US2255331A - Display and dispensing carton - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 9, 1941. 1.. B. POSPISIL DISPLAY AND DISPENSING CARTON Filed Feb. 14, 1939 YIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR M M ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE 2,255,331 DISPLAY AND msmsme CARTON Louis B. Pospisil, Seattle, Wash Amine-anti; February 14 ,1 939, Serial No. 256,361 3 Claims. (01. 20e-42) The object of this invention is to provide an improved carton for fragile articles, such for instance as medical capsules.

Such merchandise is of a character requiring containers of a special nature and which are particularly adapted for the performance of this function. Since these capsules are often of a liquid content having a gelatinous casing, they are not only affected by changes of temperature but they are subject to serious injury as a result of attritional contact with each other. Hence, they are wholly unlike a pill or similar self stable entity. Further, because of their peculiar nature, it is frequently difficult to extract them from a container, and in the act of using the fingers for that purpose, the capsules are frequently injured.

One of the major objects of this invention is to provide an improved carton from which capsules can readily be discharged, one at a time, without using the fingers, and wherein theremaining capsules will be retained in position in the carton.

A further object is to provide the carton with means for maintaining and retaining the capsules in separated relation from each other, in combination with the means for facilitating discharge of the capsules from the carton.

It is also a feature of the invention to provide a discharging means, or a means whereby discharge of capsules may be effected, in such a manner and of such a nature that the discharging means will also function in the capacity of a display means for the contents.

Where the carton is embodied in the form of a tray and tray holder, it is a feature of the invention to equip the tray with means for separating the capsules into rows, and to provide means associated with the tray, for the purpose of releasing the capsules of any one row for discharge, and retaining the capsules t all the other rows from being discharged until the capsules of the released row have been exhausted or discharged and thereafter releasing the capsules of successive or selected rows for discharge.

In the most improved form of the invention,

such controlling and releasing means is transparent to afford display of the contents, and it is also a feature to provide such a transparent means in such a manner that it will function initially to seal the contents of the tray against circulation of air and entrance of foreign matter, and also to act in the advantageous manner of an original seal.

objects which will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and which will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims;

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of my in vention, partly in elevation and with parts broken away and other parts shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of one side of the tray showing the manner in which one of the rows of capsules can be released for discharge.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the carton with the tray partly withdrawn to illustrate that .some of the capsules have been discharged from one row, and how the capsules of the other rows are retained.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 5-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one end of the transparent retaining means shown detached from the tray.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 1, looking toward the left, and on an enlarged scale to show how the retaining means is secured to the tray portions.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line '|1 of Fig. 3, showing a fragment of the grid means for isolating the capsules.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 7, showing another view of the grid means.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 9 of Fig. 2, showing how the grid means is located in the tray.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the diiferent figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, the carton is shown in the form of a tray and tray holder in relatively slidable relation, and in describing the structure I shall only go into detail relative to those portions which are pertinent to the invention as many changes could be made within the scope of my claims.

The holder is open at both ends and consists of side walls I and 2, and top and bottom walls I and 4, respectively. As shown, the top wall 3, is imperforate throughout its length and width except for certain openings to be later described, and this affords the advantage of making practically the entire surfaceof said top wall available for advertising,matter and avoiding the expense of display windows.

Reference will next be made to my improved The invention has many otherfeatures and tr y and t0 the manner in which it is pp to coact with th holder and receive and permit discharge of the tray contents.

This article containing tray is shown provided with a bottom wall 5, side walls 8 and end walls I. The end walls I are provided with inward extensions 8 that slightly overhang the bottom wall 5, as shown more clearly in Fig. 9, and the purpose of which will presently appear. The exact manner in which these walls and extensions are formed is not material to the invention. However, it will now appear that the tray structure forms a shallow receiving chamber adapted to contain the contents of the carton, and it is also desirable to have the extensions 8, flush with the side walls 6, when the carton is equipped with the novel means to be presently described although this flush relationship is not absolutely essential.

Reference will next be made to the means with which the tray is equipped for forming a plurality of pockets or receivers for containing the articles and maintaining them in separated or isolated relation from each other.

