Patent Publication Number: US-9422101-B2

Title: Blister package with compartments

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/606,676 filed on Mar. 5, 2012, and Ser. No. 61/606,723 filed on Mar. 5, 2012, which are both hereby incorporated by reference in their respective entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present application is directed to paperboard packages and, more particularly, reclosable security packages with a twist-open feature. 
     Manufacturers and retailers of consumer goods, such as pharmaceuticals, software, electronics, health and beauty products and the like, typically package their products in tamper resistant security packages. For example, many consumer goods are packaged in blister or clamshell packages formed by positioning a consumer good in a flanged blister made from various polymeric and/or paperboard materials and sealing the flanged blister between two paperboard substrates. Consumers have voiced disapproval of such packages because of the difficulty of opening the same and the potential for being cut on a rough edge especially of plastic blisters. Packages may therefore be made based largely on paperboard, for example, NATRALOCK® packages. Packaging made primarily of paperboard is more sustainable than packaging made from petroleum-based plastics. The paperboard used in such packages may be tear-resistant as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 7,144,635. 
     Some blister packages may comprise a paperboard card and a blister. Especially when made with tear resistant paperboard, these packages can be quite secure and may require a tool such as a scissors or knife to open the package. Thus the secure structure of the packages may prevent in-store theft and tampering. However, after purchase, when the package has been cut to remove the product, the user may wish to still use the package around the house for occasionally storing the product. Such might be the case if the product is a small tool that is used occasionally, but is otherwise most conveniently kept in the package, for example due to safety reasons such as with replacement blades for a utility knife, or due to product protection for example with small flashlight bulbs that are easily lost or broken, or for orderly product storage, for example with many hardware items such as bolts, screws, etc which become lost or commingled if not kept in a package. If a security package has been cut open, it often becomes unusable or difficult to use for future storage of the product. Furthermore, even an unwanted product is returned to the retailer, the package may be damaged enough so that the retailer cannot sell it again (e.g. as discounted returned goods). It would be advantageous therefore to have a security package which, after opening, could still be returned to a closed configuration for containing its contents. Even with a less-secure or non-secure package or non-secure package, it may be desired to have a structure that permits the package to be returned to a closed configuration after accessing its contents. 
     The current application discloses a blister package that may be opened by rotating the blister, and after being opened, may be reclosed also by rotating the blister. U.S. application Ser. No. 13/300,015 filed on Nov. 18, 2011 discloses a blister package including a rotating one-piece blister which can be reversibly removed or replaced into the package. The present Application discloses a two-piece blister including an inner stationary portion and an outer rotatable portion. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect a package is disclosed which comprises a first card and a second card comprised of sheet material and partly sealed together, and a blister having one or more peripheral flanges trapped between the cards. The blister may include an inner blister portion that is stationary and an outer blister portion that may be rotated relative to the inner portion, to open or close the blister. 
     Other aspects of the disclosed packaging structures will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. 
     A reclosable feature is provided on a blister pack. The reclosable feature may allow consumers the ability to handle a product before purchase (i.e. to check sizing, texture, etc.), and may also allow the use of the package for storage of the product after purchase. In another embodiment for retail security packaging, a one time secure opening feature is provided which after opening acts as an indicator of an opened package, but the package is still reclosable. This initial one time security feature would meet the requirements of retail loss prevention groups for initial security packaging requirements. Having a reclosable feature allows the product to be repackaged for store returns, making the package and product able to be redisplayed as saleable merchandise. 
     A two piece case such as a thermoform blister may be used, which may fit between two cards or between the halves of a one-piece hinged card. However, case or “blister” as used herein is meant to also encompass container structures made by injection molding, stamping, pressing, and other methods. The blister peripheral portions may include flanges that may be trapped between two cards. An inner blister portion may include a flange that is sealed to one of the cards. An outer blister portion may include a flange that for the most part may lack any sealing to either card. 
