US3409183A - Dispenser carton - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 5, 1968 c. GISH 3,409,183

DISPENSER CARTON Original Filed Jan. l2, 1966 3 Shee'cS-Sheet l Nov` 5, 1968 uL.. c. GlsH 3,409,183

DISPENSER CARTON Original Filed Jan. l2, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Il @l ll'lzfrifJ im' 1 Mnl-MMU,

L, C. GISH DISPENSER CARTON Nov, 5 1968 @MW BY? @am A Original Filed Jan. l2, 1966 United States Patent O ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE` yThis inventionl relates to a novel package containing dispensable items, and more particularly pertains to a dispenser carton for paper cups, Iice cream cones, and other similar items. v

. This application is a. continuation of application Ser. No. 520,161 filed Ian. 12, 1966, and now abandoned.

Paper drinking j cups, for example, are employed throughout the business and industrial worldin enormous quantities. Ample drinking water, an obvious essential to good health and Well being, should and normally is always accessible to workers regardless of-the specific nature of their employment. Since the use of individuallyowned cups -of .ceramic or other lasting material is impractical in the typical oliice or factory, disposable, inexpensive paper cups yare normally .used whichare employed once and discarded.

Thesev disposable cups are normally conveniently lo cated adjacent a source of drinking water. Since they are employed only once, the cups assure. excellent sanitation despite the use of the samesource of water by large numbersof individuals, some of whom may `be diseased. The cup dispensers are normally metallic vcontainers mounted adjacent the water source and are` permanently mounted by means of a bracket or the like on -a cooler, supporting wall or the like. When exhausted, the top of the usual cup dispenser is removed and the contents of a carton of cups inserted thereinto and the carton discarded. If a cup dispenser is not available, a carton is koftentimes left adjacent the water source with one end removed, enabling individuals to remove a cup for use when desired. Such procedure generally results in a plurality of -cups being removed from the carton on occasion and reinserted, because of the cup nested arrangement, when only1one cup is desired. The exposure -of cups inthe open-carton to 'dirt and contact with the hands of persons employing the adjacent water source reduces toV a substantial Vdegree the hygienic benefits `possible with the proper use of paper cups. Y

It is an object of this invention to provide a carton for nested items in which the carton performsthe additional function of readily permitting only a single item to be dispensed lfrom the carton at any one time.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dispenser which requires little in theway of modification of a standard carton for paper cups ory the like, thereby providing the additional advantages of an effective dispenser at a -minimum of expense.

It is still another object to provide in one embodiment of this invention a carton dispenser for nested paper cups, cones, or the like in which the approaching exhaust-ion of the accommodated items within the carton may be visually determined. It is still another object of this invention to provide `a simple blank and liner construction which is readily set up into a dispenser carton with a minimum of processing steps.

The above and other objects of this invention will become more apparent upon proceeding with thefollowing 3,409,183 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 lCC detailed description when read in the light of the accompanying drawing and appended claims.

In one embodiment of this invention a blank is provided having four elongate, side wall panels of equal width joined by parallel fold lines; a gluel seam-is foldably attached to one distal wall panel. Closure flaps arev joined to end portions of said wall panels by fold lines transversely disposed to the wall panel fold lines. A'single-face corrugated insert may be adhesively secured to inner surface portions of the side wall panels adjacent the ap connections to said panels. The cartonl may be opened for dispensing when the blank is in thel set-up condition and the closure aps have either been removed or have assumed an open position.

When the tubular carton is set up from the above blank, nested" products (e.g. drinking cups) are placed within the carton interior with the corresponding one end of each of the products disposed in the direction toward the carton dispensing end. In the case of drinking cups the large annular lips dening the rims thereof are of such dimensions as to be snugly received in the recesses of the inl sert and are slightly deformed when pulled over the corlowermost cup from the carton and from engagement with the insert ridges, gravity will cause overlying nested cups to drop into appropriate position for continued dispensing.

In alternate constructions, the insert is not adhesively secured to the side walls but is movable longitudinally with respect thereto. To prevent the insert from dropping through the open dispensing end of the carton, stops are formed from portions of the side walls. 'Il-1e stops may also be formed from corner portions of the closure rliaps which are allowed to remain in place after the remainder of the flaps have been removed to permit cup dispensing'. Also, plastic sheets having entraped air bubbles may be substituted for the corrugated insert.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference will now be made to the drawing wherein:

FIG. l is a fragmentary plan view of one form of a blank for forming a dispensing carton made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bottom portion of a set-up carton made from the blank of FIG. 1';

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of a carton made from the blank of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified dispensing carton embodying a window Within a side wall and a transparent plastic retaining insert which overlies the window;

