U.S. patent application number 13/978131 was filed with the patent office on 2015-01-22 for packaging with pre-formed plastic web including user-graspable tear tab.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ziba Labs LLc. The applicant listed for this patent is Christine Enderby, Jesse Kirsch, Sarah Osborn, Sohrab Vossoughi. Invention is credited to Christine Enderby, Jesse Kirsch, Sarah Osborn, Sohrab Vossoughi.
Application Number | 20150021224 13/978131 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46457705 |
Filed Date | 2015-01-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150021224 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vossoughi; Sohrab ; et
al. |
January 22, 2015 |
PACKAGING WITH PRE-FORMED PLASTIC WEB INCLUDING USER-GRASPABLE TEAR
TAB
Abstract
Packaging configured to contain an item is made from a
pre-formed plastic web from which a user-graspable tear tab extends
to enable removal of the item from the packaging. Preferred
embodiments each include a plastic web in the form of a pocket and
positioned between front and back lidding sheets that have adhesive
sections bonded together to form unitary packaging. The pocket is
sized to pass through a pocket-receiving aperture in the front
lidding sheet and retains and displays the packaged item. The tear
tab outwardly extends from a peripheral flange from which the
plastic web depends. A score line boundary formed in one of the
front and back lidding sheets circumscribes or partly circumscribes
at least a majority of the pocket receiving aperture and allows
removal of the item by a user pulling the tear tab to tear open the
packaging along the score line boundary.
Inventors: |
Vossoughi; Sohrab;
(Portland, OR) ; Enderby; Christine; (Portland,
OR) ; Osborn; Sarah; (Portland, OR) ; Kirsch;
Jesse; (Rockville, MD) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Vossoughi; Sohrab
Enderby; Christine
Osborn; Sarah
Kirsch; Jesse |
Portland
Portland
Portland
Rockville |
OR
OR
OR
MD |
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ziba Labs LLc
Portland
OR
|
Family ID: |
46457705 |
Appl. No.: |
13/978131 |
Filed: |
January 5, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
January 5, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US12/20289 |
371 Date: |
April 4, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61430057 |
Jan 5, 2011 |
|
|
|
61508894 |
Jul 18, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/469 ;
206/470 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/36 20130101;
B65D 2575/362 20130101; B65D 75/5827 20130101; B65D 73/0057
20130101; B65D 75/366 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/469 ;
206/470 |
International
Class: |
B65D 75/36 20060101
B65D075/36; B65D 75/58 20060101 B65D075/58 |
Claims
1. Packaging formed with a pocket configured to contain an item and
made from a pre-formed plastic web from which a user-graspable tear
tab extends to enable removal of the item from the packaging,
comprising: a front lidding sheet formed with front outer and front
inner boundaries, the front inner boundary defining a
pocket-receiving aperture, the front lidding sheet having between
the front outer and front inner boundaries a front lidding surface
region that includes a releasable section with no adhesive or a low
tack adhesive proximal to the front inner boundary and an adhesive
section proximal to the front outer boundary; a back lidding sheet
formed with a back outer boundary and confining an interior region
spatially overlapping the pocket-receiving aperture, the back
lidding sheet having between the back outer boundary and the
interior region a back lidding surface region that includes a
releasable section with no adhesive or a low tack adhesive proximal
to the interior region and an adhesive section proximal to the back
outer boundary; a plastic web positioned between the front and the
back lidding sheets, the plastic web in the form of a pocket
depending from a flange from which a tear tab outwardly extends
through the releasable sections of the front and back lidding
surface regions, the flange having first and second flange
surfaces, and the pocket having an opening with a boundary
circumscribed by the flange, the pocket sized to pass through the
pocket-receiving aperture with the first and second flange surfaces
of the flange positioned between the releasable sections of the
front and back lidding surface regions; a score line boundary
formed in one of the front and back lidding sheets to circumscribe
or partly circumscribe at least a majority of the pocket-receiving
aperture at a location proximal to a junction boundary of the
adhesive and the releasable sections of the one of the front and
back lidding sheets; and an adhesive material bonding together the
adhesive sections of the front and back lidding surface regions to
form a unitary package in which an item contained in the pocket can
be removed by a user pulling the tear tab to tear open the
packaging along the score line boundary.
