US3172594A

US3172594A - Container

Info

Publication number: US3172594A
Application number: US226204A
Authority: US
Inventors: Morris W Kuchenbecker
Original assignee: American Can Co
Current assignee: Aisin Corp; Fort James Corp
Priority date: 1962-09-26
Filing date: 1962-09-26
Publication date: 1965-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-09

Description

March 9, 1965 M. w. KucHENBr-:CKER

CONTAINER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1962 March 9, 1965 Filed Sept. 26. 1962 M. W. KUCHENBECKER CONTAINER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 9, 1965 Filed Sept. 26, 1962 M. W. KUCHENBECKER CONTAINER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent Oii ice 3,172,594 Patented Mar. 9', 1'96'5 3,172,594 CNTAINER Morris W. Iuehenbecker, Neenah, Wis., assigner to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 226,204 9 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) The present invention relates to a self-sustaining carton or container and a unitary blank therefor, for the packaging and dispensing therefrom of iiowable products such as liquids, granulated substances and the like and has particular reference to a top end closure which includes a conveniently available dispensing means and a handle for carrying the container.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 853,366 led November 16, 1959;

An object of the invention is to provide a top end closure for a container made from a unitary blank of paperboard or the like material wherein the closure includes a handle and a dispensing means which can be quickly and easily opened to dispense the container contents and which provides a convenient reclosure.

Another object is to provide a top end closure of the handle type which permits of the stacking of containers in vertical relation.

A further object is to provide such a top end closure which can be tightly sealed to preclude leakage of liquid contents from the sealed container.

Still a further object is to provide such a top end closure in which the movement to the opened dispensing position is facilitated.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a unitary blank from which a container embodying the instant invention may be made;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sealed container made from the blank shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a partially formed container, the view showing how the blank is folded to form the container body;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the upper end of the container, the views showing how the top closure is formed;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the upper end of the container and showing how the sealed closure is opened;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the fully opened container with its dispensing device in dispensing position;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view shown at reduced scale and illustrating how the containers can be stacked;

FIG. 9 is a partial view of a unitary blank for making the container of the present invention showing a modified tab structure and added crease lines to facilitate the movement of the top closure to the opened dispensing position;

FIG. l() is a partial side view of the upper end of a container made from the blank of FIG. 9 with the handle section broken away and showing how the top closure is formed and sealed; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective View of the upper end of the container of FIG. l showing the container in the opened dispensing position.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the invention, the drawings disclose a substantially rectangular container comprising a body 11 (FIG. 2), a bottom 12 and a top end closure 13 which includes a carrying handle 14 and a dispensing device 15 (see also FIG. 7) made from a single or unitary paperboard blank 16 (FIG. l) of generally rectangular configuration.

The blank 16 (FIG. l) is suitably cut and scored or creased to divide it into a number of walls, panels and tab portions. Four

main side walls

21, 22, 23, 24 are respectively separated from each other and hingedly connected together along

crease lines

25, 26, 27. A glue flap 28 is hingedly connected along one side Ledge of wall 24 by a crease line 29. The glue flap 28 is divided' by crease lines 31, 32 into

glue ap portions

33, 34, 35.

The bottom 12 of the container may be formed in any suitable manner. By way of example, the drawing of the blank shows four

bottom closure flaps

36, 37, 38, 39 respectively connected to the

container side walls

21, 22, 23, 24 along

crease lines

41, 42, 43, 44. The bottom iiaps are separated by

cut lines

46, 47, 48, 49.

The top end closure 13 for the container comprises a pair of

top panels

51, 52 and a pair of

end panels

53, 54. These panels are hingedly connected to the

respective side walls

21, 23, 22, 24 along

hinge crease lines

56, 58, 57, 59 respectively.

