GB2128590A - Sheet material dispensing package - Google Patents

Abstract

A container-dispenser for tearable sheet material, of the type including a serrated tearing edge 23b, is folded from a blank having panels and end flaps and which can be formed into a container having a box- lid B and a tearing edge 23b located on a selected margin of one of the panels, preferably the bottom panel. The cutting edge is preferably made up of a series of intersecting or tangential substantially arcuate indentations intervened by correspondingly sharp teeth and the teeth may be stiffened by a synthetic resin. A tear-off section 29 may initially close the package. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sheet material dispensing package This invention relates to cartons for holding and dispensing rolls of sheet stock.

Cartons for holding and dispensing rolls of thin sheet material, for example, metal foil, plastic film, and waxed or glassine paper, provided with a tearing edge to facilitate tearing off a length, are a common sight in stores. A saleable article must be economical in terms of material, manufacturing costs, and facility in filling and closing with available machinery. It is also desirable that the product be such that the chance of cutting the user is minimized.

Although many cartons still employ a metal cutting edge, there are examples of making the cutting edge from the material itself and hardening it with curable plastic, see, for example, Canadian Patents 738,265, Finn et al (1966) and 1,068,175, Atkinson (1979).

One of the problems with some cartons is that effectiveness is sacrificed in favour of economy.

For example, where plastic-hardened teeth are made from the paperboard itself, these teeth are not usually as sharp as metal teeth and the paper does not tear as readily. Therefore, if the teeth are on a wall which is too flexible, tearing may not take place as freely as it should.

Further, some cartons of the general type discussed, once opened, do not close readily and tend to allow the contents to escape inadvertently.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved carton which overcomes these disadvantages and provide certain positive advantages as will be evident from the following description.

A preferred carton, according to the invention, includes an elongated rectangular receptacle part for a roll of sheet material to be dispensed, having front, rear, bottom and end walls. Hinged to the rear wall is the top of a cover part having connected front and end walls which form a trunk lid. The front and end walls of the lid overlap the front and end walls of the container part. Flexible catch means integral with the lid and container part respectively engage to hold the lid closed when not in use. The front wall of the lid preferably extends only part way down the front wall of the container part where it is connected by a tearable joint with a securing panel permanently connected to the front wall of the container part.

Along the front of the bottom wall protruding slightly beyond the front wall of the receptacle part is a serrated edge made up of several toothed sections died out of the material of the carton and coated with cured plastic, intervened by ligaments of carton material left intact to join the front of the bottom of the receptacle part to the bottom of the front of the receptacle part.

In use, the front of the lid may be disengaged from the securing panel and the lid swung up about the crease which joins the top of the lid with the rear wall of the receptacle part. Further, the roll may be pulled out and a piece torn off against the tearing edge. When the lid is pushed down again on the container part, the flexible catch means will hold it closed.

The creased, cut and scored blank of foldable sheet material for making the preferred carton described is constructed as follows. It has front, bottom, back, top and terminal panels connected by parallel creases in the material. The terminal panel is divided into inner and outer sections by a weakened line parallel to said creases. The panels and inner section are provided at each end with a flap connected to it by a crease in the material. The flap on the front panel is substantially the width of the flap on the inner section and located near the bottom. The flap on the bottom panel is substantially the same width as the bottom. The flaps on the top and bottom panels are provided with complementary cutout portions.The front panel has an indentation at each end edge adjacent to its flap and each top flap has an edge cut out to provide a tongue adapted to engage with the indentation when the carton is assembled. The blank is provided with a serrated cut between its front and bottom panels, interrupted by narrow creased parts constituting foldable ligaments connected these panels. The inner section is adapted to be permanently connected to the flap on the top to form the ends of a trunk lid. The flaps on the front and bottom are adapted to be permanently connected together to form the ends of the container part.

This construction is particularly effective in terms of ease of erecting the carton. The blank is formed into a flat tube by adhesively connecting the outer section of the terminal panel to the front panel to form a collapsed tube. It is in this form that the partly finished carton is shipped to the customer.

