Two component vertical sealing blister packaging
A container comprises a plastic blister or cover component with a first peripheral edge and a formed, first open-sided volume extending from the peripheral edge joined with a paperboard tray or tray component with a second peripheral edge, the paperboard tray or tray component having a plurality of panels forming a second open-sided volume. The container has means for joining the first peripheral edge of the plastic blister or cover component and the second peripheral edge of the paperboard tray or tray component so that the first and second volumes form a combined container volume.
1. A container comprising:
a transparent cover component with a first peripheral surface comprising an upturned outer edge defining a plurality of sealing surfaces and a first, open-sided volume extending from the first peripheral surface;
a paperboard tray component with a second peripheral surface defining a plurality of mating surfaces configured for joining in overlapping alignment with the plurality of sealing surfaces of the first peripheral surface of said transparent cover component inserted within the mating surfaces of the paperboard tray component, and a second, open-sided volume extending from the second peripheral surface, the plurality of sealing surfaces and the plurality of mating surfaces of the overlapping peripheral surfaces being oriented generally parallel to an axis defining the depth of the paperboard tray component, generally perpendicular to a bottom of the paperboard tray component; and
a sealing strip oriented generally parallel to the axis defining the depth of the paperboard tray component and forming a bond for joining the plurality of sealing surfaces of the first peripheral surface of the transparent cover component along a circumferential overlap with the plurality of mating surfaces of the second peripheral surface of the paperboard tray component, the sealing strip bonding the mating and sealing surfaces along a strip of aligned, overlapping edges following the circumferential overlap of the first and second peripheral surfaces and oriented generally parallel to the axis defining the depth of the paperboard tray component, wherein the transparent cover component and the paperboard tray component are joined to form an enclosed volume of the container, absent sealing or bonding extending from the circumferential overlap in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis defining the depth of the paperboard tray component.
2. The container of claim 1 wherein the sealing strip is selected from the group consisting of: a heat seal strip, a radio frequency weld, an ultrasonic weld, glue or an adhesive.
3. The container of claim 1 wherein the sealing strip comprises a circumferential seal substantially continuous along the overlapping peripheral surfaces, absent peripheral flanges extending in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis defining the depth of the paperboard tray component.
4. The container of claim 1 wherein the sealing strip comprises a heat-activated sealing material applied to the paperboard tray component and activated at the overlapping peripheral surfaces.
5. The container of claim 1 wherein the sealing strip is substantially continuous along the overlapping peripheral surfaces, absent peripheral flanges extending in plane generally perpendicular to the axis defining the depth of the paperboard tray component.
6. The container of claim 1 wherein the sealing strip is discontinuous along the overlapping peripheral surfaces.
7. A container comprising:
a transparent cover component having a first peripheral edge comprising an outer edge defined along a plurality of sealing surfaces and an open-sided volume extending from the first peripheral edge;
a paperboard tray component having a second peripheral edge defined along a plurality of mating surfaces, each of the sealing surfaces of the first peripheral edge and mating surfaces of the second peripheral edge oriented generally along an axis defining a depth of the paperboard tray component, generally transverse to a bottom of the paperboard tray component; and
a sealing strip oriented generally along the axis defining the depth of the paperboard tray component, the sealing strip forming a bond for joining an interior of the second peripheral edge as defined along the plurality of mating surfaces of the paperboard tray component at a circumferential overlap with an exterior of the first peripheral edge as defined along the plurality of sealing surfaces of the transparent cover component inserted within the paperboard tray component, the sealing strip bonding the sealing and mating surfaces along a strip of aligned, overlapping edges following the circumferential overlap of the first and second peripheral edges and oriented generally parallel to the axis defining the depth of the paperboard tray component, wherein the transparent cover and paperboard tray components are joined to form an enclosed volume of the container, absent sealing or bonding extending from the enclosed volume along peripheral flanges in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis defining the depth of the paperboard tray component.
8. The container of claim 7 , wherein the transparent cover component comprises a plastic blister without a peripheral flange.
9. The container of claim 8 , wherein the paperboard tray component comprises a wedge-shaped paperboard tray without a peripheral flange.
10. The container of claim 7 , wherein the transparent cover component comprises a plastic blister and the paperboard tray component comprises a wedge-shaped paperboard tray with a second open-sided volume having greater depth at one end than at another end for positioning in overlapping alignment with the first peripheral edge of transparent cover component, absent flanges extending in the plane generally perpendicular to the axis defining the depth of the paperboard tray component.
11. The container of claim 7 , wherein the sealing strip comprises a heat-activated sealing material applied to the paperboard tray component and activated at the circumferential overlap of the first and second peripheral edges.
12. The container of claim 7 , wherein the paperboard tray component comprises a paper-based tray without a peripheral flange.
13. The container of claim 7 , wherein the paperboard tray component has a second, open-sided volume extending from the first peripheral surface and the sealing strip comprises a continuous perimeter seal forming a bond along substantially an entire length of the overlapping peripheral edges of the transparent cover and paperboard tray components, such that the container encloses the joined first and second open-sided volumes.
14. The container of claim 7 , wherein the transparent cover component comprises a plastic blister with a circumferential channel, the first peripheral edge comprises an exterior wall of the circumferential channel absent a peripheral flange, and the sealing strip joins an interior of the second peripheral edge in overlap with the exterior wall of the channel.
15. The container of claim 7 , wherein the transparent cover component has an alignment lip at an edge of an exterior wall, the alignment lip configured to aid in mating alignment of the first and second peripheral edges.
16. The container of claim 15 , wherein the paperboard tray component has a second, open-sided volume absent a peripheral flange and the circumferential channel of the transparent cover component is received as an insertion within the second, open-sided volume of the paperboard tray component, with an insertion depth determined by the alignment lip of the circumferential channel of the transparent cover component.
17. A method comprising:
providing a transparent cover component having a first peripheral edge defined along a plurality of sealing surfaces oriented generally along an axis defining a depth of the container, and a first open-sided cover volume extending from the first peripheral edge;
providing a paperboard tray component having a second peripheral edge defined along a plurality of mating surfaces oriented generally along the axis defining the depth of the container, and a second open-sided tray volume extending from the second peripheral edge;
inserting the sealing surfaces of the transparent cover component within the mating surfaces of the paperboard tray component, the first and second peripheral edges in mating contact with each of the mating and sealing surfaces oriented generally along the axis defining the depth of the container; and
forming a transverse seal between the mating first and second peripheral edges, the transverse seal bonding the mating and sealing surfaces along a strip of aligned, overlapping edges following a circumferential overlap of the first and second peripheral edges, the transverse seal oriented generally along the axis defining the depth of the container and extending circumferentially along the mating and sealing surfaces to form an enclosed container by joining the transparent cover component within the paperboard tray component, absent bonding or sealing extending from the circumferential overlap in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis defining the depth of the container.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of forming a seal comprises a sealing action selected from the group consisting of: activating a heat seal strip, making a radio frequency weld, making an ultrasonic weld, applying glue and applying an adhesive, absent such a sealing action between peripheral flanges extending from the circumferential overlap in the plane generally perpendicular to the axis defining the depth of the container.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of forming a seal comprises forming a circumferential seal continuous along the mating and sealing surfaces of the first and second peripheral edges, absent such a seal between peripheral flanges extending from the circumferential overlap in the plane generally perpendicular to the axis defining the depth of the container.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of forming a seal comprises forming a circumferential seal discontinuous along the mating and sealing surfaces of the first and second peripheral edges.
21. The container of claim 1 , wherein the tray comprises a plurality of side panels extending transversely from a bottom panel without a peripheral flange, the plurality of mating surfaces defined on the plurality of side panels to extend along the peripheral surface of the tray.
22. The container of claim 21 , wherein an opposing pair of the plurality of side panels are nonparallel, and wherein the mating surfaces defined on the opposing pair of nonparallel side panels are nonparallel.
23. The container of claim 7 , wherein the paperboard tray component comprises a plurality of sides extending transversely from a bottom thereof, the plurality of mating surfaces defined along the plurality of sides to form the second peripheral edge of the paperboard tray component without a peripheral flange.