US2792167A

US2792167A - Container and separable information tag

Info

Publication number: US2792167A
Application number: US567863A
Authority: US
Inventors: George C Sparks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-02-27
Filing date: 1956-02-27
Publication date: 1957-05-14
Anticipated expiration: 1974-05-14

Description

May 14, 1957 G. c. SPARKS 2,792,167

CONTAINER AND SEPARABLE INFORMATION TAG Filed Feb. 27, .1956

F1 .9. 30 M i g Lu jz Z4 l l' l 34 1 g /a IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent 2,792,167 CONTAINER AND SEgilABLE INFORMATION George C. Sparks, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application February 27, 1956, Serial No. 567,863

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-40) My invention relates to a new and useful container and separable information tag and especially has to do with the packaging of medicinal samples to be supplied by pharmaceutical manufacturers tophysicians for distribution to patients for trial use. The container must be such that it will remain tightly closed although readily openable, attractive in order to draw attention to the subject and must contain information for the physician which is undesirable to pass on to the patient receiving the sample and therefore easily removable prior to giving out the packaged sample.

An object of the invention is to provide a container fashioned from a heavy paper, plastic or thin cardboard blank which, when folded, includes a back wall, upright side and end walls, generally triangular closure flaps having cooperating interengaging holding tabs at the meeting corners, and a separable information tag including a neck portion joined by a weakened section to one side edge of one of the closure flaps overlying another closure flap and folded around a side wall, and a body portion underlying the back wall and, preferably, commensurate in size and proportion with said back wall.

Another object of this invention is to provide a relatively flat rectangular, preferably oblong, container including closure flaps on what is to be considered the top or front of the article and on information tag joined to one of the closure flaps: and foldable around a side and disposed against the back of the container.

A further object of the present invention is to provide unique closure flap holding means in the form of interlocking tabs which when interengaged produce an effective fastening having the attractive appearance of a rosette.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a container with a separable information tag made of pliable material, like paper, plastic, cardboard or pasteboard for instance, and which is produced in the form of a flat blank cut to proper form and creased to permit folding for the purpose of forming a container including closure flaps from one of which projects an information tag having the body thereof disposed on the outside of the container back, the line of juncture between the information tag and its complementary fiap being weakened throughout the major portion of its length and slit for a minor portion or the balance of its length at one end contiguous an edge of the container.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then designated by the claims.

in order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same I will describe its construction in detail referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the container with separable information tag in closed condition and looking downwardly at the top or front thereof.

Patented May 14, 1957 Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the same taken at the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a face view of the blank from which the container and separable tag are formed by folding said blank.

Figure 4 is a top plan View of the article partially closed as during the folding operations.

In carrying out the invention as herein embodied 10 represents a container or box blank cut from suitable material, such as paper, plastic, cardboard, paste-board and the like, and scored to provide fold lines so that when properly folded there is provided a rectangular back wall 11, opposed '

side walls

12, 13 defined and articulated relative to said back wall by the scored

fold line

14, 15 respectively, opposed end walls 16, 17 also defined and articulated relative to said back wall 11 by the scored

fold lines

18, 19 respectively.

The

opposed side walls

12, 13 are provided with scalene

triangular closure flaps

20, 21 defined and articulated relative to the

respective side Walls

12, 13 by the scored

fold lines

22, 23 respectively, and likewise the end walls 16, 17 are provided with scalene

triangular closure flaps

24, 25 defined and articulated relative to the said respective end walls, 16, 17 by the scored

fold lines

26, 27 respectively.

The opposed closure flaps of each pair are so arranged that the exterior projected angles are on opposite sides of a center line drawn through the back wall 11, either longitudinally or transversely. On the exterior corners of all of the

closure flaps

20, 21, 24 and 25 are formed the integral substantially oval shaped locking or

holding tabs

28, 29, 30 and 31 respectively. The axes of the looking tabs are in endwise alignment with the sides of intermediate length of the respective triangular closure flaps with which said tabs are integrally joined by restricted necks thereby forming keeper notches 32 to receive portions of the necks of other locking tabs in interlocking relations to eventually fasten all or" the closure flaps together.

