Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
  • A61J1/00—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes
  • A61J1/03—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes for pills or tablets
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
  • B65D75/28—Articles or materials wholly enclosed in composite wrappers, i.e. wrappers formed by associating or interconnecting two or more sheets or blanks
  • B65D75/30—Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding
  • B65D75/32—Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding one or both sheets or blanks being recessed to accommodate contents
  • B65D75/325—Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding one or both sheets or blanks being recessed to accommodate contents one sheet being recessed, and the other being a flat not- rigid sheet, e.g. puncturable or peelable foil
  • B65D75/327—Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding one or both sheets or blanks being recessed to accommodate contents one sheet being recessed, and the other being a flat not- rigid sheet, e.g. puncturable or peelable foil and forming several compartments

Definitions

• This invention relates to a packaging for consumable products such as pills. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
• Products that are designed for human consumption at determinable time intervals are provided in numerous packaging formats. These products include pills in the form of tablets or capsules, and these are typically contained and presented in bottles with screw on lids or in boxes containing pills in blister packs.
• a problem with bottled products is that only one type of pill can be contained in a single bottle. This means it is not possible using such a container to provide pills with differing contents. An example of pills that cannot practically be presented in such packaging is contraceptive pills.
• a problem with blister pack type packaging is that it typically presents pills in rows and relies on the colour of pills, printing on the blister pack itself, and a separate inserted leaflet to instruct a consumer on which tablets to consume when.
• Such packaging is often confusing and leaves people unsure of which tablets to take and when to take them.
• the instruction pamphlet which is separate from the blister pack, is lost or discarded and that the blister pack is then used without the instructions readily available. This may lead to confusion, especially in the case of multiphase contraceptive pills that are not always consumed fully in each phase (such as when a woman wishes to delay the onset of one phase and skips a set of pills from one phase). It may also lead to damage to the foil of the blister pack itself, which could affect the efficacy of the pills.
• pill means any preparation in the form of a tablet, capsule or the like which is intended to be consumed by a human or animal, whether for therapeutic or preventive effect.
• a set of pills means pills with differing ingredients which are configured for consumption over predeterminable intervals according to specific time-varying requirements of the intended consumer thereof, and which include more than one subset of pills.
• a subset of pills means a subset of pills forming part of set of pills, each pill of such subset having similar (but not necessarily completely identical ingredients) and which are intended for consumption during a predetermined period, for example a week of a month.
• a product packaging for a set of pills comprising a booklet having a predetermined number of pages each of which is configured to contain a subset of pills, and preferably containing information relating to a subset of pills on a reverse side of a preceding page operatively for the information to be located adjacent the subset of pills when the booklet is opened at such subset of pills.
• the booklet to include a front cover, and for the last page of the booklet to form a rear cover for the booklet.
• each page to contain a sleeve within which a blister pack of subset of pills is receivable, with a side of the sleeve, preferably the topside, being open to slidably extract and receive the blister pack.
• information on the reverse side of a preceding page to comprise instructions for consumption of the associated subset of pills, and further preferably for the blister pack to also include instructions, such as colour coding, for consumption of the associated subset of pills, including at least the sequence in which the pills have to be consumed.
• each page of the booklet to contain a blister pack having a subset of pills for consumption over a period of one or two weeks, and further preferably for the pills to comprise any one or more of supplements, preferably hormone supplements, more preferably female hormonal supplements configured for specific ages and phases relating to the female hormonal cycle; alternatively contraceptives, preferably female contraceptives, and further alternatively a combination of female hormonal supplements and female contraceptives.
• supplements preferably hormone supplements, more preferably female hormonal supplements configured for specific ages and phases relating to the female hormonal cycle
• contraceptives preferably female contraceptives
• the hormonal supplement to be configured to supplement the hormonal requirements of a female as a result of her menstrual cycle.
• the subset of pills on the last page of the booklet to optionally contain more or less pills than each of the subsets of pills on the other pages, and optionally for a representation corresponding to the number of pills normally required for a female menstrual cycle length to be printed on the last blister pack or reverse side of the preceding page.
