US3658237A

US3658237A - Container closure

Info

Publication number: US3658237A
Application number: US49299A
Authority: US
Inventors: Karl Engel
Original assignee: ROLPH CLARK STONE Ltd
Current assignee: ROLPH CLARK STONE Ltd
Priority date: 1970-06-24
Filing date: 1970-06-24
Publication date: 1972-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-25

Abstract

A collapsible container having a body with foldable side walls and a closure with foldable side walls. The body and closure have cooperating tab and abutment means respectively to lock the closure to the body. The abutment means on the closure are biased to a locking position by being located adjacent fold line on the closure side walls.

Description

United States Patent Engel [15] 3,658,237 51 Apr. 25, 1972 [54] CONTAINER CLOSURE [72] Inventor: Karl Engel, Pierrefonds, QuebecsCanada [73] Assignee: Rolph-Clark-Stone Limited, Don Mills,

Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: June24,l970

[21] Appl.No.: 49,299

[52] US. Cl ..229/41 [51] Int. Cl ..B65d 5/36 [58] Field of Search .229/41 R, 41 A, 41 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,650,751 9/1953 Goers ..229/4l B Pfafi' ..229/4l B Collura ..229/4l B Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Assistant Examinerl. Kenneth Silverman Attorney-Alan Swabey [5 7] ABSTRACT A collapsible container having a body with foldable side walls and a closure with foldable side walls. The body and closure have cooperating tab and abutment means respectively to lock the closure to the body. The abutment means on the closure are biased to a locking position by being located adjacent fold line on the closure side walls.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPRZSIHYE 3,658,237

SHEET IUF 2 INVENTOR Karl ENGEL PATH-STE!) APR 2 5 1972 SHEET 20F 2 INVENTOR Karl ENGEL A TTORNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a container having an improved closure.

More particularly, the invention relates to a collapsible, paperboard container having improved locking means for locking the closure of the container when the closure is moved to a closed position.

2. Description of the Prior Art Locking means for the closures of paperboard containers are known. However, the known locking means are'not very effective in maintaining the closures locked at all times. Typical known locking means in a container having a closure panel usually comprise cooperating a tab and an abutment on overlying container and closure walls when the closure is moved to a position to close the container. When a container is closed, the abutment on one wall, of either the container or closure, is meant to cooperate with the tab on the wall of the other of the container or closure so as to lock the closure when in a closed position. Usually, the tab resiliently rides over the abutment, and once past it, snaps outwardly under the abutment into place. The abutment thus prevents the tab from moving in the reverse direction. Usually, however, the abutment formed in the container is quite narrow, and because the containers, when made from paperboard, are not too rigid, the tab an be inadvertently moved past the abutment when the closed container is being handled, thus permitting the closure to become unlocked and leading to the inadvertent opening of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved locking means for a container having a closure, particularly a collapsible, paperboard container which is more positive acting than known locking means. The positive locking action of the locking means is obtained by providing an abutment on one wall which can be biased away from the one wall towardthe other wall carrying the tab when the collapsed container: is set up, thus ensuring more positive locking of the tab by the abutment.

The invention is more specifically directed toward a collapsible, paperboard container having bottom and side walls. The container has a closure which includes a main body panel and side panels. First means are provided in the container to permit the side walls to be folded to lie substantially adjacent the bottom wall. Second means are provided in the closure to permit the side panels of the closure to be folded to lie substantially adjacent the main body panel. Cooperating first and second locking means are provided on the side walls and the side panels respectively. The first locking means comprises at least one tab extendable outwardly from one of the side walls of the container when it is in the set-up condition. The second locking means comprises at least one abutment means carried on one side panel of the closure overlying at least a portion of the second means when the closure is in the set-up condition. The cab and the abutment cooperate when the closure and container are in a set-up condition and the closure is in a closed position on the container to lock the closure.

Preferably, the second means comprise two fold lines in said one side panel of the container, said fold lines dividing the one side panel into two triangular corner sections and an elongated, trapezoidal, main section. The abutment means comprises at least one flap lying adjacent the said one panel, one portion of said flap adhered to one of said triangular sections and the remaining portion freely extending over an adjacent portion of the main section. The remaining portion of the flap has an upper free edge forming an abutment edge which extends substantially parallel to the main panel of the closure but which is spaced downwardly a slight distance therefrom.

