US2876892A - Dispensing package - Google Patents

Description

March 10, 1959 Filed Aug. 2, 1955 Tull.

F. P. COONS DISPENSING PACKAGE ZSheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR /-T ?4A//r A (Eva/vs.

ATTxNEY United States Patent G '7 2,876,892 DISPENSING PACKAGE Frank P. Coons, 'Cranford, N. .l'., assignor to Johnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 2, 1955, Serial No. 525,858 11 Claims. (Cl. 20652) This invention relates to a package for dispensing relatively limp material in the form of a fiat web.

.fIn accordance with the invention, material in web form, convoluted, accordion folded, or otherwise suitably arranged, is housed in a container package from which it is fed endwise through an access opening. The accessopening is defined by an overlying member and an under-lying member between which the web material isfed. These members preferably are flaps hinged to panels constituting the package walls. The underlying member, which defines the access opening in part, is equipped with means for holding the end of the web material in close proximity to the access opening so that it may be conveniently grasped by the user for the dispensing operation. In addition, there is an element associated with the overlying member which constitutes a cover by which the access opening may be closed when the dispenser is not in use to guard the web material from contamination.

Specifically, the underlying member defining the access opening preferably and conveniently comprises a flap hinged to the front Wall of the container at the top and which extends rearwardly preferably somewhat beyond the center transverse vertical plane of the dispenser where it is rebent forwardly and upwardly to form a pocket with the rearwardly extending portion of the flap to which it is attached.

In a dispensing operation, the web material is led from the interior of the container up over the rebent portion of the front wall flap through the access opening until the desired amount of material has been withdrawn from the package. After the withdrawn portion is cut off, the end left protruding may then be tucked down into the pocket between the two portions of the flap to which reference has previously been made and thus held in convenient position and against falling back into the container ready for the next dispensing operation. Anchorage of the end portion of the strip in this manner is assisted by making the package of material with elastic memory, which will tend to straighten out the rebent portion of the flap and press the web material upwardly against the overlying portion defining the access opening. The invention also contemplates means for holding the pocket member in proper position regardless of the amount of material in the container.

vWhen the leading end of the material is anchored against falling back in the container, a top portion of the container near the front thereof serves as a cover to. close the access opening. When the dispenser is not in use, the cover helps to prevent contamination of the contents.

-Also in accordance with the invention, the various panels, flaps and other parts of the container are all die cut as a unit out of one piece of material so that the dispenser is constructed merely by folding the blank along suitably disposed score lines, fastening two edges of the blank together, and turning in the top and bottom flaps.

2,876,892 Patented Mar. 1Q, 1959 A better understanding of the invention may be had from the following description together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a dispensing container with the top flaps opened out to facilitate insertion of the material to be dispensed;

Fig. 2. is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the flap presenting the pocket for receiving the web material folded down into position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the lateral flaps folded down;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but with an appropriate portion of the top flap folded down and secured in place;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but illustrating the dispensing of web material;

Fig. 6 is a fore and aft vertical sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fore and aft vertical sectional view of a part of the package shown in Fig. 6, but after a substantial portion of the web material has been dispensed therefrom;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but showing the web material with its end tucked down in the pocket to prevent its falling down into the interior of the container; and

Fig. 9 is a view of a blank with suitably scored lines to facilitate constructing the package.

The package in general comprises front, rear and side panels 10, 11, 12 and 13 (Fig. l) which in the blank illus trated in Fig. 9 are defined by score lines 14, 15 and 16 along which the blank may be folded to produce right dihedral angles at the score lines. When thus folded, lateral edges 17 and 18 of the side panel 13 and back panel 11 respectively come together so that such panels may be secured at right angles, for instance, by a piece of gummed tape 19.

The blank is scored along a longitudinal line 20 and beyond the line is provided with a series of cuts 21, 22, 23continuations of the score lines 14, 15 and 16 and which together define a series of flaps 24, 25, 26 and 27. These flaps, when folded inwardly and at right angles to the respective panels with which they are associated and fastened in place, constitute the bottom of the dispensing package.

The package as thus far described and set up to the extent indicated is old and as shown in Fig. l is ready to receive the contents to be dispensed. A score line 28 parallel to the line 20 and extending from one lateral edge of the blank to the other, determines the top edge of the package (Fig. 9). It separates the front, back and side panels 10, 11, 12 and 13 from fiap portions 29, 30, 31

' and 32 thereabove, which, when turned inwardly in manner hereinafter described, serve to close the container at the top (Fig. 1). The flap 29 associated with the front panel 10 is relatively long and at a distance preferably somewhat greater than the distance from the front panel to the central transverse vertical plane of the package, is formed with an additional score line 33 which is parallel to the front upper edge of the dispenser and divides the flap into an inner portion 34 and an outer portion 35. The outer portion 35 is reversely bent along the score line 33 so as to form with the inner portion of the flap, a V-shaped pocket for purpose hereinafter more specifically set forth.

