DISPENSER FOR SOLID PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS

DISTRIBUTEUR DE PRODUITS PHARMACEUTIQUES SOLIDES

English Abstract

A new dispenser for solid pharmaceutical
preparations consists of a flat container with a removal
well 3 which can be closed or opened by the flipping
round of a closure member 5 with a convexity 6 engaging
in the removal well 3.

French Abstract

Un distributeur nouveau pour médicaments solides se compose d'un récipient plat avec une cuvette de prélèvement (3) qui se ferme ou s'ouvre par rabattement d'une partie de fermeture (5) terminée dans le bas par une voussure (6) qui s'engage dans la cuvette de prélèvement (3).

Claims

- 4 -
PATENT CLAIMS:
1. Dispenser for solid pharmaceutical
preparations, wherein a flat tray (2) covered by a cover
plate (8) is provided in a plate (1), said tray (2)
merging at a narrow end into a removal well (3) which is
closed, or opened for removal of the pharmaceutical
preparation, by the flipping round of a closure member
(5), attached to the plate (1), having a convexity (6)
which engages in the removal well (3).
2. Dispenser according to claim 1 characterised
in that the plate (1) has a recess (10) in that part
which is covered by the closure member (5), said recess
(10) giving easier access to the closure member (5) and
thereby making it easier to open.
3. Dispenser according to claim 1 or 2,
characterised in that, adjacent to the removal well (3)
in the plate (1), a further recess (9) is provided,
particularly for receiving fractions of the
pharmaceutical preparation packed in the dispenser, and
in the closed state of the closure member (5) this
recess (9) is covered thereby.
4. Dispenser according to claim 1, 2 or 3,
characterised in that the removal well (3) or that part
of the dispenser which contains the removal well (3) is
sealed with a covering film, so that the preparation can
only be removed once the covering film has been removed.

Description

E, F.`~ E ~ r~~ ;~
~-s ,~ i ~R~C~Q~ EON 21 6 5 19
S015-319.586
Case 3/412
BO~HRINGBR INGELHEIM GMBH
~isDenser for Solid Pharmaceutical Preparations
The invention relates to a dispenser for solid
pharmaceutical preparations, particularly tablets, film-
coated tablets, sugar-coated tablets and capsules.
Solid pharmaceutical preparations such as tablets,
film-coated tablets, sugar-coated tablets, capsules, and
suppositories have hitherto generally been packaged in
bottles, press-out packs, glass or plastics tubes or
boxes.
The invention now solves the problem of providing a
simple, easy to handle package of a suitable form, the
construction of which uses little material.
The new dispenser consists of a flat container in
which, at one narrow end, there is a through opening
which communicates with a removal well closed off by a
flap closure.
Some embodiments of the invention and appropriate
modifications and details are shown in Figures 1-7.
Figure 1 shows a view of a dispenser according to
the invention in the flipped open state. In a plate 1
is a flat tray 2 which merges into a removal well 3 at
one side. Adjoining the plate 1 is a foldline 4 which
makes it easier to fold the closure member 5 round. The
closure member 5 has a convexity 6 shaped so that when
it is folded round it engages in the Le.uo~dl well 3 and
substantially fills said well. Mounted on the plate 1
is a planar cover plate which totally covers the plate
1, apart from the place where the removal well 3 is
located (shown here with a tablet 3a therein). Over the
removal well 3 the cover plate has a cutout; it allows
the convexity 6 to pass through under slight pressure,

216519~
- 2 -
and the closure member S is then fixed on the cover
plate by a clamping connection.
Fig.la is a side view of the dispenser according to
Fig. 1 showing the cover plate 8 pulled over the closure
member 5.
The height of the tray 2 depends on the nature and
quantity of the filling. As a rule, a height which is
slightly greater than the thickness of the individual
pharmaceutical preparations, eg. tablets, is sufficient.
If several layers of pharmaceutical preparations are to
be accommodated one above the other, a correspondingly
deeper tray will be used.
Fig. 2 is a view of the closed dispenser from
above, the closure member 5 abutting tightly on the
cover plate whilst the convexity 6 has protruded into
the cutout of the cover plate and the removal well 3.
Fig 3 shows the dispenser viewed from the longer
narrow side. The flat tray 2 with the adjacent removal
well 3 can be seen under the plate 1. The closure
member 5 has been folded round the foldline 4 and abuts
tightly on the cover plate 8. Next to the closure
member 5 which has been folded round, there is room on
the cover plate 8 for instructions for use In order to
open the dispenser the closure member 5 is lifted on the
side opposite the foldline 4. By tilting the dispenser
so that the removal well is in a lower position, or by
gently shaking it, one item of the contents is conveyed
into the removal well 3 from where it can be removed.
The dispenser is then closed again.
In the dispenser according to Fig 4 the closure
member 5 is secured with a narrow side on the plate 1.
The latter has an additional depression 9; this serves
to store half a tablet, for example. This may be
desirable if the contents of the package consists of
divisible tablets, of which the patient requires only
half. A recess 10 in the plate 1 and the cover plate 8

2165193
3 -
makes it easier to flip open the closure member 5.
Fig. 5 shows the same dispenser when closed.
Adjacent to the closure member 5 the information for use
11 is fixed on the cover plate 8.
S Figures 6 and 7 show a dispenser similar to that in
Figs 4 and 5 viewed diagonally from above.
Dispensers according to the present invention are
conveniently manufactured according to known methods of
plastics processing. The dispensers usefully have a
manufacturer's seal, known per se, to show immediately
whether the dispenser has been opened. The
manufacturer's seal may, for example, consist of a
removable covering film welded over the removal part,
the covering film extending into the removal well 3 so
that it does not interfere with the closing of the
dispenser by the flipping round of the closure member 5.
The covering film may extend over the entire cover
plate, in which case a perforated strip is removed
before use, this strip preferably being the same length
and width as the closure member 5.

Representative Drawing