Slide card for selective insertion and withdrawal from a sleeve

Abstract

The slide card includes a base panel and a locking panel. The base panel includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has at least one first embossment integrally formed therewith and projecting therefrom. The locking panel is integrally formed with the base panel. The locking panel is hingedly connected directly to one of the end edges of the base panel along a hinge. The locking panel is folded about the hinge to take a folded position where the locking panel is disposed over the first portion of the base panel. The locking panel has at least one second embossment integrally formed therewith and projecting therefrom. The at least one the first embossment and the at least one second embossment are disposed next to each other with the hinge disposed therebetween.

Claims

1. A slide card for selective insertion and withdrawal from a sleeve, the slide card comprising: a base panel having a hinge formed by a single weakened line extending along a first end edge of the base panel, the base panel including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending between the second portion and the first end edge, the second portion extending between the first portion and a second end edge opposed to the first end edge, the first portion having at least one first embossment integrally formed therewith and projecting therefrom; and a locking panel integrally formed with the base panel, the locking panel being hingedly connected directly to the first end edge of the base panel along the hinge to engage at least part of the sleeve to lock the base panel in the sleeve, the locking panel being folded about the hinge to take a folded position where the locking panel is disposed over the first portion of the base panel, the locking panel having at least one second embossment integrally formed therewith and projecting therefrom, wherein the at least one the first embossment and the at least one second embossment are disposed next to each other with the hinge disposed therebetween, the at least one first embossment being spaced apart from the hinge, the at least one second embossment being spaced apart from the hinge.

2. The slide card of claim 1, wherein the at least one first embossment is disposed at a first distance from the hinge, the at least one second embossment is disposed at a second distance from the hinge, and the first distance is generally the same as the second distance.

3. The slide card of claims 1, wherein the at least one second embossment projects from one of opposed surfaces of the locking panel.

4. The slide card of claim 3, wherein the at least one second embossment comprises at least one raised area of the one of the opposed surfaces of the locking panel and has no contents.

5. The slide card of claim 4, wherein the at least one raised area is disposed out of a plane of the one of the opposed surfaces of the locking panel.

6. The slide card of claim 1, wherein the at least one first embossment is substantially different in shape from the at least one second embossment.

7. The slide card of claim 1, wherein the at least one second embossment is disposed over the at least one first embossment when the locking panel is in the folded position.

8. The slide card of claim 1, wherein the at least one first embossment comprises at least one raised area of one of opposed surfaces of the base panel and has no contents.

9. The slide card of claim 8, wherein the at least one raised area is disposed out of a plane of the one of the opposed surfaces of the base panel.

10. The slide card of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the base panel has at least one receiving blister integrally formed therewith, the at least one receiving blister is substantially different in shape from the at least one first blister.

11. The slide card of claim 1, wherein the locking flap has an outline, the outline comprises a free end edge which is a section of the outline located furthermost from the hinge among all sections of the outline, and the at least one second embossment is spaced apart from the free edge.

12. The slide card of claim 11, wherein the outline further comprises at least one straight section extending directly from the free end edge, and the at least one second embossment is spaced apart from the at least one straight section.

13. The slide card of claim 3, wherein the one of the opposed surfaces of the locking panel includes at least one embossed area provided by the at least one second embossment and at least one flat area where none of the at least one second embossment is provided, the at least one second embossment is entirely surround by the at least one flat area.

14. The slide card of claim 11, wherein the locking panel has a pair of opposed side edges each extending between the free end edge and the hinge, and the at least one second embossment is spaced apart from both the side edges of the locking panel.

15. The slide card of claim 1, wherein the other of the end edges of the base panel is free of connection to any other part of the slide card.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a top plan view a slide card in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1a is an elevation view from an anterior end of the slide card of FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the slide card of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the slide card of FIG. 1 showing the locking panel partially pivoted with respect to the base panel.

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the slide card of FIG. 1 with the locking panel more fully pivoted with respect to the base panel but at an angle wherein the slide card would be inserted within a sleeve or shell and the locking panel disposed for engagement by one or more locks of the sleeve/shell.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It must be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms, and combinations thereof. The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. In other instances, well-known components, systems, materials or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

(7) Referring first to FIG. 1, therein is illustrated a slide card in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. A slide card 10 has a base panel 40 and a locking panel 20 hingedly 30 connected. The base panel has blisters 50 for holding a medicament. A rib 60 extends around the perimeter of the base panel 40. The locking panel 20 has a fold-resisting abutment 70 and base panel 40 has a fold-resisting abutment 80 proximate the hinge 30 and adjoining locking panel.

