that extension  106  is pushed against node  16  and below opening  14 , thereby preventing extension  106  from sliding up through opening  14 . 
     Finally, FIG. 11 shows the retaining feature of package  150 . After release button  30  has been pushed in order to allow the end user to pull inner slide card  100  from outer sleeve  50 , extension  106  interacts with the upper end of sleeve  50  near cut away  28  such that extension  106  is caught and retained by folded over extensions  4  and  8  as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     It is to be understood that the purpose of outer sleeve  50  is to house inner slide card  100 . In addition, outer sleeve  50  has one or more release buttons  30  to release extension  106  from opening  14 . Also, outer sleeve  50  can be formed using a number of conventional techniques that are standard to the folding carton industry. Finally, package  150  can be sealed by conventional techniques to simulate a tamper evident like presence. 
     It is also to be understood that the purpose of inner slide card  100  is to retain unit dose packaging within outer shell  50 . Inner slide card  100  allows the end user to gain access to the unit dose product  122  while pulling inner slide card  100  out until it stops, as shown in FIG.  11 . Folded extensions  4  and  8  are used for two functions in the present invention. First, folded extensions  4  and  8  and extension  106  prevent slide card  100  from being completely removed outer shell  50 . The second function is that extension  106  serves as a locking mechanism when the package  150  is in the closed position, as shown in FIG.  10 . 
     Once given the above disclosure, many other features, modifications or improvements will become apparent to the skilled artisan. Such features, modifications or improvements are, therefore, considered to be a part of this invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the following claims.