Patent Application
20090045210
Not Applicable
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to storage articles such as retail and/or shipping product packages having a pliable ground calcium carbonate-containing material that is highly attractive, efficient to manufacture, and environmentally friendly.
2. Related Art
Packages and packaging material for product retail and shipping purposes are typically designed to be sufficiently durable to allow reliable use of the materials. Considerations that are taken into account in the development of such packages and materials include their resistance to heat, fire and moisture, as well as resistance to infiltration by rodents and pests, and the ability of the packages and materials to deter theft. The packages and packaging materials are also desirably relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and are preferably attractive enough to the customer in appearance, feel and touch to encourage use of the products as well as to enhance the product image or association.
However, it can be difficult to create packaging products that are both attractive to consumers and inexpensive to fabricate while also being sufficiently durable to meet the needs of retail and shipping use. For example, some lower cost packaging options are poorly configured to prevent theft because of minimal investment in protective structures. Examples of packages that may not be as great of a theft deterrent are common blister packages, and shrink-wrapped or flexible film style packaging. While clamshell style packaging is an example of more theft resistant packaging due to the typically higher gauge materials used therein, the packaging is also typically more expensive due to the use of the higher cost materials.
A further problem that exists with prior packaging products is that these products may not incorporate environmentally friendly materials and designs. Environmentally friendly materials can have desirable attributes such as biodegradability, compostability, a high recycled content, and may also use less energy, pollute less, and generate fewer greenhouse gases in their manufacture than previous materials. Such environmentally friendly materials are increasingly in demand from consumers and retailers, and can be beneficial for manufacturers by reducing adverse environmental impact of the material.
An example of an environmentally friendly material is ground calcium carbonate (GCC), which is a material that can be combined with bonding agents and extruded to form material layers. Environmentally friendly ground calcium carbonate extrusion materials include materials similar to ones with the tradename Via-Stone™ that is manufactured by Taiwan Lung Meng Corporation, which is incorporated into a synthetic commercial printing paper. The ground calcium carbonate material can be fabricated from natural sources, such as limestone, and can be biodegradable, and thus represents an advantage over other non-biodegradable and less environmentally friendly materials.
a through 1c show a blister card package 10 that incorporates an environmentally friendly ground calcium carbonate material in a non-composite form, and that is commercially available from One Source Industries in Irvine, Calif. The blister card package 10 is formed by adhering a front card portion 12a to a back card portion 12b, with the front card portion 12a having a cutout sized to fit a plastic “blister” 14 therethrough in which the retail product 16 is contained and displayed. The blister 14 has flanges 18 that are sealed in between the two card portions 12a and 12b to form a sturdy blister card package 10. In this embodiment, a front card portion 12a may be fabricated of a card of ground calcium carbonate containing material, and the back card portion 12b can be formed of a rigid paperboard card. The front and back card portions 12a, 12b can then be heat sealed together to join the cards in a limited surface area that is dictated by the heat sealing pattern at the interface between the two card portions 12a, 12b, thereby trapping the blister between the two card portions 12a, 12b. Adhesive or glue can also be applied at various regions of the interface between the front and back card portions, such as about the blister flanges 18 or about a periphery of the cards. The typically rigid card materials used for the back and/or front card portions 12a, 12b, and use of adhesive or other agents in the adhesion of the card portions 12a, 12b forms a rigid and stiff overall card package, which has the advantages of imparting theft and tear resistance to the blister card package. The ground calcium carbonate-containing material also imparts an attractive look to the blister card package, with the ground calcium carbonate material having the added advantage that it is environmentally friendly, and renders the package readily printable with advertising or product information.
However, a problem with such blister card products is that they are typically not as attractive to consumers in terms of look, feel and touch, as other less environmentally sound products, due to the rigidity and tactile unpleasantness of the stiff packaging. Also, some large club stores require that packages have designs with sufficient external strength to allow for vertical and other stacking of the packages in pallet pack layers, which can be difficult to achieve when incorporating a plastic “blister” portion into the packaging. The blister packaging also may not provide the best theft deterrence.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for retail and/or shipping packages that are durable and cost effective while also being attractive to consumers in terms of appearance and touch. There is also a need for retail and/or shipping packages that are durable and attractive while incorporating environmentally friendly materials and being resistant to theft.
