Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02576844 2007-02-02
CONTAINER AND CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
100011 This invention generally relates to containers and more particularly to
closable
paperboard cartons.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[00021 Paperboard cartons of various sizes and shapes are used to store vast
quantities
of consumer products. Representative consumer products range from the milk to
boxes for
cake mixes or batters and other foodstuffs to laundry soaps to non-explosive
munitions such
as BB's and paintballs. The use of paperboard to form the cartons is highly
cost effective in
comparison to metal containers. Unfortunately, purely paperboard cartons such
as the well
known gabled top milk cartons do not re-close satisfactorily.
[0003] Attempts to add plastic closures to paperboard carton have been made.
One
attempt is illustrated in WO 03/013966 to Cope Allman Plastic Packaging
Limited. This
closure uses a plurality of ribs that grip the sides of the paperboard carton.
However, to
gain access to the internal cavity of the paperboard carton, the entire
closure is removed
from the carton. As such, the closure itself is designed to be removed from
the paperboard
carton. This design is believed to have drawbacks. For example, if a user
tends to grab the
container by the plastic closure rather than container) the closure and carton
can separate
causing the carton and its contents to fall to the ground and spill.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] One aspect of the invention is directed at a practical and inexpensive
container
having a paperboard carton and an re-closable closure that is not easily
removed from the
paperboard carton. The container includes a plastic closure that mounts to
folded flaps of
the open end of the paperboard carton. The connection between the folded over
flaps and
the closure can preferably be formed without any adhesives (adhesives may be
used if
desired for enhanced securement or the provision for a seal to prevent
leakage). The plastic
closure includes a channel that is sized and configured with an engagement
shoulder (that
may be continuous or discontinuous) that can securely engage the folded over
flaps of the
carton.
CA 02576844 2007-02-02
[00051 According to a more detailed embodiinent, an improved container has a
rectangular paperboard carton and a plastic closure mounted to the carton. The
paperboard
carton includes a rectangular bottom and four sidewalls extending upward from
the bottom.
The sidewalls and bottom define an open ended enclosure. Each sidewall
includes a flap
connected to the sidewall by a fold. Each flap includes a terminating free end
running
generally parallel to the fold. The folds generally define the open end of the
carton. The
plastic closure mounts to the free end of the carton. The closure includes a
rectangular base
and an inner skirt spaced apart from an outer skirt extending from the base.
The base and
inner and outer skirts combine to form a rectangular channel. The channel
receives the free
end of the carton. The rectangular base defines an opening to the interior
cavity of the
carton. At least one rib extends into the channel from one of the skirts
toward the other skirt
and engages the terminating edge of each flap. A movable door covers the
opening and is
integrally hinged to the rectangular base.
[0006] According to a further embodiment, a container including a carton
formed at
least in part from paperboard material and closure secured to the carton is
provided. The
carton has a bottom and a sidewall extending upward toward an open end. A
plurality of
flaps extends from the sidewall at the open end. Each flap joins to the
sidewall at a hinge
and depends downwardly from the sidewall over an end portion of the sidewall.
The has a
base portion and inner and outers walls depending downward from the base
portion. The
base portion and inner and outer walls define a channel therebetween. The
channel receives
the flaps of the carton. At least one of the inner and outer walls defines a
shoulder that
engages the flaps to secure the carton to the closure.
[00071 According to a different inventive aspect, an improved closure for a
rectangular
paperboard carton is provided. The closure is mountable to a paperboard carton
having an
open free end defined by folded over flaps of the rectangular sidewall of the
carton. The
flaps terminate in an end face that runs parallel to the folds. The closure
includes a
rectangular base that includes a dispensing opening. Inner and outer skirts
extend from a
bottom side of the rectangular base. The inner and outer skirts and
rectangular base combine
to form a rectangular channel adapted to receive and engage the open free end
of the carton.
A shoulder formed in one of the inner and outer skirts is configured to engage
the end face
of the folded over flaps. A lid door hingedly connects to the rectangular base
by a living
hinge. The lid door includes a top panel sized to cover the opening when the
lid door is in a
closed position. Lid door inner and outer walls extend from and generally
transverse to the
top panel. The lid door inner wall inserts into and mates with the opening.
The outer wall
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terminates in a free end that abuts with a top side of the rectangular base in
the closed
position.
