GB2111948A - Carton - Google Patents

Abstract

A carton for containing an assorted selection of sweets is formed from a single sheet of material and has a hinged portion (17) which, when in the open position, provides a display section (38) in communication with the interior of the carton. The sweets can be shaken into the display section for selection and removal. To close the carton, the portion (17) is folded up, facilitated by gusset forming fold lines (36, 39), and the side wall of the portion (17) cooperates with a top panel (12) to close the carton. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Carton The present invention relates to a carton, for example a carton for containing a number of items. The contents may be an assorted selection of confectionary which loosely fills the carton, particularly individually wrapped confectionary.

In the past, assortments of such confectionary or sweets have been sold in various forms of container. One such form is a vertical box, i.e. one which is generally rectangular and is intended to be opened at one end. This suffers the disadvantages that only comparatively few sweets are visible for selection at the opening an when the cartion is part-empty, it is difficult to make a selection and to withdraw the chosen sweet.

Another known form is a horizontal box, i.e.

one which is generally flat or tray-like and is provided with a hinged lid. This suffers the disadvantages that it is unwieldy if the carton is to be "offered around" and is liable to spillages.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a carton which does not suffer from these disadvantages. It is a further object to provide such a carton which is simple to assemble and uses a minimum of material.

According to the present invention, a carton comprises a hollow enclosure having a hinged portion, the hinged portion being movable about its hinge axis from a closed position in which the carton is closed, to an open position in which the hinged portion forms an open display section which is in communication with the interior of the enclosure.

It is thus possible with such a carton to open the hinged portion and to transfer some of items from the interior of the carton to the display section by shaking or inclining the carton, so that a selection may be mde.

Preferably, the carton is made from a single piece of material, for example, stiff card, thus minimising the amount of material used. The carton may be generally rectangular, or boxlike in shape, thought the invention extends to any shape suitable for such a carton.

The invention also extends to a blank from which such a carton can be made. Thus according to this aspect of the invention a blank from which a carton according to the invention may be made comprises a single flat sheet affording a first or rear wall providing portion from which extends a first or bottom end providing portion, two side wall providing portions from one of which extends a second or front wall providing portion, which affords an openable lid providing a part of the front wall in the closed position of the carton and a tray in the open position of the carton, the said lid and tray providing portion extending from the said first or rear wall providing portion of the blank.

The lid and tray providing portion is preferably afforded by extensions of the side wall providing portions and the first or rear wall providing portion.

The extensions of the side wall providing portions are preferably provided with hinge lines adapted to afford a gusset in the said side wall extensions and the extension of the first or rear wall providing portion is provided with a transverse hinge line adapted to cooperate with the said gussets whereby the said extensions can be folded so as to afford a tray and lid portion extending out beyond one end of the front wall portion provided by the second or front wall providing portion.

The first or bottom end providing portion or the adjacent ends of the side wall providing portions or both preferably afford flaps whereby the bottom end can be secured in fixed relationship to the side walls in the assembled carton.

The extensions of the side wall providing portions or the extension of the first or rear wall providing portion or both preferably also afford flaps whereby the lid end can be secured in fixed relationship to the side wall portions of the tray in the assembled carton.

The invention also extends to a method of converting such a blank into a filled carton.

Thus according to this aspect of the invention a method of providing a carton in accordance with the invention containing a number of individual items comprises providing a blank in accordance with the invention, maintaining the first or rear wall providing portion in a substantially horizontal plane, folding up the first or bottom end providing portion and the side wall providing portions and securing the flaps thereon in the fixed relationship desired of the finished carton and securing the flaps in the tray and lid providing portion whereby the desired open position of the lid and tray providing portion is secured, filling the open box with the said items, pushing the gussets in the tray providing portion inwardly whereby the lid and tray is rotated to its closed position, and folding the second or front wall providing portion downwardly and securing it to the side wall.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways and three embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1 to 7 are of the first embodiment, Figs. 8 to 10 of the second and Figs.

11 to 1 3 being of the third, and Figure 1 is a single piece of card from which the carton is to be formed; Figures 2 to 5 are isometric sketches showing successive stages in the formation of the carton; Figure 6 is an isometric sketch of th completed carton in the closed position; Figure 7 is an isometric sketch of the com pleted carton in the open position; Figures 8 and ii are views analogous to Fig. 1; Figures 9 and 12 are views analogous to Fig. 2; and Figures 10 and 13 are views analogous to Fig. 6.

