RE-CLOSABLE BLISTER DISPLAY PACK USING CARDBOARD BACKING

Abstract

A display pack includes a support base formed of a top and a bottom flat sheet joined together and a re-closable container which includes a fixed portion retained by the support base and a moveable portion joined to the fixed portion. The moveable portion can bend or pivot with respect to the fixed portion to open and close the container. The fixed portion includes a flat insertion portion inserted into a space between the top and bottom flat sheets. A re-closeable locking structure is provided to lock the moveable portion to either the support base or to the fixed portion of the container when the container is closed.

Description

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/748,443, filed Dec. 7, 2005, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to product packaging, and in particular, it relates to packaging for products suitable for store merchandising.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional blister pack for product packaging and display typically has a clear plastic container with a flat insertion portion held between two flat sheets of materials and a chamber portion protruding from a cut in one of the flat sheets for holding the product being sold or displayed. The flat sheets may be made of corrugated cardboard, SBS board or other suitable materials, and at least one sheet provides structural support for the display pack. The flat sheets are of a size that makes the package suitable for store display. The product may be removed by separating the two flat sheets or by cutting open the flat sheet or the plastic container. This type of blister pack is typically not re-closable once the product is removed.

A clamshell type of package is typically made of two plastic parts (which may be one piece of plastic folded over) facing each other to form a chamber and closed by snaps or other similar closing structures. The snaps may be formed, for example, by a protrusion on one plastic part and an indentation on the other plastic part. In such a clamshell type pack, typically all of the structural parts are made of plastic materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a display pack that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An object of the present invention is to provide a re-closable pack that uses reduced amounts of plastic materials.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the descriptions that follow and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims thereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a display pack for a product, which includes a support base including a first and a second flat sheet joined together and a re-closable container having a fixed portion retained by the support base and a moveable portion joined to the fixed portion, wherein the moveable portion is capable of bending or pivoting with respect to the fixed portion to open and close the container. The fixed portion of the container includes a flat insertion portion inserted into a space between the first and second flat sheets. The display pack further comprising a re-closable locking structure having a first part disposed on the support base or the fixed portion of the container and a second part disposed on the moveable portion of the container, wherein the first and second parts of the re-closable locking structure engage with each other to lock the container when closed.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is an exploded perspective view of a display pack according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1b is a cross-sectional view of an assembled display pack of FIG. 1a.

FIG. 1c is a top plan view of the container of the display pack of FIG. 1a.

FIG. 2a is an exploded perspective view of a display pack according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2b is a cross-sectional view of an assembled display pack of FIG. 2a.

FIG. 2c is a top plan view of the container of the display pack of FIG. 2a.

FIG. 3a is an exploded perspective view of a display pack according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 3b and 3c illustrate the plastic container of the display pack of FIG. 3a without the support base in an open and closed state, respectively.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a display pack according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention are described with references to the drawings. FIGS. 1a-1c illustrate a first embodiment, FIGS. 2a-2c illustrate a second embodiment, FIGS. 3a-3c illustrate a third embodiment, and FIG. 4 illustrates a fourth embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, a display pack 10 according to the first embodiment includes a bottom flat sheet 12, a top flat sheet 14, and a container 16. The top and bottom flat sheets 14 and 12 are shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b as being made of one sheet folded over (at a fold 14b), but they may also be two separate sheets. The flat sheets 12, 14 are preferably both made of a corrugated cardboard due to its low cost, but may also be made of other materials such as SBS board, plastic, etc. The two sheets may be made of the same or different materials. In the assembled pack, the top and bottom flat sheets 12 and 14 are joined together by appropriate means depending on the materials used for the sheets. When both flat sheets are cardboard, an adhesive 18a applied at one or more edges of the sheets is preferred to join the two sheets.

