Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1
FOLDING BOX WITH INTEGRATED FOLDING BOOKLET
The invention relates to a folding box with an integrated folding booklet.
Folding boxes for packaging pharmaceuticals have to be provided according to
the medical
product code with patient information cards (patient alert card) which explain
possible
interactions with other medications in the case of special pharmaceuticals.
The patient
information card has to be separable from the folding box so that it can be
carried along on
the body by the patient and can be presented, for example, in the pharmacy in
order to check
the ability to combine with other medications.
Inserting the patient information card together with the medications (for
example, tablet
blisters) and package inserts into the folding boxes is known. This is an
increased
expenditure for the packager, since the patient information cards are supplied
separately and
have to be fed into the folding boxes with the tablet blisters and the package
inserts. To
ensure that each folding box contains a patient information card, a control
weighing or
another control measure possibly has to be carried out.
Furthermore, integrating patient information cards in the folding box
construction is known.
In this case, the patient information card can be arranged as an extension,
which is separable
along a perforation line, of an external adhesive tab on an outside of the
folding box. The
folding box can be prepared accordingly at the folding box producer, so that
the packager
only still has to pack medications and package inserts. It is disadvantageous
that only
comparatively little information can be accommodated on the one-sided card.
In addition, folding boxes are known which include a tab connected to the
opening edge via
a fold line, which tab carries a patient information card on one side, using
which it is folded
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against the inside of a side wall of the folding box. The patient information
card can thus be
designed as a fanfold. In this embodiment, the preparation of the folding box
by the folding
box producer is comparatively complex.
Furthermore, folding boxes are known in which an internal adhesive tab is
connected via a
perforation line to a patient information card, which abuts the inside of a
side wall of the
folding box. The patient information card can be formed by a single sheet or
by a fanfold.
The patient information card is adhesively bonded to the inside of the side
wall and the sheets
of the fanfold are adhesively bonded to one another so that the patient
information card flatly
abuts the side wall and does not block the filling of tablet blisters and
package inserts. These
folding boxes can also be pre-folded and pre-adhesively bonded at the
packaging producer,
so that the packager only still has to fill in the tablet blisters and the
package inserts and
close the ends of the folding box. The expenditure for the additional adhesive
bonds of the
patient information card and the fact that this makes it more difficult to
remove and unfold
the card are disadvantageous.
Proceeding therefrom, the invention is based on the object of providing a
folding box with a
patient information card, wherein the patient information card can be printed
with a
comparatively large amount of information and the folding box can be produced
and filled
more easily.
The object is achieved by a folding box having the features of claim 1.
Advantageous
embodiments of the folding box are specified in the dependent claims.
The folding box with integrated folding booklet according to the invention
comprises:
= side walls, wherein adjacent side walls are connected to one another at
longitudinal
edges via fold lines,
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= one side wall is connected via a fold line at one longitudinal edge to an
adhesive tab,
which is adhesively bonded to an adjacent side wall,
= or one side wall includes two sections that overlap and are adhesively
bonded to one
another,
= an upper closure, which covers an upper opening delimited by the upper
edges of the
side walls,
= a lower closure, which covers a lower opening delimited by the lower
edges of the
side walls,
= a folding booklet comprising multiple sheets, which are connected to one
another via
fold lines at their longitudinal edges and are folded together around these
fold lines
and of which an outer sheet is connected via a fold line to an upper edge of a
side
wall,
= wherein the folding booklet is folded around the fold line between the
outer sheet
and the side wall against the inside of this side wall and the remaining
sheets of the
folding booklet are arranged between the outer sheet and the side wall.
A folding booklet is integrated in the folding box according to the invention,
which
comprises multiple sheets that are connected to one another via fold lines at
their longitudinal
edges. The side walls are also connected to one another via fold lines at the
longitudinal
edges, so that the fold lines between the sheets of the folding booklet and
the fold lines
between the side walls extend in parallel to one another. An outer sheet of
the folding booklet
is connected via a folding line to an upper edge of a side wall, wherein the
upper edge of the
side wall extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal edge of the side wall.
The folded
folding booklet is folded around the fold line, which connects it to the upper
edge of a side
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wall, against the inside of this side wall, wherein the outer edge of the
folding booklet, which
is connected via a fold line of the side wall, covers the remaining sheets of
the folding
booklet. Since the outer sheet covers the remaining sheets of the folding
booklet, it is
designated as the "outer sheet". The sheets of the folding booklet therefore
do not block the
opening of the folding box, which is delimited by the upper edges of the side
wall. Rather,
the outer sheet of the folding booklet forms a type of ramp, along which the
product can be
filled into the folding box without being blocked. It is not necessary to
adhesively bond the
sheets of the folding booklet to one another and to the side wall abutting
thereon. The folding
box is therefore particularly well suitable for the automatic filling with
medications, in
particular in the form of tablet blisters and package inserts, at high speed.
