Carton And Blank For Making Same

Abstract

A carton having a bottom wall, a plurality of vertical sidewalls, and a top wall foldably connected to one of the sidewalls. The top wall has extension flaps foldably connected thereto which are held against the exterior top portions of associated sidewalls by a plurality of tabs extending from the top edges of the sidewalls and cooperating fastening tongues defined by nonrectilinear cuts in the top wall. The exteriorly arranged extension flaps prevent outward bulging of their associated sidewalls and the tabs and fastening tongues also cooperate to enable easy vertical stacking of a plurality of cartons by restraining an adjoining carton against lateral movement.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many food products such as frozen custards and puddings, pies, and ice cream are sold in cartons wherein it is preferred that the flaps usually extending from the top wall thereof be kept away from the food product. In addition, the above-mentioned products, for example, are often sold in roughly triangular cartons.

It is preferable that these cartons be made from flat blanks which are easily assembled without requiring separate fasteners or adhesive means and it is desirable that the assembled cartons be constructed so that a plurality of such cartons may be stacked vertically in a stable manner.

SUMMARY

This invention provides an improved carton, including a roughly triangular carton, and blank for making same, wherein such carton has a bottom wall, a plurality of vertical sidewalls, and a top wall foldably connected to one of the sidewalls. The top wall has extension flaps foldably connected thereto which are held against the exterior top portions of associated sidewalls by a plurality of tabs extending from the top edges of the sidewalls and cooperating fastening tongues defined by nonrectilinear cuts in the top wall. The tabs and fastening tongues cooperate to hold the extension flaps against their associated sidewalls to prevent outward bulging thereof and also cooperate to enable easy vertical stacking of a plurality of cartons by restraining an adjoining carton against lateral movement.

Other details, uses, and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description of the embodiments thereof presented in the accompanying drawings proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings show present exemplary embodiments of this invention, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one exemplary embodiment of a carton of this invention which is in the form of a roughly triangular carton and illustrating by dotted lines the manner in which another identical carton may be vertically stacked thereon and restrained against lateral movement by cooperating tabs and fastening tongues provided on the lower carton;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carton of FIG. 1, with such carton partially unfolded to illustrate the component portions thereof;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank used to make the carton of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a carton which is substantially identical to the carton of FIG. 1, with the exception that the carton of FIG. 4 is provided with means for locking its top wall closed;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the front portion of another embodiment of a carton which is similar to the carton of FIG. 1 with the exception that fastening tabs extending from its vertical sidewalls and cooperating fastening tongues are each of a substantially rectangular configuration;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which a plurality of cartons similar to the carton of FIG. 1 may be packaged in side-by-side relation in an associated container;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view particularly illustrating the manner of providing a nonrectilinear substantially M-shaped cut in the top wall of the carton of FIG. 1 to define a fastening tongue;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view similar to the presentation of FIG. 7 illustrating a modification of the M-shaped cut which may be used to provide an associated arcuate edge in the top wall which in the assembled carton is urged against an associated tab to assure the top wall is held firmly closed and the associated extension flap held vertically in position; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a slight bulging which is provided in an associated tab when utilizing the fastening tongue formed in the manner shown in FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 of the drawings which illustrates one exemplary embodiment of the carton of this invention designated generally by the reference numeral 20. The carton 20 is particularly adapted to contain food products such as frozen custards and puddings, pies, and ice cream and the construction of the carton is such that its component portions will not damage the product contained therein.

The assembled carton 20 is pie shaped or roughly triangular as viewed in plan view and comprises a roughly triangular bottom wall 21, a plurality of sidewalls 22, 23, 24, and 25 foldably connected to and extending upwardly from the bottom wall 21. The carton 20 has a plurality of tabs 26 extending outwardly, i.e., upwardly, and each tab is arranged coplanar with an associated sidewall and for a purpose which will be described in detail subsequently.

The carton 20 also has a top wall 30 foldably connected to one of its sidewalls and in this example of the invention the top wall 30 is foldably connected to wall 23, which for convenience will also be referred to and described as rear wall 23, along a fold line 31. The top wall 30 has a pair of extension flaps 32 foldably connected to its opposite side edges along fold lines 33.

