Container for housing a tray or blister pack

1. A container for housing a tray or blister pack having at least one blister, the container comprising a base portion, a lid portion, and a hinge portion connecting the base portion to the lid portion and about which the lid portion and/or base portion are movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the base portion having a shell attached thereto for receiving the tray or blister pack, the shell having an open end and being adapted to enable sliding movement of the tray or blister pack relative thereto in a direction substantially parallel to said base portion between a storage position and one or more dispensing positions, the shell having at least one detent disposed inside the shell such that the at least one detent is pressed on the at least one blister of the tray or blister pack during the sliding movement of the tray or blister pack so as to interfere slightly with the sliding movement while enabling the sliding movement, in which the shell has a top wall opposed to the base portion and a pair of side walls connecting between the top wall and the base portion, each of the side walls extending substantially in the direction of the sliding movement, the at least one detent being provided on at least one of the side walls.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said base portion, hinge portion, and lid portion are formed from a single substantially flat folded sheet of paperboard and the shell is made of thermo-formed plastic.

3. A container for housing a tray or blister pack having at least one blister, the container comprising a base portion, a lid portion, and a hinge portion connecting the base portion to the lid portion and about which the lid portion and/or base portion are movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the base portion having a shell attached thereto for receiving the tray or blister pack, the shell having an open end and being adapted to enable sliding movement of the tray or blister pack relative thereto in a direction substantially parallel to said base portion between a storage position and one or more dispensing positions, the shell having at least one detent disposed inside the shell such that the at least one detent is pressed on the at least one blister of the tray or blister pack during the sliding movement of the tray or blister pack so as to interfere slightly with the sliding movement while enabling the sliding movement, in which said shell has a closed end opposite the open end thereof and comprises an opening for a finger or object to be inserted therethrough to move said tray or blister pack at least partly out of or into said shell, the opening extending from a first end edge of the opening proximate the closed end of the shell to a second opposed end edge of the opening proximate the open end of the shell, the at least one detent being a tab connected to the second end edge of the opening, in which the direction of sliding is substantially perpendicular to the second end edge to which the tab is connected.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a closure that closes the open end of the shell, wherein the closure is selected from one of the group consisting of at least one of a gate, a tab connected to the lid or base, or the hinge portion of the container.

5. A container as claimed in claim 3 , in which said shell comprises a first recess to receive an edge of said tray or blister pack and a second, deeper recess to receive items or blisters located on said tray or blister pack.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said first recess is sized for a close fit of at least one of the thickness, width, and length of a planar portion of said tray or blister pack.

7. A container as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the tray or blister pack comprises a plurality of items or blisters and said second recess is sized for a close fit of at least one of the height, thickness, and width of the plurality of items or blisters.

8. A container as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said tab provides a yieldable interference fit with the at least one blister on said tray or blister card.

9. A container as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a frame portion attached to the inside of said lid, wherein said frame portion comprises one or more of features selected from the group consisting of a closure gate and fastening means to hold the frame and shell together in the closed configuration.

10. A container as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said shell is formed from a substantially flat sheet of material by a press moulding or vacuum moulding process and/or by folding.

11. A container as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a second shell attached to said lid.

12. A container as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said base portion, hinge portion, and lid portion are formed from a single substantially flat folded sheet of paperboard and the shell is made of pressed paperboard.

13. A loaded container comprising a tray or blister pack having at least one blister and a container in which the tray or blister pack is received, the container comprising a base portion, a lid portion, and a hinge portion connecting the base portion to the lid portion and about which the lid portion and/or base portion are movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the base portion having a shell attached thereto for receiving the tray or blister pack, the shell having an open end, the tray or blister pack is received in the container for sliding movement through the open end between a storage position and one or more dispensing positions in a direction substantially parallel to said base portion, the shell having at least one detent disposed inside the shell such that the at least one detent is pressed on the at least one blister of the tray or blister pack during the sliding movement of the tray or blister pack so as to interfere slightly with the sliding movement while enabling the sliding movement, wherein the shell has a top wall opposed to the base portion and a pair of side walls connecting between the top wall and the base portion, each of the side walls extending substantially in the direction of the sliding movement, the at least one detent being provided on at least one of the side walls.

14. A loaded container as claimed in claim 13 , in which the direction of sliding is either substantially parallel or substantially perpendicular to a hinge axis about which the lid and base portions are rotatable.

15. A loaded container as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said base portion, hinge portion, and lid portion are formed from a single substantially flat folded sheet of paperboard and the shell is made of pressed paperboard.

16. A loaded container as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said base portion, hinge portion, and lid portion are formed from a single substantially flat folded sheet of paperboard and the shell is made of thermo-formed plastic.