GB1567592A

GB1567592A - Tear-open carton

Info

Publication number: GB1567592A
Application number: GB4337377A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Carl Edelmann GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Carl Edelmann GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1976-10-18
Filing date: 1977-10-18
Publication date: 1980-05-21
Also published as: FR2367677A1; AT354334B; DE2647025A1; BE859797A; FR2367677B1; LU78324A1; ATA730077A; IT1087788B; DE2647025C3; CH625181A5; NL7711442A; DE2647025B2

Abstract

The tear-open package with an inner bag is intended for liquids. It has a tear-off part (25b) which is located on a lid flap (25), is divided off by an incision (28) and a perforation (29), and is glued to an edge section of the inner bag (12) located below it. In order to facilitate the start of tearing and the tearing-off of the inner bag, its edge (33) is provided with an incision (34) in the region below the incision (28) in the lid flap (25). <IMAGE>

Description

(54) TEAR-OPEN CARTON (71) We, CARL EDELMANN GmbH, a German company, of Paradiesstrasse 20, 7920 Heidenheim/Brenz, Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a tear-open carton for containing a liquid such as oil, or other flowable material.

Tear-open cartons for liquids are known in various embodiments, these are usually milk packs in the form of bags, the walls of which are brought together at their upper ends and sealed by an upwardly projecting fold. The pack is usually torn open by cutting into or cutting off part of the fold from one side, whereupon the walls of the pack can be pulled outwards, with varying degrees of difficutly, to form a spout. However, such bag packs are not always desirable or usable.

According to the present invention there is provided a carton for containing a liquid or other flowable material, the carton comprising an outer casing and an inner bag which is sealed at its upper edge region and provided with a notch to assist tearing of the bag, the casing being closed at its top end by means of flaps hinged to side walls of the casing, at least a portion of a first flap, on a first side wall, being folded beneath the upper edge region of the bag, and a second flap, on an opposite, second, side wall, being folded onto the upper edge region of the bag, the first flap being bonded to the second flap andlor to the upper edge region of the bag, the second flap comprising two portions which are separable from one another along a perforation, at least one of the portions being bonded to the upper edge region of the bag and the notch being adjacent the perforation, whereby tearing of that one portion from the other along the perforation causes the bag to be torn open from the notch.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention comprise an outer casing in the form of a box, formed by folding a blank, and an inner bag; this carton can be opened simply and safely in one manoeuvre, so that a pouring opening with a spout is formed immediately on opening.

Such a carton may be suitable in place of more expensive packagings which are normally used.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a carton blank; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a tearopen carton, during closing, comprising an inner bag and an outer casing made from the blank of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of the carton of Figure 2 when opened; Figure 4 is a perspective view of another form of carton; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of yet another form of carton.

As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the outer casing 11 of the carton is formed from a carton blank 13 having four connected side walls 14, 15, 16 and 17, bearing flaps which are described below. On the long edge 18 of the side wall 14 there is a connecting flap 19 which is bonded, in the assembled configuration of Figure 2, to the side wall 17.

The base is formed by bottom flaps 20, 21, 22 and 23 extending from side walls 14 to 17. The lid is formed by first and second flaps 25 and 26 which are hinged to the side walls 15 and 17, and a further flap 24 which is hinged to the side wall 14. The flap 26 is half as wide as the carton, and is also divided by a cut 27 into a first flap portion 26a and a second flap portion 26b.

The lid flap 25, which forms the upper covering on the lid side when the carton is closed, is also divided into flap portions 25a and 25b by a perforation 29 and a slit 28 which connects one end of the perforation 29 to a free edge of the flap.

Connected with the flap portion 25b is flap member 30, which partially covers the side wall 16 when the carton is closed. In the centre of the side wall 16, below its upper edge, there is a scored line 31. Preferably, the lid flap portion 25b has a scored line 32.

The carton is constructed in a conventional manner at its lower end and has the following construction at its upper end.

The inner bag 12 is sealed at its upper edge region 33 in a conventional manner after filling, the filling opening of the bag being spread out broadwise so that the two sides lie against one another and can be sealed together. On sealing, the edge region 33 is provided with a notch 34, which serves to simplify the tearing of the bag edge region 33 to form the tear opening when the carton is torn open. The flap portion 26a is first folded over, and on it rests the sealed bag edge region 33, which is folded across its entire width towards the side wall 17. Then the lid flap 24 is folded inwards together with that part of the bag edge region 33 which is resting on it. After this, the flap portion 26b is turned over and rests partially on the lid flap 24 and partially on the bag edge region 33. The notch 34 lies underneath the edge 35 of the cut 27 dividing the flap 26.Then the flap 25 is folded down and attached on the underside of the flap portion 25a to the flap portion 26b by a coat of adhesive 36. The flap portion 25b is bonded to the bag edge region 33 at the area 38 by means of a coat of adhesive 37. Finally, the flap member 30, which extends from the upper lid flap 25, is folded downwards against the side wall 16 and is detachably adhered thereto by means of adhesive points 39.

To open the tear-open carton described, it is merely necessary to grip a corner 40 of the upper flap portion 25b, pull this flap portion upwards and sideways towards the tear opening, during which the flap portion 25b, being bonded to the bag edge region-33, tears it to open the inner bag 12 in such a manner that a tear opening 41 with a pouring spout 42 is created at the upper end of the carton in the vicinity of side wall 16, as can be seen from Figure 3. On tearing, the flap portion 25b of the flap 25 is separated from the portion 25a along the perforation 29 and the flap member 30 is detached from the side wall 16. By squeezing together the side walls 15 and 17 at the upper end near the pour opening, this being aided by the scored line 31, the form of the pouring spout 42 can be shaped as desired.

