EP1301407B1 - Collapsible carton and method for collapsing - Google Patents
Collapsible carton and method for collapsing Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1301407B1 EP1301407B1 EP00947058A EP00947058A EP1301407B1 EP 1301407 B1 EP1301407 B1 EP 1301407B1 EP 00947058 A EP00947058 A EP 00947058A EP 00947058 A EP00947058 A EP 00947058A EP 1301407 B1 EP1301407 B1 EP 1301407B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- carton
- section
- erected
- fold line
- side wall
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
- B65D5/02—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body
- B65D5/16—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body the tubular body being formed with an aperture or removable portion arranged to allow removal or insertion of contents through one or more sides
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
- B65D5/0005—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper of variable capacity
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
- B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
- B65D5/54—Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing
- B65D5/5405—Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing for opening containers formed by erecting a blank in tubular form
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
- B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
- B65D5/54—Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing
- B65D5/5405—Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing for opening containers formed by erecting a blank in tubular form
- B65D5/542—Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing for opening containers formed by erecting a blank in tubular form the lines of weakness being provided in the container body
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a carton, which is progressively collapsible in order to reduce the bulk of the carton as the articles or articles contained within are progressively removed.
- the invention also relates to a method of collapsing such a carton.
- foodstuffs will spoil if they are not kept out of contact with air, and therefore, the large empty volume of a part empty but sealed carton may cause such spoilage.
- US-A-3 366 308 to Phillips discloses a container for milk or similar liquid products which is collapsible in its entirety once the entire contents thereof have been removed.
- US-A-1 751 755 to Paris discloses a box which is reducible in size by removing portions thereof, and then subsequently replacing an end portion which functions as a lid.
- the present invention seeks to overcome or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.
- One aspect of the present invention provides a carton for packaging one or more articles, for example, frozen or chilled foodstuffs, comprising a top wall and a base wall interconnected by opposed side walls to define a tubular structure and a pair of opposed end walls, wherein at least one of the end walls is arranged so as to allow access to the interior of the carton, and there further comprises an endless fold line defining first and second tubular sections characterised by an arrangement of weakened lines is provided on one or more of the side walls, so that the corresponding one of the tubular sections may be collapsed upon partial removal of the carton contents whilst the other tubular section remains substantially erected.
- the arrangement may comprise a first longitudinal fold line provided on the side wall, arranged so as to define two relatively foldable coplanar portions of the side wall and a pair of divergent fold lines defining a triangular portion of the respective side wall adjacent the endless fold line and interposed between the coplanar portions, the triangular portion being foldable inwardly to ease the transition between the collapsed carton section and the erected section.
- the pair of divergent fold lines may extend between the first longitudinal line and the endless fold line. More preferably, the end wall nearest the convergent ends of second and third fold lines may be arranged to permit access to the interior of the carton.
- a carton may be provided which is arranged so as to provide air-tight protection to the articles.
- at least one end wall may be resealable such that the carton may remain airtight.
- the collapsed section may be foldable into face contacting relationship with the erected section so as to reduce the overall carton size.
- the carton may package a plurality of articles, the endless fold line being provided in register with the abutting edges of the articles.
- a further carton section defined by second endless fold line intermediate the arrangement and the end wall may be provided.
- a second aspect of the present invention provides a blank for erecting into a carton for packaging one or more articles, for example frozen or chilled foodstuffs, the blank comprising a top wall panel, a first side wall panel, a bottom wall panel, and a second side wall panel hingedly interconnected in series, and a plurality of end wall panels hingedly interconnected to the end edges of the top wall panel and bottom wall panel wherein, when erected to form a carton, at least one of the composite end walls formed from the end wall panels is arranged so as to allow access to the interior of the carton, and wherein there further comprises an endless fold line defining first and second tubular sections and an arrangement of weakened lines provided on one or more of said side walls so that in a set condition the corresponding one of the carton sections may be collapsed whilst the other carton section remains substantially erected.
- the arrangement when erected to form a carton, may comprise first longitudinal fold lines provided on the side wall, arranged so as to define two relatively foldable coplanar portions of the side wall and a pair of divergent fold lines defining a triangular portion of the respective side wall adjacent the endless fold line and interposed between the coplanar portions, the triangular portion being foldable inwardly to ease the transition between the collapsed carton section and the erected section.
- the pair of divergent fold lines may extend between the first longitudinal line and the endless fold line. More preferably, the end wall nearest the convergent ends of second and third fold lines may be arranged to permit access to the interior of the blank when erected to form a carton.
- the collapsed section of the blank when erected to form a carton, may be foldable into face contacting relationship with the erected section so as to reduce the overall carton size.
- the blank when erected to form a carton, may package a plurality of articles, the endless fold line being provided in register with the abutting edges of the articles.
- a further section defined by a second endless fold line intermediate the arrangement and the end wall of the blank may be provided.
- a third aspect of the present invention provides a method of reducing the bulk of a carton having a top wall and a bottom wall interconnected by opposed side walls to define a tubular structure and a pair of opposed end walls comprising the steps of: applying an inward force along a portion of the length of the side wall such that the side wall folds inwardly along a first longitudinal fold line provided intermediate the upper and lower edges of the side wall, applying a force to a section of the top and bottom walls of the carton defined by an endless fold line so as to collapse said section, a collapsing fold line arrangement being provided so as to permit one section of the carton to remain erected, and the top and bottom walls of another section to be in a collapsed condition.
