US3133635A

US3133635A - Tamper-proof package for hypodermic syringes

Info

Publication number: US3133635A
Application number: US231894A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gordon Morris; John J Peterson
Original assignee: American Home Products Corp
Current assignee: Wyeth LLC
Priority date: 1962-10-22
Filing date: 1962-10-22
Publication date: 1964-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 1981-05-19

Description

DAMPER-PROOF PACKAGE FOR HYPODERMIC SYRINGES Filed Oct. 22, 1962 May 19, 1 64 M. GORDON ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS: MORRIS GORDON JOHN J. PETERSON ATTORNEY 3,133,635 TAMPER-PROOF PACKAGE FOR HYPODERMIC SYRINGES Filed Oct. 22, 1962 May 19, 1 64 M. GORDON ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS: MORRIS GORDON JOHN J. PETERSON United States Patent 3,133,635 TAMPER-PRUGF PACKAGE FOR HYPODERMEC SYRHNGES Morris Gordon, Broomall, and John J. Peterson, King of Prussia, Pa, assignors to American Home Products Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 231,894 7 Claims. (Cl. 206-632) This invention relates generally to sealed containers for materials, and more particularly, to a tamper-proof package for a plurality of disposable hypodermic syringes.

Disposable hypodermic syringes for injecting medicaments of various kinds have found such widespread use in the medical and related professions that it has been found useful to the ultimate user and economical to the supplier to package a plurality of such units in a single container. However, the existing packages for the most part have been found to have several disadvantages. Thus, many are of comparatively costly construction. They may lend themselves to pilferage of the disposable syringes contained therein, or inadvertent breakage of said syringes and particularly the comparatively fragile glass ampules thereof, while the syringes are still in the package. They may permit removal, contamination and/ or adulteration of the medicaments contained therein by unauthorized persons. Some also raise problems in connection with storing of the packages such as when it may be advantageous to stack a plurality of them in a limited space.

With the foregoing disadvantages of the packages presently available in mind, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a package for a plurality of dis posable hypodermic syringes which package may be opened easily for removal of a single syringe as desired without disturbing the packaging of the remaining syringes.

It is another object to provide a package which, when a separate closure member for a section of the package containing a single syringe is opened to remove a syringe from said section; the latter may no longer be closed by secure replacement of the closure member thereby to indicate to the user whether the package has previously been tampered with, even though a particular syringe may still be present in its particular section.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a package that also has means to indicate whether a said separate closure member for a section of the package has been tampered with even though not completely broken to permit removal of a syringe from the package.

It is another object of this invention to provide a package of the kind referred to which is economical to manufacture since it requires a minimum amount 'of material due to its structure and configuration.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a package of the type described which nevertheless permits transportation and storage thereof without undue breakage thereof or of the hypodermic syringes contained therein.

It is another object of the invention to provide a package as described which permits facile stacking of a plurality thereof.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as a result of a better understanding of the latter upon reference to the description that follows;

Generally, the tamper-proof package for sterile, disposable hypodermic syringes, in accordance with the present invention, comprises: a bottom shell in turn comprising a bottom wall, a pair of generally erect end walls mounted on the bottom Wall and facing each other, a pair of generally erect side walls mounted on said bottom wall and facing each other, positioning and retaining 3,133,635 Patented May 19, 1964 means within the shell adapted for maintaining hypodermic syringes in side-by-side relationship along the bottom wall and substantially parallel thereto and to the side walls with the ends of the syringes adjacent one of said end walls and the other ends of the syringes adjacent the other end wall; and a break-01f section comprising a plurality of vertically-disposed slots in said one end wall spaced apart a predetermined distance and aligned with said positioning and retaining means for permitting longitudinal passing therebetween of a respective one of the hypodermic syringes in the package when a respectively adjacent portion of said one end wall between an adjacent pair of slots is removed, a lateral slot in said bottom wall extending substantially parallel to said one end wall and disposed in the area of said bottom wall between said one end wall and said positioning and retaining means, a plurality of longitudinal slots in said bottom wall, each longitudinal slot forming an extension of a respective one of said vertical slots in said one end wall and extending substantially parallel to said side walls, each of said longitudinal slots opening into said lateral slot to define therewith a plurality of separate tab portions each connected to the lower end region of an end wall portion defined between a pair of said vertically disposed slots, and structural means connecting the upper end region of each of said end wall portions to said package and comprising a weakened web portion whereby a separate one of said tabs and with it a respective end portion may be broken away from said package at said weakened web portion by pulling said separate tab in a direction downwardly with respect to said bottom wall and outwardly'with respect to said one end wall. In the preparation of the finished package, after the positioning and retaining means within the bottom shell have been loaded with the hypodermic syringes being packaged, a fiat cover is secured to the top edges of said side and end walls of said shell.

