Adhesive bandage envelope

Abstract

The present invention incorporates ways to rapidly open an envelope in which an adhesive bandage is packaged in a sterile manner. Such bandages are commonly described as Band Aids™. The method consists of a modification of the tabs currently used on one end of nearly all such envelopes. The modification consists of the enlargement of the tabs and the use of an additional fold to make the tabs easily gripped because they project out from the envelope. An additional embodiment of the invention causes all the envelopes in a box to be anchored in the box by tabs which are extensions of one half of each envelope, so that by pulling on the tab of the other half of the envelope, the bandage is both pulled from the box and extended from the envelope. An additional enhancement of the invention has one of the release strips protecting the adhesive portions of the bandage to adhere to the envelope, making the bandage ready for application without the need to remove that release strip through a separate action. A variety of bandage sizes may be included in one box, each size being available by a separate opening.

1 . The combination of an adhesive bandage and a releasable envelope for the bandage comprising in combination: 
 an envelope comprised of two confronting sheet-like halves having an adhesive on confronting faces of said halves, said halves having opposite ends and wherein one end of at least one of said halves is folded along a fold line so as to define a tab forming an angle with the remainder of the half, and    a bandage confined between the confronting faces of the envelope halves.    
   
   
       2 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein both of said halves have such a tab.  
   
   
       3 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said tab forms an angle in the range of 15-179 degrees.  
   
   
       4 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said tab is folded upon the remainder of the associated half.  
   
   
       5 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said tab is integral with the remainder of the associated half.  
   
   
       6 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said tab is affixed to the remainder of said half.  
   
   
       7 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said bandage has a gauze portion and an adhesive portion on opposite sides of said gauze portion with said adhesive portion having an adhesive face, and first and second release strips, said first release strip being adhered on a first face to an adhesive portion on one side of said gauze portion and said second release strip being adhered on a first face to said adhesive portion on the opposite side of said gauze portion, said second release strip being further adhered on an opposite second face to a confronting face of one of said envelope halves.  
   
   
       8 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said envelope is formed from a single strip of paper folded along a second fold line to define said halves on opposite sides of said second fold line.  
   
   
       9 . A package defining a plurality of the combinations set forth in  claim 2  wherein said envelopes on adjacent combinations are releasably attached.  
   
   
       10 . The package of  claim 9  further including a container in which said plurality of combinations are housed, said container including an opening adjacent to a tab of one of said enclosures whereby said tab is accessible through said opening.  
   
   
       11 . The package of  claim 10  further including an elastic element in said container biasing said package of combinations toward said opening.  
   
   
       12 . The package of  claim 10  wherein there are a plurality of said packages in said container and further where said container includes an opening associated with each said package.