This patent relates to a blister type package. More particularly, this patent relates to a blister type package made entirely or primarily from paper that holds its shape during sealing.
In traditional face-seal style blister packages, a product or products are dropped into a transparent thermoformed plastic shell and a paper-based backing card is sealed via heat and pressure to a flange extending outward from the face perimeter of the plastic shell. Composite (multiple material) blister packages of this type enable the seller to display the product visually for sale and enable the package manufacturer to create the package with just a few packaging components and fast sealing. The package may include a heat seal coating on the paper component and not the plastic shell component.
Occasionally packages requiring greater security, structure or decoration will incorporate two pieces of paperboard, sandwiching the plastic blister (or blisters) in between in a trapped package. Sealing is affected the same way as in the traditional face-seal style blister package, that is, through heat and pressure.
Recently the packaging industry has been pursuing sustainable, environmentally friend packaging including little to no plastic and having components that are easily recyclable. The present disclosure addresses this and other needs.
The present disclosure relates to a paper-based blister type package that holds its shape during sealing. The package components can be shipped flat and loaded easily into existing blister package equipment. The package may be formed in the machine just prior to the filling operation, and then sealed in the same fashion as a traditional plastic blister back card seal.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a blister package for holding one or more products is disclosed. The blister package may include a face card and a tray made from a tray blank fabricated from a recyclable material. The tray may include a tray bottom wall having a perimeter defined by two side wall fold lines and two end wall fold lines, two opposing tray side walls attached to the tray bottom wall along the side wall fold lines and extending upward from the tray bottom wall to side flange fold lines, each tray side wall having two side wall free edges, and two opposing tray end walls attached to the tray bottom wall along the end wall fold lines and extending upward from the tray bottom wall to end flange fold lines, each tray end wall having two end wall free edges. The tray may further include two opposing tray side flanges, each tray side flange extending outward from and attached to a corresponding one of the tray side walls along a corresponding one of the side flange fold lines, each tray side flange having at least one side flange locking end extending laterally beyond the corresponding side flange fold line, wherein the side flange locking end of the tray side flange, the side wall free edge of the tray side wall and the side flange fold line meet at a junction, and wherein the tray side flange and the side wall free edge of the side wall are contoured to define a side flange shoulder in the tray side flange adjacent the junction, and two opposing tray end flanges, each tray end flange extending outward from and attached to a corresponding one of the tray end walls along a corresponding end flange fold line, at least one tray end flange extending laterally beyond the corresponding end flange fold line to form a lip that projects outward beyond the end wall free edge of the tray end wall at approximately a 90° angle. The lip may engage the tray side wall at the junction to maintain alignment of the tray side flange, the tray end flange, the tray side wall and the tray end wall.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a tray blank for forming a tray of a blister package for a product is disclosed. The tray blank may be fabricated from a recyclable material, and the tray blank may include a tray bottom wall, a first tray side wall connected to the tray bottom wall along a first side wall fold line and having a first side wall free edge at each end of the first tray side wall, a first tray side flange connected to the first tray side wall along a first side flange fold line opposite the first side wall fold line, a second tray side wall connected to the tray bottom wall along a second side wall fold line opposite the first side wall fold line and having a second side wall free edge at each end of the second tray side wall, and a second tray side flange connected to the second tray side wall along a second side flange fold line opposite the second side wall fold line. The tray blank may further include a first tray end wall connected to the tray bottom wall along a first end wall fold line extending from the first side wall fold line to the second side wall fold line and having a first end wall free edge at each end of the first tray end wall, a first tray end flange connected to the first tray end wall along a first end flange fold line opposite the first end wall fold line, a second tray end wall connected to the tray bottom wall along a second end wall fold line extending from the first side wall fold line to the second side wall fold line opposite the first end wall fold line and having a second end wall free edge at each end of the second tray end wall, wherein the first side wall fold line, the second side wall fold line, the first end wall fold line and the second end wall fold line define a perimeter of the tray bottom wall, and a second tray end flange connected to the second tray end wall along a second first end flange fold line opposite the second end wall fold line, wherein the second tray end flange extends laterally beyond ends of the second end flange fold line to define lips that engage the corresponding first side wall free edge and second side wall free edge when the tray blank is folded into the tray to limit the rotation of the second tray end wall about the second end wall fold line at a predetermined position.
