Packages with cover or support therefor

July 30, 1957 L. I. VOLCKENING ETAL 2,801,002

PACKAGES WITH COVER OR SUPPORT THEREFOR

Filed Jan. 27, 1956

Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US2801002A_D0001.tif" />

July 30, 1957

L. I. VOLCKENING ST AL 2,801,002

PACKAGES WITH COVER OR SUPPORT THEREFOR

Filed Jan. 27, 1956

Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US2801002A_D0002.tif" />

July 30, 1957

L. I. VOLCKENING ETAL

2,801,002

PACKAGES WITH COVER OR SUPPORT THEREFOR

Filed Jan. 27, 1956

Sheets-Sheet 3

<img file="US2801002A_D0003.tif" />

2,801,002

Patented July 30, 1957

United States Patent Office

2,801,002

PACKAGES WITH COVER OR SUPPORT THEREFOR

Lloyd Irwin Volckening, Glen Ridge, and Frank J. Lefebvre, Caldwell, N. J., assignors to Ivers-Les Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation of Delaware

Application January 27, 1956, Serial No. 561,740

Claims. (Cl. 206—80)

This invention relates in general to the packaging or wrapping of small articles, such as tablets, pills, or granular or powdered material, preferably in compartments or containers with thin flexible walls formed of sheet material, for example, “cellophane,” metal foil and the like, and especially sheet material which has a thermoplastic or adhesive coating so that juxtaposed layers thereof may be caused to adhere together on application of heat and pressure, or pressure alone, to form a seal.

This application discloses such packaging or wrapping as an improvement over that disclosed and claimed in the Salfisberg patent, No. 2,589,735, dated March 18, 1952.

More particularly, the invention contemplates a package of the type which comprises opposed layers of flexible material sealed or bonded together in zones which form the margins or boundaries that encircle a commodity compartment whose walls are the opposed portions of said layers bounded by said sealed zones. The particular improvement involves the mounting of a plurality of such envelopes or inner packages, desirably on one or the middle panel of a flexible outer folder, having a panel on one or either side thereof and hingedly connected to. a side edge or its side edges, so that movement of said side panel or panels may cover or uncover the envelopes secured to the other or middle panel.

The invention also contemplates an envelope of this type to which is attached a flexible backing strip folded into superposed sections, one edge of said envelope being disposed between and sealed to said superposed sections, an extended opposite edge portion of said envelope passing beyond or through the backing strip and secured to the inner surface of said middle panel.

Another object is to provide envelopes having a commodity sealed therein, combined in a novel and improved manner with a flexible oacking strip and the desirably middle panel of a flexible folder to which one edge portion of said package is secured, said flexible backing strip being either secured to the free edge portion of said envelope and disposed between it and said middle panel, or also having a flap attached to overlie the front of the package or that portion which is exposed when the side panels of the folder are unfolded.

A further object is to provide a combination of a plurality of inner packages, bags or envelopes and a flexible folder or support therefor when the bags, envelopes or packages are secured to the folder and especially a middle panel thereof in a novel and improved manner without the use of adhesive or thermoplastic coating on the exterior surfaces of the said inner packages, bags or envelopes, or on the folder.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the flexible folder in its open condition, to the middle panel of which is attached a plurality of relatively small or inner packages, each including a flexible backing strip enfolding an envelope or envelope-type package in a manner embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the relatively small packages of Figure 1 prior to attachment to the folder.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Figure 1, but showing one of the envelopes being detached from the supporting folder along a scored or weakened portion of an integral extended attaching portion thereof.

Figure 4 is a view of one of the relatively small packages after being entirely detached from its mounting folder along a weakened line on its connecting edge portion.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding at Figure 2, but showing one of the envelopes exposed to view upon unfolding its flexible backing strip to which it is secured at its lower margin.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective, and to a larger scale, of one of the relatively small packages as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view on the line 7—7 of Figure 8, in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view on the line 8—8 of Figure 7, in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 9—9 of Figure 8, in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 10 is a view corresponding to Figure 1, but showing another embodiment of our invention.

Figure 11 is a view corresponding to Figure 10, but showing only one of the relatively small packages before attaching it to the mounting folder.

Figure 12 is a view corresponding to Figure 11, but showing the relatively small package viewed from the rear.

Figure 13 is a view corresponding to Figure 10, but showing one of the relatively small packages during the act of being detached from the supporting folder.

Figure 14 is an elevational view of such a package after being entirely detached from the supporting folder.

. Specifically describing the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 9, inclusive, the novel package 20 comprises a support, an outer flexible folder 21, consisting of a main panel 22 and desirably another or other panels, for example, 23 and 24, one on each side thereof and hingedly connected to the respective side edges along fold lines 25 and 26. These side panels 23 and 24 (or one of them if only one is used) are adapted to be respectively folded and unfolded to cover or uncover a plurality of relatively small packages, 27, 28 and 29, secured thereto along, in this instance, their top margins as viewed in Figure 1.

Each of the packages 27, 28 and 29 comprises a flexible backing strip 30 which in this embodiment is folded tvrice to provide for entirely enclosing an inner envelope, envelope-type package or bag 31. In other words, each flexible backing strip 30 comprises a middle or intermediate panel 32, a bottom panel 33 and a top or outer panel 34. The bottom panel 33 is folded over the bottom edge portion of the envelope 31 and said edge portion secured to both of the panels 32 and 33, as by suitable adhesive. A slit 36 is provided along the fold line 35 between the top panel 34 and the middle panel 32, to allow the securing strip or top marginal edge portion 37 of the envelope 31 to pass therethrough for attaching to the inner surface of one of the panels of the folder 21, such as middle panel 22. All of the packages 27, 28 and 29 are secured to said panel 22 in a similar manner.