• the pills to be presented in the blister pack in a circular pattern, alternatively any desired pattern.
• the sleeve to include a central aperture shaped to expose the arrangement of the subset of pills within the blister pack when the booklet is opened at the specific page, further preferably for the aperture to be shaped complimentary to the pattern of the subset of pills in the blister pack, and most preferably for the aperture and the arrangement of the subset of pills to be circular.
• a method of presenting a set of pills including providing a packaging as defined above with a blister pack of a subset of pills in each sleeve of the booklet which corresponds to a predetermined portion of a period of time, and preferably for the subset of pills in each sleeve to contain pills for one or two weeks out of multi-week cycle, more preferably a four week cycle, with the sequence of consumption of the subsets of pills determining their respective locations in the booklet.
• a packaged set of pills which includes a set of pills with a plurality of subsets of pills packaged in a product packaging as defined above, and preferably for the packaged set of pills to comprise a set of female hormonal supplements configured to complement the supplementary requirements of a female human during the various phases of her hormonal cycle, comprising further preferably a set of hormonal supplements for one of five age groups for females including teenagers, adults with premenstrual stress, mature adults undergoing menopause, mature adults with severe menopausal symptoms, and senior adults post menopause.
• a packaged set of pills which includes on each page a combination of a contraceptive and a hormonal supplement.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closed product packaging containing a set of pills according to a first embodiment of the invention
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the product packaging of Figure 1 with the front cover opened;
• Figure 3 is a plan view of the packaging as shown in Figure 2;
• Figure 4 is a bottom end view of the packaging as shown in Figure 2;
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the product packaging with the front cover opened;
• Figure 6 is a plan view of the packaging as shown in Figure 5.
• Figure 7 is a bottom end view of the packaging as shown in Figure 5.
• a first embodiment of a product packaging containing a set of pills according to the invention is shown in the drawings of Figure 1 to 4.
• the packaging (1 ) is designed for a set of female hormonal supplements in the form of tablets (2).
• the packaging (1 ) comprises a booklet (3) having four pages (4-7).
• the booklet (3) includes a front cover (8) and the last page (7) forms the rear cover of the booklet (3).
• Each page (4-7) comprises a double layer sleeve (9) which is open ended along its top (10).
• Each sleeve (9) is designed to removably contain a blister pack of tablets (1 1 ).
• the blister pack (1 1 ) may be inserted into the sleeve (9) through the open top (10).
• Each sleeve (9) includes a central aperture (12) through which the tablets (2) in the blister pack (1 1 ) are visible when it is inserted into the sleeve (9). Since the sealed tablets (2) extend above the backing surface of the blister pack (1 1 ), the tablets (2) protrude through the aperture (12) when inserted into the sleeve (9), which assists in retaining the blister pack (1 1 ) within the sleeve (9).
• Each blister pack (1 1 ) is slidably removable from its sleeve (9). This allows a tablet (2) to be removed from the blister pack (1 1 ) in the conventional manner by pressing it through its foil backing, and for the blister pack (1 1 ) to be replaced in the sleeve (9) afterwards, ready for its next use.
• each sleeve (9) is designed to contain a subset of tablets in the form of the blister pack (1 1 ).
• the blister pack (1 1 ) contains fourteen tablets.
• the recommended dosage is one tablet (2) per day.
• the booklet (3) thus contains fifty-six tablets on its four pages (4-7), which corresponds to one tablet (2) per day for two average female menstrual cycles of twenty-eight days each.
• the blister pack (1 1 ) may also be provided with instructions for consumption of the tablets (2).
• Each blister pack (1 1 ) may have appropriate numbering or signage (not shown) adjacent the pills to indicate the required sequence of consumption of tablets (2).
• These and additional general information on the tablets (2) as well as each subset of tablets (2) may also be provided anywhere on the booklet (3).
• the booklet (3) and blister pack (1 1 ) may also incorporate colour coding to facilitate the correct consumption of the tablets (2).
• the blister pack (1 1 ) has a coloured backing at one or more tablets (2). This colour coding will correspond to instructions found on the cover (8) and reverse sides of the pages (4, 5 and 6) respectively.
• the instructions will inform the user to consume the tablet located at a specific coloured backing at the required intervals, This will facilitate consumption of the correct first tablet (2) and the rest of the tablets (2) in the correct sequence.
• the colour coding may also be used in combination with appropriate numbering and signage as discussed above.
• the tablets (2) are configured to supplement the hormonal requirements of a woman as result of her menstrual cycle.
• Booklets are provided in a number of variants, including a set for female teenagers (1 1 -19 years), a set for female adults (20-45 years), two sets for mature females (45-60), and a set for senior females (60+ years).
• the set for teenager include supplements that provide assistance with a monthly hormonal cycle of a female teenager that typically struggles with hormone related skin issue, food cravings, pre-menstrual cramps and irregular periods.
