Blister pack device and method
AssigneeExpress Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
InventorsMichael L. Davis, Kenneth G. Coulter, David C. Trice
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container forming apparatus includes a plurality of forming members that have outer forming surfaces, which are shaped to form pockets in a sheet of material. A plurality of actuators are in mechanical connection with the forming members. The actuators are able to extend and retract the forming members. A controller is in electrical communication with the plurality of actuators. The controller is able to simultaneously extend any one or any combination of the forming members to create a plurality of pockets in a determined pattern in the sheet of material to produce a customized blister pack.
Claims19
A container forming apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of forming members having outer forming surfaces that are shaped to form pockets in a sheet of material;
- a plurality of actuators in mechanical connection with the forming members, the actuators being able to extend and retract the forming members, the forming members being independently actuatable with respect to one another and moveable towards and away from the sheet of material under the influence of the plurality of actuators to deform the sheet of material according to the pre-set pattern and form rows of the plurality of pockets to receive items;
- and
- a controller in communication with the plurality of actuators and able to simultaneously extend any one or any combination of the forming members to create the plurality of pockets in a pattern in the sheet of material to produce a customized item storage.
A container forming apparatus to form a package, comprising:
- at least two forming features having a first forming surface and a second forming surface, respectively, the first forming surface and the second forming surface shaped to form wells in a sheet of material of the package;
- a plurality of actuators in mechanical connection with the two forming features, the actuators being able to move the sheet of material at the two forming features;
- and
- a controller in electrical communication with the plurality of actuators and able to simultaneously deform the sheet of material at the two forming features to define at least one first well and at least one second well in a pattern in the sheet of material to produce a package as a customized blister pack with the pattern being a grid that includes a plurality of rows of pockets with at least one of the rows of wells has a different number of wells than at least one of the other rows of wells and the wells are fluidly sealed from one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.