U.S. patent application number 16/290249 was filed with the patent office on 2019-06-27 for blister card with flange strap.
The applicant listed for this patent is WestRock MWV, LLC. Invention is credited to Matthew E. Zacherle.
Application Number | 20190193906 16/290249 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56286096 |
Filed Date | 2019-06-27 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190193906 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zacherle; Matthew E. |
June 27, 2019 |
BLISTER CARD WITH FLANGE STRAP
Abstract
A sandwich-type blister card is provided to contain a product
item such as a pliers or scissors with a handle extending outside
the blister. The blister includes a wrap-around strap to secure a
portion of the product item.
Inventors: |
Zacherle; Matthew E.;
(Chesterfield, VA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
WestRock MWV, LLC |
Atlanta |
GA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56286096 |
Appl. No.: |
16/290249 |
Filed: |
March 1, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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14971024 |
Dec 16, 2015 |
10220995 |
|
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16290249 |
|
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|
62100587 |
Jan 7, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 11/004 20130101;
B65B 51/10 20130101; B65D 73/0085 20130101; B65D 75/563 20130101;
B65B 51/02 20130101; B65D 75/321 20130101; B65D 75/322 20130101;
B65B 11/48 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 75/32 20060101
B65D075/32; B65D 75/56 20060101 B65D075/56; B65D 73/00 20060101
B65D073/00; B65B 11/00 20060101 B65B011/00; B65B 11/48 20060101
B65B011/48 |
Claims
1. A method for making a blister card, the method comprising:
providing a front panel with a window therein defined by a cutline,
and a back panel hingedly attached an edge of the front panel;
separating the cutaway portion from the front panel leaving a
window in the front panel; placing into the window a blister having
a cavity sized to receive at least part of the content item, the
blister having a peripheral flange and a strap with a first end
attached to the blister and a second end opposite the first end;
inserting a content item into the blister card; wrapping the strap
around a portion of the content item; folding the back panel over
upon the front panel, with the peripheral flange and the strap
second end between the panels; sealing together the front and back
panels with the peripheral flange and strap second end sealed
between the front and back panels.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second end of the strap is
received into a gap in the peripheral flange.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutaway portion is positioned
between the blister and the back panel.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cutaway portion is in
register with the window.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the front panel and back panel
are fastened together by adhesive.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the front panel and back panel
are fastened together by heat sealing.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the front panel and back panel
are hingedly joined along a side edge of the panels.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the blister cavity receives an
upper portion of the content item, while a lower portion or
portions of the content item extend below the blister card.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutaway portion is hingedly
joined to the back panel along the side edge of the back panel.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser.
No. 14/971,024, filed on Dec. 16, 2015, (which will grant as U.S.
patent Ser. No. 10/220,995 with an issue date of Mar. 5, 2019)
which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.
62/100,587, filed on Jan. 7, 2015, both of which are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present application is directed to blister cards, and
more particularly, to sandwich-type blister cards where the blister
contains an item such as a tool with a part such as a handle
extending outside the blister. The blister may have a flange, a
portion of which may be wrapped around the handle.
[0003] Merchandise items are often packaged on blister-type display
cards. Such display cards may include a plastic blister to hold the
product, and a printed paperboard card describing the product. The
blister may be attached to the card, or may enclose the card. When
tools are packaged in such display cards, it may be desired to have
a portion of the tool exposed. This may be especially true with
tools such as pliers, scissors, and the like where a handle may be
left outside the blister so that a prospective purchaser may move
the handle and observe the action of the tool. U.S. Pat. No.
4,165,805 to Fethke discloses a scissors housed in a blister
attached to the front of a single card, with one of the scissors
handles outside the blister. U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,551 to Theros
discloses a clamshell blister that wraps around a card and pliers,
with the handles of the pliers extending outside the clamshell
blister at the bottom of the package. U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,417 to
Seaton discloses a clamshell blister that wraps around a pair of
gardening shears, with one handle extending sideways outside of the
blister.
[0004] The present invention involves a blister whose perimeter
flange is sandwiched between two cards, with one or more openings
in the blister through which part or parts of the product (such as
handles) may extend. A portion of the blister flange may wrap
around a part of the product (such as the handle.
