CONTAINER WHICH COMPLETELY ENCLOSES ARTICLES
United States Patent 3578238
A carton or container which fully encloses the contained articles. The carton has finger holes placed along one side edge of the carton allowing one of the articles to be grasped when the carton is carried by use of the finger holes. There are no cutouts for the caps or base of the articles, so that the container tightly encloses them. The container has a design which allows the container blanks to be nested on the web prior to cutting.
US Patent References:
Flexible folding box
Morris - February 1962 - 3021045
Carrying carton for containers
Champlin - April 1965 - 3176902
Folding carton
Pryor - May 1966 - 3252650
Flexible folding box
Morris - February 1962 - 3021045
Carrying carton for containers
Champlin - April 1965 - 3176902
Folding carton
Pryor - May 1966 - 3252650
Inventors:
Schillinger, Joseph F. (Chicago, IL)
Moser, Thomas B. (Glen Ellyn, IL)
Moser, Thomas B. (Glen Ellyn, IL)
Application Number:
04/848402
Publication Date:
05/11/1971
Filing Date:
07/28/1969
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Assignee:
Weyerhaeuser Company (Tacoma, WA)
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
206/161, 229/117.180
International Classes:
B65D71/00; B65D85/00; B65D5/02
Field of Search:
229/40,52 (BC)/ 206/65 (C)/ 220/115
Primary Examiner:
Bockenek, David M.
Parent Case Data:
RELATED CASES
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 710,120 filed Mar. 4, 1968, now abandoned.
Claims:
We claim
1. In a blank which forms an article container, finger hole construction comprising
2. The blank of claim 1 in which the slits are in the exterior edge of the flaps formed by said slits and said score lines.
3. The blank of claim 2 in which said flaps are spaced from each other.
4. In a blank which forms an article container having
5. The blank of claim 4 in which the side edges of said side panels and end panels taper outwardly from the edges of said bottom panel to said score line.
6. The blank of claim 4 in which one of said panels is formed by a pair of panels having a combined length greater than the length of said panel and being fixed together in said container, and one of said pair of side panels or end panels also comprises pairs of panels having a combined length greater than the length of said panel in the formed container.
7. In a blank which forms an article container having
8. The blank of claim 7 in which one of said panels comprises a pair of panels having a combined length greater than the length of said panel and being fixed together in said container, and one of said pair of side panels or end panels also comprises pairs of panels having a combined length greater than the length of said panel in the formed container.
9. The blank of claim 8 in which the outer edges of said pair of panels comprising said end or side panels conform to the shape of the side edge of said undivided side or end panels whereby adjacent blanks will nest.
10. The blank of claim 7 in which
11. The blank of claim 6 in which the outer edges of said pair of panels comprising said end or side panels conform to the shape of the side edge of said undivided side or end panels whereby adjacent blanks will nest.
1. In a blank which forms an article container, finger hole construction comprising
2. The blank of claim 1 in which the slits are in the exterior edge of the flaps formed by said slits and said score lines.
3. The blank of claim 2 in which said flaps are spaced from each other.
4. In a blank which forms an article container having
5. The blank of claim 4 in which the side edges of said side panels and end panels taper outwardly from the edges of said bottom panel to said score line.
6. The blank of claim 4 in which one of said panels is formed by a pair of panels having a combined length greater than the length of said panel and being fixed together in said container, and one of said pair of side panels or end panels also comprises pairs of panels having a combined length greater than the length of said panel in the formed container.
7. In a blank which forms an article container having
8. The blank of claim 7 in which one of said panels comprises a pair of panels having a combined length greater than the length of said panel and being fixed together in said container, and one of said pair of side panels or end panels also comprises pairs of panels having a combined length greater than the length of said panel in the formed container.
9. The blank of claim 8 in which the outer edges of said pair of panels comprising said end or side panels conform to the shape of the side edge of said undivided side or end panels whereby adjacent blanks will nest.
10. The blank of claim 7 in which
11. The blank of claim 6 in which the outer edges of said pair of panels comprising said end or side panels conform to the shape of the side edge of said undivided side or end panels whereby adjacent blanks will nest.
Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
A container which encloses a multiplicity of similar articles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exemplary of the patents showing containers which fully enclose articles are Ringler U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,556; Currie U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,365; Jaeschke U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,856; Chidsey U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,924; Graser et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,252,649; and Wood U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,723.
Ringler U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,556 discloses a container in which the bottom and sidewalls are of unitary construction and each of the end walls is formed of a pair of elements which are hingedly attached to the sidewalls. These elements are glued along a vertical line in the center of the container. When the container is opened the bottles are placed in it from the top and the upper panels are folded down over the caps of the containers.
