Clip for holding carton flaps open and method of use

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6578759
  • Patent Number
    6,578,759
  • Date Filed
    Friday, April 26, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 17, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Elkins; Gary E.
    Agents
    • Redman; MaryJo
    • Tervo; Calif
Abstract
Clip (10) for holding lid flaps (110) of a carton (100) in an open position against carton walls (101) to facilitate packing of carton (100). Clip (10) includes a horizontal spine (20) to which are attached a center post (30), a long prong (40) a short prong (50), and a handle tab (25). To use clip (10), clip (10) is positioned with center post (30) above a corner (107) of carton (100) and lowered to insert center post (30) in interior dihedral angle (108) of corner (107). Long prong (40) contacts a first lid flap (110) and rotates flap (110) into the open position. Short prong (50) contacts a second flap (110) shortly afterward and rotates second flap (110) into an open position.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




This invention relates to a clip for carton lid flaps, and more specifically relates to a reuseable clip without moving parts for holding the lid flaps of packing cartons in an open position and to a method of using the clip.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Cardboard boxes or cartons are ubiquitous in manufacturing companies, retailers who deliver customers' orders, and print shops. The most familiar cardboard carton is a square or rectangular box stamped from a single piece of corrugated cardboard. The cardboard sheet is slit and scored into a shape that can be folded and glued into a cube or rectangular prism with four walls attached to each other and attached flaps to form the bottom and lid. This type of carton is sometimes called a self-closing carton because there is no separate lid.




The cartons are usually stored flat and assembled only when needed for filling. The packing operation in a business often assembles as many cartons as will fit on the floor of the packing area and fills the cartons with goods in assembly-line fashion. Often, styrofoam packing material, such as the nuggets called “popcorn,” is dispensed from a hopper via a movable chute into the cartons to protect the goods.




To assemble a new carton, the packer pops the flat walls into a cube or rectangle prism. The lid and bottom flaps are scored for folding, but generally each is initially extended coplanar with the wall to which the flap is attached. The packer folds the bottom flaps inward to cover the bottom of the carton and tapes them in place, or secures any other fastening arrangement, such as tabs and slots.




The fresh carton is set on the floor on its bottom and made ready for packing. Leaving the lid flaps in the extended position makes loading the carton inconvenient. “Popcorn” must be dispensed from farther away and more is spilled than when it is dispensed directly into the interior of the carton. The extended flaps are rigid and abrasive. People packing cartons frequently cut or scrape their hands, arms, and even faces when bending over the carton.




The lid flaps may be folded down from the extended position, but the springiness of the cardboard of a fresh carton prevents the flaps from staying in the fully open position adjacent the outside face of the carton wall. Folded-down flaps usually end up spread outward from the carton walls. The outspread flaps allow fewer cartons to fit on the floor of the packing area and cause the cartons to be arranged less neatly than desired for efficient, fast packing. Flaps of adjacent boxes interfere; picking up or bumping a carton may overturn nearby cartons.




Some packers fasten the lid flaps in the open position in some manner. Clips for holding the flaps open are known, but are not in commercial use. Of clips that have been patented, some are awkward to use; some are too bulky to store; and some pose danger to the user. Others are for specialized use or would disfigure the carton, which is unacceptable to most shippers.




Some packers put a piece of adhesive tape on each flap to hold it in the open position. This also tends to disfigure the carton and wastes the packer's time trying to remove the tape carefully. Other packers create chain loops of intertwined rubber bands that can be slipped around the entire perimeter of the carton to hold the flaps. This is a popular and traditional craft on shipping docks, but not really a means for making packing efficient or speedy. The chains fit only a limited range of size of carton and do not last long.




Therefore, there has been a need for an easy to use device for helping a person pack or unpack a cardboard carton more efficiently, safely, and quickly. Such a device must be simple to use, convenient to store, and durable. The device must not cause damage to the carton or goods being packed or unpacked.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The invention is a clip for holding the lid flaps of a cardboard carton in an open position for convenient and safe packing of the carton.