As will be apparent from FIG. 1 of the drawings each extension flap 32 is arranged vertically against the exterior top portion of its associated sidewall 22 or 24 and prevents outward bulging thereof. The extension flaps 32 are held in their vertical positions by the tabs 26 and a plurality of cooperating fastening tongues 37 provided in the flaps 32 and each tongue 37 is defined, in essence, as an integral portion of an associated flap 32 and in a manner which will now be described in detail.

As will be apparent from FIGS. 2, 3, and 7 of the drawings a plurality of nonrectilinear cuts, shown in this example as M-shaped cuts 35, are provided in the top wall 30 and the cuts 35 correspond in number to and with the top wall closed are arranged in aligned or registered relation with the tabs 26 extending upwardly from the sidewalls 22 and 24. Each M-shaped cut 35 has its terminal ends adjoining an associated fold line 33; and, each cut defines a corresponding opening 36 in the top wall 30 having an M-shaped outline and also simultaneously defines a fastening tongue having an M-shaped top edge upon folding the associated extension flap 32 about its fold line 33. With the top wall 30 in its closed position the opening 36 receives an associated tab 26 therethrough while the fastening tongue 37 extends in the direction opposite from the outward extension of the associated extension flap from its fold line 33 whereby in the closed carton 20 each extension flap 32 extends downwardly and its fastening tongues extend upwardly and are provided in a uninterrupted manner essentially as a part of the extension flap although all the material comprising each tongue is taken from the top wall 30.

As will be apparent from FIG. 2 of the drawings each of the fastening tongues 37 has an inside surface 40 which in closed carton 20 is arranged coplanar with and frictionally engages a cooperating outside surface 41 of an associated tab 26 to hold the associated extension flap 32 firmly against the exterior of its side wall and simultaneously hold the top wall 30 closed. In addition, it will be apparent from FIG. 1 of the drawings that the tabs 26 and tongues 37 cooperate to enable easy vertical stacking of a plurality of cartons by restraining an adjoining carton having its bottom wall supported against the top wall 30 of carton 20 against lateral movement.

The carton 20 has its sidewalls 22, 23, 24, and 25 foldably connected to the bottom wall 21 along associated fold lines 42, 43, 44, and 45 respectively and in addition it will be seen that the carton 20 also has a plurality of four gussets each foldably connected to associated ends of each adjoining pair of sidewalls. The gussets adjoining the rear wall 23 are identical and will each be designated by the same reference numeral 46 and the gussets adjoining sidewall 25, which will also be referred to as front wall 25, are also identical and will each be designated by the same reference numeral 47.

Each gusset 46 has its oppositely arranged inner end edges defined by and foldably connected to its associated sidewalls along a pair of fold lines 50 and an outer edge 51 of each gusset 46 is of roughly U-shaped configuration. Each gusset 47 is triangular in peripheral outline and has its inner edges defined by and foldably connected to its associated sidewalls along a pair of fold lines 52.

Each gusset 46 is described as having an outer edge 51 of substantially U-shaped configuration; however, it will be appreciated that each gusset 46 may have its outer edge 51 as a straight or rectilinear edge when viewing the gusset in plan view whereby each gusset 46 would also have a substantially triangular configuration.

Each gusset 46 and 47 has a weakening line which in each instance will be designated by the same reference numeral 53 bisecting its area and enabling easy vertical folding of the walls 22-25. The weakening line may be in the form of a reverse score line, a cut-score line, a plurality of elongated spaced cuts arranged in end-to-end relation in a rectilinear path, or other suitable weakening means and in this example is shown in the form of a cut score line.

As will be apparent from FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings and as previously mentioned the bottom wall 21 and top wall 30 have roughly triangular configurations. Technically walls 21 and 30 have substantially identical trapezoidal configurations with the shorter ones of the parallel sides of the top wall and bottom wall having a width which is only a small fractional part of the width of the longer ones of the parallel sides whereby these walls may be justifiably considered "roughly triangular."

