US3231172A

US3231172A - Recloseable container

Info

Publication number: US3231172A
Application number: US141400A
Authority: US
Inventors: William M Strange
Original assignee: JOHN STRANGE CARTON CO
Current assignee: JOHN STRANGE CARTON CO
Priority date: 1961-09-28
Filing date: 1961-09-28
Publication date: 1966-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-25

Description

United States Patent 3,231,172 RECLOSEAB E CONTAINER Wiliiam M. Strange, Neenah, Wis., assignor to John Strange Carton Company, Menasha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Sept. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 141,400

7 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) This invention relates to recloseable containers and more particularly to an improvement in the closure means therefor.

The present invention is an improvement over my previously disclosed package container as set `forth in Serial Number 853,114, filed November 16, 1959.

An object of this invention is to provide a folded container which utilizes a simple tear means on the cover to allow quick and simple opening thereof after which a substantial part of the separated cover components may be tucked into the container structure for temporary closure.

It is another object to provide a folded container which has a portion of the cover means permanently secured to the container structure after the container is filled with goods and which will remain secured after a tear means has been expended whereby the permanently secured portion of the cover means will provide supporting structure for the front portion of the container but will permit the rear portion to drop away 4for easy access to the contained goods whenever the cover is swung to open position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a folded container which utilizes a tear mean-s for opening thereof which will not detract from the pleasing and attractive appearance of the container as a unit.

A still further object is to provide a prescored sheet which may be easily formed into a folded container as described above.

These and 'other objects and advantages of this invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the `several views and in which:

-FIGURE 1 is a partially folded blank which forms the container that is the subject of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the container in its folded condition and having the opening means partially removed;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of FIGURE 2 taken on the line 33;

FIGURE 4 shows the folded container lled with goods in perspective View and having the cover means partially opened;

FIGURE 5 is a View similar to that of FIGURE 4 but having the cover means partially intertted with the front structural portion of the container; and,

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of FIGURE 5 taken on line 6-6 showing in greater detail the interlitting relation of the Cover means and the container structure.

Referring more particularly now to FIGURE l, a prescored sheet of material or blank of cardboard 10 is shown with the various components ,of a box or container. The parts of the container consist principally of a bottom panel 11,

end walls

12 and 13, rear wall panel 14 and cover means 15 as well as front wall panel 16. The

end walls

12 and 13 are each provided with a rear flap 17, an end iiap 18, and a front ap 19. The front wall panel is upstanding and terminates in an upper free edge 16a as shown.

The cover panel 20 of cover means 15 may be provided with a window opening 21 over which is secured, with glue or other such means, a transparent sheet 22 through 3,231,172 Patented Jan. 25, 1966 ice l which the goods contained within the finally closed container may be viewed. Also forming a continuous portion of the cover means 15, and joined thereto in fold line 15a, is a depending flap or tear strip panel 23. As shown, the tear strip panel 23 consists of three principal elements; namely, a glue strip 24, which extendsfor the full width of the cover means 15; a tear strip 25, likewise extending the full width of the cover means; and a closing or tucl; strip 26. Closing strip 26 likewise extends for the full width of the cover means and has an edge 27 that is continuous with the edge 28 of the cover panel 20. The glue strip 24, as mentioned above, is provided with a glued surface on the underside thereof at 29. The glue extends also `for the full length of the glue strip.

It is within the contemplation of this invention that the front wall panel 16 be folded to an upstanding position with respect to bottom panel 11, after which the front `flaps 19 are then folded over the end areas 30 and 31 of the front panel.

After the goods are placed within the container, the cover means 15 is closed -tightly thereover after which the glue strip Z4 is secured with glue 29 to the front flaps 19 and Vthe intermediate portion 32 ofthe front wall panel 16. In this manner, the glue strip will adhere to the front flaps 19 and front wall panel 16 at the same time, thereby, in effect, securing thefront ilaps 19 to the front wall panel 16. The iinal closure arrangement is as disclosed in FIGURE 2.

A particular attribute of my invention resides in an arrangement where rear flaps 17 of the

end panels

12 and 13 are merely inturned to form abut-ting braces against the bottom panel 11 and the back panel 14 without being secured directly thereto. By reason of this unsecured relationship of the flaps 17, the back panel 14 is attached only to the cover 20 and to the bottom panel 11. Thus whenever the cover 20 is swung rearwardly the back panel 14 swings down and can completely be flattened to give handy access to both the top and rear of the contents of the package. l

Assuming now that the contents within the container were Ito be removed, the tear strip is torn from the cover means 15 by way of the two

perforate tear lines

33 and 34. In this manner, the closing strip 26 will be freed from theglue strip and thereby allowed to remain free of the front wall panel 16. Once the tear strip 25 has been completely removed, .the cover means may be opened as disclosed in FIGURE 4 whereby to expose the contents 35 at the `top and rear for ready removal.

Assuming now that some of the contents have been re-` moved and it is desired to temporarily close the container, it is a simple and eiiicient procedure to simply insert the closing strip 26 into the front wall structure as disclosed in FIGURE 5. As shown in greater detail in FIGURE 6, the closing strip 26 is intertted behind the front wall panel 16. In this manner, the front wall panel 16 will frictionally hold the closing strip until it is again desired to open the container.

It will be noted that the entire package or container is securely enclosed by the single glue strip but in one simple oper-ation, the secured pack-age may be converted into a package which may be temporarily and positively closed or opened thus safeguarding and isolating the contents. The instant structure is particularly useful when packaging contents such as bacon strips. In such use, the container can be opened, the desire-d amount of bacon easily removed from the top or rear portion of the container and then the cover means can again be firmly secured to the enclosure structure for protecting the contents.

