GB2306157A

GB2306157A - End loading skillet cartons

Info

Publication number: GB2306157A
Application number: GB9620512A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian Muspratt
Original assignee: DEESIDE PAPERBOX CO Ltd
Current assignee: DEESIDE PAPERBOX CO Ltd
Priority date: 1995-10-13
Filing date: 1996-10-02
Publication date: 1997-04-30
Also published as: WO1997013693A1; GB9620512D0; AU7224996A; GB9521034D0

Abstract

In an end loading skillet carton in which subsequent access to the carton after erection and loading is made possible by the provision of a hooded lid, the lid comprises a first panel (top panel 3)and three side portions (front panel 1, front panel end flaps 1l, 1r) connected to the first panel along a fold line and wherein adjacent side portions, after folding, are secured together to form the hooded lid. The blank from which the carton is folded has five panels (1-5) hingedly connected along a crease line for folding into a tube and each end of each panel is provided with a respective end flap (1l-5l, 1r-5r) hingedly connected thereto.

Description

TITLE: Improvements in and relating to cartons DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to cartons and has particular application to an end loading skillet carton.

End loading skillet cartons are advantageous in that they can be used with machines designed for automatic loading of product into the carton as well as automatic erection and closure of the carton.

Traditionally, the four end flaps are folded in and secured together, and removal of the contents requires the end to be opened. Where the intended contents are products which are consumed over a period of time and indeed in other applications, it is often advantageous if the carton can be closed after opening. This is not readily possible with the traditional end loading skillet carton and has lead to the continued use of the so-called top loading carton which has a hinged top flap and at least a front side flap and possibly opposite end flaps hingedly secured thereto.

The top loading carton requires the sides to be folded up around the base, product to be loaded into the tray so formed and the top folded over. The one or more flaps of the top provide a means of holding it in the closed position. The hinged top provides a convenient means of allowing repeated access to the carton by the user, but is disadvantageous to the packer as it is not readily suited to automatic loading.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a solution.

Accordingly a first aspect of the invention provides an end loading skillet carton in which subsequent access to the carton is made possible by a hinged hooded lid comprising a first panel and three side portions hingedly connected to the first panel and wherein adjacent side portions are secured together.

More particularly each end of one side portion has a respective flap hingedly connected thereto and said flaps are secured to a respective one of the other two side portions. The first panel may form part or all of one side panel of the carton. Preferably means is provided to releasably secure at least one of said side portions to other elements of the carton. More particularly at least said one side portion is releasably securable to an inner side panel of the carton.

The skillet carton is erected from a cut and creased blank and comprises five panels hingedly connected serially with at least one other of said panels along a crease line and in which the two outermost or edge panel (hereinafter for convenience.

referred to as an inner front side panel and a front side panel) are secured together whereby a four-sided open ended tube can be formed from the blank. The other panels are conveniently referred to as a base panel, a rear side panel and a top panel, each hingedly connected with the preceding one. The inner front side panel is usually hingedly connected with the base panel and the front side panel is usually hingedly connected with the top panel. Each end of each of said five panels is provided with a respective end flap hingedly connected thereto and separated from the adjacent end flap to facilitate holding inwards at 900 to close off each end of the tube and thereby form an enclosed carton.

In a traditional end load skillet carton, the sequence of closing would require folding in of the inner front and rear side panel end flaps, the ploughing up of the base end flap to be adhered to the aforementioned end flaps, and the ploughing down of the top end flap to be adhered to the bottom end flap. The present invention requires an additional step of folding in the end flap of the front side panel prior to ploughing down of the top end flap, and the additional step of adhering the front panel end flap to the top panel end flap. Adhering of the top panel end flap to the bottom panel end flap may be dispensed with or confined to a discrete spot and located clear of the front end flap.

Another aspect of the invention provides a cut and creased blank for forming an end loading skillet carton, comprising five panel sections each hingedly connected with the preceding one and conveniently referred to as an inner front side panel, a base panel, a rear panel, a top panel and a front panel, and in which each end of each of said panels has hingedly connected thereto a respective end flap, conveniently referred to as left and right inner front side end flaps, left and right base end flaps, left and right rear end flaps, left and right top end flaps and left and right front side end flaps.

A yet further aspect of the present invention comprises a method of erecting an end loading skillet carton from a pre-cut and creased blank (as aforedescribed), in which the inner front side and front side panels are secured together by folding the blank along pre-defined crease lines to bring the inner front side and front side panels into overlying relation with adhesive therebetween, a first end is closed by folding in the rear side end flap and the inner front side end flap, folding up the base end flap and securing by applying adhesive between the base end flap and at least one of the rear side end flap and the inner front side end flap, folding in the front side end flap and thereafter ploughing down the front end flap and applying adhesive between at least the front side end flap and the top end flap, and repeating the end closing sequence for the other end after product is introduced.

Preferably the method also comprises applying adhesive between the base end flap and the top end flap where they are in directly overlying relation. More particulary said adhesive is applied in such a way that it is relatively yieldable.

The front side panel of the blank is preferably formed with lines of perforations defining a tearaway strip and which serves to divide the front side panel into two portions, one of which is hingedly connected to the top panel and the other of which serves as an anchor element and which in use is adhered to the inner front side panel.

