Blister package opening method and apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for removing a product from a blister package consisting of a backing board with a blister sheet attached having a flat portion with at least one protruding product containing blister integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the flat portion, comprising:
- a knife plate parallel to and adjacent the sheet flat portion, means for moving the blister packagge relative to the knife plate to cut the blister partly from the sheet flat portion with the blister projecting downwardly, and means for opening the blister sufficiently to permit the product to fall downwardly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for opening defective blister packages to recover their contained product that include shifting an inverted blister package against a stationary knife to partly sever its blisters and then camming the partly severed blisters open to discharge the product.
43 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus for removing a product from a blister package consisting of a backing board with a blister sheet attached having a flat portion with at least one protruding product containing blister integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the flat portion, comprising:
- a knife plate parallel to and adjacent the sheet flat portion, means for moving the blister packagge relative to the knife plate to cut the blister partly from the sheet flat portion with the blister projecting downwardly, and means for opening the blister sufficiently to permit the product to fall downwardly.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for removing a product from a blister package consisting of a backing board with a blister sheet attached having a flat portion with at least one protruding product containing blister integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the flat portion, comprising:
- a stationary knife plate parallel and adjacent the sheet flat portion with an aperture therein defining a knife edge, the upper surface of the knife plate being constructed to receive the blister package with the blister projecting downwardly through the knife plate aperture, and a carrier plate mounted beneath the knife plate and moveable into engagement with the blister to shift the entire blister package sufficiently to incompletely sever the blister from the sheet flat portion, and means for receiving the product from the partly severed blister.
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9. An apparatus for removing a product from a blister package consisting of a backing board with a blister sheet attached having a flat portion with at least one protruding product containing blister integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the flat portion, comprising:
- a stationary knife plate with an aperture therein defining a knife edge, the upper surface of the knife plate receiving the sheet portion and being constructed to receive the blister package with the blister projecting downwardly through the knife plate aperture, and a carrier plate mounted adjacent, parallel to and beneath the knife plate and moveable into engagement with the blister to shift the entire blister package sufficiently to incompletely sever the blister from the sheet flat portion, said carrier plate being moveable in a first direction to shift the blister into engagement with the knife edge and moveable in a second direction to engage and open the severed blister to permit discharge of the product therefrom.
- View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for removing a product from a blister package consisting of a backing board with a blister sheet attached having a sheet portion with at least one protruding product containing blister integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the flat portion, comprising:
- a stationary knife plate with an aperture therein defining a knife edge, the upper surface of the knife plate receiving the sheet flat portion and being constructed to receive the blister package with the blister projecting downwardly through the knife plate aperture, a carrier plate mounted adjacent, parallel to and beneath the knife plate and moveable into engagement with the blister to shift the entire blister package sufficiently to incompletely sever the blister from the sheet flat portion, said carrier plate being moveable in a first direction to shift the blister into engagement with the knife edge and moveable in a second direction to engage and open the severed blister to permit discharge of the product therefrom, a clamping plate for urging the blister package into engagement with the knife plate, said clamping plate having a low friction pad engageable with the blister package that permits the package to slide as the carrier plate shifts the package, a shift assembly for moving the carrier plate, and a piston and cylinder device for moving the shift assembly, said shift assembly having a slideway for receiving the carrier plate, said carrier plate and knife plate having interengaging guideways transverse to the shift assembly slideway.
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13. A method for removing a product from a blister package consisting of a backing board with a blister sheet attached having a flat portion with at least one protruding product containing blister integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the flat portion, including the steps of:
- cutting the blister partly from the sheet flat portion with a knife plate parallel and adjacent the sheet flat portion with the blister projecting downwardly, and opening the blister sufficiently by moving the blister package selector to the knife plate to permit the product to fall downwardly.
- View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for removing a product from a blister package consisting of a backing board with a blister sheet attached having a flat portion with at least one protruding product containing blister integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the flat portion, including the steps of:
- placing the package on top of a stationary knife plate parallel to the sheet flat portion with an aperture therein defining a knife edge with the blister projecting downwardly, moving a carrier plate beneath the knife plate into engagement with the blister to shift the entire blister package sufficiently to incompletely sever the blister from the sheet flat portion, and moving the carrier plate in a second direction to engage and open the severed blister sufficiently to permit discharge of the product therefrom.
- View Dependent Claims (21)
Specification