- the method may comprise the additional steps of opening one end closure structure of the carton to remove a proportion of the contents of the carton prior to collapsing a section of the carton, and resealing the end closure structure once the bulk has been reduced.
- the method may comprise the additional step of folding the collapsed section of the carton into face contacting relationship with the erected portion.
- FIG. 1 to 4 there is shown a carton for packaging one or more articles for example, frozen or chilled foodstuffs formed from one or more blanks 100 made from paperboard or other foldable sheet material.
- the carton comprises a top wall 10 and a base wall 14 interconnected by opposed side walls 12, 16 to define a tubular structure and end walls 18, 20, 22, 24, wherein at least one of the end walls is arranged so as to allow access to the interior of the carton and there further comprises an endless fold line 164 defining a first and second tabular section and an arrangement 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56 is provided on one or more of said side walls whereby the corresponding one of the carton section may be collapsed whilst the other carton section remaining substantially erected.
- a blank 100 comprising a top wall panel 10, first side wall panel 12, a bottom wall panel 14 and a second side wall panel 16 hingedly interconnected in series along fold lines 110, 112, 114 respectively.
- a securing flap 48 which is hingedly attached to second side wall panel 16 along fold line 116 is also provided in this embodiment.
- Upper end wall panels 18 and 22 are, in this embodiment, hingedly connected to the end edge of top wall panel 10 along fold lines 118 and 122 respectively.
- hingedly connected thereto along fold lines 126 and 132 are upper end glue panels 26 and 32 respectively.
- lower end wall panels 20 and 24 are hingedly interconnected to base wall panel 14 along fold lines 120 and 124 respectively, and hingedly connected thereto are lower end securing panels 28 and 30 respectively.
- gusset panel arrangements 34, 36, 38, 40 are hingedly interconnected to the end edges of side wall panels 12 and 14 along fold lines 134, 136, and 138, 140 respectively.
- Each arrangement is substantially identical, therefore only gusset panel arrangement 34 is discussed in more depth.
- gusset panel arrangement 34 is further interconnected to upper end wall panel 18 along fold line 146, and lower end wall panel 20 along fold line 142.
- the arrangement preferably comprises three triangular panels 42, 44, 46 hingedly interconnected along fold lines 144 and 145 which converge from the corners 11 and 15 of top wall panel 10 and base wall panel 14 respectively to the mid point 35 of the free edge of the arrangement 34.
- Tubular segments are provided in the carton.
- these are defined by fold lines 160, 162 and 164 extend transversely across top wall panel 10, first side wall panel 12, bottom wall panel 14 and second side panel 16 and are used to aid the progressive collapsing of the carton as described below.
- the number of these fold lines may be changed according to the particular requirements of the carton. If the carton is intended to hold articles of regular size, it is preferable that the fold lines 160, 162, 164 are provided in register with the abutting edges of the articles in order to optimise the possible bulk reduction when articles are removed.
- Each side collapsing arrangement is substantially identical, therefore only arrangement 56 is discussed in more detail.
- Arrangement 56 is preferably divided into a triangular portion 62, and two trapezoidal portions 58, 60.
- the triangular portion 62 is defined by an extension of fold line 164 and fold lines 161 and 163.
- Fold lines 161 and 163 intersect with fold line 158 which preferably runs substantially parallel to fold lines 114 and 116, and interconnects trapezoidal portions 58 and 60.
- Fold lines 161 and 163 are arranged with their intersection nearest the end of the carton which is to be opened by the user.
- central fold line 158 may extend into triangular panel 62 and intersect with fold line 164, as can be seen in collapsing arrangement 52, for example.
- the fold line 158 preferably extends from the end of the carton intended to be opened (in this embodiment the end having gusset structures 38 and 40 attached thereto) to the most distant collapsing arrangement therefrom (in this embodiment, collapsing arrangements 54 and 56) to ease the folding operation, but this does not affect the functioning of the intermediate side collapsing arrangements (in this embodiment, side collapsing arrangements 50, 51, 52, 53).
- the carton of the present invention can be formed by a series of sequential folding and gluing operations which can be performed in a straight line machine so that the carton is not required to be rotated or inverted to complete its construction.
- the folding process is not limited to that described below and be altered according to particular manufacturing requirements.
- glue is applied along one face of securing flap 48, and the blank is folded along fold lines 110, 112, 114, 116, such that flap 48 is secured in face contacting relationship with a portion of top wall panel 10 so as to form a open ended tubular carton with fold lines 160, 162 and 164 endlessly encircling the carton.
- alternative securing means known in the art such as mechanical locking means, may be provided.
- the contents of the carton may be loaded from either, or both, open ends of the carton, or be placed on the blank prior to it being formed into a tube.
- Upper and lower end closure panels 18 and 20, and gusset panels 44 are preferably folded out of alignment with their respective top, bottom and side panels 10, 14, 12, 16, with fold lines 144 and 145 allowing gusset panels 44 to be tucked inside the upper and lower end closure panels 18 and 20.
