Patent Application
20100011635
The present application is directed to paperboard security packages and, more particularly, to improving the tear resistance of paperboard security packages.
Manufacturers and retailers of consumer goods, such as pharmaceuticals, software, electronics, health and beauty products and the like, typically package their products in tamper resistant security packages. For example, many consumer goods are packaged in blister packages formed by positioning a consumer good in a flanged blister made from various polymeric and/or paperboard materials and sealing the flanged blister between two paperboard substrates.
As an initial step in creating such packages, a paperboard substrate may be provided with a coating or layer of tear resistant material. Often this substrate may be in a continuous web form, easily processed by automated equipment. The tear resistant material may be die-cut into a blank or blanks of the desired size and shape. For each blank or set of blanks, the die-cutting process may cut a hole or opening to receive the blister, and may cut the periphery of the blank, which usually defines the outer periphery of the eventual package. In such a continuous web process, or even if the blanks are created by a sheet-fed process instead of a web-fed process, it is often desirable after die-cutting to keep the blank and the surrounding waste substrate together until a later step in the process. Instead of the cutting die completely penetrating through the substrate to form a hole, opening, or periphery of the blank, the cutting die may, at a few points along the cut line, leave portions of the line uncut or only cut partway through the substrate. Such uncut portions are typically short sections commonly known as “nicks.” The cutting die may during use become somewhat dulled through wear and tear, and through contact with support surfaces under the blank. Such surfaces may be metal and if cutting clearances are not exact, deformation may occur to the cutting edge of the die. The die may thus develop microscopic defects that cause cut imperfections in the die-cut lines.
Later in the formation of a blister card, the blank is separated from the web or from other surrounding “waste” substrate. The remnants of each nick are usually small enough so as to be not very noticeable. Cut imperfections caused by die defects may not be visible.
For security packaging, where tear-resistance is desired, a nick or a cut imperfection may create an undesirable tear initiation point. Accordingly, there is a need for a die-cutting process that less prone to tearing, including tearing initiated at such points.
In one aspect, a display card is disclosed comprising a front layer and a back layer, with at least a portion of said layers adhered together, a product-receiving volume, disposed within or upon said display card, and a barrier cut in at least one of said front and back layers.
In another aspect, a display card is disclosed comprising a substrate layer bounded by a perimeter, and a barrier cut proximate to said perimeter and spaced apart from said perimeter, and extending at least partially along said perimeter.
In another aspect, a method is disclosed for forming a blank for a display card, comprising providing a substrate in web or sheet form, cutting from said substrate said blank for said display card, said blank having a cut perimeter, and providing a barrier cut proximate to said perimeter and spaced apart from said perimeter, and extending at least partially along said perimeter.
In another aspect, a blank or package is made using the process.
Other aspects of the disclosed method and products created thereby will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
Paperboard security packages, such as blister packages, are well known by those skilled in the art. Such packages are often formed from paperboard blanks. Conventional prior art blanks are illustrated in
Nicks 16 upon separation from substrate 100 may take the form of small torn areas. These may provide an initiation point for a tear 17 that may compromise the package. Even if a tear-resistant coating is provided on one of the blanks, nick 16 may afford enough of a tear-initiation point to overcome the tear resistance. Also, the hanging aperture 15 may provide a tear-initiation point.
Referring now to
Nicks 16 upon separation from substrate 100 take the form of small torn areas. These, as well as small imperfections in the cut periphery of the blanks, may provide an initiation point for a tear 17 that may compromise the package. Even if a tear-resistant coating is provided on one of the blanks, nick 16 may afford enough of a tear-initiation point to overcome the tear resistance.
Certain embodiments of a novel package are illustrated in
Barrier cut 17, likewise, may provide resistance against tears initiated at the hanging aperture. Since barrier cuts 17, 18 preferably may not penetrate entirely through the blank, the cutting tool (such as a die) likely will not be prone to wear and tear caused by contacting the support surface behind the blank. Thus, barrier cuts 17, 18 may be expected to be relatively free of imperfections, helping prevent further propagation of any tears that reach the barrier cut.
Referring now to
Nicks 16 upon separation from substrate 100 may take the form of small torn areas. These may provide an initiation point for a tear 19. However, the tear 19 instead of propagating into the center of the package will be redirected sideways upon reaching barrier cut 18, thus preventing further tearing into the package. Particularly if a tear-resistant coating is provided on one of the blanks, the barrier cut 18 may provide a block against tear-initiation point by the nicks 16 or elsewhere around the periphery of the blank(s). The barrier cut 18 may provide some tear resistance even in the absence of a specific tear-resistant material.
While the embodiments described here use die-cutting as an exemplary method to provide barrier lines in a package, it will be understood that other methods may be utilized, for example laser cutting, roller cutting, match metal tooling, shearing, knife cuts, and other methods to provide continuous barrier cuts, discontinuous barrier cuts, barrier cuts to varying depths, or any other methods that would provide a barrier or diffusion point to thwart tearing that might be initiated at a nick point, or at any peripheral point.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed blister packaging structures and associated barrier cuts may provide a theft deterrent function, without unduly interfering with legitimate consumers who may use a tool such as a scissors to make a cut that goes past the barrier cut 18 so as to allow tearing open the structure.
Although various aspects of the disclosed blister packaging structures have been shown and described, modifications may occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 61/081,404 filed on Jul. 17, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61081404 | Jul 2008 | US |
