U.S. patent application number 11/627186 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-26 for carton having locking feature suitable for hand-packing.
This patent application is currently assigned to MEADWESTVACO PECKAGING SYSTEMS. Invention is credited to John W Cargile, Jr.
Application Number | 20070170234 11/627186 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38309945 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070170234 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cargile, Jr; John W |
July 26, 2007 |
CARTON HAVING LOCKING FEATURE SUITABLE FOR HAND-PACKING
Abstract
A carton having a mechanism for securely closing and locking the
end of said carton by a locking tab without the use of
adhesive.
Inventors: |
Cargile, Jr; John W;
(Decatur, GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MEADWESTVACO CORPORATION;LAW DEPARTMENT
4850 NORTH CHURCH LANE, SUITE D
SMYRNA
GA
30080
US
|
Assignee: |
MEADWESTVACO PECKAGING
SYSTEMS,
|
Family ID: |
38309945 |
Appl. No.: |
11/627186 |
Filed: |
January 25, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60761965 |
Jan 25, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
229/157 ;
229/240 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 71/36 20130101;
B65D 2571/00759 20130101; B65D 5/106 20130101; B65D 2571/00141
20130101; B65D 2571/00753 20130101; B65D 2571/00574 20130101; B65D
5/541 20130101; B65D 2571/00271 20130101; B65D 2571/0066
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/157 ;
229/240 |
International
Class: |
B65D 5/10 20060101
B65D005/10; B65D 17/00 20060101 B65D017/00 |
Claims
1. A carton comprising a top panel, a pair of side panels, a bottom
panel, and opposed end closure walls each formed from a plurality
of overlapping end flaps, each of said end flaps being hingedly
connected to said panels respectively, said carton further
comprising a locking tab connected to one of said end flaps and
means for receiving said locking tab, said receiving means being
provided in at least one of the other end flaps, said locking tab
when received in said receiving means being disposed in a locked
position to retain said end flaps in a closed position wherein said
end flaps form said each end closure wall.
2. The carton of claim 1, wherein said locking tab is hingedly
connected to said one end flap.
3. The carton of claim 1, wherein said locking tab comprises a
central portion and two side wings.
4. The carton of claim 3, wherein said two side wings are hingedly
connected to said central portion.
5. The carton of claim 3, wherein said central portion of said
locking tab in said locked position defines an angle between thirty
and one hundred fifty degrees with respect to said one end flap to
which said locking tab is hingedly connected.
6. The carton of claim 5, wherein said angle is between sixty and
one hundred twenty degrees.
7. The carton of claim 3, wherein said side wings of said locking
tab in said locked position each define an angle between sixty and
one hundred twenty degrees with respect to said central
portion.
8. The carton of claim 7, wherein said angle is between seventy
five and one hundred five degrees.
9. The carton of claim 1, wherein said receiving means in said at
least one of said other end flaps comprises an aperture having a
wider edge for passing said locking tab, said aperture also having
adjacent to said wider edge, a narrower shoulder for retaining said
locking tab.
10. The carton of claim 1, wherein said receiving means in said at
least one of said other end flaps comprises an aperture with a
yielding flap to assist in retaining said locking tab in said
locked position.
11. The carton of claim 1, wherein said receiving means in said at
least one of said other end flaps comprises a cutout in a periphery
of said at least one other end flaps.
12. The carton of claim 1, wherein said receiving means in said at
least one of said other end flaps comprises an aperture within the
interior of said at least one of said other end flaps.
13. The carton of claim 1, wherein said each end closure wall
comprises no adhesively secured portion.
14. The carton of claim 1, wherein said each end closure wall
comprises said one end flap overlying said other end flaps and
providing an outermost layer of said each end closure wall.
15. The carton of claim 14, wherein said other end flaps, when in
said closed position, comprises three overlapping inner layers
through which said locking tab passes.
16. The carton of claim 14, wherein said other end flaps, when in
said closed position, comprises two overlapping inner layers
through which said locking tab passes.
17. The carton of claim 15, wherein said receiving means in an
innermost one of said three layers is slightly larger than said
receiving means in a next outer layer, creating thereby an interior
ledge to retain said side wings.
18. The carton of claim 1, further comprising containers
accommodated in said carton, said containers defining one or more
spaces therebetween, said one or more spaces being disposed along
said each end closure wall, wherein said locking tab in said locked
position is located in said one or more spaces.
