FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tamper evident, senior friendly and child

resistant package of the type operable by means of a tear strip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Blister packs are well know in the art and are widely used to package individual

items such as different forms of medication including tablets, capsules and the like. In

addition, the packaging of a small amount of liquid in an individual blister is known.

Usually, the item or product is accessed through the rear of the blister pack

which is provided with a tear strip.

As aforementioned, there are three different properties which any packaging

ideally possesses. The first is that the package should be tamper evident such that

there will be provided a clear indication when the package has been subject to

tampering. A second feature is that the package be child resistant. As aforementioned,

such packages are frequently used for medication and it is inherently desirable that one

prevents young children from accessing the contents of the blister pack.

However, in making such packaging child resistant, it is also important that the

package still be readily openable by those taking the medication. Since the most

frequent users of medication are seniors, one must take into account the limits of their

ability when they are suffering from various physical problems.

A conventional blister package usually comprises a laminate of a blister layer

having article receiving pockets formed therein and with the article receiving pockets

being covered by a foil backing layer. This foil backing layer is usually a form of an

aluminum foil which is rupturable to permit access to the product in the blister pocket.

While such a package is inherently tamper evident unless the whole foil layer is

replaced, it is not very child resistant and indeed can prove attractive to some children.

To overcome this, there has been suggestions in the art, such as shown in U.S.

Patent 4,537,312 to Intini, to include such certain child resistant features. In the

arrangement of Intini, there is provided a blister package having a front layer and outer

back layer which are sized larger than the conventional package and sealed to one

another around their periphery and through apertures in the laminate. Tabs are

provided at the edges of the sealed front and back layers and which tabs are connected

to tear strips in the back layer, each of which overlays the foil covering a blister

pocket. On removing the tear strips in the back layer, there will be left a layer or

stratum of paperboard which overlays the foil to thereby reinforce it and make it more

difficult for the child to access the product in the blister pocket.

A further feature which must always be considered in designing such products

is the ability to efficiently manufacture the package at a reasonable cost. It is also

highly desirable that the results be reproducible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide blister pack packaging which

is tamper evident, senior friendly and child resistant.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide blister pack packaging

which is easy to manufacture and overcomes some of the deficiencies of the prior art

packaging.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a child

resistant and senior friendly tamper evident package, the package comprising a blister

sheet having at least one blister pocket projecting from a front side thereof, a

depression formed in the blister sheet adjacent the blister pocket, a rapturable foil layer

sealed to a back side of the blister sheet to form a continuous cover over the blister

pocket, a paperboard layer having portions thereof adhered to the foil layer, a tear strip

being formed in the paperboard layer, the tear strip being adhered to the foil about the

periphery of the tear strip, and a tab member connected to the tear strip at one end

thereof, the tab member not being adhered to the foil layer.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a child

resistant and senior friendly tamper evident package, the package comprising a blister

sheet having at least one blister pocket projecting from a front side thereof, a depression

formed in the blister sheet adjacent the blister pocket, a rupturable foil layer sealed to a

back side of the blister sheet to form a continuous cover over the blister pocket, a

paperboard layer having portions thereof adhered to the foil layer, a tear strip being

formed in the paperboard layer, the tear strip being adhered to the foil about the periphery

of the tear strip, a tab member connected to the tear strip at one end thereof, the

arrangement being such that when the tab and tear strip are removed, the foil then can be

ruptured adjacent to the depression and the foil removed.

In a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a child resistant

and senior friendly tamper evident package comprising a blister sheet having at least one

blister pocket projecting from a front side thereof, a foil layer adhered to a back side of the

blister sheet to form a continuous cover over the blister pocket, a reinforcing layer of a

paperboard material, the reinforcing layer having a first side with at least portions of the

first side adhered to the foil layer, a tear strip formed in the paperboard layer, the tear strip

overlying the blister pocket, the tear strip having a first tab at a first end thereof and being

connected to the tear strip, a second tab at a second end of the tear strip end being

separated from the tear strip by a cut through the paperboard layer, each of the tabs being

non adhered to the foil layer, and the foil having a gripping portion to enable grasping

thereof, the gripping portion being exposed upon removal of the second tab.

The contents in the blister pocket are conventionally tablets or capsules or the like.

However, as will be shown in the description of the preferred embodiments, the package

of the present invention can be utilized with liquids and the like.

The materials utilized in the present invention are well known in the art. Thus, the

blister layer may be formed with a number of blister pockets projecting from a front side

thereof, each designed to receive a unit dosage of a pharmaceutical product or indeed,

some other product. The sheet may comprise a normally rectangular continuous blister

sheet of a flexible clear material which cannot be easily torn or ruptured. Typically, such

a film would be a vinyl thermoplastic film having a thickness in excess of 10 mil.

The rupturable film sealed to the back side of the blister sheet is also well known in

the art and may be selected from many known materials. Typically, such rupturable foils

are of aluminum material having a thickness in the range of 1 mil and which may be

joined to the blister sheet by conventional adhesives such as heat seal or coatings well

known in the art.

In those applications wherein a paper layer is utilized, it again may use a heat

sealable adhesive and comprise paper having a weight of between 13 pounds to 17

pounds.

