Patent Abstract:
A four-ply paper board hanging hole in a display box for hanging a display box from a support rod. This is accomplished by the use of a paper board die blank having a hanging hole in four layers of the box such that, when the box is assembled, the four hanging holes are aligned to provide a strongly reinforced hanging hole which proves quite difficult to rip. Therefore, an increased aesthetic appearance of the display box is achieved, resulting in increased sales and minimal wasting of display box products.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to the field of retail drug sales boxes containing a plurality of individual doses of medicine, such as over the counter medicines. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores or other retailers selling small quantities of non-prescription drugs, a display device is usually used to display one or two packets of a pain reliever, for example. Small quantities of other medicines or bandages, may be displayed by the display device. 
   However, when displaying a box of a non-prescription medicine, for example, the box is usually hung from a rod or peg extending from a display board, such as a peg board, at the retail location. A consumer will customarily remove the box from the display device to review the information contained on the box of medicine prior to its purchase. 
   The repeated removal and re-hanging of a display box can prove to be detrimental to the hanging tab extending from the display box. Therefore, the usually single sheet of paper board, including the hanging portion for the display box, is often times ripped by repeated consumer review. Attempts to fix the broken hanging tab with tape or staples may be functionally acceptable but aesthetically displeasing to the consumer. 
   Accordingly, there is a need to reinforce display packages hanging on a support rod. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to overcome the deficiencies of prior practices by the incorporation of a four-ply paper board hanging hole in a display box for hanging a display box from a support rod. This is accomplished by the use of a paper board die blank having a hanging hole in four layers of the box such that, when the box is assembled, the four hanging holes are aligned to provide a strongly reinforced hanging hole which proves quite difficult to rip. Therefore, an increased aesthetic appearance of the display box is achieved, resulting in increased sales and minimal wasting of display box products. 
   This object is also achieved by a display box formed of a single sheet of paper board die cut into a series of interconnected panels with fold lines. The box includes a front panel with a top portion and a vertical extension portion and a rear panel interconnected to the front panel by side panels. The vertical extension portion of the front panel interconnects the front panel and the rear panel at least for a portion of the front panel. Both the front panel and the rear panel include parts of a bottom panel with the front panel including an upper support portion of the bottom panel and the rear panel including a lower portion of the bottom panel. The lower portion of the bottom panel includes adhesive for securing to the upper support portion of the bottom panel. 
   Secured along the intersection of a side panel and the rear panel is a drug facts panel. The drug facts panel is pivotally mounted along the intersection of the side panel and the rear panel and includes a front panel portion and a rear panel portion. The front panel portion and the rear panel portion are adhered to each other and each include a hanging hole. In addition, the rear panel and the front panel include a hanging hole so that, when the display box is assembled, there are four layers of paper board forming a single aligned hanging hole. 
   In addition, the rear panel includes a die cut flap providing access to the interior of the box cavity. The perforations forming the access flap are cut from the rear panel to pivotally mount the access flap along a side edge of the box formed at the intersection of the rear panel and the opposite side panel from the side panel to which the drugs facts panel is pivotally mounted. The access flap includes a finger slot which is used to reach into the box cavity and pull the access flap out from the rear panel, pivoted about the side edge of the box, to gain access to the interior of the box. 
   After product is removed from the interior of the box, the access flap is folded down to lay flat in alignment with the rear panel. The drugs facts panel is then closed on top of the rear panel and by the use of glue dots, the rear panel is secured to the drugs facts panel. 
   By the movement of the access flap, and the return of the access flap into alignment with the rear panel, all drug information/packaging graphics of the rear panel remain intact. The information desired to be conveyed to the consumer is still readily available. This is in contrast to prior designs of packaging where to gain access to the interior of the packaging, the integrity of the packaging is destroyed and the valuable consumer information displayed on the exterior of the packaging is damaged. The consumer can therefore no longer take advantage of the information and potential warnings contained on the packaging for ready reference. The packaging may also be discarded by the consumer because the packaging cannot easily be re-sealed. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drug delivery box having four layers of paper board at the hanging hole. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a drug dispensing box having four layers of paper board at the hanging hole and having a drugs facts panel pivotally mounted to a rear edge of the box. 