In the present construction, I have provided means for retaining the articles in the order of a series of rows, which may, as shown, be in parallel relation, if the carton is formed on rectangular lines, as illustrated. I have shown a means for forming pockets that will accommodate capsules that may be of circular or elongated form and these pockets are thus shown as being substantially square, which is advantageous in view of the grid-like means illustrated, but this particular shape is not essential to the broad concept of the invention.

As shown, the grid-like means consists of longitudinally disposed grid members of a single thickness and which are indicated at Ill, and the ends may be slightly reduced, as shown in Fig. 9, to project under the extensions 8, and serve as one means of retaining the grid members in the tray. If desired, the lower edges of the grid members may be cemented or glued to the bottom wall 5, of the tray, although this is optional. I also provide transversely disposed grid members which may, as shown, also constitute stiffening members for the carton, and which are shown constructed as follows and as all are identical in form and function, only one will be describedin detail, reference being had to Figs. 7 to 9.

The stiffening or re-inforcing grid member may consist of a strip of cardboard folded as shown to form a bight portion I2 and flange portions I3, with the bight portion l2 disposed uppermost and being substantially flush with the top edges of members ID, for a purpose to be presently described.

The grid members ID, are notched or slitted as indicated at H, to receive the flanges I3, and it will be seen that the lower edges of flanges l3, are not flush with the lower edges of grid members It], in this particular construction, although this is not important. The tongue, which results from slitting the members III, to accommodate flanges I3, is indicated at 5, and its upper end is reduced to accommodate the bight por- [1011 I2. Now it will be clear that the ends of the U-shaped grid members indicated at |2|3, will engage the side walls 5, of the tray, and as the grid members l0, engage the end walls I, of the tray, the grid means will be securely located against displacement in the tray. It is optional whether the grid members are cemented or otherwise united to each other as that would be a matter of mechanical skill in view of this disclosure.

Thus, viewing Fig. 1, it will be clear that a grid frame is provided in the tray, which, in coaction with the bottom wall 5, of. the latter, and the side walls 6, forms a. plurality of capsule containing pockets or receivers, adapted to contain the capsules A in separated relation from each other. It will also be seen that there are five parallel rows of pockets shown.

Brief reference will now be made to the holder and the means for permitting discharge of the capsules.

I have shown the holder provided with five discharge openings, one for each row of capsules, and which are indicated at Hi to 20, and which may be slightly larger in diameter or size than the capsules A which pass through them. It will also be seen that these openings IE to 20, register respectively with the five rows of capsules, which may be indicated at B to F.

Reference will next be made to a novel means of retaining capsules of certain rows from being discharged and permitting capsules of another row to be released, and in the most improved form of the invention, this means also functions as a display means whereby the contents of the carton may be inspected before it is purchased. In a further phase, this improved means also provides a way of initially sealing the contents of the carton.

Said means consists, as shown, of a sheet of material, which, in the most improved embodiment is made of transparent material of any type within the selective skill of a paper expert, or it may be instead of paper, a type of Cellophane. I have shown in Fig. 5, one corner end fragment of a transparent sheet indicated at 2|. This will be the full width and length of the tray and end portions 22, may be sub-divided as shown. The ends of the sheet 2|, if it is desired to cover all of the rows of capsules, may be pasted or otherwise secured to the inwardly projecting extensions 8, on the tops thereof whereon the ends 22, overlap, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The side margins of sheet 2|, may be pasted or otherwise secured to the top edges of side wall 6, of the tray, and if desired, intermediate portions may be pasted or glued to the top edges of grid members In, or spotted to the bight portions |2 of the transverse grid members. Thus secured, sheet 2|, functions as an efiective seal to guarantee the condition of the goods, and to prevent air circulation in the tray. It will be seen, as thus far described, that sheet 2|, if transparent, would permit the buyer to shift the tray in the holder and inspect the contents of the tray, and still form an effective original seal for the goods.

In order to carry out a further feature of the invention and make the sheet perform a selective retaining function, I weaken, slit or perforate the sheet longitudinally on lines coincident with the longitudinal grid members I 0, as indicated at 23. If the sheet 2|, is to perform an air sealing function, the sheet is weakened on said lines 23 but not perforated. It will of course be understood that the sheet 2| is applied to the tray by the manufacturer after the tray has been charged with capsules.

