US3131851A - Paperboard carton - Google Patents

Description

May 5, 1964 T. M. PACE PAPERBOARD CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 22, 1962 May 5, 1964 T. M. PACE PAPERBOARD CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1962 United States Patent O 3,131,851 PAPERBARD CARTON Thomas M. Pace, Pensacola, Fla., assigner to St. Regis 'aper Company, New York, NX., a corporation of New York Filed May 22, 1962, Ser. No. 196,709 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-51) This invention relates to improved collapsible cartons formed of paperboard or the like semi-rigid sheet material.

Cartons embodying the invention are particularly adapted, among other possible uses, zfor the packaging of comestibles such as blocks of icecream and in cases such as where the manufacturer of the cartons makes it Va practice to ship large numbers thereof in collapsed condition to packers of the commodities, the cartons being of such form that the packers may readily set them up and pack them by the use of available packing machinery with little or no change, and then seal them for shipment to the ultimate customer.

The cartons involving the invention are provided with improved tear-strip means which may easily and quickly be removed by the customer -to release the cover for the carton, permitting the cover to be swung open to gain access to the contents, the cover having depending -iianges on three edges so that it will be reelatively rm and in such form that it may conveniently be reclosed, all without otherwise tearing or injuring the carton. The construction is such also that after the tear-strip is removed, then one or both ends may be easily pulled open to permit the contents to be slid out endwise.

Further in accordance with the invention, the construction is such that the cover has what will be herein referred to as a front cover iiange depending from the front edge of the cover and -being divisible longitudinally, that is horizontally, into at least three parts separable along lines of perforations to provide an intermediate part which embodies the removable tear-strip means above referred to. After removing such tear-strip means, the front cover flange is left with an upper part providing a remaining depending front ange on the cover and a third part which remains permanently -adhered to the front of the carton. Furthermore, this `front cover ange is provided at both of its ends, in accordance with the invention, with aps adapted to be folded back and Iadhered respectively to the end closure portions of the carton and the removable tear-strip parts extend not only along the front of the carton but around on such folded-back iiaps so that when the tear-Strip means is removed, the cover is left with not only Ia depending flange on its front edge, but with depending flanges on the two ends of the cover and portions of the ifolded-back aps remain adhered to the depending anges at the ends of the cover so as to provide firm front corners for the cover structure after the :tear-strip means has been stripped away so as fully to release the cover, whereby it may be swung open.

Preferably the tear-strip means is so formed as to be removable in two parts, a pull-tab -for each part respectively being positioned conveniently near the middle of the front of the car-ton and so that upon pulling such tabs respectively in opposite directions, the two tear-strip portions may be separately and completely removed and completely releasing the cover for opening. These tearstrip portions also are preferably each formed by two rows of perforations of such shapes that while the tear-strips may be readily stripped away by pulling in one direction, that is from the middle of the kfront of the carton toward the ends, yet the tear-strips cannot without breaking be stripped away by pulling on them in an opposite direction.

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Further in accordance with the invention, the end walls of the carton are formed of flaps integral respectively with all the other panels of the carton and are so shaped and are of 'such areas as to provide in each case one complete inner end wall and two superposed iiap portions, preferably heat-sealed together, and which cover those portions of the ends of the carton below the anges on the ends of the cover. As lfurnished to the packers, the cartons in collapsed condition may preferably have their front cover iianges permanently adhered to the `front walls of the cartons and so that the cartons may be delivered in collapsed condition with only the flaps which form the end walls remaining to be adhered in appropriate relation after the body of the carton is set up to square form. And the end .closure liaps which are superposed as above referred to, as well as a part of the end li-aps on the cover iiange portion, are provided with heat-sensitive adhesive areas such that the ends of the car-ton may be quickly and easily closed after filling the cartons and heat-sealed without substantial change to the equipment available for that purpose, but still leaving the end closure flaps in such condition that lthey may readily be pulled open by the customer in case he desires to remove the contents endwise. Yet if the customer prefers simply to open `and possibly reclose the cover, this may be done upon stripping away the tear-strip portions while leaving the carton otherwise in full useful condition, free of any likelihood of leakage.

