GB2330572A - Package with an information-bearing insert - Google Patents

Abstract

A package eg for a pharmaceutical product comprises a carton formed from a blank and provided with an information-bearing insert such as a leaflet 14 which may be adhered to a finger tab 12 of a detachable flap 10. Inserts may be attached to a sheet of material such as cardboard before or after carton blanks are cut from the sheet.

Description

Title-Packazing This invention relates to packaging, and in particular to an improved form of box or carton.

Many products are packaged in boxes or cartons, eg of card, for supply to the end user. It is not uncommon for such cartons also to include an insert, eg in the form of a leaflet, which carries information relating to the product. Such information may, for example, relate to the method of use of the product. In the case of a pharmaceutical product, for instance, the information may relate to dosing and contra-indications.

Product information leaflets are generally loaded automatically into the cartons during the packaging process. However, the use of separate information leaflets is accompanied by numerous problems. The leaflets and cartons are generally supplied separately, which results in duplicate ordering and stock control requirements. In addition, it is necessary to verify that each carton is loaded with a leaflet and this is time-consuming and costly.

There has now been devised an improvement to packaging, which overcomes or substantially mitigates these and other disadvantages of known packaging.

According to the invention, packaging in the form of a carton has an information-bearing insert removably affixed to the carton.

The packaging according to the invention is advantageous primarily in that the insert is affixed to the carton, and may therefore be supplied with the carton. The manufacturer of the product with which the packaging is used does not have to order the carton and insert separately and does not therefore experience the problems of separate ordering and stock control. There is no need for the insert to be introduced to the carton during packing of the product, and problems of verification are also ameliorated.

The carton is preferably assembled from a suitably shaped blank cut from a sheet of material such as cardboard. Thus, according to another aspect of the invention there is provided a blank for assembly to form a carton as defined above, the blank having removably attached thereto an information-bearing insert which in the assembled carton lies internally of the carton.

The insert is commonly a leaflet, which will generally be folded prior to attachment to the carton. The insert may be attached to the carton during formation of the latter by folding and gluing of a blank. Alternatively, the insert may be attached to a carton blank, either prior to or after cutting of the blank from a sheet, and the blank then assembled to form the carton.

The assembled carton, with the insert, may be supplied to the product manufacturer in collapsed form, the carton being opened up and filled automatically as part of the packaging process.

Most preferably, the insert is attached to a portion of the carton which is frangibly connected to the remainder of the carton. For example, the insert may be attached to a tear-off tab or flap which is separated from the rest of the carton at a line of weakness, eg a line of perforations. The carton may also be provided with an opening through which a part of the insert is visible in the assembled package. That portion may carry, for example, an identification code, enabling the presence and nature of the insert to be checked.

A presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan for cutting from a sheet of card six blanks for a carton to hold a bottle of medicament; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the assembled carton in an open condition.

Referring first to Figure 1, six blanks for a carton are cut from a sheet of card. Prior to cutting the card is printed with whatever graphic and textual material is to appear on the external surface of the assembled carton.

Each blank comprises wall portions 1,2,3,4, a top closure flap 5 and a bottom closure flap 6.

Top and bottom side flaps 7,8 are present at the top and bottom of two of the wall portions 2,4, and a side flap 9 extends along the long edge of the first wall portion 1. Finally, a detachable flap 10 is connected to the top edge of the third wall portion 3 by a perforated fold line 11 including a part formed as a finger tab 12. Fold lines are formed along the other junctions between adjacent wall portions and flaps.

An aperture 13 is cut in the third wall portion 3.

The carton is assembled by cutting blanks from the sheet, and simultaneously forming the perforated line 11 and other fold lines. A folded product information leaflet 14 (not shown in Figure 1, but shown as hidden detail in Figure 2) is then affixed by adhesive to the reverse side of the finger tab 12. Adhesive is applied to the side flap 9, which is then stuck to the edge part of the reverse side of the fourth wall portion 4. The carton, with the leaflet 14 attached, can then be supplied to the medicament manufacturer in flat form, eg folded along the fold lines A,B.

In the packaging process, the carton is opened to the form shown in Figure 2 and is filled with the bottle of medicament. The detachable flap 10 is folded down, inside the carton, to protect the upper edge of the leaflet 14 and prevent it being dislodged by insertion of the terminal part 5a of the top closure flap 5 into the top of the carton. A part of the leaflet 14 is visible through the aperture 13. This part of the leaflet 14 may be printed with, for example, a product identification code which can be verified without removing the leaflet 14 from the carton.

The end user of the medicament opens the carton by raising the top closure flap 5. He may then remove the product information leaflet 14 by detaching the finger tab 12 and the detachable flap 10. The flap 10 and tab 12 may, if desired, then be removed from the leaflet 14. The leaflet 14 can then be unfolded and read, and replaced in the carton for future reference.

Claims (11)

1 . Packaging in the form of a carton with an information-bearing insert removably affixed to the carton.

2. Packaging as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the carton is assembled from a suitably shaped blank cut from a sheet of material.

3. Packaging as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the material is cardboard.

4. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the insert is a leaflet, which is folded prior to attachment to the carton.

5. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the insert is attached to a portion of the carton which is frangibly connected to the remainder of the carton.

6. Packaging as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the insert is attached to a tear-off tab or flap which is separated from the rest of the carton at a line of weakness.

7. Packaging as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the carton is provided with an opening through which a part of the insert is visible.

8. Packaging as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said part of the insert carries an identification code.

9. A blank for assembly to form packaging as claimed in Claim 2, the blank having removably attached thereto an information-bearing insert which in the assembled carton lies internally of the carton.

10. A method of assembling packaging as claimed in Claim 2 from a blank as claimed in Claim 9, which method comprises attaching the insert to a carton blank, either prior to or after cutting of the blank from a sheet, and then assembling the blank to form the carton.

11. Packaging substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying Figures.