Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COVER SHEET FOR PILL RECEPTACLE, PILLBOX KIT COMPRISING SAME AND
METHOD OF GAINING ACCESS TO A PILL COMPARTMENT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to pillboxes of the type that comprise a pill
receptacle
for receiving pills and a cover sheet that can cover and seal the pill
receptacle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Medical institutions and pharmacists often distribute numerous pills to
patients for
consumption. Pillboxes have been developed to facilitate the storage and
dispensing of the pills to
the patients.
Typical prior art pillboxes include a pill receptacle having twenty-eight pill
compartments arranged in seven rows each representing one day of the week and
four columns each
representing one timeslot of the day, typically that of breakfast, lunch,
dinner and bedtime slots.
Such a pillbox will be filled by a pharmacist or other medical professional,
and used by a patient or
a medical professional such as a nurse who dispenses the medication to a
patient, on a given week.
Pills are initially inserted into the pill compartments in such a way as to be
organized
according to a patient's prescription or schedule. Once the pill receptacle is
filled with pills, a cover
sheet is used to cover the pill receptacle to enclose the pills in their
respective compartments. More
particularly, the cover sheet is glued on the top surface of the pill
receptacle to seal each individual
pill compartment.
Depending on the type of glue that is used, the cover sheet may be either a
temporary
cover sheet or a permanent cover sheet. A temporary cover sheet uses glue that
creates a weaker
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bond between the cover sheet and the pill receptacle to allow a portion of the
cover sheet to be partly
or completely removed to access each of the pill compartments, and then
reattached to seal the pill
compartments again, repeatedly. A permanent cover sheet uses glue that creates
a stronger bond
between the cover sheet and the pill receptacle such that when the cover sheet
is affixed to the pill
receptacle, it will not be possible to remove the cover sheet without tearing
the sheet since the bond
between the cover sheet and the pill receptacle is stronger than the cover
sheet itself making
reattachment ineffective after tearing. Permanent cover sheets are of
particular interest in the case of
the present invention.
To access a pill compartment covered by a permanent cover sheet, one needs to
tear
the cover sheet over the selected pill compartment. This tearing of the cover
sheet to access the pills
is desirable since it allows the person handling the pillboxes to visually
confirm whether a pill
compartment was accessed or not. To facilitate the tearing of the cover sheet
above a specific pill
compartment and to prevent the cover sheet from accidentally and undesirably
tearing above other
pill compartments the access to which is not desired yet, tearing lines are
provided on the cover
sheet in register with each pill compartment. When the cover sheet is torn, it
will tear along the
predictable paths created by these weaker tearing lines that form tearable
tabs. The tearing lines are
usually either discrete perforations made along a line, continuous cut-away
lines, or a number of
successive short cut-away lines that form a dashed line configuration. One
example of a prior art
cover sheet is shown in applicant's Canadian Patent No. 2,207,045.
As shown in Figures 5 and 7 on the '045 patent in particular, the cover sheet
more
particularly comprises a sealing sheet that is formed with the above-mentioned
tearing lines and that
is glued to the pill receptacle, and with protective tabs provided on the glue-
covered surface of the
sealing sheet that are shaped to register with the pill compartments. Once the
sealing sheet is
attached to the pill receptacle, each protective tab will be located above a
pill compartment to
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prevent the pills from coming into contact with the glue-covered surface of
the bottom of the sealing
sheet. The tearing lines of the sealing sheet will consequently be aligned
with and located directly
over the contour of the underlying protective tabs. When the sealing sheet is
torn to access the pills
in a given pill compartment, a tearable tab will be torn along tearing lines
that register with the
protective tab edges and with the pill compartment side walls.
The cover sheet is formed of two layers: the sealing sheet to which is
attached a
protective sheet. The protective sheet covers the entire bottom, glue-covered
surface of the sealing
sheet to avoid the sealing sheet from undesirably attaching to any and all
surfaces it comes in
contact with during production, storage, transportation and manipulation,
before it is attached to a
pill receptacle. A silicon liner is provided on the protective sheet to allow
it to be easily releasable
from the glue-covered surface of the sealing sheet. Protective tab tearing
lines on the protective
sheet allow a portion of the protective sheet to be removed by being peeled
away from the sealing
sheet while other portions of the protective sheet will remain attached to the
sealing sheet in the
form of the protective tabs.
During the manufacture of the cover sheet, the protective tabs are formed in
alignment with the tearing lines of the sealing sheet. In some prior art
devices, this is done with two
cutting tools, one over the sheet and one under the sheet, that are aligned
with each other to have the
tearing lines of the protective sheet and the tearing lines of the sealing
sheet made in register with
each other. In other prior art devices, this alignment is achieved
concurrently with a same cutting
tool that extends through both sheets.
The protective tabs generally having the same size as the tearable tabs was up
to now
seen as common wisdom. Indeed, if the protective tabs were smaller than the
tearable tabs, then a
portion of the tearable tabs' glue-covered bottom surface would be exposed and
the pills could
undesirably come into contact with the glue. On the other hand, if the
protective tabs were larger
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than the tearable tabs, then tearing the tearable tabs would be more difficult
as the protective tabs
would in fact reinforce the overlying sealing sheet at the tearable tab
tearing line positions.
