GB2317587A

GB2317587A - Device for pressing objects from blister packs

Info

Publication number: GB2317587A
Application number: GB9620029A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David John Fenn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-09-26
Filing date: 1996-09-26
Publication date: 1998-04-01
Also published as: GB9620029D0

Abstract

A device 10 for removing tablets from blister packs is formed as a substantially U-shaped member having a pair of spaced legs 12, 14 which can be resiliently moved together. A blister pack is supported in the U-shape on the one leg 12 with sealed compartments upstanding and one of the compartments being aligned with an aperture 18 in the leg 12. Hand pressure on the other leg 14 moves a profiled member 20 initially against an upstanding side edge of the respect of compartment, with continuing hand pressure deforming the plastics material of the compartment and pushing the tablet against a foil closure to break the latter and therefore displace the tablet through the foil and through the aperture 18.

Description

Product Displacement Device This invention relates to a device for displacing a product from a sealed compartment in a carrier, and is particularly concerned with a device for removing tablets from blister packs thereof. Hereinafter the term "tablet" is to be construed as covering a tablet, pill, capsule or any other similar size of product, but not necessarily restricted to a medical product.

Tablets are often sold in blister packs, i.e. plastics packs where compartments are pressed out of a base and are sealed across the base by a frangible material such as a metal foil, after the tablets are located in the compartments. Blister packs form a convenient means by which people can dispense one or more tablets as required, whilst leaving the remaining tablets in the pack in a sealed condition.

Individuals such as arthritic patients can have difficulty in deblistering the packs to obtain the tablets. Pressing out of even a few tablets can be painful, unhygienic, and possibly lead to repetitive strain injury. In establishments such as chemists, there can be a need to deblister lots of the blister packs, and often this is done manually, with the result that shop assistants carrying out the deblistering can damage fingers and finger nails.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for use with a carrier defining at least one sealed compartment in which a product is located and which is at least partly formed of a frangible material, the device having means for supporting the carrier with the compartment aligned with an aperture in the supporting means, and means for engaging with the compartment whereby to break the frangible material and displace the product from the compartment through the aperture, the supporting means and the engaging means being normally spaced apart but being relatively movable to effect product displacement.

Preferably the carrier comprises a blister pack with a product such as a tablet, wherein the compartment is pressed out of a base and, when the pack is supported on the supporting means, is upstanding relative thereto, the compartment being closed by the frangible material extending across the base.

The engaging means may comprise a profiled member which provides a cam surface whereby to initially engage an upstanding side edge of the compartment under pressure so as to deform same and cause the product to break the frangible material.

Preferably also the supporting means and the engaging means define spaced legs of a substantially U-shaped member, the aperture of the supporting means being located towards a free end of the respective leg. The profiled member may project inwardly from a location towards a free end of the other leg. The U-shaped member may be formed of a plastics material and may be injection moulded, and the legs may be resiliently movable towards one another. The profiled member may be formed of a different material such as rubber, and the cam surface may be defined by an angled face extending towards the respective leg. The angled face may extend in a direction towards the base of the U-shaped member.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of a device according to the invention; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a device 10 for manually removing tablets from blister packs is formed as a substantially U-shaped member, preferably of an injection moulded plastics material, defining a pair of spaced elongate, planar legs 12, 14 integrally connected by a base 16. The moulding is such that the legs 12, 14 are normally in a spaced apart relation, as viewed in the drawings, but can be resiliently moved together for a purpose hereinafter described.

Relative to the in-use orientation as viewed in the drawings, the lower leg 12 has a circular through aperture 18 towards the free end thereof. The upper leg 14 is formed with an inwardly projecting profiled member 20 towards a free end thereof whereby, in a normal spaced relation, the member 20 is aligned above the aperture 18. The member 20 is formed of other than the plastics material, for example of rubber, and can be secured by any suitable means, such as glueing, to the leg 14. Towards the free end of the leg 14, the member 20 extends the maximum distance towards the leg 12, and then defines a face 22 which is angled back towards the leg 14 in a direction towards the base 16 to thereby define a cam surface.

In use, a blister pack (not shown) is supported on the leg 12 between the latter and the upper leg 14, with the sealed compartments upstanding relative to the leg 12. One of the compartments is aligned with the aperture 18.

Pressure applied by hand, for example by thumbs on the upper surface of the leg 14, if necessary, at respective ends of the location of the profiled member 20, moves the latter towards the sealed compartment. The face 22 of the member 20 towards the outer end thereof initially engages against an upstanding side edge of the compartment, whereby continued hand pressure deforms the plastics material of the compartment and pushes the tablet against the foil to break the latter, and therefore displace the tablet through the foil and through the aperture 18.

The angle of the face 22 is designed to enable as little force as is necessary to deform or crush the compartment, such force being less likely to damage the tablet in the compartment. Deblistering does not therefore require any hand pressure on the blister pack itself, and the tablets can be removed in a hygienic and non-painful way without damage to fingers or finger nails. It will be appreciated that the position of the blister pack is simply changed to align another sealed compartment with the aperture 18 when another tablet requires to be obtained.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example, the device may be made of other than injection moulded plastics material, and could be shaped and dimensioned differently to that described and shown in the drawings. It is also envisaged that a miniature version of the device could be used as a in-pack item where blister packs are made relatively difficult to deblister as a child-resistant measure, for example by using extra strong plastics material. Also a tool may be provided to assist movement of the upper leg.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A device for use with a carrier defining at least one sealed compartment in which a product is located and which is at least partly formed of a frangible material, the device having means for supporting the carrier with the compartment aligned with an aperture in the supporting means, and means for engaging with the compartment whereby to break the frangible material and displace the product from the compartment through the aperture, the supporting means and the engaging means being normally spaced apart but being relatively movable to effect product displacement.

2. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises a blister pack with a product such as a tablet, and the compartment is pressed out of a base and is closed by the frangible material extending across the base, the supporting means being arranged to support the pack with the compartment upstanding thereon.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the engaging means comprises a profiled member which provides a cam surface arranged to initially engage an upstanding side edge of the compartment under pressure so as to deform same and cause the product to break the frangible material.

4. A device according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the supporting means and the engaging means define spaced legs of a substantially U-shaped member, the aperture of the supporting means being located towards a free end of the respective leg.

5. A device according to Claim 4, wherein the profiled member projects inwardly from a location towards a free end of the other leg.

6. A device according to Claim 4 or 5, wherein the U-shaped member is formed of a plastics material.

7. A device according to Claim 6, wherein the U-shaped member is injection moulded.

8. A device according to any of Claims 4 to 7, wherein the legs may be resiliently movable towards one another.

9. A device according to Claim 3 or any of Claims 4 to 8 when dependent on Claim 3, wherein the profiled member is formed of rubber.

10. A device according to Claim 3, or any of Claims 4 to 9 when dependent on Claim 3, wherein the cam surface is defined by an angled face extending towards the respective leg.

11. A device according to Claim 10, wherein the angled face extends in a direction towards the base of the U-shaped member.

12. A device for use with a carrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.