US3905539A

US3905539A - Unitary container and closure with dispensing means and apparatus for storage thereof

Info

Publication number: US3905539A
Application number: US307063A
Authority: US
Inventors: Morison S Cousins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-11-16
Filing date: 1972-11-16
Publication date: 1975-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-16

Abstract

A container with various dispensing elements adapted for use with the container and an apparatus employed with at least one of the containers for orderly storage of and convenient access to the container at a predetermined location. The container comprises an elongated tube, sealed permanently at one end normally the base; the tubular portion of the container tapers from the two-dimensional base to a linear seal beyond which extends an upper tabular portion of the container which may be selectively adapted for the dispensation of whatever contents with which the container is used. The structure and operation of the container is accomplished by the selective disposition of scores in selected material of construction of the container. Normally the linear seal of the container is maintained in a closed position, protecting the contents from spilling and spoilation. The container is opened by squeezing opposite sides of the container at the location of scores in the container. At least one of the containers may be stored in a rack especially adapted for use with the container of the invention herein described.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Cousins 1451 Sept. 16, 1975 UNITARY CONTAINER AND CLOSURE WITH DISPENSING MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR STORAGE THEREOF [76] Inventor: Morison S. Cousins, 595 Madison Ave., New York, NY. 10022 [22] Filed: Nov. 16, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 307,063

[52] U.S. Cl. 229/4.5; 229/1.5 R [51] Int. Cl. B65d 3/08 [58] Field of Search 229/4.5, DIG. 5, 1.5 R, 229/17 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,596,856 8/1926 Clark Z29/DIG. 5 1,961,382 6/1934 Nuncs 229/l.5 R R17 5()3 11/1929 Reilly Z29/1.5 R

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 85,703 2/1936 Sweden 229/l.5 R

Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant ExaminerDouglas B. Farrow Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John Q. McQuillan 5 7 ABSTRACT A container with various dispensing elements adapted for use with the container and an apparatus employed with at least one of the containers for orderly storage of and convenient access to the container at a predetermined location.

The container comprises an elongated tube, sealed permanently at one end normally the base; the tubular portion of the container tapers from the two-dimensional base to a linear seal beyond which extends an upper tabular portion of the container which may be selectively adapted for the dispensation of whatever contents with which the container is used.

The structure and operation of the container is accomplished by the selective disposition of scores in selected material of construction of the container.

Normally the linear seal of the container is maintained in a closed position, protecting the contents from spilling and spoilation. The container is opened by squeezing opposite sides of the container at the location of scores in the container.

At least one of the containers may be stored in a rack especially adapted for use with the container of the invention herein described.

13 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures UNITARY CONTAINER AND CLOSURE WITH DISPENSING MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR STORAGE THEREOF PRIOR ART AND FIELD OF INVENTION Of conventional containers, in volume less than ap proximately one gallon, used in the marketplace, many have intrinsic disadvantages. For example, boxes, other containers made of paperboard, bottles, jars and cans, the most common containers, while all functional, are in many instances limited in their use and application either by the material from which they are constructed or the very nature of the container itself.

Desirable attributes of container designand construction are that a container be made of an inexpensive material, be simple in construction and have few separate pieces. Since many containers are used by a consumer over a relatively long period of time, usually until the contents of the container are exhausted, one important factor in a container is the ease with which the container is opened to permit access to the contents through pouring, shaking or otherwise, and closed to seal the contents to prevent spillage, spoilation and the like. Permanence and effectiveness of a container seal is likewise an important factor in the design and usefulness of a container.

That the contents of a container are not immediately used up by a consumer suggests as well that containers must be stored over a period of time until the contents, as needed, are fully consumed. Consequently, ease of storage of, and particularly, access to containers in storage are additional factors contributing to the usefulness of any particular container.

As well, regardless'of the ability of a container to meet the above requirements, an additional desirable factor in a container considers its intrinsic attractiveness to a consumer, that it have visual appeal at the point of the consumers purchase.