According to another embodiment, each of said top end flaps has a line of perforations which serves to divide the flap into two portions, one of which is adhered, in use, to the base end flap and the other is adhered to the front side end flap.

The terms front, top, base, rear and end have been used for ease of description and are not to be taken as limiting, merely indicating relative associations therebetween. In the terminology used herein the preferred hooded lid is composed of the top panel (ie. the first panel), one portion of the front panel (ie. one side portion), the front panel end flaps, and the top end flaps (ie. the other two side portions).

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings; in which: Figure 1 illustrates from the inside a plan view of one embodiment of blank for forming the carton of Figures 2 and 3, Figure 2 is a perspective view of an assembled carton before opening according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the carton of Figure 2 illustrating its hooded lid in an open position, Figure 4 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 3 of a carton according to another embodiment, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a carton after opening according to a further embodiment of the invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is illustrated a cut and creased cardboard blank for forming into a carton as illustrated in Figure 2 comprising an enclosed box with four sides and flaps forming two ends and commonly referred to as a skillet carton. More particularly the blank has five panels which are conveniently referred to as a front side panel 1, a top panel 3, a rear side panel 5, a base panel 7 and an inner from side panel 9 respectively.

The front side panel is hingedly connected to the top panel 3 along crease line 11. The top panel 3 is hingedly connected to the rear side panel 5 along crease line 13. The rear side panel is hingedly connected to the base panel 7 along hinge line 15 and the base panel is hingedly connected to the inner inside front side panel 9 along crease line 17. Each end of the panels 3, 5, 7 and 9 has a respective end flap hingedly connected thereto. This is conventional in the art of the skillet carton. For ease of reference the flaps use the same reference numeral as the panel to which they are hingedly connected but with the suffix 1 or r to denote the flap to the left end or the right end as the case may be as viewed from the notional front side of the carton. The crease line is denoted by the addition of an apostrophe '.In the illustrated embodiment the top panel 7 has a cut-out 27 covered with a see through material 29 by which the contents of the carton can be viewed.

The front side panel 1 has lines of perforation 19a, b, c and d 19 extending in from its free edge 21 with lines 19a and 19b terminating at the extent of lines 19c and 19d. Between the lines 19c and 19d there is an aperture 20 and a tear-out strip 22. The part of the front side flap between the edge 21 and the line 19c is referred to as an anchor element 23.

According to the invention, the front side panel 1 also has respective flaps 11 and lr hingedly connected along crease line 11' and lr' to each of the opposite ends thereof. It will be noted that the cut shape of the end flaps 1-9 is such as to separate them from one another and to give clearance for folding.

Erection of the carton will now be described.

Firstly, the front side panel 1 and the inner front side panel 9 have to be secured together in overlapping relation. This is achieved by applying glue to either the anchor element 23 (say along chain dotted line 25, or to a corresponding position 25' on panel 9). Usually the latter after first folding the latter through 1800 along its edge crease 17 to overlay the base panel 7.

Then the panels 3 and 1 are folded as one element through 1800 along crease 13 so that the anchor element 23 serves to adhere the front side panel to the inner front side panel.

With the blank so secured it can be opened up into an open ended hollow tube. Usually the carton is supplied to the packer flat ready for opening up. It will also be understood that the cutting and creasing is performed on printed stock. The securing of the viewing window (where provided) is performed as a separate operation after cutting of the blank.

The illustrated carton is an end loading carton and this type of carton is readily suited to automatic loading of product and to automatic erection and closure of the carton.

The further stages in the creation of the carton comprises opening the blank into the open ended hollow tube by hinging along each of crease lines 11-13 so that the adjacent panels are disposed at 900 to one another.

Then one end of the carton is formed by folding in flaps 91 and 51, applying adhesive to at least flap 51 and preferably both flaps. Ploughing up flap 71 so as to contact the flaps 51 and 91, folding in flap 11 to overlie part of flap 71 and then applying adhesive to flap 11 (say in a line) and a discrete spot as at x of adhesive to flap 71 beyond the contact part of flap 11.

Then the flap 31 is ploughed down to contact the adhesive of the flaps 11 and 71 to complete one end closure.

Product is then loaded into the carton from the other end and the sequence of closing repeated to close the other end.

The provision of flaps 11, lr and the gluing thereof to the flaps 31 and 3r respectively serves to connect the front side panel securely to the respective end flaps 31, 3r. On the other hand, the connection of the end flaps 31, 3r to the respective base end flap 71, 7r is a relatively weak connection. This is advantage as will be apparent hereinafter.

To open the carton the user is directed to remove the tearaway strip 22 thereby separating the front side panel from the anchor element and thereby releasing the connection of the front side panel 1 to the inner front side panel 9. The top panel 3 and the end flaps 31, 3r may then be hinged open - along crease 13. These components are collectively referred to as the hooded lid.

The relatively weak adhesion of the flaps 31, 3r with the flaps 71, 7r is designed to yield easily during this hinging operation.

