Package having attachment, and method of manufacture

Sept. 21, 1965 g. c. sparks 3,207,301

PACKAGE HAVING ATTACHMENT, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

Filed Oct. 31, 1963

<img file="US3207301A_D0001.tif" />

3,207,301

Patented Sept. 21, 1965

United States Patent Office

3,207,301

PACKAGE HAVING ATTACHMENT, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

George C. Sparks, 101 Rorer St, Erdenheim, Pa.

Filed Oct. 31,1963, Ser. No. 320,384

Claims. (Cl. 206—47)

This invention relates generally to packaging, being especially concerned with packages having attachments thereto, and embracing methods of manufacturing such packages.

While the package construction and method of the instant invention have been primarily developed and employed in the packaging of pharmaceuticals, and will be illustrated and described hereinafter with particular reference thereto, it is appreciated that the advantageous features to be disclosed are capable of many varied applications, all of which are intended to be comprehended herein.

As is well known in the art, the packaging of pharmaceuticals and other products often requires that considerable information be carried with the goods and readily accessible to the user. Toward this end it has heretofore been the practice in connection with mailable packages of pharmaceuticals to provide a pocket for receiving a printed circular. However, this increased packaging costs, both in materials and labor.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a unique package construction wherein a circular or the like may be conveniently and positively carried by the package under all conditions of storage, handling and transit without inadvertent detachment from the package, and wherein the circular is readily visible and may be quickly and easily detached from the package for use by the consumer.

Of course, is it understood that reference herein to a circular or the like is intended to include any similar attachment to a package.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a package construction and method of packaging having the advantageous characteristics mentioned above, which is extremely simple in structure and arrangement, economical to produce, neat and attractive in appearance, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view showing a package and attachment therefor constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation view taken generally along the line 2—2 of FIGURE 1, somewhat enlarged;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the package of FIGURE 1, but with the attachment removed;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the package of FIGURE 1-3 and illustrating a manner of assembly;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view showing a slightly modified embodiment of package and attachment therefor in accordance with the instant invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 6—6 of FIGURE 5, somewhat enlarged.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and especially to FIGURES 1-3, a package of the present invention is there generally designated 10. The package 10 includes a package proper 11 and an appendage or attachment 12 in the nature of and hereinafter referred to as a circular.

The package proper 11 is illustrated as of the mailable, pill-containing type, but of course, other packages may also be employed.

More particularly, the package proper includes a pair of facing sandwich sheets 15 and 16, which may be considered as front and rear sandwich sheets, respectively, in the illustrated embodiment. The sandwich sheets 15 and 16 may be fabricated of cardboard or other suitable sheet material, and at least one sandwich sheet has its facing surface provided with a heat-sealable coating, say of suitable thermoplastic material, or the like. In the instant embodiment, the rear sheet 16 is provided on its front or inner face with a thermoplastic or heat-sealable coating 17.

The sandwich sheet 15 may be provided with through holes 18, and a cutout, opening or hole 19. If desired, as in the illustrated embodiment, the sandwich sheets 15 and 16 may be of congruent outline configuration. Also, the rear sandwich sheet 16 may be formed with a plurality of through holes 20 arranged in respective alignment with the holes 18 of sheet 15.

Interposed between the front and rear sandwich sheets 15 and 16 is a sandwich filler, generally designated 22, carrying the packaged articles or pills 23. The filler 22 may be of an outline configuration less than that of sheets 15 and 16, but sufficient to cover the holes 18 and 20, without covering the opening 19. Further, the filler may include a front sheet 24, advantageously formed of transparent plastic, or other suitable material, and having a plurality of forwardly protuberant, rearwardly facing cupped portions 25 arranged in respective registry with the holes 18 for forward projection therethrough. The cup portions 25 may each contain one or more of the articles or pills 23. A frangible barrier sheet 26, say of aluminum foil or the like, may extend entirely across the rear side of formed sheet 24, being suitably adhered thereto, to close and seal the several article-containing cups 25.

With the filler 22 interposed between the sandwich sheets 15 and 16, the cups 25 projecting through the holes 18 and the sheet 26 being exposed through the holes 20, a selected portion of the coating 17 is caused to adhere to the inner or rear surface of the sheet 15, thus securing the sandwich sheets 15 and 16 in facing engagement with the filler 22 sandwiched therebetween. More particularly, a selected portion of the coating 17, say the peripheral margin thereof, is heat activated to effect fast securement of the sheets 15 and 16.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, a portion 28 of the heatsealable coating 17 is exposed or presented forwardly past the front sandwich sheet 15, through the opening 19. The circular or appendage 12, in the assembled condition of FIGURES 1 and 2, is disposed exteriorly of and in facing relation with the front sandwich sheet 15, overlying the opening 19. Securement of the circular 12 to the package proper 11 is quickly and easily effected by heat activation of the coating portion 28 while in engagement with the circular 12. Of course, this circular securement may be achieved simultaneously with assembly of the package proper 11 by superposition of the several components 12, 15, 22 and 16 as illustrated in FIGURE 4, and simultaneous heat activation of the coating portion 28 and the peripheral margin of the coating 17.

In the illustrated condition of FIGURES 1 and 2, the circular 12 is fully visible, most conveniently accessible to the user, and may be used in its attached condition, or

3,207,301 ³readily removed from the package proper 11, as indicated in FIGURE 3.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 5 and 6, a package proper is generally designated Ila and a circular 12α is appended thereto. The package proper may include a pair of substantially congruent, facing sandwich sheets 15α and 16α, one of which is provided on its inner or facing surface with a heat-sealable coating 17α. In the instant embodiment, the heat-sealable coating 17α is provided on the front sandwich sheet 15α, in contrast to the first-described embodiment.

The sandwich sheets 15α and 16α are suitably heat sealed together, and thus secured in facing engagement with each other, having a filler 22α sandwiched therebetween. However, the sandwich sheets 15α and 16α are not secured in facing engagement throughout their entire facing surfaces, but rather, a marginal edge region 30 of the front sheet 15α remains unsecured to the rear sheet 16α. If desired, the marginal edge region 30 of front sheet 15α may define a flap, being hingedly connected to the remainder of the front sheet by a foldable score or severance line 31. The circular 12α is inserted between the marginal sheet edge region 30, and the facing marginal sheet edge region 32 of rear sheet 16α, and the heat-sealable coating portion 28α activated to firmly secure the circular to the flap 30. In this condition, the circular 12α may extend beyond the flap 30 of front sheet 15α for visual access, and may be employed in its condition attached to the flap 30; or, the circular may be separated from the flap, or the circular and flap together separated from the remainder of sheet 15α, as along score 31.

Here again, in the method of manufacture the circular 12α may be adhered to the flap 30 at the same time as the package proper 11α is secured together, by simultaneous heat activation of the coating portion 28α and the remainder of the coating 17α. Also, it will be understood that the marginal sheet regions 30 and 32 need not be congruent, but that one may extend beyond the other, or that the sheet portion 32 may be omitted, if desired.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a unique package having an attachment or appendage thereto, and method of manufacturing the same, which fully accomplish their intended objects and are well adapted to meet practical conditions of use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.