The carton is then erected into tubular form and filled with a roll of sheet material and closed mechanically. This is effected by first folding in the flaps on the bottom panel, then folding in over the bottom panel flap the interlocking flaps on the top and back panels to leave part of the bottom panel flap exposed. It is at this stage that glue is applied to the exposed parts of the top and back flaps and of the bottom flap. Then, the flaps on the front and the inner section of the terminal panel are folded in over the glue-carrying surfaces so as to complete the ends. In the course of the erection of the carton, the tongues on the top flap are positioned so as to engage in the indentations in the front panel to provide the locking mechanism.

The construction described above is that of a preferred carton embodying the combination of several unique features. The construction may be modifed, within the purview of the invention, to employ only certain subcombinations of these features or even unitary features.

The construction may also be modifed to place the cutting edge at a different position. For example, the cutting edge may be placed on the margin of the front panel or on the margin of the so-called inner section of what has been referred to as the terminal panel (in this case, omitting the so-called outer section), while retaining other desirable features of the applicant's combination.

The end flap construction for forming the ends of the container part and/or the lid may be replaced by other constructions while retaining the special nature of the preferred cutting edge.

The preferred cutting edge is formed of a series of arcuate cut-outs whose arcs intersect or are tangential to one another so that the intervening teeth are relatively sharp, as compared with zig-zag or sawteeth.

The catch feature for retaining the lid in closed position may be used in conjunction with other cutting arrangements or, may, if desired, be omitted or replaced by other catch arrangements, while retaining one or other of cutting features of the invention.

Other modifications may suggest themselves within the scope of the invention as described and claimed.

Having thus generally described the invention, it will be dealt with in more detail by reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating preferred embodiments, and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one form of carton, according to the invention, as sold to the consumer with part of the front panel removed to show the tearing edge; Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a cut and creased blank, according to the invention, looking at the face or white lined side of the board; Figure 3 is a plan view of a flattened tube formed from the blank of Figure 2, ready to go to the customer for filling and closing; Figure 4 (appearing on the same sheet as Figure 1) is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a preferred form of serrated edge;; Figures 5 to 7 are perspective views from one end of the carton in the process of being erected with a roll of tearable sheet material inside it; Figure 8 is a similar perspective view showing the opening of the erected carton by swinging the trunk lid about its hinged connection with the receptacle part; Figure 9 is a plan view showing another construction of blank for making a carton in which the serrated edge is on the margin of the front panel; Figure 10 is a view in which the serrated edge is on the margin of the front panel of the lid; Figure 11 (appearing on the same sheet as Figure 3) is a plan view showing another means hinging the bottom and front panels together, in this case, by applying adhesive tape.

Figure 1 shows an assembled and filled carton according to the invention. It is made up of a receptacle part indicated generally by A and a lid indicated generally by B hinged to the receptacle part. The lid B is removably secured to the receptacle part by a securing strip indicated generally by C which is permanently connected to the receptacle part A and is separated therefrom by tearing along the weakened line 25b. Further details of the construction of the carton will be evident from the description of the cut and creased blank for forming it, as shown in Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 2, the blank is divided, as follows, into elongated panels and flaps. A back panel 1 5 is connected to a bottom panel 1 7 by a skip-cut crease 17a. The back panel 1 5 is also connected to a top panel 19 by a crease 21 which is a skip-cut as at 21 a. The panel 17 is connected to a terminal front panel 23 by ligaments 23a between aligned zig-zag skip-cuts 23b. The zigzag skip-cuts 23b are made just in front of a crease 1 7c in the panel 17 for reasons which will become clear when the erection of the carton is described.

The panel 1 9 is connected to another terminal panel 25 by a crease 25a. The panel 25 has an intermediate weakened skip-cut line 25b, dividing it into an inner section 27 and an outer section 29.

The section 29 has a series of spaced-apart diagonal transverse creases 29a.

