GB2439066A

GB2439066A - Container with hinged interconnected compartments enclosed by lid

Info

Publication number: GB2439066A
Application number: GB0612012A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Davis
Original assignee: Field Group PLC
Current assignee: Field Group PLC
Priority date: 2006-06-16
Filing date: 2006-06-16
Publication date: 2007-12-19
Also published as: GB0612012D0

Abstract

A package 2 comprises a first compartment 4 and a second compartment 6 hingedly connected together about a hinge line 8. The package 2 further comprises a flip top lid 10 hingedly attached to said first compartment 4 such that when the compartments 4, 6 are arranged in a face-to-face configuration, the flip top lid 10 may be folded down to maintain the compartments 4, 6 in that face-to-face configuration. The lid may be latched in place by the interaction of edges 68 of flaps 60, 62 interlocking with flap 46, and a tab 64 facilitates the opening of the lid. The whole package can be made from a single blank (FIG.3).

Description

90900.2 15

PACKAGING

The present invention relates to packaging and more particularly, but not exclusively to packages for pharmaceutical or other medicinal products.

It is common to package pharmaceuticals in blister packs which are provided with a protective outer package. Typically, the outer package is made of paperboard or similar foldable lightweight sheet material. Alternatively, the blister pack may be mounted on a backing card which may be folded around the product in the manner of a wallet to protect the blister pack.

The present invention seeks to provide improved packaging which is capable of receiving one or more blister packs.

From a first aspect, the invention provides a package comprising a first section and a second section, said first section and said second section being hingedly connected together such that they may lie in a face-to-face configuration, and further comprising a flip top lid hingedly attached to said first section of the package such that when the sections are arranged in said face-to-face configuration, said flip top lid may be folded down over the sections in order to maintain them in that lace-to-face configuration.

With such an arrangement, the two sections which may each, for example, receive or support a blister pack of product, may be securely held together in a closed configuration, but at the same time easily opened to allow the contents of each section to be accessed.

In a first simple embodiment of the invention, the respective sections may be planar leaves, hingedly intercoimected. A blister pack may be suitably secured, e.g bonded adhesively or ultrasonically, to each leaf such that each can be accessed when the package is opened.

In a second embodiment the sections may each comprise a tray like compartment. A blister pack or the like may then be received and/or secured in each compartment. This arrangement has the advantage that it will enclose the sides of the package when the package is closed, preventing, or at least making more difficult, access to the contents of the package.

Preferably, however, each section of the package comprises an open topped compartment, the respective open tops of the compartment being closed by the flip top lid. This arrangement is advantageous as the contents need not be secured to the respective sections, merely received within a compartment from which they can easily be removed when the flip top lid is opened.

Locking means may be provided on the flip top lid to maintain it in its closed position.

Preferably the locking means comprises an internal lip formed on the lid which cooperates with a tongue or tab provided on the second section of the package.

The flip top lid may also be provided with a tab for facilitating opening of the package.

The hinged connection between the package sections should allow the sections to hinge relative to one another. The connection need not be a direct connection, and could be provided through an intermediate panel or panels, for

example.

The respective sections may be hinged along a common edge. For example, in one embodiment, the bottom of one section may be hingedly attached to the bottom of the other such that the sections and flip top lid are arranged in line.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the sections are hinged together along a side edge, such that the package may be opened in the manner of a book. This is particularly advantageous in those embodiments of the invention comprising open topped compartments as opening the package will not lead to contents dropping from one or other compartment.

The flip top lid is preferably configured such as to enclose one end of each compartment. This prevents access to the product with each compartment.

The package is preferably made from paperboard, cardboard or some other foldable sheet material.

Although it may be made from more than one part, suitably joined together, it is preferably formed from a one-piece blank of foldable sheet material.

The invention also extends, therefore, to a one-piece blank for making a package in accordance with the invention.

More particularly the invention provides a one piece blank of a foldable sheet material comprising one or more panels defining a first section and one or more panels defining a second section, said first and second sections being hingedly connected together, and an array of panels hingedly attached to said first section, said array being erectable to form a flip top lid.

