Sheet for use in packages and pouches formed from the sheet

Abstract

To provide a pouch improved in readability of information and visibility of contents of the pouch for inspection purposes.SOLUTION: The sheet 1 comprises a plurality of transparent strips 3 and opaque strips 2 extending in the longitudinal direction of said sheet, each of said transparent strips and opaque strips having a width in the transverse direction of said sheet, said plurality of transparent strips and opaque strips being alternately arranged in the transverse direction of said sheet, each opaque strip having a width smaller than the width of each transparent strip.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to sheets, tablet-containing pouches made from sheet material, and webs of a plurality of such pouches. The present disclosure also relates to methods of making such webs utilizing the sheets. [Background technology]

[0002] (introduction) Prescribing medications to patients, especially pouches filled with a single dose of a medication or a combination of medications and printed with information regarding the administration of the medications, such as information about the patient, the medications contained, and / or the timing of administration, is conveniently used by patients or hospitals. Such pouches allow patients to take the prescribed medications at the right time, in the right amount, and in the right combination without any hassle. Meanwhile, because such pouches contain the prescribed dosage of medications and related information, such as information about each medication and the patient, the pouches allow medical professionals to provide patients with the necessary medications in an efficient manner with less risk of error.

[0003] Pouches are generally manufactured from long webs of interconnected pouches that can be separated from one another to create single pouches. These webs can be manufactured from a sheet of suitable material that is folded to form a first and second side of the web. The first or second side can be printed with information providing relevant information. A predetermined formulation of a pharmaceutical product can be introduced into the folded sheet at a predetermined location. The first and second sides can be sealed together at a predetermined location to provide a compartment filled with the formulation. Separating the pouches from the web at the connection locations provides individual pouches. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inventors have determined that there is room for improvement with respect to the pouches described above, particularly with respect to the readability of the information printed on the pouch and the visibility of the contents of the pouch for inspection purposes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve this, a first aspect relates to a sheet comprising transparent strips and opaque strips extending longitudinally of the sheet and each having a width in the transverse direction of the sheet, the transparent strips and the opaque strips being alternately arranged in the transverse direction of the sheet, and each opaque strip having a width narrower than that of each transparent strip, the difference in width being in the range of 0.1 mm to 10 mm depending on the requirements of the sheet and pouch.

[0006] In a further embodiment, a pouch for containing a tablet is formed from a sheet material, the pouch having first and second sides connected via a bottom seal, a top seal opposite the bottom seal, and first and second side seals extending from a bottom fold to the top seal to define a space for containing a tablet, the first side of the pouch being transparent and the second side of the pouch being opaque from beyond the bottom fold to a top side opposite the bottom fold, the transparent portion of the sheet forming the bottom fold. The sheet material is preferably formed from a sheet as defined above.

[0007] In a further aspect, a web of a plurality of the above pouches is formed, the pouches of the web being interconnected via their respective first and second sides.

[0008] A further embodiment relates to a method for producing the web of pouches described above, comprising: providing a sheet as defined above; folding the sheet along a longitudinal fold line disposed in a transparent portion, the fold line defining a bottom edge of the web connecting a first transparent surface and a second substantially opaque surface; providing information at one or more predetermined locations on the second opaque surface; introducing one or more tablets between the first and second surfaces at predetermined locations along the folded sheet in accordance with the information provided on the second surface; and sealing the first surface to the second surface at predetermined locations transverse to the fold line and at a location opposite the fold line to provide first, second, and top seals for each of the one or more tablet-containing compartments, wherein each sealed compartment constitutes a pouch.