The

top panels

51, 52 are rectangular in configuration and are connected to the

end panels

53, 54 and to the glue flap portion 35 along

hinge crease lines

61, 62, 63, 64 which are extensions of the body

wall crease lines

25, 26, 27, 29 respectively. Each of these top panels`51, 52 are divided by a pair of

diagonal crease lines

66, 67, into three

triangular sections

68, 69, 70. Along their-top edges, the

top panels

51, 52 are formed with rectangular handle tabs or sections 72 which are hingedly connected to the panels along crease lines 73. These handle sections 72 are provided with an angularly disposed crease line 74 which extends from the panel crease line 67 as shown in FIG. 1. The handle sections 72 also are formed with a potential nger hole defined by an incornplete circular cut line 75 which holds a plug 76 temporarily attached to the handle section but which may be punched out to provide a finger hole. One of the handle sections 72 is provided with a iiap 77 which extends the' full width of the section along a crease line '78. This flap is divided by .a perforated line 79 into a iixed or glue flap portion 81 and a loose portion 82.

The

end panels

53, 54 are each divided by

diagonal crease lines

84, 85 into a triangular section 86 and a pair of triangular Wing sections 87. The triangular sections 86 are hinged along the

crease lines

57, 59 of the respectivev

body side walls

22, 24 while the wing sections 87 are hinged along the diagonal crease lines 84, `85 and the body wall crease lines 61, `62, `63 and the glue flap crease line 64.

Above these triangular sections, the end panel 53 is provided with a rectangular tab 89 which is hinged to the panel 53 along a crease line 91. The tab S9 is disposed between the two handle sections 72 and is separated therefrom by cut lines 92. A longitudinal perforated Vtear line 93 divides the tab 89 into a fixed tab portion 94 and a loose tab portion 95 for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The end panel 53 and` its tab 89 constitute elements of the conveniently available pouring spout or dispensing means 15 hereinbefore mentioned. To facilitate formation of this dispensing means in a finished container the blank is provided with a transverse crease line 96 which extends across the tab 89 and the end panel 53 and into the body side wall 22 where it terminates and joins with a pair of diagonal crease lines 97 defining a triangular section having a base crease line 42 as shown in FIG. l.

The end panel 54 is provided with a projecting taby 101 whichv is hingedly connected to the panel along a crease line 102 and is separated from the adjacent handle section 72 by a cut line |103. This tab 101 is transversely divided into two

sections

104, 105 by a crease line 106 and each section is formed with a potential finger hold defined by an incomplete circular cut-line 107 which holds a plug -108 .temporarily in place. These potential iinger holes are located in a predetermined relation to the potential finger holes in the handle sections y72 so as to align with them when the blank 116 is folded along its various crease lines to produce the container shown in FIG. 2.

In order to produce the container shown in FIG. 2 the blank -16 is first folded along the side

wall crease lines

25, 26, 27 and glue iiap crease line 29 to form the rectangular body 11 as best shown in lFIG. 3, the

side walls

21, 22, 23, 24 being tied together by the glue ap portion 34 which is bonded by a suitable adhesive to the inner face of the side wall 21 along its free edge. The glue ilap portion 35 is also bonded to the top panel 51 along its free edge. The four

bottom flaps

36, 37, 3S, 39 and the glue ap portion 33 are then folded in the usual manner into overlapping position perpendicular to the side walls, along their

respective crease lines

41, 42, 43, 44 and are adhesively secured together to form the bottom 12 of the container. This is a conventional bottom construction.

In this open top end condition, with the

body

1,1 and the bottom 12 fully formed, the resulting container iS ready for filling. For liquid products the open end container is usually immersed in or otherwise coated with molten wax or other liquid-proofing substance to render the container leak-proof.

The lled container is closed and sealed by folding the

top panels

51, 52 inwardly and the

end panels

53, 54 outwardly as shown in FIG. 4. The folding of the top panels o 51, 52 inwardly hinges them on their respective crease lines 56, 58 and also bends the handle sections 72 along their crease lines 73, so that the two handle sections 72 are in an upright juxtaposed relation as shown in FIG. 4.

The outward folding of the

end panels

53, 54 hinges them on their

respective crease lines

57, 59 and collapses the panels so that the triangular wing sections 87 fold along their

diagonal crease lines

84, 85 into place against ythe back of the triangular section 86. Simultaneously with this wing folding section, the tab 89 of the end panel 53 hinges along its crease lines `91, 96 to fold the tab back on itself in a double thickness relation and to locate the folded tab in an upright position adjacent one end of the juxtaposed handle sections 72. In a similar manner the tab y101 on the end panel 5'4 hinges along its

crease lines

102, 106 to fold the

tab portions

104, 105 into a contiguous relation and to locate lthese tab portions in an upright position adjacent the other end of the juxtaposed handle sections 72 as shown in `FIG. 4.

