Wrapper or Sleeve Type Package With Pocket and Flap Lock

The present invention relates in general to paperboard or cardboard packages having locking flaps associated therewith, and more particularly to sleeve or wrapper type packages of cardboard, paperboard or similar material, having a flap and a pocket for receiving the flap to hold the sleeve or wrapper type package in closed condition.

Heretofore, packages made of cardboard, paperboard or the like of the sleeve or wrapper type designed to extend around and form a retaining sleeve or wrap about an article or articles to be packaged have provided for locking opposite end portions of the blank together, but these have customarily employed a slit in one end portion of the paperboard blank and a tab formed in the opposite end portion of the paperboard blank to form a tab and slit arrangement for retaining the package in closed condition. Examples of such as tab and slit arrangement may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,732,316 to Oliff, 3,499,597 to Katzman which disclose a suspendable carton with a closure structure or display package comprising tabs which extend through or into slots to retain the closure structure or package in closed condition. With such a construction, the slit cut in the paperboard weakens the package, permitting it to tear readily in the zone in which the slit occurs, and this type of locking arrangement sometimes creates difficulties in properly engaging the tab in the slit in a consistent manner.

Glue panels have also been frequently resorted to in such sleeve or wrapper type packages, wherein flaps are folded into engagement with a mating or companion panel or flap having an adhesive surface or glue applied thereto to fasten the companion panels or flaps together. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,312,337 to Martin and 4,549,654 to Tiesman are typical of this construction.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a sleeve or wrapper type package which is closed by a novel positive locking arrangement, wherein a folded flap is tucked into a pocket formed by a pocket panel, such that when the flap is inserted into the pocket, edges of the tuck flap automatically engage confronting edges of matching tabs inside the pocket to achieve locking of the flap within the pocket. This lock panel can be located in the center of the top surface of the package, thus providing a panel for a hang tab, a handle, graphics display, or other uses.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is perspective view the sleeve or wrapper type package with the novel locking arrangement formed by a tuck flap and pocket panel in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of upper parts of the package showing the foldable flap portion and pocket panel portion near each other in position to be inserted but prior to insertion of the tuck flap into the pocket formation, and showing part of the panel forming the pocket pulled away from its associated glue tab, to facilitate understanding of the construction of the package;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view, with parts broken away, of the associated foldable tuck flap and pocket panel portions at an upper corner of the package; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the paperboard blank for the package of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, the sleeve or wrapper type package embodying the present invention is indicated generally by the reference character 10, and in the illustrated embodiment is a sleeve type package designed to support a nutdriver set or similar article. The sleeve or wrapper type package 10 in the closed or erected position includes a bottom 12, upwardly convergent inclined side walls 14, 16 extending in upwardly converging relation from and joined to the lateral edges of the bottom 12 along fold or scored hinge lines 20 and 22 and having openings 14a and 16a therein. Score lines 14b and 16b are provided near but spaced somewhat below the upper edge of the side openings 14a and 16a, arranged in parallelism with the bottom fold lines or hinge lines 20, 22, and divide the panel into side portions 14c, 16c and portions 14d, 16d, which form top portion of the erected package to be locked together at their adjacent ends by the lock panel portion 24.

Referring particularly to the paperboard blank shown in FIG. 4, the blank 26 comprises a centrally located panel 26a forming the bottom 12 of the package, joined along the parallel transverse hinge lines or scores 20, 22 to panels 26b and 26c respectively forming the sides 14 and 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the panels 26b and 26c include the openings 14a, 16a cut therein and have scores 14b and 16b extending parallel to the hinge-forming score lines 20 and 22, spaced slightly toward the later from the uppermost edges of the openings 14a, 16a, and defining the lower boundary of the upper convergent panel portions 14d and 16d. The panels 26b and 26c are bounded at their edges opposite the hinge-forming score lines 20 and 22 by score lines 28 and 30. The lateral edges of the panels 26a, 26b and 26c have folded flap portions 26d, 26e and 26f, the tab portions 26e and 26f having adhesive thereon for securing the same in folded underlying relation against adjoining edge portions of the panels 26b and 26c, while the flap portions 26b are erected into perpendicular upstanding relation to the bottom panel 26a when the sides 14 and 16 are folded to the erected position of FIG. 1, providing a tray-like bottom 26a bounded along all four edges by upwardly extending side wall portions.

Joined to the upper subpanel portion 14d of the side-forming panel 26b along the fold line 28 is the tuck flap panel formed of panel portions 32a and 32b joined together along an intermediate hinge-forming score line 32c. The portion 32a forms the base portion of the tuck flap panel and is rectangular in configuration, while the portion 32b forms the flap portion thereof and has inclined lateral edges as shown. Generally rectangular cut-outs 32d are provided in portions of the tuck flap base portions 32a and flap portion 32b when the flap portion is folded into outwardly overlying relation, as shown in FIG. 2.

The opposite or uppermost edge of the side-forming panel 26c defined by the fold line 30 joins the pocket panel, indicated at 34, to the side panel 26c, and comprises an inner rectangular pocket panel portion 34a and an outer rectangular pocket portion 34b to be folded along the fold lines 34c to overlie and register with the pocket panel portion 34a, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The lateral edges of the innermost pocket panel portion 34a is provided with glue tabs 34c at the opposite sides thereof to be folded inwardly and glued to the confronting portions of the overlying pocket panel portion 34b, assuming the position as shown in FIG. 3. The glue tabs 34c are provided with inclined edges 34d which diverge upwardly toward the outermost corners of the pocket panel 34, and the outermost tuck flap 32b is provided with matching inclined edges 32e which engage and are effectively locked against and restrained in the pocket defined by the pocket panel, as the folded flap portion 32b following full insertion into the pocket tends to spring outwardly under elastic memory forces to be captured by the inclined edges 34d of the glue tabs 34c which are positioned to intercept outward withdrawal of the flaps edges 34e. Shaped openings 34f may be provided in the pocket panel portions 34a and 34b, which openings 34f register with the openings 32d in the tuck flap 32 to receive suitable hanger brackets or the like, such as pegboard display hangers, to removably support the package for display. The internested tuck flap and pocket formations also form a convenient handle for transporting the package, and provide a desirable surface for graphics display and the like.