[0009] Making one side of the tablet pouch substantially opaque, e.g., extending the transparent portion up to 20%, e.g., up to 10%, of the package surface, while leaving only a small strip along the fold transparent (e.g., 0.1-10 mm), maximizes the visibility of any information printed on the opaque side, allowing for optimal information and / or text in larger font sizes, the latter of which is particularly advantageous for elderly patients. The opaque second side also provides a background for the tablets contained therein, allowing for good visibility of the tablets through the transparent first side of the pouch. This is particularly useful for pouch inspection purposes, where a pouch is already filled and sealed to verify that a particular tablet or tablet quantity has been accurately loaded. An opaque background forming the entire or nearly entire side ensures that any human inspection and / or inspection equipment (cameras, sensors, etc.) has a clear background for accurate tablet detection and counting. By ensuring that the opaque portions have a width equal to or within 10 mm of the transparent portions, the opaque portions do not cover any portion of the first side across the fold (thereby ensuring that all tablets are visible from the first transparent side and none are covered by the opaque portions across the fold). Additionally, any transparent portions on the second side have a width no greater than 10% of the total width of the pouch, ensuring that the opaque portions cover substantially the entire second side and provide a good background against which all tablets can be seen for inspection purposes (as a transparent background would make inspection more difficult).

[0010] Also, from a manufacturing perspective, the present configuration of the sheet material constituting the pouches / web of pouches herein, in which the width of each opaque strip is narrower than the width of each transparent strip, with a difference of at most 10 mm, is advantageous. This is due to the fact that the sheet can be folded into two equal portions that constitute the first and second sides of the pouch / web of pouches, and the opaque portion is not part of the fold. The transparent strips are generally thinner and therefore more flexible than the opaque strips, making the transparent strip portion of the sheet easier to fold. Additionally, for the same reason, the edge of the opaque strip along the fold line can prevent unintended shifting of the fold during the folding process, resulting in the fold line being well aligned with the edge of the opaque portion, e.g., the edge of the coating if the opaque portion includes a coating. This avoids manufacturing defects and ensures uniformity of the pouches within the web of pouches produced from the sheet. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 shows a sheet according to an embodiment. [Figure 2A] 2 illustrates a sheet for producing a web of pouches obtained by cutting the sheet of FIG. 1, according to various embodiments. [Figure 2B] 2 illustrates a sheet for producing a web of pouches obtained by cutting the sheet of FIG. 1, according to various embodiments. [Figure 2C] 2 illustrates a sheet for producing a web of pouches obtained by cutting the sheet of FIG. 1, according to various embodiments. [Figure 3A] 1 is a schematic view of the opaque side 102 of a web 100 of pouches 150 made from elongated sheets. [Figure 3B] The details are shown below. [Figure 3C] FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram of the transparent surface 103 of the web of pouches shown in FIG. 3B. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a feeding device and a tablet packaging device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a schematic isometric view of the packaging apparatus of FIG. 4 for producing a web of tablet-filled pouches according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A sheet is provided that can be used to manufacture a web of tablet-filled pouches. The pouches of the web can be separated from the pouches to form individual pouches. Accordingly, the teachings regarding the properties of the sheet can also be applied to the pouch / web of pouches and methods of manufacture thereof.

[0013] The sheet may be designed as a composite sheet including at least one transparent substrate layer and at least a second opaque coating layer. The opaque coating may be applied in strips of uniform width along the longitudinal direction of the sheet. In this regard, the longitudinal direction of the sheet may be defined as the direction in which the pouches of the web of pouches being produced are connected to one another.

[0014] The transparent and opaque portions alternate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the sheet, e.g., the transverse direction of the sheet. As a result, the sheet includes transparent and opaque strips extending longitudinally of the sheet. In this regard, the sheet may exist as a long substrate roll or "mother roll" of up to several hundred meters, e.g., between 100 and 1000 meters, e.g., about 600 meters. The transverse direction is generally much smaller, e.g., 10 to 100 cm, e.g., ±280 mm, for a sheet including, e.g., two alternating transparent and two opaque strips. The sheet may be provided in a roll with radially extending strips, allowing for storage of such long lengths of sheet material and easy feeding during the process of manufacturing the strips of pouches.

[0015] Preferably, the sheet contains an equal number of transparent and opaque strips. Such a sheet can be easily divided by cutting the sheet longitudinally to obtain smaller sheets that can be folded into a folded sheet having a transparent first side and an opaque second side without loss of sheet material. In principle, the sheet may contain any even number of strips transversely. Since a web of pouches requires only a single opaque strip and a single transparent strip, the sheet may consist of a single transparent strip and a single opaque strip. While such a sheet with a single transparent strip and a single opaque strip can be used directly to produce a web of pouches, a sheet with multiple alternating transparent and opaque strips must be cut longitudinally to obtain a sheet with a single transparent and a single opaque strip, which can then be folded, printed, filled, and sealed to obtain a web of pouches. However, for storage, it is preferred to initially supply sheets with multiple alternating transparent and opaque strips, preferably from a supply roll.