Generally, paperboard containers such as six-sided cubical or rectangular boxes and the gable topped milk container such as that of the nature described in U.S. Pat. Re. No. 26,305 Plastic Coated Containers," Nov. 21, 1967 and US. Pat. No. 3,421,678 Profile Coated Carton, Jan. 14, 1969 are constructed by scoring and folding paperboard into a series of planes. While such types of containers are usually functional, they lack a factor of newness, appear dull to the eye and fail to stimulate the consumer by visual intrigue.

Ordinarily opening and closing of a six-sided box requires that the box closure or cover be separate from the body or that closing be accomplished by manipulation of a plurality of flaps, one over another. While the referenced gable topped containers provide a semipermanent seal over the lip of the container, operation of the seal, comprising a series of pushes and pulls, separate from the step of pouring the contents is awkward. As well, construction of such containers is difficult since numerous folds and scores are necessary.

Considering the desirability of a unitary container and closure therefor, besides the U.S. Pat. Re. No. 26,305 and No. 3,421,678 recited above, other attempts have been made at constructing a self-closing container out of various materials. For example, US. Patv No. 3,272,248, Closure for Flexible Receptacles. Sept. 13, I966, discloses a pouch type of container having a self-closing feature; however. the selfclosing is effected by means of ancillary springs made of material other than that from which the package is constructed. The springs provide the necessary memory" to close the pouch after it is opened by squeezing, but nevertheless complicate the construction of the container and increase its ultimate cost. 7

Glass containers including bottles and jars have disadvantages including the fragility of their material of construction and the fact that most often separate caps and closures are necessary to seal the contents inside.

Cans and similar containers are not generally adapted for rescaling for usually in opening a circular top portion of the can is permanently cut off or otherwise broken. Cans that are adapted for rescaling of the contents generally require, as do bottles and jars, separate lids, caps or other closures. My container, described hereafter, offers substantial advantages over conventional containers. It is simply constructed and made from readily available and inexpensive material. In a onev piece unitary design it incorporates a selfsealing featureinto the body of the container itself. Its self-sealing feature is easily operated, even concurrently with the step of emptying contents from the container by, for example, pouring or shaking. My container is adapted to hold a wide variety of contents in commercially useful quantities including liquids and solids, food, other materials such as small hardware, office supplies, or any other goods currently packaged for sale in a container. Preferably, however, but not limited to such applications, my container and its advantages can be put to its most efficient use by packaging liquids or granular or other substances adapted for pouring, shaking or similar/disposal where the contents of the package are not normally used at once in a unit by the consumer, but ,rather are dispensed in portions as needed.

As well, when used in combination with a rack specially adapted for use with my container, the container can be easily stored, its contents readily identified, and at thesame time be readily accessible. Additionally the design attributes of my container lend the container an attractive appearanee'to the consumer and can provide visual stimulation at the point of purchase.

The advantages of my container are attributable to my utilization of a much ignored and rarely considered characteristic of common packaging material. Most packages are constructed from material which is originally in or eventually assumes a sheet form which is fashioned into tubes, boxes or other shape desired in a container. Many such materials, including paperboard have a characteristic called snap, i.e., the ability of the material in one direction to flex under pressure and then return to its original shape upon release of that pressure. I

l have utilized the snap quality of such material, in combination with carefully placed scores which define specific areas in the material, creating internal structural stresses, and have discovered that a one piece container, combining both a receptacle for contents and a semi-permanent closure in a simply operated unitary construction can be achieved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS nently scalable until opened by the consumer for use, and thereafter adapted if desired for shaking the contents therein when needed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of the container exhibiting again, the various elements of the container.

FIG. 3 depicts a variation of the container here, adapted for pouring disposal of the contents, in the upper tabular portion thereof.

FIG. 4 depicts a blank of material from which the container may be constructed and illustrates the position of the various scores, folds and joints in the construction of the container.

FIG. 5 is a cut-away representation of a side view of the container depicting the linear seal effected in the container in its normally closed, sealed position.

FIG. 6 is a representation of several of the containers in the rack adapted for use with the container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The container of the invention can be made from many conventionally employed packaging materials.

