Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~7'7~
B~CKGROUND OF T~IE INVENTION
(1) FIELD OE' INVENTION:
Ice cream product or produce containers, including combin-
ation of container body and closure member, blanks from which
such container body may be erected,~ such containers erected and
filled with ice cream product and closed with such closure member;
such containers partially erected in the form of a tube open at
both ends, closed at one end by bottom-forming members, or closed
at one end by said closure member; method of closing such contain-
ers by means of closure members particularly ada~ted for such
purpose. Also, such containers which may be readily constructed
of inexpensive sheetform materials such as paperboard and such
closure members which may be readily constructed from plastic
materials, and the combination of which container and closure
member has nurrlerous advantages which will appear ~rom the follow-
ing. ~ethods of packaging ice cream product or produce.
(2) PRIOR ART:
Ice cream products, including sherbets, milk ice, ices, and
-related products, have long been packaged in containers o~ various
types and sizes, including numerous forms and shapes of paperboard
and, rather recently,tub-type cylindrical cartons of the type
historically e~ployed for cottage cheese and the like, with a
single paperboard sheet closing the upper circular area thereof.
Although such latter types of containers are structurally sound,
they are extremely expensive and do not solve the problems of vapor-
transfer or stability once opened. Moreover, they are bulky
and sPaCewaStinq at all marketing and consumer levels. ~xist-
ing ice-cream carton structures, with or without tearstrips, are
likewlse characterized by nurrlerous shortcomings, not the least of
which is the expense, due to the relatively high caliper of paper-
board which must be employed. In addition, since these are all
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. ~
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made of integral blanks, any cover member must of necessity be
hinged from the bottom or carton body along the edge of the rear
wall of the carton body, which makes it impossible to provide any
substantial friction between the carton cover and the carton body
along the front wall. In addition, even when higher caliper sheet-
orm material is employed of the paperboard type, once a carton is
opened, moisture vapor and fluid content of the carton penetrate
the raw edge of the carton body, with the result that the carton
takes on a shabby and inelegant appearance and, moreover, produces
less and less of a barrier to the outside atmosphere as the pene-
tration into the raw edge of the paperboard increases and deterior-
ation and leakage progresses. Moreover, even with higher caliper
board, due to usual pressures occurring in storage and in use, the
carton body does not remain stable and, even under normal condi-
tions of user frequently assumes a flimsy, bowed, nonsupportive
and grossly inelegant condition.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an
ice cream product container with c'omplementary container closure
member which is as elegant in appearance as the classic cylindrical
containers, but which is not subject to any of the foreyoing di~-
advantages, including economic disadvantages, thereof. In addi-
tion, it is an object of the invention to provide an ice cream
product container constructed from an integral blank, and a cover
formed from plastic, and combination thereof by securement of the
closure member to the container body in such a manner and accord-
ing to such a structure whereby all of the aforementioned disad-
vantages of prior art paperboard ice cream carton structures are
genuinely avoided and a novel, unique, and and elegant type of
ice cream product container thereby provided.
OBJECTS OF TE~E INVENTION
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to
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'7~3~
provide a novel, top-opening ice cream product container which
may be closed and subsequently opened by the removal of the
closure member oE the invention, which may be readily reclosed
when it is desired to store unconsumed contenks, which is com-
prised of an individual container body provided from an integral
cut and scored blank and an individ~al cover of plastic material,
and which is in appearance and elegance comparable to the cylin-
drical cartons presently in use but which avoids the aforesaid
economic and leakage disadvantages thereofl and which moreover
avoids the disadvantages of inelegance, structural instability,
leakage, deterioration of raw edges o:E carton body due to infil-
tration or penetration of moisture, moisture vapor, and fluid con-
tents of the carton, and which, due to the fact that the container
closure member is provided as a separate unit and is not made
from the same integral blank as the container body, permits the
provision of unprecedented friction and therefore also an un-
precedented close fit between the container closure member and the
container body member along all edges of the opening end of the
container both as constituted initially ancl also upon reclo~ure.
Moreover, with the container o~ -the present invention, there is
no wasted space, either in shipment or in storage, since the con-
tainer is generally of a rectangular cross-section allowing econ-
omic utilization of all available space, on the shelves of both
the consumer and the vendor. In addition, the novel closure,
opening, and reclosure feature of the present invention eliminates
many of the closure and leakage problems inherent in previously
available ice cream cartons and containers of other types. The
provision oi a unique melnod o ciosing a container or l~e presen~
invention with a container closure member of the present invention,
and a method of packaging ice cream products therein, as well as
intermediate forms of the container blank, with and without closure
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~ '7~4~
member and or bottom, and the blank itself are additional objects
of the invention which have been fully accomplished thereby. The
accomplishment of the foregoing and additional objects will become
more fully apparent hereinafter, and still other objects will be
apparent to one skilled in the art to which this invention per-
tains as the description proceeds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
The invention, in brief, comprises a new and improved more
elegant container for the containment and packaging of ice cream
products. According to the invention, the container body member
is formed from an integral blank, usually of paperboard, and the
complementary closure member is formed of a sheetform material,
generally a thermoplastic, and the two members are subse~uently
secured to each other. The manner in which they are secuxed to
each other is novel and significant. The blank from which the
container is constructed comprises edge-reinforcing flaps articu-
lated to panel or wall members of the container blank, which are
folded down upon their respective wall or panel member and ad-
hesively secured thereto to provide a folded-over, reinforced
portion of double thickness, which first appears in the container
blank, then in the tube produced when the blank is folded over
and adhered to itself along the manufacturer's glue seam, then in
the squared-up tube erected -therefrom, and finally in the closed
container. Whether the container closure member, having complemen-
tary features, is employed to close this reinforced end of the
carton or carton blank before or after closure and adherence of
the bottom-forming flaps at the other end thereof, the frictional
fit provided between this folded-over reinforced portion of double
thickness in the container body and the complementary closure
member is indeed an excellent closure for a contalner designed
7~3~
to contain ice cream product. In addition, in the said ~olded-
over, reinforced portion of double thickness, there are provided
defined areas o low resistance which are adapted ~o receive lugs
formed in a wall of said closure member which comes into juxta-
position with said folded-over, reinforced portions of the con-
tainer walls, so that the lugs in s~aid closure member can comple-
mentarily extend into the said areas of low resistance in the
inner exposed surface of the walls of the container at the end
thereof which is closed by the closure member. The said lugs may
also be adhesively secured in said areas of low resistance for
better releasable securement of the closure member to the contain-
er walls, as will appear more fully hereafter. The structure
described is an integral part of the present invention in all of
its aspects, and permits the attainment of unprecedented elegance,
closure, opening, and reclosure characteris-tics, without undesir-
able leakage and with retention of the basic container form, struc~
ture, and elegance, throughout the period of its use and until the
exhaustion of its content and e~en' beyond.
