CHILD-PROOF PACKAGE

Abstract

A package which can be torn open by a user, comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction and defining a cavity for a product, wherein the polymer film material incorporates a bias facilitating tearing along a tear line oriented in a direction other than its preferential tearing direction and a tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction to open the package, the tear line being adjacent to a tear initiation location. The polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction provides resistance against a child tearing open the package.

Claims

1. A package for containing a product and being able to be torn open by a user, comprising a first layer comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction, in combination with a second layer comprising a second tearable material, to define a cavity for a product between the layers, wherein the polymer film material incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line oriented in a direction other than its preferential tearing direction, wherein the polymer film material incorporates at least one tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction to thereby open the package for access to its product contents, and wherein the said tear line is adjacent to a tear initiation location.

2. A package according to claim 1 wherein the polymer film material is a mono-axially oriented polymer film.

3. A package according to claim 1 wherein the first layer is formed solely of the polymer film material.

4. A package according to claim 1 wherein the first layer comprises a laminate of the polymer film material together with a further tearable material.

5. A package according to claim 1 wherein the bias in the polymer film material is provided by a line of weakness at least part way across the polymer film material.

6. A package according to claim 5 wherein the line of weakness is provided by the polymer film material being scored or cut wholly or partly through its thickness or by a line of perforations provided through the polymer film material.

7. A package according to claim 1 wherein the direction other than the preferential tearing direction of the polymer film material in which the bias is oriented, is a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction.

8. A package according to claim 1 wherein the tear line is positioned such that a portion of the package including the polymer film material may be torn away from the remainder of the package to thereby create an edge of the package adjacent to the tear initiation location so that the polymer film material may be easily torn by a user along its preferential tearing direction starting at that edge.

9. A package according to claim 1 wherein the tear initiation location is provided by a point of weakness in the polymer film material.

10. A package according to claim 9 wherein the point of weakness comprises the polymer film material being cut wholly or partly through its thickness.

11. A package according to claim 1 wherein the tear line intersects the tear initiation location.

12. A package according to claim 1 wherein the tear initiation location is separated from the tear line by a short distance of the polymer film material.

13. A package according to claim 1 being a sachet incorporating a cavity for a product between the first and second layers.

14. A package according to claim 13 wherein the bias is located adjacent to an edge of the sachet to provide a tear line facilitating tearing off of a strip of the sachet between the bias and the edge.

15. A package according to claim 1 being a blister pack in which the cavity for a product between the first and second layers comprises a blister cavity.

16. A package according to claim 15 wherein the cover film closing the blister cavity comprises the polymer film material.

17. A package according to claim 1 wherein the bias is oriented across the blister pack to provide a tear line facilitating tearing across the blister pack.

18. A package according to claim 1 wherein the bias is located adjacent to and preferably parallel to an edge of the blister pack to provide a tear line facilitating tearing off of a strip of the sachet between the bias and the edge.

19. A package according to claim 1 wherein the sachet or blister pack incorporates additional lines of weakness positioned and/or oriented to facilitate tearing the sachet from an adjacent sachet connected thereto by a web of sachet material, or to facilitate tearing individual blisters from adjacent blisters.

20. A method of manufacture of a package for containing a product and which is able to be torn open by a user, the method comprising: forming a cavity suitable for containment of a product between a first layer comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction and a second layer comprising a second tearable material; incorporating a bias into the at least one layer of polymer film material facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line oriented in a direction other than its preferential tearing direction, and; incorporating into the polymer film material, adjacent to the tear line, at least one tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction.

Description

[0037] The invention will now be illustrated by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a package being a sachet.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a package being a blister pack.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a package being another blister pack.

[0041] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a package being another blister pack.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of another package being a sachet.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 1, this shows overall 10 a package being a sachet of an overall rectangular shape. The package 10 comprises a first layer 11 comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 12 and in the 180 opposite direction. This layer 11 is laminated around its perimeter at 13 to a second layer (not visible in FIG. 1 as being covered by layer 11) comprising a second tearable material e.g. a foil, card, polymer material or a laminate of such materials, to define a cavity 14 for a product between the layers.

[0044] The polymer film material in first layer 11 incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line oriented in the direction of arrow 15, being a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction 12. This bias is provided by a line 16 of perforations through the polymer film material in layer 11, and optionally through the underlying sachet material, and is aligned close to and parallel to edge 17 of the sachet 10. To facilitate such a bias, the second layer may incorporate a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 15 and in the 180 opposite direction.