19. The carton of claim 18, wherein each of said spaces is
generally triangular in a cross section.
20. The carton of claim 1, further comprising a tear line formed in
said one end flap to facilitate separation of said locking tab from
said one end flap.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 60/761965
filed on Jan. 25, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference
in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to cartons for packaging
articles such as beverage cans, and more particularly to a carton
with a feature formed in a carton end wall to provide for a locking
closure suitable for manual packing of said carton.
[0003] Cartons having closure mechanism are well known in the art.
An example of a locking mechanism is disclosed in International
Application PCT/US03/04484 in which a carton is illustrated as
having a tab-and-aperture locking mechanism in a top closure over
contents such as bottles. In this mechanism, the locking tab is
hingedly connected to a panel, and the locking tab itself remains
essentially flat during the locking operation. Another locking
mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,959,337, where the
locking tab has a different shape but remains essentially flat
during the locking operation. Yet another locking mechanism is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,095, where the locking tab
cooperates with an adjoining support flap. Another locking
mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,245, where the
locking tab is folded, but closure is achieved by using two locking
tabs along with an adhesive.
[0004] Locking closure mechanisms allow cartons to be closed by
machinery or by manual operation, sometimes with the added use of
adhesives. What is needed is a carton having an integral,
easily-operated feature for manual closure and locking of the
carton, without needing adhesives in the closure step, and with a
secure locking capability that is not easily opened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides a carton including a top
panel, a pair of side panels hingedly connected to the top panel,
and a bottom panel hingedly connected to the side panels. The
carton, partially erected, forms a tubular structure to be filled
with containers such as beverage cans or bottles. The top, side,
and bottoms panels have end panels at each end, which may be folded
in overlapping arrangement to close the respective ends. The end
panels comprise apertures and tabs for providing a locking closure
of the filled carton.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a blank as viewed from its inner
surface, from which a carton according to this invention is
formed;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a completed carton erected
from the blank of FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a further view of a completed carton, showing
containers within the carton.
[0009] FIGS. 4 through 7 are further views of a completed carton,
showing end flaps folded over during closed of the carton.
[0010] FIGS. 8 and 9 are end views of a completed carton, showing
structural details.
[0011] FIGS. 10 through 12 are perspective views of portions of the
end panels in overlapped arrangement showing their spatial
relationship before and during the locking step.
[0012] FIG. 13 is a cross-section side view of the end panels after
the locking step.
[0013] FIG. 14 is a cross-section top view of the carton end after
the locking step.
[0014] FIG. 15 is a view of a locking tab from within the
carton.
[0015] FIG. 16 is an end view of the carton showing a tear-open
feature.
[0016] FIG. 17 shows a plan view of a blank as viewed from its
inner surface, from which another carton according to this
invention is formed.
[0017] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a completed carton erected
from the blank of FIG. 15, showing the side end flaps folded over
during closing of the carton.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] In FIG. 1, there is shown a blank 100 which when
constructed, forms a carton 101 shown in FIG. 2 for packaging a
plurality of articles such as beverage cans or bottles. In this
embodiment, the carton 101 is a fully enclosed carton designed to
accommodate eight cans in two rows each containing four cans, but
the blank or carton may be modified for any number of cans,
bottles, or other articles.
[0019] The blank 100 has a top panel 110, a pair of side panels 120
and 130 hingedly connected thereto along fold lines 117 and 118
respectively, and bottom panel 140 hingedly connected to side panel
120 along fold line 127. Bottom panel 140 also is hingedly
connected to longitudinal glue flap 150 along fold line 147. The
fold lines 117, 118, 127, and 147 may be simple score lines,
partially cut score lines, perforated lines or other suitable
means.
[0020] The top, side, and bottom panels each have hingedly attached
end panels connected thereto along fold lines 152 and 154. The
bottom panel 140 has lower end flaps 141 and 142 which in use are
folded to partially close the carton. The top panel 110 has top end
flaps 111 and 112 which in use are folded down. Hingedly connected
to the side panels 120 and 130 along fold lines are side end flaps
121, 122, 131, and 132 which are folded inwardly. The end flaps
when thus folded overlap certain other end flaps and are locked
together as described herein so as to fully enclose the ends of the
carton 101.