The container body is unique in its skructure in that it in-
cludes, as already described, articulated to each of its g~nerall~
rectangular walls, but adhesively secured to the said walls, the
folded-over, reinforcing portion of double thickness for stabiliza-
tion and edging purposes, as well as for provision of the stated
areas of low resistance to receive the complementary lugs formed
in an upstanding tubular inner wall of the unique closure member
of the invention, which comes into juxtaposition with the folded-
over edge-reinforced portions of the walls of the container upon
closure thereof with said closure member. The container body also
comprises bottom flaps, which are generally the last to be closed
in the erected container, but which may be closed before the
closure member is used to close the reinforced end thereof. In a
~L~7~
preferred emb~diment, the container o~ the invention, and its pr~-
ferred manner of utilization, is uni~ue in that it is ful]y
assembled except for closure of its bottom fl~ps before filling,
where~fter the bottom flaps are closed and secured. In this em-
bodiment of the invention, the novel closure member of the inven-
tion is secured to the reinforced ~nd of the squared-up tube con-
structed from the starting container blank before the filling
operation commences. Other aspects of the various structures and
procedures of the present invention, and advantages, will become
apparent hereinafter but, all in all, the combination of the inde-
pendent but integrally cooperating container closure member and
the container body, the integral blanks for forming the said con-
tainer body, the unique aspects of the container body and its
reinforcing double edge, and especially the combination of the
two into an integral unit, the complete ice cream-product contain-
ing package, and the unique method of assembly, filling, and pack-
aging, all provide novel and unique contributions to the art of
ice cream packaging, which will now be more particularly described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFER~F.D ~MBODIM~NTS OF THE INVENTION
.. . .
The invention, in several preferred embodimen-ts, is illus-
trated by the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a cut and scored blank for forming
a container having the novel features according to the invention,
viewed from the inside surface thereof.
Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the blank of Fig. 1 viewed
from the outside.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank of ~ig. 1 with the edge-
reinforcing flaps folded ~ver and adhered in reinforcirlg position
to provide a double thickness at that end of the blank
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the blank of Fig. 3 partially
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JJ~
glued and in thc form o~ an ~rected sleeve or tube.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tube of Fig. 4 with its
bottom-forming flaps closed and adhered to form a container and
with its complementary closure member about to be placed thereon.
Fig. 6 is a partially cut away side view of the container
of Fig. 5 with closure member in place, having previously been
filled with content. There is no Fig 6b; 6a appears on Sheet 3.
Fig. 6c is an enlarged cross-sectional,view of tie section 6c
identified in Fig. 6 showing details of the means whereby the con~
tainer closure me~ber is removably secured to the container.
Fig. 5a on Sheet 3 is a perspective view of th~ tube of Fig. 4 in re-
versed position with its top end down and closed by the closure
member shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 6a on Sheet 3 is a side view of the upside d ~ container of Fig.
5a after having been filled with content and having its bottom-
forming members folded upon and adhered to each other to form a
closed container.
Fig. 7 on Sheet 4 is a top perspec~ive view of a closure m~er accord-
ing to the invention.
, Fig. 8 on Sheet 4 is a bottom perspective view of the closure m~er
of Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 on Sheet 4 is a top plan view of two closure ~.~ers of Fig. 7
nesting in vertical juxtaposition.
Fig. 10 on Sheet 4 is a top ,plan view of another embodiment of the
closure member, two such members being nested in vertical juxta-
positlon .
Fig. 11 on Sheet 4 is a to~ plan Vie~^J of still another e~x~t of
the closure member, two such mernbers again nesting in vertical
juxtaposition.
Fiys. 9a,, lOa, and lla on Sh~t 4 are xesDectivel~ cross-sectional
views along lines 9a, lOa, and lla of Figs. 9, 10, and 11, each
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~77~3~
showing de~ails o~ the two closure mcmbers ncsting in vertical
jux tapos i tion .
Figs. 12 and 14 on Sheet 3 are top plan views o s~ill a~itional
bodiments of the closure member of the invention, having a pull
tab for facilitating opening o a container cïased therewith, and
Figs. 13 and 15 also on Sheet 3 are respectively side ~iew~ of the closure
m~bers of Figs. 12 and 14.
Fig. 16 on Shee~ 5 is a r)lan view of ffle inside o:E another container
blank according to the invention, having different areas of low
resistance in the edge-reinforcing flaps, and
Fig. 17 also on Sheet S is a ~lan view of the blank of Fig. lfi with the
edge-reinforcing flaps folded over and ~dhe~ed as in Fig. 3.
.
33
SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS
R~ference is now made to the accompanying drawings for a
better understanding of the invention, wherein all the parts are
numbered and wherein the same numbers are used to refer to corre-
sponding parts, or wherein the same numbers but differing by a
factor of one hundred (100) are used to refer to corresponding
parts.