It has been found that prior art tabs often hinder the tearing of the sealing
sheet due to
its frictional engagement against the edges of the remainder of the sealing
sheet that are created
when the tearable tab is tom above a pill compartment. Indeed, the protective
tab having the same
size as the tearable tab means that, in effect, the protective tab will slide
along the sealing sheet
edges and, since the user may not tear the tearable tab in a perfectly aligned
fashion, this sliding
effectively results in contact between the protective tab and the sealing
sheet edges. What is more
problematic is that this frictional engagement will sometimes result in the
protective tab accidentally
peeling away from the cover sheet, exposing the glue covered surface of the
cover sheet and
possibly allowing the pills to come into contact with the glue. This
accidental detachment of the
protective tab from the sealing sheet's tearable tab is notably due to the
silicon liner on the
protective tabs that makes it relatively easy to peel it away.
On another note, one may initiate the tearing of the tearable tabs of prior
art sealing
sheets either by grasping protruding edges of the tearable tabs and peeling
them away from the
remainder of the sealing sheet, or by punching them into the pill compartment.
In both cases, once
at least part of the tearable tab is torn, the tearable tab may then be torn
away completely. Different
cover sheets have respective tearing line configurations to allow for one of
these different tearing
initiating options, i.e. peeling or punching in, but not both.
Initiating the tearing of the tearable tab by punching it in requires that the
user push
on the tearable tab inwardly into the pill compartment, for example with the
user's index finger,
until the tearable tab is torn from the remainder of the sealing sheet and
forced into the pill
compartment. The user may then grasp the tearable tab portion that is
accessible due to the opening
formed when it was punched in, for example between the user's thumb and index
finger, to peel or
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shear the tearable tab and remove it entirely from the remainder of the
sealing sheet. To allow the
punching in of the tearable tab, the tearable tab is formed by tearing lines
that form a closed loop,
for example of rectangular shape that corresponds to the contour of the
underlying pill compartment,
to allow the tearable tab to tear all around the pill compartment edges and be
entirely removed.
5 Alternately, the tearable tab can be only partly torn away to access the
pill compartment by folding it
away from the pill compartment, the tearable tab then remaining partly
attached to the remainder of
the sealing sheet.
Initiating the tearing of the tearable tab by peeling it requires the user to
grasp a
protruding edge of the tearable tab, for example between the user's thumb and
index fingers, and
pull upwardly away from the pill receptacle. This protruding edge is provided
in the form of a
tongue at a first end of the peelable tab, to facilitate grasping of the
peelable tab for peeling it away.
The peelable tab is provided with a pair of parallel tearing lines that allow
the peelable tab to tear
along two sides of the pill compartment. The peelable tab normally remains
attached to the sealing
sheet at its second end, opposite the tongue, since the absence of a
transversal tearing line means
that the tearable tab could tear in an undesirable irregular pattern if
transversal tearing was
attempted. Consequently, this prior art method normally is not intended to
allow the tearable tab to
be entirely removed from the remainder of the sealing sheet.
It has been found that some users prefer using one or the other of the two
tearing
methods. For example, elderly patients that need to tear the tearable tab
themselves to access their
pills, usually find that punching the tearable tab in is easier since it does
not require any minute
handling of the tearable tab tongue. However, in the case where the pill
compartment is completely
filled with pills, punching the tearable tab in can be very difficult since
the pills will act to support
the tearable tab from underneath. So by offering a single option to the users,
results in imperfect
solutions in some circumstances.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a cover sheet for use with a pill receptacle,
comprising:
= a sealing sheet having top and bottom surfaces and an adhesive on said
bottom
surface for attachment to the pill receptacle, said sealing sheet comprising
at least
one cell circumscribed by borders, said cell borders defined by either one of:
o peripheral edges of an outer periphery of said sealing sheet;
o cell tearing lines located interiorly of said peripheral edges; and
o a combination thereof;
= tearable tab tearing lines on said sealing sheet that are disposed to
form tearable
tabs on said sealing sheet, with said tearable tab tearing lines comprising,
for each
said tearable tab:
o spaced-apart main portion side segments that define a tearable tab main
portion therebetween;
o spaced-apart tongue portion side segments that define a tearable tab
tongue portion therebetween, said tearable tab tongue portion further
defined between said tearable tab main portion and at least one of said
cell borders; and
o a main portion end segment that links said main portion side segments to
each other spacedly from said tongue portion, with said tearable tab main
portion further defined between said main portion end segment and said
tearable tab tongue portion;
wherein each said tearable tab can be torn away from the remainder of said
sealing
sheet, with tearing said tearable tab being initiated by either one of:
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= peeling said tearable tab at least along said tearable tab tongue portion
side
segments and said tearable tab main portion side segments; and
= punching said tearable tab in, with said sealing sheet then being torn at
least
along one of said tearable tab main portion side segments and said tearable
tab
main portion end segment.
In one embodiment, said cell borders comprise both said cell tearing lines and
said
sealing sheet peripheral edges, and wherein said cell borders divide said
sealing sheet into a number
of cells each enclosing respective said tearable tabs, with said tearable tab
tongue portions linking
corresponding said tearable tab main portions to corresponding said cell
borders.
In one embodiment, said cell tearing lines comprise said main portion end
segments.
In one embodiment, said main portion end segments are distinct and spaced from
said
cell tearing lines.
In one embodiment, said cover sheet further comprises a protective sheet
removably
attached to said bottom surface of said sealing sheet, and protective tab
tearing lines on said
protective sheet that allow a portion of said protective sheet to be removed
from said sealing sheet
while other portions of said protective sheet will remain attached to said
sealing sheet in the form of
protective tabs that correspond to respective tearable tabs such that said
protective tabs will remain
attached to said tearable tabs when said tearable tabs are torn.
