US2281707A - Container - Google Patents

Description

May 5, 1942. y L. non 2,281,707

' GONTAINER Filed March 20, 1941 /f f FIGA.

INVENTOR. -EnwlN L.. MOT-r I ATTORNEY 4Patented May 5, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Edwin L. Mott, St. Louis, Mo. Application Mai-ch 2o, 1941, serial No. 384,251 l (ci. 20e-56) 2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to containers and, more particularly, to acertain new and useful improvement in containers of collapsible type.

My invention has for its primary object the provision of a collapsible container uniquely constructed for use especially; though not exclusively,

with, and during the consumption of, a frozen confection.

My invention hasA for a further object the provision of a container of the type and for the purpose stated which may be constructed inexpensively and conveniently from a single unitary blank, which is -sturdy in construction and neat in appearance, which is initially flat for compact storage when empty and may be readily converted into a substantially flat-bottomed tubular shell of rectilinear shape for accommodating a quantity of frozen confection in the mannner of an ice cream bar, which, when ap propriately filled with the confection, may be progressively reduced in sections or peeled olf, as it may be said, for exposing for consumption a portion of the confection while the remaining portion of the shell serves as a protective covering and holder for the confection, and which is highly eilicient in the performance of its stated functions.

' And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in thenovel features oi form,'construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank scored for bending and folding for the production of al container of my persent invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the finished container in at or unopened condition;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the container taken approximately along the line 3-3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the container in opened condition ready to receive its contents;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the opened container; and

Figure 6 illustrates in perspective the container in association with a frozen confection, with part of the container removed or torn away for edibly presenting the confection.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, the carton is constructed from a blank A die-cut or otherwise formed from a single piece of suitable container-stock, such, for instance, as heavy cardboard or the like. As shown, the blank A is of any suitable or selected length and is divided substantially midway its length by a transverse score or hinge-line 3 to integrally include relatively foldable main and supplemental sections i, 2, respectively, approximately of equal length, but with the latter reduced in width relatively to the former.

The section 2 is of suitably elongated oblongrectangular contour with parallel side or longitudinal margins I and an end margin 5 paralel with the hinge-line 3, the section 2 being provided longitudinally with score or folding lines 6 spaced equidistantly from, and extending from line 3 to margin 5 parallel to, the side margins 4. The fold-lines 6 thus divide the section 2 longitudinally into a so-called front wall forming panel a and side wall forming portions b, b, and at a distance, longitudinally of the blank A, from the hinge-line 3 approximately equal to the distance between each of the fold-lines 6 and the adjacent side margins 4, the central or front wall forming panel a of section 2 is transversely scored for bending, as at 1, for defining a panel, as at c, for partially forming the bottom wall of the container. In addition, the section 2 is also suitably scored for bending along lines 8 extending obliquely from the outer ends of the hinge-line 3 to the points of intersection -between the fold-lines 6 and 1.

It will be noted in this connection that the oblique fold-lines 8 are disposed approximately at angles of 'to thefold-lines 6, and intermediate the fold-line 1 and its free end margin 5, the section 2 is provided transversely from one side margin 4 to the other with zones-or lines of weakness, as at 9, I0, suitably spaced at nonuniform distances respectively from the margin 5 and from each other so as to divided the section 2 longitudinally into a plurality of, in the present instance three, sections of unequal length.

The main section I is of the same length as, and is substantially wider than, thesupplemental section 2 and is formed or provided with a pair of spaced parallel lengthwise extending fold-lines ll, which register or align with the side margins l of the section 2, as best seen in Figure 1, and

which, as presently appears, define center-lines of the opposite side walls of the finished carton.

, Similarly, the section i is also formed or-pro vided .longitudinally with fold-lines I2, which register with the fold-lines 6 and divide the section I longitudinally into a so-called rear .wall forming panel d and side wall forming portions e.

e', and likewiseat a point spaced, longitudinally of blank A, from the hinge-line 3 a distance approximately equal to the width of the panel c. the blank A is transversely scored for bending, as at I3, and for dening a panel c' co-operaole with the panel c in forming the bottom wall of the container, the fold-line I3 being at its opposite ends to the opposite ends of the hinge-line 3 by oblique lfold-line I4 similarly disposed approximately at 45 to the fold-lines I2.

The side wall forming portions e, e', of the section I are obliquely cut oif at their inner or lower end, as at I'I, at an angle of 45 to the foldlines II, the margins I'I aligning with the foldlines 3 and consequently extending at an angle of 90 to the lines Il. For purposes presently appearing, the portion e' is slightly wider, as at I6, over a substantial portion of its length and is obliquely cut inwardly, as at I3, to provide :a short section, as at I9, of the same width as the opposite portion e.

