Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CARTON WITH DISPENSER
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to paperboard cartons for use in
packaging articles
and, more particularly, to a dispensing carton with a built-in combination
retention and ad
panel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cartons are useful for allowing consumers to purchase, transport and store a
desired quantity
of articles such as soft drinks. For the convenience of the consumer, some
cartons have
dispensers which allow the articles to be removed one at a time while
continuing to encase
the remaining articles. A portion of the carton is torn out to form an opening
from which
articles may be dispensed.
Unfortunately, more than one article is often dispensed at a time through the
opening which
leads to many of the articles being dispensed onto the floor. This is because
the articles to
remain within the open carton are not sufficiently restrained by the open
carton.
Also, it is often desirable to have a large surface axea on the carton for
labeling and
advertising. However, in order to utilize the dispensing features of known
dispensing
cartons, portions of the carton may be permanently removed or positioned such
that the
available surface area is reduced.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved caxton having a dispenser that is
adapted to
adequately restrain the articles within the open carton while also
facilitating access to the
endmost article to be dispensed from the carton. The improved carton must also
appeal to the
customer while maximizing the available surface area for advertising.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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The present invention provides a carton having a dispensing feature with a
built-in retention
panel portion adaptable to also be utilized as a promotional flag to allow
greater promotional
flexibility.
Generally described, a plurality of panels are connected together to form the
carton of the
present invention. A displaceable portion at an end of the carton may be
detached from the
carton to define an opening for dispensing the articles from within the
carton. Within the
interior of the erected carton is a panel portion that is obscured from view
prior to the
1o displaceable portion being at least partially detached from the carton. The
panel portion is
exposed to the exterior of the carton through the opening by at least partial
detachment of the
displaceable portion from the carton. A distal end of the panel portion
extends into the
opening for restraining articles within the open carton. The panel portion may
also have
promotional indicia thereon to allow greater promotional flexibility.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the carton is formed from a
single blank of
a plurality of panels. At least one bottom panel includes an elongated end
flap for forming
the panel portion. The end flap is configured to extend into the opening to
become visible
through the opening from the exterior of the carton after the displaceable
portion is at least
2o partially detached. The distal end of the panel portion restrains the
endmost article of a row
of articles within the open carton until it is desirable to remove the endmost
article from the
carton.
The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the more pertinent aspects and
features of the
present invention. These should be construed to be merely illustrative of some
of the more
prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results
can be obtained
by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying
the disclosed
embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding
of the
invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the
exemplary
3o embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
addition to the scope
of the invention defined by the claims.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 illustrates a plan view of one embodiment of a blank for forming the
carton of the
present invention having a built-in retention feature.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the carton of the present
invention formed
from the blank of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the carton of the present
invention formed
l0 from the blank of Fig. 1 with a portion of the carton removed for
dispensing articles and
illustrating the panel portion for restraining a lower row of articles.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the carton of the present
invention formed
from the blank of Fig. 1, illustrating the panel portion pivoted outward while
continuing to
15 restrain the lower row of articles.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like elements
throughout the
20 several views, the drawings illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a carton
10 of the present
invention. In one embodiment, the carton 10 is for dispensing articles such as
beverage cans.
Generally, the carton 10 is formed from a foldable sheet material such as
paperboard blank 12
as shown in Fig. 1. The panels of the blank 12 are a first bottom panel 16, a
second bottom
25 panel 18, a first side panel 20, a second side panel 22, and a top panel
24. Alternatively, the
blank 12 may instead include only a single bottom panel, similarly dimensioned
to the top
panel, rather than utilizing the combination of the first and second bottom
panels 16 and 18
for forming the bottom of the erected carton 10.
3o As shown in Fig. 1, the panels of the blank 12 are hingedly interconnected
in series to one
another to form the basic tubular structure of the erected dispensing carton
10. The first
bottom panel 16 is hingedly connected to the first side panel 20 by fold line
30. The first side
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panel 20 is then hingedly connected to the top panel 24 by fold line 32. The
second bottom
panel 18 is hingedly connected to the second side panel 22 by fold line 34.
The second side
panel 22 is then hingedly connected to the top panel 24 by fold line 36. The
blank 12 further
includes a pair of end structures for forming end walls for at least partially
closing the
opposite ends of the tubular structure. One of the end structures is formed
from one minor
end flap 48 and four major end flaps 40, 42, 44 and 46 while the other end
structure is formed
from three minor end flaps 94, 96 and 98 and two major end flaps 100 and 102.
