Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
CHILD RESISTANT CARD
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a card for dispensing pills, e.g.,
capsules and/or
tablets, that requires the user to perform a series of steps to access a pill
within the card, thus
preventing a child, but not an adult, access to pills present within the card.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Child resistant packaging for pills, such as tablets and capsules, is well
known for preventing
uncontrolled consumption of pills by children. For example, blister packs
having push-through
type packaging have been used in an attempt to prevent children from accessing
pills within the
blister pack. Often, however, such blister packs are difficult for adults,
particularly elderly
adults, to open. For example, some blister packs require the user to tear at a
notch or to peel a
layer from the back of the blister pack, which often requires a great deal of
finger strength and
dexterity.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide child resistant packaging that
renders access to
pills difficult for children yet facile for adults. Particular objects and
advantages will be
apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, those who are knowledgeable or
experienced in this
field of technology, in view of the following disclosure of the invention and
detailed description
of certain embodiments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention advantageously provides a child resistant card for
dispensing pills, e.g.,
capsules and/or tablets, that renders access to the pills difficult for a
child but not for an adult,
e.g., a senior citizen. The child resistant card of the invention enables the
user to access a pill,
e.g., a tablet and/or a capsule, disposed within the card after performing a
series of steps.
Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a child
resistant card for
dispensing one or more pills, e.g., capsules and/or tablets, including a
closure part and a push-
through part attached by a fold region, in which the closure part includes a
blister hole and a
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
2
perforated front push-through tab, and the push-through part includes a
perforated pill push-
through tab and a perforated back push-through tab or a perforated back punch
tab. Upon
folding at the fold region, the blister hole is aligned over the perforated
pill push-through tab
and the perforated front push-through tab is aligned over the perforated back
push-through tab
or perforated back punch tab. The child resistant card further includes a
blister pack including a
blister having an outlet and a penetrable backing portion, in which the outlet
of the blister is
covered by the penetrable backing portion to create a closed blister and the
pill is located inside
the closed blister, and the blister pack is located between the folded closure
part and push-
through part such that the blister protrudes through the blister hole. The
child resistant card
also includes a separate pick and place part including a removable tab that is
located between
the blister pack and push-through part such that the removable tab prevents
removal of the pill
through the penetrable backing portion and the perforated pill push-through
tab, in which the
pill can be dispensed from the child resistant card by removing the removable
tab and applying
force to the blister such that the pill is concomitantly pushed through the
penetrable backing
portion and the perforated pill push-through tab.
In certain aspects of the invention, the removable tab is accessible after at
least partial removal
of the perforated front push-through tab and the perforated back push-through
tab. In other
aspects of the invention, the perforated front push-through tab and the
perforated back push-
through tab can be at least partially removed by applying force to the
perforated front push-
through tab. In still other aspects of the invention, one or more of the
perforated back push-
through tabs and/or the perforated back punch tabs have been removed.
In other aspects of the invention, the removable tab is accessible after at
least partial removal of
the perforated front push-through tab and the perforated back punch tab. In
certain aspects of
the invention, the perforated front push-through tab and the perforated back
punch tab can be at
least partially removed by applying force to the perforated back punch tab. In
yet other aspects
of the invention, force can be applied to the perforated back punch tab using
an implement such
as, for example, a pen or a pencil.
In still other aspects of the invention, the removable tab is removed by
grasping and pulling the
removable tab from the child resistant card. In yet other aspects of the
invention, the removable
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
3
tab is aligned between the perforated front push-through tab and the
perforated back push-
through tab or perforated back punch tab and aligned between the blister
aperture and the
perforated pill push-through tab. In other aspects of the invention, the
removable tab has a
rounded end that is aligned between the perforated front push-through tab and
the perforated
back push-through tab or perforated back punch tab.
In certain aspects of the present invention, the child resistant card further
includes an outer
cover part attached to the push-through part by a folding rib and/or an inner
cover part attached
to the push-through part by a second fold region.
In certain aspects of the present invention, the child resistant card further
includes two or more
blister holes, two or more perforated front push-through tabs, two or more
perforated pill push-
through tabs, two or more perforated back push-through tabs or perforated back
punch tabs,
and/or two or more blisters. In other aspects of the present invention, the
child resistant card is
suitable for dispensing two or more pills.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a child
resistant card for
dispensing a pill comprising including a closure part and a push-through part
attached by a fold
region, in which the closure part includes a blister hole, a perforated front
push-through tab, and
a structural rib hole, and the push-through part includes a perforated pill
push-through tab and a
perforated back push-through tab or perforated back punch tab is provided.
