Easy-open Recloseable Carton

Abstract

A recloseable carton produced from a paperboard blank and having an easy opening tear tab closure flap is disclosed. When the tear tab is torn away from the front panel of the carton and the tear tab and attached cover panel are lifted, a tear-out cover panel and a tear-out portion of the front panel are exposed which may be removed, permitting the carton to be reclosed with the cover panel covering the top of the box and the tear tab tucked along the interior side of the front panel. Conveniently, the tear-out cover panel which is torn out may be a coupon integral with the carton blank and further coupons may be retained between the cover panel and the tear-out cover panel.

Description

This invention relates to cartons and more particularly to cartons produced from a paperboard blank, the carton having recloseable cover means which is initially releasably sealed and when opened, exposes a tear-out cover panel which, after being removed, permits the cover means to be closed again and be frictionally retained in the closed position.

More specifically, the carton construction includes a closure flap only part of which is glued to a panel of the carton, the glued portion of the flap being separated from another portion of the flap called a tuck panel, by a tear line, such that the tuck flap can be easily separated from the glued portion of the closure flap by the user. Also the carton is provided with a tear-out panel beneath an exterior cover panel. After the cover panel is opened for the first time, the tear-out panel must be torn out to gain access to the contents. The cover panel is then recloseable with the tuck flap being inserted interiorly of the carton panel to which it was originally glued.

The carton construction is ideally designed to include integral coupons which may be removed and redeemed by the user.

In the merchandising of certain types of articles or commodities, it is frequently desirable to include with each package one or more coupons for promotional purposes. The coupons may be used by the consumer in trade for premiums, to obtain a reduction in price of another product produced by the same manufacturer, etc. When packaging articles in paperboard cartons, savings are realized by the manufacturer if the coupons are an integral part of the paperboard carton and are detachable therefrom. The coupon may be printed simultaneously with other printing on the exterior of the paperboard blank. Frequently, with such arrangements, it is necessary for the consumer to mutilate the carton when tearing out the coupon from a panel thereof. Thus, the consumer must wait until he is ready to use the article or has consumed the contents thereof before he can remove the coupon, and once the coupon is removed, the carton has been mutilated and he no longer is able to use the carton for storage of the contents.

Frequently, when it is desirable that the paperboard carton be of the recloseable type, the manufacturer has attached the coupon to the exterior of the carton rather than making it an integral part thereof so that the carton will not need to be destroyed to remove the coupon. The disadvantage with such an arrangement is that, in handling, the coupon frequently becomes detached and lost and in some instances customers will pilfer the coupons from the cartons on the shelves of self-service type stores without purchasing the merchandise. Thus the present invention offers the advantage of a carton of the recloseable type which has integral coupons which can be moved without destroying the subsequent usefulness of the carton.

Though this invention is not limited to carton constructions which include coupons, the present construction does in fact lend itself well where coupons are required to be an integral part of the carton blank yet removable without damaging the carton after the carton is opened.

An object of the present invention is to provide a paperboard carton produced from a blank which is easily opened and is recloseable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a paperboard carton produced from a blank having integral therewith detachable panels which serve as coupons.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a recloseable paperboard carton produced from a blank having integral therewith one or more detachable panels which may be used as coupons and which when detached do not deform or mutilate the carton.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a recloseable paperboard carton having one or more integral coupons which may not be pilfered or otherwise removed without first opening the carton.

Another object of the invention is an easy opening tear tab arrangement whereby no glued areas must be broken away, the glued areas being separate from the tear tab.

Another object of the invention is to provide easy access to the tear tab when the carton is to be opened for the first time.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example.

In the Drawings:

FIG 1 is a plan view of a novel one-piece blank from which a carton embodying the principles of the invention may be erected;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembled carton produced from the one-piece blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the carton of FIG. 2 as it is reclosed following opening of the sealed carton; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the carton following opening of the sealed closure.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a novel carton blank is shown designated by the general reference character 1. The blank is provided with score lines 2 to form various panels and flaps including front panel 3, bottom panel 4, back panel 5, cover panel 6, and closure flap 7. Also connected along score lines are side panels 8 and 9 connected to opposite ends of bottom panel 4 and dust panels 10, 11, 12 and 13 connected along score lines to opposite ends of front panel 3 and back panel 5 respectively.

