JP2005536405A - Carton & carton blank - Google Patents

Abstract

Cartons and blanks with tear lines with a plurality of perforations or short slits arranged in at least three rows (72, 74, 76). Tear initiation means (70) formed in the wall (16), and at least three tear lines (62, 64, 66, 68) extending from the tear initiation means (70) toward the periphery of the wall; There is also provided a carton and a blank constituting a carton comprising the wall (16) provided with a tear-open structure.

Description

  The present invention relates to a carton or sleeve for containing one or more articles, such as cans, bottles, etc., formed from one or more cardboard blanks or other suitable foldable sheet material. Relates to a carton that can be folded into a sealed compartment that includes a cover flap with means for releasably securing itself to the carton.

  The present invention is particularly useful in that it is desirable that the carton containing the article be encapsulated to protect the article or each article.

One example of a resealable sleeve formed from one or more cardboard blanks can be found in the prior art document illustrating a carton with an integral hinged top that can be resealed (see, for example, US Pat. A front cover panel and a spacer panel are provided on the top, and these panels are fixed to one side of the front cover panel so as to be engaged with an engaging upper portion of the front panel of the box. The fastening means comprises a separate double layer portion of the front panel. However, the separated portion is attached to the inner surface of the cover flap which results in a stepped non-flat front.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,030

  A second aspect of the present invention relates to providing a breakable connection that releasably holds the cover flap. More particularly, a tear strip arrangement is disclosed.

There are several known types of commonly used tear lines, examples of which are illustrated in two other prior art documents (see, for example, patent documents 2 and 3). However, one problem associated with known tear lines or strips is that the tearing action is difficult to control. For example, the particle direction of the cardboard or the direction of the tearing force affects the tearing direction.
US Pat. No. 2,28,552 US Pat. No. 3,355,089

  Attempts have been made to promote tearing along a predetermined path tear line.

  A problem with known tear arrangements is that in certain situations, tearing is from a desired path that leads to an irregular tear line path, or worse, a deviation from the tear line that can result in destroying the integrity of the carton. It can be biased.

A first aspect of the invention provides a carton comprising a tear line comprising a plurality of perforations or short slits arranged in at least three rows.
The perforations or slits in each row may then be biased relative to the perforations or short slits in the adjacent row.

  Preferably, the perforations in a row are spaced apart by a distance in the range of about 1 mm to 5 mm. More preferably, each row is spaced from the next adjacent row by a distance of about 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

  A second aspect of the present invention comprises tear initiation means formed on a wall and at least three tear lines extending from the tear initiation means toward the periphery of the wall, each tear line having at least 3 tear lines. A carton is provided comprising the wall provided with a tear-open structure comprising a plurality of perforations or short slits arranged in a row.

  The tear-open structure may comprise four tear lines that each extend toward the four corners of the wall.

  The tear initiation means may include a push tab struck out from the wall.

  A third aspect of the invention is a carton formed from cardboard or other sheet material having a similar function, which is torn apart from a tearing structure that defines a bond between two adjacent panels. Means for gripping a panel, the means for gripping the panel being torn apart at least in part by the tearing structure so that the means can move from a plane that it occupies in a stationary manner; So that the shearing force placed on the tearing structure and acting on the tearing structure is sufficient to cause tearing in the tearing structure, so that the torn panel can be removed from the carton. A fold line that increases the amount by which the panel torn apart can move.

  According to the optional construction of the third aspect, the panel that has been torn apart provides access to the carton contents when removed.

  Preferably, the torn away panel is the top panel of the carton and the tearing structure extends around the periphery of the panel. The means for gripping the panel is disposed away from its periphery, and the fold line extends from the means in multiple directions to meet the tear structure at a plurality of locations.

