Package Having an Improved Opening Feature

Conventional blister packs are commonly used in the packaging of various products. Such packages are desirable in that the product or item is visible to the consumer and are substantially air- and moisture-tight due to the sealing of the plastic film which is used to form the blister to the package base or backing. The problem with this type of packaging is that the blister pack is difficult to open when it is desired to remove the product or item from the package.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,105,367 discloses a flexible wrapper including preformed weakened zones to facilitate opening the package. The weakened zones comprise notches and a tab to pull a portion of the wrapper in a fixed direction to tear open the package.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,986 describes a blister having a polyethylene cover sheet secured to the blister with a corner cut away to facilitate grasping and removal of the lid.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,634 employs slits or cuts as indicia to direct the user to the proper position for opening of the package for removal of individual units.

U. S Pat. No. 4,781,294 describes a tear-oriented package formed of a pair of wall members sealed together, at least one of the wall members being formed of foamed polypropylene material to facilitate the tearing of the one wall member to open the package in a pre-determined direction while resisting the opening of the package in other directions. An H-shaped die cut is formed in the foamed polypropylene member over which a tab is placed to facilitate opening of the package.

While these designs facilitate opening of blister-type packages, there is a need for an improved opening feature which is a simple to use and economical to manufacture.

An easily opened package is provided formed of a substantially rigid pair of sheets, one of the sheets having an opening therein. Preferably a foldable sheet of cardboard is used. A plastic film is sealed about the opening in one side of the sheet and is stretchable to form a pouch for receiving an item to be stored in the package. To form the package, the plastic film is heated and stretched about the item and the cardboard sheet is folded over and sealed together. Prior to forming the package, a pair of opposing cuts are formed in the edges of the film, the cuts facilitating tearing of the film when it is desired to open the package. To further facilitate opening, indicia can be placed on the edges of the cardboard sheet to indicate the point at which tearing is easiest, or notches can be cut in one side of the sheet.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing the foldable cardboard base used in forming the package, one portion of the base including an opening for receiving the plastic film;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the formed package illustrating the notches formed in the base for opening of the package;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the formed package having an item stored therein, as viewed along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view illustrating opening of the package; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view illustrating an alternative indicia for opening of the package.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred form of the package (10)and comprises a substantially rigid foldable cardboard sheet (11) having a first (12) and second (13) co extensive portion. One of the portions (12) has an opening (14) therein for receiving a plastic film (15) which is stretchable when heated to form a pouch (17) for receiving an item or product (18). Prior to forming the package (10), a pair of opposing cuts (16) are formed in the edges (19) of the film (15), the cuts (16) facilitating tearing of the film (15) when it is desired to open the package (10). To further facilitate opening of the package (10), indicia (20) can be placed in the opposing portion (13) comprising the base (22) of the package (10) to indicate the point at which tearing is easiest, or notches (21) can be formed in at least one side of the sheet (12).

In use, to open the package (10) the package (10) is grasped between the fingers at the point indicated by the indicia (20) or the notches (21) and pressure is applied to tear open the package (10). The cuts (16) in the plastic film (15) greatly facilitate tearing of the film (15) to thereby allow opening of the package (10). Tearing of the cardboard base (22) of the package (10) can be begun at any point, even if no indicia (20) or notches (21) are formed therein as the tear will naturally seek the cut (16) in the film (15) to thereby facilitate opening of the package (10). The package (10) can be formed using conventional packaging equipment.