U.S. patent application number 12/378372 was filed with the patent office on 2010-08-19 for rupturable and openable bubble package.
Invention is credited to Michael Dunn-Rankin.
Application Number | 20100206756 12/378372 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42558984 |
Filed Date | 2010-08-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100206756 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dunn-Rankin; Michael |
August 19, 2010 |
Rupturable and openable bubble package
Abstract
A rupturable bubble package for containing a sanitized implement
such as, for example, a drinking straw, a toothpick or medical
instruments. The bubble package is characterized by its
construction from a flexible, substantially impervious material
capable of maintaining a positive pressure of air or other gaseous
fluids within the package once it is sealed. The package is
constructed of front, back, top and bottom panels. All of the
panels are adhered to each by an application of glue. Two of the
panels are adhered to each other by a weaker glue. When finger
pressure is applied to an outside surface of the bubble package,
the panels adhered with the weaker glue will burst open. At that
location, one of panels has an extended portion thereon
constituting a finger grip. When the finger grip is grasped by the
fingers that applied pressure to the package, that panel may be
pulled from the package to gain access to an interior of the
package.
Inventors: |
Dunn-Rankin; Michael;
(Venice, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Michael Dunn-Rankin
1158 Fundy Rd.
Venice
FL
34293
US
|
Family ID: |
42558984 |
Appl. No.: |
12/378372 |
Filed: |
February 17, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/467 ;
220/270 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/366
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/467 ;
220/270 |
International
Class: |
B65D 75/32 20060101
B65D075/32; B65D 17/34 20060101 B65D017/34 |
Claims
1. a rupturable bubble package for containing an implement, said
package comprising an enclosure formed from a flexible material,
said flexible material being substantially impervious to air and
fluids, whereby a positive pressure of a gaseous fluid may be
maintained within said enclosure when an implement is placed
therein and said bubble package is sealed, said bubble package
having a weakened portion at an edge thereon, said weakened portion
will burst open when an external finger pressure is applied to said
bubble package, said bubble package is constructed of a front
panel, a back panel and opposed top and bottom panels, one of said
panels having an extended pull tab thereon, said pull tab when
grasped by said fingers, after said bubble package bursts open, is
instrumental in completely opening said bubble package by said
fingers.
Description
[0001] This application is a Refile of application Ser. No.
12/080,757 filed on Apr. 7, 2008, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a rupturable bubble package
that contains a sanitized implement. While the preferred embodiment
will be described wherein the implement is a drinking straw, it is
to be understood that the particular implement placed within the
package is not to be considered a limiting factor on the scope of
the invention. In fact it is contemplated that the present
invention would have utility for a variety of implements including,
for example, sterilized, medical or surgical instruments including
the packaging of tooth picks which should stay sterilized until
they are to be used.
[0003] The invention is characterized by its construction from a
flexible impermeable material to define an enclosure into which the
implement is inserted and sealed therein. By "substantially
impervious" is meant to include material capable of maintaining a
quantity of gaseous fluid inside an enclosure, preferably a gas
such as, for example, air or an inert sterilized gas, when the
package is sealed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The inventive concept relates to a rupturable bubble package
for containing an implement and wherein the package comprises an
enclosure formed from a substantially impervious, flexible
material, such as plastics, foil or paper. The co-pending
application discloses that the enclosure comprises a front panel, a
back panel, and opposed top and bottom panels which are disposed in
an interconnecting relationship between the front and the back
panels to define the enclosure. It is, of course, understood that
the terms front, back top and bottom are relative to the
orientation of the package and are not to be taken as absolute
terms with respect to the embodiments described in greater detail
hereinafter. The rupturable package could be obtained through the
process of extrusion whereby a plastic sleeve is obtained that may
sealed at both ends. When the inventive package is sealed, the
package is capable of maintaining a positive pressure inside the
package and when squeezed, the pressure will momentarily increase
so that the package can rupture as will be described below.