     Using tear resistant board such as MeadWestvaco NATRALOCK® combined with the rotational blister closure may provide a retail security package with some degree of difficulty to open, which still after opening retains a neat appearance and is easily reclosed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of cards for forming a package; 
         FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C  are perspective views of alternative forms of cards for forming a package; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of blister portions for forming the package; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of alternative blister portions for forming the package; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective, exploded view of the cards of  FIG. 1  and blister portions of  FIG. 3 , showing an assembly alignment; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the finished package; 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of a glue pattern for assembling the package. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As various embodiments of the security package are described, reference will be made to  FIGS. 1-7 . Certain parts of the packages 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. If different packages have a common feature, it may only be described one time. Typically in these Figures, solid lines show edges, while dashed lines show hidden or partially obscured features. 
     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 package. Also, directions such as up, down, top, bottom, front, back, etc. are used for convenience in describing the package and are not meant to be limiting. In most cases the packages described here are made from one or several blanks (that is, the cut sheet parts from which the package components 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. 
     This blister package disclosed here may be used to package multiple product units while allowing access to one unit at a time. The package may include a front and back paperboard cards (or a single folded over card) which traps an inner and outer blister. The inner blister may be sealed between the cards, and the outer blister allowed to move or rotate about the inner blister. An aperture may be cut into the outer blister which provides an opening for access to the contents in the inner blister. Moving or rotating the outer blister may align the opening with one or more cavities of the inner blister to allow access to the contents of the inner blister. The aperture of the outer blister may also be aligned with a raised surface portion of the inner blister to hold the package closed. The indentations on the sides of inner and outer blisters can align with each other and correspond to the products in the inner blister such that in specific periodic positions the aperture is properly aligned with the contents. 
       FIG. 1  shows a top perspective view of certain parts of a package, including a front card  10  and back card  20 . An aperture  12  may be provided in the front card, to receive a case or blister as described below. The aperture may be circular or approximately circular. Hang holes  16 ,  26  may be provided on one or both cards. 
     Although front card  10  and back card  20  may be provided separately as shown in  FIG. 1 , they may also be provided as a single piece, for example, with the front card  10  and back card  20  joined along a hinge or fold line as shown in  FIGS. 2A-2C .  FIG. 2A  shows the cards joined side-by-side along fold line  15 A, while  FIG. 2B  shows the cards joined top-to-bottom along fold line  15 B. The cards may be formed in subsections, such as in  FIG. 2C  where the back card is made of subsections  20 A and  20 B joined to the front card  10  along fold lines  15 C. Other configurations are also possible for the cards. 
     The cards may be made of a sheet material such as paperboard, or of a tear-resistant paperboard such as MeadWestvaco NATRALOCK®. The cards may be similar in size and shape, for example both being rectangular as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The overall shape of the cards may be rectangular as shown, or any desired shape. The front and back cards may differ in size and shape, for example, the upper region of either card may be shorter than the upper region of the other card. This might be done for example to save material. If a hang hole is desired, a single ply hang hole may be sufficient and may be provided either as hang hole  16  in front card  10  (if the upper region of back card  20  is shortened), or hang hole  26  in back card  20  (if the upper region of front card  10  is shortened). 
     Aperture  12  in front card  10  may receive a case or blister  30  shown in  FIG. 3 . The blister may include an outer blister  30 A and inner blister  30 B. For example, outer blister  30 A and inner blister  30 B may have a circular cylindrical shape including a side wall  36 A,  36 B. The inner blister  30 B may be sized to fit within outer blister  30 A. A close fit between the inner and outer blisters may be advantageous. The outer blister  30 A may have an outer flange  32 A that may be sandwiched between front card  10  and back card  20 , without being sealed to either card, except for an optional lock tab  38 A extending from outer flange  32 A. A perforation or other weakness may be provided between the lock tab  38 A and the outer flange  32 A. Once the perforation  38 B is broken, as a first step in opening the package, the outer blister  30 A may then be free to rotate. 