  More preferably, the tear structure comprises at least two adjacent perforation lines, one of the perforations being located in the middle of the next adjacent line perforation, and the adjacent line being of these No longer greater than the spacing between any one perforation.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a blank constituting a carton comprising a tear line with a plurality of perforations or short slits arranged in at least three rows. In the blank, the perforations or slits in each row are biased with respect to the next adjacent perforations or short slits. Preferably, the rows of perforations are spaced apart by a distance in the range of about 1 mm to 5 mm. More preferably, each row is then spaced from the adjacent row by a distance of about 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a single blank 10 comprising a carton made of cardboard or similar foldable sheet material. The carton is configured to hold one or more items. In this embodiment, the blank 10 comprises a base panel 12, a first sidewall panel 14, a top panel 16 and a second sidewall panel 18 that are foldably connected to each other in series along fold lines 20, 22, and 24, respectively. Prepare.

  Opposite end panels 26, 30 may be further provided, each foldably connected to opposite end edges of the base panel 12 along fold lines 28 and 32, respectively. In this embodiment, it is contemplated that other shapes of the base panel and / or sleeve may be used depending on the shape and / or dimensions of the article or articles to be accommodated, but the base panel is substantially square.

  In this embodiment with end wall panels 26 and 30, opposite end flaps 34 are foldably connected to opposite edges of the top panel 16 along fold lines 36 and 40, respectively. And 38.

  In this embodiment, support flaps are provided along the respective longitudinal edges of the side wall panels 14 and 18. As shown in FIG. 1, side flaps 42 a and 42 b are foldably connected to opposite edges of the second side wall panel 14 along folding lines 44 c and 44 d. Similarly, end flaps 42c and 42d are foldably connected to opposite edges of the second sidewall panel 18 along fold lines 44c and 44d.

  A securing flap 46 is also provided that is foldably connected to the base panel along a fold line 48 to secure the opposite ends of the blank to each other. The fixed flap 46 may be provided with fold lines 50 and 52.

  One aspect of the present invention provides one or more removable cover flaps formed on the top wall panel 16. In this embodiment, four cover flaps 54, 56, 58 and 60 are provided to cover the top surface of the carton. The cover flaps are foldably connected together along fold lines 22, 40, 24 and 36, respectively.

  The cover flaps are easily joined together by a tear line. Thus, in this embodiment, the cover panel 54 is fragilely connected to cover the panels 56 and 60 along the pliable lines 66 and 68. Similarly, the cover panel 58 is foldably connected along the foldable lines 62 and 64 to cover the panels 60 and 56.

  The cover flap in this embodiment is triangular, but other shapes are contemplated without departing from the scope of the present invention. A push tab 70 is further provided that is removably coupled to the top panel to assist in separating adjacent cover flaps. In FIG. 1, the push tab 70 is centered in that the foldable lines 62, 64, 6668 are interconnected.

  Each of the opposite ends of the foldable lines 62, 64, 66 and 68 has fold lines 62a, 62b; 64a, 64b; 66a, 66b; 68a, 68b intersecting the foldable lines shown in FIG. Is provided. The fold line prevents tearing from proceeding beyond the end of the foldable line by dissipating the tearing force.

  Another aspect of the present invention relates to the structure of lines 62, 64, 66 and 68 that are easy to break. 4 and 4A illustrate a preferred embodiment of a tear line 68 formed from three or more separate rows 72, 74, 76 having a plurality of perforations or short slits. In each row, a perforation is then spaced a distance L from the adjacent perforation. This distance L depends on the specific tear characteristics. However, it has been found that the usable range of distance L is between about 1 mm and 5 mm.

  Each row 72, 74, 76 is then spaced a distance C from the next adjacent row. This distance C will vary depending on the specific tear characteristics required. However, it has been found that the usable range of distance C is between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm. Each row of perforations is biased with respect to the next row so that the plurality of perforations looks like a “staircase” shape as shown in FIG. 4A.

  In use, the tear line 68 has been found to be more effective than a tear strip with one or two rows of slits. This is because the central row of perforations 74 conveys tear along its length and the tear force passes through this central line. A shear force is then applied to one or the other side of the central row 74 as the tear moves along the tear line, pulling the distance C between the central row 74 and the outer rows 72 and 76. Tear.

  It is very easy to control the tear direction by allowing a degree of flexibility as to where the tear occurs in the outer row.

  One advantage of this type of tear line is that it can create a tear line that is rounded, for example, following the shape of a logo on an advertisement display printed on a board.

