Product packaging having a non-thermoformed blister-like compartment and methods for making same

Abstract

A product package is described for enclosing an item in a non-thermoformed blister-like compartment. Also described are approaches for making the package. According to various aspects of the described package and manufacturing techniques, a blank is cut out of a sheet of see-through plastic material, the blank having a plurality of panels and flange sections such that the blank can be formed, without thermoforming, into a blister-like compartment having a plurality of panels defining an enclosure with a mouth at its base and a flange at the mouth's perimeter. The blank may include printing, cutouts, perforations, or other features. The blank is then folded into a blister-like compartment and loaded with the item to be packaged. A backing is positioned to enclose the loaded blister-like compartment and affixed to the flange.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A package, comprising: 
 a backing; and    a blister-like compartment including a plurality of panels defining an enclosure with a mouth at its base, the blister-like compartment further including at the mouth's perimeter a flange that is affixed to the backing,    the blister-like compartment being formed, without thermoforming, from a blank that has been cut from a sheet of see-through plastic material.    
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed has been printed upon such that printing appears on one or more panels of the blister-like compartment.  
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the printing includes a design.  
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the printing includes text.  
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein a portion of the panels of the blister-like compartment does not have printing thereon.  
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the backing is a card.  
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 6 , wherein the card is coated with a heat-sealing material that is used to affix the flange to the card.  
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 6 , wherein the flange is coated with a heat-sealing material that is used to affix the flange to the card.  
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 6 , wherein the card and the flange are coated with a heat-sealing material that is used to affix the flange to the card.  
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the blister-like compartment comprises a front panel having defined edges and a plurality of secondary panels, each secondary panel, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, extending in an outward direction from a respective edge of the front panel and including an outer edge, the outer edges of the secondary panels defining the mouth of the blister-like compartment.  
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 10 , wherein the front panel edges are straight.  
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the front panel edges is curved.  
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 10 , wherein the flange comprises a plurality of flange sections, each flange section, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, extending in an outward direction from the outer edges of the secondary panels.  
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 10 , wherein each secondary panel includes a pair of lateral edges, each lateral edge abutting a lateral edge of an adjacent secondary panel in the blister-like compartment.  
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 14 , wherein the blank includes a plurality of flaps each extending from a secondary panel, each flap being positioned such that when the blank is formed into a blister-like compartment, the flap is folded such that it abuts a secondary panel adjacent to the secondary panel from which the flap extends, thereby covering any opening between the lateral edges of the two secondary panels.  
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 15 , wherein each flap is folded such that it abuts an inner surface of the adjacent secondary panel.  
     
     
         17 . The package of  claim 16 , wherein each flap is sealed to the inner surface of the adjacent secondary panel.  
     
     
         18 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the blister-like compartment is formed, without thermoforming, from a blank that has been cut from a sheet of see-through plastic material, the blank including perforations therein that define a tear strip in the blister-like compartment.  
     
     
         19 . The package of  claim 18 , 
 wherein the blister-like compartment comprises a front panel having defined edges and a plurality of secondary panels, each secondary panel, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, extending in an outward direction from a respective edge of the front panel and including an outer edge, the outer edges of the secondary panels defining the mouth of the blister-like compartment, and    wherein a first and second of perforations are located at opposite edges of the front panel, such that the entire front panel functions as a tear strip.    
     
     
         20 . The package of  claim 19  further including a finger grip extending from the front panel.  
     
     
         21 . The package of  claim 19 , 
 wherein the flange comprises a plurality of flange sections, each flange section, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, extending in an outward direction from the outer edges of the secondary panels, and    wherein a first and second set of perforations are located on either side of a secondary panel, the first set of perforations located at the edge of the front panel from which the secondary panel extends and the second set of perforations located at the outer edge of the secondary panel from which the flange section extends, such that the secondary panel functions as a tear strip.    
     
     
         22 . The package of  claim 21  further including a finger grip extending from the secondary panel.  
     
     
         23 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the blister-like compartment is formed, without thermoforming, from a blank that has been cut from a sheet of see-through plastic material, the blank including a foot that, when the blank is formed into the blister-like compartment, extends downward to allow the package to be stood on end on the foot and on a bottom edge of the backing.  
     
     
         24 . The package of  claim 23 , 
 wherein the blister-like compartment comprises a front panel having defined edges, a plurality of side panels, and a bottom panel, each of the side panels and the bottom panel, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, extending in an outward direction from respective edges of the front panel and including an outer edge, the outer edges of the side panels and the bottom panel defining the mouth of the blister-like compartment, and    wherein, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, the foot extends from the front panel into the bottom panel, such that in the blister-like compartment, the foot extends downward from the front panel.    
     
     
         25 . The package of  claim 23 , wherein the blister-like compartment includes a plurality of feet extending downward such that the blister-like compartment can be stood on end on the plurality of feet and on a bottom edge of the backing.  
     
