Frangible Line Access Slit Package Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blister and clam-shell type packages are complex in construction and difficult to open, lacking simplicity and ease of access to the contents.
Innovation Solution
A package design featuring a pair of elongated wall members with partially cut frangible lines and an access slit, allowing easy opening by grasping and pulling, while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance and preventing contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional blister and clam-shell packages are used, then the package structure is established, but the construction becomes complex and opening becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The package opening mechanism is segmented into distinct components: frangible lines that can be broken, access slits that provide entry points, and score lines that guide the breaking process. This segmentation allows the opening operation to be simplified into a straightforward pulling motion while maintaining structural integrity during normal use.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible lines are pre-formed with specific geometries and positions during manufacturing, and score lines are pre-scored to indicate breaking points. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex opening mechanisms, as the structure is already prepared to fail in a controlled manner when the user applies pulling force.
2Ease of operation
If frangible lines are fully cut through the wall member, then opening is easier, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible lines are intentionally designed to be partially cut through the wall member rather than fully cut. This partial action is sufficient to allow the lines to break when pulled, providing easy opening, while simultaneously maintaining enough material continuity to prevent contamination pathways. The score lines further assist the breaking process without requiring complete penetration.
3Ease of operation
If the package uses traditional perforated lines, then opening is possible, but the edges become rough and aesthetics are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Score lines act as intermediaries between the intact wall material and the breaking frangible lines. These pre-scored lines guide the breaking process and control where the material fails, resulting in cleaner, smoother edges compared to traditional perforated lines. The score lines mediate the transition from intact structure to opened state, minimizing edge roughness.
Data Source
AI summary
A display package for an item of merchandise, e.g., a toothbrush. The package is formed of a first wall member, e.g., a blister body, having a recess and a peripheral flange. A second elongated wall member, e.g., a planar sheet of film having an inner surface and an outer surface, is fixedly secured by its inner surface to the peripheral flange of the first wall member to enclose the item of merchandise therebetween. The second wall member includes an access window formed by a pair of elongated frangible lines and an access slit. Each of the frangible lines is cut only partially through the thickness of the second wall member, starting from the inner surface of the second wall member. The access slit is located at one end of each of the frangible lines. The window is arranged to be opened by a user grasping portions of the second wall member at the access slit to break the frangible lines and thereby provide access to the item of merchandise.