The folding box including the folding booklet can be produced by the folding
box producer.
The folding box can be formed together with the folding booklet from a one-
piece blank, so
that the printing and the stamping, grooving, and scoring as well as the
folding of the
cardboard can each be combined.
The folding box can be pre-folded and pre-adhesively bonded at the folding box
producer.
One-piece blanks for forming the folding boxes can be transported for this
purpose having
the longitudinal edges of the sheets of the folding booklet and the side walls
in the machine
running direction. By means of switches, first the sheets of the folding
booklet can be folded
and by means of a retaining hook moved synchronously to the blanks passing
through, the
folded folding booklets can be folded against the insides of the side wall
connected thereto
via a fold line. The adhesive tab can be folded against the inside of a side
wall by means of
a further switch. In an adhesive station, the adhesive tabs or sections of
side walls can be
provided with glue and by means of a further switch, side walls or sections of
side walls can
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be folded and longitudinal seam adhesive bonds can be produced. Such pre-
folded and
adhesively bonded flat-lying folding boxes can be supplied stacked one on top
of another to
the packager. The flat-lying folding boxes only have to be erected there by
folding up the
side walls around the fold lines at their longitudinal edges, filled through
the opening
between the upper edges of the side walls, and closed by closing the lower
closure and the
upper closure. In principle, this can take place without further adhesive
bonds. The
packaging can be performed by an automatic machine at high speed and with high
process
reliability.
According to one preferred embodiment, the sheets of the folding booklet are
not adhesively
bonded to one another and/or the folding booklet is not adhesively bonded to
the side wall,
to which the folding booklet is connected via a fold line.
According to a further embodiment, the folding booklet is separable from the
side wall, to
which it is connected via a fold line, along a weakening line. Separating the
folding booklet
out of the folding box is facilitated in this way. In principle, however, it
is also possible to
separate the folding booklet from the folding box without such a weakening
line, for example
with the aid of scissors.
According to a further embodiment, the weakening line extends along an arc in
the side wall,
to which the folding booklet is connected via a folding line, wherein the two
ends of the arc
fall in the upper edge of the side wall to which the folding booklet is
connected. This enables
the folding booklet to be separated from the side wall by pressing in the side
wall within the
arc. According to a further embodiment, the arc is dimensioned so that it can
be pressed in
by means of a thumb.
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According to a further embodiment, linear sections of the weakening line
coincide on both
sides of the arc with the fold line between folding booklet and side wall. In
this way,
separating the folding booklet from the fold line on both sides of the arc is
facilitated.
According to a further embodiment, the width of the sheets of the folding
booklet is less than
the width of the side wall which the folding booklet abuts. In this way, the
removal of the
folding booklet from the folding box after the separation from the side wall
is facilitated. To
further facilitate the removal of the folding booklet, according to a further
embodiment, the
two longitudinal edges of the folding booklet have the same distance from the
two adjacent
longitudinal edges of the side wall which the folding booklet abuts.
According to a further embodiment, the upper edge of the outer sheet of the
folding booklet
protrudes further upward with a protruding area than the upper edges of the
remaining sheets
of the folding booklet. The upper edges of the remaining sheets of the folding
booklet are
covered by the protruding area and a smooth transition is formed from the fold
line at the
upper edge of the side wall to the multiple sheets of the folding booklet
folded one on top of
another.
According to a further embodiment, the outer sheet of the folding booklet has
bevels below
the protruding area at the two sides and the remaining sheets have
corresponding bevels at
the upper corners, which overlap the bevels of the sheets folded one on top of
another at the
two sides. During filling, tablet blisters, package inserts, and the like can
slide along the
bevels without remaining hanging at the lateral edges of the folding booklet.
According to a further embodiment, the sheets of the folding booklet are
folded together in
one of the following ways: zigzag-shaped folding, wound folding, altar
folding, parallel
center folding, mixed folding made up of parallel and cross folding. In zigzag
folding, which
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is also designated as fan folding, multiple sheets are folded in alternating
directions, due to
which the folding booklet obtains an appearance similar to an accordion. In
wound folding,
the sheets connected to one another longitudinally are always folded in the
same direction.