Examples of the container of my invention, have been fabricated from a cardboard material 0.015 inch thick, known as paperboard. Plastics in a sheet form may also be used. Furthermore, the construction of the container herein described appears easily adaptable to injection molding from plastics according to known methods in the plastic art and the selection of plastics with properties are described hereinafter.

The material of construction should be a rigid material. An important factor in the selection of the material from which the container is made is a quality of the material which can be described as its snap, i.e., the ability ofa material in one direction to flex under pressure and return to its original state upon release of that pressure. In paperboard, snap is caused by a lineargrain orientation in the paperboard itself and occurs along the axis of the grain. In other materials, snap can be determined either by grain orientation in the material itself or by testing the ability of the material to flex and return along an axis. The direction of the axis along which the material is most resilient, i.e., the direction in which the material will return back to its original state after being flexed, is the direction of the snap quality of the material.

Materials which do not exhibit snap qualities, for example, materials that fracture when bent or in which are not resilient upon flexing do not appear satisfactory for constructing the container of the invention.

The container is adaptable to practically any desired volume ranging, for example, from a one ounce in volume container adapted, for example, for table salt through a one gallon in volume size adapted for liquids or solids such as flour, sugar, etc. One limitation in the container, however, is the extent to which it may be filled; if the package is filled beyond approximately three-quarters of its height (which because of its shape is 85% of its capacity) reclosing will be difficult to achieve. The size of the container, thus, is selected to correspond with the volume of contents it is desired to package. Once a volume is determined, it is well known in the art to determine from volume an appropriate base size and height.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 represents a variation of the container of my invention adapted for holding shakeable contents such as spices or other condiments. While the dispensing portion of the container depicted is here adapted for a shaker application. the illustration displays features applicable to all the variations of my invention.

The container of the invention has two readily identifiable structural elements: extending from a two dimensional base, 1, is a tapered tubular portion, 2, for containing contents with which the container is to be used and an upper tab portion, 3, which may be adapted for dispensing the contents.

Between the tubular portion and upper tab a linear seal occurs at 4.

The tubular portion and tab portion are made from the same blank of material used to construct the container and are respectively defined by scores placed in the material at the point at which the linear seal is desired. Other scores are also disposed along opposite sides of the material of construction of the container at 5 and 6.

When samples of the containers were made from paperboard scores were placed in the paperboard as substantially uor v-shaped indentations in the surface of the paperboard. Scoring was accomplished with a hand tool comprising a substantially rounded steel point of approximately 0.016 in radius, fastened to a convenient handle. The handle of the scoring tool was gripped by the hand and pressure was applied through the tool while directing the tool over the paperboard, the pressure being applied being sufficient to result in scoring the paperboard, but not so heavy, for example, to cut into or through the paperboard. Rather, however, the score comprises an indentation, not cutting the paperboard, which allowed the paperboard to be folded or bent easily along the length of the score. The invention is not limited to the particular scoring apparatus described above which is included for the purpose of illustration only. Many known methods and apparatus of scoring suggest themselves to be applicable to producing the score herein described.

The scores appear to break into specific areas defined by the scores the snap quality of the material of construction and create the internal stresses in the container which establish the rigidity and self-sealing features in the container.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the base 1 of the container is a two-dimensional shape, here circular. The base, which may be made of the same material as the tubular portion of the container establishes a surface from which the tubular portion of the container 2 projects. The preferred shape of the base is a shape, extending from which, the tubular portion of the container 2, in at least a portion of its length extending from the base 1, to the linear seal at 4, passes through a smooth, unbroken, unangular circumference. When the base is circular or any other substantially rounded shape, a smooth, unbroken, unangular circumference is established in the tube 2 at the base 1. If the base, however, is not rounded, for example, if the base were a rectangle or square, the tubular portion of the container will pass through a smooth, unbroken, angular circumference in its midsection as it extends from the base 1 to the linear seal at 4.

The tubular portion of the container 2 is fastened to the base I by well known means including glue or crimping portions of the tube about the base or combination of the two and is not the subject of the invention. The base may also be cup-shape and the tubular portion of the container may be affixed to the extension from the cup shaped base.