The tab is preferably formed adjacent the upper edge of the one side wall of the container and comprises an extension of a narrow safety flap hingedly connected to a free edge of said one side wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in detail having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the container incorporating the improved locking closure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the container of FIG. 1 in the collapsed or folded position;

FIG. 3 -is a plan view of a blank used to form the container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detail schematic view illustrating one corner of the container showing the formation of the abutment means;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the same corner taken from the outside showing the formation of the abutment means; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing how the abutment means and the tab on the container and closure cooperate to hold the closure in a locked position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The collapsible container, shown in the set-up condition in FIG. 1, comprises a bottom 3, front and

back walls

5 and 7, and end walls 9 and 11. A narrow safety flap 13 extends from the top free edge of the front wall 5 hingedly connected thereto by a fold line 15.

A closure 17 is provided for the container. It can be a completely separate piece, but preferably is attached along one edge to the top free edge of the back wall 7 of the container along a fold line 29. The closure 17 includes a main panel 19, a front closure panel 21, and

side closure panels

23, 25.

When the container shown in FIG. 1 is to be closed, the safety flap 13 is folded along fold line 15 to extend toward the back wall 7 and the top closure 17 is folded along fold line 29 to close the container. In the closed condition, the top and

side closure panels

21, 23, 25, lie adjacent the outer surfaces of the

frontand end walls

5, 9, and 11, respectively, with the top panel being adjacent the safety flap 13.

The container described above can be made from a single blank of paperboard or similar container material with fold lines delimiting the walls, flaps and panels from one another. The container, shown in FIG. 1, can be constructed from a single blank of material as shown in FIG. 3 by providing relatively

short flaps

33, 35 extending from the end edges of the front wall 5 and relatively

short flaps

37, 39, extending from the end edges of the back wall 7.

Fold lines

41, 43, 45 and 47 delimit the front and back and

end walls

5, 7, 9 and 11, respectively, from the bottom wall 3.

Fold lines

49, 51, 53 and 55 delimit the

flaps

33, 35, 37 and 39, respectively, from the front and back walls. The end walls 9 and 11 are folded up about

fold lines

45 and 47 relative to the bottom wall 3, as are the front and

back walls

5 and 7 about

fold lines

41, 43.

Flaps

33, 37 are then folded about their respective fold lines and joined, by suitable adhesive for example, to end wall 9 to join one end of each of the front and back wall s to the end wall 9.

Flaps

35, 39 are similarly adhered to end wall 11 to form the container shown in FIG. 1.

Flaps

57, 59 extend from the

side panels

23, 25, respectively, of the closure, to be joined to the inner surface of the front panel 21. The

flaps

57, 59 are specifically shaped and adhered to the front panel 21 in a manner to be described.

While the container can be constructed from a single blank of material as described above, it can also, if desired, be constructed from a plurality of panels adhesively adhered together. It is essential, however, that the container be constructed so it can assume a collapsed or folded condition, as shown in FIG. 2. In order to collapse the container, additional fold lines are provided as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. A fold line 61 is provided in each

flap

33, 35, 37 and 39. The fold line extends up at an angle from the end of each

respective fold line

49, 51, 53 and 55, adjacent the bottom wall 3, dividing the flaps from the front and back walls. The fold line 61 preferably extends diagonally at a 45 angle to the

fold lines

49, 51, 53 and 55.

Two further fold lines 63 are provided in the front closure panel 21 which extend down from the upper free corners 65, 67 of the panel 21 at an angle to the fold line 27. The fold lines 63 preferably extend at a 45 angle to the fold line 27 dividing the front panel from the main panel 19. The fold lines divide the front panel 21 into two

triangular comer sections

81, 83 and a trapezoidal central main section 82.

The fold lines 61, 63 permit the assembled container, shown in FIG. 1, to be collapsed to a flat condition by pushing it on the end walls 9, 11 as shown by the arrow A in FIG. 2 and by pushing in on the front closure panel 21 as shown by the arrow B. End walls 9, 11 are thus folded along their

fold lines

45, 47 to lie substantially against bottom wall 3. The front wall 5, together with a safety flap 13, is then folded along fold line 41 to lie substantially against bottom wall 3 and overlies end walls 9, 11. The front closure panel 21 lies substantially against the top panel 19 of the closure, and

side closure panels

23, 25 are also moved to overlie the front panel 21 and the top panel through fold line 63. The collapsed closure 17, along with back wall 7, is then folded along fold line 43 to overlie substantially against the bottom wall 3 and the collapsed end and front walls. The container can now be shipped in this collapsed condition from the point of manufacture. When the container is to be used, it is set up from its collapsed or folded condition, as shown in FIG. 2, to the position shown in FIG. 1.