- Upper and lower end securing panels 26 and 28 are simultaneously folded in the opposite direction, and are secured in face contacting relationship as seen in Figure 2 to form composite panels using glue or other suitable means known in the art.
- a similar operation is also carried out on the end closure panels at the opposite end of the carton, such that the carton is substantially airtight.
- the composite panels 22, 24 and 26, 28 may optionally be secured in face contacting relationship with either the upper or lower end closure panels 18, 20 or 22, 24.
- fold lines 161 and 163 allow the triangular portion 62 to hinge inwardly along fold line 164, providing a neat, and easy to form transition between the collapsed and erected portions of the carton.
- Panels 30, 32 are then preferably re-adhered to provide a substantially airtight seal.
- the collapsed portion may be folded about one of the endless fold lines, fold line 162, for example, such that the collapsed portion overlies the remaining erected portion as shown in Figure 4.
- fold line 162 fold line 162
- the blank comprises a side wall panel 216, a bottom wall panel 214, a second side wall panel 212, a top wall panel 210, and a securing flap 248 hingedly interconnected in series along fold lines 314, 312, 310 and 348 respectively.
- End wall panels 220, 224 and 218, 222 are preferably hingedly interconnected to bottom wall panel 214 and top wall panel 210 along fold lines 320, 324 and 318, 322 respectively.
- End wall flaps 236, 238 and 234, 240 are optionally provided which are hingedly interconnected to first side wall panel 216 and second side wall panel 212 along fold lines 336, 338 and 334, 340 respectively.
- the tear panel is defined by opposed frangible lines 364, 368, and may comprise a series of tear portions 250, 252, 254, 256, 258, 260 is formed in top wall panel 210 and preferably end wall panel 222.
- the portions are hingedly interconnected along fold lines 322, 352, 354, 356, 358 respectively.
- Portion 260 is further hingedly interconnected to top wall panel along fold line 360.
- the frangible lines 364 and 368 in this embodiment, extend from the free edge of end wall panel 222 to the intersection with fold line 360. It is preferred that the frangible lines 364, 368 converge towards the free edge of end wall panel 222 to improve their tear initiation characteristics. It is envisaged that the number of tear portions may be increased or decreased in accordance with the requirements of a particular embodiment of the invention.
- the carton can be formed by a series of sequential folding and gluing operations which can be performed in a straight line machine so the carton is not required to be rotated or inverted to complete its construction.
- the folding process is not limited to that described below and can be altered according to particular manufacturing requirements.
- glue is applied to one face of securing flap 248, and side, top and base wall panels 216, 214, 212, 210 are folded along fold lines 314, 312, 310, 348 such that an open ended tubular carton is formed.
- Securing flap 248 is secured in face contacting relationship with first side wall panel 216 thereby forming a composite side wall.
- the contents of the carton may be loaded from one or both open ends of the carton, or may have been placed within the blank prior to the above described folding operation.
- Glue is then applied as necessary to end wall panels and flaps 218, 220, 224, 224 and 234, 236, 238, 240 so as to preferably form a substantially sealed container as the respective panels are placed in face contacting relationship.
- end wall panel 222 is secured outwardly of end wall panel 224, and that glue is not applied to the face of tear portion 250 contacting end wall panel 224 which would otherwise compromise the subsequent tearing operation.
- the blank is now fully erected into the carton illustrated in Figure 6.
- alternative securing means and/or end closure panel arrangements known in the art may be employed.
- the user preferably tears back the tear panel of the carton as far as is required along frangible lines 364 and 368. It can be seen in Figure 7 that tear portions 250, 252 and 254 have been torn back as far as fold line 354. A proportion of the contents of the carton may now be removed. If some of the carton contents remain, and the carton is to be stored away, for example in a refrigerator, then the user may fold the torn portions 250, 252, 254 downwardly such that portions 250 and 252 substantially overlie bottom wall panel 214, and portion 254 is out of alignment therewith, as shown in Figure 8.
- the length of the tear portions is substantially identical to the depth of the carton, in order that angle between the torn off portion 254 and portion 252 shown in Figure 8 is substantially 90°, and the end edge of portion 250 engages with fold line 324 in the erected carton so as to hold the torn off portions in place.
- the tear portions may be torn back further and the process repeated to reduce the bulk of the carton further. If the carton is intended to hold articles of regular size, it is preferable that the fold lines 352, 354, 356, 358, 360 are provided in register with the abutting edges of the articles in order to optimise the possible bulk reduction when articles are removed.
- the frangible lines 364, 368 are disposed along fold lines 310 and 348 such that when the access portions are folded downwardly, the side edges thereof contact the side wall panels 212 and 216, therefore minimising the ingress of air and other contaminants to the contents of the carton, thus reducing the risk of spoiling the foodstuffs and extending their shelf-life.
- top, bottom, side, “end”, “lower” and “upper” with respect to the panels of the carton are relative terms, and that the carton may be reoriented as necessary or as desired. It will be further recognised that rather than the side wall or top wall being formed from a glued composite of panels, the carton blank may be rearranged whereby some other wall such as a bottom wall is formed from the glued composite of panels.