The clip is generally a linear spine with three tines: a center post, a long prong, and a short prong. In use, the center post is inserted into an interior corner of a carton. The prongs are spaced apart from the center post sufficiently that the prongs fall on the exterior of the carton walls when the center post is within the corner. As the clip is lowered onto the corner of the carton, the prongs each engage a lid flap and lever the flap downward.




The long prong is about the same length as the center post, but the short prong is shorter than either. The unequal length of the prongs allows the packer to insert the clip over one flap at a time while holding down the flap with one hand.




The preferred embodiment described below is of a universal design that can be used in an approximately right-angled corner of a carton of any size. Generally, two clips per carton would be used; one clip in each diagonally opposite corner. Each clip holds the two flaps adjacent the corner.




The present invention is a means of holding the lid flaps of cartons in the open position so that the greatest number of cartons will fit on the floor of the packing area in a neat matrix for high speed packing. The clip is reuseable and durable, and can be stored in minimal space on a shelf. The clip is safe and easily used by a single packer. The clip does not impair access to the interior space of the carton, does not disarrange the packed goods when it is removed, and does not damage or disfigure the carton.











The invention will now be described in more particular detail with respect to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a rear perspective view of the clip of the present invention.





FIG. 2

is a front elevation view of the clip of FIG.


1


.





FIG. 3

is a rear elevation view of the clip of FIG.


1


.





FIG. 4

is a top plan view of the clip of FIG.


1


.





FIG. 5

is a bottom view of the clip of FIG.


1


.





FIG. 6

is a left side view of the clip of FIG.


1


.





FIG. 7

is a right side view of the clip of FIG.


1


.





FIGS. 8 and 9

show the method of use of the clip of

FIG. 1

, depicting a user applying the clip to a corner of a carton.





FIG. 10

is a perspective view of the carton of

FIG. 9

with two clips of the present invention holding four flaps of the carton.





FIG. 11

is a top view, partly cut away, of a corner of the carton of

FIG. 10

with a clip inserted in the corner.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION





FIG. 1

is a rear perspective view of the clip


10


of the present invention.

FIG. 2

is a front elevation view of clip


10


of FIG.


1


.

FIG. 3

is a rear elevation view of clip


10


of FIG.


1


.

FIG. 4

is a top plan view of clip


10


of FIG.


1


.

FIG. 5

is a bottom view of clip


10


of FIG.


1


.

FIG. 6

is a left side view of clip


10


of FIG.


1


.

FIG. 7

is a right side view of clip


10


of FIG.


1


.




Clip


10


generally includes a spine


20


, a center post


30


, a long prong


40


, and a short prong


50


. Spine


20


, center post


30


, and prongs


40


,


50


are generally co-planar so that a pile of clips


10


can rest on a shelf without tangling together or sliding around.




Spine


20


includes a first end


21


, a second end


22


, and a middle portion


23


between ends


21


,


22


. Proximal end


42


of long prong


40


is attached to first end


21


of spine


20


and extends downward from spine


20


. Proximal end


52


of short prong


50


is attached to second end


22


of spine


20


and extends downward. Center post


30


is attached to middle portion


23


and extends downward. Proximal end


32


of center post


30


is attached to middle portion


23


of spine


20


and extends downward. Center post


30


has a longitudinal axis


36


. Long prong


40


and short prong


50


are spaced apart from center post


30


and are generally parallel to longitudinal axis


36


.




Spine


20


also preferably includes a handle, such as tab


25


attached to middle portion


23


.





FIGS. 8 and 9

show the method of use of clip


10


of

FIG. 1

, depicting a user applying clip


10


to a corner


107


of a carton


100


.

FIG. 10

is a perspective view of carton


100


of

FIG. 9

with two clips


10


on carton


100


.

FIG. 11

is a top view, partly cut away, of corner


107


of carton


100


of

FIG. 10

with clip


10


inserted in corner


107


.




Carton


100


generally includes four walls


101


attached to each other so as to enclose an inside volume


115


. Each wall


101


includes a top edge


104


, a bottom edge


105


, two side edges


106


, an inner face


102


, and an outer face


103


. Each wall


101


is attached to two other walls


101


along their respective adjoining side edges


106


. Two attached walls


101


form a corner


107


. Corner


107


includes an interior dihedral angle


108


formed by the two inner faces


102


of attached walls


101


and an exterior dihedral angle


109


formed by the outer faces


103


of attached walls


101


.




Each wall


101


is attached along its top edge


104


to a lid flap


110


. Top edge


104


serves as a hinge for flap


110


, allowing each flap


110


to rotate from a tucked-in position against inner face


102


of its attached wall


101


nearly 360° to the open position against outer face


103


of wall


101


. Flap


110


includes attached edge


112


attached to top edge


104


of wall


101


, and three free edges


111


.




In

FIG. 8

, three of flaps


110


are shown in an intermediate upwardly-extended position. A hand is shown pushing the right front flap


110


toward the open position against its attached wall


101


as clip


10


is lowered into place in corner


107


.




To close carton


100


, flaps


110


are rotated inward such that each flap


110


is at 90° to its attached wall


101


and covering inside volume


115


. The floor or bottom


114


of carton


100


, not fully shown, comprises floor flaps in a similar arrangement.




The method of using clip


10


begins with using a first hand to push a first lid flap


110


A of carton


100


toward the open position, while gripping clip


10


with a second hand and positioning clip


10


with center post


30


above a corner


107


adjacent first flap


110


A. Clip


10


is lowered toward corner


107


. Center post


30


slides along interior dihedral angle


108


of corner


107


and long prong


40


comes into contact with and pushes against first flap


110


A.




After long prong


40


has engaged first flap


110


A, the first hand is free to move over and push the second flap


110


B toward the open position. Clip


10


is lowered further until short prong.


50


contacts the second flap


110


B and begins pushing the second flap


110


B to the open position. Clip


10


may then be lowered until spine


20


is conveniently close to top edges


104


of walls


101


adjacent corner


107


.





FIG. 10

shows a carton


100


with a clip


10


in each of two diagonally-opposite corners


107


. Because each clip


10


holds two adjacent flaps


110


, two clips


10


retain all four lid flaps


110


of carton


100


in the open position. Clip


10


is preferably fabricated from metal rods, thus the weight of two clips


10


aids in preventing carton


100


from being accidentally tipped over during the packing operation.




Clip


10


could alternatively be fabricated of plastic, such as a tough injection moldable plastic. The material used must be durable and able to be flexed slightly without fatigue embrittlement, and should be non-marking and with low coefficient of friction. Anodized aluminum or painted or powder-coated steel are suitable metals; ABS or nylon are suitable plastics.




If carton


100


is new, with stiff, springy attachments between top edges


104


and flaps


110


, pushing clip


10


downward against flaps


110


is not an efficient way to rotate flaps


110


to the open position and it is preferable to use a hand to start the rotation. The action of the hand pushing a first flap


110


and then a second flap


110


toward the open position is efficient and natural.




If carton


100


has been previously used and the attachments of top edges


103


to flaps


110


have become non-springy, clip


10


can be pushed against first and second flaps


110


to rotate flaps


110


from the extended to the open position without aid from a hand pushing on flap


110


.




The difference in lengths of long prong


40


and short prong


50


causes only one flap


110


at a time to be engaged by clip


10


. This feature of clip


10


allows the first hand to fold flaps


110


in sequence.




If prongs


40


,


50


were of equal length, both the first and the second flaps


110


would need to be pushed downward simultaneously, requiring the use of the packer's legs to hold flaps


110


in the open position while pushing clip


10


downward with a hand, or use of both hands to hold flaps


110


in the open position while nudging clip


10


downward with the chin, or other awkward postures.




Because prongs


40


,


50


must push straight downward against flaps


110


that may be angled outward from the vertical, each of prongs


40


,


50


include slide means


45


,


55


for sliding along a flap


110


without digging into or scratching the cardboard of flap


110


. Slide means


45


,


55


may comprise any of several different means for accomplishing this, such as including a beveled tip (not shown) on prongs


40


,


50


; including an enlarged rounded knob (not shown) on prongs


40


,


50


; or the slide means


45


illustrated in the drawings, which is a bent portion


46


of long prong


40


and a bent portion


56


of short prong


50


.




Bent portions


46


,


56


accommodate for the angle of flaps


110


away from walls


101


and use a downward force on clip


10


to rotate flaps


110


to the open position. Tip end


47


is the part below bent portion


46


of long prong


40


. Tip end


57


is the part below bent portion


56


of short prong


50


. Tip ends


47


,


57


do not touch flaps


110


during use of clip


10


. Center post


30


does not include slide means because center post


30


slides vertically down vertical interior dihedral angle


108


when clip


10


is inserted into corner


107


.




Bent portions


46


,


56


preferably cause tip ends


47


,


57


to point generally normal to the plane of the flap


110


on which prongs


40


,


50


, respectively, push. Tip ends


47


,


57


also point substantially at right angles to each other.




Handle tab


25


is generally perpendicular to spine


20


. When clip


10


is inserted into corner


107


in the orientation shown in

FIGS. 8 through 10

, handle tab


25


projects radially from corner


107


, as seen in FIG.


11


. Bottom


114


of carton


100


may be seen in FIG.


11


. Clip


10


can be inserted into corner


107


easily by gripping spine


20


, center post


30


and prongs


40


,


50


in any means comfortable. To remove clip


10


from corner


107


, it is easier to pull upward on handle tab


25


because most of clip


10


is lying against parts of carton


100


.




Clip


10


could be inserted into corner


107


in the mirror image of that depicted in

FIGS. 8 through 11

. Clip


10


would hold flaps


110


in the open position equally well, but tab handle


25


would be projecting into inside volume


115


of carton


100


and would be slightly less accessible for retrieval.




A four-sided carton


100


has been described and illustrated herein, but other types of cartons can be packed using clip


10


. All that is required is that the spacing between center post


30


and prongs


40


,


50


be such that prongs


40


,


50


fall on the outside of carton


100


when center post


30


is inserted into interior dihedral angle


108


and that prongs


40


,


50


push down flaps


110


and hold flaps


110


in an open position.




Flaps


110


have been described and illustrated herein as extending along the length of top edge


104


of carton wall


101


. Clip


10


can be used for packing cartons


100


that do not have flaps


110


the entire length of top edge


104


. The distance between center post


30


and a prong


40


,


50


must be at least equal to the sum of the thickness of flap


110


, the thickness of wall


101


, plus the length of top edge


104


adjacent to corner


107


that is not attached to flap


110


.