Upon folding at the
fold region, the blister hole is aligned over the perforated pill push-through
tab and the
perforated front push-through tab is aligned over the perforated back push-
through tab or
perforated back punch tab.
In certain aspects of the present invention, the structural rib is flat. In
other aspects of the
present invention, the blister pack is located between the folded closure part
and push-through
part such that the structural rib is aligned with the structural rib hole. In
other aspects of the
present invention, the blister pack is located between the folded closure part
and push-through
part such that the structural rib is protrudes through the structural rib
hole. In still other aspects
of the present invention, the closure part has two or more (e.g., four)
structural rib holes.
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
4
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, a child
resistant card for
dispensing a pill includes an inner cover part attached to the push-through
part by a fold region,
the inner cover part having a slot. In certain aspects of the invention,
patient information or
usage instructions are inserted into the slot.
The child resistant card according to the invention may be manufactured using
any suitable
rigid, semi-rigid or flexible packaging materials known in the art. Suitable
card materials
include paper materials such as cardboard and/or one or more of the other
materials described
herein. A child resistant card according to the invention can include a
blister pack having a
penetrable backing portion and a blister portion.
In certain aspects of the invention, the backing portion of a blister pack is
made of a foil-like
substance which includes, but is not limited to, metal foils such as aluminium
foils; foils
containing one or more plastics, e.g., plastics based on polyolefins such as
polyethylenes or
polypropylenes, polyamides, polyvinylchloride, polyesters such as polyalkylene-
terephthalates,
e.g., polyethylene-terephthalate; and paper materials such as parchment, wax
paper, cardboard
and the like. A foil-containing plastic may be a monofilm of plastic, a
laminate of two or more
plastic films, a laminate of metal foil and plastic film, a laminates of paper
and plastic film or a
laminate of paper, metal foil and plastic film. The individual layers of foil-
shaped materials
may be attached to each other by means of adhesives, laminating adhesives,
bonding agents
and/or by a process such as extrusion coating, co-extruding, laminating and
the like. Plastic
films include those that are non-oriented, mono-axially oriented or bi-axially
oriented mono-
films or laminates of two or more non-oriented or mono-axially oriented or bi-
axially oriented
films of plastic based on polyolefins, e.g., polyethylenes, polypropylenes,
polyamides,
polyvinylchloride, or polyesters such as polyalkylene-terephthalates, e.g.,
polyethylene-
terephthalate, cyclo-olefin-copolymers (COC) and polychlorotrifluoroethylenes
(PCTFE).
The blister portion of a blister pack may be made of a variety of materials
including, but not
limited to, transparent plastics having good shape-forming characteristics.
Such plastics
include, but are not limited to, polyethylene, polypropylene, cyclo-olefin-
copolymer,
polyvinylchloride, polyethylene-terephthalate, polyamide,
polychlorotrifluoroethylene and
laminates manufactured out of one or more of the materials described herein,
e.g., PVC and
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
polychlorotrifluoroethylene or PVC and PVDC (polyvinyldichloride). For non-
transparent
blister packs use is made e.g., of laminates including aluminium foil clad on
both sides with a
plastic film, having e.g., a layer structure of polyamide/aluminium/PVC or
plastic films
containing pigments. The backing portion is normally an aluminium foil, which
is lacquer
coated and/or coated with a hot sealing lacquer.
All papers, semi-cardboards and cardboards and plastic films mentioned above,
in the form of
mono-films, laminates and the like, may contain at least one continuous layer
of sputtered or
vacuum deposited anorganic ceramic materials, for example A1203 or SiO, in
which x has a
value of 1.5 to 2, in a thickness of for example 5 to 500 nanometers. One or
more layers of
ceramic materials may be used to provide barrier properties and avoid the
diffusion of gases and
moisture through the packaging.
In certain aspects of the invention, an implement is used to at least
partially remove the
perforated back punch tab by pushing. A variety of suitable implements are
appropriate and
include, but are not limited to, pens, pencils, needles, pins, tacks, nails,
screws, skewers and the
like.
These and additional features and advantages disclosed here will be further
understood from the
following detailed disclosure of certain embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will
be more fully
understood from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments
taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 depicts a plan view of a child resistant card according to an
embodiment of the
invention.
