Patent ID: 8047368

Claim:
A vacuum skin packaging comprising: a product support member, and a vacuum skin laminate for sealing to the product support member to package a product therein, wherein the vacuum skin packaging laminate comprises: (a) a first film integrally formed in the laminate, a second film integrally formed in the laminate and an adhesive bonding the first film to the second film; and (b) an adhesive-free interfacial section between the first and second films comprising an unbound portion of the first film and an unbound portion of the second film; wherein the unbound portion of the first film includes at least one perforation, cut or score-line, extending through the entire thickness of the first film, and the unbound portion of the second film is free of a perforation, cut and score-line; and wherein the vacuum skin packaging laminate has (c) an unsealed state where the laminate is not sealed to the product support member and a sealed state where the laminate is sealed to the product support member; (d) wherein when the laminate is in the unsealed state and a lay-flat condition, the unbound portion of the first film is separated from the unbound portion of the second film by a distance no greater that the thickness of the adhesive bonding the first film to the second film; and wherein the vacuum skin packaging is formed that when the laminate is in the sealed state, the unbound portion of the first film is separated from the unbound portion of the second film by a distance greater that the thickness of the adhesive bonding the first film to the second film, and the unbound portion of the second film is disposed substantially horizontal above the base of the product support member and has a thermoformable film-surface which is conformed to the shape of the product in response to application of heat and differential air pressure thereto.