Currie U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,365 discloses a can container in which the sidewalls and end walls are of unitary construction and, when opened, slide down over the articles. Each of the upper and lower walls is formed of two sections. These sections are hingedly attached to the sidewalls and fold over the upper and lower walls of the containers and are adhered together. The blanks also nest on the web, as is shown in FIG. 1.
Jaeschke U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,856 discloses a container which fully encloses a number of cans. The fingerholes of the container are placed centrally of the container at the intersection of two rows of cans.
Chidsey U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,924 discloses a container in which the body section wraps around the articles. Flanges are attached to each panel of the body section and are folded inwardly and aligned with the edge of the container. End panels are then glued to the flanges.
Graser et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,280 discloses a container for fully enclosing the articles and in which the end panels are hingedly attached to the upper wall of the container by a triangular gusset section. The blank shown in FIG. 1 is complicated and costly.
Wood U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,723 discloses a container which fully encloses the articles and in which each of the end walls is in three parts.
Conrades U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,545 discloses a container for fully enclosing bottles and in which the container is side opening and side filling. The form of the container requires a complicated gusset section at the top corners.
Each of the disclosed bottle containers requires cutouts for the caps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a container which fully encloses the articles. It is one-piece, eliminating the need for the alignment of separate pieces when forming the container. It is of simple construction and eliminates all gussets and other complicated structure, allowing the container to be formed more cheaply and easily. It has offcenter fingerholes which allow one of the articles within the container to be grasped when carrying the container. It is tapered upwardly on all four sides to firmly grasp the articles and eliminates the need for cutouts for bottle caps. The overlapping end wall panels are in two pieces, and the end wall panels and sidewall panels are designed to nest on the web.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the blank.
FIG. 2 is a view of a partial section of a web showing the sidewalls and end walls nested on the web.
FIG. 3 is an isometric view with portions cut away showing the fully formed container.
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the container showing the use of the finger holes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A blank 10 is divided by score lines 11, 12, 13 and 14 into a side panel 15, a top panel 16, a sidewall panel 17, a bottom panel 18, and a lower sidewall panel 19. Lower end wall panels 20 are hingedly attached to bottom panel 18 by score lines 21, and upper end wall panels 22 are hingedly attached to top panel 16 by score lines 23.
In the finished container the lower edge of the side and end walls bevels outwardly to grasp the contained articles. To aid this action, score lines 23 are provided in the lower section of the sidewalls 17 and 19 and the lower end walls 20. Score lines 23 are parallel to the lower edges of the side and end walls and are spaced upwardly a slight distance from the lower edges. The edges of the side and end walls 17, 19 and 20 bevel outwardly between the lower edge and the score line 23. This is shown at 24.
The four upper corners of the container have a similar construction, but the additional score line has been omitted from the upper end of the container. The upper corner construction is shown at 25.
The blanks can be nested on the web in order to obtain a greater number of cartons from a given web size. The nesting is shown in FIG. 2. As may be seen, the outer edge of each of the lower end panels 20 is shaped to conform to the shape of the edge of side panel 17, and the length of lower end panels 20 is greater than the length of an upper end panel, allowing the length of panel 20 to set the distance between blanks. In a bottle carrier, side panel 17 tapers upwardly and the outer edge of panel 20 is shaped to conform to this taper.
In forming the package, the container is wrapped around the contained articles and the lower side flap 19 is adhered to the side panel 15 along glue line 26. Lower end flaps 20 are pivoted upwardly and upper end flaps 22 are pivoted downwardly, and the end flaps are adhered along glue line 27. The lower and upper edge construction pulls the container tightly around the articles. The side edges of the side and end panels are tapered upwardly, and the top panel is smaller than the bottom panel 18 allowing the container to conform to the shape of the contained articles and to tightly grasp the upper and lower ends of the articles.
The package may be carried by use of finger holes 30. The finger holes are formed by an arcuate slit 31 in the top panel 16 and side panel 15. A pair of score lines 32 and 33 extend outwardly from a point on score line 11 to each of the outer ends of slit 31. An additional pair of score lines extend outwardly from the point to points between the ends of the slit 31. One of these latter score lines coincides with score line 11. The outer score lines preferably are at an obtuse angle to each other and the inner score lines are at an acute angle to each other and to the outer score lines. The exact angles will depend on the overall taper of the carton. The flaps formed by the slit 31 and the score lines face outwardly and are placed on each side of a central article so that they may be bent inwardly toward the article and allow it to be grasped when the finger holes are used for carrying the container.
The container may be opened by any standard tear strip arrangement, including the tear strip 40 shown.
1. Field of the Invention
A container which encloses a multiplicity of similar articles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exemplary of the patents showing containers which fully enclose articles are Ringler U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,556; Currie U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,365; Jaeschke U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,856; Chidsey U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,924; Graser et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,252,649; and Wood U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,723.