The container 16 is preferably made of a transparent material such as clear plastic, and preferably PET. As shown in FIGS. 1b (cross-sectional view of an assembled display pack) and 1c (top plan view of the container), the container 16 has a chamber portion 16b where the product is housed and a flat portion 16a around the chamber portion. In the assembled pack, a part of the flat portion 16c (the shaded area in FIG. 1c) is inserted between the top and bottom flat sheets 14 and 12, and the rest of container 16 is exposed by a cutout area 14a on the top flat sheet 14 and protrudes from the cutout area. The inserted portion 16c may be attached to the top sheet 14 and/or bottom sheet 12 by appropriate means so that it does not fall out when the container is open. In the example shown in FIG. 1b and 1c, the inserted portion 16c defines a cutout area 16g, and an adhesive 18b is applied between the top and bottom flat sheets 14 and 12 in the area corresponding to the cutout 16g to adhere the two flat sheets together and to retain the inserted portion 16c between the flat sheets. Other methods may also be used, such as applying an adhesive directly to the inserted portion 16c to adhere it to the top and/or bottom flat sheet. Alternatively, the inserted portion 16c may be unattached to the top and bottom sheets 14, 12 so that it can be removed and reinserted into the space between the two sheets. A design where the plastic inserted portions is not adhered to the flat sheets may be more preferred as being more environmentally friendly as it allows the plastic and cardboard pieces to be readily separated and recycled. A crease 16d may be pre-formed along the boundary line between the inserted portion 16c and the exposed portion of the container 16, so that the exposed portion can pivot around the crease while the inserted portion 16c is held by the flat sheets 12 and 14. This opens the container and provides access to the product housed in the chamber portion 16b. Alternatively (although less preferred), the crease may be formed in the exposed portion of the container 16 along a line 16e spaced apart from the boundary line 16d between the inserted portion and the exposed portion. Alternatively, a crease is not pre-formed in a new package, but may be formed by the opening of the package.

Note that although in FIGS. 1a and 1b an end of the chamber portion 16b abuts an edge of the cutout 14a, which makes the crease coincide with the end of the chamber portion 16b and the edge of the cutout 14a, this arrangement is not essential and the chamber portion 16b may be located away from the edge of the cutout 14a (as shown in FIG. 1c). More than one chamber portion may be formed on the container 16. In addition, the bottom sheet 12 may also have a cut and another container may be inserted between the two flat sheets and protrudes from the cut on the bottom sheet.

The container 16 further includes a protrusion 16f, which fits within a corresponding cutout 12a in the bottom flat sheet 12 to function as a re-closable locking structure for keeping the container chamber 16b closed. The protrusion 16f and the cutout 12a are appropriately shaped and sized so that they can be engaged to close the chamber 16b and can be disengaged by pulling the plastic piece 16 (the flat portion 16a) or by pushing the protrusion 16f from the bottom. A plurality of protrusions and corresponding cutouts may be provided at various locations. The re-closable locking structure can be used to re-close the clamshell display pack.

As shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, a display pack 20 according to the second embodiment includes a bottom flat sheet 22, a top flat sheet 24, a container 26, and a locking insert 28. The top and bottom flat sheets 24 and 22 are shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b as being made of one sheet folded over (at a fold 24c), but they may also be two separate sheets. The flat sheets 22, 24 are preferably both made of a corrugated cardboard due to its low cost, but may also be made of other materials such as SBS board, plastic, etc. The two sheets may be made of the same or different materials. In the assembled pack, the top and bottom flat sheets are joined together by appropriate means depending on the materials used for the sheets. When both flat sheets are cardboard, an adhesive 28 applied at one or more edges of the sheets is preferred to seal the two sheets.