The carton shown in Figure 4, which is slightly modified and somewhat simplified by comparison with the carton of Figures 1 to 3, has an undivided lower lid flap 26', which is partially overlapped by the sealed bag edge region 33', this region being narrower than in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3. When the upper lid flap 25' is folded over, the lid flap portion 25a is bonded by means of an adhesive coating 36' to the side flap 24', to the exposed part of the lower lid flap 26' and the adjacent part of the bag edge region 33'.

Otherwise, the carton according to Figure 4 corresponds to that of Figures 1 to 3.

Thus, as in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, the perforation 29' and the edge of the flap 26' adjacent the side wall 16' are oblique to the upper edge of the side wall In a further modified embodiment shown in Figure 5, the upper lid flap 25" is, as before, provided with a flap member 30" which in this case includes tear piece 51, which is separated by perforations 52 and 53 respectively from the lid flap 25" and from the rest of the flap member 30" which is bonded to the side wall 16". The tear piece 51 is firmly bonded to the corner 54 of the bag edge region 33". To tear open the carton 11", the tear piece 51 is gripped at its edge 55 and pulled away from the side wall 16".The tear piece 51 is thereby separated along perforations 52 and 53 from the lid flap 25" and from the remaining part 56 of the flap member 30"; at the same time the inner bag is torn open, beginning at the notch 34" in the bag edge region 33", so that a pouring spout similar to that of Figure 3 is formed. To make it easier to pour out the contents of the carton, and to form a suitably shaped spout, there is a V-shaped cutout 58 in the upper region 57 of the side wall 16". The formation of the pouring spout is further simplified by the scored line 31" in the side wall 16" and by a scored line 59 in the upper lid flap 25" as well as possibly in the flap part 56; when the side walls 15 and 17 of the carton are squeezed together near the pour opening, the side wall 16" between them and the lid flap 25" buckle outwardly easily along the scored lines 31", 59, so that the pour opening of the pack is enlarged and room is made for the passage of air entering the carton on pouring. For this, it is advantageous for the upper bag edge region under the lid flaps to be bonded to them, so that if the lid flap bulges outwardly, the inner bag will be lifted with it. The bag is preferably also bonded to the inside upper region of the side wall 16".

The cartons described above are particularly useful for containing oil, but can also be used for containing other liquids and pourable materials.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A carton for containing a liquid or other flowable material, the carton comprising an outer casing and an inner bag which is sealed at its upper edge region and provided with a notch to assist tearing of the bag, the casing being closed at its top end by means of flaps hinged to side walls of the casing, at least a portion of a first flap, on a first side wall, being folded beneath the upper edge region of the bag, and a second flap, on an opposite, second side wall, being folded onto the upper edge region of the bag, the first flap being bonded to the second flap and/or to the upper edge region of the bag, the second flap comprising two portions which are separable from one another along a perforation, at least one of the portions being bonded to the upper edge region of the bag and the notch being adjacent the perforation, whereby tearing of that one portion from the other along the perforation causes the bag to be torn open from the notch.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1, in which one end of the perforation is connected to a free edge of the second flap by a slit.

3. A carton as claimed in claim 2, in which the notch lies beneath the slit in the second flap.

4. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the first flap is divided into two portions, one of which lies beneath the upper edge region of the bag and the other of which lies above this upper edge region.

5. A carton as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a third flap is provided on the casing, which lies over the first flap, the upper edge region of the bag and the third flap leaving e posed a portion of the upper surface of the first flap, to which portion the second flap is bonded.

6. ^ carton as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a third side wall extends between the first and second side walls, and in which the adjacent edge of the first flap and the perforation extend obliquely to the upper edge of the third side wall.

7. A carton as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a third side wall extends between the first and second side walls, and in which a portion of the second flap overlaps, and is detachably adhered to, the upper end region of the third side wall.

8. A carton as claimed in claim 7 when appendant to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the perforation lies over the upper edge of the third side wall.

9. A carton as claimed in claim 7 or 8, in which the upper edge of the third side wall is provided with a V-shaped notch.

10. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, in which the third side wall is provided with a central scored line to assist it to buckle outwardly of the carton when the first and second side walls are moved towards each other.

11. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 10, in which the inner bag is bonded to the third side wall.

12. A carton as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the second flap is provided with a central scored line to assist it to buckle outwardly of the carton when the first and second side walls are moved towards each other.

13. A carton substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 3, or Figure 4, or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. flaps to be bonded to them, so that if the lid flap bulges outwardly, the inner bag will be lifted with it. The bag is preferably also bonded to the inside upper region of the side wall 16". The cartons described above are particularly useful for containing oil, but can also be used for containing other liquids and pourable materials. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A carton for containing a liquid or other flowable material, the carton comprising an outer casing and an inner bag which is sealed at its upper edge region and provided with a notch to assist tearing of the bag, the casing being closed at its top end by means of flaps hinged to side walls of the casing, at least a portion of a first flap, on a first side wall, being folded beneath the upper edge region of the bag, and a second flap, on an opposite, second side wall, being folded onto the upper edge region of the bag, the first flap being bonded to the second flap and/or to the upper edge region of the bag, the second flap comprising two portions which are separable from one another along a perforation, at least one of the portions being bonded to the upper edge region of the bag and the notch being adjacent the perforation, whereby tearing of that one portion from the other along the perforation causes the bag to be torn open from the notch.