  Any of the carton embodiments of the present invention can be formed by a series of continuous folding and gluing operations that can be formed on a straight line machine so that the carton is not required to be rotated or inverted to complete its structure. It is thought that it can be formed. The bending step is not limited to the one described below, and can be changed according to specific manufacturing requirements or user requirements. For example, the carton can be partially constructed so that the side panel 18 and the securing flap 50 are secured together to form a tubular structure prior to loading the article.

  The base wall panel 12, the opposite side wall panels 14, 18 and the top panel 16 are folded into a tubular structure and folded into a tubular structure along a fold line 20, 22 and 24, and a fixed flap 46. Is secured to the side panel 18 by adhesive or other means well known in the art.

  The article or articles are packed into the carton by known packaging equipment.

  The support flap 42 is folded inward along the fold line 44. Also, the opposite ends are constructed by bending the end wall panels 26 and 30 upward along fold lines 28 and 32, respectively. Similarly, end flaps 34 and 38 are folded downward along fold lines 36 and 40. Also, the outer surfaces of end flaps 34 and 38 are secured to the inner surfaces of end wall panels 26 and 30 by adhesive or other means well known in the art. Therefore, the carton is assembled as shown in FIG.

  To gain access to the interior of the carton, the user presses the push tab 70 inward and grips himself to tear one of the cover flaps 56 in an upward and outward direction as shown in FIG. Edge 71 is exposed. As the cover flap 56 continues to be pulled outward, the tear lines 64 and 66 expose the access opening A. The tearing process corresponds to that described above and illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 4A.

  A second embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. FIG. This embodiment shares many equivalent panels and fold lines, and like parts are indicated by the same reference number preceded by a “1”. Therefore, only the differences will be described in more detail.

  The carton blank 110 is provided with a single cover panel 116 that foldably connects the side wall panels 114 and 118 to each other. The single cover panel 116 is generally square, and the square is defined along the edges of the square by tear lines 162, 164, 166 and 168. In some embodiments, one or more fold lines 167, 169, 171, 173 are provided that guide the lifting force described in more detail below. The push tab 170 is provided in the central region of the cover panel 116. However, in other embodiments, the push tab can be positioned proximate to one corner of the cover panel to assist in tearing starting from one corner of the cover panel.

  The configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment as shown in FIG. Therefore, it will not be described in further detail.

  To remove the cover panel, the push tab 170 is depressed to expose the opening. The user then inserts a finger into the opening and then covers flap 116 which is removed from the remaining panels of the carton by tearing along tear lines 162, 164, 166 and 168 as shown in FIG. Pull. One advantage of this arrangement is that the cover flap is removed from the carton with a single pulling action.

  Beneficially, the above-described embodiments of the present invention provided a structure that was strong enough to hold an article and provide an inseparable sleeve or enclosed carton. The use of cardboard material provides an environmental alternative to cartons made from plastic materials, and sleeves made from cardboard can contain printing materials for sale purposes.

  As used herein, the terms “top”, “bottom”, “side”, “end”, “top” and “bottom” are relative terms for a carton (or carton blank) panel. And it will be appreciated that the carton (formed from the blank) can be reoriented if necessary or desired. Rather than the bottom panel consisting of panels that are engaged with each other, the carton blank can be repositioned so that several other walls, such as the top or side walls, are engaged with each other. You will see that it is composed of panels.

  Reference to any foldable connection should not be construed as referring to only a single fold line, if desired. In fact, it is contemplated that the foldable connection may consist of one or more of one of a score line, a pliable line, or a fold line without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  The present invention and its preferred embodiments provide satisfactory rigidity to hold articles such as information disks, for example floppy disks or zip disks, or food products with some flexibility. Relates to a carton or sleeve shaped to provide The blank shape minimizes the amount of cardboard required for the carton. The carton can be constructed from a flat folded state to a loaded position with a use posture and / or manual or automatic machine. It is anticipated that the present invention may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the side and end panels can be increased in height or width to provide a carton that houses one or more articles of different shapes and / or dimensions. Further, the tear lines illustrated in the various embodiments may be applied to other known carton types, such as fully enclosed cartons, beverage containers or cartons for food use without departing from the scope of the present invention. Can be applied.

