US2933231A

US2933231A - Cellular carton

Info

Publication number: US2933231A
Application number: US745456A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl T Colgren; Richard G Haas
Original assignee: KVP Sutherland Paper Co
Current assignee: KVP Sutherland Paper Co
Priority date: 1958-06-30
Filing date: 1958-06-30
Publication date: 1960-04-19
Anticipated expiration: 1977-04-19

Description

April 1950 r c. 'r. COLGREN ETAL 2,933,231

CELLULAR CARTON Filed June 30, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOR/Vff c. T. COLGREN ETAL 2,933,231

April 19, 1960 CELLULAR CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 30. 1958 327.47. Z7 2/ 7/0 MENTOR.

Cci'r/ T (O/7f? BY RI-CAOIOI 6. H00:

' A TTORNEY.

CELLULAR CARTON Carl T. Colgren and Richard G. Haas, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignors, by mesne assignments, to KVP Sutherland Paper Company, a corporation of Delaware Application June 30, 1958, Serial No. 745,456

10 Claims. (Cl. 229-28) This invention relates to cellular cartons which are adapted for the packaging of fragile articles, for example eggs. The main objects of this invention are,

First, to provide a cellular carton which is very strong and rigid when erected and efiectively protects the contents.

Second, to provide a cellular carton which will accommodate relatively large eggs and at the same time provide effective cushioning therefor. Third, to provide a carton of this type which is relatively rigid and is capable of withstanding substantial loads, for example, when a plurality of the cartons are stacked, without distortion or collapsing in anydire ction.

Fourth, to provide a carton having these advantages which does not require additional stock as compared to certain cartons now in wide use.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a carton embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a carton in par tially erected position, the transverse partitions not having been erected.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section on a line corresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section of the erected carton on a line corresponding to line 4-4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on a line corresponding to line 55 of Fig. 6, eggs being conventionally shown.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partially in horizontal section on a line corresponding to line 6-6 of Fig. 5 with eggs varying substantially in size indicated.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton collapsed.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the cut and a scored blank embodying our invention.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section on a line corresponding to line 99 of Fig. 6 illustrating the adaptation of certain of the transverse cell members to accommodate eggs of varying sizes as indicated by full and dotted lines.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary horizontal section on a line corresponding to line 10-10 of Fig. 5, further illustrating the adjustability of certain of the transverse cell partition members.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the relationship of the cell members shown in Figs. 9 and 10 in erected position, but prior to deflection thereof as by means of the pressure of an egg thereon.

The embodiment of our invention illustrated is an egg carton, but it should be understood that cartons embodying our invention are desirable for packaging fragile articles other than eggs. The carton illustrated is formed Sttes Patent 0 of an integral blank of paperboard or the like which is cut and scored to provide a rear wall 1,. front wall 2, bottom members 3 which are hingedly connected at 4 to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls. The longitudinal partition members 5 are hingedly connected at 6 to the inner edges of the bottom members. These longitudinal partition members 5 are provided with legs 7 which are cut by the slits 8 from the bottom members. Top members 9 are connected by spaced hinge members 10 to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members, and the outer edges of the top members are connected to the sealing flaps 11 by hinge members 10. The longitudinal partition members have posts 12 on their upper edges cut by U-shaped slits 13 from the top members. The longitudinal partition members, their leg elements 7 and post elements 12 are disposed in side-by-side relation and adhesively secured together to form an integral longitudinal partition unit.

The bottom members are outwardly inclined as is illustrated in Fig. 3 and are supported by the bottom edges 4 of the front and rear side walls, and the legs 7 in an elevated position relative to the plane of the bottom edges of the side walls. The sealing flaps 11 are disposed in upwardly projecting relation and adhesively secured to the side walls as is illustrated at 15 in Fig. 4. It will be noted that the rear side wall 1 projects substantially above the front wall 2. The cover 16 is hingedly secured at 17 to the upper edge of the rear wall and is provided with a closure flap 18 connected thereto by the scores 19. The closure flap 18 is provided with opposely facing pairs of hooked detents 20 which engage the top members.

The top mmebers 9 are transversely slit and scored to provide transverse partition or

cell members

21 and 22. The partition members 21 are hingedly connected to the top members by the laterally spaced hinges 26 oppositely bowed slits 27 extending between these hinge members 25. The partition members 22 are hingedly connected to the top member by the hinge scores 28. The functional advantages of the slits 26 being curved will be pointed out as the description proceeds.

The transverse partition or cell members 21 are dimensioned so that their side edges when in erected position are in thrust supporting engagement with the longitudinal partition and the adjacent side wall and the adjacent bottom, see Fig. 4. When they are erected they are approximately vertical, subject however to being bowed substantially as is shown in Figs. 5, 6, 9, l0 and 11 to accommodate and cushioningly support eggs which are in thrust engagement therewith.

