Flip Top Carton

Abstract

The flip-top carton is double-walled throughout its four sides and made from a one-piece blank having eight wall panels and a terminal glue flap. The first four walls and the adjacent glue flap form an inner box structure and the other four panels provide a wrap-around outer box structure. All of the eight panels being of approximately the same height, making a slight allowance for proper fitting of the inner structure within the outer one. The outer front panel and the outer side panels are provided with transverse tear lines spaced from the upper edges and both the inner and outer back panels provided with coinciding weakened hinge lines, whereby the hinged flip-top structure is formed. The tear lines of the side panels are arcuate in configuration. The glue flap is of only a narrow width as compared with the inner back panel to which it is secured. The upper portions of the front panel of the inner box structure are provided with protruding locking tabs which frictionally interlock with Deboss scores formed on the inner surfaces of the sidewalls of the flip-top structure. The surface of the inner front panel is provided with a series of transverse Deboss scorings for structural reinforcement. The fold lines between the panels of the inner box structure are slit-perforated while the fold lines of the outer box structure are merely creased or scored.

Description

This invention relates to cardboard cartons and more particularly to certain improvements in cartons of the flip-top variety, such as those commonly used in packaging little cigars or cigarillos.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel flip-top carton of double-walled construction which embodies improvements calculated to facilitate manufacture, strengthen the wall panels, provide a more secure reclosing structure and effect certain economies in material.

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

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the carton is formed;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the blank showing a first step in erecting the carton;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the assembled carton prior to closing the bottom flaps;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the carton partially assembled but with the top flaps opened to receive the intended commodities;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 4 but with the top flaps closed and sealed;

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective showing the flip-top structure opened; and

FIG. 7 is a view in vertical section of the carton in the same condition as in FIG. 6, the section being taken on a median plane extending from front to rear of the carton.

Describing first the successive panels of the blank B of FIG. 1, beginning at the right hand side, the panel 10 is the outer back panel, and next in order are the outer side panel 11, the outer front panel 12, another outer side panel 13, the inner back panel 14, the inner side panel 15 (adapted to underlie the side panel 11), the inner front panel 16, the inner side panel 17 (to underlie the side panel 13) and the narrow abbreviated glue flap 18.

Creased fold lines 20, 21, 22, and 23 serve to join the successive panels 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14; and cut lines or lines of perforations 25, 26, 27, and 28 connect the adjacent side edges of panels 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18.

The conventional bottom closure comprises the closure flaps 30 and 31 hinged to the lower edges of panels 10 and 12 and the dust flaps 33 and 34 similarly attached to the side panels 11 and 13, and are adapted to be closed and secured in overlapping relationship in the usual way.

A similar permanent top closure is provided by means of the flaps 36, 37, 38, and 39 associated respectively with the outer wall panels 10, 12, 11 and 13, but directly carried by the flip-top closure elements comprising parts of those panels as will be described presently. Aligned hinge lines 40, 41, 42 and 43 join these top flaps to the panel sections and delineate the plane of the top of the closed carton. The upper edge 44 of the inner back panel 14 is also aligned with those hinge lines.

A short distance below the line 40 on panel 10 is a slit-perforated line 45 and a similar perforated line 46 extends across panel 14 an equal distance below its edge 44.

On outer front panel 12, a somewhat greater distance below its flap hinge line 42 is a transverse perforated line 50; and extending arcuately across the side panels 11 and 13 from the ends of the line 50 are the lines of arcuate perforations 51 and 52, the outward ends of the lines 51 and 52 intersecting the creases 20 and 23 in the vicinity of the lines of perforations 45 and 46 of the panels 10 and 14.

Referring now to the inner front panel 16, it will be seen that its upper edge is cut with an arcuate indentation as at 55. Also ears or lock tabs 57 and 58 are cut upon the sides of the panel offset from the fold lines 26 and 27. A series of Deboss score lines extend across the panel 16 at intervals as indicated at 60.

