U.S. patent application number 10/933893 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-09 for top or bottom loading container.
Invention is credited to Duane Lyle McDonald.
Application Number | 20060049067 10/933893 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35995113 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060049067 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McDonald; Duane Lyle |
March 9, 2006 |
Top or bottom loading container
Abstract
A container including: a container top having a dispensing
opening formed from a plurality of top flaps; a container bottom
disposed opposite the container top formed from a plurality of
bottom flaps; and a plurality of decorative panels forming a
sidewall of the container having a continuous decorative surface.
The plurality of decorative panels creating a continuous decorative
surface that extends in side-fold continuity across the decorative
panels except at an edge where two of the decorative panels are
joined. As a result, there is more continuity of the decorative
panels forming the sidewall and no sidewalls formed by glued
together flaps. In this manner, there is less interruption of any
graphics placed on the container's sidewall.
Inventors: |
McDonald; Duane Lyle;
(Neenah, WI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
401 NORTH LAKE STREET
NEENAH
WI
54956
US
|
Family ID: |
35995113 |
Appl. No.: |
10/933893 |
Filed: |
September 4, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/233 ;
206/494; 229/125.015 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/0805 20130101;
B65D 83/0847 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/233 ;
206/494; 229/125.015 |
International
Class: |
B65D 71/00 20060101
B65D071/00; B65D 73/00 20060101 B65D073/00; B65D 43/00 20060101
B65D043/00 |
Claims
1. A container comprising: a first section having a first section
decorative panel, a first section top flap disposed at a first end
of the first section decorative panel and a first section bottom
flap disposed at a second end of the first section decorative
panel; a second section connected to the first section, the second
section having a second section decorative panel, a second section
top flap disposed at a first end of the second section decorative
panel and a second section bottom flap panel disposed at a second
end of the second section decorative panel; a third section
connected to the second section, the third section having a third
section decorative panel, a third section top flap disposed at a
first end of the third section decorative panel and a third section
bottom panel disposed at a second end of the third section
decorative panel; a fourth section connected to third section, the
fourth section having a fourth section decorative panel and a
fourth section top flap disposed at a first end of the fourth
section decorative panel and a fourth section bottom flap disposed
at a second end of the fourth section decorative panel; a tab
connected to either the first section decorative panel or the
fourth section decorative panel for securing the fourth section
decorative panel to the first section decorative panel; and wherein
top flaps define a container top having at least a portion of the
dispensing opening in the container top, and the bottom flaps
define a container bottom, and the first, second, third and fourth
section decorative panels form a sidewall of the container having a
continuous decorative surface.
2. The container of claim 1 wherein the continuous decorative
surface extends in side fold continuity across at least three of
the edges where adjacent decorative panels meet.
3. The container of claim 1 wherein the first, second, third and
fourth section decorative panels are in top fold continuity with
the respective top flaps and in bottom fold continuity with the
respective bottom flaps.
4. The container of claim 1 wherein the dispensing opening further
comprises a dispensing window having a dispensing orifice.
5. The container of claim 4 further comprising a removable surf
board that covers at least a portion of the dispensing window.
6. The container of claim 1 in combination with a plurality of
sheet materials.
7. The container of claim 6 wherein the sheet material comprises
tissue.
8. The container of claim 7 wherein the container comprises an
upright tissue carton.
9. The container of claim 1 wherein the dispensing opening spans
the top of the container and at least one of the decorative
panels.
10. The container of claim 9 wherein the opening comprises an
oval.
11. The container of claim 1 wherein the dispensing opening resides
solely in the top of the container.
12. A facial tissue container comprising: a container top
comprising a plurality of top flaps folded to form the container
top having at least a portion of the container opening located in
the container top; a container bottom disposed opposite the
container top comprising a plurality of bottom flaps folded to form
the container bottom; and at least three decorative panels forming
a continuous decorative surface that extends in side-fold
continuity across a plurality of edges where adjacent decorative
panels meet except at an edge where the first decorative panel is
joined to the last decorative panel to form a sidewall of the
container.
13. The facial tissue container of claim 12 wherein one of the
decorative panels is adjoined along a top edge to one of the
plurality of top flaps of the container top.
14. The facial tissue container of claim 12 wherein one of the
decorative panels is adjoined along a bottom edge to one of the
plurality of bottom flaps of the container bottom.
15. The facial tissue container of claim 13 wherein the dispensing
opening comprises a dispensing window having a dispensing
orifice.