The embodiment described is a carton for a mixed selection of wrapped sweets.

The carton is formed from a single sheet integral or blank as shown in Fig. 1. Whilst economies of material utilisation might for some shapes of carton dictate that the blank would best be made from two or more components separately cut out and then attached to each other to form the blank, the economics of reduced numbers of operations will usually result in the blank being cut or stamped in its entirety as a single sheet.

Whatever course is adopted the blank shape is such that the carton can be assembled from a flat plane merely by folding and bending operations though certain glueing steps may also be utilised. The blank comprises areas defining a base 11, a top 12, two side panels 13, 14 and two end panels 15, 16. The top 1 2 is shorter in length than the base 11 and so the additional length of the top is made up by a lid panel 1 7 as will be explained below.

The sheet also includes flaps to which an adhesive can be applied if required in constructing the carton. At each end, the side panels 13, 14 have end flaps 18, 19, 21 and 22 respectively. The top 1 2 has a side flap 23, the end 1 5 has a top flap 24 and the lid panel 1 7 has a top flap 25.

As can be seen in Fig. 1 the blank has a scored and perforated line 32 extending transverse to the base 11, made by scoring the blank and this defines the bottom edge of the end wall 16, as well as centre fold lines 36 and 37 for gussets 34 and 35 in the side walls 14 and 13. The blank also has scored and perforated lines extending diagonally outwards across the side panels 14 and 1 3 from the meeting point of the lines 32 and 36 and 32 and 37 respectively. These lines, 38 and 39 in panel 14 and 40 to 41 in panel 13, are arranged at about 45 to the lines 36 and 37.

The lines 38 and 41 meeting the top edges 42 and 43 of the side panels 14 and 1 3 where they are intersected by an extension of the edge 45 of the top 1 2 which faces towards the lid end of the blank affording the lid 1 7. The lines 39 and 40 meet the top ends 42 and 43 of the side panels 14 and 1 3 at their ends from which the flaps 21 and 18 extend.

To arrive at the position shown in Fig. 2, the side panels 13, 14 are folded upwards through 90 respectively about fold lines 26, 27, the end panel 1 5 is folded upwards through 90 about fold line 28 and the panel 1 7 is folded through 90 about fold line 29.

The flaps 1 9 and 22 engage and may be glued to the end panel 1 5 and the flaps 1 8 and 21 engage and may be glued to the lid panel 1 7 in a similar manner. The carton can be filled with the intended contents at this stage.

In the next operation, shown in Fig. 3, the top flap 24 is folded inwards through 90 about fold line 31 and the lid panel 17 and end panel 1 6 are together swung about a hinge line 32 through 90 In so doing, the triangular gussets shown generally at 34 and 35 in the side panels 1 3 and 1 4 respectively are folded inwards.

When this has been completed, the position shown in Fig. 4 is reached. The top 1 2 and its side flap 23 are then folded down through 90 about fold line 35 so that the top 1 2 engages the top flaps 24 and 25 in the position shown in Fig. 5. The side flap 23 is folded down through 90 about fold line 36 until it engages the side panel. It is glued in this position by means of glue line 37.

The carton is then complete, and in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 6. To open the carton to the position shown in Fig. 7, the end panel 1 6 and lid panel 1 7 are together swung back through 90 about the hinge line 32. This forms an open display section, shown generally at 38 in Fig. 7, which is in communication with the interior of the carton.

The display section is thus rectangular in shape and in the closed position substantially square in cross section (see Fig. 6) having square sides 50. Thus, the contents of the carton can be shaken into the display portion, a selection can be made and the item removed.

In Figs. 8 to 10 like parts to those in Figs.

1 to 7 are labelled in the one hundreds, i.e.

part 12 in Fig. 1 is part 112 in Fig. 8. In Figs. 11 to 1 3 like parts to those in Figs. 1 to 7 are labelled in the two hundreds, i.e. part 12 in Fig. 1 is part 212 in Fig. 11.

Referring now to Figs. 8 td 10 the carton differs from that of the first embodiment in being six sided rather than 4 sided. The hinged display or dispenser portion made up of the portions 116, 117, 134 and 135 is still rectangular in shape having a square transverse cross-section (see ends 1 50 in Fig.