     The inner blister  30 B may have an inner flange  32 B that may be sandwiched between front card  10  and back card  20 , and sealed to one or both cards at least along portions of the flange, to hold the inner blister  30 B stationary. The inner flange  32 B may be large, e.g. have a larger diameter, than the outer flange  32 A. In other words, inner flange  32 B may extend further outward than outer flange  32 A. A clearance notch  38 C may be provided in the inner flange  32 B, to align with the lock tab  38 A. If adhesive, heat sealing, or other fastening is applied to the peripheral edge of inner flange  32 B (to keep it stationary), but adhesive, heat sealing, etc. is not applied to the peripheral edge of outer flange  32 A (to allow its rotation), then the lock tab  38 A may extend into the sealed area and particularly into the clearance notch  38 C (where the lock tab  38 A may be sealed to temporarily prevent rotation of the outer blister  30 A. Once the perforation  38 B is broken, as a first step in opening the package, the lock tab  38 A is then broken away from outer flange  32 A, permitting outer blister  30 A to rotate. 
     The walls  36 A,  36 B of the blisters may include detents  34 A,  34 B which may engage one another to stop the rotation of outer blister  30 A at a number of preferred positions. For example, if there are five compartments within the package, and the detents may be positioned to stop the outer blister  30 A rotation at each compartment. There may also be a sixth position, such as a ‘closed’ position where none of the compartments are open. This closed position may also be served by a detent or detents. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the detents  34 A,  34 B may take the form of partially cylindrical indentations or grooves into the walls  36 A,  36 B. However, the detents may have other shapes such as rectangular channels (see  FIG. 4 ), or bumps (not shown) engaging depressions or holes formed in the walls  36 A,  36 B. Rather than having one detent for each compartment (and for the closed position), which form an intermittent engagement, the detents be smaller, more continuous shapes such as knurling or teeth (not shown) provided around part or all of the circumference of the walls  36 A,  36 B. Rather than having the detents in the walls of the blisters, the detents could also be provided on the top surfaces of the blisters. However, having detents on the walls also facilitates gripping the outer blister  30 A in order to rotate it. 
     The inner blister  30 B may include one or more compartments  40  for holding product items. The compartments may be delimited by compartment walls  42 . The shape and size of the compartment walls, if used, may be determined by manufacturing preference. The compartments may have optional compartment floors  44 . However, back card  20  may also serve as the floor of a compartment. 
     The outer blister  30 A may include a top surface  46  which serves to close the compartments  40 . However, an opening  48 A may be provided in top surface  46  through which to access the compartments. An optional, complementary stop feature  48 B may be provided in the inner blister  30 B. The stop feature  48 B may protrude slightly upward from the inner blister so that when the outer blister  30 A is moved to a closed position, the stop feature  48 B may move into or engage opening  48 A to secure the package in the closed position. The opening  48 A may be sized and shaped to permit passage of a product item stored within compartment  40 . The stop feature  48 B may be sized and shaped to fit into opening  48 A. 
     The blister may have a different shape from blister  30  shown in  FIG. 3 . For example,  FIG. 4  shows a blister  31  with similar features in outer blister  31 A, inner blister  31 B, but with detents  34 A,  34 B having a rectangular channel shape, and opening  48 A with stop feature  48 B having a triangular shape. 
     It may be advantageous for the blister to have an approximately circular shape to allow the blister (and outer flange  32 A) to rotate fairly easily. Approximately circular shapes, by way of example, could include polygons with about 12 or more sides. If the outer blister  30 A and inner blister  30 B fit closely, then an approximately circular shape will work well. If the outer blister  30 A and inner blister  30 B fit loosely, then non-circular shapes, such as polygons with fewer than about 12 sides, may also work. 
     Case or blister  30 ,  31  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. 
     Blister  30  may be sandwiched between front card  10  and back card  20  to form a securely closed package.  FIG. 5  shows an exploded view of the outer blister  30 A (to the front) and inner blister  30 B (to the back) positioned between front card  10  and back card  20 . Together the parts will make up package  1 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the finished package  1  where the cards have been brought together with the blister flanges sandwiched between the cards. The now hidden outer flange  32 A and inner flange  32 B are shown in dashed lines. The cards may be joined together by heat sealing, RF (radio frequency) sealing, ultrasonic sealing, adhesive, or other means. Such sealing may be done on most of the facing surfaces of the front and back cards (except the vicinity of outer flange  32 A as further described) or sealing may be done to less than the entire facing surfaces, for example only around the outer perimeter of the card, and along and outer perimeter of inner flange  32 B (but generally not sealing outer flange  32 A). 
