This invention relates generally to cartons, and more particularly, to cartons with a tear initiation feature.
Cartons that encase multiple articles such as bottles are useful to transport and store articles. Many cartons include handles or other structures that are generally removed by tear initiation along a severance line and then further tearing along the severance line. Where such structures are part of walls that are formed from overlapping panels, there is a risk that glue that is used to secure the overlapping panels to one another may make the tear initiation feature inoperable. For example, the glue may spread into a severance line along which a structure is normally detachable and prevent a user from initiating a tear along the severance line. As such, the structure cannot be properly removed by tearing along the severance line.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a carton with a tear initiation feature that initiates a tear along aligned severance lines. The tear initiation feature includes a relief severance line that is configured to initiate delamination of a panel that is overlapped by another panel.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a carton includes a wall. The wall includes a first panel that overlaps a second panel. The first panel includes a first handle flap defined by a first severance line and the second panel includes a second handle flap defined by a second severance line. The first severance line is aligned with the second severance line where the first panel overlaps the second panel. The second handle flap includes a relief severance line that is configured to initiate delamination of at least a delamination section of the second handle flap.
The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the aspects and features of the present invention, which should be construed to be merely illustrative of various potential applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It must be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms, and combinations thereof. As used herein, the word “exemplary” is used expansively to refer to embodiments that serve as illustrations, specimens, models, or patterns. The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. In other instances, well-known components, systems, materials, or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, the drawings illustrate certain of the various aspects of exemplary embodiments of a carton. In the embodiments detailed herein, the term carton refers, for the non-limiting purpose of illustrating the various features of the invention, to a container for enclosing, carrying, and dispensing articles, such as beverage cans. However, it is contemplated that the teachings of the invention can be applied to various containers. Generally described, exemplary end-loaded cartons include a tubular structure that is defined by a top wall, first and second side walls, and a bottom wall and includes end closure structures that define end walls at each of the open ends of the tubular structure.
Referring to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
The blank 100 includes a sheet of suitable substrate made of layers that can delaminate from one another. It is to be understood that, as used herein, the term “suitable substrate” includes all manner of foldable sheet material such as paperboard, corrugated board, cardboard, plastic, combinations thereof, and the like. In the illustrated embodiments, the unitary blank 100 is used to form a single carton. However, it should be recognized that two or more blanks may be employed, for example, to provide the carton structure described in more detail below.
In the exemplary embodiment, the blank 100 is configured to form a carton for packaging an exemplary arrangement of exemplary articles. For example, the arrangement is a 3×4 matrix arrangement and the articles are glass bottles. The blank can be alternatively configured to form a carton for packaging other articles and/or different arrangements of articles.
As used herein, the term “fold line” refers to all manner of lines that define hinge features of the blank, facilitate folding portions of the blank with respect to one another, or otherwise indicate optimal panel folding locations for the blank. A fold line is typically a scored line, an embossed line, or a debossed line.
As used herein, the term “severance line” refers to all manner of lines that facilitate separating portions of the substrate from one another or that indicate optimal separation locations. Severance lines may be frangible or otherwise weakened lines, tear lines, cut lines, or slits. For purposes of teaching, a half-cut line is a severance line that has a cut depth that is less than the thickness of the substrate. For example, the cut depth is approximately half of the depth of the thickness of the substrate.
It should be understood that severance lines and fold lines can each include elements that are formed in the substrate of the blank including perforations, a line of perforations, a line of short slits, a line of half-cuts, a single half-cut, a cut line, an interrupted cut line, slits, scores, any combination thereof, and the like. The elements can be dimensioned and arranged to provide the desired functionality. For example, a line of perforations can be dimensioned or designed with degrees of weakness to define a fold line and/or a severance line. The line of perforations can be designed to facilitate folding and resist breaking, to facilitate folding and facilitate breaking with more effort, or to facilitate breaking with little effort.
Referring to
End flaps are hingedly connected to opposite ends of each primary panel along fold lines that extend generally parallel to the longitudinal axis. The end flaps can be folded and secured to form end closure structures at respective open ends of the tubular structure of the carton 300 and thereby define the end walls of the carton 300. The blank 100 is substantially symmetric such that the end flaps that are hingedly connected to the opposite ends of each primary panel are substantially similar. Accordingly, the end closure structures of the carton 300 are substantially identical and like references have been used with a suffix “a” or “b” to distinguish one end of the carton 300 from the other. The description of an element or group of elements having a suffix “a” is suitable for a like-numbered element or group of elements having a suffix “b”. In certain instances, for clarity, only one of the like elements may be described unless a description of the other or both of the like elements is useful for understanding the invention.
First side end flap 130a is hingedly connected to first side panel 110 along fold line 140a, bottom end flap 132a is hingedly connected to bottom panel 112 along fold line 142a, second side end flap 134a is hingedly connected to second side panel 114 along fold line 144a, top end flap 136a is hingedly connected to top panel 116 along fold line 146a, and edge end flap 138a is hingedly connected to edge panel 118 along fold line 148a.
Blank 100 includes fold lines that allow the carton 300 to conform to the shape of a group of articles and also facilitate folding the blank 100 as a collapsed tubular structure. A fold line 150 extends transversely across each of first side panel 110 and first side end flaps 130a, 130b. Similarly, a fold line 154 extends transversely across each of second side panel 114 and second side end flaps 134a, 134b. Fold lines 150, 154 allow the top end of the carton 300 to be tapered to conform to the shape of a group of tapered articles.
Each side end flap 130a, 134a includes a fold line 160a, 164a. The fold lines define corner panels C1, C2 in each side end flap 130a, 134a. For purposes of clarity, one pair of corner panels C1, C2 (those of first side end flap 130a) is described in further detail. The fold line 140a and the fold lines 160a are curved and, along with a segment of fold line 150, define the corner panels C1, C2. Fold lines 140a, 160a intersect or are near one another at their ends and move away from each other as they near the fold line 150 such that the corner panels C1, C2 are triangular. The corner panels C1, C2 are configured to wrap around the articles at a corner of the carton 300.
Referring to
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Referring to
For purposes of teaching, certain glue locations are illustrated. Glue locations G1, G2, G3 are selected to secure the upper portions of the side end flaps 130a, 134a to the top end flap 136a. Glue locations G4 are selected to secure the lower portions of the side end flaps 130a, 134a to the bottom end flap 132a and glue locations G5 are selected to secure the bottom end flap 132a to the top end flap 136a. Although glue locations G and relief severance lines 220, 224 are associated with the outside surface of the blank 100, these elements are shown in
Securing the upper portions of the side end flaps 130a, 134a to the top end flap 136a includes securing the minor handle flaps 180a, 184a to the main handle flap 186a at glue location G2. Glue, such as hot-melt glue, that is applied at the glue locations G3 has the potential to spread into the severance lines 200a, 204a and solidify to make initiating a tear along the severance line 200a, 204a difficult, as described in further detail below. For purposes of teaching, a glue spreading area G3s that overlaps severance line 200a is illustrated in
It should be noted that, although glue that is applied at locations G2 is applied over the severance lines 200a, 204a, glue at glue locations G2 rarely presents a problem since the hand-closing force that is applied to handle flap 332 once the tear is initiated is greater than the finger-pressing force that is applied to initiate the tear.
Erecting the carton 300 from the blank 100 may be accomplished with the folding and gluing operations as described herein. The operations can be performed by automatic erecting machinery and/or manually. The method of performing the erecting process is not limited to the exemplary method described herein. Particularly, the order of the steps can be altered according to manufacturing requirements, steps may be added or omitted, and the means for securing components to one another may vary. Generally, surfaces of sheet material may be secured together by glue or other adhesives. However, other suitable means for securing include tape, staples, interlocking folds, VELCRO®, combinations thereof, and the like.
Referring to
The tubular structure can thereafter be erected from the collapsed tubular structure (shown in
Continuing with
Referring to
Referring to
However, where glue spreads from glue location G3 into the glue spreading area G3s so as to cover severance line 200a, a force F that would normally initiate a tear at the free ends of aligned severance lines 200a, 206a (adjacent notch 210a, 214a) is prevented from doing so. To facilitate initiating the tear, the relief severance line 220a defines a new path of least resistance that goes around the glue-blocked portion of severance line 200a. As such, the force F continues to initiate a tear.
Referring to
Although glue in glue spreading area G3s may help secure the main handle flap 186a to the minor handle flap 180a, the force to separate main handle flap 186a and minor handle flap 180a is less than what is required to break severance line 200a when it is blocked by glue in glue spreading area G3s. Similarly, the force to cause delamination of at least delamination section 230a is less than what is required to break severance line 200a when it is blocked by glue in glue spreading area G3s.
Referring to
It should be understood that the tear initiation feature is not limited to that of the illustrated handle. Such a feature is applicable to other detachable features defined by severance lines including dispensers or other structures that are detached to form an opening to dispense articles, other handle configurations, and other structures for forming openings in the carton.
The present invention has been illustrated in relation to particular embodiments that are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. For example, as used herein, directional references such as top, base, bottom, end, side, inside, outside, upper, middle, lower, front, and rear do not limit the respective walls of the carton to such orientation, but merely serve to distinguish these walls from one another. Any reference to hinged connection should not be construed as necessarily referring to a junction including a single hinge only; indeed, it is envisaged that hinged connection can be formed from one or more potentially disparate means for hingedly connecting materials.
The above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Variations, modifications, and combinations may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the dams. All such variations, modifications, and combinations are included herein by the scope of this disclosure and the following claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/48725, filed May 17, 2011, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61487125 | May 2011 | US |