The slits 8 in the bottom member are of generally stepped form and define keepers which are disposed in oppositely facing pairs, see Fig. 8. The bottom edges of the transverse partition members 21 are conformed to provide detents 24 which are swung into engagement with these keepers when the partition members 21 are swung to erected position, see Fig. 4. The transverse partition members 22 intermediate the partition members 21 do not contact the bottom, but depend from the top member so that they may swing in either direction and may be deflected by an egg as indicated at Y in Fig. 5, and thrust against the eggs indicated at X and the eggs X and Z are in bending thrust engagement with the partition members 21, the curved slits 27 permitting them to bow outwardly as is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 9, l0 and 11. This adapts the carton to eggs of varying sizes such as normally occur even in so-called graded eggs, and at the same time the eggs are effectively cushioned. The bottom members are provided with cushioning slits 29 disposed centrally of each cell. The eggs are thus supported so that the carton may be quite roughly handled without likelihood of breakage or injury to the eggs.

When the cover is in closed position it is in supported engagement with the posts of the longitudinal partition, as is illustrated in Fig. 4, and its closure flap is interlocking and supported engagement with the top member connected to the front wall. The legs of the longitudinalpartition member are in supported contact with :the surface upon which the carton is supported.

In Figs. 5, 6, 9 and 10 we have illustrated eggs designated X, Y and Z. The cutting of the legs :from the bottom members and the posts from the top members does not materially weaken such parts, but does .add great- 1y to the strength and rigidity of the carton when erected.

The collapsed carton as illustrated in Fig. 7 may be quickly and easily set up and when set up is very strong and rigid." It may be quite roughly handled as well as stacked. "It is not only capable of withstanding substantialloads, but also of resisting side-wisecollapsing.

In the embodiment illustrated the carton is provided with acentral severing score 23, the carton being designed to receive twelve eggs, but the erected carton may be severed on the weakened or scored line 23.

We have illustrated and described our invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. While the structure may be substantially varied in details, we have not illustrated those variations as we believe this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt our invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new-and desired to secure by .Letters Patent is:

l. A cellular carton comprising front and rear walls, the height of the rear wall substantially exceeding that of the front wall, bottom members hingedly connected at their outer edges to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls" and upwardly inclined relative thereto, .a pair of longitudinal partition members hingedly connected to the inner edges of the bottom members, said longitudinal partition members being substantial duplicatesand being fixedly connected in side-by-side relation, said longitudinal partition members having downwardly projecting leg elements .on their bottom edges, cut from the bottom members, the openings in the bottom members resulting from the cutting of said leg members therefrom being conformed to provide oppositely disposed pairs of stepped keepers, the inner edges of the cuts being conformed to constitute keepers, cell top members hingedly connected to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members and projecting outwardly therefrom and provided with sealing flaps on their outer edges, one of which is secured to the inner side of the rear wall and the other to the inner side of the front wall, said longi tudinal partition members having upwardly projecting cover supporting posts on their upper edges cut from the top members, said longitudinal partition members and said leg and top members thereof being disposed side-by-side and unitarily connected, the upper ends of said posts being disposed in the plane of the upper edges of the rear side wall, said top members being 'slit and scored to provide a plurality of hinged transverse partitions, the side and bottom edges of spaced pairs of said transverse partition members being in edge thrust engagement with the bottom and one side wall and the longitudinal partition when in erected position, such transverse partition members being provided with hooked detents engageable with said keepers of said bottom members, and a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall and having a closing flap on its swinging edge supportedly engageable with the top member connected to the front wall and provided with detents engageable with said .top member when the cover is closed, the upper ends of said posts being in the plane of the upper edge of the rear wall so that when the cover is closed it is supportedly engaged with said post, the lower edges of said leg members being in the plane of the bottom edges of said front and rear walls.

2. A cellular carton comprising front and rear walls, the height of the rear wall substantially exceeding that of the front wall, bottom members hingedly connected at their outer edges to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls and upwardly inclined relative thereto, a pair of longitudinal partition members hingedly connected to the inner edges of the bottom members, said longitudinal partition members being substantial duplicates and being fixedly connected in side-by-side relation, said longitudinal partition members having downwardly projecting leg elements on their bottom edges out from the bottom members, the openings in the bottom members resulting from the cutting of said leg members therefrom being conformed to provide oppositely disposed pairs of stepped keepers, the inner edges of the cuts being conformed to constitute keepers, cell top members hingedly connected to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members and projecting outwardly therefrom and provided with sealing flaps on their outer edges, one of which is secured to the inner side of the rear wall and the other to theinner side of the front wall, said longitudinal partition members having upwardly projecting cover supporting postson their upper edges cut from the top members, said longitudinal partition members and said leg and top members thereof being disposed side-by-side and unitarily connected, the upper ends of saidposts being disposed in the plane of the upper edges of the rear side wall, said top members being slit and scored to provide a plurality of hinged transverse partitions, spaced pairs of said transverse partition members being provided with hooked detents engageable with saidlkeepers'of said bottom members, and a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall to supportedly engage said posts when closed and having a closing flap on its swinging edge supportedly 'engageable with the top memberconnected to the front wall and provided with detents engageable with-said top member when the cover is closed.