[0045] The polymer film material in first layer 11 incorporates a tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction 12, provided by notch 18 being a perforation through the polymer film material of first layer 11 and the underlying material of the second layer. The notch 18 is triangular with its apex pointed in the direction 12, and the bias line 16 intersects the notch 18.

[0046] In use, the combined first 11 and second layers are torn by a user along the line 16, starting from either end of the line 16. By suitable dimensions of the perforations of bias line 16 this can be made to be easy for an adult user but to require more strength and ability than a small child can apply. This tears off a strip 19 of the sachet material between line 16 and edge 17, and exposes the notch 18 at the new edge along the line 16 so formed.

[0047] The polymer material in layer 11 can now be easily torn along the line 110 starting at notch 18 to thereby open the sachet 10 so that the contents of the cavity 14 can be accessed.

[0048] In a version of the sachet of FIG. 1 the second layer (not visible in FIG. 1 as being covered by layer 11) of a second tearable material may itself be a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 15, being preferentially tearable in the direction of the arrow 15 and in the 180 opposite direction, i.e. in a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction 12 of the polymer film material in layer 11.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 2, this shows overall 20 a package being a blister pack. The package 20 comprises a first layer 21 comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 22 and in the 180 opposite direction. This layer 21 is laminated to a second layer (not visible in FIG. 2 as being covered by layer 21) of a second tearable material e.g. a foil or foil/card laminate, to define blister cavities 23 for a product between the layers.

[0050] The first layer 21 incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material in layer 21 along a tear line 24 oriented in the direction of arrow 25, being a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction 22. This bias is provided by a line 24 of perforations through the polymer film material and optionally through the underlying tearable material and aligned across the blister pack 20 between rows of the blister cavities 23.

[0051] The polymer film material in layer 21 incorporates plural tear initiation locations which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in layer 21 in its preferential tearing direction 12, provided by plural notches 26 being perforations through the polymer material 21 and optionally through the underlying material. A notch 26 is located between pairs of blister cavities 23 on opposite sides of the bias line 24. Each notch 26 is diamond shaped with its opposite corners pointed in the direction 22, and the bias line 24 intersects each notch 26. The blister pack 20 is crossed by other lines of weakness 27, aligned in the direction 22, to facilitate tearing individual blister cavities 23 from adjacent blister cavities 23.

[0052] In use, the combined first and second layers are torn by a user along the line 24, starting from either end of the line 24 in the direction 25 or 180 thereto. By suitable dimensions of the bias line 24 this can be made to be easy for an adult user but to require more strength and ability than a small child can apply. The blister pack 20 may be torn as far as the line 27 enabling a single blister cavity 23 to be isolated. This exposes the notch 26 at the new edge along the line 24 so formed.

[0053] The polymer material in layer 21 and the second layer can now be easily torn along the line 28 starting at notch 26 to thereby open the blister cavity 23 so that the contents of the cavity 23 can be accessed.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 3, this shows overall 30 a package being a blister pack. The package 30 comprises a first layer 31 comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 32 and in the 180 opposite direction. This layer 31 is laminated to a second layer (not visible in FIG. 3 as being covered by first layer 31) of a second tearable material e.g. a foil or foil/card laminate, to define blister cavities 33 for a product between the layers.

[0055] The polymer film material in layer 31 incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line in the web of material between the blister cavities 33 oriented in the direction of arrow 34 and in the 180 opposite direction, being a direction perpendicular to the preferential tearing direction 32. This bias is provided by two lines 35 of perforations through the first layer 31 and optionally through the underlying second layer and aligned parallel to the opposite edges 36 of the blister pack 30.

[0056] The polymer film material in first layer 31 incorporates plural tear initiation locations which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in layer 31 in its preferential tearing direction 32, provided by plural notches 37 each being a perforation through the polymer material 31 and optionally through the underlying material. A notch 37 is located adjacent each blister cavity 33. Each notch 37 is triangular with its apex pointed in the direction 32 or in the 180 opposite direction, and the bias line 35 intersects the notches 37. The blister pack 30 is crossed by other lines of weakness 38, aligned in the direction 32, to facilitate tearing individual, or pairs of, blister cavities 33 away from adjacent blister cavities 33.

