Severable carton with sterile edge

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an erected first carton em- 25 bodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a blank utilized to form the FIG. 1 carton;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, plan view taken at the intersection of two overlapped and sealed panels of the FIG. 1 carton; 30

FIGS. 4-6 are partial, enlarged isometric views illustrating three progressive opening stages of the FIG. 1 carton;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are partial, isometric views of a second carton embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a partial, isometric view illustrating a modified end 35 closure which may be employed with the aforementioned cartons;

FIG. 10 is a partial, top plan view of a blank utilized to form the FIG. 9 end closure;

FIG. 11 is a partial, isometric view illustrating an erected 40 third carton embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a partial, top plan view of a blank utilized to form the FIG. 11 carton; and

FIGS. 13 and 14 are partial, isometric views illustrating two progressive opening stages of the FIG. 11 carton. ⁴5

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a first carton embodiment formed out of the cut and scored blank illustrated in FIG. 2. The blank com- ₅₀prises a plurality of consecutive side panels 10, 11, 12 and a fourth panel comprising overlapping panel portions 13 and 14. Parallel scorelines 15 and 16 cooperate with transverse scorelines 17-20 to define the side panels and also identical end closures at opposite ends of the carton. 55

The right end closure, for example, comprises a scoreline 21 disposed parallel to scoreline 16 to define gusset fold panels 22 and 23. Such panels are hingedly attached to side panels 10 and 12, respectively. The scorelines further define an end panel 24 hingedly connected to side panel 11 and a second 60 end panel comprising overlapped panel portions 25 and 26 connected to side panel portions 13 and 14, respectively.

Referring to the erected carton of FIG. 1, side panel portions 13 and 14 are secured together in overlapped relationship to form a closed tube having a rectangular cross section. The attached gusset folds 22 and 23 are formed in a conventional manner. A scoreline 27 (FIG. 2) defines a closure flap 28 which is adhesively secured to overlapping flap portions 29 and 30. The fully sealed and erected FIG. 1 carton would normally be subjected to a conventional gas sterilization process.

This invention is essentially drawn to the hereinafter described means for providing sterile edge portions completely around the carton upon opening thereof. The carton is divided into separable sections by a substantially continuous through cut line 31 having a plastic tape 32 adhesively secured thereover. The tape is preferably bounded by parallel, limited depth cuts 31' to facilitate clean and expeditious tape removal. U.S. application, Ser. No. 717,810, assigned to the assignee of this application and filed on Apr. 1, 1963 by Ernest C. Pellaton for Apparatus and Method for Forming Taped Articles,” discloses an apparatus and method for applying the plastic tape to the blank.

In particular, a paperboard blank may be fully coated on each side with a barrier or heat sealable adhesive coating (e.g. polyethylene) adapted to firmly secure the tape thereto when heated. The tape is preferably laminated to comprise a thin inner layer of polyethylene or other suitable adhesive and a thin outer layer, such as a polyester based composition or Mylar, exhibiting a substantially higher teniile strength than the inner layer. The tape-to-carton or polyethylene-topoiyethylene seal and the exceptionally high tensile strength of the tape’s outer layer facilitate expeditious removal of the tape.

Such removal will effect a tearing or stripping off of contacted surface portions of the paperboard to leave roughened and sterile edge portions 33 (FIG. 4). It should be noted in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6 that offset or staggered through cut 31 is preferably interrupted at one end by a short limited depth cut 34. A tap 35 is defined on panel portion 13 by an offset portion of cut line 31 and extends at least in part past an overlying or superimposed portion of panel portion 14 in a direction transverse to the cut line. The tab joins and cooperates with surface portions 33 to provide means forming sterile edge portions completely around the carton. A second end of through cut 31 is preferably interrupted by a second, short limited depth cut 36 similar to cut 34.

Thus, upon removal of tape 32 and separation of the carton's sections, a sterilized pharmaceutical or medical package 37 may be removed from the carton (FIG. 6) without contaminating same. Such package may comprise a plastic tray having medical instruments disposed therein and a suitable gauze or towel wrapped therearound. A nonadhesive means at area 38 may be formed on the carton to prevent an end of the tape from adhering thereto to expedite tape removal. In addition, breakable joining webs 39 may be formed in spaced relationship along continuous cut line 31 to cooperate with limited depth cuts 34 and 36 to insure against premature separation of the carton’s two sections.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a second carton embodiment essentially differing from the first described embodiment in the type of means employed for forming sterile edge portions completely around the carton. In particular, upon removal of a tape 32α and separation of the carton’s sections, a thin sheet or semirigid liner 40 is exposed which provides sterile edge portions completely around the carton. The liner may comprise a thin sheet of polyethylene-coated paper, for example, adhesively secured interiorly of the carton's side panels to normally extend across cut line 31α. It should be understood that other types of opening means could be utilized in lieu of the cut 3la-tape 32α arrangement, e.g., a single or multiple limited depth cut line defining a tear strip directly on the side panels.

It should be noted that numerals identical to those appearing in FIGS. 1-6 depict similar structures, with the numerals appearing in FIGS. 7 and 8 being accompanied by a subscript a. Similar structures illustrated in the FIG. 9 and FIGS. 11-14 embodiments are numbered in a like manner, with the common numerals appearing therein being accompanied by a sub65 script b and c, respectively.

FIG. 9 illustrates a third carton embodiment essentially differing from the FIGS. 1-6 embodiment in the type of end closure employed thereon. The end closure is formed out of the blank, partially illustrated in FIG. 10, comprising side panels 70 106, 116 and 126 and 136-146 corresponding to like side panels illustrated in FIG. 1. Gusset folds 226 and 236 are suitably arranged to cooperate with flap 246 and flap portions 256 and 266 to form the integrated end closure. Flap 286 is secured over the overlapped flap portions after flap portions 75 296 and 306 have been folded outwardly thereunder.

3,620,439

The FIGS. 11-14 embodiment is similar to the aforedescribed FIGS. 1-6 embodiment, but essentially differs therefrom in the arrangement of the tear strip and underlying opening structures. In particular, the carton is divided into seperable sections by a substantially continuous through-cut line 31c having a plastic tape 32c adhesively secured thereover. This tape is preferably bounded by parallel, limited cuts 31'c to facilitate tape removal. A through-cut 34, preferably interrupted by small and spaced joining webs, defines a tab 35c on a panel 14c extending past an underlying cutout 36c formed on a panel 13c.

When it is desired to open the carton, progressively illustrated in its various stages in FIGS. 11-14, tab 36 is grasped manually and the tape is tom from the carton. Such removal will effect a tearing or stripping off of the contacted surface portions of the paperboard to leave roughened and sterile edge portions 33c which insure against contamination of the removed contents. The underside (not shown) of tab 35c preferably has a nonadhesive means formed thereon to prevent it from adhering to the underlying surface portions of tape 32c to further facilitate expeditious tape removal.