The container 26 is preferably made of a transparent material such as clear plastic, and preferably PET. As shown in FIGS. 2b (cross-sectional view of an assembled display pack) and 2c (top plan view of the container), the container 26 has a chamber portion 26b where the product is housed and a flat portion 26a around the chamber portion. In the assembled pack, a part of the flat portion 26c (the shaded are in FIG. 2c) is inserted through a slit 24a on the top flat sheet 24 into the space between the top and bottom flat sheets 24 and 22, and the rest of container 26 is exposed above the top flat sheet 24. The inserted portion 26c may be attached to the top sheet 24 and/or bottom sheet 22 by appropriate means so that it does not fall out when the container is open. One way to retain the inserted portion (not shown in FIGS. 2b and 2c) is by using a cutout area in the inserted portion 26c, similar to the structure shown in FIGS. 1b and 1c. Alternatively, the inserted portion 26c may be unattached to the top and bottom sheets 24, 22 so that it can be removed and reinserted into the space between the two sheets. A crease 26d may be pre-formed along the boundary line between the inserted portion 26c and the exposed portion of the container 26 so that the exposed portion can pivot around the crease while the inserted portion 26c is held by the flat sheets 22 and 24. This opens the container and provides access to the product housed in the chamber portion 26b. Alternatively (although less preferred), the crease may be formed in the exposed portion of the container 26 along a line 26e spaced apart from the boundary line 26d between the inserted portion and the exposed portion. Alternatively, a crease is not pre-formed in a new package, but may be formed by the opening of the package.

Note that although in FIGS. 2a and 2b an end of the chamber portion 26b abuts the slit 24a on the top sheet 24, which makes the crease coincide with the end of the chamber portion 26b and the slit 24a, this arrangement is not essential and the chamber portion 26b may be located away from the slit 24a (as shown in FIG. 2c). More than one chamber portion may be formed on the container 26. In addition, the bottom sheet 22 may also have a cut and another container may be inserted between the two flat sheets and protrudes from the cut on the bottom sheet.

The container 26 further includes a female locking member 26f, which receives a male locking member 28b of the locking insert 28 to function as a re-closable locking structure for keeping the container chamber 26b closed. The locking insert 28, which is preferably made of plastic, has a flat part 28a held between the top and bottom flat sheets 24, 22 and a protrusion (the male locking member) 28b protruding from a cutout 24b on the top flat sheet 24 toward the container 26. The female locking member 26f and the male locking member 28b are appropriately shaped and sized so that they can be engaged to close the chamber 26b and can be disengaged by pulling the plastic piece 26 (the flat portion 26a). The re-closable locking structure can be used to re-close the clamshell display pack. Alternatively, the female and male locking members 26f and 28b may be reversed, i.e., the container 26 may have a male locking member and the locking insert 28 may have a female locking member which protrudes downwardly from a cutout on the bottom flat sheet 22. A plurality of pairs of locking members may be provided at various locations.

As shown in FIGS. 3a-3c, a display pack 30 according to the third embodiment includes a bottom flat sheet 32, a top flat sheet 34, and a container 36. The top and bottom flat sheets 34 and 32 are shown in FIG. 3a as being made of one sheet folded over, but they may also be two separate sheets. The flat sheets 32, 34 are preferably both made of a corrugated cardboard due to its low cost, but may also be made of other materials such as SBS board, plastic, etc. The two sheets may be made of the same or different materials. In the assembled pack, the top and bottom flat sheets are joined together by appropriate means depending on the materials used for the sheets. When both flat sheets are cardboard, an adhesive applied at one or more edges of the sheets is preferred to seal the two sheets. The top sheet 34 has a cutout area 34a for exposing a portion of the container 36 as described later.

The container 36 is preferably made of a transparent material such as clear plastic, and preferably PET. As shown in FIGS. 3b and 3c, the container 36 has a flat insertion portion 36c, a low wall 36a joined to the flat insertion portion 36c and protruding from the cutout 34a, and a chamber portion 36b. The area enclosed by the wall 36a may be open, or it may have a cover sheet on the same plane as the flat insertion portion 36c. The chamber portion 36b has a bottom opening that corresponds in size and shape to the wall 36a so that the chamber portion 36b fits securely around the wall when the container 36 is closed (see FIG. 3c). When the container 36 is closed, the chamber portion 36b may be locked to the wall 36a by means of the tight fit between the contact surfaces of the two pieces. Alternatively (not shown), re-closable locking structures such as protrusions and corresponding indentations, grooves, etc. may be provided on the chamber portion 36b and the wall 36a to lock the two together. Those skilled in the relevant art will readily appreciate that many such locking structures may be used to lock two plastic pieces together. The chamber portion 36b is joined to the wall 36a by a hinge portion 36d and can pivot about the hinge portion to open and close the container 36 (see FIGS. 3b and FIG. 3c). The product being packaged is housed in the closed container.

