US3924800A

US3924800A - Pilfer resistant package

Info

Publication number: US3924800A
Application number: US522021A
Authority: US
Inventors: John D Desmond; Joseph J Hart
Original assignee: Container Corp
Current assignee: Container Corp; Smurfit Kappa Packaging Corp
Priority date: 1974-11-08
Filing date: 1974-11-08
Publication date: 1975-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-09

Abstract

A retail package formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard having a top closure arrangement which includes a handle and means for readily attaching a proof of purchase document to the package in a way to render it tamper resistant.

Description

United States Patent [191 Desmond et al.

PILFER RESISTANT PACKAGE Inventors: John D. Desmond, Geneva, 11].;

Joseph J. Hart, Philadelphia, Pa.

Assignee: Container Corporation of America,

Chicago, Ill.

Filed: Nov. 8, 1974 Appl. No.: 522,021

US. Cl 229/39 R; 229/41 R; 229/45; 229/52 B; 292/307 Int. Cl. ..B65D 5/10; B65D 45/00; B65D 33/26 Field of Search 229/45, 41, 54 R, 37, 52 B, 229/74, 29; 292/318, 320, 307; 40/312;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1943 Vineberg 206/288 X Dec. 9, 1975 2,656,093 10/1953 Smith 229/54 2,659,526 11/1953 Buttery 229/39 R 2,781,161 2/1957 Adams 229/54 R 3,040,951 6/1962 Kuchembecker 229/17 G 3,168,963 2/1965 Wolowicz 206/194 X 3,690,523 9/1972 Link 229/54 R X 3,692,232 9/1972 Helms 229/52 B FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 487,330 6/1938 United Kingdom 229/54 R Primary Examiner-Davis T. Moorhead Attorney, Agent, or FirmCarpenter Ostis 57 ABSTRACT.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. atent Dec. 9, 1975 FIG-4 PILFER RESISTANT PACKAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to retail packages used for the same purpose as shopping bags which are available in retail department stores. The present invention is in the form of a folding carton, as distinguished from a conventional, flexible bag and is designed to be tamper resistant.

2. The Prior Art The prior art is exemplified in the following U.S. patents which were developed in a search:

Vineberg 2,310,499 February 9, 1943 Kuchenbecker 3,040,951 June 26, 1962 Wolowicz 3,168,963 February 9, 1965 Farquhar 3,198,378 August 3, 1965 Helmes 3,635,452 January 18, 1972 Helmes 3,692,232 September 19, 1972 Although these patents show certain features of the present invention, none discloses an enclosed retail package having a top closure arrangement with proof of purchase and tamper resistant features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed to a heavy-duty, retail package formed of a one-piece blank of foldable paperboard that has a pair of overlapping top closure flaps which provide a handle and an access opening for a stapling device to accommodate additional locking of the carton by attachment of a proof of purchase document.

THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank of foldable paperboard from which the carton illustrated in the other views may be formed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an erected carton embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the top of a carton which illustrates the first step in the sequence by which the top of a carton is closed and locked; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are fragmentary, front elevations which illustrate additional steps in the sequence of closing and locking of the top of a carton.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elements may have been intentionally omitted from certain views where they are believed to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Returning now to the drawing for a better under standing of the invention, and particularly to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the carton indicated generally at C is of a generally tubular construction with a top closure arrangement, hereinafter described in greater detail, which permits the top of the carton to be locked and which also permits the insertion of an end of a stapler used to fasten a proof of purchase document, such as a sales slip S, to the top of a carton with staple T.

The carton may be formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing. The main portion or body of the carton includes opposed pairs of front and rear side walls and 12, respectively, opposed first and second end walls, 14 and 16, respectively, and a glue panel 18, all of which are hingedly interconnected along parallel, vertical score lines 19 to form a tubular structure open at the top and bottom.

The bottom of a carton may be provided with various types of closure arrangements but preferably with an automatic bottom closure, including

bottom closure flaps

20, 22, 24, and 26, which are hingedly connected to front and rear side walls and first and second end walls l0, 12, 14, and 16, respectively, along horizontal score lines 27. The specific structure of the bottom closure arrangement is more particularly described in a copending application, Ser. No. 522,020, filed the same date as this application by the same inventors.

The upper portion of each of the end walls may be provided with gusset sections indicated generally at 30, which are each defined by a transverse score line 32 and a pair of vertical score lines 34 which flair outwardly at their lower ends where they join with the ends of horizontal score line 32 at the point where the latter meets related vertical score lines 19. The horizontal and vertical score lines form a pair of side portions or gusset panels 36 and a center portion or gusset panel 38 which permit the gusset section 30 to be depressed when the carton is erected and closed, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, to reduce the cross-sectional area at the upper end of the carton. If desired, center portions 38 may be provided with upwardly extending tabs 39 which assist in forming and closing the top portion of a carton as they are folded inwardly under the top closure panels.-

Still referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that front side panel 10 is provided below its upper extremity with an opening 40 defined by a generally U-shaped cut 42 which forms a tab 43 that may be folded out of the way as opening 40 is used as a finger-gripping hole.

Rear side wall 12 is also formed with an opening 44 defined by a U-shaped cut 46 which also provides a tab 47 which may be folded into the carton in a manner hereinafter described.

The primary feature of novelty in this invention resides in the top closure arrangement which includes a pair of inner and outer top closure flaps indicated generally at 50 and 60. The top closure inner flap 50 includes a first section 52 hingedly attached at its lower edge to the upper edge of rear side wall 12 along score line 53 and a second section 54 hingedly attached to the first section along score line 55.

Top closure outer flap includes a primary section 62 which is hingedly attached to the upper edge of front side wall 12 along score line 63. Primary section 62 has projecting upwardly therefrom a lock tab 64 which includes a center portion 66 hingedly attached to the primary section 62 along a score line 67 and a pair of side portions 68 which are hingedly attached to center portion 66 along diverging score lines 69.

When the carton is manufactured, the sides walls, end walls and glue panel are folded into position and glued to form a tubular structure, and also the bottom closure panels are folded and glued into position, so that when the ultimate user of the package receives the carton, it is in a collapsed condition with the top of the carton still open. In order to close the carton, the end wall extension tabs 39 are folded inwardly at right angles to the end walls, and the inner closure flap 50 is folded over the top of the carton at right angles with the section 54 being tucked into the top of the carton behind the front side wall 10 in face-to-face relation therewith. The outer closure flap 60 is then folded over the inner closure flap in face-to-face relation therewith,

3 and the lock tab is inserted into opening 44 at the rear side wall of the carton. At the same time, tab 47 is folded inwardly so that it becomes interposed between the top closure inner flap and the locking tab.

The package has been designed for use primarily as a retail package to replace the conventional shopping bag in a department store, and it is contemplated that the closure of the top will normally be effected by a person at the check-out counter, who after closing the carton in the manner described, will insert a stapler into opening 44 and staple a proof of purchase document, such as a sales slip, to the top of a carton in the manner shown in FIG. 2. The staple would actually go through the sales slip, the primary section 62 of the outer closure flap, the first section 52 of the inner closure flap, tab 47 of the rear side wall, and the locking tab 64. 'Thus, the top of the carton would be rigidly secured in a closed position and be relatively tamper proof, or at least tamper resistant, to minimize the chance for a customer to open the carton and insert other articles of merchandise into the carton after a sale was completed. Openings 40 in the front wall and 44 in the rear wall serve to receive the fingers and thumb, respectively, of the carton holder so as to form a conventional handle arrangement. It should be noted that one of the openings, preferably opening 44, is disposed at the extreme upper edge of the side wall, so that when a staple is inserted into the opening, it is easier to staple the sales slip and all of the other portions of the carton together in an efficient manner.

We claim: 7

1. In a collapsible, retail package formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard, the combination of:

a. opposed pairs of front and rear side walls and end walls hingedly interconnected to form a tubular structure open at the top and bottom;

b. at least one bottom closure flap hingedly attached to the lower edge of one of said walls and secured in position to close the bottom of the tubular structure;

c. top closure means for closing the top of the tubular structure after it has been filled, including:

i. a horizontal inner closure flap hinged to an upper edge of one of said side walls and adapted to be folded over the top of said tubular structure;

ii. a horizontal outer closure flap hinged to an upper edge of the other of said side walls and adapted to be folded over said inner closure flap in face to face engagement therewith and including a locking tab extending therefrom;

d. said side walls presenting finger receiving openings adjacent the upper edges thereof;

e. said one side wall opening being aligned with said locking tab for receipt thereof;

f. at least one of said openings being located immediately below the upper edge of its respective side wall for receiving a portion of a stapling device to permit a proof of purchase document to be stapled to the overlapped outer and inner closure flaps and said locking tab and thereby render the package tamper resistant.

2. A package according to claim 1, wherein said end walls include gusset sections which may be deflected inwardly to reduce the cross-sectional area of the upper portion of the package and thereby facilitate grasping of the package.

3. A package according to claim 1, wherein the opening in the rear side wall is located immediately adjacent and below the upper edge of said rear side wall.

4. A package according to claim 1, wherein the opening in the front side wall is spaced a relatively short distance below the upper edge of said front side wall.

5. A package according to claim 1, wherein said inner top closure flap includes a first section hingedly attached to the upper edge of said one side wall and a second section hingedly .attached to said first section and adapted to be tucked into the tubular structure behind said other side wall.

6. In a collapsible, retail package formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard, the combination of:

b. at least one bottom closure flap hingedly attached to the lower edge of certain of said walls and secured in position to close the bottom of the tubular structure;

0. top closure means for closing the top of the tubular structure after it has been filled, including:

i. a horizontal inner closure flap hinged to an upper edge of one of said rear side walls and adapted to be folded over the top of said tubular structure;

ii. a horizontal outer closure flap hinged to an upper edge of the other of said front side wall and adapted to be folded oversaid inner closure flap in face to face engagement therewith;

d. at least one of said side walls presenting therein an opening located immediately below the upper edge thereof for receiving a portion of a stapling device to permit a proof of purchase document to be stapled to the overlapped outer and inner closure flaps and thereby render the package tamper resistant.

Claims

1. In a collapsible, retail package formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard, the combination of: a. opposed pairs of front and rear side walls and end walls hingedly interconnected to form a tubular structure open at the top and bottom; b. at least one bottom closure flap hingedly attached to the lower edge of one of said walls and secured in position to close the bottom of the tubular structure; c. top closure means for closing the top of the tubular structure after it has been filled, including: i. a horizontal inner closure flap hinged to an upper edge of one of said side walls and adapted to be folded over the top of said tubular structure; ii. a horizontal outer closure flap hinged to an upper edge of the other of said side walls and adapted to be folded over said inner closure flap in face to face engagement therewith and including a locking tab extending therefrom; d. said side walls presenting finger receiving openings adjacent the upper edges thereof; e. said one side wall opening being aligned with said locking tab for receipt thereof; f. at least one of said openings being located immediately below the upper edge of its respective side wall for receiving a portion of a stapling device to permit a proof of purchase document to be stapled to the overlapped outer and inner closure flaps and said locking tab and thereby render the package tamper resistant.

5. A package according to claim 1, wherein said inner top closure flap includes a first section hingedly attached to the upper edge of said one side wall and a second section hingedly attached to said first section and adapted to be tucked into the tubular structure behind said other side wall.

6. In a collapsible, retail package formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard, the combination of: a. opposed pairs of front and rear side walls and end walls hingedly interconnected to form a tubular structure open at the top and bottom; b. at least one bottom closure flap hingedly attached to the lower edge of certain of said walls and secured in position to close the bottom of the tubular structure; c. top closure means for closing the top of the tubular structure afTer it has been filled, including: i. a horizontal inner closure flap hinged to an upper edge of one of said rear side walls and adapted to be folded over the top of said tubular structure; ii. a horizontal outer closure flap hinged to an upper edge of the other of said front side wall and adapted to be folded over said inner closure flap in face to face engagement therewith; d. at least one of said side walls presenting therein an opening located immediately below the upper edge thereof for receiving a portion of a stapling device to permit a proof of purchase document to be stapled to the overlapped outer and inner closure flaps and thereby render the package tamper resistant.