     During shipping and handling, the lock tab  38 A may be adhesively secured to at least one of the front and back cards (or it could be stapled in place). After purchase, a customer may twist the outer blister  30 A in either direction with moderate force to break perforation  38 B and free the outer blister to rotate. The user may then rotate the outer blister  30 A relative to the (stationary) inner blister  30 B in order to access the contents of compartments  40 . The detents  34 A,  34 B may interact to pause rotation at each of the compartments. After the customer removes (or replaces) the contents out of/into a compartment, the outer blister  30 A may be rotated back to the closed position where stop feature  48 B may engage opening  48 A to hold the package closed. 
       FIG. 7  shows example glue patterns for a package. Although the glue patterns are shown on the back card  20 , glue could be applied to either or both cards. This particular example package is formed from a unitary (one piece) blank where front card  10  and back card  20  are joined along fold line  15 B (similar to  FIG. 2B ). Besides showing the blank/cards,  FIG. 7  also shows the relative positions of several approximately concentric features, annotated at the lower left of the Figure, from the outermost to the innermost as follows: inner flange  32 B of the inner (or bottom) blister, outer flange  32 A of the outer (or top) blister, aperture  12  in front card  10 , outer blister wall  36 A, and inner blister wall  36 B. Inner flange  32 B is shown with a circular perimeter, but since inner blister  30 B does not rotate, inner flange  32 B could have a different shape, such as a rectangular perimeter. Outer flange  32 A is also shown with a circular perimeter, which in the example of  FIG. 7  facilitates rotation of the outer blister. However, outer flange  32 A could have a different shape, particularly if inner flange  32 B is sealed only to back card  20 , and if front card  10 /back card  20  have sufficient space around aperture  12  to allow a different shaped outer flange  32 A to rotate. 
     Glue pattern  18  is shown as one of many glue patterns that may be used to seal together the perimeter (and/or other areas) of the front card  10  and back card  20 . Likewise glue pattern  19  is one of several glue patterns that may be used to seal, to one or both of the front and back cards, at least portions of the periphery of inner flange  32 B that extends outward of outer flange  32 A This will hold the inner blister  30 B stationary. However, the outer flange  32 A itself (except for optional lock tab  38 A that may be glued to one or both of the front and back cards) may be substantially free of attachment to either card, and able to be rotated. By “substantially free of attachment” it is meant that the outer flange is either completely free of fixed attachment to either card, or it may be temporarily attached in such a way that the attachment can be freed relatively easily without significant damage to the package, in order to allow the outer flange to rotate. If an optional lock tab  38 A is used, it may be secured, for example by gluing, to one or both of the front and back cards. Instead of, or in addition to the lock tab  38 A itself being glued, it may be restricted from rotating by adjacent portions of inner flange  32 B, which may be attached to the front and/or back card. Various methods may thus be used to interfere with rotation of the lock tab  38 A. However, in any case the optional lock tab  38 A may be broken loose from the outer flange  32 A by application of sufficient turning force on outer blister  32 A. The outer blister  32 A then becomes free to rotate. More than one optional lock tab  38 A may be used. 
     “Glue” is only one example of how the cards and blister flange may be attached together. Heat sealing, RF sealing, stapling, and other means may also be used. 
     Optionally, instead of or in addition to lock tab  38 A, one or more tack points may be provided such as tack point  37 A where outer flange  32 A is attached temporarily to one or both cards or to the inner flange  32 B to temporarily block movement of outer flange  32 A and outer blister  30 A. If such tack points are provided, they may be designed to break loose upon moderate force to allow the package to be thereafter open and closed. 
     It will be noted that the package has multiple layers including two layers over much of the front and back cards, three layers at the outer periphery of inner flange  32 B, and four layers including the outer flange  32 A. The front card  10  or back card  20  may be embossed to provide extra clearance for one or both flanges. For example front card  10  may be embossed around aperture  12  to provide extra clearance for the thickness of outer flange  32 A. 
