Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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END CLOSURE LOCK
Background of the Invention
The present invention relates to wrap-around sleeve
style carriers and in particular to an end panel interlocking
means for such carriers which is designed to preven-t the accidental
interlocking of adjacent carriers.
Wrap-around sleeve style carriers previously marketed
have been provided with punch style locking tabs on an inner end
panel and complementary locking openings on an outer end panel
for interlocking and overlapping end panels together. To lock the
overlapping end panels together, the heads of the punch locking tabs
must be inserted not only through the complementary locking openings
of the outer end panel but also through openings in the inner end
panel. Without such openings in the inner end panel, the head of
the locking -tabs could not pass through the locking openings of
the outer end panels. The openings in the inner end panel are
created by the voids left when the punch style locking tabs are
folded out of the inner end panel. The contours of these locking
tabs below the head portions are designed to leave openings in the
inner panel wider than the head portions of the locking tabs.
~owever, the contours utilized for these locking tabs leave pro-
trusions on the outside of the end panels that can interlock withadjacent end panels of other carriers under some circumstances.
When an interlocking~of such carriers occurs it causes consumer
complaints and can result in a tearing of the end panels.
The present invention solves the problems of the prior
art locking systems by providing a punch style locking tab that
eliminates the protrusions of the previous punch sytle locking
tabs while still providing relief means on the inner end panel
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to facilitate the insertion of the punch style locking tab
into the complementary opening of the outer end panel and back
through the inner end panel.
Broadly speaking, therefore, the present invention
may be conside~ed as providing a wrap-around sleeve style carrier
comprising: a bottom panel, two side panels, and a top panel;
two pairs of end panels hingedly joined to opposite ends of the
side panels along fold lines to close the ends of the ca:rrier,
each pair of end panels comprising a first end panel and a second
end panel, the first end panel having a primary locking means
comprising two spaced apart locking tabs and a secondaxy locking
means comprising two spaced apart locking openings, the first
end panel further having slits extending outwardly from opposite
sides of each locking opening at the widest part thereof, the
slits extending in the general direction of the fold lines, the
second end panel having a primary locking means comprising two
spaced apart locking openings adapted to receive the primary
locking tabs and a secondary locking means comprising two spaced
apart punch locking tabs, each of the punch locking tabs having
a head portion adapted to be punched through one of t:he secondary
locking openings and a tapered body portion hlngedly joined at a
base to the second end panel along a fold line and connected to
the head poxtion through a neck portion, the width of the neck
portion being less than the width of a secondary locking opening
at the widest part thereof and the width of the head portion being
less than the combined width of a secondary locking opening at
the widest part thereof and the lengths of the slits extending
therefrom, the tapered body portion having edges converging from
adjacent the base of the tapered body portion to the neck portion,
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the head portion having edges extending outwardly from the neck
portion which are adapted to engage the inside of the first end
panel adjacent the secondary opening to prevent the punch tabs
from pulling out of the seconda~y openings, and the second end
panel having -two relief tabs on either side of each of the neck
portions to facilitate the insertion of the punch tabs into the
secondary openings, the relief tabs extending between the
converging edges of the b-ody portion and the edges of the head
portion, the relief tabs being hingedly joined to the second end
panel along fold lines extending from the converging edges of
the body portion toward the edges of the head portion, and the
first end panel at least partially overlapping the second end
panel with the primary locking tabs engaged in the primary
openings and the secondary male punch tabs extending over the
first end panel and engaged in the secondary openings to lock
the end panels together.
Furthermore, the present invention may be considered
as providing a production blank for a wrap-around sleeve style
carrier comprising: a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second
side panel and a top panel; a first pair of end panels hingedly
joined to opposite ends of the first side panel along a first pair
of fold lines; a second pair of end panels hingedly joined to
opposite ends of the second side panel along a second pair of
fold lines; the first pair of end panels each having-a primary
locking means comprising two spaced apart locking tabs and a
secondary locking means comprising two spaced apart locking open-
ings, the first pair of end panels further having slits extending
outwardly from opposite sides of each of the locking openings at
the widest part thereof, the slits extending in the general
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direction of the first pair of fold lines; and the second pair
of end panels each having a primary locking means comprising
two spaced apar~ locking openings adapted to receive the
primary locking tabs and a secondary locking means comprising
two spaced apart punch locking tabs, each of the punch locking
tabs having a head portion adapted to be punched through one
of the secondary locking openings and a tapered body portion
; hingedly connected at a base to the end panel along a fold line
and connected to the head portion through a neck portion, the
width of the neck portion being less than the width of a secondary
locking opening at t.he widest part thereof and the width of the
head portion being less than the combined width of a secondary
locking opening at the widest part thereof and the lengths of the
slits extending therefrom, the tapered body portion having edges
converging from adjacent the base of the tapered body portion to
the neck porti.on, the head portion having edges extending from
the neck portion, and two relie~ tabs on either side of each of
the neck portions, the relief tabs extending between the converg-
ing edges of the body portion and the extending edges of the
head portion, and the relief tabs being hingedly connected to
the respective end panel along fold lines extending from the
convergi.ng edges of the body portion toward the head portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF T~IE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier using the
locking system of the present invention prior to the locking
operation;
FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the carrier of
FIG. 1 showing primary locking tabs of a irst end panel engaged
in complementary openings of the second end panel;
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EIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the carrier of YIG.
1 showing the end panels overlapped and fully interlocked with
secondary punch style locking tabs of the second end panel engaged
in complementary secondsry female openings of the first end panel;
FIG. 4 is a partial view of the inside of the carrier end
panels with the panels fully interlocked as shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the production blank for the
carrier of FIG. l;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the production blank to
show the punch style locking tab and adjacent portions of the end
panel in greater detail;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of one prior art punch style
loc~ing tab; and
FIG. 8 i5 a fragmentary view of a second prior art punch
style locking tab.
Detailed Description of the Invention
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical wrap-around sleeve style
paperboard carrier lO which employs the punch tab locking
construction of the present invention. As best shown in FIG. 5 the
carrier 10 is formed from a blank 12 which comprises a bottom panel
14; side panels 16 and 18; overlapping top panels 20 and 22; dust
flaps 24, 24', 26, 26' and 28, 28'; end panels 30, 30' and end
panels 32, 32'. End panels 30 and 30' are identical and end panels
32 and 32' ~re identical. Accordingly, only end panels 30 and 32
and the locking structure on those panels will be described in
detail.
End panel 30 is deflned by a score line 34 which hingedly
joins the end panel to side panel 18; a free edge 36 opposite the
score line 31l; and side edges 38 and 40 which extend between the
score line 34 and the fr0e edge 36. The end panel 30 is tapered
with the side edges 38 and 40 converging toward each other as they
approach the free edge 36.
End panel ~2 is defined by a score line 42 which hingedly
~oins the end panel to side panel 16; a free edge 44 opposite the
score line 42; and side edges 46 and 48 which extend between the
score line 42 and the ~ree edge 44. The end panel 32 is tapered
with the side edges 46 and 48 converging toward each other as they
approach the free edge 44. With this construction, if the carrier
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is skewed somewhat out of square for some reason, the end panels 30
and 32 will not protrude beyond the top panels 20 and 22 or the
bottom panel 14 where they can catch on another carrier or object.
The end panel 30 is provided with a pair of primary locking
S tabs 50 which interlock with a pair of complementary locking
openings 52 on end panel 32 when the end panels are locked
together. The bases of the primQry locking tabs 50 are aligned with
score line 54 but the tab bases are not scored. The tabs 50 are
tapered toward their free ends 56 to facilitate the insertion of the
tabs into primary locking openings 52. The widths of the primary
locking openin~s 52 are somewhat greater than the ~idths of the
primary locking tabs 50 at their bases to permit the lockin~ tabs S0
to be fully inserted into the openings.
The snd panel 32 is provided with a pair of secondary punch
locking tabs 58 which interlock with a pair of complementary
secondary locking openings 60 on the end panel 30 when the end
panels are locked together. Each secondary punch locking tab 58
comprises a head portion 62, a neck portion 64 and a body portion
66. The base of the body portion 66 is hingedly connected to end
panel 32 along a skip-cut 68 which extends parallel to score line 42.