16. The facial tissue container of claim 15 further comprising a
removable surf board that covers at least a portion of the
dispensing window.
17. The container of claim 12 wherein the tissue container
comprises an upright tissue carton.
18. The container of claim 12 wherein the dispensing opening spans
the top of the container and at least one of the decorative
panels.
19. The container of claim 18 wherein the opening comprises an
oval.
20. The container of claim 12 wherein the dispensing opening
resides solely in the container top.
21. The container of claim 20 wherein the dispensing opening
resides entirely in at least one of the plurality of top flaps.
22. The container of claim 21 further comprising a unitary
dispensing window having a dispensing orifice.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Increasingly, producers of consumer use product containers,
such as facial tissue cartons, are making maximum use of the
container surface area through the use of full face graphics,
specialized graphics, including three dimensional, lenticular,
holographic, laminated films, foils and other printed, photographic
and digital effects. The increased use of such graphics creates a
desire for the minimization of visible boundaries at the meeting
point of edges to maximize the visual effect of the printed
graphics.
[0002] Also, in the manufacture of containers, or any other die cut
process, minimizing the amount of material needed to produce a
given sized container is a cost saving goal. The savings in
materials consumed corresponds to a direct savings in manufacturing
costs, and more efficient production. It is highly desirable to
have a container construction that decreases the amount of
container material required to construct a container having the
same functionality.
[0003] Therefore, a need exists for a carton that has a continuous
decorative surface on its sidewall to maximize the graphical appeal
of the carton by having a minimum of design interruptions and that
can be made at a low cost.
SUMMARY
[0004] The inventor has discovered that by relocating the closure
flaps used to fill a container from the sides or sidewall of the
container to the top and bottom of the container, a container
having a continuous decorative surface on the sidewall can be
constructed. Additionally, by designing the container such that the
dispensing opening resides partially in the top and partially in
the sidewall, less carton material can be used to produce the
container.
[0005] Hence in one aspect, the invention resides in a container
for sheet materials including: a first section having a first
section decorative panel, a first section top flap disposed at a
first end of the first section decorative panel and a first section
bottom flap disposed at a second end of the first section
decorative panel; a second section connected to the first section,
the second section having a second section decorative panel, a
second section top flap disposed at a first end of the second
section decorative panel and a second section bottom flap panel
disposed at a second end of the second section decorative panel; a
third section connected to the second section, the third section
having a third section decorative panel, a third section top flap
disposed at a first end of the third section decorative panel and a
third section bottom panel disposed at a second end of the third
section decorative panel; a fourth section connected to third
section, the fourth section having a fourth section decorative
panel and a fourth section top flap disposed at a first end of the
fourth section decorative panel and a fourth section bottom flap
disposed at a second end of the fourth section decorative panel; a
tab connected to either the first section decorative panel or the
fourth section decorative panel for securing the fourth section
decorative panel to the first section decorative panel; and wherein
the top flaps define a container top having at least a portion of
the dispensing opening in the container top, and the bottom flaps
define a container bottom, and the first, second, third and fourth
section decorative panels form a sidewall of the container having a
continuous decorative surface.
[0006] In another aspect, the invention resides in a facial tissue
container including: a container top comprising a plurality of top
flaps folded to form the container top having at least a portion of
the container opening located in the container top; a container
bottom disposed opposite the container top comprising a plurality
of bottom flaps folded to form the container bottom; and at least
three decorative panels forming a continuous decorative surface
that extends in side-fold continuity across a plurality of edges
where adjacent decorative panels meet except at an edge where the
first decorative panel is joined to the last decorative panel to
form a sidewall of the container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The above aspects and other features, aspects, and
advantages of the present invention will become better understood
with regard to the following description, appended claims, and
accompanying drawings in which:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a top view of a container blank in accordance with
one embodiment of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container made from the
blank of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a top view of another container blank in
accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a container made from the
blank of FIG. 3.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a prior art upright facial tissue carton.
[0013] Repeated use of reference characters with primes in the
specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or
analogous features or elements of the invention in different
embodiments.
Definitions
[0014] As used herein, forms of the words "comprise", "have", and
"include" are legally equivalent and open-ended. Therefore,
additional non-recited elements, functions, steps or limitations
may be present in addition to the recited elements, functions,
steps, or limitations.
[0015] As used herein, "sheet material" is a flexible substrate,
which is useful for household chores, cleaning, personal care,
health care, food wrapping, and cosmetic application or removal.
