Corrugated Cardboard Container Having a Paperboard Top and Handle

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a container designed to be used for the transportation, storage and display of consumer items, such as bottled beverages. More specifically, the present invention relates to a corrugated cardboard container having a paperboard top and handle assembly attached thereto.

2. Description of Prior Art

The use of corrugated cardboard boxes as shipping and storage containers is well-known. These boxes are used to transport various goods from the manufacturer to the distributor, and also to store these goods prior to display and sale. However, many of these prior art corrugated cardboard boxes are not suitable for retail display purposes because the contents of the boxes were not readily visible, and because the corrugated cardboard box surfaces do not accept inks for printing trademark and advertising indicia thereon in a satisfactory manner. That is, the texture of corrugated cardboard, which is brown and rough, does not lend itself to printing of colorful indicia or logo thereon. Also, in the prior art type of corrugated cardboard packages or container, the top of the package was produced from the same relatively heavy gauge cardboard from which the bottom was produced. While the top of the box did not require the strength or rigidity required by the bottom, ease of construction dictated the use of the same gauge cardboard for the box top. Because heavy gauge cardboard is more expensive than lighter gauge materials, a package made exclusively from heavy gauge cardboard is more costly than necessary.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved corrugated cardboard container or package with a paper board top which may be used for shipping, storage and display of the contents thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a container with corrugated cardboard sidewalls and bottom and a top portion of a different type of material on which advertising indicia or logo may be easily printed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a corrugated cardboard container which may be produced less expensively and still have the necessary strength requirements.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a corrugated cardboard container having a top and handle of lighter gauge material than the main body thereof.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a corrugated cardboard container which may be separable into at least two smaller containers to facilitate the sale of the contents of the containers in relatively small quantities, while still allowing shipment and storage of the containers in larger quantities.

The objects of the present invention are fulfilled in part by virtue of the use of a container top which is formed from a single sheet of paperboard or similar light weight materials. This paperboard top includes a handle flap portion, a top portion, and a pair of securing edge portions which are attached to two opposite sidewalls of the corrugated cardboard container by use of an adhesive. Not only is the lighter weight paperboard top less expensive to produce than a corrugated cardboard container top, but the finish or surface texture on paperboard allows trademark and advertising indicia as well as uniform product code information to be imprinted on the container without the addition of separate paper labels.

The container top of the present invention may be used with a single box or with a container having multiple box subassemblies glued or taped together.

In containers having multi-box subassemblies the container top may cover the entire container assembly. Also, an individual container top may be used to cover each container box subassembly to allow the subassemblies to be later separated for consumer distribution. The container of the present invention may also include a viewing window in outside walls of the container to enable consumers to observe the contents of the container.

The objects of the present invention and the attendant advantages thereof will become more readily apparent with reference to the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the container made in accordance with the present invention which illustrates the combination of two box assemblies which may be joined together to form a single twin-pack assembly;

FIG. 2 shows an unfolded blank of the container top of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an additional embodiment of the present invention wherein a single container top covers more than one box subassembly rather than a single subassembly as in FIG. 1.

Referring in detail to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a first corrugated cardboard, generally indicated as 1, made in accordance with the present invention, as well as a second corrugated cardboard box positioned in such a way as to illustrate the relationship of two boxes before they are glued together to make a single container assembly. The first corrugated cardboard box 1 includes a bottom and four sides 3 to 6. A container top, generally indicated as 9, is formed from a single sheet of paperboard, which preferably has a white and smooth external surface.

The container top, as better illustrated in FIG. 2, includes a first securing edge 10, a first top portion 11 connected to the securing edge 10 along a foldline 17, a first handle flap side 12 connected to first top portion 11 along a foldline 18, a second handle flap side 14 connected to the first handle flap side 12 along a foldline 19, a second top portion 15 connected to the second handle flap side 14 along a foldline 20, and a second securing edge 16 connected to the second top portion 15 along a foldline 21.

The first and second handle flap sides 12 and 14 are provided with handle slots 13 die-cut therein. The assembly of the container top 9 to the first box 1 is best illustrated in relation to FIG. 1. The first securing edge 10 of the container top 9 is attached the side 3 of the first box 1 through the use of an adhesive. The second securing edge 16 of the container top 9 is fixed to the side 5 of the first box 1, also through the use of an adhesive. Thus, by attaching the container top 9 to the first corrugated cardboard container box 1 through the use of an adhesive, the basic container structure of the present invention is formed. Also shown in FIG. 1 is the viewing window 22 provided in the box side 3. This viewing window 22 is die-cut from the corrugated cardboard to allow the consumer to view the contents of the container.

The second box 2 of FIG. 1 is identical to first box 1 previously described.

In FIG. 1, first box 1 and second box 2 are illustrated in their respective positions just prior to attaching them together through the use of an adhesive glue 8. This glueing step would not normally be done until a container top 9 is also affixed to second box 2. The glue would be applied over a limited portion of the opposing box surfaces so that the boxes may be easily separated.

Referring to FIG. 3, an additional embodiment of the present invention includes a container assembly 23 formed from the two boxes 1,2 identical to the boxes used in the FIG. 1 embodiment. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 the boxes 1,2 are affixed together, not with glue, but with a tear tape 24. The tear tape 24 includes a tear tape separator 25 which may be pulled to separate the first box 1 from the second box 2 along separation line 26.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3 a single container top 29 covers the entire container assembly 23 including the first box 1 and the second box 2. The container top 29 is formed in an identical manner to the container top 9 of FIGS. 1 and 2. However, the dimensions of this container top 29 are suitably modified to allow the container top 29 to cover the entire container assembly 23. Advertising indicia 27 and uniform product code information may be imprinted onto the paperboard container top 29. This is particularly advantageous since it is difficult to imprint this information on the surface of the corrugated caseboard container assembly 23. As stated hereinbefore the white, smooth surface of paperboard top 9 provides a good background on which colored logo and advertising indicia can be printed. Materials other than paperboard may be utilized if desired for top 9. For example, a strong conventional paper may be used or a plastic sheet material. The main requirement is that the materials chosen having suitable surface textures and colors receiving printed indicia thereon.

It should be understood that the system described herein may be modified as would occur to one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.