In a further aspect of the present disclosure, a tray for a blister package for a product is disclosed. The tray may be formed from a tray blank fabricated from a recyclable material, and the tray may include a tray bottom wall, a first tray side wall connected to the tray bottom wall and folded along a first side wall fold line to extend upward from the tray bottom wall, and having a first side wall free edge at each end of the first tray side wall, a first tray side flange connected to the first tray side wall and folded along a first side flange fold line opposite the first side wall fold line to extend horizontally outward from the first tray side wall, a second tray side wall connected to the tray bottom wall and folded along a second side wall fold line opposite the first side wall fold line to extend upward from the tray bottom wall, and having a second side wall free edge at each end of the second tray side wall, and a second tray side flange connected to the second tray side wall and folded along a second side flange fold line opposite the second side wall fold line to extend horizontally outward from the second tray side wall. The tray may further include a first tray end wall connected to the tray bottom wall and folded along a first end wall fold line extending from the first side wall fold line to the second side wall fold line to extend upward from the tray bottom wall, and having a first end wall free edge at each end of the first tray end wall, a first tray end flange connected to the first tray end wall and folded along a first end flange fold line opposite the first end wall fold line to extend horizontally outward from the first tray end wall, a second tray end wall connected to the tray bottom wall and folded along a second end wall fold line extending from the first side wall fold line to the second side wall fold line opposite the first end wall fold line to extend upward from the tray bottom wall, and having a second end wall free edge at each end of the second tray end wall, wherein the first side wall fold line, the second side wall fold line, the first end wall fold line and the second end wall fold line define a perimeter of the tray bottom wall, and a second tray end flange connected to the second tray end wall and folded along a second first end flange fold line opposite the second end wall fold line to extend horizontally outward from the second tray end wall, wherein the second tray end flange extends laterally beyond ends of the second end flange fold line to define lips engaging the corresponding first side wall free edge and second side wall free edge and limiting the rotation of the second tray end wall about the second end wall fold line at a predetermined position.
In another aspect a paper-based blister type package is provided comprising a face card and a tray. The tray may comprise a tray bottom wall, two opposing tray side walls, two opposing tray end walls, two opposing tray side flanges, and two opposing tray end flanges. The tray bottom wall has a perimeter defined by two side wall fold lines and two end wall fold lines.
The two opposing tray side walls are attached to the tray bottom wall along the side wall fold lines and extend upward from the tray bottom wall to side flange fold lines. Each tray side wall has two side wall free edges. Similarly, the two opposing tray end walls are attached to the tray bottom wall along the end wall fold lines and extend upward from the tray bottom wall to end flange fold lines. Each tray end wall has two end wall free edges.
Each tray side flange extends outward from and is attached to a tray side wall along a side flange fold line. Each tray end flange extends outward from and is attached to a tray end wall along an end flange fold line.
Each side wall flange has at least one side flange locking end that extends laterally beyond the side flange fold line. At least one tray end flange has ends that extend laterally beyond the corresponding end flange fold lines to form a lip that projects outward beyond the end wall free edge of the tray end wall at about a 90° degree angle.
The side flange locking end of the tray side flange, the side wall free edge of the side wall and the side flange fold line all meet at a junction. The tray side flange and the side wall free edge of the side wall are contoured so as to define a side flange shoulder adjacent the junction. The lip is configured to engage the junction during a sealing operation to maintain proper positioning of the tray side flange, the tray end flange, the tray side wall and the tray end wall.
Additional aspects are defined by the claims of this patent.
The term “fold line” as used herein may refer to a fold line, a score line, an ablated channel or multiple parallel fold lines, score lines or ablated channels in close proximity so as to function as a fold line.
