Abstract:
A composite package structure having a paperboard cover and thermoformable inner tray is provided with a cut-out in the cover that exposes the transparent tray underneath, making the article inside and any graphics on it visible from the exterior. The package includes a spine so that it can fold like a book. The tray is provided with a pair of notches that provide relief from the stretching of the paperboard at the ends of the spine when the package is closed. The polymeric tray is preferably not glued or attached to the paperboard cover in the location of the spine so that the spine may buckle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to packaging, and more particularly to paperboard and plastic composite package structures that combine an intricate thermoformed tray with a paperboard base or cover.  
         [0002]     It is known in the field of composite package structures to make use of a thermoformed inner tray with a paperboard base or cover. Such structures of this type, generally, provide a lightweight package with a good printing surface on the outside of the package. An example of such structures is U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,512 (&#39;512) to Jones, entitled “Composite Package Structure for Containing Articles and Method for Producing Thereof.” The &#39;512 patent teaches a paperboard cover, a plastic inner tray, and a flexible spine that allows the package to be folded like a book. The tray is made of a polymer that can be thermoformed to hold a variety of articles such as compact discs, DVD&#39;s, and various children&#39;s toys. The paperboard cover functions as a base to provide structure for the polymer tray, and also provides a surface for the addition of printable graphics.  
         [0003]     It is often the case that the article to be contained within the package also contains one or more surfaces that include printable graphics. Compact discs, for example, generally have a printed surface with a listing of the track titles or a selection of artwork, and children&#39;s books with colorfully illustrated covers often come with additional accessories that require additional packaging. Due to the nature of the composite package structure, particularly the paperboard cover, the articles and any graphics printed on the actual articles are often not seen by a consumer until the product has been purchased and the package has been opened. The exterior surface of the paperboard provides a location to print graphics that will indicate the nature of the products inside, but often this simply results in the same images being printed twice, both on the paperboard cover and the actual article.  
         [0004]     A number of structural problems also exist in the typical composite package design. Particularly, binding and tearing often occur in the area of the flexible spine when the packages are repeatedly opened and closed. This is due to the dual layering of paperboard and polymer, because the paperboard is forced to stretch around the inner polymer tray in the area of the spine when the package is closed. The &#39;512 patent teaches that the paperboard should be adhered to the polymer tray in the location of the spine to provide strength and structure for the package. While it is true that some added strength will result from this, it also causes the paperboard and polymer to pull against each other and often prevents the package from closing properly, especially after numerous repetitions of opening and closing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,957 to Burcshweiger shows an extra radius in the paperboard in the area of the spine, such that the paperboard will not be stretched over the polymer when the package is closed. This design may eliminate the tearing and binding problems, but loses some of the structure that the composite package design was intended to provide, along with making a more cumbersome package.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The aforementioned problems are overcome by the present invention wherein a composite package structure is provided with a cut-out in the paperboard cover that exposes the transparent polymeric tray underneath, making the article inside and any graphics on it visible from the exterior. In addition, the package is provided with a number of alterations to the typical spine design that prevent the package from tearing or binding when closed without giving up structure or visual appeal.  
         [0006]     In the preferred embodiment, the package is a book-like package having a paperboard cover and a thermoformable polymeric tray. The base is thermoformed to provide one or more recesses to receive an article. One or more cut-outs are provided in the paperboard cover, corresponding with the locations of the article recess in the polymeric tray. The tray is preferably a transparent polymer, such that the article may be seen through the cut-out and the tray when the package is closed.  
         [0007]     In another preferred embodiment, a pair of notches in the polymeric tray are provided at opposing ends of the spine. The notches are cut from the tray only, so that the paperboard cover extends beyond the polymeric tray at the ends of the spine. The notches provide relief from the stretching of the paperboard at the ends of the spine, the most common location for tears to initiate. The visual appearance of the package is not altered because the paperboard cover hides the notches, and minimal structure is lost because only a small portion of the polymer is removed.  
         [0008]     In another preferred embodiment, the polymeric tray is not glued or attached to the paperboard cover in any manner in the location of the spine. This allows the tray to buckle slightly at the spine in relation to the paperboard, so that the paperboard does not have to stretch as far around the polymer while allowing the package to close without binding.  
         [0009]     The present design therefore provides a number of advantages. First, it allows a viewer to see a product and any graphics on the product while it is still in the package. Second, it maintains a paperboard cover for structural support and as an additional location for including graphics. Third, it reduces binding and tearing of the paperboard cover while maintaining structural and aesthetic qualities.  
         [0010]     These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the package in a closed position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a portion of the package in the closed position showing the area of the spine.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the package in the open position.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a portion of the package in the open position showing the area of the spine.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a portion of the package in the open position showing the area of the spine. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]     A composite package for containing and displaying articles is shown in  FIG. 1  and generally designated  10 . As illustrated, the composite package  10  is generally a book-like package that includes a paperboard cover  12  and a polymeric tray  14 . The cover  12  is attached to the polymeric tray  14  and defines at least one cut-out  22 . The polymeric tray  14  is generally transparent or translucent. It is attached to the cover  12  with a conventional adhesive, such as a heat-activated adhesive. The tray  14  includes one or more recesses  20  for holding a variety of articles (not shown) such as a book accompanied by a computer cartridge, or for providing structural support. The tray  14  also includes a flexible spine  24  that allows the book-like package  10  to close. The spine  24  includes opposing notches  26  at the ends and is not adhered to the cover  12 . In operation, the package  10  closes such that the cover  12  is on the outside and the tray  14  is on the inside. Any article that is enclosed within the recess  20  is visible through the cut-out  22  and the transparent tray  14 , as well as through the top, bottom or sides. The notches  26  and the lack of adhesive on the spine  24  reduce the tendency of the cover  12  to bind or tear when the package  10  is closed.  
         [0017]     The paperboard cover  12  is generally made from a cardboard material or the like, and preferably cut into a rectangular shape or another shape that can be folded like a book. Shown in  FIG. 1 , the cover  12  includes a first major surface  16  that is conventionally adapted to receive printed graphics, and a second major surface  18  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) that is capable of receiving a conventional adhesive and may also receive printed graphics. The surfaces  16  and  18  may or may not include a coating such as a varnish or other commonly used paperboard coating. Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the cover  12  also preferably includes upper and lower edges  32  and  34  and lateral edges  36  and  38 . A pair of parallel score lines  40  are preferably included at approximately half the distance between the lateral edges  36  and  38  so that the cover  12  may fold when the package  10  is closed.  
         [0018]     In a preferred embodiment, the cover  12  further includes at least one cut-out  22 . The cut-out  22  is generally located substantially between the score lines  40  and one of the lateral edges  36  or  38 . The shape of the cut-out  22  is generally designed to match the shape of an article that will be held and displayed in the package  10 , but may be any desired shape and may be large enough to reveal more than one article. An additional cut-out (not shown) can be defined in the spine region to permit viewing of the article through the spine.  
         [0019]     The tray  14  is preferably constructed of a polymer such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Barex®, copolyester, or any other plastic material that can be thermoformed to create a tray shaped to match the article of interest (not shown). The polymer is preferably at least partially transparent (i.e. transparent or translucent). Shown in  FIG. 3 , the tray  14  is preferably rectangular in shape and has generally the same the same perimeter dimensions as paperboard cover  12 . The tray  14  may, however, be other shapes depending on the desired function and the products to be held in the package  10 . The rectangle is divided approximately down the middle by a flexible spine  24 . The spine  24  essentially divides the tray  14  into a first half  15  and a second half  17 . Each half  15 ,  17  includes a peripheral flange  50  extending around the perimeter and a wall  51  defined by the flange  50  extending up from the flange  50  like a stair step. An additional step  52  is included on one half (shown on half  17  in  FIG. 3 ) that will fit into a complementary recess  54  on the opposing half  15 . Also shown in  FIG. 3 , protrusions  56  and catches  58  may also be included for holding the package  10  closed. In use, the protrusions  56  and catches  58  frictionally interfit when the package  10  is closed to retain the package  10  in the closed position. The tray  14  also preferably includes at least one recess  20  molded into the plastic to match the shape of the article, such as a computer cartridge, to be held in the package  10 . In the embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a number of article holding recesses  20  are shown on half  17 , these recesses  20  may all be used for holding articles or may simply provide structural support. Additional articles, such as a book, may be held in recess  54  of half  15 . Half  17  may additionally include a recess  60  to accommodate the spine of a book held in recess  54 . Each recess may include a cut-out  62  to facilitate removal of the article.  
         [0020]     The spine  24  is preferably a pair of parallel hinges  46  in the tray  14 . The location of the spine  24  preferably corresponds with the location of the score lines  40  in the cover  12 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the hinges  46  preferably include a radius  48  that allow the spine  24  to buckle slightly in relation to the tray  14  when the package  10  is closed. In a preferred embodiment, shown in  FIG. 5 , the spine  24  has opposing ends  56  that do not extend to the edges  32  and  34  of the paperboard cover  12 . The ends  56  are cut back from the edges  32  and  34  a substantial distance, forming opposing notches  26 . The flange  50  is therefore interrupted in the location of the notches  26 . Alternatively, the perimeter flange  50  may not extend to the edges  32  and  34 , leaving a substantial portion of the cover  12  extending past the edge of the tray  14 , particularly in the area of the spine  24 .  
         [0021]     The paperboard cover  12  and polymeric tray  14  are attached with a conventional adhesive. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive is an RF seal wherein heat is applied through the polymeric tray  14 . The adhesive may be applied in any location where the tray  14  and the cover  12  are in contact, but it is preferably applied between the cover  12  and the peripheral flange  50 . In another preferred embodiment the adhesive is not applied to the area of the flexible spine  24 .  
         [0022]     In operation, an article, for instance a computer cartridge (not shown), or plurality of articles, is placed into one or more of the article holding recesses  20  when the package  10  is in the open position as in  FIG. 3 . An additional article, such as a book, may be placed in recess  54 . The articles may contain printed graphics. The package  10  is then folded about the flexible spine  24  into a closed position as in  FIG. 1 . When the package  10  is closed, the articles inside are visible through the transparent tray  14  and the cut-out  22 . The opposing notches  26  provide relief to the cover  12  as it stretches around the spine  24 , and the spine  24  buckles slightly to provide further relief. More specifically, the absence of the spine at the edges of paperboard reduces the tendency of the paperboard to tear at the edges, a location where tearing commonly initiates. The alternative embodiment mentioned above also achieves this result by having a tray  14  that does not extend all the way to the peripheral edges  32  and  34  of the paperboard  12 , at least in the area of the spine  24 .  
         [0023]     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 to 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.