Blister Packaging Assembly

Abstract

Blister packaging of small articles without recourse to specialized machinery is provided by a two member assembly consisting of a semi-rigid centrally foldable member and a sheet of plastic material having a plurality of article receiving blisters formed therein. The foldable member is provided with adhesive material to secure the plastic sheet therebetween with the blisters extending through openings in one half of the foldable member. Corresponding openings in the other half of the foldable member are covered by a fluid impervious material.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known to package individual articles or a plurality of small articles within small blisters formed in plastic sheets. Such packaging, known as blister packaging is usually done by large laminating, folding, feeding and cutting machines. Often articles are shipped from the point of manufacture to the packaging plant for this purpose. Only large scale packaging warrants this type of activity.

The advantages of blister packaging, however, are such that small businessmen such as druggists, hardware dealers, sporting goods stores and the like would like to use this form of packaging if it could be carried out on their premises without need for expensive machinery.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly which will make blister packaging available at the local or retail level.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a blister packaging assembly which can be assembled manually and quickly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a blister packaging assembly which can be used to enclose one or more articles without destroying the usefulness of the remainder of the assembly.

SUMMARY

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention blister packaging of small articles is provided by a sheet of semi-rigid material such as cardboard which is symmetrical about a central fold line. A layer of pressure sensitive adhesive is disposed upon one face of the sheet. A release sheet overlies the adhesive. Spaced openings are provided in the semi-rigid sheet which openings are symmetrical about the central fold line. A plastic sheet having blisters formed therein of a size to be received, within the openings on one side of the central fold comprises the article receiving member of the assembly. The surface of the semi-rigid material on the other side of the fold line and furthest from the plastic sheet is covered by a layer of thin, fluid impervious material. All of the sheets are scored to provide tear lines whereby one or more blisters may be used for enclosing articles and thereafter individually detached as desired.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings forming part hereof identical elements have been given the same reference numerals, in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat exploded, fragmentary view of a complete embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view in cross section showing the manner in which the assembly is sealed to provide blister packaging.

FIG. 5 is a plan view taken on line 5--5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view in cross section taken on Line 6--6 in FIG. 5 showing the manner in which a single article is removed from a blister.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of another form of the present invention showing only one of the blister packaging units.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on Line 8--8 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing the manner in which an article is released from the blister.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1-3, reference numeral 10 indicates a blister pack assembly having as its principal support a sheet of semi-rigid material 11, such as cardboard, plastic or the like. The semi-rigid sheet 11 is scored along its central axis as indicated at 12 to facilitate folding in book fashion in one of the steps of using the assembly. One face of the semi-rigid sheet 11 (hereinafter the "inner face") is covered with a thin layer of pressure sensitive cement 13. A release sheet 14, such as is well-known in the adhesive art, is disposed upon the cement 13.

A plurality of spaced windows 15 are provided in the semi-rigid sheet 11 by stamping the sheet with a suitable die after the release sheet has been applied. The windows are symmetrical about the centerfold line 12 so that upon folding the windows on each side of the fold will be brought into register.

The article receiving member 16 of the assembly (hereinafter the "blister sheet") consists of a sheet of some suitable plastic material such as polystyrene, acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene or the like, having a plurality of blisters 17 formed therein as by vacuum forming, pressure forming or other means well-known in the plastic art. It is preferred that the material of which the blister sheet is formed be transparent so that the articles held within each blister may be seen therethrough. However, it is within the purview of the present invention to use light filtering plastic or even opaque plastic where necessary to protect the contents of the package.

The blisters 17 are of a size and shape to be received through the windows 15 on one side of the fold line 12. The planar portion 18 of the blister sheet is received upon the inner face of the semi-rigid sheet 11. As shown in FIG. 1 both the blister sheet 15 and the semi-rigid sheet 11 are divided into individual package areas by score lines or perforations 19 and 20 for a hereinafter more fully described purpose.

The surface of the portion of the semi-rigid sheet 11 opposite the blister receiving portion and which constitutes the back of the assembled package (hereinafter the outer face) is covered by a thin foil of some suitable fluid, impervious material such as metal foil 21. The foil 21 is preferably secured to the outer face of the semi-rigid sheet 11 by adhesive 22 and perforated as shown at 25 in register with perforations 19, 20.

When it is desired to use the blister package assembly described above, it is merely necessary to peel the release sheet 14 from the inner face of the semi-rigid sheet 11 (see FIG. 2) and press the blister sheet 16 against one side of the said sheet 16 so that the blisters 17 extend through the windows 15 and the planar portion 18 of the blister sheet is adhered to the semi-rigid member 11. The articles to be packaged, which are shown as capsules 23 by way of illustration, are then placed in the individual blisters as shown in FIG. 3. The semi-rigid sheet 11 is next folded on line 12 to bring the two halves of the sheet 11 together. The adhesive layer 13 thus secures the assembly into a unified blister package.

The score lines 19, 20 make it possible to separate one or more of the package units from the remainder of the package without disturbing the other units. Moreover, should the person using the packaging assembly desire to package only a few articles at a time it is possible with the present invention to peel off only so much of the release sheet 14 as covers the desired number of units. When the semi-rigid sheet 11 is pressed together only those units not covered by the release sheet will become sealed and can be torn off the remainder of the assembly. The unadhered portion can then be used for other articles.

When it is desired to remove an article from the blister package, it is merely necessary to collapse the blister 17 in the manner shown in FIG. 6. The article in the blister will rupture the metal foil 21 and be released.

In those instances where the article contained within the blister is fragile as for example, flash light bulbs, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 may be preferred. In this form of the invention, one portion of the blister 17 such as one end 23 thereof is perforated as indicated at 24. When pressure is applied to the blister 17 the perforations cause the blister to tear along this end and cut through the foil 21 as shown in FIG. 9. The embodiment of FIGS. 7-9 permit the blister sheet and the foil 21 to be made of heavier gauge material if desired.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a blister packaging assembly which is inexpensive, easy to assemble and which lends itself to a wide variety of uses, particularly by the small retailer.

Claims

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be protected by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A blister packaging assembly comprising a semi-rigid sheet foldable along a center line, a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on the inner face of the semi-rigid sheet, a release sheet overlying the adhesive, a plurality of windows symmetrically disposed in spaced relationship on each side of the center line in the combined semi-rigid and release sheets, a blister sheet comprising a planar portion and a plurality of blisters extending outwardly of said planar portion said blisters being receivable within the windows on one side of the center line and a fluid impervious foil carried by the outer face of the semi-rigid sheet on the portion of the semi-rigid sheet opposite the blister sheet receiving portion.

2. A blister packaging device according to claim 1 in which the semi-rigid sheet, the release sheet, the foil and the blister sheet are divided by perforations into a plurality of individual packaging units.

3. A blister packaging device according to claim 1 in which the individual blisters are collapsible under pressure and the foil is frangible to release the contained article.

4. A blister packaging device according to claim 1 in which a portion of the blister is perforated adjacent the planar portion of the blister sheet whereby pressure on the blister will separate the blister portion from the planar portion to sever the fluid impervious foil.