Easy open water soluble blister package

Abstract

A blister package consists of a backing sheet ( 16 ) of cardboard, paper or plastic adhered to a blister ( 17 ) in which at least one or both of the backing sheet and the blister is made from a transparent water soluble thermoformable polymer composition. A tooth brush, cleaning utensil or garden utensil enclosed in the water soluble packaging material can be opened by placing it under running water. The packaging material is a starch or modified starch based polymer by direct contact with water, and that biodegrades in waste water. The preferred starch is a high amylose maize starch. The starch can also be derived from wheat, potato, rice, oats, arrowroot and pea sources. The backing sheet is adhered to water and applying the backing sheet with the use of a press plate ( 24 ).

1 . A product and package combination in which a significant portion of the package is sufficiently water soluble that the package can be disintegrated by exposure to water to allow access to the product.  
   
   
       2 . A blister package comprising a backing sheet adhered to a blister in which at least one or both of the backing sheet and the blister is made from a transparent water solublethermoformable polymer composition.  
   
   
       3 . A blister package as claimed in  claim 2  consisting of a backing sheet of cardboard, paper or plastic and the blister is made from a transparent water solublethermoformable polymer composition.  
   
   
       4 . A blister package as claimed in  claim 2  in which the adhesion between the backing sheet and the blister is achieved by wetting the blister with water.  
   
   
       5 . A blister package as claimed in  claim 2  in which the water soluble polymer is partially coated with a water insoluble coating to expose a portion of the water soluble polymer for easy opening of the package.  
   
   
       6 . A package as claimed in  claim 1  in which the water soluble polymer is selected from water soluble starch or modified starch polymers water soluble polyesters or polyvinyl alcohol or blends of these polymers with natural polymers such as starch or modified starch.  
   
   
       7 . A package as claimed in  claim 1  in which the water soluble packaging material is made from a) from 8 to 95% by weight of a modified starch preferably starch modified to include an hydroxyalkylC26 group or modified by reaction with an anhydride of a dicarboxylic acid from b) 0 to 80% of starch c) from 0.5 to 20% by weight of a water soluble polymer selected from polyesters, polyvinylacetate, polyvinyl alcohol and copolymers of ethylene and vinylalcohol which have a melting point compatible with the molten state of the starch components