Child resistant blister package

Abstract

A child resistant blister package is provided. The blister package comprises a blister card and a housing for containing the blister card. The blister card and the housing comprising a releasable restraining mechanism to restrict the exposure of the blister card through an opening of the housing.

1 . A child resistant blister package comprising:
 a blister card having a plurality of blisters; and   a housing for containing the blister card, the housing having an opening through which at least a portion of the blister card can be exposed to dispense contents from the blisters, the blister card and the housing comprising a releasable restraining mechanism having a plurality of locking positions corresponding to incremental level of withdrawal of the blister card from the housing, movement of the blister card from one locking position to a next locking position providing for sequential access to the blisters.   
     
     
         2 . The package as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the restraining mechanism comprises a plurality of stops and at least one cooperating locking tab, the stops being distributed along a sliding direction of the blister card relative to the housing for sequential engagement with the at least one locking tab. 
     
     
         3 . The package as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the stops are disposed on the housing and the at least one locking tab is disposed on the blister card. 
     
     
         4 . The package as defined in  claim 3 , wherein each stop comprises a recess in a wall of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The package as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the wall of the housing comprises a two-layer construction and the recesses extend through an inner layer of the wall. 
     
     
         6 . The package as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the restraining mechanism comprises a release mechanism allowing the at least one locking tab to bypass at least one of the stops. 
     
     
         7 . The package as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the stops are disposed on the housing and the at least one locking tab is disposed on the blister card. 
     
     
         8 . The package as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises a two-layer construction and each stop comprises a recess through an inner layer of the wall. 
     
     
         9 . The package as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the release mechanism comprises a bypass flap disposed in an outer layer of the wall and associated with each recess. 
     
     
         10 . The package as defined in  claim 9 , wherein each bypass flap comprises a frangible portion of the outer layer of the wall. 
     
     
         11 . The package as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the opening is disposed at a side of the housing and the blister card is movable through the opening along a sliding direction. 
     
     
         12 . The package as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the stops are spaced along the sliding direction. 
     
     
         13 . A child resistant package for progressively dispensing content, the package comprising:
 a blister card having a plurality of blisters; and   a housing for shielding the blisters on the blister card, the blister card and the housing being progressively movable relative to each other between a series of interlocking positions via a releasable restraining mechanism to sequentially position at least one blister of the blister card in a dispensing position.   
     
     
         14 . The package as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the releasable restraining mechanism comprises a plurality of stops disposed on the housing and a cooperating locking member disposed on the blister card. 
     
     
         15 . The package as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the restraining mechanism is sequentially released from said interlocking positions by a corresponding series of release members, each release member being associated to a corresponding one of said stops. 
     
     
         16 . The package as defined in  claim 15 , wherein each release member comprises a frangible portion defined in the housing. 
     
     
         17 . A method for sequentially dispensing contents from a child resistant package, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a blister card having at least one portion that is shielded by and releasably restrained in a housing for sequential movement between a series of locking positions;   b) releasing the blister card from a first locking position;   c) displacing the blister card relative to the housing from the first locking position to a next locking position in which a portion of the blister card is exposed; and   d) ejecting content from the exposed portion of the blister card.   
     
     
         18 . The method as defined in  claim 17 , wherein step b) comprises piercing a portion of the housing.