With the smaller side of one of the triangular closure flaps, as 25, is formed the information tag indicated generally by the reference numeral 33. This tag 33 includes a relatively narrow extension strip 34 projecting from a side of a closure flap, defined with relation to said closure flap by a weakened line 35 and a small slit 36 contiguous the base of the triangular closure flap in end wise alignment with said weakened line 35, and a body portion 37 of large size, preferably of substantially the same size and contour as the back wall 11 of the container element. The extension strip 34 has parallel scored

fold lines

38, 39 which substantially coincide with the

fold lines

15, 23 when the article is completely assembled.

In practice, the blank is partially folded into shape to form the container with the closure flaps spread apart and the item or items, which are usually thin, that are to be packaged are disposed on the inner face of the back wall 11. The closure flaps are then folded in and fastened by the interengagement of the holding or locking tabs. This may be accomplished, for example, by causing the necks of the

tabs

28 and 29 to enter the notches 32 of the companion or

complementary tabs

29 and 28 respectively, then folding in the closure flap 24 under the tab 29 and partially overlapping the tab 28 so that the neck of tab 29 also will be Within notch 32 of said tab 29 and finally the closure flap 25 is folded over and its tab 31 inserted under the tab 28 and partly overlapping the tab 29 so that the neck of tab 31 will be within the notch 32 of said tab 31. The closure flaps now are securely fastened together by the interlocking relation of the various tabs which form a rosette figure, as seen in Figure l, and where alternate tabs and sometimes the flaps are of different or contrasting colors a very attractive package is provided. When the package is closed, a portion of the extension strip 34 overlies the front of the container, particularly a part of flap 21, for example, and this causes a portion of said flap 21 to 'be deflected inwardly, Figure 2, while the balance of said flap 21 and all of the other flaps are in substantially the same plane since their side edges practically meet. The balance of said extension strip is folded over the contiguous edge of the container with the body 37 of the information tag disposed on the outer face of back wall 11, Figures 1 and 2.

The container, preferably, is rather shallow because the item or items, usually samples, are relatively thin and few in number and the package is especially designed for medicinal samples to be given by pharmaceutical manufacturers to physicians for distribution to patients for trial use. To carry out this feature, the component, ingredients or composition of the samples, the advantages thereof, the name of the preparation, dosage and/ or method of use can be printed on one or both surfaces of the information tag body for the physicians use and before he gives the same to a patient said tag can be torn off along the weakened line 35 which operation is expedited by the small slit 36 functioning as the starting point.

The party desiring to remove the contents only has to pull on the locking tabs with suflicient force to disengage them from one another and'the closure flaps then can be drawn outwardly to expose the interior of the container. It will be obvious that the actual items may be enclosed in an appropriate Wrapper and if desirable padding can be fixed to the inner surface of the back wall.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and useful is:

l. A container comprising a rectangular back wall, opposed upright side walls, opposed upright end walls, said side and end walls projecting from the edges of said back wall, substantially triangular shaped closure flaps extending from said side and end walls and projecting inwardly towards one another and meeting above the center of said back wall, said closure flaps being formed with complementary locking tabs adapted to interlock with each other to hold the closure flaps in a closed position, an extension strip formed with one of the closure flaps and defined relative to said closure flap by a weakened tear line including a slit at one end, and an information tag body substantially of the same shape and size as the container back Wall and adapted to contain information concerning the contents of the container, said extension strip folded about one of the upright walls with the tag body disposed against the outer surface of said back wall.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the closure flaps are of scalene triangular shape and the locking tabs when interengaged forming a rosette.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 911,884 Kyle Feb. 9, 1909 1,116,043 Elliott Nov. 3, 1914 1,760,106 Beach May 27, 1930 2,329,360 Salfisberg Sept. 14, 1943