US2747786A

US2747786A - Collapsible container

Info

Publication number: US2747786A
Application number: US265817A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin L Arneson
Original assignee: Morris Paper Mills
Current assignee: Morris Paper Mills
Priority date: 1952-01-10
Filing date: 1952-01-10
Publication date: 1956-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 1973-05-29

Description

May 29, 1956 E. L. ARNESON 2,747,735

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Jan. 10, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

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COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Jan. 10, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

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United States Patent COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Edwin L. Arneson, Morris, 111., assignor to Morris Paper Mills, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 10, 1952, Serial No. 265,817

8 Claims. (Cl. 229-39) This invention relates to containers and is more particularly concerned with improvements in collapsible cartons made of fibrous material which are adapted for use in marketing of a large variety of merchandise and especially frozen comestibles.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a carton fabricated from cut and scored paperboard or similar material which is initially formed in collapsed condition but which may be readily set up for filling from one end with any desired merchandise and which is particularly adapted for use in the frozen comestible industry wherein it is the present practice to freeze the ice cream or other material initially to a point where it is homogeneous and viscous, after which the partially frozen material is run into packages or other containers which are then conveyed to a hardening room Where the material is permitted to harden without agitation, the packages being removed at a later time for delivery to retail stores.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a paperboard carton which is particularly adapted for the bulk packaging of ice cream, in quantities suitable for retail merchandising, such as a half-gallon package, the carton being constructed so that it may be furnished in collapsed condition to the manufacturer and readily set up for filling at one end, with one side wall of the carton being adapted to be readily opened by the retail purchaser for convenient serving of the contents of the package, such side wall forming a recloseable cover when it is desired to remove only a portion of the contents upon initially opening the package.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a carton fabricated from a cut and scored blank of paperboard material in which the blank is divided into a plurality of connected panels which are folded and joined together in initially collapsed for flattened condition in such a manner that when pressure is applied to opposite side edges of the collapsed carton the side wall forming panels will move into set-up position and the end wall forming panels at one end will automatically move into position to form the bottom of the carton for filling from the opposite end which comprises foldable interlocking closure forming panels, one side wall of the carton being held along a side edge in connected relation with the adjoining side wall by a flap which is readily openable to provide access to the contents of the carton after it is filled and closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the type described wherein one side wall is arranged to form an openable cover with a closure tongue or flap along one edge initially secured to the outside margin of the adjoining side wall, which may be readily torn loose therefrom to free the cover for hinged movement about the edge of the opposite side wall to an open position to expose the contents of the container.

' Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the paperboard container which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a paperboard container, in completely set-up and closed condition, which embodies the principal features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a cut and scored paperboard blank suitable for making the container;

Figs. 3 and 4 are partial plan views illustrating steps involved in folding portions of the blank during manufacture of the container;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a further step in the fold ing of the blank;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the completed container in initially folded and collapsed condition;

Fig, 7 is a top plan view of the container in partially opened up position;

Fig. 8 is a view of the bottom of the container in the partially opened up position of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the lines 99 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the filling end of the container, after the flaps have been closed; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the container with the cover forming side wall thereof in partially opened position.

The container which is illustrated in the drawings is formed from a generally rectangular blank of flexible material which is cut and scored to provide a plurality of connected panels adapted to be folded into wall forming relation. The size of the container may be varied, as desired, depending upon the nature and quantity of the merchandise to be packaged, the illustrated container being of size and shape commonly used for packaging a half gallon quantity of ice cream.

The blank 10 from which the container is formed (Fig. 2) may be paperboard of a thickness sufficient to make the walls of the container self-sustaining when the container is opened up for use and to provide it with sufficient rigidity for confining the material which it is intended to receive. Any other blank material of a similar character which may be cut and scored as illustrated in Fig. 2 can be employed in the manufacture of the container, the choice of material being generally dictated by the nature of the product for which the container is desired.

The blank 10 is divided by longitudinal score lines 11, 12 and

transverse score lines

13, 14, 15 and 16 into a plurality of longitudinally extending connected

wall forming panels

17, 18, 19 and 20.

