US2455291A - Cellular carton - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30, 1948. L. BENOIT 2,455,291

CELLULAR CARTON Filed July 4, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 3Q, lgdfi asst UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CELLULAR CARTON Leon Benoit, New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Robert Gair Company, Inc.,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 4, 1945, Serial No. 603,213 4 Claims. (01. 229-2s) This invention relates in general to a cellular holder adapted to contain and protect within its cells articles such as eggs, fruits, candies and the like, and is more particularly described as a carton formed from a pair of fiat blanks which are interfitted for interlocking into a unitary structure having cells with cushion bottoms to provide a suspension support for articles contained therein.

An important object of the invention is to provide a cellular carton or holder formed from a pair of fiat blanks which occupy a minimum of space and are convenient for packing, storage and shipment and to be combined into a unitary structure to form a closed holder and to open out for accessibly displaying the contents without destroying the assembly of the holder.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cellular carton made from a pair of flat blanks locked into a unitary structure by end locks which also engage the covers and provide means for lifting the carton by the covers when they are closed or by the said means when the covers are open for display.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cellular carton made from a pair of blanks and each having a row of flaps which are turned to form cross walls and means for engaging each cross wall through its own side wall and resiliently locking it in place.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a cellular carton composed of flat blanks cut and scored to form interfitting blanks without slots therein which form or require disposal of the punchings therefrom.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings whichillustrate a suggestive embodiment of the invention, in which 1 is a perspective view of an assembled carton in accordance with this invention; one of the covers being open and the other cover being closed;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the two complementary blanks of Which the carton is made;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an outer-elevational view of one of the cross wall locking means;

In making and assembling cartons from blanks having folding and interfitting parts, it is desirable to avoid blank constructions which have slots and therefore require disposal of punchings in order to interconnect or interengage the parts. In the present invention this objection is overcome by providing projections and slits which take up all of the interior cut portions of the blank without displacing any material which it is necessary to remove. A further objection in many holders is that adequate provision is not made for engaging and locking the cross walls in place and in maintaining them in locking position. This objection is overcome in the present invention by providing an angular slot with a yielding tab at one end through which a hook lug is inserted and locked in position by the yielding tab.

The present holder or carton comprises two complementary blanks H! which may be identically cut and scored, the two blanks each having flaps which when turned at ninety degrees become the cross walls of the opposite adjacent cellular section thereby firmly interlocking the two 7 sections of the carton when it is erected.

Each blank ID has longitudinal score lines ll, I2 and I3 dividing it into a bottom 14, and a side I5, one or both blanks being formed with a cover I6 (full or half width, as desired) and a cover flap Il.

At the outer edge of the bottom portion are end flaps l8 and I9, and intermediate flaps 20 alternated with flaps 2|. Each flap is hinged to the edge of the bottom section M by a scored hinge line 22 extending at right angles to the edge of the bottom so that when the flap is folded thereon and turned at ninety degrees it extends outwardly or oppositely from the edge of the bottom l4.

At the outer edge of each flap is a hook lug 23 having a notch 24 at one end forming a hook and an inclined wedging surface 25 at the other end for making a locking engagement.

In the side portion l5 are a plurality of side locks for engaging the hook lugs 23 of the opposite blank, each lock comprising an H-slit having parallel end slits 26 and 2'! connected by a cross slit 28 with an angular locking tab 29 formed by a slit 30 extending angularly from one end of slit 2'! to a point approximately in line with the cross slit 28, if it were extended.

The operation of this look construction is such ity 3| of each hook is inserted through the slit 28 and the hook is displaced longitudinally by the engagement of the inclined wedging surface with the resilient tab 29 which pushes the end of the hook beyond the slit 21 and locks yieldingly below the opposite end of the hook lug 23.

In the outer edge of the cover flap H are notches 32 with inclined edges 33 adapted to seat them more readily in engagement with the flaps which become the cross walls. At the ends of the cover flap are recesses forming locking projections 34 with opposite rounded edges 35 extending to the outer edge of the flap. At one end of the cover I6 is a rounded recess 38 to provide a finger engaging portion at each end of the carton when it is assembled.

In the end flaps l8 and I9 which become the end cross walls are cut tabs 31 and 38 respectively each connected by a scored hinge line 39. The cross walls formed by opposite flaps i8 and ill at one end of the carton are overlapped at their central portion so that the flaps 31 and 38 of adjacent cross walls are in alignment with each other and may be pushed outwardly upon their hinge lines to lock the end cross walls together and to also provide lock openings at each end of the carton for the engagement of both of the lock projections 34 of each of the carton cover flaps ll.

Each of the flaps 2B is formed with an angular notch 40 in the edge which becomes its innermost and uppermost projection when it is turned inwardly to form one of the connecting cross walls and extending from the bottom of the notch is a slit 4! with an angular portion r.

42 at the bottom and a scored hinge line 43 parallel to the slit 4| to provide a yielding tongue for engaging the inwardly turned cover flaps l1.

Each of the other similar alternate flaps 2i is reduced in size by an inwardly extending cut line 44 which forms a corresponding recess matching with a similar recess in the opposite cross walls, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3 and extending below the lower edge of the cover flap I! so that it is not necessary for the cover flaps to engage with each of the cross partitions which are duplicated centrally of an assembled carton.

