Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1 161407
-A PAPERBOARD CARTON
Bac~gro~nd of the_Invention
The present invention relates to paperboard
containers for potable liquid and more particularly
to rectangular cross-sectional containers formed from
a one-piece substantially T-shaped blank of polyethylene
coated paperboard. Such containers are generally of the
type shown in United States Patent No. 3,749,330, granted
10 July 31, 1973, to Charles W. Jones, United States
Patent No. 4,084,489, granted April 18, 1978, to
Matovich, Jr., and Canadian Patent Ap~lication Serial
No. 316,8B2 f41ed November 27, 1978, b~ Josef Buschor.
The distinguishing characteristics of these cartons are
15 their inclusion of a straw element within the interior
of the carton blank which, during opening of the carton,
may be rotated to expose one end of the straw element
from which the contents of the carton may be drawn,
and the deposition of the top and bottom end panels of
20 the carton substantially perpendicular to the
sidewalls. Such characteristics provide convenience
and sanitary usage of the contents of the container
while permitting more efficient use of paperboard
material and yielding improved carton stacking for
25 shipment.
Although these containers have provided a significant
improvement over prior art gable top container designs,
they have possessed certain structural and fabrication
deficiencies which have prevented their widespread use
30in the industry. These deficiencies have focused upon
material loss or waste in the nesting of multiple carton
blanks upon the sheet stock from which they are
derived, a tendency for leakage at the top corner seals
of the carton, and damage to the carton blank paperboard
35during the scoring and bending of the carton blank.
`~
'~
l 1614~7
With refer~nce to the material wastage during
fabrication of the carton ~lanks, the prior art, such
as Matovich, Jr., Pat. No. 4,084,489, has disclosed a
carton blank in which the width across the side panels
and end sealing tabs has been substantially greater
than the combined width of the end closure panels.
This dimensional relationship has requirea the carton
blanks to be nested upon the sheet stock from which they
10 are produced, in a manner whereby the carton blanks are
sepaxated from one another. By such separation, voids
are formed between adjacent carton blanks upon the sheet
stock, which results in substantial sheet stock waste
and decreases machine cutting speed operation.
The corner leakage tendency of the prior art cartons
has been caused primarily due to the inclusion of
V-shaped notches upon the sealing tabs of the blank
which has resulted in the raw cut edges of the sealing
tab being located at the corner junctions of the side
20 panels with the end closure panels of the containeL.
These raw cut corners are subject to being wetted by the
contents of the carton and yield small discontinuities in
the sealing surfaces which has been found to prohibit the
effective sealing of the end closure panels thereto.
25 Thus, the prior art carton has been subject to moderate
leakage at the top corner junctions between the end panels
and side panels.
Additionally, the prior art carton blank design has
heretofore prohibited the side sealing tab from being
30 sealed onto both the top and bottom end closing panels
o~ the carton. As such, during the subsequent end sealing
operation of the end closure panels ~o the side panels,
a small inconsistency or flow channel has been present
in the corners of the carton adjacent the end panel/side
35 sealing tab junction which often allowed small amounts of
the contents of the carton to be released during shipping
and handling.
~ 161407
To facilitate formation of the carton, the prior
art carton blank has been pre-scored to provide preferred
bending lines about which the carton is articulated.
Heretofore, the bending of the carton blank was
accomplished in a direction away from the scoring
line, i.e., such that the carton blank breaks away
from the score lines. This bending produced a
bulging effect at the corners of the container and
10 resulted in the rupturing of the paperboard fiber
during the bending process which detracted from the
overall appearance of the container, as well as
oftentimes fracturing the polyethylene coating of the
carton blank making the container subject to absorbtion
15 of the contents therein.
Thus, there exists a present need in the art for a
carton blank wherein material wastage is maintained at
a minimum, the corner areas of the carton are eliminated
from raw cut edges, and the scoring and bending of
20 the carton blank is adapted to eliminate rupturing of
the fibers of the paper stock material.
SummarY of the Present Invention
.