In a folding booklet having three sheets, the two lateral sheets are folded
onto the middle
sheet overlapping one another. In altar folding, the lateral edges of the
folding booklet are
folded inward without overlap onto a middle sheet. In the case of folding
having three sheets,
the middle sheet is twice as wide as the two lateral sheets. When the middle
part is divided
by a middle fold line into two sheets, an altar fold having four sheets
results, which is also
designated as an eight-side altar fold. In parallel center folding, the
section of the cardboard
she from which the folding booklet is formed is folded multiple times always
in the center.
Mixed folding is a combination of one of the above-mentioned parallel folds
and a cross fold
or cross-break fold, in which the cardboard material is folded multiple times
at right angles.
According to a further embodiment, the upper closure comprises upper dust
tabs, which are
connected via fold lines to upper edges of two opposing side walls, a cover
tab, which is
connected via a fold line to an upper edge of a further side wall, and an
upper insertion tab,
which is connected via a fold line to the opposite edge of the cover tab,
and/or the lower
closure comprises lower dust tabs, which are connected via fold lines to lower
edges of two
opposing side walls, a bottom tab, which is connected via a fold line to a
lower edge of a
further side wall, and a lower insertion tab, which is connected via a fold
line to the opposite
edge of the bottom tab. The packager can close these closures by folding and
inserting
without having to use glue. According to another embodiment, the upper closure
includes an
upper adhesive tab instead of the upper insertion tab, which abuts an outside
of a side wall
and is adhesively bonded thereto, and/or the lower closure has a lower
adhesive tab instead
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of a lower insertion tab, which abuts an outside of a side wall and is
adhesively bonded
thereto.
According to a further embodiment, the folding booklet is connected via a fold
line to the
side wall, which is opposite to the side wall connected via a fold line to the
cover tab. After
folding up the cover tab, the folding booklet can be removed particularly
easily from the
folding box.
According to a further embodiment, the folding booklet is connected via a fold
line to the
side wall, which is connected at its lower edge via a fold line to the bottom
tab. A folding
box in which the cover tab and the bottom tab are connected via fold lines to
side walls
opposite to one another is particularly stable.
According to a further embodiment, the folding booklet includes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, or 10
sheets. The design in principle enables a folding booklet having an arbitrary
number of
sheets. The folding booklets can be printed with a particularly large amount
of information.
According to a further embodiment, the upper dust tabs and the lower dust tabs
have
widenings at the edges adjoining the fold lines on both sides and the upper
and lower
insertion tabs engage below the widenings of the upper and lower dust tabs
with recessed
edges on both sides of the fold lines and lock with these dust tabs. Due to
the locking, the
lower and upper closure do not open inadvertently.
According to a further embodiment, on both sides of the fold line which
connects the cover
tab to the upper insertion tab, upper cuts offset outward with respect to this
folding line are
provided, which separate outwardly protruding upper tongues of the cover tab
from the
recessed edges of the upper insertion tab, and/or between the bottom tab and
the lower
insertion tab, on both sides of the folding line which connects the bottom tab
to the lower
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insertion tab, lower cuts offset outward with respect to this fold line are
provided, which
separate outwardly protruding lower tongues of the bottom tab from the
recessed edges of
the lower insertion tab. The recessed edges are formed by the offset cuts and
the protruding
tongues cover the folding box at the corners adjacent to the insertion tabs.
According to a further embodiment, the sheets of the folding booklet are
connected to one
another alternately via at least one scored line and at least one perforation
line. The at least
one scored line and the at least one perforation line form fold lines between
the sheets of the
folding booklet. According to a further embodiment, the at least one scored
line and the at
least one perforation line are arranged so that with sheets folded in a zigzag
shape, the fold
along the at least one scored line is oriented in one direction and the fold
along the at least
one perforation line is oriented in the opposite direction. This formation of
the fold lines is
advantageous in production, because the blank can be scored and perforated
from the same
side. Otherwise, the scored lines would be introduced from different sides
into the material
for the folding of the sheets in opposite directions.
According to a further embodiment, the fold lines between the side walls and
the adhesive
tab, between the side walls and the dust tabs, between the side walls and the
cover tab and
the bottom tab and between the cover tab and the upper insertion tab and the
bottom tab and
the lower insertion tab are grooved lines. The grooved lines can be introduced
simultaneously into the cardboard during the stamping out of the blanks. In
particular, they
can be introduced into the material simultaneously with the scored lines and
perforation lines
from the same side.
According to one preferred embodiment, the folding box consists of cardboard.
The folding
box is produced, for example, from cardboard painted on one side. The
cardboard can have
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printing on the outside. Furthermore, the sheets of the folding booklet can be
printed on one
side or both sides.