The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above-identified deficiencies in the art. In this regard, the present invention is directed to an environmentally friendly storage article (e.g., a retail and/or shipping package) having a pliable composite structure that has a high degree of pliability and flexibility. The pliable composite structure has a base layer and a ground calcium carbonate-containing layer covering the base layer. The base layer and ground calcium carbonate-containing layer are shaped, sized and manufactured such that the pliable composite structure formed therefrom is sufficiently pliable and flexible to form the storage article. The pliable composite structure can be formed by adhering the calcium carbonate-containing layer to the base layer, and shaping the pliable composite structure into a desired component form. The pliable composite structure can be used in the fabrication of packages that are highly attractive in look and feel, while also having high durability.
In one version, the pliable composite structure is formed into the shape of a box for retail and/or shipping purposes. The pliable composite structure may also be formed into the shape of a container liner, a shipping mailer, a display or display tray, slip or tear sheets, pallet covers, corrugated structures and interior protective packaging components, and other retail and/or shipping components.
The present invention is best understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
These as well as other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein:
a is a schematic side view of a prior art blister card package showing a product held in a blister that is sandwiched between top and bottom card portions;
b is a schematic side view of the prior art blister card package of
c is a schematic front view of the prior art blister card package of
a-3b are side views of embodiments of pliable composite structures formed into the shape of at least one of a shipping box and retail box;
a-4b are side views of embodiments of containers having pliable composite structures formed into the shape of container liners;
a-6g are front views of embodiments of retail displays and display trays having the pliable composite structure;
a is a sectional side view of a corrugated structure having the pliable composite structure;
b is a sectional top view of the corrugated structure having the pliable composite structure of
Common reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and detailed description to indicate like elements.
The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and sequences of steps for constructing and operating the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments and that they are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention.
It has been discovered that environmentally friendly and attractive storage articles 20, such as for example retail and/or shipping packages, can be constructed at least in part from a pliable composite structure 22 having a high degree of pliability and flexibility. The pliable composite structure 22 has a base layer 24 and a ground calcium carbonate-containing layer 26 covering the base layer 24, as shown for example in
The pliable composite structure 22 can be formed by controlling the sizes, shapes and manufacture of the ground calcium carbonate-containing layer 26 and base layer 24 to form the structure 22. For example, a thickness of one or more of the layers 26, 24 can be controlled to provide more or less pliability in the resulting composite structure 22, with thinner layers typically being more pliable than thicker layers. The thicknesses of the layers are also selected with regards to desired durability requirements, with thicker layers providing more durability in some embodiments over very thin layers. A suitable thickness of the ground calcium carbonate-containing layer 26 that provides good pliability as well as durability of the pliable composite structure may be, for example, from about 2 to about 30 mils.
The manufacture of the layers 26, 24 is also controlled to provide layer compositions that impart the desired pliability in the pliable composite structure 22. For example, the composition and amount of bonding agent used in the formation of the ground calcium carbonate-containing layer 26 can be selected to provide the desired flexibility and pliability of the resulting composite structure 22. In one version, a type and prescribed amount of a bonding agent, such as a thermoformable bonding agent, can be added to the ground calcium-containing layer 26 that is sufficient to provide a composite structure 22 that is capable of being formed into a desired package shape by applying at least one of heat, pressure and vacuum, such as for example by at least one of thermoforming and vacuum forming. Suitable bonding agents that can be incorporated into the ground calcium carbonate-containing material include HPDE, bio-polymers, polylactic acids, and other bonding agents. The calcium carbonate of the ground calcium carbonate-containing layer 26 can be derived from a limestone source or other calcium carbonate-containing sources. The content of the base layer 24 is also selected to provide a base layer 24 that is sufficiently flexible for use in the formation of the pliable composite structure 22, while also being sufficiently durable to allow for at least one of retail and shipping use. The base layer 24 can be formed from materials such as paperboard, cellulosic fibers, chemical pulps, thermochemical pulps, natural starch-based foams, plastic, paper, felt, non-woven mats, kraft linerboard and fiberboard, among other materials. The size, shape and composition of the layers 26, 24 is selected to provide a pliability of the resulting structure 22 that is sufficiently high to allow for formation of storage articles 20 such as at least one of a retail package and shipping package that have an attractive look and feel, while still being sufficiently sturdy and durable for at least one of shipping and retail use.