With the tabs l89, 101 of the

respective end panels

53, 54 in the positions shown in FIG. v4, the panels are bent upwardly along their

crease lines

57, 59 into a position surmounting the

top panels

51, 52. This action interposes the

tabs

89, 101 into the space between the upright handle sections 472 as shown in FIG. 5. In this position the tab 101, the fixed portion -94 of the tab 89, and the handle section 72 are adhesively bonded together in a permanent joint. The ap 77 of one of the handle sections 72 projects above the other handle section and is hinged downwardly along its crease line 78, over -this other handle section and its glue portion -81 is adhesively secured in place, the loose portion 82 of the llap remaining free but in folded-over position as a coextensive part of the adhesively bonded portion as shown in FIG. 2. There thus results a tight top closure for the container, with the potential carrying holes in alignment and ready for use in carrying the container, and with the

top panels

51, 52 in a horizontal position which permits of the stacking of a plurality of such containers as best shown in FIG. 8.

To open the container, it is merely necessary to tear the loose liap portion 82 free of the adhesively bonded portion `81, along its tear line 79, as shown in FIG. 6. The end panel 53 is then pulled out to the position shown in iFIG. 4. This action breaks the loose tab portions 95 free of the adhesively bonded tab portions 94 of the tab 89,

Cit

the break being effected along the tear line l93. The handle sections 72 are then pulled up and this expands the end panel 53 and the side wall 22 connected thereto, along their

crease lines

84, 85, 57, y96, 97, 91 and bulges the

top panels

51, 52 along their crease lines `66, 67, 74 to provide the pouring spout or dispensing device 15 as shown in FIG. 7.

After a dispensing operation, the container may be readily reclosed by pressing the expanded end panel 53 and side wall 22 back to their unexpanded flat positions and simultaneously pressing the handle portions 72 downwardly to return the

top panels

51 and 52 to their original fiat configuration. The end panel 53 may then be moved upwardly about the crease line 57 to reposition the loose tab portions 95 into the space between the handle sections 72 as shown in FIG. 6.

In the form of the instant invention shown in FIGS. 9 through ll, the

tabs

89 and 101 have a modiiied structure which provides improved sealing against leakage through the top closure of liquids packaged in the container. As shown in FIG. 9, the tab 89 of the blank 16 is provided with stepped portions 109 at the upper free edge of the tab adjacent the cut lines 92. The stepped portions 109 have edges 110 disposed at an angle to the transverse axis of the blank, preferably at right angles thereto as shown. The tab 101 is similarly provided at its upper free edge with stepped portions 111 having edges 112 adapted for mating engagement with the stepped portions 109 of the tab 89 when the container is erected.

The tab 89 is divided by weakened tear lines 113 into two trapezoidal shaped loose tab portions 114 and a fixed tab portion 115. The loose tab portions 114 are symmetrically shaped and symmetrically disposed 'on each side of the crease line 96 with the longer `parallel side of each trapezoidal shaped loose -tab portion being formed by a portion of the crease line 91 and with the loose tab portions abutting each other at the crease line 96. The portions of the tear lines 113 forming the sides of the loose tab portions 114 adjacent the cut lines 92 are spaced from the cut lines 92 to provide the fixed tab portion 115 with projections extending to the crease line 91 between the loose tab portions and the out lines 92.

The modified form of the blank 16 shown in FIG. 9 is formed into a container in a similar manner as heretofore described for the preferred embodiment of the blank shown in FIG. 1. In the erected container, the

tabs

89 and 101 are interposed between the handle sections 72 with the upper free edges of the tabs including the stepped portions 109 and 111 and the

edges

110 and 112 of the

tabs

89 and 101 respectively disposed in contiguous relation (FIG. l0). The tab 101 and the fixed portion 115 of the tab 89 are adhesively bonded to the handle sections 72 with the adhesively bonded area running the full length of the handle sections adjacent the bottom edge 'of the handle sections and fully including the stepped portions 109 and 111 of the tabs. With the fixed tab portion 115 of the tab 89 extending `fully to the crease line 91 and the adhesive bond between the handle sections 72 and the

tabs

89 and 101 thereby extending the full length of the handle sections, the possibility of leakage occurring at the corner juncture of the

top panels

51, 52, handle sections 72 and

tabs

89 and 101 is effectively precluded.