Although particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, various changes may be made in the form, composition, construction, and arrangement of the parts herein without sacrificing any of its advantages. Therefore, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A clip for holding lid flaps of a carton in an open position; the carton including: at least two walls attached to each other; each wall including a top edge, two side edges, an inner face, and an outer face; the walls being attached to each other along their adjoining side edges to form a corner; the corner including an interior dihedral angle formed by the inner faces of the attached walls and an exterior dihedral angle formed by the outer faces of the attached walls; the carton further including a lid comprising at least a first flap and a second flap; each flap including an attached edge attached to the top edge of a wall of the carton and hingedly moveable between a closed position and an open position wherein the flap is alongside the outer face of its attached wall; said clip including:a spine; including: a first end; a second end; and a middle portion between said first and second ends; a long prong attached to said first end of said spine and extending downward, for holding the first lid flap in an open position; a short prong attached to said second end of said spine and extending downward, for holding the second lid flap in an open position; said short prong being shorter than said long prong; and a center post for insertion into an interior dihedral corner of the carton, attached to said middle portion of said spine and extending downward; said long prong and said short prong spaced apart from said center post by a distance sufficient to allow each said prong to hold a flap in an open position.
  • 2. The clip of claim 1, said long prong and said short prong both being substantially parallel to said center post.
  • 3. The clip of claim 1, said long prong and said short prong each including:slide means for sliding along and pushing against a carton flap.
  • 4. The clip of claim 3, said long prong and said short prong each including:a proximal end attached to said spine; and a tip end opposite said proximal end; and wherein said slide means includes: a bent portion between said proximal end and said tip end.
  • 5. The clip of claim 4, wherein said long prong tip end and said short prong tip end point at a right angle to each other and each points generally normal to the plane of the flap on which said tip end pushes.
  • 6. A method for holding lid flaps of a carton in an open position; the carton including: at least two walls attached to each other; each wall including a top edge, a side edge, an inner face, and an outer face; the walls being attached to each other along their adjoining side edges to form a corner; the corner including an interior dihedral angle formed by the inner faces of the attached walls and an exterior dihedral angle formed by the outer faces of the attached walls; the carton further including a lid comprising at least a first flap and a second flap; each flap including an attached edge attached to the top edge of a wall of the carton and hingedly moveable between a closed position and an open position wherein the flap is alongside the outer face of its attached wall;providing a clip including a spine; the spine including: a first end; a second end; and a middle portion between the first and second ends; a long prong attached to the first end of the spine and extending downward, for holding the first lid flap in an open position; a short prong that is shorter than the long prong, attached to the second end of the spine and extending downward, for holding the second lid flap in an open position; and a center post for insertion into an interior dihedral corner of the carton, attached to the middle portion of the spine and extending downward; the long prong and the short prong spaced apart from the center post by a distance sufficient to allow each prong to hold a flap in an open position; holding the clip above a corner of the carton; lowering the clip until the slide means of the long prong contacts and pushes against the first lid flap and such that the center post is disposed in the interior dihedral angle of the corner; lowering the clip until the slide means of the short prong contacts and pushes against the second lid flap; and lowering the clip until the first and second lid flaps are in the open position.
  • 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of:holding the clip above a corner of the carton includes the substep of: gripping the clip with a first hand and pushing the first flap toward an open position with the second hand; and the step of: lowering the clip until the slide means of the short prong contacts and pushes against the second flap includes the substep of: using the second hand to push the second flap toward an open position against the outer face of the wall.
  • 8. The method of claim 7; wherein the carton includes at least four walls joined at four corners; a clip is inserted into a first corner and a second clip is inserted into a second corner diagonally opposite the first corner.
  • 9. In combination:a carton including: four walls attached to each other to define an inside volume that is a rectangular prism; each said wall including: a top edge; two side edges; an inner face facing said inside volume; and an outer face facing outward; each said wall being attached to another said wall along their adjoining said side edges to form a corner; said corner including: an interior dihedral angle formed by said inner faces of said two attached walls; and an exterior dihedral angle formed by said outer faces of said two attached walls; a lid comprising: a plurality of flaps; each said flap including: an attached edge attached to said top edge of a said wall of said carton and hingedly moveable between a closed position and an open position wherein the flap is alongside the outer face of its attached said wall; anda clip for holding two flaps adjacent a corner in an open position; said clip including: a spine; including: a first end; a second end; and a middle portion between said first and second ends; a long prong attached to said first end of said spine and extending downward, for holding the first lid flap in an open position; a short prong attached to said second end of said spine and extending downward, for holding the second lid flap in an open position; said short prong being shorter than said long prong; and a center post for insertion into an interior dihedral corner of the carton, attached to said middle portion of said spine and extending downward; said center post being substantially equal in length to said long prong; and said long as prong and said short prong spaced apart from said center post by a distance sufficient to allow each said prong to hold a flap in an open position.
  • 10. The combination of claim 9; said spine including:a handle for manipulating said clip.
  • 11. The combination of claim 9, said long prong and said short prong both being substantially parallel to said center post.
  • 12. The combination of claim 11, said long prong and said short prong each including:slide means for sliding along and pushing against a carton flap.
  • 13. The combination of claim 12, said long prong and said short prong each including:a proximal end attached to said spine; a tip end opposite said proximal end; and wherein said slide means includes: a bent portion between said proximal end and said tip end; such that said tip end does not contact said wall of said carton during use of said clip.
  • 14. The combination of claim 13, wherein said long prong tip end and said short prong tip end point at a right angle to each other and each points generally normal to the plane of said flap on which said prong pushes.
  • 15. The combination of claim 10, said handle comprising a tab adapted for grasping between a thumb and finger and with a longitudinal axis perpendicular to said spine, such that said tab protrudes radially outward from said exterior dihedral angle of said corner when said center post is disposed in said interior dihedral angle.
  • 16. The combination of claim 13, said spine being generally linear and horizontal.
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4528800 Burns Jul 1985 A
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