2. The packaging of claim 1, in which the interior region spatially
overlapping the pocket-receiving aperture is closed and thereby
covers the pocket-receiving aperture.
3. The packaging of claim 1, in which the interior region spatially
overlapping the pocket-receiving aperture is open and thereby forms
an added pocket-receiving aperture, and further comprising an added
plastic web in the form of an added pocket that depends from an
added flange having first and second added flange surfaces, the
added pocket having an added opening with a boundary circumscribed
by the added flange and the added pocket sized to pass through the
added pocket-receiving aperture such that the plastic web and the
added plastic web face outwardly from each other in opposite
directions.
4. The packaging of claim 3, further comprising a hinge member
connecting portions of the flange and the added flange of,
respectively, the plastic web and the added plastic web to form a
folding plastic container component of the packaging.
5. The packaging of claim 1, in which the front and back lidding
sheets are made of paperboard material.
6. The packaging of claim 1, in which the plastic web is optically
transparent.
7. The packaging of claim 1, in which one of the front and back
lidding sheets includes a notch at a location that exposes the tear
tab and thereby makes accessible a user-graspable end portion of
the tear tab.
8. The packaging of claim 7, in which the score line boundary is
formed in the one of the front and back lidding sheets.
9. The packaging of claim 1, further comprising a packaging-hanging
aperture formed through the adhesive sections of the front and back
lidding sheets.
10. The packaging of claim 1, further comprising a
packaging-hanging aperture formed through at least one of the front
and back lidding sheets and the flange.
11. The packaging of claim 1, further comprising a
packaging-hanging aperture formed through at least one of the front
and back lidding sheets and the tear tab.
12. The packaging of claim 1, further comprising a fastener passing
through the front and back lidding sheets and the flange.
13. The packaging of claim 12, in which the fastener includes a
rivet or staple.
14. The packaging of claim 1, in which the score line boundary
partly circumscribing the pocket-receiving aperture includes a
hinge line along which the one of the front and back lidding sheets
folds as the user opens the packaging.
Description
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
[0001] .COPYRGT.2012 Aria Enterprises, Inc. A portion of the
disclosure of this patent document contains material that is
subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no
objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent
document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and
Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all
copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR .sctn.1.71(d).
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to packaging products such as
blister packages and, more particularly, to blister packages
including tear tabs.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0003] Articles are commonly wrapped in a package having an
enclosing plastic member secured to a substrate. A blister package
is a type of package that includes a paperboard blister card
enclosing and glued to the periphery of a pre-formed
article-holding plastic blister. The blister member is typically a
molded transparent plastic sheet.
[0004] Opening the blister package typically entails tearing the
plastic sheet away from the underlying paperboard blister card. In
this arrangement, the glue bond at the periphery is sufficiently
strong to affix the plastic blister member to the paperboard
blister card but sufficiently weak to permit opening of the
package. A stronger glue bond prevents inadvertent loosening of the
glued periphery, but a disadvantage of the stronger glue bond is
that paperboard remnants often remain adhered to the plastic sheet
and obscure the bottom of the plastic blister member, making it
more difficult to access the packaged items. Others have attempted
to solve this problem by using various tear strip arrangements
designed to allow unglued portions of the substrate to be more
easily torn away from the plastic blister member. A disadvantage of
this approach is that the tear strips often include a gap in the
glue bond, making the packaging more complex to assemble and weaker
at the point of the gap.
[0005] A frequency welded package is another common packaging
product, in which a semi-rigid cardboard sheet is positioned
between two pre-formed transparent plastic blister members. This
type of packaging is often called "bubble" packaging. The
peripheries of the plastic members of a frequency welded package
are thermally fused together to form a secure bond that makes the
package much more difficult for consumers to open.