Non-limiting examples of suitable substrates for use with the
dispenser include nonwoven substrates; woven substrates;
hydro-entangled substrates; air-entangled substrates; paper
substrates comprising cellulose such as tissue paper, toilet paper,
or paper towels; waxed paper substrates; coform substrates
comprising cellulose fibers and polymer fibers; wet substrates such
as wet wipes, moist cleaning wipes, moist toilet paper wipes, and
baby wipes; film or plastic substrates such as those used to wrap
food; shop towels; and metal substrates such as aluminum foil.
Furthermore, laminated or plied together substrates of two or more
layers of any of the preceding substrates are also suitable.
[0016] As used herein, "wet sheet material" includes substrates
that are either wet or pre-moistened by an appropriate liquid,
partially moistened by an appropriate liquid, or substrates that
are initially dry but intended to be moistened prior to use by
placing the substrate into an appropriate liquid such as water or a
solvent. Non-limiting examples of suitable wet substrates include a
substantially dry substrate (less than 10% by weight of water)
containing lathering surfactants and conditioning agents either
impregnated into or applied to the substrate such that wetting of
the substrate with water prior to use yields a personal cleansing
product. Such substrates are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,931
entitled Cleansing Products Having A Substantially Dry Substrate,
issued to Fowler et al. on Nov. 9, 1999. Other suitable wet sheet
materials can have encapsulated ingredients such that the capsules
rupture during dispensing or use. Examples of encapsulated
materials include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,757
entitled Encapsulated Materials, issued to El-Nokaly on Jun. 1,
1993, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,555 entitled Encapsulated Cosmetic
Compositions, issued to El-Nokaly on Feb. 4, 1997. Other suitable
wet sheet materials include dry substrates that deliver liquid when
subjected to in-use shear and compressive forces. Such substrates
are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,165 entitled Wet-Like Cleaning
Articles, issued to Mackay et al. on Sep. 19, 2000.
[0017] As used herein, an "upright dispenser" is a container that
dispenses sheet materials that have been assembled into a clip and
the clip folded prior to insertion into the dispenser. In one
embodiment, the upright dispenser comprised a facial tissue carton
made from board stock having an overall height of approximately 127
mm and a footprint or bottom of approximately 110 mm by 110 mm that
formed a parallelepiped having a generally cubical shape.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art
that the present discussion is a description of exemplary
embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader
aspects of the present invention, which broader aspects are
embodied in the exemplary construction.
[0019] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a blank, generally indicated by
the numeral 10 for a container in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention. The inside surface of the blank or the
resulting container's interior surface is illustrated. In one
embodiment, the container was a facial tissue carton suitable for
housing a plurality of facial tissue sheets. The blank can be sized
to form either upright cartons or flat cartons. Additionally, the
blank and the resulting container can be used to house other
suitable sheet materials. The blank 10 includes a first section 12
having a first section decorative panel 14, a first section top
flap 16 disposed at a first end 18 of the first section decorative
panel and a first section bottom flap 20 disposed at a second end
22 of the first section decorative panel. Blank 10 further includes
a second section 24 connected to first section 12, the second
section having a second section decorative panel 26, a second
section top flap 28 disposed at a first end 30 of the second
section decorative panel and a second section bottom flap 32
disposed at a second end 34 of the second section decorative panel.
The blank 10 still further includes a third section 36 connected to
second section 24, the third section having a third section
decorative panel 38, a third section top flap 40 disposed at a
first end 42 of the third section decorative panel and a third
section bottom flap 44 disposed at a second end 46 of the third
section decorative panel. The blank 10 still further includes a
fourth section 48 connected to third section 36, the fourth section
having a fourth section decorative panel 50 and a fourth section
top flap 52 disposed at a first end 54 of the fourth section
decorative panel and a fourth section bottom flap 56 disposed at a
second end 58 of the fourth section decorative panel. Finally, the
blank 10 includes a tab 60 connected to a third end 62 of the first
section decorative panel 14 or the fourth section decorative panel
50. Tab 60 is utilized to secure the fourth section decorative
panel 50 to the first section decorative panel 14 in constructing a
container that can be made from the blank 10. To form the
container, the blank is folded along a plurality of lines 63
illustrated by the dashed line having long and short dashes.