In one embodiment, said sealing sheet further comprises folding lines made on
said
tearable tabs.
In one embodiment, said tearable tab tongue portions are wider than said
protective
tab tongue portions.
In one embodiment, said tearable tab tongue portion side segments are concave.
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In one embodiment, said tearable tab tearing lines further comprise, for each
tearable
tab, an intermediate segment extending between said main portion side segments
spacedly away
from said main portion end segment towards said tearable tab tongue portion,
such that when said
tearable tabs are punched in, said sealing sheet can tear along said tearable
tab intermediate segment
instead of or in addition to tearing along at least one of said tearable tab
main portion side segments
and said tearable tab main portion end segment.
In one embodiment, said intermediate segment is located between said tearable
tab
main portion and said tearable tab tongue portion, and is curved and concave
towards said tearable
tab end segment.
In one embodiment, said intermediate segment is located between said tearable
tab
main portion and said tearable tab tongue portion, and is substantially
straight.
The present invention further relates to a pillbox kit comprising:
= a pill receptacle comprising a number of pill compartments; and
= a cover sheet comprising:
o a sealing sheet having top and bottom surfaces and an adhesive on said
bottom surface for attachment to the pill receptacle, said sealing sheet
comprising at least one cell circumscribed by borders, said cell borders
defined by either one of:
¨ peripheral edges of an outer periphery of said sealing sheet;
¨ cell tearing lines located interiorly of said peripheral edges; and
¨ a combination thereof;
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o tearable tab tearing lines on said sealing sheet that are disposed to form
tearable tabs on said sealing sheet, with said tearable tab tearing lines
comprising, for each said tearable tab:
¨ main portion side segments that define a tearable tab main
portion therebetween;
¨ tongue portion side segments that define a tearable tab tongue
portion therebetween, said tearable tab tongue portion further
defined between said tearable tab main portion and at least one of
said cell borders; and
¨ a main portion end segment that links said main portion side
segments to each other spacedly from said tongue portion, with
said tearable tab main portion further defined between said main
portion end segment and said tearable tab tongue portion;
wherein when said sealing sheet is attached to said pill receptacle by
applying said
bottom surface with said adhesive on said pill receptacle, said tearable tabs
will be
located over corresponding pill compartments, and each said tearable tab can
then be
torn away from the remainder of said sealing sheet to allow access to said
pill
compartments, with tearing said tearable tab being initiated by either one of:
= peeling said tearable tab at least along said tearable tab tongue portion
side
segments and said tearable tab main portion side segments; and
= punching said tearable tab in, with said sealing sheet then being torn at
least
along one of said tearable tab main portion side segments and said tearable
tab
main portion end segment.
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In one embodiment, said cell borders comprise both said cell tearing lines and
said
sealing sheet peripheral edges, and wherein said cell borders divide said
sealing sheet into a number
of cells each enclosing respective said tearable tabs, with said tearable tab
tongue portions linking
corresponding said tearable tab main portions to corresponding said cell
borders.
In one embodiment, said cell tearing lines comprise said main portion end
segments.
In one embodiment, said main portion end segments are distinct and spaced from
said
cell tearing lines.
In one embodiment, said cover sheet further comprises a protective sheet
removably
attached to said bottom surface of said sealing sheet, and protective tab
tearing lines on said
protective sheet that allow a portion of said protective sheet to be removed
from said sealing sheet
while other portions of said protective sheet will remain attached to said
sealing sheet in the form of
protective tabs that correspond to respective tearable tabs such that said
protective tabs will remain
attached to said tearable tabs when said tearable tabs are torn and will be
located above a
corresponding pill compartment.
In one embodiment, said sealing sheet further comprises folding lines made on
said
tearable tabs.
In one embodiment, said tearable tab tongue portions are wider than said
protective
tab tongue portions.
In one embodiment, said tearable tab tongue portion side segments are concave.
In one embodiment, said tearable tab tearing lines further comprise, for each
tearable
tab, an intermediate segment extending between said main portion side segments
and located
spacedly away from said tearable tab end segment towards said tearable tab
tongue portion, such
that when said tearable tabs are punched in, said sealing sheet can tear along
said tearable tab
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intermediate segment instead of or in addition to tearing along at least one
of said tearable tab main
portion side segments and said tearable tab main portion end segment.
In one embodiment, said intermediate segment is located between said tearable
tab
main portion and said tearable tab tongue portion, and is curved and concave
towards said tearable
tab end segment.
In one embodiment, said intermediate segment is located between said tearable
tab
main portion and said tearable tab tongue portion, and is substantially
straight.
In one embodiment, said pill receptacle comprises receptacle tearing lines
defining a
number of detachable pill containers each circumscribing a corresponding said
pill compartment,
each said cell overlying a corresponding said pill container with said cell
tearing lines being aligned
with corresponding receptacle tearing lines, said pill containers comprising a
peripheral wall, an
upper flange linked to said peripheral wall and a top mouth opening defined
interiorly of said upper
flange and allowing access into said pill compartment, with said top mouth
opening being larger
than said tearable tab.
In one embodiment, said tearable tab tearing lines are aligned with an
inclined portion
of said peripheral wall.
