US3302778A - Container - Google Patents

Description

mm. M WJRTY EII'AL SEQZJW CONTAINER E5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 23, 1965 INVENTORS. CARROLL J. MC GORTY BENJAMBN A. CUOCO BY @Qzwm 0M ATTOWVEY.

is sis 98 16 F565.

Feb '7, W67 CMJ. MCGORTY ETAL 7 9 GONTAI NER 5 Sheets-$heet Filed July 25, 1965 INVENTORS. CARROLL J. MC GORTY BENJAMIN A. CUOCO ATTORNEY.

H967 c. .J. MOGORTY ETAL 3,3023% Feb CONTAINER I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 23, 1965 INVENTORS. CARROLL J. MC GORTY BENJAMIN ACUOCO ATTRNEY.

United States Patent 3,302,773 (IGNTAINER Carroll J. McGorty, Granville, and Beniamin A. Cause,

Springfield, Mass, assignors to Boxmakers, llnc., Westfield, Mass.

Filed July 23, 1965, Ser. No. 474,375 Claims. (til. 206-45.14)

Our invention relates to containers and more especially to containers of the type wherein a substantial portion of an article packaged therein is exposed to view.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a container of the type described which may be readily assembled by automatic equipment as well as by hand from a one-piece container blank, with the erected container providing product visibility and copy area on the face of the container.

Another object is to provide a container in which a substantial portion of the packaged article is exposed to view and at the same time the article is effectively retained and the container may be handled without danger of the packaged article falling therefrom.

Still another object is to provide a container which is highly attractive in appearance and the interlocking parts maintaining it in erected positions are effectively concealecl.

A salient feature of the invention resides in the simplicity with which an article may be inserted into the container. Herein, the upper closure flap is opened, the article inserted, and the closure flap closed and the article is secured in place, while a major portion thereof remains visible.

These and other objects will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following detailed specification and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a container embodying a preferred form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view through the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the container of FIG. 1 with certain of the flaps opened for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view through the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view similar to FIG. 1, but with the packaged article removed and portions of the container broken away for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a container blank from which the container of FIGS. 1-5 is erected; and

FIGS. 7-14 are modified forms of container blanks embodying the invention.

With detailed reference now to FIGS. 1-6 of the draw ings, the preferred illustrated embodiment of our invention is designed to receive an article 10 which may be a tube, bottle or other container, shown for purposes of illustration only as beingsirnilar in configuration to the usual tooth paste tube and having a closure cap 12 threadedly engaged therewith. In the FIG. 1 form of the invention, the article is illustrated in cap-down position; it may be placed in cap-up position utilizing other embodiments of the invention, as will appear.

The container is formed from an integral cut and/or crease scored blank generally indicated by and shown in extended form in FIG. 6.

Blank 20 comprises a rear panel 22 hingedly connected along its opposite side edges by score or crease lines 24 and 26 to a pair of side panels 28 and 30 respectively, said side panels each being connected to one of a pair of front panels generally indicated by 32 and 34 by score or crease lines 36 and 38 respectively.

An arcuate cut score line 40 is provided in the upper portion of front panel 32 and extends inwardly from the outermost side edge of said panel to the score or crease line 35 to divide said panel into an uppermost support panel 42 and a lowermost first partition panel 44.

An arcuate cut score line 46 is provided in the upper portion of front panel 34 and extends inwardly from the outermost side edge of said panel to the score or crease line 38 to divide said panel into an uppermost display panel 48 and a lowermost second partition panel 50.

A combination cut and crease score line 52 provides a first retaining flap 54 adjacent the outermost side edge of first partition panel 44, and a combination cut and crease score line 56 provides a second retaining flap 58 adjacent the outermost side edge of second partition panel 50.

A locking tab 60 is provided on the outermost side edge of second retaining flap 58, and a horizontally aligned locking tab opening is provided by a cut score line 62 appropriately located along the length of combination cut and crease score line 52 on first partition panel 44.

An upper closure flap 64 is hingedly connected to the upper edge of display panel 48 by a score or crease line 66 and an upper tuck flap 68 is hingedly connected to the upper edge of upper closure flap 64 by a score or crease line 70.

A first article retaining flap 72 is provided and is hingedly connected to the upper edge of side panel 30 by a score or crease line 74. First article retaining flap 72 is provided with a longitudinally extending central opening 76 of appropriate size and configuration to permit the passage of the base end of article 10 therethrough while still frictionally engaging said base end, all in manner subsequently to be explained.

