CHILD RESISTANT DRUG ASSEMBLAGE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many medications are dangerous if taken by children or if taken by children in excess. In order to prevent accidental ingestion of medications by children who encounter a medication container, it has been desirable to design medication containers that are resistant to being opened by children.

It has also been desirable to provide medication containers that are simple and easy to use to improve patient compliance and which offer the patient some flexibility so that the only amount of medication required need be carried by the patient when away from home.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, the child resistant drug assemblage of the invention comprises a container having a cover hingeably secured to a compartment section, the compartment section having a plurality of partitions to individually receive a unit drug dose module; lock means to secure said cover to said compartment section; a plurality of spaced drug cell cavities formed in each of said unit drug dose modules; and, means in said unit drug dose modules to receive a slidably removable top cover to overly said drug cell cavities.

In a preferred embodiment, the lock means is a snap-lock assemblage which can be readily disengaged by an adult when manual pressure is appropriately applied to the cover; the unit dose modules are provided with internal grooves to slidably receive the top cover; and, indicia can be provided on the removable top cover in association with each drug cell cavity to identify a day of the week.

In further preferred embodiments, the opposed end walls and/or either or both side walls of the compartment section can have thumb notches formed therein to facilitate removal of one or more unit drag dose modules and one end of the top cover can be provided with a

finger tip notch to facilitate sliding it along a unit dose module when accessing a unit dose of medication in the drug cell cavities.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The child resistant drug assemblage of the invention will be better understood and preferred embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the ensuing description when considered together with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals denote like parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of the drag assemblage of the invention showing the child resistant container and separate unit drag dose modules;

Figure 2 is a front end view of the container of Figure 1 illustrated in a closed position;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2 illustrating details of a locking means;

Figure 4 is a side view of the open container shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a unit dose module of the invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 5 illustrating details of the slidably removable cover;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 7-7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view, part in section, showing details of the module and the removable cover.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the child resistant container and separate unit drag dose modules of the invention comprises a container, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, and a plurality of removable, separate drag dose modules, generally indicated by reference numeral 40. Container 10 has a cover 11 and a compartment section 12 which are hingeably secured to one another by conventional hinge means 13 (Figure 4).

As shown in Figures 1-4, cover 11 has opposed depending side walls 14, 15 a depending back wall 16 and an opposed, depending front wall 17. Preferably and as depicted in Figure 4, the side walls 14, 15 of cover 11 are fabricated to have an enlarged tapered section 18 adjacent front wall 17.

Compartment section 12 has opposed, upwardly projecting side walls 19, 20, an upwardly projecting back wall 21 and an opposed upwardly projecting front wall 22. Preferably, back wall 21 and front wall 22 have inwardly extending thickened sections 23, and 24, respectively (Figure 1). The interior body of compartment section 12 is preferably provided with a plurality of spaced upwardly projecting partitions 25 which extend transversely between opposed side walls 19, 20 and in which modules 40 are seated as illustrated in Figure 1. To facilitate removal of one or more modules 40, the thickened sections 23, 24 of back and front walls 21, 22 can have thumb notches 26 formed therein as can either or both side walls 19, 20. (Figures 1 and 4).

As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4, cover 11 and compartment section 12 are hingeably secured to each other by hinge means 13 at their common back walls 16 and 21. In addition, cover 11 is sized so that its side walls 14, 15 and front wall 17 overlap side walls 19, 20 and front wall 22 of compartment section 12 when closed and lockably secured to each other.

One means to lockably secure cover 11 and compartment section 12 to each other when closed is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 wherein the outer face of the front wall 22 of the container section is provided with an outward projection 27 intermediate its height and the inner face of the front wall 17 of the cover is provided with an

inwardly projecting lip 28 positioned to engage outward projection 27 in a snap-locking assemblage. To prevent cover 11 from being pressed downwardly too severely when snap-locking cover 11 and compartment section 12 together, a stop detent 29 in the form of an elongated outward projection can be provided beneath and spaced from projection 27 as shown in Figures 2-4.