The reinforcing layer is preferably a paper product such paperboard. The tear strips

in the paperboard layer may be defined by parallel lines of perforations or slits in the

outwardly facing side to thereby form longitudinal tear lines which define the tear strip.

At one end of the strip, there may be a tab which is not sealed to the foil layer.

In one embodiment of the invention, in order to assist with the removal of the foil,

a recess may be formed in the blister layer underneath one end on the foil such that the foil

can be pushed into the recess to provide a tab portion to assist in the removal of the foil.

If desired, a double recess may be utilized as will be described in the preferred

embodiments.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the tear strip may be removed from a first

end. Subsequently, the foil is gripped at the second end and lifted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to the

accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments thereof, in which :

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partially in cut-away, of a further embodiment of the

present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through a blister pocket of the embodiment of

Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an exploded view illustrating the various components of the package of

Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figure 2 illustrating opening of the package;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of a package similar to

that of Figures 3 and 4;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view through a blister pocket of a further embodiment

of the present invention;

Figures 8 to 11 are cross-sectional views similar to Figure 7 illustrating opening of

the package; and

Figures 12 to 18 illustrate an embodiment similar to that of Figures 1 to 5, but

utilizing a double depression in the blister layer to aid in removal of the foil.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 through 5, there is provided a package

which has a blister layer 50, the blister layer 50 having blister pockets 52 formed therein.

A rupturable foil layer 54 is secured by adhesive 56 to the backside of blister layer 50 in a

conventional manner. Similarly, there is provided a reinforcing paperboard layer 58

secured to rupturable foil layer 54 by means of adhesive 60. Tear strips 62 are formed in

paperboard layer 58, each tear strips 62 having a tab 64 associated therewith.

In this embodiment, each tear strip 62 and tab 64 is arranged so that they are sealed

about the periphery of the blister pocket 52.

As may be seen in Figures 3 and 4, there is also provided a depression 66 formed in

blister layer 50. As illustrated in Figure 4, following removal of the paperboard layer or

portions thereof, a finger may then be utilized as indicated by arrow 70 to break the

remainder of the paperboard layer and foil layer. This foil layer may then be removed

from around blister pocket 82 to provided access to the contents of the blister pocket.

In Figure 11, there is illustrated a modified version of the embodiment of Figures 6

through 10. Accordingly, similar reference numerals with a prime are utilized for similar

components.

In this embodiment, there is provided a blister layer 50' having a blister pocket 52'

which, in the illustrated embodiment, contains a liquid 72'. Naturally, a capsule, tablet or

other object could be placed therein.

The foil layer 54' is secured to blister layer 50 by means of adhesive 56'. However,

on top of foil layer 54', there is provided a paper layer 76 which may be of any desired

weight. On top of paper layer 76, there is provided a paperboard layer 58' with adhesive

60'. A tear strip 62' is formed therein. In operation, removal is essentially the same in that

paperboard layer 62' is initially removed. However, the reinforcing layer of paper 76

provides additional security to the package. The foil layer 54' and paper layer 76 would be

removed together. Also, a thicker foil layer or a foil thin film can also be used instead of

the paper/foil. .

A still further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 7

through 11 and reference will now be had thereto.

In this embodiment, there is provided a package which includes a blister layer 80

having a blister pocket 82 therein for containing a capsule 84. Sealed to blister layer 80

by means of adhesive 88 is a foil layer 86. In turn, a paperboard layer 90 is secured to foil

layer 86 by means of adhesive 92.

A tear strip 96 has a slit 94 formed at one end thereof. A first tab portion 98 is not

adhered to foil layer 86 and access may be gained thereto to completely remove tear strip 96.

At the other end of tear strip 96, there is provided a second tab 102 which is

partially defined by slit 100. Thus, as may be seen in Figures 12 and 13, a slight pressure

on the package will permit access to tab 98 to permit removal of tear strip 96. Removal of

tear strip 96 stops at slit 100.

Subsequently, second tab 102, which is likewise not adhered to foil layer 86, may

then be removed. Underneath this portion of the paperboard, there is provided a foil layer

tab 104 which is likewise not adhered to blister layer 80. This permits removal of the foil

layer as illustrated by arrow 114.

Referring to the embodiment of Figures 12 to 16, the arrangement shown therein is

similar to that illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 and like reference numerals utilizing a double

prime will be employed.

Thus, there is provided a package having a blister layer 50" with blister pockets 52"

formed therein. A rupturable foil layer 54" is secured by adhesive 56" to the back side of

blister layer 50" in a conventional manner. Similarly, a reinforcing paperboard layer 58" is

secured to rupturable foil layer 54" by means of adhesive 60". Tear strips 62" are formed

in paper layer 58", each tear strip 62" having a tab 64" associated therewith. As in the

previously described embodiment, each tear strip 62" and tab 64" is arranged so that they

are sealed about the periphery of the blister pocket 52".

In this embodiment, there are provided two depressions 66" and 67 formed in blister

layer 50". As illustrated in Figures 16 and 17, a finger may be utilized to break the foil

layer 54" by depressing in depression 66". Subsequently, pressing on foil layer 54" at

depression 67 will permit the end of foil layer 54" to extend upwardly and thus be easily

gripped by the fingers of the user.