The area at one end of the blank, which is defined by the longitudinal score lines 11, 12 and transverse score lines 13, 14, constitutes a top or cover forming wall panel 17 for the container. The adjoining area which is defined by longitudinal score lines 11 and 12 and

transverse score lines

14 and 15 constitutes a back side wall forming panel 18. The next adjacent area which is defined by longitudinal score lines 11 and 12 and

transverse score lines

15 and 16 constitutes a bottom wall forming panel 19. The end area which is defined by longitudinal score line 11 at one side edge, cutting line 21 at the other side edge and the end edge 22 of the blank constitutes a front side wall forming panel 20.

The bottom forming panel 19 is provided with end Wall forming

flap members

23 and 24 which extend laterally from the longitudinal score lines 11 and 12 to the

side edges

25 and 26. The flap member 23 is freed from adjoining portions of the blank by cutting lines 27 and 28 which extend from the longitudinal score line 11 in alignment with the

transverse score lines

15 and 16 respectively. The flap member 24 is freed from adjoiningportions of the blank at one side by the cutting line 29 extending from the score line 12 to the side edge 26 of the blank and in approximate alignment with the transverse score line 15. At the opposite side the flap member 24 is separated by transverse score line 30 from a corner connecting tab 31, the score line 39 extending from the end of the longitudinal score line 1-2 and in alignment with the transverse score line 16. The corner tab member 31 has a generally triangular shape being out along the-side edge 26- of the blank, transversely along the-short line 32, which isinwardly of the endedge 22 of the blank, and alonga diagonal line 33 extending to the junction of longitudinal and

transverse score lines

12 and 16.

Thefront wall forming panel is provided at one end with-adiagonal score line 34which extends inwardly from the end of the score line 12, normal to the cutting line 33, and outwardly to the end edge 22 of the blank. At the other end the panel 20 is provided with an end wall forming flap 35 which is separated therefrom by longitudinal score line 11 and which extends to the side edge 25 of the blank with one side edge being along the end edge 22 of the blank and with the other side reed from adjoining end flap 23 by transverse cutting line 23. The flap is provided with a diagonal score line 36 having a central portion thereof cut along an irregular line 7 to provide a slot for a locking tab which will be described.

The back wall forming panel 18 is provided at one end with an end wall forming flap 38 which extends outwardly of the longitudinal score line 11 to approximately the side edge 25 of the blank with the outer portion thereof being cut along irregular lines, as shown, to provide a locking tab or tongue 39 for insertion in the slot 37 in the end wall forming member 35. The flap member 38 is freed at its side edges by cutting lines 27 and 40 from adjoining portions of the blank, which cutting lines extend in alignment from the ends of the

lateral score lines

15 and 14, respectively. At the other end the panel 18 is provided with an end wall forming flap portion 41 which extends from the score line 12 to the side edge 26 of the blank and which is freed from adjoining portions of the blank by

cutting lines

42 and 43 extending laterally from the ends of

transverse score line

14 and 15 respectively. The flap member 41 is scored diagonally at 44 and cut at 45 to provide a triangular inner portion 46 for a purpose which will be described.

The cover forming panel 17 is provided at one end with an end wall forming flap 47 which extends outwardly of the score line 11 and which is separated from the adjacent flap forming portion 38 by the cutting line 40. The llap 47 is preferably somewhat shorter than the flap portion 23 which extends from the bottom forming panel 19. At the other end the panel 17 is provided with an end wall forming fiap 48 which extends outwardly of the longitudinal score line 12 and which is separated from the adjoining flap 41 by the cutting line 42. The flap 48 is somewhat shorter than the flap 24 which extends from the bottom flap forming panel 19 and terminates at its outer edge in an irregular line 49. The flap 48 is provided with a corner connecting tab formation 50 extending in the longitudinal direction beyond a transverse score line 51 which is aligned with transverse score line 13. A diagonal score line 52 extends from the end of the score line 12 in a diagonally outward direction to the outer edge 49. The panel 17 is also provided along the end margin of the blank with a securing flap or tongue 53 which is relatively narrow and which extends from the transverse score line 13 to the end edge 54 of the blank. The securing flap 53 extends approximately the width of the panel 17 terminating at the ends at

cutting lines

55 and 56 extending longitudinally and in alignment with the longitudinal score lines 11 and 12, respectively. A diagonal score line 57 is provided across the one corner of the flap 53 adjacent the end flap 47 which forms a diagonal corner portion 58 on the same.