- Any reference to hinged connection should not be construed as necessarily referring to a single fold line only: indeed it is envisaged that hinged connection can be formed from one or more of one of the following, a score line, a frangible line or a fold line, without departing from the scope of invention.
- the invention and its preferred embodiments relate to a carton or a sleeve which is shaped to provide satisfactory rigidity to hold items such as frozen or chilled foodstuffs.
- the shape of the blank minimises the amount of paperboard required for the carton.
- the invention can be modified without departing from the scope of the invention: for example, side and end panels can be increased in height or width to provide a carton to receive one or more articles of different shapes and/or sizes.
- the collapsing and tearing structures can be applied to other known carton types, for example fully enclosed cartons or wraparound cartons for enclosing other article types, without departing from the scope of the invention.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Cartons (AREA)
- Processing And Handling Of Plastics And Other Materials For Molding In General (AREA)
- Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
- Multi Processors (AREA)
- Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
- Making Paper Articles (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a carton, which is progressively collapsible in order to reduce the bulk of the carton as the articles or articles contained within are progressively removed. The invention also relates to a method of collapsing such a carton.
- When one or more articles contained within a carton formed from paperboard or like foldable sheet material are purchased, it is often the case that such articles will not be removed from the carton all in one go. In the case of frozen or chilled foodstuffs, the carton will be removed from the refrigerator or freezer, a number of articles will then be removed for preparation or consumption, and the carton containing the remainder will be replaced back in the refrigerator or freezer. Refrigerators and freezers have a limited capacity and a part empty carton therefore normally represents wasted space.
- In some instances, foodstuffs will spoil if they are not kept out of contact with air, and therefore, the large empty volume of a part empty but sealed carton may cause such spoilage.
- US-A-3 366 308 to Phillips discloses a container for milk or similar liquid products which is collapsible in its entirety once the entire contents thereof have been removed.
- US-A-1 751 755 to Paris discloses a box which is reducible in size by removing portions thereof, and then subsequently replacing an end portion which functions as a lid.
- The present invention seeks to overcome or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.
- One aspect of the present invention provides a carton for packaging one or more articles, for example, frozen or chilled foodstuffs, comprising a top wall and a base wall interconnected by opposed side walls to define a tubular structure and a pair of opposed end walls, wherein at least one of the end walls is arranged so as to allow access to the interior of the carton, and there further comprises an endless fold line defining first and second tubular sections characterised by an arrangement of weakened lines is provided on one or more of the side walls, so that the corresponding one of the tubular sections may be collapsed upon partial removal of the carton contents whilst the other tubular section remains substantially erected.
- According to an optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the arrangement may comprise a first longitudinal fold line provided on the side wall, arranged so as to define two relatively foldable coplanar portions of the side wall and a pair of divergent fold lines defining a triangular portion of the respective side wall adjacent the endless fold line and interposed between the coplanar portions, the triangular portion being foldable inwardly to ease the transition between the collapsed carton section and the erected section.
- Preferably, the pair of divergent fold lines may extend between the first longitudinal line and the endless fold line. More preferably, the end wall nearest the convergent ends of second and third fold lines may be arranged to permit access to the interior of the carton.
- According to another optional feature of this aspect of the invention, a carton may be provided which is arranged so as to provide air-tight protection to the articles. Preferably, at least one end wall may be resealable such that the carton may remain airtight.
- According to a further optional feature of this aspect of the invention there may further comprise upper and lower face contacting panels arranged perpendicular to the plane of the end wall that are adapted to be resealable.
- According to a still further optional feature of this aspect of the invention the collapsed section may be foldable into face contacting relationship with the erected section so as to reduce the overall carton size.
- According to a yet further optional feature of this aspect of the invention the carton may package a plurality of articles, the endless fold line being provided in register with the abutting edges of the articles.
- According to a further optional feature of this aspect of the invention a further carton section defined by second endless fold line intermediate the arrangement and the end wall may be provided.
- A second aspect of the present invention provides a blank for erecting into a carton for packaging one or more articles, for example frozen or chilled foodstuffs, the blank comprising a top wall panel, a first side wall panel, a bottom wall panel, and a second side wall panel hingedly interconnected in series, and a plurality of end wall panels hingedly interconnected to the end edges of the top wall panel and bottom wall panel wherein, when erected to form a carton, at least one of the composite end walls formed from the end wall panels is arranged so as to allow access to the interior of the carton, and wherein there further comprises an endless fold line defining first and second tubular sections and an arrangement of weakened lines provided on one or more of said side walls so that in a set condition the corresponding one of the carton sections may be collapsed whilst the other carton section remains substantially erected.
- According to an optional feature of the second aspect of the invention, when erected to form a carton, the arrangement may comprise first longitudinal fold lines provided on the side wall, arranged so as to define two relatively foldable coplanar portions of the side wall and a pair of divergent fold lines defining a triangular portion of the respective side wall adjacent the endless fold line and interposed between the coplanar portions, the triangular portion being foldable inwardly to ease the transition between the collapsed carton section and the erected section.
- Preferably, the pair of divergent fold lines may extend between the first longitudinal line and the endless fold line. More preferably, the end wall nearest the convergent ends of second and third fold lines may be arranged to permit access to the interior of the blank when erected to form a carton.
- According to another optional feature of the second aspect of the invention, when erected to form a carton, the collapsed section of the blank may be foldable into face contacting relationship with the erected section so as to reduce the overall carton size.
- According to a further optional feature of the second aspect of the invention, when erected to form a carton, the blank may package a plurality of articles, the endless fold line being provided in register with the abutting edges of the articles.
- According to a yet further optional feature of the second aspect of the invention when erected to form a carton, a further section defined by a second endless fold line intermediate the arrangement and the end wall of the blank may be provided.
- A third aspect of the present invention provides a method of reducing the bulk of a carton having a top wall and a bottom wall interconnected by opposed side walls to define a tubular structure and a pair of opposed end walls comprising the steps of: applying an inward force along a portion of the length of the side wall such that the side wall folds inwardly along a first longitudinal fold line provided intermediate the upper and lower edges of the side wall, applying a force to a section of the top and bottom walls of the carton defined by an endless fold line so as to collapse said section, a collapsing fold line arrangement being provided so as to permit one section of the carton to remain erected, and the top and bottom walls of another section to be in a collapsed condition.
- Preferably, the method may comprise the additional steps of opening one end closure structure of the carton to remove a proportion of the contents of the carton prior to collapsing a section of the carton, and resealing the end closure structure once the bulk has been reduced.
- Optionally, the method may comprise the additional step of folding the collapsed section of the carton into face contacting relationship with the erected portion.
- Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
- FIGURE 1 illustrates a blank according to a first embodiment of the invention;
- FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an erected carton formed from the blank of Figure 1;
- FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the carton of Figure 1 in a partially collapsed condition;
- FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the partially collapsed carton of Figure 3 in which the collapsed section has been folded over;
- FIGURE 5 illustrates a blank according to a second embodiment of the invention;
- FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a carton formed from the blank of Figure 5;
- FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the carton of Figure 6 in which a panel has been torn back to allow access to the contents of the carton; and
- FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the carton of Figure 7 in which the torn back panel has been placed inside the carton once some of the contents thereof have been removed.
- Turning to the first embodiment as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, there is shown a carton for packaging one or more articles for example, frozen or chilled foodstuffs formed from one or
more blanks 100 made from paperboard or other foldable sheet material. The carton comprises atop wall 10 and abase wall 14 interconnected byopposed side walls end walls endless fold line 164 defining a first and second tabular section and anarrangement - Referring in particular to Figure 1, there is shown a blank 100 comprising a
top wall panel 10, firstside wall panel 12, abottom wall panel 14 and a secondside wall panel 16 hingedly interconnected in series alongfold lines securing flap 48 which is hingedly attached to secondside wall panel 16 alongfold line 116 is also provided in this embodiment. - Upper
end wall panels top wall panel 10 alongfold lines fold lines end glue panels end wall panels base wall panel 14 alongfold lines end securing panels - In this embodiment,
gusset panel arrangements side wall panels fold lines gusset panel arrangement 34 is discussed in more depth. In addition to being hingedly interconnected to firstside wall panel 12 alongfold line 134,gusset panel arrangement 34 is further interconnected to upperend wall panel 18 alongfold line 146, and lowerend wall panel 20 alongfold line 142. The arrangement preferably comprises threetriangular panels fold lines corners top wall panel 10 andbase wall panel 14 respectively to themid point 35 of the free edge of thearrangement 34. - Tubular segments are provided in the carton. In this embodiment, these are defined by
fold lines top wall panel 10, firstside wall panel 12,bottom wall panel 14 andsecond side panel 16 and are used to aid the progressive collapsing of the carton as described below. In alternative embodiments, the number of these fold lines may be changed according to the particular requirements of the carton. If the carton is intended to hold articles of regular size, it is preferable that thefold lines fold line side wall panels side collapsing arrangements fold line arrangement 56 is discussed in more detail. -
Arrangement 56 is preferably divided into atriangular portion 62, and twotrapezoidal portions triangular portion 62 is defined by an extension offold line 164 andfold lines Fold lines fold line 158 which preferably runs substantially parallel tofold lines trapezoidal portions Fold lines central fold line 158 may extend intotriangular panel 62 and intersect withfold line 164, as can be seen in collapsingarrangement 52, for example. In any case, thefold line 158 preferably extends from the end of the carton intended to be opened (in this embodiment the end havinggusset structures arrangements 54 and 56) to ease the folding operation, but this does not affect the functioning of the intermediate side collapsing arrangements (in this embodiment,side collapsing arrangements - Turning to the construction of the erected carton as illustrated in Figure 2, it is envisaged that the carton of the present invention can be formed by a series of sequential folding and gluing operations which can be performed in a straight line machine so that the carton is not required to be rotated or inverted to complete its construction. The folding process is not limited to that described below and be altered according to particular manufacturing requirements.