In a preferred form, the container of the invention may be
constructed from an integral blank as illustrated in Fig. 1, the
blank of Fig. 1 generally being constructed of paperboard and
preferably waxed both internally and externa]Ly except in the
areas where adhesive i5 or is to be applied during erection into
a completed container. The blank comprises rear, side, front,
and side panels or walls 1, 2, 3, and 4, and glue-flap 14, respec-
tively articulated to each other along crease scores 18, 19, 20,
and 21. Bottom-forming flaps 5, 6, 7, and 8 are respectively ar-
ticulated to their main carton panels or walls along crease scores
22, 23, 24, and 25, and glue-flap extension 15 is articulated to
glue flap 14 along crease score 25a~ The stippled areas are un-
waxed in view of the fact that they are or will contain adhesive
during the process of erection of the blank into a container, and
the unstippled areas are generally and preferably coated with wax.
The stippled areas are representatively indicated at 16 and the
wa~ed areas at 17.
Articulated to the top edges of the main container panels
or walls along crease scores 26, 27, 28, and 29 are edge-reinforc-
ing flaps 9, 10, 11, and 12, adapted to be folded over upon the
inner surfaces of their respective main wall panels and adhered
thereto. In these said edge-reinforcing flaps are located areas
of low resistance, in Fig. 1 shown as generally V-shaped cuts 30,
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one being located in each of side panels 2 and 4 and two such cuts
being located in each of rear and front panels 1 and 3, the
same cuts 30 designed to become inverted-V-shaped cuts when the
edge-reinforcing flaps 9 through 12 are folded over and adhered to
their respective main container wall panels. These areas of low
resistance may take various forms a~nd configurations, as will
appear hereinafter, e.g., in Figs. 16 and 17.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art from Fig. 1
that glue flap 14 and its extension 15 could equally well be
articulated to one side edge of rear wall panel 1, or that the
wall panels could be differently arranged to give the same result
upon erection.
In erecting a container from the blank of Fig. 1, the bottom-
forming flaps 5 through 8 are folded in in usual manner. Ordin-
arily, for convenience, the sequence is 5, 7, 6, and 8, the outer
bottom-forming flap 8 being folded in last into juxtaposition with
bottom-forming flap 6 and into overlapping position with respect
thereto, as will be apparent from subs~quent Figs.
Whereas Fi~. l illustrated the side of the blanl~ adapted to be
inside the container erected therefrom, Fig. 2 is precisely the
same blank, viewed from the outside. Fig. 3 agaln shows the in-
side of the blank, with the edge-reinforcing flaps 9 through 12
folded over into reinforcing position to provide a double thick-
ness of the material of construction at that end of the container,
flaps 9 through 12 now being adhered to the respective main con-
tainer panels or walls to which they are articulated, and the areas
of low resistance in the said edge-reinforcing flaps 9 through 12
now being in the form of an lnverted V, in which form they will
appear in the completely erected container~
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7~
The blank of Fig. 3 is then erected into a flat-folded tube
by folding over the glue 1ap 14 upon its adjacent wall panel 4 and
then folding over side and rear panels along score 19, so as to
bring the edge of rear panel l into juxtaposition with the dry
side of glue flap 14. In this position the inside of wall panel
l is secured by any suitable adhesi-ve to the folded over outside
of glue flap 14, thereby forming the flat-folded tube which is
sealed to itself along the proverbial manufacturer's glue stri~,
and which may be shipped to the trade for erection by squaring u~
into a tube as shown in Fig. 4, all the elements being the same
in Fig. 4 as in Fig. 3. Alternatively and preferably, the folds
are made at scores 18 and 20 instead of l9 and 21.
In one manner of proceeding, the bottom flaps are then closed
upon each other first, to form a bottom and produce a container
with upstanding walls having reinforced edges, as shown in Fig. 5.
As shown and as previously indicated, the folding sequence of the
bottom-forming flaps is 5, 7, 6, and 8, secured to each other to
form a bottom by means of suitable adhesi.ve o any type placed or
preplaced into the dry areas thereof in the usual manner.
In Fig. 5 the container closure member of the invention i5
shown about to be placed upon the reinforced edges of the upstand-
ing walls of the container. In this view of the closure member,
identified generally at 50, upstanding tubular inner wall con-
forming to the inner surfaces of the tubular container walls to be
closed by said closure member is identified at 52, with down-
standing tubular outer wall connected thereto by a bight 59 and
conforming to the outer surfaces of the tubular container walls
of the container to be closed by the closure member being identi-
fied at 51. Centrally-located upwardly elevated dome portion 55
is defined by upstanding dome-forming wall 54 which is inwardly
spaced from upstanding tubular inner wall 52, the said two up-
standing walls thereby defining a tubular valley 53 therebetween.
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'76;~3;;~
The bight 59 constitutes the outer top edge of the channel formed
by said upstanding wall 52 and downstanding wall 51, in which the
upstanding walls 1, 2, 3l and 4 of said tubular container can be
seated in frictional engagement. Said bight constituting said
top edge of said tubular channel in which the upstanding walls of
the tubular container can be seated may be in the forrn of a corner,
bend, angle, or curve, but in any event constitutes the outer top
edge o~ the said channel formed by upstanding wall 52 and down-
standing wall 51.
Clearly visible in upstanding wall 52 of closure member 50
are lugs, fingers, detents, or prongs 60, hereinafter referred to
as lugs. Also visible in Fig. 5 are nesting means to facilitate
vertical stacking or feeding of a'plurality of closure members 50
in the form of a step 56 having a vertical riser 57 and a horizon-
tal tread 58, in this embodiment the said step being formed in
the upstanding dome-forming wall 54. As will be seen hereinafter,
this step 56 may also conveniently be formed in the other of the
upstanding walls deEining the tubular valley 53, narnely, in i.nner
upstanding wall 52. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, lugs are
in the form of an inverted V triangle, to generally correspond
with the inverted V cuts 30 located ir.the reinforced edges of the
container walls, said reinforced edyes being provided by means
of edge-reinforcing flaps 9 - 12.