First article retaining flap 72 is provided, centrally of its length and on each side of central opening 76, with a transversely-extending score or crease line 80 which facilitates bending of the retaining flap to a substantially triangulate form, for purposes to appear.

An upper closing flap 82 is hingedly connected to the upper edge of the other side panel 28 by a score or crease line 84.

A lower closure flap 86 is hingedly connected to the lower edge of rear panel 22 by a score or crease line 88.

A second article retaining flap 9% is hingedly connected to lower closure flap 86 by a score or crease line 92 and a lower tuck fiap 94 is hingedly connected to the lower edge of second article retaining flap by a score or crease line 96.

A cut score 98 located centrally of second article retaining flap 90 and terminating at score or crease line 96 provides a locking tongue 100 hingedly connected to the retaining flap and provided with an integral locking tab 1&2 by a transversely extending score or crease line 104.

A pair of. lower closing flaps 106 and 108 are connected to the lower ends of side panels 28 and 30 by score or crease lines 110 and 112 respectively.

To erect the blank of FIG. 6 into the container of FIGS. 1-5, side panels 28 and 30 are moved upwardly so that they are perpendicular to rear panel 22 and lower closing flaps 106 and 108 are bent inwardly so that they are perpendicular to side panels 28 and 30.

Lower closure flap 86 is moved upwardly and second article retaining flap 90 is bent downwardly until lower tuck flap 94 contacts rear panel 22.

Locking tongue 100 is now depressed and bent along score or crease line 38 so that locking tab 102 is now resting on lower closure flap 86 and the main body portion of the locking tongue is engaging rear panel 22.

Front panel 32 is now moved downwardly and first partition panel 44 is bent along score or crease line 52 so that first retaining flap 54 is bearing flush against rear panel 22 and first partition panel 44 is extending angularly downwardly from side panel 28 to rear panel 22.

Front panel 34 is moved downwardly and second partition panel 50 is bent along score or crease line 56 so that second retaining flap 58 overlies first retaining flap 54, wherefore locking tab 60 can be inserted in the locking tab opening provided by cut score 62.

At this time display panel 48 overlies support panel 42 and the two may be secured to each other by any suitable adhesive substance provided on the confronting faces of either panel.

The container is now ready to accept article 10, which is inserted into the open top thereof and dropped downwardly so that closure cap 12 is received in the opening in second article retaining flap 90 provided by the depression of locking tongue 100.

With article now disposed in the container, first article retaining flap 72 is swung downwardly so that its outermost free end frictionally engages side wall 28 and so that the base of article 10 is frictionally engaged in central opening 76.

The container may be completely closed by moving upper closing flap 82 and upper closure flap 64 downwardly, in that order and by inserting upper tuck flap 68 between rear panel 22 and first article retaining fiap 72.

If desired, an additional retaining flap, identical to first article retaining flap 72, may be substituted for closing flap 82 to provide a double thickness for larger and heavier articles.

In FIG. 7, we have illustrated a container blank 120 identical in form to container blank 20, with the exception that a second closing flap 172 has been substituted for the first article retaining flap 72 of FIG. 6.

In FIG. 8, a container blank 220 is also identical in form to container blank 20, with the exception that a first article retaining flap 272 is not provided with a central opening.

In FIG. 9, a blank 320 is identical to the blank of FIG. 7 in that it has the second closing flap 172, but it differs therefrom in that it provides a second display panel 348 hingedly connected to rear panel 22.

In FIG. 10, a blank 420 is provided which permits an article to be displayed in cap-up position. In this embodiment, while the blank has been illustrated in the same relative position as the blanks of FIGS. 6-9, the lower closure flap becomes the upper closure fiap and an apertured tab 484 is provided on rear panel 22 so that the container may be suspended from a suitable support.

In the version of FIG. 11, a blank 520 is similar to the blank of FIG. 10 except that in this embodiment no central opening is provided in a first retaining flap 5'72 and an apertured flap 506 is hingedly connected to the upper end of display panel 46 to facilitate the suspension of the container from a support.

The FIG. 12 version shows a blank 62% adapted for cap-down display of an article, but including an apertured hanging tab 600 hinged to rear panel 22 and substituting a second article retaining flap 690 having integral locking fingers 694 for the tuck flap 94 of the blank of FIG. 6.