The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter on the basis of the
appended
drawings of an exemplary embodiment. In the drawings:
Figure 1 shows a flat-lying blank to form the folding box in a perspective
view
diagonally from above and from the side;
Figure 2 shows the blank at the beginning of the folding of the
folding booklet in the
same perspective view;
Figure 3 shows the blank at the end of the folding of the
folding booklet in the same
perspective view;
Figure 4 shows the blank during the folding of the folding
booklet against the inside
of the side wall connected thereto in the same perspective view;
Figure 5 shows the blank having the folding booklet folded
against the inside of the
side wall in the same perspective view;
Figure 6 shows the pre-folded and pre-adhesively bonded flat-lying folding
box in the
same perspective view;
Figure 7 shows the erected folding box having open upper and
lower closures in a
perspective view diagonally from the front;
Figure 8 shows the erected folding box, closed at the top and
bottom, in a perspective
view diagonally from the front;
Figure 9 shows the open folding box having folding booklet
separated and partially
pulled out in a perspective view diagonally from the front;
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Figure 10 shows the folding box having removed folding booklet
in a perspective view
diagonally from the front;
Figure 11 shows the folding box having removed and unfolded
folding booklet in a
perspective view diagonally from the front;
Figure 12 shows the open folding box before being re-closed in a
perspective view
diagonally from the front.
In the present application, the specifications "upper" and "lower", "inner"
and "outer", and
specifications derived therefrom such as "above" and "below", "inside" and
"outside" relate
to the erected enclosed folding box, in which the side walls are vertically
oriented and the
upper closure is located above the lower closure.
According to Figure 1, a blank 1 comprises side walls 2, 3, 4, 5, which are
connected to one
another at the longitudinal edges via fold lines. The side walls 2, 4 are
wider than the side
walls 3, 5. The other longitudinal edge of the side wall 2 is connected via a
fold line to an
adhesive tab 6.
The upper edges of the side walls 3, 5 are connected via fold lines to upper
dust tabs 7, 8.
The lower edges of the side walls 3, 5 are connected via fold lines to lower
dust tabs 9, 10.
The upper dust tabs 7, 8 and the lower dust tabs 9, 10 each have widenings 11,
12, 13, 14 at
the lateral edges adjoining the fold lines (cf. Figure 4).
The side wall 4 is connected at the upper edge via a fold line to a cover tab
15, which is
connected at the opposite edge via a fold line to an upper insertion tab 16.
On both sides of
the latter fold line, upper cuts 17, 18 offset outward are provided between
the cover tab 15
and the upper insertion tab 16, which cuts separate outwardly protruding upper
tongues 19,
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20 of the cover tab 15 from recessed edges 21, 22 of the upper insertion tab
16 (cf. Figure
6).
The lower edge of the side wall 2 is connected via a fold line to a bottom tab
23, which is
connected at the opposite edge via a fold line to a lower insertion tab 24. On
both sides of
the latter fold line, lower cuts 25, 26 offset outward in relation thereto are
provided, which
separate outwardly protruding lower tongues 27,28 of the bottom tab 23 from
recessed edges
29, 30 of the lower insertion tab 24 (cf. Figure 6).
The outer corners 2 of the upper and lower insertion tabs 16, 24 have
roundings.
Furthermore, the blank 1 comprises a folding booklet 31, which includes
multiple sheets 32,
33, 34, 35 connected to one another via fold lines at their longitudinal
edges. The outer sheet
32 of the folding booklet is connected via a folding line to the upper edge of
the side wall 2.
The sheets 32, 33, 34, 35 are not as wide as the side wall 2, so that the
longitudinal edges of
the folding booklet 31 have a distance from the longitudinal edges of the side
wall 2 on both
sides. The outer sheet 32 is connected in the middle to the upper edge of the
side wall 2.
The outer sheet 32 includes a protruding area 36, which protrudes further
toward the upper
edge of the side wall 2 than the upper edges of the remaining sheets 33, 34,
35 of the folding
booklet 31 (cf. Figure 3). The outer sheet 32 includes bevels 37, 38 on both
sides below the
protruding area 36 and the remaining sheets 33, 34, 35 also include bevels 39
to 44 on both
sides of their upper edge.
The fold lines between the sheets 32 and 33 as well as 34 and 35 are each
formed as scored
lines and the fold lines between the sheets 33 and 34 are formed as
perforation lines in the
form of interrupted scored lines.
