BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the blister package.
FIG. 2 is a front exploded perspective view the blister package with article holders in an article retaining position.
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing a blister with article holders in a disengaged position.
FIG. 4 is a front view of the blister with article holders in a disengaged position.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the blister package with article holders in a disengaged position.
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the blister with article holders in a disengaged position.
FIG. 7A is a side view of the blister with the article holders engaged in the article retaining position.
FIG. 7B is a side view of the blister retaining an article.
FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the backer card.
FIG. 9A is a cross section of the tabs taken along line 9A-9A of FIG. 1.
FIG. 9B is a cross section of a snap element in engagement with an arm taken along line 9B-9B of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A display package 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1, and generally designated 10. The blister package 10 is designed to display and hold articles for sale. In the illustrated embodiment, the blister package 10 includes a blister 20, an article 300, and a backer card 40 (See FIG. 2). For the purposes of this disclosure, the terms “front,” “back,” “bottom,” “top,” “forward,” and “rearward” are used to denote the corresponding directions with respect to the blister package when it is hanging facing the customer when the package is on display. The present invention is described with reference to a specific designed for a specific bottle. The present invention is, however, well suited for use in packaging essentially any article of sufficient size and character to be entrapped by article holders.
The blister 20 is typically constructed from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or some other polymer. Although the blister stock is typically transparent or translucent, the stock may be opaque in some applications. The blister 20 can be virtually any desired size and shape depending on the article to be packaged and aesthetic considerations. The blister 20 will vary in thickness from application to application. For standard applications, the blister 20 is likely to have a thickness ranging between 12 and 30 gauge (i.e. 12 to 30 thousands of an inch).
The blister 20 contains a front surface 22, and a back surface 32 as shown in FIG. 9A. In the illustrated embodiment, the front surface 22 of the blister 20 is contoured to define a snap element 70 and a stop element 80 (See FIG. 3). It is not strictly necessary for the stop element 80 to be defined by contours in the blister 20; rather, in some applications, an un-contoured or planar portion of the front surface 22 of the blister 20 may act as the stop element 80. The blister 20 is also provided with a first article holder 50 and a second article holder 60 that extend from either surface 22 and 32 or from the periphery of the blister 20 (See FIG. 4). The first article holder 50 is selectively movable into secured engagement with the snap element 70 (See FIG. 9A). The second article holder 60 is selectively moveable into abutting engagement with the stop element 80 (See FIG. 7A). When the first article holder 50 is engaged with the snap element 70, and the second article holder 60 is in abutting engagement with the stop element 80, the blister package 10 is in a configuration generally termed the article retaining position or article display position (See FIG. 7A). This position contrasts with the disengaged position 200 of the blister package 10 as shown in FIG. 5.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first article holder 50 and second article holder 60 are joined to the remainder of the blister 20 along living hinges that permit pivotal movement of the two article holders 50 and 60. The pivoting of the article holders 50 and 60 may be facilitated by perforations, trim lines, die cuts, or other mechanisms generally know in the art. The first article holder 50 may extend from the interior or periphery of the blister 20. For example, FIG. 4 shows the first article 50 extending from the periphery of the blister 20. Likewise, the second article holder 60 may be located on the interior or periphery of the blister 20. In FIG. 4, the second article holder 60 extends from the interior of the blister 20. The article holders 50 and 60 can be virtually any size and shape. Each article holder 50 and 60 is designed to define an appropriate space for retaining an article 300 to be packaged.
