PACKAGE STRUCTURE

EMBALLAGE DEBITEUR

English Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure
A package includes two or more individual cup dispensing
units, each unit comprising a carton holding a stack of nested
tapered cups. Each carton of a dispensing unit is of
paperboard having a generally circular opening in a top wall
through which the tapered cups protrude, and which opening is
surrounded by a series of short radial knife cuts defining a
series of yieldable tabs on the wall which permit the topmost
protruding cup to be pulled through the opening, but which
function to restrain the cups immediately below. The botom
wall of the carton is formed with a generally circular opening,
either fully cut-out or defined by a series of radial cuts,
which permits the protruding tapered cups of a similar,
adjacent carton to extend through the bottom opening into the
carton to form a compact, multiple dispensing unit package
which is shrink wrapped for shipping and display.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A dispenser carton for packaging and separately
dispensing a cup from a stack of rimmed tapered disposable cups
each of which has a tapered sidewall, a bottom wall, and an
open top surrounded by a rolled rim, comprising a container
having substantially square planar parallel mutually spaced first
and second end walls and connecting rectangular sidewalls, said
first end wall including a central circular opening of a size
sufficient to permit the bottom and tapered sidewall of a cup
to extend freely therethrough and insufficient in size for the
passage of the rim of a cup freely therethrough; a plurality of
relatively short radial knife cuts extending outwardly from said
opening and defining a plurality of relatively stiff flexible
tabs normally lying in the plane of said first end wall while a
cup is projecting through said opening and capable of being
deflected in the direction of movement of a cup through said
opening to permit passage of a cup therethrough solely by flexure
of said tabs, thereby allowing the outermost cup to be withdrawn
from the carton while retaining the remainder of the stack, said
second end wall including an opening axially aligned with and
smaller in diameter than the opening in said first end wall,
said second end wall having a plurality of radial slits extending
from said opening therein outwardly a distance from the center of
said opening sufficient to exceed the radius of the small end
of a cup but less than a distance equal to the radius of the
large end of a cup.
2. A dispenser carton structure as defined in
claim 1 wherein the distance between said first and second end
walls is less than the height of a cup.
3. A dispenser carton as defined in claim 1 wherein
a plurality of knife cuts in a generally circular pattern is
provided in said second end wall at the outer ends of said
radial slits defining a plurality of tabs in a non-intersecting
relationship with said radial slits and forming a generally
circular line of weakness facilitating bending of said tabs in-
wardly along fold lines defined by said pattern of knife cuts.
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Description

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_CKGROU~D OF THE INVE~TION
This invention relates to packaging, and more
particularly to package structure for stacXs of nested
cup6 that serves also as apparatus for dispensing the cupsO
Cup dispensers are well known in the art and
generally require some form of permanent mounting on a
wall or other suitable structure~ It is not always
practicable to mount a dispenser of this type in every
desired location, and they frequently are mounted in a
single location not convenient to all users.
It is an objective of this invention to provide
an improved package structure for nested paper cups that
is suited as dispensing apparatus useful in a variety of
locations,
It is a further objective of the invention to
prov.ide an improved package structure for nested cups that
iq separable into self contained units each serving as a
dispensing apparatus, and which units are adapted for use
without need for permanent mounting structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIo~
In achievement of the foregoing as well as other
objectives, the invention contemplates an improved package
structure including at least a pair of separable units~
each unit adapted to sarve as a cup dispensing apparatus
and comprising: a container having substantially planar,
parallel, mutually spaced first and second walls; each
said wall including a generally circular opening, the
opening in said first wall axially aligned with the

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opening in said second wall; said container being adapted
to hold a stack of nested cups each having a tapered side
wall, a circular bottom wall, and a circular open top,
said bottom wall being smaller than either of said
openings, and said open end being greater than at least
said opening in said second wall, whereby said stack
protrudes through said opening in said second wall at its
one end and rests on said second wall in the region of the
opening therein, the recited protruding stack of one of
~aid containers extending through said opening in said
second wall of the other of said containers so that said
la~t recited second wall is disposed in engagement with
the first wall of the recited one container, said cups
being dispensible by grasping a protruding cup and
removing it through said irst opening of a container,
either in the recited assembled mode of said units or in
the ~eparated mode thereof.
The manner in which the foregoing as well as the
other objectives of the invention may best be achieved
will be more fully understood from a consideration of the
following description, taken in light of the accompanying
drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIO~ OF T~E DRAWI~G
.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package of
nested cups embodying the invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the package in
Fig. 1, in a partially disassembled ~ode;
Figure 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the
package in Fig. 2, looking in the direction of arrows 3-3;
Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of a portion of
the package in Fig. 2, looking in the direction of arrows
4-4;