Whilst the invention is described above in terms of a package with a flip top lid, it will be appreciated that a package comprising two open topped compartments hingedly joined together may be closed by means other than a flip top lid. From a further broad aspect, therefore there is provided a package comprising a first open topped compartment and a second open topped compartment, said first and second compartments being hingedly connected together such that they may lie in a face-to-face configuration, and further comprising a closure hingedly attached to said first open topped compartment such that when the sections are arranged in said face-to-face configuration, said closure may be folded down over the open tops of the compartments to maintain the compartments in that face-toface configuration.

The closure may comprise a simple flap, for example and may also close the open tops of the compartments.

As in the earlier described arrangement, the compartments may be connected together along a side edge.

Two preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a first package construction in accordance with the invention in a first, open configuration; Figure 2 shows the package of Figure 1 in a second, closed configuration; Figure 3 shows a blank for making the package of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 shows a second package in accordance with the invention, in an open configuration; and Figure 5 shows a blank for making the package of Figure 4.

With reference to Figure 1, a preferred package 2 in accordance with the invention comprises a first open-topped compartment 4 and a second open-topped compartment 6 hingedly connected together about a hinge line 8. A flip top lid 10 is hingedly attached to the upper edge 12 of the first compartment 4.

Each compartment 4,6 is relatively shallow, for receiving, typically, a blister pack of pharmaceutical or other product.

With reference to Figure 3, which shows a blank 14 for making the package 2, it will be seen that the first compartment 4 is made up from a first array of panels 16 and the second compartment 6 made up from a second array of panels 18. The first and second array of panels 16,18 arc hinged together about the hinge line 8.

The first array 16 of panels comprises a front panel 20, a rear panel 22 and side panels 24,26. A glue strip 28 is further provided along one edge of the front panel 20. These panels are connected together about respective parallel hinge lines 30. The array 16 of panels also comprises a series of bottom closure flaps 32.

Similarly, the second array 18 of panels comprises a front panel 34, a rear panel 36, side panels 38,40 and a glue strip 42. These panels are hingedly connected about parallel hinge lines 44. Again the array 18 also comprises a series of bottom closure flaps 44. A locking tab 46 is hingedly connected to the upper end of the rear panel 36 along a hinge line 48.

The flip top lid 10 is erected from an array of panels 50 connected to the front wall panel 22 of the first compartment 4 about the hinge line 12. The array of panels 50 comprises a top panel 52, a front panel 54 and side panels 56,58. Locking flaps 60, 62 are provided on an edge of each side panel 56. A pull tab 64 is hingedly attached to the front panel 54 about a hinge line 66.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the first compartment 4 is erected from the blank by folding the front and side wall panels 20,22,24 about the hinge lines 30 and gluing strip 28 to side wall panel 26. The bottom of the compartment is formed by gluing the bottom closure flaps 32.

Similarly, the second compartment 6 is formed by folding the front and side wall panels 34,36,38 about hinge lines 44 and gluing glue strip 42 to side wall panel 40. The bottom of the second compartment 6 is closed by gluing the closure flaps 44.

The lid 50 is formed by folding the side wall panels 56,58 and front wall panel 54 inwardly and gluing the locking tabs 60,62 to the inner surface of the front wall panel 54.

In this configuration, as shown in Figure 1, the two compartments 4,6 can hinge through 180 relative to each other from a position in which the side wall panels 26,40 lie adjacent to one another and a further configuration in which the front wall panels 20,34 lie adjacent to one another.

The compartments 4, 6 are held together in the closed configuration of the package by the flip top lid 10. In this configuration, as shown in Figure 2, the side wall panels 56,58 of the flip top lid envelope the upper parts of the respective compartment side walls 24,26,38,40 and the front panel 54 of the flip top lid lies over the rear wall panel 36 of the second compartment 6.

As shown in phantom lines in the Figure, upper edges 68 of the locking panels 60,62 engage under a lower edge 70 of the locking flap 46. This keeps the flip top lid 10 closed.

In order to open the package 2, the user simply needs to pull the tab 64 in order to disengage the locking flaps 60,62,46 and lift the lid 10.

Turning now to Figures 4 and 5, a second package 102 embodying the invention is shown.

The package comprises, a first open-topped compartment 104 and a second open-topped compartment 106 hingedly connected together about a hinge line 108.