10). However the enclosure portion 111 and 11 2 is trapezoidal in shape. The lid portion 11 2 extends from the bottom portion 11 5 instead of the side 11 3 and does not have a securing flap analogous to flap 23. Instead each of the side portions 11 3 and 114 has a top edge flap 151 and 152 to which the top 11 2 is secured. The end flaps 1 9 and 22 are replaced by side flaps 1 53 and 1 54 on the bottom portion 11 5 which are secured to the sides 113 and 114.

Referring now to Figs. 11 to 13, the carton is again six sided the dispenser portion being as in the first two embodiments. The enclosure portion is rectangular for well over half its length but has chamfered bottom corners provided by flaps 260 and 261.

The flaps 260 and 261 may extend out at angles of between about 30 to 60 to the median line of the blank, e.g. at about 45 in this instance. Each blank has a top flap 262, 263 to which the lid portion 212 is secured.

In this embodiment the sides 21 3 and 214 retain their end flaps 219 and 222 and these and the side flaps 253 and 254 on the bottom portion 215 are secured to the chamfer providing flaps 260 and 261.

Claims (11)

1. A carton comprising a hollow enclosure having a hinged portion, the hinged portion being movable about its hinge axis from a closed position in which the carton is closed, to an open position in which the hinged portion forms an open display section which is in communication with the interior of the enclosure.

2. A carton as claimed in Claim 1 formed from a single piece of material.

3. A carton as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the hinged portion is at one end of the carton and is generally rectangular in shape having a front wall, a rear wall, and two side walls, and is substantially square in transverse cross-section.

4. A carton as claimed in any preceding claims in which the hinged portion has a first surface which forms one end wall and a second surface which forms part of the front wall of the carton when in the closed position, the hinge line being along one edge of the carton when in the closed position.

5. A carton as claimed in Claim 4 in which, when the hinged portion is in the open position, the second surface forms the end wall of the display section and the first surface forms an extension of the rear wall of the carton.

6. A carton as claimed in Claim 5 in which the display section has side walls in the open position formed in part by webs which are folded into the carton in the closed position.

7. A carton for containing a number of items, constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

8. A blank from which a carton as claimed in Claim 1 may be made comprising a single flat sheet affording a' first or rear wall providing portion from which extends a first or bottom end providing portion, two side wall providing portions, a second or front wall providing portion extending from one of the side wall providing portions or from the bottom end providing portion, the said single flat sheet also affording a lid and tray providing portion which affords an openable lid providing a part of the front wall in the closed position of the carton and tray in the open position of the carton, the said lid and tray providing portion extending from the said first or rear wall providing portion of the blank.

9. A blank as claimed in Claim 8 in which the lid and tray providing portion is afforded by extensions of the side wall providing portions and the first or rear wall providing portion.

10. A blank as claimed in Claim 9 in which the extensions of the side wall providing portions are provided with hinge lines adapted to afford a gusset in the said side wall extensions and the extension of the first or rear wall providing portion is provided with a transverse hinge line adapted to cooperate with the said gussets whereby the said extensions can be folded so as to afford a tray and lid portion extending out beyond one end of the front wall portion provided by the second or front wall providing portion.

11. A blank as claimed in any one of claims 8, 9 or 10 in which the first or bottom end providing portion or the adjacent ends of the side wall providing portions or both afford flaps whereby the bottom end can be secured in fixed relationship to the side walls in the assembled carton.

1 2. A blank as claimed in any of claims 9, 10 or 11 in which the extensions of the side wall providing portions or the extension of the first or rear wall providing portion or both afford flaps whereby the lid end can be secured in fixed relationship to the side wall portions of the tray in the assembled carton.

1 3. A blank as claimed in Claim 8 substantially as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, adapted to be formed into a carton.

1 4. A method of providing a carton as claimed in Claim 1 containing a number of individual items which comprises providing a blank as claimed in Claims 8 to 1 2 maintaining the first or rear wall providing portion in a substantially horizontal plane, folding up the first or bottom end providing portion and the side wall providing portions and securing the flaps thereon in the fixed relationship desired of the finished carton and securing the flaps in the tray and lid providing portion whereby the desired open position of the lid and tray providing portion is secured, filling the open box with the said items, pushing the gussets in the tray providing portion inwardly whereby the lid and tray is rotated to its closed position, and folding the second or front wall providing portion downwardly and securing it to the side wall.

1 5. A method of forming a carton for containing a number of items, substantially as herein specifically described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.