SUMMARY
[0005] In one aspect a blister card is disclosed for holding a
content item, the blister card including a front panel with a
window therein created by at least partly separating a cutaway
portion from the front panel; a back panel attached to the front
panel; a blister including a blister cavity and a peripheral
flange, the blister cavity protruding through the window and the
peripheral flange received between the front and back panels;
wherein the cutaway portion is positioned between the blister and
the back panel; and wherein an opening is formed in the blister
cavity through which a portion of the content item may protrude.
Additionally a portion of the blister flange, in the area of the
opening in the blister cavity, is wrapped around the protruding
portion of the content item.
[0006] In another aspect, a method is disclosed for making a
blister card holding a content item, the method including providing
a front panel with a window therein defined by a cutline, and a
back panel hingedly attached to a lower edge of the front panel;
separating the cutaway portion from the front panel leaving a
window in the front panel, and placing the cutaway portion onto the
back panel in mirror registry with the window; placing into the
window a blister having a cavity sized to receive at least part of
the content item, the blister having a peripheral flange and a side
wall, the side wall having a first opening and a second opening;
inserting a content item into the blister card by threading a first
portion of the content item through the first opening, with a
second portion of the content item being received in the blister
cavity and a third portion of the content items extending through
the second opening; folding the back panel over upon the front
panel, with the peripheral flange between the panels; sealing
together the front and back panels around their periphery; sealing
together the front and back panels just outside the cutaway
portion; and sealing together the back panel and the cutaway
portion where the cutaway portion extends beyond the blister.
Additionally a strap portion of the blister flange, in the area of
the opening in the blister cavity, is wrapped around the protruding
portion of the content item and the end of the strap is sealed
between the panels, in a gap provided in the flange.
[0007] Other aspects of the disclosed packaging structures will
become apparent from the following description and the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The attached Figures show blister cards including a blister
sandwiched between a pair of cards.
[0009] FIG. 1A shows a plan view of a blank for making a front
panel and back panel for a blister package;
[0010] FIG. 1B shows a plan view of the blank after moving a
section of material from the front panel to the back panel, leaving
an opening in the front panel;
[0011] FIG. 2A shows a plan view of a blister to be used with the
blank of FIGS. 1A and 1B;
[0012] FIG. 2B shows a perspective view of the blister of FIG.
2A;
[0013] FIG. 3A shows the blister of FIG. 2A being placed onto the
back panel and section of material of FIG. 1B,
[0014] FIG. 3B shows how a strap portion of the blister flange may
be wrapped under a product (not shown) received in the blister, and
the front card folded over onto the back card and blister;
[0015] FIG. 4A shows the blister of FIG. 2A being placed into the
opening in the front panel of FIG. 1B,
[0016] FIG. 4B shows how a strap portion of the blister flange may
be wrapped over a product received in the blister, and the back
card folded over onto the front card and blister;
[0017] FIG. 5 shows the finished blister card (not yet showing the
product that is actually held within);
[0018] FIG. 6A repeats drawing of FIG. 4, with the product now
shown within the blister;
[0019] FIGS. 6B-6C show cross sections of certain details in FIG.
6A;
[0020] FIG. 7 shows an example seal pattern for the blister card of
FIG. 6A; and
[0021] FIGS. 8A-8C show plan views of example blank patterns.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] As various embodiments of the blister card are described,
reference will be made to the attached Figures. Certain parts of
the blister cards are denoted by reference numerals. Where there is
more than one of the same feature, sometimes only one will be
denoted by a reference numeral. Where assembly steps are described,
these steps are exemplary and are not to be limiting as to the
sequence of operations used to arrive at the final blister card.
Also, directions such as up, down, top, bottom, front, back, etc.
are used for convenience in describing the structure and are not
meant to be limiting. In most cases the blister cards described
here are made from one or several blanks (that is, the cut sheet
parts from which the blister cards are made by folding and other
steps). However, it should be understood that certain unitary
blanks may be provided instead as more than one part, and certain
blanks may be combined into single blanks, while still arriving at
the same finished package.
[0023] FIG. 1A shows a plan view of a blank 1101 for making a
blister card 1100. The blank may include a front panel 1110 with a
back panel 1120 hingedly attached through a fold line 1115 between
the side edges of the panels. The front and back panels 1110, 1120
may each include a hang hole 1118, 1128. An opening 1112 may be
provided in the front panel 1110. The opening or window 1112 may
define a cutaway section 1114 (sometimes called `window waste`) in
front panel 1110.