In the edges of iiaps l8 and 20 adjacent their junction with the bottom H are recesses 45 which form corresponding projections 46, and al- 7 ternate flaps 2| have projections 41 extending into recesses 48 at the edge of the bottom l4 to provide endwise engaging projections between the bottoms of the two sections for holding them together in proper engagement but to provide a somewhat yielding or flexibly movable connection between the bottoms and by which the contents of each cell may be pressed upwardly when the bottom and side walls of each cell are pressed inwardly together.

With this construction the out blanks of the cartons may be conveniently stacked in fiat form occupying a minimum space for storage and shipment. In assembling the cartons, each of the flaps forming the cross walls are bent out of the plane of the blank at right angles thereto and the cross walls of two adjacent blanks, partially folded, are extended oppositely pressing the hook lugs of each section through the H-locking slits of the opposite section. Since the hook lugs are automatically engaged, the cartons are thus readily set up in open position, the cross walls are extended and overlapping at the center line between the sections. ready to receive eggs or other articles inserted therein.

4 At this time the registering end flaps 31 and 38 may be turned outwardly if desired to further interlock the ends but when either one or both of the cover flaps are inserted centrally downward in the carton engaging the vertical guides formed by the slits 4|, the locking projections 34 will also engage the innermost flaps 31 or 38 pushing them both outwardly and interlocking the projection 34 in the end locking openings formed by the displacement of the flaps 31 and 38.

In order to open the carton, the cover may be torn loose if it is not desired to save it. or the projecting tabs 31 and 38 at both ends may be grasped by the fingers and pulled outwardly whereupon the locking projections 34 of the cover flaps will be freed from the locking openings and the covers may be raised and moved outwardly. Another method of opening the carton is to insert therein a thin blade like a knife, between the cover flaps at one end and to push out the overlapping cross walls until the locking projections 34 of the flaps are freed from the openings thereof whereupon either one or both of the covers may be opened.

This carton is easily closed and opened, and when closed, it is automatically locked against accidental opening. The cross connection of the cross walls locks one section through the side wall of the other section and the overlapping of these walls at the center produces a strong and rigid structure which is simple, durable, cushioned, and may be made of relatively light material so that it is economical to manufacture.

I claim:

1. A cellular carton comprising two foldable blanks each having flaps hinged along one edge and extensible at right angles within the other blank to form cross walls, a side wall with cross slits corresponding to the cross walls and upper and lower parallel slits extending longitudinally of the side wall in opposite directions from the ends of the cross slits and forming yieldable portions at opposite sides of the cross slits for engaging the cross walls, said side wall having at one end of each lower slit a slit extending angularly from said lower slit to a point approximately in line with the cross slit, forming a yieldable looking tab, a hook shaped lug at the outer edge of each flap insertable through the cross slit in the side wall of the opposite blank and engaged at opposite sides by said yieldable portions and engageable with the locking tab at the bottom of the cross slit, said locking tab retaining the lug in the cross slit.

2. A cellular carton comprising two foldable blanks each having flaps hinged along one edge and extensible at right angles with the other blank to form cross walls, a. side wall with cross slits corresponding to the cross walls and upper and lower parallel slits extending longitudinally of the side wall in opposite directions from the ends of the cross slits and forming yieldable portions at opposite sides of the cross slits for engaging the cross walls, said side wall having at one from said lower slit to a point approximately in line with the cross slit, forming a yieldable lock ing tab, a hook shaped lug at the outer edge of each flap insertable through the cross slit in the side wall of the opposite blank and engaged at opposite sides by said yieldable portions and engageable with the locking tab at the bottom of the cross slit, said locking tab retaining the lug in the cross slit and said lug being provided with a wedge-shaped portion for engagement with the locking tab for forcing the hook-shaped lug into locking position.

3. A cellular carton comprising two foldable blanks each having flaps hinged along one edge and extensible at right angles within the other blank to form cross walls, means in each side wall for engaging the cross walls of the other blank, the two cross walls at each end of the carton overlapping and having registering hinged tabs formed of the material of the wall in the 10 overlapping portion and movable together outwardly from the walls to lock the walls centrally together and to form an opening therethrough, and a hinged cover having a cover flap extending downwardly and provided with a stifi end projection extending through the registering openings formed by said hinged tabs and locking the cover in closed position and engaging the registering hinged tabs and holding the same in locking position to maintain the end flaps in interlocked rela- 20 tion.

4. A cellular carton comprising two foldable blanks each having flaps hinged along one edge and extensible at right angles within the other blank to form cross walls, means in each side wall for engaging the cross walls of the other blank, the two cross walls at each end of the carton overlapping and having registering hinged tabs REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 454,636 Brown et a1 June 23, 1891 885,159 Keys "Apr. 21, 1908 1,669,454 Close May 15, 1928 1,957,755 Bourque May 8, 1934 2,105,181 Bueschel Jan. 11, 1938 2,261,625 Jones Nov. 4, 1941 2,316,050 Coyle Apr. 6, 1943 2,319,924 Ferguson May 25, 1943 2,326,244 Moore, Jr Aug. 10, 1943

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