US3239129A

US3239129A - Carton

Info

Publication number: US3239129A
Application number: US404223A
Authority: US
Inventors: Casper F Schilling; Jr Joseph H Hantz
Original assignee: American Can Co
Current assignee: Fort James Corp
Priority date: 1964-10-16
Filing date: 1964-10-16
Publication date: 1966-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 1983-03-08

Description

March 8, 1966 c. F. scHlLLlNG ETAL 3,239,129

CARTON 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 16, 1964 2 2 6 vo. l2 z M l: 4 il? 1T we. s Il I L. 2 l/ w lo 2 Z a m l March 8, 1966 c. F. scHlLLlNG ETAL CARTON 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 16, 1964 March 8, 1966 c. F. scHlLLlNG ETAL 3,239,129

CARTON Filed OC. 16, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent O 3,239,129 CARTON Casper F. Schilling, Wausau, and Joseph H. Hantz, Jr., Schoield, Wis., assignors t American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey lFiled Oct. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 404,223 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) This invention relates to carton construction and more particularly to means for facilitating the closing of car- `tons having an inner and outer panel fixed together in overlapping juxtaposition so that the end edges of the panels are adjacent one another and having overlapping inner and outer ilaps which are fixed together in a limited area of their overlap and which are hingedly connected to the adjacent ends of the inner and outer panels, respectively, and which are adapted to be folded perpendicularly to the inner and outer panels.

The improvement provides means which cannot be detected from the outward appearance of the carton for reducing the resistance of the flaps to folding.

The improvement is particularly well suited for use in conjunction with cartons of the above description which have a tear strip in the outer flap. In such known carton constructions, one of which is illustrated in FIGURE 9, there is a buckling or puckering of the tear strip along its bottom edge due to the -fact that that portion of the outer ap above the line of weakness dening the bottom edge of the'tear strip shifts relative to that portion of the outer ap below that line of weakness as the aps are folded about their hinge connection. This puckering of the tear strip is not only unsightly but it also interferes with the closing and sealing of the carton on high-speed packaging machinery.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved carton construction having means which do not detract from the outward appearance of the carton which substantially reduce the resistance of the aps to being folded.

Another object of this invention is to provide `a new and improved carton construction which obviates the puckering of the tear strip which arises during the closing of known carton constructions.

To facilitate the description of the present invention there is shown in the drawings a carton of the type having a receptacle portion and a cover portion adapted to telescope over the receptacle portion and having a multisided, tear-strip opening feature.

Certain details and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description made in connection made in connection with the accompanying drawings in"which: l

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a paperboard blank embodying the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of the reverse side of the blank of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a plan View of a collapsed carton shell formed from the blank of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a squared carton shell formed from the blank of FIGURE 1,

FIGURES is a perspective view of a partially closed. carton formed from the blank of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a fully closed and sealed carton formed from the blank of FIGURE 1,

Patented Mar. 8, 1966 ICC FIGURE 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIGURE 6,

FIGURE 8 is a perspective View of a carton in opened condition formed from the blank of FIGURE 1 with the tear strip removed, and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a known carton construction having puckering along the bottom edge of its tear strip.

Referring to FIGURE l, the carton may be made from a single blank A of foldable material such as paperboard. The blank A is'divided by score line 10 vand cut lines 11 into a receptacle portion and a cover portion.

The receptacle portion is divided by `score lines 12-16 and cut lines y17 and 18 into hingedly connected panels and flaps including receptacle front, bottom and rear panels 19, V20 and 21, respectively, and front, bottom and

rear end aps

22, 23 and 24, respectively.

Score line 10 defines the upper edge of receptacle rear panel 21 and score lines 16 define the end edges of receptacle front panel 19.

The cover portion is divided by score lines 25-27 and cut lines 2S into hingedly connected panels and flaps including top panel 29, opening panel 30, opening

flaps

31 and 32 and top flaps 33. y

Score line 25 denes the front edge of top panel 29 and score lines 26 define its opposed end edges. Score lines 27 dene 4the opposed end edges of opening panel 30. The openings flaps have upper and

lower edges

34 and 35, respectively. A

Lines of weakness in the form of herring bonetype,

perforated score lines

36 and, 37 in opening panel 30 and opening

liaps

31 and 32 dene a tear

strip comprising portions

38, 39 and 40. Tear strip portion 38 separates first opening ap 31 into upper and

lower portions

31a and 31b. Likewise, tear strip portions 39 'and' 40 separate opening panel 30 into upper and

lower portions

30a and 30b and second opening flap into upper and

lower portions

32a and 32b,v respectively.