In particular, it will be seen that the top wall 30 has its longer parallel side defined by fold line 31 and its shorter parallel side defined by an edge indicated at 54. In a similar manner the bottom wall 21 has its long parallel side defined by fold line 43 and its short parallel side defined by fold line 45. The actual dimensions of the parallel sides may vary depending upon the intended use for the carton 20; however, for a roughly triangular carton as viewed in plan view the dimensions of sides 31 and 54 may be considered typical.

As previously explained the extension flaps 32 engage the top outside surfaces of the sidewalls 22 and 24 and once a product is placed within the carton 20 there will be substantially no bulging of its vertical walls due to such product whereby the carton 20 has optimum strength and stability. It will also be appreciated that because the front wall 25 is of small width as indicated at 55 there will be little tendency for such wall to bulge outwardly.

As previously indicated the carton 20 is particularly adapted for containing products such as a pie wedge or a wedge-shaped portion of ice cream. The provision of a pair of gussets along opposite edges of the narrow front wall assures that a gusseted carton may be provided which is substantially leak proof and which has a roughly triangular configuration as described above with the front gussets 47 being arranged so that they straddle an associated product instead of interfering with or damaging such a product, such as breaking the front of a wedge-shaped portion of a pie. It will be appreciated that if the walls 22 and 24 were to converge to a point and a single gusset were to provided therebetween such gusset would of necessity have to be of excessive length and extend substantially centrally toward the center of the carton 20 effectively along a line bisecting the angle between the sidewalls 22 and 24. In utilizing a carton of this latter type as a pie container, for example, the extended length of the gusset would mutilate an associated pie in an undesirable manner.

The carton 20 may be formed in any suitable manner and may be made using any suitable foldable material. It is preferably formed from the carton blank illustrated in FIG. 3 and designated generally by the reference numeral 56. The blank 56 is made of paperboard, or the like, and may have a surface thereof laminated with metallic foil, such as aluminum-containing metallic foil, which may be suitably colored, embossed, imprinted, or remain plain, as desired. Blank 56 is suitably cut and scored so as to define the resulting carton 20 upon assembly thereof and inasmuch as the various fold lines, cut score lines, cut lines, and the like, were previously described in connection with the carton 20 a detailed description and manner of forming these components will not be presented again but reference may be made to the previous description for an understanding thereof.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4 of the drawings which illustrates a modification of the carton 20 which is identical to the carton illustrated in FIG. 1 with the exception that the carton of FIG. 4 has a closure flap 60 foldably connected to the shorter one of the parallel sides of its trapezoidal top wall 30 along a fold line 61. The closure flap 60 is arranged against the exterior of the top portion of the front wall 25 and has a locking tab 62 defined therein by a U-shaped cut 63 and a pair of spaced score lines 64 extending from the terminal end of the U-shaped cut 63 to the outer edges of the closure flap 60. The terminal end of the closure flap 60 has a substantially semicircular pull tab 65 formed as an integral part thereof.

The locking tab 62 is particularly adapted to cooperate with a substantially U-shaped slit 66 provided in the front wall 25 and once the top 30 of the modified carton 20 is fastened in position with its extension flaps 32 fastened against associated sidewalls 22 and 24 the locking tab 62 is inserted within slit 66 to lock the top wall in position. The top wall is easily unfastened by pulling outwardly on the pull tab 65 and lifting the top wall 30 about its fold line 31.

Another modification of the carton 20 is illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings and the carton illustrated in FIG. 5 is identical to the carton 20 with the exception that the nonrectilinear cuts provided in the top wall 30 are in the form of substantially U-shaped cuts 70 which have terminal ends 71 adjoining an associated fold line 33 and each U-shaped cut 70 defines a fastening tongue 72 which may be made to correspond in configuration and area to an associated rectangular tab 26. Further, by utilizing a substantially U-shaped cut 70 each associated opening, also designated by the reference numeral 36, defined in the top wall 30 is in the form of a rectangular opening of large area which is defined by the area previously occupied by an associated tongue 72. The rectangular openings 36 serve as comparatively large area vents and in those applications where a hot food product such as fried chicken, fish and chips, or the like is contained within the modified carton of FIG. 5, the larger vents prevent steaming.

It will also be appreciated that in those applications of this invention where the carton 20 is utilized for hot foods, for example, it may be desired to provide additional vents in the top wall thereof. These vents may be defined by additional nonrectilinear cuts in the top wall 30 such as the optional U-shaped cuts 73 in the top wall portion of blank 56 used to make the carton 20. Each cut 73 is preferably provided with its terminal ends adjoining the fold line 31 between the top wall 30 and the rear wall 23. Each cut 73 would define another tongue, upon folding the top wall of the assembled carton closed and such tongue would also help restrain an adjoining carton against lateral movement during vertical stacking of cartons.

The unique configurations of carton 20 enables three of such cartons to be easily packaged in a container 75 of substantially trapezoidal outline, as viewed in plan view, with minimum likelihood of damage to the edges thereof and as illustrated by solid lines in FIG. 6. In addition, it will be appreciated that the configuration of cartons 20 lends itself to packing six of such cartons in a roughly hexagonal container, see the dotted line presentation in FIG. 6, to thereby provide a package construction which has optimum aesthetic appeal and is easily stored, transported, and handled.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings which illustrate a modification of each M-shaped cut which may be provided in the top wall 30 of carton 20 whereby a carton having cuts provided in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 would have the identical appearance of the carton 20 with the exception that there would be a slight bulging or outward bowing of each adjoining fastening tongue 37 and tab 26 as illustrated at 80 in FIG. 9.

In particular, it will be seen that each M-shaped cut 35 of FIGS. 8 and 9 has its central portion 81 extending beyond its associated fold line 33 by a distance indicated at 82 which is slightly less than thickness of its associated tab 26. Thus, it will be seen that an associated arcuate edge portion 83 is defined in the top wall 30 which firmly engages an associated tab 26 and causes the outward bowing thereof and of an associated fastening tongue 37 in a manner illustrated at 80 and as previously mentioned. It will also be appreciated that this bowing caused by each arcuate edge portion 83 will result in the associated extension flap 32 being held more firmly against its sidewall.

In this example of the invention the carton 20 with its unique fastening tongues 37 and cooperating tabs 26 are shown as having top and bottom walls of roughly triangular outline; however, it is to be understood that a carton similar to carton 20 may be defined in accordance with the teachings of this invention in which the bottom wall and top wall thereof would each have an exact triangular configuration. Further, the carton may be defined in accordance with the teachings of this invention having top and bottom walls which have rectangular or polygonal configurations.

In each instance the top wall, irrespective of its shape, would have extension flaps foldably connected thereto and fastening tongues would be provided so that with the top wall closed each tongue extends in an opposite direction from the direction of its associated extension flap, i.e., each flap extends downwardly and each tongue extends upwardly. The fastening tongues would cooperate with associated tabs provided in the sidewalls of the associated carton to provide a tight frictional engagement and hold the top wall closed and the associated extension flap against the outside of the upper portion of an associated sidewall to prevent outward bulging of the sidewall. In addition the cooperating fastening tongues and tabs would allow easy vertical stacking of identical cartons by preventing lateral movement of adjoining cartons.

In this example of the invention the nonrectilinear cuts provided in each top wall have been presented as being substantially M-shaped cuts and U-shaped cuts. However, it will be appreciated that each nonrectilinear cut utilized may have any suitable configuration such as semicircular, wedge-shaped, or trapezoidal, for example, provided that the terminal ends of the cut adjoin an associated fold line whereby the entire tongue is defined from material which would normally be in the carton top wall. In addition, each fastening tab 26 may have any desired shape which may be either similar to or different from the shape of its associated fastening tongue.

