Intelligent packaging technology content and form (3)

â– [2]CHILD-RESISTANT PACKAGING (CRP)

Due to children's own conditions, they cannot protect themselves with accurate judgment. Since the 1970s, accidental injuries caused by food and medicine have been on the rise. About tens of thousands of children around the world have been poisoned and even died of misuse of drugs. China is no exception. Such accidents have increased year by year. The reason is that children's curiosity and activity are strong, and adults are accidentally careless and neglected. The protective packaging technology component for children and the special group of consumers is rather special, so "children's safe packaging" also belongs to the category of "intelligent packaging."

“Children's safe packaging” is synonymous with special packaging for anti-poisoning. It is defined as a container containing dangerous goods such as medicines, household cleaners and pesticides. It cannot be opened by children under five but it cannot prevent adults from using it. Packaging of this nature comes in many forms, including bottles, buckets, bags, and blister packs. Due to child safety packaging, many children’s bodies are protected from harm and even death is avoided.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Consu- mer Mercy Security Committee) has established safe packaging regulations for substances that have been recorded as being ingested in large numbers by children.

Statistics obtained by CPSC staff from about 400 U.S. Drug Control Centers show that children under 5 years of age are mistaken for aspirin, oral prescription drugs, methyl salicylate, turpentine oil, sulphuric acid, methanol, ethylene glycol, and acetamido. The number of controlled substances such as phenols decreased by 43% to 86% in 1982 compared to 1971. This data strongly suggests that the anti-poison packaging regulations have protected many young children from injury, apparently due to the use of children's protective packaging. Since children's safe packaging is more complicated and costly than ordinary packaging structures, it is entirely worth it to protect children's safety.

To research CR packaging on the market, the main structural features are as follows:

(1) Pressure twist cover

This is a composite bottle cap, which is completed by two simultaneous pressing and twisting operations. The inner cover of the press-plus-twist cap has an internal thread to match with the external thread of the bottle mouth, and an outer cover is packaged outside the inner cap. The outer edge of the outer cap has a plurality of protrusions, and the top of the inner cap has corresponding grooves and directions. Heart tongue. When pressing the bottle cap, the protrusions of the outer cover and the grooves and tongues of the inner cover can be fitted to each other, and then the outer cover can be rotated to drive the inner cover to be unscrewed from the bottle mouth. However, when the outer cover is simply rotated, the inner cover cannot be rotated except for the idling sound of the "squeaky," and the bottle cap cannot be opened. If there is a SELF-SEEKING MECHANISM between the inner and outer lids, the force required to open the lid can be reduced.

It is indeed a good idea to open the wrapper with a "press down and twist" compound action, which is usually not possible for children. But the key is to reduce the pressure required to fit the elderly. To this end, three deformable structures have been developed, two of which have been slightly modified on the basis of the original torsion cover structure - the use of ancillary tools, such as coins or keys carried with them, can be easily opened or closed. Received quite good results.

(2) Open the cover

This is also the more popular child protection cover. When used, it is required to align the cap with the mark (arrow) on the bottle, and then open the cap by opening the lug of the cap at the flange of the bottle flange. There is a slight obstacle to the elderly.

The alignment of arrows and other signs is an intellectual act, and young children cannot do it. However, if the lug is too small or the flange is too large, it will be difficult for the old man to open it.

(3) Blister packaging

In order to prevent children from opening ordinary blister packs, it is required to tear the back side pasted paper from the corners or forcefully push the contents out of the back (PRESS-THTOUGH PACKAGE, PTP). However, if the paper foil has a certain strength or the adhesive paper is firm, many older people cannot use it. The improved method is: the back of the paper is punched with a pinhole, and the paper is broken along the pinhole after being bent and pasted. This will both prevent children and facilitate the elderly.

(4) Labyrinth cover

This is a form of packaging that is based on intellectual skills.
There is a lug on the inner wall of the outer lid, and the periphery of the bottle mouth is a labyrinth spiral. It requires adults to recognize and remember a series of movements before they can open the bottle cap. It is obviously impossible for children to master this series of actions. The labyrinth covers are available in single and double covers. In the former labyrinth, after passing through the labyrinth, the outer lid drives the inner lid to loosen or tighten it. The single-cover type bumps are one-way, that is, the bottle cap can only pass in the direction of the arrow, and cannot be reversed.

(5) Pull cover

The cap seal consists of two inwardly convex tongues (1-2 mm high, 2-3 mm long) and an inner plug in the lower part of the outer lid. The inner plug is about 3-5 mm high for the inverted hat shape, with an inwardly convex tongue edge along the circumference of the cap. The lower part of the bottle mouth has a convex edge, and two gaps (a little longer than the tongue of the cover) are distributed on the periphery of the edge. Under normal circumstances, the outer cover can idle on the bottle. When turning to a specific position (with an identification mark), the outer cover is disengaged, but at this time, because the outer cover is interlocked with the inner plug, a certain amount of force is required for pulling to overcome the friction between the inner stopper and the bottle mouth. This series of actions is difficult for children to complete, but it does not have any difficulty for adults or elderly people with certain identifying ability, and it does not affect reclosing.

(6) Single-dose anti-children packaging

This example is a single-dose drug package that prevents children from accidentally taking it.
It consists of a flat elongate container with multiple cavities and a closure. Both ends of the plastic cover are designed with elastic tongues. Each cavity in the elongate box contains a single dose of drug and is sealed with a piece of peelable aluminum foil after filling. The ends of the plastic cover are covered with tongues. Insert the groove and tear the foil to get the tablet. This package can be re-closed.

As the opening of the package requires the opening and closing of the index finger (middle finger) and the combined action of grasping and pulling after the thumb, the child is difficult to complete. Especially when the length of the pillbox is more than 10cm, the child's hand is not open enough. This structure is simple and safe, and older people can easily open it.

(7) Bayonet child bottles

A bayonet closure is simpler than a labyrinth lid and its principle is similar to a socket type socket. Two small bumps (diameter 2-3mm) are uniformly distributed on the inner wall of the cap, and a continuous zigzag groove is designed on the bottle mouth. Adults can open the bottle cap according to the indicator mark on the bottle body. If the child is playing, only the bottle can be limitedly rotated. Due to the limited recognizing ability, it is difficult to open the bottle by continuous rotation in different directions.

The Environmental Protection Agency Regulations promulgated by the United States in 1981 attached sufficient importance to the above factors and the structural performance of bottles and closures, and made corresponding provisions: after initial tests, such as packaging styling, materials, capacity, closure materials, or lid linings Changes in cushions, etc., need to be tested again to confirm their protection of child safety.

The development of child safety packaging technology requires a close combination of knowledge in industrial design, child psychology, and creativity.

(to be continued)