[0020] The first, second, third and fourth section decorative
panels form a sidewall 64 of the container having a continuous
decorative surface 66 between the arrowheads on the longitudinal
center line. The continuous decorative surface can be on the
interior or the exterior of the container, but is typically on the
exterior of the container. Continuous surface 66 is referred to as
a continuous decorative surface in that it can receive vector or
graphic art in, for example, printed form, to maximize a visual
effect to a consumer. Advantageously by spanning across several
decorative panels, the registration problems that typically occur
as a result of having the closing flaps forming at least a portion
of the container's sidewall, as seen in the prior art upright
tissue carton of FIG. 5, are eliminated. The flaps on the sidewall
can interrupt a continuous design that is placed onto the sidewall
since the top and bottom flap must be folded perfectly to meet with
each other and the remainder of the container such that the
registration of the design is not interrupted. In prior upright
dispensers, the flaps may not be perfectly folded and sealed such
that the graphics on the flaps aligns with the graphics on the
other decorative panels forming the sidewall. Moreover, when the
flaps form a portion of the sidewall, discontinuous boundaries
result at the flaps that impedes the visual unity of any graphics
design applied to the container's sidewall.
[0021] The blank further includes a dispensing opening 68 and
optionally includes a dispensing window 70. For loading on an
automated carton line, the dispensing window should be pre-attached
to the carton blank by attaching the dispensing window to either
the inside or the outside of the top flap, preferably on the inside
as shown. The dispensing window can be made from a suitable
material such as a film, nonwoven, or paper material that can
retain a partially dispensed sheet, such as a facial tissue, within
the dispensing opening for pop-up dispensing. The dispensing window
70 has a dispensing orifice 71 that can be a slit; a curvilinear
line; a geometric shape such as an oval, a circle, or a triangle;
or X-shaped, +-shaped or H-shaped orifice. Alternatively, the
dispensing window can be eliminated and fingers or tabs projecting
into the dispensing opening 68 can be used to retain a partially
dispensed sheet.
[0022] The dispensing opening 68 can be any size or shape such as
square, circular, or oval. The dispensing opening can be located
such that it resides entirely in one of the top flaps or the
dispensing opening can be located such that a portion resides in
one of the top flaps and another portion resides in one of the
decorative panels. By having the dispensing opening span portions
of the top flap and decorative panel, the amount of board material
utilized to form the carton can be minimized. Thus occurs since the
overall size of the top flaps can be decreased because less
material is needed to surround the dispensing opening.
Additionally, by having the dispensing opening span portions of the
top flap and decorative panel, a unitary or one-piece dispensing
window can be used that simplifies the overall construction of the
carton and allows for maximum flexibility in choosing the shape of
the dispensing orifice. By unitary it is meant that the dispensing
window is a single continuous piece rather than formed from two or
more pieces that meet or overlap. Because the window is unitary,
any desired shape for the dispensing orifice can be cut into the
window without concern of having separate pieces meet or join
together precisely to form the dispensing orifice and/or dispensing
window.
[0023] The blank further includes an optional removable surfboard
72 that can be attached to the top flap by a perforated or weakened
line. The removable surf board can be used to prevent foreign
materials from entering the assembled container and provides
protection for the more fragile dispensing window during loading
and shipping. The blank can also include an optional film wrapper
72 (FIG. 2) that can span any of the decorative panels (14, 26, 38,
and 50) by attaching the opposing ends of the film wrapper to the
top and bottom flaps of the chosen decorative panel. The film
wrapper can be used to display printed information, such as a
prominent trademark, that can identify the manufacturer at the
point of purchase, which then later can be removed by the consumer
so as not to detract from the continuous graphic design on the
sidewall of the container.
