Abstract:
To associate a paper insert with a carton, a first identifier (such as identifying indicia) is read from the insert and a second identifier is read from the carton blank. A determination is made whether the first identifier and the second identifier indicate the paper insert is properly matched with the carton blank. If yes, the paper insert is affixed to the carton blank and the carton blank is folded around the insert and its margins glued together to form a flat sleeve surrounding the insert. If no, the mismatch may be indicated.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This invention relates to an approach to associate an insert with a carton. 
         [0002]    Pharmaceuticals are sold with instructions for their use. Often these instructions are in the form of a folded leaflet stuffed into a carton holding the pharmaceutical. For example, a bottle of pills, with a leaflet bent around it, may be packaged in a carton. To manufacture such a product, the bottle of pills may be pushed toward the open mouth of the carton against the middle of the unbent leaflet, which leaflet is positioned to extend across the open mouth of the carton. This causes the leaflet to bend around the bottle of pills as the bottle is pushed into the carton. After the bottle of pills and bent leaflet have been pushed into the carton, the carton may be sealed closed. 
         [0003]    A drawback with this approach is that the speed of manufacture is limited in order to avoid damage to the leaflet or carton during insertion. In this regard, a typical speed of manufacture using this approach is on the order of 6,000 cartons per hour. Further, recurrent jams are a problem. 
         [0004]    This invention seeks to overcome drawbacks with prior approaches to packaging a leaflet relating to a product with the product and, in particular, with prior approaches to packaging a leaflet relating to a pharmaceutical with the pharmaceutical. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    To associate a paper insert with a carton, a first identifier (such as identifying indicia) is read from the insert and a second identifier is read from the carton blank. A determination is made whether the first identifier and the second identifier indicate the paper insert is properly matched with the carton blank. If yes, the paper insert is affixed to the carton blank and the carton blank is folded around the insert and its margins glued together to form a flat sleeve surrounding the insert. If no, the mismatch may be indicated. 
         [0006]    In accordance to the present invention, there is provided a method of associating an insert with a carton comprising: reading a first identifier from a paper insert; reading a second identifier from a carton blank; determining whether said first identifier and said second identifier indicate said paper insert is matched with said carton blank; where said first identifier and said second identifier indicate said paper insert is matched with said carton blank, affixing said paper insert to said carton blank and folding said carton blank around said insert and gluing a margins of said carton blank together to form a flat sleeve surrounding said insert. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for associating an insert with a carton, comprising: a carton blank feeder for feeding printed carton blanks, said carton blank feeder having, in downstream order, a first zone and a second zone, said second zone for folding over and gluing each carton blank into a flat sleeve; a gluer at said first zone for depositing glue on said each carton blank; a carton identifier reader at said first zone for reading a carton identifier from said each carton blank; an insert feeder for feeding a paper insert having an insert identifier onto each carton blank downstream of said gluer and downstream of said carton identifier reader; an insert identifier reader associated with said insert feeder for reading said insert identifier on each insert; at least one sensor for sensing a speed and position of said each carton blank; a controller operatively connected to said carton identifier reader, said insert identifier reader, said at least one sensor, and said insert feeder, said controller for receiving a read identifier from a given carton blank, for receiving a read identifier from a given insert to be fed to said given carton blank, for determining whether each said read identifier indicates said paper insert is properly matched with said carton blank, and, at least where said read identifier indicates said paper insert is properly matched with said carton blank, operating said insert feeder to dispense said insert onto said carton blank. 
         [0008]    In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for associating an insert with a carton, comprising: a carton blank feeder for feeding printed carton blanks, said carton blank feeder having, in downstream order, a first zone and a second zone, said second zone for folding over and gluing each carton blank into a flat sleeve; a gluer at said first zone for depositing glue on said each carton blank; a carton identifier reader at said first zone for reading a carton identifier from said each carton blank; an insert feeder for feeding a paper insert bearing indicia onto each carton blank downstream of said gluer and downstream of said carton indicia reader; an insert identifier reader associated with said insert feeder for reading an insert identifier on each insert; at least one sensor for sensing a speed and position of said each carton blank; a controller operatively connected to said carton indicia reader, said insert identifier reader, and said at least one sensor, said controller for receiving a read identifier from a given carton blank, for receiving a read identifier from a given insert to be fed to said given carton blank and for, where each said read identifier indicate said paper insert is not matched with said carton blank, indicating said mismatch. 