[0016] The width of each opaque strip is narrower than the width of each transparent strip, with the difference in width being at most 0 mm, e.g., at most 2-8 mm, and in some embodiments even less than 2 mm. In this way, when a sheet with a single transparent strip and a single opaque strip is folded to obtain first and second sides of equal dimensions, the opaque material is not part of the fold or is not strictly present at the intersection of the transparent and opaque strips. That is, in pouches manufactured using this sheet, the first side of the pouch is completely (or at least substantially) transparent, and the second side is substantially opaque. This can be achieved by coating the pouch with an opaque coating extending from a position a short distance from the fold line defining the bottom edge to the top edge, with the distance from the fold line defining the bottom edge being at most 2-8 mm, preferably at most 1-4 mm, e.g., 0.1-1 mm. To ensure optimal readability of the information printed on the pouch and optimal inspection conditions for the contained tablets, the distance / width difference should be at most 10 mm. The distance / width difference may be less than 10 mm, and the coated / opaque portion of the sheet is not part of the fold. A suitable distance / width difference in this respect may be, for example, in the range of 0.1 mm to 10 mm, such as 0.5 mm to 8 mm, for example 5 mm.

[0017] Generally, tablets are medicines, tablets, or related tablet products such as vitamins. Other types of tablets are also applicable in different contexts. The tablets are preferably "individual" in the sense that they can be dispensed singly, individually, separately, or in dose units. For white or light-colored tablets, a relatively dark background may be desirable for inspection purposes. One or more tablets in the pouch may be a predetermined tablet formulation. In this regard, the term "predetermined tablet formulation" relates to a doctor's prescription or the amount or combination of tablets suitable for taking at a certain moment or occasion.

[0018] To provide optimal contrast in terms of tablet inspection and visibility of information printed on the opaque portion, the opaque strip of the sheet, as well as the opaque portion of the pouch, e.g., the second side of the pouch, preferably has a haze of 73 to 77% as determined in accordance with ASTM D1003.

[0019] Each opaque strip may be formed by an opaque coating on a transparent substrate sheet.

[0020] In principle, the opaque coating may have any desired color and design and may be applied as an ink. The choice of color and design may depend on the color and / or type of tablets in the pouch. In particular, in the case of prescription tablet combinations, the tablets may be of different colors. In such cases, a white coating is preferred. A white coating, such as white ink, may be preferred because it allows optimal readability of the printed text and optimal contrast for examining the tablets from the transparent side. Furthermore, the white color matches the labels patients are familiar with on other pharmaceutical products, such as medicine bottles. This creates a trustworthy impression for patients and contributes to patient compliance.

[0021] The color of the opaque surface can also be designed so that the color or color pattern itself provides information, for example, red to indicate that the product should be taken in the morning and green to indicate that the product should be taken in the evening. Such color coding can be used as a complement to the information printed on the non-transparent portion. For example, if the pouch is for vitamins, color coding may be preferred.

[0022] The transparent strip of the sheet, the transparent portion of the pouch, e.g., the front surface, should be sufficiently transparent to provide optimal contrast for inspection of the tablets. In this regard, the transparent portion preferably has a haze of 10 to 12% as determined in accordance with ASTM D1003.

[0023] Suitable pouches can be manufactured using various substrates that meet the requirements for flexibility, transparency, processability, etc. In this regard, it is preferable to use a transparent plastic sheet as the transparent substrate sheet. Similarly, the substrate of the pouch can also be a transparent plastic material. Suitable plastics can include, but are not limited to, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), such as biaxially oriented PP, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc. Cellulose is also suitable as a plastic material.

[0024] In one embodiment, the transparent plastic sheet is a composite plastic sheet with multiple plastic layers. In such a composite sheet, the layer intended to contact the tablet (the inner layer) may have different properties than the layer intended for the exterior of the pouch (the outer layer). For example, the inner layer may be designed to allow heat sealing, while the outer layer provides the overall quality look and feel.