The panel 1 5 is provided at one end with a flap of special shape as shown, connected to it by a crease 30a. At the other end, the panel 1 5 is provided with a flap 31 of the same shape as the flap 30, connected to it by a crease 31 a.

The panel 17 is provided, at one end, with a square flap 33, connnected by a crease 33a, and at the other with a square flap 34, connected by a crease 34a. The panel 1 9 is provided, at one end, with a flap 35 of special shape, and connected by a crease 35a and, at the other end, with a flap 36 of the same shape and connected by a crease 36a.

The panel section 27 is provided with an elongated rectangular flap 37, connected by a crease 37a, at one end, and a similar flap 38 at the other, connected by a crease 38a. The panel 23 is provided with an elongated rectangular end flap 39 extending from one side of it connected by a crease 39a, leaving the remainder of the edge of the panel 23 free. Likewise, the other end of panel 23 is provided with a flap 40 connected by a crease 40a. Then panel 29 is devoid of end flaps and has tapered ends.

The flap 35 is provided with a cutout part leaving a projecting tongue 35b. The flap 36, likewise, has a cutout part 36a and tongue 36b.

The function of these tongues will be described later.

The zig-zag skip-cuts 23b and adjoining ligaments 23a are punched out on the flat blank with a press and die, just beyond the crease 17c.

Then, when the panel 23 is folded under the panel 27 along the crease 17c, as shown in Figure 3, the edge of the panel 1 7 will project slightly beyond the edge of the panel 23 so that jagged edges of the zig-zag skip-cuts of the panel protrude as a serrated edge having a line of teeth 20 projecting beyond the panel 23. In this position, resin is applied to the area of the blank where the teeth 20 are located as well known in the art, and cured so as to provide a hardened margin with a cutting edge. This area includes the crease 17c. However, the resin only reaches the exposed side of the ligaments 23a which have already been folded over at the crease 1 7c so that the other side is underneath when the resin is applied.The ligaments remain flexible at the crease 1 7c so that, when the carton is erected, the front wall 23 is folded back about the creases 1 7c in the ligaments 23a and is thus inwardly offset from the serrated edge of the bottom wall 1 7 as best shown in Figure 1.

The terminal panel 23 is embossed with circular parts 23c, depressed slightly from the surface of the panel, so that when the blank is printed, these areas will remain free of printing ink and thus remain more adherent to glue. The edge of the panel 23 is provided at each end near the flaps 39 and 40 respectively with indentations 23c.

The small rectangles, shown on the flaps 33, 34, 30, 31 and 35, 36 are merely to denote areas where glue will ultimately be applied as the blank is erected into a carton after filling.

To complete the carton for sending to the customer the blank is folded to form a collapsed tube, as shown in Figure 3, with the panel 25 juxtaposed to the panel 23 and these two panels separably secured together by glue on the stops 23c to form the blank into a flat tube, as shown in Figure 2. The tube is then ready to go to the customer for erection, filling with a roll of sheet material, and closing to form a saleable package.

The tube is then filled through one end with the roll of material and closed. The closing operation, which can be done by machine, is as follows, referring to one end of the carton, as shown in Figures 5 through 7.

The flap 34 is folded in first. Then, the interlocking flaps 32 and 36 are folded in as shown in Figure 6. At this stage, glue strips 42 of hot melt adhesive are applied to the infolded flaps 32 and 36 and to the exposed part of the flap 34.

Then, the flaps 38 and 40 are folded in to contact the adhesive strip 42. At the same time, the other end of the carton is formed by folding in and gluing the corresponding flaps together.

In this way, the overlapping flaps 34, 36, 32, 38 and 40 are permanently connected to form one end of the carton and the flaps 33, 35, 31, 37 and 39 are permanently connected together to form the other end of the carton. The flaps 36, 38 and 37, 39 are also connected together permanently to form the corners of the carton lid.

When the carton is assembled, the tongue 36b engages in the indentation 23c at one end of the carton and the tongue 35b in the indentation 23c at the other end of the carton.

