Rupturable bubble for packaging

Abstract

A rupturable bubble package for containing items may be hermetically sealed from the environment. The hermetically sealed items are selected from candies, mechanical items such as nails, screws and nuts, medications, straws, or tooth picks, etc. The package is constructed as a sleeve or an oval or a round bubble, having one or more sides sealed. Another embodiment exhibits a container made of plastic material, paper, or foil. The material is folded upon itself and forms an overlap on one or more sides. The overlap is heat sealed, glued or adhered and closed. Both packages will burst open at a weak seal closure, with a sound, when finger pressure is applied to the package.

Description

This application is a Continuation-In-Part application of the co-pending application Ser. No. 12/378,372 filed on Feb. 17, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a rupturable bubble package used as a packaging container, that contains various items or which may be used in a sanitary condition or be in a hermetically sealed condition from the environment before its use. It is to be understood that any items contained in a rupturable package are not to be considered a limiting factor on the scope of the invention. In fact it is contemplated that the present invention intends to encapsulate many different items.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The prior art teaches a variety of what might be described as ruptural packages for numerous articles or implements. For example, common drinking straws are typically enclosed within a paper or plastic package or a sealed sleeve. To gain access to the item, the enclosure is ruptured or cut with a knife or scissors or even teeth have been used to open the package for its intended use. In similar fashion, bandages, both adhesive and gauze, are typically provided in a sterile container that is ruptured or torn in the above noted fashion to obtain access to the bandage. Nowadays, literally everything from soup to nuts and screws is often provided to the ultimate user in what may be described as a rupturable package. Dry soup mixes are provided in envelopes that are torn open, and mechanical nuts and bolts are frequently sold in plastic pouches.

Even some medications are provided to the ultimate user in packaging that is sometimes referred to as a bubble pack or bubble card wherein one surface is typically formed from a foil-type material through which the medication is punched to rupture the foil. Yet, another example of what might be termed as a rupturable package is a sealed plastic envelope containing a drinking straw that one finds attached to the outside of a single beverage container.

However, with all such known packages, one obtains access to the item contained therein either by tearing the package, cutting the package or opening a zipper-type closure formed on the package. While such packages are quite suitable for their intended use, there remains a need of a rupturable package that could simply be opened by squeezing or applying finger pressure to the package to thereby “pop” open the package to thereby gain access to the item contained inside the package.

U.S. published application No. 2003/0019781 discloses a capsule container (CCS) which relates to a small, single use disposable container which contains substances or solutions therein with the capsule having easy opening capabilities. The opening can be obtained by simply squeezing the flexible container whereby the container will burst because of a weakened score line in the surface of the container.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,227 discloses a string of small flexible containers having a score or weakened line between the packages and when one of the packages is torn from the string of the containers, a nozzle is exposed which will expel the fluid contained in the package by squeezing the package with the user's fingers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The inventive concept presents a plastic enclosure in a tubular sleeve-like form or a bubble package wherein at least one of the ends has a heat sealed or glued sealed closed end by overlapping the closure ends. When a finger pressure is applied to the enclosure, the overlapping pieces will burst open and one has access to what is contained in the interior.

Another example teaches the use of a flexible plastic material constructed in a sleeve-like form and wherein one or more of the sides of the sleeve is heat sealed or glued by the overlapping material. Again, when a finger pressure is applied to the sleeve, the overlapping side pieces will burst open. As the description continues, it will be shown that many different items may be contained within the plastic sleeve or the bubble package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a sleeve having a heat or glued sealed closed end;

FIG. 1A shows the sleeve of FIG. 1 after it bursts open;

FIG. 2 shows a sleeve having overlapping heat sealed sides and top;

FIG. 2A shows the sleeve of FIG. 2 after I burst open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a sleeve 1 made of plastic material that is an air impervious material. One side 2 is closed by an adhesive or heat seal and shows a flat appearance. The other side 3 has overlapping edges, heat or adhesive sealed. The plastic and closed sleeve has certain items I therein. As shown in FIG. 1A and in operation, when a finger pressure is applied to the sleeve 1, the airtight material will apply pressure to right end, bursting open with a “pop” sound and the items I may be removed from the sleeve by shaking the content out or any other manner. The opening is indicated by the arrows A A.

FIG. 2 shows the construction of a different sleeve 6 which again is made of an air impervious and flexible material. The sleeve is constructed as a nearly flat sleeve with both ends 7 and 8 closed by glue, heat or an adhesive seal and is airtight. In making the sleeve, an elongated piece of material is folded into a sleeve and the edges are overlapped in the middle of the sleeve and on both the right and left side. One overlap is shown at 9 and the edges are glued or heat sealed to each other. The items contained in the sleeve are indicated at I. In operation, when finger pressure is applied on the top and bottom of the sleeve 6, the air or fluid pressure within the sleeve will exert a force on the weaker heat seal and overlapping edge will burst open with a “pop” sound and the items I contained therein can be shaken out through the burst opening shown at 10. The sleeve bursts open at the weakest portion of the bubble. In FIG. 1 the weakest portion of the sleeve at the right side of the sleeve 3. In FIG. 1, if both ends have an equally weak seal, then both ends open, when pressure is applied at overlapping edges 2 and 3.

The items contained in either of the plastic sleeves 1 and 6 may be selected as follows: The items may be bubble gum, any kind of candy, food, medications, small pieces of material, mechanical parts such as bolts and their respective nuts, nails, coins, souvenirs, straws, toothpicks, pieces of paper, toys, mints, items that dissolve in the mouth when put therein, such as cough drops, throat lozenges, paper products such as tissue, and eating utensils. The contents remain in a sanitary condition when used for medical supplies or consumption.

The packaging serves the purpose of storing and serves as an entertaining object, because, as mentioned above, when opened by finger or other pressure, there is a popping sound. It is understood that the inventive packaging may be constructed or so shaped of any size that the items enumerated above can be contained therein. The plastic sleeve can be made of any size as long as the basic construction, as explained above, is observed.

Claims

1. A rupturable bubble package for containing items that may be hermetically sealed from the environment, said package may be constructed of an air impervious plastic material, said package has one, two or three or four closed sides, which has heat seal, glue or adhered overlapping sides.

2. The rupturable bubble package of claim 1, including an overlapping side having the weakest bond which will burst with a sound when finger pressure is applied to said package.

3. The rupturable bubble package of claim 1 including two or more of said sides that may burst open, said sides are equally weakened when manufactured.

4. The rupturable bubble package of claim 1, said bubble package may be flat or round.