Preferably, both the bottom shell and top cover are of plastic material which, in the case of the shell, is desirably of a substantially rigid type and in the case of the cover, is preferably of a flexible type but in certain embodiments may be substantially rigid as is the bottom shell. It is also preferred that either the shell or the cover, or both, be transparent in order to permit a visual check of the contents of the container. However, transparency of either the shell or the cover is unnecessary Where one or both of the named elements of the package are provided with cut-out portions which function as means to permit visual checking of the contents of the package and additionally to reduce the amount of plastic necessary for fabricating the package. The cover may be cemented or heat sealed to the base shell or adhered,

to it by other conventional means;

A better understanding of the invention will be had upon reading the descriptions of several embodiments of the invention as illustrations thereof now described below with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the novel package of the invention, the package being shown, for purposes of illustration, with the normally sealed cover thereof in exploded relationship to the main bottom shell and only a single hypodermic syringe located in .the cradles provided to position a plurality of said syringes;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the end of the package of FIG. 1 bearing the breakoff tab and end wall portions, the section being taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, with the shell and cover shown assembled;

FIG. 3 isa cross-sectionof the main bottom shell of FIG. 1 taken on line 3-3 thereof to show the configuration of the cradle that supports'the sheathed needle of the hypodermic syringes contained in the package;

FIG. 4 is a second cross-section of the main bottom shell of FIG. 1, in this case taken on line 4 4 thereof to show the configuration of the cradle that supports the cartridge portions of the hypodermic syringes contained in the package;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention, wherein the package, as in FI 1, is shown with the normally sealed cover thereof in exploded relationship to the main botom shell thereof and only a single hypodermic syringe is shown positioned in the package; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the end of the package of FIG. 5 bearing the breakoff tab and end wall portions, the section being taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5, with the shell and cover shown assembled.

With reference to the presently preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIGS. 1-4, the package coinprises a unitary main bottom shell 2, in turn comprising a bottom wall 3 provided with comparatively

large cutouts

4, 5, 6 and 7, and having

upstanding side walls

8 and 9 and

end walls

16 and 11. A continuous horizontally disposed flange 12 is provided at the top edges of

side walls

8 and 9 and end walls and 11.

Mounted on a median strip 13 of the web of bottom wall 3, separating cut-

outs

5 and 6, is a vertically-disposed syringe positioning and retaining wall 14 having alternating cut-out sections 15 and web portions 16. Similarly, on strip 17 of the web of bottom wall 3, between cut-

outs

6 and 7, there is provided a second vertically-disposed syringe positioning and retaining wall 18 also having alternating cut-out sections W and web portions 20 in general alignment with those of wall 14. As appears in FIG. 1, the cut-out sections 15 and web portions 16 of wall 14 are of a configuration to retain in each of said cut-out sections 15 between a pair of adjacent web portions 16, the sheathed needle 23 of a hypodermic syringe 24 provided with the usual ferrule 22 joining the sheathed needle 23 to the cartridge 21. Each of the cut-out sections 19 between a pair of web portions 20 of the wall 18 are contoured to retain the respective cartridge portion 21 of said hypodermic syringe 24. Preferably bottom shell 2 is dimensioned longitudinally and wall 14 is positioned along the length of said shell whereby webs 16 of wall 14 retain the hypodermic syringes 24 with the distal ends 25 of the cartridges 21 thereof substantially in abutment with the end wall structure 11, to be described hereinafter, and the terminal ends of sheathed needles 23 of said syringes 24 adjacent but not in contact with end wall 10.

End wall 11' is provided with a series of vertical slots 26 located to provide a series of separate vertical wall portions 27 respectively positioned adjacent the rear ends 25 of the cartridges 21 of syringes 24 positioned in the package. Each of vertical wall portions 27 has integral therewith a. tab extension 28 in substantially the plane of the web of bottom wall 3. Slots 26a are provided which separate adjacent tab extensions 28 and are essentially respective continuations of slots 26. As indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4, top flange 12 is of a vertical thickness substantially equal to that of the thickness of sidewalls 8 and 9 (and also end wall 10) and is joined to said three walls to form a continuous web of substantially uniform thickness. However, in the case of wall portions 27 which form end wall 11, said portions are each separately attached to flange 12 by a frangible neck section 29 (FIG. 2) of greatly reduced thickness. For the purposes referred to hereinafter, each tab extension 23 is joined to the tab extensions 28 immediately adjacent thereto by frangible connector rod portions 30 of greatly reduced cross-section.

In the fabrication of the package described above, main bottom shell 2 comprising bottom wall 3 provided with

cutouts

4, 5, 6 and 7 and

strips

13 and 17,

end walls

10 and 11 including all of the structure of the tab and

separate portions

27 and 28, positioning and retaining

wall pieces

14 and 18, and peripheral flange 12 is advantageously molded from a synthetic resinous material such as polystyrene. Polymethyl methacrylate, polypropylene, phenol-formaldehyde or alkyd resins, or other thermoplastic or thermosetting compositions known in the molding art may be used as desired. Top cover 31 may be separately stamped from flat sheets of similar synthetic resinous materials. After the hypodermic syringes 24 are placed in their respective cradles provided by said

contoured wall pieces

14 and 18, top cover 31 may be placed on flange 12 and adhered thereto by various cementing, heat-sealing, or other suitable means, and preferably by the use of a volatile plastic solvent as is known in the art.

In the use of the package, when it is desired to obtain a single syringe 24 therefrom without disturbing the packaging of the remaining syringes, the user merely inserts a finger via cut-out '7, and against the inner surface of the tab 28 adjacent the syringe 24 it is desired to remove from the package. Thereafter, by application of finger pressure downwardly and outwardly as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2, frangible connection rods 30 between said tab 23 and the tabs immediately adjacent thereto are first broken, and on continued application of pressure, frangible neck section 29 by which the associated wall portion 27 is attached to flange 12 is also broken. Thus, the entire L-shaped tab 28 and wall piece 27 is removed to expose the rear end 25 of the desired hypodermic syring 24 which may then be pulled or slid out of its cradle. Although not essential to the advantageous use of the package, it is usually found preferable to invert the same and position it with top cover 31 down on a flat surface, after which a tab 28 may be pulled upwardly, but in the same relative direction as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2, with respect to the package as a whole.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the package similarly comprises a main bottom shell 32 having a bottom wall 33 provided with cut-

outs

34, 35, 36 and 37, and, in this case, additional cut-outs 34a and 3412. Similarly, shell 32 also comprises

upstanding side walls

38 and 39 and

end walls

40 and 41. In this construction, too, there is provided on a strip 43 of bottom wall 33, a cradle 44 having cut-out sections 45 and web portions 46 dimensioned to receive and retain the sheathed needles 23 of the hypodermic syringes positioned in the package. There is likewise provided on a strip 47, a second cradle similarly provided with cut-out sections 49 and web portions 50 contoured to receive and retain the cartridge portions 21 of hypodermic syringes 24. Similarly, cradle 44 is positioned longitudinally in shell 32 with respect to end wall 41 whereby the ferrules 42 of syringes 24 are abutted by webs 46 as ends 25 of the cartridges 21 abut or are in close proximity to said end wall 41.