[0006] WO 97/05038 describes a package in which a molded plastic
box is held by a peripheral flange region between two glued
together cardboard sheets. These sheets are provided with a fold
line and a pair of perforated seams that extend from the fold line
to edges of the box. By bending the sheets about the fold line, the
perforated seams can be broken and the box slidably released.
Breaking the seams clearly indicates the package has been opened
and prevents unscrupulous persons from stealing items and reclosing
the package. However, after the seams have been broken, the package
must still be slidably removed from the cardboard sheets.
Furthermore, the packaging is more difficult to assemble given the
additional cuts and seams required.
[0007] In the packaging industry, especially as related to blister
and related type packaging, it is desirable to have a readily
manufactured package that may be easily opened by a consumer to
make the entire contents of the package immediately accessible.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0008] Packaging configured to contain an item is formed with a
pocket made from a pre-formed plastic web from which a
user-graspable tear tab extends to enable removal of the item from
the packaging. Preferred embodiments of the packaging each include
at least one plastic web in the form of a pocket and positioned
between a front lidding sheet and a back lidding sheet. The front
lidding sheet is formed with front outer and front inner boundaries
and has a front lidding surface region located between the front
inner and outer boundaries. The front lidding surface region
includes a releasable section with no adhesive or a low tack
adhesive proximal to the front inner boundary and an adhesive
section proximal to the front outer boundary. The front inner
boundary defines a pocket-receiving aperture. The back lidding
sheet is formed with a back outer boundary confining an interior
region that spatially overlaps the pocket-receiving aperture. The
back lidding sheet has between the back outer boundary and the
interior region a back lidding surface region that includes a
releasable section with no adhesive or a low tack adhesive proximal
to the interior region and an adhesive section proximal to the back
outer boundary.
[0009] The plastic web retains and displays packaged items. The
plastic web in the form of a pocket depends from a peripheral
flange that has first and second flange surfaces. A tear tab
outwardly extends from the flange and through the releasable
sections of the front and back lidding surface regions. The pocket
has an opening with a boundary circumscribed by the flange. The
pocket is sized to pass through the pocket-receiving aperture with
the first and second flange surfaces of the flange positioned
between the releasable sections of the front and back lidding
surface regions.
[0010] A score line boundary formed in one of the front and back
lidding sheets circumscribes or partly circumscribes at least a
majority of the pocket-receiving aperture and allows the packaging
to be opened. The score line boundary is proximal to a junction
boundary of the adhesive and releasable sections of the lidding
sheet on which the score line boundary is formed.
[0011] The assembled packaging is sealed with an adhesive material
that bonds together the adhesive sections of the front and back
lidding surface regions to form a unitary package. After the
packaging is sealed, an item contained in the pocket can be removed
by a user pulling the tear tab to tear open the packaging along the
score line boundary. Pulling the tear tab separates the interior
region of the back lidding sheet from the opening of the pocket to
provide user access to it and thereby enable removal of the plastic
web from its position between the bonded front and back lidding
sheets.
[0012] The interior region is optionally a region of the back
lidding sheet that forms a contiguous piece of paperboard or
similar substrate. Alternatively, the interior region can be an
opening through which an additional pre-formed plastic web is
passed. The additional plastic web is in the form of a pocket and
depends in an opposite direction from that of the other pocket to
form a large pocket from the front and back lidding surfaces.
[0013] Additional aspects and advantages will be apparent from the
following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which
proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of
the packaging according to the present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the packaging
depicted in FIG. 1.
[0016] FIG. 3A is a sectional view taken along line 3A-3A of FIG.
2.
[0017] FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line 3B-3B of FIG.
2.
[0018] FIG. 4A is a fragmentary view of a packaging tear tab shown
in FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B; and FIGS. 4B and 4C are fragmentary views
of alternative embodiments of the packaging tear tab.
[0019] FIG. 5 shows the sectional view of FIG. 3B with a rivet
punched through the packaging tear tab area to prevent theft.
