Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an improved carton, and,
in particular, to recloseable cartons of the transfer storage
type.
Transfer storage cartons are well known and are used for
storing files and the like. It is a requirement for these transfer
storage cartons that they may be opened to retrieve a file and
subsequently relcosed. One of the more popular types of transfer
storage cartons have strings attached to at least one of the top
flaps thereof whichJ after the top flaps are folded to close the
opened top of the carton, are wrapped around button-like securement
means attached to the side walls of the carton to secure the top
flaps closed. To open the carton, the strings are simply unwrapped
from around the securement means so that the top flaps can be
opened.
Another requirement for the transfer storage cartons is that
they can be opened and closed without mutilating in any way the
cartons. While the string-type securement means described above
are generaly satisfactory in this respect, it is found on numerous
occasions that the carton is inadvertently mutilated by those
opening the carton neglecting to releaseably disengage the strings
from the securement means on both sides of the carton so that
upon opening the carton the carton at the point where the strings
are fastened thereto are torn away from the carton. The button-
type securement means likewise on many occasions are separated
from the carton as a result of the same act on the part of the
user, or as a result of stacking and moving the cartons about
during the process of storing them.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved transfer
storage carton is provided by affixing complimentary fastening
means to each of the respective end flaps and to at least one
of the top flaps which are folded in overlapped relationshi~
atop the open compartmen-t of the carton in conventional fashlon
t:o effect-ive]y close and seal the carton.
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in this respect, it is preferred to use complirnentary
fasteners of the type sold under the tradernark "VELCR0" by
Velcro Corp. Also, preferably and advantayeously, the
complimentary fasteners are fixed to and carried by clip8
which are generally u-shaped in configu~ation. These clips
are extended through slots formed in the end and top flaps to
secure the fasteners to the flaps. In addition, one side
flap is formed to expose the complimentary fasteners secured
to the end flaps when the side flap is folded to overlie the
end flaps so that the complimentary fastener affixed to the
other one of the side flaps automatically lockingly engaye to
seal shut the carton. With this construction, it is found
tha-t an upward force exer-ted upon the one side flap to open
the carton results in a lever type action which causes a
peeling action of the "VELCR0" fastener. Such a peeling
action is necessary and desirable to permit the "VELCRû"
fastener to be easily opened and to prevent the "YELCR0"
fastener from being inadvertently torn from the Flaps to
which they are secured. In addition by affixing the
complimentary fasteners to the end flaps and to only one side
flap, as opposed to affixing them to the respective side
flaps, and forming the one side flap so that the fasteners
affixed to the end flaps are exposed, eliminates the bulky
bulge which normally is created at the top of the carton when
it is closed and sealed, as in the case of the other existing
cartons utilizing "VELCR0" fasteners. By eliminating this
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bulky bulge, the side flaps which are the last flaps to be
closed, overlap one another and lie substantially flat atop
one another. Accordingly, it is found that there is a far
5 less tendency for the side flaps to snag with other cartorls
when they are stacked atop one another and that the cartrJn-i
can be more easily stacked since they are seated essentially
flat atop one another. This feature also relieves a great
deal of the pressure exerted on the complimentary fasteners
when the cartons are stacked atop one another, as opposed to
the pressure exerted on the fasteners when they are affixed
-to the respective ones of the side flaps. Relieving the
pressure in this fashion prevents the complimentary fasteners
From being crushed, thus the useful life of the "VELCR0"
fasteners and the carton are both extended. Furthermore, it
prevents the fasteners from becoming so tightly locked
together that it is extremely difficult to release them to
open the carton~ without tearing the fasteners from the
carton or tearing the carton itself. When constructed in
accordance with the invention, the side flaps can be opened
without damaging the carton. The transfer storage cartons
can be easily opened simply by lifting upwardly on the one
side flap to peel loose the "VELCR0" fasteners~ and
subsequently opening -the other flaps. The carton is
reclosed simply by overlapping the end and side flaps to
close the opened top of the carton and applying a sufficient
downward force to again engage the complimentary "VELCR0"
fasteners.
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Accordingly, it is an object of the present
invention to provide an improved reclosable carton and, in
particular, an improved recloseable carton of the transfs~
storage type.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig.l i5 a top perspective view of a carton
exemplary of the invention, illust~ating the carton when
closed;
Fig.2 is a top perspective view of the carton of
Fig.l, with the end flaps thereof illust~ated in their closed
position atop the open end of the carton and with the side
flaps thereof opened;
Fig.3 is a top perspective view of the carton of
Figs.l and 2, illustrating one side flap thereof folded to
overlie the opened top of the carton atop the folded end
flaps;
Fig.4 is a sectional view taken generally along
lines 4-4 of Fig.l, to illustrate the manner in which the
side flaps overlap and relieve the pressure which may be
exerted on the fasteners.
