Blister Pack Retainer With Slide And Retain Feature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blister packs containing smokeless compressed tobacco products face challenges with moisture content and child-resistance, as they are vulnerable to impact damage and accidental access, leading to content contamination and loss.
Innovation Solution
A packaging structure comprising a blister pack retainer with tab portions and a slidable cover featuring tab stop members, which cooperatively restrain the retainer from full withdrawal, combined with apertures and receptacles for secure product placement and easy access, and a method of forming this structure from stock sheets for enhanced child-resistance and tamper-proofing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a blister pack is made from thin plastic or laminate material, then it is easy to manufacture and cost-effective, but it is vulnerable to impact damage and accidental rupture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested packaging structure where the blister pack is inserted into a wallet-shaped outer packaging. The wallet packaging contains the blister pack within its interior space, providing an additional protective layer that absorbs impact forces and prevents accidental rupture of the thin blister material while maintaining the ease of manufacturing the blister pack itself.
2Ease of operation
If a frangible backing layer is used to allow easy product removal, then product access is convenient, but the pack is vulnerable to unintentional rupture and content loss
Solution Approach 1:
The wallet-shaped outer packaging serves as a preliminary protective barrier that prevents unintentional rupture of the frangible backing layer. By containing the blister pack within the wallet structure, the packaging preemptively counteracts forces that could cause accidental opening, thereby preventing content loss while still allowing intentional access when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The wallet packaging is designed to be opened in a controlled manner before the blister pack is accessed. This preliminary action of opening the wallet packaging first provides a controlled environment for subsequent product removal, reducing the risk of unintentional rupture during handling.
3Ease of operation
If the blister pack is designed for random pocket access, then convenience of use is improved, but child-resistance and security of storage are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging is segmented into two functional layers: the wallet-shaped outer packaging provides child-resistance and secure storage, while the inner blister pack maintains random access convenience. This segmentation allows each layer to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between security and convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The wallet-shaped outer packaging acts as an intermediary between the user and the blister pack contents. It provides the necessary child-resistance and security features, while still allowing controlled access to the blister pack, thereby mediating between the conflicting requirements of security and convenience.
4Reliability
If a wallet-shaped outer packaging is added for protection, then child-resistance and tamper-proofing are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wallet-shaped outer packaging is constructed from flexible material that can be easily formed and assembled. This flexibility allows the creation of a protective structure without requiring complex rigid components, thereby improving child-resistance while minimizing the increase in overall packaging complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A packaging structure for receiving at least one blister pack. The packaging structure includes at least one blister pack retainer for receiving and enclosing the blister pack, the blister pack retainer having a first side member, a second side member, a first end and a second end, the second end having at least one tab portion extending therefrom, and a slidable cover for enclosing the at least one blister pack retainer, the cover having a first end and a second end, the first end having at least one tab stop member extending therefrom, whereby when the at least one blister pack retainer is withdrawn from the slidable cover, the at least one tab stop member of the slidable cover and the at least one tab portion of the at least one blister pack retainer cooperate to restrain the at least one blister pack retainer from being fully withdrawn from the slidable cover. A method of making a packaging structure is also provided.