Self-enclosing Blister Package

Abstract

This application relates to a unitary blister package whereby a primary blister pack and a secondary or outer pack are formed both at the same time in one continuous piece and folded to form an inner blister pack and an integral outer package. By means of the present invention, the production of completed packages may be achieved using basic blister forming equipment. Labor requirements for secondary packaging are eliminated since the packages of the invention may be produced on intermittent or continuous blister form fill and seal equipment and inventories of secondary packaging components are no longer required as they can be formed as needed.

Description

This invention relates to containers or packages and particularly to containers or packages of the blister type.

In the packaging industry considerable effort and attention have been directed to the development of packages for articles such as pills, tablets and similar items, wherein the articles are attractively displayed and are readily dispensed. As a result, there are presently a variety of different packages on the market including conventional blister type packs. These blister type packages generally contain a plurality of articles secured between a plastic blister and a sheet of foil, plastic material, or combinations of foils, plastics and papers.

While the above-described packages are satisfactory, they present difficulties in packaging, in that, once formed, it is necessary to place them in some sort of outer packaging material. Heretofore, this has required an extra processing step, increasing labor requirements for the packaging of such materials, as well as requiring inventories of secondary packaging components.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a new and improved package, particularly for a plurality of articles as set forth above, having the advantage that no secondary packaging material is required.

Another object of this invention is to provide a blister-type package, having combined therewith in a unitary design, an outer packaging means.

With the above and other objects in mind, the present invention contemplates a package for articles wherein one or a plurality of said articles are contained within one or more plastic blisters. A plastic or foil backing may be provided to seal the article within the blister. The blisters are then folded into an outer packaging material which has been formed unitarily with the blister portion of the structure, which is in turn folded upon itself to completely enclose the blister portion of the package.

The backing may be a separate sheet of plastic, foil, or the like, or it may be integrally formed with, and as an extension of, the article holding means as illustrated in FIG. 6, and folded over the open sides of the blisters and sealed. Sealing may be accomplished by any of various conventional means known in the art such as adhesives or heat.

In another embodiment of this invention, the backing material is provided in the form of a slide as illustrated in FIG. 7. Such an arrangement allows the package to be more easily employed in the form of dispenser of various small articles. Rectangular shapes are contemplated for this purpose.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent when considered in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one arrangement of the blister and outer packaging portions of a package embodying the features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the same package showing one blister section folded upon the other.

FIG. 3 is another side elevation showing the blister portions of the package being folded into the outer packaging means and the method whereby the outer packaging means folds upon itself to form a completely enclosed package.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross section of a closed package in accordance with this invention.

FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are additional illustrations of packages embodying the features of the present invention and illustrating various means by which the objects of the present invention may be attained.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment wherein the article holding means, instead of being positioned in line with the bottom and top members, are positioned one on each side of the bottom member.

FIG. 6 illustrates a package of this invention wherein the backing material is formed unitarily with the package and adapted to be folded over the article holding means and sealed.

FIG. 7 is a view of a package incorporating a backing material 20 adapted to be slid over the article holding means. The provision of such a backing is one means for rendering the packages of this invention more adaptable to individual dispensing of the contents.

FIG. 8 illustrates another variation wherein article holding means are attached to both bottom and top members.

As shown in the drawings, the invention provides a unitary package comprising a recessed bottom member, a top member, and article holding means. The blisters incorporated into the article holding means may be of any desired shape dependent upon the nature of the article desired to be enclosed. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the article holding means, 10 and 10a, are adapted by means of blisters, 15, and backing, 16, to contain capsules or the like, and are designed to be folded one upon the other along line a-a, the entire article holding means portion of the package being then folded along line b- b and enclosed by recessed bottom member 11, and raised top member 12, which is folded along line c-c.

When the article holding means are folded into the bottom member, a protruding flange, 14, is formed as illustrated, which is engaged by U-shaped fastener means, 13, thus locking the package closed and resulting in a completely self-contained unitary package for which no further outer container is required.

It will be understood that the (snap) type of fastener means illustrated is but one of many locking means well known to the art which may be employed. For instance, interlocking depressions may be provided on the top and bottom members, or the top and bottom sections may even be heat sealed together in appropriate situation.

The material used in the formation of the novel packages of this invention may be any of those plastic materials usually employed in the art. Preferably, it is a rapid recovery plastic sheet material, such as, for example, oriented polystyrene, cellulose acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene (Aclar), and the like. These materials are readily formed by vacuum forming, pressure forming, and other art-recognized techniques, and are self-sustaining, relatively rigid, and resilient.

It will be recognized that various other sizes and shapes of package and sheet may be employed depending upon convenience and conditions at hand. Larger or smaller packages may be made to accommodate, for instance, more or fewer capsules. Likewise, the packages incorporating the features of the present invention need not be round, but may be formed in various shapes such as rectangles, spheres, or any other shape, dependent only upon the object desired to be packaged. Further, in the packaging of some materials, the article retaining means are formed so that the article is retained between two opposing blisters. In such an arrangement, of course, no foil or plastic film is provided to seal the blisters, the article or articles being retained mechanically therein.

It will be further understood that the provision of packages containing any number of article holding means is contemplated by this invention. For instance, many of such means may be folded into a deeper package than those specifically illustrated. Likewise, multiple article holding means may be placed side by side in a longer package. Other such obvious modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

As nonlimiting examples of articles for which the packages of this invention are suitable, may be conventional capsules, tablets, powders, syringes, small tools, jewelry, buttons, religious articles, photographs, electronic components, and the like. Other obvious applications will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

In addition, the packages of this invention may be employed ornamentally. For instance, an ornament may be held between the two blisters to provide the appearance of being suspended in the outer container, which may, in accordance with one embodiment, be spherical in shape. Further, the blisters themselves may be drawn to an ornament shape and, if desired, painted to give the appearance of a suspended article within. A contemplated use for such articles would, for instance, be as Christmas tree ornaments, and the like. Likewise, photographs may be suspended within appropriately shaped transparent blisters to provide a completely protected means of viewing them.

In addition, it will be understood that the outer package, and in the case of capsule packaging, the sealing foil or plastic film may be printed or a design formed in the material, or the like, to provide any required message or identification of the product, thus obviating the necessity for additional labeling operations. This, however, does not preclude the insertion of a printed label inside the outer shell of the package which would be visible through the transparent plastic and which constitutes another means of product identification.

Claims

I claim:

1. A unitary blister package, adapted to being repeatedly opened and closed, comprising a recessed bottom member, a top member, at least one article holding member, and securing means positioned on the top and bottom members, each article holding member being adapted to be folded into and enclosed by said bottom and top members and each being provided with one or more blisters, said blisters each having an open side surrounded by a matrix, a said bottom, top, and article holding means having been formed from a single piece of plastic material material, wherein there are two article holding members, the first comprising an extension of the bottom member, and the second comprising an extension of the first, and wherein there is provided a layer of backing material in the form of a movable cover which may be slid open to facilitate removal of the contents of one or more of the blisters and thereafter reclosed.

2. A unitary blister package, adapted to being repeatedly opened and closed, comprising a recessed bottom member, a top member, at least one article holding member and securing means positioned on the top and bottom members, each article holding member being adapted to be folded into and enclosed by said bottom and top members and each being provided with one or more blisters, said blisters each having an open side surrounded by a matrix, said bottom, top, and article holding means having been formed from a single piece of plastic material, said package having a plurality of article holding means, and being provided with a layer of backing material overlaying the open side of the blisters, the said bottom, top, article holding means and layer of backing material being unitarily formed from a single piece of plastic material.

3. A unitary plastic blister package, adapted to being repeatedly opened and closed, comprising a recessed bottom member, a top member, at least one article holding member and securing means positioned on the top and bottom members, each article holding member being adapted to be folded into and enclosed by said bottom and top members and each being provided with one or more blisters, said blisters each having an open side surrounded by a matrix, said bottom, top, and article holding means having been formed from a single piece of plastic material, the top member provided with a longitudinally extending peripheral flange, said flange being elongated at the side opposite the side at which it is joined to the bottom member, a second flange protruding from the bottom member, the second flange formed by folding over the article holding means into the bottom member, and a U-shaped fastener formed by a deformed portion of the elongated portion of the longitudinally extending peripheral flange of the top member, "said U-shaped fastener being inwardly of the outer free edge of said elongated portion of the peripheral flange," the elongated portion adapted to lie over the second flange whereby the U-shaped fastener engages the outer end of the second flange.