When the user purchases a carton of capsules, he may detach the flat or pasted end 22, from its extension 8, as shown in Fig. 2, and tear off that portion of the sheet covering the first row B, of

capsules to release the same for discharge. Of course the tray is removed from the holder for this initial purpose and then restored to the holder. After the capsules of row B,'have been discharged, the next strip segment may be removed to release row C, and so on, until the capsules of all the rows have been discharged. If it is not desired to air seal the tray, then only the ends of sheet 2|, will be secured to extensions 8, and it is within the scope of this invention for the manufacturer to initially cover and retain all but one row of capsules, as will now be clear, although I have shown a sheet wide enough to close all the rows.

I will next describe a feature of the invention whereby the releasing or discharge openings Hi to 20, may also serve as display openings to thereby avoid the necessity and expense of providing the top wall 3, or the holder with a window, thus reserving all the space for descriptive matter regarding the contents.

A strip of transparent material indicated at 2, is pasted or otherwise applied to the top wall 3, to initially cover the openings It to Ill, and this strip is scored or weakened on lines 25, so that one section can be removed or disrupted as shown in Fig. 3, to thereby release the correspondin opening and thereby permit of discharging the capsules of the first row, or any row selected. After the capsules of the selected row have been exhausted, then the next section will be removed, and so on, as will now be clear. In addition to the display feature, it will be seen that by covering these discharge openings, no foreign matter can enter the carton through them prior to the time that the carton reaches the consumer.

While the operation may be clear from the foregoing description, it will be briefly recapitulated as follows:-

If the carton is not sealed with an outer envelope, as is common, but in this case, entirely optional, it will reach the purchaser as shown in Fig. 1, and because of the air sealing feature, the manufacturer need not additionally seal the carton. Thus, the purchaser can either view the contents through the transparent sections 24, and sheet II, or he can slightly withdraw the tray and view the contents, or wholly withdraw the tray and note the number of articles contained therein.

After purchasing, the user may first remove one section of strip 24, usually the first section, as shown in Fig. 3, to make one discharge opening operable or available. 'I'hen, by withdrawing the tray, he will remove a strip from sheet 2|, alined glith the discharge opening selected, as shown in Then the tray will be restored to the holder and row 13, of the capsules, will be released for possible discharge through opening ii. If the opening i6, is in the position shown, as in Fig. 1, so that it is in registery with the first capsule, the carton may be inverted and the first capsule will drop out without being touched with the fingers, and the tray will be in a closed position. However, it is within the scope of this invention to dispose the first capsule out of registry with the discharge opening, if desired. To remove the next capsules of row B, the tray is merely shifted, step by step until they have all been removed, the process being shown in Fig. 3. It is important to point out that when the carton is inverted to discharge successive capsules, with the tray partly withdrawn, the remaining portion of sheet 2i acts effectively to prevent discharge of any capsules in any of the remaining rows, as will now be clear. To gain access to the next rows, the process is the same, namely, the sheet 2| is successively stripped off, section by section.

It will be clear that the grid members not only serve to isolate the capsules, but they also serve to stiffen the carton, as will now be clear.

While I have shown the discharge openings near one end of the holder, this is not an essential position, but it has the very decided advantage that this location avoids the rather extensive degree of adjustment or shifting of the tray that would be necessary if the discharge openings were centrally located between the ends of the holder.

While I have herein shown and described one form of my invention, 1 do not wish to be limited opening for each row whereby articles may be discharged from any row one at a time upon relative adjustment of said tray and holder, a transparent strip initially secured to said holder and closing said discharge openings and sewin to display some of the contents of said rows and adapted to be sectionally removed or disrupted from said openings for selectively releasing a row of articles for discharge, and a sheet of transparent material sealed onto said tray and covering the articles and being scored between said rows for sectional removal corresponding to sectional removal of said strip to release a selected row and retain articles in un-released rows against discharge.

2. A carton for fragile articles comprising a tray holder, a tray slidable in said holder and having means for retaining the articles in the order of a series of rows, said holder having a discharge opening for each row for displayin articles and whereby articles may be discharged from any row one at a time upon relative adjustment of said tray and holder, and a sheet f transparent material secured to said tray and covering said articles and being scored between said rows for sectional removal corresponding to the row to be released for discharge through a selected discharge opening.

3. A carton for fragile articles comprising a tray holder, 9. tray slidable in said holder and

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