, The front end flaps 22 have lines of weakness therein in the form of slits 41, the function of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

`In the preferred form. preapplied heat activatable adhesive is applied in

patterns

42 and 43 on the opening flaps and top aps, respectively. Preapplied adhesive is adhesive which is applied by the paper converter at the timeof manufacture of'the blank and is adapted to be activated by heat at v the time of erection and closing of the carton. I

Blank YA is formed into a 4collapsed carton shell, as shown .in FIGURE 3, by the paper converter. This is done by rst running the blank as shown in FIGURE 1 over a conventional straight line gluer to apply adhesive strip 44 shown on the reverse side of the blank in FIG- URE 2. Receptacle front panel 19 is then folded 180 about score line 13 to lie superposed on bottom panel 20 and so that its adhesive bearing surface is facing upwardly.

Panels

29 and 30 together with their associated flaps are then folded about score line 10 so ,that the lower portions 30h, 31h and 32b of panel 30 and

flaps

31 and 32 are brought in contact with and adhered to receptacle front panel 19 and flaps 22, respectively, by adhesive strip 44; The blank is then in the collapsed shell form shown in FIGURE 3. In this form, the carton may be economically shipped to the product packager for setting up, iilling and sealing.

To set up the carton, the` collapsed carton shell is first squared so that

panels

19, 20, 21 and 29 are positioned consecutively at right angles to each other as seen in FIGURE 4. Usually, one end of the carton is rst closed and sealed and the carton is then lfilled and the other end is closed and sealed. Since the closing and sealing steps for each end of the carton are the same, reference is had to closing just one end of the carton.

To close one end of the carton, bottom end flap 23 is folded upwardly about score -line to a position perpendicular to bottom panel 20. As seen in FIGURE 5, rear end ap 24 is folded inwardly about score line 14 to overlie the bottom end flap. Front end flap 22 and opening flap 31 which are adhered together below the tear strip portion 38 are folded inwardly andthat part of opening ap portion 31b which extends beyond frontend ap 22 is adhered to rear end flap 24 by adhesive 42.

When opening ap 31 and front end flap 22 are folded rearwardly the portions of these flaps which arev adhered together below the tear strip rotate as a unit about a single axis which lies between

score lines

16 and 27. In contrast, when the portions of these flaps above the tear strip and which are not adhered together are folded inwardly they rotate about individual axes, namely

score lines

16 and 27.

In the known carton construction when these flaps are folded inwardly that portion of opening ap above the perforated score line defining the bottom edge of the tear strip tends to move or slide relative to that portion of the ap which is below this perforated score line, thus, causing puckering along the bottom edge ofthe tear strip as shown in FIGURE 9.

The present invention obviates this vpuckering along the bottom edge of the tear strip by providing a line of weakness in the form of slit 41 in front end ap 22. The slit is positioned below perforated score line 37 defining the bottom edge of the tear strip'and above thearea of adhesion between opening flap portion 31b and the subposed end flap 22. In a preferred embodiment -slit 41 extends substantially across frontend flap 22 to provide a line of weakness therein which' is substantially weaker than the line of weakness 37 defining the bottom edge of the tear strip. This allows the upper portion 31a of opening flap 31 together with tear strip portion 38 to forcibly slide that portion of front end flap 22 above slit 41 relative to the portion below slit 41. As shown in FIGURES 5 and '7, this causes a wrinkle in front end flap 22 at the end of slit 41 which. cannot be seen when the carton is closed and sealed and which does not interfere with the operation of the closing and sealing machinery.

Thus, by weakening front end flap 22 by slit 41 to a greater degree than opening flap 31 is weakened by perforation line 37, p'uckering along the lower edge of the tear strip portion 38 is eliminated.

To fully close the end of the carton, top flap 33 is folded downwardly about score line 26 to overlie rear end flap 24 and opening flap portion 31a and it is adhered to portion 31a by adhesive 43. The folding and sealing of top flap 33 thus completes the end closure of the carton and fully closed carton as it appears to the consumer is shown in FIGURE 6.

Referring to FIGURE 8, to open the carton, the tear strip is gripped atfthe free end of portion 38 and torn completely from the carton. The removal of the tear strip thus severs the lower portions of 30b, 31h and B2b of the cover which are adhered to the receptacle portion from the upper portions of the

cover

30a, 31a and 32a, respectively, which are not so adhered.

While a particular embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in detail herein, the invention is suitable of embodiment in various different forms and it is understood that the present disclosure is to beconsidered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular form illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a carton having an inner panel, an outer panel in overlapping juxtaposition with and fixed to the inner panel, the outer panel having an end edge adjacent an end edge of the inner panel, an inner flap hingedly connected to said end edge of the inner panel, and outer flap hingedly connected to said end edge lof the outer panel and overlapping said inner flap, the said aps being fixed together in a limited area of their overlap and being adapted to be folded perpendicularly to said panels, the improvement comprising a cut line in said inner ap extending from adjacent the hinge connection of said inner flap and said inner panel to adjacent a free edge of said inner flap, the cut line being adjacent said limited area.