In addition, the main section I is provided with a plurality of transversely extending lines of perforations or zones of weakness; as at 9', Ill',

which are respectively spaced from the hingeline 3 by the same distances as the corresponding zones of Weakness 9, I0, of the section 2 for coincidence therewith in the finished carton cr container, as will presently fully appear. y

The blank A, being so scored or marked for folding or bending, is now flrst folded upon itself about the hinge-line 3, and the sections I, 2, thereby brought into atwise overlying registration. Thereupon, the outer marginal portions I5, I 5', of the side wall forming members e, e', that is to say, the portions thereof intermediate the side margins of the section I and the fold-lines II, are folded over on the lines I I into facewise overlying relation upon the outer face'of, and are for the most part adhesively secured to, the marginal portions b, b, of the section 2 in the formation of a complete container B, all as best seen in Figures 2 and 3.

In the container B, so formed, it will be noted that the side wall portion e will register both along its oblique-inner-end margin I1 and longitudinal ,margin with the underlying fold-line 6 and the oblique fold-line 8 of the section 2, the portion e being adhesively secured preferably throughout such entire area of contact to the section 2.

The other side wall portion e' of the main section I,'whi1e also overlying and adhesivelly fixed to the opposite marginal portion b of the section 2, freely projects throughout its marginal extension I6 beyond the fold-line l and thereby presents in the finished carbon B a narrow free strip providing a pull-off extension or tab, as at 20.

In its thus at or unopened condition, the carton B may be compactly packed for shipment and handling. In use and for filling, however, the container B may be readily and conveniently opened by pressing the at carton B inwardly upon the opposite longitudinal margins, that is to say, fold-lines II and upwardly upon the hingeline 3, the flat container B being thereby `converted into a flat-bottomed open-topped elongated substantially oblong-rectangular tubular shell having a pair of triangular tabs 2| depending from and being substantially continuations of the side walls e, e', and an outwardly projecting tear-off or pull-tab 25, all as best seen in Figures 4 and 5.

In such opened condition, the container B may be suitably filled with a preformed ice-cream bar.

as at C, or maybe filled with a viscous ice-cream mix, the container and mix then subsequently being frozen to form a unitary frozen confection. In either case, the completed frozen confection, when sold to the consumer, may be attractively edibly displayed by grasping th tab section 20 above the upper coinciding lines of perforations or weakness 9, 9', and tearing off and discarding the upper container section, as shown in Figure 6.

When the thus-exposed portion 'of ice-cream C or frozen confection has been consumed, the next succeeding section of vthe carton B may be `similarly torn away or peeled off, as it may be said. During the consumption of the contained confection C, the confection will ordinarily undergo a substantial rise in temperature and will lose some of its initial hardness. For this reason and also by reason of the unique nature of the depending triangular side wall extensions 2I, which co-operate with the hinge-line 3, the container may be squeezed together, collapsing the flattened bottom wall and permitting the somewhat softened confection to be squeezed up out of the remaining lower portion of the container, very much in the manner that a paste may be squeezed out of a .collapsible tube. It will, of course, be understood that the ice-cream or frozen confection is progressively squeezed upwardly and consuxned, until the'container has been collapsed substantially to its initial iiat condition, so that at all times the frozen confection will be sanitarily housed in at least the residual portion of the container, soiling of the hands of the consumer being thus obviated.

I t should be understood that changes and modiiications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the container may be made and substituted for vthose herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, l. A container constructed of a single substantially oblong-rectangular blank folded upon itself substantially midway its oppositel ends to include main and supplemental equal length sections, said sections being transversely scored adjacent to, and parallel with, said fold-line in the provision of co-operable bottom wall forming portions, the supplemental section being provided longitudinally adjacent its opposite side margins with parallel fold-lines and divided thereby into a front wall forming panel and side wall forming portions, and the main section having a greater width than the supplemental section and being provided with fold-lines aligningly registering with the fold-lines of the supplemental section, said fold-lines of the main section dividing the same into side wall forming portions and a rear wall forming panel, said side wall forming portions of the main section being longitudinally divided by fold-lines into lengthwise extending marginal portions each having a transverse Width opposite side margins with parallel fold-lines and divided thereby into a front wall' forming panel and side wall forming portions, and the main section having a greater width than the supplemental section and being provided with fold-lines aligningly registering with the foldlines of the supplemental section, said fold-lines of the main section dividing the same into side wall forming portions and a rear wall forming greater than the transverse width corresponding to the side-wall forming portions of said front wall and being partially foldable over and secured to said sidewall forming portions of the supplemental secton, and said front and rear Wall forming panels being provided with transverse and oblique fold-lines in the product-ion of cooperable portions forming a bottom wall which is integral with both the front and rear walls across panel, said side wall portions beinglongitudinally 10 substantially the ent-ire width of the container.

divided by fold-lines into lengthwise extending marginal portions each having a transverse width EDWIN L. MOTT.

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