Abstract:
A sandwich-type blister card is provided to contain a product item such as a pliers or scissors with a handle extending outside the blister. The blister includes a wrap-around strap to secure a portion of the product item.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/100,587, filed on Jan. 7, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present application is directed to blister cards, and more particularly, to sandwich-type blister cards where the blister contains an item such as a tool with a part such as a handle extending outside the blister. The blister may have a flange, a portion of which may be wrapped around the handle. 
         [0003]    Merchandise items are often packaged on blister-type display cards. Such display cards may include a plastic blister to hold the product, and a printed paperboard card describing the product. The blister may be attached to the card, or may enclose the card. When tools are packaged in such display cards, it may be desired to have a portion of the tool exposed. This may be especially true with tools such as pliers, scissors, and the like where a handle may be left outside the blister so that a prospective purchaser may move the handle and observe the action of the tool. U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,805 to Fethke discloses a scissors housed in a blister attached to the front of a single card, with one of the scissors handles outside the blister. U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,551 to Theros discloses a clamshell blister that wraps around a card and pliers, with the handles of the pliers extending outside the clamshell blister at the bottom of the package. U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,417 to Seaton discloses a clamshell blister that wraps around a pair of gardening shears, with one handle extending sideways outside of the blister. 
         [0004]    The present invention involves a blister whose perimeter flange is sandwiched between two cards, with one or more openings in the blister through which part or parts of the product (such as handles) may extend. A portion of the blister flange may wrap around a part of the product (such as the handle. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In one aspect a blister card is disclosed for holding a content item, the blister card including a front panel with a window therein created by at least partly separating a cutaway portion from the front panel; a back panel attached to the front panel; a blister including a blister cavity and a peripheral flange, the blister cavity protruding through the window and the peripheral flange received between the front and back panels; wherein the cutaway portion is positioned between the blister and the back panel; and wherein an opening is formed in the blister cavity through which a portion of the content item may protrude. Additionally a portion of the blister flange, in the area of the opening in the blister cavity, is wrapped around the protruding portion of the content item. 
         [0006]    In another aspect, a method is disclosed for making a blister card holding a content item, the method including providing a front panel with a window therein defined by a cutline, and a back panel hingedly attached to a lower edge of the front panel; separating the cutaway portion from the front panel leaving a window in the front panel, and placing the cutaway portion onto the back panel in mirror registry with the window; placing into the window a blister having a cavity sized to receive at least part of the content item, the blister having a peripheral flange and a side wall, the side wall having a first opening and a second opening; inserting a content item into the blister card by threading a first portion of the content item through the first opening, with a second portion of the content item being received in the blister cavity and a third portion of the content items extending through the second opening; folding the back panel over upon the front panel, with the peripheral flange between the panels; sealing together the front and back panels around their periphery; sealing together the front and back panels just outside the cutaway portion; and sealing together the back panel and the cutaway portion where the cutaway portion extends beyond the blister. Additionally a strap portion of the blister flange, in the area of the opening in the blister cavity, is wrapped around the protruding portion of the content item and the end of the strap is sealed between the panels, in a gap provided in the flange. 
         [0007]    Other aspects of the disclosed packaging structures will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The attached Figures show blister cards including a blister sandwiched between a pair of cards. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1A  shows a plan view of a blank for making a front panel and back panel for a blister package; 
           [0010]      FIG. 1B  shows a plan view of the blank after moving a section of material from the front panel to the back panel, leaving an opening in the front panel; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2A  shows a plan view of a blister to be used with the blank of  FIGS. 1A and 1B ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2B  shows a perspective view of the blister of  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3A  shows the blister of  FIG. 2A  being placed onto the back panel and section of material of  FIG. 1B , 
           [0014]      FIG. 3B  shows how a strap portion of the blister flange may be wrapped under a product (not shown) received in the blister, and the front card folded over onto the back card and blister; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4A  shows the blister of  FIG. 2A  being placed into the opening in the front panel of  FIG. 1B , 
           [0016]      FIG. 4B  shows how a strap portion of the blister flange may be wrapped over a product received in the blister, and the back card folded over onto the front card and blister; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  shows the finished blister card (not yet showing the product that is actually held within); 
           [0018]      FIG. 6A  repeats drawing of  FIG. 4 , with the product now shown within the blister; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 6B-6C  show cross sections of certain details in  FIG. 6A ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  shows an example seal pattern for the blister card of  FIG. 6A ; and 
           [0021]      FIGS. 8A-8C  show plan views of example blank patterns. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    As various embodiments of the blister card are described, reference will be made to the attached Figures. Certain parts of the blister cards are denoted by reference numerals. Where there is more than one of the same feature, sometimes only one will be denoted by a reference numeral. Where assembly steps are described, these steps are exemplary and are not to be limiting as to the sequence of operations used to arrive at the final blister card. Also, directions such as up, down, top, bottom, front, back, etc. are used for convenience in describing the structure and are not meant to be limiting. In most cases the blister cards described here are made from one or several blanks (that is, the cut sheet parts from which the blister cards are made by folding and other steps). However, it should be understood that certain unitary blanks may be provided instead as more than one part, and certain blanks may be combined into single blanks, while still arriving at the same finished package. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1A  shows a plan view of a blank  1101  for making a blister card  1100 . The blank may include a front panel  1110  with a back panel  1120  hingedly attached through a fold line  1115  between the side edges of the panels. The front and back panels  1110 ,  1120  may each include a hang hole  1118 ,  1128 . An opening  1112  may be provided in the front panel  1110 . The opening or window  1112  may define a cutaway section  1114  (sometimes called ‘window waste’) in front panel  1110 . 
