Medicine container and cover therefor

• US 4,946,038 A
• Filed: 12/20/1989
• Issued: 08/07/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eaton Forms Corporation
• Original Assignee: Eaton Forms Corporation
• Inventors: Eaton, Rolland
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE, WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US07/453,934
• Time in Patent Office: 230 Days
• Field of Search: 206/528, 206/529, 206/530, 206/531, 206/532, 206/534, 206/534.1, 206/534.2, 206/535, 206/536, 206/537, 206/538, 206/539, 206/533, 206/540, 206/807, 206/613, 206/813, 53/396, 53/410, 53/412, 53/449
• US Class Current: 206/528
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2577/2091 in cover
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/206 so as to uncover one or more preformed openings made through some layers of the cover
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/30 Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during filling or closing of containers B65D77/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/807 Tamper proof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/813 Adhesive

Abstract

A medicine container and cover therefor. The medicine container has side walls which have wave portions. The medicine container also having end walls which are angular with respect to the side walls. Therefore, the medicine container can be easily and readily grasped for retaining the medicine container for dispensing the contents of the container. The medicine container also has a flange which extends from the walls. The cover is attached to the flange. The cover has tab portions which extend from the flange and which can be grasped for easy opening of the medicine container to dispense the contents of the medicine container.

Claims

1. A medicine container comprising a small box-like body which includes a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, each of the side walls including a wave formation portion, a pair of end walls, each of the end walls including a substantially straight portion which is angular with respect to the side walls, and a flange integral with the side walls and end walls and extending laterally therefrom.

2. The medicine container of claim 1 in which the straight portions of the end walls are substantially parallel one with respect to the other and in which the angular relationship between the straight portions of the end walls and the side walls is between fifteen degrees and seventy-five degrees.

3. The medicine container of claim 1 in which the flange has an edge portion which is substantially parallel to the straight portion of an end wall.

4. The medicine container of claim 1 in which each of the walls comprises rigid material.

5. The medicine container of claim 1 in which the flange has an edge portion which is substantially parallel to the straight portion of an end wall and spaced therefrom and which includes a cover member which includes a tab element, the cover member being adhesively attached to the flange of the container adjacent the edge portion of the flange, whereby the tab can be readily grasped for removal of the cover from the container.

6. The medicine container of claim 1 in which the flange is annular and encompasses the side walls and the end walls of the container and has a substantially constant width dimension as it encompasses the side walls and end walls of the container.

7. The medicine container of claim 1 which includes a cover member which includes a lid layer and a top layer, the lid layer being attached to the top layer and having a protuberant portion which engages the flange and which can be readily grasped by a person'"'"'s fingers whereby the lid layer is readily removable from the container.

8. The medicine container of claim 1 which includes a cover member which includes a lid layer which extends between the walls of the container and which encloses the container, the lid layer including a plurality of protuberances which rest upon the flange, whereby the lid layer can be pivoted about one of the protuberances and whereby the lid layer is readily removable from the container.

9. The medicine container of claim 1 which includes a cover member which comprises a top layer and a lid layer and an attachment layer, the attachment layer being annular and attached to the flange, the lid layer being attached to the top layer, the lid layer being encompassed by the attachment layer, the attachment layer being releasably attached to the top layer.

10. The medicine container of claim 1 which the flange is annular and in which the medicine container includes a cover member which comprises a top layer and a lid layer and an attachment layer, the attachment layer being annular and attached to the flange, the attachment layer having generally the same dimensions and configuration as the dimension and configuration of the flange, the attachment layer being adhesively bonded to the flange, the lid layer being attached to the top layer, the lid layer being encompassed by the attachment layer, the top layer being releasably adhesively attached to the attachment layer.

11. A small disposable medicine container which comprises a first pair of rigid enclosure walls which are substantially parallel one with respect to the other and a second pair of rigid enclosure walls which are substantially parallel one with respect to the other, the first pair of enclosure walls being at an angle less than ninety degrees with respect to the second pair of enclosure walls, at least one of the enclosure walls including wave portions, whereby the container can be readily grasped and retained during dispensing of medicine from the container.

12. The small disposable medicine container of claim 11 which includes a flange which is integral with the enclosure walls and which extends laterally therefrom, the medicine container also including a paper-like cover member which includes an attachment layer which is adhesively attached to the flange, the cover member also including a lid layer which is positioned between the enclosure walls and which encloses the container, the cover member also including a top layer which is attached to the lid layer and which is releasably adhesively attached to the attachment layer.

13. The small disposable medicine container of claim 11 in which the first pair of enclosure walls is at an angle of approximately thirty degrees with respect to the second pair of enclosure walls, the medicine container including a flange having a pair of edge portions which are substantially parallel to the second pair of enclosure walls.

14. The small disposable medicine container of claim 11 in which the first pair of enclosure walls is at an angle of approximately thirty degrees with respect to the second pair of enclosure walls, the container including a flange having a pair of edge portions which are substantially parallel to the second pair of enclosure walls, and the medicine container also including a cover member which is provided with a tab which is adjacent an edge portion of the flange and is also adjacent the enclosure wall which is parallel to the edge portion.

