US3756502A - Dispensing container - Google Patents

Abstract

A regular style container is provided with a front wall connected to the side walls and bottom closure flap by weakened lines of separation. By grasping the top closure flap connected to the front wall, the front container panel may be torn away to expose the container contents.

Description

United States Patent 1 Swanson et al.

[451 Sept. 4, 1973 1 1 DISPENSING CONTAINER [75] Inventors: Elmer G. Swanson; Walter R.

Hughes, both of Salinas, Calif.

[73] Assignee: lloerner Waldorf Corporation, Saint Paul, Minn.

22 Filed: Aug. 25, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 174,621

[52] US. Cl. 229/51 D, 206/56 AC, 229/51 TC [51] Int. Cl 865d 5/54 [58] Field of Search 229/51 TS, 51 TC,

' 229/51 D, 17 R; 206/44 R, 56 R, 56 AC [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,692,226 9 1972 Young et a] 229 51 TS 1,516,090 11/1924 Gary et al. 229/51 TS 3,315,875 4/1967 Praeturius 206/56 AC 2,944,124 7/1960 Arnold 206/56 AC 2,259,041 10/1941 Larkin 206/44 R 1,736,726 11/1929 Young 206/44 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,141,676 1/1969 Great Britain 229/51 TS 98,049 2/1964 Denmark 229/51 TS 661,596 4/1963 Canada 229/51 D Primary Examiner-Samuel B. Rothberg Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus Attorney-Robert M. Dunning [57] ABSTRACT A regular style container is provided with a front wall connected to the side walls and bottom closure flap by weakened lines of separation. By grasping the top closure flap connected to the front wall, the front container panel may be torn away to expose the container contents.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEP 41m 3.756502 INVENTOR [AMER G. swmvso/v WAL 7.51? A. HUGHES Q fi NEY DISPENSING CONTAINER This invention relates to an improvement in Dispenser Containers and deals particularly with a container which may be used to ship products and which may serve to support the products until they are used.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Regular style containers are normally used for the shipment of products due to the fact that containers of this type are less expensive then containers of other types. However, when a series of layers of product are being shipped, it is often difficult to remove the product from a container of this type because of the fact that the product fills the entire area of the container. For example, where the container is designed to contain a series of superimposed trays containing jellies, jams, or the like which are individually used, it is difficult to lift the trays of product from the top of the container. It is this difficultly which the present construction is designed to avoid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a container which may be produced on conventional equipment, and which may serve as a support from which individual trays may be readily removed. In order to accomplish the result, it is only necessary to substitute perforated lines for the creases normally used so that the containers may be produced without any extra cost except for the time required to set up the equipment. When produced, it is only necessary to pull up one of the flaps closing the upper portion of the container, and to remove this flap and the adjoining side wall of the container. This leaves a container having an open side from which the trays may be readily removed one at a time as they are required.

The feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a Dispenser Container which may be produced at an extremely low cost, and yet which will serve as a side opening container. Rather than to lift the individual trays of products from the top of the container, they may be readily slid from an open side thereof.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the closed container showing the manner in which the goods are shipped.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container in partically opened condition.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container after it has been completely opened.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the container is formed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The container is indicated in general by the letter A and is shown as including a series of superimposed trays B. Obviously, other goods may be contained, but the container is particularly useful in containing products such as trays which can not readily be removed from the opened top of the container do to the fact that the trays till the entire area between the side and end walls of the container making it difficult for the trays to be lifted from the open top.

As is indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the container includes a rear wall 10, a side wall 11, a front wall 12, and a second side wall 13 which are foldablly connected together. A glue flap 14 is hingedly connected along a fold line 15 to the panel 10, and is secured in overlaping relation with the side wall 13. A fold line 16 is provided between the rear wall 10 and the side wall 11, while weakened lines of separation such as perforated lines 17 and 19 connect front wall 12 to the side walls 11 and 13 respectively.

Closure flaps 20, 21, 22 and 23 are hingedly connected to the upper edges of the various walls 10 through 13 along and elongated fold line 24. Bottom closure flaps 25, 26, 27 and 29 are foldablly connected to the lower edges of the various wall panels along a fold line 30. The front panel 12 is connected to the bottom closure flap 27 by a perforated line 31. The glue flap or stitch flap 14 is provided with flap extensions 32 and 33 which are not particularly essential to the operation of the device.

The container A is set up in the usual manner by stitching or adhering the flap 14 in overlaping relation with the side wall panel 13 to form a tubular structure. The bottom closure flaps are folded in the conventional manner, the flaps 26 and 29 being normally folded into coplanar relation, and the flaps 25 and 27 being folded into edge abutting relation and adhered to the inner flaps 26 and 29. The top of the container is also closed in a conventional manner, the flaps 21 and 23 being normally folded into coplanar relation as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings and the flaps 20 and 22 being folded to overlie the flaps 21 and 23. Preferrably, the flap 22 is adhered to the flaps 21 and 23 with minium area of attachment so that this flap may be removed with comparative ease.

After the container has been filled and shipped, it is only necessary for the recipient of the container to grasp the flap 22 and to pull it upwardly to detach it from the underlying areas of flaps 21 and 23. By grasping the flap 22 and pulling it forwardly, the panel 12 may be torn from the remainder of the container along the perforated lines 17 and 19, and along the transverse perforated line 31. As a result, instead of opening the top of the container, the front panel 12 is removed providing access to the trays B as indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The trays may accordingly be removed individually as they are required, the container A serving as a support for the trays until they are completely used.

This type of device is particularly advantages as a Dispensing Container for certain products. For example, the containers may be used for the shipment of trays containing individual servings of jellies, jam and the like. These individual servings are normally used one at a time and a single tray may support perhaps 20 individual servings which are separately used. As each tray is depleted, another tray may be readily removed and placed in position for serving, as an example on the top of the container.

In accordance with the Patent Statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in Dispensing Container while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood thatobvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What is claimed is: l. A container including: front, rear and side walls tubularly connected along parallel fold lines, closure flaps secured to the upper and lower ends of said walls, said closure flaps on said front and rear walls terminating in abutting relation, and the closure flaps on said side walls underlying said closure flaps on said front and rear walls and terminating in spaced relationship, weakened lines of separation coinciding with the fold lines connecting said front wall to said side walls,

line of separation connecting said front wall to the lower closure flap connected thereto.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which said weak ened lines of separation comprise perforated lines.

4. The structure of claim 2 and in which said weakened lines of separation comprise perforated lines.

Claims (4)

1. A container including: front, rear and side walls tubularly connected along parallel fold lines, closure flaps secured to the upper and lower ends of said walls, said closure flaps on said front and rear walls terminating in abutting relation, and the closure flaps on said side walls underlying said closure flaps on said front and rear walls And terminating in spaced relationship, weakened lines of separation coinciding with the fold lines connecting said front wall to said side walls, whereby when the closure flap secured to the top of said front wall is removed, said front wall may be entirely separated from said side walls, exposing an open area forwardly of said closure flap secured to said rear wall and between the opposed edges of said closure flaps secured to said side walls.

2. The structure of claim 1 and including a weakened line of separation connecting said front wall to the lower closure flap connected thereto.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which said weakened lines of separation comprise perforated lines.

4. The structure of claim 2 and in which said weakened lines of separation comprise perforated lines.

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