US3765593A

US3765593A - Carton having diagonal flip-top corner cap

Info

Publication number: US3765593A
Application number: US00171437A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alessio J D
Original assignee: Rand Whitney Packaging Corp
Current assignee: Rand Whitney Packaging Corp
Priority date: 1971-08-13
Filing date: 1971-08-13
Publication date: 1973-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1990-10-16

Abstract

A diagonal flip-top carton structure formed by a one-piece blank with four body panels having a corner opening provided by a recessed upper front corner edge and adjacent recessed side panel end edge, a rear panel portion adjacent said opening being hinged diagonally of said corner and carrying a corner cap assembly of partial body and end panel portions to swing to and from hooded covering relation at said corner. The end panel portions of the cap assembly are initially linked to stationary end panel portions of the front and rear panels by severable tear lines for a break-a-way sealed condition of the carton.

Description

ates Patent 1191 O United St 1111 3,765,593 DAlessio Oct. 16, 1973 CARTON HAVING DIAGONAL FLIP-TOP 3,387,736 6/1968 Williamson 229/51 TS CORNER 2,367,706 1/1945 Williamson 229/51 D UX [75] Inventor: Joseph R. DAlessio, Lunenburg, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Mass- 723,301 4/1932 France 206/41 C [73] Assignee: Rand-Whitney Packaging Corporation, Leominster, Mass. Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Assistant ExaminerStephen Marcus [22] Flled 1971 Attorney-Chapin, Neal & Dempsey [21] App]. No.: 171,437

' 57 ABSTRACT [52] g A diagonal flip-top carton structure formed by a one- 22951 piece blank with four body panels having a corner opening provided by a recessed upper front corner g ys Q 1 gi i if edge and adjacent recessed side panel end edge, a rear 3 5 x3 51 5 4 2 panel portion adjacent said opening being hinged diag- 41 C onally of said corner and carrying a corner cap assembly of partial body and end panel portions to swing to 5 6 R f Ct d and from hooded covering relation at said corner. The 1 e erences le end panel portions of the cap assembly are initially UNITED STATES PATENTS linked to stationary end panel portions of the front 1,143,551 6/1915 Pinkerton 229/44 R and rear panels by severable tear lines for a break-a- 2,348,140 5/1944 Levin 229/17 R way ealed condition of the carton 2,974,846 3/1961 Struble.... 229/17 R 2,565,182 8/1951 Maxon 229/17 R 9 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PAIENIEnucI 16 am 3.765.593

' sum 1. [IF 3 Q I v INVENTOR.

BY JOSEPH RDHLEssn PATEN IEUHCI 16 1915 :a. 765,593

SHE 2 BF 3 INVENTOR. BY JOSEPH RJYRLEJSIO PAIENTED DU 15 I975 ("I on I NVEN TOR. Jose u RD Fuss/0 hmzw CARTON HAVING DIAGONAL FLIP-TOP CORNER CAP BACKGROUND This invention relates to flip-top cardboard cartons such as are commonly used in the distribution and sale of merchandise as, for example, small cigars and like articles although the particular contents of such a package are immaterial and may comprise foodstuffs, confectionery or any other kind of merchandise capable of being packaged and sold in tubular cartons of the type having four body panels and end closure panels foldably extending therefrom.

Heretofore, a great variety of tubular carton structures, foldably erected from cardboard blanks, have been utilized or proposed in which provision is made in one way or another to integrally form an opening and a covering hood therefor for convenient access to the carton contents. Insofar as is known, however, no prior construction has been devised with an opening extending diagonally across an upper corner of the carton and providing a corner cap or hood hinged on a diagonal axis to swing across the corner and open and close the opening in the manner of a flip-top cap. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide such a corner construction and, further, to do so by means of a novel single-piece foldable carton blank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blank which may be assembled into folded flat form for shipment to the customer for filling and sealing with a minimum of gluing operations. For assembly into flat form, two gluing operations only are necessary. The folded blank is, furthermore, adapted for handling in standard end-loading and end panel sealing equipment in order to first fill and then seal the ends of the carton. Again only two gluing operations are necessary for assembly into finished carton form. Thus, the advantages of a diagonal corner flip-top carton assembly are obtained with little more than a nominal amount of adjustment, if any, to standard flat folding equipment and to standard end loading and sealing equipment.

SUMMARY This invention is directed to a folded tubular carton having four main body panels, a corner portion of a front panel and end edge of the adjacent side panel being recessed to form a corner opening. An adjacent diagonal section of the rear panel is hinged to swing rearwardly thereof, said hinged section having foldably joined to it an integral sub-assembly of covering hood panel portions to overlie in a closed position the recessed edges of the front and said panels and to cover the end section between the front and rear walls at the corner. The side and front panel hood portions extend from the side edge of the hinged corner portion of the rear panel. Upper end closure panel portions extend between the upper edges of the front portion and the rear corner portion. In sealed condition the end closure portions of the hood are linked by several means to stationary end closure panel portions extending between the remaining upper edges of the front and rear wall panels. When severed the corner cap or hood subassembly may be pivotally swung over the corner between open and closed positions in the manner of a fliptop cap.

FIGURES FIG. 1 is a plan view of the inside surface of a singlepiece cardboard blank from which a diagonal flip-top carton of the present invention may be formed;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing a tear strip modification of the glue tab connection seen at the left in the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the blank of FIG. 1 folded into flat tubular form;

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are sectional views on an enlarged scale showing the panel relationship as on lines 4--4, 55, and 6-6, respectively, of FIG. 3, the panel walls being brought into tubular form for clarity;

FIG. 7 is a pictorial view showing the top of a sealed carton assembly;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view on line 8-8;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the corner hood assembly partially swung in a direction to open the same;

FIG. 10 is a view showing the top of a carton as in FIG. 7 having the tear strip modification of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 11 is a similar view of the FIG. 10 carton and showing the hood turned back to expose the corner opening.

Referring to FIG. 1 the inside face of a single-piece flat blank foldable into a tubular carton embodying the invention is shown with rear panel 2 serving as a basic panel. At one side of the panel 2 are arranged in successive order and separated by parallel fold lines a first narrow side panel 4, a front panel 6, and a second narrow side panel 8. In the preferred form of the blank a glue panel as at 10 is also foldably joined at the side of the panel 8. The upper end edge 12 of side panel 8 and the cut away edge 14 at the adjacent corner of front panel 6 are recessed from the upper end edge 16 of the front panel and provide a corner opening as will be seen in the finished carton assembly.

As its other side rear panel 2 is formed with a creased hinge line 18 extending diagonally across the upper corner therof and defining a triangular hinged portion 20 on which the other elements of the corner cap or hood assembly are carried. Extending from the side edge of portion 20 and separated by parallel fold lines are a side panel hood portion 22 and front corner hood portion 24.

Extending from the upper end edge of the blank are a series of end closure panel members. Foldably joined to the upper edge of hood portion 24 is an end closure panel portion 26 having at its outer end edge a glue tab 28 connected by a severable tear line 29. Foldably panel

portions

30 and 32. These portions are formed in the blank preferably as a single panel element, being divided as shown by a severable tear line 34 extending transversely from the upper terminal end of hinge line 18. The end panel portion 30, as will later be seen, is assembled in fixed underlying relation with end cap hood portion 26 and after being severed from portion 32 allows the hinged portion 20 to be turned on hinge line 18. Portion 32 is adapted for assembly in underlying relation to an end panel portion 36 which extends from the upper end edge 16 of the front panel 6.

At the lower end edge of the blank and foldably joined to rear panel 2 and front panel 6 are simple bot- I tom end

closure panel portions

38 and 40.

The blank of FIG. 1 is first folded into a flat assembly form as shown by FIG. 3. This is the form in which a carton manufacturer customarily delivers cartons to a customer for filling and sealing operations. As will be apparent the panels to the right of rear panel 2 (FIG. 1) are folded over panel 2 and the reverse face (as seen in FIG. 1) of glue panel 10 is adhesively secured to the marginal inner surface of rear panel 2 below the hinged corner portion 20 and inwardly of the lower end of the latter where the top of panel 10 overlaps the same. The hood portion 24 is then folded to overlie the recessed front panel corner bringing glue tab 28 into overlying relation against the end panel portion 36 of the front panel 6 and the tab is adhesively secured thereto. It will be noted that two glue operations only are needed for assembly by the manufacturer into the flat folded form shown for shipping purposes.

In FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 the relationship of the panels is shown at the location of the correspondingly numbered section lines of FIG. 3, the panels being brought into a tubular right angled relationship in these sectional views. As in FIG. 4 glue panel 10 secures the tubular relation of the main panels. In FlG. 5 the covering relation of the

panel hood portions

22 and 24 above the upper edge 12 of side panel 8 is shown closing off the corner opening provided by the recessed edges. And in FIG. 6 the glued tab 28 attachment to end panel por tion 36 is shown together with the relationship of the other end closure panel portions.

As will be readily understood in the art flat folded carton assemblies as illustrated by FIG. 3 are in a form for conventional handling by standard end loading and end sealing equipment. When filled and sealed the bottom end

closure panel portions

38 and 40 are folded into overlapping relation (not shown) and may be secured as by any suitable gluing operation. The upper panel portions are likewise secured (FIGS. 7, 8). In the latter instance, the composite front end closure panel

member having portions

26 and 36 attached together as a unit by tab 28 is folded into an overlying relation against the two

portions

30 and 32 extending respectively from the hinging portion 20 and remaining upper edge of rear panel 2. Front end portion 26 and rear end portion 30 are attached together, as by gluing, independently of the attachment of the front end closure portion 36 to the rear end closure portion 32. It will be seen that this sealed end assembly will break open by severing and panel portion 26 from glue tab 28 along tear line 29 and end panel portion 30 from portion 32 along unattached tear line 34. The cap assembly of front and

side portions

24 and 22, glued

end portions

26 and 30, and hinge member 20 is then free to swing on the axis of hinge line 18.

In FIG. 9 the corner cap or closure hood subassembly is shown partially turned rearwardly over the recessed top corner of the carton. It will be particularly noted from this view that an initial angular swinging movement taking place about the axis of diagonal hinge line 18 on the rear panel produces an angular tearing movement of end panel portion 26 along the tear line 29 fron the front to rear and results in separation from glue tab 28. It will also be appreciated that a similar tearing action occurs at about the same time to sever the underlying end panel portion 30 from portion 32 along tear line 34. The tear line slitting or cuts at both locations may be designed for an easy automatic severance thereof on the application of thumb and finger pressures against the angled lower edge of portion 24 in an opening direction. Once severed, simple pressure directed against the lower edge of portion 24 or against the extreme top front corner will cause the cap to flip open. As will be noted from FIG. 11 a more fully turned position of the cap will expose the diagonal corner opening for convenient access to the contents of the carton.

Referring to the modified glue tab end panel form shown by FIGS. 2, 10, and 11, it will be seen that the glue tab 28 is joined to the end panel portion 26 by a separable tear strip 29 defined by the scored lines at each side thereof. The glue tab 28' is fixed to the underlying portion. 36 with the tear tab 29' remaining unattached. The tear strip, as a discrete part of the connection is removable by peeling it away (FIG. 10) and leaving only such connections as may be provided for between

portions

30 and 32, the latter being severable as described to freely swing the cap on hinge line 18.

What is claimed is: 1. A carton having a diagonal flip-top corner closure cap construction comprising front, rear, side and end closure wall panel members, an upper corner of the front panel and an end of the side panel adjacent thereto having edges recessed from the end of the carton for access to the carton interior, diagonally hinged corner portion of the rear wall opposing said recessed edges having connected to the side edge of said hinged rear wall portion and extending therefrom at right angles a side panel corner cap portion, and extending at right angles from the latter a front panel corner cap portion parallel to said hinged rear wall portion, and an end closure panel cap member connected to the upper end edges of said front cap and rear wall corner portions, thereby maintaining in fixed relation with respect to said rear panel corner portion, the said right-angled and parallel relation, respectively, of said side panel cap and front panel cap portions, the said rear panel corner portion being swingable to carry said cap portions with it as a unitary cap structure to and from a corner covering relation at said end of the carton.

2. A carton as in claim 1, in which,

the lower edges of said side and front panel cap portions overlap said recessed edges of the side and front panels, and

said end closure cap member in an initial sealed condition of the carton is severably connected toan end closure panel member between the remaining upper end edge portions of the front and rear panels.

3. A carton as in claim 2, in which,

the end closure members at the upper end of the carton comprise panel portions extending from the upper end edges of said front panel and front cap portions and from the end edges of said rear panel wall portions,

the end panel portions directed from the front of the carton overlying the portions extending from the rear panel and in anchored relation therewith, and

the end panel portions of the rear panel are joined in the initial sealed carton condition by a severable tear line portion extending transversely of the end wall from the upper end of the pivotal axis of said diagonally hinged corner portion.

4. A carton as in claim 3, in which,

the end closure panel portion extending from said front panel cap portion is provided with a severable tab anchored in overlying relation to the other end closure panel member.

5. A carton as in claim 4, in which,

said severable tab is connected to the edge of said front panel cap portion by a tear strip element.

