Blister-card retail and storage packaging for button cells

Abstract

The invention relates to a blister-card retail and storage pack- aging (100) item comprising a substrate (101) and a moulded plastic part (102) having a planar base (104) in which a recess (105; 106) is made by means of deep drawing. The moulded plastics part (102) is fixed by means of its planar base (104) on the substrate (101) such that the recess (105; 106), together with the substrate (101), forms a closed receptacle (108; 109) for a cylindrical button cell (110; 111). The receptacle (108; 109) comprises a central space (112: 113) having a circular cylindrical basic shape, in which the button cell (110; 111) is placed, and a side space (112: 113) which is preferably formed as a bulge from the central space (112: 113) and is de- signed such that it cannot be filled by the button cell (110; 111).

Description

Blister-card retail and storage packaging for button cells Technical Field The subject matter of the invention described below is a retail and storage pack of the blister card type. Background Art The great demand for button cells inevitably also makes the packaging of this mass-produced article an important factor. Said packaging must, on the one hand, be economical, but must, on the other hand, also have an appealing appearance in order to encourage interest in buying. Retail and storage packs of the blister card type are particularly widespread. EP 259574 A2 discloses an example of a retail and storage pack of the blister card type for button cells, in the case of which the packaging is formed on the one hand by a tear-resistant, preferably transpar- ent film made of PVC or polyvinylidene chloride with cup-shaped embossings to accommodate the button cells, and on the other hand by a closure film made of aluminum that is sealed onto this in a smooth-surface manner. To remove a button cell, the latter needs only to be pushed from the outside through the easily tearable aluminum film. However, this process can be carried out very easily, possibly even by a small child. In order to mini- mize the risk that a small child might unintentionally remove a button cell and swallow it, it is neces- sary to propose a new retail and storage pack for button cells for button cells which ensures better safety and in particular prevents the accidental removal of a button cell by a child. Summary In accordance with a general aspect, there is provided a retail and storage pack characterized by: a. it comprises a carrier, and b. it comprises a plastics molded part with a planar base surface into which a depression has been introduced by means of thermoforming, and C. the planar base surface of the plastics molded part is fixed on the carrier, such that the de- pression, together with the carrier, forms a closed receptacle for a cylindrical button cell, d. the receptacle – and thus also the recess – comprises a central space of circular-cylindrical basic shape into which the button cell is inserted, and e. the receptacle – and thus also the recess – comprises a side space which is preferably config- ured as a bulge of the central space and which is configured in such a way that it cannot be filled by the button cell. The carrier is usually a cardboard blank. However, the carrier could also readily be composed of other materials, for example of a plastic, or comprise such materials. Preferably, at least one side of the cardboard blank is printed in color and serves as a support surface for the plastics molded part. The plastics molded part can essentially be composed of any thermoformable plastic. In preferred embodiments, it is composed of a transparent plastic. It is particularly preferably composed of poly- vinyl chloride (PVC), for example. The planar base surface of the plastics molded part is preferably laminated and / or adhesively bonded onto the carrier, in particular the support surface which is printed in color. The depression preferably has a planar base and a circumferential wall which connects the base to the planar base surface. In the region of the central space, the base is preferably oriented parallel to the planar base surface and thus also parallel to the carrier. The distance between the base and the carrier defines the height of the central space. The central space is adapted to the shape and the dimension of the cylindrical button cell inserted therein. Said central space preferably has a diameter which exceeds the diameter of the button cell by a factor of 1.05 to 1.3. In further preferred embodiments, the central space has a height which exceeds the height of the button cell by a factor of 1.01 to 1.2. Without the side space, which is preferably configured as a bulge of the central space, the depression and thus also the receptacle would be of strictly circular-cylindrical configuration. The presence of the side space ensures a deviation from a strictly circular-cylindrical geometry. According to some em- bodiments, the shape of the side space is not significant, so the bulge can for example be curved in a round manner or else have a corner or several corners. The side space is configured in such a way that it cannot be filled by the button cell. For this purpose, the side space comprises at least one subregion into which the button cell, even if it should have limited mobility within the recess, cannot penetrate, at least not without destroying or deforming the recess. This has the advantage that the recess in which the head cell is located can be opened by means of a scissor cut through the side space, without touching the button cell. This is important insofar as the retail and storage pack of the blister card type according to the invention is preferably configured in such a way that it cannot be opened without tools, in order to prevent accidental opening by a small child. The side space particularly preferably has a smaller height than the central space, in particular a smaller height than the button cell located in the central space. This can make the scissor cut easier. In addition, this is the simplest way to effectively prevent the button cell from penetrating into the side space. The retail and storage pack is particularly preferably distinguished by at least one of the additional features a. and b. directly below: a. it comprises more than the one receptacle for a cylindrical button cell, in particular two to eight of these receptacles. b. the receptacles are arranged separately from one another on the carrier and are separated from one another by regions on the carrier in which the planar base surface of the plastics molded part is firmly connected to the carrier, in particular by adhesive bonding and / or by welding. The features a. and b. directly above are preferably implemented in combination with one other. By implementing both features, it can be ensured that in the case of a plurality of receptacles, the recep- tacles can still be opened only individually. The retail and storage pack is particularly preferably distinguished by the following additional feature: a. at least one scissor-cut marking, which leads through the side space or the side spaces, is lo- cated on the carrier. The scissor-cut marking enables precise opening of individual receptacles of the retail and storage pack according to the invention. In a further preferred embodiment, the retail and storage pack according to the invention is distin- guished by at least one of the additional features a. to c. directly below: a. the retail and storage pack comprises at least one reinforcement film. b. the reinforcement film is connected to the planar base surface of the plastics molded part. C. the reinforcement film delimits the closed receptacle. The features a. to c. directly above are preferably implemented in combination with one other. The reinforcement film is for example a film made of polyethylene terephthalate, made of a polyolefin or a PVC film. The film preferably has a thickness in the range from 5 μm to 50 μm. The reinforcement film makes it possible to design the carrier in a tear-resistant manner. Since the plastics molded part is also usually configured to be tear-resistant, it can thus be ensured that open- ing of the pack without tools can be ruled out. In particular, the reinforcement film makes it possible to prevent a small child from being able to push a button cell contained in the receptacle through the carrier and thus remove it. The carrier particularly preferably comprises a cardboard blank which is covered with the reinforce- ment film in a full-area manner or else only in certain regions. The reinforcement film may be applied only to that side of the cardboard blank which serves as a support surface for the plastics molded part. However, said reinforcement film may additionally or alternatively also be applied to the back of the cardboard blank and / or shield the edges of the cardboard blank. In the region in which the planar base surface of the plastics molded part is fixed on the carrier, the carrier is particularly preferably free of perforations, folds or other structural elements that could me- chanically weaken it. The button cell contained in the receptacle is preferably a lithium button cell. Button cells of this type pose a relatively high risk in the case of swallowing. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 schematically shows one embodiment of a retail and storage pack of the blister card type ac- cording to the invention (plan view perpendicularly from above) for two lithium button cells. Other embodiments of the retail and storage pack can contain more than two button cells or else only one button cell. Detailed Description of an Embodiment The illustrated retail and storage pack 100 comprises a rectangular cardboard-based carrier 101 and a transparent plastics molded part 102 made of PVC. A suspension eye 103 is punched into the carrier 101. The plastics molded part 102 comprises a planar base surface 104 into which two depressions 105 and 106 have been introduced by means of thermoforming. Since the planar base surface 104 is glued onto the carrier 101, the depressions 105 and 105 extend perpendicularly upward toward the viewer in the illustration. In order to design the carrier 101 in a tear-resistant manner, that part of the carrier 101 which is in contact with the planar base surface 104 is reinforced with the reinforcement film 107 made of PVC. The reinforced carrier 101, together with the depressions 105 and 106, forms the receptacles 109 and 109. The button cells 110 and 111 are located in said receptacles so as to be housed in a childproof manner. The receptacles 108 and 109 are each subdivided into a central space 112, 113 of circular-cylindrical basic shape into which the button cells 110, 111 are inserted, and a side space 114, 115 configured as a bulge of the central space. The side spaces 114 and 115 have a smaller height than the button cells 110 and 111. The button cells 110 and 111 therefore cannot penetrate into the side spaces 114, 115. In order to open the packaging 100, the scissor-cut markings 116 and 117, which lead through the side spaces 114 and 115, are located on the carrier 101.