The container includes cooperating locking means 71, 73 provided on both the walls of the container and on the closure 17. The locking means 71 comprises at least one, and preferably two, locking tabs 75 extending from at least one of the container walls. Preferably, the locking tabs extend from the front wall 5 of the container in an outward direction from the outer face. Each of the tabs 75 are formed by cutting the front wall 5 along a line 77 which deviates into the front wall from the fold line delimiting the safety flap 13 from the front wall 5. The fold line 15 is discontinuous at each out line 77. The cut line for each tab is preferably located adjacent the end edges of the front wall. When the safety flap 13 is folded inwardly about the fold line 15 relative to the front wall 5 prior to packaging the container, the tabs 75 forming part of the flap 13 extend in the opposite direction outwardly from the front wall to form the locking means 71.

The cooperating second locking means 73 preferably comprise abutment means carried by the side panels of the closure 17. Preferably, the abutment means are carried on the inner surface of the front panel 21 of the closure 17. The abutment means are formed by the

flaps

57 and 59 which join the side panels to the front panel. The

flaps

57, 59 are formed to have a top abutment edge 79 spaced slightly below the top edge of the front panel 21 and below the top panel 19 when adhered to the front panel. The top edge 79 extends substantially parallel to the top panel when the container is assembled.

In order to provide positive locking, one portion 85 of each of the

flaps

57, 59, is adhered to the inner surface of the

triangular end sections

81, 83 of the front panel which are defined by the fold lines 63. The other portion 87 of each of the

flaps

57, 59 extend past the fold line to lie adjacent, but free from, a portion of the main body section 82 of the front panel. The upper, free, abutment edge 79, carried by portion 87 of each flap, is thus unattached to the front panel.

The upper free portion 87 of each flap which overlies the main center section 82 of the front panel 21, and is unattached thereto, is, therefore, free to be biased, by the tendency of the top closure to return to its folded position, away from the front panel 21 and toward the front wall 5 of the container when the container and closure are in a set-up condition and the front panel overlies the front wall when the closure is in the closed condition. With the abutment edge 79 thus biased toward the front wall 5, as shown in FIG. 6, a more positive locking for the tab is obtained. The locking is obtained by moving the closure 17 to a closed position whereby its front panel 21 asses down over the outside of the front wall 5 to he a acent thereto. During the closing operation, the

flaps

57, 59 ride down over the tabs 75 until their abutment edges 79 pass by the tabs and they are then biased away from panel 21 when the closure is substantially closed. The abutment edges 79 being biased toward the front wall 5, now positively interfere with the tabs 75 to lock the closure in place and prevent it from opening.

By providing the abutment edges 79 and locking tabs 75 at the comers of the container, where the container construction is more rigid when set up, a more positive locking action is assured.

While the abutments and tabs have been shown to be positioned on the front wall and panel, they could be equally well positioned on the side walls and panels. The fold lines, to permit the container to be collapsed, are then also provided in the side walls and side panels.

I claim:

1. A collapsible paperboard container having a closure, the container having bottom and side walls, a closure for the container, the closure including a main body panel and side panels, first means in the container permitting the side walls to be folded to lie substantially adjacent the bottom wall, second means in the closure permitting the side panels to be folded to lie substantially adjacent the main body panel, cooperating first and second locking means on at least one of the side walls and at least one of the panels respectively, said first locking means comprising at least one tab extending from one of said side walls when the container is in a set-up condition, said second locking means comprising at least one abutment means carried on one side panel overlying at least a portion of the second means when the closure is in a set-up condition, the tab and abutment means cooperating when said closure and container are in a set-up condition and said closure closes said container, to lock the closure, said container including a safety flap connected to a free edge of aid one side wall, said safety flap extending inwardly over the bottom wall of the container and said tab extending outwardly away from the bottom wall with the container in a set-up condition, said tab comprising an extension of the safety flap.

2. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second means comprise two fold lines in said one side panel, said fold lines dividing the one side panel into two triangular corner sections and an elongated, trapezoidal, main section.

3. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the abutment means comprise at least one flap lying adjacent said one said panel, one portion of said flap adhered to one of said triangular sections and the remaining portion freely extending over an adjacent portion of said main section.

4. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 3, wherein said one flap has a free upper edge forming an abutment edge which extends substantially parallel to the main body panel but is spaced downwardly therefrom a slight distance.