In order to facilitate disengagement of the snap-lock assemblage; i.e, disengage lip 28 from projection 27, cover 11 can be grasped at predesignated points 30 and 31 located on opposed side walls 14, 15 (Figure 2) and inward pressure can be manually exerted by an adult with the fingers of one hand at these points toward the center of cover 11 as indicated by arrows A and B. The inward pressure causes front wall 17 of cover 11 to flex outwardly causing lip 28 to become disengaged from projection 27 whereupon cover 11 can be rotated upwardly by finger tip pressure of the other hand enabling the contents of container section 12 to be accessed. Thus, cover 11 can be readily grasped by an adult in one hand to apply the squeezing pressure necessary to facilitate disengaging the snap-lock assemblage while rotating the cover to its open position with the other hand. It would be difficult for a child to imitate the same manual manipulations as a child's hand will not normally be large enough to span the cover and apply the necessary squeezing pressure.

As shown in Figures 5-8, each of the separate drag dose modules 40 is generally rectangularly shaped having a bottom 41, opposed side walls 42, 43 and opposed end walls 44, 45. Formed within the body of each module 40 are a plurality of spaced cavities 46 which provide the cells in which unit doses of medication are placed. A pair of opposed grooves 47, 48 are formed adjacent to the upper ends of side walls 42, 43 and extend from one end wall, such as 44, to and through the opposed end wall 45. Grooves 47, 48 serve to slidably receive top closure 49 therein to retain and protect the unit doses of medication placed in cells 46. When the unit doses of medication in cells 46 are to be accessed, top closure 49 can be slid along grooves 47, 48 to expose one or more cells 46 are illustrated in Figure 6. To facilitate sliding top

closure 49 in grooves 47, 48, a finger top notch 50 can be provided at that end of top closure where grooves 47, 48 extend through end wall 45 as shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8.

ANOTHER EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The child resistant drag assemblage of the invention will be better understood and preferred embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the ensuing description when considered together with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals denote like parts and wherein:

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the drag assemblage of the invention showing the child resistant container, the separate unit drug dose cells, and a top cover;

Figure 10 is a front end view of the container of Fig. 9 illustrated in a close position;

Figure 11 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig.10 illustrating details of a locking means;

Figure 12 is a side view of the open container shown in Fig. 9 in a normally closed position;

Figure 13 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 12 illustrating details of the slidably removable cover; and,

Figure 14 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 13.

As illustrated in Figure 9, the child resistant container of the invention comprises a container, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, having a cover 11 and a compartment section 12 which are

hingeably secured to one another by conventional hinge means 13 (Figure 12).

As shown in Figures 9-12, cover 11 has opposed depending side walls 14, 15 a depending back wall 16 and an opposed, depending front wall 17. Preferably and as depicted in Figure 12, the side walls 14, 15 of cover 11 are fabricated to have an enlarged tapered section 18 adjacent front wall 17.

Compartment section 12 has opposed, upwardly projecting side walls 19, 20, an upwardly projected back wall 21 and an opposed upwardly projected front wall 22. Preferably, back wall 21 and front wall 22 have inwardly extending thickened sections 23, and 24, respectively (Figure 9). Formed in the interior body of compartment section 12 are a plurality of spaced drag cell cavities 25 which are arranged in equally spaced rows. Preferably, each row contains seven cavities, one for each day of the week, with a fifth row containing at least three drag cell cavities all as clearly shown in Fig. 9. Thus, a sufficient number of drag cell cavities 25 are provided to accommodate a month's supply of unit drag doses of medication.

The upper planar surface of each row of drag cell cavities 25 is recessed within the body of compartment section 12 to form a plurality of spaced ribs 26 which extend transversely across compartment section between opposed side walls 19 and 20.