AEter filling of the container of Fig. 5 with semi-solid
ice cream product prior to closing of the sarne with the closure
member 50 of the invention, the finished package is shown in Fig.
6. Ice cream product 500 will be in either semi-solid or solid
form, depending upon whether the package of Fig. 6 has or has not
been yet subjected to the "hardening roorn", as will be described
further hereinafter~ All of the elemen-ts already described in
Fig. 5 are apparent in Fig. 6, including upwardly elevated dome
-12-
7~33
,
portion of the closure member at 55, downstanding wall 51, dome-
foxming wall 54, upstanding inner wall 52, folded-over edge-rein-
forciny flap lO shown adhered to its adjacent container wall panel
2, and the bottom-forming panels in their respective closed and
adhered condition. The area of low resistance in edge-reinforcing
flap lO is show at 30 and the sect~on 6c, taken through this area
of weakened resistance 30 and lug 60, is shown in enlarged detail
in Fig. 6c. Most of the elements previously described in Fig. 6
are immediately apparent from Fig. 6c, including, in clockwise
order, container wall 2, closure member downstanding outer wall
51, crease score 27, now constituting an upper edge of the con-
tainer wall, bight 59 constituting the outer top edge of the
channel in which the upstanding wall 2 of the container is seated
in frictional engagement, said channel being comprised by down-
standing outer wall 51 and upstanding inner wall 52. Edge-rein-
forcing flap lO is shown within said channel, with lug 60 forcing
back area of low resistance 30, thus securing closure member 50 to
upstanding wall 2 of the container. A portion of valley 53 is
also shown in the enlarged detail of Fig. 6c.
Fig. 5a is the same as Fig. 5, except reversed, that is, show-
ing an embodiment in which the closure member has been placed upon
the reinforced edges of the container walls of a tube of Fig. 4
prior to closing the bottom-forming members of the said tube. In
this embodiment of Fig. 5a, then, the "upside down" version of the
embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the bottom closure flaps are outwardly
extending and in an unfolded and non-secured position~ and the
reinforced end of the tube of Fig. 4 is closed by the closure
member 50 as shown in Fig. 5. Aside from the container wall and
the outwardly extending unfolded and non-secured bottom-forming
flaps, only the ordinarily downstanding outer wall 51 of closure
member 50 is visible.
t7~3
r
Fig. 6a shows the container of Fig. 5a after filling wi~h seni-
solid ice cream product and closure and adherence of the bottom-
forming flaps thereof. The ice cream product in this embodiment
completely fills the dome of the closure member, and is shown in
the partially cut-away section as 600.
Figs. 7 and 8 respectively show the top perspective and bot-
tom perspective o~ the closure member 50 as first shown and de-
scribed for Fig. 5. The elements are the same and lugs 60 are
apparent in both views, said lugs being in the form of triangles
preformed in the inner upstanding wall 52 of the closure member
so as to coincide with inverted-V-shaped areas of low resistance
in edge-reinforcing flaps 9 - 12, now constituting the inner edge
of the container body. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the closure
member, as well as two such closure members stacked in vertical
juxtaposition. Fig. 9a is a cross-sectional view along line 9a -
9a of Fig. 9, showing all the elements as previously described,
including the step 56 and its horizontal tread 58 and ver-tical
riser 57 and how these cooperate i'n two vertically-juxtaposed
closure members of the invention for stacking or nesting purposes.
Figs~ 10 and 11 are top plan views of additional embodiments
o~ the closuxe member of the invention, as well as two such
closure members stacked in vertical juxtaposition. Cross sections
thereof are shown respectively in Figs. 10a and lla, in which all
of the elements are correspondingly numbered identically but in the
100 and 200 series. Once again, the step for nesting or stacking
purposes is located in one of the upstanding walls defining the
tubular valley, in Figs. 10 and laa in upstanding dome-forming
wall 154, where step 156 is provided with vertical riser 157 and
horizontal tread 158, and in Figs. 11 and lla in upstanding tubular
inner wall 252 where step 256 is provided by means of vertical
riser 257 and horizontal tread 258. The risers and treads
-14-
7~33
providing such steps need of course only be generally vertical and
generally horizontal so as to permit the desired nesting, as shown,
Figs. 12 and 14 are top plan views of additional embodiments
of the closure member of the invention, being iden~ical with the
version of Figs. 11 and lla with the exception of pull-tabs 265
and 266, having slightly different~configurations, which ar~ pro-
vided in the downstanding outer wall of the closure member at the
outer or lower edge thereof. As will be noted from Figs. 13 and 15, re-
spectively side views of the closure members of Figs 12 and 14,
as well as from all of the other views of the closure member 50
of the invention, the same is generally and preferably provided
with an outwardly flaring skirt portion in its downstanding outer
wall 51, 151, 251 to facilitate placement thereof on a container.
Also, as will be noted from Figs. 12 and 14, as well as from Figs.
10, lOa, 11, and lla, it is not necessary that the step designated
56 in Fig. 9 be provided entirely around the periphery of
upstanding tubular inner wall 52, 152, 252 or upstan~ing dome-
forming wall 54, 154, 254, since such step may be present in one
of said walls at only a limited portion thereof, for example at
corner 156 or 256, as particularly apparent from Figs. lO, 11,
12, and 14.
Fig. 16 shows another blank of the same type as shown in Fig.
l, also viewed from the side which will be the inside of a con-
tainer formed therefrom, differing from the blank of Fig. l es-
sentially in that areas of low resistance 330 formed in edge-
reinforcing flaps 309 - 312 are in the forrn of generally V~shaped
cut outs, rather than mere cuts 30 as provided in the blank of
~ig. l.
Upon folding over these edge-reinforcing flaps 309 - 312,
and adhering thern to adjacent container walls 301 - 304, excess
adhesive appears in the cut-out areas of low resistance 330 which,
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especially if heat-activatable or hot-melt adhesive, may serve the
further function of at least temporarlly adhering lugs 60 of the
closure member therein, as will be more ~ully described hereinafter.
It should be apparent to one skilled in the art -that these
areas of low resistance provided in the edge~reinforcing flaps
9 - 12 and 309 - 312 may take any one of a large number o shapes,
forms, or configurations and, whether cuts or cut outs, may also
provide access to excess adhesive therein by the lugs of the com-
plementary closure member. Additional configurations of cuts 30
or cut outs 330 may, for example, be diamond or partial diamond,
square, arcuate, oblong, circular, and so on. In each case the
complementary lug is advantageously and preferably similarly
shaped. However, for best results, it has been found that a V-cut,
constituting an inverted ~-cut in the finished container, or a
V-shaped cut out, constituting an inverted-V-cut out in the fin-
ished container,are advantageous and preferable, inasmuch as
such configuration permits excellent interlocking between the
corresponding and preferably compl~ementarily-shaped lugs of
the closure member and the said cuts or cut outs, without however
seriously impairing the strength of the ~ontainer or the i.mper-
viousness or elegance thereof. Experience has shown that, when
instead of the inverted V cuts or cut outs, or configurations of
that general type, as shown in Figs. 3 and 17 at 30 and 330,
one employs a reverse configuration, with the broad end base of
the triangle adjacent to the top edge of the container, or some
other similar configuration having a relatively broad cut or
cut Ollt portion in relatively close relationship to the top edge
of the container wall, not only is the stability of the container
somewhat impaired, together with its imperviousness to liquid,
moisture, and moisture~vapox transfer, but also that the elegance
of the container structurP at the upper and most visible edges
~16-
33~
thereof is considerably impaired. Accordingly, althouyh n~t
essential for general ~pera~iveness of the invention, in kheir
preferred form, the areas of low resistance provided in edge-rein-
forcing flaps such as 9 - 12 and 309 - 312, whether in the form
of cuts 30 or cut-outs 330, will have their apex or smaller por-
tion upwardly extending when in place in the erected carton, and
any broader base downwardly extending, that is, furthermost re-
moved from the top or upper edge of the container body wall. More-
over, the inverted V-shape, or a configuration of that general
nature, having its apex upwardly-disposed nearest adjacent the
edge of the container wall,has also been found preferable and
most suitable for superior interlocking with closu~e member lugs
of the same or similar interlocking or interfitting configuration.
As to the number of lugs 60 in any particular closure member 50,
depending upon size and shape of the container to be closed,
the number may be varied within reasonable limits, e.g., usually
four to eight, and of course the number of cuts 30 or cut-outs
330 generally and preferably correbponds to the number of lugs
employed in the complementary closure member.
The closure member o~ the invention, as previously stated, is
preferably constructed of thermoplastic material. Such thermo-
plastic or plaskic material must of course he FDA-approved for
use in the packaging of foodstuffs, as is well known to one
skilled in the art. Representative suitable thermoplastic materi-
als are the heat-deformabl~ plastic materials such as polyethylene,
polypropylene, polystyrene, copolyesters such as that sold under
the trademark "Lustro", acrylics and modified acrylics such as
that sold under the trademark "Cyrolite", ABS polymers, and many
more which will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
The adhesive employed in the specified glue areas for adherin~
various members of the container may be of any suitable or conven-
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333
tional type. For example, ordlnary ylue may be employed~ conven-
tional hot-melt adhesives may be emplo~ed or, in a non-preerred
embodiment, the adhesive may be pre~applied and heat-activatable
by application of heated mandrels or plates during the sealiny
operation. However, for effecting the side-sealing at the manu-
facturer's joint, as well as securing bottom-forming members, or-
dinary glue or hot-melt is entirely satisfactory and is accordingly
preferred. For securing the edge~reinforcing flaps to their ad-
jacent wall panels, hot-melt or other heat-activatable adhesive is
preferred, in view of the fact that it is sometimes desirable, as
previously indicated, to punch lugs in the inner upstanding wall
of the closure member of the invention into ~reas of low resistance
in the edge areas of the upstanding container walls and adhere
them there in place in the areas of said low resistance. This is
most conveniently accomplished by using a heated punch against a
mandrel located on the outside of the container closure member,
which serves to activate the heat-activatable or hot-melt adhesive
at the same time as it punches the lugs of the inner upstanding
wall of the closure member into the a~eas o~ low resis~ance in the
upper edge areas of the upstanding container walls, whether or
not the said lugs are pre-ormed in the said container closure
member or whether they are formed therein by the said punching
operation as a part of the container closing operation, with or
without the application of heat, as may be desired in a particular
case.
When the lugs of the upstanding inner wall of the closure
member are punched into the areas of low resistance in the edge
areas of the upstanding container walls and secured therein by
adhesive, whether with or without heat, an extremely secure bond
is formed between the said lugs and the areas of low resistance
-18-
D3~
in the cont~iner walls. Thi~ is of particular advantaye when it
is desired to affix the container closure member to the reinforced
end of the tube of Fig. 4 to produce a closed-end tube of Flg. 5a
and then proceed to fill the same with s~mi-solid ice cream pro-
duct in the usual manner. However, even when the closure member
is affixed last, and the semi-solid ice cream product i5 filled
into a container of the invention according to Fig. 5 to produce
a filled and closed container according to Fig. 6, the subsequent
procedure is the same. Whether the filled container is that of
Fig. 6 or Fig. 6a, the usual procedure for providing the finished
ice cream product package is to store the fill~d container in a
so-called "hardening room" for a period of time up to several days
at a temperature below about zero degrees centigrade, and usually
at or about minus thirty degrees centigrade. When the closed
container is that of Fig. 6, the thus solidified ice cream pro-
duct assists in maintaining stability of the bottom-forming mem-
bers at the bottom of the container and, when the finished package
is that of ~ig. 6a, the frozen ic~ cream product assists greatly
in the solidification and rigidification of the closure between
the container walls and the end closure member of the invention.