The portion 34 of the flap 29 is provided along its lateral edges with a pair of triangular-shaped flaps or ears 36 defined in part by score lines 37, 38, which are continuations of the corner score lines 14 and 15. The ears 36 are bent inwardly in setting up the container so that when the front flap extends inwardly (Fig. 2), the ears 36 project downwardly into the container in position parallel with its sides. The cars 36 are cut to present corresponding edges 39 and .40, which serve in manner later to be described to limit thedownward movement of the flap 29 inside the container.

When the material to be dispensed is locatedin the container and the flap 29 turned inwardly (Fig. 2), the flaps 31 and 32 associated with the side walls 12 and 13 of the container are bent inwardly toward each other and their dimensions are such that when folded down parallel with the bottom of the container, their inner adjacent edges abut one with the other. If desired, these flaps may be held in place in abutting relation by a piece of adhesive tape 41 (Fig. 3), or by any other suitable means, or indeed may be held in place by the flap 3!) when folded down intoposition as later described. The flaps 31, 32 terminate at the front in an edge 42 located somewhat rearwardly of the front edge of the container and extending transversely thereof, so that there is provided between such edge and the underlying rebent flap 35, an access opening 43 enabling the web material to be drawn up over the flap 35 and out through the access opening (Figs. 5, 6 and 7). It should be noted that the lateral flaps 31, 32 angle forwardly from their front transverse edge 42 to the front corner of the container, and, if desired, this angular disposition of the edges in the blank (Fig. 9) may be congruent with the frontedges 39 of the lateral wings on ears 36 on the front flap (Fig. 9). But aside from a matter of strength and perhaps a better guard against contamination, the purpose of the invention is served just as well if the front transverse edges 42 of the lateral flaps 31, 32 are in a continuous straight line throughout the entire width of the container.

The flap 3i) associated with the rear panel 11 of'the container and which may be hinged at the score line 28 is long enough so that folded down on top of the container it will extend all the way to the front thereof. The flap'3il has a transverse score line 44 located, when the flap is folded down, approximately at the position of the front edge 42 of the lateral flaps and which defines the rear edge of the access opening. In initially making up the package for shipment, i. e., after the material has been located therein and the front and side flaps bent down in place, the flap associated with the rear panel is bent downwardly and. forwardly and the portion thereof between the two score lines 28 and 44 held down in place as by gluing to the underlying lateral flaps 31, 32. at the top, or by adhesive tape 44' applied along the lateral edges thereof (Fig. 4). This leaves a front flap portion 45 in advance of the score line free to be'hinged open to expose the access opening 43 when dispensing of a portion of the material is desired, and hinged closed to cover the access opening to maintain the contents of thecontainer free from contamination while the package is in storage or on the shelf.

.A tab 46 formed at the front edge of the front flap member 45 is bendable downwardly and adapted to enter a slot 4'7 located in registry therewith inthe front flap member 34 adjacent the front wall panel 10. The tab 46 when thus inserted in the slot 47 will effectively hold the cover member closed when the dispensing container is not in use.

Web material 48, in the form of a roll or folded in any suitable manner, is initially located in the package and an end thereof is brought up over the reversely-bent portion 35 of the front flap 29 and then tucked down into the pocket formed by said portion of the flap and the main portion 34 thereof (Fig. 8). When the end is so disposed, it is effectively anchored against falling back into the interior of the container. Furthermore, the resilient memory of the material of which the carton is made will tend to push the web materialup into engagement with the overlying top of the package so that in effect there is a double lock against the material falling down into the container. p 7

When it is desired to dispense a portion of the web material from the container, the top front flap portion'45 is hinged open, the end of the web material grasped and the desired length of material withdrawn from the container. The dispensed portion then may be sheared off leaving enough material extending beyond the end of the rebent portion of the flap to enable it to be tucked down again into the pocket ready for the next dispensing operation (Fig.8). The cover flap 43v can then be hinged closed and the front tab 46 inserted in the underlying slot.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the initial quantity of material 48 in the package may be such as to keep the flap 29, by engagement of its under surface with the material,

up in a position where the material will be squeezed between the rebent flap portion 35 and the overlying top of the container. However, after a portion of the material has been used so that there is no longer any engagement between the material in the package and the under side of flap 29, the flap 29 nevertheless will be held up in an appropriate operable position by the engage ment of the front edges 39 of the ears 36 with the inner face of the front panel 10.

