US2080080A - Package opener - Google Patents

Description

y F. 0H. LAWRENCE arm. 2,080,080

PACKAGE OPENER Filed April 10, 1935 T1. 9 -4- INVENTORS FRANK It 'IWRENCE FRANK Z VALENTINE.

ATTORNEY;

within a package 7.

Patented May 11, 1937 PATENT i OFFICE:

, 2.080.080 menace ormn Frank H. Lawrence and I. Valentine,

, San Bruno, Calif. Application April 10, 1935, Serial No. 15,512 v This invention relates to a package opener.

An object of this invention is to providea novel device normally concealed within a package which can be caused to penetrate a side of the package by means of exterior pressure exerted on the package and then can be easily manipulated to open a side of the package and give access to the content of the package. Another object of the invention isto provide an opener, particularly for package of cigarettes which can be rendered operative with ease to open a side or corner of the package and allow the removal of cigarettes therefrom without unnecessary mutilation of the wrapping of the pack.

Another object of this invention is to provide a package opener which is highly useful and simple in construction. Convenience of arrangement, lightness and comparative inexpense of manufacture are further objects which have been borne in mind in the production and'development of the invention.

We are aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction thereof without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following specification, and as defined in the following claims; hence we do not limit our invention to the exact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawing The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package held in a hand in position to render the opener operaive.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a package of cigarettes, the section being taken-along a face of the opener.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a package showing the opener in operation, the wrapper of the package being partly cut by the opener.

Figure 4 is a front view of a package of cigarettes, the front side being partly broken away, with the opener in a modified arrangement, and

Figure 5 is a top plane view of a package of cigarettes, the top being partly broken away, the opener being shown in another modified arrangement.

Figure 6 is a fragmental perspective view of a box type package and the opener thereon.

In general our invention includes an opener 6,

and it has the usual sides formed by a flexible, or

In' this illustration the package 7 is shown as a package of cigarettes,

pliable wrapper of the usual type. The sides of the package include a front side8, a back side 9, a bottom end ll provided with the usual revenue stamp, a top end l2, and narrower sides l3 and H. The cigarettes l6 are packed within this package in three rows.

The opener 8 in all the embodiments herein illustrated is of the same general structure and it consists of a stiff member made of any comparatively thin suitable material, such as sheetmetal, or stiff cardboard, or composition, such as bakelite, or hard rubber, or a narrow wire frame, or the like. The opener 6 is of such a. length that it is normally concealed within the package. One end of the opener 6 conforms to the inside con- For'instance herein it forms a rectangular base 'll with slightly rounded corners, which rests on the adjacent side and corners of the package. The other end of the cpener'6 is formed with curved edges 18 and I9 which taper to a piercing point 2| substantially on the diagonal relatively to the plane of the opener 6. The curved edge I8 is a cuttingedge and it may be provided with a sharp edge if necessary. A finger piece 22 is formed on the curved edge l9 near to the point 2| which protrudes outside of the package after the point, 2| is caused to penetrate the respective sideof the package, and then it may be engaged by the nail of the user so as to exert a tangential force at said point thereby urging the cutting edge IS with a shearing movement across the side of the package to rip and open the same.

The embodiment illustrated in Figures 1, 2, J

and 3 is particularly useful to so open the package of cigarettes as to protect the cigarettes from dropping out of the package, or to prevent loosenside 8. The width of the opener 6 is the same as the width of the package I so that the edges of its lower portion, to about half way of its length, are alongside the front and rear sides 8 and 9. Thus the package I is practically divided into two compartments and the cigarettes l6 are packed on each side of said opener 6.