Figure 2 depicts a plan view showing the inner portion of a child resistant
card according to an
embodiment of the invention that is visible to the user upon opening.
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
6
Figures 3A-3C depict plan views of the blister pack portion of a child
resistant card according
to an embodiment of the invention, (A) is a lateral side view, (B) is a top
view, (C) is a
longitudinal side view.
Figure 4 depicts a plan view of the removable pick and place portion of a
child resistant card
according to an embodiment of the invention.
Figures 5A-5C detail how the user gains access to tablets or capsules enclosed
within a child
resistant card according to an embodiment of the invention that includes the
use of a back push-
through tab.
Figure 6 depicts a plan view showing the inner portion of a child resistant
card according to an
embodiment of the invention that is visible to the user upon opening.
Figure 7 depicts a plan view of the removable pick and place portion of a
child resistant card
according to an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 8 depicts a plan. view showing the outer panel of a child resistant
card according to an
embodiment of the invention.
Figures 9A-9C detail how the user gains access to tablets or capsules enclosed
within a child
resistant card according to an embodiment of the invention that includes the
use of a perforated
back punch tab.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Depicted in Figure 1 is one version of a child resistant card of the present
invention. This
version of a child resistant card includes five paper (e.g., cardboard) parts:
closure part 1, push-
through part 2, outer cover part 3, inner cover part 4, and pick and place
part 5. Closure part 1
is connected to push-through part 2 via fold a. Push-through part 2 is
connected to outer cover
part 3 via folding rib 20. Outer cover part 3 is connected to inner cover part
4 via fold b. Pick
and place part 5 is a separate part that is not connected to parts 1, 2, 3 or
4.
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
7
To assemble the child resistant card depicted in Figure 1, pick and place part
5 is located on top
of push-through part 2 such that rounded end 30 of each removable tab 26 is
aligned over each
back push-through tab 18. Closure part 1 is then folded on top of pick and
place part 5 by
folding closure part 1 in direction A via folding region a such that each
blister hole 12 is
aligned over each pill push-through tab 16 and each front push-through tab 10
is aligned over
each back push-through tab 18. Part 5 is thereby located between closure part
1 and push-
though part 2. Inner cover part 4 is then folded on top of outer cover part 3
in direction B via
folding region b.
Figure 2 depicts a child resistant card of an embodiment of the present
invention after pick and
place part 5 is located on top of push-through part 2 closure part 1 is folded
over onto pick and
place part 5 in direction A and inner cover part 4 is folded over onto outer
cover part 3 in
direction B. The child resistant card may then be folded along folding rib 20
such that closure
part 1 is facing inner cover part 4.
In an embodiment of the invention, closure part 1 includes a series of
perforated, removable,
front push-through tabs 10, a series of blister holes 12, and a series of
structural rib holes 14.
Blister holes 12 and structural rib holes 14 are designed to receive each of a
series of blisters
andJor each of a series of structural ribs, respectively, contained on a
blister pack for use with
the child resistant card of the present invention. Push-through part 2
contains a series of
perforated, removable, pill push-through tabs 16 and a series of perforated,
removable, back
push-through tabs 18. The pill push-through tabs 16 create resistance to the
push-through of
pills and require application of a force to allow a pill to push through a
push-through tab 16.
Inner cover part 4 contains an optional slot 22, into which an insert (e.g.,
patient information
and/or usage instructions) may be inserted. Pick and place part 5 contains a
series of removable
tabs 26 that, when the card is located between closure part 1 and push-through
part 2, prevent
removal of pills (e.g., tablets or capsules) from the child resistant card.
In another embodiment of the invention, closure part 1 includes a series of
perforated,
removable, front push-through tabs 10 and a series of blister holes 12.
Blister holes 12 are
designed to receive each of a series of blisters contained on a blister pack
for use with the child
resistant card of the present invention. Push-through part 2 contains a series
of perforated,
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
8
removable, pill push-through tabs 16 and a series of perforated, removable,
back punch tabs 38.
The pill push-through tabs 16 create resistance to the push-through of pills
and require
application of a force to allow a pill to push through a push-through tab 16.
