Blister Pack Segmented Recesses for Active Member Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blister packs for consumable products, such as pharmaceuticals, allow easy access to active members like humidity absorbers or oxygen scavengers, risking accidental ingestion and limiting optimal atmosphere control due to restricted active material quantity.
Innovation Solution
A blister pack design featuring a blister film with separate recesses for consumable products and active members connected by channels, combined with a reinforcing strip that covers and seals the active member recesses between the lidding film and the blister film, preventing user access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the active member is placed in each recess containing a consumable product, then the atmosphere regulation is achieved, but the active member becomes easily accessible and retrievable by the user, creating a risk of accidental ingestion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the recess into two separate compartments: a first recess for the consumable product and a second recess for the active member, connected by a connecting channel. This segmentation physically separates the active member from direct access while maintaining its functional connection to the product compartment, thereby preventing accidental ingestion while preserving atmosphere regulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting channel acts as an intermediary structure that allows the active member to regulate the atmosphere in the first recess without being directly accessible to the user. The channel provides a controlled pathway for atmospheric interaction while the lidding film and blister film structure prevent direct retrieval of the active member.
2Reliability
If the quantity of active material is increased to allow for optimum atmosphere control, then the atmosphere regulation effectiveness is improved, but the size of the recess must be increased, which may affect the compactness and structure of the blister pack
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the recess into separate compartments for the consumable product and the active member, the invention allows the active member to have sufficient volume for effective atmosphere control without occupying the same space as the product. The connecting channel provides the necessary spatial separation while maintaining functional connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the third dimension by placing the active member in a separate second recess connected via a channel, rather than expanding the horizontal footprint of the product recess. This vertical or depth-based separation allows adequate active material volume while maintaining a compact overall blister pack structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a protection sheet is added to the lidding foil in the region of the second recesses to prevent retrieval of active members, then the safety against accidental ingestion is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases and conventional blister manufacturing lines cannot easily implement it
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the protection function into the existing lidding film and blister film structure itself, rather than adding a separate protection sheet. The sealed connection between the lidding film, blister film, and connecting channel inherently prevents retrieval of the active member, eliminating the need for additional protective layers and simplifying the manufacturing process to work with conventional equipment.
4Ease of operation
If the active member is made accessible for easy retrieval, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability and safety are compromised due to the risk of accidental ingestion
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented recess structure with separate compartments for the consumable product and active member, connected by a narrow channel, inherently prevents easy retrieval of the active member. This segmentation maintains safety by design, making the active member inaccessible while still allowing it to perform its atmosphere regulation function through the channel.
Data Source
AI summary
A blister pack including a blister film having at least one first recess for a consumable product and at least one second recess for an active member. Each second recess is connected to a first recess by a connecting channel. A lidding film is sealed to a sealing surface of the blister film to close each first recess and second recess while keeping the connecting channel open. The blister pack further includes a reinforcing strip having a support configured to at least partially cover the at least one second recess of the blister film while being in contact with the sealing surface. In the sealed configuration of the blister pack, the support of the reinforcing strip is sealed between the lidding film and the blister film in at least one contact region.