Also similarly, end wall 41 is provided with a series of vertical slots 56 located to provide a series of separate vertical wall portions 57 respectively positioned adjacent the rear ends 25 of the cartridges 21 of syringes 24 positioned in the package. Each of vertical wall portions 57 has integral therewith a tab extension 53 in substantially the plane of the web of bottom wall 33. Slots 56a are provided for separating adjacent tab extensions 58, and are again essentially respectively continuations of the vertical slots 56. As indicated in FIG. 6, top flange 42 is of a vertical thickness substantially equal to that of the thickness of

side walls

38 and 39 as well as end walls 4t} and 41 and is joined to said end walls to form a continuous web of substantially uniform thickness. As in the previously described embodiment, each tab extension 53 is joined to the tab extensions 58 immediately adjacent thereto by frangible connector rod portions 63 of greatly reduced cross-section. However, in the present embodiment, the upper ends of the vertical wall portions 57 are directly connected to the interior edge of flange 42 as indicated in FIG. 6, and not by a reduced neck section as in the case of the preferred embodiment described hereinbefore. Instead, the frangible sections of this package are provided in the top cover 61 as is described hereinafter.

As is apparent from FIG. 5, in this

construction cradles

44 and 48 extend upwardly only for approximately half of the height of

side walls

38 and 39 and

end walls

40 and 41, all of which terminate in flange 42. The top cover 61 is here provided as a substantially rigid piece of a suitable plastic material of a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the web of shell 32. To conserve material and to provide visibility of the contents of the package, a plurality of cut-

outs

64, 65, 66 (and

additional cutouts

64a, 64b, 64c, 64d and 64s) are formed in the web of cover 61.

A median strip 43a, separating larger cut-

outs

64 and 65, is positioned to be in substantial alignment with strip 43 of shell 32 when top cover 61 and said shell 32 are assembled to provide the final package of this embodiment. Mounted on strip 43a is a cradle member 44a provided with cut-out sections 45a and web portions 46a in a configuration complementary to that of cradle 44, whereby, in said finally assembled relationship said cutout sections and web portion of

cradles

44 and 44a co-act to retain sheathed needles 23 of syringes 24 positioned in the package. Similarly, on median strip 47a there is aflixed a complementary cradle 48a bearing co-acting cut-out sections 49a and web portions 50a for co-actively maintaining with the complementary structures of cradle 43, the cartridges 21 of said syringes 24, in desired position.

In the present embodiment of the invention, there is provided in top cover 61, adjacent the end of said cover which overlaps that section of flange 42 that is attached to wall 41, a groove 62 in the top surface of said cover. Groove 62 is of a depth to diminish the thickness of web 61 at this point 63 to approximately one-half (FIG. 6). Opening into said groove 62 are a plurality of slots 64 completely through the Web of top cover 61. As indicated in FIG. 6, slots 64 are spaced and aligned to immediately overlie the upper ends of slots 59 in wall 44 when the package is assembled.

In the fabrication of the package just described, the entire main bottom shell 32 including

cradles

44 and 48 may similarly be unitarily molded from a suitable plastic material, preferably styrene. Top cover 61 may also be unitarily molded with

cradles

44a and 48a aflixed to the under sides of strips 430 and 47a respectively. Subsequent to filling of bottom shell 32 with syringes 24 each resting with its sheathed needle 23 on cradle 44 and its cartridge 21 on cradle 48, top cover 61 is applied to top flange 42 of bottom shell 32, whereby cradles 44a and 48a are aligned with

cradles

44 and 43 to co-act therewith in maintaining syringes 24 in position in the package. Top cover 61 is aflixed to said flange 42 by suitable adhering means known to the art, and preferably with the use of a suitable volatile solvent.