[0020] FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C are perspective views and FIG. 6D is a
cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the packaging
according to the disclosure, in which the packaging includes front
and back opposed plastic webs.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of two items of the
double-sided blister packaging of FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D shown
mounted on a display shelf hook.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, and 4C show, as a first
embodiment, packaging 10 that includes a pre-formed optically
transparent plastic web 12 secured between a front lidding sheet 14
and a back lidding sheet 16. Front lidding sheet 14 and back
lidding sheet 16 are preferably made of paperboard material and
preferably formed in rectangular shape defined by a front outer
boundary 18 and a back outer boundary 20, respectively. Front
lidding sheet 14 is formed with a pocket-receiving aperture 22
defined by a front inner boundary 24. Pre-formed plastic web 12 is
in the form of a pocket 30 having an opening 32 with a boundary 34
circumscribed by an outwardly extending peripheral flange 36 (shown
in dashed lines in FIGS. 1 and 2). Pocket 30 is sized to pass
through pocket-receiving aperture 22. Opening 32 of pocket 30 and
pocket-receiving aperture 22 are preferably of rectangular shape
but can be of any mutually compatible arbitrary shape. Peripheral
flange 36 has a first flange surface 38 that confronts an inner
surface 40 of front lidding sheet 14, and peripheral flange 36 has
a second flange surface 48 that confronts an inner surface 50 of
back lidding sheet 16. Peripheral flange 36 is adequately sized and
is sufficiently rigid to anchor plastic web 12 between lidding
sheets 14 and 16 without use of an adhesive or a low tack adhesive
to prevent plastic web 12 from dropping out of or being pulled
through pocket-receiving aperture 22.
[0023] A tear tab 52 provided for use in opening packaging 10
outwardly extends from peripheral flange 36 and between lidding
sheets 14 and 16, as will be further described below. Back lidding
sheet 16 has a closed interior region 54 that is confined by a back
inner boundary 56 (FIG. 2). Interior region 54 spatially overlaps
pocket-receiving aperture 22 and covers opening 32 to contain an
item or items placed in pocket 30 when packaging 10 is
assembled.
[0024] Front lidding sheet 14 has on its inner surface 40 a front
lidding surface region 62 that lies between front outer boundary 18
and front inner boundary 24. Front lidding surface region 62
includes in proximity to front inner boundary 24 a releasable
section 64 that is in the general shape of a rectangular annulus
with a tab extension space 66 through which tear tab 52 extends.
Front lidding surface 62 also includes between releasable section
64 and front outer boundary 18 an adhesive section 68 that is in
the general shape of a rectangular annulus interrupted by tab
extension space 66. Releasable section 64 and adhesive section 68
meet at a junction boundary 69.
[0025] Back lidding sheet 16 has on its inner surface 50 a back
lidding surface region 72 that lies between back outer boundary 20
and back inner boundary 56. Back lidding surface region 72 includes
in proximity to back inner boundary 56 a releasable section 74 that
is of substantially the same size and shape as the size and shape
of releasable section 64. Back lidding surface region 72 also
includes between releasable section 74 and back outer boundary 20
an adhesive section 78 that is of substantially the same size and
shape as the size and shape of adhesive section 68. Releasable
section 74 and adhesive section 78 meet at a junction boundary
79.
[0026] When packaging 10 is assembled, releasable sections 64 and
74 are spatially aligned to each other, adhesive sections 68 and 78
are spatially aligned to each other, and peripheral flange 36
extends outwardly from opening 32 a distance no greater than that
which keeps peripheral flange 36 within releasable sections 64 and
74. Releasable sections 64 and 74 contain no adhesive material or a
low tack adhesive material. An example of suitable low tack
adhesive material is a low profile glue dot part number XD11-204
available from Glue Dots International, New Berlin, Wisc. Optional
low tack adhesive prevents plastic web 12 from sliding laterally
between lidding sheets 14 and 16 while packaging 10 is unopened,
but plastic web is readily releasable when opening packaging 10. A
layer or multiple spots of glue form a bond line between adhesive
sections 68 and 78 holding lidding sheets 14 and 16 together and
thereby forming unitary packaging 10 with no adhesive material or
low tack adhesive material bonded to plastic web 12.