In one embodiment, said peripheral wall comprises a chamfer near said top
flange
and said tearable tab tearing lines are aligned with and spaced from said
chamfer.
The present invention also relates to a method of gaining access to a pill
compartment
defined within a pill container to which a sealing sheet cell is attached to
seal off said pill
compartment, said sealing sheet cell circumscribed by borders and comprising
tearable tab tearing
lines that are disposed to form a tearable tab, said tearable tab tearing
lines comprising:
= main portion side segments that define a tearable tab main portion
therebetween;
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= tongue portion side segments that define a tearable tab tongue portion
therebetween, said tearable tab tongue portion further defined between said
tearable tab main portion and at least one of said cell borders; and
= a main portion end segment that links said main portion side segments to
each
other spacedly from said tongue portion, with said tearable tab main portion
further defined between said main portion end segment and said tearable tab
tongue portion;
wherein said method comprises tearing said tearable tab away from the
remainder of
said sealing sheet cell, said tearing being initiated by one of:
= peeling said tearable tab at least along said tearable tab tongue portion
side
segments and said tearable tab main portion side segments; and
= punching said tearable tab in, with said sealing sheet cell then being
torn along at
least one of said tearable tab main portion side segments and said tearable
tab
main portion end segment.
In one embodiment, said tearable tab tearing lines further comprise, for each
tearable
tab, an intermediate segment extending between said main portion side segments
and located
spacedly from said main portion end segment towards said tearable tab tongue
portion, such that
when said tearable tabs are punched in, said sealing sheet can tear along said
tearable tab
intermediate segment in addition to or instead of at least one of said
tearable tab main portion side
segments and said tearable tab main portion end segment.
In one embodiment, said cell tearing lines comprise said main portion end
segments.
In one embodiment, said main portion end segments are distinct and spaced from
said
cell tearing lines.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the annexed drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pillbox according to the present invention
wherein
the cover sheet is partly installed on the pill receptacle, namely with its
top portion glued to the pill
receptacle and with a lower portion folded away from the pill receptacle and
not yet affixed thereto;
Figures 2 and 3 are respectively top and bottom perspective views of the cover
sheet
forming part of the pillbox kit which is assembled to form the pillbox of
figure 1;
Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of one individual pill container
detached from
the remainder of the pillbox, the pill container covered by a cell of the
sealing sheet;
Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the individual pill container and
sealing
sheet cell of figure 4 with the tearable tab peeled away to allow access to
pills, shown in dashed
lines, and with the tearable tab being shown underneath the tearable tab;
Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged cross-sectional views respectively taken along
lines VI-
VI and VII-VII of figure 4;
Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the area circumscribed by line VIII in figure
7;
Figures 9 and 10 are similar to figures 2 and 4, respectively, but show an
alternate
embodiment of the present invention; and
Figures 11 and 12 are similar to figures 2 and 4 and to figures 9 and 10, but
show yet
another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
Figures 1-3 show a cover sheet 20 for use with a pill receptacle 22 according
to the
present invention. When assembled, cover sheet 20 and pill receptacle 22 form
a pillbox 24 as
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described herein below. When not assembled, cover sheet 20 and pill receptacle
22 may form a
pillbox kit that may be assembled to create pillbox 24.
As shown in figure 1, pill receptacle 22 is made from a unitary sheet of
plastic
embossed to create a number of pill compartments 26 wherein pills may be
inserted as described
herein below. Pill receptacle 22 defines a flat top surface 28 and a number of
first and second pill
receptacle tearing lines 30, 32 that cross each other at right angles to form
rectangular detachable
individual pill containers 34 arrayed in seven rows and four columns. It is
understood that any
number of rows and columns may be formed and detachable pill containers 34 may
have any
suitable shape to receive the pills. Above the uppermost first pill receptacle
tearing line 30 is also
defined a pill receptacle top marginal portion 35 used for assembling and
identifying the pillbox 24,
as described hereinafter.
It is consequently possible for a user to detach each individual detachable
pill
container 34 from the remainder of the pill receptacle 22 by tearing the
container along the first and
second pill receptacle tearing lines 30, 32 that define it, to allow
individual pill doses to be
distributed to patients without having to bring the entire pillboxes 24 to the
patients.
Figures 1-3 show that cover sheet 20 comprises a sealing sheet 36 having top
and
bottom surfaces 38, 40. An adhesive is provided on at least a portion of
bottom surface 40 for
attachment to the pill receptacle 22.
Figures 2-3 show that cover sheet 20 also comprises a protective sheet 42
removably
attached to sealing sheet 36 on its bottom surface 40. Protective sheet 42 is
provided with a silicon
liner on its upper surface where it is attached to sealing sheet 36, to allow
protective sheet 42 to be
readily releasable from the adhesive-covered bottom surface 40 of sealing
sheet 36.
Protective sheet 42 comprises protective tab tearing lines 44 that allow some
portions
of protective sheet 42 to be removed from sealing sheet 36 while other
portions of protective sheet
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42 will remain attached to sealing sheet 36 in the form of protective tabs 46.
In figure 1, only the
protective tabs 46 of protective sheet 42 remain, while in figures 2 and 3,
the entire protective sheet
42 is shown attached to sealing sheet 36.
Each protective tab 46 comprises a generally rectangular (with rounded
corners)
5 protective tab main portion 48 and a protective tab tongue portion 50
extending from the main
portion 48. The tongue portion 50 is narrower than the main portion 48 and has
concave side edges.
