EP0246840A1

EP0246840A1 - Carton

Info

Publication number: EP0246840A1
Application number: EP87304382A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Christopher John Clough; Edwin Ruddock; Brian Hinchliffe
Original assignee: Reed Packaging Ltd
Current assignee: Reed Packaging Ltd
Priority date: 1986-05-19
Filing date: 1987-05-18
Publication date: 1987-11-25
Also published as: GB2190659A; GB8612097D0

Abstract

A carton made of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, having a closure-forming panel (2) which is provided with a patch (3) or the like which includes, carries or is adapted to retain a movable or removable sheet, flap or the like (5) for bearing a message or other indicia.

Description

This invention relates to cartons made of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material and has as its main object to provide such a carton with an improved facility for incorporating a message or other indicia, for completion by the user, for example in the form of a greeting when the carton contains a present for the recipient.
Viewed from one aspect the invention provides a carton made of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable semi-rigid sheet material, having on a face of a closure-forming panel of the carton a patch or the like which includes, carries or is adapted to retain a movable or removable sheet, flap or the like for bearing a message or other indicia.
The said patch may be on either an internal or an external face of its associated panel. Preferably however it is provided on the inside face of a closure-forming panel of the carton. With such an arrangement, when the carton is opened by opening the said closure-forming panel, for example by the recipient of a present, the said movable or removable sheet, flap or the like bearing a message or other indicia, for example a greeting, immediately becomes visible.
In one form of the invention the said patch is adapted to retain a separate said sheet for bearing indicia, for example by means of a suitable slot or recess defined by the patch, the sheet being readily removable when the carton is opened. The sheet may then comprise a card of any suitable kind, for example a blank card for receiving a written message, or a business card in the case of a promotional gift. It will be understood that such a readily removable sheet will not necessarily form part of the claimed invention, the said patch only being adapted to retain it and the sheet being supplied separately by a user. The said patch may for example define an open-ended slot between itself and the said closure-forming panel, for receiving the said sheet.
In another form of the invention a said sheet, flap or the like is attached to the said-patch. Such attachment may be of a releasable nature, by way of perforations.
Preferably the said patch is arranged to act as a reinforcement for the said closure-forming panel, and preferably it is formed of material similar to that of its associated panel.
Viewed from another aspect the invention provides a carton made of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable semi-rigid sheet material, having on a face of a closure-forming panel of the carton a patch or the like which includes, carries or retains a readily removable card or the like which is particularly adapted and arranged to have a message applied thereto by a user, for example in the form of a greeting to an intended recipient of the carton and its contents, in use.
The scope of the invention also extends to a blank for making a carton as set forth above.
Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for making a carton according to a first embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the relevant parts of the carton of Figure 1 when assembled;
Figures 3 to 10 are plan views of the closure-forming panels of seven further embodiments of cartons according to the invention; and
Figure 11 is a plan view of a blank for making a patch as shown in Figure 10.

Referring first to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the illustrated carton is adapted to house a single bottle and is of conventional outline shape. The four side wall panels are internally reinforced by means of rectangular cardboard patches 1, and a top closure-forming panel 2 is also internally reinforced by means of a patch 3 having features in accordance with the present invention, now to be described.
The rectangular cardboard patch 3 is glued to the inside face of the closure-forming panel 2 only around its peripheral region, so as to leave the central area of the patch unattached to the panel. The patch is formed with a diagonal slot 4 for receiving a card 5 which is tucked into the slot as shown in Figure 2. The card may have any suitable message applied to it by a user, for example a greeting if the carton and its contents are to be a present.
It will be understood that the card 5 with its message becomes immediately visible upon the closure 2 being opened, and is then readily removable by a recipient, to read the message on the card.
Figure 3 shows a second embodiment which is similar to that of Figures 1 and 2 except that the slot 6 in the patch 7 is horizontal and has a card 8 of a different shape tucked into it.
In the embodiment of Figure 4 the patch 9 is glued to the closure-forming panel 2 along its top, bottom and right-hand edge regions, being left open at its left-hand edge to enable a card 10 to be tucked into the recess thus formed between the patch and the closure panel. The dimensions of the recess make it particularly suitable for receiving a business card.
In the embodiment of Figure 5 the patch 11 is formed as an open envelope with its rear face glued to the closure-forming panel 2 and containing a card 12 on which a message may be inscribed.
In the embodiment of Figure 6 the patch 13 is of double thickness, folded over at its left-hand edge and glued to the closure panel 2 by way of its rear face. The front portion of the patch provides a flap 14 which is hingedly openable along a row of perforations 15 in the manner of a greetings card, and a suitable message may be inscribed inside it. The front and rear portions of the patch are glued together to the left of the perforations 15.
In the embodiment of Figure 7 the patch 16 is sub-divided by a diagonal line of perforations 17 and the portion 18 of the patch is glued to the closure panel 2. The other portion 19 is free from the closure panel and may have a message inscribed on it by a user. The free portion 19 of the patch is readly removable by a recipient, if desired, by tearing along the line of perforations.
In the embodiment of Figure 8 the patch 20 is again of double thickness, glued to the closure panel 2 via its rear face, and is formed with two lines of perforations 21 in its front face to make the central portion 22 of the patch, on which a message may be inscribed, readily removable by tearing along the lines of perforations. Above and below the removable portion 22 the the front and rear portions of the patch are glued together.
In the embodiment of Figure 9 the patch 23 is again glued to the closure-forming panel 2 all around its periphery, thus leaving its central portion free, and a rectangular area 24 of the patch is made readily removable by way of cuts 25 separated by small lands. A message may again be inscribed on the removable part 24 of the patch.
Lastly, in the embodiment of Figures 10 and 11 the patch 26 is formed to provide an open pocket. As seen in Figure 11 the-pocket is formed by a cut-away front panel 27, a rear panel 28 hinged thereto, and a pair of glueing flaps 29 which are folded on to the rear face of the panel 28 and glued thereto before being themselves glued to the closure panel 2. A card 30 is removably received in the pocket thus formed.
It is to be clearly understood that there are no particular features of the foregoing specification, or of any claims appended hereto, which are at present regarded as being essential to the performance of the present invention, and that any one or more of such features or combinations thereof may therefore be included in, added to, omitted from or deleted from any of such claims if and when amended during the prosecution of this application or in the filing or prosecution of any divisional application based thereon.

Claims

1. A carton made of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable semi-rigid sheet material, having on a face of a closure-forming panel of the carton a patch or the like which includes, carries or is adapted to retain a movable or removable sheet, flap or the like for bearing a message or other indicia.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said patch or the like is provided on the inside face of a closure-forming panel of the carton.

3. A carton as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the said patch is adapted to retain a separate said sheet for bearing indicia.

4. A carton as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said patch defines an open-ended slot between itself and the said closure-forming panel, for receiving the said sheet.

5. A carton as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a said sheet, flap or the like is attached to the said patch.

6. A carton as claimed in claim 5, wherein the said sheet, flap or the like is releasably attached to the patch by perforations.

7. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said patch is arranged to act as a reinforcement for its associated panel.

8. A carton as claimed in claim 7, wherein the said patch is formed of material similar to that of its associated panel.

9. A carton made of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable semi-rigid sheet material, having on a face of a closure-forming panel of the carton a patch or the like which includes, carries or retains a readily removable card or the like which is particularly adapted and arranged to have a message applied thereto by a user, for example in the form of a greeting to an intended recipient of the carton and its contents, in use.

10. A blank for making a carton as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9.