US3003679A - Carton - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 10, 1961 ANDREWS 3,003,679

" CARTON Filed D60. 30, 1959 so 2 so 2o 40 22 am I 2! 3| 3h 35535 22 5555 24 25 26 7 I N V N TOE.

DAV/D B- ANDREWS ATTQENEY$ 3,@03,679 Patented Oct. 10,1961

3,003,679 CARTON David B. Andrews, Neenah, Wis., asslgnor to American gun Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New ersey Filed Dec. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 863,038 r 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-39) This invention relates to an improvement in cartons, commonly made of paperboard or other flexible material, and widely used for the packaging of a wide variety of products, such as frozen and other foods, clothing, and the like. More specifically, the invention is concerned with an improvement in means for securely and substantially immovably locking together a pair of opposed panels such as are commonly employed to close the end of a carton of the type referred to. The more specific details and objects of the invention will be clear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the blank from which a preferred embodiment of the carton of this invention may be made;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, partially cut away, of a carton made from the blank of FIGURE 1, showing the end of the canon in an initial stage of closure;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, similar to FIGURE 2, showing a further stage in the closure of the end of the carton;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 2, showing the carton end in completely closed condition; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, showing details of the carton locking means.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the carton blank, preferably made of paperboard, is suitably cut and scored to provide a series of connected carton walls, panels and flaps. The main body of the carton is formed of a pair of side walls and 11, alternated with a pair of main walls 12 and 13, these walls being joined by hinging score lines 14, 15 and 16. A glue flap 17 is hinged to the free side edge of main wall 13 along hinging score line 18.

Closure flaps or panels 20, 21, 22 and 23 are respectively connected to walls 10, 12, 11 and 13 along each end edge of those walls by hinging score lines 24, 25, 26 and 27.

Closure panels 21 have a pair of longitudinally-spaced male members 30 formed on their remote free ends. A cut line 31 extends longitudinally from the inner side edge of each of members 30 at the point of conjunction of members 30 with panels 21, cut lines 31 terminating in a terminal portion 31a extending generally laterflly outwardly of panels 21.

A pair of female slits 35, for cooperation with the respective male member 30, is formed in each of closure panels 23. Each of slits 35 at its laterally outward end terminates in a terminal portion 35a directed generally laterally inwardly of panels 23. The female means may also include, connected with a central portion of each of slits 35, a pair of laterally outwardly extending slits 36, the function of all of which will be explained in detail later herein.

Referring also to FIGURE 2, the blank of FIGURE 1 is in the usual manner formed into a shell of rectangular cross-section, involving arranging the opposed pairs of main walls 12 and 13 perpendicularly to the side walls 10 and 11, applying an adhesive to glue flap 17, and adhering that flap to side wall 10 adjacent its free side edge. Obviously, any suitable adhesive, or staples or any other suitable means, may be employed to connect flap 17 to wall 10 to form the rectangular shell shown in FIG- URE2. 7

Referring also to FIGURE 3, closure of the open ends of the carton, only one of which is shown, is initiated by first infolding closure flaps 20 and 22, then partially infolding panel 23. At this stage of partial infolding of panel 23, the infolding of panel 21 also is commenced, coupled with a slight convex flexing of panel 23. By suitable timing, and a slight pressure of members 30 on that portion of flap 23 just outwardly of slit 35, the slits 35 open to receive members 30.

The exact positioning and dimensions of the cut lines and slits, and of flaps 21 and 23, are such that as these flaps are pushed downwardly to lie flatly over the end of the carton, as shown in FIGURE 4, the locking engagement is accomplished. These dimensions and locations are such that as this flattening of the panels over the end of the carton is accomplished, the edges of members 30 along cut lines 31 pass just beyond slits 35, so that upon a slight relaxation of panels 21 and 23 from the flat position, which is natural due to the inherent resiliency of the carton material, hook portions 32 of members 36 are engaged beneath panels 23, as shown in somewhat exaggerated form in FIGURE 5. This same resiliency of the board of the carton material is a characteristic which causes hook portions 32 to be bent inwardly out of the plane of panels 21, so that they may be pressed below the plane of panels 23 and into the locking engagement shown in FIGURE 5.

Similar predetermined dimensioning is employed, particularly as seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, to produce substantial engagement of the longitudinally remote edges 46 of members 30 with the outer edges formed by the terminal portions 35a of slits 35. It is this contact, or substantially adjacent positioning, which serves to assume that the carton will resist forces tending to collapse it from the rectangular shell position.

As will be clear from FIGURES 2 and 3, longitudinally spaced slits 36 extend laterally outwardly from slits 35 to provide weakened or more readily flexed portions of panels 23, which may be depressed readily male members 30 to facilitate locking entry or" members 33 into s its 35.

Although there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is recognized that certain obvious modifications thereof may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, limitations thereon are intended only specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: A

1. Locking means for a carton, the canton a pair of opposed panels to be locked together, each panel having a pair of side edges and an end edge, the locking means comprising a pair of male members formed on the end edge of one of said panels, said members having inner and outer side edges directed generally laterally outwardly from said one panel, said members being longltudinally spaced with respect to each other an each having a hooklike portion formed on its inner side by a cut line extending from the inner side of the said portion adjacent the conjunction of said member said one panel and directed generally longitudinally of the panel and having a terminal portion of the cut line directed generally laterally outwardly of said member interme ate the side edges thereof, and female means in th other of said panels including a pair of longitudhraily-directed slits longitudinally-spaced with respect to each other, the remote end of each of said slits having a terminal slit portion directed generally laterally inwardly thereof, the longitudinal spacing between said last-mentioned terminal slit portions being substantially equal to the longitudinal spacing between said outer side edges of the male memwam has, said slits defining portions in said other panel adaptable for ready opening of said slits for entrance of the male members and consequent engagement of the locking means, the hook-likelportions in locked position being engaged beneath said other panel, and said panels'in loelged position being restrained from substantial longitudinal e shifting relative to each other by engagement of the respective laterally directed outer edges of said members with said terminal slit portions. 7

2. Locking means according to claim 1, further including pairs of longitudinally-spaced cut lines in said other panel extending laterally outwardly from an intermediate portion of said slits to provide portions of said other panel which are readily depressed to facilitate locking entrance of same members in said slits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,174,605 Palmer e ,,.l, Mar. 7,1916 2,826,296 Mullinix Mar. l1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 945,437 Germany July 5, 1956

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