Package for a personal care product

• US 7,434,692 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: McNeil-PPC Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Ginsberg, Steven, Grant, Bradford S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, LUAN KIM
• Application Number:
  US11/353,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 206528-530, 206/532, 206/534, 206/535, 206/536, 206/538, 206/539, 206/449, 206/499, 206/1.5, 220/255, 220/315, 220/324, 220/326, 220/810
• US Class Current: 206/535
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/161 comprising two or more cover sections hinged one to another
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5805 for tearing a side strip parallel and next to the edge, e.g. by means of a line of weakness
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/08 for dispensing thin flat articles in succession towel dispensers intended for re-use A47K10/24; dispensers for surgical scalpel blades A61B17/3215

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a packaged supply of individual doses of a personal care product, such as strips of a water-soluble film that may or may not contain a pharmaceutically active material, including a dispenser apparatus including a tray, cover and side portions and at least one packet freely positioned within the dispenser apparatus.

Claims

1. A package comprising:

a) a dispenser comprising a bottom portion and a first end and a second end;

a cover portion comprising a fixed partial cover coupled to the first end and a movable partial cover coupled to the second end and releasably attached to said fixed partial cover via at least one latch holding said movable partial cover in a closed position; and

b) at least one packet freely positioned in said dispenser, said packet having a pouch portion that holds a personal care product in the form of a water-soluble film;

wherein;

said at least one packet is freely movable within said dispenser such that upon moving said movable partial cover to access the interior of said dispenser, said at least one packet is freely releasable from said dispenser; and

said at least one latch is released and said movable partial cover pops open by pressing down on a portion of said fixed partial cover.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein said movable partial cover is releasably attached to said bottom portion.

3. The package of claim 1, wherein said at least one latch releasably holds said movable partial cover to said fixed partial cover.

4. The package of claim 1, wherein said at least one packet comprises two flexible sheets that are partially laminated together so as to define a closed pocket between the sheets, wherein said personal care product is located in said pocket.

5. The package of claim 1, wherein said at least one packet comprises two sheets and a separating means.

6. The package of claim 5, wherein said separating means comprise two pull tabs on said sheets located on at least one side of said at least one packet.

7. The package of claim 5, wherein said separating means comprise at least one tear-facilitating means.

8. The package of claim 7, wherein said tear-facilitating means is selected from the group consisting of a score line, a perforated line, and a tear-directing notch in an edge of the packet, at an end of a boundary zone.

9. The package of claim 5, wherein each sheet is comprised of material that more easily tears in the direction of a boundary zone than in directions perpendicular thereto and comprises material selected from the group consisting of oriented film and striated film.

10. The package of claim 1, wherein said at least one packet is generally rectangular in shape.

11. The package of claim 1, wherein the personal care product comprises an active pharmaceutical ingredient.

12. The package of claim 11, wherein said active pharmaceutical ingredient is chosen from phenylepherine, nicotine, cetirizine, dextromethorphan, diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, benzocaine, famotidine, and combinations thereof.

13. The package of claim 1, wherein:

said fixed partial cover is fixedly connected to said first end; and

said movable partial cover is hingedly connected to said second end so that, when said movable partial cover is in its closed position, an edge of said movable partial cover rests against the free edge of said fixed partial cover.

14. The package of claim 1, wherein said at least one latch provides an interference fit between said movable partial cover and said fixed partial cover, said at least one latch being engaged by pressing said movable partial cover into its closed position.

15. The package of claim 14, wherein said at least one latch and a second latch have to be simultaneously pressed in order to open said movable partial cover.

16. The package of claim 1, wherein a surface of said at least one packet is imprinted with indicia selected from the group consisting of the name of the personal care product, a lot number, a product indicating code and combinations thereof.

17. The package of claim 1, wherein:

said first end of said dispenser is opposite said second end of said dispenser; and

said fixed partial cover is fixedly coupled to said first end of said dispenser.