This type of package is opened by holding the.

package between the fingers as shown in Figure 1,

the thumb 28 on the bottom ll bearing on the end of the base 8, the index and middle fingers 24 hearing on the top l2 spaced on opposite sides of the location of the piercing point 2|. Then by pressing the thumb 23 upwardly the pliable bottom II is dented at its center as at 26 and the upwardpressure on the base 8 forces the opener 6 upwardly and causes the piercing point 2| to penetrate through the wrapping of the package as at 21. After the point 2| is thus pushed to the outside of the package I then the user can insert a finger nail into the serration or notch under the finger piece 22 and pull the opener 6 toward the front side 8 thereby causing the curved cutting-edge |8 to shear across the center line of the front 8, as shown in Figure 3. During this movement the base 8 of the opener 6 acts as a sliding pivot bearing against the front and rear sides 8 and 9 of the package 1. Then the I opener B can be removed and thrown away. The package 1 may be now opened apart around the cut in the middle. Inasmuch as the rear side 9 is uncut the halves of the package can be kept together and moved apart only when a cigaretteis taken from the package.

In some instances it may be preferable to open the package at its side and in such event the opener is placed along the side l4, as shown in Figure 4. The opener G is actuated as previously described, except that the bottom'8 is dented by the thumb 3 at the edge of the bottom opposite the opener base I! to push the opener 6 upwardly. The cut in this instance will be along the edges of the side l4 so that cigarettes can be rolled out sidewise, the side It here is used as a protecting flap.

In case it is desired to open the top, or part of the top of the package I, the opener 6 is arrangedon the top of thecigarettes l6 as shown in Figure 5. The opener 8 in this instance is of the same length as the distance between the sides l3 and I4 and the same width as the distance between the front and rear sides 8 and 9. The piercing point 2| may point in either direc tion, in this illustration the point 2| extends toward the rear side 9. The opener 6 lies along and below the top l2. The actuation of the opener 8 is the same as heretofore described, except that the package 1 isdented by the thumb at the joining edge of the sides l2 and I3 so as to push the opener 6 toward the side M and then the cutting edge I 8 of the. opener 6 can be pulled partly or wholly across the top of the rear side 9. In this instance the point 2| may be moved back and forth slightly or shaped with a wider double edge to cut across the top of side M as well as part of the rear side l8 to provide a comparatively small corner opening for the removal of cigarettes.

In all the above illustrations, as well as in use in other kinds of packages the opener 6 is packed.

together with the cigarettes or other contents of the package I. The package can be sealed and shipped without danger of opening because in order to operate the opener 6 it is necessary that the pressure be exerted and the package be dented at a particular, limited area only. In stiffer packages a limited flexible area may be provided opposite the base l8 oi the opener 6 for opening operation as above.

In Figure 6 we show an adaptation of our invention in connection with cardboard packages of the type used for fiour, or cereals and the like. In this form the opener 6 is arranged and held along and below the top 28 of thepackage or box 29, and a portion 3| of the box 29 around a part of its top edge is made pliable so that a pushing force may be exerted at that area upon the base H! of the opener 6 until the piercing point 2|. penetrated through the walls of the box 29 near the top edge, then the opener can be drawn around below the top edge as far as desired to allow the opening of part or whole of the top 28. It is to be noted that the piercing point 2| is toward the farthest corner of the top from the cutting edge l8 of the opener 6 so that it can run across the top of the end also. The pliable portion 3| is preferably protected by a stiff removable covering 32 upon the box which can be torn off before the opener is actuated.

Havingthus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for opening the wrapping of a package, comprising a stiff element within the package, an end of said element conforming to t e interior contour of the adjacent sides of the package, a curved piercing point formed at the other end of said element so as to pierce the wrapping when pressed against the wrapping, a cutting edge on one side of said element and an engagement member formed on said element adjacent said piercing point and on the side opposite said cutting edge whereby a turning movement may be exerted upon the element to force said point along a side of the package to open said wrapping.

2. A device for opening a package, comprising a stiff element in the package, a portion of said element being so formed as to fit an adjacent area of the package, a piercing point at an end of said element adapted to penetrate through a side of the package and protrude from the package when pressure is exerted on said element, an engagement member on said element located'at the portion of said element which penetrates said package whereby a turning moment can be exerted on the element to move the same across a side of the package, the edge of said element adjacent said point having a concave, curved cutting edge for cutting said side of the package.