   It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a drug dispensing box having four layers of paper board at the hanging hole and having a drugs facts panel pivotally mounted to a rear edge of the box and having an access flap in a rear panel of the box for gaining access to an interior of the box. 
   It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a drug dispensing box having four layers of paper board at the hanging hole and having a drugs facts panel pivotally mounted to a rear edge of the box and having an access flap in a rear panel of the box for gaining access to an interior of the box, the access panel being pivotally mounted to a rear edge of the box for return to alignment with the rear panel of the box and sealing by the drug facts panel. 
   These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of the intended advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The following drawings illustrate examples of various components of the drug display box disclosed herein, and are for illustrative purposes only. Other embodiments that are substantially similar can use other components that have a different appearance. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the drug delivery/display box of the present invention hanging from a peg at a retail location. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the drug delivery/display box. 
       FIG. 3  is a rear view of the drug delivery/display box. 
       FIG. 4  is a left side view of the drug delivery/display box. 
       FIG. 5  is a right side view of the drug delivery/display box. 
       FIG. 6  is a top view of the drug delivery/display box. 
       FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the drug delivery/display box. 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 9  schematically illustrates the die lines of the interior of the drug display box of the present invention formed of a single sheet of paper board. 
       FIG. 10  is an exterior view of the die lines of the drug display box. 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view illustrating the drug facts panel pivotally mounted to a rear panel of the drug display box. 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view illustrating the fully opened position of the pivoted drug facts panel pivotally mounted on the rear panel. 
       FIG. 13  is a rear perspective view of the drug facts panel pivotally mounted on the drug display box and exposing the access flap pivotally mounted from a rear edge of the rear panel. 
       FIG. 14  illustrates the pivoting of the access flap to gain access to at least one of a plurality of packages of medicine with the access flap being movable into the plane of the rear panel and being covered by the drug facts panel. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
   With reference to the drawings, in general, and  FIGS. 1-8 , in particular, a drug delivery/display box embodying the teachings of the subject invention is generally designated as  20 . With reference to its orientation in  FIG. 1 , the drug display box includes a front panel  22  including a top portion  24  and upstanding portion  26 . The top portion  24  extends rearwardly from front edge/fold line  28  and to rear edge/fold line  30 . Upstanding portion  26  is folded at a right angle at edge  30  with respect to top portion  24 . The top portion  24  extends laterally between right side panel  32  and left side panel  34 . 
   Upstanding portion  26  includes a hanging hole  36 . The particular shape of hanging hole  36  may be altered to include a triangular shape or any other shape used for hanging a drug display box from a rod  38  by passing a leading end  40  of the rod through the hole  36 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , a rear panel  42 , extending the combined height of the front panel  22  and upstanding portion  26 , extends in a plane parallel to the front panel  22  and upstanding portion  26  and engages the upstanding portion  26 . The rear panel  42  is spaced from the front panel  22  by a distance equal to the extension of top portion  24  between fold lines  28  and  30 . 
   Extending parallel to rear panel  42  is a drug facts panel  44  including a rear panel portion  46  as shown in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  8 , a front panel portion  48  is glued to rear panel portion  46  to form the drug facts panel  44  pivotally mounted to a side edge of the drug display box. 
   As shown in  FIG. 8 , the hanging hole  36  of upstanding portion  26  is in alignment with the hanging hole  50  of rear panel  42  and the hanging hole of drug facts panel  44  including the hanging hole  52  of front panel portion  48  and the hanging hole  54  of rear panel portion  46 . The four aligned hanging holes provide greatly increased strength for supporting the drug display box of the present invention for numerous incidents of removal and re-replacing of the drug display box on a support rod  38 . 
   As shown in greater detail in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the layout of a single piece of paper board is shown which is used to form the drug display box of the present invention. In  FIG. 9 , the rear panel  42  is shown connected to side panel  32  by fold line  60 . At an opposite edge, fold line  62  connects to side support panel  64 . The opposite side of side support panel  64 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , includes an adhesive surface  64   a  covered by a piece of removable tape for forming the display box. 
   Located between side panel  32  and side support panel  64  is bottom panel  66  having adhesive layer  68 . Bottom panel  66  is separated from rear panel  42  by fold line  70 . 
   Front panel  22 , in addition to top portion  24  and upstanding portion  26 , includes a bottom support panel  72  connected to front panel  22  by fold line  74 . The bottom support panel  72  will sit on top of bottom panel  66 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , to reinforce the bottom of the display box. 
