End-loaded, Top-opening Carton

Abstract

An end-loaded, top-opening carton formed from a cut and scored blank and adapted when open to display articles therein, and comprising an outer carton including tray and cover portions formed from a main panel, opposed pairs of side and end panels, the latter being hingedly connected along adjacent edges of one of the side panels. The carton is characterized by an insert collar employed in the loading thereof and arranged to surround articles during loading into the carton, the collar being adhered to the interior faces of the tray portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to that form of carton particularly adapted to display articles of an elongate type, such as small cigars or the like, the carton having a collar adapted to be adhered to the inner sides and to be employed in the loading thereof.

2. The Prior Art

The prior art patents disclosing cartons of the type having cover and tray portions and with or without collars have not taught the use of the collars for the loading operation. For example, Koltz et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,207,416, which shows a collar upon opening of the cover, does not teach the use of such collar to facilitate the loading of the carton. The Pat. No. 345,351 (French) teaches a carton having cover and tray portions, but not formed from a unitary blank. Nor does this patent teach the use of a collar for the loading thereof. Robinson Pat. No. 459,734 (British) which shows a carton which may be end loaded, does not teach the use of a separable collar which can be employed for surrounding the articles to be loaded into the carton.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The structure according to the present invention has for one of its salient features the provision of a carton consisting of cover and tray portions each comprised of a main panel and opposed side and end panels, the tray and cover portions being hingedly connected along adjacent edges of one of the side panels, the carton being adapted to be end loaded and being provided with a collar enclosing the articles to be packed therein, the collar being adhered to the inside faces of the gray portion after the loading thereof.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pair of cut and scored blanks for forming a carton according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a pair of blanks for constructing a carton according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an end view of a carton sleeve formed from the blank seen in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the carton of FIG. 1 in the erected and partly closed condition thereof, and showing the same being end loaded prior to the final closing thereof;

FIG. 5 is a view showing the blanks of FIG. 2 in the erected condition, and being end loaded in a fashion similar to that shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a carton constructed according to the invention and having a the cover portion thereof separated from the tray portion thereof for display of the contents therein.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the improved end-loaded, top-opening carton according to the present invention is denoted generally by the reference numeral 10 and is formed from a cut and scored blank 10A and an insert collar 10B folded and arranged to provide a cover portion 10C and a tray portion 10D. Cover and tray portion 10C and 10D together defining an outer carton, adapted to hold articles A, and the respective cover and tray portions 10C and 10D thereof include main panels comprised of a bottom panel 11 and a top panel 14. The cover and tray portions 10C and 10D are also comprised of side panels including front panel 12 and a back panel 17.

Bottom panel 11 is joined to front panel 12 along a score line 13, and top panel 14 is joined to front panel 12 along a score line 16. A score line 18 joins back panel 17 to the top panel 14 and a glue flap 19 hingedly connected to bottom panel 11 at a score line 21 is adapted to be glued to the back panel 17 to define a carton sleeve seen in FIG. 4.

The front panel 12 is divided into a lower half-panel 22 and an upper half-panel 23 connected together by a cut and nicked line 24.

Back panel 17 is likewise divided into an upper half-panel 26 and a lower half-panel 27 along a fold line 28. It may be noted at this point that the width of the glue flap 19 is the same as the width of the lower half-panel 27, and is glued to the lower half-panel 27 only and not the upper half- panel 26.

The front and back panels 12 and 17 include structure for forming end panels for the carton seen in FIG. 4, and lower half-panel 22 accordingly has tabs 29 extending from each end thereof and hingedly connected thereto along fold lines 31. Upper half-panel 23 also has a tab 32 extending from each end thereof and foldably with respect to the upper half-panel 23 along score lines 33.

In the same fashion back panel 17 is provided with tabs 34 and 37 extending respectively from each end of the upper and lower half-panel 26 and 27 foldable with respect thereto along respective score lines 36 and 38.

All of the aforesaid tabs cooperate with a flap 39 extending from each end of the bottom panel 11 and the top panel 14, flap 39 being foldable with respect thereto along fold lines 41. Tabs 29 and 37 together with the flaps 39 extending from the bottom panel 11 thus define a lower end panel for the carton 10, while tabs 32 and 34 together with flaps 39 extending from top panel 14 define an upper end panel for the cover portion 10C.

The carton according to the present invention is partly erected as seen in FIG. 4, and is adapted to be loaded with the articles A, these being enclosed as seen in FIG. 4 by the collar 10B consisting of sections 42, 43, 44 and 46. Sections 42 and 44 thereof are provided with embossments 45 for glue patches GP whereby the collar 10B can be affixed to the inner faces of the tray portion 10D.

When the articles A are loaded into the carton 10, section 42 is folded along score line 47 against the ends of the articles A. At the conclusion of such operation the tabs 29, 32, 34, and 37 are folded against the collar 10B, and flap 39 is folded to position against the tabs to complete the forming of carton 10.

It should be noted that the height of the collar 10B is greater than the height of the tray portion 10D but preferably less than the total height of the carton 10 to facilitate the opening thereof. As seen in FIG. 6 the cover portion 10C is swingable about the fold line 28 after the front panel is swingable about the fold line 28 after the front panel is severed along the cut and nicked line 24.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, there is shown another embodiment of the invention referred to generally by the reference numeral 50 and formed from a cut and scored blank 50A and a collar 50B. Blank 50A has bottom panel 11 thereof connected by a score line 51 to the back panel 17, and the latter is connected by a score line 52 to the top panel 14, which in turn is connected by a score line 53 to the front panel 12. Bottom panel 11 has its glue flap 19 glued to the inner side of the lower half-panel 22 of the front panel 12 as seen in FIG. 3, the width of the glue flap 19 in this instance being greater than the height of the lower half-panel 22, and being equal to the width of the collar 50B.

The latter is comprised of sections 54, 56 and 57 connected together along score lines 58. Portions 54 and 57 have embossments 59 for glue patches GP to hold the collar 50B in position against the inner faces of the tray portion 10D.

In this embodiment of the invention the collar 50B is adapted to enclose the articles A during loading of the carton, and when the loading of the articles A is completed the carton 50 is closed in the same manner as the carton 10 of the other embodiment. In this second embodiment of the invention the glue flap 19 forms a part of the collar for display of articles A.

Claims

I claim:

1. An end-loaded, top-opening carton formed from a cut and scored blank made of paperboard or the like, said carton when opened being adapted for the display of articles and comprising:

a. tray and cover portions each having:

i. a main panel;

ii. opposed pairs of side and end panels;

iii. said portions being hingedly interconnected along adjacent edges of one of said side panels;

b. an insert collar having at least three sections coextensive with both end walls and one sidewall of said tray portion and adapted to enclose the articles prior to inserting the articles and said collar into said outer carton;

i. each of said sections extending above the tops of both of said end walls and said one sidewall of said tray portion for the entire length of each;

c. said collar being adapted to be adhered to said end panels of said tray portion and having a height greater than the height of the panels of said tray portion.

2. A carton according to claim 1 wherein the other of said side panels are connected together along a cut and nicked line.

3. A carton according to claim 1 wherein said collar is embossed at a plurality of points thereon for application thereto of adhesive for holding said collar to said tray portion.

4. A carton according to claim 1 wherein said main panel of said tray portion has a glue flap extending therefrom adapted to be glued against the inner side of said side panel, said glue flap having a width corresponding to the height of said collar.

5. A carton according to claim 1 wherein said collar is configured to surround four sides of said articles.

6. An end-loaded, top-opening carton formed from a cut and scored blank made of paperboard or the like, said carton being adapted when opened for the display of articles and comprising:

a. top, bottom, front and back panels hingedly connected together to form a carton sleeve;

b. said front and back panels each having a pair of tabs extending from each end thereof;

c. each of said tabs having a width which is one-half the width of the panel form which it extends;

d. each of said top and bottom panels having a flap extending from each end thereof of a width equal to one-half the width of either of said front and back panels;

e. said flaps and said tabs being adapted to be adhered together to define a cover portion and a tray portion for said carton;

f. a cut and nicked line extending longitudinally in said front panel midway of the width thereof;

g. a hinge line extending longitudinally in said back panel midway of the width thereof;

h. a collar adapted to surround said articles and hold them in place prior to the insertion of said collar and articles into said carton sleeve;

i. said collar having a width greater than the height of said tray portion and adhesively secured to said tray portion only.

7. A carton according to claim 6 wherein said collar is embossed at a plurality of points thereon for application thereto of adhesive for holding said collar to the inside faces of said tray portion.

8. A carton according to claim 6 wherein said bottom panel has a glue flap extending therefrom adapted to be glued against the inner side of said front panel, said glue flap having a width corresponding to the width of said collar.

9. A carton according to claim 8 wherein said collar is configured to surround but three sides of said articles.

10. An end-loaded, top-opening carton formed from a cut and scored blank made of paperboard or the like, said carton being adapted when opened for the display of articles and comprising:

a. top, bottom, front and back panels hingedly connected together to form a carton sleeve;

b. said front and back panels each having a pair of tabs extending from each end thereof;

c. each of said top and bottom panels having a flap extending from each end thereof, each of which is of a width corresponding to the width of the tabs extending from said front and back panels;

d. said flaps and said tabs being adapted to be adhered together to define a cover portion and a tray portion for said carton;

e. a cut and nicked line extending longitudinally in said front panel along a line corresponding to the meeting line of said adhered flaps and tabs;

f. a hinge line extending longitudinally in said back panel along a line generally corresponding to the meeting line of said adhered flaps and tabs;

g. a collar adapted to surround said articles and hold them in place prior to the insertion of said collar and articles into said carton sleeve;

h. said collar having a width greater than the height of said tray portion and adhesively secured to said tray portion only.

11. A carton according to claim 10 wherein said collar is embossed at a plurality of points thereon for application thereto of adhesive for holding said collar to the inside faces of said tray portion.

12. A carton according to claim 10 wherein said bottom panel has a glue flap extending therefrom adapted to be glued against the inner side of said front panel, said glue flap having a width corresponding to the width of said collar.

13. A carton according to claim 12 wherein said collar is configured to surround but three sides of said articles.