US3543998A - Easy open carton - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent Bert James Dunlap Batavia, Illinois Aug. 26, 1968 Dec. 1, 1970 Container Corporation of America Chicago, Illinois a corporation of Delaware [72] inventor [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54) EASY OPEN CARTON 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl. 229/51 [51] Int. Cl 865d 5/54 [50] Field of Search 1229/51 (1.8.), (Div.), (RT.), 17, 37

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,864,968 6/1932 Weiner ..229/5l(Div.)UX

2,020,804 11/1935 Segal ..229/5l(1S)UX 2,448,819 9/1948 Mitchell 229/5l(lS)UX 3,315,871 4/1967 Moore et a1. 229/37 3,352,692 11/1967 Wysocki 229/5 l(1S)X FOREIGN PATENTS 509,351 7/1939 Great Britain 229/7 Primary Examiner- Davis T. Moorhead Attorney-Richard W. Carpenter ABSTRACT: A carton, having very narrow width edge walls and relatively wide side walls, with an end closure formed by overlapping flaps. weakened tear lines are formed along the closure flap hinge lines. At one corner of the carton the weakened lines extend angularly of the side walls and across the edge wall to enable the corner portion to be severed to provide an easily grasped element to facilitate severance of the tear strip between the weakened lines.

Patented DecQl, 1970 v I 3,543,998

5&1

B. JAMES DUNLHP EASY OPEN CARTON This invention relates to a paperboard carton having a nar' row tear strip, and, more particularly to a construction in which grasping of the end of the strip, otherwise difficult because of its narrow width, is facilitated.

An object of this invention is to provide, in a tubular carton of very narrow edge wall width, a tear strip, formed in one of such edge walls, which has an end portion affording a relatively wide grasping surface.- 7

A further object is to provide a narrow tear strip, in a carton of the type referred to, such tear strip being joined at one end to a severable corner section of the carton which is easier to grasp and pull than the narrow strip itself, thereby greatly simplifying the release of the strip.v

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentas the description proceeds.

In the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carton made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a suitable blank from which the carton may be formed;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale showing the details of the severable corner construction;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective .view on an enlarged scale showing the severable corner portion prior to its severance; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the corner portion after being severed and formed into a widened grasping member.

The carton herein disclosed is suitable for the packaging of groups of articles, particularly food products, such asa small number of thin slices of cheese, boiled ham. and similar sliced food products, and may beformed from ablank of foldable paperboard, as shown in FIG. 2. The blank is suitably cut and scored to form main wall. panels 1 and 2, which, for convenience, are referred to' as sidewall panels, edge wall panels 3 and 4, and attaching flap 5. The edge panel 3 is defined from sidewall panels 1 and 2 by fold lines 6 and 7. The edge panel 4.

and attaching flap 5 are defined from their respective attached sidewalls by fold lines 8 and-9. By folding the blank along fold line 6 to bring side wall lagainst side wall 2, applying adhesive to the attaching flap 5, eitherbefore or after wall 1 is -folded,

andthcn folding edge wall 4 against the attaching flap, the carton maybe brought into the form of a collapsed tube at the manufacturing plant, ready for delivery to the packer.

The blank also has two sets of end wall closure flaps which, for convenience, may be referred to as upper and lower closures for the open ends of the tubular carton. The lower closure is formed from flaps 11 and 12 hinged onsidewalls l and 2 and flaps l3 and 14 hinged on edge walls 3 and 4.

The upper closure comprises narrow closure flaps l5 and 16 hinged respectively on sidewalls l and 2, and flaps l7 and- 18 hinged on the ends ofedge walls 3 and 4.

The major portion of the length of the hinge line of each of the flaps 15 and 16 is formed by a series of closely spaced cuts 15a, 15a and 16a, 160, having straight and angled portions, which form weakened tear lines. The straight portions of the cuts preferably coincide with the lines of fold of the flaps. The weakened lines formed by the cuts 15a and 16a, as herein shown, terminate short of the ends of flaps l5 and 16 that are adjacent the edge flap [7 and, respectively, meet the ends of angularly extending weakened lines 15b and 16b formed across the corner portions of the respective sidewalls 1 and 2. These weakened lines are also shown as extending angularly across the edge wall 3 and meeting centrally of such edge wall.