         [0009]    Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    In the figures which illustrate an example embodiment of this invention, 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a system made in accordance with this invention, and 
           [0012]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are diagrams illustrating the progression of a product moving through the system of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary feeding system  10  has a carton blank feeder  12  and an insert feeder  14 . The carton blank feeder  12  has a carton blank conveyor  16  for conveying carton blanks  20 . The conveyor  16  has, in downstream order, D, a first, open, zone  22 , a crease breaking station  24 , a gluing station  26 , and a folding station  28 . The open zone  22  has associated with it, in downstream order, a first photocell  30 , a bar code reader  32 , a second photocell  34 , a glue gun  36 , and a rotary encoder  38 . Optionally, the open zone may also have a kicker  64  associated with it. A suitable carton blank feeder  12 , absent the additional components associated with the open zone  22 , is available from Bobst SA under the name ALPINA 2™. With this Bobst feeder, the open zone  22  is an alignment zone to laterally align the carton blanks. 
         [0014]    Insert feeder  14  is a pair of parallel pinch belts  40 ,  42  declining from an input end  44  to an output end  46  adjacent the carton blank feeder  12  at its open zone  22 . The belts are geared together and run by a motor  48 . An insert store  52  supplies the insert feeder  14  with inserts  50 . The insert feeder has associated with it, in downstream order, a first photocell  54 , a rotary encoder  56 , a bar code reader  58 , and a second photocell  60 . 
         [0015]    A controller  70  is input with an output signal from each of the photocell  30 , bar code reader  32 , second photocell  34 , glue gun  36 , and rotary encoder  38  associated with the open zone  22  of the carton blank feeder  12  and with the photocell  54 , rotary encoder  56 , bar code reader  58 , and photocell  60  of the insert feeder  14 . The controller also outputs a control signal to the feeder motor  48  and to an alarm  62 . The controller operates under the control of software from memory  72 . 
         [0016]    The carton blank feeder  12  is operated independently of the insert feeder  14 : the controller  70  does not control the speed of the carton blank feeder  12  nor the spacing of the carton blanks  20  on conveyor  16 , which spacing may be variable. 
         [0017]    Carton blanks are fed with the surface  80  ( FIG. 2A ) which will form the inside of a carton formed from the blank facing upwardly and the surface which will form the outside of the carton facing downwardly. This downwardly directed face bears indicia, including a bar code  82  ( FIG. 2B ). Photocell  30  senses the leading edge of each carton blank  20  as the blank passes over the eye and sends a “blank sensed” signal to controller  70 . Photocell  34  operates in an identical fashion. Bar code reader  32  reads the bar code on the downward facing surface of the carton blank  20  and sends an indication of this bar code to the controller. Rotary encoder  38  senses the speed of the conveyor  16  and sends a speed signal to the controller. 
         [0018]    With the carton blank location signals and conveyor speed signal, the controller can track the position of each carton blank on conveyor  16 . One consequence of this is that the controller can send a control signal to operate gluer  36  whenever a carton blank is properly positioned under the gluer in order to dispense a line  84  ( FIG. 2A ) of glue onto the carton blank. 
         [0019]    Inserts  50  are fed to the input end  44  of insert feeder  14  by insert store  52 . The controller  70  sends a control signal to motor  48  of the insert feeder  14  to control the speed of insert feeder  14 . Photocell  54  senses the leading edge of each insert  50  as the insert passes over the photocell and sends an “insert sensed” signal to controller  70 . Photocell  60  operates in an identical fashion. Bar code reader  58  reads the bar code  83  ( FIG. 2A ) on the upper face of the insert  50  and sends an indication of this bar code to the controller. Rotary encoder  56  senses the speed of the insert feeder  14  and sends a speed signal to the controller. 
         [0020]    With the insert location signals and insert feeder speed signal, the controller can track the position of each insert in feeder  14 . 
         [0021]    The controller will know that the insert which is most advanced within insert feeder  14  will be the insert which can be fed onto the next carton blank that will pass the output end  46  of the insert feeder. The controller will also have identified this most advanced insert and the carton blank onto which it may be fed by their respective bar codes. Through this identification, the controller determines if the insert is intended to be matched with the carton. Assuming that the most advanced insert is properly matched with the next carton blank which will reach output end  46  of the insert feeder, the controller controls the speed of the insert conveyor to ensure this most advanced insert is dispensed onto the glue line of this next carton blank as it passes output end  46 . Further, the controller controls the speed profile of the insert conveyor during dispensing of the insert so that the speed of the insert matches that of the carton blank onto which it is dispensed. 
