Pharmacutical product blister pack lockable within secondary packaging
View Patent ↗A pharmaceutical product supply in the form of a container (e.g., secondary packaging) and a pharmaceutical product receiver (e.g., primary packaging) is disclosed. The pharmaceutical product receiver may include a plurality of pockets or receptacles, and may be disposed within the container. Pharmaceutical product may be enclosed within one or more of these receptacles. The pharmaceutical product receiver may be locked to at least some degree within the container to facilitate disposal of the pharmaceutical product supply, for instance at a time when some of the pharmaceutical product may have been removed from the pharmaceutical product receiver but prior to utilizing all of the pharmaceutical product originally provided with the pharmaceutical product receiver.
1. A pharmaceutical product supply, comprising:
a container comprising first and second panels disposed in opposing relation, a movable locking member, and a latch member that is disposed within an interior of said container, wherein said first panel comprises said locking member, wherein said latch member extends from said second panel and comprises a head that is spaced from said second panel, wherein said locking member is movable from a first position to a second position, and wherein there is no joint between said latch member and said second panel;
a pharmaceutical product receiver disposable within and removable from said container while said locking member is in said first position, wherein said pharmaceutical product receiver comprises an aperture and a plurality of receptacles; and
pharmaceutical product enclosed within at least one of said plurality of receptacles of said pharmaceutical product receiver, wherein moving said locking member from said first position toward said second position directs said locking member through said aperture of said pharmaceutical product receiver and into engagement with said head of said latch member to resiliently deflect said latch member to move said head toward said second panel, and wherein when said locking member reaches said second position said head of said latching member resiliently moves back away from said second panel and remains engaged with said locking member to permanently retain said locking member in said second position and lock said pharmaceutical product receiver within said container.
2. The pharmaceutical product supply of claim 1 , wherein said locking member is movable relative to said container from an unlocked configuration to a locked configuration.
3. The pharmaceutical product supply of claim 2 , wherein said locking member is unable to return from said locked configuration to said unlocked configuration.
4. The pharmaceutical product supply of claim 2 , wherein said latch member retains said locking member in said locked configuration.
5. The pharmaceutical product supply of claim 2 , wherein said locking member is on an exterior of said container when in said unlocked configuration, and wherein said locking member extends within an interior of said container when disposed in said locked configuration.
6. The pharmaceutical product supply of claim 2 , wherein said locking member moves within a first dimension when changing from said unlocked configuration to said locked configuration, wherein said pharmaceutical product receiver moves relative to said container in a second dimension when said pharmaceutical product receiver is removed from said container, and wherein said first and second dimensions are different.
7. The pharmaceutical product supply of claim 1 , wherein said container further comprises a hinge between said locking member and an adjacent portion of said first panel of said container, wherein said locking member is movable about said hinge from said first position to said second position.
8. The pharmaceutical product supply of claim 7 , wherein said container further comprises a first end panel that extends between said first and second panels, and an open end that is opposite of said first end panel, and wherein said hinge is orientated parallel to a direction that said first end panel and said open end of said container are spaced from one another.
9. The pharmaceutical product supply of claim 7 , wherein said container further comprises an open end, and wherein said hinge is orientated parallel to a direction that said pharmaceutical product receiver moves when being withdrawn out of said container through said open end of said container.
10. The pharmaceutical product supply of claim 1 , wherein said locking member is coplanar with a remainder of said first panel when said locking member is in said first position.