The carton is opened by tearing along the line 25b so as to release the section 27 from the section 29 which remains permanently attached to the panel 23. A trunk lid B is thus formed and freed to swing upwards from the body A of the carton about the crease 21 as a hinge so as to allow access to the roll of sheet material from which a length can be pulled and torn off, using the serrated edge 20 cutting it off. The tongues 36b and 35b flex to allow release from the notches 23c.

When the lid B is closed again, the section 27 is brought down to overlap the top of the top part of the panel 23 and the skirt formed by the panel section 27 and the flaps 39 and 40 overlap the container part A. The tongues 35b and 36b snap into the respective notches 23c to retain the lid in closed position.

The diagonal scores 29a help to direct the tear along the line 25a against the possibility that the tear might direct itself into the panel 27.

In an alternative structure, shown in Figure 11, a strip 23d of adhesive tape is applied to the blank to cover the cut forming the tearing edge, this constituting a means hinging the bottom and front panels together and adds strength to the structure. In this alternative structure, it is preferable that the ligaments 23a remain, although some or all may be omitted, if desired.

The blank is made from foldable sheet material, generally a fibrous material usually paperboard.

One suitable paperboard is single white line newsback.

The procedure for hardening the serrated edge by depositing a synthetic resin varnish may be standard. Various types of synthetic resin, as well known in the art, may be applied in liquid form and cured by heating, for example, thermosetting resins of the nature of polyesters, polyurethanes, epoxies or phenolic resins dissolved in suitable solvents may be applied and cured in a conventional manner so as to render the teeth 20 sufficiently stiff for cutting purposes. It should be noted that the resin which is applied to the teeth of the blank on the outside of the blank with the margin of the bottom edge projecting beyond the margin of the front edge as shown in Figure 3. The resin also covers the crease 1 7c so that the margin of the bottom including the crease 17c and the teeth 20 are stiffened.On the other hand, the resin is applied to the coated side of the ligaments 23a with the underside left uncoated so that they remain sufficiently flexible to bend about the crease 17c.

An alternative construction of blank is shown in Figure 9. Similar parts, to those shown in the previous Figures, have been given similar reference numerals in the tens and digits but raised by 100. In the blank of Figure 9, the tearing edge 1 23b is on the bottom margin of the front panel of the receptacle part.

Likewise, Figure 10 shows another modified form of blank. The reference numerals employ similar digits and tens but have been raised into the 200's. In the case of Figure 10, the cutting edge 223b is on the lower margin of the panel 227 which becomes the front of the lid part of the container and the terminal section 29 (referring to Figure 2) is omitted and there is no initial adhesive connection between the front of the lid part and the front of the receptacle part.

The construction, erection and use of the carton from the blanks of Figures 9 and 10 will readily follow from a reading of the description of the form of invention shown in Figures 1 to 8.

In an alternative structure, as shown in Figure 11, a strip of adhesive tape may be applied across the margins of the bottom and front panels on the screening or reverse side of the blank to bridge the cuts forming the tearing edge. This has the advantage of adding strength to the structure. In this alternative structure, it is preferable that at least some of the ligaments 23a remain, although, if desired, they may be omitted once the adhesive tape forms the hinge.

Claims (14)

1. A cut and creased blank of stiff foldable sheet material for forming into a containerdispenser for a roll of tearable sheet material, having a receptacle part and a lid part hinged thereto, the blank including a front panel, and bottom, back, top and terminal panels intervened by parallel creases in the material and end flaps on certain panels for securing together to form the respective receptacle and lid parts, the blank being provided with serrated cut means at least partly separating the front and bottom panels and providing on the margin of the bottom panel a potential serrated tearing edge, and foldable means bringing said cut means to hinge the front and bottom panels together.

2. A blank, as defined in claim 1, in which the cut means include a plurality of aligned serrated cuts intervened by uncut panels constituting ligaments connecting the front and bottom panels together.