3. A device for opening a package, comprising, a fiat, stifi plate fitting inside the package, a straight base on the plate adapted to rest on one side of the package, a piercing point on the plate pointing toward another side of the package and adapted to pierce the last mentioned side of the package whenpressed against it, said base being adapted to receive pressure on the plate only when the adjacent side of the package is flexed inwardly at the area opposite said base, a curved cutting edge on said plate near said point and means at the piercing point whereby said plate maybe drawn across a side of the package with its cutting edge leading at an angle to the side on which said base rests.

4. The combination with a usual package of cigarettes, of a stiff member arranged longitudinally in the package between and alongside the cigarettes, said member being substantially of the same length as the length of the cigarettes, one end of said member being substantially of the same width as the width of the interior of the package, a curved, piercing element formed at the other end of said member extended substantially in a diagonal direction relatively to said member and being'adapted to penetrate through the adjacent side and wrapping of said package when the wide'end of said member is pressed inwardly of the package, and a finger piece on the stiff member near the piercing element by means of which the stiff member maybe drawn edgewise longitudinally across the adjacent side of the package to rip the same open;

5. The combination with a usual package of cigarettes, of a stiff member arranged longitudinally in the package between and alongside the cigarettes, an end of said member conforming to the adjacent inner corner of the package, a piercing element on the other end of said member extended toward the opposite corner of the package and being adapted to penetrate through the adjacent side of the package and said cigarettes, and means on said-member whereby said member may be drawn edgewise across the adjacent side the package to longitudinally out said side.

6. A package opener comprising a stiff element,

a sharp, piercing end thereon, a blunt end there-.

on, and an engagement member at said piercing end for manipulating the opener, one edge of said piercing end opposite said engagement member being curved and sharpened to form a cutting edge, said blunt end being adapted to coast with the inner sides of the package so as to form a shiftable, fulcrum for the cutting movement of clement adjacent said point and opposite to said cutting edge adapted to be engaged by a person so as to apply a diagonal force toward said cutting edge.

8. A package opener comprising a still element adapted to be in position on the inside of a container alongside a wall of said container", an end of said element being reduced in width and curved said element, and a finger piece on said element adjacent said point and on the convex edge of said curved end adapted to be engaged by a person so as to apply a'diagonal force toward said concave edge.

combination a container made of stiff material,

9. In an opener oi the character described in an opener element disposed within the container,

, a piercing member on said opener element adapted to pierce a wall of the container, one of the stiff walls of said container having a pliable portion formed therein opposite an end of said opener element for transmitting a force from the outside to the end of the opener element and force said piercing member onto another wall of the container to pierce and penetrate through the latter, and means for manipulating said opener to cut open the adjacent walls of the container after one of said container walls is pierced.

10. The combination with a container having stiff walls, of an opener movably positioned along one of said walls, one end of said opener being blunt, the other end being sharp, a flexible patch formed in the stifi wall adjacent the blunt end of the opener through which patch pushing force can be applied from the outside to said blunt end of the opener for forcing said sharp end to and through another stiff wall of said container.

11. The combination with a container having stifi walls, otan opener movably positioned along one of said walls, one end of said opener being blunt, the other end being sharp, a flexible patch formed in the stiff wall adjacent the blunt and of the opener through which patch pushing force can be applied from the outside to said blunt end of the opener for forcing said sharp end to another stiff wall of said container, and a still protective cover forsaid patch being removably held on said container. I

12. The combination with a container having stiff walls, of an opener movably positioned along one of said walls, one end of said opener being blunt, the other end beingsharp, a cutting edge at one edge of said opener, a flexible patch formedin the still wall adjacent the blunt endoi. the opener through which patch pushing force can be applied from'the outside to said blunt end of the opener without breakingthe stiff wall for forcing-sald sharp end to another stifl wall of said container, a curved cutting edge on said opener near said sharp end, and means on the opener at said sharp end whereby said opener may be drawn across an opp site still wall of the,

container with said cutting edge leading at an angle to the wall on which said patch is formed.

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