NZ199594A - Carton with reclosable lid - Google Patents

Description

199594 Priority Date{sJ: . <^"1: 19; CorrspJats Specification Filed:^?>. Class; SkP.'C'l '2/.&?; &¥?& 17(??.

Publication Data: ... .?.9 .NOV .1984..

No.: Date: NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION CARTON WITH RECLOSABLE TOP |x/ We, POTLATCH CORPORATION, a corporation of the State of Delaware, U.S.A., 2415 Plantside Drive, Bluegrass Industrial Park, Louisville, Kentucky 40399, U.S.A. hereby declare the invention for which K/ we pray that a patent may be granted to XtKt/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- • (followed by page la) • iq qfqit The present invention relates to n rccloseable carton, and^^ constitutes an improvement on the subject matter disclosed in United o States Patent 3,506,184 and corresponding counterpart patents in other countries. The carton is particularly useful for the packagingC^ of ice cream and being sealed with the method and apparatus shown in United States Patent 3,523,398.

The prior art is primarily disclosed in United States patents 3,506,184 and 3,523,398. In cartons of the type disclosed in the subject patents, they are rotated 90°, and the ends sealed after filling. The carton of patent 3,506,18-4 has a tear strip for Opening and can be reclosed but without means for lockingly securing the reclosure. Canadian patent 919,144 shows a closure lock, but has open ends and reclosure slits unsuited for packaging ice cream.

For usefulness in the machine and method of patent 3,523,398 accuracy in construction and gluing is highly desirable. As with any carton for food stuffs, integrity of sealing for transport and display are important. For the user, however, ease of opening and reclosure for storage are similarly important.

The present invention is directed to a carton suitable for packaging ice cream having front, rear, bottom, and top panels. One face of the carton panel is normally provided with printed indicia and display material, and the inside face of the panel is unprinted. The front panel has a reversely folded unglued l<5ck flap extending from the upper edge. The top also has a reversely folded glue strip. A plurality of glue spots, are provided on the glue strip and are secured to matching precut tear glue spots adjacent the upper portion of the front. The glueing secures the glue spots with the glue strip reversely folded against the precut tear glue spots which permits opening by inserting the finger under the closure flap and rupturing the paper in the precut tear glue spots. Upon reclosure, the^ reversely folded glue strip abuts the edge of the reversely folded lock flap extending downwardly from the upper edge of the front panel. Additionally, the closure flap tabs are secured beneath the top and end flaps, and a precut tear ladder on the side end ~ ' j qcts-Qtf >• flaps are glued to the top end flaps, further facilitating opening while permitting glueing along the ond flap as well the closure tabs. „ It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a reclosable carton suitable for packaging ice cream which^^ is easy to open, and yet which has good bonding for retention of the product.

Still another and an important object of the present invention is to achieve the advantageous closure features in a carton which can be sealed utilizing the machinery and method of patent 3,523,398.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reclosable carton achieving the foregoing objects without sacrificing (Economy due to utilizing additional paperboard.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description of an illustrative embodiments proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: I FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the subject carton in its closed configuration.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the front face or printed portion of the carton panel.

FIG. 3 shows the inside reverse side of the carton panel shown in FIG. 2 and in the same scale as FIG. 2.

■ FIG. 4 illustrates diagrammatically and perspectively how he opening of the reclosure of the carton begins.

FIG. 5 is a perspective diagrammatic sequential view of the opening after the step of tearing the closure flap has been accomplished and the ends of the top are removed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the cartons opened and revealing the reclosure and sealing features.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the subject carton taken along section line 7-7 of FIG. 1. 2 199594 1 FIG. 8 in' an enlarged section oE the reclosure portions . taken from the saino Location as the transverse sectional view 7-7 of ) FIG. 1.

The subject carton 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is rectangular and has a top panel 12 which is reclosable. Provision is made for a rear panel 14, bottom panel 16, and front panel 18.

As shown in the upper portion of FIG. 2, precut tear sections 19 are provided along the upper edge of the front panel 18. As illustrated, the precut tear panels 19 are essentially ovals in 10 configuration having parallel side portions, ^nd are uniformly spaced having a spacc separating each tear tab approximately the length of the precut tears 19. While six tears.19 are shown, it will be appreciated that varying numbers and sizes may be employed. Primarily the precut tears 19 are spaced so that, as shown in FIG. 4, a finger may be inserted between them to initiate opening of the carton.

In greater detail, the carton 10 is formed from a carton panel as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 where it will be seen that each of the elements are the top panel 12, rear'panel 14, bottom panel 16 20 and front panel 18 are separated by creases 20, 22, 24, and 26.

Each of these panels and creases corresponds by similar reference numeral to the construction shown in United States Patent 3,506,184 of which this carton constitutes an improvement. - The upper edge 28 of the front panel 18 is spaced from the front panel 18 to define a lock flap 29 which is reversely folded, but not glued, against the front of the front panel 18. A closure flap 30 is provided at the opposite end of the'panel, and has creases 32, and 34 between the closure 30 and the tabs 50.