(8) Referring now to FIG. 1a, therein is illustrated a slide card 10 in an elevation view from an anterior vantage point. One aspect of the invention is directed primarily to the fold-resisting abutments 70, 80. In the plan view of FIG. 1, the slide card 10 would appear the same irrespective of whether the slide card would be integrally formed with blisters or having a separate blister pack joined to the slide card. FIG. 1a illustrates the manner in which the card 10 would be formed from composite slide and blister cards but still maintain, the fold-resisting abutment features. The combination of the rib(s) 60 rising above the surface of the base panel 40 creates a flange 42 element.

(9) Referring now to the side elevation view of the slide card 10 in FIG. 2, the alignment and relative disposition of fold-resisting abutments 70, 80 with respect to one another can be seen. As in FIG. 1a, the option of forming the card from composite slide and blister cards as opposed to an integrated card is shown. In this side view, the hinge 30 is shown with the possibility of being formed in the reverse of the other elements, namely, the fold-resisting abutments 70, 80 and rib 60. If the card 10 is made of plastic material and some types of paper substrates, it can be formed by manufacturing processes such as thereto-forming or die-press with a tool set. An integrated slide and blister card as taught by the invention is simple and can be simply formed by these processes, particularly when the card is made of plastic substrate. The term reverse for the hinge 30 refers to the fact that the hinge as illustrated is formed in a downward direction, opposite the direction in which the abutments 70, 80 and rib(s) 60 are formed. Although shown in is reverse form, the hinge may be suitably formed in the same upward direction as the other elements on the card. The hinge 30 may be formed in any configuration by known substrate manufacturing methods including but not limited to perforation along a line that will form the hinge and creasing.

(10) Referring now to FIG. 3, the slide card 10 of FIG. 1, 1a or 2 is shown in perspective view. The locking panel 20 is shown partially pivoted about the hinge 30 with respect to the base panel 40. In using the slide card 10, medicaments 90 are contained within the busters 50. A substrate such as foil or some type of composite substrate containing foil, generally indicated but not shown, holds the medicaments 90 in place within the blisters 50 until removed by known methods.

(11) Referring finally to FIG. 4, the slide card 10 is shown as illustrated in FIG. 3 with the locking panel 20 further pivoted to a position wherein it would engage one or more locks in a sleeve or shell to help form a locking arrangement as shown in the prior art discussed herein.

(12) In one aspect of the invention, as shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the slide card 10 has unit dose blister 50 that are integrally formed with the base panel.

(13) In another aspect of the invention, the ability of the locking panel 20 to be engaged by an aperture or panel that forms a part of the locking arrangement of the system's sleeve or shell is enhanced by biasing the locking panel away from a substantially parallel condition with respect to the base panel 40. A fold-resisting mechanism serves this purpose. The hinge 30 serves as a fold-resisting mechanism to bias the locking panel. The amount of bias in the hinge 30 may be controlled by manufacturing techniques such as varying the thickness of the hinge 30 or otherwise varying the degree to which a line forming the hinge 30 is weakened to permit bending. An abutment 70, 80 may serve as an additional or distinct fold-resisting mechanism or element. The abutment 70, 80 prevents the locking panel 20 and base panel 40 from being placed into a substantially parallel condition with respect to one another. Although one abutment 70, 80 on either of the locking panel 20 and the base panel 40 is sufficient to serve as a fold-resisting mechanism or element, more than one be used on either one or both panels. The use of opposing abutments 70, 80 on respective locking 20 and base 40 panels, provides the advantage of being able to minimize the height of each abutment while still achieving desirable fold resistance. Although the abutment may be take many forms, an embossed abutment may be easily manufactured in a substrate, particularly a slide card substrate of plastic. Although paper may be used as a substrate, plastic may be easily thermoformed, die-pressed or otherwise easily manipulated.

(14) It must be emphasized that the law does not require and it is economically prohibitive to illustrate and teach every possible embodiment of the present claims. Hence, the above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for a dean understanding of the principles of the invention. Variations, modifications, and combinations may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. All such variations, modifications, and combinations are included herein by the scope of this disclosure and the following claims.