US 6,070,723 AGranted

Reclosable package and method

AssigneePortage Plastics Corporation

InventorGregg S. Lewis

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Abstract

A reclosable package and method having an integral reclosable door adjacent one end that permits article removal from the end of the package. The package is comprised of a thermoformed blister body joined to a thermoformed backing body. The blister body has sidewalls, endwalls and a peripheral flange broken into a first section adjacent the door where the height of the sidewalls decrease and a second section opposite the door with the first section angled relative to the second section. The backing body carries the door and has an integral peripheral rib inboard of a peripheral flange with the flange having a first section about the door and a second section disposed away from the door. The rib has a pair of longitudinally-extending sections divided by a notch that preferably is a transverse rib that causes the door to bend about a desired fold line that runs generally through or adjacent the ribs or notches when urged away from a closed position. In a preferred method, after performing a multilevel trim operation to trim the multiplanar flanges of one or both the blister body and the backing body, the two bodies are joined at the flange sections about a portion of the periphery to adjacent the fold line using an energy welding process, preferably RF welding, that produces a narrow tear seam that enables finished package flange width to be minimized to thereby also minimize package width.

Claims60

Dependent claims

A reclosable package comprising:

a pair of spaced apart surfaces that overlie each other and define an enclosure;
an article received in the enclosure;
wherein one of the surfaces has a door that has a closed position and an open position disposed away from the closed position;
wherein one of the surfaces comprises a) a first pair of substantially coplanar, spaced apart, outer peripheral flanges that are each disposed generally longitudinally relative to the reclosable package and which are disposed substantially parallel to a first plane, and b) a second pair of substantially coplanar, spaced apart outer peripheral flanges that are each disposed generally longitudinally relative to the reclosable package and which are disposed substantially parallel to a second plane;
wherein the other of the surfaces comprises a) a third pair of substantially coplanar, spaced apart, outer peripheral flanges that are each disposed generally longitudinally relative to the reclosable package and which are disposed substantially parallel to the first plane, and b) a fourth pair of substantially coplanar, spaced apart outer peripheral flanges that are each disposed generally longitudinally relative to the reclosable package and which are disposed substantially parallel to the second plane when the door is disposed in the closed position;
wherein the first plane is disposed at an angle relative to the second plane;
at least one seal joins at least a portion of each one of the flanges of the first pair of flanges to one of the flanges of the third pair of flanges;
wherein each one of the flanges of the second pair of flanges overlies one of the flanges of the fourth pair of flanges;
and
wherein the flanges of the second pair of flanges are not attached to the flanges of the fourth pair of flanges 1) permitting the door to be moved between the closed position and an open position, and 2) enabling an article to be dispensed out one end of the enclosure when the door is disposed in an open position.

7 more elements

A method of making a reclosable package comprising:

(a) providing a first sheet of a thermoformable and energy weldable material and a second sheet of a thermoformable and energy weldable material;
(b) thermoforming the first sheet into a bubble body having an article-receiving cavity with an outer wall, a pair of spaced apart integrally formed sidewalls, a pair of spaced apart integrally formed endwalls, and an integrally formed peripheral flange having a first flange section disposed about a portion of each of the sidewalls and a second flange section disposed about a remaining portion of each of the sidewalls with the second flange section disposed at an angle relative to the first flange section;
(c) thermoforming the second sheet into a backing body having an outer wall, an integrally thermoformed door at one end, an integrally thermoformed peripheral flange and an integrally thermoformed rib about the periphery that is disposed inboard of the peripheral flange with the peripheral flange having a first flange section disposed along a portion of each of the sidewalls and a second flange section about the door that is disposed along a remaining portion of each of the sidewalls, and the recessed rib having a pair of longitudinally extending sections and a pair of transversely extending rib sections with each of the longitudinally extending rib sections divided by a hinge rib into a first longitudinally extending rib portion and a second longitudinally extending rib portion such that when the door is bent relative to the first flange section a fold line extends from one of the hinge ribs to the other of the hinge ribs;
(d) trimming the first sheet in a multilevel trim operation such that the first flange section and the second flange section are trimmed substantially simultaneously with the first flange section disposed in one plane and the second flange section disposed in another plane during trimming;
(e) trimming the second sheet such that the first flange section and the second flange section are trimmed substantially simultaneously;
(f) overlapping the first sheet with the second sheet such that the first flange section of the first sheet is in contact with the first flange section of the second sheet;
and
(g) sealing the first flange section of the first sheet to the first flange section of the second sheet using an energy welding process.

5 more elements

A package comprising:

(a) a pair of surfaces that overlie each other and that are spaced apart to define an enclosure with one of the surfaces carrying a door that is disposed adjacent one end of the enclosure which 1) has a closed position that retains in the enclosure an article received in the enclosure, 2) has an open position disposed away from the closed position that permits an article received in the enclosure to be removed from the enclosure, and 3) bends along a generally transversely-extending fold line when being moved from the closed position toward an open position;
(b) a pair of spaced apart and opposed sidewalls disposed between the surfaces such that the enclosure is tubular;
(c) a generally longitudinally-extending rib formed in the one of the surfaces carrying the door, the generally longitudinally-extending rib extending across the fold line;
(d) a generally transversely-extending rib formed in the generally longitudinally-extending rib that creates a region of weakness in the generally longitudinally-extending rib and defines the general location of the fold line;
(e) wherein the package has a maximum width and the length of the article received in the enclosure is longer than the maximum width of the package;
and
(f) wherein the door has a length less than a third of the length of the package.

4 more elements

A reclosable package comprising:

a pair of spaced apart surfaces that define an enclosure with one of the surfaces having a door that has a closed position where the door overlies an access opening and an open position disposed away from the closed position such that the access opening is exposed such that an article in the package can be removed from the package;
and
a recessed rib about the periphery of the surface having the door wherein the recessed rib has two longitudinally-extending rib sections with each of the longitudinally-extending rib sections having a notch that creates a region of weakness in each of the longitudinally-extending rib sections along which the door folds when moved away from the closed position.

A reclosable package comprising:

(a) a pair of surfaces that overlie each other and that are spaced apart, defining an enclosure, with a door formed in one of the surfaces, the door being disposed adjacent one end of the enclosure and 1) having a closed position, 2) having an open position disposed away from the closed position, and 3) bending along a fold line when being moved away from the closed position;
(b) wherein the one of the surfaces carrying the door further comprises a longitudinally-extending rib that (i) extends across the fold line, and (ii) has a notch in the longitudinally-extending rib that is disposed along the fold line;
(c) wherein the one of the surfaces is joined to the other of the surfaces along a first plane;
(d) wherein the door releasably mates with the other of the surfaces along a second plane when the door is closed;
and
(e) wherein the first plane is disposed at an angle relative to the second plane.

3 more elements

A reclosable package comprising:

(a) a pair of spaced apart surfaces that define an enclosure with one of the surfaces having a door that has a closed position and an open position disposed away from the closed position;
(b) a recessed rib disposed around but inboard of the periphery of the surface having the door wherein the recessed rib has two longitudinally-extending recessed rib sections with each of the longitudinally-extending recessed rib sections having a notch defining a fold line along which the door bends when being moved away from the closed position;
(c) wherein the one of the surfaces is joined to the other of the surfaces along a first plane;
(d) wherein the door releasably mates with the other of the surfaces along a second plane when the door is disposed in the closed position;
and
(e) wherein the first plane is disposed at an angle relative to the second plane.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.