Method of shipping a child-resistant medicate container

• US 8,458,994 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juno Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Juno Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Guschke, Thomas, Lee, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): GERRITY, STEPHEN FRANCIS
• Application Number:
  US13/616,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20130000258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 534/15, 534/49, 534/50, 534/52, 53456-459, 53467-469, 534/72, 534/74, 535/53
• US Class Current: 53/415
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/20 by folding-down preformed flaps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2577/043 arranged side by side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 50/046 and such deformation causes the disengagement of locking means, e.g. the release of a pawl-like element from a tooth or abutment, to allow removal of the closure by simultaneous rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/003 Articles enclosed in rigid or semi-rigid containers, the whole being wrapped
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/0413 the inner and outer containers being rigid or semi-rigid and the outer container being of polygonal cross-section formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks, e.g. carton
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/0453 the inner container having a polygonal cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0409 the dispensing means being adapted for delivering one article, or a single dose, upon each actuation B65D83/0445 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of shipping at least one child-resistant medicate container via a carrier includes providing or obtaining at least one child-resistant medicate container including a front sidewall, and an opposing rear sidewall, a right sidewall, an opposing left sidewall, and at least one locking mechanism. The method also includes creating or obtaining a flat-rate shipping package from a carrier, inserting the at least one child-resistant medicate container into the package, and closing the package to enclose the at least one child-resistant medicate container within the package so that the package is generally flat and acceptable by the carrier for a flat-rate shipping. The method also includes causing the closed package to be shipped or transported by the carrier at a flat-rate.

Claims

1. A method of shipping at least one child-resistant medicate container via a carrier at a flat rate, the method comprising:

a) providing or obtaining at least one child-resistant medicate container including a housing defining a front sidewall, an opposing rear sidewall, a right sidewall, an opposing left sidewall, the at least one child-resistant medicate container further including at least one locking mechanism, each of the front and rear sidewalls defining a plane such that the plane of the front sidewall and the plane of the rear sidewall extend generally parallel to each other, each of the right and left sidewalls defining a plane such that the plane of the right sidewall and the plane of the left sidewall extend generally parallel to each other, the right sidewall extending generally perpendicularly to the front sidewall, a cover being slidably attached to the housing and surrounding at least a portion of each of the front, rear, right and left sidewalls of the housing, the at least one locking mechanism including a gripping portion pivotably attached to one of the housing and the cover by a hinge, the gripping portion being selectively pivotable toward and away from at least one of the housing and the cover to disengage and engage, respectively, the at least one locking mechanism;

b) creating or obtaining a flat-rate shipping package from a carrier;

c) inserting the at least one child-resistant medicate container into the package;

d) closing the package to enclose the at least one child-resistant medicate container within the package so that the package is generally flat and satisfies a requirement of the carrier for flat-rate shipping; and

e) shipping or transporting the closed package by the carrier at the flat-rate.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

filling the at least one child-resistant medicate container with a specified type and specified amount of medicate prior to inserting the at least one child-resistant medicate container into the package.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

applying at least three distinct labels to at least a portion of at least one of the front and rear sidewalls of the at least one child-resistant medicate container prior to inserting the at least one child-resistant medicate container into the package, wherein each label is placed at a separate location on at least a portion of the at least one of the front and rear sidewalls so the labels do not overlap on the at least one child-resistant medicate container.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes an aperture formed in a sidewall thereof, the cover being movable between a first position in which the aperture is substantially blocked to prevent at least one medicate from being dispensed from the at least one child-resistant medicate container and a second position in which the aperture is at least partially open to allow the at least one medicate to be dispensed from the at least one child-resistant medicate container.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a window formed of a transparent or translucent material, and wherein a remainder of the housing and the cover are formed of an opaque material.

6. A method of shipping at least two child-resistant medicate containers via a carrier at a flat rate, the method comprising:

a) providing or obtaining at least two child-resistant medicate containers, each container including a front sidewall, an opposing rear sidewall, a right sidewall, an opposing left sidewall, and at least one locking mechanism, each of the front and rear sidewalls defining a plane such that the plane of the front sidewall and the plane of the rear sidewall extend generally parallel to each other, each of the right and left sidewalls defining a plane such that the plane of the right sidewall and the plane of the left sidewall extend generally parallel to each other, the right sidewall extending generally perpendicularly to the front sidewall;

b) at least partially filling each of the at least two child-resistant medicate containers with a specified type and specified amount of medicate;

c) dispensing or laying a first packaging material on a surface;

d) placing each of the at least two child-resistant medicate containers onto the first packaging material following step c);

e) spacing apart each of the at least two child-resistant medicate containers on the first packaging material by a predetermined distance following step d);

f) dispensing or laying a second packaging material to at least partially cover each of the at least two child-resistant medicate containers between the first and second packaging material following step e);

g) sealing the first and second packaging material together to form a closed package that encloses each of the at least two child-resistant medicate containers therebetween following step f; and

h) sending the closed package by the carrier at the flat-rate.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

cutting or trimming excess packaging material that extends outwardly beyond a seal of the package prior to sending the closed package by the carrier at the flat-rate.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

applying at least one label to at least a portion of at least one of the front and rear sidewalls of the at least two child-resistant medicate containers immediately prior to or immediately following at least partially filling each of the at least two child-resistant containers.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the closed package includes four spaced-apart child-resistant medicate containers, and wherein each child-resistant medicate container is spaced-apart from an adjacent child-resistant medicate container by a seal.

10. A method of shipping at least two child-resistant medicate containers via a carrier at a flat rate, the method comprising:

a) providing or obtaining at least two child-resistant medicate containers, each container including a front sidewall, an opposing rear sidewall, a right sidewall, an opposing left sidewall, and at least one locking mechanism, each of the front and rear sidewalls defining a plane such that the plane of the front sidewall and the plane of the rear sidewall extend generally parallel to each other, each of the right and left sidewalls defining a plane such that the plane of the right sidewall and the plane of the left sidewall extend generally parallel to each other, the right sidewall extending generally perpendicularly to the front sidewall;

b) at least partially filling each of the at least two child-resistant medicate containers with a specified type and specified amount of medicate;

c) providing or obtaining a frame having at least two laterally spaced-apart openings, each opening being at least slightly smaller than an outer periphery of each medicate container such that each opening frictionally engages one of the child-resistant medicate containers to generally hold the child-resistant medicate container in place;

d) inserting each of the at least two child-resistant medicate containers into one of the openings of the frame following step c) such that at least a portion of one of the front and rear sidewalls of each child-resistant medicate container extends outwardly beyond a front sidewall of the frame;

e) inserting the frame into a flat-rate envelope or container provided by the carrier following step d);

f) closing the envelope or container to enclose the frame therein following step e);

g) sending the closed package by the carrier at the flat-rate.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein during step c) the frame is folded from a flat configuration to a folded configuration to form a cavity.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein each opening has a shape that matches a silhouette of each child-resistant medicate container.