         [0024]    The cutaway section  1114  may be flipped over and transferred (as per arrow A 1 ) onto the back panel  1120  into a mirrored position ( FIG. 1B ) that will (after folding the panels along fold line  1115 ) bring the cutaway  1114  back into register with window  1112 . Cutaway  1114  may be temporarily held in place by a small amount of glue or other suitable method. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2A  shows a blister  1130  in plan view, and  FIG. 2B  shows the blister in perspective view. Blister  1130  may include a blister cavity  1134  with a face  1135  and a wall  1133 . The blister may have a peripheral flange  1132  extending partway around the blister. A first blister opening  1136  may be provided (e.g. in blister wall  1133 ) for a movable part of a content item, such as a first handle H 1  of a tool T (see  FIG. 5 ), to be housed in blister  1130 . A second blister opening  1138  may be provided for a stationary part of the content item, such as a second handle H 2  of the tool. The blister face  1135  may have an opening (not shown) to allow a prospective customer to touch a content item. However, for certain content items such as those having a sharp edge or a pinching action, it may be preferable not to have openings in the blister face  1135 . 
         [0026]    The blister flange  1132  may have a gap  1131  to receive a fold-around strap  1142  whose proximal portion may be attached to the blister at a strap fold or strap hinge  1144 . The fold-around strap  1142  may be folded or wrapped around a part of the content item T, such as handle H 1 . The distal end of fold-around strap  1142  may be received into gap  1131 . (Gap  1131  may also be omitted, but having the gap  1131  leaves the ‘flange’ area to have a single thickness at the gap  1131 , which otherwise would be a double thickness of flange that might be more difficult so securely seal. A portion  1132 A of the blister flange  1132  may continue after the gap  1131  (as shown in  FIGS. 2A-2B ), or the gap may be at an end of blister flange  1132  with portion  1132 A omitted. Thus the term ‘flange gap’ may be interpreted as an area where the flange  1132  does not extend, either being a discontinuity in the flange or an area just beyond the end of the flange, or another area where there is no flange. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3-7  illustrate example assembly steps for the blister card, as seen from the starting from an ‘inside’ view of the blank  1101  in  FIG. 3A  or  FIG. 4A . 
         [0028]    One assembly method is shown in  FIG. 3A  where blister  1130  is being positioned (as per arrow A 2 ) over the back panel  1120  and cutaway  1114 . The blister face  1135  is thus facing upward (toward the viewer) and the product contents would have been placed between the cutaway  1114  and the blister itself. 
         [0029]      FIG. 3B  shows the flange strap  1142  being folded (arrow A 3 ) under the content item (not shown) so that the distal end of the flange strap  1142  may come into position at the flange gap  1131 . Next, the front panel  1110  may be folded over (Arrow A 4 ) along fold line  1115  and onto back panel  1110 , with opening  1112  in front panel  1110  coming into alignment around the upward facing cavity of the blister. This will result in the assembled card  1100  shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0030]    Another assembly method is shown in  FIG. 4A  where blister  1130  is being positioned (as per arrow A 5 ) so as to drop the cavity and blister face  1135  through the opening  1112  in front panel  1110 . The product contents (not shown) can then be placed into the blister cavity. 