15. A small disposable medicine container which comprises a pair of rigid side walls and a pair of rigid end walls, a flange integral with the walls and extending laterally therefrom, a cover member which comprises a plurality of layers, there being a top layer and an attachment layer and a lid layer, the attachment layer being annular and having a configuration generally the same as the configuration of the flange, the attachment layer being secured to the flange, the top layer being releasably adhesively attached to the attachment layer, the lid layer enclosing the container between the walls thereof, the lid layer being encompassed by the attachment layer and attached to the top layer, whereby the top layer and the lid layer are removable from the container for dispensing the contents thereof.

16. The small disposable medicine container of claim 15 in which at least one of the rigid walls includes a wave portion, whereby the container is readily grasped and retained by a person'"'"'s hand for releasing the top layer of the cover member from the attachment layer and for dispensing the contents of the container.

17. The small disposable medicine container of claim 15 in which the lid layer includes a protuberant portion which rests upon the flange, whereby the protuberant portion serves as a pivot upon the flange for removing the lid layer from the container.

18. The small disposable container of claim 15 in which the lid layer has a curved cut therein for enhancing the flexibility of the lid layer and for removal of the lid layer with removal of the top layer from the container.

19. The small disposable medicine container of claim 15 in which the attachment layer has a recess therein, the lid layer including a protuberant portion which is positioned within the recess of the attachment layer, whereby the protuberant portion of the lid layer rests upon the flange within the recess portion of the attachment layer, and whereby the protuberance of the lid layer serves as a pivot upon the flange to remove the lid layer from the container.

20. A method of producing a small disposable medicine container comprising forming a generally box-like member having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, forming a wave portion into at least one of the walls, whereby the wave portion of the wall can be firmly engaged for manually grasping the medicine container and for retaining the medicine container for dispensing the contents of the medicine container.

21. The method of claim 20 which includes forming a flange integrally with the walls and extending laterally therefrom, forming a top cover layer, forming an annular attachment layer, attaching the annular attachment layer to the flange of the container, forming a lid layer, positioning the lid layer within the annular attachment layer whereby the lid layer is encompassed by the annular attachment layer, attaching the annular attachment layer and the lid layer to the top cover layer, whereby the top cover layer is releasable from the attachment layer and the lid layer is removable from the container with removal of the top cover layer from the attachment layer.

22. The method of claim 20 which includes forming a flange integrally with the walls and extending laterally therefrom, forming a top cover layer, forming an annular attachment layer, attaching the annular attachment layer to the flange of the container, forming a lid layer, positioning the lid layer within the annular attachment layer whereby the lid layer is encompassed by the annular attachment layer, attaching the lid layer to the top cover layer, releasably attaching the annular attachment layer to the top cover layer, whereby the top cover layer is releasable from the attachment layer and the lid layer is removable from the container with removal of the top cover layer from the attachment layer.

23. The method of claim 20 in which the pair of end walls is formed at an angle of between fifteen degrees and seventy-five degrees with respect to the side walls.

24. The method of claim 20 which includes forming a flange integrally with the end walls and side walls and extending laterally therefrom, forming a top cover layer, forming an annular attachment layer, forming a recess in the annular attachment layer, attaching the annular attachment layer to the flange of the container, forming a lid layer having a protuberance, positioning the lid layer within the annular attachment layer whereby the lid layer is encompassed by the annular attachment layer and whereby the protuberance of the lid layer is positioned within the recess of the annular attachment layer, positioning the protuberance of the lid layer upon the flange, releasably attaching the annular attachment layer and the lid layer to the top cover layer, whereby the top cover layer is releasable from the attachment layer and the lid layer is removable from the container with movement of the top cover layer from the attachment layer, and whereby the lid layer is also removable from the container by pivotal movement of the protuberance of the lid layer upon the flange.

25. The method of claim 20 which includes forming a flange integrally with the end walls and side walls and extending laterally therefrom, forming a top cover layer, forming an annular attachment layer, attaching the annular attachment layer to the flange of the container, forming a lid layer having a protuberance, positioning the lid layer within the annular attachment layer whereby the lid layer is encompassed by the annular attachment layer, positioning the protuberance of the lid layer upon the flange, releasably attaching the annular attachment layer and the lid layer to the top cover layer, whereby the top cover layer is releasable from the attachment layer and the lid layer is removable from the container with movement of the top cover layer from the attachment layer, and whereby the lid layer is also removable from the container by manually grasping the protuberance of the lid layer.

26. The method of claim 20 which includes forming a flange integrally with the end walls and side walls and extending laterally therefrom, forming a top cover layer, forming an annular attachment layer, forming a recess in the annular attachment layer, attaching the annular attachment layer to the flange of the container, forming a lid layer having a protuberance, positioning the lid layer within the annular attachment layer whereby the lid layer is encompassed by the annular attachment layer, and positioning the protuberance of the lid layer within the recess of the annular attachment layer, releasably attaching the annular attachment layer and the lid layer to the top cover layer, whereby the top cover layer is releasable from the attachment layer and the lid layer is removable from the container with movement of the top cover layer from the attachment layer, and whereby the lid layer is also removable from the container by manually grasping the protuberance of the lid layer.