     After opening, the package may be reclosed to a configuration suitable for again storing the contents (or other items) in the closed package. If a purchaser returns the package to the retailer, the retailer may be able to place the package back into inventory (for example as discounted “returned/opened goods”) since the reclosed structure still has a neat appearance and the package structure is still quite sturdy. 
     The front card  10  and back card  20  may be formed of a sheet material such as paperboard, which may be made of or coated with materials to increase its strength. An example of such a sheet material is NATRALOCK® paperboard made by MeadWestvaco Corporation. The sheet material may have a heat sealable coating, for example to allow a heat seal to be created between the front card  10  and back card  20 . Alternately, other forms of adhesive may be used to seal these cards together. It should be noted that the use of tear resistant materials, and/or in more than one layer, help to improve the tamper- and theft-resistance of the package. 
     The adjoining surfaces of front card  10  and back card  20  may be adhered together by heat sealing, RF sealing, ultrasonic sealing, gluing, or other adhesive. Back card  20  and front card  10  may, for example, be paperboard. The cards are shown with substantially the same perimeter, which may yield a package comprised of two layers of paperboard. However, portions of the package might only be single ply. One or both cards may comprise hang hole  16 , or it may be reinforced with additional layer. 
     Heat sealing together of the front and back cards may be accomplished by use of both heat and pressure. Heat sealing may be used on inner flange  32 B. Heat sealing may also be used along the periphery of front card  10  and back card  20 . Alternately heat sealing may be used on the entire adjoining surfaces of front card  10  and back card  20 , excepting leaving free the outer flange  32 A. 
     The features described in this application may be used alone or in combination with other package features. It is to be understood that a variety of materials may be used to form these packages. However, for sustainability purposes, a paperboard based material may be used and for improved theft deterrence a tear resistant paperboard may be used. Package materials may include tear-proof materials such as DURAFOLD® paperboard, tear-resistant materials such as NATRALOCK® paperboard, as well as other types of paperboard or plastic materials. The packages may be made of one or more layers of material, including but not limited to one, two, three or more layers of material. Different parts of the packages may comprise different materials and/or different numbers of layers. 
     The packages disclosed herein may be comprised mostly of paperboard, for example as described in International Application PCT/US08/051245. The paperboard used in such packages may be tear-resistant as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 7,144,635. 
     The packages disclosed herein may be made from one or several blanks (that is, the cut sheet parts from which the package components 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. 
     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. 
     It is to be understood that certain packages may be one continuous piece of material, and other packages may comprise two or more pieces of material. It is to be understood that a package may be heat sealed even where a heat sealed surface is in contact with a non-heat sealable surface. It is to be understood that in such a situation such an adhesion will strengthen the package, though it may not strengthen it as much as heat sealing between two heat sealable surfaces. 
     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. 
     Portions of the packages 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 cards may be folded over or around the portions of other cards, creating multiple layers of material. 
     It should be understood that additional foldover cards may be included in the package blanks for further reinforcing the packages. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed blister packaging structures may provide a theft deterrent function at least for a few moments, while providing legitimate consumers with packages easy to open in a reasonably short time. 
     To provide additional tear resistance protection, any of the materials used in these designs could be provided with overt or hidden features such as nicks, scores, perforations, holes, or other diverting features such that if a tear is initiated in the packaging material, it will not propagate in a direction more likely to breach the package, but may be rerouted by the diverting feature or features in a direction less likely to breach the package. Alternately the diverting feature may stop the tear, slow the progression of the tear, or cause it to take a meandering path, thus lengthening the time it may take to eventually breach the package, and thereby discouraging a thief. Certain tear-diverting features are described in PCTUS09049536. 
     It is to be understood that a variety of features may be used on any of these package designs as determined by manufacturing preferences. One or more reinforcing layers of paperboard or other material may be placed between layers of a package, for example between the front and back cards of a card-type package, for example at the hang hole location, as described in PCT/US08/066517. Although various aspects of the disclosed blister packaging structures have been shown and described, modifications may occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification.