Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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B~CKGROU13D O~ THE INVl~NTION
~ield of the In_ntion
This invention relates to designs of display cartons which have shadow
panels and are useful for holding small tubular articles.
Description of the Prior Art
Rigid tube cosmetic or pharmeceutical containers for use by consumers are
shipped and displayed in a variety of paperboard shadow boxes which provide a
location for art work and other consumer information and reduce the opportunity for
loss due to theft in the store. These display cartons are often of the shadow panel
10 variety and at one end often include an inwardly folded flap with an oval aperture
which positively engages one end of the tube to prevent its removal. ~t the opposite
end it is desirable to have means which will engage tne tube to prevent its easyremoval from the carton by a prospective shoplifter, while at the snme time
providing an attractive arrangernent blending wlth the shadow panels to hold the15 tube in position within the carton.
S~M~qARY OP TlI13 INVENTION
A shadow display carton for a rigid tube with three flaps at one end to
engage the end of the tube, the center flap adapted to support and engage a recessed
end of the tube and two adjacent flaps designed to frictionally engage the sides of
20 the tube and blend with the shadow panels.
BRI~E~ D~SCRIPTIO~ O~ DRAWINGS
~ igure 1 is a prospective view of a carton embodying the present invention
and containing a tube to be displayed;
Figure 2 is a plan view of a blank embodying the features of the present
25 invention and adapted to be folded into a carton such as shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 is a front elevation view of the carton such as shown in Figure 1
but without a tube therein and illustrating the relationship between the prospective
flaps forming the shadow panel area in the carton;
Figure 4 is a view of the carton and tube shown in Figure 1, taken along
30 section lines 4-4 in Figure l;
Eigure 5 is a sectional view taken along section lines 5-5 in ~igure 4;
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Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, taken along section lines 6-6 in
Figure 4, the view being in the opposite direction.
Figure 7 is an expanded view of a portion of the blank of Figure 2.
DETAILED DESCRlPTlON 0~1~113 PR~ERRl~D EMBODIM~NT
The use of shadow panel display cartons for shipping and storing small
articles such as tubes of cosmetics or pharmaceuticals is becoming increasingly
popular since there i9 a greater area on which to print promotional materlal as well
as information which is required by the U.S. Department of Health. In addition, such
cartons make it more difficult for shoplifters to take the relatively small articles
which may be on the order of size of a lipstick tube. In the present invention, an
article to be displayed 10 is shown having a generally tubular shape with a cap 11 on
one end and a serrated finger grip 12 on the opposite end thereof. These are seen
best in Figure 1.
I'he carton shown genera'lly as 13 is formed Irom a blank sltnilar to that
shown in Figure 2 and includes a back panel 14, a îront panel 15, side panels 16 and 17
along with a manufacturer's glue flap 18, which are positioned at the lateral edges of
the front and back panels. Attached to the top and bottom edges of the front endpanels are means for closing the ends of the carton 13 which include main top closure
flap 19 attached along the top edge 20 of the back panel 14, the top edge 20
:~, . .
20 consisting of a fold line, a tuckin flap 21 attached along the top edge of the flap 19
along a fold line 22 and minor closure flaps 23 connected to top edges of the side
walls 16 and 17 along the fold line 20. The exact configuration of the end closures is
variable and is not intended to be restrictive with respect to this invention. Asimilar closure arrangement may be found attached to the bottom edge of the front
panel 15 and includes a main lower closure flap a4 attached along the bottom edge
hinge line 25 and a tuck-in flap 26 connected to the main flap 24 along a second fold
line 27. Minor closure ~laps 28 are connected along the bottom edge o~ the side
panels 16 and 17 along the fold line 25.
The front panel 15 has formed therein an article receiving opening and
shadow panel arrangement which is die cut and includes a pair of shadow panels
extending across the width of the front panel 15 which are numbered 29 and 30. At
one end of these shadow panels are angled cuts which result in an inwardly facing or
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6SS6
sloping edge on each of the shadow panels which are designated as 31 and 32,
respectivelyO The shadow panels are connected along parallel fold lines 33 and 34
and at the opposite end is a die cut section which includes a pair of small triangular
members 35 and 38 which are attached to the end of each of the shadow panels 29
and 30 along diagonally extending fold lines 37 and 38, respectively. The triangular
members 35 and 36 have a second side which is a fold line and which intersects with
the two fold lines 37 and 33 which is labeled 39 and forms the second leg of thetriangular member 35. The triangular member 36 has a similar second side definedby the fold line 40 which intersects with the fold lines 38 and 34 as seen best in
Figure 7.
The center support member 41 is a trapezoidal member having a base
defined by the fold line 42 which is parallel to the lateral edge of the front panel 15,
and two angled sides which are shown as 43 and 44 along with a curved edge 45
which curve is generally the same as the interior of the recessed end 12 o~ the tube
10. The support rnember 41 is connecteà to the shadow panels 2~ and 30 by small
nicks 46 and 47 whioh hold the support member in position during the manufacturing
and gluing process by the carton manufacturer. As will be seen later, these nicks
are later broken and the support member 41 folded inwardly to engage the end of the
tube 10. The lines designated as 37 and 38 which form one side of the small
triangular members 35 and 36 may be hinge lines or may be line cuts as shown with
small nicks 48 and 49 toward the narrow end of the triang~ar members. If the
carton 13 is relatively large and as a result the proportioning of the members cause
sufficient flexibility in the material which is used, when fold lines may be employed
at this point. If the material is very stiff or if the article is very small and the
dimensions of these respective sections are very small, then to obtain the necessary
flexibility it may be advisable to use a line cut as shown so that the small triangular
members 35 and 36 may be moved inwardly without undue distortion of the carton in
that area.
Attached to the side wall panel 17 is a die cut member 50 which has an
arcuate opening 51 die cut therein, the relative position of which mny be seen best in
Figures 3 and 4 and serves to engage and retain the cap end 11 of the tube 12. This
arrangement is similar to that which may be found in the prior art such as U.S.
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Patent 3,360,118 to Hansen et al or U.S. Patent 3,302,778 to McGorty et al and U.S.
Patent 3,482,678 to Mason. As can be seen in ~igure 1, this arrangement provides a
positive for the end of the tube 10 and makes it diffic~t to pull the tube 10 out of
the carton 13 without ripping or distorting the carton.
The tube 10 is inserted into the carton 13 by angling the end of the tube ll
behind the curved portion of the aperture 51 and then pushing the remainder of the
tube down into contact between the shadow panels 29 and 30 which simultaneously
breaks the nicks 46 and 47 attaching the center support member 41 and likewise
deflects the center support member 41 inwardly into position so that the edge 45engages the recessed end of the grip 12 such as seen best in Figure 6. The triangular
shaped members 35 and 36 are moved along with the shadow panels 29 and 30 into an
attractive position lying in ang~ar relationship to the shadow panels. The edges 43
and 44 of the triangular members 35 and 3fi engage the round edge o~ the edge 12 of
the tube 10, which may have serations or a grippable surface thereon which ~erves to
hold the tube 10 in position.
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