Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DISPLAY CARTON
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a display carton with a tamper evident
structure which upon opening the carton the contained product is clearly
displayed.
The present invention also relates to a carton blank for the production of the
carton.
Background of the Invention
[0002] There is a constant need for cartons for the tamper evident packaging
of products and for the full display of the products upon the carton being
opened. The
carton should have a tamper evident structure where all of the tamper evident
structure
remains with the carton and which has a grip means for the easy opening of the
carton.
Cartons in the prior art are of the display type and they also have tamper
evident
structures. U.S. Patent 3,378,188 discloses a display carton with a removable
tamper
evident tear strip. The tamper evident tear strip is gripped and removed from
the
carton and the carton then is opened. The removed tamper evident tear strip
then is
discarded. Similar structures are disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,206,102; U.S.
Patent
3,368,738 and U.S. Patent 3,379,361. Each discloses a carton with one or more
removable tear strips which then allows the carton to be opened. However this
results
in a debris tear strip that has to be discarded. Additionally, these tear
strip can be
difficult to grip to open the carton.
[0003] The present invention is directed to a display carton that easily opens
by lifting an outer front panel and in turn a top panel to clearly show the
product in the
carton. The carton has an outer front panel which has an attachment strip that
functions to seal the carton closed and to provide for tamper evidence. The
outer front
panel also has a grip tab adjacent to the attachment strip to assist in the
easy opening
of the carton by the severing of the weakened area between the attachment
strip and
the remainder of the outer front wall. No part of the carton is removed so
there is no
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material to be discarded, such as a tear strip. It solves the problem of easy
opening
and no package parts to be discarded after opening.
Brief Summary of the Invention
[0004] The invention comprises a carton having in an attached arrangement an
outer front panel, a top panel, a rear panel, a bottom panel and an inner
front panel, the
outer front panel overlaying the inner front panel and having an attachment
strip on a
lower edge thereof for attachment to the inner front panel. The attachment
strip has an
outer front panel weakened area whereby upon the outer front panel being
separated
from the inner front panel this weakened area is severed leaving the
attachment strip
attached to the inner front panel. The remainder of the outer front panel is
not
attached to the inner front panel. The inner front panel, bottom panel, rear
panel, and
optionally the top panel, have a side flap on each longitudinal end thereof,
with the
outer front panel being devoid of side flaps. The top panel can be devoid of
side flaps,
but if it does have side flaps there preferably will be a weakened area
between the top
panel and each side flap to facilitate the opening of the carton.
[0005] The carton has a grip tab adjacent to, but separated from, the outer
front panel weakened area of the attachment strip on the outer front panel. As
noted
above there also can be weakened areas between the top panel and the appended
top
panel flaps when the top panel has flaps. The side flaps are folded, one onto
the other,
to form the end panels of the carton.
[0006] The carton blank is in an attached arrangement of an outer front panel,
a top panel, a rear panel, a bottom panel and an inner front panel. The outer
front
panel has an attachment strip at a lower edge thereof for attachment to the
inner front
panel in forming the carton. The attachment strip has a weakened area whereby
upon
the outer front panel being separated from the inner front panel the weakened
area is
severed leaving the attachment strip attached to the inner front panel. There
is a grip
tab on the outer front panel to assist in gripping the outer front panel and
severing the
weakened area near the attachment strip. Each of the panels has an appended
flap on
each longitudinal end except for the outer front panel and optionally the top
panel.
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In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a
carton comprising in an attached arrangement an outer front panel, a top
panel, a
rear panel, a bottom panel and an inner front panel, the outer front panel
overlaying the inner front panel and having an attachment strip at a lower
edge
thereof for attachment to the inner front panel, the attachment strip having
an
outer front panel weakened area, a grip tab positioned adjacent to the outer
front
panel weakened area, whereby upon the outer front panel being separated from
the inner front panel by lifting the grip tab and raising the outer front
panel, the
outer front panel weakened area is severed leaving the attachment strip
attached
to the inner front panel, wherein the grip tab is separated from the outer
front
panel weakened area in a direction in continuation of the outer front panel
weakened area.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided
a carton blank comprising in an attached arrangement an outer front panel, a
top
panel, a rear panel, a bottom panel and an inner front panel, the outer front
panel
having an attachment strip at a lower edge thereof for attachment to the inner
front
panel in forming a carton, the attachment strip having an outer front panel
weakened area, a grip tab adjacent to the outer front panel weakened area,
whereby upon the outer front panel being separated from the inner front panel
by
lifting the grip tab and raising the outer front panel, the outer front panel
weakened
area is severed leaving the attachment strip attached to the inner front
panel,
wherein the grip tab is separated from the attachment strip in a direction in
continuation of the outer front panel weakened area.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
[0007] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carton.
[0008] Figure 2 is s perspective view of the carton opened.
[0009] Figure 3 is a plan view of the carton blank.
[0010] Figure 4 is an optional embodiment for the carton blank.
Detailed description of the Invention
[0011] The carton now will be described in its preferred embodiments with
reference to the drawings. It is to be understood that the described
embodiments can
be modified but yet be within the described concept and be within the scope of
the
invention.