The present invention comprises a carton blank and
an improved method of forming a carton of the type
25 hereinbefore identified, which significantly eliminates
the structural and fabrication deficiencies of the prior
art. Particularly, the carton blank of the present
invention and carton `formed therewith, is specifically
designed to obtain maximum content volume with a minimum
30 usage of paperboard stock. In this regard, the carton
blank of the present invention is formed having a definite
dimensional reIationship between the side panels and
sealing tabs of the carton blank to the end closure
panels which permlts multiple carton blanks to nest
together in an inverted side-by-side orientation upon
the paperboard stoc~. and be cut therefrom, with a minimum
1 161407
of material scrap and a maximum cutting machine operation
speed. As such, an optimum number of carton blanks may be
produced from the paperboard sheet stock using existing
machine technology.
In addition, the present invention eliminates the
V-shaped notches previously formed on the sealing tabs
of the carton blank. Rather, the sealing tabs of
the carton blank of the present invention are formed
continuous throughout their length and diagonally scored
in the vicinity of the corner folds of the side panels,
thereby being adapted to be folded inward to reside within
the interior of the carton. By such a design, the end
closure panels may be sealed directly to the unbroken
perimeter edges of the sealing tabs even in the sidewall
corner areas of the container, rather than upon the raw
edges heretofore utilized in the prior art. It has been
found that such corner formation greatly increases the
strength of the seal in the corners of the container,
thus yielding a liquid-tight carton.
Further, in the present invention, the side sealing
tab is relocated upon the opposite end of the carton
blank (compared to that disclosed in Matovich, Jr.,
Pat. No. 4,084,489, and is increased in length over the
prior art configuration to extend partially onto both end
closure panels By such a configuration, the side sealing
tab may be sealed throughout its full length and onto both
the top and bottom closing panels which, during the
subsequent sealing of the end closure panels to the side
panels, has been found to eliminate the rear corner leakage
experienced in the prior art designs.
In contradistinction to the methods heretofore
utilized throughout the industry, the present invention
contemplates' the novel method of forming scoring lines
upon the interior of the carton blank and subse~uently
bending the carton blank to break into the score line.
~ 16~4~
This inside breaking of the carton blank eliminates
the unsightly bulging effect at the corners caused by
~he rupturing of the fiber of the paperboard stock
and yields a crisp corner wherein the fibers of the
paper stock are compressed within the score line.
In addition, the present invention discloses a
displaced hinge line for the top end closure panel of
the carton which further eIiminates the tendency of the
carton to leak in its rear corners, as well as discloses
alternative embodiments for the actual carton produced
by the improved carton blank of the present invention
which are specifically suitable for various li~uid and
powdered contents.
Description of the_Drawings
These and other features of the present invention
become more apparent upon reference to the figures
wherein:
Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved carton
20 blank of the present invention illustrating its
preferred configuration and the location of the scoring
lines thereon;
Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the sheet
stock web from which the carton blank of Figure 1 is
25 derived showing the improved nesting of multiple
carton blanks thereon;
Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the
top end portion of the carton formed from the carton blank
of Figure 1 with the top end closure panel raised above
30 the continuous sealing tab;
Figure 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional
view of the upper rear corner of the carton of Figure 3
depicting the orientation of the end closure panel, side
panel, end sealing tab, and side sealing tab prior to
35 the end sealing process;
Figure 4A is a partial perspective view of one of
the forward corners of the car~on blank produced fxom the
~ ~61407
carton blank of Figure 1 depicting the inward folding
of a portion of the continuous end sealing tab;
Figure 4B is an enlarged partial cross-sectional
view of the upper rear corner of the carton blank of
Figure 3 illustrating the configuration of the junction
of the end closure :panel, side panel, end sealing tab,
and side sealing tab subse~uent to the end sealing
pro~ess;
Figure 4C is a partial perspective view of the
forward corner of the carton blan~ in Figure 4A depicting
its configuration subsequent to the end sealing process;
Figuxe 4D is an enlarged perspective view of the
carton formed from the carton blank of Figure 1 showing
the displaced hinge line of the top end closure panel;
Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a
carton blank illustrating the formation of a scoring line
heretofore ~tilized in the prior art;
Figure 5B is a cross-sectional view of the prior art
method of bending of the carton blan~ of Figure 5A about
the scoring line;
Figure 5C is a partial cross-sectional view of a
portion of a carton blank illustrating the formation of
a scoring line thereon as utilized in the present
invention;
Figure 5D is a cross-sectional view of the present
invention's method of bending of the carton blank of
Figure 5C about the scoring line;
Figure 6A is a perspective view of the carton
produced with the preferred carton blank of Figure 1
having a straw element and tape seal applied thereto;
Figure 6B is an alternative embodiment for a carton
having a straw element and tape seal disposed on its
top end closure panel;
Figure 6C is an alternative embodiment for a carton
having a tape seal disposed on its top end closure panel;
and
1 1614û7
Figure 6D is a perspective view of the carton of the
present invention formed without a straw element or tape
seal thereon.