[0024] The cutaway section 1114 may be flipped over and transferred
(as per arrow A1) onto the back panel 1120 into a mirrored position
(FIG. 1B) that will (after folding the panels along fold line 1115)
bring the cutaway 1114 back into register with window 1112. Cutaway
1114 may be temporarily held in place by a small amount of glue or
other suitable method.
[0025] FIG. 2A shows a blister 1130 in plan view, and FIG. 2B shows
the blister in perspective view. Blister 1130 may include a blister
cavity 1134 with a face 1135 and a wall 1133. The blister may have
a peripheral flange 1132 extending partway around the blister. A
first blister opening 1136 may be provided (e.g. in blister wall
1133) for a movable part of a content item, such as a first handle
H1 of a tool T (see FIG. 5), to be housed in blister 1130. A second
blister opening 1138 may be provided for a stationary part of the
content item, such as a second handle H2 of the tool. The blister
face 1135 may have an opening (not shown) to allow a prospective
customer to touch a content item. However, for certain content
items such as those having a sharp edge or a pinching action, it
may be preferable not to have openings in the blister face
1135.
[0026] The blister flange 1132 may have a gap 1131 to receive a
fold-around strap 1142 whose proximal portion may be attached to
the blister at a strap fold or strap hinge 1144. The fold-around
strap 1142 may be folded or wrapped around a part of the content
item T, such as handle H1. The distal end of fold-around strap 1142
may be received into gap 1131. (Gap 1131 may also be omitted, but
having the gap 1131 leaves the `flange` area to have a single
thickness at the gap 1131, which otherwise would be a double
thickness of flange that might be more difficult so securely seal.
A portion 1132A of the blister flange 1132 may continue after the
gap 1131 (as shown in FIGS. 2A-2B), or the gap may be at an end of
blister flange 1132 with portion 1132A omitted. Thus the term
`flange gap` may be interpreted as an area where the flange 1132
does not extend, either being a discontinuity in the flange or an
area just beyond the end of the flange, or another area where there
is no flange.
[0027] FIG. 3-7 illustrate example assembly steps for the blister
card, as seen from the starting from an `inside` view of the blank
1101 in FIG. 3A or FIG. 4A.
[0028] One assembly method is shown in FIG. 3A where blister 1130
is being positioned (as per arrow A2) over the back panel 1120 and
cutaway 1114. The blister face 1135 is thus facing upward (toward
the viewer) and the product contents would have been placed between
the cutaway 1114 and the blister itself
[0029] FIG. 3B shows the flange strap 1142 being folded (arrow A3)
under the content item (not shown) so that the distal end of the
flange strap 1142 may come into position at the flange gap 1131.
Next, the front panel 1110 may be folded over (Arrow A4) along fold
line 1115 and onto back panel 1110, with opening 1112 in front
panel 1110 coming into alignment around the upward facing cavity of
the blister. This will result in the assembled card 1100 shown in
FIG. 5.
[0030] Another assembly method is shown in FIG. 4A where blister
1130 is being positioned (as per arrow A5) so as to drop the cavity
and blister face 1135 through the opening 1112 in front panel 1110.
The product contents (not shown) can then be placed into the
blister cavity.
[0031] FIG. 4B shows the flange strap 1142 being folded (arrow A6)
over and around the content item (not shown) so that the distal end
of the flange strap 1142 may come into position in the flange gap
1131. Next, the back panel 1120 and cutaway 1114 may be folded over
(Arrow A7) along fold line 1115 and onto front panel 1110. When
this finished structure is flipped over sideways, it will be the
assembled card 1100 shown in FIG. 5.
[0032] FIG. 6A shows a tool 1160 housed in blister card 1100. The
blister face 1135 faces upward, with the blister cavity 1134
holding part of the tool 1160, for example blades B within the
cavity. Handles H1 and H2 are at least partly exposed, which allows
a prospective customer to handle and even operate tool 1160. The
blister card may be designed as shown to leave the handles
relatively unobstructed by the card. This may leave little or no
room to seal blister flange 1132 at the lower end of blister card
1100. To help secure tool 1160, the flange strap 1142 may be
wrapped around the handle H1 and placed in the flange gap 1131
where it may be sealed (along with the rest of flange 1132) between
the front panel 1110 and back panel 1120.
