Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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t CONTAINER AND BLA~K FOR CONSTRUCTING SAME
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TECHNICAL FIELD
i This present invention relates to a coated paper-
- board container and to a blank for constructing the
container so as to include a body portion having a top end
closed by a folded top end closure of an improved
5 construction.
BAC~GROUND ART
Containers for beverages such as milk, cream,
other dairy products, juices, and the like are conventional-
, J 10 ly constructed from thermoplastic coated paperboard. One
' type of these containers includes a top end closure with a
folded gable roof having a vertically projecting seal at
the roof ridge for sealing the container and providing a
~ . pouring spout when the contents of the container are to be
; 15 dispensed. Stacking of such containers requires the use of
separating trays intermediate different layers due to the
vertic~lly projecting seals of their top end closures. Also,
a storage space is lost in stacking these containers due to
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the empty space resulting from the configuration of the top
20 end closure. Such containers are shown by U.S. Patents
3,116,002 and 3,120,335. Another type of the containers
includes flat top end closures that axe folded and have a
~ flat seal projecting from a centerline of the closure with
; ~ an outer end that is releasably secured to '.he rest of the
25 closure generallv adjacent one of its sides. Various releas-
able securements are provi.ded for releasing the flat seals
to permit them to be opened and to thereby provide a pouring
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spout for dispensing the beverages. U.S. Patents 3,869,078
and 3,892,347 disclose such flat top end closures. A further
type of container is disclosed by United States Published
Patent application B 461,257, published Januar~ 13, 1976, now
U.S. Patent 4,078,715, issued March 14, 1978, and includes a
top end closure with an inclined seal that includes a harder
score line on one side of the seal for facilitating folding
of the seal from a vertical position to the inclined position.
United States Patents 4,012,997 and 4,093,115
, 10 disclose a container folding method and the container made
by the method wherein certain roof panels of the top end
~ closure are provided with double score lines extending along-
; side each other. Folding of a top seal of the end closure
~ from a vertical position to a flat position requires the
4 15 application of a downward force along the lower double score
line on one side of the top seal and the application of
another force to bend the top seal downwardly. Each addition-
al application of force for folding the top end closure
requires an additional folding tool on the folding mechanism
20 and is thus accompanied by additional expense.
Coated paperboard blanks for constructing each type
of container described above are made on converting machines
like those disclosed by U.S. Patents 2,682,208 and 3,731,600.
~fter construction of the blanks to form the containers, appli-
25 cation of heat or high frequency vibration applied by clamping
pressure to interengaged portions of the blanks provides seal-
3 ing of the containers.
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DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide
an improved coated paperboard container and a blank for
constructing the container to include a top end closure
comprised of a folded roof and a top seal for sealing the
roof, and wherein the construction of the top end closure
enhances foldability of the top seal from a vertical position.
In carrying out the above object and other objects
of the invention, the blank from which the constainer is con-
structed includes a pair of triangular gable panels whose
opposite sides are connected to a pair of triangular inner
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r~of panels that are of a different size than each other.
An inner seal lip associated with each pair of inner roof
panels is connected thereto by an associated single score
line. A pair of outer roof panels of the top end closure
are likewise connected t~ associated outer seal lips by
associated single score lines. Folding of the top seal
which is defined by the inner and outer seal lips is facili-
tated in a direction toward the smaller inner roof panels so
as to enable the top closure to be constructed into a slant
top closure or a flat top closure. The closure can also be
constructed as a straight up closure without any folding of
, the top seal. Terminal edges of the outer seal lips extend
- alongside each other after construction of the top end clo-
sure and the inner seal lips are folded during each construc-
15 tion so that terminal edge portions of each inner seal lip
extend parallel to each other inwardly from the terminal
edges of the outer seal lips.
The container is constructed from a coated paper-
board blank so as to include a body portion having a pair of
20 side panels connected by front and bac~ panels. As disclosed,
the back panel is secured to one of the side panels by a seam
flap with a heat bond during construction of the container.
A bottom end of the constructed container includes a bottom
end closure that closes the lower side of the container body
25 portion while folded closure panels and seal lips at the upper
end of the container body portion form the folded roof and
the top seal of the invention.