[0027] A score line boundary 80 formed in back lidding sheet 16
circumscribes pocket-receiving aperture 22 at a location outside of
adhesive section 78 and proximal to the junction of releasable
section 74 and adhesive section 78. Score line boundary 80 is
illustrated as short-dashed line segments. A user removing an item
contained in packaging 10 pulls tear tab 52 to open back lidding
sheet 16 along score line boundary 80 and separate interior region
54 from opening 32 to uncover pocket 30 and thereby enable removal
of item-containing plastic web 12 from its position between bonded
lidding sheets 14 and 16. In an alternative embodiment, score line
80 partly circumscribes three of the four sides of pocket-receiving
aperture 22, leaving without a score line the side opposite tear
tab 52 to form a hinge for the open portion of back lidding sheet
16. Providing a hinged open portion of back lidding sheet 16
facilitates user reinsertion of plastic web 12 after removal of
fewer than all of the items contained in it.
[0028] FIG. 4A shows tear tab 52 terminating at outer boundaries 18
and 20. Back lidding sheet 16 includes a rectangular notch 82 that
overlays tab extension space 66 and thereby exposes a
user-graspable end portion 84 of tear tab 52. User-graspable end
portion 84 is preferably sized to match the width of notch 82 when
tear tab 52 lies flat before a user begins to open packaging 10. A
fold line 86 formed in user-graspable end portion 84 provides a
hinge for tear tab 52 to facilitate a user starting to open
packaging 10 by separating tear tab 52 lying flat against inner
surface 40 of front lidding sheet 18. Skilled persons will
recognize that tear tab 52 may be located at a corner of packaging
10 or in other suitable locations.
[0029] FIGS. 4B and 4C depict alternative embodiments of tear tab
52. FIG. 4B shows tear tab 52 extending from outer boundaries 18
and 20 and omission of notch 82 in back lidding sheet 16. FIG. 4C
shows a rectangular opening 88 replacing notch 82 and tear tab 52
with user-graspable end portion 84 of reduced length. A user opens
packaging 10 by using a fingernail or stylus to pull user-graspable
end portion 84 away from tab extension space 66.
[0030] Lidding sheet 14 and lidding sheet 16 have, respectively, a
front outer surface 90 and a back outer surface 92 that are
suitable for displaying text and graphics describing the item(s)
contained in pocket 30. Outer surfaces 90 and 92 are proportioned
to accommodate plastic web 12, display text, and to allow efficient
handling, storage, and retail of packaging 10. FIG. 1 illustrates
that pocket-receiving aperture 22 is centrally located in front
lidding sheet 14 with front outer boundary 18 providing padding for
plastic web 12. Front lidding sheet 14 is sufficiently rigid to
sustain its rectangular shape during transport of packaging 10 and
to protect plastic web 12 from crushing or other shipping
damage.
[0031] FIG. 1 shows an aperture 96 for hanging packaging 10 from a
display rack. Aperture 96 may be optionally cut through lidding
sheets 14 and 16, preferably in adhesive sections 68 and 78.
Alternatively, aperture 96 may be cut through peripheral flange 36
and lidding sheets 14 and 16, preferably through one of lidding
sheets 14 and 16 and tear tab 52, or preferably through lidding
sheets 14 and 16 and tear tab 52 as shown in FIG. 1. An aperture
cut through part of peripheral flange 36 or tear tab 52 has the
advantage of protecting packaging 10 from theft while packaging 10
hangs from a display rack rod because an individual cannot open
packaging 10 until it is removed from the display rack. Moreover,
it is generally more difficult to tear through packaging plastic
than it is to tear through paperboard. Fitting locked end caps on
the ends of display rack rods prevents removal or opening of
packaging 10 for purposes of theft.