[0025] In one embodiment, the transparent plastic sheet includes a first layer of polyethylene (PE) and a second layer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In this composite sheet, a coating of an opaque material is preferably applied to the second layer, the PET layer. Thus, in a pouch, the sheet constituting the pouch includes an inner layer of polyethylene (PE) and an outer layer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The PE layer and the PET layer are preferably bonded with a suitable adhesive. Here, the opaque coating may be formed on the outer layer, particularly on the second surface of the pouch. In this regard, the opaque coating may be disposed on the outer surface of the sheet or between the PET sheet and the PE sheet.

[0026] More generally, the opaque coating within the pouch may thus be disposed on the exterior surface of the pouch or within the sheet material of the pouch between layers of the composite pouch.

[0027] Such PET / PE composite laminate sheets are highly suitable for the production of pouch webs. These materials also provide excellent moisture and oxygen protection, leading to a longer shelf life for the tablets contained therein. Overall, such sheet materials provide sufficient strength and protection for the pouch contents, but also allow the pouch to be easily torn to access the contents. Pouches made with this sheet material also have a particularly good texture and impression due to the PET outer layer.

[0028] As mentioned above, the opaque surface typically serves as a base for providing information to the pouch, although in some embodiments, information can be printed or otherwise added to the transparent surface. Information can be provided by any suitable means, such as by stamping or printing. In this regard, the pouch typically preferably includes information printed on the opaque coating. The printed information can be information regarding administration of the medication, such as information about the patient, the medication contained therein, and / or information regarding the timing of administration. The information can include text, a photograph, a QR code, etc., or a combination thereof.

[0029] The terms "bottom," "top," "first side," and "second side" used with respect to the pouch are intended to define the relative placement of the pouch, for example, these terms do not imply a particular orientation of the information or an absolute orientation with respect to the user.

[0030] In that regard, the top as used herein would also be considered the bottom of the pouch if held upside down, and vice versa. The same is true for faces, which may be considered top and bottom in various embodiments.

[0031] In this regard, the information may be in any orientation, for example, text may be read from top to bottom or vice versa, from side one to side two or vice versa, or in any other reading orientation.

[0032] In the process of manufacturing a web of pouches, providing the information at predetermined locations on the opaque second surface may occur before or after folding the sheet and / or forming the pouches. Typically, the information is provided after folding, e.g., by printing, just before introducing tablets between the first and second surfaces of the folded sheet.

[0033] To ensure proper printing, the printing anvil can be sized or positioned so that the fold line is just outside the anvil, and therefore not supported by the anvil. Because the pouch thickness at the fold line tends to be slightly more than twice the thickness of a single sheet, if the fold line is between the anvil and the printer head, the printer head may be tilted slightly, resulting in printing with less pressure near the fold line. This can be avoided by ensuring the fold line is outside the anvil. This also helps prevent prints from crossing the fold line (whether printed before or after folding), which could negatively affect smooth folding and pouch formation and / or compromise the reliability of the print.

[0034] Alternatively, the sheets from which the web of pouches is made may be provided with a design such that no information needs to be provided in the opaque portions during the web manufacturing process: in this case, the sheets from which the web is made may already be provided with information such as pictures, text, company logos, etc., prior to the folding step, or the pouches may be of a type where no additional information is provided or printed on them.

[0035] The pouches are typically manufactured as a web of pouches interconnected via their respective first and second sides, the term "web" in the context of the present invention being understood as a system of interconnected elements, e.g., a series of interconnected pouches.

[0036] The first and second sides may be separated by a perforated tear line, which allows for separation of individual pouches from the web of pouches.

[0037] The seal between successive pouches of the web may be achieved by heat sealing, in which case the sealing connection may be a heat seal.

[0038] The connections between successive pouches may be formed by a single seal, e.g., a heat seal, with an optional tear line extending through said seal, in which case the side seals of a single pouch extend to and include its first and second side edges.

