GB2315239A

GB2315239A - Forming a container blank with a covered adhesive strip

Info

Publication number: GB2315239A
Application number: GB9614552A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Topfer
Original assignee: Field Group PLC
Current assignee: Field Group PLC
Priority date: 1996-07-11
Filing date: 1996-07-11
Publication date: 1998-01-28
Also published as: GB9614552D0

Abstract

An adhesive 3 covered by a releasable cover strip 4 is applied to stock sheet material 6 which is to be used for making a cardboard or similar blank for a container. Preferably the adhesive is in the form of double-sided tape already bearing a cover sheet and is applied in a continuous strip running lengthwise of the stock. A blank is cut from the stock without the need for further application of adhesive and the resulting blank may be erected by a user simply by stripping away the cover sheet and bringing the appropriate parts into engagement.

Description

"Cardboard and like articles This invention relates to articles made of cardboard, paperboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material. Such articles, such as cartons or like containers for example, are made from one or more blanks of board cut and scored so as to be foldable into an erected condition to create the intended article. During such process of erection, or in a subsequent process such as when a container is to be closed after being filled with its contents, it is often necessary to secure two parts of a blank, or respective parts of two blanks, together face-to-face.

There are a number of known ways of doing this, including applying glue to the surface of one of the parts and pressing them together; applying hot melt adhesive to one of the surfaces and then heating them and pressing them together; applying a double sided adhesive tape to one part and then removing the cover strip from the tape before bringing the two parts together; and mechanical processes such as stapling.

However, all of these different processes have the disadvantage that either the blank manufacturer or, much more often, his customer who erects the article and fills it if it is a container, has to carry out one or more additional steps in order to secure together the parts in question, such as applying glue or hot melt adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape, or stapling. Of course such operations are frequently carried out automatically by suitable machinery, but still with the disadvantage that every additional step which such machinery carries out calls for mechanical and other parts which have to be serviced regularly and which may break down.

Viewed from one aspect the present invention provides a method of making a blank of cardboard, paperboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, suitable for subsequent erection to form an article such as a container, comprising applying adhesive covered by a releasable cover sheet to stock sheet material in a position where adhesive is subsequently required in use of the blank, and then performing operations on the sheet material to form the blank.

With such an arrangement, erection of the blank to form the desired article no longer requires any steps to be carried out by the user in order to prepare parts of the blank to be secured together, such as applying adhesive to the regions concerned, as all that is required is to strip away the said cover sheet at an appropriate time before the parts in question are brought into face-to-face engagement.

The concept of the invention is also advantageous for the blank manufacturer, because he does not have to apply the adhesive and cover sheet to the stock sheet material himself. Instead this can be done by the supplier of the sheet material.

A preferred form of the invention includes applying said adhesive to a single piece of stock sheet material at positions where adhesive is subsequently required in use of a plurality of blanks, and then performing operations on the sheet material to form said plurality of blanks.

The adhesive may conveniently be applied to the stock sheet material in the form of at least one continuous strip running lengthwise of the stock.

Possibly the said adhesive and its cover sheet could be applied separately to the sheet material in two steps. Preferably however it is applied in the form of a double-sided adhesive strip already bearing a releasable cover strip.

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 perspective view of the top of a carton made from single blank of cardboard, to whose manufacture the concept of the present invention may advantageously be applied; Figure 2 is a plan view of a length of stock cardboard sheet material cut and creased to form a plurality of blanks for making cartons as shown in Figure 1, cuts being indicated by full lines and creases by dashed lines in the usual way; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cardboard folder incorporating a blister sheet of pharmaceutical tablets, made from a single blank of cardboard formed in accordance with the invention; and Figure 4 is a plan view of part of a length of stock cardboard material cut and creased to form a plurality of blanks for making folders as shown in Figure 3.

Referring first to Figure 1, a cardboard carton has a first top closure panel 1 incorporating a tear strip 2 for opening it, closing being by means of a strip of double-sided adhesive tape 3 provided with a conventional releasable cover tape 4 which, when removed, enables the carton to be closed by pressing the closure panel 1 down on a second top closure panel 5.

Referring now to Figure 2, this shows a length of stock cardboard sheet 6 cut and creased by the blank manufacturer to form two oppositely oriented rows of blanks for making cartons as shown in Figure 1, this being how such blanks are conventionally manufactured.

However, in this case, before the stock cardboard sheet is supplied to the blank manufacturer for cutting and creasing, the strip of double-sided adhesive tape 3 with its cover tape 4 is first applied along the whole length of the sheet, in the correct location relative to the intended positions of the blanks to be formed subsequently by the cutting and creasing operation.

Then, when the blanks are separated from the remainder of the sheet, and from each other along cut lines 7, they already have the necessary strips of adhesive tape applied to their closure flaps 1, ready for use as in Figure 1, such strips of course having been separated from the lengths of tape remaining on the waste part of the sheet 6, during the cutting and creasing operation.

Referring now to Figure 3, this shows a cardboard folder 8 for housing a blister sheet 9 of pharmaceutical tablets. The folder is made up of three hingedly interconnected panels, namely as base panel 10 formed with an array of apertures 11 (see Figure 4) for a user to access the tablets, a lid panel 12 connected to the base panel by way of a connecting strip 13 to provide the folder with adequate depth, and a cover panel 14, formed with an array of apertures 15 corresponding to the apertures in the base panel 10 so as to fit over the blisters 16 as shown in Figure 3. The blister sheet 9 is glued to the base panel 10 with its foil side underneath, facing the apertures 11, and the cover panel 14 is folded over and stuck down to the blister sheet and the surrounding edge regions of the base panel 10 to strengthen the base of the folder and provide a neat finish.

Referring now particularly to Figure 4, a length of stock cardboard sheet 17 is die cut and creased by the blank manufacturer to form a row of blanks 18 for making folders 8, divided from each other by cuts 19. First, however, before the stock sheet is supplied to the blank manufacturer, a strip of double-sided adhesive tape 20 with its releasable cover strip is applied along the whole length of the stock sheet in the position shown.

Then, when the stock sheet is die cut and creased by the blank manufacturer as aforesaid, an array of apertures 21 is formed in the tape 20 where it overlies each of the cover panels 14, at the same time as the apertures 15 are formed in the cover panels. Then, during formation of the folder 8, when the time comes to stick the cover panel down over the blister sheet 9 which has already been stuck to the base panel 10, the cover strip of the double-sided adhesive strip is removed and the exposed adhesive strip is pressed onto the blister sheet and the surrounding edge regions of the base panel.

Claims

1. A method of making a blank of cardboard, paperboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, suitable for subsequent erection to form an article such as a container, comprising applying adhesive covered by a releasable cover sheet to stock sheet material in a position where adhesive is subsequently required in use of the blank, and then performing operations on the sheet material to form the blank.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, including applying said adhesive to a single piece of stock sheet material at positions where adhesive is subsequently required in use of a plurality of blanks, and then performing operations on the sheet material to form said plurality of blanks.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the said adhesive is applied to the stock sheet material in the form of at least one continuous strip running lengthwise of the stock.

4. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the said adhesive is applied in the form of a double-sided adhesive sheet already bearing a releasable cover sheet.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A blank made by the method claimed in any of claims 1 to 5.