Other shapes or configurations of protective tabs 46 could also be envisioned.
Protective sheet 42 comprises a pair of protective sheet installation tearing
lines 51
disposed transversally across protective sheet 42 to define a protective sheet
marginal portion 53
10 above the topmost installation tearing line 51 and a protective sheet
band 55 in-between both
installation tearing lines 51. Installation tearing lines 51, band 55 and
marginal portion 53 are used
for assembling pillbox 24 as described hereinafter.
Sealing sheet 36 comprises tearable tab tearing lines 52 that are disposed to
form
tearable tabs 54 on sealing sheet 36. Each tearable tab 54 comprises a
generally rectangular (with
15 rounded corners) tearable tab main portion 56 and a tearable tab tongue
portion 58 extending from
the main portion 56. The tongue portion 58 is narrower than the main portion
56 and has concave
side edges. Other shapes and configurations of tearable tabs 54 could also be
envisioned.
Sealing sheet 36 comprises peripheral edges 60 and first and second cell
tearing lines
62, 64 that cross each other at right angles with at least some of cell
tearing lines 62, 64 extending
from the sealing sheet peripheral edges 36. In the embodiment shown in the
figures, all cell tearing
lines 62, 64 extend from peripheral edges 60. Cell tearing lines 62, 64 and
peripheral edges 60
divide sealing sheet 36 into cells 66 each enclosing one of the tearable tabs
54. The tearing lines 62,
64 are arrayed in seven rows and four columns and, when the sealing sheet 36
is attached to the pill
receptacle 22, cell tearing lines 62, 64 lie atop and are aligned with
corresponding pill receptacle
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tearing lines 30, 32. This allows each cell 66 to be detached from the
remainder of sealing sheet 36
concurrently with the individual pill compartments 34 being detached from the
remainder of the pill
receptacle 22. It is understood that any number of rows and columns may be
formed by cell tearing
lines 62, 64 to have each cell 66 correspond to an underlying pill receptacle
container portion 34.
Above the uppermost first tearable tab tearing line 62 is also defined a
sealing sheet
top marginal portion 68 used for assembling and identifying the pillbox 24.
Improvements of the present invention over the prior art include the
configuration of
the tearing lines on the sealing sheet; the relative configuration of the
tearing lines of the sealing
sheet with respect to those of the protective sheet, forming cooperating
tearable tabs and protective
tabs; and the relative configuration of the tearing lines of the sealing sheet
and of the protective
sheet with respect to the shape of the pill compartments. These will now be
detailed.
Figures 4 and 5 show that each tearable tab 54 defines two sides 54a, 54b and
two
ends 54c, 54d. Figures 1-5 also show that that tearable tab tongue portion 58
links main portion 56
to one of the cell tearing lines 64 and the sealing sheet peripheral edges 60.
As shown particularly in
figure 4, tearable tab tearing lines 52 comprise main portion side segments
72, 74 between which
tearable tab main portion 56 is defined; and a main portion end segment 76
that links main portion
side segments 72, 74 to each other, spacedly from tearable tab tongue portion
58, with tearable tab
main portion 56 further defined between main portion end segment 76 and
tearable tab tongue
portion 58. Tearable tab tearing lines 52 also comprise tongue portion side
segments 80, 82 between
which tearable tab tongue portion 58 is defined; with tearable tab tongue
portion 58 further defined
between tearable tab main portion 56 and either one of a cell tearing line 32
and a sealing sheet
peripheral edge.
Each tearable tab 54 is located in its corresponding cell 66.
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The tongue portions 58 of tearable tabs 54 define concave side edges that are
formed
by the tongue portion side segments 80, 82 of tearable tab tearing lines 52.
These concave side edges
are curved and widen towards tearable tab main portion 56 to help avoid
accidental tearing of tongue
portion 58 from main portion 56 when tearable tab 54 is peeled, as detailed
hereinafter. The concave
side edges of tongue portion 58 also widen towards the tearable tab second end
54d to present an
overall convergent-divergent shape.
Figures 4-8 show that each detachable pill container 34 comprises a peripheral
wall
84, an upper flange 86 linked to peripheral wall 84 and a top mouth opening
defined interiorly of
upper flange 86 that allows access into pill compartment 26. Peripheral wall
84 is slightly inclined
as it widens towards the top of the pill compartment 34, but also because it
comprises an outwardly-
opening chamfer 88 near top flange 86.
As also shown in figures 4-8, tearable tabs 54 are wider than protective tabs
46.
Tearable tabs 54 are wider than protective tabs 46 along the two sides 54a,
54b of the
main portion 56 of tearable tabs 54, and more particularly along the two main
portion side segments
72, 74. This is visible particularly in figures 5 and 6. Figure 6 shows the
spacing 90 that identifies
this difference in width between tearable tabs 54 and protective tabs 46 along
the tearable tab main
portion side segments 72, 74.
This difference in width also optionally exists at the tearable tab first end
54c, i.e.
along main portion end segment 76.
Tearable tabs 54 are also wider than protective tabs 46 in that tearable tab
tongue
portions 58 are wider than protective tab tongue portions 46, and more
particularly along the side
segments 80, 82 that define the tearable tab tongue portions 58. This is
visible particularly in figures
5 and 8. Figure 8 shows the spacing 92 that identifies this difference in
width in the tongue portion
side segments 80, 82.
