BLISTER PACKAGE WITH OPRABLE FLAP

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention features a blister card display package including a card containing a front sheet having a front outer face and a front inner face and a rear sheet having a rear outer face and a rear inner face, wherein at least a portion of the rear inner face is affixed to the front inner face; and a unitary blister pack mounted between the front inner face and the rear inner face and containing a plurality of blister portions for containing an article to be displayed and a rupturable film sheet covering the blister portions; wherein the rear sheet contains one or more openings that allow the blister portions to protrude through the rear outer face of the card and the front sheet contains an operable flap that allows access to the portion of the rupturable film sheet covering the blister portions.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Blister card display packages are commonly used in retail merchandising to contain and display small articles. Such packages often include a paperboard card on which the product name and other information is printed and a plastic blister pack containing the article secured on the card. In addition, a hole is often placed at the top of the card so that the package can be hung from an extended peg of a pegboard display.

Blister packages are also often used to contain multiple small articles such as tablets, each contained within a separate blister portion. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,866,476. However, such package requires substantial amount of paperboard to protect the rupturable film portion covers the unused blister portions when not in use, resulting the packages being thick and bulky.

The present invention relates to an improved blister package containing a plurality of blister portions that includes an operable flap that allows access to the rupturable film sheet covering the blister portions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention features a blister card display package including a card containing a front sheet having a front outer face and a front inner face and a rear sheet having a rear outer face and a rear inner face, wherein at least a portion of the rear inner face is affixed to the front inner face; and a unitary blister pack mounted between the front inner face and the rear inner face and containing a plurality of blister portions for containing an article to be displayed and a rupturable film sheet covering the plurality of blister portions; wherein the rear sheet contains one or more openings that allow the plurality of blister portions to protrude through the rear outer face of the card and the front sheet contains an operable flap that allows access to the portion of the rupturable film sheet covering the plurality of blister portions.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the invention and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of blister card display package 1 showing card 5 and unitary blister pack 40 prior to mounting of unitary blister pack 40 on card 5.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of blister card display package 1 showing blister portions 45 protruding through rear sheet 25.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of blister card display package 1 showing operable flap 60 in the closed position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of blister card display package 1 showing operable flap 60 in the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is believed that one skilled in the art can, based upon the description herein, utilize the present invention to its fullest extent. The following specific embodiments can be construed as merely illustrative, and not limitative of the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. Also, all publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference. As used herein, all percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified.

As discussed above, the present invention features a blister card display package. As shown in FIG. 1, the blister card display package 1 includes a card 5 and a unitary blister pack 40. The card 5 may be made of a variety of materials, such as paperboard or a rigid or semi-rigid plastic sheet. In one embodiment, the card 5 is desirably made of recyclable material. The card 5 has both a front sheet 10 (having both a front outer face 15 and a front inner face 20) and a rear sheet 25 (having a rear outer face 30 and a rear inner face 35). In one embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the card 5 is made of a unitary sheet that can be folded along crease 6 to form the front sheet 10 and the rear sheet 25. In another embodiment (not shown), the front sheet and the rear sheet are separate sheets which may or may not be made of the same material.

As shown in FIG. 2, in order to mount unitary blister pack 40, at least a portion of the rear inner face 35 of rear sheet 25 is affixed to the front inner face 20 of front sheet 10. In one embodiment, rear sheet 25 is affixed to front sheet 10 by use of heat sealing, adhesive seals (such as with heat-activated or solvent adhesive such as glues), RF or sonic seals, or any other suitable means. The materials of the front sheet 10 and the rear sheet 25 may be pre-treated to facilitate sealing of such materials together. In one embodiment, rear sheet 25 is affixed to front sheet 10 proximate to one or more of edges 31, 32, 33, and 34.

As mentioned above, the blister card display package 1 includes a unitary blister pack 40. The unitary blister pack 40 contains a plurality of blister portions 45 for containing the article to be displayed by the blister card display package 1. In one embodiment, the unitary blister pack 40 includes at least four blister portions 45, such as at least eight four blister portions 45, such as at least ten blister portions 45.

