JP2005343469A - Carton - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a carton in which when a cut panel is removed, a sharp projected part is prevented from being formed on the carton to improve safety and which is for holding a plurality of articles such as cans. <P>SOLUTION: The carton is equipped with a plurality of panels comprising bottom wall panels 11 and 15, side wall panels 12 and 14, and a top wall panels 13 for forming a cylindrical structure. The top wall panel is equipped with a cutting panel 16 whose both sides are divided by a pair of two zippers 51 broken when the carton is opened. Each of a pair of the zippers is formed by a plurality of ridge-shaped short slits 52 at least in a line, and one side of ridge-shaped two sides of each short slits faces in the extending direction of each zipper, and the other side is extended toward the outside of the cutting panel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a carton that houses a plurality of articles such as cans, and more particularly to a technique for improving safety when opening a carton.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, cartons for storing a plurality of articles such as beverage cans such as soft drinks for distribution and use by consumers have been provided. When a consumer purchases such an article in a carton unit, the consumer pulls the cut panel formed on the top of the carton to break the zipper, destroys the carton, and takes out the article.

  Generally, when a carton is broken by pulling a strip-shaped cut panel formed with weakened lines such as zippers and perforated lines that are punched in a straight line at both ends, the weakened line that should originally be broken does not break, The broken line propagated toward the center of the cut panel, which was a problem.

  In order to solve such a problem, a zipper composed of a plurality of rectangular short slits has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to such a zipper, one of the two sides constituting the short slit shape is punched along the breaking direction, and the other side is the center of the cut-out panel with respect to the direction in which the zipper extends. Since the rupture occurs from the predetermined direction toward the center portion, the rupture line is formed by the intersection of the rupture line and the short slit inclined toward the center side. By guiding in the original direction and repeating this process, the fracture can be performed in a desired path.

  When opening such a carton, for example, in FIG. 3, the finger hook tab 35 (breaking start) formed on the cut-off panel 16 is grasped and pulled upward or toward the rear end of the carton. As a result, breakage occurs from both ends of the finger hanging tab 35, and this breakage propagates to the initial slit 53 formed closest to the finger hanging tab 35. Breakage occurs at the rear end of the slit. This rupture further propagates to the second short slit, and in the same manner, the rupture sequentially propagates between adjacent short slits to break the zipper 51 and open the carton.

US Pat. No. 3,747,801 (drawings, abstract)

  However, in the conventional carton, when such a cut-out panel 16 is broken along the zipper 51, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 (B), among the plurality of rectangular short slits 52 forming the zipper 51. The sharp protrusion 55 remains at the cut end of the short slit formed in the direction inclined from the breaking direction of the zipper 51. Moreover, since the short slit is formed to be inclined toward the center of the cut panel 16 as described above, the protrusion 55 is not formed on the cut panel 16 to be removed, and the top wall of the carton body. It remains on the panel 13 side. Further, since the carton is generally formed of hard paper such as cardboard, the projections may hurt the hand of the person who opens the carton.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a carton and a carton blank in which sharp protrusions are prevented from being formed on a carton when the cut panel is removed, and safety is improved. The purpose is that.

  The present invention is a carton for holding a plurality of articles such as cans, and includes a plurality of panels including a bottom wall panel, a side wall panel, and a top wall panel for forming a cylindrical structure. It has a cut-out panel that is separated on both sides by a pair of zippers that break when the carton is opened. It is characterized in that one side of the two sides forming the slit shape is directed in the extending direction of each zipper and the other side is cut from one side and extended toward the outside of the panel.

  In the carton having the above configuration, one side of the plurality of short cut slits that have been inclined and extended to the inside of the cut panel is inclined to the outside of the cut panel, that is, the top wall panel side of the carton body. It is then extended. Therefore, when the cut panel is removed, the sharp protrusion formed on the inclined portion of the short slit is formed on the cut panel side and does not remain on the carton body side, so that the unsealed person is not injured.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a blank made of cardboard or a similar foldable sheet material for forming a carton for storing a plurality of articles such as cans. In FIG. 1, the blank 10 a includes a first bottom wall panel 11, a first side wall panel 12, a top wall panel 13, a second side wall panel 14, and a second bottom wall panel 15, which are crease lines. It is connected continuously by 21, 22, 23, 24 so that it can be bent. These panels 11 to 15 form a rectangular cylindrical body, and various panels and flaps described below are formed on the edges of the panels 11 to 15.

  On the front end side (left side in FIG. 1) and the rear end side (right side) of the first side wall panel 12 and the second side wall panel 14, a plurality of folding panels 32 are formed so as to be foldable via the crease line 25. Yes. In addition, on the front end side and the rear end side of the carton 11 to 15, an article support panel 33 is formed so as to be foldable via the crease lines in a state of straddling the crease lines 21, 22, 23, 24. These article support panels 33 are hooked on and supported by the upper and lower ends of the contents such as cans in the assembled state of the carton, and prevent the contents from falling off the carton.