In practice the board has a finishing coat applied to it to give it the desired smooth shine or satin finish. For example, this may be a varnish coating. It is advantageous if this coating is omitted in the regions where the glue is to be applied as this gives a more secure adhesion. On the other hand it is advantageous if the glue between the flaps 31, 71 and 3r, 7r is applied to the finished surface as this promotes the intended yielding on hinging open of the hooded lid.

Product can be removed and replaced through the open top and the hooded lid can be repeatedly opened and closed.

In Figure 4 we illustrate an alternative embodiment in which the need for glue between flaps 71 and 31 and 7r and 3r is eliminated. This is achieved by providing each flap 31, 3r with a line of perforations 31 extending from the crease line 31' to a free edge 37 of respective flap whereby on opening of the carton the flaps 3r, 31 tear along the line of perforations thereby separating the flap in to a retained part 3a and a released part 3b which is securely connected to the front side panel 1 as part of the afore-described hooded lid. The other parts corresponds to those of Figures 1, 2 and 3 and have not been described further.

Figure 5 illustrates a further modification which may be applied to either of the above-described embodiments. In this embodiment the inner front side panel 1 can hinge downwardly. This is achieved simply by omitting to apply glue between flaps 91 and 71 and between flaps 9r, 7r. Alternatively a glue which yields relatively easily may be employed (perhaps by gluing to the finished surface of the carton in the manner described above in relation to the hooded lid). A further alternative would be to have a line of perforations along the flaps 91, 9r dividing the flaps into one part which is glued to the flaps 71, 7r and one part which is not so glued, whereby the perforations can be torn to fold down the front side panel. Of course, in some applications it may be deemed preferable to have flaps 9r, 91 glued and flaps Sr, 51 left unglued.

Claims

1. An end loading skillet carton in which subsequent access to the carton is made possible by a hinged hooded lid comprising a first panel and three side portions connected to the first panel along a fold line and wherein adjacent side portions after folding are secured together.

2. An end loading skillet carton as claimed in claim 1 in which each end of one side portion has a respective flap connected thereto along a fold line and said flaps after folding are secured to a respective one of the other two side portions.

3. A carton as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the first panel forms part or all of one side panel of the carton.

4. A carton as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3 in which means is provided to releasably secure at least one of said side portions to other elements of the carton.

5. A carton as claimed in claim 4 in which at least said one side portion is releasably securable to an inner side panel of the carton.

6. A skillet carton as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 comprising a cut and creased blank having five panels including said first panel and said one side portion, and in which said five panels are hingedly connected serially with at least one other of said panels along.. a crease line and in which after folding along each said crease the two outermost or edge panels are secured together whereby a four-sided open ended tube is formed from the blank, and in which each end of each of said five panels is provided with a respective end flap hingedly connected thereto and separated from the adjacent end flap to facilitate holding inwards at 900 to close off each end of the tube and thereby form an enclosed carton.

7. A carton as claimed in claim 6 in which the sequence of closing requires folding in of inner front and rear side panel end flaps, the ploughing up of the base end flap to be adhered to at least the aforementioned rear side panel end flaps, folding in the end flap of the front side panel prior to ploughing down of the top end flap, and adhering the front panel end flap to the top panel end flap.

8. A carton as claimed in claim 7 in which the top panel end flap is adhered to the bottom panel end flap by a discrete spot of adhesive located clear of the front end flap.

9. A carton as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8 in which the front side panel of the blank is formed with lines of perforation defining a tearaway strip and which serves to divide the front side panel into two portions, one of which is hingedly connected to the top panel and the other of which serves as an anchor element and which in use is adhered to the inner front side panel.

10. A carton as claimed in claim 7 in which each of said top end flaps has a line of perforations which serves to divide the flap into two portions, one of which is adhered, in use, to the base end flap and the other is adhered to the front side end flap.

11. A cut and creased blank for forming an end loading skillet carton, comprising five panel sections each hingedly connected with the preceding one and conveniently referred to as an inner front side panel, a base panel, a rear panel, a top panel and a front panel, and in which each end of each of said panels has hingedly connected thereto a respective end flap, conveniently referred to as left and right inner front side end flap, left and right base end flaps, left and right rear end flaps, left and right top end flaps and left and right front side end flaps.

12. A method of erecting an end loading skillet carton from a pre-cut and creased blank as claimed in claim 11 in which the inner front side and front side panels are secured together by folding the blank along pre-defined crease lines to bring the inner front side and front side panels into overlying relation with adhesive therebetween, a first end is closed by folding in the rear side end flap and the inner front side end flap, folding up the base end flap and securing by applying adhesive between the base end flap and at least one of the rear side end flap and the inner front side end flap, folding in the front side end flap and thereafter ploughing down the front end flap and applying adhesive between at least the front side end flap and the top end flap, and repeating the end closing sequence for the other end after product is introduced.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 and further comprising applying adhesive between the base end flap and the top end flap where they are in directly overlying relation. More particularly said adhesive is applied such a way that is it relatively yieldable.

14. An end loading skillet carton constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings or as modified according to Figure 4 or Figure 5.

15. A cut and creased blank for forming an end loading skillet carton substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A method of erecting an end loading skillet carton from a pre-cut and creased blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.