Sealed package of swab or applicator stick and medicinal material to be applied thereby

• US 3,976,195 A
• Filed: 02/26/1975
• Issued: 08/24/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Modern Medical Concepts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Modern Medical Concepts Incorporated
• Inventors: Cohen, Sheldon S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Summer, Leonard
• Application Number:
  US05/553,110
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 206/209, 206/210, 206/362, 206/363
• US Class Current: 206/362
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/30 Groups of containers joined together end-to-end or side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2575/3227 Cuts or weakening lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2575/3245 by peeling off the non-rigid sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2577/2066 Means on, or attached to, container flange facilitating opening, e.g. non-bonding region, cut-out
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/327 and forming several compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/328 the compartments being interconnected, e.g. by small channels
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5855 Peelable seals
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/2032 by peeling or tearing the cover from the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/245 Utensils for removing the contents from the package, e.g. spoons, forks, spatulas B65D77/28 takes precedence

Abstract

An improved assembly is provided of a sealed package, one or more disposable handled swabs or applicator sticks and a medicinal material to be applied by the heads of the swabs or applicator sticks. Where the medicinal material is a liquid, the liquid is substantially completely absorbed by the cotton-tipped heads of the swabs so no body of flowable liquid is present. The package is formed preferably by a tray-forming body of material molded to provide for each swab or applicator stick a well that serves loosely to receive the head portion thereof and isolate it from external compression forces, and an inclined support ledge to position the handle portion thereof so it inclines upwardly and away from the well. A cover sheet of a gas-impervious material is secured over the tray-forming body to provide a gas-tight seal that is selectively openable to provide access to the swabs or applicator sticks. The handles of the swabs or applicator sticks preferably are engaged and depressed by the cover sheet to hold the swabs or applicator sticks securely within the package.

Claims

1. A combination medicinal applicator and sealed package assembly therefor comprising:

at least one applicator element having a liquid absorbent applicator head portion for applying a medicinal material and an elongated handle portion for handling the same;

a sealed package enclosing said at least one applicator element comprising an initially open top tray-like body made of rigid material and initially having an opening in the top thereof through which the applicator element can pass into and from the body, said body having a rigid peripheral ledge extending around the same, said body having in the bottom thereof an applicator head-receiving well into which the head portion of said applicator element extends and support means above the bottom of said body tray and below said ledge inclined upwardly from said well upon which the handle portion of said applicator element is supported an end portion of said handle being adjacent a finger-receiving well so that the handle can be readily grasped, said wells being unsealed from each other, a medicinal material wetting at least part of the head portion of said applicator element to a point where it is not super-saturated so the well is free of any flowable body of such material; and

a manually removable cover-forming means comprising a sheet of flexible material sealed along said peripheral ledge, and enclosing the open top of said body to provide a gas and liquid tight seal with said body so the applicator element is sealed from the exterior of the package;

said head portion of the applicator element being spaced from said cover sheet in said well when said tray-like body is upright so a downward force on said cover sheet is not applied to said head portion of said applicator element and said applicator head portion is also protected from an external force by the rigid walls of the tray-like body when the body is inverted.