Egg Carton

This invention relates to new and improved molded egg carton construction which may be formed from pulp or foam or the like. More particulary, this invention relates to a carton of the type having viewing apertures or windows, but having greater strength and product protection characteristics than the known constructions of this type.

The construction of the egg carton is suitable for what is known in the trade as a 2 .times. 6 egg carton or a 2 .times. 5 egg carton or a "twin-6er" which comprises separable sections each of which contain six cells in two rows of three each.

The present invention has been conceived with an aim toward providing an egg carton construction or the like having viewing apertures or windows, which construction is characterized by more positive separation of eggs or like contents thereof.

The present invention has also been conceived with the object of providing a carton with improved stacking strength over that of the known cartons of this type.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a more stable tray and cover arrangement in a carton, one in which the cover may be in a sense locked to the tray against misalignment therebetween.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cellular tray construction in an egg carton which will aptly accommodate a wide size range of eggs from small sizes to extra large sizes and yet adequately cushion and protect whatever sizes are received therein.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an egg carton with cell post elements of such construction as will separate and guide eggs in the automated loading operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an egg carton construction characterized by improved strength and force transmission from cover to the cells.

It is moreover an object of the present invention to provide an egg carton with post construction including a soft area at the critical point of egg contact which will result in better cushioning.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of one form of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along section 2--2 of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the carton of FIG. 1 in a closed condition and on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary end view of the carton in FIG. 3 showing the effect of loaded cartons stacked thereon;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the closed carton of FIG. 3 on the scale of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view taken along section 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an alternative form of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view taken along section 8--8 in FIG. 7.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the reader will readily see in FIGS. 1-6 that the present invention comprises a molded carton 10 of pulp or foam or the like. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, carton 10 includes a cellular tray 12, a cover 14, and a lock flap 16. The tray 12 is formed with a plurality of cells 18 in which eggs or the like may be protectively contained. The cells 18 are generally polygonal or of closed geometrical configuration and in the present embodiment are at least five-sided with one of the sides of each end cell being provided on or associated with an upwardly extending member referred to as an up post 11 and each of two sides of each intermediate cell being provided on or associated with one of two adjacent up posts 11. Tray 12 includes a generally horizontal flange 20 on which cover 14 rests as it is closed in mating condition with tray 12. In the closed mating condition of cover 14 and tray 12 up post 11 extends upwardly beyond flange 20 to an uppermost tip or rim portion 1 which extends above and beyond the cellular portion of tray 12.

In the uppermost portion of the up post 11 there is a crater or crater-like formation 3 of closed geometrical configuration. Each up post 11 has side walls with non-uniform inner and outer sides which may be seen in FIG. 2 as a bulging portion 2 near the top of the up post 11 where the bulging portion 2 of the side wall of the up post 11 is thicker than the lower portion 22 of the up post 11.

The up posts 11 separate the eggs and guide the eggs when they are automatically loaded into the carton 10. The up posts 11 provide egg separation during shipment.

The cover 14 which mates with the tray 12 over the egg cells 18 includes downwardly extending downposts 24 in the closed condition of cover 14. On each side of each downpost 24 there is an aperture or window 26 through which contents of the carton 10 may be viewed even when the cover 14 is closed. Each downpost 24 extends to a tip 8 that is of closed geometrical configuration set inwardly so as to fit within crater 3 at the uppermost tip or rim portion 1 of an up post 11.

It is noted in FIGS. 3 and 5 that when the cover 14 of the egg carton is first closed the very tip 8 of the downposts 24 do not touch the bottom of the crater 3 in the up post 11 and there is a space S initially between the very tip 8 of the downposts 24 and the crater 3 of the up posts 11 when the carton 10 is first closed. After the carton 10 is loaded with eggs and closed and other cartons 10' loaded with eggs are stacked as illustrated in FIG. 4 in an egg case for shipment, a shoulder 6 of the downpost 24 first engages the tip or rim 1 of the crater 3 on the up post 11 and then if the loading is heavy, the tip 8 of the downpost 24 may touch the bottom of the crater 3 of the up post 11.

The cover 14 when closed shows the windows 26 as having "eye lid" formations 28 which extend from very steep walls 5 forming sides of the downposts 24. Each "eye lid" formation 28 as may be seen in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 is in the form of an arcuate portion integral with but offset from the plane of a wall 5, extends along and cooperates with another "eye lid" formation to surround the periphery of an aperture 26. The "eye lid" formations 28, because they are offset from the plane of walls 5 with which they are integral and thus in combination with the side walls 5 form multi-planar wall portions of each downpost 24, inherently enhance the vertical load bearing capacity of such downposts 24.

The stepped mating formation between the downpost 24 and the up post 11 transmits load in an advantageous manner in that the initial force transmission is associated with the horizontal portion of the shoulder 6 and the crater tip or rim 1 of up post 11. A secondary bearing area is provided as the downpost tip 8 contacts the bottom 3 of the crater 3 of the up post 11 upon additional loading. A side wall portion 7 of side wall 5 provides added separation structure for protection of the eggs.

