US2730293A

US2730293A - Boxes or cartons

Info

Publication number: US2730293A
Application number: US473231A
Authority: US
Inventors: Levkoff David
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-12-06
Filing date: 1954-12-06
Publication date: 1956-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 1973-01-10

Description

Jan. 10, 1956 D. LEVKOFF BOXES OR CARTONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 6, 1954 Jag/ d 312};

Jan. 10, 1956 D. LEVKOFF BOXES OR CARTONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1954 INVENTOR Dar/ml la nited States This invention relates-to boxes or cartons, :and-more particularly to the tray-like .type ofcarton that .is now widely used for containing ,fruits, vegetables, candies, baked products, and many other; articles.

In this type of tray, the end walls are usually maintained in an upright orerechposition by means of a looking flap provided oneach end-:walhand .whichflap generally has its locked endfitted into engagement with a slit ,providedat the junction-of the end wallandthe bottom of the carton. Thus, the erection of this type of tray requires the insertion of the above-mentioned lockinggfiap in the slit, and which, if not properly done, results in collapse of the end wall 'of .the carton. Moreover, the erection of a box constructed as just described, is-timeconsuming; the slits formed in the carton often permit of leakage of the contents=of=the carton; the projection of the locking flaps through the slits to slightly extend below the bottom of the carton often interferes with the easy handling and transport of the carton on a conveyor belt, and various other objectionspresent'themselves when the tongue-and :slitconnection-are used for maintenance of the end walls in-their required upright orerectposition.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a carton or tray of the character describedin which the use of an interengaging tongue-an'd slot connection to lock the carton walls in 'their erect position willbe dispensed with. It is an object of the invention to provide a wall lock to maintain the walls of the carton in their erect or upright position by a simple movement of the end walls to such position, and which movement will cause portions of the end walls to assume a downturned and locked posi tion which they will maintain indefinitely to hold the walls upright.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown,

Fig. 1 is a face view of the blank from which the carton or tray is produced;

Fig. 2 shows the blank in its folded and glued condition as it is delivered to the consumer and in readiness for setting up or erection;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the erected carton;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view in perspective, looking toward one end of the erected carton or tray;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a part of a modified form of carton in a partly-folded, flattened position;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the folded and glued carton, and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of one end of the carton of Figs. 6 and 7 in its erected position.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to atent fiice consumer. The side walls 2,730,293 ?a.t ented Jan. .10, 1956 Fig. .1 thereof, wherein the blank from which the carton is produced is disclosed, 1 indicates the bottom of the carton. Two edges of the bottom 1 are defined by the longitudinal fold or

score lines

2 and 3, beyond which .are located the

side walls

4 and 5. The transverse score lines 6 are located at the opposite ends of thebottom l and beyond these fold lines 6 are located the outer end walls shown at 7. Both ends of the carton are similar in construction, and therefore a description of one of these ends willsufiice for both.

The outer end wall 7 isforrned with a transverse fold line 8 beyond which is located the outer lockingflap 9. Located between the end of each sidewall and the side edge of each outer end wall 7 is a web '10formed with a diagonal score line v12 meeting the inner termination of a slit 11 that extends inwardly from the sidevedge of the web. The webs it when folded on the lines 12, produce an inner end wall. The inner end wallrlocking flap is composed of the two tab portions 14, which are integral extensions of the webs 10 and which are folded on the score lines 13. These two co-operating tab portions .14 may be of such lateral extension that theycan overlap and'be adhesively secured together so that the inner locking flap will then be composed of these two tab portions 14 united together. As shown, they are not connected to one another but-are connected together by the adhesion to them of a portion of the outer locking 'fiap in a manner to be described.

in Fig. 2, the blank is shown in its folded and glued condition and in the form in which itis delivered 'to the 4 and Shave been folded in wardly on the

score lines

2 and 3 so that they overlie the upper face of the bottom 1. The tap portions 14, which co-operate to form the inner locking flap, have been folded inwardly on their fold lines 13 and overliethe infolded side walls. The outer locking flaps 9have also been folded inwardly so that the end portions 29 of these flaps are brought into contact with the faces of the tabs 14 and to which these portions 20 are adhesively attached. The inner surfaces'of the'areasili of the'locking "flaps-9 may be'adhesively-coated-as shown'at 15, to'thereby attach these portions 20 of the flaps 9, to the tabs 14. This arrangement joins or couples the locking flap 9 to the tabs 14, which tabs constitute the inner locking flap.