It is a top view of the blank which comprises the carton incorporating the tear line arrangement | positioning structure by embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view of the state which assembled the carton comprised from the blank shown in FIG. 1, and packed the load. FIG. 6 is a view showing a carton with a cover flap partially torn open. FIG. 6 is a view showing a carton with a cover flap partially torn open. It is an enlarged view which shows the shape structure of a tear strip. It is a figure which shows the blank by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a state in which a carton composed of the blank shown in FIG. 5 is assembled and packed. FIG. 7 shows the carton of FIG. 6 with the cover panel completely torn.

Explanation of symbols

10 blank 12 base panel 14 first side wall panel 16 top panel 18 second side wall panel 20, 22, 24 fold line 26, 30 end panel 28, 32 fold line 34, 38 end flap 36, 40 opposite to each other Fold line 42a, 42b Side flap 42c, 42d End flap 44c, 44d Fold line 46 Fixed flap 48 Fold line 50, 52 Fold line 54, 56, 58, 60 Cover flap 62, 64, 66, 68 Tear line 62a, 62b; 64a, 64b; 66a, 66b; 68a, 68b Tear line 70 Push tab 71 Edge 72, 74, 76 Row 110 Carton blank 114, 118 Side wall panel 116 Cover panel 162, 164, 166, 168 Tear line 167, 169 , 171, 17 3 Folding line

Claims (17)

  A carton comprising a tear line with a plurality of perforations or short slits arranged in at least three rows.   The carton of claim 1, wherein the perforations or slits in each row are offset with respect to the perforations or short slits in the next adjacent row.   The carton of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the perforations in a row are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the range of about 1 mm to 5 mm.   4. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each row is spaced from the next adjacent row by a distance in the range of about 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm. A carton comprising the wall provided with a tear opening structure comprising a tear initiation means formed on a wall and at least three tear lines extending from the tear initiation means toward the periphery of the wall. And
A carton comprising a plurality of perforations or short slits in which each tear line is arranged in at least three rows.   6. The carton of claim 5, wherein the tear open structure comprises four tear lines each extending toward the four corners of the wall.   The carton according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the tear starting means includes a push tab knocked out of the wall.   The blank which comprises the carton of any one of Claim 1 to Claim 4 or Claim 5 to Claim 7. A carton formed from cardboard or other sheet material having a similar function,
A tearing structure defining a bond between two adjacent panels;
Means for gripping a panel to be torn apart, wherein the means for gripping the panel to be at least partially torn apart by the tearing structure so that the means can move from a plane that it occupies stationary. ,
The shearing force placed between the means and the tearing structure and acting on the tearing structure is sufficient to cause tearing in the tearing structure, whereby the panel that has been torn apart is removed from the carton. A carton comprising a fold line that increases the amount that the panel that is torn apart can be moved so that it can be removed.   10. A carton according to claim 9, wherein the panel torn apart gives access to the carton contents when removed.   The panel torn apart is the top panel of the carton, the tearing structure extends around the periphery of the panel, and the means for gripping the panel is arranged away from the periphery and the folding 11. A carton according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein a line extends in multiple directions from the means such that the tear structure meets at a plurality of locations.   The tear structure comprises at least two adjacent perforation lines, one of the perforation lines being disposed in the middle of a perforation of the next adjacent line, and the adjacent perforation line being any of these 12. A carton according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the carton is not greater than the spacing between the perforations.   The blank which comprises the carton of any one of Claim 9-12.   A blank comprising a carton comprising a tear line with a plurality of perforations or short slits arranged in at least three rows.   15. The blank of claim 14, wherein the perforations or slits in each row are offset with respect to the perforations or short slits in the next adjacent row.   16. A blank according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the perforations in a row are spaced apart by a predetermined distance ranging from about 1 mm to 5 mm. 17. A blank according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein each row is spaced from the next adjacent row by a distance in the range of about 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

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