In the use of the package just described, for dispensing a single syringe 24 therefrom without disturbing the remaining syringes; as in the preferred embodiment, the user merely inserts a finger via cut-out 3'7, and against the inner surface of the tab 58 adjacent the syringe 24 it is desired to remove from the package. As before, by

application of finger pressure downwardly and outwardly, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6, frangible connector rods 60 between said tab 58 and the tabs 58 immediately adjacent thereto are first broken. On continued application of pressure, in this case, top cover 61 breaks off along part of groove 62 between an adjacent pair of slots 64 at reduced thickness 63 and also longitudinally from the edges 65 of said adjacent pair of slots 64, to the extreme outer edge 66 of top cover 61, and at the same time flange 42 is severed adjacent its weakened area 67 (FIG. 5) formed by upper slot portions 59 of vertical slots 57. 1

As stated previously, the packages of this invention may be made from any suitable plastic material. How ever, a particularly suitable material for the main bottom shells and the cradles attached thereto in either embodiment has been found to be styrene. In the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1-4, however, the top cover 31 is suitably formed of a much thinner web of said styrene, and in the case of the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 5 and 6, top cover 61 (of thickness equal to that of the main shell) 'is also preferably made of styrene.

In a package constructed in accordance with the invention and having the over all dimensions of about 4" x 2.25 x 0.4", a suitable thickness for the web of bottom shell 2 may be .04". This includes bottom wall 3,

side walls

3 and 9, end wall 10, flange 12, end wall portions 27 and tab portions 28. The longitudinal and lateral dimensions of tab portions 28 may, in such case, be approximately .32 x .38. With the connection necks 29 of approyimately 0.01" thickness and the connector rods 30 suitably having a cross-sectional thickness of .015", the package has been found to be desirably durable under normal usage, but still to require no undue force properly applied in the direction of the arrow to cause breaking of said connector rods and connecting necks.

In the case of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, the dimensions and thicknesses of the webs of main shell 32 and top cover 61 may be similar to those referred to above, as may be the respective end wall portions, tab sections and connector rods. However, in this case, with web portions 63 in top cover 61 of 0.01" thickness, this package, too, has been found to be exceptionally durable under reasonable conditions of use, but still to be frac turable along the slots and weakened portions for removal of syringes as described, with the application of no inordinate pressures.

In the event an attempt is made by an unauthorized person to pry a tab portion from its normal position for the purpose of tampering with the rear end of the cartridge of a hypodermic syringe, the connector rods attached to said tab portion will be broken even though the package has not been fully opened. Thus, the severed connection rods then function to alert the authorized user to the possibility of pilferage, contamination, etc.

It will be obvious that the novel constructions of the present invention permit the production of packages of generally flat substantially parallelopied configuration, which consequently lends itself to symmetrical stacking in the multiple packaging thereof in larger containers for the usual commercial purposes such as transportation and storage or to stacking on the shelves of the ultimate user prior to use.

While several specific embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be understood that such embodiments are intended to be illustrative only. It is to be further understood that all modifications of said embodiments, or variations therefrom, which conform to the spirit of the invention, as defined in the claims appended hereto, are intended to be included in the scope thereof.

We claim:

1. A tamper-proof package containing disposable hypodermic syringes, said package comprising:

(A) a bottom shell comprising:

(1) a bottom wall,

(2) a pair of generally erect end walls mounted on said bottom wall and facing each other,

(3) a pair of generally erect side walls mounted on said bottom wall and facing each other, and

(4) said end wall and said side walls terminating in a common peripheral edge;

(B) a cover attached to said edge of said bottom shell and enclosing said hypodermic syringes within said shell;

(C) a plurality of hypodermic syringes contained in said bottom shell, each syringe comprising:

(1) a liquid-filled cartridge, and

(2) a cannula-sheathed needle attached thereto;

