Patent Application
20110147241
The present invention relates to co-packaged articles for holding and displaying a plurality of products within a single pack and more particularly, to thermoformed blister packs with improved rigidity.
A blister pack is a term for pre-formed plastic packaging that is often used for holding and displaying consumer goods. The two primary components of a blister pack are the cavity or pocket made from a formable web, (e.g., plastic) and a lid (e.g., paperboard or plastic). The formed cavity or pocket contains the product and the lid seals the product within the cavity. Other types of blister packs may consist of carded packages where the products are contained between a paperboard card and clear pre-formed plastic (e.g., polyvinylchloride). The consumer can easily examine the product through the transparent plastic. The plastic shell is vacuum-formed around a mold so it can contain the item snugly. The card may be brightly colored and designed depending on the item inside, and the pre-formed plastic is affixed to the card using heat and pressure to activate an adhesive (heat seal coating) on the blister card. The adhesive is strong enough so that the pack may hang on a peg, but weak enough so that the package can be easily opened. The card may also have a perforated window for access. A more secure package is known as a clamshell. It is often used to deter package pilferage for small high-value items such as consumer electronics. It consists of either two pre-formed plastic sheets or one sheet folded over onto itself and fused at the edges. They are usually designed to be difficult to open by hand so as to deter tampering. A pair of scissors or a sharp knife is often required to open them (although often coming in the same package). Care must be used to safely open some of these packages.
Blister packs are typically thermoformed. Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, formed to a specific shape in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. The sheet (or film when referring to thinner gauges and certain material types), is heated in an oven to a high-enough temperature that it can be stretched into or onto a mold and cooled to a finished shape. Thin-gauge thermoforming is primarily the manufacture of disposable cups, containers, lids, trays, blisters, clamshells, and other products for the food, medical, and general retail industries. For high-volume applications, very large production machines are utilized to heat and form the plastic sheet and trim the formed parts from the sheet in a continuous high-speed process, and can produce many thousands of finished parts per hour depending on the machine and mold size and the size of the parts being formed. Thermoformed blister packs for large scale production typically have limited strength and rigidity because of the added manufacturing costs associated with thermoforming more rigid materials or thicker plastic sheets.
Bundling is presently defined as selling two or more different products (e.g., products having different contents, weights, or geometries) together at a single price. Bundling items together gives the unfamiliar consumer the chance to use a product that they would normally not buy as an individual item. Bundling can also provide an opportunity for a company to get new products out into the market. In some cases, consumers may be just looking for one certain game, program, article, etc. For example, if related items are bundled together for a lower price than buying both items separately, then it could persuade consumers to purchase the bundled package. Even if the consumer does not have any plans to use the extra item or items within the bundled package, there is always that slight chance that it could be of some use to them in the future. For example, if the consumer was tired of, or completed a game, then they would be getting more value by playing the other game that was included within the bundle and provided at no, or very little, extra cost to them.
Furthermore, producers of consumer products may offer all their products separately or may choose to bundle them together. If the producer chooses to bundle the products together, it could result in reduced costs related to packaging, marketing, advertising, and the like. The reduce costs of excess packaging materials may also result in a more environmental conscience product (e.g., less plastic is needed to produce the bundled product than two separately packaged products). Bundling items together may also reduce the sales costs and in turn, yield higher profits since more people would be willing to purchase the bundle. Bundled products could also gain an advantage over competition by offering two or more items for a better price than the price of a competitor's single item. Bundling can also offer convenience to the consumer by locating related items together. By locating the two or more products together in a bundle, the consumer avoids the need to locate within the store the individual items, each at their own individual location. This not only saves the effort of locating the items but also the time required to move to each individual product location. This convenience can also be translated into the at-home experience for the consumer. If the products are purchased as a bundled package, there is a higher probability that the items will remain close to each other in the home thereby making it easier to locate them for current, or future, use.
Despite of the advantages of bundling, bundling does have some drawbacks. For example, bundling typically results in a larger and heavier final packaged product because more articles are required to be packaged together. If the structural integrity of the package is compromised, the contents may become damaged or the package may become easier to breach for pilfering. Certain products are difficult to bundle because the individual products must be kept separated from each other because one product may be detrimental to the performance of the other product. For example, a container of shampoo may potentially leak and damage a powered device that is located within the same package. Bundling also increases the weight of the final packaged product, which may adversely influence package integrity. Furthermore, the consumer may perceive the co-packaged article as having inferior quality if the final package appears to be fragile or flimsy. For these reasons, co-packaged articles are often disposed within a thermoformed tray that is placed in a box. This method of displaying may not be as economical and versatile as some other packaging methods, but has proven to be a secure way co-packaging articles.