[0008] Other aspects, objectives and advantages of the invention will become
more
apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction
with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00091 The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the
specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and,
together with the
description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the
drawings:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a top perspective illustration of an embodiment of a
container having a
paperboard carton and plastic closure with the plastic closure in an open
position;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a top perspective illustration of the container of FIG. I
having the
plastic closure in a closed position;
[0012] FIG. 3 is an exploded illustration of the container of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 4 is.a frontal illustration of the container of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional illustration of the container about lines 5-
5 of FIG. 4;
[0015] FIG. 6 is an enlarge partial cross-sectional illustration of the
container of FIG. 5;
and
[0016] FIG. 7 is bottom illustration of the plastic closure of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a further enlarged partial cross-sectional illustration of
the container of
FIG. 6; and
[0018] FIG. 9 is a further embodiment of a container having a plastic closure
and a
paperboard carton, wherein the plastic closure includes a handle.
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100191 While the invention will be described in connection with certain
preferred
embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the
contrary, the intent
is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within
the spirit and
scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] Referring now to the figures, FIG. I illustrates a container 8 that
generally
includes a carton 10 in conjunction with a closure 12. The container 8 forms
an interior
cavity 16 for housing numerous types of products, for example: powdered goods
such as
flour or sugar, liquid goods such as milk or juice, or a plurality of solid
goods such as
paintballs or bb's. This list of products is merely illustrative and is in no
way exhaustive or
limiting.
[0021] The closure 12 mounts to an open end of the carton 10 and functions to
provide a
closable opening to the interior cavity 16 of the container 8. In an open
position, the interior
cavity 16 is exposed such that the products (not shown) within the container 8
can be
dispensed or otherwise extracted from the container 8. The cavity 16 is
exposed through an
aperture passing through a closure body 18 of the closure 12. The closure body
18 secures
the closure 12 to the carton 10.
100221 In a closed position, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a closure lid 20 covers
and closes
the aperture through the closure body 18 to prevent any stored items from
spilling or leaking
from the container 8, or to otherwise prevent access to the material stored
within the
container 8. The closure body 18 and closure lid 20 may combine and contact to
form a seal
that prevents moisture from entering or exiting the container 8. Whether a
seal is necessary
will depend upon the desired application and planned container contents. While
the
illustrated embodiment includes a single large closure lid 20, the closure 12
could include
multiple closure lids and the closure lid(s) could have different sizes,
shapes or locations.
100231 With reference to FIG. 3, the carton 10 is generally rectangular in
shape, and
preferably, square as shown. Four sidewalls 24-27 extend upward from a square
bottom 28
in generally perpendicular relation. The sidewalls 24-27 and bottom 28 combine
to form
the carton 10, which provides an open ended enclosure with an interior cavity
16.
[0024) The carton 10 is preferably formed from paperboard. The paperboard may
be
laminated or coated with such coatings as wax or plastic film to increase the
moisture
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-
resistance of the material. The coating can be on one side or both sides of
the paperboard. It
is preferable, but not required, to form the carton 10 from a single unitary
one-piece blank
of paperboard. The paperboard generally has an outer surface and an inner
surface. The
thickness TI (see FIG. 8) of the paperboard extending generally
perpendicularly between
the inner and outer surface is generally constant. Different paperboard
thicknesses are
usuable with the embodiment depending upon strength and container size
requirements, and
is typically in the range of between .01 inches and .05 inches and preferably
between about
.02 inches and .03 inches of thickness for most paperboard materials used in
cartons.
Typical cartons 8 sizes are pint, quart and gallon sized cartons 10. As such,
three different
standard sized closures 12 for pint, quart and gallon are standard size
containers are
embodiments of the closure 12.
[0025] Generally, a plurality of folds 30-33 interconnect adjacent ones of
sidewalls 24-
27. However, adjacent sidewalls 27 and 26 are interconnected by connection
flap 34, which
is connected to sidewall 26 at fold 33. The connection flap 34 overlaps and is
secured to
sidewal127 thereby interconnecting adjacent sidewalls 27 and 26 when the
carton 10 is in
an assembled condition. Typically, the connection flap 34 is adhesively bonded
to the
interior surface of sidewall 27. One suitable adhesive is hot melt. The
connection flap 34
may have the bottom and top ends tapered to prevent interference with other
folded portions
of the carton 10. Other designs or configurations for forming the bottom 28
and sidewalls
24-27 may be used as well. Furthermore, the individual sides of the carton are
identified as
individual sidewalls, however, the combination of all four sidewalls 24-27 may
be referred
to as a single sidewall as well (e.g. the four individual sidewalls are
connected to provide a
containment sidewall).
[0026] End folds 42 interconnect top flaps 38 to individual sidewalls 24-27.