In the assembled pack, a part or all of the flat insertion portion 36c is inserted into the space between the top and bottom flat sheets 32 and 34, and the rest of container 36 is exposed through the cutout area 34a of the top flat sheet 34. The inserted portion 36c may be attached to the top sheet 32 and/or bottom sheet 34 by an adhesive, or unattached to them. As shown in FIG. 4, a display pack 40 according to the fourth embodiment is similar to the third embodiment show in FIG. 3a. It t includes a bottom flat sheet 42, a top flat sheet 44, and a container 46. The bottom and top flat sheets 42 and 44 are similar to the bottom and top flat sheets 32 and 34 shown in FIG. 3 and their descriptions are not repeated here.

The container 46 is preferably made of a transparent material such as clear plastic, and preferably PET. Similar to the container 36 in FIG. 3a, the container 46 has a flat insertion portion (not visible in FIG. 4) which is disposed between the top and bottom flat sheets 44 and 42 in the assembled pack. A raised base portion 46a is joined to the flat insertion portion and protrudes from a cutout area 44a of the top sheet 44. The container 46 further includes a chamber portion 46b connected to the raised base portion 46a by a hinge portion 46d to open and close the container. A peripheral portion 46e of the chamber portion has a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the raised base portion 46a so that the chamber portion fits securely around the raised base portion 46a when the container 46 is closed. A central portion 46f of the chamber portion forms a chamber to house the product being packaged. When the container 46 is closed, the chamber portion 46b may be locked to the raised base portion 46a by means of the tight fit between the contact surfaces of the two pieces. Alternatively (not shown), re-closable locking structures such as protrusions and corresponding indentations, grooves, etc. may be provided on the chamber portion 46b and the raised base portion 46a to lock the two together. Those skilled in the relevant art will readily appreciate that many such locking structures may be used to lock two plastic pieces together.

In the embodiments shown in the drawings, the bottom flat sheet (12, 22, 32, 42) is shown as being substantially a solid sheet. Alternatively (not shown), the bottom sheet may have a cutout area with a second plastic container protruding therefrom as in a conventional blister package. In particular, in the first, third and fourth embodiment, a cutout on the bottom sheet and a second container may be provided that correspond in location to the container on the top (16b, 36b and 46b), so that the top and bottom sides of the product may be visible. The second container at the bottom need not be re-closable.

More generally, a display pack according to embodiments of the present invention includes a support base formed of a top and a bottom flat sheet (14, 24, 34, 44 and 12, 22, 32, 42) joined together, and a re-closable container (16, 26, 36, 46) that includes a fixed portion (16c, 26c, 36c and 36a, 46a) retained by the support base and a moveable portion (16a and 16b, 26a and 26b, 36b, 46b) joined to the fixed portion. The fixed portion includes a flat insertion portion (16c, 26c, 36c) inserted into a space between the top and bottom flat sheets. Alternatively, although less preferred, the fixed portion may include a flat portion that is attached to an outer surface of the top sheet by an adhesive or other suitable means. The moveable portion can bend or pivot with respect to the fixed portion to open and close the container. A re-closeable locking structure is provided to lock the moveable portion to either the support base (first and second embodiments shown in FIGS. 1a-1c and 2a-2c) or to the fixed portion of the container (third and fourth embodiments shown in FIGS. 3a-3c and FIG. 4) when the container is closed. The support base or the fixed portion of the container includes a first part of the re-closable locking structure, and the moveable portion includes a second part of the re-closable locking structure which engages with the first part of the re-closable locking structure to lock the container. In the third and fourth embodiments shown in FIGS. 3a-3c and FIG. 4, the wall 36a or the raised base portion 46a is a protruding portion that constitutes the first part of the re-closable locking structure, and the bottom part of the chamber portion 36b constitutes the second part thereof. Alternatively, if protrusions and indentations are provided on the wall 36a or raised base portion 46a and the bottom part of the chamber portion 36b or the peripheral portion 46e that contacts each other, such protrusions and indentations constitute the re-closable locking structure.

