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CONSUMER PACKAGE WlTH FULLY VISIBLE
PRODUCT !NFORMAT30N DISPI~Y
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to packages for consumer products and more
5 particularly to an information-intensive, consumer-oriented blister package with
an attached, removable information panel.
Blister display packages are commonly used to package products
for retail sale. The product is contained within a blister attached to a cardstock
10 panel generally capable of receiving printed graphics. The panel typically
includes a hole in the top for hanging the package from a wall hanger so that the
packages are available for visual inspection by potential purchasers.
Alternative forms of the conventional cardstock mounted blister
pack are disclosed in such references as lJ.S. Patents Nos. 2,993,~90; 3,289,830;
15 3,463,309; 4,485,920; 4,842,141; and 4,854,450; U.S. Design Patent No. Des.
287,105; Canadian Patent No. 804,980; and The Pac~aainq Reference Issue,
1986, Vol. 31, No. 1, Pg. 134.
While the card panels on such common blister package may
contain printed information on either side of the panel, imprinting the panel to20 which the blister is attached can present several problems. For instance,
opening the package typically destroys the panel, at least in part, so that critical
informa~ion describing use of the product may be destroyed. Furthermore, the
product labeling demands of governmental agencies for health warnings,
disposal requirements, and the like, have creat~d a growing need for additional
25 print space. This need cannot be filled merely by using larger panels because of
limited rack space available in typical r~tail outlets.
One solution to this print space problem has been to enclose within
the blister pack a separate sheet of use directions and warnings. This solution,however, is not entirely satisfactory, as it deprives the consumer of information at
30 the time of purchase which may be critical to the purchase decision. For
instance, use instructions may reveal that an adhesive product is not suitable for
use on substrates or at temperatures contemplated by the consurner.
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There, therefore, exists a need for a package for containing and
displaying consumer products, such as hardware, adhesives, office supplies,
housewares and the like, which provides increased print space for product
warnings, sales messages and use instructions without substantially increasing
5 the rack area utilized by the package.
U.S. Patent No. 4,842,141 addresses the problem of rack space
limitations by providing a large card blister package printed on both sides and
resting adjacent packages in alternating front/back relationship to double the
number of cards in a given area. However, this solution is not entirely
10 satisfactory, as the consumer is presented with alternating front and back views
of the package so that at least some printed information must be redundantly
printed on both sides of the card.
Other references of general interest include: U.S. Patents Nos.
4,058,212 and 4,681,223 and U.S. Design Patents Nos. Des. 308,485 and
15 311,683, which disclose various configurations for transparent clam shell
packages, none of which provide space for transparent displaying of printed
product information.
U.S. Patent No. 4,189,053, issued to Stagnitto et al., cliscloses a
pharmaceutical dispensing system comprising a blister package with individual
20 doses of medication sealed in a reclosable envelope package over which are
attached multiple flaps preprinted with information about the medication. The
flaps can be individually detached and provided to the consumer with prescribed
numbers of doses of the medication.
U.S. Patent No. 4,353,461 discloses a card mounted blister display
25 package which reverse folds into a gift box. ;
U.S. Patent No. 4,020,694 to Mayhew discloses a foldable display
container which enables the consumer to simulate ~he installed appearance of an
indoor/outdoor thermometer.
U.S. Patent No. 4,807,807 discloses a postcard for sending photo-
30 graphs and the like through the mail which comprises a folded sheet to whichthe photograph is adhered, with a transparent window for displaying the photo-
graph.
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U.S. Patent No. 1,359,750 discloses a portable sample display
booklet for fertilizer and grain samples.
U.S. Patent No. 4,492,305 discloses an advertising package
comprising a plastic bag containing dehydrated food mounted within a
5 magazine.
Summary of the Inverltion
The present invention provides a consumer oriented, information-
intensive blister pacl<age, which enables the consumer to have complete access
to product information prior to purchase without unduiy increasing card size.
10 Moreover, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, information needed after
the package is opened may be provided in a form which is not susceptible to
damage when the blister package is opened. In accordance with the invention,
there is provided a card mounted blister package for displaying a prsduct
comprising a front panel, a transparent blister protruding from the front panel
15 and forming with said front panel an enclosure for the product, and a rear panel
providing a space for printed product information, said rear panel being
connected to the front panel at the top of the package and adapted to fold back
away from the front panel to facilitate inspection of printed product information
on the rear panel at the point of purchase. In one embodiment the rear panel is
20 scored or perforated to facilitate both back folcling and subsequent removal of
the rear panel for retention of the printed information thereon after the package
has been opened.
Brief De~cripti4n of the Drawin~s
Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the blister pack of the present
25 invention.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blister pack showing the inside
display area for produc~ information.
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the blister pack.
Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of another embodirnent of the
30 blister pack.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 4 showing
the inside display area.
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Description of the Preferred Embodiments
While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there
are shown in the drawings and described in cletail herein specific preferred
embodiments of the invention. The present disclosure is an exemplification of
5 the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the
particular embodiments illustrated.
Referring now to Fl(;S. 1-3, the INFOPAK blister package, generally
indicated at 10, comprises two hinged panels, front panel 12, and rear panel 14.Blister 16 protrudes from front panel 12, forming with said panel 12 an enclosure
10 for the product. In the embodiment shown, panels 12 and 14 are formed of one
sheet of lightweight tag stock scored and folded to form hinge 18. Panels 12
and 14 may also be made of cardboard, metal, plastic, laminated paper or any
other suitable material. Panels 12 and 14 are die cut at the top of package 10 to
form an opening 20 for use with a j-hook display. Suitably, front panel 12 is cut
15 to approximately 1/2" shorter than rear panel 14 to partially reveal a display area
22 located within the interleaves of panels 12 and 14, and to facilitate grasping of
front panel 12. Display area 22 will contain printed information regarding the
packaged product. Hinge 18 enables the consumer to lift front panel 12 to
inspect the product information prior to purchase. Hinge lB may also be
20 perForated for easy separation of panels 12 and 14 after purchase.
Referring now to FIGS. 4-5, a second embodiment of the invention
is shown wherein panels 12a and 14a are adhered at the top of package 10a.
In this embodiment, panels 12a and 14a are heat sealed, although any suitable
method of bonding panels 12a and 14a may be employed. Rear panel 14a is
25 scored, as shown in FIG. 5, to fold back. Front panel 12a is optionally cut to
partially reveal display area 22a. In this embodiment, front panel 12a is shown
with an area cut from its lower left corner.
The present invention adheres a blister pack to the front panel of
the display card itself. Thus, regardless of how the blister portion is torn away
30 from the front panel, it will have no effect on the wrltten text contained within the
interleaves of the INFOPAK display package. Furthermore, the present invention
presents many improvements over that of the prior art in that it avoids the needfor enclosing within the blister pack a separate sheet of directions or warnings
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regarding the materials or articles contained within the biister pack. W-rth theever-increasing requirements of federal, state and local governments regarding
health warnlngs, disposal requirements, and the like, for various materials, there
is a growing need for additional print space. The present invention allows for all
5 pertinent information to be printed directly on the card so that the consumer may
read the information prior to purchase. Other packages which employ an
information sheet contained within the blister pack do not provide consumers
with full information regarding health hazards, disposal requirements, usage, and
the like, until after purchase when the sheet contained within the blister pack is
1 0 removed.
This completes the description of the preferred embodiments of the
invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific
embodiment described herein, which equivalents are intended to be
encompassed by the claims attached hereto.