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the description given below, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan View showing the inside surfaces of a blank for making a carton lin accordance with the invention, the closely stippled areas thereon indicating places where permanent adhesive is to be applied at the time the blank is manufactured into a carton of collapsed form and the other stippled lareas with more scattered stippling, indicating places where heat-sensitive adhesive may be applied for adhering the end closure portions after the carton is iilled by the packer;

FIG. 2 is a View like PIG. l, but showing the exterior surface of the carton blank;

FIG. 3 is a view showing the carton in collapsed `form as shipped to packers and with the end closure portions still open;

lFIG. 4 is a view showing a carton embodying the invention after it has :been set up to square form but with the closure portions at one end only partially moved to closed positions and the other end closure portions being shown in open condition;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the iinished, closed and sealed carton; and

FIG. 6 is a similar view but Ishowing the cover swung open lafter a tear-strip means has been removed.

Referring to the drawings in further detail, as shown in IFIGS. l and 2, the initial carton blank may comprise a single integral sheet with a succession of panels positioned `side-by-side Iand separated by fold lines as indicated by the dotted lines, such panels comprising a front panel 10, bottom panel 11, back panel 12, and cover panel 13, and also `a front cover iiange panel indicated generally at 14. Each of these panels is provided at each end with flaps for collectively forming the end closure means for the carton. The aps 1S and 16, at the ends of the bottom panel, are 'adapted to be folded up vertically, as indicated in FIG. 6, to form inner end walls of `areas substantially covering the whole end areas of the contents of the carton. The flaps 17 and 13 on the cover panel are adapted to be fold- Y fed overtoforrn depending iianges at the ends of the carton cover, also as shown in'FG. 6.y The flaps 19, 20 and 21, Z2 on the respective ends of the back and front panels are adapted to be folded over at the ends of the carton in superposed relation and these carry areas of heat-sensitive adhesive for sealing same together in such relationship, as also shown for example at the end lof the carton appearing in FIG. 6. These flaps, it will be noted, are of a width such that when folded over in said superposed relation, they will serve to cover that part of the area yof the end of the carton which is below Ithe end cover ilange 18.

The front cover iiange panel indicated generally at 14,

has ila-p portions thereon at each end, as indicated generally at 23, 24, v4and this panel, including the flaps thereon, is divisible'longitudinally (or horizontally in the completed normal position of the carton) into three portions which are separable along lines of perforations as indicated at 25, 26, to provide an intermediate part comprising a pair of end-to-end tear- strips 27, 28. The upper of the three pants of the front cover ange in the iinished carton serves, as best indicated in FIG. 6, as a permane-nt depending flange 30 for the front edge oi the cover. The third part of the frontcover yilange, indicated by the numeral 31, is located in the finished carton below the region of the tear-strip and is adapted to be permanently adhered to the front panel of the carton. That is, when the carton is shipped from Ithe manufacturer to the packer in collapsed condition, as shown in FIG. 3, the area 31 will 4 substantial advantages, particularly in View of the fact that the strip extends through the aps at the ends of the front cover flange rneans. This enables the front iiange portions of the cover to be securely held in place, including lthe reinforced corners, until the tear-strips are removed,

whereupon all of the ilange portions of the cover and including the reinforced corner portion, are separable, but still leaving a hrm dan ged cover and leaving the remainder of the carton in goed useful condition and such that the covermay be reclosed. The provision of a pair of tearstrips with their pull-tabs located at the mid-portion ofV the front of the carton, makes it possible for such tabs to cake of ice cream partially out endwise for cutting into layers. Y Y

'Iihe provision of the flaps l5 and 16 opstanding vertically from the bottom panel, makes Vit possible to close the entire end areas within the carton after it is filled and to insulate'the contents against such heat as may be applied to heat seal the yoverlying outer closure iiap ,portions in normally be permanently adhered to the front panel 19.

Itwill be noted from FIG. 1 that the tear-strip means `divides the flaps on the front 'cover flange panel into three pants, with the intermediate part comprising the tear-strip means land with parts as at 35, a, which are adapted to ,be folded back and heat-sealed to thefront ends of the ilanges '17 and 18 on the cover panel. The remaining partsy of the flaps 23, 24, viz. the parts indicated at 36, 35a are permanently adhered by the cartonV manufacturer to the front portions of ilaps 19 and 20.

