US3451535A

US3451535A - Tamperproof display receptacle

Info

Publication number: US3451535A
Application number: US664043A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl H Caplan
Original assignee: NYSCO LAB Inc
Current assignee: NYSCO LAB Inc
Priority date: 1967-08-29
Filing date: 1967-08-29
Publication date: 1969-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 1986-06-24

Description

June 24, 1969 E. H. CAPLAN 3,451,535

TAMPERPROOF DISPLAY RECEPTACLE Filed Au 29, 1967 INVENTOR 5424 H C'APL/l/V ATTO-RNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 206-44 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tamperproof display receptacle is formed of a unitary cardboard blank and includes side walls projecting rearwardly from the vertical marginal edges of a windowed front wall and provided with locking tabs projecting from their terminal rear edges, said tabs having neck sections terminating in enlarged heads. Panels project forwardly from the rear wall into positions underlying the side walls, each panel having a base slit formed along its rear edge of a width between that of the tab neck and head, and slits forwardly diverging from the base slit to points spaced a distance greater than the width of the tab head. The tabs are contiguous to the front face of the rear wall with their necks registering with the base slits and are retained in position by the panel flaps delineated by the base and diverging slits.

Background of the invention The present invention relates generally to improvements in receptacles and particularly to an improved tamperproof carton.

In the marketing and dispensing of many products, as exemplified by bottled pharmaceuticals, it is frequently desirable to package the product in a container provided with a removable closure which permits ready access to the product and then to package the container in a second receptacle to facilitate the distribution and display of the product. In such packaging arrangements it is highly desirable to provide means for preventing the unauthorized removal of the first container from the second. Many forms of tamperproof cartons have been employed or proposed but these possess many drawbacks and disadvantages. They are generally unreliable in their operation, difficult to employ, are of limited application and present many problems in their loading and use.

Summary of the invention It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved receptacle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tamperproof carton.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tamperproof carton which is formed of a unitary blank and is simple to assemble, load and close.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle of the above nature characterized by its simplicity, versatility, ruggedness, low cost and attractive appearance.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In accordance with the present invention the improved carton is formed of a unitary blank 11 which includes a sealing tab 20 and rear wall panel 19, a bottom wall panel 18, a windowed front wall panel 12, a top wall panel 16 and a display panel 17 connected successively end to end and delineated by transverse fold lines. A pair of side wall defining panels 23 extend laterally from the front wall panel 12 and are provided with locking tabs 24 which "ice project laterally from the free edges of the sidewall panel and are of the structure above set forth. A pair of panels 30 extend laterally from the side edges of the rear wall panel 19 and flap delineating

slits

32, 33 are formed therein. In the assembled condition, the display panel 17 projects upwardly from the rear edge of the top wall 16, the sealing tab 20 of the rear wall being cemented to the rear face thereof and the slit panels 30 underlie the side wall panels with the locking tabs projecting through the slits and lying along the inner face of the rear wall. The subject structure is simple and inexpensive and is easy to assemble, load and lock in a closed tamperproof condition. In order to open the locked closed carton to obtain access to the contents thereof one or more of the seals or components thereof must be broken or severed, thereby providing clear evidence of such access.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a looked assembled carton embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a blank from which the carton is formed;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary outside end perspective view showing the locking tab in a partially inserted position;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view showing the locking tab in its locked position; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary inside perspective view showing the locking tab in its lock position.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved carton which is assembled from a unitary blank 11 formed of cardboard or other suitable material, suitably decorated and having any desirable information applied thereto by printing or otherw1se.

Blank 11 includes a rectangular front wall defining panel 12 having a window 13 formed therein which may be covered by a transparent plastic sheet 14 cemented to the rear face of panel 12. Exending from the upper edge of panel 12 and delineated therefrom by a transverse fold line a is a top wall defining panel 16 from the upper edge of which extends a rectangular display panel 17 delineated from panel 16 by a transverse fold line b. A bottom wall defining rectangular panel 1 8 extends from the lower edge of panel 12 and is delineated therefrom by a fold line c, and extending from the lower edge of panel 18 and delineated therefrom by a transverse fold line d is a rear wall defining rectangular panel 19 terminating in a sealing tab 20 having converging side edges.