If the container of the invention is injection molded from plastic, ofcourse. the base will be an integral portion of the mold and will not be independently separate from the tubular extension from the base.

The selection of an appropriate material of construction for the base and affixing the tubular projection of the container to the base is not an element of the invention and may be accomplished by known methods in the art.

Preferably the orientation of the axis of the snap quality or linear grain orientation of the material of constructon of the tubular portion of the container is in a perpendicular relationshipwith the base. i.e., the axis of snap or orientation of the grain should be oriented substantially along an axis from the base 1 to the linear seal of the container 4.

If sheet material is employed in the construction of the container. when the material is fashioned into a tube, a seam is provided which is here indicated at 7. The seam extends the full length ofthe container from the base to the terminus of the upper tab portion of the container. The location of the seam is not critical, however, best results are obtained when the seam is substantially centered and not adjacent the sides of the upper tab portion of the container.

In extending from the base, 1, the tubular construction of material 2, tapers from twodimensions at the base. 1, to the linear closure of the container, 4. The tubular portion of the container can be made to taper by flattening its upper portion beginning at 4 and extending upwards through upper tab 3. The length of the linear closure 4, of the container is approximately one half the circumference of the container at the base portion 1.

The location of scores is indicated at 4, 5 and 6. These scores effect the linear closure of the container that is made at 4 when the container is in its static. normally sealed state. The score at 4 extends across the breadth of the container at its flattened upper portion. The scores at 5 and 6 extend from the ends of the score at 4 along opposite sides of a diamether of the tube but do not extend the full length of the tube. Ordinarily the length of the side scores 5 and 6 extends about one half of the length of the entire container, including both the tubular and upper tab portion thereof. The score across the breadth of the container at 4, which defines the upper tab portion of the container and at which location a linear seal occurs, is placed ordinarily at a location about of the height of the entire container, below the top portion of the container. Thus, the upper tab portion of the container 3, extending from the linear sea] at 4, is about of the length of the tubular portion ofthe container measured from its base 1 to the linear seal at 4. i

The scores may be applied to material of construction of the container either when the container is in tubular form or when the material of construction is in blank form as illustrated in FIG. 4 which readily illustrates the proportions and location of scores in the container. In the blank 27. having first been chosen in height and width to produce a container ofappropriatc volume by known formulae or to produce a container of predetermined proportions. a score is located along line 28 which will be the location of the linear closure. The linear grain orientation or axis ofsnap of the material of construction in the blank should be parallel with

scores

29 and 30. As earlier noted, the score at 29 may be approximately located 15% from the upper portion of the blank. The scores along 29 and 30 are approximately one-half the height of the blank. At 31 .and 32 overlapping portions of the seam of the container are indicated. The blank is then fashioned into a tube fastening the areas at 31 and 32 and a base is affixed at 33. The linear closure will appear along a line 34 between the scores at 29 and 30. Initially the tubular construction may require flattening of the upper tab portions of the container. however this may easily be accomplished. Once,'however. the tube is fixed, as determined by the scores, it will maintain its shape permanently.

Permanent sealing of the container. i.e., sealing the contents until they are purchased by a consumer may be effected by the application of tape, glue, or other known fastener over the upper tab. The upper tab portion of the container may be adapted appropriately for the dispensation of whatever contents with which the container is used. For example. referring to FIG. 2 which illustrates an open ended upper tab, adapted for dispensation of contents such as liquids, hardware. office supplies or the like which require an opening of large area through which to pass, and in which 12 is the tapered tubular portion of the container, 13 the location of the linear closure. and 14 the location ofa score along one side of the container, the upper tab may have two

segments

15 and 16, the upper segment being permanently sealed at the facing inner surfaces thereof at 16 by glue, tape, or other means. A first opening of the container is accomplished by cutting or breaking away the sealed portion of the upper tab 16 from the unsealed portion 15 along line 17 which may be selectively perforated or provided with a tear tape to facilitate the opening. The consumer when first using the contents. breaks the original seal. Having thus broken the original seal, the consumer thereafter relies upon the linear closure of the container, 13, to protect the contents from spillage, spoilation and the like.

