Pack dispensing carton

Nov. 22, 1966

E. F. ROBB, JR

PACK DISPENSING CARTON Filed Aug. 23, 1965

3,286,830

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ATTORNEYS

3,286,830

Patented Nov. 22, 1966

United States Patent Office

3,286,830

PACK DISPENSING CARTON Edwin F. Robb, Jr., Deephaven, Minn. (159 Baker Bldg., Minneapolis, Minn.) Filed Aug. 23,1965, Ser. No. 481,577 9 Claims. (CI. 206—56)

This invention relates to an article storing and dispensing container and more particularly to a carton for holding and dispensing a number of individual packs, packages or the like such as cigarette packs, gum packs, candy bars and similar articles.

It is the object of the invention to provide an improved carton for storing a plurality of packs with an integral closure member readily movable to an open position to provide access into the carton enabling convenient removal of the packs confined in the carton and movable to a closed protected position to confine the remaining packs to the carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton with a flexible closure member capable of being repeatedly opened and closed to permit separate withdrawal of packs enclosed in the carton and to retain the enclosed packs in the carton.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton having a flexible closure member from a single sheet of material which in assembly is folded and sealed so as to be strong and durable.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a carton which is characterized by simplicity and efficiency of manufacture at minimal expense so that quality production can be achieved without sacrifice of quantity.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the carton having the closure member of this invention showing the closure member in the initial attached position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the open position of the closure member;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the carton of FIGURE 1 with the closure member indicated in full lines in the closed position and indicated in broken lines in the open position;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4—4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the closed position of the closure member with only three packs in the carton; and

FIGURE 6 is a layout blank of the carton of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in FIGURES 1 to 5 a carton of a parallelepiped shape, indicated generally at 10, positioned about a number of individual merchandising packages 11. The container 10 is an enclosed box illustrated as a cigarette carton holding individual cigarette packs in two superposed rows of five each. The dimensions of the container 10 conform to the size of the packages 11 permitting the packages to be readily slidable relative to each other as soon as a single package has been removed from the carton. The dimensions of the container 10 are not limited to the particular size and shape illustrated in the drawing and vary with the size and the shape of the packages defined in the container.

The carton 10 is formed from semi-rigid material, such as paper, plastic or the like, and is constructed from an integral piece of sheet material blank 12 cut to the shape shown in FIGURE 6. The blank 12 is folded over along horizontal fold lines 13 and vertical fold lines 14 into a parallelepiped shape shown in FIGURE 1. In this shape the container 10 has a rectangular shaped top wall 16 separated from a similarly shaped bottom wall 17 by upright side walls 18 and opposite end walls 19 and 21. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, end walls 19 and 21 formed from flanges integral with the opposite ends of the top wall 16 and bottom wall 17 are positioned in overlapped 5 relation and secured together with an adhesive or the like.

The walls 16, 17, 18, 19 and 21 form a box-like chamber accommodating the packages 11.

To provide access into the chamber and remove the packages therefrom the top wall 16 is formed with a clo₁₀ sure member indicated generally at 22. The bottom wall 17 may be formed with a similar closure member. The closure member 22 is part of the top wall 16 and normally projects toward the end wall 21 closing an opening in the top wall. As shown in FIGURE 6, the closure j 5 member 22 is an elongated flap or door having a rectangular portion 23 and a semi-circular end portion 24 defined by a series of cuts or perforations 26. The rectangular portion 23 has a width which is slightly wider than the width of one of the packs 11.

To provide for easy opening of the closure member 22 as well as eliminating tearing of the semi-circular portion 24 and the rectangular portion 23 the perforations 26 around the semi-circular portion 24 and the rectangular portion 23 are relatively large so that closure mem25 ber 22 is readily separable from the top wall 16. The shape of the semi-circular portion 24 can vary and may be rectangular, triangular, trapezoidal and the like. A string-pull may be used in lieu of the perforations 26. The shape of the tab 27 and its location on the closure 30 member 22 can vary as required. Tab 27 may be eliminated to provide a hole for a finger so that closure member 22 can be pulled in an upward direction.

As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, one side of the closure member 22 is integral with the top wall 16 and flexes 35 and bends in the area of transverse fold line 28. The fold or hinge line 28 of the closure member 22 has no crimp or perforation and is in substantial vertical alignment with the inside plane of the second tier of packs 11 from the end 21. This places the first tier of packages 40 Ila under portion 29 of the top wall 16 projected from the end wall 21. The packages Ila are maintained in this position by the closure member 22 which is bent downwardly or tucked in against the inside surfaces of the packages Ila as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. This .- is the closed position of the closure member 22. In this position the forward end of the semi-circular portion 24 is spaced slightly above the bottom wall 17. The rectangular portion 23 is flexed into an arcuate shape so as to bias the packages Ila against the inside of the end wall 21. This biasing force holds the closure member 22 ^υ in the closed position.

In use, to open the carton 10 the customer lifts the small tab 27, inserts the finger in the hole left by the tab and pulls the tab in an upward direction of arrow 31 55 as shown in FIGURE 2 until the semi-circular member portion 24 and sides of the rectangular portion 23 of the closure member 22 are separated from the top wall 16. This exposes the pack 11 immediately under the closure member 22. This pack can be removed from the carton 00 by gripping the pack and lifting the pack from the carton. Additional packs may be removed from the carton in the same manner.

To close the carton 10 the closure member 22 is flexed and bent in a downward direction about hinge line 28. 65 The semi-circular portion 24 is inserted into the carton against the first tier of packs Ila between the first and second tier of packs. This places the entire closure member 22 within the carton where it is protected from accidental movement. The semi-circular portion 24 rests 70 against the exposed sides of the packs Ila positioned directly beneath the top wall portion 29.

To reopen the carton the consumer simply lifts the

3,286,830 ³ closure member 22 swinging it upwardly about the hinge line 28 to the open position as shown in broken lines in FIGURES 3 and 4. In the open position the closure member 22 projects upwardly from the top wall 16 and thus permits free movement of the packs 11 to the area of the opening formed by the closure member. This opening may be again closed by reinserting the semi-circular portion into the carton. As shown in FIGURE 5, the closure member 22 functions to confine all the packages 11 within the carton until all but one pack has been extracted therefrom;

A retail clerk stocking store shelves with the contents or packages enclosed in the container commences in the same procedure as the consumer. The clerk merely continues to pull on the closure member removing the entire top wall 16 except the wall portion 29. The packs are thus exposed for movement to the display shelves.

Although this invention has been described in conjunction with a cigarette carton, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention is intended to encompass containers used to store packaged articles. The invention is to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.