As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, a “composite” material is a material comprising two or more substances having different physical characteristics, in which each substance retains its identity while contributing desirable properties to the whole. The term “composite” may especially refer to those materials for which each substance contributes desirable properties to the whole that are greater than the otherwise additive contribution of each substance in the absence of the other, in effect creating a material that has properties greater than the mere sum of its parts. This is in contrast to, for example, the prior art non-composite product shown in
The pliable composite structure 22 can be formed using a number of different manufacturing techniques. For example, a method of forming the composite can comprise a milling step in which paperboard or another base layer material is formed into sheets having the desired base layer content and thickness, and the resulting sheets are gathered onto rolls. The milling step can also include a process of extruding the ground calcium carbonate material into sheets having the desired chemical content and thickness, and gathering the resulting sheets into rolls. The milling step can further comprise lamination of the base layer material with the ground calcium carbonate material to form the pliable composite structure 22 having the base layer 24 and ground calcium carbonate-containing layer 26. The base layer 24 may be laminated with the ground calcium carbonate-containing layer 26 on one or more surfaces of the layer 24, such as on top and bottom surfaces 25, 27, or on only a single surface, as show in
In one embodiment, the pliable composite structure 22 that is used to form a storage article 20 such as at least one of a retail package 20 and shipping package 20 having printing formed on portions thereof, such as printed advertisements or information about the product contained therein. For example, the storage article 20 can have printing on one or both sides of the ground calcium carbonate-containing layer 26 and also or alternatively on one or both sides of the base layer 24. The printing can be carried out by well-known printing techniques, such as flexographic and lithographic printing. Storage articles 20 having pliable composite structures 22 with ground calcium carbonate-containing layers 26 can be attractively and brightly printed to increase consumer demand for the product as well as to convey important information about the product and contents to the customer. In this version, a printing step comprises feeding the base material or ground calcium-carbonate containing material through a printer. The printer can print on one or multiple surfaces of the material, and the same material can also be sent through the same or a subsequent printer.
The base layer material and ground calcium carbonate-containing material may also be subjected to a cutting step, either individually or as a part of the combined pliable composite structure, to form parts of the desired package shape. The cutting step can comprise die-cutting portions of the materials, or cutting portions of the material or composite sheets with a rolling blade, for example. The cutting step can also form smaller portions for multiple articles.
In further embodiments, the individual materials and/or pliable composite structure 22 are formed into a desired shape for the package 20 by molding under pressure, heat or vacuum. For example, in a vacuum molding process, the one or more of the material and composite is forced against a mold under the force of vacuum, such that the material or composite adopts a shape conforming to the mold. As another example, in a thermoforming process, the materials and/or composite are heated while pressed against a mold to deform the material until it adopts a desired shape. Such molding may allow the pliable composite structure 22 to adopt desired shapes, including even rounded or curved shapes. An example of a vacuum molding press 60 is shown in
In one version, the pliable composite structure 22 is formed into the shape of a component 33 comprising a box 28 for at least one retail and shipping, as shown for example in
In another version, the pliable composite structure 22 is formed into the shape of a container liner 30 for at least one of retail and shipping use, as shown in
In yet another version, the pliable composite structure 22 forms a part of a shipping mailer 34, such as an envelope used to ship documents and other objects through UPS, FEDEX, USPS, etc., as shown in
Other versions of storage articles 20 having the pliable composite structure 22 include display trays 36 and other sales displays 38, as show in
Other uses of the pliable composite structure 22 include its use to form corrugated structures 42, embodiments of which are shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the particular combination of components and steps described and illustrated herein is intended to represent only certain embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to serve as limitations of alternative devices and methods within the spirit and scope of the invention. Along these lines, it should be understood that the storage articles 20 having the pliable composite structure 22 may take any of a variety of forms that are known or later developed in the art, and further contemplates that existing or newly formed storage articles 20, such as newly formed retail and/or shipping packages, should fall within the scope of the present invention. Also, it should be understood that the base layer 24 and calcium carbonate-containing layer 26 can comprise various different materials such as other packaging materials and bonding agents that are other than those specifically described.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/956,690, filed Aug. 18, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60956690 | Aug 2007 | US |