  The first bottom wall panel 11 is formed by punching a plurality of engagement flaps 31 that become joints when assembling the carton, and is foldably connected to the first bottom wall panel 11 via a crease line, A plurality of engagement flap receiving portions 41 for receiving these engagement flaps 31 are formed in the second bottom wall panel 15 by punching.

  The top wall panel 13 is formed with a cut-out panel 16 in which a zipper 51 including a plurality of short slits 52, an initial slit 53, and an intermediary slit 54 is formed at both ends. Here, the zipper means a kind of perforation, break line, separation line, or cut line.

  These slits extend in parallel to each other from an initial slit 53 formed in the vicinity of the fracture start, a pair of spread portions A extending from the initial slit 53 and extending from the vicinity of the end of the spread portion A. It has a pair of parallel part B, and the square-shaped mediation slit 54 distribute | arranged between the spread part A and parallel part B of each zipper 51. FIG.

  The initial slit 53 is formed in a square shape, and one side 53b of the two sides constituting the square shape is formed along the breaking line direction of the cut panel 16 and the top wall panel 13, and the other side 53a. Is formed to be inclined with respect to the cut panel 16, that is, toward the top wall panel 13. Similarly, the short slit 52 and the mediation slit 54 are also punched and formed in a square shape, and one side 53b and 54b of the two sides constituting the square shape is the direction of the breaking line between the cut panel 16 and the top wall panel 13 The other sides 53a and 54a are formed to be inclined with respect to the cut-out panel 16, that is, toward the top wall panel 13 side.

  At the front end of the carton of the cut-out panel 16, a finger tab 35 serving as a breaking start for opening the carton is formed. Further, a gripping means 34 is punched and formed at the center of the cut panel 16, and one side is foldably connected to the cut panel 16 via a crease line. The user can insert and hold a finger into the gripping means 34 and carry the carton.

  In order to assemble the carton from the blank shown in FIG. 1, a continuous folding operation is performed. The bending operation is performed without reversing or rotating the blank or carton with a linear machine line. The following shows the procedure, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

  First, an article such as a can is placed on the top wall panel 13 placed horizontally. At this time, it is normal to place the can on the top wall panel 13 with the upper end of the can facing down, but there is no particular limitation. Next, the first side wall panel 12 and the second side wall panel 14 are moved vertically upward along the crease lines 22 and 23 while the folding panel 32 is bent 180 degrees inward in the carton along the crease line 25 and closely attached to the side wall panel. The side wall panels 12 and 13 are closely attached to the side surfaces of the articles. Subsequently, the first bottom wall panel 11 and the second bottom wall panel 15 are bent at 90 degrees with respect to the first side wall panel 12 and the second side wall panel 14 along the crease lines 21 and 24, respectively, to the lower end of the can. The second bottom wall panel 15 and the first bottom wall panel 11 are overlapped in this order to form a rectangular cylindrical body having both ends opened. The engagement flap 31 formed on the first bottom wall panel 11 is pressed with, for example, a finger to insert the engagement flap 31 into the engagement flap receiving portion 41, and the first bottom wall panel 11 and the second bottom wall panel 15. Join. Instead of joining by the engagement flap 31, a joining method such as gluing can be arbitrarily selected. Thus, a package in which a plurality of cans are loaded in a carton is completed (see FIG. 3).

  In order to take out the can from the carton, the finger hook tab 35 formed on the cut panel 16 is grasped and pulled upward or toward the rear end of the carton. As a result, breakage occurs from both ends of the finger hanging tab 35, and this breakage propagates to the initial slit 53 formed closest to the finger hanging tab 35. With the further tearing of the finger tab 35, the initial slit 53 is torn, and the rear end of the initial slit 53 (the rear end side of the carton, right side in FIG. 1) is broken. This rupture propagates to the second short slit 52, and in the same manner, the rupture propagates sequentially between adjacent short slits to break the zipper 51 and open the carton (see FIGS. 4 and 5). ).

  In the conventional carton, one side 52 a of the short slit 52 constituting the zipper 51 is inclined toward the center of the cut panel 16 with respect to the extending direction of the zipper 51. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2 (B), a number of sharp protrusions 55 are formed at the end of the top wall panel 13 after the breakage, which causes injury to the hand of the unsealed person. On the other hand, in the carton of the present invention, one side 52a of the short slit 52 constituting the zipper 51 is inclined to the outside of the cut panel 16, that is, the top wall panel 13 side with respect to the extending direction of the zipper 51. Therefore, the sharp protrusion 55 is formed on the cut panel 16 side, and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a recess 56 is formed on the end of the top wall panel 13 after breaking. Therefore, it does not cause an injury by rubbing the hand of the unsealed person, which is preferable.

