U.S. patent application number 10/075977 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-14 for carrying carton and can dispenser.
Invention is credited to White, George H. JR..
Application Number | 20030150759 10/075977 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27660169 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030150759 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
White, George H. JR. |
August 14, 2003 |
Carrying carton and can dispenser
Abstract
The carton has two side panels, a front panel, a back panel and
top and bottom flaps attached by a crease to each panel. The front
panel has a trapezoidal shaped tear out section from a top edge to
a bottom portion. A tape carrying handle is adhesively attached to
a top portion of each side panel. Upon removing the trapezoidal
tear out section, a purchaser of the carton filled with cans in a
longitudinally stacked array is able to remove one can at a time
without causing other cans to fall out of the carton.
Inventors: |
White, George H. JR.; (Palm
Harbor, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LARSON AND LARSON
11199 69TH STREET NORTH
LARGO
FL
33773
|
Family ID: |
27660169 |
Appl. No.: |
10/075977 |
Filed: |
February 14, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/427 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2571/00728
20130101; B65D 2571/00493 20130101; B65D 2571/00141 20130101; B65D
71/36 20130101; B65D 5/46016 20130101; B65D 2571/0074 20130101;
B65D 2571/00574 20130101; B65D 2571/0066 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/427 |
International
Class: |
B65D 065/00; B65D
075/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A carton blank comprising: a unitary sheet of material having a
first and second side panel, a back panel and front panel together
with a top and bottom flap attached to each panel by a longitudinal
crease line and each flap adapted to be bent inwardly; a first
vertical crease line attaching the first side panel to the front
panel, a second vertical crease line attaching the second side
panel to the front panel, a third vertical crease line attaching
the second side panel distal from the front panel to the back
panel, a fourth vertical crease line attaching the back panel to a
support panel; and a perforation outline on the front panel
outlining a trapezoidal section extending from a horizontal
perforation line attaching the top flap to the front panel to a
bottom portion of the front panel.
2. The carton blank according to claim 1 wherein a notch is located
on an outside edge of the top flap attached to each side panel.
3. The carton blank according to claim 1 wherein a notch is located
on an inside edge of the top flap attached to the front panel.
4. The carton blank according to claim 1 where a pair of diagonal
crease lines are located on the top flap attached to the back panel
and front panel.
5. A beverage carton comprising: an upright first and second side
panel, a back panel and a front panel, the panels attached together
to form a container for longitudinally stacking an array of cans, a
bottom flap attached to each panel folded inwardly and adhesively
joined to form a bottom section of the carton; a perforation
outline of the front panel outlining a trapezoidal section
beginning at a horizontal perforation line attaching a top flap to
the front panel and extending downwardly to a bottom portion of the
front panel; the front and back panels having a width substantially
the same as the longitudinal length of the cans; a carrying handle
adhesively attached to an upper portion of the first and second
side panel; and a top flap attached to the first and second side
panels, the front panel and back panel folded inwardly to partially
enclose a top of the carton below the carrying handle.
6. The beverage carton according to claim 5 wherein the carton
encloses twelve cans.
7. The beverage carton according to claim 5 wherein the trapezoidal
section has been removed to permit removal of one can at a time
from the carton.
8. The beverage carton according to claim 5 wherein a first corner
portion of the back panel top flap is glued to the first side panel
top flap and a second comer portion of the back panel top flap is
glued to the second side panel top flap.
9. The beverage carton according to claim 5 wherein a first corner
portion of the front panel top flap is glued to the first side
panel top flap and a second corner portion of the front panel top
flap is glued to the second side panel top flap.
10. A beverage carton for stacked cans, the cans stacked in a
lengthwise configuration, the carton comprising: an upright first
and second side panel, a back panel and a front panel having a
width conforming substantially to the length of the cans, the
panels attached together along crease lines to form an enclosure
for the stacked cans, a bottom flap attached to each panel folded
inwardly along a crease line and the bottom flaps adhesively joined
to form a bottom section of the carton; a perforation outline of
the front panel outlining a trapezoidal section beginning at a
horizontal perforation line attaching a top flap to the front
panel, the perforation outline extending downwardly to a bottom
portion of the front panel; a carrying handle attached to an upper
portion of the first and second side panels; and a top flap
attached to each first and second side panels, the top flap
attached to the front panel and a top flap attached to the back
panel, all folded inwardly to partially enclose a top of the carton
below the carrying handle.
11. The beverage carton according to claim 10 wherein the carton
encloses twelve cans.
12. The beverage carton according to claim 11 wherein the cans are
stacked in three rows of four cans each.
13. The beverage carton according to claim 10 wherein the
trapezoidal section has been removed to permit removal of one can
at a time from the carton.
14. The beverage carton according to claim 10 wherein each bottom
flap has a trapezoidal shape.
15. The beverage carton according to claim 10 wherein the carrying
strap is a flexible polymeric material and the carton panels, top
flaps and bottom flaps are cardboard material.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to a packaging system for cans. More
particularly, it refers to a packaging system for carrying and
dispensing individual cans in a can array positioned longitudinally
in a carton.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Twelve can beverage cartons are well known and are currently
popular commercial items as seen by Mead Corporation's U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,558,816 and 5,292,059. Access to the cans only can be
achieved by tearing open one of the end panels so the cans can be
rolled out. Once the end panel is opened all of the cans will roll
out if the carton is tipped. Dispensing cartons such as seen in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,230 have a tear out panel which permits removal
of flat, thin products in stacked relationship. Other patents
relating to cartons, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,505,372; 4,378,877
and 3,262,631, have access doors to obtain products contained in
the carton.