[0039] The connection between consecutive pouches may include a second seal of a first pouch and a first side seal of a second adjacent pouch separated from one another by an unsealed area between the adjacent pouches, where the side seals of a single pouch are a short distance from its first and second side edges. The presence of the unsealed area between unsealed pouches facilitates separation of individual pouches from the web of pouches by placing perforated tear lines in the unsealed area.

[0040] In this regard, the first and second sides of a single pouch may be sealingly interconnected at a top seal by a heat seal provided during a sealing step in the manufacturing process. The top seal may overlap the top edge of the pouch, or the top seal may be spaced apart from the top edge. The latter may facilitate opening the single pouch from the top side to gain access to the contents of the pouch.

[0041] In this regard, the first and second sides of a single pouch can be sealed together at the bottom seal by heat sealing. Again, the bottom seal can overlap the bottom edge of the pouch or be slightly spaced apart from the bottom edge. However, the bottom seal is typically defined by the fold of the sheet material described above. In this way, the pouch can be manufactured from a single sheet, and the sealing connection between the first and second sides is provided without the need for additional sealing techniques.

[0042] The sealing of the pouch faces can be performed in any order. Sealing the first face to the second face at predetermined transverse fold locations to provide compartments containing the prescribed formulation of pharmaceutical product can occur before or after the tablets are introduced between the first and second faces of the folded sheet. Sealing the first face to the second face at or near the top edge of each compartment is typically performed as a final sealing step after the tablets are introduced. The transverse (side) and top seals of the pouches can be performed simultaneously, as this allows the use of a single heat-sealing machine and ensures uniform pouch dimensions within the pouch web. Thus, a tablet can be introduced into a predetermined location along the folded sheet between the first and second faces according to information provided on the second face, either before or after transverse sealing to provide a pouch compartment, or after providing a transverse seal for one of the intended pouch compartments.

[0043] To facilitate easy access to the pouch contents, the pouch may include a tear notch at the top of one or both sides, which may be a straight slit, a triangular notch, or some other configuration. The triangular notch is useful for increasing visibility, especially in opaque areas. In the case of a straight slit tear notch, a printed marking may be added to increase user visibility. This tear notch allows for smooth edges, making the pouch more difficult for children to open (improving its "child-resistance"). Also, for example, by providing a tear notch at this location, a tear line can be provided along the sealing connection. This allows access to the pouch contents along the seal without compromising the information on the pouch. This ensures that the information on the pouch remains visible even after the pouch is opened.

[0044] Alternatively, or in addition, the pouch may have one or more serrated edges, for example on the top edge, which allows the pouch to be torn open at any position, making it easier for anyone to open the pouch.

[0045] The opaque portion on the second side of the pouch extends from within 10 mm of the bottom edge, e.g., 2 to 8 mm, toward the top edge opposite the bottom edge. Preferably, the opaque portion extends at least to the top seal, and may extend beyond the top seal. For example, the opaque portion may extend to the serrated edge, if such a edge is provided on the pouch or web of pouches. This configuration has the advantage of improving the visibility of the serrated edge, making it easier for the user to tear the pouch.

[0046] The various aspects and features described and illustrated in this specification may be applied individually to the extent possible, and these individual aspects, particularly those aspects and features described in the accompanying dependent claims, may be the subject of divisional patent applications.

[0047] Detailed Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 shows a sheet 1 according to one embodiment. The sheet 1 comprises three opaque strips 2 and three transparent strips 3 extending in the longitudinal direction of the sheet and each having a width in the transverse direction of the sheet. The width of the opaque strips is indicated by arrow A, and the width of the transparent strips is indicated by arrow B. The transparent strips 3 and the opaque strips 4 are alternately arranged in the transverse direction of the sheet 1. While the dimensions in this drawing do not necessarily correspond to the actual dimensions, the width A of each opaque strip 2 is equal to or less than the width B of each transparent strip 3, with the difference in width being at most 10 mm, for example 2 to 8 mm.