(D) positioning and retaining means within said shell for maintaining hypodermic syringes in side-by-side relationship along said bottom wall and substantially parallel thereto and to said side walls with the ends of said syringes adjacent one of said end walls and the other ends of said syringes adjacent the other of said end walls; and

(E) a break-off section at one end of said package,

said break-off section comprising:

(1) a plurality of vertically-disposed slots in said one end wall spaced apart a predetermined distance and aligned with said positioning and retaining means for permitting longitudinal passing therebetween of a respective one of said hypodermic syringes in the package when a respectively adjacent portion of said one end wall between an adjacent pair of slots is removed,

(2) a lateral slot in said bottom wall extending substantially parallel to said one end wall and disposed in the area of said bottom Wall between said one end wall and said positioning and retaining means,

(3) a plurality of longitudinal slots in said bottom wall, each longitudinal slot forming an extension of a respective one of said vertical slots in said one end wall and extending substantially parallel to said side walls, each of said longitudinal slots opening into said lateral slot to define therewith a plurality of separate tab portions each connected to the lower end region of an end wall portion defined between a pair of said vertically disposed slots,

(4) frangible connector means connecting each of said tab portions with an adjacent tab portion, and

(5) structural means connecting the upper end region of each of said end wall portions to said package and comprising a weakened web portion located in the region of the upper end portions of each of said end wall portions, whereby a separate one of said tab portions, and with it a respective end portion, may be broken away from said package at said weakened web portion by pulling said separate tab portion in a direction downwardly with respect to said bottom wall and outwardly with respect to said one end wall.

2. A tamper-proof package containing disposable hypodermic syringes, said package comprising:

(A) a bottom shell, said shell comprising:

(1) a bottom wall,

(3) a pair of generally erect side walls mounted on said bottom wall and facing each other,

(4) a lateral flange connected to the upper ends of said end walls and said side walls;

(B) a plurality of hypodermic syringes contained in said bottom shell, each syringe comprising:

(1) a liquid-filled cartridge, and V (2) a cannula-sheathed needle attached thereto;

(C) a top cover attached to said flange on said bottom shell and enclosing said hypodermic syringes within said shell;

(D) positioning and retaining means within said shell, said positioning and retaining means maintaining said hypodermic syringes in side-by-side relationship along said bottom wall and substantially parallel thereto and to said side walls, with the ends of said liquid-filled cartridges adjacent one of said end walls and the ends of said cannula-sheathed needles adjacent the other of said end walls; and

(E) a break-oif section at one end of said package,

said break-off section comprising:

(i) a plurality of vertically disposed materialweakening slots in said one end wall spaced apart a predetermined distance and aligned with said positioning and retaining means permitting longitudinal passing therebetween of a respective one of said hypodermic syringes in said package when a respectively adjacent portion of said one end wall between an adjacent pair of slots is removed,

( 3) a plurality of lonigtudinal slots in said bottom wall, each longitudinal slot forming an extension of a respective one of said vertical slots in said one end Wall and extending substantially parallel to said side Walls, each of said longitudinal slots opening into said lateral slot to define therewith a plurality of separate tab portions connected to the lower end region of an end wall portion defined between a pair of said vertically disposed slots, and

(4) structural means connecting the upper end region of each of said end wall portions to said package and comprising a weakened web portion whereby a separate one of said tab portions, and with it a respective end portion may be broken away from said package at said weakened web portion by pulling said separate tab portion in a direction downwardly with respect to said bottom wall and outwardly with respect to said one end wall.

3. A tamper-proof package containing disposable hypodermic syringes as claimed in claim 2 wherein said tab portions are connected by frangible connector means.

4. tamper-proof package containing disposable hypodernnc syringes as claimed in claim 2 wherein said weakened web portions are located at the upper end portions of each of said end wall portions and connect said end wall portions to said flange.