[0024] The carton blank 10 can be designed such that there are
major flaps and minor flaps. The major flaps have a longer over all
length than the minor flaps. In the illustrated embodiment, the
major flaps are 28, 32, 52, and 56, while the minor flaps are 16,
20, 40, and 44. Alternatively, the carton can be designed such that
all the flaps are approximately the same length. To minimize the
carton material required, the major flaps are designed to have a
length that is approximately 1/2 the distance between opposing
decorative panels in the assembled container. In this manner, the
major flaps will just meet or slightly overlap when folded to form
the top or bottom of the container. While extra material can be
used, such as a top or bottom flap that spans the entire end of the
container, more board is needed resulting in a more expensive
carton and reduced nesting of adjacent blanks during the die
cutting process.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a container 74 that can
be formed from the blank 10 of FIG. 1. In one embodiment, the
container comprised an upright tissue carton and housed a plurality
of facial tissue sheets. Shown are the first section decorative
panel 14 and the second section decorative panel 26, the second
section top flap 28, and the fourth section top flap 52. The top
flaps form a container top 76, while the bottom flaps form a
container bottom 77. In the completed container 74, decorative
panels 14 and 26 are folded so as to be in side fold continuity
across an edge 78, and by this it is meant that there is a
continuity of material, which is used to create or form the
continuous decorative surface as described previously. The exterior
of the container, and in particular the continuous decorative
surface, is particularly well suited for receiving commercially
suitable decoration, such as image, print, indicia, graphics,
fresnel lens, lenticular lens, color, an embossed area, a debossed
area, and/or coating(s). Advantageously, the sidewall 64 of the
container is not interrupted by the closing flaps as shown in the
prior art container of FIG. 5. The sidewall 64 of the container is
in side fold continuity across three of the four edges 78 joining
the four decorative panels forming the sidewall, with the exception
of the interruption where the fourth decorative panel 50 is joined
to the first decorative panel 14 at edge 80.
[0026] The container top and bottom can be formed by folding either
the major flaps over the minor flaps as shown, or by reversing the
folding sequence such that the minor flaps are folded over the
major flaps. Thus, for the illustrated folding sequence, the major
flaps (28, 32, 52, and 56) are in top and bottom fold continuity
across the first and second ends (30 and 34) of the second
decorative panel 26 and across the first and second ends (54 and
58) of the fourth decorative panel 50. The design is interrupted at
the first and second ends (18 and 22) of the first decorative panel
14 and at the first and second ends (42 and 46) of the third
decorative panel 38. The misalignment in the flaps relative to the
edges of the carton is exaggerated for the purposes of illustration
in FIG. 2 and they would be much less noticeable in the actual
folded cartons. Additionally, the flaps can be cut such that there
is less taper along the length of the flap so as to more align the
edges of the flaps with the edges of the top and bottom of the
container. However, by folding the major flaps first and then the
minor flaps, it is possible to achieve more top and bottom fold
continuity around the top and bottom perimeters of the
container.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment for a
blank, generally indicated by the numeral 10' for a container in
accordance with the present invention. In one embodiment, the
container was a facial tissue carton suitable for housing a
plurality of facial tissue sheets. The blank can be sized to form
either upright cartons or flat cartons. Additionally, the blank and
the resulting container can be used to house other suitable sheet
materials. The blank 10' includes a first section 12' having a
first section decorative panel 14', a first section top flap 16'
disposed at a first end 18' of the first section decorative panel
and a first section bottom flap 20' disposed at a second end 22' of
the first section decorative panel. Blank 10' further includes a
second section 24' connected to first section 12', the second
section having a second section decorative panel 26', a second
section top flap 28' disposed at a first end 30' of the second
section decorative panel and a second section bottom flap 32'
disposed at a second end 34' of the second section decorative
panel. The blank 10' still further includes a third section 36'
connected to second section 24', the third section having a third
section decorative panel 38', a third section top flap 40' disposed
at a first end 42' of the third section decorative panel and a
third section bottom flap 44' disposed at a second end 46' of the
third section decorative panel. The blank 10' still further
includes a fourth section 48' connected to third section 36', the
fourth section having a fourth section decorative panel 50' and a
fourth section top flap 52' disposed at a first end 54' of the
fourth section decorative panel and a fourth section bottom flap
56' disposed at a second end 58' of the fourth section decorative
panel. Finally, the blank 10' includes a tab 60' connected to a
third end 62 of the first section decorative panel 14 or the fourth
section decorative panel 50'. Tab 60' is utilized to secure the
fourth section decorative panel 50' to the first section decorative
panel 14' in constructing a container that can be made from blank
10'. To form the container, the blank is folded along a plurality
of lines 63' illustrated by the dashed and dotted lines. The first,
second, third and fourth section decorative panels form a sidewall
64' of the container having a continuous decorative surface 66'
between the arrowheads on the longitudinal center line. Continuous
surface 66' is referred to as a continuous decorative surface in
that it can receive vector or graphic art in, for example, printed
form, to maximize a visual effect to a consumer.
[0028] In this embodiment, the dispensing opening 68' is located
entirely in one of the top flaps rather than being formed by
partial cutouts in two or more flaps. As a result, the blank 10'
would utilize slightly more board material, approximately 30
percent more, than the embodiment of FIG. 1 for an equivalently
sized interior volume container. However, the design of the
dispensing opening 68 is familiar to consumers of traditional
upright cartons which may prefer that the dispensing opening be
located entirely within the top of the container rather than span a
portion of the top and sidewall as done in the embodiment of FIG.