Detailed Description of the Preferred_Embodiment
Referring to Figure 1, there is shown the carton
blank 10 of the present invention preferably formed from
thin paperboard stock, coated with a layer of polyethylene
material which is impervious to the contents to be placed
10 in the container. The carton blank 10 is formed in
substantially T-shaped configuration having an elongate
central portion 12 and a pair of end panels 14 and 16
which are integrally connected to the elongate section
12 adjacent one end thereof.
The elongate section 12 is composed of four sidewall
panels 20, 22, 24, and 26, which are delineated by a
plurality of scoring lines 28 extending transversely
across the section 12. These scoring lines
28 are preferably formed as indentations on the side of
20 the carton blank 10 which will subsequently form the
interior surfaces of the container, and selectively
weaken the carton blank to yield preferential folding
lines about which the carton blank may be articulated.
A pair of end sealing tabs 30 and 32 extend
25 continuously along the opposite end edges of the side
panels 20, 22, and 24 and are formed by the respective
scoring lines 34 and 36. The side panel 20
is additionally provided with a side sealing tab 38 at
its distal edge, formed by the scoring line 40 which
30 extends throughout the length of the side panel 20. In
the preferred embodiment, the end sealing tab 32 is
integrally connected at its opposite ends to the end
closure paneI 16 and side sealing tab 38, whereas the
end sealing tab 30 is separated or severed from thP end
35 closure panel 14 and side sealing tab 38 by cuts or ~
slits 42 and 41, respe~ively, extending throughout the
height of the end sealing tab 30.
l 16140~
Each of the end sealing tabs 30 and 32'a,re provided
with a plurality of diagonally extending score lines 44
which initiate at the intersection of the scoring lines
28 with the scoring lines 34 and 36, respectively, and
terminate at the distal edge of the sealing tabs 30 and
32. As shown, these diagonal scoring lines 44 on the end
sealing tab 32, are formed only on the side panels 20 and
24, whereas for the end sealing tab 30, they are provided
10 on each of the side panels 20, 22, and 24. Finally, the
side panel 26 may additionally be provided with an
aperture 48 which provides access to the interior of
the carton, and sealingly receives the straw element and
tape length ~shown in Figure 6A).
The end panels 14 and 16 are integrally connected to
the side panel 26 at opposite ends thereof, and are
formed in a generally square configuration. The end
closure panel 16 is delineated from the side panel 26 by
a scoring line 50 which extends from the edge 25 of the
20 side panel 26 terminating at a location sPaced from the
aperture 48, and is aligned with the scoring line 36 forming
the en~ sealing tab 32. The end closure panel 14 is
delineated from the side panel 26 by a scoring line 52
which extends only through the central portion of the
25 side panel 26 terminating short of the edge 25 and
short of the scoring line 28 formed between the side
panels 26 and 24. As will be noted, the scoring line 52
is not aligned with the scoring line 34 which forms ~he
end sealing tab 30 9 b~t rather is displaced inwardly a
30 short distance E along the length of the side panel 26.
The end closure panel 14 is additionally formed slightly
larger in size than the end panel 16 extending a
short distance F outward beyond the edge 25 and score
line 28 of the side panel 26. The oversized portion
35 of the end panel 14 extending beyond the edge 25 of the
carton blank forms a protruding section 54, the length of
which extends inboard beyond the edge of the sealing tab
1 1614~7
30 represented by the distance "G" in Figure 1.