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Consequently, protective tabs 46 have a contour that generally conforms to
that of
protective tabs 54, albeit being narrower along main portion side segments 72,
74 and along tongue
portion side segments 80, 82.
The top mouth openings of the detachable pill containers 34 are larger than
the
tearable tabs 54. This is visible particularly in figure 6 where the spacing
94 exists at the tearable tab
main portion 56. This is also visible in figure 8 where the spacing 96 exists
at the tearable tab tongue
portion 58.
In use, when sealing sheet 36 is attached to pill receptacle 22 by applying
its
adhesive-covered bottom surface 38 on pill receptacle 22 as described above,
corresponding tearable
tabs 54 and protective tabs 46 will be located over corresponding pill
compartments 26. Tearable
tabs 54 may be torn to access the pill compartments 26.
Two different ways of initiating the tearing of tearable tabs 54 are made
possible
according to the present invention. More particularly, tearable tabs 54 can be
torn either by peeling
them or by punching them in. After the tearing of a tearable tab 54 has been
initiated, this tearable
tab 54 may be further torn by peeling or shearing it away from the remainder
of the sealing sheet 36,
until the tearable tab 54 is partly or completely removed from the remainder
of the sealing sheet 36
to allow access within the pill compartments 26.
Initiating the tearing of tearable tabs 54 by peeling them requires that the
user grasp
the tearable tab tongue portion 58, for example between his thumb and index
fingers, and peel
tearable tab 54 upwardly away from the pill container 34 to which its cell 66
is attached, as
suggested in figure 5. Once the tearing has been initiated, the user may
maintain his grasp on the
tongue portion 58 or otherwise grasp the now accessible tearable tab main
portion 56 to further tear
tearable tab 54 partly or completely along tearing lines 52 by further peeling
or by shearing.
Tearable tab 54 may tear at least along tearable tab tongue portion side
segments 80, 82 and tearable
CA 02823449 2013-08-08
,
19
tab main portion side segments 72, 74 to allow the peeling of tearable tab 54
as shown in figure 5.
The tearable tabs 54 may remain partly attached to cell 66, for example at
main portion first end
segments 76 where they will be hinged, as shown in figure 5; or they may be
entirely detached from
cell 66 in which case tearable tab end segments 76 will also be torn. In
either case, the tearable tab
tongue portions 58 will remain attached to the tearable tab main portions 56
when tearable tabs 54
are peeled. Access to the pill compartments 26 may then be had.
Initiating the tearing of tearable tabs 54 by punching them in requires that
the user
push on the tearable tabs 54 inwardly towards pill compartments 26, for
example with his thumb,
until the tearable tabs 54 are partly torn from the remainder of sealing sheet
36 as they are forced
into pill compartments 26. Once a tearable tab 54 is partly punched in, the
user may grasp the
portion of tearable tab 54 that is accessible through the hole formed by the
punched in tearable tab
54, for example between his thumb and index fingers, to tear the tearable tab
54 partly or entirely
from the remainder of the sealing sheet 36. This second step may be
accomplished for example by
peeling or shearing the tearable tab 54 away from the remainder of the sealing
sheet 36. When
tearable tabs 54 are punched in, tearable tab tearing lines 52 can tear along
tearable tab main portion
side segments 72, 74, tearable tab tongue portion side segments 80, 82 and/or
tearable tab main
portion end segment 76, depending on where the pressure is applied by the
user's finger. Tongue
portions 58 will remain attached to main portion 56 and will be tom
concurrently therewith.
If tearable tab 54 were to be still attached at the extremity 54d along a cell
tearing line
64 to an adjacent tearable tab 54, this cell tearing line 64 would rupture to
allow the targeted tearable
tab 54 to be entirely tom from the remained of the sealing sheet 36.
Alternately, tearable tab tongue
portion 58 may be adjacent to an outer free edge of the sealing sheet 36, this
outer free edge being
either one of the sealing sheet's peripheral edges or an edge formed by the
removal of the pill
compartment 34 and cell 66 from the remainder of the pillbox 24.
CA 02823449 2013-08-08
Figures 9 and 10 show a second embodiment of the invention wherein primed
reference numbers refer to structures that are similar to the non-primed
structures of the first
embodiment. In the embodiment of figures 9 and 10, the sealing sheet 36' of
the cover sheet 20'
comprises, for each tearable tab 54', tearable tab tearing lines 52' that
comprise a tearable tab
5 intermediate segment 155 that links the tearable tab main portion side
segments 72', 74' between the
main portion 56' and the tongue portion 58'. Intermediate segment 155 is
consequently substantially
parallel to end segment 76' and is located approximately above one end wall of
the underlying pill
container 34.
In this embodiment, intermediate segment 155 may tear when tearable tab 54' is
10 punched in. The user may then peel or shear the tearable tab 54' partly
or completely away from the
remainder of sealing sheet 36'.
Figures 11 and 12 show yet a third embodiment of the invention wherein double
primed reference numbers refer to structures that are similar to the non-
double-primed structures of
the first embodiment of figures 1-8 or the single primed structures of the
second embodiment of
15 figures 9 and 10. In the embodiment of figures 11 and 12, a curved
intermediate segment 165 is
provided instead of the straight intermediate segment 155 of the second
embodiment. Curved
intermediate segment 165 extends between the side segments 72" and 74" of
tearable tab 54", and is
located spacedly from the end segment 76" towards tearable tab tongue portion
58". Figures 11-12
show that intermediate segment 165 is more particularly located approximately
over one end wall of
20 the pill container 34 opposite end segment 76", i.e. between the
tearable tab main portion 56" and
the tearable tab tongue portion 58"; although it could also be located at
another position, such as
near the center of tearable tab main portion 56". Intermediate segment 165 is
concave towards the
tearable tab main portion 56".
CA 02823449 2013-08-08
21
Figures 11 and 12 further show that a tearable tab 54" comprises a single
folding line
98", located near, albeit spacedly from, intermediate segment 165 on tearable
tab main portion 56".
Curved intermediate segment 165 may be used to punch tearable tabs 54" in as
follows: first, the user presses on the tearable tab main portion 56" with his
finger near the concave
side of intermediate segment 165. This will force tearable tab 54" to tear
partly along intermediate
segment 165 and possibly also partly along one or both side segments 72", 74".
This will form a
prehension edge on the tearable tab 54" that will allow the user to grasp the
partly torn tearable tab
main portion 56" between his index and thumb, to peel or shear the entire
tearable tab 54" from the
remainder of the sealing sheet 36". The folding line 98" will help the user
grasp the partly torn
tearable tab main portion 56" by allowing it to fold as compression prehension
pressure is applied
by the user's fingers. As shown in this embodiment, punching the tearable tab
in consequently
allows the tearable tab to be subsequently grasped and peeled or sheared away.
According to the invention of the first, second and third embodiments, it can
consequently be seen that when a tearable tab 54, 54' or 54" is punched in, at
least one of the
tearable tab main portion side segments 72, 74, 72', 74', 72", 74", the
tearable tab main portion end
segment 76, 76', 76" or the tearable tab intermediate segments 155, 165 (if
the latter are present) are
torn to initiate the tearing of the tearable tab.. As noted above, this will
be followed by some
peeling or shearing action being accomplished to partly or entirely remove the
tearable tab 54 from
the remainder of the sealing sheet 36.
It can consequently further be seen that, according to the present invention,
tearing
the tearable tabs 54 (or 54, or 54") can be initiated by either one of the
peeling or punching in of the
tearable tabs 54 to yield the desired result of ultimately tearing the
tearable tabs 54 from the
remainder of the sealing sheet 36. The result is that users may decide to
punch tearable tabs 54 in or
peel them away without having to consider which tearing initiation method
should be used, as both
CA 02823449 2013-08-08
22
methods will work without discrimination and possibly without the users even
noticing whether the
cover sheet enables both methods to work. In either case, an obvious
prehension edge will be
formed that the used will intuitively grasp to continue the tearing of the
tearable tab 54 after the
tearing initiation has occurred. This means that users, such as elderly
patients who can have more
difficulty with the minute handling of the tearable tab tongues, can punch the
tearable tab in; while
other users can peel the tearable tab, for example if the pill container is
filled with pills to the brim
making it difficult to punch the tearable tab in.
A further advantage of the present invention relates to the fact that whether
the
tearable tab 54 tearing is initiated by peeling or punching, the entire
tearable tab 54 may ultimately
be torn away from the remainder of the sealing sheet 36, if the user so
desires. This is allowed by the
tearable tab 54 being defined by a closed loop that will allow this entire
tearing and removal of
tearable tab 54. This advantage takes particular value if a new sealing sheet
should be installed over
the existing one, for example if pill replacement is to be accomplished by the
medical personnel
handling the pill receptacle. Indeed, in such a case, the tearable tab 54
covering the pill container
where pills are being replaced needs to be entirely removed to avoid hindrance
of the new overlying
sealing sheet.
It is noted that, in alternate configurations of the tearing lines (not
shown), the tongue
portion side segments 80, 82 could be coextensive with the main portion side
segments 72, 74 in
which case the tearable tab tongue portion 58 would be as large as the
tearable tab main portion 56.
Tongue portion 58 could alternately be larger than main portion 56, or could
have side segments
having a different shape, even though the illustrated shape with concave side
edges is considered
advantageous.
Figures 2 and 4 show that sealing sheet 36 may comprise folding lines 98 made
on
tearable tab main portions 56. More particularly, first and second folding
lines 98, 98 are provided
CA 02823449 2013-08-08
23
on tearable tab main portions 56 and they are parallel to and spaced-apart
between main portion end
segments 76, 78. The purpose of folding lines 98 is to facilitate grabbing the
tearable tab main
portion 56 when it is torn away from the remainder of sealing sheet 36 after
having been punched in.
Indeed, without the folding lines, the tearable tab 54 may then slip between
the user's fingers; while
the folding lines will help the tearable tab 54 to fold between the user's
fingers when it is
compressed.
As noted above, the protective tabs 46 remain attached to the tearable tabs 54
when
the latter are torn, notwithstanding which of the tearing methods is being
used, i.e. peeling or
punching in. As noted above and according to the present invention, the
tearable tabs 54 are wider
than the protective tabs 46 and this avoids that the protective tabs 46 either
hinder the tearing of
tearable tabs 54 and also, importantly, that the protective tabs 46 be
accidentally peeled away from
the tearable tabs 54. Indeed, the outer edges of the protective tabs 46 will
be spaced apart by a
distance equal to spacing 90 relative to the inner edge of the remaining
portion of the sealing sheet
cell 66. This spacing 90 will avoid friction between the respective edges of
the main portion 58 of
protective tab 46 and the remaining portion of sealing sheet cell 66.