[0005] Rupturing of the package is accomplished by the its
construction to include a weakened or portion or area formed on at
least one of the front, back, top or bottom panels. The weakened
portion may be a score line at or near the top of the package. The
inventive concept may also be realized when a plastic sleeve is
extruded, whereby the bottom may be strongly sealed while the top
may remain in an overlap that may be glued together whereby a
weaker closure or seal is formed that is weaker than the strongly
sealed bottom seal and may be ruptured when finger pressure is
applied.
[0006] The inventive concept of this application is expanded in
that the rupturable seal is modified so that a pull tab is
exhibited when the package ruptures. This will enhance the opening
operation of the package which will not only open by finger
pressure but makes it easier to gain access to the inside of the
package by completely pulling away a side covering panel with the
same fingers that caused the package to rupture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rupturable package showing
a pull tab;
[0008] FIG. 2 is an exploded view after the package has been
opened;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the rupturable package of FIG.
1;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a different package;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a different embodiment of
the rupturable Package;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a package having a pull tab
on a long side.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package which is fully
explained in the co-pending application. In this view there is
package 7 which would normally contain a sanitized item. There is a
front cover 3 which is completely sealing the package. The basic
package or container has an short extension on top past the sealed
portion. The front sheet is sealed to basic package by a light glue
5 having an adhesion force which is less than the adhesion force of
the other seals of the package. The reason for this less adhesion
is that when finger pressure is applied anywhere on the package,
the light seal pops open. This is the basic concept of the
co-pending application. The advantage of the inventive concept of
this application is that the covering panel 3 can now be pulled
away from the package or the container by grasping the pull tab 4
with same fingers that applied pressure to the package and pull the
covering panel 3 away from the package to free the sanitized item
in the package.
[0014] FIG. 2 shows the package of FIG. 1 after the front panel has
been pulled away from the container base 7.
[0015] FIG. 3 shows a perspective rear view of the package of FIGS.
1 and 2 prior to being opened. The container 7 in this view
illustrates a larger package that may receive and store larger
items therein, such as, a drinking straw 7a or a sanitized medical
instrument. The procedure in opening this package will be the same
as was explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0016] FIG. 4 shows a different size of a bubble package. There is
a back-up sheet 8 which may be permanently attached to a container
such as a large box. To open this package, one has to force
pressure on longitudinal bubble 3a, rupturing the top seal, which
is lightly sealed at 5. Then by grasping the pull tab 4, the
opening of the package can be completed by fully or partially
removing the cover sheet 3 by pulling down on sides 6 to reveal the
item stored in the bubble, such as a sheet of paper, for example.
The bubble 3a could be used to include some kind of message on a
piece of paper.
[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates the same principle of opening the package
6 except that this package is using a different or novel rupturing
procedure. All sides of this package are sealed by a strong
adhesion, such as at 6 while the top end is sealed with a lighter
glue 5. In this embodiment, the lighter glue application has sealed
therein two elongated air bubbles 9 and 10. When finger pressure is
applied to the exterior surface of the package, a double pop can be
heard which adds to the amusement of using this approach in
packaging. Again, as in previous explanations, a pull tab 4 is used
to completely open the package by pulling away the cover sheet.
[0018] FIG. 6 is directed to a different embodiment having the
container base 7 with a sanitized item 7a contained therein. All
sides of this package are sealed by a heavy glue application except
one long side 6 is closed with a lighter glue application. Again,
when finger pressure is applied to the package, the long side 6
with the lighter glue thereon will pop open and the single backing
sheet may be pulled away from the container 7 by using the pull
tab. In view of all of the above it can now be seen that the
inventive concept of the co-pending application has been greatly
improved by making it easier to gain excess to the interior of the
package. There are many other embodiments that have been disclosed
in the prior application and the pull open principle of this
application may equally be applied to all the other embodiments
disclosed therein.
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