3. A cellular carton comprising front and rear walls, bottom members hingedly connected at their outer edges to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls and upwardly inclined relative thereto, a pair of longitudinal partition members hingedly connected to the inner edges of the bottom members, said partition members being substantial duplicates and disposed in side-by-side relation and fixedly connected and having downwardly projecting leg elements on their bottom edges cut from the bottom members, edge portion of the cuts being conformed to constitute keepers, cell top members hingedly connected to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members and projecting outwardly therefrom, the outer edge of one top member being secured to the rear wall and that of the other to the front wall, said longitudinal partition members having upwardly projecting cover supporting posts on their upper edges cut from the top members, the upper ends of said posts being disposed in the plane of the upper edges of the rear side wall, said top members being slit and scored to provide a plurality of hinged transverse partition members, the side and bottom edges of at least two spaced transverse partition members being in edge thrust engagement with the bottom and'one side wall and the longitudinal partition when in erected position, suchtransverse partition members being provided with detents engageable with said keepers of saidbottom members, and a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall to supportedly engage said posts and having a closing flap on its swinging edge supportedly engageable with the top member: connected to the front wall and provided with detents engageable with said top member when the'cover is closed.

4. A cellular carton comprising front and rear walls, bottom members hingedly connected at their outer edges to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls and upwardly inclined relative thereto, a pair of longitudinal partition members hingedly connected to the inner edges of the bottom members, said partition members being substantial duplicates and disposed in side-by-side relation and fixedly connected and having downwardly projecting leg elements on their bottom edges cut from the bottom members, edge portion of the cuts being conformed to constitute keepers, cell top members hingedly connected to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members and projecting outwardly therefrom, the outer edge of one top member being secured to the rear wall and that of the other to the front wall, said longitudinal partition members having upwardly projecting cover supporting posts on their upper edges cut from the top members, said top members being slit and scored to provide a plurality of hinged transverse partition members, the side and bottom edges of at least two spaced transverse partition members being in edge thrust engagement with the bottom and one side wall and the longitudinal partition when in erected position, such transverse partition members being provided with detents engageable with said keepers of said bottom members, and a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall to supportedly engage said posts and having a closing flap on its swinging edge supportedly engageable with the top member connected to the front wall and provided with detents engageable with said top member when the cover is closed.

5. A cellular carton comprising front and rear walls, bottom members hingedly connected at their outer edges to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls and upwardly inclined relative thereto, a pair of longitudinal partition members hingedly connected to the inner edges of the bottom members, said partition members being substantial duplicates and disposed in side-by-side relation and fixedly connected and having downwardly projecting leg elements on their bottom edges cut from the bottom members, edge portion of the cuts being conformed to constitute keepers, cell top members hingedly connected to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members and projecting outwardly therefrom, the outer edge of one top member being secured to the rear wall and that of the other to the front wall, said longitudinal partition members having upwardly projecting cover supporting posts on their upper edges cut from the top members, said top members being slit and scored to provide a plurality of hinged transverse partition members, at least two spaced transverse partition members being provided with detents engageable with said keepers of said bottom members, and a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall to supportedly engage said posts and having a closing flap on its swinging edge supportedly engageable with the top member connected to the front wall and provided with detents engageable With said top member when the cover is closed.

6. A cellular carton comprising front and rear walls, bottom members hingedly connected at their outer edges to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls, a pair of longitudinal partition members hingedly connected to the inner edges of the bottom members, said partition members being substantial duplicates and disposed in side-by-side relation, said longitudinal partition members having downwardly projecting leg elements on their bottom edges cut from the bottom members, portions of the bottom at the edges of the cuts constituting keepers, the lower edges of said leg members being in the plane of the bottom edges of said front and rear walls, cell top members hingedly connected to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members and projecting outwardly therefrom and the outer edges of one top member being secured to the rear wall and the other to the front wall, said longitudinal partition members having upwardly projecting cover supporting posts on their upper edges cut from the top members, said longitudinal partition members being disposed side-by-side and unitarily connected, the upper ends of said posts being disposed in the plane of the upper edge of the rear side wall, said top members being slit and scored to provide a plurality of hinged transverse partition members certain of which are positioned adjacent the ends of the top meta bers to swing downwardly and outwardly to erected position in edge thrust engagement with the bottom and one side wall and the longitudinal partition when in erected position, such transverse partition members being provided with detents engageable with said keepers of said bottom members, and a cover hingedly connected to the rear Wall and having a closing flap on its swinging edge supportedly engageable with the top member connected to the front wall when the cover is closed in which position it is supportedly engaged with said posts.

