GB2488173A - Blister Pack with Closing Tab - Google Patents

Abstract

A blister pack 11 has two complementary portions12, 13 which together close the pack and a peripheral flange 14 resistant to prising apart, one portion 12 having a hinged tab 15 bending over the flange and latching into a recess 16 in the other portion 13, holding the parts together and being used to open the pack. A rib (18, Figure 2) on the tab 15 may locate in the recess. The flange may have snap-fit nib and recess engagements (19, 20, Figure 4) to resist prising apart and accidental opening. Alternatively (Figures 5-9) the first portion has an extending wall inside which the second part fits, retaining means (117, Figure 5) folding over and engaging the second portion to form braced strut means to hold the pack closed.

Description

Blister Packs This invention relates to blister packs.

Blister packs with hinged access are known e.g. from EP0857661, in which is disclosed a blister pack moulded as by thermoforming in two complementary parts connected by a hinge, one part comprising a cavity for the item to be packed and the other constituting a closure. One part has a peripherally extending wall into which a peripheral flange of the other part fits, to be retained by ribs projecting inwardly of the wall.

Such packs can be difficult to open, as the flange fits tightly inside the wall leaving little if any space to prisc the contacting surfaces apart. Yet a tight fit is essential if the pack is not to be opened unintentionally.

The present invention provides a pack that is secure against unintentional opening, yet which is easy to open.

The invention comprises a blister pack having complementary parts that fit together to close the pack with peripheral flanging resistant to prising apart, one part having a hinged tab that affords purchase for opening the pack that bends over the flanging and fits and latches into a recess in the other part to hold the parts together.

The complimentary parts may be hinged together, and the tab may then be on an edge of the pack remote from the hinge.

There may be more than one tab.

The tab may comprise a rib that locates for latching into the recess over an edge flange of the said other part.

The edge flanges may themselves have nib and recess securing arrangements in which the nibs snap into the recesses to resist, or further resist, prising apart.

The complementary parts may be hinged at one end and one of said parts may fit inside a peripherally extending wall of the other part, the said other part having at the end remote from the hinge hinged retaining means that, when the pack is closed, snap-fit on projections upstanding from the lid to form braced strut means holding the lid in place, the retaining means providing a finger lift edge by which they may be released from the projections.

The retaining means may comprise two strut means.

The strut means may be formed integrally with one of the complementary parts., attached, as, of course, may be the complementary parts, by live hinges.

One of said complementary parts may be a body part and the other a lid part.

Embodiments of blister packs according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of a first embodiment of a blister pack, open; Figure 2 is a view in the direction of Arrow 2 of Figure 1, with the pack partially closed; Figure 3 is a view like Figure 2, with the pack fully closed; Figure 4 is a detail of a nib and recess arrangement shown in the circle labelled Fig4ofFigure2; Figure 5 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a blister pack as it is thermoformed; Figure 6 is a side elevation of the pack of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a side elevation like Figure 6 with a lid part lid partially closed; Figure 8 is a part side elevation to a larger scale with the lid part closed; Figure 9 is a side elevation like Figure 8, with the lid part held in place; Figure 10 is a front elevation of a third embodiment of a blister pack, being a pack for storing and transporting plant plugs; and Figure 11 is a side elevation of the pack of Figure 10.

Figures 1 to4 of the drawings illustrate a blister pack 11 having complementary parts 12, 13, one of which can be regarded as the pack body, the other as a lid. The parts 12, 13 fit together to close the pack 11 with, as is conventional, peripheral flanging 14 resistant to prising apart. In conventional packs, as disclosed in EP085766 1, the flanging fits tightly together and nibs and recesses in the flanging help to secure the complementary parts together in such a way as to make opening difficult, which is essentially to avoid risk of accidental opening that might spill the pack contents. To open the pack manually it is necessary to insinuate fingernails in between the edges of the edge flanging and prise the flanges apart, which is often very difficult. Often, blister packs are too difficult to open leading to customer frustration and resort to knives or scissors that can lead to injury.

In accordance with the invention, however, one, 12, of the complementary parts has a hinged tab 15 that affords purchase for opening the pack 11, that bends over the flanging 14 and fits and latches into a recess 16 in the other part 13 to hold the parts 12, 13 together.

The complimentary parts are, as in EP0857661, hinged together, and the tab 15 is then on an edge of the pack lii remote from the hinge 17.

There may be more than one tab 15, requiring, of course, appropriate recess 16 arrangements.

The tab 15 comprises a rib 18 that locates for latching into the recess 16 over an edge flange 14 of the part 13.

The edge flanges 14 themselves have nib 19 and recess 20 securing arrangements in which the nibs 19 snap into the recesses 20 to resist, or further resist, prising apart. While these nib and recess arrangements are similar to those disclosed in EP0857661, they do not need to be as tight fitting as in EP0857661, and in any event, the tab 15 affords the good purchase.