VThus when the tear strip means are removed, the parts of Vtherfront cover flange panel which are to remain so as to constitute ange portions on the cover, will be sep-V arated from the pants 31,36, 35a which remain adhered -V i to the body of the carton, as will be apparent from FIG. 6.

, the tear-strips may be grasped by their pull-,tabs and readily pulled apart from the carton by pulling each strip/respectively toward the ends of the carton until the strips are 'complete-ly removed, if desired, not only from the frontof the carton but also around the front corners to Y the ends of lthe flap portions Z3, 24. However, if an attempt should be made in any way to pullthe tear-strips respectively in the reverse directions, then because of the arrangement :of the diagonalY slits, the strips will tend to tear iapant rather than become released. Thus with the Vpull-tabs ylocated in a protected positionr at the midportion ofthe front of the carton, they will not tend to be pulledV to release the strips accidentally, as might be .the case if the pull-tabs were 'at the Vcorners of the carton at exposed positions with conventional types of perforations. K

As shown in FIGS. l, Z 'and 6, the front panel at vits ends may be formed with small extensionsas at 4i), 41 adapted to be looatedrat the'up-per portions ofthe iront panel in the finished carton and to be yfolded back, as indicated .in lEIGL 6, into .engagement with the inner end closure wall portions 15 and 16, thereby to prevent leakage .lor spillage at the front upper corners of ythe carton when the cover is opened. n A tearestripv means in the vform described has further place. latter extend only up to the level of the lower edge of the cover fend ilaps, makes it possible, after the cover is raisw,

to insert the ngers between the Vinner and outer wall portions of the end closures for rapidly pulling open the end of thecarton if desired.

Although a. 'certainparticular embodiment of the invention is herein disclosed for purposes of explanation, further modifications thereof, after study of this speciiication, will be apparent to, ,those skilled in the art to which the/invention pertains.` Reference should accordfor the carton, the aps on the Ybottom panel being adapted to be folded into vertical positions and being of areas substantially to cover the end areas within the carton, the iiavps on the cover panel being relatively narrow withrespect to thek carton height and adapted to be folded over to form depending flanges at the ends of the carton cover, the iiaps on the ends of the front lpanels being of length no greater than the width ofthe carton and the iiaps on the ends or" the back panels being of length less than the width of, the carton and said flaps on the respective ends of the back and front panels being adapted to be folded over at the ends of the Vcarton in -superposed relation, withV they iiaps on the ends of the back panel outermost, and'carrying adhesive for sealingV same together in such relation and same being Vat locations and of areas for covering substantially only those portions ofl the ends of the carton which are below the end anges of the cover; the front cover ilange panel including the iapsKV thereon being divisible longitudinally into at least three parts, separable along a pair of spaced lines of perforations extending from the freer side edge of one of Vsaid last-mentioned flaps along said front cover panel to the free side edge of the other of said last-menf tioned aps to provide an intermediate removable tearstrip part, an upper part for providing remaining depending cover flange means after the tear-strip part is removed, and the third part being adapted for adhesion to the front panel and to remain after removal of the tear-strip Vvpart,

The facty that the greater. part of the areas of the said tear-strip part comprising two tear strips which respectively have pull tabs adjacent the midportion of the front of the carton and said tabs being adapted to be pulled separately and independently in opposite directions, respectively, for removing the two tear strips; and the aps at 'die ends of the front cover ange panel being of length on the setup carton to be folded rearwardly in superposed relation to the front portions of the ends of the carton without overlapping the aps on the back panel and that portion of said latter iaps above the tearsrlp part, bearing adhesive for retaining same to the cover end flanges whereby the end of the carton may be readily opened without opening the cover.

References Cied in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Daller Oct. 29, 1935 Lowey July 5, 1938 Goodyear May 9, 1944 Zastrow Dec. 16, 1958 Frazier Sept. 19, 1961 Stone Oct. 17, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 27, 1937

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