Childproof highly-inert packaging for individually dosed films containing an active ingredient

Abstract

A childproof packaging for individual doses, in particular for preparations for administration in film form, wherein the packaging constitutes a bag produced by sealing, which has a covering layer which is provided at each side of the packaging with local weak points which do not touch the edge of the packaging, wherein the local weak points form a cohesive pattern which runs around the individual dose in an arc or a curve and overlaps an angular region of at least 90 when considered from the main area of the individual zone. The local weak points have a start area and an end area which have a Y configuration when the local weak points on each side of the packaging are superposed.

Claims

1. Childproof package including a single dose, in particular for film-shaped administration forms containing active substance, said package comprising a pouch which is produced by sealing, the pouch includes an unsealed area for housing the film-shaped single dose and the package having a top face and an underside face each having a cover layer with a minimum tear resistance of 30 Newtons including on the respective top face and underside face a line of weakness that does not touch an edge of the package, the package includes a sealing seam in surrounding relationship with the unsealed area, each of the lines of weakness form a continuous pattern that extends through the unsealed area in an arc or in a curved path at a predetermined distance from an outer contour of the film-shaped single dose and partially surrounding the film-shaped single dose which lies in a center of the arc or the curved path such that a predetermined portion of each cover layer having the line of weakness remains attached to the sealing seam after opening of the pouch and, viewed from a center of gravity of the film-shaped single dose, covers an angle range of at least 90, each of the lines of weakness are superposed with respect to one another and each line of weakness includes a start area and an end area operatively positioned in the sealing seam; the package additionally has, proximate to but separated from at least one of the start area and the end area of each of the lines of weakness, a sidecut, which does not reach as far as an the edge of the package or an edge of the unsealed area of the package prior to opening of the pouch, and the start area and end area of the each of the lines of weakness have a predetermined configuration for forming a tear catcher; each of the lines of weakness are in the form of a U for exposing three sides of the outer contour of the centered film-shaped single dose in a single-motion during opening of the package while leaving a remaining side of the outer contour of the film-shaped single dose unexposed; and, the superposed tear catchers of the start areas and the end areas of the lines of weakness form a Y configuration only when the respective lines of weakness are superposed, whereby when a tear initiation is effected by the sidecut, a subsequent catching and guiding of the tear along the arc or the curved path is effected by the superposed Y configuration start and end areas of the lines of weakness.

2. The childproof package of claim 1, wherein the Y configuration of the superposed tear catcher of the respective start areas and end areas of the lines of weakness includes the line of weakness on the top face has a first branch of the Y configuration at the respective start area and the respective end area and the line of weakness on the underside face has a second branch of the Y configuration at the respective start area and the respective end area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Examples of the package according to the invention are shown in the figures and are explained below.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a preferred package.

(3) FIGS. 2A and 2B show different tear diversions.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the opening of a preferred package.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a cover layer, which is provided with marks for indicating the opening.

(6) FIG. 5 shows the top and underside of a preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) An example of a package according to the invention for a single dose (1) is shown in FIG. 1. It is preferably produced from high-barrier films by heat sealing. These high-barrier films are constructed in particular on the basis of aluminium films with thicknesses of preferably 9 to 20 micrometres, which ensure substantial impermeability and inertia.

(8) In order to produce such a pouch, the two aluminium films are adhesively bonded or welded to each other in the area of the sealing seams (3), this being achieved by a laminated heat-sealable plastic layer as sealing layer, which are composed of standard materials known to a person skilled in the art, preferably from the group comprising PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride), PP (monaxially oriented polypropylene), Barex (British Petroleum), PE (polyethylene), Aclar (Honeywell), Topas-COC (Topas Advanced Polymers) and Surlyn and preferably have a thickness of 20 to 100 micrometres. This sealing layer is usually laminated together with the aluminium layer and thus, as a result of the structure of the pouch, automatically becomes the layer that touches the product. The more inert the material, the more advantageous it is for the product stability.

(9) The outside of the packaging film is formed by the outer cover layer, which has a sufficiently high tear resistance to ensure that, at places where there are no local areas of weaknesses, manual tearing-open is not possible without aids. A preferred material for this is PET (polyethylene terephthalate) with a thickness of 10 to 100 micrometres, preferably of 10 to 50 micrometres.

(10) A particularly preferred packaging material has the following structure (from the inside outwards): Barex with a thickness of 20 to 40 micrometres as the sealing layer on the side facing the single dose, aluminium with a thickness of 9 to 25 micrometres as the metal layer, and finally, as the outer cover layer, PET with a thickness of 10 to 100 micrometres, preferably of 10 to 50 micrometres. The outer cover layer can optionally be imprinted in order to identify the product. In the inside of the package, the single dose (1) is located in an unsealed area (2). In the place where this unsealed area is situated, the cover layer has, or both cover layers have, lines of weakness (4) which partially surround the single dose (1) in an arc shape.

(11) Viewed from the centre of gravity of the single dose, this arc covers an angle range of more than 180. The arc can have different tear diversions. FIGS. 2A and 2B show two possible tear diversions. The tear diversion in FIG. 2A measures 85, and the tear diversion in FIG. 2B measures 90.

(12) An example of a design according to FIG. 2B is a package consisting of a pouch, of which the top is made of a composite of PET measuring 10 to 100 micrometres, preferably 10 to 50 micrometres, aluminium measuring 12 micrometres and Barex measuring 28 to 50 micrometres, and is equipped with the line of weakness by laser treatment, and of which the underside is made of a laminate of PET (0 to 12 micrometres), aluminium (12 micrometres) and Barex (28 micrometres) and is not laser-treated. Although the tear behaviour is in principle similar, it does not follow the curved line quite so exactly, but it is easier to produce since only one side has to be laser-treated. The curved line of weakness should be designed, by suitable selection of radii, such that the tear diversion is reliably by 90. In the case of pouch dimensions of 45 to 65 mm, for example, a radius of curvature of 20 mm has been determined as being suitable. It can be advantageous that the tear diversion does not have to reach 90 but instead slightly less, e.g. 85 as shown in FIG. 2A. This can be achieved by the fact that the curved line can be made trapezoidal.

(13) In the examples, the start area and the end area of the line of weakness lie in the sealed area. Such a pouch could not be opened manually without the aid of cutting implements, the sealing seam cannot be opened, and, on account of the stability of the outer cover layer, the film itself also cannot be torn. Manual opening is now achieved, as is shown in FIG. 3, by targeted local weakening of the cover layer within the circumference, without touching the circumference of the package. It is only when the package is folded along a fold line (6) that the local weakness (4) is shifted to the edge of the (folded) package and thus allows tearing, e.g. at the sidecut (5).

(14) As is shown in FIG. 4, the cover layer can contain elements, here arrows, which point to the opening mechanism, the weakening or the direction of opening.

(15) The local weaknesses can have different forms on the top (7) and underside (8) of the package, as is shown in FIG. 5. For example, the weaknesses (4) can be designed such that the Y-shaped areas at the start and end of the weakness, which serve to catch the tear, are obtained only when the two package halves are superposed. This saves time during production.