FIG. 3 displays a spout in its open position constructed in the upper tab, adapted for pouring liquids or granular substances such as sugar. Here. side scores are at 18 and 19, the score of the linear closure at 20, separating the tubular portion 21 of the container, from the upper tab portion 22. To maintain the container in its open position to allow dispensation of the contents squeezing pressure is applied at the side scores 18 and 19. Here only a portion of the length of the sealed upper portion of upper tab 22 is cut off to open the container and a smaller spout is accomplished at 23. When squeezing pressure is released the containers linear seal 20 flexes back to its closed position.

Displayed in FIG. 3 is an adaptation of the closure of the upper tab that is also utilized for the shaker tab displayed in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 3, lower portion of the upper tab 24 may be made longer than an upper portion of the tab 25 and the longer lower portion folded over the upper portion of and affixed to the upper portion thereof as illustrated at 26 in FIG. 5. In FIG. 1 where a variation of the container adapted for shaker dispensation of the contents, appropriate for salt, spices, or other granular substances is disclosed, a convenient shaker top is provided by permanently sealing the end of the upper tab of the container 3 and by selectively perforating the upper tab of the container as illustrated at 8 in FIG. 1. The longer lower portion of the tab 10 here incorporates both a tear tape 9 and perforations along a line at 11 to facilitate opening of the container. In combination with larger perforations 8 inserted in either the upper or lower portion of the upper tab the container thus has a convenient shaker top opened conveniently by use of a tear tape opened by pulling the tape as indicated at 9. The seal effected at 4 prevents inadvertent spills of the contents.

Operation of the container is explained by referring to FIG. 1, opening'the container is accomplished by gripping the container at its scores 5 and 6 and applying lateral pressure across the length of the upper portion of the container. The linear seal opens and the contents may be poured or shaken out. When pressure is released the container will either snap back to its normally sealed position or may require a slight pressure to be applied along the seam, at the midsection thereof at a pressure point indicated at 39 in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 5 in which a side view of the upper portion of the container is illustrated and in which 35 is the tubular portion and 36 the upper tab and 37 the location of a side score, the nature of linear seal effected in the container at 38 is illustrated. Along a line at 38 the inner surfaces of the container face each other. When pressure is applied the facing surfaces separate to allow dispensation of the contents. Referring to FIG. 5, ordinarily, when in its normally closed state the upper tab of the container is disposed from an axis corresponding to the. score at 37, from about an angle of to about 165 with respect to said axis.

Containers fashioned according to the invention may, at predetermined locations either singly or in a group, be stored upon a rack including two parallel tubes separated by space sufficient to allow the insertion of the upper tab portion of the container between the tubes. When one or more of the containers is inserted in such a rack, an attractive display results. Such a rack may be used for sales display of the containers, may be sold with the containers or as an accessory for the container where the contents of the containers are commodities normally considered as members of an identifiable group or species. For example, spices, hardward, office supplies and the like may be displayed, sold and stored conveniently in multi-unit groups when placed in such a rack.

Referring to the illustration of FIG. 6 in which (four) 4 containers are suspended from the rack and in which 40, 42, 44 and 46 comprise the tubular portions of containers, the upper tabs of which respectively are indicated as 41, 43, 45 and 47, the

upper tabs

41, 43, 45 and 47 are inserted in the space between two

tubes

48 and 49 which are resting in side supports 50 and 51 mounted at a predetermined location at which storage of the container is desired 53.

The tubes may be free floating" as is illustrated by the rack in FIG. 6, i.e., the tubes may be capable both of freely rotating about their axis and well be capable of vertical movement through space within the side supports, accomplished by inserting

tubes

49 and 48 in side support 50 where a cut-out 52 is appropriately indicated to allow such movement.

It is not necessary that the tubes be capable of lateral (horizontal) movement, and in fact. to prevent the rods from slipping out of the side supports it may be desirable that their horizontal movement be restrained. This can be accomplished by known means such as enclosing the ends of the tubes at their respective ends by disposing plates or caps of material adjacent the ends of the tubes.