2. In a carton having an inner panel, an outer panel in overlapping juxtaposition with and xed to the inner panel, the outer panel having an end edge adjacent an end edge of the inner panel, an inner flap hingedly connected to said end edge of the inner panel, an outer flap hingedly connected to said end edge of the outer panel and overlapping said inner flap, the said flaps being fixed together in a limited area of their overlap and being adapted to be folded perpendicularly to said panels, the improvement comprising a cut line in said inner flap extending approximately perpendicularly to the hinge connection of said inner flap to said inner panel, the cut line being adjacent said limited area.

3. In a carton having a receptacle portion and a cover portion adapted to telescope over the receptacle portion; said receptacle portion comprising hingedly connected receptacle front, bottom and back panels and end flaps; said cover portion comprising a top panel having a front edge, an opening panel hingedly connected along the front edge of said top panel and having opposed end edges', opening flaps hingedly connected along the end edges of said opening panel, said opening panels and opening flaps being superposed over said receptacle front panel and end flaps, respectively, at least one of said openingflaps adjacent an edge remote from the top panel being adhered to a subposed end flap, and a tear strip portion defined by a pair of vertically` spaced lines of weakness extending from a free edge of one of said opening aps to its hinge connection, said tear strip being positioned between the plane of the top panel and the area of the opening flap which is adhered to said subposed end flap; the improvement comprising a line of weakness in said subposed end flap positioned below said tear strip and above the area of the subposed end flap which is adhered to the opening flap.

4. A tamperproof carton as described in claim 3 wherein the line of weakness in said subposed end flap comprises a slit extending approximately perpendicularly to the hinge connection of said subposed end flap and substantially across said subposed end flap.

5. In a reclosable carton formed from a paperboard blank suitably cut and scored to provide a carton having a receptacle portion and a hinged cover portion adapted to telescope over the receptacle portion; said receptacle portion having hingedly connected receptacle front, bottom and back panels and end flaps, said receptacle back panel having an upper edge; said cover portion having a top panel hingedly connected to the upper edge of said back panel, said top panel having a front edge and opposed ends, an opening panel hingedly connected along the front edge of said top panel and having a lower edge and opposed end edges, opening aps hingedly attached along the end edges of said opening panel and having lower and upper edges, said opening panels and opening flaps overlying and being adhered adjacent their lower edges to said receptacle front panel and end flaps, respectively, top flaps hingedly connected to the ends of said top panel and adhered to said opening flaps in the area 5 6 0f their upper edge; a tear strip being defined by a pair References Cited bythe Examiner of vertically `spaced lines of Weakness extending from a UNITED STATES PATENTS free edge of one of said opening aps throughout the length of said opening panel to a free edge of the other gimen k. 229 51 opening flap, said tear strip being positioned between the 5 3165254 1/1965 Mggons l n 229:51 plane of the top panel and the area of said opening flaps v which is adhered to said end flaps; the improvement com- JOSEPH R LECLAIR, Primary Examneh pn'sing a slit in `one of said end flaps positioned below the tear strip and above the area of the end flap which is GEORGE O' RALSTON Exammer adhered to said opening ap. D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

3. IN A CARTON HAVING A RECEPTACLE PORTION AND A COVER PORTION ADAPTED TO TELESCOPE OVER THE RECEPTACLE PORTION; SAID RECEPTACLE PORTION COMPRISING HINGEDLY CONNECTED RECEPTACLE FRONT, BOTTOM AND BACK PANELS AND END FLAPS; SAID COVER PORTION COMPRISING A TOP PANEL HAVING A FRONT EDGE, AN OPENING PANEL HINGEDLY CONNECTED ALONG THE FRONT EDGE OF SAID TOP PANEL AND HAVING OPPOSED END EDGES, OPENING FLAPS HINGEDLY CONNECTED ALONG THE END EDGES OF SAID OPENING PANEL, SAID OPENING PANELS AND OPENING FLAPS BEING SUPERPOSED OVER SAID RECEPTACLE FRONT PANEL AND END FLAPS, RESPECTIVELY, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID OPENING FLAPS ADJACENT AN EDGE REMOTE FROM THE TOP PANEL BEING ADHERED TO A SUBPOSED END FLAP, AND A TEAR STRIP PORTION DEFINED BY A PAIR OF VERTICALLY SPACED LINES OF WEAKNESS EXTENDING FROM A FREE EDGE OF ONE OF SAID OPENING FLAPS TO ITS HINGE CONNECTION, SAID TEAR STRIP BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN THE PLANE OF THE TOP PANEL AND THE AREA OF THE OPENING FLAP WHICH IS ADHERED TO SAID SUBPOSED END FLAP; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A LINE OF WEAKNESS IN SAID SUBPOSED END FLAP POSITIONED BELOW SAID TEAR STRIP AND ABOVE THE AREA OF THE SUBPOSED END FLAP WHICH IS ADHERED TO THE OPENING FLAP.