This is also true at the location of tearable tab tongue portion 58, namely
the tearable
tab tongue portion 58 is larger than the protective tab tongue portion 50 by a
distance equal to
spacing 92. This avoids contact between the edges of the protective tab tongue
portion and the edges
of the remaining portion of the sealing sheet cell 66 adjacent to tongue
portion 58.
It is further noted that sealing sheet 36 is not in contact with pill
receptacle 22 at the
position of tearing lines 52. This is materialized at spaces 94 and 96
respectively at tearable tab main
portion 56 and tongue portion 58.
More particularly, as shown in figure 6, this is enabled at main portion 56 by
the
tearable tab tearing lines 52 being aligned with an inclined portion of the
pill compartment
CA 02823449 2013-08-08
24
peripheral wall 84. Specifically, tearing lines 52 are aligned with and spaced
from the peripheral
wall chamfer 88 near its top flange 86. This positioning of tearing lines 52
allows the sealing sheet
36 to avoid being in contact with pill receptacle 22 at tearing lines 52 which
would make the tearing
of tearable tab 54 more difficult. However, by locating tearing lines 52 above
chamfer 88, the
exposed portion of the bottom surface 40 of the sealing sheet 36 that extends
along spaces 90, 94,
i.e. between the outer edge of protective tab 46 and the upper flange 86 of
pill receptacle 22, will not
be reachable by the pills and the pills will consequently not come into
contact with this exposed
portion of the sealing sheet bottom surface 40.
As shown in figure 8, the sealing sheet 36 not being in contact with pill
receptacle 22
at the position of tearing lines 52 is also enabled at tearable tab tongue
portion 58 by the fact that the
protective sheet tongue portion 50 underlies the tearable tab tongue portion
58 in combination with
the tearable tab tongue portion 58 being wider than the protective tab tongue
portion 58. Even
though the effective thickness of protective sheet 46 is small, this will
nonetheless result in sealing
sheet 36 sloping from atop protective sheet tongue portion 50 down towards the
pill receptacle upper
flange 86. The tongue portion side segments 80, 82 of tearing lines 52 are
located in this slope,
spacedly above upper flange 86.
As shown in figures 4, 5, 7 and 8, a finger opening 100 is provided at one end
of the
pill receptacle upper flange 86 to facilitate grasping the tongue portions 50,
58 of tearable tab 54 and
protective tab 46.
It is noted that cell tearing lines 62, 64 and first and second pill
receptacle tearing
lines 30, 32, although advantageous, are not mandatory. For one thing, a
pillbox without
individually detachable pill compartments (not shown) could be provided. Such
a pillbox would
have all tearable tab tongue portions adjacent to a peripheral edge of the
pillbox. Or, alternately,
individual pill compartments could be detached by cutting them away without
cell tearing lines 62,
CA 02823449 2013-08-08
,
,
64 and first and second pill receptacle tearing lines 30, 32 to facilitate
this operation. Cell tearing
lines 62, 64 could be drawn on the sealing sheet 36, instead of being punched
or cut therein, to
identify where the cut should be made with scissors.
In the absence of cell tearing lines 62, 64, a single cell could be defined as
the entire
5
sealing sheet area 36. Thus, according to a general statement of the present
invention, sealing sheet
36 comprises at least one cell circumscribed by borders, these borders being
either one of:
= peripheral edges of an outer periphery of the sealing sheet;
= cell tearing lines located interiorly of the peripheral edges; and
= a combination of the sealing sheet peripheral edges and cell tearing
lines.
10
As can be seen in Figures 1-3, to assemble pillbox 24, the band 55 of
protective sheet
42 is first removed. The exposed portion of the bottom glue-covered surface 40
of sealing sheet 36
is then applied against the flat top surface 28 of pill receptacle 22 at a
position immediately above
the uppermost pill receptacle tearing line 30. Preferably, an embossment is
further made on top
surface 28 to facilitate this alignment by providing a visual and tactile cue
that the sheet is being
15
properly positioned. With this alignment done, the marginal portion 53 of
protective sheet 42 is then
removed and the thusly additionally exposed portion of the marginal portion 68
of sealing sheet 36
is affixed to the marginal portion 35 of pill receptacle 22. A tray (not
shown) may optionally be used
to facilitate this first installation step. Such a tray comprises openings
shaped and configured to
receive the pill compartments 26 and also comprises alignment pins engageable
within alignment
20
holes 70 made through pill receptacle 22, sealing sheet 36 and protective
sheet 42. The pillbox 24
may be removed from the tray at any time after the marginal portion 68 of
sealing sheet is affixed to
the marginal portion 35 of pill receptacle 22. At this point, the cover sheet
20 is attached only by the
marginal portion 68 of sealing sheet 36 being affixed to marginal portion 35
of pill receptacle 22
CA 02823449 2013-08-08
26
and, in the remaining part of cover sheet 20, sealing sheet 36 remains
protected by protective sheet
42.
Pills may then be dispensed by the appropriate medical personnel into pill
compartments 26. To access the pill compartments 26, cover sheet 20 may be
raised, similarly to
Once the pills are inserted into pill compartments 26, portions of protective
sheet 42
are removed from sealing sheet 36 by being peeled away such that only
protective tabs 46 remain
The pillbox may then be distributed to other personnel who may distribute the
pills to
the patients by detaching the individual pill containers 34 and the associated
sealing sheet cells 66