The end
flaps 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48 are hingedly connected respectively to the panels
20, 22, 16, 18
and 24 by a transverse fold line 28 whereas the end flaps 94, 96, 98, 100 and
102 are hingedly
to connected respectively to the panels 16, 18, 24, 20 and 22 by a transverse
fold line 26. Fold
lines 26 and 28 each extends the full length of the blank 12.
The major end flaps 40 and 42 extend from the side panels 20 and 22,
respectively. The
major end flaps 44 and 46 and the minor end flap 48 extend from the bottom
panels 16 and
15 18 and the top panel 24 respectively and provide the innermost layer of the
one of the end
walls of the carton 10. The one end wall constitutes at least a part of the
dispensing end from
where the articles in the carton are dispensed as described in more details
later. The end flaps
of bottom panels of known dispensers are typically minor flaps. However, the
end flaps 44
and 46 of the present invention are elongated to extend beyond the distal end
of the minor
2o end flap 48 and, preferably, beyond the distal ends of major flaps 40, 42
as shown in Fig. 1.
The major end flaps 100 and 102 extend from the side panels 20 and 22,
respectively. The
minor end flaps 94, 96 and 98 extend from the bottom panels 16 and 18 and the
top panel 24
respectively and provide the innermost layer of the other end wall of the
carton 10. The
25 bottom end flaps 94 and 96 are typical minor flaps and are of a length as
great as the minor
end flap 98.
In order to erect the carton 10 as shown in Fig. 2, the bottom panel 16 and
the bottom panel
18 are glued or are otherwise secured together to form the bottom of the
carton 10. At the
30 same time, the side edges 52 and 54 of the major flaps 44 and 46 are also
secured together in
an overlapping manner to create a composite bottom major flap. The side edges
of the minor
flaps 94 and 96 are also secured together to form a composite bottom minor
flap. After the
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carton is erected in an open-ended tubular form and the articles are loaded
into the carton 10,
the end structures are folded to form the opposed end walls of the carton 10.
Closure of the dispensing end of the carton 10 is initiated by folding the top
end flap 48 along
the fold line 28 through about 90 degrees and then folding the composite
bottom major flap
44 and 46 along the fold line 28 through 90 degrees. Next, the side major end
flaps 40 and 42
are folded along the fold line 28 over the end flaps 44, 46 and 48, and the
distal ends of major
flaps 40 and 42 are secured together in an overlapping manner to create an
outermost layer of
the one end wall of the carton 10. Closure of the other end of the carton may
be achieved in a
1 o similar manner.
The erected carton 10 illustrated in the drawings is adapted to hold a group
of similarly
dimensioned, cylindrical articles (such as cans or bottles), in a plurality of
vertically arranged
rows (two rows in Figs. 2 and 4). The articles in each row are disposed on
their sides in a
i5 side-by-side parallel fashion. The side panels 20, 22 are disposed
alongside the ends of the
articles of the group while each end flap of the carton is disposed adjacent
to the side walls of
the respective endmost articles.
In one embodiment of the present'invention, a weakened line 60 extends across
each major
20 panel 40 and 42, side panels 20 and 22, and top panel 24, as best shown in
Fig. 1. The
weakened line 60 on the top panel 20 is displaced from the dispensing end of
the carton 10.
Portions of the carton that lie on either side of the weakened line 60 may be
severed from one
another along the weakened line. In one embodiment, the portion of the
weakened line 60
across the major flaps 40 and 42 is a fold line segment that serves as a hinge
about which
25 opposing panel portions may be pivoted with respect to one another while
the other portion of
the weakened line 60 is a tear line segment along which the carton panels may
be severed.
The weakened line 60 is used as a reference for defining the lower portions
62, 64 and upper
portions 66, 68 of the major flaps 40, 42. The weakened line 60 may be a line
of severance
30 or a hinge-providing line that facilitates separation or folding of the
panel portions lying on
either side of the weakened line 60. It is contemplated that weakened lines
include, but are
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not limited to, perforated lines, tear strips, score lines, half cut lines,
lines of short slits, lines
of nick members, or the equivalents.