The unitary blister pack 40 and/or the blister portions 45 may be made into a variety of shapes and sizes based upon the shape, size, and friability of the articles to be contained within. The blister pack 40 and/or the blister portions 45 may also be made of a variety of materials suitable to hold and protect the articles to be contained within. In one embodiment, the blister portions are made of a transparent plastic material to allow the articles to be seen through the blister portions 45. Such plastic material may be clear or have color. The unitary blister pack 40 may be manufactured by various means known in the art, including thermoform and injection molding techniques. The unitary blister pack 40 may be manufacture with a rigid or semi-rigid material. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, plastic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, cyclic olefin copolymer, ethylene vinyl alcohol, high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, fluorinated-chlorinated resin, fluoropolymer, and mixtures and laminates thereof. In one embodiment, the unitary blister pack 40 is desirably made of recyclable material.

The unitary blister pack 40 also contains a rupturable film sheet 50 covering each of the plurality of blister portions 45. Rupturable film sheet 50 retains the article within blister portion 45, but allows the user to intentionally remove the article from a blister portion 45 by rupturing the part of rupturable film sheet 50 covering such blister portion (such portions depicted within areas 51 in FIG. 4). The rupturable film sheet 50 may include features or materials such as a heat sealable layer, aluminum foil, adhesive/bonding layers, primer, polyester, paper, metalized film, polyethylene, ink for printing, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, bi-axially oriented polypropylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the rupturable film sheet 50 is a laminate of thin metal foil such as aluminum foil and paper. The foil side of the laminate faces the article contained in the blister portion 45 and the paper side serves as an additional area to add writing or instructions for the user. The rupturable film may be ruptured by the user by pushing the article through the portion of the film above the blister portion, by peeling back or breaking such portion of the film, which may or may not be perforated or pre-cut, to expose the article, or by other similar means. In one embodiment, the rupturable film sheet 50 is desirably made of recyclable material.

In one embodiment, rupturable film sheet 50 is affixed to unitary blister pack 40 by use of heat sealing, adhesive seals (such as with heat-activated or solvent adhesive such as glues), RF or sonic seals, or any other suitable means. The materials of the rupturable film sheet 50 and the unitary blister pack 40may be pre-treated to facilitate sealing of such materials together.

As shown in FIG. 2, the unitary blister pack 40 is mounted between the front inner face 20 of front sheet 10 and the rear inner face 35 of rear sheet 25. As shown in FIG. 1, rear sheet 25 contains blister openings 55 that allow the plurality of blister portions 45 to protrude through rear outer face 15 of rear sheet 25. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, there is a blister opening for each blister portion. Such arrangement also assists maintaining the blister pack 40 mounted between front sheet 10 and rear sheet 25 In another embodiment (not shown), multiple blister portions protrude through a single blister opening.

As shown in FIG. 3, front sheet 10 contains an operable flap 60 that allows access to the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 covering the plurality of blister portions 45. FIG. 3 depicts operable flap 60 in a closed position, covering the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 covering the plurality of blister portions 45. Flap 60 may initially be opened by breaking flap perforations 61 and folding operable flap 60 along flap crease 62. FIG. 4 depicts operable flap 60 in an open position, exposing the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 covering the plurality of blister portions 45 (such portions depicted within areas 51 in FIG. 4). By exposing the rupturable film sheet 50, the user of the package is able to beak the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 covering a blister portion 45 and remove the article contained within. The operable flap 60 may then be returned to the closed position covering the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 covering the remainder of blister portions 45 still containing articles.

The operable flap 60 also provides visibility to a portion of front inner face 20 of the front sheet 10 when the operable flap 60 is in the open position. In one embodiment, both the outer face of the operable flap 60 and the inner face of the operable flap 60 contain writing.

In one embodiment, front sheet 10 contains a single operable flap 60 that allows access to the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 covering all of the plurality of blister portions 45. In another embodiment (not shown), front sheet 10 contains a plurality of operable flaps 60 each of which allows access to only a portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 covering only a portion of the plurality of blister portions 45.

In one embodiment, operable flap 60 contains a tab 70 that is operative to releasably maintain the operable flap 60 over the portion of the rupturable film sheet 50 covering the plurality of blister portions 45. In one embodiment, when operable flap 60 is in the closed position, tab 70 can come into frictional contact with edges 41 and 42 of rear sheet 25, thereby maintaining operable flap 60 in the closed position.