As shown more clearly in Figs. 13 and 14, ribs 26 as well as thickened sections 23 and 24 have grooves 27 formed therein adjacent their upper planar surfaces which extend from one side wall 20 to and through opposed side wall 19. Grooves 27 serve to receive slidably removable top cover 28 (Figs. 9, 13 and 14) which overlays the drag cell cavities 25 and retains and protects unit drag doses placed in the drag cell cavities 25.

When unit doses of medication in cells 25 are to be accessed, top cover 28 can be slid along grooves 27 to expose one or more cells 25 as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 13: To facilitate sliding top cover 28 in grooves 27, a finger tip notch 29 can be provided at that

end of the top cover 28 where grooves 27 extend through side wall 19 as shown in Figures 9 and 13.

As clearly shown in Figures 9 and 12, cover 11 and compartment section 12 are hingeably secured to each other by hinge means 13 at their common back walls 16 and 21. In addition, cover 11 is sized so that its side walls 14, 15 and front wall 17 overlap side walls 19, 20 and front wall 22 of compartment section 12 when closed and lockably secured to each other.

One means to lockably secure cover 11 and compartment section 12 to each other when closed is illustrated in Figures 11 and 12 wherein the outer face of the front wall 22 of the container section is provided with an outward projection 30 intermediate its height and the inner face of the front wall 17 of the cover is provided with an inwardly projecting lip 31 positioned to engage outward projection 30 in a snap-locking assemblage. To prevent cover 11 from being pressed downwardly too severely when snap-locking cover 11 and compartment section 12 together, a stop detent 32 in the form of an elongated outward projection can be provided beneath and spaced from projection 30 as shown in Figures 10 and 11.

In order to facilitate disengagement of the snap-lock assemblage; i.e, disengage lip 31 from projection 30, cover 11 can be grasped at predesignated points 33 and 34 located on opposed side walls 14, 15 (Figure 10) and inward pressure can be manually exerted by an adult with the fingers of one hand at these points toward the center of cover 11 as indicated by arrows A and B. The inward pressure causes front wall 17 of cover 11 to flex outwardly causing lip 31 to become disengaged from projection 30 whereupon cover 11 can be rotated upwardly by finger tip pressure of the other hand enabling the contents of container section 12 to be accessed. Thus, cover 11 can be readily grasped by an adult in one hand to apply the squeezing pressure necessary to facilitate disengaging the snap-lock assemblage while rotating the cover to its open position with the other hand. It would be difficult for a child to imitate the same manual manipulations as a

child's hand will not normally be large enough to span the cover and apply the necessary squeezing pressure.

To enhance patient compliance, appropriate indicia can be printed adjacent each of the drag cells cavities 25 such as the name of each day in the week. As illustrated in Figures 5 and 8 appropriate indicia can be the name of each day in the week.

When indicia such as the days of the week are provided, a corresponding number of drag cells 46 should also be provided in the module; i.e., seven drag cells, one for each day of the week. Accordingly, container section 12 should be sized to receive at least four modules 40, preferably five, to provide a month's supply of a drag regardless of the number of days in a particular month.

Since each module can be readily removed from the container, patient compliance is further enhanced as a patient need not carry the entire container when away from home overnight or on vacation. The patient need only remove and carry the number of modules necessary to provide the required amound of medication needed. The drag cell cavities 46 in the modules 40 or the drag cells 25 should be sized to hold at least one unit dose of a drag regardless of the form of the drag; i.e., tablet, capsule, caplet, or the like. In addition, the drag cells can be sized to accommodate two or more unit doses of a drag when multiple daily dose of a drag are prescribed.

The child resistant drag assemblage of the invention can be made of any suitable materials but moldable plastic is preferred. Polyethylene, either low or high density, can be used as can polypropylene. For cost considerations, low density polyethylene is preferred.

Although the child resistant drag assemblage of the invention has been described with particularity and in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the claims.