Side end flaps 40 extend from the front panel 18, and 30 include tear ladders 41 which are also precut into the material of the board to rupture when opened. Also provided are side end closure flaps. 42, bottom end flaps 44, and top end flaps 46 all portioned to overlapingly close the ends of the carton. 3 A glue strip 52 extends CrOm the: end of uli Jc9s9,5i94 30, and is unprinted in areas corresponding to the positioning of the precut tear sections 19 at the upper edge.of the front panel 18. The glue strip 52 is reversely folded against the closure flap 30, and glued to the reclosure flap 30.

Also to be noted are the L-shaped bonding embossed areas 56 on the side end flaps 40, and an unprinted bonding area 57 as well on the side end flaps 40. There is also an L-shaped bonding unprinted area 58 provided on the side end closure flaps 42.

When the carton passes through the machine of patent 3,523,398, glue lines, preferably four in number and equally spaced are provided in the form of glue line pattern 70 on the bottom end closure flaps 44. An additional single glue line 76 is applied to the top end flaps 46.

When the carton is sealed, the glue line 76 of the top end flaps 46 overlies the closure tabs 50, 50a and extends onto the tear ladders 41, 41a. Similarly as mentioned above, but at the carton factory and prior to sealing in the machine and method of patent i 3,523,398, the glue strip 52 extending from the closure flap 30 has glue applied to the glue spots 54, and is sealed to the precut tear sections 19 at the upper portion of the front panel 18.

Turning now to FIG. 4, it will be seen that one-half holds the carton 10 at the end while a finger of the o£her hand is inserted beneath the closure 30 and moved from one end.pf the carton to the other while rupturing the attachment between the glue spots 54 and the precut tear section 19. Once all of the glued sections are broken, one end of the top panel 12 is lifted as shown in FIG. 5, at which time the tear ladder permits raising that portion which has been glued between the top end flaps 4 6 and the upper portion of the side end flaps 40.

As noted in FIG. 6, after the carton is opened, the reclosure unglued lock flap 29 extends from the front panel 18. Similarly at the inner portion of the closure flap 30, the glue strip 52 is also reversely folded so that when the carton is reclosed to the configuraticr 4 shown in FIG. 7, the lower edge of the lock flap 2 9 |t9tftSe9>4 .engages the edge of the glue strip 52 in abutting relationship.

Because the lock flap 29 is unglued, itexertsj a barb-like action against the upper edge 53 of the glue strip 52. The glue strip 52, in turn, being reversely folded and glued against the closure flap 30, permits an interlock between the upper edge 53 of the glue strip 52, and the lower edge 28 of the lock flap 29.

The entire carton is basically coated with an 8P wax. In order to provide for glueing, a dewax set of bands are applied at the factory in the area which is to be engaged by the glue lines 70, 76. The dewaxing is essentially applied by a heat band which drives the wax in the area of application into the board, thus rendering a predetermined surface area of the board amenable to hot melt glue. The embossed areas as shown assist in the glueing operation, and so do the unprinted glue spots 54 to the glue spot 52.

In review it will be seen that a carton 10 useful in the packaging of ice cream has been shown and described with a reclosable locking feature in combination with ease of openincj due to the percise means by which the reclosure flap 30 is secured to the front panel 18. Similarly assisting in the opening, tear ladders 41 are provided in the side end flaps 40.

I 199594

Claims (6)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A carton suitable for ice cream comprising, in combination, front, rear, bottom, and reclosable top panels, a plurality of overlapping end flaps, one face of the each panel being the outer face upon which printed indicia can appear identifying the carton, the other face being the interior face, said front panel having a lock flap reversely folded from the upper edge and unglued against the outer face of the front panel, said top panel having a depending closure flap with a reversely folded glue strip, a plurality of glue spots on the glue strip for receiving glue to close the carton into a rectangular configuration, matching precut tear glue spots adjacent the upper portion of the front panel, and glue securing the glue spots with the glue strip reversely folded against the precut tear glue spots and edge adjacent the reversely folded front lock flap.

2. The carton of Claim 1 having, top end flaps at each side of the top panel, closure flap tabs beneath the top end flaps, side end flaps at each side of the front panel, and tear ladders at the upper portion of the side end flaps glued to the top end flaps.

3. The carton of Claim 1 wherein, the glue spots of the glue strip are unprinted to assist in - 6 - 'V Sj 'K. j \ 4 .199594 receiving glue for securing the same to the precut tear glue spots of the front panel.

4. The carton of Claim 1 wherein, and linear side portions.

5. The carton of Claim 1 having, side end flaps at each side of the front panel, bottom end flaps at each side of the bottom panel, and an unprinted area covering the major portion of the side end flaps for receiving a glued portion of the bottom end closure flaps.

6. A carton substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. said precut tear glue spots have curvilinear end portions fWtale* By J^s/T'neif authorised Agents4