A preferred embodiment of a blank for constructing
3 a container in accordance with the present invention includes
30 a single score line that connects one of the outer seal panels
and the associated outer roof panel at a lower elevation than
the apices of the front and back ga~le panel, and each single
score line between the inner seal lips and the associated
pair of inner roof panels thereof includes an inclined score
35 line portion. Upper ends of the inclined score line portions
intersect with the apices of the associated gable panels and
lower ends of the incllned score line portions are located
adjacent the opposite ends of the dropped score line in the
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constructed condition of the top end closure formed by the
blank. The inner roof panels on one side of the top seal of
the constructed end closure are of a smaller size than the
inner roof panels on the other side of the top seal. Seal-
5 ing of the top seal is performed with the inner and outer
seal lips located in a generally vertical position. Each of
- the inclined score line portions between the smaller triangu-
; lar inner roof panels and their associated inner seal lips
A and the dropped score line between the one outer seal lip
10 and its associated outer roof panel are preferably wider
~ than the other score lines of the top end closure. This
'4 construction of the container blank facilitates folding of
the top seal from the vertical position to either an inclined
position for providing a slant top or a horizontal position
15 where the top seal is adhesively bonded to the adjacent
outer roof panel to provide a flat top end closure. Regard-
less of whether the top seal is used to make a vertical top,
a slant top, or a flat top end closure, the terminal edges
, of the outer seal lips extend alongside each other and the
20 folded inner seal lips have their terminal edges likewise
extending alongside each other located inwardly from the
terminal edges of the outer seal lips.
In the preferred construction of the blank having
-; the dropped score line and inclined score line portions that
25 are wider than the other score lines of the top end closure,
the outer seal lip and outer roof panel connected by the
dropped score line are located between the two smaller
triangular inner roof panels in the flat condition of the
blank prior tc construction. A seam fla~ that connects the
30 other outer roof panel and one of the larger inner roof
panels is thus located on the opposite side of the top seal
from the smaller inner roof panels toward which the top seal
is capable of being bent. Such an arrangement of the top
seal panels and seal lips enhances the sèal provided by the
35 container blank.
The objects, features and advantages of the present
invention are readily apparent from the following description
of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken
in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Figure l is a view of a coated paperboard container
blank used to construct a container having a top end closure
with a roof and a top seal in accordance with the present
invention;
Figure 2 is a partial view of a container constructed
from the blank of Figure 1 and shows the top seal of the top
end closure in a vertical position where sealing thereof is
performed;
Figure 3 is a bottom plan view showing a bottom end
closure of the constructed container;
Figure 4 is a view of the container after the top
' seal has been bent from the vertical position of Figure 2 to
the inclined position shown in order to provide a slant top
seal for the top end closure, and
d
Figure 5 is a view of the container after the top
seal has been bent from the vertical position of Figure 2 to
the flat position shown and releasably secured in order to
provide a flat top seal for the top end closure.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
thermoplastic coated paperboard blank indicated
by reference numeral 20 in Figure 1 is constructed according
: to the preferred embodiment of the invention to provide a
carton or container 22 as shown in part in Figure 2. A
tubular body portion 24 of the container 22 has a top end
closed by a top end closure 26 (Figure 2) of the invention
and also has a bottom end closed by a bottom end closure 28
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The container blank 20, as shown in Figure 1,
includes various scores or score lines along which the blank
is folded to provide the container body portion 24, the slant
top end closure 26, and the bottom end closure 28. Inter-
mediate its upper and lower ends, the blank 20 includes a
rectangular side panel 34 connected to a rectangular front
panel 36 which is itself connected to another rectangular side
panel 38. A rectangular back panel 40 is also connected to
the side panel 38 and is secured to a seam flap 42 connected
to the side panel 34 duri.ng construction of the container in
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order to form a tubular configuration. Securement of the
seam flap 42 to the back panel 40 is provided by heat with
a clamping pressure utilized to bond the thermoplastic
coating of the container blank portions to each other.
The bottom end closure 28 ls formed after the
construction of the container blank into its tubular shape
by folding the various triangular and rectangular panels 43,
~- 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 and then bonding these panels
to each other. A lower end 42a of seam flap 42 is secured
, 10 to the panel 50 during the formation of the container blank
into its tubular configuration. Inward folding of the
1 triangular panels 44 and 48 toward each other then pulls the
.~ triangular panels 43, 45 and 47, 49 connected thereto into
~ an o~erlying relationship therewith as the rectangular panels
; 15 46 and 50 are concomitantly pulled inwardly to overlie the
triangular panels in a generally planar relationship to form
the end closure. The end closure 28, as can be seen in
Figure 3, is of the tucked in type with a portion 50a of
panel 50 extending past a centerline B of the closure beneath
a flap 46a of panel ~6. A high frequency vibration sealing
apparatus such as the one disclosed by U.S. Patent 3,912,576
or a conventional heat sealing apparatus is utilized to seal
the end closure whose various portions have one, two, three
~ and four layers of the carton material respectively indicated
`I 25 by letters a, b, c and d. It should also be noted that the
bottom end closure 28 may also be of the "non-tuck in" type
wherein the panel 50 terminates at the centerline B of this
closure.