During the adhesive bonding 'of the tab 101 and the fixed portion 115 of the tab 89 to the handle sections 72,

an upward force is exerted on the tab 89 and a downward force is exerted on the tab 101, the forces being of suticient magnitude to maintain the edges and 112 in close abutting engagement. In the formed top closure 13, the adhesively bonded abutting

edges

110 and 112 produce a tight leakage proof seal along this portion of the contiguous edges of the

tabs

89 and 101. The effect of dimensional variations in the

tabs

89 and 101 which could result in their contiguous edges failing to e abut at any portion of their length thereby making possible the presence of a ine leakage path therebetween is thus overcome, and greater dimensional Atolerances can be employed with consequent savings in manufacturing costs.

fter the tab lill and the fixed portions 115 of the tab S9 have been adhesively bonded to the handle sections 72, the iiap 77 of one of the handle sections which projects above the other handle section is hinged downwardly along its crease line 7S over this other handle section (PEG. l) and adhesively secured to this other handle section along its full length.

The modified forrn of the container shown in FIG. l0 is opened by merely pulling the end panel 53 outwardly to break the loose tab portions 114 free of the fixed tab portion M along the tear lines 113. This also causes the iixed tab portion 115 to be separated from the triangular wing section S7 of lthe end panel 53 by rupture of the portions of the crease line 91 along which the projections of the fixed tab portion are joined to the wing sections. The handle sections 72 are then pulled upwardly bulging the

top panels

51 and 52 along their crease lines 65, e7, 7d and expanding the end panel 53 and the side wall 22 along their crease lines 84, Se, 57, 92, 95 and 97 to provide the pouring spout or dispensing device i5 as shown in FG. ll.

Where a siitf grade of paperboard is used such as may be required in making a larger size container, eg. a. one gallon size, it has been found desirable to provide one or more crease lines lle adjacent each end of the crease line 57 joining the end panel 53 and side wall 22 to facilitate the expansion of the end panel 53 and the side wall 2,2 in the formation of the dispensing spout when the container is opened. The crease lines 11e extend angularly outwardly from the crease lines 84, 85 deining the upper edges of the end panel 53 across the crease line 57 to the crease lines 25, 2d defining the longitudinal edges of the side wall 22.

After a dispensing operation the container may be readily reclosed in a similar manner as heretofore described.

lt is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

l claim:

1. A top end closure for a self-sustaining tubular container having a body portion delined by four substantially rectangular side walls, said top end closure comprising a pair of top panels extending from a rst pair of oppositely disposed side walls and projectinor substantially in the same plane in opposite directions across and closing the top` end of said container body portion, a handle section on each of said top panels, said handle sections being disposed in upright and juxtaposed relation, a pair of end panels extending from the remaining pair of oppositely disposed side walls and formed integral with and surrnounting said top panels, said end panels being disposed adiacent the end edges of said top panels and said handle sections, and tab portions integral with and extending from said end panels, said tab portions having terminal edges with the terminal edges of the tab portions of one of said end panels being contiguous the terminal edges of the tab portions of the other of said end panels, said contiguous edges adjacent said top panels being non-linear with at least a part of said contiguous terminal edges of said tab portions being in abutting engagement, said part thereof in abutting engagement being disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said container, said tab portions of said one of said end panels being secured to said handle sections, said tab portions of said other of said end panels being divided by a tear line into fixed tab portions secured to said handle sections and loose tab portions, said tear line being rupturable by an outward pull on said other of said end panels to separate said loose tab portions from said iixed tab portions whereby said other of said end panels and said loose tab portions may be displaced outwardly from said top end closure for use as a dispensing means for said container.

2. A top end closure of the character defined in claim l wherein said angle is substantially a right angle.

3. A top end closure of the character deiined in claim l wherein said tab portions are interposed between said handle sections.