  In the present invention, one of the slit-shaped portions of all the slits 52, 53, and 54 constituting the zipper 51a is cut out with respect to the extending direction of the zipper and inclined to the outside of the panel 16. Although it is possible, only the initial slit 53 (the front end portion of the carton) among them can be formed in the reverse direction, that is, inclined inside the cut-out panel 16 with respect to the extending direction of the zipper 51. According to such an aspect, the initial slit 53 formed to be inclined inward can receive the breakage generated from both ends of the finger hook tab 35 and can lead the breakage to the next short slit, so that the breakage is not desired. Propagation can be prevented, which is preferable.

  Further, in addition to the orientation of the initial slit 53 described above, the zipper 51 spreads from the break start end to the spread portion A and the intermediate slit 54 located at the bending point of the parallel portion B extending in parallel to each other. It is preferable to form the one side 54 a so as to be inclined inside the cut panel 16 with respect to the extending direction of the zipper 51. As described above, the breakage of the cut panel tends to propagate toward the center side out of the extending direction of the zipper, particularly at such a bending point, the breakage does not propagate in the desired direction, The cut panel is often damaged. Therefore, such an embodiment is preferable because the breakage at the bending point can be smoothly relayed.

  By narrowing the formation interval between the short slits 52, propagation of breakage between the short slits is ensured and the zipper 51 can be opened smoothly, which is preferable. On the other hand, the strength of the top wall panel is lowered and the carton before opening is reduced. There are problems such as being destroyed unintentionally. Conversely, when the formation interval is widened, the strength of the carton is improved, but the breakage does not propagate well between the short slits, and the portions other than the zipper are broken, which is not preferable. Practically, it is appropriately selected in consideration of the breaking of the zipper and the strength of the carton.

  The present invention is not limited to the carton that completely removes the cut-out panel from the top wall panel, as exemplified in the embodiment, and may have any zipper shape. For example, the present invention can be applied to a carton in which the end of the zipper is located in the top wall panel without reaching the edge of the top wall panel, and the cut-out panel remains connected to the top wall panel even after the zipper breaks. Also, the carton where the pair of zippers draw curves so as to approach each other on the rear end side from the parallel part, are connected to each other at the cut panel end, and the top wall panel remains connected at the rear end even after the cut panel is removed It is also possible to apply to (U-shaped zipper).

  The terms used in the above description for directions such as top, bottom, end, tip, back, inside, and outside do not limit each panel to such a direction, but simply distinguish the panels from each other. It is only for the purpose. The term crease line does not necessarily refer to a single crease line, and can easily be one or more score lines, for example lines perforated or thinned by press embossing, etc., without departing from the scope of the present invention. It may be a line that bends or bends. The present invention can also be applied to cartons of articles of various arrangements without departing from the scope of the invention.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a carton and a carton blank for storing articles with improved safety during opening.

It is a top view of the carton blank for forming the carton of this invention. (A) shows before the break of the zipper formed in the conventional carton. (B) is a schematic diagram showing the conventional carton after the zipper breaks. It is a perspective view which shows the carton of this invention of the state which accommodated the articles | goods. It is a perspective view which shows the opening method of the carton of FIG. It is a schematic diagram of the protrusion part and recessed part which are formed in the carton of this invention after opening. It is an enlarged view of the protrusion part and recessed part of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10a carton blank
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 1st bottom wall panel 12 1st side wall panel 13 Top wall panel 14 2nd side wall panel 15 2nd bottom wall panel 16 Cut-off panel 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 Fold line
31 Engagement flap 32 Folding panel 33 Article support panel 34 Grasping means 35 Finger tab 41 Engagement flap receiving part 51 Zipper 52 Characteristic short slit 52a, 52b One side of character short slit 53 Initial slit 53a, 53b Initial slit One side 54 Mediation slit 54a, 54b One side of mediation slit 55 Projection 56 Recess

Claims (3)

A carton for holding a plurality of articles such as cans,
The carton includes a plurality of panels including a bottom wall panel, a side wall panel, and a top wall panel for forming a cylindrical structure,
The top wall panel includes a cut-out panel separated on both sides by a pair of zippers that break when the carton is opened,
Each of the pair of zippers includes a plurality of rectangular short slits arranged in at least one row,
A carton characterized in that one of the two sides of each short slit is oriented in the extending direction of each zipper and the other side is extended from the one side toward the outside of the cut panel.   A rectangular initial slit is arranged at the breaking start of each zipper. The carton according to claim 1, wherein the carton extends inward.   The pair of zippers includes a pair of spread portions that are spread apart from the break starting ends, a pair of parallel portions that extend in parallel from the vicinity of the ends of the spread portions, and the spread portions of the zippers. And an intermediary slit arranged between the parallel part and one of the two sides of each of the intermediary slits toward the extending direction of the adjacent open part or the parallel part, and the other side of each intermediary slit The carton according to claim 1, wherein the carton extends from one side of the slit toward the inside of the cut-out panel.

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