In either case, however, the adherence of the lugs of the closure
member by means of the adhesive, if any, employed for increasing
the interlock between the lugs of the closure member of the inven-
tion and the area of low-resistance in the edge-reinforcing flaps
of the container according to the invention presents no problem,
inasmuch as the package is in such case merely subjected to the
- said reduced temperature in the said hardening room for a period
of time sufficient not only to cause solidification of the semi-
solid ice cream product contained therein, but also sufficient to
cause separation of the luys in the container closure member from
the said adhesive, thereby effecting enhanced releasability of the
--19--
~r
~lL77~33
container closure member from the cont~iner at the time of
consumer use.
In the event it is desired either to orm or extend lugs
in the inner upstanding wall of the container closure member
at the time of closing a container of the invention with a con-
tainer closure member of the invention, either with or without
the application of heat for purposes of activating or reactivat-
ing heat-activatable or hot-melt adhesive in the areas of low
resistance in the edge-reinforcing flaps of the container, this
may of course be done by hand, with a hand-held punch or heater,
or both, either simultaneously or sequentially, or a device may
be employed for carrying out such step or steps. Such a device
may conveniently comprise a fastening-head having a plurality,
e.g., four to eight, punching points located therein, and with
or without corresponding heating units also located at said
punching pointst adapted to fit within and/or around the closure
member of the invention and to deliver simultaneous suitably~
localized sharp punching blows to'the preselected designated
areas which either are already lugs or which are designed to
be lugs in the inner upstanding wall of the closure member o~
the invention. A device particularly adapted for use in such
manner, that is, for punching preexisting lugs formed in the
inner upstanding wall of the closure member of the inventlon
into closer contact with complementary areas of low resistance
in the edge areas of the container walls, or to perform the
same function in preselected areas of the said inner upstanding
wall of the closure mernber in which lugs have not been pre;
formed, either with or without the employmen~ of heat for tern-
porarily locally heat-deforming the thermoplastic material,
of which the closure member is constructed, to facilitate -the
--20-
~ ~7~33
;
aforementioned punching for lug forrnation or extension and/or
for acti~ating or reactiYating heat-activatable adhesive or
hot-melt adhesive in the said areas of low resistance in the
edge-reinforced areas, is disclosed in the Canadian appli-
cation of Richard G. Haas, entitled "Container Closing Machine",
filed even date herewith, Seria~ No. 359,179. Therein is
disclosed apparatus for performing the aforesaid functions of
punching and/or heating, by means of a fastening head, in a
machine particularly designed for the aforesaid purpose or
purposes and for ensuring adequate securement of a closure
. member of the type provided according to the present invention
by means of lugs in the closure member extending into areas
of low resistance in the upstanding walls of the container.
As already stated, although such functions can be performed
by hand, it goes without saying that the employment of a
machine designed for the express purposes is of great advan-
tage and the procedure of choice.
, . . . _ , ., . _ . . .
7 ~.I! 3 3
In an obvious alternative embodirnent of the invention,
it is apparent that reinforcing flaps 9~12 or 309~312 may
carry or receive suitable adhesive and be folded down upon
the container body walls 1-4 or 301-304 on the exterior
thereof and adhesively secured thereto on the exterior
rather than on the interior of the container body. In
such embodimen~, it is also obvious that the glue flap 14
or 314, appended to the container body side wall 4 or rear
T~all 1,or 304 or 301,as shown appended to the carton side wall 4 or 304,~uld
still most advantageously be folded inside of the adjacent
container body 1, 301 and adhesively secured thereto on
the interior thereof, although securement to the exterior
thereof would also provide an operative structure.
As is conventional, the material of construction of the
container body of the present invention may suitably comprise
the normal paperboard, with the usual filler and interior
and exterior liners. The exterio,r liner may, as usual, be
suitably clay~coated, and both of the liners may be~ and
preferably are, also wax-coated in areas to be non-adhering.
Also as conventional, the adhesive employed may be any
one of the usual hot-melt adhesives, a pressure-sensitive
adhesive, glue, or the like. Numerous alternatives are
available and will readily be apparent to one skilled in the
art. Heat activatable, and especially hot-melt adhesives,
are generally preferred, especially for securing the reinforcing
flaps to their adjacent walls.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that all of the
objectives of the invention have been attained, and in a
ready, facile, and economical manner. A compact and elegant
container with complementary closure member for filling with
- 22 -
7~3
ice cream product, including products such as sherbe-~, milk
ice, or the like, has been provided, as well as the filled
package, and blanks for producing the container body and the
assembled combination, and in which structure sheetform
material, e.g., paperboard, of lesser caliper than previously
employed may be used, because of the superior structural
aspects of the invention, especially the edge-reinforcing
flaps, which provide a double thickness of board in areas
of usual weakness. These edye-reinorcing flaps of the con-
tainer body provide a rim or edge, upon opening of the con-
~ tainer, which is not readily subject to wicking or permeation
by moisture or fluid contents, so that the container is
adapted to maintain its elegance even upon opening. More-
over, the container, once sealed, is readily and conveniently
opened and, due to the unique complementary relationship
between the container closure member and container body
according to the present inventio,n, not only is the closure
member adapted for ready opening and closing once the con-
tainer has been opened, but also or a particularly close
fit and improved frictional contact alony the reinforced
edges of all of the container walls upon reclosure. Such
advantages are ~ot possible with structures in which both
the carton cover and the carton body are erected from a
single integral blank.