The package may be constructed of corrugated fiber board, chipboard or any other type of boxboard appropriate to package constructions of this type and it may alsobe made of sheet plastic such as vinyl and acetate and indeed any material which is essentially stiff and capable of being scored and folded.

The invention has been described in connection with one embodiment thereof, but many modifications are within its spirit. It is to be limited therefore,-only by the scope of the appended claims.

The claims are:

l- A dispensing container for limp material in web form, having a chamber for housing a quantity of the material to be dispensed and which is defined in part by a front wall panel, a back wall panel, side wall panels, and a bottom, and means presenting an access opening to the chamber through which the web may be pulled endwise in dispensing desired lengths thereof, said means including an overlying member closing the chamber in part at the top and which, when the web material is in the container and during the dispensing operation thereof, has a fixed location with respect to the side wall panels of the chamber, and an underlying member which, together with the overlying member in its fixed position, defines the access opening through which the limp material is pulled during a dispensing operation, means associated with the underlying member over which the-limp material is drawn during said dispensing operation and which is constructed and arranged resiliently to-press' the web upwardly against the overlying member in close proximity to the access opening, said means acting to form, with the other underlying member, a V shaped pocket having an opening to which access is had through the access opening, and a cover member for closing the access opening.

2. A dispensing container according to claim 1 wherein the underlying member is hinged at one edge to a wall portion of the chamber, and provided at its opposite edge with a flap reversely bent to form a pocket in which the end of the web may be tucked.

3. A dispensing container according to claim 2 wherein the material forming the container has elastic memory and wherein the underlying member is a flap whose hinge connections with the wall portion of the chamber at one edge and whose reversely bent connection with the opposite edge is effected by scoring the material of'which' elastic memory of the material of which said member is made. 5. A dispensing container according to claim 1 wherein the cover member forms part of an element having a portion secured to and superimposed above the overlying member.

6. A dispensing container according to claim 5 wherein the cover member is connected to the element of which it forms a part at a score line constituting a future hinge.

7. A dispensing container for limp material in web form, having a chamber for housing a quantity of the material to be dispensed and which is defined in part by a front wall panel, a back wall panel, side wall panels, and a bottom, and means presenting an access opening to the chamber through which the web may be pulled endwise in dispensing desired lengths thereof, said means including an overlying member closing the chamber in part at the top, and an underlying member which, together with the overlying member, defines the access opening, said underlying member being hinged at one edge to one of the said wall panels and being provided at its opposite edge with a flap reversely bent to form a pocket in which the end of the web may be tucked, said flap being arranged to cooperate with the web near its end for holding said end within the chamber and in close proximity to the access opening, means associated with the underlying member and cooperating with the chamber wall to limit the movement of the underlying member in a downward direction, and a cover member for closing the access opening.

8. A dispensing container according to claim 7 wherein the underlying member has edges at right angles to the hinge line thereof and wherein the means for limiting the movement of said member in a downward direction includes flaps hinged to said member at such edges.

9. A dispensing container for limp material in web form, having a chamber for housing a quantity of the material to be dispensed and which comprises front, back and side panels, a flap hinged at its front edge to the front panel at the top and turned inwardly and downwardly thereof, a section of said flap at the rear edge thereof bent upwardly and in a reverse direction to form with the first-mentioned portion of said flap, a V-shaped pocket having an opening, means constituting a top for the chamber secured to the side panels, an access opening in said top in a portion thereof above the flap and in the immediate vicinity of the V-shaped pocket opening, and a member forming part of the container superimposed above said top and having a portion thereof in the vicinity of the access opening constituting a cover therefor.

10. A dispensing container according to claim 9 wherein the top is formed by flaps secured at their outer edges to the side panels and which are in abutting relation along their inner edges, said flaps being cut away adja cent the front of the container to form the access opening.

11. A dispensing container according to claim 9 wherein the flap is hinged and movable downwardly and provided at its lateral edges with ears bent downwardly, said downwardly bent ears having their front edges shaped to engage the inner face of the front panel of the container whereby to limit the downward movement of the hinged flap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,356,331 Allport Oct. 19, 1920 1,752,163 Flint Mar. 25, 1930 2,372,245 Avery Mar. 27, 1945 2,771,214 Lefebvre Nov. 20, 1956

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