The weakened line 60 terminates at edges 56 and 58 of the major flaps 40 and
42,
respectively. The full extension of the weakened line 60 defines a
displaceable portion 70
when the carton 10 is erected. The displaceable portion 70 may be configured
as shown in
Figs. 2 and 3, or alternatively configured into what is commonly referred to
as a "trough" or
"bucket". The displaceable portion 70 is at least partially detachable from
the carton 10, as
shown in Fig. 3, to form an opening to permit dispensing of the articles from
the carton 10. A
to tab 72 borders the weakened line 60, preferably on the top panel 24, which
may be pushed
through or pulled out to initiate detachment of the displaceable portion 70.
The weakened line 60 allows the upper portion 66 of the major flap 40 and the
upper portion
68 of the major flap 42 to be removed from, or pivoted with respect to, the
erected carton 10.
The upper portions 66, 68 removed from, or pivoted with respect to, the
overlapping major
flaps 40, 42, along with portions of the side panels 20, 22, and the top panel
20, define the
preferred configuration of the displaceable portion 70. The combined lower
portions 62, 64
of the major end flaps 40, 42 remain with the carton 10 after the displaceable
portion 70 has
been removed or pivoted downwardly. The upper edge 74 of the combined lower
portions
62, 64 partially defines the opening through which the packaged articles are
dispensed.
The bottom major end flaps 44, 46 each also includes a weakened line 76 such
as a fold line
or a frangible/tear line for defining on either side distal panel portions 78,
80 and proximal
panel portions 82, 84. In some embodiments, portions of the end flaps 44, 46
that lie on
either side of the weakened line 76 may be severed from one another once the
carton 10 is
erected and opened. Each weakened line 76 is preferably substantially parallel
to transverse
fold line 28. When end flaps 44, 46 are secured together to erect the carton
10, the weakened
lines 76 of the end flaps 44 and 46 cooperate with one another to
substantially form a
continuous line 76 across the width of the composite bottom major flap 44 and
46. The full
3o extent and orientation of the weakened line 76 then preferably corresponds
substantially with
the adjacent upper edge 74 of lower portions 62, 64.
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Until the displaceable portion 70 is at least partially detached from the
remainder of the
carton 10, the combined distal panel portions 78, 80 are obscured from view.
Because the
end flaps 44, 46 are the innermost layer of the end wall at the dispensing end
of the erected
carton 10, the proximal panel portions 82, 84 are behind the lower portions
62, 64 of the end
flaps 40, 44 in a face-to-face relationship. This face-to-face relationship is
maintained even
after the displaceable portion 70 is completely detached from the carton 10.
Only after the
displaceable portion 70 is at least partially detached from the carton 10, are
the combined
distal panel portions 78, 80 visually exposed to the exterior of the carton 10
through the
opening.
to
As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the combined distal panel portions 78, 80
extend beyond the
upper edge 74 and into the opening. The combined distal panel portions 78, 80
may be
utilized to retain the endmost article in the lower row of articles, yet allow
removal of the
endmost article when desired by the consumer. Alternatively, the combined
distal panel
portions 78, 80 may be utilized to retain the endmost article in both the
upper and lower rows
of articles when the blank 12 is configured differently such that the bottom
end flaps 44 and
46 are greater in vertical length than the diameter of each cylindrical
article packaged in the
carton 10.
2o As shown in Fig. 4, the combined distal panel portions 78, 80 may be folded
or pivoted along
the weakened line 76 relative to their corresponding proximal panel portions
82, 84. Even
though the combined distal panel portions 78, 80 are pivoted outward over the
upper edge 74,
the endmost article may continue to be restrained within the carton 10.
In one embodiment, the combined distal panel portions 78, 80 may include a
graphic surface
facing outwardly of the carton. The graphic surface carries indicia such as
advertising which
becomes visible to the consumer upon opening the carton 10 for dispensing
articles. The
indicia may be such that the combined distal panel portions 78, 80 serve as a
voucher/coupon
or a game piece (such as a lottery ticket). In such case, the weakened line 76
may be a line of
3o severance or a tear line so that the voucher or the game piece may be
detached from the
proximal panel portions 82, 84 along the weakened line 76.
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The present invention has been illustrated in relation to a particular
embodiment which is
intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Those
skilled in the art will
recognize that the present invention is capable of many modifications and
variations without
departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the
present invention is
described by the claims appended hereto and supported by the foregoing.