In one embodiment, card 5 comprises one or more sets of perforations 75 between a removable portion of card that is not in contact with the unitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contact with the unitary blister package. Such an embodiment allows for the user once they have purchased the blister card display package 1 to remove a portion of card 5, thereby reducing the size of the blister card display package.

In one embodiment, the unitary blister package contains an opening 80 for hanging the blister card display package from a support device, such as an extended peg of a pegboard display. In one embodiment, a removable portion of the card contains such opening for hanging the package from a support device.

It is understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof, that the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are within the claims.

Claims

1. A blister card display package comprising:

a card comprising a front sheet having a front outer face and a front inner face and a rear sheet having a rear outer face and a rear inner face, wherein at least a portion of said rear inner face is affixed to said front inner face; and

a unitary blister pack mounted between said front inner face and said rear inner face and comprising a plurality of blister portions for containing an article to be displayed and a rupturable film sheet covering said plurality of blister portions;

wherein said rear sheet comprises one or more openings that allow said plurality of blister portions to protrude through said rear outer face of said card and said front sheet comprises an operable flap configured to open to allow access to the portion of said rupturable film sheet covering said plurality of blister portions and to be returned to a closed position covering said portion of said rupturable film sheet.

2. A package of claim 1, wherein said card is comprised of a unitary sheet folded to form said front sheet and said rear sheet.

3. A package of claim 1, wherein said operable flap comprises a tab that is operative to releasably maintain said operable flap over the portion of said rupturable film sheet covering said plurality of blister portions.

4. A package of claim 2, wherein said operable flap comprises a tab that is operative to releasably maintain said operable flap over the portion of said rupturable film sheet covering said plurality of blister portions.

5. A package of claim 1, wherein said blister pack comprises at least four blister portions.

6-8. (canceled)

9. A package of claim 1, wherein both the outer face of said operable flap and the inner face of said operable flap contains writing.

10-12. (canceled)

13. A package of claim 1, wherein said plurality of blister portions are formed of a transparent plastic material.

14. A package of claim 3, wherein said plurality of blister portions are formed of a transparent plastic material.

15. A package of claim 5, wherein said plurality of blister portions are formed of a transparent plastic material.

16. A package of claim 1, wherein said card comprises perforations between a removable portion of the card that is not in contact with said unitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blister package.

17. A package of claim 3, wherein said card comprises perforations between a removable portion of the card that is not in contact with said unitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blister package.

18. A package of claim 5, wherein said card comprises perforations between a removable portion of the card that is not in contact with said unitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blister package.

19. A package of claim 1, wherein said card comprises an opening for hanging the package from a support device.

20. A package of claim 16, wherein said removable portion of said card comprises an opening for hanging the package from a support device.

21. A package of claim 1 wherein said card comprises a first set of perforations between a first removable portion of the card that is not in contact with said unitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blister package and a second set of perforations between a second removable portion of the card that is not in contact with said unitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blister package.

22. A blister card display package comprising:

a card comprising a front sheet having a front outer face and a front inner face and a rear sheet having a rear outer face and a rear inner face, wherein at least a portion of said rear inner face is affixed to said front inner face; and

a unitary blister pack mounted between said front inner face and said rear inner face and comprising a plurality of blister portions for containing an article to be displayed and a rupturable film sheet covering said plurality of blister portions;

wherein said rear sheet comprises one or more openings that allow said plurality of blister portions to protrude through said rear outer face of said card and said front sheet comprises an operable flap configured to open and close along a flap crease and allow access to the portion of said rupturable film sheet covering said plurality of blister portions.

23. A package of claim 22, wherein said blister pack comprises at least four blister portions.

24. A package of claim 23, wherein said card comprises perforations between a removable portion of the card that is not in contact with said unitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blister package.

25. A package of claim 24, wherein said operable flap comprises a tab that is operative to releasably maintain said operable flap over the portion of said rupturable film sheet covering said plurality of blister portions.

26. A package of claim 25 wherein said card comprises a first set of perforations between a first removable portion of the card that is not in contact with said unitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blister package and a second set of perforations between a second removable portion of the card that is not in contact with said unitary blister package and the portion of the card that is in contact with said unitary blister package.