7. A cellular carton comprising front and rear walls, bottom members hingedly connected at their outer edges to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls, a pair of longitudinal partition members hingedly connected to the inner edges of the bottom members, said partition members being substantial duplicates and disposed in side-by-side relation, said longitudinal partition members having downwardly projecting leg elements on their bottom edges cut from the bottom members, portions of the bottom at the edges of the cuts constituting keepers, the lower edges of said leg members being in the plane of the bottom edges of said front and rear walls, cell top members hingedly connected to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members and projecting outwardly therefrom and the outer edges of one top member being secured to the rear wall and the other to the front wall, said longitudinal partition members having upwardly projecting cover supporting posts on their upper edges cut from the top members, said longitudinal partition members being disposed side-by-side and unitarily connected, the upper ends of said posts being disposed in the plane of the upper edge of the rear side wall, said top members being slit and scored to provide a plurality of hinged transverse partition members certain of which are positioned adjacent the ends of the top members to swing downwardly and outwardly to erected position and being provided with detents engageable with said keepers of said bottom members, and a cover hingedly connected to the rear wall and having a closing flap on its swinging edge supportedly engageable with the top member connected to the front wall when the cover is closed in which position it is supportedly engaged with said posts.

8. A cellular carton comprising front and rear Walls, bottom members hingedly connected at their outer edges to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls and upwardly inclined relative thereto, a pair of longitudinal partition members hingedly connected to the inner edges of the bottom members, said partition members being substantial duplicates and disposed in side-by-side relation and fixedly connected and having downwardly projecting leg elements on their bottom edges cut from the bottom members, edgeportion of such cuts in the bottom being conformed to constitute keepers, cell top members hingedly connected to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members and projecting outwardly therefrom, the outer edge of one top member being secured to the rear wall and that of the other to the front wall, said longitudinal partition members having upwardly projecting cover supporting posts on their upper edges cut from the top members, said top members being slit and scored to provide spaced hinged transverse partition members which are in edge thrust relation to the bottom, one side wall and the longitudinal partition when in erected position and are provided with detents engageable with said keepers of said bottom members, and a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall to supportedly engage said posts and having a closing flap on its swinging edge supportedly engageable with the top member connected to the front wall when the cover is closed.

9. A cellular carton comprising front and rear walls, bottom members hingedly connected at their outer edges to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls and upwardly inclined relative thereto, a pair of longitudinal partition members hingedly connected to the inner edges of the bottom members, said partition members being substantial duplicates and disposed in side-by-side relation and fixedly connected and having downwardly projecting leg elements on their bottom edges cut from the bottom members, cell top members hingedly connected to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members and projecting outwardly therefrom, the outer edge of one top member being secured to the rear wall and that of the other to the front wall, said longitudinal partition members having upwardly projecting cover supporting posts on the upper edges cut from the top members, said top members being slit and scored to provide spaced hinged transverse partition members which are in edge thrust relation to the bottom, one sidewall and the longitudinal partition when in erected position, and a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall to supportedly engage said posts and having a closing flap on its swinging edge supportedly engageable with the top member connected to the front wall when the cover is closed.

10. A cellular carton comprising side Walls, bottom members connected at their outer edges to the bottom edges of the side walls and upwardly inclined relative thereto, a pair of longitudinal partition members connected to the inner edges of said bottom members, said partition members being substantial duplicates and disposed in side-byside fixedly connected relation, said longitudinal partition members vhaving downwardly projecting leg elements on their bottom edges, cell top members supportedly connected to said side walls. and to said longitudinal partition members, said top members being slit and scored to provide a plurality of transverse partitions, the side and bottom edges of spaced pairs of said transverse partitions being in edge thrust engagement with the adjacent bottom, side Wall and longitudinal partition members, said spaced pairs of transverse partition members having bottom engaging detents, said pairs of partition members having laterally spaced hinge connections to the top members, there being oppositely curved slits between said hinge connections facilitating the side bowing of said partition members when they are subjected to side thrust, there being at least two intermediate partition members swingable in either direction relative to said spaced pairs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,479,213 Cox Aug. 16, 1949 2,533,340 Allen Dec. 12, 1950 2,605,952 Buttery Aug. 5, 1952 2,613,024 Buttery Oct. 7, 1952 2,872,096 Vines Feb. 3, 1959