Break-away Clamshell Packaging with Frangible Flanges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clamshell packaging is not reusable, cannot stand independently, and lacks features to deter tampering or secure access to contents, particularly in pharmaceuticals, making it difficult to organize and ensure product integrity.
Innovation Solution
A package design featuring a clamshell with A-shaped blister cards and rib extensions that can be spot-welded to a paperboard, allowing the clamshell to stand and be reused, while incorporating a breakable mechanism for tamper evidence and secure access, with features like perforations or laser scoring for easy detachment and reattachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the clamshell is designed to be broken open for access, then secure access and tamper evidence are achieved, but the package becomes non-reusable
Solution Approach 1:
The clamshell is divided into a main body and a separate break-away portion connected by a frangible mechanism. The break-away portion includes frangible flanges that can be torn from the main body, providing tamper evidence while leaving the main clamshell intact and reusable for storage and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The break-away portion is extracted as a separate functional element from the main clamshell body. This extracted portion serves the security function of tamper evidence, while the remaining main body retains full reusability for its primary containment function.
2Quantity of substance
If the clamshell is made flat for storage, then storage efficiency is improved, but the ability to stand independently on shelves is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The clamshell incorporates three-dimensional standing features (feet or protrusions) that extend perpendicular to the main flat body. These features allow the clamshell to stand vertically on shelves while maintaining overall compactness for efficient storage when not in display position.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the clamshell is made reusable, then adaptability is improved, but tamper evidence capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The clamshell is divided into a main body and a separate break-away portion connected by a frangible mechanism. The break-away portion includes frangible flanges that can be torn from the main body, providing tamper evidence while leaving the main clamshell intact and reusable for storage and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible flanges are pre-positioned and pre-connected to the main clamshell body through a designed weak connection. This preliminary arrangement ensures that any attempt to access the contents will naturally trigger the break-away mechanism, providing automatic tamper evidence before the user even opens the package.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the package includes multiple components for reusability and standing features, then adaptability and display capability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into a single integrated structure: the main clamshell body provides containment, the standing feet provide independent display capability, and the frangible flanges provide tamper evidence. All these features are combined in one cohesive package design rather than separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The main clamshell body serves multiple functions: it acts as the primary container for contents, provides the structural framework for standing features, and serves as the reusable portion after the break-away flanges are removed. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enables reusable packaging that can stand on its own, prevents tampering, and ensures secure access, while maintaining product integrity and allowing for easy organization and reuse, enhancing user convenience and marketing visibility.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one substantially flat extension is spot-welded or face-sealed to the surface of the paperboard
Implementation Method 2
The extensions are connected to the clamshell through a breakable mechanism, such as a plurality of perforations
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
A package (100) for accommodating, storing, displaying and transporting an article, such as, pharmaceutical products. The package has a receptacle (300) detachably mountable to a paperboard (200). The mountable receptacle has a clamshell (320; 420) for receiving, for example, one or more blister cards. The clamshell has a first portion (322) having a first edge (323) and a second portion (324) having a second edge (327), which opposes the first edge. The mountable receptacle has flat extensions (340) comprising a pair of wings (350) connected both to the first edge of the first portion and to the second edge of the second portion through a breakable mechanism (342). The extension is attached to a surface of the paperboard, such that the clamshell can be detached from the paperboard by breaking the breakable mechanism, while maintaining the attachment of the pair of wings to the surface of the paperboard.