Ringler U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,556 discloses a container in which the bottom and sidewalls are of unitary construction and each of the end walls is formed of a pair of elements which are hingedly attached to the sidewalls. These elements are glued along a vertical line in the center of the container. When the container is opened the bottles are placed in it from the top and the upper panels are folded down over the caps of the containers.
Currie U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,365 discloses a can container in which the sidewalls and end walls are of unitary construction and, when opened, slide down over the articles. Each of the upper and lower walls is formed of two sections. These sections are hingedly attached to the sidewalls and fold over the upper and lower walls of the containers and are adhered together. The blanks also nest on the web, as is shown in FIG. 1.
Jaeschke U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,856 discloses a container which fully encloses a number of cans. The fingerholes of the container are placed centrally of the container at the intersection of two rows of cans.
Chidsey U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,924 discloses a container in which the body section wraps around the articles. Flanges are attached to each panel of the body section and are folded inwardly and aligned with the edge of the container. End panels are then glued to the flanges.
Graser et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,280 discloses a container for fully enclosing the articles and in which the end panels are hingedly attached to the upper wall of the container by a triangular gusset section. The blank shown in FIG. 1 is complicated and costly.
Wood U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,723 discloses a container which fully encloses the articles and in which each of the end walls is in three parts.
Conrades U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,545 discloses a container for fully enclosing bottles and in which the container is side opening and side filling. The form of the container requires a complicated gusset section at the top corners.
Each of the disclosed bottle containers requires cutouts for the caps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a container which fully encloses the articles. It is one-piece, eliminating the need for the alignment of separate pieces when forming the container. It is of simple construction and eliminates all gussets and other complicated structure, allowing the container to be formed more cheaply and easily. It has offcenter fingerholes which allow one of the articles within the container to be grasped when carrying the container. It is tapered upwardly on all four sides to firmly grasp the articles and eliminates the need for cutouts for bottle caps. The overlapping end wall panels are in two pieces, and the end wall panels and sidewall panels are designed to nest on the web.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the blank.
FIG. 2 is a view of a partial section of a web showing the sidewalls and end walls nested on the web.
FIG. 3 is an isometric view with portions cut away showing the fully formed container.
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the container showing the use of the finger holes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A blank 10 is divided by score lines 11, 12, 13 and 14 into a side panel 15, a top panel 16, a sidewall panel 17, a bottom panel 18, and a lower sidewall panel 19. Lower end wall panels 20 are hingedly attached to bottom panel 18 by score lines 21, and upper end wall panels 22 are hingedly attached to top panel 16 by score lines 23.
In the finished container the lower edge of the side and end walls bevels outwardly to grasp the contained articles. To aid this action, score lines 23 are provided in the lower section of the sidewalls 17 and 19 and the lower end walls 20. Score lines 23 are parallel to the lower edges of the side and end walls and are spaced upwardly a slight distance from the lower edges. The edges of the side and end walls 17, 19 and 20 bevel outwardly between the lower edge and the score line 23. This is shown at 24.
The four upper corners of the container have a similar construction, but the additional score line has been omitted from the upper end of the container. The upper corner construction is shown at 25.
The blanks can be nested on the web in order to obtain a greater number of cartons from a given web size. The nesting is shown in FIG. 2. As may be seen, the outer edge of each of the lower end panels 20 is shaped to conform to the shape of the edge of side panel 17, and the length of lower end panels 20 is greater than the length of an upper end panel, allowing the length of panel 20 to set the distance between blanks. In a bottle carrier, side panel 17 tapers upwardly and the outer edge of panel 20 is shaped to conform to this taper.
In forming the package, the container is wrapped around the contained articles and the lower side flap 19 is adhered to the side panel 15 along glue line 26. Lower end flaps 20 are pivoted upwardly and upper end flaps 22 are pivoted downwardly, and the end flaps are adhered along glue line 27. The lower and upper edge construction pulls the container tightly around the articles. The side edges of the side and end panels are tapered upwardly, and the top panel is smaller than the bottom panel 18 allowing the container to conform to the shape of the contained articles and to tightly grasp the upper and lower ends of the articles.
The package may be carried by use of finger holes 30. The finger holes are formed by an arcuate slit 31 in the top panel 16 and side panel 15. A pair of score lines 32 and 33 extend outwardly from a point on score line 11 to each of the outer ends of slit 31. An additional pair of score lines extend outwardly from the point to points between the ends of the slit 31. One of these latter score lines coincides with score line 11. The outer score lines preferably are at an obtuse angle to each other and the inner score lines are at an acute angle to each other and to the outer score lines. The exact angles will depend on the overall taper of the carton. The flaps formed by the slit 31 and the score lines face outwardly and are placed on each side of a central article so that they may be bent inwardly toward the article and allow it to be grasped when the finger holes are used for carrying the container.
The container may be opened by any standard tear strip arrangement, including the tear strip 40 shown.