The top end closure 26 is formed from the container
blank 20 shown in Figure 1 after construction thereof into
the tubular configuration described above and after formation
of the bottom end closure 28 and filling of the partially
constructed container with its contents. The roof 30 of the
top end closure includes a rectangular outer roof panel 52
connected to the body portion side panel 3~, a front triangu-
lar gable panel 54 connected to the body portion front panel
36, an outer roof panel 56 connected to the body portion side
panel 38, and a back triangular gable panel 58 connected to
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the body portion back panel 40. Triangular inner roof panel
53 and 55 respectively connect the front triangular gable
panel 54 with pouring spout portions 52a and 56a of the outer
roof panels. Likewise, triangular inner roof panels 57 and
5 59 of the constructed container respectively connect the back
triangular gable panel 58 with the outer roof panels 56 and
52, the latter connection being made by an upper portion 42b
~; of the seam flap which is bonded to panel 59.
The top seal 32 of top end closure 26 includes a
J 10 rectangular outer seal lip 60 shown in Figure 1 as projectingS from the outer roof panel 52 and connected thereto by a single
score line 61. A front inner seal lip 62 is connected by a
single score line 63 to the inner roof panels 53 and 55 that
are connected to the front triangular gable panel 54. An
15 outer seal lip 65 of the slant top seal projects from the
outer roof panel 56 and is connected thereto by a single score
line 65. A back inner seal lip 66 is connected by a single
score line 67 to the inner roof panels 57 and 59 that are
connected to the back triangular gable panel 58. Ends of the
20 inner and outer seal lips are also connected to each other
d as shown.
Construction of the top end closure 26 begins hy
; inward folding of the triangular gable panels 54 and 58 shown
in Figure 1 toward each other with the container blank in its
25 tubular configuration. This folding moves the inner roof
panels 53, 55 and 57, 59 respectively connected to gable
panels 54 and 58 in an overlying relationship thereto and
pulls the outer roof panels 52 and 56 downwardly into their
inclined orienta~ion so as to cooperatively provide the roof
~' 30 ridge A (Figure 2) from which the top seal 32 projects. The
bond along seal 32 is formed by application of either heat
or high frequency vibration together with a clamping action
that seals the contents of the container. Each bond not only
seals the outer seal lips 60 and 64 to each other but also
~, 35 secures the outer seal lips to the folded inner seal lip 65
therebet~een which is connected to the back triangular gable
~anel 58 shown in Figure 1 by the _nner roof panels 57 and
59. Outer seal lips 60 arld 64 are also secured to each other
by the bond but may be prevented from forming a complete seal
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with the inner seal lip 62 associated with the front triangu-
lar gable panel 54 shown in Figure 1 by coating of an abhes-
ive material applied to the inner seal lip 62 as shown at 70
and to the outer seal lips 60 and 64 as shown at 72 and 74.
i S This abhesive coating may be made of any suitable material,
such as a silicone based material, and permits the sealed top
end closure 26 to be opened from its closed condition of Fig~
ure 2 to an open condition where a conventional pouring spout
(not shown) is provided to dispense the contents of the
I 10 container.
Outer seal lips 60 and 64 as seen in Figure 1 have
respective straight outer terminal edges 60a and 64a. Both
outer roof panels 52 and 56 have the same height projecting
from their associated body portion side panels 34 and 38 and
, 15 the score lines that interconnect these panels are located
slightly above the score lines that connect the triangular
gable panels 54 and 58 with the front and back panels 36 and
40 to enhance foldability.
As seen in Figure l, inner seal lips 62 and 66 in-
20 clude respective terminal edges 62a and 66a that may have
somewhat blunt V shapes forming associated vertices 86 and
88. Opposite ends 90 and 92 of inner seal lip 62 are respec-
tively connected to the outer seal lips 60 and 64 adjacent
their coatings of abhesive material indicated by 72 and 74.