Inner cover part 4
contains an optional slot 22, into which an insert (e.g., patient information
and/or usage
instructions) may be inserted. Pick and place part 5 contains a series of
removable tabs 26 that,
when the card is located between closure part 1 and push-through part 2,
prevent removal of
pills (e.g., tablets or capsules) from the child resistant card. Figure 6
depicts one embodiment
of inner cover part 4 and closure part 1. Figure 8 depicts one embodiment of
push-through part
2 and outer cover part 3.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, closure part 1 includes a series
of perforated,
removable, front push-through tabs 10 and a series of blister holes 12. In
certain aspects, one or
more of the front push-through tabs 10 may optionally be removed prior to
assembling and/or
using a child resistant card of the invention. Blister holes 12 are designed
to receive each of a
series of blisters contained on a blister pack for use with the child
resistant card of the present
invention. Push-through part 2 contains a series of perforated, removable,
pill push-through
tabs 16 and a series of perforated, removable, back push-through tabs 18
and/or a series of
perforated, removable, back punch tabs 38. In certain aspects, one or more of
the perforated,
removable, back push-through tabs 18 and/or one or more of the perforated,
removable, back
punch tabs 38 may optionally be removed prior to assembling and/or using a
child resistant card
of the invention.
Figure 3 depicts one embodiment of a blister pack, blister pack 6, having a
base part 34 and one
or more blisters 36 having an outlet and shaped to accommodate a pill (e.g., a
tablet or a
capsule). A penetrable backing, e.g., a foil-like seal, is adhesively
connected to the underside of
base part 34 to close the outlet of blister 36 such that blister 36 can have a
pill enclosed within.
Blister pack 6 is located between pick and place part 5 and closure part I
such that a blister 36
protrudes through a corresponding blister hole 12. When blister pack 6 is
located in this
manner, a pill within blister 36 cannot be pushed through push through tab 16
because
removable tab 26 is present between the backing portion of blister pack 6 and
push through tab
16. After removal of removable tab 26, a pill may be removed by applying force
to blister 36
such that the pill is concomitantly pushed through the penetrable backing
portion and perforated
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
9
pill push-through tab 16. Both the penetrable backing portion and the pill
push-through tab
provide resistance to the push through of a pill. A force must be applied to
overcome this
resistance to push through a pill.
A blister pack may optionally contain one or more structural ribs 32. When the
blister pack is
located within the assembled child resistant card of the invention, the one or
more structural
ribs 32 are aligned with one or more structural rib holes 14. The one or more
structural ribs
may be essentially flat, or alternatively may protrude through the one or more
structural rib
holes 14 of the assembled child resistant card of the invention. The one or
more structural ribs
32 can function to increase the stiffness of the assembled child resistant
card to increase these
ease with which a perforated front push-through tab 10 and a perforated back
push-through tab
18 or perforated back punch tab 38 may be at least partially removed from the
card, to increase
the ease with which removable tab 26 can be removed from the card, and/or to
increase the ease
with which a pill can concomitantly be pressed through the penetrable backing
portion of the
blister pack and perforated pill push-through tab 16. The structural rib may
be constructed of
any material suitable for adding strength to the card, such as one or more of
the plastic, foil
and/or paper materials described herein.
In certain embodiments of the invention, blister pack 6 may optionally be
attached to closure
part 1 and/or pick and place part 5 using one or more adhesive compositions or
methods known
in the art. In other embodiments of the invention, closure part I may be
attached to push-
through part 2 andlor pick and place part 5 using one or more adhesive
compositions or
methods known in the art. In still other embodiments of the invention, outer
cover part 3 may
be attached to inner cover part 4 using one or more adhesive compositions or
methods known in
the art. As used herein, the term adhesive is intended to include, but is not
limited to, chemical
adhesives, e.g., glues, gums, resins, drying adhesives, contact adhesives, hot
adhesives, reactive
adhesives, pressure sensitive adhesives and the like, as well as mechanical
adhesives, e.g.,
staples, tape, straps, fasteners, folds and the like.
Figures 4 and 7 show detailed views of removable pick and place part 5
depicting a series of
removable tabs 26. Each removable tab 26 is attached to pick and place part 5
via attachment
regions 28 or attachment regions 40. The rounded end 30 of each removable tab
26 traverses
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
rectangular cut-out region 24. Cut-out region 24 is a void and, other than
where rounded end
30 of each tab 26 traverses this region, is devoid of paper product. When
rounded end 30 is
grasped by a user and pulled, attachment regions 28 or attachment regions 40
are released and
removable tab 26 may be removed from pick and place part 5.