[0021] Formed into end flap 112 are provided a plurality of cut or
score lines 180 which define a perforated or partially perforated
region for tearing open a finished carton, as described later.
Score lines 182 may be provided to define a flap for grasping
during such a tearing operation.
[0022] On the end flaps are provided certain features which upon
closing the carton will overlap to allow for locking of the end
flaps. The top flaps 111 and 112 are provided with locking tabs 170
that include central regions 170 and side wings 172. The side end
panels 121, 122, 131, and 132 are provided with apertures 155 that
include a wider edge 158 suitable for readily receiving locking tab
170, and narrower shoulder regions 156 for helping retain locking
tab 170.
[0023] The bottom end panels 141, 142 are provided with aperture
160 suitable for receiving locking tab 170, and also yielding flaps
162 that are bounded by the apertures 160, cut or score lines 164,
and fold lines 166.
[0024] Also shown are regions demarcated by dotted lines, as
exemplified by region 148, which during assembly of the carton may
be provided by adhesive to close or help close the carton. In
particular, longitudinal glue flap 150 may be thus adhesively
attached to side panel 130, to form a tubular structure prior to
filling the carton. However, for manual filling operations, closure
of the end flaps may preferably be accomplished without the use of
an adhesive.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows the carton 101 being assembled from blank 100,
into a tubular arrangement where securing tab 150 has been glued to
join bottom panel 140 with side panel 130. One or both ends of the
carton may be open at this point. For simplicity, only the "near"
end of the carton will be described, which includes four end flaps
considered to be "adjacent" to one another (as opposed to the "far"
end of the carton, which has an additional four end flaps not
adjacent to the near end flaps.)
[0026] At this stage the carton could be filled with product, for
example with beverage containers such as cans 102 as shown in FIG.
3. For simplicity in illustration, the cans 102 are omitted from
some of the following figures.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows the carton 101 being assembled with an end
partially closed as side end flap 132 has been folded inward. FIG.
5 shows a further step as side end flap 122 has been folded inward.
The side end flaps 122 and 132 overlap, and apertures 155 of the
side end flaps become superimposed as shown.
[0028] FIG. 6 shows the further step of bottom end flap 142 having
been folded upward, with its aperture 160 and yielding flap 162 now
overlapping the apertures 155 (not shown) of the side end flaps.
FIG. 7 shows the further step of top end flap 112 having been
folded downward. At this point, the carton is closed and ready for
locking using locking tab 170.
[0029] FIG. 8 provides a detailed end view of the carton at this
point, also showing for reference the approximate location of
beverage cans 102 which are shown artificially shifted upward for
clarity. FIG. 9 shows an end view of the carton, as it would appear
if the side wings 172 of locking tab 170 are folded toward the
viewer. When the locking tab 170 is pressed inward as shown in the
following steps, the unfolded side wings 172 are too wide to pass
through apertures 160 and 155 on the bottom end flap and side end
flaps respectively, and the side wings 172 will thus yield or fold
outward at the central portion 174 of locking tab 170 moves inward
into the carton.
[0030] FIG. 10 shows an "exploded" perspective view of portions of
the overlapping end flaps, including side end flaps 132 and 122
(each having an aperture 155), bottom end flap 142 (having an
aperture 160 and yielding tab 162) and top end flap 112 (having
locking tab 170).
[0031] FIG. 11 is a view from the same vantage point, except that
the side and bottom end flaps are shown brought together, which
superimposes apertures 155 and 160. At this point, all the flaps
may still be considered to be essentially in parallel planes.
[0032] FIG. 12 shows the locking action starting as the central
portion 174 of locking tab 170 is pushed inward into the carton.
Yielding flap 162 begins to bend inward along fold line 166, and
side wings 172 of locking tab 170 begin to fold outward along fold
lines 176, thus reducing the effective width of locking tab 170 and
allowing it to move inward and start to pass through the
superimposed aperture 160 and the two apertures 155. As this
occurs, the locking tab 170 bends inward from top end flap 112,
bending along fold line 178. Once the locking tab 170 goes through
apertures 155 and 160, the wider shoulder area 163 helps retain the
locking tab 170 within the carton.
[0033] FIG. 13 is a cross section side view showing how pushing
inward on central portion 174 had moved locking tab 170 through
apertures 160 and 155, that is, through the planes of bottom end
flap 142, side end flap 122, and side end flap 132 respectively.