In one aspect, the invention features, in general, a pack for a co-packaged article having an inner flange member and an outer flange member. A first cavity is defined by the inner flange member and the outer flange member. The first cavity has an outer surface and a first internal wall. A second cavity is defined by the inner flange member and the outer flange member. The second cavity has an outer surface and a second internal wall spaced apart from the first internal wall. The second internal wall has at least one protrusion with a first position and a second position. The protrusion is spaced apart from the first internal wall in the first position and contacts the first internal wall in the second position limiting inward flexing of the first and second cavities toward each other.
In another aspect, the invention features, in general, a co-packaged article having a first product, a second product, and a pack having an outer flange member defining a first cavity dimensioned to receive the first product and a second cavity dimensioned to receive the second product. The first cavity has an outer surface and a first internal wall with at one least one protrusion projecting laterally from the first internal wall. The second cavity has an outer surface and a second internal wall spaced apart from the first internal wall. The second internal wall has at least one protrusion projecting laterally toward the protrusion of the first internal wall. A cover is joined to the outer flange member and a label interconnects the outer surface of the first and second cavities.
In yet another aspect, the invention features, in general, a pack having an inner flange member and an outer flange member. A first cavity is defined by the inner flange member and the outer flange member. The first cavity has an outer surface and a first internal wall. A second cavity is defined by the inner flange member and the outer flange member. The second cavity has an outer surface and a second internal wall spaced apart from the first internal wall. The second internal wall has at least one protrusion projecting laterally toward and spaced apart from the first internal wall. A label interconnects the outer surface of the first and second cavities.
Referring to
In certain embodiments, the co-packaged article 10 may include a pack 12 with a hanging member 14 to facilitate the displaying the co-packaged article 10 on a hanging display. The hanging member 14 may have an opening 15 extending therethrough that is dimensioned to receive a peg or hook of a peg board style display. The opening 15 may be circular, a slot, or any other geometry known to those skilled in the art for easy placement of the pack 12 on a peg or hook. The hanging member 14 may have other configurations, such as a hook, to facilitate the mounting of the co-packaged article 10 to a string or wire. The hanging member 14 may be integral with the pack 12 or may be a separate member that is joined (e.g., adhesives) to the pack 12. Although the opening 15 is shown extending through the hanging member 14, it is understood that the hanging member 14 is part of the pack 12 and the opening 15 may extend directly through the pack 12. In other embodiments, the co-packaged article 10 may not have a hanging member 14 (e.g., the co-packaged article 10 may be displayed on a store shelf and not on a peg board).
Referring to
The pack 12 may have an outer flange member 16 that defines the first cavity 20 and the second cavity 30. The outer flange member 16 may extend continuously around an outer perimeter 17 of the pack 12 to provide an area for the cover 60 to seal against. The outer flange member 16 may include at least one inner flange member 19 that separates the products 50 and 52. The inner flange member 19 may also provide an additional area for the cover 60 to seal against. The cover 60 may be affixed (e.g., heat sealing or adhesive) to the outer flange member 16 and/or the inner the flange member 19 of the pack 12 to keep the first and second products 50 and 52 secured within pack 12 and prevent the contents of the first product 50 (e.g., body wash) in the first cavity 20 from leaking into the second cavity 30 and potentially damaging the second product 52 (e.g., razor cartridges). A user may gain access to the first and second products 50 and 52 by pealing the cover 60 from the outer flange member 16 of the pack 12 or by cutting the cover 60. Perforations in the cover 60 may be provided to facilitate access to the pack 12. In certain embodiments, the cover 60 may be injection molded or thermoformed from a clear polymer material, including, but not limited to polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high density polyethylene (HDPE), and low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), or any combination thereof. Alternatively, the cover 60 may include a flat or formed paperboard or polymeric material with a heat sealable coating and/or an anti-theft coating. The cover 60 may also include thin polymeric films that are sealed to the pack 12.