[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present display carton. When the
carton is opened the product is fully and clearly displayed in the carton. The
carton 10
has a top panel 18 and outer front panel 20. The outer flap 16(b) is on the
left side of
the carton. The outer front panel 20 has an attachment strip 22 with outer
front panel
weakened area 23. There also is a grip tab 24 for the opening of the carton.
Upon the
lifting of the grip tab 24 the outer front panel weakened area 23 is severed
and the
outer front panel 20 is raised. This then raises the top panel 18 to fully
open the
carton. The outer front panel weakened area can be a perforated area, slotted
area, or
a serrated area. The objective is to make the area sufficiently weak that the
material
will sever along the weakened area upon the application of a force resulting
from the
gripping of the grip tab 24 and raising this tab. However the outer front
panel
weakened area must have a structural integrity sufficient not to be affected
by normal
shipping and handling.
[0013] Figure 2 shows the carton in an opened form. There is shown the inner
front panel 12 with the attachment strip 22 attached. The inner front panel
was
severed from the outer front panel 20 along the weakened area 23 of attachment
strip
22. Also shown are rear wall 16, inner surface of top wall 18 with text area
26 and the
inner surface of outer front wall 20 with text area 28. On the left side there
is shown
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rear wall flap 16(b) and on the right side inner front wall flap 12(a). The
text areas 26
and 28 are available for additional information about the product. This can be
precautionary information with regard to the use of the product or for
regulatory
information that must accompany the product.
[0014] Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the carton blank to make the carton
of Figure 1. There is shown here inner front wall 12 with recess 13 and
appended
longitudinal flaps 12(a) and 12(b). Attached and contiguous with the inner
front wall
12 is bottom wall 14 with appended longitudinal flaps 14(a) and 14(b).
Attached and
contiguous to bottom wall 14 is rear wall 16 with appended longitudinal flaps
16(a)
and 16(b). In turn attached and contiguous to rear wall 16 is top wall 18 with
longitudinal flaps 18(a) and 18(b). As an option these flaps can be attached
to top
wall 18 by weakened areas 15(a) and 15(b). In this embodiment the flaps 18(a)
and
18(b) can be bonded, adhesively or other wise, to the flaps of the other
panels to form
the end panels. The weakened areas 15 (a) and 15(b) would preferably be slots
for
ease of severing and the opening of the top panel 18. The recess 13 aids in
opening
the carton. When the carton is partially open a finger can be inserted into
the recess
13 so that a greater force can be applied to open the carton. It also is
useful to reopen
the carton when the outer front panel is tucked within the inner front panel.
There are
folding score lines between each of the panels and the panels and the flaps.
[0015] The carton blank of Figure 4 is the same as that of Figure 3 except
that
there are no longitudinal flaps on the top panel 18. The parts that are the
same retain
the same parts numbers. The carton formed from this blank 32 will be easier to
open
since there are no flaps 18(a) and 18(b) to be severed from top panel 18 nor
otherwise
removed by being maneuvered from the carton along with the top panel 18.
[0016] The carton blanks in one sequence can be formed into the cartons by
folding front inner panel 12 upward with respect to bottom panel 14 at the
score line.
Rear panel 16 can then be folded upward from bottom panel 14 at the score line
and
top panel 18 folded over from rear panel 16 at the score line. Outer front
panel 20 is
then folded down over inner front panel 12 at the score line. The weakened
areas 23,
15(a) and 15(b) usually are formed in the blanks at time of forming the blanks
by
cutting the blanks from a larger sheet of material. The carton blanks also can
be
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formed into the cartons by other folding sequences. After the folding sequence
the
carton can be filled from one of the ends and the flaps folded over at the
score lines
and sealed. The flaps will have adhesive strips or spots that can be activated
to seal
the cartons. As an option the flaps on one end of the carton can be folded
over at the
score lines and sealed, the product inserted, and the flaps on the other end
folded then
over at the score lines and sealed. Not all of the flaps need to have an
adhesive. If all
of the flaps have adhesive essentially any folding sequence can be used prior
to
sealing. However, if only flaps 16(a)/16(b) and 12(a)/12(b) have adhesive
flaps
14(a)/14(b) and 18(a)/1 8(b) will be folded over first and then flaps
16(a)/16(b) and
12(a)/12(b) so that flaps 16(a)/16(b) and 12(a)/12(b) will be in contact and
to be
adhesively attached to the other. It is preferred to use hot melt adhesives
that are
commonly used to seal cartons. However, pressure sensitive and other adhesives
can
be used.
[0017] Essentially any product can be packaged in this carton. One advantage
is that the purchaser will be able to fully see the product upon opening the
carton.
Further it provides additional space for text information. As noted this can
be
precautionary information with regard to the product or product promotional
information. It has been found to useful for'packaging over the counter
pharmaceuticals and dentifrices.
[0018] The cartons can be made out of a paperboard that is conventionally
used to make cartons. This can be a paperboard or a paperboard laminate with
one or
more plastic layers. The carton also can be a fully plastic carton. However,
it is
preferred that it be a paper board or a paperboard/plastic laminate carton
material.
The panels are separated one from the other by score lines with the carton
material
folding at the score lines. There also are score lines between the panels and
their
appended flaps. The score lines promote the folding at those areas. The score
lines
are of a conventional type and are formed using conventional techniques.
