Abstract:
A packaging structure is disclosed. In accordance with one aspect, the structure includes a blister ( 16 ) including a flange ( 20 ) and a body portion ( 22 ), a front card ( 12 ) defining a blister receiving opening and a first hang tab notch ( 30 ) therein, the blister receiving opening being sized and shaped to receive the body portion therethrough and prevent passage of the flange OC therethrough. The structure also includes a rear card ( 14 ) defining a second hang tab notch ( 36 ) therein; and a hang tab reinforcement card ( 18 ) defining a third hang tab notch ( 42 ) therein, wherein the first, second and third hang tab. notches are generally aligned and the front card is sealed to the rear card to secure the flange and the hang tab reinforcement card therebetween. Various substrates may be used to form the packaging structure. The structure may be provided with internal or external coatings to provide strength, printability, and adhesion between the various parts.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 60/943,185 filed on Jun. 11, 2007 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present application is directed to blister card packaging structures and, more particularly, to trap sealing blister card packaging structures having a reinforced hang tab portion. 
         [0003]    Various consumer goods, such as pharmaceuticals, software, electronics, health and beauty products and the like, typically are packaged in trap sealing blister card packages. Traditionally, trap sealing blister card packages are formed by positioning a consumer good in a flanged blister and sealing the flanged blister between two cards. 
         [0004]    Retailers have begun using such trap sealing blister card packages in connection with locking peg hooks designed to prevent product theft. Such locking peg hook systems require the consumer to have the packaged product removed from the display by a store clerk before purchasing the product. However, thieves have been able to circumvent the locking peg hooks by simply tearing or cutting the hang tab section away from the package 
         [0005]    Accordingly, there is a need for a blister card packaging structure having a reinforced hang tab portion capable of meeting security requirements at a relatively low cost. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In one aspect, the disclosed blister card packaging structure may include a blister including a flange and a body portion, a front card defining a blister receiving opening and a first hang tab notch therein, the blister receiving opening being sized and shaped to receive the body portion therethrough and prevent passage of the flange therethrough, a rear card defining a second hang tab notch therein, and a hang tab reinforcement card defining a third hang tab notch therein, wherein the first, second and third hang tab notches are generally aligned and the front card is sealed to the rear card to secure the flange and the hang tab reinforcement card therebetween. 
         [0007]    Other aspects of the disclosed blister card packaging structure will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of the components of one aspect of the disclosed blister card packaging structure; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the components of the blister card packaging structure of  FIG. 1  in a pre-assembled configuration; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the blister card packaging structure of  FIG. 2  in the fully assembled configuration; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of an alternative aspect of the blister and hang tab reinforcement card of the disclosed blister card packaging structure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , one aspect of the disclosed blister card packaging structure, generally designated  10 , may include a front card  12 , a rear card  14 , a blister  16  and a hang tab reinforcement card  18 . In the assembled configuration, the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may be positioned between the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  to provide structural support to the packaging structure  10 . 
         [0013]    The blister  16  may include a flange  20  and a body portion  22 . The body portion  22  may define a storage chamber in which various items, such as consumer goods, may be received. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the body portion  22  may be formed into various shapes and sizes, such as a hemispherical bubble, a rectangular box or other regular or irregular shapes. The shape and size of the body portion  22  of the blister  16  may be dictated by the items to be packaged in the packaging structure  10 . 
         [0014]    In one aspect, the blister  16  may be formed by thermoforming a paperboard substrate into the desired shape and configuration. Optionally, the paperboard substrate may be coated with or otherwise include additional layers and/or materials, such as printable coatings, polymeric coatings, tear resistant layers and the like. In another aspect, the blister  16  may be formed from a polymeric material using, for example, a stamping process, an injection molding process or the like. At this point, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the blister  16  may be formed from a wide variety of materials using a wide variety of processes. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the front and rear cards  14 ,  16  may be formed as separate pieces. Alternatively, the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  may be formed from a single continuous piece of material and may be separated by a fold line (not shown). For example, the cards  12 ,  14  may be formed by die cutting a bulk supply sheet, though those skilled in the art will appreciate that any available means for forming cards  12 ,  14  may be used. 
         [0016]    Furthermore, while the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  are shown in  FIG. 1  as defining a generally rectangular periphery in top view, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  may be formed into various sizes and shapes depending upon the application of the packaging structure  10 . 
         [0017]    The front card  12  may include an outer surface  24  and an inner surface  26  and may define an opening  28  therein sized and shaped to receive the body portion  22  of the blister  16  therethrough, while preventing the flange  20  of the blister  16  from passing therethrough. Additionally, the front card  12  may define a hang tab notch  30  therein. The rear card  14  may include an outer surface  32  and an inner surface  34  and may define a hang tab notch  36  therein. 
         [0018]    The front and rear cards  12 ,  14  may be formed from any conventional blister package substrate such as a paperboard substrate. Examples of suitable paperboard substrates include solid bleached sulfate (SBS), folding boxboard and recycled board, whether bleached or unbleached. For example, the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  may be formed from or may include a SBS board having a thickness of about 10 to about 30 points. 
         [0019]    The outer surfaces  24 ,  32  of the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  may be coated with a printable coating selected for compatibility with the desired printing method and the selected substrate from which the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  are formed. For example, the outer surfaces  24 ,  32  of the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  may be coated with clay, calcium carbonate or combinations thereof. 
