Blister package with sloped raised formations

• US 5,878,885 A
• Filed: 10/14/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Automated Healthcare, Inc. (Omnicell Inc)
• Inventors: Bowers, Allen D., Wangu, Manoj K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US08/949,347
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 206/461, 206/462, 206/463, 206/471, 206/526, 206/806, 206/464, 206/465, 206/470, D 9/415
• US Class Current: 206/461
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/06 Arrangements on packages concerning bar-codes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2575/367 through a preformed opening in the flat sheet, e.g. the opening being defined by weakened lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2575/565 means explicitly used for suspending
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/326 and forming one compartment
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/328 the compartments being interconnected, e.g. by small channels
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/368 the compartments being interconnected, e.g. by small channels
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/566 Hand holes or suspension apertures

Abstract

A blister package with a hole in it for hanging the package on a rod has a thin plastic front sheet attached to back and a raised receptacle or blister is formed in the plastic sheet sized to enclose an article. The plastic sheet further has a raised formation near each top corner on the front of the blister package. The raised formation is shaped to space the package from an adjacent package when hung on a rod and to resist getting caught on the top edge of an adjacent blister package if the package is rotated about the rod. The raised formation has a peak and sloping sides extending from the peak toward the edges of the package. The profile is generally smooth such that there are no ledges to catch on the top edge of an adjacent blister pack. The hole is located a first distance from the top edge of the blister package and each projection is spaced a second distance from the hole. The second distance is made less than the first distance such that if the blister package were rotated 90 degrees a raised formation could not get caught on the top edge of an adjacent blister package. Preferably a bar code is provided on the outside of the back where it can be read by a bar code reader.

Claims

1. A blister package comprised of:

a back having two upper comers, a top edge extending between the upper corners, a front surface and a hole passing through the back for hanging the package on a rod;

a product containing blister attached to the front surface below the hole and having height from the front surface; and

a raised formation on the front surface near each upper corner, each raised formation spaced apart from the other raised formation and from the product containing blister and having a peak which has a height from the front surface that is not less than the height of the blister and sides extending from the peak, at least one said side having a slope relative to the front surface of less than 90° and

facing away from the top edge so that the at least one said side will not catch on a top edge of an adjacent blister package when both packages are hung on a rod.

2. The blister package of claim 1 wherein the back also has a bottom edge and two opposite side edges and each raised formation has four sides each of which is facing a different edge of the back.

3. The blister package of claim 2 wherein the sides of the formation facing the side edges of the back are perpendicular to the back and the side facing the top edge and the side facing the bottom edge both have slopes relative to the front surface of less than 90°

.

4. The blister package of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sides of each formation is arcuate shaped.

5. The blister package of claim 1 wherein the hole is spaced a first distance from a top edge of the package and each raised formation is spaced a second distance from the hole, the second distance being less than the first distance.

6. The blister package of claim 1 further comprising a bar code provided on an outside surface of the package.

7. The blister package of claim 1 wherein the product containing blister is sized and configured to hold a unit dose of medicine.

8. The blister package of claim 1 further comprising a landing on the peak.

9. A blister package comprised of:

a back having two upper corners, a top edge extending between the upper corners, a front surface and a hole passing through the back for hanging the package on a rod;

a product containing blister attached to the front surface below the hole; and

a raised formation on the front surface near each upper corner, each raised formation spaced apart from the other raised formation and from the product containing blister and having a peak and sides extending from the peak, at least one said side having a slope relative to the front surface of between 10° and

45° and

facing away from the top edge.

10. The blister package of claim 9 wherein one side of each formation slopes toward a bottom edge of the package at 15°

and an opposite side slopes toward a top edge of the package at 45°

.