Dispenser for wafer pockets containing wafers and wafer pocket assembly

Abstract

In order to ensure reliable consumption of medicines present in the form of wafers, to allow the medicines to be easily removed from a dispenser 1 and to allow the latter to be easily refilled with medicines, the dispenser 1 and a wafer pocket booklet 100 which can be introduced into the dispenser 1 are proposed. The wafers are packed in wafer pockets 20, and the dispenser 1 according to the invention contains the wafer pockets 20. For this purpose, the dispenser 1 comprises a supply space 9, at least one holding element 19 and at least one dispensing opening 5 for one wafer pocket 20 in each case, wherein the wafer pocket 20 can be dispensed from the dispenser 1 in a dispensing direction A. In an inventive fashion, the at least one wafer pocket 20 has in each case a wafer region 21 containing the wafer and in each case at least one residual region 24 of the at least one wafer pocket 20, said residual region 24 remaining in the dispenser 1 when the wafer region 21 is removed. The wafer region 21 is connected to the at least one residual region 24 at least in certain sections, in each case via at least one predetermined partition line 28.1, 28.2 which has, at least in certain sections, an extent component 29 parallel to the dispensing direction A.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a dispenser for wafer-containing wafer pockets and a booklet made of such wafer pockets. Such dispensers are used, for example, for making available medicines and sweets in a wafer form, in particular for hormone medicines and quite particularly for contraception or for hormone replacement therapy, and for presentations containing analgesics or nicotine.PRIOR ART[0002]Medicines or sweets in a wafer form are conventionally made available in a primary package, in which the wafers are enclosed by being sealed or welded between two sealing films, in particular a carrier film and a cover film, or a top film and a bottom film, so as to be impermeable to outside moisture and air, and can be stored. The wafers are removed from these primary packages by tearing open the sealing films, and are applied, usually via the oral cavity. For this purpose, the sealing films are either detached from each other, or they are torn so that the w...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0025]Since a booklet of wafer pockets which is bound by means of a holding element can be introduced into the dispenser and attached there, the wafer pocket booklet can be handled independently of the dispenser, in particular can be manufactured, stored, treated and handed over to a user. Finally, the user can handle this booklet separately, for example can insert it independently into a dispenser or simply firstly store it before using the booklet. A sequence of wafer pockets which is fixed in such a booklet during the manufacturing process is therefore maintained during each handling process. Individual wafer pockets therefore cannot be inadvertently interchanged with one another. It is therefore possible for a predefined medicine-taking regime to be readily complied with by a user even with, for example, differently marked wafer pockets, without this sequence, once it has been set during the manufacture of the wafer pocket stack, changing due to incorrect handling by the user or on the way to the user. Furthermore, the presence and the sequence of the wafer pockets in the wafer pocket stack can be proven at any time when necessary by means of the remaining residual regions of the wafer pockets.

[0026]Furthermore, the invention also provides the advantage that the user does not have to obtain the wafer pocket stack together with the dispenser and already mounted therein. Instead, it is sufficient if the wafer pocket stack in which the wafer pockets are connected to one another is obtained separately by the user. The connection of the wafer pockets in the stack ensures that the sequence thereof is not changed even during handling. Consequently, the dispenser can be used repeatedly, i.e. the user does not have to discard the dispenser after the wafer pockets have been consumed or return the dispenser to the manufacturer. The latter would involve considerable logistical effort.

[0027]A wafer pocket is typically composed of a carrier film and a cover film or else of a lower film and an upper film. The cover film or upper film can be connected to the carrier film or lower film, for example bonded or welded thereto, or vice versa, by means of a preferably strip-shaped connection, running along the side edges of the cover film or upper film. In addition, in one particularly preferred embodiment the carrier film or lower film and the cover film or upper film can have, on in each case at least one side edge, respectively protruding tabs which are not connected to one another. This significantly simplifies the pulling apart and therefore opening of the wafer pockets in order to remove the wafer contained therein because the two films can be easily gripped. A wafer is enclosed between the carrier film or upper film and the cover film or lower film, in a preferably air-tight and moisture-tight fashion, within a region which is formed by the connection. The film pockets can have a small elevation owing to the design or only in the region of the wafer, due to said wafer.

Problems solved by technology

The primary and secondary packages described above for wafers are complicated and consequently can only be manufactured with quite considerable expenditure.

It is also disadvantageous that the wafer pockets are either placed individually in the secondary package (DE 101 59 746 A1) or fixedly connected to the secondary package (DE 10 2006 022 198 B4).

However, it is problematic for a user to fill the secondary package with wafer pockets when the wafer pockets have to be filled into the secondary package in a specific sequence in order, for example, to maintain a predefined medicine-taking regime.

This is because in this case errors may occur during the filling process which then adversely affect the stringent observance of the wafer being taken in the specific sequence.

However, it is not desirable to discard the secondary packaging after the wafer pockets have been consumed, since this would generate needless waste and, in addition, a new secondary package would have to be made available each time.

The alternative possibility, namely that of returning the secondary package to the manufacturer for refilling, is likewise disadvantageous, since this will entail considerable logistical expenditure.

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