- In this embodiment, glue is applied along one face of securing
flap 48, and the blank is folded alongfold lines flap 48 is secured in face contacting relationship with a portion oftop wall panel 10 so as to form a open ended tubular carton withfold lines - Upper and lower
end closure panels side panels fold lines end closure panels end securing panels composite panels end closure panels - Referring now in particular to Figure 3, in order to gain access to the interior of the
carton panels centre fold line 158 ofsecond side panel 16, and the corresponding fold line on firstside wall panel 12 are pushed inwardly, thus facilitating the pressing of a section oftop wall panel 10 andbottom wall panel 14 into substantially face contacting relationship as far along the carton as the remaining contents will allow.Endless fold lines fold lines triangular portion 62 to hinge inwardly alongfold line 164, providing a neat, and easy to form transition between the collapsed and erected portions of the carton.Panels - It can be seen from Figure 3 that the overall bulk of the carton is now significantly reduced. To reduce the overall dimensions of the carton, the collapsed portion may be folded about one of the endless fold lines, fold
line 162, for example, such that the collapsed portion overlies the remaining erected portion as shown in Figure 4. To gain access to the interior of the carton again, the above method is reversed. - Turning now to the second embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Figures 5 to 8, but referring particularly to Figure 5 which shows a blank 200 for forming the carton of the second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the blank comprises a
side wall panel 216, abottom wall panel 214, a secondside wall panel 212, atop wall panel 210, and a securing flap 248 hingedly interconnected in series alongfold lines End wall panels bottom wall panel 214 andtop wall panel 210 alongfold lines side wall panel 216 and secondside wall panel 212 alongfold lines - There further comprises an
elongate tear panel 251. In this embodiment, the tear panel is defined by opposedfrangible lines tear portions top wall panel 210 and preferably endwall panel 222. The portions are hingedly interconnected alongfold lines Portion 260 is further hingedly interconnected to top wall panel alongfold line 360. Thefrangible lines end wall panel 222 to the intersection withfold line 360. It is preferred that thefrangible lines end wall panel 222 to improve their tear initiation characteristics. It is envisaged that the number of tear portions may be increased or decreased in accordance with the requirements of a particular embodiment of the invention. - As in the first embodiment, it is envisaged that the carton can be formed by a series of sequential folding and gluing operations which can be performed in a straight line machine so the carton is not required to be rotated or inverted to complete its construction. The folding process is not limited to that described below and can be altered according to particular manufacturing requirements.
- In this embodiment, glue is applied to one face of securing flap 248, and side, top and
base wall panels fold lines side wall panel 216 thereby forming a composite side wall. The contents of the carton may be loaded from one or both open ends of the carton, or may have been placed within the blank prior to the above described folding operation. Glue is then applied as necessary to end wall panels and flaps 218, 220, 224, 224 and 234, 236, 238, 240 so as to preferably form a substantially sealed container as the respective panels are placed in face contacting relationship. It should however be ensured thatend wall panel 222 is secured outwardly ofend wall panel 224, and that glue is not applied to the face oftear portion 250 contactingend wall panel 224 which would otherwise compromise the subsequent tearing operation. The blank is now fully erected into the carton illustrated in Figure 6. In other classes of embodiment, alternative securing means and/or end closure panel arrangements known in the art may be employed. - In order to gain access to the contents of the carton, the user preferably tears back the tear panel of the carton as far as is required along
frangible lines portions fold line 354. A proportion of the contents of the carton may now be removed. If some of the carton contents remain, and the carton is to be stored away, for example in a refrigerator, then the user may fold the tornportions portions bottom wall panel 214, andportion 254 is out of alignment therewith, as shown in Figure 8. - In a preferred embodiment, the length of the tear portions is substantially identical to the depth of the carton, in order that angle between the torn off
portion 254 andportion 252 shown in Figure 8 is substantially 90°, and the end edge ofportion 250 engages withfold line 324 in the erected carton so as to hold the torn off portions in place. As the contents of the carton are removed, the tear portions may be torn back further and the process repeated to reduce the bulk of the carton further. If the carton is intended to hold articles of regular size, it is preferable that thefold lines - In an alternative embodiment of the carton (not shown), the
frangible lines fold lines side wall panels - It will be recognised that, as used herein, the terms "top", "bottom", "side", "end", "lower" and "upper" with respect to the panels of the carton are relative terms, and that the carton may be reoriented as necessary or as desired. It will be further recognised that rather than the side wall or top wall being formed from a glued composite of panels, the carton blank may be rearranged whereby some other wall such as a bottom wall is formed from the glued composite of panels. Any reference to hinged connection should not be construed as necessarily referring to a single fold line only: indeed it is envisaged that hinged connection can be formed from one or more of one of the following, a score line, a frangible line or a fold line, without departing from the scope of invention.
- The invention and its preferred embodiments relate to a carton or a sleeve which is shaped to provide satisfactory rigidity to hold items such as frozen or chilled foodstuffs. The shape of the blank minimises the amount of paperboard required for the carton. It is anticipated the invention can be modified without departing from the scope of the invention: for example, side and end panels can be increased in height or width to provide a carton to receive one or more articles of different shapes and/or sizes. Furthermore, the collapsing and tearing structures can be applied to other known carton types, for example fully enclosed cartons or wraparound cartons for enclosing other article types, without departing from the scope of the invention.