When the carton 10 is closed and in use, the structure recited interacts to produce complete egg protection in a manner superior to that available in previous carton structures. The egg separation produced by the cover downposts 24 and the tray up posts 11 are positive. The vertical stacking strength of the carton exceeds that of previous egg cartons. The stepped in formation of the tip 8 of the downposts 24 and the crater 3 formation of the top of the up posts 11 contribute to this strength. The additional thickness in bulging portion 2 at the upper end of the up posts 11 contributes to the strength. The downposts 24 of the cover 14 lock into the crater 3 of the up posts 11 of the tray 12 and stabilize the cover 14 against mis-alignment to maintain package strength in a novel manner different from a straight line engagement in the sense that the engagement takes place in the shape of a closed polygon.

An important advantage of crater 3 resides in the fact that a yieldable or soft area 4 is provided in up post 11 along each side thereof at the critical point of egg contact. The effect of yieldable or soft area 4, as provided in the present invention, is in contrast to a more rigid and relatively unyieldable area of contact where a plateau would be extended straight across the top of up post 11 instead of the crater 3 of the present application.

An alternative of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 described in detail above may be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8. Whereas, FIGS. 5 and 6 show the invention embodied in the form known in the trade as a 2 .times. 6 egg carton. FIGS. 7 and 8 show the invention embodied in the form known as a "twin-6er" carton generally designated 110 and comprising separable twin sections 101 and 102. "Twin-6er" carton 110 is formed with a weakened sectional plane 103 along which sections 101 and 102 may be separated. Like carton 10, as described above, carton 110 includes a cellular tray 112, a cover 114, and a lock flap 116. The tray 112 is formed with a plurality of cells 118 in which eggs or the like may be protectively contained. The cells 118 are generally polygonal and in the present embodiment are also at least five-sided with one of the sides of each end cell being provided on or associated with an upwardly extending member referred to as an up post 111 and each of two sides of each intermediate cell being provided on or associated with one of two adjacent up posts 111, differing from the carton 10 in the respect that in place of central up post 11 and downpost 24 intermediate twin flange portion 104 is provided on tray 112 which upon separation of sections 101, 102 become end flanges 105, 106. Tray 112 also includes a generally horizontal flange 120 extending therearound and on which cover 114 rests as it is closed in mating condition with tray 112. In the closed mating condition of cover 114 and tray 112 up post 111 extends upwardly beyond flange 120 to an uppermost tip or rim portion 201 which extends above and beyond the cellular portion of tray 112.

In the uppermost portion of the up post 111 there is a crater or crater-like formation 203. Each up post 111 has side walls with non-uniform inner and outer sides which may be seen in FIG. 2 as a bulging portion 202 near the top of the up post 111 where the bulging portion 202 of the side wall of the up post 111 is thicker than the lower portion 122 of the up post 111.

The up posts 111 separate the eggs and guide the eggs when they are automatically loaded into the carton 110. The up posts 111 provide egg separation during shipment.

The cover 114 which mates with the tray 112 over the egg cells 118 includes downwardly extending downposts 124 in the closed condition of cover 114. On each side of each downpost 124 there is an aperture or window 126 through which contents of the carton 110 may be viewed even when the cover 114 is closed. Each downpost 124 extends to a tip 208 that is set inwardly so as to fit within crater 203 at the uppermost tip or rim position 201 of an up post 111.

When the cover 114 of the egg carton 110 is first closed, as may be seen in FIG. 8, the very tip 208 of the downposts 124 do not touch the bottom of the crater 203 in the up post 111 and there is a space S' initially between the very tip 208 of the downposts 124 and the crater 203 of the up post 111 when the carton 110 is first closed. After the carton 110 is loaded with eggs and closed and other cartons loaded with eggs are stacked thereon in a manner as illustrated in FIG. 4 in an egg case for shipment in connection with carton 110, a shoulder 206 of the downpost 124 will first engage the tip or rim 201 of the crater 203 on the up post 111 and then if the loading is heavy, the tip 208 of the downpost 124 may touch the bottom of the crater 203 of the up post 111.

The cover 114 when closed shows the windows 126 as having "eye lids" formations 128 which extend from very steep walls 205 forming sides of the downposts 124.

The stepped mating formation between the downpost 124 and the up post 111 of carton 110 transmits load in an advantageous manner in that the initial force transmission is associated with the horizontal portion of the shoulder 206 and the crater tip of rim 201 of up post 111. A secondary bearing area is provided as the downpost tip 208 contacts the bottom 203 of the crater 203 of the up post 111 upon additional loading. A side wall portion 207 of side wall 205 provides added separation structure for protection of the eggs.

When the carton 110 is closed and in use, the structure of the alternative form of the present invention recited interacts to produce complete egg protection in a manner superior to that available in previous carton structures. The egg separation produced by the cover downposts 124 and the tray up posts 111 are positive. The vertical stacking strength of the carton exceeds that of previous egg cartons. The stepped in formation of the tip 208 of the downposts 124 and the crater 203 formation of the top of the up posts 111 contribute to this strength. The additional thickness in bulging portion 202 at the upper end of the up posts 111 contributes to the strength. The downposts 124 of the cover 114 lock into the crater 203 of the up posts 111 of the tray 112 and stabilize the cover 114 against mis-alignment to maintain package strength in a novel manner different from a straight line engagement in the sense that the engagement takes place in the shape of a closed polygon.

An important advantage of crater 203 resides in the fact that a yieldable or soft area 204 is provided in up post 111 along each side thereof at the critical point of egg contact. The effect of yieldable or soft area 204, as provided in the present invention, is in contrast to a more rigid and relatively unyieldable area of contact where a plateau would be extended straight across the top of up post 111 instead of the crater 203 of the present application.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification.