Special receptacle or package – Article housing attached to panel – Movable or detachable housing closure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-16
2001-08-21
Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
Article housing attached to panel
Movable or detachable housing closure
C206S352000, C206S471000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276529
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a semi-rigid blister packaging unit for articles such as razors, articles of personal use and the like.
Conventionally, packaging units for articles, also known as blister packs, are made from two (upper and lower) plastic material walls or foils. These walls are relatively stiff synthetic sheets, with a heat seal weld along the major peripheral edges or indeed surrounding the entire periphery. Representative of these are packs shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,241 (Althaus); U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,066 (Grange) and U.S. Design Pat. No. 352,236 (Althaus). Blister packs are also known to have a plastic blister front and a cardboard rear wall, the plastic front being glued lo the cardboard, which is opened when the user peels the two halves away from one another, or pulls back a perforated flap or panel on the cardboard back wall. Representative of these are packs shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,691 (Iten); U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,417 (Iten et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,194 (Iten); U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,245 (Mullen); and U.S. Designs Pat. No. 253,167 (Fournier et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 253,040 (Fournier et al.).
Other packs are known in U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,934 (Hagner); U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,942 (Decarie et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,112 (Dunklee); U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,552 (Brown); European Patent Application EP 452 052 A (Oscar Meyer Foods Corp.); French Patent 2 334 273 (Carl M. Spielware KG); and French Application 2 410 611 (General Foods).
Applicant has recognized that various disadvantages of these known blister packs include they are frequently difficult to open, usually requiring scissors or considerable force, or do not allow easy access to the article within, which is inconvenient for the user.
APPLICANT'S ACKNOWLEDGED PRIOR ART
Another type of known blister pack, sold by The Gillette Company to package the razor and its holder tray and cartridge dispenser packaged as a unit and sold under the trade designation Mach3 in the United States and elsewhere, is illustrated in the accompanying
FIGS. 1-6
labeled “prior art.” This pack (
100
) is formed of two semi-rigid plastic panels with a heat-sealed weld around the entire periphery and includes a perforated section (
101
) on the rear panel inward of the heat-sealed weld. The upper panel has a pouch to receive the razor set. The perforated section is only on the rear panel, and defines a perforated access or fold-out back flap (
101
) that hinges at the bottom (
102
). The perforations are only on the rear wall of the two plastic walls, and do not extend near to the top peripheral edge of the blister pack, but meet in the center of the rear panel where the user must insert a thumb and finger near the rectangular indented grip region to begin prying back the access flap. There are interlocking stepped portions formed in the upper and lower plastic material walls inward of and adjacent the heat-seal joint, extending around the periphery of the pack. This aids in forming the hinge at the bottom of the blister pack, when the consumer pulls back the perforated access flap. The blister pack also has one printed cardboard informational insert (
103
), which is held between the lower plastic material wall and the enclosed article. The cardboard insert is generally coincident with the extent of the rear wall and lies under the entire razor set. The cardboard insert has a perforated region extending transversely across its width, dividing it into a major lower portion (
103
b
) and a minor upper portion (
103
a
). After the user pulls back the rear access flap (
101
), the user tears the cardboard insert's perforations and pries out the loDwer portion (
103
b
) of the cardboard insert, leaving the smaller portion (
103
a
) retained between the upper and lower walls of the pack. The razor set is removed by passing it out the opening created by the user having both bent back the rear access panel (
101
) and lifted out most of the cardboard insert (
103
). While this package has been successfully used, Applicant herein has determined that an even more convenient opening pack can be provided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a packaging unit for articles featuring a convenient opening strip that provides easy access to the article enclosed within the packaging unit, which the inventor has determined is understood intuitively by the user how to open.
In one aspect, the invention features, in general, a packaging unit for articles, comprised of two spaced-apart upper and lower walls of material that have been formed to define an article-receiving region between them. The material walls, at least one of which is of plastic, are sealed together at a first peripheral joint, having along and inward of the peripheral joint, a weakened region formed through both of the walls. The weakened region is rupturable by a user, by applying manual force, allowing for the first peripheral joint to be separated from the upper and lower material walls, thereby enabling access to the article-receiving region. Preferably, both upper and lower walls are plastic. Preferably at least one, and more preferably both, of the two walls are made of semi-rigid material. Preferably, the weakened region is formed by perforations scored into the walls and inboard of a heat seal.
In another aspect, the invention features a method of conveniently opening a sealed packaging unit which has been provided with a weakened region inward of the sealing joint, and detaching the weakened region from the packaging unit in order to separate the walls.
In a further aspect, the invention features, in general, a packaging unit comprising a second peripheral joint on a marginal edge laterally opposite the first peripheral joint; and stepped portions formed in the plastic material wall, along some or all the peripheral edges of the packaging unit. The second peripheral joint and interlocking stepped portions each help form a hinge about which the upper and lower plastic material walls separate like a clam shell when the opposite weakened region is ruptured by a user.
Preferred embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following features. In a preferred embodiment, the weakened region is comprised of perforations and extends adjacent the first peripheral joint and towards at least one adjacent marginal edge of the packaging unit. In another preferred embodiment, the packaging unit comprising a first and a second product informational insert disposed within the article-receiving region above and below the received article. These inserts carry information relating to the article contained within the packaging unit.
Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following advantages. The packaging unit of the present invention has a perforated weakened region that provides a convenient opening strip. The rupturing of the weakened region allows for the convenient opening strip to be torn away from, or even completely separated or detached from, the packaging unit, causing the upper and lower plastic material walls to separate, thereby facilitating easy access to the article contained within the article-receiving region of the packaging unit.
In a further aspect, the invention features a semi-rigid plastic material wall having a weakened region, which may be formed by scoring, and sealed to the other wall which is formed of a material which itself is not tear-resistant so that a separate weakened region is omitted in the this wall, the opening force being directed along the opening strip to tear both plies of the packaging unit and thus separate the joint.
Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description of its particular embodiments, the figures and from the claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 253040 (1979-10-01), Fournier et al.
patent: D. 253167 (1979-10-01), Fournier et al.
patent: D. 352236 (1994-11-01), Althaus
patent: D. 407851 (1999-04-01), Shurtleff
patent: D. 415315 (1999-10-01), Swanson et al.
patent: 3428171 (1969-02-01), Blish
patent: 3707040 (1972-12-
Bui Luan K.
Podszus Edward S.
The Gillette Company
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