While present exemplary embodiments of this invention, and methods of practicing the same, have been illustrated and described, it will be recognized that this invention may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced by those skilled in the art.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A carton comprising, a bottom wall, a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, a plurality of tabs each extending outwardly from and being arranged coplanar with an associated sidewall, a top wall foldably connected to one of said plurality of sidewalls, a plurality of extension flaps each foldably connected to said top wall along an associated fold line, each of said extension flaps being arranged against the exterior top portion of an associated sidewall to prevent outward bulging thereof, and a plurality of nonrectilinear cuts in said top wall corresponding in number to said plurality of tabs, each of said cuts defining an opening in said top wall upon folding its associated extension flap in position which receives an associated tab therethrough while simultaneously defining a fastening tongue in its associated extension flap which extends in a direction opposite from the outward extension of the associated extension flap from its fold line, each of said fastening tongues having an inside surface arranged coplanar with and frictionally engaging an outside surface of an associated tab to hold the top wall closed and the associated extension flap firmly against the exterior of its sidewall to prevent said outward bulging, said tabs and tongues also cooperating to enable easy vertical stacking of a plurality of cartons by restraining an adjoining carton against lateral movement.

2. A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which said plurality of extension flaps correspond in number to the others of said plurality of sidewalls and further comprising means for locking one of said extension flaps against an associated sidewall.

3. A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said sidewalls has a rectangular configuration and is foldably connected to said bottom wall and further comprising means for locking a portion of said top wall to a cooperating sidewall to lock said top wall closed.

4. A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said sidewalls is foldably connected to said bottom wall and further comprising a plurality of gussets each connecting associated ends of a pair of sidewalls.

5. A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said tabs comprises a substantially rectangular tab, each of said nonrectilinear cuts comprises a substantially U-shaped cut having its terminal ends adjoining an associated fold line, each U-shaped cut defining a fastening tongue which corresponds in configuration and area to an associated rectangular tab, and each opening in said top wall comprising a rectangular opening defined by the area previously occupied by an associated tongue with the openings in said top wall serving as vents to prevent steaming of a hot product carried within said carton.

6. A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said nonrectilinear cuts comprises a substantially M-shaped cut having its terminal ends adjoining an associated fold line, each M-shaped cut defining a fastening tongue having a maximum width and a comparatively small opening in said top wall.

7. A carton as set forth in claim 6 in which each M-shaped cut has its central portion extending beyond its associated fold line a distance which is slightly less than the thickness of its associated tab to thereby define an associated arcuate edge portion in said top wall which firmly engages the associated tab.

8. A carton as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising at least another nonrectilinear cut provided in said top wall and having its terminal ends adjoining the fold line between said top wall and said one sidewall, said other nonrectilinear cut defining another vent in said top wall and another fastening tongue to help restrain an adjoining carton against said lateral movement during said vertical stacking of cartons.

9. A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which said bottom wall and said top wall have identical roughly triangular configurations.

10. A carton as set forth in claim 1 in which said bottom wall and said top wall have identical trapezoidal configurations with the shorter ones of the parallel sides of said top wall and bottom wall having a width which is only a small fractional part of the width of the longer ones of the parallel sides so that said top and bottom walls are roughly triangular, said one sidewall comprising the rear wall of said carton and having the longer one of said parallel sides of said top wall foldably connected thereto, said trapezoidal bottom wall having said one sidewall extending upwardly from the longer of its parallel sides and defining a rear wall of said carton with said top wall having the longer one of its parallel sides foldably connected to said rear wall, said trapezoidal bottom wall having a small width sidewall extending upwardly from the shorter of its parallel sides and defining a front wall for said carton, and said carton further comprising a plurality of gussets each connecting associated ends of a pair of sidewalls, said front wall with its associated pair of gussets along opposite ends thereof assuring the provision of a gusseted carton having said roughly triangular configuration with said associated gussets straddling an associated product instead of interfering therewith.

11. A carton as set forth in claim 10 and further comprising a closure flap foldably connected to the shorter one of the parallel sides of said top wall, said closure flap being arranged against the exterior of the top portion of said front wall, a locking tab in said closure flap, a cooperating opening in said front wall receiving said locking tab therethrough, and a pull tab at the terminal end of said closure flap enabling easy opening of said carton.