Co-packaged articles can present special challenges because separated cavities are often needed to ensure that the contents of a product disposed in one cavity does not enter into an another cavity. Thermoformed packs that have separated cavities have a tendency to bow and flex during assembly and shipment, which may distort the label 40 or loosen the cover 60 or the label 40 from the pack 12. Although the label 60 may minimize or prevent outward flexing of the cavities 20 and 30 relative to each other (as previously described), other features may be needed to minimize inward flexing of the cavities 20 and 30. Referring to
The internal wall 25 of the first cavity 20 may have at least one protrusion 26 that projects laterally from the internal wall 25 of the first cavity 20 toward the internal wall 35 of the second cavity 30. The internal wall 35 of the second cavity 30 may have at least one protrusion 36 that projects laterally from the internal wall 35 of the second cavity 30 toward the internal wall 25 of the first cavity 20. In certain embodiments, the protrusions 26 and 36 may be mirror images and may project toward each other. The protrusions 26 and 36 may provide for a more rigid pack 12 by limiting inward flexing of the pack 12. For example, the protrusions 26 and 36 may act as stop surfaces as forces are applied to the pack 12 during shipping and handling. The first and second cavities 20 and 30 may flex inward as force is applied, but the protrusions 26 and 36 may contact each other to limit further inward flexing which may damage the
Larger packs, packs for holding of displaying numerous products (e.g., three or more), or packs that are required to securely hold and display heavier items may require more protrusions to limit inward flexing. For example, the internal walls 25 and 35 of the first and second cavities 20 and 30 (respectively) may each have a plurality of spaced apart protrusions that further decrease distortion of the pack 12 (i.e., inward flexing). The internal wall 35 of the second cavity 30 may have a second protrusion 37 that projects laterally toward the internal wall 25 of the first cavity 20. The internal wall 25 of the first cavity 20 may a second protrusion 27 that projects laterally toward the internal wall 35 of the second cavity 30. In certain embodiments, the protrusions 27 and 37 may be mirror images and may project toward each other. The protrusions 26 and 27 that project from wall 25 may be spaced apart from each other by about 4 mm, 6 mm, or 8 mm to about 10 mm, 15 mm, or 20 mm. The protrusions 26, 27, 36 and 37 may be arcuate (e.g., dome shaped) or straight. A domed shape protrusion may provide for improved manufacturability and greater structural integrity to prevent the pack 12 from flexing. The protrusions 26, 27, 36 and 37 may have a width w1 of about 5 mm, 7 mm, or 10 mm to about 15 mm, 20 mm, or 25 mm. It is understood that the width of the protrusions 26, 27, 36 and 37 may be larger or smaller depending on the size of the pack 12 (e.g., a larger pack 12 may require w1 to be larger). In certain embodiments, the protrusions 26 and 36 may be spaced apart from each other (or the opposite internal wall 25 or 35) a distance d2 of about 0.2 mm, 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, to about 1.5 mm, 3.0 mm, or 4 mm. The protrusions 27 and 37 may be spaced apart from each other (or the opposite internal wall 25 or 35) by a similar distance. The protrusions 26 and 36 may have a first position and a second position. In the first position, the protrusions 26 and 36 may be spaced apart from each other (or the opposite internal wall 25 or 35). In the second position, the protrusions 27 and 37 may contact each other (and/or the opposite internal wall 25 or 35) to limit inward flexing of the cavities 20 and 30 toward each other. The 27 and 37 may also have a first position and a second position, as described for protrusions 26 and 36. If the protrusions 36 and 37 are spaced too far apart from the opposing protrusions 26 and 27 (or the opposing internal wall 35) the internal flexing of the cavities 20 and 30 may not be limited sufficiently to prevent distortion and/or damage to the pack 12.
Under certain conditions, the protrusions 26 and 36 and the protrusions 27 and 37 may be contacting (i.e., a distance d2 of zero), but not integral. For example, the protrusions 26 and 27 of the internal wall 25 may be spaced apart from the protrusions 36 and 37 of the internal wall 35 after thermoforming. Once the label 40 (see
The demand for recyclable packaging materials is constantly increasing. Currently it is difficult to manufacture packages (e.g., blister packs) that are recyclable (e.g., paperboard) and have sufficient strength to hold and display heavier articles. The co-packaged article 10 provides a more rigid construction by limiting inward and/or outward flexing of the pack 12. The inward and/or outward flexing of the cavities 20 and 30 can be limited for a pack 12 that is manufactured (e.g., thermoformed) from weaker materials (e.g., paperboard or other recycled materials). The increased rigidity may also allow for the pack 12 to be thermoformed from a thinner sheet of material, thus saving additional material and costs.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