FIG. 5 is a -view similar to FIG. 1 of a blank adapted to form another modified carton;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bottom portion of a set-up carton made from the blank of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a blank adapted to form still another modified dispensing carton;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of the botto-rn portion of a set-up carton made from the blank of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a single-face corrugated insert adapted to be employed in dispensing cartons provided by this invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the insert of FIG. 9 in the set-up condition;

FIG; 1l is a fragmentary sectional view of container.-

dispensing carton employing the corrugated insert of FIGS. 9 and 10, having paper cups contained within said carton, the carton being illustrated in the closed condition;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the carton of FIG. l1 with the insert-retaining tabs in place after the closure flaps have been opened; and

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 11 illustrating normal disposition of nested paper drinking cups in the carton of FIG. 12 when said carton is arranged in thev normal vertical dispensing position with the bottom open.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. l, a paperboard blank 10 is illustrated composed of four side wall panels 12, 14, 16 and 18, which are of uniform width so that when folded along fold lines 20, 22 and 24 they will form a uniform carton chamber of substantially square cross section. Hingedly connected to side wall panel 18 by means of fold line 26 is a glue-flap 28 adapted to adhere to a distal edge portion of wall panely12 when the blank 10 is set up. A tape strip may be substituted for flap 28.

, Hingedly connected to the upper edges of side wall panels 12 and 16 along fold lines 30 and 32, respectively, are closure half flaps 34 and 36, respectively. Hingedly connected to the upper edge of side wall panel 14 by means of fold line 38 is a closure flap 40 ha-ving a terminal locking tab 42 connected to closure ap 40 by means of fold line 44. Each of the half closure flaps 34 and 36 is relie-ved at 46 so as to yform a continuous elongate slot to facilitate reception of locking tab 42, as evident from FIG. 3 when the blank 10 of FIG. 1 is set-up into a carton 48. Flaps 34, 36 and 40 are adapted to effect closing of the upper end of the set-up carton 48 of FIG. 3.

Hingedly connected to the bottom edges of side wall panels 14 and 18 of the blank 10 along fold lines 50 and 52, respectively, are half- flaps 54 and 56, respectively. Three-quarter aps 8 and i60 are hingedly connected to the |bottom edges of side walls 12 and 16 by means of foldlines 62 and 64, respectively. It is apparent from FIG. 2 that flaps 54, 56, S8 and 60 are bottom closure flaps, inasmuch as they are adapted to cover the bottom or dispensing end of the carton 48 Iwhen the set-up condition. It is further apparent that the normal sequence for folding the bottom closure aps is to `first fold down opposed half- flaps 54 and 56, after which lflaps -58 and 60 are folded in an overlapping relationship.

It is intended that the carton 48 of FIGS. 2 and 3 constitute a combination housing or container for dispenable items such as nested drinking cups, ice cream cones and the like. In order that the carton 48 may serve as a dispenser for items such as paper cups and the like, it is necessary that a means be present in the carton which will frictionally retain the nested dispensable items Within the carton. In addition, the lowermost of such nested items must extend exteriorly of the carton so that only said lowermost item may be manually engaged and pulled from within the carton.

One such retention means comprises a single face corrugated insert 66, illustrated in FIGS. 9 and l0. It is seen from FIG. 9 that the insert 66 contains spaced parallel fold lines 68 which enable the insert to be folded into ythe square configuration illustrated in FIG. y10. Each of the four wall portions 70 of insert 66 has -a width substantially equal to the common interior width of the side walls of the Iblank of FIG. 1, which is adapted to be set-up intothe carton 48.

The corrugated insert 66 in one embodiment is adhesively secured to the lower inner face portions of the side wall panels so as to be disposed adjacent the dispensing open end of the carton as illustrated in FIG. 2. When the insert 66 is adhesively secured to the side Walls, the bottom closure flaps 54, 56, 58 and `60 may be completely removed when the carton is to be used as a dispenser whereupon the nested items Within the carton 48 will move downwardly toward the open bottom end until the Y lower portion of the bottom one of the nested items projects downwardly from the end of the carton and the remainder of the nested items are retained in place by engagement with the insert 66.

It will be noted from FIG. 13 that nested paper cups 72 having the conventional large annular lips or rims 74 are arranged 'in the carton 48 with the cup bottoms disposed in the direction of the dispensing end of the `car ton. Inasmuch as the cup rims 74 comprise that 'portion ofthe lcup having the largest diameter, the rims by appropriate sizing relative to the corrugations of insert are snugly received within insert recesses 76, as illustrated in FIG. 13. In order to pass the ridges 78 of the insert, the large cup rims must deform slightly in the course of moving thereover.