[0033] The cross section view of FIG. 6B shows a part of handle H1
partially enclosed in blister cavity 1134, with the blister flange
1132 sandwiched between front panel 1110 and back panel 1120. The
cross section view of FIG. 6C shows another part of handle H1
located in blister cavity 1134, with the flange strap 1142 wrapping
handle H1 and the distal end of flange strap 1142 sandwiched
between front panel 1110 and back panel 1120, in the space provided
by flange gap 1131. The proximal portion of the flange strap 1142
may be attached to the blister at a strap fold or strap hinge 1144,
which may have a different shape or cross section than shown in
FIG. 6C.
[0034] FIG. 7 show a plan view of a seal pattern for sealing the
front panel 1110 and back panel 1120 with the blister flange 1132
between the panels. Unshaded portions of the Figure may be left
unsealed, such as area 1156A generally bounded by opening 1112 in
front panel 1110, and generally corresponding to the location of
the blister cavity 1134. Certain other areas such as 1156B may be
left unsealed, for example to reduce pressing force on the sealing
tool, or reduce energy if heat sealing is used. Area 1157
corresponding to hang holes 1118, 1128 needs no sealing. The
cross-hatched area 1152 adjacent the opening 1112 represents an
area where a panel-flange-panel seal may be achieved including
front panel 1110, blister flange 1132, and back panel 1120. This
panel-flange-panel seal area includes subarea 1152A where the
distal end of strap 1142 may be secured.
[0035] The lightly shaded areas 1154 of FIG. 7 represent areas
where a panel-panel seal may be achieved between front panel 1110
and back panel 1120. This panel-panel seal area may include
subareas 1158 and 1159 where the cutaway 1114 may be sealed to back
panel 1120. Otherwise much of the cutaway may be left unsealed
since the blister and/or tool T would interfere with the seal
pattern. (The boundaries of the cutaway correspond to the dashed
lines shown in FIG. 7 and also much of the opening 1112).
[0036] The size, position, and shape of the window, the blister,
and the blister opening or openings for the handle(s) may be set
according to manufacturing preference.
[0037] FIGS. 8A-8C show several example blanks. FIG. 7A shows blank
1101, as already described, where the front panel 1110 and its
cutaway 1114 are hinged to back panel 1120 along a side edge of the
blister card. This particular blank or similar blanks may be
advantageous since the cutaway 1114 is left hinged to the
structure. FIG. 7B shows another blank 1102, where the front panel
1110 is hinged to back panel 1120 along an opposite side edge of
the blister card. FIG. 7C shows another blank 1103, where the front
panel 1110 is hinged to back panel 1120 along a top edge of the
blister card.
[0038] Although the blanks may typically originate as single
pieces, as shown, they may also be provided as multiple pieces. The
blanks may be made of a sheet material such as paperboard, or of a
tear-resistant paperboard such as MeadWestvaco NATRALOCK.RTM..
[0039] Blister 1130 may be made with common thermoform plastics
such as PVC or APET but may also include a recycled material such
as RPET or a biodegradable material such as PLA. However other
materials including other plastics or paperboard may also be used.
Besides thermoforming, the case or blister may be formed by
injection molding or other manufacturing methods.
[0040] One blank may be used, as shown in the examples, or more
than one blank may be used. Where more than one blank is used, the
blanks may be assembled in various stages, including assembling a
unitary blank into a package, assembling separate blanks and then
joining them to form a package, and joining two or more blanks
together, for example by heat sealing, gluing, mechanical
fastening, or otherwise and then forming the combined blanks into
the package.
[0041] The packages described herein may be assembled in stages at
various locations, for example partially constructing the package,
moving or shipping it to one or more other locations, and
completing the assembly of the package. For example, a package may
be formed into a flattened or collapsible structure, then moved or
shipped to another location for final forming, filling, and
closure.
[0042] Portions of the blister cards may be made of one, two, or
more layers of material. It is to be understood that additional
layers of material may be used based on manufacturing preferences.
Portions of certain panels may be folded over or around the
portions of other panels, creating multiple layers of material.
* * * * *