4. A top end closure of the character defined in claim l wherein said handle sections and said tab portions of said one of said end panels are provided with aligned iinger holes for carrying said container.

5. A tcp end closure of the character defined in claim 1 wherein said end panels are of triangular coniiguration and are formed with triangular winn sections disposed contiguous with said triangular panel and are hingedly connected to said panels, and wherein said tab portions are hingedly connected to said wing sections.

6. A top end closure of the character defined in claim 1 wherein the lowermost part of said loose tab portions is spaced above the plane of said top panels and separated therefrom by said fixed tab portions.

7. A top end closure of the character defined in claim l wherein said dispensing means includes weakened crease lines in said other of said end panels and its integrally joined side wall, said crease lines comprising a longitudinal crease line extending downwardly from the uppermost edge of said other of said end panels continuing into said integrally joined side wall, a pair of downwardly diverging crease lines in said side wall extending from said longitudinal crease line, and diagonal crease lines extending from the upper edges of said other of said end panels across the line of juncture of said other of said end panels and said side wall to the side edges of side wall whereby said side wall and said other of said end panels are deformable into a trough-like structure by inward pressure on said first pair of oppositely disposed side walls.

8. A top end closure of the character dened in claim 7 having a pair of spaced diagonal crease lines disposed adjacent each end of the line of juncture of said other of said end panels and said side wall.

9. A top end closure of the character defined in claim 7 wherein said top panels are provided with crease lines to facilitate formation of said trough-like structure of said dispensing means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,073,503 Kuchenbecker Ian. 15, 1963

Claims

1. A TOP END CLOSURE FOR A SELF-SUSTAINING TUBULAR CONTAINER HAVING A BODY PORTION DEFINED BY FOUR SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR SIDE WALLS, SAID TOP END CLOSURE COMPRISING A PAIR OF TOP PANELS EXTENDING FROM A FIRST OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SIDE WALLS AND PROJECTING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE SAME PLANE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ACROSS AND CLOSING THE TOP END OF SAID CONTAINER BODY PORTION, A HANDLE SECTION ON EACH OF SAID TOP PANELS, SAID HANDLE SECTIONS BEING DISPOSED IN UPRIGHT AND JUXTAPOSED RELATION, A PAIR OF END PANELS EXTENDING FROM THE REMAINING PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SIDE WALLS AND FORMED INTEGRAL WITH AND SURMOUNTING SAID TOP PANELS, SAID END PANELS, BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT THE END EDGES OF SAID TOP PANELS AND SAID HANDLE SECTIONS, AND TAB PORTIONS INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENDING FROM SAID END PANELS, SAID TAB PORTIONS HAVING TERMINAL EDGES WITH THE TERMINAL EDGES OF THE TAB PORTIONS OF ONE OF SAID END PANELS BEING CONTIGUOUS THE TERMINAL EDGES OF THE TAB PORTIONS OF THE OTHER OF SAID END PANELS, SAID CONTIGUOUS EDGES ADJACENT SAID TOP PANELS BEING NON-LINEAR WITH AT LEAST A PART OF SAID CONTIGUOUS TERMINAL EDGES OF SAID TAB PORTIONS BEING IN ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT, SAID PART THEREOF IN ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT BEING DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID TAB PORTIONS OF SAID ONE OF SAID END PANELS BEING SECURED TO SAID HANDLE SECTIONS, SAID TAB PORTIONS OF SAID OTHER OF SAID END PANELS BEING DIVIDED BY A TEAR LINE INTO FIXED TAB PORTIONS SECURED TO SAID HANDLE SECTIONS AND LOOSE TAB PORTIONS, SAID TEAR LINE BEING RUPTURABLE BY AN OUTWARD PULL ON SAID OTHER OF SAID END PANELS TO SEPARATE SAID LOOSE TAB PORTIONNS FROM SAID FIXED TAB PORTIONS WHEREBY SAID OTHER OF SAID END PANELS AND SAID LOOSE TAB PORTIONS MAY BE DISPLACED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID TOP END CLOSURE FOR USE AS A DISPENSING MEANS FOR SAID CONTAINER.