Dimensions of the racks are determined by the dimension of the container or containers with which the rod is to be used. Ordinarily the minimum length of the rod, measuring the length between the inner surfaces of the side supports of the rod, iscalculated by multiplying the number of containers for which the rod will be used by the length of the container at its tab-portion. An allowance may also be made for each container to be used with the rack for a clearance tolerance of approximately 2% to 5% of its length to allow facile disposition of the container in and out of the rack.

Referring to FIG. 6, the diameter of the

tubes

49 and 48 should not substantially exceed the length of the tab portions of the container 41, '43, 45 and 47. Conversely, for any given tube diameter, the length of a tab portion of a container may be approximately determined. In practice, an optimum measure for the diameter of the tubes used in the rack considers the diameter of the tubes to be approximately equal to the length of the extending portion of the tab of the container with which the rack is to be used.

In operation, the tab portion of the container is pushed between the tubes. The tab is grasped between the tubes and the container remains suspended. Containers are removed from the rack by pulling outwards. Normally the containers are grasped at their tubular portion for insertion into and extraction from the rack.

What is claimed is: I

1. A self-closing container adapted for dispensing predetermined quantities of a container material, the container being a container which normally maintains itself in a closed state and which includes a linear closure which is opened by squeezing across the sides of the container, comprising:

1. a tube extending from a base, the tube when the container is in a closed position tapering along a portion of its length from a tubular shape to a linear closure which is accomplished by the disposition of inner facing surfaces of the tube substantially in contact with each other along a line which extends substantially across a diameter of the tube, the tube extending from a base comprising the portion of the container adapted for containing material and the linear closure comprising substantially a seal which is adapted for opening to allow the dispensation of quantities of the contained material and being further adapted for opening by means for squeezing the tube across and adjacent the diameter of the tube which substantially corresponds to the linear closure, and a 2. means for the dispensation of the contents when the linear closure is opened by squeezing across the tube, the means for the dispensation of the contents including an upper tab portion which is unitary with and extending from the tube, and, when the container is closed, extends from the linear closure of the tube and comprises the disposition of the'inner surfaces of the tube in substantially a parallel facing relationship.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 which includes scores disposed substantially at opposite sides of a diameter of the tube. the scores extending along at least a portion of the length of the tube, and a further score along at least a portion of a circumference of the tube, the score along at least a portion of the circumference of the tube being a substantially linear score disposed between the scores along the opposite sides of the diameter of the tube, the score along at least a portion of the circumference substantially corresponding to the location of the linear closure of the tube between the facing inside surfaces of the tube which are substantially in contact with each other along a line, the score along at least a portion of the circumference dividing the portion of the tube adapted for containing material from the upper top portion of the container which comprises the means for dispensation.

3. A tubular container according to claim 1 in which the upper tab portion of the container is normally disposed at an angle of from about to about 165 from an axis extending from the bottom portion of the tab at the linear closure of the container to the center of the base of the container.

4. A tubular container according to claim 1 in which an upper portion of the upper tab of the container is sealed across at least a portion thereof along its length, the seal across the length of the upper tab being a seal independent of the linear closure of the container adapted to be opened by squeezing.

5. A tubular container according to claim'l in which sealing of the container is accomplished by folding over an extending upper tab and disposing said folded over extending upper tab in a substantially facing relationship with the outside surface of the tubular portion of the container.

6. A tubular container according to claim 4, the upper tab of which further includes means for opening at least a portion thereof to allow dispensation of the contained material when the linear closure is opened by squeezing.

7. A tubular container according to claim 6 in which the means for opening a portion of the upper tab includes a tear tape.

8. A tubular container according to claim 1 in which the means for dispensation includes an upper tab adapted to form a spout.

9. A tubular container according to claim 4 in which the upper tab of the container includes at least a perforation located between a seal of the upper portion of the tab and the linear closure of the container at the lower portion of the tab, the perforation being adapted for shaking dispensation of the contents of the container when the linear closure is opened by squeezing.