     
         26 . The package of  claim 25 , 
 wherein the blister-like compartment comprises a front panel having defined edges, a plurality of side panels, and a bottom panel, each of the side panels and the bottom panel, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, extending in an outward direction from respective edges of the front panel and including an outer edge, the outer edges of the side panels and the bottom panel defining the mouth of the blister-like compartment, and    wherein, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, a first foot extends into a first side of the bottom panel from the front panel and a first side panel and a second foot extends into a second side of the bottom panel from the front panel and a second side panel opposite the first side panel, such that in the blister-like compartment, the first and second feet extend downward, respectively, from first and second bottom corners of the front panel.    
     
     
         27 . The package of  claim 26 , wherein, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, the first foot includes a first score line coincident with a score line between the front panel and the first side panel and the second foot includes a second sore line coincident with a score line between the front panel and the second side panel, such that in the blister-like compartment, the first and second feet are folded, respectively, along the first and second score lines, thereby increasing the strength of the first and second feet.  
     
     
         28 . The package of  claim 23 , further including a stacking tab extending upward from the blister-like compartment.  
     
     
         29 . The package of  claim 28 , 
 wherein the blister-like compartment comprises a front panel having defined edges, a plurality of side panels, a top panel, and a bottom panel, each of the side panels, the top panel, and the bottom panel, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, extending in an outward direction from respective edges of the front panel and including an outer edge, the outer edges of the side panels and the bottom panel defining the mouth of the blister-like compartment, and    wherein, in the blank from which the blister-like compartment is formed, the foot extends from the front panel into the bottom panel, and wherein the stacking tab extends from the front panel into the top panel such that in the blister-like compartment, the foot extends downward from the front panel and the stacking tab extends upward from the front panel.    
     
     
         31 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the package includes a plurality of blister-like compartments affixed to the backing.  
     
     
         32 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the blister-like compartment includes a panel-shaped opening.  
     
     
         33 . The package of  claim 32 , 
 wherein the blister-like compartment comprises a front panel having defined edges and a plurality of side panels, each of the side panels extending in an outward direction from respective edges of the front panel and including an outer edge, the outer edges of the side panels and the bottom panel defining the mouth of the blister-like compartment, and    wherein the panel-shaped opening is defined by upper edges of the front panel and adjacent side panels.    
     
     
         34 . The package of  claim 33 , wherein the panel-shaped opening is reinforced by a strip at the upper edges of the front panel and adjacent side panels that is folded over the upper edges of the front panel and adjacent side panels.  
     
     
         35 . The package of  claim 34 , wherein the strip includes cutout sections that are positioned to allow the strip to lie flat against the front panel and adjacent side panels.  
     
     
         36 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the blister-like compartment includes a cutout section that is cut out of the blank prior to forming the blister-like compartment.  
     
     
         37 . The package of  claim 36 , wherein the cutout section extends across more than one panel.  
     
     
         38 . A method for packaging an item, comprising: 
 (a) cutting a blank out of a sheet of see-through plastic material, the blank having a plurality of panels and flange sections positioned such that the blank can be formed, without thermoforming, into a blister-like compartment having a plurality of panels defining an enclosure with a mouth at its base and a flange at the mouth's perimeter;    (b) forming the blank into the blister-like compartment;    (c) loading the blister-like compartment with the item;    (d) positioning a backing to enclose the loaded blister-like compartment; and    (e) affixing the backing to the flange.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further including the step, performed prior to step (a), of printing onto the blank, such that the printing appears on one more panels of the blister-like compartment.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the printing includes a decoration.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the printing includes text.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein a portion of the blank remains see-through after printing such that a portion of the blister-like compartment is see-through.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein step (a) includes using a lithographic printing technique to print the design onto the sheet of plastic.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein step (a) includes using a single-sheet printing technique to print onto the plastic.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein step (a) includes using a roll-fed printing technique to print onto the plastic.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein step (a) includes forming score lines in the blank between the panels and flange sections.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein step the score lines are formed using microscopic perforations.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the score lines are formed using radio frequency electromagnetic waves.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein step (a) includes cutting out a section of the blank such that the blister-like compartment includes a cutout section.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the cutout section extends over more than one panel in the blister-like compartment.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein step (a) includes making perforations in the blank such that in the blister-like compartment, the perforations define a tear strip.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein in step (b) the blank is formed into the blister-like compartment by pressing the blank into a cavity with a shaped interior surface.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein in step (e) the backing is affixed to the flange by applying heat and pressure to a heat-sealing material that has previously been applied to the card.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein in step (e) the backing is affixed to the flange by applying heat and pressure to a heat-sealing material that has previously been applied to the flange.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein in step (e) the backing is affixed to the flange by applying heat and pressure to a heat-sealing material that has previously been applied to the flange and to the card.