Folding Box With Integrated Folding Booklet

Abstract

A folding box with integrated folding booklet. The folding booklet has side walls connected to one another at longitudinal edges via respective first longitudinal fold lines, an upper closure which covers an upper opening delimited by respective upper edges of the side walls, a lower closure which covers a lower opening delimited by respective lower edges of the side walls, and a folding booklet comprising a plurality of sheets which are connected to one another via respective second longitudinal fold lines. The multiple sheets comprise an outer sheet foldably connected to an upper edge of one of the side walls. The folding booklet is folded against an interior surface of the one of the side walls. The remaining sheets of the folding booklet are arranged between the outer sheet and the side wall.

Claims

1. A folding box with integrated folding booklet comprising side walls, wherein adjacent side walls are connected to one another at longitudinal edges via respective first longitudinal fold lines, an upper closure, which covers an upper opening delimited by respective upper edges of the side walls, a lower closure, which covers a lower opening delimited by respective lower edges of the side walls, a folding booklet comprising multiple sheets, which are connected to one another via respective second longitudinal fold lines at their longitudinal edges and are folded together around the respective second longitudinal fold lines, the multiple sheets comprise an outer sheet foldably connected to an upper edge of one of the side walls, wherein the folding booklet is folded against an interior surface of the one of the side walls the remaining sheets of the folding booklet are arranged between the outer sheet and the side wall.

2. The folding box as claimed in claim 1, in which the folding booklet is separable along a weakening line from the one of the side walls.

3. The folding box as claimed in claim 1, in which the weakening line extends along an arc in the one of the side walls, wherein the two ends of the arc fall in the upper edge of the one of the side walls.

4. The folding box as claimed in claim 3, the weakening line comprises linear sections extending from respective sides of the arc in the upper edge of the one of the side walls, and a lateral fold line connecting the folding booklet to the one of the side walls extends between the arc in the upper edge of the one of the side walls.

5. The folding box as claimed in claim 1, in which the width of the folding booklet is less than the width of the one of the side walls which the folding booklet abuts.

6. The folding box as claimed in claim 5, in which two longitudinal edges of the folding booklet are the same distance from two adjacent longitudinal edges of the side wall which the folding booklet abuts.

7. The folding box as claimed in claim 1, in which the upper edge of the outer sheet of the folding booklet protrudes farther upward with a protruding area than the upper edges of the remaining sheets of the folding booklet.

8. The folding box as claimed in claim 7, in which the outer sheet of the folding booklet includes bevels below the protruding area at two sides and the remaining sheets include corresponding bevels at upper corners, wherein the bevels of the outer sheet and the remaining sheets folded one on top of another overlap at the two sides.

9. The folding box as claimed in claim 1, in which the sheets of the folding booklet or 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.

10. The folding box as claimed in claim 1, in which the upper closure comprises upper dust tabs, which are connected to upper edges of two opposing side walls, a cover tab, which is connected to an upper edge of a further side wall, and an upper insertion tab, which is connected to the opposite edge of the cover tab, the lower closure comprises lower dust tabs, which are connected to lower edges of two opposing side walls, a bottom tab, which is connected to a lower edge of a further side wall, and a lower insertion tab, which is connected to the opposite edge of the bottom tab.

11. The folding box as claimed in claim 10, in which the folding booklet is connected via a fold line to the one of the side walls, which is opposite to the side wall connected via a fold line to the cover tab.

12. The folding box as claimed in claim 11, in which the the one of the side walls is connected at its lower edge to the bottom tab.

13. The folding box as claimed in claim 1, in which the folding booklet includes two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten sheets.

14. The folding box as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one sheet of the folding booklet is printed on at least one side.

15. The folding box as claimed in claim 10, in which the upper dust tabs and the lower dust tabs include respective widenings at respective edges on both sides, and the upper and lower insertion tabs having respective recessed edges on both sides for engagement with respective widenings.

16. The folding box as claimed in claim 15, in which the cover tab has outwardly protruding upper tongues formed at respective upper cuts and the bottom tabs have protruding lower tongues formed at respective lower cuts.

17. The folding box as claimed in claim 1, in which the respective second longitudinal fold lines include at least one scored line and at least one perforation line.

18. (canceled)

Description

[0038] The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter on the basis of the appended drawings of an exemplary embodiment. In the drawings:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a flat-lying blank to form the folding box in a perspective view diagonally from above and from the side;

[0040] FIG. 2 shows the blank at the beginning of the folding of the folding booklet in the same perspective view;

[0041] FIG. 3 shows the blank at the end of the folding of the folding booklet in the same perspective view;

[0042] FIG. 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;

[0043] FIG. 5 shows the blank having the folding booklet folded against the inside of the side wall in the same perspective view;

[0044] FIG. 6 shows the pre-folded and pre-adhesively bonded flat-lying folding box in the same perspective view;

[0045] FIG. 7 shows the erected folding box having open upper and lower closures in a perspective view diagonally from the front;

[0046] FIG. 8 shows the erected folding box, closed at the top and bottom, in a perspective view diagonally from the front;

[0047] FIG. 9 shows the open folding box having folding booklet separated and partially pulled out in a perspective view diagonally from the front;

[0048] FIG. 10 shows the folding box having removed folding booklet in a perspective view diagonally from the front;

[0049] FIG. 11 shows the folding box having removed and unfolded folding booklet in a perspective view diagonally from the front;

[0050] FIG. 12 shows the open folding box before being re-closed in a perspective view diagonally from the front.

[0051] 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.

[0052] According to FIG. 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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. FIG. 4).

[0055] 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, 20 of the cover tab 15 from recessed edges 21, 22 of the upper insertion tab 16 (cf. FIG. 6).

[0056] 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. FIG. 6).

[0057] The outer corners 2 of the upper and lower insertion tabs 16, 24 have roundings.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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. FIG. 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] The folding booklet 31 can be in particular a patient information card.

[0063] The blank 1 is processed in such a way that according to FIG. 2, the sheets 32, 33, 34, 35 of the folding booklet are initially folded together in a zigzag shape, as shown in FIG. 3. The folded-together folding booklet 31 is then folded according to FIG. 4 in the direction toward the inside of the side wall 2 until it abuts thereon according to FIG. 5.

[0064] 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 FIG. 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.

[0065] 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 FIG. 7.

[0066] 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 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] The closed folding box 49 is shown in FIG. 8.

[0071] According to FIG. 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.

[0072] According to FIG. 10, the folding booklet 31 is pulled completely out of the folding box 49.

[0073] The folded-open folding booklet 31 is shown in FIG. 11.

[0074] According to FIG. 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 15 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

[0075] 1 blank [0076] 2, 3, 4, 5 side wall [0077] 6 adhesive tab [0078] 7, 8 upper dust tab [0079] 9, 10 lower dust tab [0080] 11, 12, 13, 14 widening [0081] 15 cover tab [0082] 16 upper insertion tab [0083] 17, 18 upper cuts [0084] 19, 20 upper tongue [0085] 21, 22 recessed edge [0086] 23 bottom tab [0087] 24 lower insertion tab [0088] 25, 26 lower cut [0089] 27, 28 lower tongue [0090] 29, 30 recessed edge [0091] 31 folding booklet [0092] 32 outer sheet [0093] 33, 34, 35 remaining sheets [0094] 36 protruding area [0095] 37-44 bevel [0096] 45 weakening line [0097] 46 arc [0098] 47, 48 linear section [0099] 49 folding box [0100] 50 upper opening [0101] 51 lower opening [0102] 52 upper closure