Combination Ingestible-Product and Beverage Packaging

• US 20080000786A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steven Collotta
• Original Assignee: Steven Collotta
• Inventors: Collotta, Steven, Millen, Samuel L.
• Application Number:
  US11/428,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20080000786A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/217
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/28 with auxiliary containers for additional articles or materials B65D51/247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 73/0057 by means of a preformed enclosure, e.g. a bulb
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 73/0085 within a window, hole or cut-out portion
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/30 Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/36 one sheet or blank being recessed and the other formed of relatively stiff flat sheet material, e.g. blister packages , the recess or recesses being preformed B65D73/0057, B65D73/0092 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5811 and defining, after tearing, a small dispensing spout, a small orifice or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/28 Cards, coupons, or drinking straws B65D5/4212, B65D23/14, B65D25/205, B65D33/004, B65D51/245, B65D75/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3261 Flexible containers having several compartments

Abstract

A combination package for both an ingestible product, such as a medication, and a beverage, such as water, is of a unitary, single-use design. The medication and the beverage, of which only a small amount is provided, can be stored in separate sealed cavities defined by the package. The combination package can be designed so as to be easily and conveniently hung from a display rack in a store. A consumer can open the package to gain access to each cavity and can then orally consume the medication and then wash it down with the beverage.

Claims

1. A combination package comprising:

a unitary package defining at least two cavities and including a tab in the form of a hook or defining an orifice so as to enable the package to be hung from the tab in a store display;

a liquid beverage in a first of the cavities; and

an ingestible product that offers a health benefit to a human in a second of the cavities.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein both the beverage and the ingestible product are in contact with the package

3. The package of claim 1, wherein the liquid beverage comprises water.

4. The package of claim 1, wherein the liquid beverage consists essentially of water.

5. The package of claim 1, wherein the ingestible product is a medication

6. The package of claim 5, wherein the medication is a pain-relief or anti-inflammatory drug.

7. The package of claim 5, wherein the medication is in a pill or capsule form.

8. The package of claim 7, wherein no more than two pills or capsules are contained in the second cavity.

9. The package of claim 1, wherein the package comprises plastic.

10. The package of claim 1, wherein the package backing comprises metal foil.

11. The package of claim 1, wherein 20 to 120 mL of the liquid beverage is in the first cavity.

12. A combination package comprising:

a unitary package defining at least two cavities;

a liquid beverage in a first of the cavities;

an ingestible product that offers a health benefit to a human in a second of the cavities; and

one or more pull-tabs configured to open the package and provide access to the beverage and/or to the ingestible product when pulled by a user.

13. A combination package comprising:

a unitary package defining at least two cavities;

a liquid beverage in a first of the cavities;

an ingestible product that offers a health benefit to a human in a second of the cavities; and

a perforated strip which is defined in the package at a position such that a user can gain access to the beverage or to the ingestible product when tearing the package along the perforated strip.

14. A combination package comprising:

a unitary package defining at least two cavities;

a liquid beverage in a first of the cavities; and

an ingestible product that that offers a health benefit to a human in a second of the cavities; and

one or more notches which are carved out of an edge of the package to facilitate tearing of the package by a consumer to access the beverage or the an ingestible product.

15. A combination package comprising:

a unitary package defining at least two cavities;

a liquid beverage in a first of the cavities; and

an ingestible product that offers a health benefit to a human in a second of the cavities; and

a pair of layers that are joined about their perimeters and between which the cavities are defined.

16. The package of claim 15, wherein the two layers are laminated to form a substantially planar perimeter region.

17. The package of claim 16, wherein one of the layers is a substantially planar substrate, and wherein the other layer includes a pair of blisters extending from the substantially planar substrate to define the two cavities.

18. The package of claim 16, wherein the cavity in which the beverage is contained includes a neck region at one end that is substantially narrowed from the rest of the cavity to facilitate drinking of the beverage from the neck region by a consumer.

19. The package of claim 16, further comprising a tab in the form of a hook or defining an orifice so as to enable the package to be hung from the tab in a store display.

20. A combination package comprising:

a front shell and a removable sealing layer bonded with the front shell, wherein at least two cavities are defined between the shell and the sealing layer;

a liquid beverage in a first of the cavities; and

an ingestible product that offers a health benefit to a human in a second of the cavities, wherein the sealing layer includes a pull tab extending from the package and configured such that the sealing layer can be removed from the first cavity when the pull tab is pulled by a user.

21. The package of claim 20, further comprising a pull tab extending from the package and configured such that the sealing layer can be removed from the second cavity when the pull tab is pulled by a user.

22. A combination package comprising:

a unitary package defining at least two cavities;

a liquid beverage in a first of the cavities, wherein a perforated strip or a notch is defined in the package at a position such that a user can gain access to the beverage or to the ingestible product when tearing the package along the perforated strip or at the notch; and

an ingestible product that offers a health benefit to a human in a second of the cavities.

23. A combination package comprising:

a unitary package comprising a pair of layers that are joined about their perimeters and defining at least two cavities between the layers;

a liquid beverage in a first of the cavities; and

an ingestible product that offers a health benefit to a human in a second of the cavities.

24. A combination package comprising:

a unitary package defining at least two cavities;

a liquid beverage in a first of the cavities, wherein the first cavity includes a neck region at one end that is substantially narrowed from the rest of the cavity to facilitate drinking of the beverage by a consumer from the neck region; and

an ingestible product that that offers a health benefit to a human in a second of the cavities.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the package is hung from the tab on a rod.

25. A method for fabricating a combination package containing an ingestible product that offers a health benefit to a human and a liquid beverage, the method comprising:

providing a front shell including a pair of bubbles;

placing ingestible product in one of the bubbles;

placing a liquid beverage in the other bubble;

placing a back shell on top of the front shell to contain the ingestible product and the liquid beverage in separate cavities between the two shells; and

bonding the back shell to the front shell to seal the two cavities.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein between 20 and 120 mL of the liquid beverage is placed in the bubble.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the shells are bonded using ultrasonic welding.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the shells are thermally bonded.

29. A combination package comprising:

a unitary package defining at least two cavities;

to 120 mL of a liquid beverage in a first of the cavities; and

an ingestible product that offers a health benefit to a human in a second of the cavities.