Connected by perforations 36 to front panel 3 opposite bottom panel 4 is a tear-out panel 14 to which are connected by further perforations 33, 34 and 35 back tab 15 and end panels 16 and 17. The panel 14 may be in the form of a premium coupon.

The front panel 3 comprises in part a top panel 18 defined by perforations 31, the top panel being narrower than a tuck panel 20 for reasons which will be apparent later. A slit 19 extends tranversely away from the midpoint in the perforations 31, the function of which will be described later.

Closure flap 7 comprises a tuck panel 20 and a pair of sealing panels 21 and 22 spaced from each other. The sealing panels 21 and 22 are attached to the tuck panel by perforations 23, 24. An exposed tear edge 25 on tuck panel 20 is provided between the sealing panels 21, 22 and extends between the ends of perforations 23, 24.

Optionally, an integral coupon 26 may be detachably connected to cover panel 6 along perforations 27.

In assembling the carton, the blank is folded along the various fold lines, and back tab 16 is glued to the interior of back panel 5 at the glue area 28. An enclosure is thus formed comprising bottom panel 4, tear-out panel 14, front panel 3, and back panel 5. End panels 8 and 16 and dust panels 10 and 12 are then folded and sealed closing one end of the carton.

Optional coupon 26 is folded along perforations 27 against the underside of cover panel 6 after which the cover panel is extended over tear-out panel 14, and closure flap 7 is folded downwardly over front panel 3 after which sealing panels 21, 22 are glued to the front panel 3 at glue area 29, 30. It will be noted that since top panel 18 of front panel 3 is narrower than tuck panel 20, perforations 31 in front panel 3 are closer to the top of the carton than perforations 23 in closure flap 7 which closure flap covers the front panel.

The merchandise is subsequently inserted through the open end of the container after which end panels 9, 17 and dust panels 11, 13 are folded over the opening and sealed. The finally assembled carton appears as in FIG. 2.

When the sealed carton is opened, the consumer places his thumbnail under tear edge 25 of tuck panel 20 peeling back the tuck panel along perforations 23, 24 separating it from sealing panels 21, 22. The tear edge 25 is easily accessible between sealing panels 21 and 22, and the tuck panel is easily separated from the sealing panels since glue for securing the closure flap 7 to front panel 3 is limited to the sealing panels. The tuck panel 20 and cover panel 6 may then be lifted upwardly exposing optional coupon 26 lying against the underside of the cover panel and tear-out panel 14 covering the top of the carton. The coupon 26 may be conveniently removed by tearing along perforations 27, and tear-out panel 14 may be conveniently removed by inserting a thumbnail under the central portion of top panel 18 and peeling away the top panel along perforations 31 separating it from the remainder of the front panel 3 in essentially the same manner as tuck panel 20 is opened. Conveniently, a slit 19 is provided in front panel 3 permitting easy access to the leading edge of the top panel 18. The tear-out panel 14 is then conveniently torn away from end panels 16, 17 along perforations 33, 34 and from back tab 15 along perforations 35 by inserting a thumb through the opening created where the top panel 18 was located and beneath the tear-out panel 14. This step is shown in FIG. 4.

Following removal of the tear-out panel, the consumer is ten able to reclose the carton to store the contents thereof by covering the opening with cover panel 6 and simultaneously inserting the tuck panel 20 inside front panel 3 where it is frictionally retained since the leading edge of the tuck panel extends downwardly below the top edge of front panel 3. Easy access to tuck panel 20 for reopening the carton is provided by the opening in front panel 3 where top panel 18 was formerly located.

The tear-out panel 14 serves to securely seal the carton at the time of packaging and it eliminates the need for end panels to be secured to the cover panel 6 which would be inserted inside the opposite ends of the carton. End panels attached to a recloseable cover are inconvenient as far as the user is concerned since upon reclosing the cover, the user must manipulate the end panels so that they descend into the opposite ends of the carton. Frequently such end panels cannot be inserted easily because, as they descend, they press upon the contents of the carton which is lying against the interior surface of the ends of the carton. With the present invention, the cover may be easily reclosed with no resistance caused by end panels attached to the cover.

The tear-out panel 14 in addition to securely closing the carton at the time of packaging, offers the further optional advantage of serving as a coupon panel which is an integral part of the carton but can be removed without destroying the usefulness of the carton. When the tear-out panel is used, as a coupon, it offers the further advantage of being concealed within the sealed carton such that it cannot be pilfered except by opening the carton.