5. A tamper-proof package containing disposable hypodermic syringes as claimed in claim 2 wherein said weakened web portions are located at the edge of said top cover adjacent said one end wall.

6. A tarnper-proof package containing disposable hypodermic syringes, said package comprising:

(A) a unitary plastic bottom shell, said shell comprisng a web of substantially uniform thickness formmg (1) an apertured bottom wall,

(2) a pair of generally erect end walls extending from said bottom wall and facing each other,

(3) a pair of generally erect side walls extending from said bottom wall and facing each other,

(4) a continuous lateral fiange extending from the upper ends of said end walls and said side walls;

(1) a liquid-filled cartridge, and

(2) a cannula-sheathed needle attached thereto;

(D) positioning and retaining means within said shell, said positioning and retaining means comprising 1) a first cradle mounted in said bottom wall and having cut-out portions and web portions contoured to receive said cannula-sheathed needles of said hypodermic syringes, and

(2) a second cradle mounted in said bottom wall and having cut-out sections and web portions contoured to receive said liquid-filled cartridges of said hypodermic syringes; said first and secnd cradles being positioned and said cut-out sections and web portions being contoured and located to maintain said hypodermic syringes in side-by-side relationship along said bottom wall and substantially parallel thereto and to said side walls, with the ends of said liquid-filled cartridges adjacent one of said end walls and the ends of said cannula-sheathed needles adjacent the other of said end walls; and

(E) a break-off section at one end of said package,

said break-off section comprising:

(1) a plurality of vertically disposed slots in said one end wall spaced apart a predetermined distance and aligned with said cut-out sections and portions of said positioning and retaining means for permitting longitudinal passing therebetween of a respective one of said hypodermic syringes in said package when a respectively adjacent portion of said one end wall between an adjacent pair of slots is removed,

(2) a lateral slot in said bottom wall extending substantially parallel to said one end wall and disposed in the area of said bottom wall between said one end wall and said second'cradle of said positioning and retaining means,

(3) a plurality of longitudinal slots in said bottom wall, each longitudinal slot forming an extension of a respective one of said vertical slots in said one end wall and extending substantially parallel to said side walls, each of said longitudinal slots opening into said lateral slot to define therewith a plurality of separate tab portions each connected to the lower end region of an end wall portion defined between a pair of said vertically disposed slots, and

(4) a web portion of substantially thinner and hence weakened frangible cross-section connecting the upper end region of each of said end wall portions to said flangewhereby a separate one of said tab portions, and with it a respective end portion, may be broken away from said flange at said weakened web portion by pulling said separate tab portion in a direction downwardly with respect to said bottom wall and outwardly with respect to said one end wall.

7. A tamper-proof package containing disposable hypodermic syringes, said package comprising:

(A) a unitary plastic shell, said shell comprising a web of substantially uniform thickness forming (1) an apertured bottom wall,

(4) a continuous lateral flange connected to the upper ends of said end walls and said side walls;

(1) a liquid-filled cartridge, and.

(2) a cannula-sheathed needle attached thereto;

(C) an apertured top cover attached to said flange on said bottom shell and enclosing said hypodermic syringes within said shell;

(D) positioning and retaining means within said shell,

said positioning and retaining means comprising:

(1) a first cradle mounted in said bottom wall and having cut-out sections and web portions contoured to receive said cannula-sheathed needles of said hypodermic syringes,

(2) a second cradle mounted in said bottom shell and having cut-out sections and web portions contoured to receive said liquid-filled cartridges of said hypodermic syringes,

(3) a third cradle mounted on the interior surface of said top cover and having cut-out sections and web portions contoured to receive said cannula-sheathed needles of said hypodermic syringes, and

(4) a fourth cradle mounted on the interior surface of said top cover and having cut-out sections and web portions contoured to receive said liquid-filled cartridges of said hypodermic syringes;

said first, second, third and fourth cradles being positioned and said cut-out sections and web portions being contoured and located to maintain said hypodermic syringes in side-by-side relationship along said bottom wall and substantially parallel thereto and to said side walls, with the ends of said liquid-filled cartridges adjacent one of said end walls and the ends of said cannulasbeathed needles adjacent the other of said end walls; and (E) a break-off section at one end of said package,

said break-oil section comprising:

(1) a plurality of vertically disposed slots in said one end wall spaced apart a predetermined distance and aligned with said cut-out sections and said web portions, said positioning and retaining means for permitting longitudinal passing therebetween of a respective one of said hypodermic syringes in said package when a respectively adjacent portion of said one end wall between an adjacent pair of slots is removed,

(2) a lateral slot in said bottom wall extending substantially parallel to said one end wall and disposed in the area of said bottom wall between said one end wall and said second cradle of said positioning and retaining means,

(4) a web portion of substantially thinner and hence weakened frangible cross-section extending laterally of said top cover at the end thereof sealed to the flange portion connected to the upper end region of each of said end wall portions, and a plurality of slots in said top cover extending from said substantially thinner web portion towards said last-named end of said cover, said slots being respectively in alignment with one of said vertical slots, whereby a separate one of said tab portions, and with it a respective end portion, flange portion and top cover portion may be broken away from said top cover at said weakened web portion and an adjacent pair of Slots by pulling said separate tab portion in a direction downwardly with respect to said bottom wall and outwardly with respect to said one wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,982,112 Lang Nov. 27, 1934 2,812,057 Brownfield Nov. 5, 1957 2,856,067 Sparks Oct. 14, 1958 2,880,865 Knox Apr. 7, 1959 2,955,705 Krueger et a1. Oct. 11, 1960 3,032,186 Jenkins May 1, 1962

Claims

7. A TAMPER-PROOF PACKAGE CONTAINING DISPOSABLE HYPODERMIC SYRINGES, SAID PACKAGE COMPRISING: (A) A UNITARY PLASTIC SHELL, SAID SHELL COMPRISING A WEB OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS FORMING (1) AN APERTURED BOTTOM WALL, (2) A PAIR OF GENERALLY ERECT END WALLS EXTENDING FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL AND FACING EACH OTHER, (3) A PAIR OF GENERALLY ERECT SIDE WALLS EXTENDING FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL AND FACING EACH OTHER, (4) A CONTINUOUS LATERAL FLANGE CONNECTED TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID END WALLS AND SAID SIDE WALLS; (B) A PLURALITY OF HYPODERMIC SYRINGES CONTAINED IN SAID BOTTOM SHELL, EACH SYRINGE COMPRISING: (1) A LIQUID-FILLED CARTRIDGE, AND (2) A CANNULA-SHEATHED NEEDLE ATTACHED THERETO; (C) AN APERTURED TOP COVER ATTACHED TO SAID FLANGE ON SAID BOTTOM SHELL AND ENCLOSING SAID HYPODERMIC SYRINGES WITHIN SAID SHELL; (D) POSITIONING AND RETAINING MEANS WITHIN SAID SHELL, SAID POSITIONING AND RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING: (1) A FIRST CRADLE MOUNTED IN SAID BOTTOM WALL AND HAVING CUT-OUT SECTIONS AND WEB PORTIONS CONTOURED TO RECEIVE SAID CANNULA-SHEATHED NEEDLES OF SAID HYPODERMIC SYRINGES, (2) A SECOND CRADLE MOUNTED IN SAID BOTTOM SHELL AND HAVING CUT-OUT SECTIONS AND WEB PORTIONS CONTOURED TO RECEIVE SAID LIQUID-FILLED CARTRIDGES OF SAID HYPODERMIC SYRINGES, (3) A THIRD CRADLE MOUNTED ON THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID TOP COVER AND HAVING CUT-OUT SECTIONS AND WEB PORTIONS CONTOURED TO RECEIVE SAID CANNULA-SHEATHED NEEDLES OF SAID HYPODERMIC SYRINGES, AND