When corrugated cardboard is used as the top and/or bottom flat sheet, a technique may be applied to press the cardboard in the edge area to crush the corrugation in the board. This technique is described in more detail in commonly owned provisional patent application U.S. 60/717,024, filed Aug. 24, 2005 (priority from this provisional application was claimed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/374,769, file Mar. 14, 2006 and PCT application No. PCT/US 06/32274, filed Aug. 18, 2006). Crushing may be either used in conjunction with a heat sensitive adhesive to seal the top and bottom sheets, or used solely to crush the edge of the display pack to improve its aesthetic appearance and make it less easy to tear open.

An advantage of display packs according to embodiments of the present invention over conventional re-closable clamshell packs is that the top and bottom flat sheets can be made of non-plastic materials, such as cardboard in particular. This significantly reduces the amount of plastic used. Cardboard is less expensive and more environmentally friendly as it uses more post-consumer recycled material than some other board material.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modification and variations can be made in the display packs of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A display pack for a product, comprising:

a support base including a first and a second flat sheet joined together;

a re-closable container having a fixed portion retained by the support base and a moveable portion joined to the fixed portion, wherein the moveable portion is capable of bending or pivoting with respect to the fixed portion to open and close the container; and

a re-closable locking structure having a first part disposed on the support base or the fixed portion of the container and a second part disposed on the moveable portion of the container, wherein the first and second parts of the re-closable locking structure engage with each other to lock the container when closed.

2. The display pack of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second flat sheets is made of a cardboard material and the container is made of a clear plastic material.

3. The display pack of claim 1, wherein the fixed portion includes a flat insertion portion inserted into a space between the first and second flat sheets.

4. The display pack of claim 3, wherein the flat insertion portion is attached to the first or the second flat sheet.

5. A display pack for a product, comprising:

a support base including a first and a second flat sheet joined together and a first part of a re-closable locking structure; and

a container having a flat insertion portion disposed between the first and second flat sheets, a chamber portion for housing the product, and a second part of the re-closable locking structure,

wherein the first and second parts of the re-closable locking structure engage with each other to lock the container when closed.

6. The display pack of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second flat sheets is made of a cardboard material and the container is made of a clear plastic material.

7. The display pack of claim 6, wherein the first part of the re-closable locking structure is an opening defined in the first and/or second flat sheet.

8. The display pack of claim 6, wherein the support base includes a locking insert made of a plastic material, the locking insert having a flat portion disposed between the first and second flat sheets and a protrusion protruding from the first or second flat sheet forming the first part of the re-closable locking structure.

9. The display pack of claim 6, wherein the second part of the re-closable locking structure is a protrusion on the container.

10. The display pack of claim 5, wherein the flat insertion portion of the container is located at one end of the container and the second part of the re-closable locking structure is located at another end opposite the flat insertion portion.

11. The display pack of claim 10, wherein the first flat sheet defines a cutout area and the flat insertion portion of the container is inserted into a space between the first and second flat sheets at an edge of the cutout area.

12. The display pack of claim 10, wherein the first flat sheet defines a slit and the flat insertion portion of the container is inserted into a space between the first and second flat sheets through the slit.

13. The display pack of claim 10, wherein a crease is pre-formed in the contained between the flat insertion portion and the chamber portion.

14. The display pack of claim 5, wherein the flat insertion portion of the container is retained by the first and second flat sheets.

15. The display pack of claim 5, wherein the flat insertion portion of the container is removable from between the first and second flat sheets.

16. A display pack for a product, comprising:

a support base including a first and a second flat sheet joined together, the top sheet defining an cutout; and

a re-closable container having a flat insertion portion disposed between the first and second flat sheets, a protruding portion joined to the flat insertion portion and protruding from the cutout of the top sheet, and a chamber portion pivotally joined to the protruding portion, wherein the chamber portion defines a bottom opening that corresponds in size and shape to the protruding portion and fits around the protruding portion when the container is closed.

17. The display pack of claim 16, wherein the wall includes one or more protrusions or indentations on its side surface and the chamber portion includes one or more corresponding indentations or protrusions on a surface that contacts the wall when the container is closed to lock the container.