It will be readily appreciated that a recloseable carton is provided which is easily opened without permanently deforming the closure panels thereby making the carton attractive for continued use after being opened.

It is understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiments illustrated and described herein, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A recloseable carton assembled from a paperboard blank comprising front, bottom, back and cover panels, a closure flap connected along a fold line to said cover panel and comprising a tuck panel adjacent said fold line and a pair of sealing panels spaced from each other and glued to the exterior of said front panel, said sealing panels being connected by perforated lines to said tuck panel whereby said tuck panel may be torn therefrom, a back tab glued to the interior of said back panel, and a tear-out panel coextensive with the underside of said cover panel and connected along further perforated lines to said front panel and back tab such that said tear-out panel may be torn therefrom, whereby when said tuck panel is torn from said sealing panels and said cover panel and inserting said tuck panel interiorly of said front panel.

2. A recloseable carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front panel comprises a top panel beneath said tuck panel, said top panel adjoining said tear-out panel and being defined by perforated lines, whereby when said tuck and cover panels are opened and said tear-out panel is removed, said top panel may be torn from the remainder of said front panel giving access to a part of the surface of said tuck panel when inserted interiorly of said front panel.

3. A recloseable carton as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an integral coupon releasably connected by a perforated line to a free edge of said cover panel, said integral coupon being folded along said perforated lines such that it is retained between said tear-out panel and the underside of said cover panel.

4. A recloseable carton as claim in claim 1 further comprising side panels connected along fold lines to opposite end so said bottom panel, dust panels connected along fold lines to opposite ends of said front and back panels and further end panels connected by perforated lines to opposite ends of said tear-out panel for closing the ends of said carton.

5. A recloseable carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tear-out panel is a coupon.

6. A paperboard carton blank for forming a recloseable carton comprising front, bottom, back and cover panels separated by fold lines, a closure flap connected along a fold line to said cover panel and comprising a tuck panel adjacent said fold line and a pair of sealing panels spaced from each other and connected to said tuck panel by perforated lines for gluing to the exterior of said front panel, a tear-out panel connected along a perforated line to said front panel and a back tab for gluing to the interior of said back panel and connected along a further perforated line to said tear-out panel opposite said front panel, whereby when said blank is assembled said tear-out panel is coextensive with and beneath said cover panel and when said tuck panel is torn from said sealing panels and said cover panel is raised, said tear-out panel may be torn from said carton and said carton may be reclosed by inserting said tuck panel interiorly of said front panel.

7. A carton blank as claimed in claim 6 wherein said front panel comprises a top panel beneath said tuck panel, said top panel adjoining said tear-out panel and being defined by perforated lines, whereby when said tuck and cover panels are opened and said tear-out panel is removed, said top panel may be torn from the remainder of said front panel giving access to a part of the surface of said tuck panel when inserted interiorly of said front panel.

8. A carton blank as claimed in claim 6 further comprising an integral coupon releasably connected by a perforated line to a free edge of said cover panel.

9. A carton blank as claimed in claim 6 further comprising side panels connected along fold lines to opposite ends of said bottom panel, dust panels connected along fold lines to opposite ends of said front and back panels and further end panels connected by perforated lines to opposite ends of said tear-out panel for closing the ends of the assembled carton.

10. A carton blank as claimed in claim 6 wherein said tear-out panel is a coupon.

11. A reclosable carton construction comprising a hinged cover panel, a closure flap connected along a fold line to said cover panel and comprising a tuck panel adjacent said fold line and a pair of sealing panels spaced from each other for gluing to the exterior of a further panel of said carton said sealing panels being connected by perforated lines to said tuck panel whereby when opening said carton and edge of said tuck panel between said sealing panels may be gripped to tear said tuck panel from said sealing panels, said further panel comprising in part a removable panel separable along perforated lines from the remainder of said further panel, said removable panel being smaller than and located beneath said tuck panel whereby when said tuck panel is torn from said sealing panels, said removable panel may be torn from the remainder of said further panel and said carton may be reclosed by inserting said tuck panel on the inside of said removable panel with part of the exterior surface of said tuck panel accessible through the space formerly occupied by said removable panel.

12. A recloseable carton construction as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a tear-out panel sealing the carton and substantially coextensive with said cover panel, one edge of said cover panel adjoining said removable panel whereby both said removable and tear-out panels may be removed after said tuck and cover panels are raised.