The manner of folding and connecting the Wall form-. ing panels and members of the blank 10 is illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6, it being understood that the blank is folded and the panels are assembled so that when it is initially 4 set up the

end wall flaps

23, 35, 33 and 47 will be in open orextended relation while the opposite end forming flapswill be folded and connected in such a manner that the setting up of the container automatically draws them into wall forming position with the fiap 24 innermost. The triangular corner portion 59 of the front Wall forming panel 20 which is formed by diagonal score line 34 is initially folded (Fig. 3) about the score line 34 into flattened relation with the remainder of the panel. The end fiap 41 is folded first outwardly about the score line 44 and then inwardly about the longitudinal score line 12 to bring the triangular portion 46 into fiat engagement with the panel 13 and the remainder of the flap in doubled over engagement with the triangular portion 46. The flap 48 is also folded inwardly about the score line 12 with the corner connecting tab 53 being folded inwardly about the transverse score line 51 and then outwardly about the diagonal score line 52 and positioned as. shown in Fig. 3. With the blank folded in this manner adhesive is applied on the

areas

60, 61, 62 and 63. Thereafter the end forming flap 24 is folded inwardly about the score line 12 and the corner connecting tab 31 secured by the adhesive to the triangular portion 59 of the panel 20. The blank is next folded or doubled upon itself about the transverse score line 15 to bring the outer face. of the end flap 24 into engagement with the adhesive on the end flap 41 (Fig. 5). Finally, the securing flap forming panel 53 is folded inwardly about the score line 13 to bring the

adhesive areas

62 and 63 into engagement with the side margin of the panel 20 and with the corner connecting tab 50, thus completing the assembly of the blank, and providing the finished container, in flattened condition, ready for shipment to the user.

In erecting the container to place it in condition for filling the same with the desired merchandise, the edges of the collapsed container are grasped along the fold lines 13 and 15 and moved toward each other to position each of the connected

wall forming panels

17, 18, 19 and 20 at a right angle to the adjoining panels. This movement causes the end flap 24 and the triangular portion 59 of the front wall forming panel 20 to move about the fold lines 12 and 34 to bring the flap 24 into end wall forming position. This movement also causes the end wall forming member 41 to hinge about the fold line 44 into end wall forming position and the member 48 to move about the score line 12 into end wall forming position, with the end of the member 48 adjacent the cutting line 42 moving between the triangular portion 46 and the remainder of the member 41, this member being received in the slot formed by the diagonal cutting line 45. The wall connecting tongue or flap 53 being secured to the front side wall 20 moves or opens out with the latter and swings the corner connecting tab 50, which is adhesively secured thereto, about the transverse score line 13 and the-diagonal score line 51 to open out the end flap 48 at the forward end thereof while the other end of the flap 48 is moved about score line 12 by engagement with the two portions of end wall flap 41.

With the container in squared up or open condition and the

flaps

23, 35, 38 and 47 extended in the plane of the side walls or outwardly thereof, if required, the container may be filled, in standard filling machinery, with. ice cream or any similar product in a fluid state. Thereafter the

flaps

23, 47, 35 and 38 are folded in that order into closed position, the locking tab 39 on the flap 38 being engaged in the slot 37 to retain the end flaps in closed position. The filled container may then be further pro-. cessed or stored, as required.

When it is desired to open the filled and closed container to obtain access to the contents, the corner portion 58 outside of the diagonal line 57 of the securing or sealing flap 53 may be grasped and the flap 53 pulled loose from the front wall forming panel 20 which frees .the cover forming wall 17 for movement about the transverse'crease line 14 into open position. The end flaps 47- and 48 on the same being unattached to the end forming wall members with which they are interfolded, permits free movement of the cover member 17 upon breaking the seal between the connecting flap 53 and the front side wall 20.

