Child-Resistant Packaging System and Method for Making Same

Abstract

A medication dosage unit packaging system includes a tray for holding a blister containing a plurality of unit chambers. The blister is divided into a general access zone containing at least one general access unit chamber and a restricted access zone containing at least one restricted access unit chamber. The general access zone and the restricted access zone are separated by a chamber-free zone. A retaining cap holds the blister package in the tray. The retaining cap and the tray have therebetween a guide post fitting into a guide slot in the chamber-free zone in the blister. The guide post and the guide slot are positioned in the tray such that when a blister package is held in the tray by the retaining cap, the blister is slidable between a first position in which only the general access zone of the blister is accessible, and a second position which both the general access zone and the limited access zone of the blister are accessible. A child-resistant hinging cap is hingeably mounted into the tray, such that when the hinging cap is in a closed position, it locks the blister package in its first position, and when the hinging cap is in an opened position, it allows the blister package to be slid into its second position.

1 . A packaging system, comprising: 
 a tray;    a blister pack comprising a general access zone including a plurality of general access chambers, a restricted access zone including a plurality of restricted access chambers, and a chamber-free zone including a guide slot extending into said chamber-free zone, said general access zone and said restricted access zone being separated by said chamber-free zone;    a blister retaining cap coupled to said tray for slideably securing said blister pack within said tray; and,    a hinging cap hingeably mounted to said tray, said hinging cap controlling access to said restricted access zone.    
   
   
       2 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said tray comprises a frame including end walls, sidewalls, and a mounting post attached to said frame.  
   
   
       3 . The packaging system of  claim 2 , wherein said tray further includes at least one general access window corresponding in position with said general access chambers, and at least one restricted access window corresponding in position with said restricted access chambers.  
   
   
       4 . The packaging system of  claim 3 , wherein each one of said plurality of general access chambers includes at least one general access item, and each one of said plurality of restricted access chambers includes at least one restricted access item.  
   
   
       5 . The packaging system of  claim 4 , further comprising a central guide post extending through said guide slot.  
   
   
       6 . The packaging system of  claim 5 , wherein said blister retaining cap further includes a base and walls that form a hood, said hood covering the restricted access zone of said blister pack when said blister pack is in a first position.  
   
   
       7 . The packaging system of  claim 6 , wherein said tray further includes at least one stirrup formed within one of side walls.  
   
   
       8 . The packaging system of  claim 7 , wherein said hinging cap includes a flap, at least one rib protruding from the interior surface of said flap, and at least one button extending outwardly from a corresponding strut affixed to said flap.  
   
   
       9 . The packaging system of  claim 8 , wherein said button correspondingly engages said stirrup so as to secure said hinging cap closed.  
   
   
       10 . The packaging system of  claim 9 , wherein said flap is hingeably affixed to said tray so that when said child-resistant hinging cap is in a closed position, said rib butts at least one of said restricted access chambers, locking the blister pack in the first position.  
   
   
       11 . The packaging system of  claim 10 , wherein said hinging cap is opened by inwardly deflecting said button so as to clear said stirrup, permitting said rib to clear said restricted access chambers and said blister pack to slide to a second position.  
   
   
       12 . The packaging system of  claim 11 , wherein said blister retaining cap further includes a semicircular well.  
   
   
       13 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , further including an outer sleeve configured to receive said tray, said blister pack, said retaining cap, and said hinging cap.  
   
   
       14 . The packaging system of  claim 13 , wherein said outer sleeve includes a first open end and a second open end, such that when said tray is extended from said first open end the child-resistant hinging cap is accessible, and when said tray is extended from said second end the general access zone is accessible.  
   
   
       15 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said tray, said retaining cap, and said child-resistant hinging cap comprise a plastic material.  
   
   
       16 . The packaging system of  claim 4 , wherein said access item comprises any one of a first medication, a second medication, a non-medication or any combination thereof.  
   
   
       17 . A blister pack, comprising: 
 a general access zone including a plurality of general access chambers, each one of said general access chambers including at least one general access item;    a restricted access zone including a plurality of restricted access chambers, each one of said restricted access chambers including at least one restricted access item; and,    a chamber-free zone including a guide slot, said general access zone and said restricted access zone being separated by said chamber-free zone.    
   
   
       18 . The blister pack of  claim 17 , wherein said access items comprise any one of a first medication, a second medication, a non-medication or any combination thereof.  
   
   
       19 . The blister pack of  claim 18 , further comprising a backing material affixed to the open side of said access chambers for securely enclosing said general access items within said general access chambers and said restricted access items within said restricted access chambers.  
   
   
       20 . A method for packaging items, said method comprising: 
 packaging items in a blister pack, said blister pack including a general access zone including a plurality of general access chambers, a restricted access zone including a plurality of restricted access chambers, and a chamber-free zone including a guide slot axially extending into said chamber-free zone, said general access zone and said restricted access zone being separated by said chamber-free zone;    loading said blister pack within a tray;    affixing a retaining cap to said tray for slideably holding said blister pack within said tray; and,    hingeably mounting a child-resistant cap to said tray for controlling access to said restricted access zone.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said step of packaging includes placing at least one general access item into a corresponding general access chamber and placing at least one restricted access item into a corresponding restricted access chamber.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said step of packaging further includes affixing a backing material to an open side of said chambers for securely enclosing said items.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said step of loading includes inserting said blister pack within said tray, said tray including a mounting post extending through the guide slot of said chamber-free zone.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said step of affixing includes mounting a blister retaining cap to said tray, said blister retaining cap including a central guide post that is coupled to said mounting post for allowing the blister pack to slide in a first position for accessing the general access zone and in a second position for accessing both the general access zone and the restricted access zone.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said step of affixing further includes positioning said retaining cap over the restricted access zone of said blister pack for covering said restricted access zone when the blister pack is in said first position.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said step of hingeably mounting includes hingeably attaching said hinging cap to said tray, placing said hinging cap in a closed position so that a holding rib positioned within said hinging cap butts against at least one of said restricted access chambers thereby locking the blister pack in said first position and preventing the blister pack from sliding in said second position, and placing said hinging cap in an open position so that said rib clears said restricted access chambers allowing the blister pack to slide into the second position for gaining access to the restricted access zone.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , further including slideably inserting said tray, said blister pack, said retaining cap and said hinging cap within an outer sleeve, said outer sleeve including a first open end and a second open end.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said step of packaging includes placing at least one general access item comprising a first medication into a corresponding general access chamber and placing at least one restricted access item comprising a second medication into a corresponding restricted access chamber.  
   
   
       29 . A method for packaging items, said method comprising: 
 packaging items into a blister pack, said blister pack including a general access zone including a plurality of general access chambers, a restricted access zone including a plurality of restricted access chambers, and a chamber-free zone including a guide slot, said general access zone and said restricted access zone being separated by said chamber-free zone.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said step of packaging includes placing at least one general access item comprising any one of a first medication, a second medication, a non-medication or any combination thereof into a corresponding general access chamber.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said step of packaging further includes placing at least one restricted access item comprising any one of a first medication, a second medication, a non-medication or any combination thereof into a corresponding restricted access chamber.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said step of packaging further includes affixing a backing material to an open side of said chambers for securely enclosing said items in each of said respective chambers.