A pair of rectangular flaps 21 project laterally from opposite side edges of panel 16 and are delineated therefrom by longitudinal fold lines e, and a pair of rectangular flaps 22 project laterally from the side edges of panel 18 and are delineated therefrom by longitudinal fold lines f.

A side wall defining rectangular panel 23 extends laterally from each side edge of panel 12 and is coextensive therewith and delineated therefrom by a respective longitudinal fold line g. The upper and lower edges of the panels 23 are separated from the adjacent edges of

flaps

21 and 22 by transverse slits.

A locking tab 24 is medially positioned along each outer side edge of panel 12 and projects laterally therefrom. Each tab '24 includes a short neck section 26 delineated from panel 12 by a fold line h, and an enlarged head 27 extends from the outer edge of neck section 26. Head 27 includes upper and lower substantially triangular ears 28 delineated from the main portion of the head 27 by horizontal fold lines i and having vertical inner edges spaced 3 from the outer edges of the panels 23 a distance equal to the length of the necks 26. The outer edges 29 of the heads 24 are arcuate and convex.

Projecting laterally from the opposite side edges of back panel 19 are rectangular panels 30 coextensive with the panel 19 and delineated therefrom by longitudinal fold lines k. A medially located slit 32 is formed along each fold line k and is of width between that of the neck 26 and the distance between the outer tips of opposite cars 28 of each head 27. Laterally outwardly diverging from the ends of each slit 32 are slits 33, said slits 32 and 33 delineating trapezoidal flaps 34 connected at their wide or base ends to the bodies of panels 30. The width of the base of each flap 34, that is, the distance between the spread ends of the slits 33, is greater than the greatest width of locking tab head 27.

In erecting blank 11 to form carton 10,

panels

12 and 19 are folded upwardly along lines and a, panel 16 is folded rearwardly along line a and the panel 17 is folded upwardly along line b and cemented along its bottom rear border to the front face of sealing tab 20. Flaps 21 are folded downwardly along lines e and flaps 22 are folded upwardly along lines f.

Panels 30 are folded forwardly along lines k and then the locking tabs 24 are folded rearwardly along lines 11. Thereafter, panels 23 are folded rearwardly along lines g, tab heads 27, as seen in FIGURE 3, being inwardly inserted through slits 32, flaps 34 swinging inwardly and the tab heads 27 temporarily deforming to permit the full insertion of locking tabs 24. When tab necks 26 reach slits 32 flaps 34 return toward the planes of panels 30 with the lower edges thereof bearing on the inner faces of tabs 24, thereby effecting the tamperproof closure of the carton 10. Prior to the closing and locking of the receptacle by one or both sets of the panels 23 and 30- and the locking tabs, as aforesaid, the desired product to be packaged is inserted into the carton 1 0 through the corresponding open side thereof.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A carton formed of a unitary blank (11) and comprising a rectangular front wall (12), a pair of rectangular side walls (23) integrally formed with said front Wall and provided at their outer edges with inwardly directed locking tabs (24), each locking tab including a neck portion (26) extending from a respective side wall and terminating in an enlarged head section (27) having outwardly converging side edges (29), a rectangular rear wall (19), a rectangular bottom wall (18) interconnecting the bottom edges of said front and rear walls, a pair of rectangular panels (30) extending from the side edges of said rear wall and substantially coextensive therewith and lying along the inside faces of said side walls (23), each of said panels (30) having formed along its inner edge of medial slit (32) and oposite slits (33) diverging outwardly from the ends of said medial slit (32) to delineate a flap (34), said tabs (24) projecting through respective medial slits (32) into proximity with said rear wall (19), the length of said medial slits (32) being between the widths of said neck portion (26) and said head section (27 and the maximum width of said head section (27 being less than the distance between the ends of said diverging slits (33), a top wall (16) extending rearwardly from the top edge of said front wall (12), a display panel (17) propecting upwardly from the rear edge of said top wall (16), and a tab (20) projecting upwardly from said rear wall (19) and secured to said display panel (17).

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,766 1/1900 Hibson 229-39 1,822,936 9/1931 Reichel. 2,362,230 11/ 194-4 Ziemmerman 22939 XR 3,037,684 6/ 1962 Andrews 229-39 XR 3,273,702 9/ 1966 Palmer 206 .31

FOREIGN PATENTS 909,552 10/ 1962 Great Britain.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, vPrimary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.