The invention, then, in its most significant and
multifaceted aspects, can be described as follows:
An integral b-lank cut~ and scored to provide a tubular
container comprising substantially rectangular rear, side,
and front wall members, a ylue flap articulated alony a
score to one of said container wall members and adapted to
- 23 -
~ ~ 77~! 33
be adhered to an adjacent con-tainer wall member, bottom-
forming flaps ~rticulated to each of said wall members al~ng
scores at one end of said blank, and edge-reinforcing flaps
articulated to each of said container rear, side, and front
wall members at the other end of said blar.k having areas of
low resistance defined therein and being adapted to be folded
over and adhesively secured to said adjacent wall members to
which said flaps are articulated, thereby to form a folded-
over, reinforced portion of double thickness at that end of
sàid blank and in a tubular container erected from said blank,
with said areas of low resistance being pre~ent in the inner
exposed surface of folded-over edge-reinforced portions of
the walls of said container erected from said blank; such
an integral blank wherein at least two of
said bottom-forrning flaps are adapted to be outer bottom-
forming flaps upon erec-tion of a container from said blank,
sald two flaps being adapted to be adhesively secured to the
other bottom-forming flaps which are adapt.ed to be interior
bottom-forming flaps upon erec-tion of a conta:iner from said
blank; such an integral blank wherein said glue flap is
articulated to said container rear wall or side wall
member and wherein two bottom-forming E].aps adapted to be
exterior bottom-forming flaps are of di.rnensions so that one
overlaps the other upon erection of a container frorn sald
blank; such an integral blank wherein said areas of low
resistance are defined by cuts in said edge-reinforcing
flaps; such an integral blank wherein said areas of low
resistance are defined by cut-out areas in said edge- !
reinforcing flaps; such an integral blank wherein said
3~ areas of low resistance are defined by generally V-shaped
- 24 -
333
cuts in said edge-reirlforcing flaps; such an integral blank
wherein said areas of low resistance are defined by generally
V-shaped cut-out areas in said edge reinforcing flaps; such
an edge-reinforced integral blank having said edge-reinforcing
flaps folded over and adhesively secured to the wall members
of said blank to form a folded-over, reinforced portion of
double thickness at that end of the blank; a tube erected
from such a preceding integral blank, having its wall members
connected by means of said glue flap, and having its bottom-
forming flaps outwardly extending in an unfolded and non-
secu.red position and such a tube, folded ove~ upon itself
and in the form of a flat-folded tube; a container erected
from such a preceding integral blank, having its wall
members connected by means of said glue flap, and having
its bottom-forming flaps folded over and secured to each
other thereby forming the container bottom; a container
erected from such a preceding in,tegral blank,
having its wall members connected by means of said glue ~lap,
having its bottom-forming 1aps outwardly extending in an
unfolded and non-secured position, and having its reinForced
end clo.sed by a closure member compri~ing:
an upstanding tubular inner wall conforming to the
inner surfaces of the walls of the container, and
a downstanding tubular outer wall connected thereto by
a bight and conforming to the outer surfaces of the walls of
the container,
said inner and ou-ter walls and said bight forming a
tubular channel in which said upstanding walls of said tubular
container are seated in frictional engagement,
a centrally-located upwardly-elevated dome portion,
- 25 -
defined by an upstanding clome-Eorming wall ~hlich .i5 ill1~JC~rdl~' SpaG~d
from ~he said upstanding -kubular inner wall of .sald closure
member,
the said two upstanding walls of said closure member
S defining a tubular valley therebet~een,
and lugs formed in said upstanding tubular inner wall,
said lugs complementarily extending into said areas of
low xesistance in the inner exposed surface of the walls o
said container at the end thereof closed by the closure
member, for releasably securing said container closure mem~er
to said tubular container walls; a container erected from
such a preceding integral blank, having its l7all members
connected by means of said glue flap, having its bottom-
forming flaps outwardly extending in an unfolded and non-
secured position, and having its reinforced end closed bythe closure member as described hereinafter. Also a closure
member, suitable for use in clos.ing a tubular
container having upstanding wall~ comprislng areas of low resis~
tance defined in the inner exposed surface of the edge areas of
0 said upstanding walls, cornprising:
an upstanding tubular inner wal:L con:Eorming to the .inner
surfaces of the walls o~ the container to be clo~ed by said
clo~uxe member, and
a downstanding tubular outer wall connected thereto by a
5 bight and conforming to the outer surfaces of the walls of the
container to be closed by said closure member,
thereby forming a tubular channel in which said upstanding
walls of said tubular container can be seated in frictional
engagement,
a centrally located upwardly-elevated dome portion, defined
- 2~ -
7~
,
by an upstanding dome-forming wall which is inwardly spaced from
the said upstanding tubular inner wall of sald closure member,
the said two upstanding walls of said closure member deining a
tubular valley therebetween,
and lugs formed in said upstanding tubular inner wall,
said lugs being for compleme~tarily extending into said
areas of low resistance in the inner exposed surface of the walls
of the container to be closed by the closure member, for releas-
ably securing said container closure member to said tubular
container; such a closure member made of a thermoplastic
material; such a closure member wherein said downstanding tubu-
lar outer wall has an outwardly-flaring skirt portion to
facilitate placement of said closure member on a container
to be closed thereby; such a closure member comprising nesting
means, to facilitate vertical stacking or feeding of a
plurality of said closure members, in the form of a step
having a vertical riser and a horizontal tread in one of said
upstanding walls defining sai.d tubular valley; such a closure
member cornprising a laterally-extending pull-tab at the
lower edge of said downstanding outer wall. Also a tubular
containex having a bottom and upstanding walls, the end
edges of which walls are folded-over and adhered to said
walls to form a folded-over, reinforced portion of double
thickness at that end of the tubular container, the inner
exposed surface of said folded-over, edge-reinforced portions
of the upstanding walls of said container having areas of
low resistance defined therein for facilitating the re~ovable
securement of a container closure member thereto; such a
tubular container, wherein said areas of low resistance are
defined by cuts in said edge-reinforced portions; such a
- 27 -
7~33
tubular container, wherein said areas of low resiskance are
defined by cut-out areas in said edge-reinforced portions;
such a tubular container, wherein said areas of low resistance
are defined by generally inverted V-shaped cuts in said edge-
reinforced portions; such a tubular container, wherein saidareas of low resistance are defined by generally inverted-V-
shaped cut-out areas in said edge-reinforced portions; such
a tubular container, wherein said end edges are folded over
inwardly so as to provide said reinforced portion on the
container interior; such a tubular container, having a
recta-ngular cross-section; such a tubular co?ltainer, con-
structed of paperboard; and such a tubular container, wherein
said end edges are adhered by means of heat-activatable or
hot-melt adhesive; and such a container, having its reinforced
end closed by the closure member as previously described; and
such a container having a botto~ and upstanding walls,
the end edges of which walls are Eolded-over and adhered to said
walls to form a folded-over, rein~orced portion oE double thickneas
at that end of the tubular container, the inner exposecl surface of.