The body portion 66 is tapered in the direction oP the neck portion
64 with the side edges 70 of the body portion extending in a
straight line from adjacent the base to the neck portion 64.
The neck portion 64 is hingedly connected to the body
portion by a s~ip-cut 72 which extends parallel to skip-cut 68 and
score :Line 42. The side edges 74 of the neck portion extend
perpendicular to the score line 42.
The head portion 62 is defined by a pair of inner edges 76
which extend out from the neck portion and parallel to the score
line 42 and a substantially semicircular outer edge 78 which e~tends
between inner edges 76.
Adjacent and on either side oP the neck portion 64 are a
pair of relief tabs B0. The relief tabs extend be~ween the head
portion 62 and the body portion 66 oP the secondary punch locking
tab 58. Each relief tab 80 is defined by part of the body portion
edge 70; the neck portion edge 74, the inner ed~e 76 of the head
portion; a cut 82 extending out from and in line with the inner edge
76; and a skip-cut 84 extending between the outer end of skip-cut 82
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and the body portion edge 70. When the relief tabs 80 are folded
back they provide an opening wider than the head portion of the
secondary punch locking tab 58.
The secondary locking openings 60 on end panel 30 are each
defined by a convex inner edge 86, a straight outer edge 90 and side
edges 88 which converge toward the straight outer edge 90. A pair
of outwardly extending slits or cuts 92 are located at the junctures
between the inner convex edge 86 and the side edges 88. Each
opening 60 is wider at the juncture between the inner convex edge 86
and the side edges 88 than the width of the neck portion 64 of the
secondary punch locking tab but narrower than the neck portion at
the junctures between side edees 88 and outer edge 90. The cuts 92
extend out erom the open;ng 60 to a width greater than the width of
the head portion 62 of the secondary punch locking tab 58.
The locking sequence for locking the end panels 30 and 32
together comprises first engagin6 the primary locks to initiate the
interlocking of the end panels and then engaging the secondary locks
to complete the interlocking of the end panels. As shown in FIG. 1
the dust flaps 24 and 26, 28 are folded inward. Then end panel 32
is folded inward as shown in FIG. 2 to overlay the dust flaps. The
end panel 30 is folded inward to partially overlay end panel 32 and
the outer portion of the end panel 30 is folded back along score
line 54 to cause the primary locking tabs 50 to project inwardly.
The primary locking tabs 50 are inserted into the primary locking
2S openings 52 of t'ne end panel 32 and as the outer portion of the end
panel 30 is folded inwardly to overlay the end panel 32 as shown in
FIG. 3 th0 primary locking tabs S0 are interlocked the under end
panel 32. Prior to the folding of the outer portion of end panel 30
to overlay the end panel 32, secondary punch locking tabs 58 are
folded outward from the end panel 32 along skip-cut lines 68 so that
the punch locking tabs clear the outer portion oP the end panel 30
as it is folded inward to overlay the end panel 32. After the outer
portion of the end panel 30 is folded to overlay the end panel 32,
the heads 62 of the punch locking tabs 58 are punched through the
secondary locking openings 60 of the end panel 30 and through the
openings in the end panel 32 left by the punch locking tabs 58. The
relief tabs 80 fold inwardly along skip~cut lines 84 when contacted
by the heads 62 of the punch locking tabs and accordingly, do not
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interfer with the insertion of the punch locking tabs and the
interlocking of the punch locking tabs 58 and the locking openings
60.
As shown in FIG. 3, after the locking sequence is
completed, the punch lockin~ tabs 58 have no projections to
interlock with or catch on other carriers or objects. This is a
result of locating the relief tabs 80 on the end panel 32.
FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate prior art secondary punch locking
tabs 94 and 96. These secondary punch lockin~ tabs ;nclude
projections 98 and 100 on either side of the neck portions of the
punch locking tabs. With this construction, when the secondary
punch lockin~ tabs are inserted into the secondary lockin~ openings,
the projections 98 and 100 are exposed to the outside of the carrier
where they can catch on other carriers or objects:
