Thermoformed package with tamper evident seal

Abstract

A thermoformed clamshell package with a pair of closing flanges and a double-sided adhesive for joining the closing flanges to seal the package. The package includes a carrier flange that carries the double-sided adhesive prior to sealing and a sealing flange that is brought into contact with the double-sided adhesive to seal the package. The package may include a frangible portion in the flange region for gaining access to the contents of the package after it has been sealed without breaking the adhesive seal created by the double-sided adhesive. The carrier flange may include a channel for seating the double-sided adhesive and for denesting adjacent packages when nested together for shipping and/or storage. The package may include one or more display strips disposed in the flange region. The present invention also provides a method for packaging articles in a package with a tamper-evident seal, and a method for manufacturing a package with a tamper-evident seal.

1 . A package comprising:
 a first part having a sealing flange;   a second part having a carrier flange;   a hinge joining said first part to said second part, said hinge permitting said first part and said second part to be moved between an open position and a closed position, said carrier flange and said sealing flange configured to come into engagement when said first part and said second part are in said closed position;   a double-sided adhesive disposed along said carrier flange, said double-sided adhesive configured to form an adhesive connection selectively joining said sealing flange to said carrier flange to secure the package in said closed position; and   a frangible portion to allow said first part and said second part to be moved into said open position without breaking said adhesive connection formed by said double-sided adhesive.   
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1  wherein said double-sided adhesive is a double-sided tape. 
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 2  wherein said frangible portion is further defined as a removable portion of at least one of said sealing flange and said carrier flange. 
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 3  wherein said frangible portion is defined by a pair of perforation lines in at least one of said sealing flange and said carrier flange. 
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 1  wherein said carrier flange includes an adhesive channel, said double-sided adhesive being disposed within said channel, said adhesive channel having a depth greater than a height of said double-sided adhesive, whereby said double-sided adhesive is recessed within said adhesive channel. 
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said first part and said second part includes denesting lugs. 
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 1  wherein one of said first part and said second part includes a rail and the other of said first part and said second part includes a closing channel, said rail and said closing channel configured to be releasably interfitted when said first part and said second part are in said closed position; and
 further including a plurality of denesting lugs extending into said rail to maintain separation between adjacent packages when a plurality of packages are nested together. 
 
     
     
         8 . A package comprising:
 a clamshell having a first part joined to a second part by a hinge, said hinge extending along a first edge of said first part and a first edge of said second part;   said first part including a pocket and a first flange extending along a second edge of said first part opposite said first edge;   said second part including a pocket and a second flange extending along a second edge of said second part;   a double-sided tape disposed between said first flange and said second flange, said double-sided tape joining said first flange to said second flange with said pocket of said first part and said pocket of said second part cooperatively defining an article containing space; and   a frangible portion in at least one of said first flange and said second flange to allow said first part and said second part to be moved into an open position about said hinge without breaking said adhesive connection formed by said double-sided tape.   
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 8  wherein said frangible portion is defined by a pair of perforation lines in at least one of said sealing flange and said carrier flange. 
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 9  wherein at least one of said flanges includes an adhesive channel, said double-sided adhesive being disposed within said channel, said adhesive channel having a depth greater than a height of said double-sided adhesive, whereby said double-sided adhesive is recessed within said adhesive channel. 
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 10  wherein at least one of said first part and said second part includes denesting lugs. 
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 10  wherein one of said first part and said second part includes a rail and the other of said first part and said second part includes a closing channel, said rail and said closing channel configured to be releasably interfitted when said first part and said second part are in said closed position; and
 further including a plurality of denesting lugs extending into said rail to maintain separation between adjacent packages when a plurality of packages are nested together. 
 
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 12  further including a display strip disposed along one of said first flange and said second flange. 
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 8  further include a first display strip disposed on said first flange and a second display strip disposed on said second display strip, wherein one of said display strips is disposed on and removable with said frangible portion. 
     
     
         15 . A method for packaging an article or articles in a clamshell package, comprising the steps of:
 supplying a package with first and second parts joined together by a hinge, the first and second parts having flanges that come into engagement when the packages is closed, the package also including a double-sided tape along at least one of the flanges;   placing the article or articles in the package; and   closing the package by moving the first part and the second part about the hinge to bring the flanges together such that the double-sided tape adhesively joins the first part to the second part.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said supplying step further includes providing the package with a frangible portion removable from at least one of the flanges; and
 further including the step of opening the package by removing the frangible portion and moving the first part and second part about the hinge to provide access to the interior of the package. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further including the step of removing the release liner at the point of packaging. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further including the steps of:
 removing the release liner from the double-sided tape at the point of manufacture; 
 nesting a plurality of the packages together after said removing step, each of the packages including nesting lugs that maintain separation between the packages to reduce a possibility of the double-sided tape of one package sticking to an adjacent nested package. 
 
     
     
         19 . A method for manufacturing a package, comprising the steps of:
 forming a package with a sealing flange and a carrier flange, the carrier flange having an adhesive channel, the channel having a pair of walls joined by a floor, the pair of walls being spaced apart a first width;   providing a double-sided tape with first and second adhesive surfaces and a release liner covering the second adhesive surface, the double-sided tape having a second width, the second width being lesser than the first width, the release liner having a third width, the third width being greater than the first width;   applying the double-sided tape to the carrier flange within the adhesive channel by pressing the double-sided tape into the channel such that the first adhesive surface engages and adhesively secured to the floor, at least one edge of the release liner engaging a wall of the channel such that at least a portion of the release liner is retained outside the channel following said applying step; and   removing the release liner from the double-sided tape.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said applying step is further defined as pressing the double-sided tape into the channel with a roller, the roller having a width substantially lesser than the first width, whereby at least one edge of the release liner is free to bow as a result of interaction with the roller and the channel. 
     
     
         21 . The method  claim 19  wherein said applying step is further defined as applying the double-sided tape to the carrier flange within the adhesive channel by pressing the double-sided tape into the channel such that the first adhesive surface engages and adhesively secured to the floor, opposite edges of the release liner engaging the walls of the channel such that opposite edges of the release liner are retained outside the channel following said applying step. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further including the step of supporting the package on a shoe during said applying step, the shoe including an alignment channel closely receiving the adhesive channel to assist in aligning the double-sided tape with the adhesive channel.