• the set for adult females include supplements that provide assistance with a monthly hormonal cycle of an adult female that is in the pregnancy phase of their life and require more folic acid, biotin, and zinc to support good reproduction, in addition to suffering from mood swings, breast tenderness, food cravings, bloating, insomnia and requiring breast care.
• the first set for mature females include supplements that provide assistance with a monthly hormonal cycle of a mature female that is no longer menstruating and starting to experience symptoms such as mild to moderate hot flushes and night sweats, mood swings, anxiety, memory loss and requiring breast care.
• the second set for mature females include supplements that provide assistance with a monthly hormonal cycle of a mature female that is no longer menstruating and starting to experience symptoms such as severe hot flushes and night sweats, mood swings, anxiety, memory loss and requiring breast care.
• the set for senior females include supplements that provide assistance with a monthly hormonal cycle of a senior female that is starting to experience health issues relating to bone health and bone density, heart health, digestive health, breast care, memory function, blood sugar control, immunity and requires anti-aging supplements.
• the five sets of pills described have different ingredients. It can further be appreciated that for each female described the requirements vary depending on her age and the time during her menstrual cycle.
• the subsets of tablets (1 1 A-1 1 D) and their presentation on different pages (4-7) in the booklet (3) make it possible to provide each woman with a hormonal supplement that most accurately assists her during each specific phase of her menstrual cycle and her life.
• the woman starts using the tablets (2) at the onset of her menstrual cycle, and consumes one tablet (2) per day.
• a subset is finished she moves on to the next subset in the blister pack in the next page, until the booklet is empty of tablets.
• her cycle is longer than twenty-eight days she waits until her next cycle starts before taking the first tablet of the next booklet. If her cycle is shorter than twenty-eight days, she starts using the next booklet when her next cycle starts and discards the unused tablet(s) from the booklet of her shortened cycle.
• a second embodiment of a product packaging, in the form of a booklet (20), containing a set of pills according to the invention is shown in Figures 5 to 7.
• the booklet (20) also contains four pages (21 ) and a cover (22) all of which are the same construction of the first embodiment.
• This embodiment will be particularly useful when a booklet is required to contain the necessary tablets for only one normal menstrual cycle.
• Each page contains seven tablets (23), with the four pages totalling twenty-eight tablets which is equal to a normal menstrual cycle.
• the tablets provide the woman with a balanced intake of ingredients that are designed to most optimally supplement her requirements at every phase of her menstrual cycle. This avoids consuming supplements such as vitamins when they are not needed, and ensures that the correct amounts of such supplements are taken when they needed most.
• supplements in addition to, or other than female hormonal supplements in the booklet. It can contain any type of pill that has to be taken in any type of cyclic manner. These include contraceptives, sport supplements, chronic medication, critical illness medication and the like.
• a specific alternative to the first embodiment described above is to include both hormonal supplements and contraceptives in one booklet.
• Each page will still include fourteen pills, of which seven will comprise hormonal supplements and seven will comprise contraceptives. These may be presented in pairs, ensuring that a woman takes a contraceptive and its complementary hormonal supplement at the same time. These can be marked on the foil of the blister pack to ensure there is no confusion. In this way, a woman is presented with a unique and accurate dosage of the correct amount of medication at the same time.
• the booklet prefferably designed without a sleeve on each page, and for the tablets to be presented in a different manner on each page for use, for example by locating each tablet under a seal removably secured to the page.
• the last page of the booklet may be provided with extra tablets. The idea of this will be that if a woman regularly has longer cycles she will consume more tablets during the last portion of her cycle. It is also possible for the last page to be provided with fewer tablets, effectively shortening the cycle over which the booklet will be used. This allows the booklet to be provided with a cycle length associated with it, and for woman to obtain a more tailored made booklet. For example, a 28-day Teen booklet may be provided as standard, but a 26, 27, 29 and 30 day Teen booklet may also be provided. The same could be done for any of the other formulations and age groups.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Composite Materials (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
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• Pharmacology & Pharmacy (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Medical Preparation Storing Or Oral Administration Devices (AREA)

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Cited By (3)

Citations (4)

• 2013
  • 2013-04-24 WO PCT/IB2013/053242 patent/WO2013160850A1/fr not_active Ceased
• 2014
  • 2014-10-22 ZA ZA2014/07669A patent/ZA201407669B/en unknown

Patent Citations (4)

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