In the preferred embodLment, a definite dimensional
relationship is maintained between the length "A" and "B"
of the end panels 14 and 16 to the length "C" of the side
panels 20, 22~ 24, and 26 and the length ~D" of the end
sealing tabs 30 and 32. In particular, the carton blank
10 is formed such that the sum of the distances A and B
which the end panels 14 and 16, respectively, extend
10 beyond the edges of the end sealing tabs 30 and 32, is
equal to the sum of the length dimension C of the side
panels 20, 22, 24, and 26, and the height dimension D
of each of the end sealing tabs 30 and 32. That is,
A ~ B ~ C + 2D. By this particular dimensional
15 relationship, the carton blank 10 may be nested and cut
from a web of sheet stock material with minimum material
wastage yielding optimum utilization of material stock.
The improved nesting characteristics made possible
by the carton blank 10 of the present invention may be
20 seen upon reference to Figure 2 whexein a plurality of
carton blanks 10 are disposed in a patterned array upon
a web of sheet stock material 60. The carton blanks 10
are preferably arranged in a plurality of horizontally
extending rows, e.g., in Figure 2, blanks lOA, lOB and
25 lOC being in one row, while blanks 10D and lOE are Ln a
second row, and blanks lOF, lOG, and lOH are in a third
row. Adjacent carton blanks lOA, lOB, and lOC, in each
row~ are disposed in a side-by-side orientation with their
respective end closure panels 14 and 16 akutted along a
30 single cutting line 62.
As shown, the carton blank rows are arranged
vertically along the sheet stock 60 to form a plurality
of nested pairs of rows, with the second carton blank
row in each pair (comprising carton blanks lOD and lOE in
35 Figure 2) being inverted with respect to the first carton
blank row ~comprising blanks lOA, lOB, and lOC). As such,
adjacent carton blanks lOA, lOD, lOB, lOE, and lOC in each
l 161407
pair of rows are alternatively upright and inverted
along the web of sheet stock 60.
Due to the combined width (C and 2D) of the side
panels 20, 22, 24, and 26 and sealing tabs 30 and 32
being equal to the combined width of the end closure
panels ~A and B~, the elongate sections 12 of each of the
carton blanks 10 arranged in the inverted rows, abut each
other along the lines 64A and 64B, 64C and 64D, which
10 may be referred to as an abutment axis.
In addition to the inverted alternative row
orientation of the carton blanks, each horizQntal pair
of rows is positioned upon the web 60 such that the
protruding portions 54 of the end closure panels 14 in
15 the second inverted row of one pair abut the protruding
portions 54 of the first row in the next pair along a
common diagonal edge 72. This abutment at the edge 72
causes each pair of rows to be horizontally offset or
staggered from the next pair of rows by a distance "O"
20 equal to twice the distance "G" that the protruding
~ection 54 extends inward beyond the edge of the sealing
tabs 30.
By this alternate inverted row and offset carton
blank nesting pattern, the carton blanks 10 lie tightly
25 nested in a side-by-side orientation thereby eliminating
the substantial voids formed on the sheet stock 60 by
the prior art carton blank configurations. As such, the
scrap material on the web 60 of the present invention
consists only of the minimal material 66 and 68 lying
30 adjacent the end closure panels 16 of each of the carton
blanks 10 which represents the siz~ differential "F"
(Figure 1) between the end closure panels 14 and 16 as well
as a small border section 70, formed along the edges of the
webbing 60 which can be reduced substantially to nothing
35 by proper selection of the web size. Considering that
the carton blanks 10 form non-reusable containers,
and will typically be supplied in vast quantities, such
savings in the amount of scrap or waste material from the
1 161~0~7
web of sheet stock 60 is very important from the
standpoint of overall cost effecti~eness of the carton.
As will be recognized, by the specific nesting
configuration depicted in Figure 2, the individual
carton blanks 10 may be fabricated from a roll stock
webbing 60 with a minimum of material wastage as well
as a minimum of cuttings upon the sheet stock. Thus,
as the webbing 60 is fed into one of the well-known
stamping apparatus (not shown), a maximum number of
carton blanks may be produced for a particular webbing
and machine operational speed.
Referring to Figure 3, the improved sealing
characteristics made possible by the carton blank 10
of the present invention will now be described. As will
be recognized, the carton depicted in Figure 3 is formed
from the carton blank 10 by a series of folding, bending,
and sealing steps. The first of these steps is the
bending of the side panels 20, 22, 24, and 26 about the
scoring lines 28 as well as the bending of the side
sealing tab 38 about the scoring line 40 to reside on
the interior surface of the side panel 26. Once in this
configuration, the side sealing tab 38 may be sealed as
by way of the application of heat,to the interior of the
side panel 26 thereby maintaining the open ended square
tubular configuration, depicted in Figure 3.