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Figure 5 is an elevational showin~ of the package
in Figure 2, with a portion sectioned generally along the
line 5-5: and
Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views, from above
and below, respectively, of a modified embodiment of the
invention.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
With mor~ detailed reference to the drawing,
there is seen in Fig. l a package lO of two pairs of
~ta~ked unit~ 11, each identical to the other and
comprising containers or cartons of paperboard serving as
dispensing apparatus. Referring also to Figs. 2 and 3,
each carton ll is of generally rectangular configuration,
including planar, parallel, mutually spaced first and
second walls 12 and 13, respectively, joined by planar
~ide walls 14, 15, 16 and 17.
As is seen also in Fig. 3, irst or upper wall 12
inaludes a generally circular opening 18, and, as is seen
in Fi.g. 4, second or lower wall 13 includes a generally
circular opening l9 axially aligned with opening 18.
Opening l9 pxeferably is smaller or of lesser diameter
than opening 18, and along its periphery there are
provided radially inwardly projecting tabs 20 defined by
radial knife cuts 21 in lower wall 13. Tabs 20 are
connected to wall 13, along the periphery of opening 19,
and include perforations 22 extending transversely of the
bases of the tabs so that the perforations are
substantially aligned with the periphery of opening l9~
The upper opening 18 preferably is larger or of greater
diameter than opening 19, and is substantially defined by
tabs 23 which, in turn, are defined by relatively short
xadial knife cuts 24.

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As is se~n to advantage in Fig. 5, an inverted
stack of tapered cups 25 is disposed in each carton 11,
wherein the tapered side wall and bottom wall of the end
cup of a cup stack protrudes through the larger opening
18, and the open top of the other end of the same cup
stack rests on the lower wall 13, in the region of
perorations 22. Tabs 20 conveniently serve as a dust
cover for the lower walls of a lowermost carton 11 of a
package. Tabs 23 defining the upper opening 18 are
sufficiently flexible and resilient, as is the nature of
the paperboard of the carton, to accommodate one-at-a-time
removal of protruding cups through opening 18.
As is further seen to advantage in Fig. 5, the
pair of stacked cartons 11 are so positioned that the
protruding end cup 25 of a cup stack in one carton 11, i.e
lower carton, ~xtends through the s~aller opening 19 of
the other carton 11, i.e. upper carton, flexing the radial
tabs 20 about perforations 22 and being received in the
open top of the ~ottom or lowermost cup of the inverted
~tack in the upper carton 11. Further to the paired
cartons 11, the lower wall 13 of the uppar carton is
disposed in engagement with the upper wall 12 of.the lower
carton, whereby the upper carton is supported on the lower
carton. To separate a pair of stacked cartons, one need
only lift an upper carton to a position as shown in Fig. 5
Assembly of the side-by~side pairs of cartons 11
as a package 10 is maintained by a sheet of flexible
material such as a clear plastic film overwrap 27 (Fig. 1)
held in the illu~trated rectangular form over the
protruding cup stacks ~y a flat rectangular sheet 2~ of
stiff plastic material in an inverted U-shape
configuration, wherein tha flat loop portion rests atop
the inverted cup stacks and the leg portions are generally
coplanar with the sides of the assembled cartons as shown.

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While two pairs of cartons 11 are illustrated as
making up the package 10, it will be appreciated that
several pairs may be arranged side by side, in a single
line, or in a square array, either being overwrapped with
a clear plastic sheet or film as shown, and having a form
al~o as shown to present a flat upper package surface
facilitating stacking of several packages. Alternatively
where stacking of the packages is not contemplated,
a~sembly of a package may be achieved using conventional
shrink-wrapped film without the form 27.
The invention also contemplates an al~ernative
embodiment, as is seen in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein two or
more cartons 111 may be arranged atop one another in a
package 110, and assembly may be maintained by clear
wrapping film 126.
In any of the described combinations, the
inventive structure achieves both practical and aesthetic
qualities desired of a cup dispenser, affording an
attractive, compact package capable of ready disassembly
by the user into equally attractive, easy to use
diqpenRing unit~.
While paperboard i9 the preerred material of the
caxton, it will be apparent from t~le foregoing that other
materials affording adequate flexibility and resilience
for 1exure of the tabs, such as polyethylene or like
plastic, ox laminates including paperboard, plastic, or
metal foil, will be suitable for use in achieving
objectives and advantages of the invention.
It will be appreciated that the foregoing as well
as other altarnative embodiments may be resorted to
without departing from the scope of the claims.