While specific materials and details of construction have been referred to in describing the preferred form of the container, it will be understood that other materials and other details of construction of an equivalent nature may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A container formed from a single blank of cardboard material which is cut and scored to divide the same into a plurality of connected panels, which panels form when the container is erected, bottom, side and end walls and a cover, said cover being hinged along one edge to one side wall and having a securing tongue along the opposite edge adapted to be adhered in overlapping relation to the margin of the opposite side wall, one of said end walls comprising a flap hingedly connected along adjoining edges to an end edge of the bottom wall and of one side wall, a cooperating flap hingedly connected to the opposite side wall and having a portion of one face thereof secured to said first mentioned flap, said last mentioned flap being foldable upon itself along a diagonal score line and a third flap hingedly connected to the adjacent end edge of said cover and adapted to move into non-connected interleaved relation with said first and second mentioned flaps when the container is in erected condition, said third flap being connected at the forward end thereof to said securing tongue and being foldable into flattened relation with said cover and said securing tongue when said container is collapsed.

2. A collapsible container of relatively flexible material comprising a body member having connected bottom, side and end walls and a cover member hinged along one edge to a side wall, said cover having a securing flap along the forward edge adapted to be secured in face engagement with the side wall opposite its hinged connection and said cover member having a collapsible flap at one end joined to said securing flap by a foldable triangular web portion, end forming flaps at the adjacent end of said body member being interconnected and foldable upon themselves along a diagonal line, said end wall forming flaps being hingedly connected to the bottom and to one of said side walls and to an inwardly foldable triangular end portion of the other one of said side walls, whereby they move into end wall forming position upon erection of the carton and cooperating end wall forming flaps having interlocking portions at the opposite end of said body and cover members, the end flaps on said cover member being free to move out of end wall forming position when the carton is in erected condition upon swinging the cover to open position.

3. A collapsible paperboard carton comprising a body member having connected bottom, side and end walls and a cover member hinged along one edge to the top edge of the rear side wall, said cover having a securing flap along the forward edge adapted to be secured in face engagement with the margin of the outside of the front side wall and said cover member having an end flap joined at the forward end to said securing flap and having a foldable triangular portion permitting said end flap and said securing flap to be collapsed against said cover, end forming flaps at the adjacent end of said body member, said body end forming flaps being interconnected and foldable into coplanar end wall forming position when the carton is erected with said cover end flap in interleaved coplanar end wall forming relation therewith and cooperating end wall forming flaps at the opposite end of said body and cover members, said cover member having its end flaps free to move relative to said body end forming flaps and out of end wall forming position when the cover is erected and the cover is swung to open position.

4. A container formed from a single blank of cardboard material which is cut and scored to divide the same into a plurality of connected panels, which panels form when 6 the container is erected, bottom, side and end walls and a cover, said cover being hinged at one edge to the edge of one side wall and having an integral securing flap at the opposite edge thereof adapted to be adhered in overlapping relation to the margin of the opposite side wall, one of said end walls comprising a flap hingedly connected along adjoining edges to the bottom wall and to one side wall, said one side wall having a foldable triangular portion at the end connected thereto, a cooperating flap hingedly connected to the opposite side wall and having an end portion thereof secured to the outer face of said first mentioned flap, said last mentioned flap being foldable upon itself along a diagonal score line extending upwardly and forwardly from said opposite side wall and a third flap hingedly connected to the adjacent end of said cover, said third flap having a foldable triangular portion at the forward end thereof connected to said integral cover flap and being foldable into flattened relation with said cover when said container is collapsed, said third flap being free to move out of end wall forming position, when the container is in erected condition, upon releasing said cover securing flap and swinging the cover to open position.

5. A collapsible paperboard container comprising a body member having connected bottom, side and end walls a cover member hinged along one edge to the top edge of the rear side wall, said cover having a securing flap along the forward edge initially secured in face engagement with the margin of the outside of the front wall and said cover member having an end flap joined at the forward end to said securing flap and having a foldable triangular portion permitting said end flap and said securing flap to be collapsed against said cover, end forming flaps at one end of said body member, said end forming flaps being hinged to the bottom and side walls and having portions thereof in face engaging interconnected relation and being foldable inwardly about a diagonal line extending upwardly of one corner thereof and terminating short of the top edge whereby said end forming flaps are movable into end wall forming position upon erection of the carton with said cover end flap in interleaved relation therewith and cooperating end wall forming flaps integral with the opposite end of said body and cover members, with the cover end flap member free to move out of end wall forming position upon releasing the cover securing flap and swinging the cover to open position and with opposite end wall flaps on the body member being in interlocked relation.

6. A container formed from a single blank of cardboard material which is cut and scored to divide the same into a plurality of connected panels, which panels form when the carton is erected, bottom, side and end walls and a cover, said cover being hinged at one end to the edge of one side wall and having an integral flap at the opposite edge initially adhered in overlapping relation to the margin of the opposite side Wall, one of said end walls comprising a flap hingedly connected along two adjoining edges to the bottom and one side wall, said one side wall having a triangular foldable portion at the end connected to said wall flap, a second end wall flap having a triangular base portion hingedly connected to the opposite side wall, the remainder of said second end wall flap being foldable outwardly upon said triangular portion and having a portion of the inner face thereof secured to said first mentioned end wall flap, and a third end wall flap hingedly connected to the adjacent end of said cover, said third end Wall flap having a portion at the forward end thereof foldably con nected to said integral cover flap.

7. A container formed from a generally rectangular blank of flexible material, which blank is cut and scored to divide the same into side wall forming panels and integral end wall forming flaps and which blank is initially folded upon itself and connected at the ends to provide, when opened out, a generally rectangular container body having an end flap at the one end of the body which is hin d l ngtwo Q S 9 wq s i na si e W ll aad; no he nd fla t a d endp h is hin dim a third sidewall along the base of an inner triangularportionthereof which isseparated -from the remainder of said a t m o -flap by di al o line and a a q cutting line which diagonal, fold and cuttinglines intersect and define the other two sides of said triangular portion thereof, the remaini gouter portions of said last menns p which tendheyond-sai n lar. p ion being secured in face engagement with the outside surface of said first mentioned flap.

8. A container forming blank of cardboard material which is scored along transversely extending longitudinal- 1y spaced, lines and along longitudinally extending transversely spaced lines to form connected Panels adapted to provide when erected a container having a bottom, oppositely disposed front and rear side walls adjoining the bottom, a top cover wall, and end walls, said blank having a transversely extending end connecting flap along the end edge of the cover forming panel, which is adapted to be adhered inface engagingrelation along the top edge of the front side wall. forming panel, and end wall forming panels extending laterally of one end of the bottom, rear side and cover forming-panels, the end wall forming panel extending alongthe bottom wall forming panel having an integral generally triangular corner connecting tab adapted to be secured in face engagingrelation with a foldable triangular corner; portion of the front side wall forming panel, the end wall forming panel extending from said cover forming panel having a corner connecting tab adapted to be secured to said end connecting flap and having a diagonal crease line extending outwardly thereof, and theend wallforming panel extending from the rear side wall forming panel having a triangular inner portion which is defined along the two outer edges of the triangle bya fold lineand a cutting line permitting said panel to be folded upon itself about the last mentioned fold line and also to be folded about the end edge of the rear side wall forming panel whereby the outer portion thereof may 'besecured to the adjoining end wall forming panel which extends from the bottom wall forming panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 918,601 Schurmann Apr. 20, 1909 1,054,530 Goodyear Feb. 25, 1913 1,992,222 La Grua Feb. 26, 1935 2,141,438 Hirsch Dec. 27, 1938 2,210,443 Bergstein Aug. 6, 1940 2,255,223 Lighter Sept. 9, 1941 2,437,835 Reige et al Mar. 16, 1948 2,637,483 Shapiro May 5, 1953 2,655,304 lnman et al Oct. 13, 1953