It is an important feature of the carton blank 10
of the present invention that the side sealing tab 38
is bonded or sealed throughout its entire length including
the small portion 3~A which extends upward onto the
interior surface of the top end closure panel 14 and a
corresponding small portion 38B (Figure 1) which
similarly extends onto the interior surface of the
bottom end closure 16. In the preferred embodiment,
~he side sealing operation is performed on an interior
mandrel (not shown) which is additionally utilized to
1 161407
-12-
permit the bottom end closure panel 16 (not shown in
Figure 3) to be sealingly bonded across the lower end
sealing tab 32 (Figure 1) which has been previously
folded inward the end closure panel 16 thus forming the
bottom surface (not shown) of the carton 10. The
apparatus and method for forming the carton blank 10
into such a configuration is disclosed in Canadian Patent
Application, Serial Number 356,428, filed July 17, 1980,
by the same applicant entitled METHOD AND APPAR~TUS FOR
FORMING A CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS. It should be recognized
that the size differential between the bottom and top end
closure panels 16 and 14, respectively, the differing
locations of the diagonal scoring lines 44 on the bottom
and top sealing tabs 32 and 30, and the inclusion of the
slits 42 only on the top sealing tabs 30, are specifically
designed to augment the interior mandrel sealing of the
bottom end panel 16 as opposed to the exterior mandrel
sealing of the top end panels 14, since the many structural
and formational problems encountered in exterior mandrel
sealing are not present in interior mandrel sealing.
Subsequent to the side sealing and bottom end
sealing of the carton blank 10, the top end sealing tab
30 is folded over to reside within the interior of the
square tubular carton configuration and extend generally
perpendicular to the upper portion of the side walls
22, 24 and 26 (shown in Figure 4). Due to the top end
sealing tab 30 being separated from the end closure panel
14 and side sealing tab 38 by the cuts or slits 42 and
43 (Figure 3), the sealing tab 30 may he folded over
throughout its length without tearing and without
disturbing the seal between the end closure panel 14 and
the upper portion 38A of the side sealing tab 38.
4 0 7
As shown in Figure 4A, during this fold-over pr~cess,
th diagonal score lines 44 formed at the intersection of
the sealing tab 30 with ~he corner forming score lines
28, pe~mit the portion 31 of the sealing tab 30 lying
between adjacent diagonal score lines 44 to be pushed
inward below the main plane of the sealing tab 30. By
such a design, the top sealing tab 30 is maintained
continuous throughout its length having a miter-like
10 interface 41 at its corner junctions with the sidewalls
20, 22, and 24, With this miter-like interface, the
present invention elLminates the prior art's raw cut
edge in the immediate vicinity of the corner junction
of the sealing tab 30 which heretofore was subject to
15 being wetted by the contents of the container and
substantially weakened the top end seal.
Subsequent to the inward folding of the ~ealing tab
30, the sealing tab 30, as ~ell as the extreme upper
portion of the sidewalls 20, 22, and 24, are beveled
20 outward to lie exteriorly of the remaining portion of
the sidewalls 20, 22, and 24 through a short distance
of approximately 1/8 of an inch ~designated by the
distance ~11 in Figure 4B). As will be recognized, this
outward beveling is accommodated in the vicinity of the
25 forward corners of the carton by the sealing tab 30 and
the upper portion of the sidewalls of the carton
stretching outward due to an internal thinning flow
of the paperboard carton material. As shown in Figure
4C, this thinning flow causes the miter-like interface
30 41 to be inwardly spaced by a distance S from the
outermost edge of the forward corners, which, as will
be explained in more detail below, permits an effective
top seal to be formed across the sealing tab 30, even
in the vicinity of the forward corners of the carton
35 blank. Additionally, this outward beveling permits
the upper end of the carton blank 10 to be supported
by an exterior mandrel 80 (represented by the phantam
l 161407
line in Figure 4B) which may be positioned along the
three sides of the carton blank 10 corresponding to the
side panels 20, 22, and 24. Additionally, as shown in
Figure 4B, during this beveling process, the portion of
the sealing tab 31, lying between the diagonal score
lines 44, is folded further beneath the sealing tab 30,
assuming a position generally parallel to the angular
plane of the sealing tab 30 located on the side panel
10 20.
