Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes, or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
  • B65D75/28—Articles or materials wholly enclosed in composite wrappers, i.e. wrappers formed by associating or interconnecting two or more sheets or blanks
  • B65D75/30—Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding
  • B65D75/32—Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding one or both sheets or blanks being recessed to accommodate contents
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes, or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
  • B65D75/52—Details
  • B65D75/58—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes, or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
  • B65D75/52—Details
  • B65D75/58—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture
  • B65D75/5855—Peelable seals

Definitions

• This invention relates to a thermoforraed package that can be easily opened. More particularly this invention relates to a thermoformed package that can easily be opened without the aid of any tools or similar aids.
• thermoformed packaging provides significant security against theft of the packaged item since it is difficult to remove the packaged item without the use of tools such as scissors or knives. Consequently pilfering of goods at the retail level is considerably reduced.
• thermoformed packaging can be displayed in many ways. These include sitting on a shelf or being held on a hook. They also can be locked onto a hook. This allows them to be displayed but yet to be secured.
• the negative aspect is that the purchaser has a difficult time in opening the package to remove the purchased item. A tool such as a scissors or a knife is needed. Then the thermoformed package must carefully be cut and destroyed to remove the item. This all assumes that the purchaser has the strength and the dexterity to use the tools to open the package.
• thermoformed package for the item but yet not frustrate the purchaser in opening the package.
• U.S. Patent 5,180,599 and U.S. Patent 6,436,499 a peelable adhesive is used between the two thermoformed layers. The adhesive will yield when the sections of the thermoformed package are pulled apart.
• U.S. Patent 6, 135,304 and U.S. Patent 6,276,529 disclose packages where there is a weakened area which will sever upon the application of a force. Once the weakened area is severed the package can be opened.
• U.S. Patent 5,018,622 discloses a thermoformed package having a front blister, a rear blister and a header.
• the header has a front layer and a rear layer with the front layer attached to the front blister and the rear layer attached to the rear blister.
• the fingers of one hand grip the front layer and those on another hand grip the slit of the rear layer to exert a peeling force.
• This does not provide a sufficient grip to open the package. The person's fingers will slip on the plastic of the package.
• the present package solves the problem and provides a convenient way to open a thermoformed package. This particularly is useful in environments where a person's hands are wet or may have a coating of a friction reducing substance such as a soap.
• the present package provides for a positive gripping of the thermoformed layers or sections so that they can be pulled apart.
• the invention comprises a package comprising a body portion having a first section and a second section, a peripheral edge on the first section and the second section and substantially surrounding the body portion, and an extension of the peripheral edge of the first section and the second section on at least one part thereof
• the extension of the peripheral edge of the first section and the second section having an aperture therein, the aperture of the first section and the second section preferably being in alignment.
• the apertures most conveniently are of a size and shape to accept the fingers of a person.
• the extension of the peripheral edge of the first section and of the second section are separate and are not bonded together.
• the peripheral edge of the first section and of the second section are splayed in opposite directions.
• the first section and the second section can have a similar or a different shape.
• the shape of the first section and the second section will be determined by the items to be packaged. Preferred items to be packaged are soap bars.
• the packages preferably are produced using a thermoforming process where the first section and the second section are molded separately.
• the two sections are then filled with the items to be packaged and the package sealed along the peripheral edge.
• the packaged item is a liquid that sets to a solid or other form
• the first section and second section are sealed together and the liquid inserted through a fill opening which subsequently is sealed.
• the package extension of the peripheral edge of the first section and the second section are not sealed together.
• a finger is placed through the aperture in the first section and in the second section and die sections are pulled away from each other. Once the package is opened die item is removed and the package can be discarded.
• Figure 1 is a front elevation view of the present package.
• Figure 2A is a side elevation view of the package of Figure 1.
• Figure 2B is a side elevation view of the package of Figure 2 showing the extension of the peripheral edges in a splayed orientation.
• Figure 3 side elevation view of the package being opened.
• Figure 4 is a side elevation view of the package partially open and a soap bar partially exposed.
• Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the package of Figure 4 fully open.
• Figure 1 is a front elevation view of the package 10 showing the first section 12, peripheral edge 16 and the extension 18 of the front peripheral edge 16.
• Figures 2A and 2B are side elevation views of the package of Figure 1.
• Aperture 20 is through the extension 18 of the first peripheral edge 16 and the through the extension 19 of the second peripheral edge 15 as seen in Figures 2A and 2B.
• the second section 14 and the second section peripheral edge 15 is shown in Figures 2A and 2B.
• the peripheral edge extensions 18 and 19 are not bonded together.
• the remainder of the peripheral edges 15 and 16 are bonded together to form the package.
• Figure 2B has several advantages over that of Figure 2 A.
• the splayed extensions 18 and 19 make it very evident that the package is opened as shown in Figure 3. Further since in many instances the package will be contained in a small carton the splaying of the extensions will allow the carton to be of a decreased size, allow more to be stocked onto a shelf, and save carton packaging material.
• Figure 3 shows the package 10 ready to be opened. A person's fingers are placed through aperture 20 in the in the extension 18 of the first peripheral edge 16 and the extension 19 of the second peripheral edge 15. The aperture 20 in each of the extensions of the peripheral edges 15 and 16 provides for positive grip in order to peel the first section 12 from the second section 14 to open the package.
• the package is shown as partially open in Figure 4 and fully open in Figure 5.
• the item packaged item here is a soap bar 22 which can be seen in both Figure 4 and 5. However, items other than soap bars can be packaged using this packaging concept.
• the packaging material for the first section and the second section can be essentially any thermoplastic. These include olefinic polymers and copolymers of ethylene, propylene, butenes and butadiene. A further class of useful thermoplastics are polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate. In addition styrenic polymers and copolymers can be used. These can be laminates or single films.
• the first section 12 and the second section 14, each along with their respective peripheral edges 16 and 15, are separately molded. At this point if the item to be packaged is a solid it can be placed into the first section 12 or the second section 14 and the peripheral edges 16, 15 of the first section 12 and the second section 14 sealed to form the package around the item.
• the peripheral edges 15, 16 are sealed with a small fill opening left open.
• the package then is filled and the fill opening sealed.
• the liquid in the package can remain a liquid, convert to a gel, or convert to a solid.
• the package is formed leaving a fill opening.
• a liquid soap composition that will set to a solid is filled into the package and the fill opening sealed. Over a period of several hours the liquid soap composition converts to a solid.
• the package serves as both mold and the final package for the soap bar.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Composite Materials (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=37890886

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (15)

Family Cites Families (37)

• 2005
  • 2005-11-08 US US11/269,099 patent/US20070102317A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2006
  • 2006-11-03 RU RU2008122981/12A patent/RU2008122981A/ru unknown
  • 2006-11-03 WO PCT/US2006/060528 patent/WO2007056693A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2006-11-03 BR BRPI0618332A patent/BRPI0618332A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2006-11-03 EP EP06839707A patent/EP1971534A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-11-03 KR KR1020087013472A patent/KR20080084936A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2008
  • 2008-05-29 ZA ZA200804690A patent/ZA200804690B/xx unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events