Title:
HEXAGONAL PACKAGE UNIT
United States Patent 3738564
Abstract:
A hexagonal carton has six side panels and two end panels. One side panel forms a closure panel and the two panels adjacent thereto are connected with the end walls through a lost motion connection enabling said two panels to be raised to a position in which they are substantially parallel with each other when the closure panel is open.
Application Number:
05/132089
Publication Date:
06/12/1973
Assignee:
Sprinter Pack AB (Halmstad, SW)
Other Classes:
229/190, 229/192
International Classes:
B65D5/16; (IPC1-7): B65D5/26
Field of Search:
229/16R,16D,21,36
Primary Examiner:
Norton, Donald F.
Claims:
What I claim is
1. A hexagonal carton packaging unit comprising a single carton blank and having three pairs of opposing, identical longitudinal side panels, the bottom side panel is hingedly connected at each of its ends with a respective hexagonal end wall, each end wall forms an end cover structure at respective ends of the carton, the closure panel, located opposite the bottom side panel is extended at one longitudinal edge thereof with a flap which, when the carton is closed, is fastened to the side panel adjacent thereto, each of the two longitudinal side panels located on either side of the closure panel is provided at each of its ends with an inwardly folded end flap which lies displaceably along the inside of the adjacent end wall, the end flaps each have disposed therein an opening with an edge which coincides with the fold line between the respective end flap and the associated longitudinal side panel and an opposing edge which edges form abutments for a latching tongue which forms a projection from an adjacent edge of the respective end wall and which is inserted in said opening, the opening and the latching tongue being so arranged that the longitudinal panels provided with end flaps can be opened out to a position substantially perpendicular to the bottom side panel when the carton is placed on said bottom side panel to enable goods to be placed into and removed from the carton.
2. A carton according to claim 1, wherein the latching tongue extends freely in through the opening in the end flap and at at least one of its side edges is hingedly connected with a latching lug which extends over the adjacently lying edge of the opening and in over the inside of the end flap.
3. A carton according to claim 2, characterized in that two side edges of respective end walls located on respective sides of the bottom panel are each provided with a latching flap which extends along an adjacent panel, said latching flaps when seen in the erected position of the carton, are each hingedly extended at their upper edges with a locking lug which has a free edge, there is a fold line between the latching flap and its locking lug, said free edge extends down to a corner at the said fold line to a wedge-shaped space that is defined by the position of the locking lug, which shape is between the edge of the locking lug and the end wall, and the end flap of the overlying side panel is arranged to be inserted in said wedge-shaped space in a manner to lock the end walls to the side panel together with the lock obtained with the locking lugs of the latching tongues.
Description:
The present invention relates to a hexagonal package unit.
In order to fill and empty package units of this type it is necessary to remove one of the end covers therefrom.
The object of the invention is to provide a hexagonal package unit which can be opened and closed along one longitudinal side panel thereof while keeping the ends closed. This is desirable, owing to the fact that it is easier to automatically fill cartons which open along one longitudinal side panel thereof than cartons which open at the end. Moreover, with a package unit of this construction, such edibles as biscuits, round hard-bread and the like can be removed singly and conveniently as from a conventional square box.
In accordance with the invention, a package unit of the type envisaged has the characteristic features defined in the accompanying claims.
A suitable embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 illustrates a carton blank for constructing the package unit of the invention, FIG. 2 illustrates the erected package unit when open for filling or removing articles therefrom, FIG. 3 shows the package unit when closed, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one end of the package unit, showing how the side panels and end walls are joined together, and FIG. 5 illustrates one end of the package unit in an assembled connection and the other in the process of being assembled.
The different components of the package unit according to the invention are best seen from FIG. 1. The carton blank is divided by fold lines into six equal longitudinal side panels 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, of which the panel 15 is extended with a closure flap 16 which, when the package unit is erected, is arranged to be placed over the adjacent side panel 10 and, when closing the unit, is locked in a slot 17 formed therein.
Another of the side panels, namely panel 12, forms the bottom of the package unit and is provided at the ends thereof with hexagonal end walls 18, 19. The end walls are extended at two similarly located edges 20, 21 with inwardly foldable latching flaps 22, each of which having an inwardly foldable locking lug 23.
The two remaining, similarly located edges 24, 25 of the respective end walls are extended with latching tongues 26 which are provided at their side edges with inwardly foldable lugs 27.
When the package unit is closed, the panel 15 provided with the flap 16 lies opposite bottom panel 12 and serves as a closure flap. The two panels 10, 14 which in the finished package unit lie on respective sides of the closure panel 15, are extended at their ends with inwardly foldable end flaps 28 in which are disposed openings 29 adapted to receive the latching tongues 26 in the manner illustrated in the drawings.
The manner in which the carton package unit is erected is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. When the carton is erected and open, the end cover structure 18, 19 extends perpendicularly to the bottom panel 12. The latching flaps 22 are folded in along the panels 11, 13 and the locking lugs 23 lie along the panels 10, 14 and form together with their edges 30 and respective end walls a wedge-shaped space 31 (FIG. 2) in which the end flaps are capable of being inserted along the respective end wall while at the same time preventing the end walls from being folded out from the ends of the panels. The latching tongues 26 are inserted in the openings 29 in the end flaps 28 and retained in this position by folding their associated latching lugs 27 over the edge surfaces of the openings 29.
One edge 32 of the openings 29 lies adjacent the fold line 33 between the end flap 28 and adjacent panel, while the opposite edge 34 in the opening lies at a distance from the fold line 33 such that the latching tongue 26 can move freely in the opening when the panels 10, 14 are moved between the closed position of FIG. 3 to the open position of FIG. 2. During this swinging movement of the panels 10, 14, the end walls 18, 19 are effectively held in their closing positions by means of the lugs 27 of the latching tongues and the locking lugs 23 of the flaps.
Because of the described construction of the package unit of the invention and because it is possible to retain the unit open in a lying position (FIG. 2), it is easier to fill the same with staple, slab-like objects and to remove the objects singly therefrom.
Tear lines 35, 36 are arranged in the flap 16 and the portions 16a of the flap located outside the tear lines are intended to be bonded to the panel 10 when the package unit is closed after packing. Thus, when the flap 37 is pulled, the triangular portion 16b of the flap 16 is torn loose, to allow panel 15 to be lifted. The package unit can be re-closed by inserting the flap 37 through the slot 17.