Likewise, opposite ends 94 and 96 of inner seal lip 66 are
respectively connected to outer seal lip 64 and outer seal
lip 60, the latter connection being at the top seam flap end
42b. Intermediate its ends, inner seal lip 62 includes a
score line 98 extending between its terminal edge vertex 86
and the adjacent front gable panel inclined edge intersection
or apex 80. Likewise, inner seal lip 66 includes a score
line 100 extending between its terminal edge vertex 88 and
the adjacent back gable panel inclined edge intersection 84.
During sealing of the top seal 32, the inner seal lips fold
along their respective score lines 98 and 100 so as to be
located between the outer seal lips 60 and 64.
Referring once again to Figure l, the single score
line 65 that connects the outer roof panel 56 and the outer
seal lip 64 is positioned at a dropped or lower elevation
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than the gable apices 80 and 84 and the single score line
61 that connects the outer roof panel 52 and the outer seal
lip 60. The combined height of outer roof panel 52 and
outer seal lip 60 is the same as the combined height of
outer roof panel 56 and outer seal lip 64. The score line
, 65 that connects the outer roof panel 56 and the outer seal
lip 64 is wider than the score line 61 that connects the
I outer roof panel 52 and the outer seal lip 60 in order to
i facilitate folding of the top seal after construction of the
container as will be more fully hereinafter described. Each
of the front and back gable panels 54 and 58 of blank 20f
shown in Figure 15 has its base angles 54a, 54b, and 58a, 58b
equal to each other. As such, the intersection or apices 80
and 84 of the gable panels where the intersecting edges 78,
15 79 and 82, 83 meet are located centrally between the opposite
y ends 90, 92 and 94, 96 of the inner seal lips 62 and 66.
Each single score line 63 and 67 that connects the associ-
ated inner seal lip 62 or 66 with the adjacent inner roof
panels 53, 55, or 57, 59 includes an inclined portion whose
upper end extends to the adjacent gable apex 80 or 84 and
whose lower end is connected to the adjacent end of the score
line 65. The inclined score line portions 63 and 67 like
the score line 65 are wider than the other score lines so as
to also facilitate the folding of the top seal from a vertical
position as is more fully hereinafter described. It should
also be noted that the terminal edges 62a and 66a of the
inner seal lips 62 and 66 are of a symmetrical shape on oppo-
;t site sides of their central vertices 86 and 88.
~t The constructed container 22 can be utilized with
its top seal 32 extending vert cally as shown in Figure 2.It is also possible to ~old the top seal 32 to an inclined
position by the application of a force F as shown in Figure
4 in order to pro~ide a slant top seal. Folding of the top
seal 32 to the slant top position shown in Figure 4 is
facilitated by the wider and dropped score line 65 and the
wider and inclined portions of score lines ~3 and 67. In
the slant top condition, the top seal 32 extends towa~d the
smaller inner roof panels 55 and 57 which are partially
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defined by the inclined score line portions of score lines
63 and 67.
Containers 22 can be packed in layers on top of
each other to minimize the storage and cargo space neces-
sary. As the containers are stacked, their slant top seals32 will deflect downwardly as shown in Figure 4 from their
solid line position to the lower position shown by phantom
line. As this deflection takes place, the slant top end
, closure 26 provides an inherent cushioning effect between
the layers of containers to enhance the transportability of
the containers without leakage occuring. Unlike folded
gable roof closures with vertically projecting seals, this
container does not require any shipping tray intermediate
the different layers of stacked containers. No releasable
15 securement of the slant top seal to the rest of the top end
closure is necessary as with flat top end closures.
~- The versatility of the container blank 20 shown in
~ Figure 1 is further demonstrated by Figure 5 wherein the top
- seal 32 is shown-folded over to a horizontal position in
order to provide a flat top end closure. A force F, imparted
by use of a suitable tool, bends the top seal 32 toward the
side of the container on which the dropped and wide score
line 65 is located. The outer seal lip 64 is then releas-
ably secured to the outer roof panel 56 by a suitable adhesive
bond provided in any conventional manner in order to provide
the flat top closure. Opening of the constructed flat top
end closure of the container 22 thus proceeds by first
releasing the top seal 32 from the outer roof panel 56 and
then moving the top seal to either the slant position of
Figure 4 or the vertical position of Figure 2 followed by
opening of the pouring spout in the usual manner.
While the best mode for practicing the present
invention has herein been disclosed in detail, those skilled
in the art will recognize various alternative designs and
embodiments for practicing the present invention as defined
by the following claims.
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