The end
folds 42 generally form the open free end of the carton 10. The end folds 42
extend
generally parallel to the bottom 28 of the carton 10. Terminating ends 48 of
the top flaps 38
run generally parallel to the end folds 42.
[0027] The end folds 42 may be creased to form hinges that permit the top
flaps 38 to
pivot relative to their respective sidewalls 24-27. This creased condition can
help reduce
the bending moment inherent in the paperboard material at the end folds 42.
The crease can
be formed by various methods to include scoring, folding the material about a
line to
weaken the cellulose material along the line, indenting a line with a tool
such as during the
stamping operations in which the die cut paperboard blank is made, or other
conventional
process. In either event, the crease provides a reliable hinge point about
which the top flaps
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38 can pivot. Due to the nature of paperboard material and the "memory" of the
fibers
contained in the cellulose, however, each top flap 38 naturally wants to
rotate away from the
sidewall and widen to its relaxed state that would be wider than the
corresponding gap of
the mouth of the channel 64 into which the top flap 38 is to be installed (a
horizontal
distance measure from the inner surface of the outer skirt 60 to the innermost
surface of the
shoulder provided by the mounting rib 70). Prior to installation, (e.g. as
shown in FIG. 3),
the top flaps 38 are folded over into a relaxed state to ail angle between
about 95 degrees
and 175 degrees relative to the sidewall (or vertical), and more preferably
about 130 degrees
and 150 degrees relative to the sidewalls 42 to which the top flaps 38 are
attached to
facilitate easier assembly.
[0028] Also, it can be seen that the top of the creased end folds 42 form a
nose, which is
about double (to slightly more than) the thickness TI of the paperboard
material. The
remainder of the flaps 38 taper outward therefrom in the relaxed position.
This nose can
readily be guided into the channe164 and is substantially self locating due to
the fact that
the top flap 38 tapers outwardly therefrom.
[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, the top flaps 38 are folded inward and
into cavity
16. However, alternative embodiments have the top flaps 38 folded outward and
exterior of
the cavity 16. With the top flaps 38 extending into the cavity 16, the top
flaps 38 extend
downward over an end portion of the side walls 24-27. The opposed free ends of
the top
flaps 38 that extend between the end folds 42 and terminating ends 48 may be
tapered to
facilitate folding the top flaps 38 inward by preventing adjacent free ends of
adjacent top
flaps 38 from interfering with one another during assembly. Altematively,
rather than being
tapered, the top flaps 38 can be trimmed such that the top flaps 38 are
slightly shorter in
distance than the width of the sidewalls 24-27 to which each top flap 38 is
attached. As
illustrated, the top flaps 38 are generally planar. Again, these trimming
operations can be
performed during the die cutting operation of the paperboard blank.
100301 With reference to the illustrations of FIGs. 5 - 7, the closure 12
mounts to the
open end of the carton 10. The closure 12 can be forrned using injection
molding plastic
methods as well as from plastic materials such as polypropylene or ABS
plastic. The
closure 12 generally includes the closure body 18 and the closure lid 20. The
closure body
18 mounts the closure 12 to the carton 10. The closure body 18 further
includes the
aperture that provides access to the interior cavity 16 of the container 8.
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100311 For mounting the closure 12 to the carton 10, the closure body 18
includes an=
inner skirt 58 and an outer skirt 60 that extend from a top plate 62. The
inner and outer
skirts 58 and 60 are generally continuous and rectangular with the outer skirt
60
circumscribing the inner skirt 58 in generally spaced parallel relation (see
FIG. 7).
However, the individual skirts could be discontinuous and formed from a
plurality of
discrete segments that together are aligned or otherwise arranged to
collectively provide the
inner and outer skirts. The closure 12 can be made substantially any
rectangular size, but is
preferably between about 1 inch square and 6 inches square to provide
container 8 volumes
of between about 1 pint to about I gallon (1 quart size is therebetween).
However, larger or
smaller size containers 8 are possible.
[00321 The inner and outer skirts 58 and 60 extend in generally parallel
relation. In the
illustrated embodiment, the inner skirt 58 extends away from (downward in the
illustrated
embodiment) the top plate 62 farther than the outer skirt 60. The inner and
outer skirts 58
and 60 are generally spaced apart from one another such that the inner and
outer skirts 58
and 60 and top plate 62 combine to form a mounting channe164. The mounting
channel 64
is configured to receive the open end of the carton 10. Again, the mounting
channe164
could be either continuous as shown or discontinuous and broken into segments
by
intervening filler regions (for example, the corners of the closure 12 could
be filled solid).
[00331 To facilitate installation of the closure body 18 to the carton 10, the
skirts 58 and
60 include tapered ends 68 and 69, respectively, that taper inward toward
mounting channel
64. The tapered ends 68 and 69 guide the folded free ends of sidewalls 24-27
into the
mounting channel 64 during installation. As shown, tapered end 68 of the inner
skirt 58 is
located below the mounting rib 70. In contrast, the upper tapered end 69 is
coincident with
or slightly above the mounting rib 70. The significance of this is that there
is a larger
opening into the channe164 that is provided so that the paperboard material
can resiliently
slide past the mounting rib 70 and into the channe164 during initial assembly
of the closure
12 and carton 10.
100341 The closure body 18 further includes a mounting shoulder that, as
illustrated, is
provided by mounting rib 70 that extends outward from the inner skirt 58 and
into the
mounting cliannel 64. The shoulder is formed below a relief, and as such may
alternatively
be formed by a relief structure in the skirt wall rather than a projecting
structure such as a
sidewall groove or other cut out or relief region. As illustrated in FIG. 7, a
plurality of
segments extending generally the length of each side of the inner skirt 58
form the mounting
rib 70. The mounting rib also can be either continuous as shown or
discontinuous and
7
CA 02576844 2007-02-02
broken into segments by intervening gap regions. The mounting rib 70 partially
defines a
mouth region at the entrance opening of the mounting channel 64 which defines
a narrower
width as opposed to a relief width located deeper into the mounting channel
64_
(0035] The engagement between the closure body 18 and top flaps 38 will be
more fully
described with primary reference to FIG. 6 and a single sidewall of the
container 10.
However, the following explanation is applicable to all four vertical sides of
the container 8.
As illustrated, mounting rib 70 engages the free end 48 of top flap 38 (e.g.
the die cut edge
of the flap which extends transversely between side surfaces of the top flap
38). This
engagement secures the closure 12 to the carton 10 by resisting any axial
tensile forces that
are applied to the closure body 18 or closure lid 20 that would tend to remove
the closure 12
from the carton 10.
[0036] The mounting rib 70 extends a distance T4 of between about .02 and
about .03
inches from the outer surface 96 of the inner skirt 58. This distance can
provide substantial
engagement between top flap 38 and the mounting rib 70 for current
standardized wall
thicknesses, while still facilitating plastic mode release of the closure 12
from a mold
without necessarily requiring a mold split during manufacturing. To assist
resilient mold
release, the top facing surface 97 of the mounting rib extends at an angle of
between about
40 degrees and 50 degrees relative to the inner skirt 58, and is more
preferably about 45
degrees. The bottom surface of the mounting rib 70 may extend at an angle of
about 60
degrees relative to the inner skirt 58. These angles facilitate better removal
of the closure
12 from a mold during manufacture as well as to facilitate more reliably
engaging the
terminating end 48 of the top flaps 38.
[0037] The spacing between the inner and outer skirts 58 and'60 can be
correlated for
proper reception and engagement between the closure body 18 and the carton 10.
The
closure 12 and carton 10 are configured such that large containers 8 holding
heavy products
can be lifted by the plastic closure 12 and the closure will not disengage the
carton 10. The
plastic closure 12 is substantially permanently secured to the carton 10
without adhesive
through the provision and geometry of the channel 64. By substantially
permanent, it is
meant without a special tool and pulling the carton 10 away from the closure
12, destruction
or breakage (including, but not necessarily severing) of the cellulose fiber
in the paperboard
material or non-reslient deformation or breakage, the closure 12 would be
needed to
facilitate release. The removal force required can be substantially
predetermined based
upon sizing and configuration of the carton 10 and paperboard used to form the
carton 10.
Typical sizing for the closures is between about 1 inch and 6 inch square
closures for
8
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containers 8 having volumes ranging between about 1 pint and about 1 gallon.
However, the
closure 12 can be sized larger or smaller.
100381 When an attempt is made to pull the closure 12 away from the carton 10
(or lift
the carton including its contents by the closure) the terminating ends 48 of
the top flaps 38
engage the upward facing shoulder provided by the mounting rib 70. Because
this
engagement occurs at an offset location relative to the pivot point provided
by the hinge
provided by the paperboard fold 42, it locks the closure 12 even tighter to
the paperboard
material. Specifically, this engagement places the top flaps 38 in compression
which pivots
and drives the flap ends about the hinge and fold 42 further away from
paperboard sidewall
24 making it wider and therefore harder to withdrawal.