         [0031]      FIG. 4B  shows the flange strap  1142  being folded (arrow A 6 ) over and around the content item (not shown) so that the distal end of the flange strap  1142  may come into position in the flange gap  1131 . Next, the back panel  1120  and cutaway  1114  may be folded over (Arrow A 7 ) along fold line  1115  and onto front panel  1110 . When this finished structure is flipped over sideways, it will be the assembled card  1100  shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 6A  shows a tool  1160  housed in blister card  1100 . The blister face  1135  faces upward, with the blister cavity  1134  holding part of the tool  1160 , for example blades B within the cavity. Handles H 1  and H 2  are at least partly exposed, which allows a prospective customer to handle and even operate tool  1160 . The blister card may be designed as shown to leave the handles relatively unobstructed by the card. This may leave little or no room to seal blister flange  1132  at the lower end of blister card  1100 . To help secure tool  1160 , the flange strap  1142  may be wrapped around the handle H 1  and placed in the flange gap  1131  where it may be sealed (along with the rest of flange  1132 ) between the front panel  1110  and back panel  1120 . 
         [0033]    The cross section view of  FIG. 6B  shows a part of handle H 1  partially enclosed in blister cavity  1134 , with the blister flange  1132  sandwiched between front panel  1110  and back panel  1120 . The cross section view of  FIG. 6C  shows another part of handle H 1  located in blister cavity  1134 , with the flange strap  1142  wrapping handle H 1  and the distal end of flange strap  1142  sandwiched between front panel  1110  and back panel  1120 , in the space provided by flange gap  1131 . The proximal portion of the flange strap  1142  may be attached to the blister at a strap fold or strap hinge  1144 , which may have a different shape or cross section than shown in  FIG. 6C . 
         [0034]      FIG. 7  show a plan view of a seal pattern for sealing the front panel  1110  and back panel  1120  with the blister flange  1132  between the panels. Unshaded portions of the Figure may be left unsealed, such as area  1156 A generally bounded by opening  1112  in front panel  1110 , and generally corresponding to the location of the blister cavity  1134 . Certain other areas such as  1156 B may be left unsealed, for example to reduce pressing force on the sealing tool, or reduce energy if heat sealing is used. Area  1157  corresponding to hang holes  1118 ,  1128  needs no sealing. The cross-hatched area  1152  adjacent the opening  1112  represents an area where a panel-flange-panel seal may be achieved including front panel  1110 , blister flange  1132 , and back panel  1120 . This panel-flange-panel seal area includes subarea  1152 A where the distal end of strap  1142  may be secured. 
         [0035]    The lightly shaded areas  1154  of  FIG. 7  represent areas where a panel-panel seal may be achieved between front panel  1110  and back panel  1120 . This panel-panel seal area may include subareas  1158  and  1159  where the cutaway  1114  may be sealed to back panel  1120 . Otherwise much of the cutaway may be left unsealed since the blister and/or tool T would interfere with the seal pattern. (The boundaries of the cutaway correspond to the dashed lines shown in  FIG. 7  and also much of the opening  1112 ). 
         [0036]    The size, position, and shape of the window, the blister, and the blister opening or openings for the handle(s) may be set according to manufacturing preference. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 8A-8C  show several example blanks.  FIG. 7A  shows blank  1101 , as already described, where the front panel  1110  and its cutaway  1114  are hinged to back panel  1120  along a side edge of the blister card. This particular blank or similar blanks may be advantageous since the cutaway  1114  is left hinged to the structure.  FIG. 7B  shows another blank  1102 , where the front panel  1110  is hinged to back panel  1120  along an opposite side edge of the blister card.  FIG. 7C  shows another blank  1103 , where the front panel  1110  is hinged to back panel  1120  along a top edge of the blister card. 
         [0038]    Although the blanks may typically originate as single pieces, as shown, they may also be provided as multiple pieces. The blanks may be made of a sheet material such as paperboard, or of a tear-resistant paperboard such as MeadWestvaco NATRALOCK®. 
         [0039]    Blister  1130  may be made with common thermoform plastics such as PVC or APET but may also include a recycled material such as RPET or a biodegradable material such as PLA. However other materials including other plastics or paperboard may also be used. Besides thermoforming, the case or blister may be formed by injection molding or other manufacturing methods. 
         [0040]    One blank may be used, as shown in the examples, or more than one blank may be used. Where more than one blank is used, the blanks may be assembled in various stages, including assembling a unitary blank into a package, assembling separate blanks and then joining them to form a package, and joining two or more blanks together, for example by heat sealing, gluing, mechanical fastening, or otherwise and then forming the combined blanks into the package. 
         [0041]    The packages described herein may be assembled in stages at various locations, for example partially constructing the package, moving or shipping it to one or more other locations, and completing the assembly of the package. For example, a package may be formed into a flattened or collapsible structure, then moved or shipped to another location for final forming, filling, and closure. 
         [0042]    Portions of the blister cards may be made of one, two, or more layers of material. It is to be understood that additional layers of material may be used based on manufacturing preferences. Portions of certain panels may be folded over or around the portions of other panels, creating multiple layers of material.