The weakened lines 1512 and l6b preferably are formed as a series of spaced, shortcuts with the spaces between the cuts being left intact or only lightly scored. The apex formed centrally of the edge wall}, where the weakened lines meet, is preferably formed by a V-shap'ed cut, as indicated, to provide a depending, displaceable tab 311 to facilitate starting the tear.

The hinge line 18a for flap 18 may be partially cut to enable the tear strip to be completely torn off, if desired.

The hinge lines along the adjacent end portions of the flaps l5 and 16, indicated at 15c and Hit, and the hinge line 17a for the flap 17 are preferably not weakened, but formed by usual score lines.

The triangular corner portions of the sidewalls are preferably made so as to be readily foldable by forming partial cuts or heavy scores therein, indicated at la and 2a, to divide the corner portions into triangular sections lb, it and 2b, 20. These sections are preferably made symmetrical so that they can be folded outwardly along the lines la and 2a, whereby sections 1b and 1c, and likewise sections 2b and 2c, can be folded flatwise against each other, as shown in FIG. 5.

In use, the collapsed, tubular carton is expanded and the lower closure flaps are first folded into overlapping position and sealed. The contents are then inserted through the open upper end which is then closed in the usual manner by first folding flaps l7 and 18 inward and then folding flaps l5 and 16 into overlapped position and sealing them, as by means of suitable adhesive or by heat sealing.

When access to the contents is desired, the upper end of edge wall 3 is preferably pressed inward to displace the tab 30. Continued pressure will result in the severance of the corner portions of the sidewalls along the angular weakened lines 15b and 16b. Then, by applying a squeezing pressure with thumb and linger on the adjacent surfaces of the top wall and edge wall, the wall sections lb, 1c and sections 2b, 2c will be folded against each other as their respective hinge lines In and 2a move outwardly. This produces a relatively wide and flat member that can be grasped firmly to enable the tear strip between the weakened lines 150 and 16a to be severed with relative ease compared with that of severing a tear strip when the only portion available to be grasped is merely the end of the narrow strip.

it is not considered necessary in every instance to collapse the grasping member as above described. If desired, after the corner portion of the carton has been released by severance along the tearlines 15b and 16! the corner member may be grasped by thumbed and finger bearing against the portions at the ends of corner lines 170. Thus an adequate grasping and pulling force can be exertedon the tear strip without collapsing the corner portion to flat condition as described.

The weakenedlines which form thecorner grasping element have been described as being formed centrally of the blank, as shown in FIG. 2, withedge wall panel 3 integrally joinedlto the edges of sidewalls 1; and-2. However, it is considered to be within the scope of the invention to form the weakened lines so they will be located at the sides of an edge wall which is not integrally joined to both sidewalls.

The invention is particularly advantageous for use with cartons having edge walls of the order of three-eights inch to onehalf inch in width. By-creating a convenient grasping element at the end of the tear strip which has an overall extent of approximately twice the width of the major portion of the strip length, the operation of severing the tear strip is greatly facilitated.

While only a single embodiment of the subject invention has been disclosed, it will be understood that modifications can be made therefrom. Accordingly, it is desired that the invention be limited only by the claimshereinafter following.

- lclaim:

1. An easy open carton formed of foldable paperboard comprising:

a. a pair of relatively wide, rectangular side wall panels;

b. narrow edge wall panels to which opposite sides of the sidewall panels are joined to form a tubular body portion;

0. an end closure flap hingedly connected to each sidewall panel at one end of the tubular body;

d; weakened tear lines extending partially along the hinge lines between the closure flaps and sidewall panels and being terminated substantially symmetrically at points spaced from the corners of the sidewalls at one corner of the carton;

f. each of said corner portions defined by said angularly extending weakened lines being formed with a score line extending from a corner of a sidewall to said weakened line defining said come; portion at an angle of approximately 45 to facilitate opening of said carton.

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