Packaging material, method of making it, and package and therefrom

Abstract

A packaging material, a method of making such a material, and a package made from such material, are disclosed. A substrate comprises at least one sheet of plastic material. An energy-curable coating is applied to one side of the substrate, which will be the outside of the eventual package. The energy-curable coating is cured by exposing it to an electron beam or other appropriate energy. A cold-seal cohesive coating is applied to the other side of the substrate. The package is formed by pressing together portions of the inside surface of at least one sheet of the material having the cold-seal cohesive coating on them to form a seal. Preferably, the cold-seal cohesive coating is applied only to those portions of the material that are to form seams in the eventual package.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A packaging material comprising: 
 a substrate comprising at least one sheet of plastic material;    a cold-seal cohesive coating on an inner side of the substrate; and    an energy-cured coating on an outer side of the substrate.    
     
     
         2 . A packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a laminate of at least two sheets of plastic material.  
     
     
         3 . A according to  claim 2 , wherein an outer sheet of the laminate is clear, and further comprising printing on a surface between the outer sheet and an adjacent sheet.  
     
     
         4 . A packaging material according to  claim 1 , further comprising printing on an outer surface of the substrate covered by the energy-cured coating.  
     
     
         5 . A packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein the cold-seal cohesive coating comprises natural rubber latex, styrene butadiene, isoprene or synthetic rubber.  
     
     
         6 . A packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein the cold-seal cohesive coating comprises a minor proportion of acrylate or ethyl vinyl acetate.  
     
     
         7 . A packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein the cold-seal cohesive coating is applied only over selected portions of the inner surface of the substrate.  
     
     
         8 . A packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy cured coating is an electron-beam cured coating.  
     
     
         9 . A packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy cured coating is a cross-linked epoxy acrylate coating.  
     
     
         10 . A package comprising: 
 at least one sheet of packaging material comprising: 
 a substrate comprising at least one sheet of plastic material;  
 a cold-seal cohesive coating on an inner side of the substrate; and  
 an energy-cured coating on an outer side of the substrate;  
   wherein said package has at least one seam formed by portions of said cold-seal cohesive coating cohering together.    
     
     
         11 . A package according to  claim 10 , wherein the substrate comprises a laminate of at least two sheets of plastic material.  
     
     
         12 . A package according to  claim 11 , wherein an outer sheet of the laminate is clear, and further comprising printing on a surface between the outer sheet and an adjacent sheet.  
     
     
         13 . A package according to  claim 10 , further comprising printing on an outer surface of the substrate covered by the energy-cured coating.  
     
     
         14 . A package according to  claim 10 , wherein the cold-seal cohesive coating comprises natural rubber latex, styrene butadiene, isoprene or synthetic rubber.  
     
     
         15 . A package according to  claim 14 , wherein the cold-seal cohesive coating comprises a minor proportion of acrylate or ethyl vinyl acetate.  
     
     
         16 . A package according to  claim 10 , wherein the cold-seal cohesive coating is applied only over selected portions of the inner surface of the substrate.  
     
     
         17 . A package according to  claim 17 , wherein said cold-seal cohesive coating is applied to said substrate only at said at least one seam.  
     
     
         18 . A package according to  claim 10 , wherein the energy cured coating is an electron-beam cured coating.  
     
     
         19 . A package according to  claim 10 , wherein the energy cured coating is a cross-linked epoxy acrylate coating.  
     
     
         20 . A method of making a packaging material, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a substrate comprising at least one sheet of plastic material;    applying an energy-curable coating to one side of the substrate;    curing the energy-curable coating by exposing it to a suitable energy; and    applying a cold-seal cohesive coating to the other side of the substrate.    
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20 , further comprising the step of printing in ink on said at least one sheet of plastic material before applying said energy-curable coating.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , which comprises applying the energy-curable coating over the ink printing.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 21 , comprising the steps of: 
 printing in ink on a sheet of plastic; and    laminating the printed sheet of plastic and another sheet of plastic together with the printing between them to form said substrate;    wherein one of said sheets of plastic forming said substrate is clear; and    applying said energy-curable coating to the exposed side of said clear sheet of plastic.    
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein said step of curing comprises exposing said energy-curable coating to an electron beam.