When the carton or tray, in the condition shown in Fig. 2 is delivered to the user or consumer, the setting up or erection of the carton is merely a matter of raising the end walls 7 to an erect position, or that shown in Fig. 4, by folding them upwardly on the score lines 6. When the two end walls are thus raised, the

side walls

4 and 5 will be also raised through the arrangement of the corner webs, and which arrangement is known in this art. The inner locking flap, composed of the tabs 14, and the outer locking flap 9 attached to it by adhesive 15, will fold inwardly and downwardly Within the box, this action being automatic when the two end walls are raised to vertical position. Since the two coupled locking flaps are pivoted at two spaced-apart points, namely at 8 and 13, there is a locking action attained when the two flaps are pivoted inwardly and downwardly to the position shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The outer locking flap 9 acts similarly to a leaf spring to hold down and prevent rise of the

inner locking fiap

14, 14, and the two flaps will remain securely downturned and locked holding the end wall in the erected position as shown clearly in Fig. 4.

As will be noted in Fig. 4, there is a tendency for the

inner locking flap

14, 14 to project out angularly from its pivotal point 8 and thus have its lower end extend out slightly from the end wall. This has been found desirable, since these

flaps

14, 14 at both ends of the carton apply a light and resilient pressure against the contents of the carton and in the case of one or more undersized articles being contained in the carton, looseness of fit of the contents will be taken up.

Since the erection or setting up of the carton merely requires the movement of the end walls to vertical position, it is apparent that a substantial saving of time in erecting these cartons will be the result. Moreover, since there is no interengagement of the locking flaps with slots, the provision of apertures in the body of the carton is unnecessary and the prevention of leakage of the contents out of the carton is attained.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, the carton shown is generally similar to that disclosed in Figs. 1 t0 5. It will be noted, however, that the end wall 30 and the locking flap 31 formed thereon are not split in the manner described with respect to the first embodiment. The locking flap 31 is folded down on the fold line 32.

The outer end wall shown at 33 is provided with the outer locking flap 34 foldable downwardly on the score or foldline 35. The locking flap 34 is adhesively attached, for a portion of its area, or the portion designated at 36, to the part of the inner face shown at 37 of the outer end wall 33. The portion 36 may be provided with an adhesive coating 36a to facilitate the securement together of these parts. This provides a free end portion 38 on the flap 34 that is disposed over the face of the inner locking flap 31, but no physically secured thereto. This free end portion 38 of the outer locking flap is springily or resiliently held against the inner locking fiap 31 without being actually attached to it.

When the carton of this embodiment is erected, or is transformed from the flattened position of Fig. 7 to that of Fig. 8, and the two

flaps

31 and 34 are moved in a manner to direct them down into the carton, the locking action of these flaps will then be similar to that of the first embodiment except that the two

flaps

31 and 34 are not secured together.

While I have herein described several embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that such embodiments are illustrative, since the carton may be made in many shapes or forms. Also, while I have suggested that the portions of the outer locking flaps 9 which overlie the tabs 14 be adhesively attached to such tabs, or be ad hesively attached to parts of said outer flaps, it will be apparent that the parts mentioned may be connected in some other manner, such as by stapling or other means.

These and other modifications are contemplated by the invention and are believed to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. A carton of the character described provided with a bottom, side walls, outer end walls, webs between the ends of the side walls and the ends of the outer end walls, said webs being foldable along diagonal score lines to form inner end walls and parts overlying such walls, a locking flap at the upper end of each of the inner end walls, said locking flaps being each folded downwardly on a transverse fold line substantially in the plane of the upper edges of the side walls into the carton to thereby extend over the parts of the folded webs, said locking flaps being secured together in overlapped position, a flap extending upwardly from the top of each of the outer end walls, said flaps being each folded downwardly on a transverse fold line in spaced relation and above the last named fold line and having their end portions overlapping and adhesively attached to the locking flaps on the inner end walls, the width of the connected end flaps being substantially coextensive with the width of the carton, said outer end wall flap coacting with said locking flaps to cause them to remain downfolded and to do so solely by the erecting movement of the end walls of the carton.

2. A carton as in claim 1, wherein the inner locking flaps terminate adjacent the bottom of the carton and the outer flaps terminating in spaced relation to the bottom of the carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,046,017 Reber Dec. 3, 1912 1,297,636 Bachmann Mar. 18, 1919 1,354,012 Bachmann Sept. 28, 1920 2,177,856 Bennett Oct. 31, 1939 2,681,173 Guyer June 15, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 901,178 France Oct. 30, 1944 468,707 Canada Oct. 10, 1950