said folded-over, edge reinorced portions o the upstanding w~lls
of said container having areas oE low resistance defined therein
for facil.itating the removable securement of a container closure
member thereto, closed by the contai.ner closure member as
described. Also a closed tubular container having a bottom and
upstanding walls, the end edges of which walls are folded-over
and adhered to said walls to form a folded-over, reinforced
portion of double thickness at that end of the tubular con-
tainer, the inner exposed surface of said folded-over, edge-
reinforced portions of the upstanding walls of said container
comprisiny areas of low resistance defined therein for
- 28 -
~77~33
facilitating the removable securement of a container closure
member thereto and, removeably secured thereto, a closure
member, comprising:
an upstanding tubular inner wall conforming to the inner
surfaces of the walls of the container, and
a downstanding tubular outer w~ll connected thereto by a
bight and conforming to the outer surfaces of the walls of the
container,
said inner and outer walls and said bight for~ing a channel
in which said upstanding walls of said tubular container are
seated in frictional engagement,
a centrally-located upwardly-elevated dome portion, defined
by an upstanding dome-forming wall which is inwardly spaced from
the said upstanding tubular inner wall of said closure member,
the said two upstanding walls of said closure member defining a
tubular valley therebetween,
and lugs formed in said tubular inner wall,
said lugs complementarily exténding into said areas of low
resistance in the inner exposed surface of the walls of said
0 container,
thereby releasably securiny said container closure member
to said tubular container; such a combinat.ion, wherein said areas
of low resistance are defined by cuts in said edge-reinforced
portions; such a co~bination, wherein said areas of low resis-
tance are defined by cut-out areas in said edge-reinforced
portions; same wherein said areas of low resistance are defined by generally
-inverted-V-shaped cuts; same wherein said areas of low resistance are defined
by generally inverted-V-shaped cut-out areas; such a combination wherein said
lugs are of a configuration adapted to interlock with said areas of low
resistance, especially such inverted-V-shaped cuts or cut-outs; SUC~l a
- 29 -
33
combination wherein said closu~e member is of a thermopl~stic
material; such a tubular container, wherein said downstanding
tubular outer wall of said closure memher has an outwardly-
flaring skirt portion to facilitate placement o said closure
member on said container; such a tubular container, wherein said closure
member comprises nesting me~ans, tojfacilitate vert.ical st~cking
or feeding of a plurality of said closure members~ in the form
of a step having a vertical riser and.a horizontal tread in one
of said upstanding walls defining said valley,and a laterally
1~ exten~ing pull-tab at the lower edge of ~said downstanding outer
wall; such a combination, wher-ein said end edges are folded
over inwardly so as to provide said reinforced portion on the
container interior; such a combination, having a rectangular
cross-section; such a combination, wherein the container is
constructed of paperboard; and such a combination, wherein
said end edges of said container are adhered by means of
heat-activatable or hot-melt adhesive~ Also, a container or
closed container as hereinbefore described filled with ice
cream product. Also, a method of closing an open end of
a tube or tubular conl:ainer as herein described, comprising
the steps of placing a container closure member as herein
described onto the reinforced end of said tube or tubular
container and forcing the lugs in the upstanding tubular
inner wall of said closure member into the complementary areas
of low resistance in the inner exposed surface of the walls
of the said tube or tubular container; such a method which
includes the step of adhering said lugs in said areas of low
resistance by means of adhesive in said areas of low resis-
tance; and such a method, wherein said adherence is effected
by means of heat-activatable or hot-melt adhesive in said
- 30 -
~7~3~
areas. Also, a method ~f packaging lce cream p~oduct ~m-
prising the steps of fill.ing semi-solid ice cream product
into such a container as hereinbefore described having its
reinforced end closed with a closure member as hereinbeore
described, closing the bottom-forming flaps on the open end
of said container and adhering them to each other, and sub-
jecting the package to hardening at a -temperature below about
zero degrees centigrade to solidify the semi-solid ice cream
product; and a method of packaging ice cream product comprising
the steps of filling semi-solid ice cream product into a con-
- tainer as hereinbefore described, having its bottom formed
by closed and adhered bottom-forming flaps, closing the rein-
forced end of said container with a closure member as herein-
before described, and then subjecting the package to harden-
ing at a temperature below about zero degrees centigrade to
solidify the semi-solid ice~cream product; and such methods
wherein the.lugs.in the upstandin~ tubular inner wall of
the closure member are adhered in the comp]ementary
areas of low resistance in the inner exposed surface
of the wall oE the container by lleat-activatabl.e or hot-mel-t ad-
hesive, and wherein the pac~.age is subjected to s~id r~duced tem-
perature for a period oE time sufficlent to cause separation of
the said luys in the container closure member Erom the said ad-
hesive, thereby effecting enhanced releasability of sai.d container
~5 closure member from said container.
It is, however, to be understood that the invention is
not limited to the exact details of construction, operation,
or e~act materials or embodiments shown and described, as
obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one
skilled in th~ art, wherefore in the invention is to be~
limited only by the full scope of the appended claims.
~ 31 -
!