The upper edges of the inner sidewall panels are bevelled slightly as at 62 so that the uppermost points 63 of the panel 16 are slightly below the carton top level determined by the lines 40-44.

The glue tab 18 is cropped as at 65 to bring its upper end well below the hinge lines 45 and 46.

In erecting the carton, glue is applied to the back of flap 18 and the inner box formation set up by folding along cut lines 25-28 and adhering flap 18 to the right hand marginal portion of panel 14.

Making the lines 25-28 as cut or slit-perforated lines instead of mere creased score lines permits the folding of the inner box structure more sharply and affording a snugger fit within the outer box structure.

Next, the remaining panels of the blank B are "wrapped" around the inner box structure with outer side panel 13 overlying inner side panel 17, outer front panel 12 overlying inner front panel 16, panel 11 on top of panel 15, and finally outer back panel 10 folded over inner back panel 14 and glued thereto.

When the bottom flaps, shown flared in FIG. 3, are closed and sealed the carton will appear as illustrated in FIG. 4. When the carton is filled, the top permanent closure is effected by securing the overlapping flaps 36-39 and the filled carton is ready for marketing as shown in FIG. 5.

Now for better identification of the flip-top parts, certain areas will be given reference numerals both in the blank of FIG. 1 and in FIGS. 4-7 inclusive. The area near the upper end of panel 10 above the hinge line 45 is designated 70, the area of panel 11 above the curved line 51 is 71, the area of the outer front panel 12 above the line 50 is 72, the area of panel 13 above line 52 is 73, and the area of panel 14 above the line 46 is 74. Transferring attention from the blank B to the erected carton as shown in FIGS. 4-7, it will be seen that the areas 70-74 inclusive define the flip-top structure.

When the purchaser opens the package, the pressure of his finger against the upper portion of area 72 of the flip-top will burst the perforated tear lines 50, 51, and 52 and the flip-top will swing about the double weakened hinge lines 45 and 46 of the two back panels 10 and 14 to provide access to the contents. The opened carton is clearly shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings.

The curved edges 51 and 52 of the outer panels provide full opening and still maintain an overlap for opening and closing of the top without snagging. When the top is reclosed, the interlocking of the ears or lock tabs 57 and 58 with the Deboss score lines 80 and 81 prevents accidental opening of the carton.

The reinforcing Deboss scores 60 on the inner front panel affords necessary stiffening to assist in the erection and loading operations.

Claims

I claim:

1. A flip-top carton consisting of a one-piece blank and comprising an inner box structure consisting of front, back, and intervening sidewall panels connected along fold lines, and a narrow glue flap connected by a fold line to one of said sidewall panels and glued to only the narrow marginal area of the inner surface of said back panel; an outer box structure comprising a sidewall panel converted by a fold line to the edge of the inner back panel adjacent the glued area, and continuing with fold connected front, side, and back panels in that order; the last named outer back panel leaving its inner surface glued to the outer surface of the inner back panel; the two overlying back panels having coinciding transverse score lines forming a hinge for the flip-top, and rupturable transverse aligned tear lines across the outer front and side panels to complete the flip-top structure.

2. The carton as set forth in claim 1 in which the tear lines across the outer side panels are arcuate in configuration to facilitate opening and closing of the flip-top with relation to the upwardly projecting inner box structure without snagging.

3. The carton as set forth in claim 1 in which the portion of the inner front panel which protrudes upwardly after the severance of the front flip-top structure from the outer front panel being provided with laterally protruding locking ears, and short slightly protruding embossed score lines on the inner surfaces of the side panel portions of the flip-top structure for interlocking engagement with said ears to retain the flip-top in releaseable closed position.

4. The carton as set forth in claim 1 in which the inner front panel is provided with a series of vertically spaced laterally extending reinforcing slightly embossed score lines.

5. The carton as set forth in claim 1 in which the connecting fold lines between the panels of the inner box structure are slit-perforated while those of the outer box structure are merely score lines.