The tab 15 snap fits into the recess 16 and requires lifting out overcoming the latching force to unlock the parts 12, 13. This may be made reasonably difficult to avoid unintentional opening, as by making the tab 15 closely fit the recess 16, whereby to restrict fingernail access.

Figures 5 to 9 illustrate a blister pack ill having a body part 112 and a complementary lid 113 hinged at one end 114 to the body part 112 that fits inside a peripherally extending wall 115 of the body part 112, the body part 112 having at the end 116 remote from the body part/lid hinge 114 hinged retaining means 117 that, when the pack Ill is closed, snap-fit on projections 118 upstanding from the lid 113 to form braced strut means holding the lid 113 in place, the retaining means 117 providing a finger lifl edge 1 17a by which they may be released from the projections to allow the pack 111 to open.

The retaining means 117 comprises two strut means, but could, of course, comprise more than two, or even only one, extending over a greater extent of the periphery. The lid 113 comprises an apertured tag 119 by which it may be hung on a hook for display, and the strut means are disposed either side of the tag 119, The strut means 17 arc formed integrally with the body part 12, attached, as, of course, is the lid 13 to the body part 12, by live hinges 17b.

As illustrated, the strut means 17 are on the edge 16a of the body part 12 remote from the hinge 14, but could be on a side edge 12a towards the end 16.

The body part 112 has a blister 1 12b to receive the item to be packed, and the lid 113 has stiffening ribs 1 13b, but, of course, either the lid 113 or the body part 12 or indeed both may have blisters or be otherwise contoured to accommodate items.

The blister pack 111 is easily held closed by snapping the struts 117 into engagement with the projections 118, and just as easily opened by lifting them out of engagement by a fingernail flicking them up at the edges 1 17a. Unless intentionally lifted, however, the struts 117 will remain engaged with the projections 118, holding the lid 113 closed against accidental opening.

Figure 10 is a front elevation and Figure ii a side elevation of a pack for storing and transporting plant plugs, comprising front and rear parts 121, 122, each of which has compartments 123 having a lower part 123a for holding the root ball and an upper part 123b for holding the stem of a plant plug, not shown. The parts 121, 123 are hinged together on a live hinge 124. One part, 122, is shown hinged open in Figure 11. The front part 121 has a pair of recesses 126 near the edge 125 remote from the hinge 124 and the rear part 122 has a corresponding pair of hinged tabs 127 that fit and latch into the recesses 126 to hold the pack closed. The tabs 127 afford finger lifts for getting them out of the recesses 127 to open the pack.

Blister packs according to the invention can be shaped to hold merchandise of many different types and sizes, and will afford a secure packing that will not open accidentally, but will not be difficult to open when required.

Claims (13)

1. Claims: 1 A blister pack having complementary parts that fit together to close the pack with peripheral flanging resistant to prising apart, one part having a hinged tab that affords purchase for opening the pack and that bends over the flanging and fits and latches into a recess in the other part to hold the parts together.
2. 2 A blister pack according to claim 1, in which the complimentary pans are hinged together. l0
3. 3 A blister pack according to claim 2, in which the tab is on an edge of the pack remote from the hinge.
4. 4 A blister pack according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which there is more than one tab.
5. A blister pack according to any one of claims I to 4, in which the tab comprises a rib that locates for latching into the recess over an edge flange of the said other part.
6. 6 A blister pack according to any one of claims I to 5, in which the edge flanges themselves have nib and recess securing arrangements in which the nibs snap into the recesses to resist, or further resist, prising apart.
7. 7 A blister pack according to any one of claims I to 6, of which the complementary parts are hinged at one end and one of said parts fits inside a peripherally extending wall of the other part, the said other part having at the end remote from the hinge hinged retaining means that, when the pack is closed, snap-fit on projections upstanding from the lid to form braced strut means holding the lid in place, the retaining means providing a finger lift edge by which they may be released from the projections.
8. 8 A blister pack according to claim 7, in which the retaining means comprise two strut means.
9. 9 A blister pack according to claim 8, in which the retaining means are disposed either side of an apertured tag by which the pack is hung for display.
10. A blister pack according to any one of claims 7 to 9, in which the retaining means are disposed on the edge of one of the complementary parts remote from the hinge.
11. 11 A blister pack according to any one of claims 7 to 10, in which the retaining means are disposed on side edges of one of the complementary partst at the end thereof remote from the hinge.
12. 12 A blister pack according to any one of claims 7 to II, in which the strut means are formed integrally with one of the complementary parts, attached by live hinges.
13. 13 Ablisterpackaccordingto anyone ofclaims 1 to 12,inwhichoneofthe complementary pails is a body part and the other a lid pad.