[00391 The spacing between the inner and outer skirts 58 and 60 is sized to
limit the
rotational movement of the top flap 38, via end fold 42. Particularly, the
spacing is such
that the when the closure 12 is mounted to the carton 10, the top flap 38 may
be folded at an
angle of between about 140 degrees and 180 degrees relative to sidewa1124, and
more
preferably between 160 degrees and 175 degrees. As such, when the closure 12
is mounted
to the carton 10, the flaps 38 are typically pressed and/or rotated toward the
sidewalls 42 by
the inner skirt 58. With reference to FIG. 8, the width T2 of the portion of
the mounting
channel 64 between the end plate 62 and the mounting rib 70 from inner surface
95 of the
outer skirt 60 to the outer surface 96 of the inner skirt 58 is between about
2%z and 4 times
the thickness Tl of the paperboard material, and more preferably between about
3'/, and 3
'/. times the thickness Ti of the paperboard. Furthermore, the width T3 of the
mounting
channel at the mouth of the mounting channe164 between the mounting rib 70 and
the outer
skirt 60 is between about 2 times and 3'/< times the thickness T 1 of the
paperboard so that
the open end of the carton 10 can be inserted into the mounting channe164 but
yet still a
strong engagement is still maintained.
[00401 With these general guidelines above, the closure 12 can be configured
for
different thicknesses of paperboard carton material in a range of between
about 0.01 and
about 0.05 inches, as discussed previously. As for other typical dimensions,
the width W 1
of the top flaps 38 from the fold 42 to the terminating end 48 may be
determined with
respect to the depth of channel 64.
100411 Further, before the closure 12 is mounted to the carton 10, the outer
surface 98 of
the sidewall 24 substantially aligns with inner surfaces 95 of the outer skirt
60. In other
words the outer dimensions or periphery of the paperboard carton 10 from outer
surface 98
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of opposed sidewalls is substantially equal and thereby roughly matches the
distance
between inner surfaces of opposed sides of outer skirt 60. This configuration
allows the
paperboard to be inserted into the mounting channel 64 substantially without
flexure or
bending of the sidewalls 24-27 (other than corrections to material deviations
facilitated by
taper 69). In this embodiment, the flaps 38 under go flexure during assembly
rather than the
sidewalls 24-27 of the carton 10.
[0042] It will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that the
mounting rib 70
can extend either outward from the inner skirt 58, as illustrated, or inward
from the outer
skirt 60. The positioning of the mounting rib 70 is conditioned on the fold
direction of the
top flap 38 of the carton 10. If the top flap 38 folds into the interior
cavity 16 of the carton
10, then the mounting rib 70 will extend outward from the inner skirt 58.
However, if the
top flap 38 folds outward and external of the interior cavity 16, then the
mounting rib 70
will extend inward from the outer skirt 60.
[0043] Further, the mounting rib 70 can be formed from a single continuous rib
to form
a continuous rectangular profile. Alternatively, the mounting rib 70 can be
discontinuous
(such as illustrated in FIG. 7). The mounting rib 70 may be formed from a
plurality of nibs,
bumps, protrusions, or segments. Additionally, the mounting shoulder could be
formed as a
recess or recesses, which receive the free end of the flaps, fonmed in one of
the skirts.
[0044] In situations where the container 8 is to be used for holding smaller
particulate
such as flour or sugar or for holding liquids, the closure 12 can be
adhesively secured to the
end portion of the sidewalls 24-27 to provide a seal between the carton 10 and
the closure
12. The adhesive also provides added securement between the carton 10 and the
closure 12.
Typically, any adhesive would be applied to the carton 10 and then the closure
12 would be
pressed onto the open end of the carton 10.
[00451 As illustrated, the closure body 18 includes an inner support flange 78
that
extends inward from the inner skirt 58 and terminates at terminating end 80.
The inner
support flange 78 extends generally perpendicular to the inner skirt 58. The
inncr support
flange 78 adds structural support to the closure body 18 to prevent flexure or
twisting.
Flexure or twisting can facilitate or promote disengagement of the closure
body 18 from the
free end of the carton 10. This added support provided by the support flange
78 is
beneficial when a consumer grabs the container 8 by the closure 12 rather than
the carton
10, by preventing degradation of the closures 12 securement to the carton 10
and preventing
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the closure from inadvertently being removed from the carton 10 due to the
direct loading
on the closure 12.