[0032] FIG. 5 shows the sectional view of FIG. 3B with packaging 10
having a plastic rivet 98 punched through releasable sections 64
and 74 in the vicinity of tear tab 52 to secure packaging 10 until
a customer removes, cuts, or pops-open rivet 98. Alternatives to
plastic rivet 98 include a plastic staple or other simple fastener
that secures tab 52 between paperboard lidding sheets 14 and
16.
[0033] FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D and FIG. 7 show, as a second
embodiment, packaging 100 that includes a second pre-formed
optically transparent plastic web 112 having a peripheral flange
114. (FIG. 6D also shows rivet 98 punched through lidding sheets 14
and 16 and peripheral flanges 36 and 114 in the vicinity of tear
tab 52 for the security reasons stated above with reference to FIG.
5 in connection with packaging 10.) The detailed description of
packaging 10 as a first embodiment follows a convention that refers
to front lidding sheet 14 as the lidding sheet through which pocket
30 of plastic web 12 extends and back lidding sheet 16 as the
lidding sheet in which interior region 54 closes opening 32 of
pocket 30. Thus, the front lidding sheet represents the side of the
packaging that a user can view a product contained in the pocket of
the transparent plastic web. For packaging 100, a second embodiment
in which interior region 54 of back lidding sheet 16 is open to
receive transparent web 112 and thereby form a double-sided blister
package, either one of the two lidding sheets can be arbitrarily
considered as front lidding sheet 14 and the other one can be
considered as back lidding sheet 16.
[0034] Plastic web 112 is joined to plastic web 12 along a hinge
member or line 116 to form an integral folding plastic container
118. The components of packaging 100 are of the same construction
as that of packaging 10, except that plastic web 112 has a tear tab
52' and plastic web 12 has no tear tab, back lidding interior
region 54 is open to form a pocket-receiving aperture 122, and a
score line boundary 80' is formed in lidding sheet 16. The
components of packaging 100 are arranged such that a pocket 130 of
plastic web 112 passes through pocket-receiving aperture 122 of
back lidding sheet 16 and pocket 30 of plastic web 12 passes
through pocket-receiving aperture 22 from lidding sheet 14. Pocket
130 has an opening 132 that is of the same size as and is spatially
aligned with opening 32 of pocket 30. Pockets 30 and 130 face
outwardly from each other in opposite directions to form a single
large pocket when packaging 100 is assembled. Skilled persons will
appreciate that plastic webs 12 and 112 need not be joined by hinge
line 116 and, therefore, could be separate components of packaging
100.
[0035] FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C show that score line boundary 80'
extends around three sides 80'.sub.1, 80'.sub.2, and 80'.sub.3 of a
rectangular score line perimeter, with a fourth side 80'.sub.4
constituting a paperboard hinge line. Score line boundary 80' is
preferably located as close as practicable to adhesive section 78
and the side margin of peripheral flange 114 of plastic web 112.
Whenever a user lifts pull tab 52' to open packaging 100, a
releasable section 74 of back lidding sheet 16 lifts plastic web
112 away from pocket opening 30 of plastic web 12 and folds along
hinge line 804. The force of plastic tear tab 52' set below
paperboard lidding sheet 16 tears it along score line 80'. FIG. 6C
shows that folding plastic container 118 is readily removable in
one piece from the paperboard front and back lidding sheets 14 and
16. Skilled persons will appreciate that provision of score line
boundary 80' affords especially easy opening of double-sided
packaging 100.
[0036] The opening process of packaging 10 and 100 entails the
removal of plastic web 12 of the first embodiment and plastic webs
12 and 112 of the second embodiment and thereby results in
disassembly of the packaging in pieces that are readily separable
in paperboard and plastic components to facilitate recycling.
[0037] FIG. 7 shows two items of packaging 100 hanging from a
display shelf hook 134.
[0038] It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that
many changes may be made to the details of the above-described
embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the
invention. For example, lidding sheets 14 and 16 may be of any
mutually compatible arbitrary shape. The scope of the present
invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following
claims.
* * * * *