12. A carton as set forth in claim 10 in which each of said gussets has a weakening line bisecting its area.

13. A carton as set forth in claim 12 in which each weakening line comprises a cut-score line.

14. A blank being cut and scored and adapted to be assembled to define a resulting carton upon assembly thereof, said blank comprising, a bottom wall, a plurality of sidewalls extending outwardly from said bottom wall, a plurality of tabs each extending outwardly from and being arranged coplanar with an associated sidewall, a top wall foldably connected to one of said plurality of sidewalls, a plurality of extension flaps each foldably connected to said top wall along an associated fold line, each of said extension flaps being arranged against the exterior top portion of an associated sidewall in said resulting carton to prevent outward bulging thereof, a plurality of nonrectilinear cuts in said top wall corresponding in number to said plurality of tabs, each of said cuts defining an opening in said top wall upon folding its associated extension flap in position which receives an associated tab therethrough in said resulting carton while simultaneously defining a fastening tongue in its associated extension flap which extends in a direction opposite from the outward extension of the associated extension flap from its fold line, each of said fastening tongues having in inside surface arranged coplanar with and frictionally engaging an outside surface of an associated tab in said resulting carton to hold the top wall closed and the associated extension flap firmly against the exterior of its sidewall to prevent said outward bulging, said tabs and tongues also cooperating in said resulting carton to enable easy vertical stacking of a plurality of cartons by restraining an adjoining carton against lateral movement.

15. A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which said plurality of extension flaps correspond in number to the others of said plurality of sidewalls and further comprising means for locking one of said extension flaps against an associated sidewall in said resulting carton.

16. A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which each of said sidewalls is foldably connected to said bottom wall and further comprising a plurality of gussets each connecting associated ends of a pair of sidewalls.

17. A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which each of said nonrectilinear cuts comprises a substantially M-shaped cut having its terminal ends adjoining an associated fold line, each M-shaped cut defining a fastening tongue having a maximum width and a comparatively small opening in the top wall of said resulting carton.

18. A blank as set forth in claim 17 in which each M-shaped cut has its central portion extending beyond its associated fold line a distance which is slightly less than the thickness of a tab associating therewith in said resulting carton to thereby define an associated arcuate edge portion in the top wall of said resulting carton which firmly engages the associated tab.

19. A blank as set forth in claim 14 and further comprising at least another nonrectilinear cut provided in said top wall and having its terminal ends adjoining the fold line between said top wall and said one sidewall, said other nonrectilinear cut defining another vent in the top wall of said resulting carton and another fastening tongue to help restrain an adjoining carton against said lateral movement during said vertical stacking of cartons.

20. A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which said bottom wall and said top wall have identical roughly triangular configurations.

21. A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which said bottom wall and said top wall have identical trapezoidal configurations with the shorter ones of the parallel sides of said top wall and bottom wall having a width which is only a small fractional part of the width of the longer ones of the parallel sides so that said top and bottom walls are roughly triangular, said one sidewalls comprising the rear wall of said resulting carton and having the longer one of said parallel sides of said top wall foldably connected thereto, said trapezoidal bottom wall having said one sidewall extending upwardly from the longer of its parallel sides and defining a rear wall of said resulting carton with said top wall having the longer one of its parallel sides foldably connected to said rear wall, said trapezoidal bottom wall having a small width sidewall extending upwardly from the shorter of its parallel sides and defining a front wall for said resulting carton, and said blank further comprising a plurality of gussets each connecting associated ends of a pair of sidewalls, said front wall with its associated pair of gussets along opposite ends thereof assuring the provision of a gusseted resulting carton having said roughly triangular configuration with said associated gussets straddling an associated product instead of interfering therewith.

22. A blank as set forth in claim 21 and further comprising a closure flap foldably connected to the shorter one of the parallel sides of said top wall, said closure flap being arranged against the exterior of the top portion of said front wall in said resulting carton, a locking tab in said closure flap, a cooperating opening in said front wall for receiving said locking tab therethrough, and a pull tab at the terminal end of said closure flap enabling easy opening of said resulting carton.