   The side panel  32  is connected to front panel  22  by fold line  76 , whereas side panel  34  is connected to front panel  22  by fold line  78 . Both of the side panels  32  and  34  include fold flaps  32   a ,  32   b  and  34   a ,  34   b , respectively. 
   The drugs facts panel  44  is formed by folding front panel portion  48  along fold line  82  onto rear panel portion  46  such that the glue strip areas  80  are engaged by front panel portion  48  to secure the front panel portion  48  to rear panel portion  46  and align the hanging holes  52  and  54 . The rear panel portion  46  is pivotally connected to the side panel  34  by fold line and edge  84 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the rear panel  42  includes a perforation line  90  having sections  90   a ,  90   b  and  90   c . The perforation line  90  forms access flap  92  pivotally mounted along fold line  60  to side panel  32 . A finger hole perforation line  94  is cut to gain access to the interior of the box when the finger hole tab  96  is removed by breaking the perforation line  94 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 10 , the printing of the required drug use information and all other indicia is achieved by a single sided printing. This reduces the cost of production and increases the efficiency of production. 
   The display box of the present invention is formed by folding front panel portion  48  onto rear panel portion  46  and securing the two panel portions together to form the drug facts panel. The two side panels  32 ,  34  are then folded perpendicular to the front panel  22  along fold lines  76 , 78 , respectively. The flaps  32   a ,  32   b  and  34   a ,  34   b  are folded inwardly to form support surfaces. 
   The rear panel  42  is then folded along fold line  60  to lie parallel to front panel  22  by a separation distance equal to the width of side panels  32  or  34 . The adhesive  64   a  on side support panel  64  is then brought into engagement, after folding along fold line  62 , with the underside of side panel  34 . A rectangular-shaped box is thereby formed. 
   Bottom support panel  72  is folded along fold line  74  and thereafter bottom panel  66  is folded to engage its adhesive surface  68  with the bottom support panel  72  to form the bottom of the box. Finally, the top portion  24  is folded along fold line  28  to extend parallel to the bottom panel  66  and the upstanding portion  26  is folded along fold line  30  to extend parallel to the rear panel  42  and adhere the upstanding portion  26  by glue strips  98  to the rear panel  42 . The four hanging holes  36 ,  50 ,  52  and  54  are aligned in successive order to form a four layer supportive hanging hole. 
   With reference to  FIG. 11 , the drug facts card  44  is shown pivoted away from the rear panel  42 . In this position, and the position shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , viewing of the indicia written on the rear panel portion  46 , the front panel portion  48  and the rear panel  42  is possible. This indicia provides important information on the use and directions for use of the medication included in the display box. 
   As shown in  FIG. 13 , the front panel portion  48  includes a glue dot  100 , as shown by a circle, with a corresponding complimentary located glue dot  102  located on the rear panel  42 . The front panel portion  48  and the rear panel  42  are thereby releasably secured or interconnected to prevent inadvertently moving the front panel portion  48  away from the rear panel. When moving the front panel portion  48  into engagement with the rear panel  42 , the alignment of the front panel portion  48  and the rear panel  42  in parallel overlying orientation is maintained. 
   As explained with reference to  FIG. 9 , perforation line  90  is accessible when the front panel portion  48  is moved away from the rear panel  42 . As shown in  FIG. 14 , after removal of the finger hole tab  96  along perforation  94 , it is possible to pivot the access flap  92  about fold line  60  to provide access to the interior  104  of the box. 
   Housed within the box may, for example, be located two single dose medicine packages  106  and  108 . Access is provided to the medicine packages by pivoting of the access flap  92 . One of the medicine packages may be removed from the interior  104  of the box and the access flap  92  returned to an orientation in the plane of rear panel  42 . Thereafter, the front panel portion  48  may be moved to overlie the rear panel  42 , thereby securing the closure of the access flap  92 , preventing access to the interior  104  of the box. 
   With the access flap  92  returned to the plane of the rear panel  42 , substantial portions of the indicia would still be in a readable format. The integrity of the packaging being maintained, repeated use of the packaging by the consumer is available for subsequent use of any additional stored medicine contained in the interior  104  of the package. 
   The foregoing description should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1