(00461 Support ribs 82 extend perpendicularly to both the support flange 78
and the
inner skirt 58. The support ribs 82 further prevent flexure of both the
support flange 78 and
the inner skirt 58 thereby adding additional rigidity to the closure body 18.
The support ribs
82 are illustrated as triangular shaped wedges. However, the support ribs 82
are not limited
to wedges and may take other shapes such as rectangles or arcuate shaped
supports.
[0047] The support flange 78 and inner skirt 58 generally circumscribe the
aperture
defining the opening that passes through the closure body 18. To close the
container 8, the
closure 12 includes the closure lid 20. The closure lid 20 connects to the
closure body 18 by
hinge 86. Hinge 86 is preferably a living hinge integrally fonrted with and
between the
closure body 18 and closure lid 20.
[00481 The closure lid 20 generally includes a top panel 83, a closure skirt
84, and a
clasp 88. The closure skirt 84 extends from the top panel 83 and is generally
rectangular in
shape. The closure skirt 84 is received into the aperture passing through the
closure body
18 in the closed position (See FIG. 6). The interaction between the closure
skirt 84 and the
closure body 18 prevents any material stored within the container 8 from
escaping the
closure assembly. The closure skirt 84 may create a radial sea] with the inner
surface of the
inner skirt 58 or may create an axial seal between the free end of the closure
skirt 84 and the
top surface of the support flange 78.
100491 Additionally, a plastic seal can be secured to the support flange 78
and provide
an initial seal for the closure prior to the initial opening of the carton 8.
The incorporation
of such a plastic seal can provide tamper evidence. Additionally, tamper
evident security
can be added to the exterior of the closure 12 to indicate if a container 8
has been initially
opened. Such an external tamper evident feature could include a shrink wrapped
or
adhesively adhered tape secured around the closure 12.
100501 The closure lid 20 includes a peripheral skirt 89 that is spaced apart
from and
circumscribes the closure skirt 84. The peripheral skirt 89 abuts the top
surface of the top
plate 62 in the closed position and can provide an additional seal between the
closure lid 20
and the closure body 18. The living hinge 86 connecting the closure lid 20 to
the closure
body 18 extends from and is connected to the peripheral skirt 89.
ll
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100511 With reference to FIGS. I and 2, a clasp 88 interacts with a catch 90
to maintain
the closure lid 20 in a closed position. The clasp 88 includes an aperture
that receives a
catch 90 of the closure body 18. Living hinge 92 integrally connects the clasp
88 to the
peripheral skirt 89. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the catch 90 extends outward
from the outer
skirt 60 and engages the clasp 88. However, the clasp 88 could take on other
forms such as
being a nib that is releasably received in a recess of the closure body.
[0052] As illustrated in FIG. 9, a further embodiment provides a container 108
having a
paperboard carton and a plastic closure 112. The closure 112 is substantially
similar to the
closure 12 discussed previously, accept for the fact that the closure 112
includes a handle
111. The handle 111 is preferably plastic and connects on opposed sides of the
closure 112.
The handle 111 connects to connectors 113 formed in the closure 112. The
connectors 113
may include a hole into which a corresponding nib of the handle I 11 snaps or
inserts. As
such, a nib would be positioned at both ends of the handle 111. Alternatively,
the
connectors 113 could include other structure such as a slot in which a
corresponding nib or
catch on opposed ends of the handle 111 is inserted. The handle 111
facilitates lifting and
carrying the container 108. The handle 111 may be pivotally connected to the
closure 112
at the connector so that the handle 111 is not secured in a fixed position.
Alternatively, the
handle 111 may be integrally formed with the closure 112 or may be adhesively,
thermally,
ultrasonically or otherwise bonded to the closure 112.
[00531 All references, including publications, patent applications, and
patents cited
herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each
reference were
individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and
were set forth in
its entirety herein.
[00541 The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar referents in
the context
of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following
claims) is to be
construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise
indicated herein or
clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprising,""having," "including,"
and
"containing-" are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning
"including, but not
limited to,") unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein
are merely
intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each
separate value
falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate
value is
incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.
All methods
described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise
indicated herein or
otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or
exemplary
12
CA 02576844 2007-02-02
language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is intended merely to better
illuminate the
invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless
otherwise
claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating
any non-
claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
[0055] Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including
the best
mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of
those preferred
embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon
reading the
foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such
variations as
appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced
otherwise than as
specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all
modifications and
equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as
permitted by
applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in
all possible
variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated
herein or
otherwise clearly contradicted by context
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