A closure flap 110 is hingedly attached to the upper edge 112 of the first compartment 104.

Unlike the first embodiment, therefore, this embodiment uses a simple closure flap 110 rather than a flip top lid to maintain the package closed. The closure flap 110 is maintained closed by engagement of a tab 114 inside the second compartment 106. When the package is closed, the first compartment 104 is closed by the closure flap 110 and tabs 116. Similarly the second compartment is closed by the closure flap 110 and tabs 118.

It will be noted that in this embodiment, the compartments 104, 106 are of different depths D1, D2 This is in contrast to the first embodiment where the compartments are of equal depth. They can of course, however, have unequal depths.

With reference to Figure 3, the blank 120 for making the package 102 is generally similar in layout to that of the first embodiment, but with the bottom and top closures for each compartment modified.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the compartments 4, 6 need not be joined together along a side edge, but could equally be connected together along a bottom edge. This arrangement may be more suitable in those embodiments where the package sections are not formed as open lopped compartments as shown but rather in the form of trays or simple leaves.

Also, while the invention has been described with particular reference to packaging for blister packs and the like, this is not limiting. It will be understood that the package may receive other contents, such as loose articles, e.g. confectionery. The package compartments may be appropriately sized to receive such contents and therefore need not be relatively shallow, as shown.

It will also be appreciated that the package could be provided with further sections hingedly connected to the first and second sections whereby more than two sections may be held closed by a flip top lid or closure flap.

Also, while the package has been described with each section being similarly constructed, it would be possible for each section to be different, e.g. the package may comprise an open topped compartment and a tray-like compartment, a tray-like compartment and a leaf and so on.

Claims

Claims A package comprising a first section and a second section, said

first section and said second section being hingedly connected together such that they may lie in a face-to-face configuration, and further comprising a flip top lid hingedly attached to said first section of the package such that when the sections are arranged in said face-to-face configuration, said flip top lid may be folded down over the sections in order to maintain them in that face-to-face configuration.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the respective sections comprise planar leaves.

3. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the respective sections comprise tray like compartments.

4. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the respective sections comprise open topped compartments.

5. A package as claimed in claim 3 or 4 wherein the flip top lid is configured such as to enclose one end of each compartment.

6. A package as claimed in any preceding claim wherein locking means are provided to maintain the flip top lid in its closed position.

7. A package as claimed in claim 6 wherein the locking means comprises an internal lip formed on the lid which cooperates with a tongue or tab provided on the second section of the package.

8. A package as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the flip top lid is provided with a tab for facilitating opening of the package.

9. A package as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the bottom of one section is hingedly attached to the bottom of the other such that the sections and the flip top lid are arranged in line.

10. A package as claimed in any of claims ito 8 wherein the sections are hinged together along a side edge.

ii. A package comprising a first open topped compartment and a second open topped compartment, said first and second compartments being hingedly connected together such that they may lie in a face-to-face configuration, and further comprising a closure hingedly attached to said first open topped compartment such that when the sections are arranged in said face-to-face configuration, said closure may be folded over the open tops of the compartments to maintain the compartments in that face-to- face configuration.

12. A package as claimed in claim 11 wherein the closure comprises a closure flap.

13. A package as claimed in claim 11 or 12 wherein the closure closes the open tops of the respective compartments 14. A package as claimed in claims 11, 12 or 13 wherein the compartments are hinged together along a side edge.

15. A package as claimed in any preceding claim made from paperboard, cardboard or some other foldable sheet material.

16. A package as claimed in claim 14 wherein the package is formed from a one-piece blank of foldable sheet material.

17. A one-piece blank of foldable sheet material for making a package as claimed in any preceding claim.

18. A one-piece blank of a foldable sheet material comprising one or more panels defining a first section and one or more panels defining a second section, said first and second sections being hingedly connected together, and an array of panels hingedly attached to said first section, said array being erectable to form a flip top lid.

19. A one-piece blank of a foldable sheet material comprising a first plurality of panels defining, when erected, a first open topped compartment and a second plurality of panels defining, when erected, a second open topped compartment hingedly connected to said first open topped compartment further comprising a closure panel hingedly attached to said first plurality of panels.