Once the side wings 172 of locking tab 170 have passed through, the
elasticity of the carton material (paperboard or other material)
allows the side wings 172 to move sideways again, helping hold
locking tab 170 within the carton. The dihedral angle 175 between
central portion 174 and top end flap 112 is preferably between 30
and 150 degrees, and more preferably between 60 and 120
degrees.
[0034] FIG. 14 shows a cross section top view showing how locking
tab 170 is positioned within the carton, along with cans 102 that
cooperate with the locking action, bracing the overall area of the
end flaps 112, 122, 132, and 142 by their contact along lines X,
and providing space Y for the locking tab 170 to fit between the
cans 102.
[0035] FIG. 15 shows a view of the locking tab from inside the
carton. Here the locking tab as depicted by central region 174 and
side wings 172 has been pushed through an aperture 155A in an outer
flap and an aperture 155B in an inner flap. Yielding tab 160 from
another outer flap is also shown. In this example, the inner
aperture 155B is slightly larger than the outer aperture 155A. This
creates a ledge area 173 that may help retain the wings 172 in a
folded arrangement. The dihedral angle 177 between central region
174 and each side wing 172 is preferably between 60 and 120
degrees, and more preferably between 75 and 105 degrees.
[0036] FIG. 16 shows a tear-open feature of carton 101. On top end
flap 112, a score of fold line 182 defines a peripheral or corner
area 183 that may be grasped by a consumer, and used to start a
tearing action 184 across score lines 180, which will separate the
lower part of top end 112 from the upper part thereof. Once this
separation occurs, cans may be removed from the carton through the
now-open to corner, or the locking mechanism may be pulled apart to
open the entire end of the carton.
[0037] FIG. 17 shows a different blank 200 that when constructed,
forms another carton 201 shown in FIG. 18 for packaging a plurality
of articles such as beverage cans or bottles. In this embodiment,
the carton 201 is a fully enclosed carton designed to accommodate
six cans in two rows each containing three cans, but the blank or
carton may be modified for any number of cans, bottles, or other
articles. Except for differences described below, the features of
blank 200 and carton 201 are similar to the features of blank 100
and carton 101 previously described. The numbering is also similar,
differing only in the first digit.
[0038] Where blank 100 had apertures 155 in the side end flaps 121,
122, 131, and 132, blank 200 has cutouts 255 in the side end flaps
221, 222, 231, and 232.
[0039] FIG. 18 shows the carton 201 being assembled with an end
partially closed as side end flaps 222 and 232 have been folded
inward. Cutouts 255 of the side end flaps adjoin one another to
form an opening similar to that formed by the overlapping apertures
155 for carton 101. The closing and locking action of carton 201 is
otherwise similar to that of carton 101. The side end flaps may not
overlap (as shown in FIG. 18) or they may partly overlap.
[0040] The locking feature disclosed here is preferably located, as
shown in the examples, adjacent to an open interior region of the
carton, for example such as occurs when the contents are
cylindrical containers. For example, when cylindrical containers
are placed upright in a regular array in a rectangular carton, the
resulting void spaces between containers and carton walls are
approximately triangular columns at the wall between each pair of
containers. Other types of containers may leave non-uniform void
spaces at the walls, such as occur if "hourglass" shaped containers
are used, as with sport drinks, baby bottles, detergent containers,
etc. With two rows of cylindrical containers as depicted in the
examples herein, an open interior region of the carton occurs along
a vertical centerline at each end of the carton. If there are three
rows of containers, two such open interior regions would occur at
each end of the carton. The carton may in such a case be designed
so that the locking tab 170 and the apertures 155 and 160 (or the
locking tab 270, aperture 260, and cutouts 255) were located along
either or both of said interior regions. If there are four rows of
containers, three open interior regions would occur at each end of
the carton, and the carton locking features could be located along
any of said interior regions. Preferably the end flap locking
feature(s) will be located near the center of a carton.
[0041] The examples shown here depict an end closure and locking
mechanism at one end of a carton, comprising adjacent end flaps,
that is, end flaps at the same end of the carton. It should be
understood that the opposite end of the carton could be closed and
locked in the same manner, that is, the disclosed end closure could
be at either or both ends of the carton.
* * * * *