         [0022]    If the controller determines that the most advanced insert is not properly matched with the next carton blank that will reach the output end  46  of the insert feeder, the controller can stop the insert feeder and activate alarm  62 . Alternatively, if a kicker  64  is installed on conveyor  16  downstream of the output end  46  of the insert feeder, the controller can allow the mismatched insert to be married to the carton blank, but signal the kicker (at an appropriate moment) to kick the blank with mismatched insert off the conveyor  16 , or at least out of registration so that it can be plucked off the line at a downstream point. The controller could determine that the insert is not properly matched with the carton blank either because (i) the bar code read from the insert and the bar code read from the carton blank to which it will be married show a mismatch or (ii) the bar code signal from one of readers  32  and  58  shows a reading error. The first situation is a far more serious problem such that stopping the line may be the appropriate response. With the second situation, it may be more appropriate to simply kick the affected blank with its attached insert off the line. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate the progression of a carton blank  20  through the carton blank feeder  12 . At the upstream end of open zone  22 , the carton blank appears as shown at I. As shown at II, after passing gluer  36 , panel  96  of the blank has a line of glue  84 . Once the blank has passed the output end  46  of the insert feeder  14 , as seen at III, an insert  50  is affixed to the blank  20  over the line of glue. At the crease breaking station  24 , the blank is partially folded at a number of its crease lines  86  in order to break these lines. As shown at IV, at gluing station  26 , a line  88  of glue is dispensed onto panel  90  of the blank. Then, at folding station  28 , panels  90 ,  92 , and  94  are folded over panel  96 —to which the insert is attached—and panel  98 . The result is seen at V. Lastly, as shown at VI, glue bearing panel  90  is folded under panel  98  and adhered to panel  98 . This forms a flat sleeve  100 , with the insert inside the sleeve. 
         [0024]    Possibly at a different facility, the flat sleeve may be knocked-up into a carton and filled with product. 
         [0025]    With carton blank feeder  12  and insert feeder  14  operating in-line, it will be appreciated that the system  10  may be operated at high speed. Indeed, speeds of 30,000 carton blanks per hour, or more, may be achievable. Yet, nevertheless, with the described operation, it will be assured that the insert within the carton will be the insert which is intended for the carton. This is particularly important in the pharmaceutical industry where improper directions on use could, if followed, harm a user or lessen the efficacy of the pharmaceutical. 
         [0026]    In the pharmaceutical industry, the carton insert is typically a folded leaflet. It will be appreciated that system  10  is able to accommodate the thickness presented by a folded leaflet. 
         [0027]    Tracking accuracy by the controller is enhanced with the presence of two photocells associated with the insert feeder and two photocells associated with the carton blank feeder. However, it will be appreciated that the system will work with a single photocell associated with each of the insert feeder and the carton blank feeder. 
         [0028]    It will be appreciated that each photocell  30 ,  34 ,  54 ,  60  could be replaced with any other suitable sensor as, for example, a CCD camera. Similarly, it will be appreciated that each rotary encoder  38 ,  56  could be replaced with any other speed sensor such as, for example, a video camera. 
         [0029]    It may be that the insert and carton blank are printed with identifying indicia other than a bar code, in which case bar code readers  32 ,  58  would be replaced with a suitable indicia reader. For example, if the identifying indicia were text, it may be that the bar code readers would be replaced with optical character readers (OCRs). Yet further, each of the insert and carton blank could bear an identifier other than indicia, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, in which case the readers would be RFID readers. 
         [0030]    While in the described operation, glue gun  36  operates based on a control signal from the controller, optionally, if photocell  34  is placed under (or just upstream) of the glue gun, the gun can be triggered directly from photocell  34 . 
         [0031]    While the insert feeder  14  has been described as being a pair of parallel pinch belts  40 ,  42 , optionally, the insert feeder could instead be a lug conveyor, such as an overhead linear lug conveyor, or possibly a carrousel lug conveyor. 
         [0032]    Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and, therefore, the invention is defined in the claims.