In FIG. 13, a blank 720 is identical to blank 520 of FIG. 11 except that it contains a central opening in a first article retaining flap 772 and a second article retaining flap 790 has a locking tongue 760 with an integral locking tab 702.

The version of FIG. 14 shows a blank 820 also similar to the blank of FIG. 11, but differing therefrom in that the apertured flap 500 is omitted; a closing flap 882 is substituted for first retaining flap 572; and a first article retaining flap generally indicated by 872 is substituted for an uppermost support panel 542 of blank 520.

In the FIG. 14 embodiment, an uppermost display panel 848 has an adhesive coating 848' thereon, and

first article retaining flap 872 has an adhesive coating 872' on a glue tab extension 874 thereof.

When the blank is erected to form a container, a glue tab extension 874 is adhered to a rear panel 322 adjacent the central axis of the latter, the uppermost display panel 848 is adhered to a support panel 842 of first article retaining flap 872.

Article retaining means in the form of a panel 890 hinged at one side to support panel 842 along a score line 892 and hinged at its opposite side to glue tab 874 along a score line 896, is notched or cut away along its lower edge as at 900 to provide a locking tongue 894 of appropriate size and configuration to be receivable in the recessed cap or recessed base of an article to be packaged within the erected container.

Upon container erection, support panel 842 and glue tab extension 874 are parallel to rear panel 822 and panel 890 is normal to said rear panel on the central axis of the latter to present the depending locking tongue 894 to the cap or base of the article to be displayed.

Each of the containers described above permits the display of an article so that a substantial portion of the article is exposed to view, while the article is firmly retained within the container, and each blank is capable of quick and easy erection into a container by automatic equipment as well as by hand.

We claim:

I. A display container in combination with a capped article in the nature of a tube, bottle or container comprising, a plurality of hingedly interconnected panels, certain of said panels constituting supporting surfaces for the article while exposing a substantial portion of the article to view, certain other of said panels constituting locking means for releasably holding the articles at its distal ends, said certain other of said panels constituting locking means comprising a first panel having an aperture adapted to receive one end of the article therein and a second panel having a locking tab adapted to engage the opposite end of the article, the first panel being deformable so that it frictionally engages the respective one end of the article and the second panel being deformable so that it precludes axial movement of the respective opposite end of the article.

2. In a display container in combination with an article as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first panel comprises a pair of hingedly interconnected panels having a central longitudinal opening intersecting their point of jointure, the two interconnected panels being deformable to substantially V-shape.

3. A display container in combination with an article as set forth in claim 1 including means integral with certain of said panels permitting the container to be suspended from a supporting surface.

4. In a display container in combination with a capped article as set forth in claim 1 wherein the capped article is disposed within the container in cap-down position.

5. In a display container in combination with a capped article as set forth in claim 1 wherein the capped article is disposed within the container in cap-up position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,448,401 8/1948 Stone 22939 2,980,242 4/1961 Miller 20645.3l 3,093,290 6/1963 Banks et a] 20645.l4 3,252,566 5/1966 Hanson M 206-45.l4

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, IR., Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DISPLAY CONTAINER IN COMBINATION WITH A CAPPED ARTICLE IN THE NATURE OF A TUBE, BOTTLE OR CONTAINER COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF HINGEDLY INTERCONNECTED PANELS, CERTAIN OF SAID PANELS CONSTITUTING SUPPORTING SURFACES FOR THE ARTICLE WHILE EXPOSING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE ARTICLE TO VIEW, CERTAIN OTHER OF SAID PANELS CONSTITUTING LOCKING MEANS FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING THE ARTICLES AT ITS DISTAL ENDS, SAID CERTAIN OTHER OF SAID PANELS CONSTITUTING LOCKING MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST PANEL HAVING AN APERTURE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE ONE END OF THE ARTICLE THEREIN AND A SECOND PANEL HAVING A LOCKING TAB ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE OPPOSITE END OF THE ARTICLE, THE FIRST PANEL BEING DEFORMABLE SO THAT IT FRICTIONALLY ENGAGES THE RESPECTIVE ONE END OF THE ARTICLE AND THE SECOND PANEL BEING DEFORMABLE SO THAT IT PRECLUDES AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE END OF THE ARTICLE.

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