10. A tubular container in accordance with claim 1 in which the material of construction comprises a material with at least one of a linear grain orientation and an ability to flex in one longitudinal direction thereof.

11. A tubular container in accordance with claim 10 in which the material with the at least one of a linear grain orientation and an ability to flex in one longitudinal direction thereof is oriented with at least one of the orientation of the grain extending in a substantially perpendicular relationship with the base of the container, as the material extends from the base of the container, and the direction of flex extending around the circumference of the tube.

12. A tubular container in accordance with claim 10 comprised of paperboard.

13. A blank for the container of claim 2 comprising a substantially rectangular portion of material which has a linear grain orientation extending along the height of the rectangle, the size of the rectangular portion of material being predetermined in accordance with the intended volume of the desired container and including sufficient allowance in the width of the rectangle to allow the ends thereof to be subsequently joined together to form a tubular shape, the rectangular portion of material having impressed thereon two separate linear scores extending about one-half the length of the height of the rectangle from the top of the rectangle, the two linear scores extending along the height of the rectangle being separated in a predetermined measure such that when the ends of the rectangle at the width are subsequently joined to form a tube, the two scores extend along opposite ends of a diameter of the tube; the rectangular portion of material further having impressed thereon a third score extending across the width of the rectangle, the score extending across the width of the rectangle, intersecting the two scores extending from the top of the rectangle and further being approximately located at a distance of about 15 to 20 per cent of the height of the rectangle, from the top of the rectangle; the rectangle including in its width ends adapted to be joined together and further being at the lower portion thereof adapted to receive an element which constitutes a base when the intended container is subsequently formed.

Claims

1. A self-closing container adapted for dispensing predetermined quantities of a container material, the container being a container which normally maintains itself in a closed state and which includes a linear closure which is opened by squeezing across the sides of the container, comprising: 1. a tube extending from a base, the tube when the container is in a closed position tapering along a portion of its length from a tubular shape to a linear closure which is accomplished by the disposition of inner facing surfaces of the tube substantially in contact with each other along a line which extends substantially across a diameter of the tube, the tube extending from a base comprising the portion of the container adapted for containing material and the linear closure comprising substantially a seal which is adapted for opening to allow the dispensation of quantities of the contained material and being further adapted for opening by means for squeezing the tube across and adjacent the diameter of the tube which substantially corresponds to the linear closure, and 2. means for the dispensation of the contents when the linear closure is opened by squeezing across the tube, the means for the dispensation of the contents including an upper tab portion which is unitary with and extending from the tube, and, when the container is closed, extends from the linear closure of the tube and comprises the disposition of the inner surfaces of the tube in substantially a parallel facing relationship.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 which includes scores disposed substantially at opposite sides of a diameter of the tube, the scores extending along at least a portion of the length of the tube, and a further score along at least a portion of a circumference of the tube, the score along at least a portion of the circumference of the tube being a substantially linear score disposed between the scores along the opposite sides of the diameter of the tube, the score along at least a portion of the circumference substantially corresponding to the location of the linear closure of the tube between the facing inside surfaces of the tube which are substantially in contact with each other along a line, the score along at least a portion of the circumference dividing the portion of the tube adapted for containing material from the upper top portion of the container which comprises the means for dispensation.

2. means for the dispensation of the contents when the linear closure is opened by squeezing across the tube, the means for the dispensation of the contents including an upper tab portion which is unitary with and extending from the tube, and, when the container is closed, extends from the linear closure of the tube and comprises the disposition of the inner surfaces of the tube in substantially a parallel facing relationship.

3. A tubular container according to claim 1 in which the upper tab portion of the container is normally disposed at an angle of from about 15* to about 165* from an axis extending from the bottom portion of the tab at the linear closure of the container to the center of the base of the container.

5. A tubular container according to claim 1 in which sealing of the container is accomplished by folding over an extending upper tab and disposing said folded over extending upper tab in a substantially facing relationship with the outside surface of the tubular portion of the container.

12. A tubular container in accordance with claim 10 comprised of paperboard.