It will of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangements and prO- portions of the parts without departing from the scope of this invention `as set forth in the appended claims.

What claimed is:

1. A recloseable container comprising an upstanding front `wall terminating upwardly in a free edge, a pair of end walls, each having a front flap folded over a side 'portion of said front Wall, a cover lhaving a forward edge closely overlying said `free edge of the front wall, a depending iiap secured to the forward edge of said cover in a fold line, said depend-ing flap having across the width thereof an innermost tuck strip, an outermost glue strip, and an intermediate tear strip defined by a pair of horizontal spaced tear lines, said glue strip being permanently secured .to said front flaps and to said front wall in a mutually rigidstructure, said tear strip, upon removal thereof, freeing the tuck strip and cover and permitting the tuck strip to be inserted behind said front wall at the free edge thereof.

2. Therecloseable container of claim 1 and, a bottom panel, and an upstanding rear wall secured only to said cover and to said lbottom panel, said cover when opened rearwardly serving to drop said rear wall and thereby facilitating access to the interior of the container.

3. A container comprising, a wall panel, a pair of end walls adjacent said wall panel each having continuous flaps overlying a portion of said wall panel, a cover means, a tear strip panel portion of said cover means overlying said wall panel and said continuous flaps and having a tear means extending the width thereof, said tear strip panel portion having an outermost glue strip portion which is permanently secured over said wall panel and said continuous flaps and which is separable from the remainder of said tear strip panel portion of said cover means when said tear means is removed, whereafter the remaining portion of said tear strip panel portion of said cover means may be interlitted with said wall panel to effect temporary closure of said folded container.

4. A container comprising, a front wall panel, a pair of end walls each having a front flap overlying a respective end portion of said front wall panel, a cover panel, 'and a tear strip panel joined forwardly to said cover panel, said tear strip panel having an outermost glue strip portion iixedly secured mutually over said front flaps and a portion of said front wall panel, an intermediate tear strip portion extending the width of said tear strip panel and defined by a pair of spaced perforate lines, and an innermost closing strip portion adapted to be freed from said glue strip when said tear strip is removed, said remaining closing strip portion adapted to be interfitted behind said front wall panel to effect temporary closure of said cover means.

5. A recloseable container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, a pair of upstanding end walls, one at each end of the bottom wall, a pair of upstanding longitudinal walls connected in a fold line, one at each side of the bottom wall, one of said upstanding longitudinal walls terminating upwardly in a free edge, a cover connected in a fold line to the other longitudinal wall at its upper edge and having a forward edge closely overlying said free edge, a depending flap secured to the forward edge of said cover in a fold line, said depending flap having across the width thereof an innermost friction closure strip, an outermost glue strip, and an intermediate tear strip vdefined by a pair of horizontal spaced tear lines, said glue strip being permanently secured as a structural element to the outer surface of the first mentioned longitudinal wall and upon tearing away of said tear strip, freeing the friction closure strip and cover, said cover when raised simultaneously opening the top and side of said container, the open side being created by the outward and downward folding of a longitudinal wall, said cover further being recloseable in frictional engagement with said first mentioned longitudinal Wall adjacent the free edge thereof whereby to reclose the side and top opening and form a firm structure with the remaining walls.

6. The recloseable container set forth in claim S, said upstanding end walls each having a flap foldable inwardly to abut against, but be freely separable from, the longitudinal Wall which is foldable outwardly and downwardly.

7. A recloseable carton including a bottom panel, side and end wall panels extending upwardly therefrom, a top panel hingedly connected to one side wall panel and including a closure flap hinged thereto and overlying the other side wall panel, corner flaps on said end walls and folded into face Contact with the outer surface of said other side Wall panel and inwardly of said closure iiap and terminating in spaced relation, a weakened line of separation extending across said closure flap intermediate the ends thereof, and adhesive connecting the end portion of said closure flap to the outer surface of said corner flaps and a portion of said other side wall between said corner flaps, said closure flap being otherwise free of connection with said other side wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,383,735 7/1921 McGunn 229`40 X 2,218,509 10/ 1940 Goodyear 229-51 2,354,543 7/1944 Ratcliff 229-51 X 2,844,473 7/ 1958 Seiferth et al. 2,885,842 5/1959 Boitel.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

EARLE I. DRUMMOND, FRANKLIN T. GARRETT,

Examiners.

Claims

1. A RECLOSEABLE CONTAINER COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING FRONT WALL TERMINATING UPWARDLY IN A FREE EDGE, A PAIR OF END WALLS, EACH HAVING A FRONT FLAP FOLDED OVER A SIDE PORTION OF SAID FRONT WALL, A COVER HAVING A FORWARD EDGE CLOSELY OVERLYING SAID FREE EDGE OF THE FRONT WALL, A DEPENDING FLAP SECURED TO THE FORWARD EDGE OF SAID COVER IN A FOLD LINE, SAID DEPENDING FLAP HAVING ACROSS THE WIDTH THEREOF AN INNERMOST TUCK STRIP, AN OUTERMOST GLUE STRIP, AND AN INTERMEDIATE TEAR STRIP DEFINED BY A PAIR OF HORIZONTAL SPACED TEAR LINES, SAID GLUE STRIP BEING PERMANENTLY SECURED TO SAID FRONT FLAPS AND TO SAID FRONT WALL IN A MUTUALLY RIGID STRUCTURE, SAID TEAR STRIP, UPON REMOVAL THEREOF, FREEING THE TUCK STRIP AND COVER AND PERMITTING THE TUCK STRIP TO BE INSERTED BEHIND SAID FRONT WALL AT THE FREE EDGE THEREOF.