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A weakening line 45 extends along a semicircular arc 46 in the side wall 2,
wherein the two
ends of the arc 46 fall in the upper edge of the side wall 2. On both sides of
the arc 46, linear
sections 47, 48 of the weakening line 45 and the fold line coincide between
folding booklet
31 and side wall 2.
The folding booklet 31 can be in particular a patient information card.
The blank 1 is processed in such a way that according to Figure 2, the sheets
32, 33, 34, 35
of the folding booklet are initially folded together in a zigzag shape, as
shown in Figure 3.
The folded-together folding booklet 31 is then folded according to Figure 4 in
the direction
toward the inside of the side wall 2 until it abuts thereon according to
Figure 5.
In further steps, the adhesive tab 6 is folded against the folding booklet 31
and the side wall
4 is folded around the common fold line with the side wall 3 against its
inside. In this way,
the side wall 5 is brought into contact with the inside on the adhesive tab 6
and adhesively
bonded thereto. The flat pre-folded and pre-adhesively bonded folding box 49
of this type is
shown in Figure 6. It can be stacked one on top of another with a large number
of
corresponding pre-folded and pre-adhesively bonded folding boxes 49. The
preceding steps
are preferably carried out at the folding box producer.
At the packager, the flat folded folding box 49 is erected in that the outer
longitudinal edges
are pressed together somewhat. The side walls 3, 5 are erected perpendicularly
to the side
walls 2 and 3 in this case. The upper and lower edges of the side walls 2, 3,
4, 5 delimit upper
and lower openings 50, 51 of the folding box 49 here. The folding box is shown
in this state
in Figure 7.
Tablet blisters and package inserts can be inserted into the open folding box
49 through the
upper opening 50. The filling takes place through the upper opening 50, since
the folding
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booklet 31 is linked on there and the protruding area 36 covers the remaining
sheets 33, 34,
35 arranged below the outer sheet 32, so that they do not obstruct the filling
of the folding
box 49. Rather, the outer sheet 32 forms a ramp, past which the tablet
blisters and package
inserts slide. During the feed, the tablet blisters and the package inserts
are guided along the
bevels 37 to 44 placed one on top of another so that they do not become
blocked there.
Finally, the folding box is closed by folding in the upper dust tabs 7, 8 and
the lower dust
tabs 9, 10 into the upper opening 50 and the lower opening 51 and also by
closing the cover
tab 15 and the bottom tab 23 and also inserting the upper insertion tab 16 and
the lower
insertion tab 24 between the dust tabs 7, 8, 9, 10 and the side wall 2 or the
side wall 4,
respectively.
In this case, the recessed edges 21, 22, 29, 30 of the upper insertion tab 16
and the lower
insertion tab 24 engage below adjacent widenings 11, 12, 13, 14 of the upper
dust tabs 7, 8
and the lower dust tabs 9, 10 and are locked in the closed position in this
way.
The protruding tongues 19, 20, 27, 28 of the cover tab 15 and the bottom tab
23 cover the
gaps between the insertion tabs 16, 24 and the adjacent side walls 2, 4 at the
edges. At the
upper side, they cover the gaps on both sides of the folding booklet 31 in
particular.
The closed folding box 49 is shown in Figure 8.
According to Figure 9, the folding booklet 31 is separated from the side wall
2 by pressing
in the weakening line 45 in the area of the arc 46 and pulling off along the
linear sections
47, 48. The upper closure 52 of the folding box 49 formed by the upper dust
tabs 7, 8 and
the cover tab 15 is opened. The folding booklet 31 may be pulled out of the
upper opening
50.
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According to Figure 10, the folding booklet 31 is pulled completely out of the
folding box
49.
The folded-open folding booklet 31 is shown in Figure 11.
According to Figure 12, the folding box 49 can be reclosed after removing the
folding
booklet 31 in that the upper dust tabs 7, 8 are folded into the upper opening
50, the cover tab
is folded closed, and the upper insertion tab 16 is inserted into the gaps
between the upper
dust tabs 7, 8 and the side wall 2.
List of reference signs
10 1 blank
2, 3, 4, 5 side wall
6 adhesive tab
7, 8 upper dust tab
9, 10 lower dust tab
15 11, 12, 13, 14 widening
15 cover tab
16 upper insertion tab
17, 18 upper cuts
19,20 upper tongue
21, 22 recessed edge
23 bottom tab
24 lower insertion tab
25,26 lower cut
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27, 28 lower tongue
29, 30 recessed edge
31 folding booklet
32 outer sheet
33, 34, 35 remaining sheets
36 protruding area
37-44 bevel
45 weakening line
46 arc
47, 48 linear section
49 folding box
50 upper opening
51 lower opening
52 upper closure
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