         [0020]    The inner surfaces  26 ,  34  of the front and/or rear cards  12 ,  14  may be coated with a sealing material. The sealing material may be any material that may form a seal between the inner surfaces  26 ,  34  of the front and rear cards  12 ,  14 . In one aspect, the sealing material may be an adhesive (e.g., a pressure sensitive adhesive or a curable adhesive). In another aspect, the sealing material may be a material that melts and seals to adjacent substrates or layers upon the application of heat, radio frequency energy and/or ultrasonic energy. Examples of useful sealing materials include ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA), copolymers of EVA and EMA, and combinations of EVA and/or EMA and other polymers or materials, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, ethylene acrylic acid, ethylene methacrylate, ethylene ethyl acrylate and ethylene n-butyl acrylate. 
         [0021]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the front and/or rear cards  12 ,  14  may include additional layers or materials without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the front and/or rear cards  12 ,  14  may include a tear resistant layer or material to provide improved package security. For example, the front and/or rear cards  12 ,  14  may include an oriented film layer, such as a layer of biaxially oriented polyester film sold under the mark MYLAR® (E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Del.) to provide tear resistance. 
         [0022]    The hang tab reinforcement card  18  may include a top surface  38  and a bottom surface  40  ( FIG. 2 ) and may define a hang tab notch  42  therein. In the assembled configuration, the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may be positioned between the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  and the hang tab notch  42  of the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may be generally aligned with the hang tab notches  30 ,  36  of the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  to provide tear/cutting resistance to the hang tab  44  ( FIG. 3 ) of the assembled package  10 . 
         [0023]    In one aspect, the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may have a shape or profile in top view ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ) that closely resembles the shape or profile of the hang tab region  46  ( FIG. 3 ) of the front and/or rear cards  12 ,  14 . For example, when the hang tab region  46  of the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  is generally rectangular in top view, the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may also be generally rectangular in top view, though somewhat smaller to facilitate sealing between the edge of the hang tab reinforcement card  18  and the edge of the cards  12 ,  14 . 
         [0024]    The hang tab reinforcement card  18  may be formed from a generally rigid or semi-rigid material and may have a thickness T adapted to resist tearing and cutting. The thickness T may be selected to provide tear/cutting resistance without excessive bulk. In one exemplary aspect, the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may have a thickness T of about 10 to about 50 points. In another exemplary aspect, the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may be formed from a polymeric material, such as high density polyethylene or polypropylene. In another exemplary aspect, the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may be formed from a tear-resistant paperboard material, such as a high density paperboard coated with a tear-resistant polymeric film (e.g., an oriented polymer film). In another exemplary aspect, the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may be formed from a metallic material. 
         [0025]    While those skilled in the art will appreciate that various techniques may be used to form the hang tab reinforcement card  18 , exemplary techniques include stamping, die cutting and the like. 
         [0026]    The top and/or bottom surfaces  38 ,  40  of the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may be coated with a sealing material (e.g., an adhesive or heat sealing material), similar to the inside surfaces  26 ,  34  of the cards  12 ,  14 , such that the hang tab reinforcement card  18  is secured to the cards  12 ,  14  during the final assembly process. Alternatively, the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may be secured to one or more of the cards  12 ,  14  using an adhesive or the like prior to the final assembly of the packaging structure  10 . Still alternatively, the hang tab reinforcement card  18  may be secured to one or more of the cards  12 ,  14  during the final assembly process (e.g., during heat sealing). 
         [0027]    In one aspect, the packaging structure  10  may be assembled by (1) positioning the body portion  22  of the blister  16  through the opening  28  in the front card  12  such that the flange  20  of the blister  16  is positioned between the inner surfaces  26 ,  34  of the front and rear cards  12 ,  14 , (2) positioning an item (e.g., a consumer good) into the body portion  22  of the blister  16 , (3) positioning the hang tab reinforcement card  18  between the inner surfaces  26 ,  34  of the front and rear cards  12 ,  14 , (4) aligning the front card  12 , the rear card  14  and the hang tab reinforcement card  18  such that the associated hang tab notches  30 ,  36 ,  42  are generally aligned, and (5) applying heat, radio frequency energy, ultrasonic energy, microwave energy and/or mechanical pressure to the mating portions of the front and rear cards  12 ,  14  to seal the hang tab reinforcing card  18  and flange  20  of the blister  16  therebetween. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , in an alternative aspect of the disclosed blister card packaging structure, the blister and hang tab reinforcement card may be formed as a single, integral structure  50 . The integral blister/hang tab reinforcement structure  50  may include a flange  52  extending about the periphery of a body portion  54 . An elongated portion  56  of the flange  52  may extend from the body portion  54  to function as the hang tab reinforcement card  18  shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The elongated portion  56  of the flange  52  may define a hang tab notch  58  therein sized and shaped to generally align with the hang tab notches  30 ,  36  of the front and rear cards  12 ,  14 . 
         [0029]    Accordingly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that incorporating a hang tab reinforcement into the disclosed blister card packaging structure may provide resistance to tampering and theft at a relatively low cost. 
         [0030]    Although various aspects of the disclosed blister card packaging structure have been shown and described, modifications may occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification.