US3033436A - Slide closure carton - Google Patents

Description

y 1962 s. 1.. PEIMER 3,033,436

SLIDE CLOSURE CARTON Filed March 25, 1960 KmM/ZQW A TTORNE Y6.

United States Patent ()fi ice 3,033,436 SLIDE CLOSURE CARTON Stanley L. Peimer, 1151 E. 17th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Mar. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 17,214 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates to cartons, and particularly paper cartons having a slide closure formed integrally with the blank from which the carton is fabricated. The invention also extends to the blank itself, having suitable cuts, score lines and perforations whereby assembly of the single blank into a carton will provide a carton having a slide closure for a discharge opening.

The invention disclosed and claimed herein constitutes an improvement on the slide closure carton described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 751,740, filed July 29, 1958, now Patent No. 2,950,851.

In general, the improved carton comprises a container of cardboard or the like, having a discharge opening in one end wall and located at the extreme upper edge thereof whereby the entire contents of the package or carton may be poured therefrom without leaving remnants of the product in the carton. The end wall, in which the discharge opening is provided, is of 2-ply construction with registering openings in the plies or layers to define the discharge openings and with a slide closure for one of those openings initially formed integral with that ply but separable therefrom, without removal from the carton. A further, or third ply or layer, overlies the outermost ply of the end wall and constitutes a tab extending downwardly from a flap defining at least a portion of the top wall of the carton. The innermost ply or layer and the third ply or layer thus constitute confining and guiding means for the slide closure, and the latter is provided with an integral outwardly extending foldable handle portion, located below the third ply and by which it may be manipulated to open or closed position.

The carton of this invention includes other novel and useful features that will be more fully described hereinafter.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved closed sealed carton, having means integral therewith but separable therefrom to form a slide closure and flaps to confine and guide said closure.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved carton of the type set forth wherein the slide closure and related features are provided in three superimposed fiaps or layers, each being integral with a different panel.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved slide closure carton that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and reliable and efilcient in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an integral blank arranged for the most economical use of sheet material to form a carton having an integral slide closure.

Further and additional objects will become apparent to those skiled in the art as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank of sheet material for forming a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a. fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of the blank of FIG. 1, partially folded to cartonforming position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of an upper corner portion of a completed carton showing the slide closure in open position; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View, similar to a portion of FIG. 2, but showing a modified form of the invention.

The blank of FIG. 1 comprises a generally rectangular blank of sheet material provided with score lines 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 and slits 14, 16 and 18. The score lines and slits divide the blank into alternating side panels 20 and 22 and end panels 24 and 26. The score lines 10 and '12 define the upper and lower edges of the panels 20--26 and constitute fold lines for upper or top-forming flaps 28, 30 and 32 and lower or bottom-forming flaps 34, 36, 38 and 40. A further flap 42 is formed integrally with the outer edge of side panel 20 and is joined thereto along the score line 2. A tab 44 is integrally joined to the top flap 32 along score line 46 and extends laterally from one end of the flap 32 to overlie the upper end of end wall panel 26.

The tab 42 comprises an upper wide portion, the same width as end panel 26, but extending only about halfway down from the upper score line 12. Tab 4-2 is further provided with a narrow downwardly extending strip 48 for securement to the opposite end wall panel 26, as will be described. The upper edge portion of the flap 42 is configured to define a notch 50 to serve as a discharge opening, as will be described.

The end wall panel 26 is provided with a pair of parallel slits 52 and 54 extending downwardly from a position closely adjacent the upper edge 56 of that panel and in parallel spaced relation. The slit 54 is interrupted by a projecting tab or stop element 58 extending inwardly to a slit 60, which, with the slit 54, forms a cutout or open.- ing 62. lower ends of the slits 52 and 60, and is aligned with a further slit 66 defining the bot-tom edge of the projection 58. A handle portion 68 is bounded by a row of perforations 74 having a continuous slit 72 along a portion thereof.

The tab 44, extending from the end of the top flap 32 is provided with an area bounded by lines of perforations 74 and a slit 76. A portion of the score line 46, between the perforations 74, is also defined by a row of perforations so that the tear-out tab 78 may be removed from the tab 44 at will.

The areas shown stippled in FIG. 1 (on end panel 26 and tab 44) represent areas that are adhesively secured to other surfaces when the carton is completed, as will be described. It is to be understood that similar adhesive is provided and applied between other tabs and flaps where necessary to hold the carton in assembled, closed, and sealed condition, although such additional adhesive is not shown in the drawings.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the blank of FIG. 1 is folded so that the side wall panels 20 and 22 are in opposed parallel relation, spaced apart by the width of end wall panels 24 and 26. The flap 42 is folded inwardly to lie inside the end wall panel 26 and is adhesively secured to the inner face thereof, outwardly of the slide closure 80 between slits 52 and 54, as is extending strip 48 which extends to the bottom of the carton.

From the position of FIG. 2, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art how the carton may be further folded to position the flap 42 and its extension 48 to lie inwardly of the end wall panel 26' and adhesively secured in the described relation. Thereafter the top wall flap 30 is folded inwardly, then the top wall panel 28 is likewise folded inwardly, after which the panel 32 is folded to overlie the panel 28 and is adhesively secured thereto. The tab 44 is then folded downwardly to overlie the outer face of the end wall panel 26, and as shown in FIG. 3, the tab 44 extends downwardly only far enough to cover the slits 52 and 54, the opening 62, and the stop projection 58.

The bottom flaps 34--40 are likewise folded inwardly and adhesively secured to complete the carton.

It will be obvious that the carton assembled and sealed in the manner described will be completely sealed and closed to retain the product therein until ready for use.

Patented May 8, 1962 A score line 64 extends transversely between the When it is desired to use the product packaged in the carton, the user first removes the tear-out tab 78 by inserting a fingernail or other instrument in the slit '76 and removing the tab 78 in an obvious manner. Thereafter, a fingernail or other instrument is inserted in the slit 72 and the handle portion 68 is moved outwardly to tear along the perforations 70 and to fold the handle portion 68 outwardly along score line 64. With the handle poriton thus turned outwardly and severed from the panel 26, the handle and slide closure 80 are forcibly pulled downwardly to sever the slide closure from the panel 26 at those small areas at the upper ends of slits 52 and 54. Upon such severance the slide closure may be pulled downwardly to the position of FIG. 3 to uncover the discharge opening defined by notch 50, previously described, and thereby open the carton for pouring the desired quantity of the product therefrom. The projection 58 constitutes a stop means engageable with that edge of the slide closure defined by the upper edge of the opening 62, to thus limit downward movement of the slide closure and prevent its complete withdrawal and/or loss. After the desired amount of product has been poured from the carton, the handle 68 may be manipulated in an obvious manner, to slide the closure upwardly and thereby close the discharge opening.

It is to be noted that the tear-out tab 78 is of substantially the same size and shape as the notch 50 and registers with the same when the carton is assembled, as shown in FIG. 3. It is to be further noted that the tab 44 constitutes a third or outer ply or layer, extending downwardly only far enough to cover the slide closure portion 80 while leaving the handle 68 exposed. It is to be further noted that the flap 42 extends downwardly from the top of the carton a sufiicient distance to underlie the entire slide closure 80, opening 62 and handle portion 68, whereby manipulation of the slide closure will never create any additional discharge or leakage openings other than the one defined by the notch 50.

FIG. 4 shows a modified form of the invention which is identical, in most respects, to that of FIGS. 1 to 3. Identical elements are identified in FIG. 4 by the same reference numerals used in the previous figures. In this modification, however, a further top flap 82 is integrally joined to the upper edge of flap 42, outwardly of the notch 50, along score line 84. Thus, in assembling the carton of FIG. 4, the top wall of the carton is formed by four inwardly turned flaps instead of the three flaps described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 3. The flap 82 is folded inwardly at the same time as the flap 30 and assists in sealing the end wall of the carton against inadvertent leakage of product and also serves to strengthen the carton structure. In all other respects the embodiment of FIG. 4 is the same as that previously described, and is assembled and used in the same manner.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that an efficient slide closure carton is provided, and one which may be formed from a minimum of stock sheet material. The provision of the tab '44 integrally secured to top flap 32 permits the construction of a 3-layer end wall portion at the slide closure region without the necessity of providing a further tab extending outwardly from either end wall panel 26 or flap 42 with the attendant increase in length of stock material necessary to form such a carton. By securing the tab 44 to the top flap 32 a reduction in the amount of sheet material used is accomplished.

While a limited number of specific embodiments in the invention have been shown and described herein, it is to be understood that the same are merely illustrative and do not limit the invention thereto. Other forms and modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a carton having opposed side walls, end walls and top and bottom walls, at least a portion of one of said end walls, adjacent said top wall, comprising two superimposed layers of sheet material, the innermost of said layers having an upper edge portion spaced from said top wall and defining a discharge opening therebetween, the outer of said two layers having parallel slits therein defining the edges of a slide closure having one end adjacent said discharge opening, the other end of said slide closure being integrally joined to said outer layer, within the outline thereof, along a line of perforations defining a handle portion, said top wall having a tab integral therewith overlying the outermost of said two superimposed layers and extending downwardly to cover only said parallel slits while leaving said handle portion exposed thercbelow, said tab having a tear-out portion therein defined by lines of perforations and overlying said discharge opening.

2. A carton as defined in claim 1 wherein said superimposed layers are respectively integrally joined to adjacent edges of opposed side walls of said carton.

3. A carton as defined in claim 1 wherein the outermost of said superimposed layers extends the full height of said one end wall, the innermost of said layers extending downwardly only about one half the height of said one end wall to underlie said slide closure and handle portion.

4. A carton as defined in claim 1 wherein said two superimposed layers are adhesively bonded in face-to-face relation at areas outwardly of said slide closure and wherein said tab is adhesively bonded in face-to-face relation to said outer layer at areas outwardly of said parallel slits.

5. A blank of sheet material for forming a carton having a slide closure, comprising; a generally rectangular sheet of material having transverse score lines dividing said sheet into alternate end wall and side wall panels, there being an outer end wall panel at one end and a side wall panel adjacent the other end of said blank, said outer end wall panel having slits and perforations therein adjacent one end thereof and defining a separable slide closure, 21 fiap integrally joined to an edge of said last-named side wall panel along a score line and having a cutout at one end edge thereof, said flap being of a width substantially equal to the width of said end Wall, top and bottom wall flaps integrally joined to the ends of certain of said end and side wall panels including a top flap on the side wall panel next adjacent said outer end wall panel adjacent said one end thereof, said last-named top flap having an end tab thereon extending across said one end of said outer end wall panel and having perforations therein defining a separable tearout portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,336,706 Sunderhauf Dec. 14, 1943 2,501,842 Cartwright Mar. 28, 1950 2,507,430 Yancey May 9, 1950 2,899,119 Stowitts et al. Aug. 11, 1959 2,903,175 Primer Sept. 8, 1959

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