[0003] No carton exists having a tear out panel in one end of the
carton that allows for individual removal of a longitudinally
stacked can while maintaining the remaining cans in a stacked
relationship in the carton. For convenience of the public, a
packaging system is needed to keep cans stored while access to
individual cans is achieved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is directed to a can beverage carton
permitting removal of individual cans stacked in a longitudinal
configuration without causing the remaining cans to fall out of the
carton. The carton has two side panels, a front panel and a back
panel with top and bottom flaps on each panel. The front panel has
perforations outlining a trapezoidal shape from a top edge of the
front panel to a bottom portion of the front panel. A tape carrying
handle is adhesively attached to a top portion of each side
panel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The invention can be best understood by those having
ordinary skill in the packaging art by reference to the following
detailed description when considered in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a unitary blank prior to
forming the carton.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carton of this invention
after being formed from the blank of FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the carton containing twelve
cans longitudinally stacked.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a formed perspective view of the carton of FIG. 3
with one can removed.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0010] Throughout the following detailed description, the same
reference numbers refer to the same elements in all figures.
[0011] The carton 10 of this invention set forth in FIG. 1 has a
first side panel 12, and a second side panel 14. Side panel 12 has
a top flap 16 and a bottom flap 18. Side panel 14 has a top flap 20
and a bottom flap 22. Top flap 16 bends inwardly along crease 24.
Bottom flap 18 bends inwardly along crease 26. Top flap 20 bends
inwardly along crease 28 and bottom flap 22 bends inwardly along
crease 30.
[0012] Carton 10 also has a back panel 32 and a front panel 52.
Back panel 32 has a top flap 36 with a first diagonal crease 38 and
a second diagonal crease 40. In addition, back panel 32 has a side
flap 42 with a vertical crease line 44 between the back panel 32
and a side support panel 42. Back panel 32 also has a bottom flap
46 which bends inwardly along crease 48. Top flap 36 also bends
inwardly along crease 50.
[0013] Front panel 52 has a top flap 54 and a bottom flap 56. Flap
54 has a perforation line 58 to permit top flap 54 to bend
inwardly. In addition, flap 54 has a first diagonal crease 60 and a
second diagonal crease 62. Bottom flap 56 has a crease 64 to permit
flap 56 to bend inwardly. Front panel 52 has downwardly descending
perforation lines 66 and 68 tapering inwardly from perforated
horizontal line 58 at the top of panel 52 to a bottom portion 70
where perforation line 72 connects the downwardly directed distal
ends of perforation lines 66 and 68.
[0014] A cut out groove 74 is formed along a top edge 76 of flap 20
and a cut out groove 78 is formed along a top edge 80 of flap 16. A
cut out groove 82 is formed along perforated line 58 of flap
54.
[0015] As seen in FIG. 2 a tape flexible carrying handle 84 is
adhesively attached at one end to first side panel 12 and at its
other end to second side panel 14. The handle 84 increases side
panel rigidity to maintain can integrity within the carton.
[0016] In forming the carton 10 shown in FIG. 2, all the flaps are
folded inwardly along their crease lines. Side panel 12 is bent
inwardly at a right angle to front panel 52 along crease 86. Side
panel 14 is bent inwardly at a right angle to front panel 52 along
crease 88. Back panel 32 is bent inwardly at a right angle to side
panel 14 along crease 90. Side support panel 42 is bent inwardly
along crease 44 and is glued to an edge portion 92 of side panel 12
and to an edge of flap 16. Diagonal crease 38 on flap 36 is bent
inwardly so a corner portion 98 of flap 36 can be pressed against
flap 20. Crease 40 is bent inwardly so a corner portion 100 of flap
36 can be pressed against flap 16. Diagonal crease 60 on flap 54 is
bent inwardly so a corner portion 96 of flap 54 can be pressed
against flap 16. Crease 62 is bent inwardly so corner portion 102
of flap 54 can be pressed against flap 20. Bottom flaps 18 and 22
are glued over bottom flaps 46 and 56. The flexible carrying handle
84 is adhesively attached to side panels 12 and 14 so that handle
84 passes over grooves 74 and 78. Of course, the carton 10 is
loaded with cans 94 prior to enclosing the top flaps and carrying
handle 84.
[0017] As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the carton 10 is designed to hold
twelve cans stacked longitudinally in three rows. The carton could
be made smaller or larger to accommodate fewer or a greater number
of cans. The purchaser of the filled carton is able to remove cans
94 individually by tearing out the trapezoidal section 34 along
perforation lines 66, 68 and 72. The cans are removed at the top of
front panel 52, the lower portion of panel 52 retaining the ends of
each can 94 in place. In this manner, a purchaser can store the
filled carton 10 in a 15 refrigerator and singly remove a can 94 at
his or her pleasure.
[0018] The carton 10 is made of heavy duty cardboard or other
suitable paper product commonly used for cartons. The handle 84 is
preferably made from a flexible polymer. Adhesives commonly used in
the carton manufacturing industry are used to adhere the flaps in
place.
[0019] The back panel 32 and front panel 52 have a width that
slightly exceeds the length of the cans 94; i.e., the width of the
back panel 32 and front panel 52 is substantially the same as the
length of the cans 94 stacked in the carton 10.
[0020] Other equivalent elements for the components of carton 10
can be substituted for the components described herein to make
substantially the same carton.
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