Laminar Child Resistant Package

There has, in the recent past, been considerable activity in the development of what is known in the trade as "child resistant packaging", which permits opening by adults without undue difficulty, as by following printed instructions, and presents substantial obstacles to being opened by children incapable of comprehending and following the necessary instructions. However, such child resistant packaging has, in the past, not been entirely satisfactory as being too difficult or too easy to open, and usually presenting at least some apparent entry structure, which may defeat the intended purposes.

In accordance with the objects of the present invention it is intended to provide a child resistant package which overcomes the above-mentioned difficulties of the prior art, being quite simple to open by all adults capable of following simple instructions, and affording no apparent entry structure by which children may, through initial attraction thereto and subsequent working thereof, afford entry to the package contents.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a laminar child resistant package having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which adds little or no extra cost to manufacture, but on the contrary may produce substantial savings by minimizing material requirements.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a child resistant laminar package of the type described which is adapted for manufacture by conventional packaging machinery, utilizing conventional packaging materials, and capable of presenting neat and aesthetically attractive packages.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view showing a child resistant package constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, partly broken away to conserve drawing space.

FIG. 2 is an inverted partial perspective view showing a package of FIG. 1 in an initial stage of opening.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating the opening procedure at a slighter later stage than shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3, but inverted and illustrating still a later stage in the opening procedure.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4, illustrating one possible laminar structure in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the scale thereof being necessarily distorted in order to show the relatively thin laminae.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view, also enlarged, taken generally along the line 6--6 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view, also enlarged, at a slighter later stage than shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view, also enlarged, taken generally along the line 8--8 of FIG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIG. 1 thereof, a multiple package of the present invention is there illustrated, each individual package being generally designated 10, and being connected to adjacent packages by perforate severance lines 11. Thus. each package 10 may be of a laminar construction, say of the blister type and provided with indicia, such as lines 12, and suitable instructions for directing folds along the markings or lines 12. Such directions may be seen in FIG. 2.

In FIGS. 1-4, there is seen to be a relatively thick, primary layer 15, which may be vinyl or other suitable plastic, which may be formed with a contents holding formation or blister 16. The layer 15 may be hereinafter referred to as the blister layer, and is relatively thick and stiff.

Secured in facing relation therewith is a usually relatively thin and relatively flexible layer, generally designated 17, also foldable and in adherent relation with the relatively thick layer 15, but shearable and peelable therefrom.

The primary, relatively thick and stiff, but foldable blister layer 15 may be fabricated of vinyl, or other suitable thermoformable and form retaining sheet material. Additionally, the auxiliary or relatively thin layer 17 secured in facing relation with the primary layer 15 is usually of relatively flexible and relatively inelastic character, say including a lamina of paper. As noted hereinbefore, the primary and auxiliary layers 15 and 17 are peelably and shearably adhered together, as by adhesive means which will be hereinafter more fully described, permitting of deliberate separation of the layers. More particularly, after severance along severance lines 11 to remove a single package 10, the composite laminar structure of adherent layers 15 and 17 is folded along a line 12 in accordance with instructions, as shown in FIG. 2. That is, an outer portion 20 of the laminar structure 15, 17 is folded relative to the remainder of the laminar structure along a line 12.

It will there be seen that the relatively inextensible, usually relatively thin and flexible layer 17 is folded along the line 12 exteriorly about the fold of the relatively thick primary layer 15. As the outer layer 17 is relatively inelastic or inextensible about the fold 12, there will be a substantial shear force applied between the layers 17 and 15 of the folded portion 20. The adherence between layers 17 and 15, as by suitably selected adhesive means, is such as to release the folded portion of layer 17, designated 20a from the folded portion of layer 15, designated 20b, see FIG. 3. That is, the folded portions 20a and 20b are released from their adhesive securement, and the portion 20a of auxiliary layer 17 will swing away from the portion 20b of primary layer 15, so that the unsecured portion 20a defines a grasping tab for effecting a peeling separation of the layers 15 and 17, as seen in FIG. 4.

There are shown in FIGS. 5-8 further details of construction of one embodiment of the present invention. For example, it will there be seen that the primary, relatively thick and stiff layer 15 may include a vinyl sheet or lamina 25 and a moisture impervious barrier sheet 26 adhesively secured to the vinyl or blister sheet, as by a heat sealable coating 27.

The relatively thin, flexible and relatively inelastic or inextensible auxiliary layer 17 may include a paper sheet 29 which is secured by adhesive 30 to a polyester lamina 31. Interposed in full coverage between the relatively thin polyester lamina 31 and an adhesive layer 33 on foil 26 is a completely covering layer of release agent, for example white printing ink 32. The foregoing lamination may be produced by conventional packaging machinery without appreciable extra cost.

It is, of course, understood that the relative thicknesses of the several laminae are not to scale, but certain laminae are enlarged for clarity and understanding within the allowed drawing space.

The early stage of the opening procedure discussed hereinbefore in connection with FIG. 2 is shown in enlarged scale in FIG. 6, wherein a user's thumb 35 is shown in position effecting the desired fold.

Upon removal of the finger or thumb 35, the folded portion 20a of auxiliary layer 17 will spring free of the folded blister layer portion 20b, having been separated from the latter along the layer of release agent 32. The released portion 20a may then be grasped and peeled away from the blister layer, as shown in FIG. 8.

While the embodiment illustrated and described hereinbefore disclosed the use of a specific release agent white ink 32 to effect release between folded portions 20a and 20b, it is appreciated that other releasable adhesive means may be employed, as desired. Indeed, the term "adhesive" is used herein in its broad sense as encompassing any medium by which facing layers may be adhered.

For example, the release agent may be eliminated, and the applied shear force will effect separation along a layer of weakness, which may be the heat sealable coating 27 for peeling of the foil layer 26 away from the blister layer 15 together with the auxiliary layer 17. Of course, other combinations and arrangements of laminae may be employed in practice of the instant invention, as set forth in the following claims.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a laminar child resistant package which is extremely simple in construction, so as to minimize production costs and effect substantial savings over other child resistant packages, while providing exemplary resistance to opening by children as affording no apparent entry structure by which children may initiate an opening.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention. Although the preferred method of initial entry may be by folding a corner of the package toward the blister, the similar folding of any edge portion of such a package, be the package of any desired outline configuration, will provide satisfactory results.