Claims

<pat:ClaimStatement>Patent claims< / pat:ClaimStatement> <pat:Claims com:id="claims"> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00001"> <pat:ClaimNumber>1< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>1. A retail and storage pack of the blister card type comprising: a. a carrier, and b. a thermoformed plastic part with a planar base surface in which at least two recesses are formed by thermoforming, wherein C. the planar base surface of the thermoformed plastic part is fixed on the carrier so that the at least two recesses, together with the carrier, form at least two closed receptacles for cylin- drical button cells, wherein the at least two receptacles are arranged separately from one another on the carrier and are separated from one another by regions on the carrier in which the planar base surface of the thermoformed plastic part is firmly connected to the carrier, and wherein d. each of the at least two receptacles comprises a central space of circular-cylindrical basic shape into which an associated one of the button cells is inserted, and e. each of the at least two receptacles comprises a lateral space configured as a bulge of the central space that cannot be filled by the button cells. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00002"> <pat:ClaimNumber>2< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>2. The retail and storage pack of the blister card type as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two closed receptacles comprise two to eight receptacles. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00003"> <pat:ClaimNumber>3< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>3. The retail and storage pack of the blister card type as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, character- ized by the following additional feature: a. at least one scissor-cut marking, which leads through the lateral space is located on the car- rier. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00004"> <pat:ClaimNumber>4< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>4. The retail and storage pack of the blister card type as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, char- acterized by at least one of the following additional features: a. the carrier comprises at least one reinforcement film, b. the reinforcement film is connected to the planar base surface of the thermoformed plastic part, and C. the reinforcement film delimits the at least two closed receptacles. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> <pat:Claim com:id="CLM-00005"> <pat:ClaimNumber>5< / pat:ClaimNumber> <pat:ClaimText>5. The retail and storage pack of the blister card type as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the button cells contained in the at least two closed receptacles are lithium button cells. < / pat:ClaimText> < / pat:Claim> < / pat:Claims>