With the carton blank 10 supported against the
exterior anvil 80, the top end closure panel 14 may be
forced downward to lie in a plane substantiaily
perpendicular to the open end of the carton blank 10
15 as by way of a die 82 (represented by the phantom
lines in Figure 4B). By the application of this
downward force, the perimeter edges 14A of the end
panel 14 are beveled angularly upward between the
die 82 and the anvil 80 to extend along and overlay
20 the length of the sealing tab 30, wherein they may be
sealingly bonded thereto by the application of heat.
Further, due to the miter-like interface 41 being
spaced from the outer edge of the sealing tab 30 (shown
in Figure 4C), a portion of the perimeter edges 14~ of
25 the end closure panel 14 extends outward beyond the
interface 41 to positively seal against the sealing tab
30 and close off the interface 41 thereby significantly
reducing the possibility of forward corner leakage.
Referring conjunctively to Figures 3 and 4D, it
30 is 6hown that during the fold-over and end closure panel
14 sealing process, the end closure panel 14 pivots
about the scoring line or actual hinge line 52 which,
as previously mentioned, is displaced or dislocated
downward along the length of the sidewall panel 26
35 from its natural or apparent hinge line 53 (represented
by the phantom lines in Figures 3 and 4D). Due to this
displacement, the natural hinge line 53 is positioned
l 161407
forward and above the relatively broad sealing surface
of the end sealing tab 30. Additionally, the slits
42 and 43 located at the intersection of the top end
S sealing tab 30 with the end closure panel 14 are
forced forward to b;e displaced from the actual rear
corner of the carton and lie upon the sealing tab 30.
As such, the slits 42 and 43 may be tightly "closed
off'l between end closure 14 and sealing tab 30 by the
10 pressure exerted between the anvil 80 and die 82
during the end sealing procedure.
Additionally, due to the upper portion 38A of the
side sealing tab 38 being previously sealed onto the
end closure panel 14 during the fold-over procedure,
15 the portion 38A overlays the cut or slit 42 formed on
the sealing tab 30. Thus, the raw cut edge of the cut
or slit 42 is covered by the continuous length of the
portion 38A which extends from the sidewall panel 26
onto the end sealing tab 30.
~y this particular top end carton arrangement, the
application of heat during the sealing process causes
all of the elements located in the right rear corner
~as vie~ed in Figure 3), i.e., the sealing tab 30,
perimeter edge 14A, upper portion 38A, and the upper
25 end of the sidewall 20, to be sealingly joined together.
~ ~ 61~07
Additionally, due to the end sealing tab 30 being
continuous throughout its length and including the
miter-like interface 41 (Figure ~C) at the top frontal
corners of the carton, a liquid-tight seal between the
perimeter edge 14A of the end Closure panel 14 and the
sealing tab 30 may be facilitated As such, the top
seal leakage tendencies of the prior art flat top
cartons is substantially eliminated.
In addition to the improved sealing capabilitieS
made possible by the improved carton blank 10, the
present invention additionally discloses a novel method
of ~coring and bending of the cartOn blan~ which produces
a crisp corner and eli~inates damage to the carton blank
during fabrication.
In Figures 5A and 5B~ an enlargedt partial
cross-sectional view of the method of scoring (Figure
5A) and bending (Figure 5B) a carton blank 100 in the
prior art is depicted. As shown, the carton blank 100
is scored by an indentation 102 ~hich produces a
corresponding protrusion 104 on the reverse side of the
carton blank 100. Subsequently, the carton blank 100
is bent away from the scoring line 102 in a direction
indicated by the arrows in Figure 5B, yielding a corner
configuration similar to that shown in Figure 5B. As
will be recognized, in this configurationr the corner
bulges outward at 103 beyond the exterior plane of the
carton blank 100 due to the internal ~ibers of the carton
blank material rupturing upon encountering the tension
exerted during the bending proce~s. This rupturing of
the fibers substantially weakens the carton blank 100 at
the area of the bend and,.in severe instances, causes a
fracturing of the polyethylene material on the interior of
the corner thereby subjecting thc carton blank to absorbtion
of the fluid contents.