6. A foldable one-piece flat blank for tubular cartons having a flip-top corner cap and comprising a rear panel and successively extending from one side thereof and joined by parallel fold lines 7 a first side panel, a front panel, and a second side panel,

the upper end edge of said side panel and adjacent corner portion of said front panel being recessed below the uppermost end edges of said front and rear panels to provide a corner opening on assembly of the blank,

said rear panel at its other side having a foldable hinge line extending diagonally of an upper corner portion of the panel, and, extending successively from the side edge of said corner portion and joined by parallel fold lines,

a corner hood portion for covering the recessed end of the second side panel and a corner hood portion for covering said recessed front panel corner said rear panel at its upper edge having first and second end closure panels portions foldably joined respectively at the upper edge of said hinged corner portion and at the upper edge of the remaining panel portion,

an end closure panel portion foldably joined to the upper edge of said front corner hood portion for attachment, on assembly, with said first end closure panel portion, and an end closure panel portion foldably joined to the uppermost end edge of said front panel for attachment, on assembly, to said second end closure panel portion,

foldable end closure panel portions extending from the lower edge of said blank, and

V a glue panel foldably extending from one of the side edges of the main portion of the blank consisting of said rear, front, and side panels.

7. The blank of claim 6, in which,

said first and second end closure panel portions are linked side by side by a severable tear line connection, and

said end closure panel portion at the upper edge of the front corner hood portion is provided at the end edge of the blank with a severable glue tab.

8. The blank of claim 7, in which,

said glue tab is joined to the end closure panel portion by a manually separable perforated tear strip.

9. The blank of claim 8, in which,

said end closure panel portions at the lower edge of the blank are single panel members extending from the rear and front panels.

Claims

1. A carton having a diagonal flip-top corner closure cap construction comprising front, rear, side and end closure wall panel members, an upper corner of the front panel and an end of the side panel adjacent thereto having edges recessed from the end of the carton for access to the carton interior, a diagonally hinged corner portion of the rear wall opposing said recessed edges having connected to the side edge of said hinged rear wall portion and extending therefrom at right angles a side panel corner cap portion, and extending at right angles from the latter a front panel corner cap portion parallel to said hinged rear wall portion, and an end closure panel cap member connected to the upper end edges of said front cap and rear wall corner portions, thereby maintaining in fixed relation , with respect to said rear panel corner portion, the said right-angled and parallel relation, respectively, of said side panel cap and front panel cap portions, the said rear panel corner portion being swingable to carry said cap portions with it as a unitary cap structure to and from a corner covering relation at said end of the carton.

2. A carton as in claim 1, in which, the lower edges of said side and front panel cap portions overlap said recessed edges of the side and front panels, and said end closure cap member in an initial sealed condition of the carton is severably connected to an end closure panel member between the remaining upper end edge portions of the front and rear panels.

3. A carton as in claim 2, in which, the end closure members at the upper end of the carton comprise panel portions extending from the upper end edges of said front panel and front cap portions and from the end edges of said rear panel wall portions, the end panel portions directed from the front of the carton overlying the portions extending from the rear panel and in anchored relation therewith, and the end panel portions of the rear panel are joined in the initial sealed carton condition by a severable tear line portion extending transversely of the end wall from the upper end of the pivotal axis of said diagonally hinged corner portion.

4. A carton as in claim 3, in which, the end closure panel portion extending from said front panel cap portion is provided with a severable tab anchored in overlying relation to the other end closure panel member.

5. A carton as in claim 4, in which, said severable tab is connected to the edge of said front panel cap portion by a tear strip element.

6. A foldable one-piece flat blank for tubular cartons having a flip-top corner cap and comprising a rear panel and successively extending from one side thereof and joined by parallel fold lines a first side panel, a front panel, and a second side panel, the upper end edge of said side panel and adjacent corner portion of said front panel being recessed below the uppermost end edges of said front and rear panels to provide a corner opening on assembly of the blank, said rear panel at its other side having a foldable hinge line extending diagonally of an upper corner portion of the panel, and, extending successively from the side edge of said corner portion and joined by parallel fold lines, a corner hood portion for covering the recessed end of the second side panel and a corner hood portion for covering said recessed front panel corner said rear panel at its upper edge having first and second end closure panels portions foldably joined respectivEly at the upper edge of said hinged corner portion and at the upper edge of the remaining panel portion, an end closure panel portion foldably joined to the upper edge of said front corner hood portion for attachment, on assembly, with said first end closure panel portion, and an end closure panel portion foldably joined to the uppermost end edge of said front panel for attachment, on assembly, to said second end closure panel portion, foldable end closure panel portions extending from the lower edge of said blank, and a glue panel foldably extending from one of the side edges of the main portion of the blank consisting of said rear, front, and side panels.

7. The blank of claim 6, in which, said first and second end closure panel portions are linked side by side by a severable tear line connection, and said end closure panel portion at the upper edge of the front corner hood portion is provided at the end edge of the blank with a severable glue tab.

8. The blank of claim 7, in which, said glue tab is joined to the end closure panel portion by a manually separable perforated tear strip.

9. The blank of claim 8, in which, said end closure panel portions at the lower edge of the blank are single panel members extending from the rear and front panels.