Each inner envelope or bag 31 comprises two superposed layers 38 and 39 of suitable packaging material, sucn as metal foil or “cellophane,” having their juxtaposed or contacting surfaces coated with a suitable sealing substance, such as a thermoplastic composition or adhesive, but not having such on their outer surfaces. These layers may be of any suitable size and shape, but

2,801,002 ³ are shown as rectangular in shape. The sheets may be sealed in any suitable manner, depending upon the commodity being packaged, but as shown, they are sealed together at zones 40. These zones form the margins of commodity-receiving compartments 41, between the sheets in which the commodities 42, in the present embodiment tablets, are enclosed.

One marginal portion of one sheet, in this instance the sheet 38, extends beyond the corresponding marginal portion of the other sheet, as indicated at 37, so as to expose the adhesive or thermoplastic coating. Conveniently the two sheets may be laterally offset with relation to each other as the package is made, after which one of the projecting margins, corresponding with that designated 37 but at the opposite edge, may be clipped off. However, it is possible to make the package initially with one sheet smaller than the other and with the margin of the larger sheet projecting beyond the margin of the other sheet.

This projecting marginal portion may be utilized for attaching the envelope to the middle or other panel .of the folder 21, after passing through the slit 36. With this construction, it will be observed that although the upper edge portion of the inner package 30 is secured to the middle panel 22 of the folder 21, and the lower edge portion of the inner package is secured between and to both of the panels 32 and 33 adjacent the fold.line 44 thereof, yet there is no other connection of this inner package to either its backing strip 30 or to the flexible folder 21.

This construction is in one respect similar to the heretofore known type of covered package, e. g. like that shown in United States Patent No. 2,325,021, dated July 20, 1943, where the envelope is sealed to both the small flap and the main portion of the cover, and said small flap is positively held against unfolding. It will be seen, however, that with the present construction, the upper marginal portion 37 passes through a slit in the backing strip 30 and is secured to an outer folder member 21, whereby not only is the inner package conveniently and securely attached to said folder member, but the outermost panel portion 34 of each inner package device, 27, 28 or 29, may . be tucked under the free edge portion of the panel 33 to hold each inner package closed as viewed in Figure 1.

In order to facilitate removal of one of the inner packages from the flexible folder 21, the fold line 45, shown dotted, between the edge portion 37 and the commodityholding portion therebeneath is scored or weakened, so that easy separation is provided for. When removal is effected, as viewed in Figure 3, the detachment is along a transverse relatively straight, although somewhat jagged line 46.

By virtue of this construction, the inner packages held in the folder 21 may be conveniently carried in the pocket or handbag and the envelopes 31 will be protected against injury that might accidently tear them open. However, each package may be conveniently and quickly opened for use by simply unfolding its panel 34, after first of course, in this embodiment, unfolding the panels 23 and 24 of the flexible outer folder, so that the envelope 31 is fully exposed and accessible for opening by either tearing into the individual compartments 41 or completely removing the envelope from the folder, as viewed in Figure 4 and, if desired, removing it from its backing strip 30.

A modification of the invention is shown in Figures 10 to 14, inclusive, where the inner envelopes or bags 47 may be formed identically with the inner envelopes 31 of the preceding embodiment. However, in this instance the backing strip 43 for each inner envelope, while connected to the bottom, thereof as indicated at 48, like each backing strip 30 was connected to its inner envelope 31 adjacent to the fold line 44 of the preceding embodiment, although including a panel 49 immediately behind its envelope 47 and a narrow panel 50 immediately in front of the, lower marginal portion of said envelope, lacks an outer panel or flap corresponding with that designated 34 in the preceding embodiment.

However, each envelope 47 includes an upper marginal edge portion 51 which, as shown in Figure 10, is connected to the inner surface of one of the panels, in this instance the central panel 52 of the folder 53, as by an adhesive of thermoplastic coating thereon, as in the preceding embodiment. Also, as in the preceding embodiment, the folder 53 has, in addition to the central panel, at least one side panel, two being indicated at 54 and 55, respectively. These side panels (or the one used) serve to cover the inner packages 56, 57 and 58. However, in the present embodiment, these packages are desirably secured so that they overlap, as viewed most clearly in Figure 10, rather than being disposed generally coplanar or entirely in line one above the other, as in Figure 1 with no overlap. This makes it possible to have the height of folder 53 in the present embodiment less than in the preceding embodiment, assuming that the inner packages are of the same outer dimensions except, of course, that they are thinner in that they lack the individual outer or cover panels or flaps.

In addition to the easy accessibility to the envelopes, applicable to both forms of the invention, each folder and the flexible backing strips are adapted to receive printing or other inscriptions for the purposes of advertising or for supplying directions for the use of the contents of the envelopes. Such printed matter is easily visible by virtue of the hinging of the smaller packages therein, making it accessible even 'when normally covered by said packages. This is in contrast to packages wherein the small portions are sealed in unfoldable relationship to the main portion of the cover.

When the envelope-holding folder is used for the distribution of pharmaceutical products, it may be desirable to print directions on the inside and/or outside of the panel portion 34 of the backing strip 30 of the first embodiment. In view of the fact that this portion is connected to the panel portion 32 along only the marginal portions on either side of the slit 36, through which the attaching marginal portion 37 passes, such panel portion 34 may be easily detached so that a patient may be handed the envelope and the remainder of the flexible backing strip 30, and the physician may retain the printed directions and give the patient such directions as he may deem advisable in case the printed directions do not wholly apply to the particular patient’s condition. A similar comment applies to the panel 32, as well as the panel 49 of each backing strip portion 43 of the second embodiment.

Many modifications in the details of construction of the envelopes or bags and the manner of combining them with various types of covers or supports, will occur to those skilled in the art as within the spirit and scope of the invention.