2. Since the dispensing opening is located entirely in the top
flap, a unitary dispensing window 70' can be applied over the
dispensing opening 68' located entirely within the second section
top flap 28'. As previously discussed having a unitary dispensing
window greatly simplifies the assembly of the blank 10' into a
container allowing for a variety of shapes for the dispensing
orifice 71. In the illustrated embodiment, a slit aligned with the
major axis of the oval-shaped dispensing opening is used.
[0029] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a container 74' that can
be formed from the blank 10' of FIG. 3. In one embodiment, the
container comprised an upright tissue carton and housed a plurality
of facial tissue sheets. Shown are first section decorative panel
14' and second section decorative panel 26', and second section top
flap 28'. The top flaps form a container top 76' and the bottom
flaps form a container bottom 77'. In the completed container 74',
decorative panels 14' and 26' are folded so as to be in side fold
continuity across an edge 78', and by this it is meant that there
is a continuity of material (which is used to create or form the
continuous decorative surface described previously). The exterior
of the container, and in particular the continuous decorative
surface, is particularly well-suited for receiving commercially
suitable decoration, such as image, print, indicia, graphics,
fresnel lens, lenticular lens, color, an embossed area, a debossed
area, and/or coating(s). The sidewall 64' of the container is in
side fold continuity across three of the four edges joining the
four panels forming the sidewall, with the exception of the
interruption where the fourth decorative panel 50' is joined to the
first decorative panel 14' at edge 80'.
[0030] Preferably, the minor flaps (16', 20', 40', and 44') are
folded closed first, and then the major flaps 52' and 56' are
folded closed with the major flaps 28' and 32' closed last. In this
particular embodiment, the top and bottom flaps are in top and
bottom fold continuity only along the first and second ends (30'
and 34') of the second decorative panel 26'. However, since the
major top flaps span the entire carton top, excellent alignment of
the top flap edges with the first and second ends of the decorative
panels (14', 26', 38', and 50') forming the sidewall 64' is
possible such that the interruption in the design is barely
perceptible. Additionally, having a top flap that covers
substantially the entire top of the container reduces the bulging
or bowing that can occur when two smaller flaps are overlapped to
form the container top. The overlapping creates a thicker area near
the middle of the top or bottom, creating at least a partial gap
between the major flaps and the minor flaps where the flaps are not
over lapped. In this embodiment, since both of the major top flaps
(28' and 52') span the entire top of the container, the bulging or
bowing is eliminated. The container top 76' can be made more
planner than an embodiment where the top flaps overlap in the
middle. As seen in the FIG. 4, there is only a small discontinuity
where the second section top flap 28' meets the first section
decorative panel 14' at the first and second ends (18' and
22').
[0031] The blank 10' can be assembled into a container 74' by
folding the minor top and bottom flaps first and covering them with
the major top and bottom flaps, or by folding the major top and
bottom flaps first and covering them with the minor top and bottom
flaps.
[0032] The container can be made from suitable materials that
include, without limitation, cardboard, carton stock, paper board,
polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, ABS plastic, plastic,
metal, wood, and glass, amongst other suitable alternatives.
[0033] Other modifications and variations to the present invention
may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which
is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. For example,
three, five, six or more decorative panels can form the sidewall to
form differently shaped geometric containers instead of the four
illustrated. Standard flat tissue containers can be constructed in
the manner described.
[0034] Another container for facial tissue is described in U.S.
patent application 2004/0144795 entitled In-Line Windowed Facial
Tissue Carton filed by Gerald Keberlein on Jul. 3, 2003, and herein
incorporated by reference. An additional container is described in
a co-pending patent application entitled Top or Bottom Loading
Container having attorney docket number 21014B that was filed on
Sep. 4, 2004, and assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______
and herein incorporated by reference.
[0035] It is understood that aspects of the various embodiments may
be interchanged in whole or part. All cited references, patents, or
patent applications in the above application for letters patent are
herein incorporated by reference in a consistent manner. In the
event of inconsistencies or contradictions between the incorporated
references and this application, the information present in this
application shall prevail. The preceding description, given by way
of example in order to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to
practice the claimed invention, is not to be construed as limiting
the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and all
equivalents thereto.
* * * * *