FIG. 11 illustrates the nested cups 72 prior to opening of the bottom closure flaps or portions thereof, and FIG. 13 illustrates the nested cups in the normal accessible position after the dispensing end of the carton 48 has been uncovered. yIt is apparent from FIG. 13 that for the insert 66 to properly function, itmust retain the lowermost cup within the carton interior while allowing a predetermined portion of the lowermost cup 72 to` extend beyond the end of the carton. This cup extension enables the lowermost one of the nested cups to be readily manually engaged or grasped by an individual desiring a cup and withdrawn from the carton without causing the remainder of the nested cups being simultaneously removed from the carton.

If it is not desired to glue the insert 66 in place within the carton interior, it may be loosely disposed within the interior of the carton at the time it is set-up. With such a construction the insert may be moved longitudinally of the carton and therefore, it is necessary to provide stops adjacent the dispensing end of the carton which will prevent the insert of FIG. l0 from accidentally emerging from the open end of the carton 48.

Such stops may comprise corners or tabs 80, more clearly seen in FIG. 12, formed from overlying portions of the bottom closure aps 56, 58, `54 and 60. One manner of for-ming the corner stops 80, illustrated in FIG. 12, is by perforating or scoring arcuate lines of separation 82 in each of the bottom closure flaps, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. In addition, a Alinger-engageable tab 84 formed integrally with bottom closure ap 56 may be employed to facilitate uncovering of the carton bottom opening.

When it is desired to employ the carton 48 of FIGS. 2, 3,12 and 13 as a dispensing device, the tab 84 of the carton is pulled free and the overlapping bottom closure portions, with the exception of the corner stops 80, defined by the arcuate lines 82, are pulled free from the side wall panels with which they are initially hingedly connected. To facilitate the removal of the bottom closure portions as a unit, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 12, the fold line portions of each of the bottom closure flaps disposed between the terminal ends of the perforation arcs 82 are also perforated to facilitate detachment of each bottom closure flap from the side wall with which they are originally hingedly connected.

When the single-face corrugated insert is loosely disposed within the carton 48, it is preferably folded into the desired-shape in the course of setting up the blank 10, at which time the nested items 72 are also preferably positioned in'place within the carton. When it is desired to employ carton 48 as a dispenser, all that need be done is to engage the tab 84 and pull the adhered layers of the bottom closure aps as a unit away from the bottom or dispensing end of the carton in the manner illustrated in FIG. l2. Upon hanging such carton in a vertical position, see FIG. 13, by means of a 'supportengaging aperture `in a wall panel, the lowermost cup 72 is readily accessible for dispensing from the carton.

Other equivalent stop means for retaining the nonsecured insert within the carton 48 may comprise tri- Inasmuch as blank 10a possesses side wall panels, a glue seam and closure aps substantially the same as those of the blank of FIG. 1, comparable component in the lblank 10a bear the same identifyingnumeral as' thecorresponding component of blank 10 plus the adscript a.

The triangular stops are-denedby slits 88 and converging iold lines 90, which are formed in the lower side wall portions adjacent the bottom opening of the carton to be rformed vfrom the blank 10a in the set-up condition. The strikeouts 86 are formed in diametrically-opposed portions of the carton 48a, -as illustrated in FIG. 6. When intended to serve as stops for insert 66, the stops are pushed inwardly along the fold lines 90. The upper edges of each strike-out thus function as stop edges supporting the lower terminal edge of the insert in the manner as shown in FIG. 6.

Since blank 10a relies upon the presence olf the strikeouts v86 to support and retain the insert 66 within the carton 48a, the arcuate perforations 82 present in the blank 10 are, of course, not needed in the bottom closure flaps of the -blank 10a inasmuch as it is desired that each of the bottom closure aps be entirely removed. Therefore, the fold lines 62a, 53a, 64a and 52a of the blank 10a, by means off which the side wall panels are connected to the bottom closure flaps, are perforated or otherwise reduced in strength. The overlying aps may then be removed -as a unit so as to leave the bottom opening of the carton 48a completely unobstructed in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6.

The blank 10b of FIG. 7 employs hinged tabs 92 as stops preventing passage of the insert through the bottom opening of carton 48b in the manner illustrated in FIG. 8. The stop tabs 92 are cut from side wall panel end portions 14b and 18b in the manner illustrated in FIG. 7, and remain connected to the blank side walls by means of the .'fold lines 20b and 24b, respectively. Each of the tabs 92 is preferably coated with a pressure-'sensitive adhesive on its inner face. When the blank 10b is set-up into the carton 48b, the inner faces of the tabs 92 formed from the side wall panels 14b and 18b are readily adhesively secured to opposed, inner lface portions of side Wall panels 12b and 16b, respectively.

The double-wall thickness provided by the tabs 92 serves to prevent emergence of the insert 66 through the bottom opening of the carton 48b. The bottom closure panels 58b, 54h, 60b and 56b of the blank 10b, similarly to the bottom closure panels of blank 10a, are hingedly connected to contiguous side wall panels along fold lines 62h, 50h, 64b, and 52h, respectively, which are of -reduced strength so that the overlapping bottom closure panels which are adhered together may be readily removed as a unit after tab 84b has been engaged and pulled relative to the side wall panels orf the carton.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing description of the various embodiments of the provided carton blank and package that various modifications may be made which remain within the spirit of the basic invention disclosed.

It should -be appreciated, for instance, that the corrugated insert 66 merely comprises one form of retention means which may be utilized with the carton. In addition to a corrugated surface having alternate ridges and depressions, it is possible to use to advantage other means which assure a frictional supporting engagement with the rims of dispensable items to be housed within the various cartons illustrated.

In FIG. 4 the lower bottom portion of a carton 100 is illustrated. Secured to the bottom portions of the inner faces of the side wall panels of such carton may be a material sold under the trade name Cap Seal which is composed of a double-thickness plastic material having a plurality of spaced, resilient bubbles of air entrapped therein. In instances where the plastic containing such bubbles 102 is transparent, a cut-out or window 104 may be formed in the lower portion of at least one side wall of the carton, which will visually indicate when the supply of the dispensable items 106, `such as ice cream cones or "other fragile items,'is approaching exhaustion.

"The retentionmeansfshould support the weight offthe nested items to be dispensed which are contained within the carton and in addition, should permit a portion of such items to extend exteriorly of the carton a suflicient amount whereby the lower portion of the lowermost nested item may be readily manually engaged without disturbing the item nested immediately thereabove. Although the retention means as above described have been placed on all rfour inner wall portions of the containerdispensing carton, it is conceivable that the friction means need only be present on two opposed walls for affording adequate retention or support to the nested items disposed within the carton.

Also, this invention is not to be limited to use 'with drinking cups or waffle cones, but is applicable to any dispensable fragile items of a similar nature which may be supported in the manner above described. In order to remove a dispensable item, it i-s apparent that it might slightly deform or -flex relative to the retention means, as in the example of the paper cups slight deformation relative to the corrugation insert. If the item to be dispensed is an ice cream cone, for example, exing thereof to any appreciable extent is not desirable, and the retention means or insert disposed within the carton should be sutiiciently deformable or yieldable so as to permit the nested item to be dispensed without causing damage thereto. A suitable insert for this purpose is one made from the Cap Seal material aforementioned. Furthermore, the number and size of side wall panelsV comprising the carton may vary from that shown whereupon the cross-sectional shape of the carton will also vary and will depend in large measure on the configuration of the dispensable items.

While several embodiments of this invention have been described above, further modications may be made thereto and it is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims, to cover any such modifications as fall lwithin the true spint and scope of this inveniton.

I claim:

1. A paperboard carton for packaging a plurality of nested receptacles, each of said receptacles having an enlarged open end and a smaller closed end; said carton comprising foldably-connected, elongated side panels folded to form ya multi-sided, upright, tubular member of uniform cross section throughout its length for slidably accommodating a plurality of nested receptacles with the closed ends thereof'facing toward the lower end of said tubular member; closure flaps foldably connected to the tubular member lower end for closing of said lower end to retain and enclose such receptacles in said tubular member and for opening to permit dispensing of such receptacles through said lower end, and a separate liner insert disposed |within said tubular member adjacent said lower end, said liner insert including at least two diametrically opposed wall portions laterally supported by said side panels .against outward movement, each of said 'wall portions `including a plurality of yieldable protuberances, said protuberances comprising air bubbles entrapped between plastic sheets; the interval between directly opposed protuberances on opposed wall portions being slightly less than the largest diameter of such receptacles whereby said protuberances may resiliently retain the enlarged ends of such receptacles therebetween and permit yieldable passage of such enlarged ends over said protuberances; said liner being positioned below the position assumed by the open end of the lowermost of such receptacles :resting upon said closure flaps when said closure -aps are in a closed position and permitting said closed end of such receptacles to project through said lower end before the open end of such receptacle engages said protuberances when said closure flaps are open.

. 2. The carton of claim 1 in which said plastic sheets References Cited of said liner insert are transparent and in which a lower 'UNITED STATES PTENIS'. l l portion of at least one panel underlylng sa1d hner msert -v v is cutout so that it may be visually noted when the num- 2,614,687 10/ 1952 ROY -..L 221-'308 ber of receptacles within such carton is approaching 5 v 7 exhaustion. SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary'Examnr.

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