[0048] FIG. 2A shows a sheet 1' for producing a web of pouches according to one embodiment. FIGS. 2B and 2C show further embodiments of the sheet 1', with FIG. 2B including transparent strips on the outer edge and FIG. 2C showing serrated edges. The illustrated sheet 1' can be obtained by cutting the sheet of FIG. 1 along line C for the embodiments of FIGS. 2A and 2C, or slightly outside line C for FIG. 2B. In this way, three separate sheets 1' with a single transparent strip 3 and an opaque strip 2 can be obtained. The sheet 1' depicted in FIG. 2A represents one of these sheets. The sheet 1' can be folded in the middle via fold line E to obtain a folded sheet. The fold line E is at a distance from the side D of at most 20% of the width of the formed pouch and / or at most 2-8 mm, e.g., at most 10% of the width of the pouch or at most 1-4 mm. The creases obtained by folding along fold line E define the edges (eg, bottom creases) of the web of pouches that can be produced using sheet 1'.

[0049] The manufacturing process and web of pouches will be further described with reference to Figures 3A-5.

[0050] FIG. 3A is a schematic view of the opaque side 102 (second side) of a web 100 of pouches 150 made from elongated sheet 1′. FIG. 3B shows a detailed view. FIG. 3C is a schematic view of the transparent side 103 (e.g., front side or first side) of the web of pouches as shown in FIG. 3B. FIGS. 3A-3C show the web 100 of pouches 150 made from elongated sheet 1′ in a finished state. The web of pouches is made from a plastic sheet 1′ that is folded back on itself by creasing sheet 1′ via fold line E, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. Web 100 has a substantially opaque second side 102 with an opaque strip 2 continuing to first side 103 via a fold along line E, forming a bottom side 104. Both first side 103 and second side 102 have a top side 105 that is flush with bottom side 104. The opaque coating on the second side 102 includes information printed (or otherwise disposed, e.g., stamped) thereon, as visualized by the indicia "INFO." Side D of the opaque strip on the second side 102 of the web is at most 10 mm from the bottom side 104. Because the first side 103 is transparent, side D is visible from the front, as shown in FIG. 3C. In some embodiments, the opaque side may also include an additional transparent side at the sealing side 105, which may extend approximately 1-8 mm from that side, or just beyond the heat seal before the start of the printed area.

[0051] 3B and 3C, each pouch 150 in web 100 includes an elongated first heat seal 111 transverse to the longitudinal direction of web 100, an elongated second heat seal 112 transverse to the longitudinal direction of web 100, and an elongated top heat seal 113 between first side 103 and second side 102. Each of first heat seal 111 and second heat seal 112 extends parallel to one another and transverse to bottom edge 104, with top heat seal 113 extending therebetween and parallel to and spaced apart from top edge 105, although in some embodiments it may be right at the edge.

[0052] The separation perforation line 120 extends between the top edge 105 and the bottom edge 104 over more than half the distance between the bottom edge 104 and the top edge 105. In this example, the separation perforation line 120 extends over 70% or more of the distance between the bottom edge 104 and the top edge 105, but this may vary in other systems depending on the size, type of sheet used, etc. A foil bridge 121 is thereby formed between the separation perforation line 120 and the top edge 105, and there may be an unperforated portion 124 on the bottom edge.

[0053] The elongated web 100 can be separated by tearing the separating perforation line 120 and then tearing the foil bridge 121 to produce a pouch 150 or a series of interconnected pouches 150. A tear notch 122 extends relative to the bottom edge 104 at a level close to but below the top heat seal 113. The separated pouches 150 can be manually opened by tearing the top heat seal 113 starting at the tear notch 122.

[0054] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a tablet feeding and packaging apparatus. Feeder 4 includes a frame 5 and a horizontally extending support disk 6 supporting multiple radially extending arrays 8, each having a plurality of canisters or feeder units 9. Feeder 4 includes an elongated collection hopper 10 below support disk 6, which is connected to a position-controlled motor 7, such as a servo drive, on frame 5 via a radially extending arm 12 for rotation about a vertical axis. Each feeder unit 9 can be filled with a different batch of individual pharmaceuticals. The feeder units 9 are configured to discharge individual individual pharmaceuticals, which are collected by collection hopper 10, which is rotated below feeder unit 9 by position-controlled motor 7. In this manner, selections of individual pharmaceuticals 13 are counted. Collection hopper 10 merges into hopper outlet 11, which delivers the selections of individual pharmaceuticals 13 to packaging apparatus 20, which packages each organized selection of individual pharmaceuticals 13 into pouches 150. The collection hopper 10 is equipped with a hopper discharge valve (not shown) with an actuator at the hopper outlet 11 for controllably discharging an organized selection of individual medications 13. An electronic controller 80 is programmed to implement the desired processing method.