Figure 5 details how a user gains access to a pill sealed within a child
resistant card of the
present invention using a series of steps. In step A, a user grasps the child
resistant card of the
present invention, places a finger on back push-through tab 18 and applies
force (e.g., pressure)
by pushing back push-through tab 18 to break at least some of the perforations
holding push-
through tab 18 in place, such that push-through tab 18 is partially or
completely released from
push-through part 2. As shown in step B, while pushing, the user's finger also
bends rounded
end 30 of tab 26 away from push-through part 2 and breaks at least some of the
perforations
holding push-through tab 10 in place such that push-through tab 10 is
partially or completely
released from closure part 1, and such that rounded end 30 of removable tab 26
is exposed. In
aspects of the invention wherein back push-through tab 18 has optionally been
removed prior to
assembling and/or using the child resistant card, the user's finger is placed
through the opening
made by removal of tab 18 such that the user's finger bends rounded end 30 of
tab 26 away
from push-through part 2. In aspects of the invention wherein push-through tab
10 has
optionally been removed prior to assembling and/or using the child resistant
card, rounded end
30 of removable tab 26 is exposed. Rounded end 30 of removable tab 26 is
grasped by the user
and pulled, such that removable tab 26 is removed from the child resistant
card leaving an
opening in pick and place part 5 located between a corresponding blister hole
12, the penetrable
backing of the blister pack, and a corresponding pill push-through tab 16. The
user can now
remove a pill located in blister 36 by pushing the top of the blister with a
finger as shown in
step C such that the pill is concomitantly pushed through two layers: the
penetrable backing of
the blister pack underneath blister 36 and the corresponding perforated pill
push-through tab 16
of push-through part 2.
Figure 9 details how a user gains access to a pill sealed within a child
resistant card of the
present invention using a series of steps. In step A, a user grasps the child
resistant card of the
present invention, places an implement on perforated back punch tab 38 and
applies force (e.g.,
pressure) by pushing perforated back punch tab 38 to break at least some of
the perforations
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
11
holding perforated back punch tab 38 in place, such that perforated back punch
tab 38 is
partially or completely released from push-through part 2. As shown in step B,
while pushing,
the user's implement also bends rounded end 30 of tab 26 away from push-
through part 2 and
breaks at least some of the perforations holding push-through tab 10 in place
such that push-
through tab 10 is partially or completely released from closure part 1, and
such that rounded end
30 of removable tab 26 is exposed. In aspects of the invention wherein
perforated back punch
tab 38 has optionally been removed prior to assembling and/or using the child
resistant card, the
implement is placed through the opening made by removal of perforated back
punch tab 38
such that the implement bends rounded end 30 of tab 26 away from push-through
part 2. In
aspects of the invention wherein push-through tab 10 has optionally been
removed prior to
assembling and/or using the child resistant card, rounded end 30 of removable
tab 26 is
exposed. Rounded end 30 of removable tab 26 is grasped by the user and pulled,
such that
removable tab 26 is removed from the child resistant card leaving an opening
in pick and place
part 5 located between a corresponding blister hole 12, the penetrable backing
of the blister
pack, and a corresponding pill push-through tab 16. The user can now remove a
pill located in
blister 36 by pushing the top of the blister with a finger as shown in step C
such that the pill is
concomitantly pushed through two layers: the penetrable backing of the blister
pack underneath
blister 36 and the corresponding perforated pill push-through tab 16 of push-
through part 2.
Blister pack 6 may include a series of structural ribs 32. The structural ribs
provide strength to
the child resistant card which prevents tearing of the card and allows proper
removal of pills
from the card. In certain embodiments, each structural rib 32 is raised such
as depicted in
Figure 3C. In other embodiments, each structural rib 32 is flat. In
embodiments in which
structural rib 32 is raised, each structural rib 32 protrudes through each
corresponding structural
rib hole 14 when blister pack 6 is located between pick and place part 5 and
closure part 1. In
embodiments in which each structural rib 32 is flat, each structural rib hole
14 is located over
each corresponding structural rib 32 such that each structural rib 32 can be
viewed through each
corresponding structural rib hole 14.
It is to be understood that the embodiments of the present invention which
have been described
are merely illustrative of some of the applications of the principles of the
present invention.
CA 02622447 2008-02-22
12
Numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art based upon the
teachings
presented herein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the
invention.