Turning to the drawings,
The package 10 comprises the tray 14 and the flat card 16, both of which may be formed from paper-based blanks. More particularly, the tray 14 of the package 10 may include a tray bottom wall 20, two opposing tray side walls 22 and two opposing tray end walls 24. Each tray side wall 22 extends upward from the tray bottom wall 20 from a side wall fold line 26 to a side flange fold line 28, and each tray end wall 24 extends upward from the tray bottom wall 20 from an end wall fold line 30 to an end flange fold line 32. Together, the side flange fold lines 28 and the end flange fold lines 32 comprise a face perimeter of the tray 14. The package 10 also comprises tray side flanges 34 each extending outward from a corresponding one of the tray side walls 22 and tray end flanges 36 each extending outward from a corresponding one of the tray end walls 24 at the end flange fold line 32. Together or individually, the tray side flanges 34 and the tray end flanges 36 may be referred to as sealing flanges. The face or flat card 16 is sealed to the tray side flanges 34 and the tray end flanges 36 to enclose and protect the products 12.
The tray bottom wall 20 may be rectangular and have a periphery comprising the two opposing side wall fold lines 26 and the two opposing end wall fold lines 30. The tray side walls 22 are attached to the tray bottom wall 20 along the side wall fold lines 26. The tray end walls 24 are attached to the tray bottom wall 20 along the end wall fold lines 30. Each tray side wall 22 extends in a longitudinal direction from one tray corner 38 to an opposite tray corner 38. Similarly, each tray end wall 24 extends from one tray corner 38 to an opposite tray corner 38.
The package 10 may be used to hold one or more products 12, such as the substantially cylindrical products shown in the
The forming apparatus 50 comprises a nesting apparatus 54 and a forming block apparatus 56. The nesting apparatus 54 comprises three nesting trays 58 and the forming block apparatus 56 comprises three corresponding forming blocks 60. Although
The nesting apparatus 54, and thus each nesting tray 58, has a top surface 62. Each nesting tray 58 also has a bottom wall 64 and four side walls 66 that define a recess 68 in which a tray 14 can be formed. The nesting tray 58 may comprise locator pins 70 extending upward from the top surface 62 and positioned to locate and hold a tray blank 52 and/or a face card 16 on the nesting tray 58. In order to form the conventional rectilinear tray 14 shown in
A paper blister package 10 of the type described herein may be manufactured using a forming apparatus 50 similar to that shown in
The routine 80 may pass to a step 84 where the forming block 60 is lowered in the direction of the arrow in
At a step 86, the product(s) 12 are loaded into the formed tray while the tray 14 is still residing in the nesting tray 58. The product(s) 12 may be dropped into the cavity of the tray 14, which is sized appropriately for the products 12. At a step 88, the flat card 16 is then fed from the feeding chute and placed on top of the formed tray by the feeder and located (positioned) on the formed tray by the locator pins 70. Finally, at a step 90, the package 10 may be sealed by heating a heat seal coating with a heating plate or other heating device (not shown) so that the heat seal coating on the underside of the flat card 16 and/or the tray flanges 34, 36 causes the two components to bond to each other, effectively sealing the package 10. The heating device may press the flat card 16 flat against the pre-folded flanges 34, 36 on the tray 14 during the sealing step 90, moving the flanges 34, 36 into their final horizontal position.
When working with a preformed plastic blister, all of the tray shape is defined and formed without concern that the tray shape will be altered during the sealing of the plastic blister package. However, in the case of a paper blister where the tray is not pre-formed, the final tray forming takes place during the sealing process. For instance, before the sealing step 90, the flanges 34, 36 define an acute included angle (flange angle) with respect to a horizontal plane defined by the tray bottom wall 20. During the sealing step 90 when the flat card 16 is pressed against the flanges 34, 36, the flange angle will increase (to about ninety degrees) as the flanges 34, 36 reach a horizontal orientation suitable for sealing with the flat card 16. This change in flange angle is accomplished when the heat block 60 of the press station pushes the flat card 16 firmly against the flanges 34, 36.