[0055] Packaging apparatus 20 is shown in further detail in Figure 5. Figure 5 shows a schematic isometric view of the packaging apparatus of Figure 4 for producing a web of tablet-filled pouches according to one embodiment, such as the web of pouches shown in Figure 3A.

[0056] The packaging machine 20 is configured to form and fill pouches 150 in an elongated sheet 1', such as that shown in Figure 2. The packaging machine 20 includes a sheet drive 23 for intermittently transporting the elongated sheet 1' in a conveying direction T through the packaging machine 20 over a sheet trajectory 22 of the packaging machine 20. The elongated sheet 1' typically flows smoothly off a stock reel 119.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 5, while being conveyed in a conveying direction T through the packaging device 20, the elongate sheet 1' is subjected to a subsequent heat seal 110 to provide a web 100 of compartments.

[0058] While being transported through the packaging apparatus 20, the web 100 is subjected to subsequent linear separation perforation lines between the heat seals 110.

[0059] While being transported through the packaging apparatus 20 , the elongated web 100 is also provided with a trailing tear notch 122 beginning at the separation perforation line 120 and extending transversely thereto.

[0060] Sheet 1' defines a printable area 117 on second side 102 within heat sealing 110. Behind printable area 117, elongate web 100 forms a sealed compartment between bottom edge 104 and heat sealing 110 to contain and store a selection of pharmaceutical products 13.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 5 , the packaging apparatus 20 comprises a printing station 30, a filling station 40, a sealing station 50, and a perforating station 60, arranged in series. The printing station 30 includes a printer 31 configured to print text or symbols, visualized as the word “INFO,” on a printable area 117 of the elongated sheet 1′. The filling station 40 includes a spreader 41 below the hopper outlet 11, configured to spread the second side 102 and the first side 103 of the folded sheet 1′ at the top edge 105 to receive a selection of individual pharmaceuticals 13. The sealing station 50 includes two L-shaped heat-seal stamps 51, which are movable or driven symmetrically in a direction F transverse to the elongated web by a stamp drive 52, shown diagrammatically, to form a top heat seal 113 and a second heat seal 112 on one pouch 150 and a first heat seal 111 on the next pouch 150. The perforation station 60 includes two perforation mechanisms, shown here as anvils 61, which are movable or driven symmetrically in direction G transverse to the web of pouches 100 by anvil drives 62, shown diagrammatically, to form a separating perforation line 120 and tear notch 122 between two pouches 150.

[0062] It should be understood that the above description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Many variations may be apparent to those skilled in the art from the above discussion, which are encompassed by the spirit and scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1. A thin sheet with multiple transparent and opaque strips 1' A narrow sheet with a single transparent strip and an opaque strip 2 opaque strips 3 transparent strips 4 Feeding device 5 frames 6 support discs 7 Position control motor 8 Radially extending array 9 Feeder Unit 10 Collection Hopper 11 Hopper Exit 12 Arm 13 Individual medicines 20 Packaging equipment 22 Web Orbit 23 Web Drive 30 printing stations 31 Printer 40 filling stations 41 Spreader 50 Sealing Station 51 Seal Stamp 52 Stamp Drive 60 Perforation Station 61 Perforation Anvil 62 Anvil Drive 80 Electronic Controller 100 pouches web 102 2nd page 103 Page 1 104 bottom 105 Top 110 Heat seal 111 First heat seal 112 Second heat seal 113 Top heat seal 117 printable area 119 Stock Reel 120 Separation perforation line 121 Foil Bridge 122 Tear notch 150 pouches

Claims

[Claim 1] A sheet, a plurality of transparent and opaque strips extending in a longitudinal direction of the sheet, each of the transparent and opaque strips having a width in a transverse direction of the sheet; the plurality of transparent and opaque strips are alternately arranged in a transverse direction of the sheet; A sheet wherein each opaque strip has a width that is less than the width of each transparent strip.

Images