In contradistinction, the present inve~tion contemplates
the scoring and bending of the carton blank 100 in a
l 161407
17
manner depicted in Figures 5C and 5D wherein the
scoring line 102 is formed on the opposite surface
~i.e.~ the surface that will form the interior of the
carton) of the carton blank 100 yielding an attendant
protrusion 104 on the exterior side of the blank.
Subsequently~ the carton blank 100 is bent inwardly
about the score line 102 in the direction indicated
in Figure 5D. By this procedure, the corner is formed
substantially, as shown in Figure 5D, with the internal
fibers of the carton blank material being compressed
to reside within the indentation 102 while the outer corner
configuration assumes the general preformed curvature
of the protrusion 104. As such, a more crisp corner is
provided which additionally eliminates the weakening
of the carton blank 100 and the fracturing of the
polyethylene coating material on the interior of the
carton blanlc 100.
In Figures 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, alternative
embodiments of the container, derived from the carton
blank 10 of the present invention, are shown. In Figure
6A, a container 200 is shown which is fahricated from
the carton blank 10, shown in Figure 1. As shown, the
aperture 48 positioned on the sidewall 26 is provided
with the straw element 202 and sealingly covered by a
length of tape 204. In this embodiment, the tape 204 is
preferably formed from a Mylar strip which i8 coated
on its undersur~ace by a film of polyethylene. Due to
the different melting temperatures between Mylar and
polyethylene, the tape length 204 may be heated to
simultaneously seal against the exterior of the side
panel 26 as well as a por~ion of the straw element 202.
Subsequently, when a user desires to open the container
200, the end portion of the tape length 204 may be
grasped by the user and be peeled or torn from the side
panel 26 whereby the straw element 202 is rotated upward
1 161 ~07
18
and in position to withdraw the contents from the
~ontainer 200. As will be recognized, such a carton
200 is specifically suitable for pottable liquids such
as milk or fruit juices which are conveniently packed in
single serving sizes and disposable after usage. A more
detailed discussion of the opening operations of such a
carton is disclosed in Canadian Patent Application Serial
No. 316,882 filed November 27, 1978, by ~oseph Buschor.
In Figure 6B, an alternative embodiment for the
container of Figure 6A is shown, wherein the aperture
48 is relocated upon the top end closure panel 14 and
includes a straw element 212 disposed therein. In this
embodiment, however, the straw element 210 is preferably
sealed to the interior of the sidewall 26 and includes a
resilient upper portion 214 which is disposed in a plane
perpendicular to the remainder of the element. A length
of tape 210 sealingly covers the aperture 48 and prevents
the upper portion 214 of the straw element 212 from
flexing outward from the container. In use, a user may
peel off the tape length 216 from the end closure panel
214 thereby allowing the resilient upper portion 214
of the straw element 212 to spring upward from the
container whereby a user may easily withdraw the liquid
from the container 210 or alternatively remove the straw
element 212 and utilize the aperture 48 as a pouring
spout. As such, with the carton 210 depicted in Figure
6B, a user may consume the contents directly from the
carton 210 or alternatively pour the contents into a
drinking glass or the like.
In Figure 6C, an additional embodiment of a carton
200 formed by a ~arton blank 10 of the present invention
is shown, wherein the aperture 48 is disposed centrally
upon the top end closure panel 14. As in the other
embodiments, the aperture 48 is sealed by a tape length
222 which is removable by the user. In this particular
1 161407
- embodiment, howeverf the straw element has been eliminated
with the aperture 48 being used exclusively as a pouring
spout. This particular embodiment of the carton 220 is
suitable for large size containers, such as that typically
utilized in the industry for marketing quart and
half-gallon sizes of milk.
Alternatively, in Figure 6D, a carton 230 is disclosed
wherein the aperture 48 has been completely eliminated.
By this design, the carton blank 230 is specifically
adapted for various dry products which preferably are
maintained in a safety container which may not be easily
opened by the user.
It will be understood that although the foregoing
specification has disclosed particular materials from
which the carton blank is fabricated, alternative materials
may be utilized without departing from the spirit of the
present invention. Also, while the description refers to
certain orientation as the top and bottom, it will be
evident that this is only for convenience in description
and does not limit the orientation.
/JBB:pb