Fig.5 is a top perspective view of the carton, with
the fasteners secured thereto in accordance with another
embodiment of the invention and with the end flaps thereof
illustrated in their closed position atop the open end of the
carton and with the side flaps thereof opened;
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Fig.6 is a top perspective view of the carton of
Fig.5, illustrating one side flap thereof folded to ovarlie
the opened top of the carton atop the folded end flaps; and
Fig.7 is a sectional view illustrating the rnanner
in which the flaps overlap and engage the fastening rneans~
DESCRIPTION OF TtlE PREFERRED EM~ODIMENT
-
Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated
a carton 10 exemplary of the invention, which carton includes
a bottom wall 12, a pair of end walls 14 and 16, a pair of
side walls 18 and 20, a pair of end flaps 22 and 24, and a
pair of side flaps 30 and 32. The carton 10 preferrably is
cut and scored from a blank of sheet material such as
corrugated cardboard and subsequently glued and folded to
form the carton 10 in the conventional fashion. The end
flaps 22 and 24 are integrally affixed to the end walls 14
and 16 along the top edges thereof and are foldable along the
score lines 26 and 28 to at least partially overlie the
opened top of the carton 10 as illustrated. Correspondingly,
the side flaps 30 and 32 are integrally affixed to the upper
edges of the side walls 18 and 20 and are foldable along the
score lines 34 and 36 to overlap the end flaps 22 and 24 and
to overlap one another to close the opened top of the carton
10 .
As indicated above, in orde~ to reclosably seal the
carton 10, complimentary fastening means 38a and 38b are
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secured to the end flaps 22 and 24 and to the one side flap
32 and positioned so that when the side flap 32 is folded
alony the score line 36 to overlie the end flaps 22 and 24,
the complimentary fastening 38a and 38b releasably lo~kingly
enyage one another.
In closing the carton 10, the end flaps 22 and 24
first are folded to overlie the opened top of the carton, the
side flap 30 folded over to overlie the end flsps 22 and 24,
and then the side flap 32 folded to overlie the side flap 30,
as illustrated in Fig.4, to seal the opened top of the carton
10. As csn be best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the side flap 30
is cut away at its corners 40 and 42, as illustrated, so that
the fasteners 38a and 38b affixed to the end flaps 22 and 24
are exposed when the side flap 30 is folded in overlapping
relationship atop the end flaps 22 and 24, as illustrated in
Fig.3. Accordingly, when the side flap 32 then is folded
over to overlap the side flap 30, the fasteners 38a and 38b
lockingly engage with one another. As described above,
affixing the fasteners 38a and 38b to the end flaps 22 and 24
and the side flap 32 and forming the side flap 30 so that the
fasteners 38a and 38b lockingly engage when the side flaps
30, 32 are folded in overlapping relationship provides
several advantages. Included among these advantages are the
fact that the cartons can be morP easily stacked, without
damage to them, and that the pressure exerted on the
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fasteners 38a and 38b is relieved so that they are not
destroyed due to being crushed when the cartons are stacked
atop one another and further can be more easily disengaged,
all as rnore particularly described below.
In opening the carton 10, it is preferred that the
side flap 32 be gripped along its free edge at an area
approximate the center thereof equal distance between the
opposite longitudinal edges thereof and an upward force
slowly exerted on the side flap 32. In doing so, the side
flap 32 bows slightly so that an outwardly expandiny force is
applied across the fasteners 38a and 38b to effectively peel
the complimentary halves thereof apart to disengage the
fasteners so that the side flap 32 can be reversely folded
along the score line 36 to open the carton 10. To reclose
the carton 10, the end flaps 22 and 24 and the side flaps 30
and 32 are simply refolded in the manner described above, to
again engage the complimentary fasteners 38a and 38b to close
and to seal the carton 10.
As illustrated, the complimentary fasteners 38a and
38b are located adjacent the edges of the end flaps 22 and 24
and the side flap 32. The location is critical only to the
extent that the fasteners should be located near the score
lines 26 and 28 so as -to reduce the tendency of the end flaps
22 and 24 to fold down inside the carton 10 when the carton
is empty or only partially filled, so that the complimentary
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Fasteners 38a and 38b will lockinyly enysye when the side
flap 32 is folded over atop of them. Of course, the side
flap 30 must be formed so that the complimentary portion of
the fasteners 38a and 38b are exposed wherl the side flap 3U
is folded over to overlay the end Flaps 22 and 24. Also,
while it is preferred to use VELCR0 fasteners, other
complimentary type fasteners such as, For example, snaps
fasteners could be used.