Claims (20)
- A carton for packaging one or more articles, for example, frozen or chilled foodstuffs, comprising a top wall (10, 210) and a base wall (14, 214) interconnected by opposed side walls (12, 16, 212, 216) to define a tubular structure and a pair of opposed end walls (18, 20, 22, 24, 218, 220, 222, 224) wherein at least one of the end walls is arranged so as to allow access to the interior of the carton, and there further comprises an endless fold line (164) defining first and second tubular sections characterised by an arrangement of weakened lines (161, 163, 158) provided on one or more of said side walls so that the corresponding one of the tubular sections may be collapsed upon partial removal of the carton contents, whilst the other tubular section remains substantially erected.
- A carton according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement comprises a first longitudinal fold line (158) provided on the side wall, arranged so as to define two relatively foldable coplanar portions of the side wall and a pair of divergent fold lines (161, 163) defining a triangular portion (62) of the respective side wall adjacent the endless fold line and interposed between the coplanar portions, the triangular portion being foldable inwardly to ease the transition between the collapsed carton section and the erected section.
- A carton according to claim 2, wherein the pair of divergent fold lines extend between the first longitudinal line and the endless fold line.
- A carton according to claim 3, wherein the end wall nearest the convergent ends of second and third fold lines is arranged to permit access to the interior of the carton.
- A carton according to any preceding claim, arranged so as to provide air-tight protection to the articles.
- A carton according to claim 5, wherein at least one end wall is resealable such that the carton may remain airtight.
- A carton according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein there further comprises upper and lower face contacting panels (30, 32) arranged perpendicular to the plane of the end wall that are adapted to be resealable.
- A carton according to any preceding claim, wherein the collapsed section is foldable into face contacting relationship with the erected section so as to reduce the overall carton size.
- A carton according to any preceding claim, wherein the carton packages a plurality of articles, the endless fold line being provided in register with the abutting edges of the articles.
- A carton according to any preceding claim wherein a further carton section being defined by second endless fold line (162) intermediate the arrangement and the end wall is provided.
- A blank for erecting into a carton for packaging one or more articles, for example frozen or chilled foodstuffs, the blank comprising a top wall panel (10, 210), a first side wall panel (12, 212), a bottom wall panel (14, 214) and a second side wall panel (16, 216) hingedly interconnected in series, and a plurality of end wall panels (18, 20, 22, 24, 218, 220, 222, 224) hingedly interconnected to the end edges of the top wall panel and bottom wall panel wherein, when erected to form a carton, at least one of the composite end walls formed from the end wall panels is arranged so as to allow access to the interior of the carton, and wherein there further comprises an endless fold line (164) defining first and second tubular sections characterised by an arrangement of weakened lines (161, 163, 158) provided on one or more of said side walls so that in a set up condition the corresponding one of the carton sections may be collapsed whilst the other carton section remains substantially erected.
- A blank according to claim 11, wherein, when erected to form a carton, the arrangement comprises first longitudinal fold lines (158) provided on the side wall, arranged so as to define two relatively foldable coplanar portions of the side wall and a pair of divergent fold lines (161, 163) defining a triangular portion (62) of the respective side wall adjacent the endless fold line and interposed between the coplanar portions, the triangular portion being foldable inwardly to ease the transition between the collapsed carton section and the erected section.
- A blank according to claim 12, wherein the pair of divergent fold lines extend between the first longitudinal line and the endless fold line.
- A blank according to claim 12, wherein the end wall nearest the convergent ends of second and third fold lines is arranged to permit access to the interior of the blank when erected to form a carton.
- A blank according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein, when erected to form a carton, the collapsed section is foldable into face contacting relationship with the erected section so as to reduce the overall carton size.
- A blank according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein when erected to form a carton, the blank packages a plurality of articles, the endless fold line being provided in register with the abutting edges of the articles.
- A blank according to any one of claims 11 to 16 wherein, when erected to form a carton, a further section defined by a second endless fold line intermediate the arrangement and the end wall is provided.
- A method of reducing the bulk of a carton having a top wall (10, 210) and a bottom wall (14, 214) interconnected by opposed side walls (12, 16, 212, 216) to define a tubular structure and a pair of opposed end walls (18, 20, 22, 24, 218, 220, 222, 224) comprising the steps of: applying an inward force along a portion of the length of the side wall such that the side wall folds inwardly along a first longitudinal fold line (158) provided intermediate the upper and lower edges of the side wall, applying a force to a section of the top and bottom walls of the carton defined by an endless fold line (164) so as to collapse said section, a collapsing fold line arrangement being provided so as to permit one section of the carton to remain erected, and the top and bottom walls of another section to be in a collapsed condition.
- A method according to claim 18, comprising the additional steps of opening one end closure structure of the carton to remove a proportion of the contents of the carton prior to collapsing a section of the carton, and resealing the end closure structure once the bulk has been reduced.
- A method according to claim 18 or claim 19, comprising the additional step of folding the collapsed section of the carton into face contacting relationship with the erected portion.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP06000873A EP1659069A3 (en) | 2000-07-06 | 2000-07-06 | Collapsible carton and method thereof |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2000/018471 WO2002004302A1 (en) | 2000-07-06 | 2000-07-06 | Collapsible carton and method for collapsing |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP06000873A Division EP1659069A3 (en) | 2000-07-06 | 2000-07-06 | Collapsible carton and method thereof |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1301407A1 EP1301407A1 (en) | 2003-04-16 |
EP1301407B1 true EP1301407B1 (en) | 2006-03-01 |
Family
ID=21741565
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP00947058A Expired - Lifetime EP1301407B1 (en) | 2000-07-06 | 2000-07-06 | Collapsible carton and method for collapsing |
Country Status (8)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1301407B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE318761T1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2000260726A1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE60026311T2 (en) |
DK (1) | DK1301407T3 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2260030T3 (en) |
PT (1) | PT1301407E (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002004302A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (19)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6578736B2 (en) | 2001-01-09 | 2003-06-17 | Riverwood International Corporation | Carton with an improved dispensing feature |
US20040089671A1 (en) * | 2002-11-07 | 2004-05-13 | The C.W. Zumbiel Company | Carton with dispenser |
US6918487B2 (en) | 2003-02-12 | 2005-07-19 | Graphic Packaging International, Inc. | Dispensing system for double stack carton |
US7614497B2 (en) | 2003-10-15 | 2009-11-10 | Graphic Packaging International, Inc. | Display/vending carton |
US20050274638A1 (en) * | 2004-06-09 | 2005-12-15 | Georgia-Pacific Corporation | Combination shipping container and dispenser |
ATE474778T1 (en) | 2004-10-29 | 2010-08-15 | Graphic Packaging Int Inc | BOX WITH OPENING DEVICE |
US20060255106A1 (en) * | 2005-05-12 | 2006-11-16 | Graphic Packaging International, Inc. | Variable volume carton |
US7988034B2 (en) | 2006-10-02 | 2011-08-02 | Kellogg Company | Dual dispensing container |
US7984844B2 (en) | 2008-07-11 | 2011-07-26 | Graphic Packaging International, Inc. | Carton with spout |
WO2012151118A2 (en) | 2011-05-02 | 2012-11-08 | Graphic Packaging International, Inc. | Carton with opening feature |
MX353386B (en) | 2012-08-10 | 2018-01-10 | Graphic Packaging Int Llc | Carton with dispenser. |
ES2706177T3 (en) | 2013-05-24 | 2019-03-27 | Graphic Packaging Int Llc | Cardboard box for articles |
US10384846B2 (en) | 2013-05-24 | 2019-08-20 | Graphic Packaging International, Llc | Arrangement of containers in a carton |
EP3102502B1 (en) | 2014-01-31 | 2019-04-03 | Graphic Packaging International, LLC | Carton with opening feature |
US10124947B2 (en) | 2014-06-23 | 2018-11-13 | Graphic Packaging International, Llc | Carton with dispensing features |
WO2016179474A1 (en) | 2015-05-07 | 2016-11-10 | Graphic Packaging International, Inc. | Carton with handle |
ITUB20156303A1 (en) * | 2015-12-04 | 2017-06-04 | Gd Spa | Container for pasty or semi-liquid products. |
EP3568356B1 (en) | 2017-01-13 | 2021-11-03 | Graphic Packaging International, LLC | Carton with top closure |
JP2019089560A (en) * | 2017-11-10 | 2019-06-13 | あすか製薬株式会社 | Packing box |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
NL112055C (en) * | ||||
US1751755A (en) | 1928-07-03 | 1930-03-25 | Karle Lithographic Company | Collapsible and reducing box |
US3366308A (en) | 1966-04-11 | 1968-01-30 | Archer Products Inc | Collapsible container |
GB2250266A (en) * | 1990-11-29 | 1992-06-03 | Albatex S L | Transformable edible product package |
DE29714644U1 (en) * | 1997-08-16 | 1997-10-09 | Malz, Hermann, 49074 Osnabrück | Cardboard or bag packaging |
-
2000
- 2000-07-06 AU AU2000260726A patent/AU2000260726A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2000-07-06 AT AT00947058T patent/ATE318761T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2000-07-06 DE DE60026311T patent/DE60026311T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2000-07-06 ES ES00947058T patent/ES2260030T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2000-07-06 PT PT00947058T patent/PT1301407E/en unknown
- 2000-07-06 EP EP00947058A patent/EP1301407B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2000-07-06 DK DK00947058T patent/DK1301407T3/en active
- 2000-07-06 WO PCT/US2000/018471 patent/WO2002004302A1/en active IP Right Grant
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2000260726A1 (en) | 2002-01-21 |
DE60026311D1 (en) | 2006-04-27 |
DK1301407T3 (en) | 2006-06-26 |
PT1301407E (en) | 2006-07-31 |
ATE318761T1 (en) | 2006-03-15 |
WO2002004302A1 (en) | 2002-01-17 |
ES2260030T3 (en) | 2006-11-01 |
EP1301407A1 (en) | 2003-04-16 |
DE60026311T2 (en) | 2006-11-02 |
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