[0057] In use, the combined first 31 and second layer are torn by a user along either of the lines 35, starting from either end of the line 35. By suitable dimensions of the bias line 35 this can be made to be easy for an adult user but to require more strength and ability than a small child can apply. This tears off a strip 39 of the polymer material 31 and the underlying material between line 35 and edge 36, and exposes the notch 37 at the new edge along the line 35 so formed.

[0058] The polymer material in layer 31 and underlying material can now be easily torn along the line 310 starting at notch 37 to thereby open the blister cavity 33 so that the contents of the cavity 33 can be accessed.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 4 this shows a plan view of a blister pack 40 of overall analogous construction to FIG. 3. However in FIG. 4 plural tear initiation locations are provided by perforations 41 through the polymer film of the first layer 31 and optionally through the underlying blister pack material. These perforations 41 (shown as circular but they could for example have the triangular or diamond shape of perforations 18 and 26) are separated from the lines 35 in the preferential tearing direction of the polymer film material by a small distance d of the polymer film material, e.g. 1-2 mm.

[0060] The blister pack 40 incorporates additional lines of weakness 42 to facilitate tearing individual blisters 33 from adjacent blisters. These lines of weakness 42 are staggered so as to inhibit easy tearing of the blister pack 40 completely across, and each line 42 ends at a line of weakness 38, aligned in the direction 32.

[0061] In use, the blister pack 40 may be torn along the line 42 as far as the line 38. This enables the blister pack to be then torn along a line 38 to thereby isolate an individual blister 33 surrounded by a portion of the web of blister pack material. A strip 39 of the blister pack material may then be torn off in a manner analogous to FIG. 3 to expose a notch 37. This causes the perforation 41 to be distanced from the new edge so formed along the line 35 by only the short distance d of the polymer film material. In spite of the resistance of the polymer film material in first layer 31 to tearing in its preferential tearing direction unless tearing is initiated at a tearing initiation location, this small distance d of polymer film material can relatively easily be torn along line 43 so that tearing of the polymer film material in the first layer 31 can be easily initiated at the perforation 41. As in the package of FIG. 3 the polymer material in layer 31 and underlying material can now be easily torn along the line 44 starting at perforation 41 to thereby open the blister cavity 33 so that the contents of the cavity 33 can be accessed.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 5, this shows overall 50 a package being a sachet of a triangular shape. The package 50 comprises a first layer 51 comprising a polymer film material having a preferential tearing direction indicated by the arrow 52 and in the 180 opposite direction. This first layer 51 is laminated around its perimeter at 53 to a second layer (not visible in FIG. 5 as being covered by layer 11) comprising a second tearable material e.g. a foil or foil/card laminate, to define a cavity 54 for a product between the layers.

[0063] The polymer film material in first layer 51 incorporates a bias facilitating tearing of the polymer film material along a tear line oriented in the direction of arrow 55, being a direction at ca. 60 to the preferential tearing direction 52, which is provided by a line 16 of perforations through the polymer film material in layer 51 and optionally through the underlying sachet material and is which is aligned close to and parallel to edge 57 of the sachet 50.

[0064] The polymer film material in first layer 51 incorporates a tear initiation location which facilitates tearing of the polymer film material in its preferential tearing direction 52, provided by notch 58 being a perforation through both the polymer material in layer 51 and the underlying material. The notch 58 is triangular with its apex pointed in the direction 52, and the bias line 56 intersects the notch 58.

[0065] In use, the combined first 51 and second layers are torn by a user along the line 56, starting from either end of the line 56. By suitable dimensions of the perforations of bias line 56 this can be made to be easy for an adult user but to require more strength and ability than a small child can apply. This tears off a strip 59 of the sachet material between line 56 and edge 57, and exposes the notch 58 at the new edge along the line 56 so formed.

[0066] The polymer material in first layer 51 can now be easily torn along the line 510 starting at notch 18 to thereby open the sachet 50 so that the contents of the cavity 54, e.g. a gel material, can be accessed.

[0067] Tearing of the polymer film material in first layer 11, 21, 31, 51 is very difficult, and can be impossible for a small child starting from any point other than the bias line 16, 24, 35 or 51, notch 18, 26 or 58 or perforation 41. This introduces a degree of child-resistance into the packages 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 whilst with a suitable selection of materials and the amount of bias provided by the lines 16, 24, 35, 56 the packages 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 can be opened by an adult, even an adult with handling difficulties.