In Figs. 5-7 there is illustrated another carton 50
exemplary of another embodirrlent of the invention, which
carton includes a bottom wall (not shown), a pair of end
walls 54 and 56, a pair of side walls 58 and 60, a pair of
end flaps 62 and 64, and a pair of side flaps 66 and 68. The
carton 50 like the carton 10 preferrably is cut and scored
from a blank of sheet material such as corrugated cardboard
and subsequently glued and folded to form the carton 50 in
the conventional fashion. The end flaps 62 and 64 are
integrally affixed to the end walls 54 and 56 along the tGp
edges thereof and are foldable along the score lines 70 and
72 to at least partially overlie the opened top of the carton
50 as illustrated. Correspondingly, the side flaps 66 and 68
are integrally affixed to the upper edges of the side walls
58 and 60 and are foldable along the score lines 74 and 76 to
overlap the end flaps 62 and 64 and to overlap one another to
close the opened top of the carton 50.
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In this case, the complimentary fastening rneans 78a
and 78b are secured to clips 80 which are of a generally
u-shaped configuration, and the clips 8U are slidably
disposed in and throuyh slots 82 forrned in the respective
ones of the end flaps 62, 6~ and the slide flap 68. In this
case also, the fastening means 78a and 78b are positioned so
that when the side flap 68 is folded along the score line 76
to overlie the end flaps 60 and 62, the complimentary
fastening means 78a and 78b releasably lockingly engage one
another.
It has been found that adhesively securing the
complimentary fastening means to cartons which are intended
to be repeated opened and closed, as in the case of the
lS disclosed cartons, may not provide a sufficient bond between
the fastening means and the carton and that the fastening
means may become detached from the carton. This is
particularly true if the carton is used for an extended
period of time. The adhesive securing the fastening means to
the carton reacts with the adhesive securing the corrugated
paperboard together and can cause the layers of corrugated
paperboard materiel to separate and to thus permit the
fastening means and the layer of corrugated paperboarri
material to tear loose frorn the carton. Accord~ngly, to
prevent this from happening, the fastening means preferrable
and advantageously are secured to the clips, and secured by
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the clips to the carton.
As in the case of the carton 10, in cloffing the
carton 50, the end flaps 62 and 64 first are folded to
overlie the opened top oF the carton, the side flap 66 folded
over to overlie the end flaps 62 and 64 snd then the side
flap 68 folded to overlie the side flap 66 as illustrated in
Fiy.7, to seal the opened top of the carton 50. In this case
also, as can be best seen in Figs. 5 and 6, the side Flap 66
is cut away at its corners 82 and 84 as illustrated, so that
the fasteners 78a and 78b affixed to the end flaps 62 and 64
are exposed when the side flap 66 is folded in overlapping
relationship atop the end flaps 62 and 64 as illustrated in
Fig. 6. Accordingly, when the side flap 68 then is folded
over to overlap the side flap 66 the fasteners 78a and 78b
lockingly engage with one anothe~. Again, affixing the
fastening means 78a and 78b to the end flaps 62 and 64 and
the side flap 68 and fo~ming the side flap 66 so that the
fasteners 78a and 78b lockingly engage when the side flaps
66, 68 are folded in overlapping relationship provides the
same advantages as described above. The carton 50 is opened
in the same fashion desc~ibed above, in the case of the
carton 10.
Accordingly, from the above description it can be
seen that an improved transfer storage cartons 10 and 50 are
provided which can be easily opened and re-closed without
mutilating the carton in any way. The cartons 10 and 50 are
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of a conventional construction and can be formed and shipped
in a knock-down configuration as rnost such type carton
presently are shipped, with the cartons all stacked one atop
the other. The fasteners on the respective cartons do not
contact one another since the fasteners all are on one side
of the stacked cartons and contact the opposite side which i8
free of any fasteners of the carton stacked atop of it, thus
the fasteners on the respective ones of the stacked cartons
cannot inadvertantly lockingly engage one another. The
individual ones of the cartons therefore can be easily
removed from the stack. Also, both fasteners are
substantially simultaneously peeled apart to separate them to
open the carton when the side flap 30 is raised, hence there
is no danger that one fastener may be inadvertantly torn from
the carton through neglect of the party opening the carton
neglecting to release one fastener, as in the case of the
string-type fasteners presently used.
