Patent Publication Number: US-2009223840-A1

Title: Blister display pack using molded pulp as backing material

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to product packaging, and in particular, it relates to packaging for products suitable for store merchandising. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional blister pack for product packaging and display typically has a clear plastic container with a flat insertion portion held between two flat sheets and a chamber portion protruding from a cut in one or both of the flat sheets for holding the product being sold or displayed. The flat sheets are typically made of corrugated cardboard, SBS board and/or other materials, and at least one sheet provides structural support for the display pack. The flat sheets are of a size that makes the package suitable for store display. The product may be removed by separating the two flat sheets or by cutting open the flat sheet or the plastic container. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an improved blister display pack. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a blister display pack that uses a molded pulp backing material. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the descriptions that follow and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims thereof as well as the appended drawings. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a display pack for a product, which includes a first and a second backing sheet made of a molded pulp material, at least one backing sheet defining at least one cutout, the first and the second backing sheets being join together by an adhesive material; and at least one container having a flat insertion portion and a chamber portion for holding the product, the insertion portion being held between the two backing sheets and the chamber portion protruding from one of the backing sheets via the cutout. One or both of the backing sheets may have raised or recessed features formed thereon to enhance strength and rigidity. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a display pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the display pack of  FIG. 1  taken along the direction A-A. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  show the display pack of  FIG. 1  in an unassembled state. 
         FIGS. 4A-4C  schematically illustrate the cross-sectional shape of the raised or recessed features on the display pack. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide a blister display pack that uses molded pulp as the backing material.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a display pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the display pack of  FIG. 1  taken along the direction A-A (In  FIG. 1B , the gaps between the various parts are exaggerated for clarity).  FIGS. 3A and 3B  show the display pack of  FIG. 1  in an unassembled state. As shown in  FIGS. 1-3B , the display pack  10  includes two generally flat backing sheets  11  and  12  adhered to each other to form a support panel. Each backing sheets  11 ,  12  has a cutout portion  11   a ,  12   a  (backing sheet  11  is shown in  FIG. 3A and 3B ). The display pack also includes two containers  13  and  14  each having a flat insertion portion  13   a ,  14   a  held between the two backing sheets  11  and  12  and a chamber portion  13   b ,  14   b  protruding from the cutout portion  11   a ,  12   a , respectively, to form a space to house the product  20 . Although  FIGS. 1A and 1B  show two containers  13  and  14  forming one space to house the product, the display pack  10  may alternatively have only one container protruding from one of the two backing sheets  11  and  12 , in with case the other backing sheet does not have a cutout. As another alternative, the display pack  10  may have more than two containers protruding from a corresponding number of cutouts on one or both backing sheets. The number of containers and their arrangements on the backing sheets depend on the product being packaged. 
     The containers  13 ,  14  are preferably made of a clear plastic material. In one preferred embodiment, the clear plastic material is vacuum formed plastic made of recycled water bottle flakes. 
     The backing sheets  11  and  12  are made of molded pulp. Molded pulp, also referred to as molded fiber, is a packaging material typically made from 100% recycled corrugated board and/or newspaper. The recycled corrugated board or newspaper is soaked and formed into a paper pulp, and molded into a desired shape. Molded pulp is widely used for protective packaging and for food service trays and beverage carriers. Preferably, due to environmental concerns, the pulp used in this application is unbleached. The molded pulp backing sheets  11  and  12  may have any suitable thickness, depending on the size of the display pack  10 . In one particular example, each molded pulp backing sheet is about 1/16 inches thick for a display pack of about 6 by 10 inches in size. 
     The molded pulp backing sheets  11  and  12  are formed into desired shapes to provide enhanced strength and rigidity for the display pack  10 . Preferably, raised or recessed features  11   b  and  12   b  are formed in the backing sheets  11  and  12 . Viewed from a direction perpendicular to the backing sheets, these raised or recessed features  11   b  and  12   b  preferably have elongated shapes extending across a substantial portion of the backing sheets. In the example shown in  FIG. 1A , a raised feature  11   b  is shown as extending along and near the four edges of the display pack  10 . In one particular example, the backing sheets are about 10 by 6⅜ inches in size, and the raised feature around the edges is about ½ inches wide and about ⅜ inches from the edges. The arrangement of the raised or recessed features will depend on the shape of the backing sheets  11  and  12  and the sizes and locations of the outputs  11   a  and  12   a.    
     The cross-sectional shape of the raised or recessed features, viewed along the plane of the backing sheets, may be a variety of shapes, some of which are schematically illustrated in  FIGS. 4A-4C .  FIG. 4A  shows a portion of the two backing sheets  11  and  12  having respective raised features  11   b   1  and  12   b   1 , which correspond to each other in locations and are indented (protrude) in opposite directions in the assembled display pack, forming a hollow channel therebetween. The cross-sectional shape of the raised features shown in  FIG. 4A  is rounded, but it may also be triangular or rectangular, or any other suitable shape.  FIG. 4B  shows a portion of the two backing sheets  11  and  12  having respective raised features  11   b   2  and  12   b   2 , which correspond to each other in locations but are indented in the same directions so that one is nested in the other in the. As a result, the assembled display pack has a raised feature on one surface and a corresponding recessed feature on the opposite surface.  FIG. 4C  shows a portion of the two backing sheets  11  and  12  having respective raised features  11   b   3  and  12   b   3 , where the raised feature  11   b   3  corresponds to a flat area of the backing sheet  12  and the raised feature  12   b   3  corresponds to a flat area of the backing sheet  11 . In  FIGS. 4B and 4C , the cross-sectional shapes of the raised and recessed features are rounded, but they may also be triangular, rectangular, or any other suitable shape. In this respect, although the backing sheets are described as being generally flat, they may have many non-flat features or areas. 
     In the assembled display pack, the backing sheets  11  and  12  are adhered together by an adhesive material. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive is a heat sensitive water based adhesive. One example is an adhesive made by Coating and Adhesive Corporation, product No. 207-C-Enviroshell. A heat sealer device may be used to activate the adhesive and seal the two backing sheets  11  and  12  together. Other suitable adhesives may be used. The adhesive material is applied to at least a peripheral area of the backing sheets near the edges of the display pack. It may additionally be applied to other (interior) areas of the backing sheets, or over the entire area of the backing sheets. 
     Preferably, the edge portions of the backing sheets are treated to increase their tear resistance of the display pack. In one embodiment, the adhesive material used to seal the two backing sheets is selected such that it increases the tear resistance of the display pack. The water based adhesive mentioned above achieves such a result. In another embodiment, polyethylene (PE) or polylactic acid (PLA) is applied (e.g. sprayed) around the edges of the backing sheets or over the entire backing sheets. It may be applied on the inside or the outside surface of the backing sheets and on either or both sides of the display pack. The material may be applied before or after sealing. As mentioned above, the PE or PLA materials can be used to increase tear resistance, but they should be used as little as possible so that the display pack is more environmentally friendly. 
     Optionally, for a better appeal, printed sheets such as paper may be adhered to the backing sheet on one or both sides of the display pack, preferably in the flat areas of the backing sheets. The molded pulp backing sheets can also be directly printed on. The display pack may be pegged for retail sale or be insert in trays for club stores. As another option, small plant seeds may be embedded in the molded pulp backing sheets so that the backing sheets can be planted after use. There have been products such as greeting cards where small plant seeds are embedded in the paper, making it suitable for planting. 
     As compared to conventional blister packs, blister packs using molded pulp backing sheets according to embodiments of the present invention use more recycled materials and are more environmentally friendly. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modification and variations can be made in the display packs of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.