3. A blank, as defined in claim 1, in which the foldable bridging means connecting the front and bottom panels together includes adhesive tape secured to and extending between the front and bottom panels and overlying the cut means.

4. A blank, as defined in claim 1, in which there is a crease in the margin of the bottom panel spaced inward from the cut means and extending across the uncut part to provide hinges linking the front and bottom panels together and spaced inwardly from the serrated edge.

5. A blank, as defined, in claim 1, in which the terminal panel has an outer section and an inner section, the inner section destined to become the front of the lid and the outer section for permanent attachment to the front panel to seal the container prior to opening to release the contents.

6. in a cut and creased blank of foldable sheet material for forming a container-dispenser for a roll of tearable sheet material, having a receptacle part and a lid part hinged to it and which includes front, bottom, back, top and terminal panels foldably connected together with a tearing edge disposed on the margin of a selected panel, the panels being provided at each end with foldably connected flaps for infolding to form the ends of the receptacle and lid parts respectively, the flaps on the top and back being shaped to make room for each other and infolded in side-byside relationship over the bottom flap, the bottom flap and at least one terminal panel flap being connected together to form the end of the receptacle part, the top flap and a front flap being connected together to form the ends of the lid part to complete a trunk lid.

7. A blank, as defined in claim 6, in which the terminal panel is provided with an intermediate weaked line dividing it into an inner section destined to become part of the lid and an outer section for permanent connection to the front panel, the inner section having a flap connectable to the top flaps to form the end of the trunk lid while the outer section flap is connected to the bottom and back flaps to form the end of the receptacle part.

8. A blank, as defined in claim 7, in which the side edge of each front panel is provided with a notch adjacent its flap and each top panel with a tab for releasably engaging in the notch when the container is erected, so as to provide a catch for releasably holding the lid in closed position.

9. A blank, as defined in claim 7 or 8, in which the outer section is provided with spaced-apart diagonal creases for resisting tearing of the section as the inner section is torn from its outer section.

10. A cut and creased blank of stiff foldable sheet material for forming into a containerdispenser for tearable sheet material, having a receptacle part and a lid part hinged thereto, comprising, front, bottom, top, back and terminal parts intervened by parallel creases in the material, the said panels each being provided at each end with a flap connected thereto by a crease in the material and adapted for infolding in overlapping relationship when the blank is erected into a container, the flap on the bottom panel being substantially the width of the bottom panel, each flap of the front and terminal panels being substantially half the width of the flap on the bottom panel, companion flaps on the top and back panels shaped with companion cut-outs to leave space for the other companion panel when infolded over a bottom flap, a selected one of the bottom, front or terminal panels being provided with a serrated edge constituting a potential tearing edge for receiving a resinous stiffening agent, the flaps on the bottom, back and front adapted to be overlapped and connected together to form the end of the receptacle part, while the flaps of the top and terminal panels are adapted to be connected to form the ends of the lid part.

11. In a cut and creased blank for making a tearable sheet material roll container-dispenser of the type made of foldable sheet material and embodying a serrated tearing edge formed from the foldable sheet material and stiffened with a synthetic resin, a cutting edge made up of a series of intersecting or tangential substantially arcuate indentations intervened by correspondingly sharp teeth.

12. A container formed from a blank as claimed in any of the preceding claims containing a roll of tearable sheet material.

13. A blank, as defined in claim 1,2 or 3, which is formed into a flattened tube and a hardened resin applied to the area of the potential serrated tearing edge.

14. A blank, as defined in claim 4 or 5, which is formed into a flattened tube and a hardened resin applied to the area of the potential serrated tearing edge.

1 5. A blank, as defined in claim 6, 7 or 8, which is formed into a flattened tube and a hardened resin applied to the area of the potential serrated tearing edge.

1 6. A blank substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in Figures 2, 9 or 10 of the accompanying drawings.

1 7. A container substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in Figures 1,3 to 8 or 11 of the accompanying drawings.