In the illustrated embodiment, the article 300 acts to retain the second article holder 60 in an abutting engagement with the stop element 80 (See FIG. 7B). In this arrangement, the article 300 is securely retained by the cooperation of the first article holder 50, which moves from a disengaged position to a snap-fit engagement position with the snap element 70, and the second article holder 60, which moves to an abutting engagement position with the stop element 80. Alternatively, the second article holder may be configured to engage a second snap element (not shown) so that the second article holder may also be snap-fitted into an article retaining position. In this alternative embodiment, the second article holder is configured to be selectively interfitted with the second snap element. For example, the second article holder may include arms similar to arms 56 (described below) or with other contours configured to provide a snap-fit engagement with the second snap element.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first article holder 50 contains a receptacle 52 designed to receive a portion of the article 300 (See FIG. 3). Likewise, the second article holder 60 may contain a receptacle 62 designed to receive a portion of the article 300 (see FIG. 2). The receptacles 52 and 62 seat the article 300 such that the article 300 is more effectively retained by the article holders 50 and 60. In yet another embodiment, the first article holder 50 contains a flange 54 that extends outwardly from the surface of the first article holder 50 when the first article holder 50 is viewed as shown in FIG. 4. The flange helps the blister package 10 to stand in substantially an upright position when the first article holder 50 is in engagement with the snap element 70 as show in FIG. 7A.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first article holder 50 is provided with arms 56 that engage the snap element 70 (See FIG. 7A). An edge 57 of each arm 56 engages the snap elements 70 so that first article holder 50 is securely retained in the article retaining position 100. The characteristics of the arms 56, such as the shape and/or length 59 of the arms 56, may be varied to provide the stiffness desired to maintain a snap-fit between the arms 56 and the snap elements 70 (See FIG. 5). For example, longer arms 56 may reduce the overall force required to snap-fit the first article holder 50 in place. The leading closing edge 58 of the arm 56 may be non-planar to provide less resistance when snapping the arm 56 into engagement with the snap element 70 (See FIG. 9B). Alternatively, or in addition, the characteristics of the snap element, such as size or shape, may be varied to control the force required to operate the snap-fitting interaction of the arms 56 and snap elements 70.
Depending on the type of article being offered for sale, the blister 20 may contain a hanging hole 26 for hanging the blister package 10 from a display hook (See FIG. 4). The size, shape and location of this hanging hole 26 will vary depending on the article offered for sale. In a further embodiment, the blister 20 contains a projection that forms a draw 24 as show in FIG. 3. The draw 24 is molded to a shape similar to that of a portion of the article 300 so that the draw 24 more effectively seats the article 300.
In some instances, the periphery of the blister 20 may contain a flange 28 extending outwardly from the blister 20 around at least a portion of the periphery of the blister 20 (see FIG. 4). The blister 20 is molded to transition rearward, toward the flange 28, to form a platform recess 30 at the back of the blister 20 (See FIG. 9A). The platform recess 30 is defined by the back surface 32 of the blister between the perimeter defined by the periphery flange 28 (see FIG. 9A). The angle of the transition rearward relative to the front surface 22 of the blister 20 will vary depending upon application and aesthetic requirements. As shown in FIG. 3, the blister 20 transition angle may also vary to accommodate the first article holder 50 or some other feature of the invention. The periphery of the platform recess may contain tabs 36 for holding a backer card 40 (See FIG. 9A). The backer card 40 may be dimensioned such that a surface of the backer card 40 maintains contact with the tabs 36 to keep the backer card within the platform recess 30. Thus, the platform recess 30 provides access to the back of the blister 20 such that the backer card 40 can be fitted with the blister package 10 for indicia or aesthetic purposes at point of sale.
The backer card 40 may be used in some applications. The backer card 40 is typically constructed out of paperboard material. However, other materials commonly known in the art may be substituted. The backer card 40 provides a front and rear viewing surfaces on which product information and other graphics can be displayed. Printed material on the front surface will typically be visible through the transparent or translucent blister 20. The dimensions of the backer card 40 may vary depending upon the size of the package 10 and the article 300 offered for sale. In one embodiment, the backer card 40 defines a hole 42 for hanging the blister package from a display hook at point of sale as shown in FIG. 8.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for packing an article 300 using a blister package 10 containing a blister 20, a snap element 70, a first article holder 50, and a second article holder 60. The package 10 may also include a stop element 80 or a second snap element (not shown). The method includes the steps of: a) moving the first article holder 50 into a securing engagement with the snap element 70; b) moving the second article holder 60 into engagement with either a stop element 80 or a second snap element (not shown); and c) positioning the article 300 between the first article holder 50 and the second article holder 60 such that the article 300 is entrapped between the article holders 50 and 60. The order of these steps is not important. In those embodiments including a stop element, the article 300 is held in place by the first article holder 50, which in turn holds the second article holder 60 in engagement with the stop element 80 as shown in FIG. 7B. In those embodiments that include two snap elements, each article holder 50 and 60 is separately held in the article retaining position by the corresponding snap element 80.
The above description is that of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. Any reference claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
Patent Application
20080041754