When each tray side flange 34 and tray end flange 36 is being moved to the horizontal plane defined by the tray bottom wall 20 and/or the face card 16 during the sealing step 90, without the interlock feature described below, the tray end wall 24 can slide past the tray side walls 22 and push against the tray side walls 22, changing the position of the tray side walls 22 and their angle with respect to the tray bottom wall 20. This relative sliding of the tray end wall 24 with respect to the tray side walls 22 can cause the tray end flange 36 to move the tray side flanges 134 and, correspondingly, the tray side walls 22 outward away from the tray cavity 18 along a horizontal plane and can leave the tray end flange 36 and the tray side flanges 34 out of proper location , or dislocated, at the tray corners 38 for the sealing step 90. This dislocation phenomenon will now be described with respect to a paper blister package 110 shown in
A novel paper blister package 210 having an interlocking feature in accordance with the present disclosure is provided comprising a tray 214 and a face card 216. The tray 214 may be made from a single unitary tray blank 240 that is mechanically formed into the tray 214 using a process similar to the package forming routine 80 described above.
The tray bottom wall 220 may be rectangular or any suitable shape. For example, the tray bottom wall 220 may have a periphery comprising two opposing parallel side wall fold lines 226 and two opposing parallel end wall fold lines 230. The tray bottom wall 220 may have a bottom wall width (i.e., the dimension from one side wall fold line 226 to the opposite side wall fold line 226) that is smaller than a card width of the face card 216 and a bottom wall height (i.e., the dimension from one end wall fold line 230 to the opposite end wall fold line 230) that is smaller than a card height of the face card 216. The tray side walls 222 are attached to the tray bottom wall 220 along the side wall fold lines 226. The tray end walls 224 are attached to the tray bottom wall 220 along the end wall fold lines 230.
In the tray blank 240 shown in
The package 210 may be comprised primarily of paperboard. The package 10 may be referred to as a blister package in that product or products 12 may be dropped into the tray 14 and a face card 216 then may be heat sealed or otherwise affixed to the tray 214. However, in this case the tray 214 is not a plastic component formed as a blister, but rather a paper component folded into the tray 214.
The face card 216 is sealed to the tray side flanges 234 and the tray end flanges 236 to enclose and protect the products 12. The flat cards 12 as well as the tray blanks 240 used to make the trays 214 may be produced and delivered to a customer as flat components, then the package 210 may be formed in-line with the customer's product filling operation as described in some detail below. The package 210 may be used to hold one or more products 12. The products 12 may have their own primary packaging, such as a wrapper, so that a consumer may touch the exterior of the primary packaging without damaging the actual products 12.
In some cases, a window opening may be provided for the consumer to see the product 12 in the tray cavity 218 of the package 210.
In the blister package 10, the flanges 34, 36 can be designed to be located very close to the card opening 274. When the tray side walls 22 or the tray end walls 24 are moved out of position due to the absence of the interlocking feature in accordance with the present disclosure, the flanges 34, 36 may be positioned to be exposed through the card opening 274 and partially obscure the product 12 and cause a less than desirable appearance. In the blister package 210 with the interlocking feature described herein, the tray side walls 222 and one or both of the tray end walls 224 engage to ensure the correct positioning of the tray walls 222, 224 so that the flanges 234, 236 do not extend into the card opening 274 and do not obscure the view of the product 12 contained in the package 210.
A heat seal coating may be applied to the face card 216 on the card back side 272 (i.e., tray facing) prior to the face card 216 being sealed to a tray 214. The heat seal coating can be spot-applied or flooded across the entire face of the face card 216. The type and method of coating may be based upon customer need and product shape and geometry.
Thus, there has been described a mono-material package 210 that may be paper-based and thus fully recyclable. The packaging components can be shipped flat and loaded easily into existing blister package equipment such as the blister forming apparatus 50. The package 210 may be formed in the apparatus 50 just prior to the filling operation, and a paper-to-paper seal may be achieved in the same fashion as a traditional plastic blister back card seal.
While the preceding text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of protection is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining the scope of protection.
It should also be understood that, unless a term was expressly defined herein, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to herein in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning.
This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/347,241 filed May 31, 2022, which is incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63347241 | May 2022 | US |