Carton for brick-shaped containers with a top dispenser

[0001] This invention relates generally to cartons for brick-shaped containers, such as Tetra Pak®, that has a dispenser in the top for the removal of the containers, but permits the carton to remain intact as a package.

[0002] Brick-shaped containers made of paperboard and plastic composites for containing drinks have become popular in recent years. One of the popular brands of such containers is Tetra Pak®. These brick-shaped containers with product are sometimes sold as a single package. A number of these containers can be packaged together in plastic wrap. The plastic wrap is destroyed when the package is opened. Paperboard cartons can be used for containing these brick-shaped containers, but they are also destroyed as a package when they are opened to remove one or more containers. It would be desirable to have a package that could be torn open to allow the removal of one or more containers, but would still function as a package for the containers that are not removed.

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser for a carton for containing brick-shaped containers to allow the removal of one or more containers without destroying the utility of the carton containing the unremoved containers.

[0004] The objects of this invention are achieved by providing a carton for the dispenser that can be torn from the top panel and which has gussets at the top or middle of the carton for holding the two side panels together when the dispenser is torn open. This carton permits the removal of one or more containers, but it will still function as a carton for containing the unremoved containers. The top or middle gusset holds the side panels of the carton together forming a secure package even after the removal of the top dispenser flap. The top gusset is simply attached by fold lines to the two side panels by a side gusset on each side. The middle gusset is attached by a tuck-in gusset which is attached to a side gusset which in turn is attached to the middle of each side panel. This permits the middle gusset to span the end wall of the carton near its middle.

[0005] The carton of this invention can be held together either by locks or glue on the bottom flaps.

[0012] The present invention is intended primarily for use with brick-shaped packages, such as Tetra Pak®, that contain various types of drinks. The brick-shaped containers are constructed of a composite of paperboard and plastic and designed to have a long shelf life without refrigeration.

[0013] The blank for forming the carton of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. This blank 10 is designed to contain ten brick-shaped containers C in two rows of five each. The blank 10 is formed from a foldable sheet of material, such as paperboard. The blank 10 has a bottom flap 12, which is foldably connected to side panel 14 by fold line 16 and in turn connected to top panel 18 by fold line 20. Top panel 18 is connected to side panel 22 by fold line 24, which in turn is connected to bottom flap 26 by fold line 28. A dispenser flap 30 occupies nearly all of the top panel 18. The dispenser flap 30 can be torn from the carton along tear line 32 to form a dispenser in the top of the carton.

[0014] It should be understood that bottom flaps 12 and 26 can be glued together. However, in this embodiment, a locking system is used which includes both a primary locking system and a secondary locking system. The primary locking system is a locking arrangement between primary male locks 34A-D formed along fold line 36 in bottom flap 26 and primary female openings 38A-D in bottom flap 12. The primary male locks 34A-D are hooked over primary female ledges 40A-D in the locking of the carton. As it is important to tighten the carton tightly about the containers, primary female openings 38A-D also serve as tightening apertures, which allow mechanical tightening fingers to enter and tighten the carton during forming.

[0015] The primary locks connect the ends of the carton together via the flaps, while the secondary locks function to main the engaged flaps in place in order to provide a “backup” locking system to prevent the primary locks from separating.

[0016] The secondary locking system consists of secondary male locks 42A-D formed as an extension of bottom flap 26. Secondary female openings 44A-D secure the secondary male locks 42A-D when they are inserted into the respective secondary female openings 44A-D.

[0017] It will be noticed that each pair of primary and secondary locks are aligned longitudinally, i.e., the length of the blank. This carton provides a locking system that is more secure because there are both primary and secondary locks. While the primary locks connect the ends of the carton together, the secondary locks keep the primary locks engaged.

[0018] The carton of this invention has a top gusset 46 that spans one end of the carton. Top gusset 46 is connected to top panel 18 by fold line 48 and is connected to side gusset 50 by fold line 24 and side gusset 52 by fold line 20. Side gussets 50 and 52 serve to hold the top gusset 46 in proper position across the top end of the carton. Fold line 54 may be provided in each side gusset 50 and 52 to facilitate folding the gussets into proper position. Apertures 56 may be provided to facilitate folding. The other end of the carton likewise has a top gusset 58 connected to top panel 18 by fold line 60. Top gusset 58 is connected to side gusset 62 and 64 by fold lines 20 and 24 respectively.

[0019] The carton of this invention is formed from the blank of FIG. 1 by moving the top panel along with the dispensing flap 30 over the containers C. The blank 10 can is pulled tight about the containers C and bottom flap 12 and bottom flap 26 are overlapped with bottom flap 26 being on the outside. Primary male locks 34A-D are punched inwardly into primary female openings 38A-D and are locked on primary female ledges 40A-D. The secondary male locks 42A-D are pushed inwardly into secondary female openings 44A-D.

[0020] In the process of folding side panels 14 and 22 downwardly, side gussets 50, 52, 62 and 64 are folded inwardly along with top gussets 46 and 58 so that the top gusset 46 and 58 span the end of a carton between the side panels 14 and 12 at the top.

[0021] The carton loaded with containers is illustrated in FIG. 2. This carton can be opened by tearing tear line 32 and removing dispenser flap 30. The opened carton with containers C is illustrated in FIG. 6. Even though nearly the entire top panel 18 is removed, the carton is held together by the top gussets 46 and 58 and side gussets 50, 52, 62 and 64 at each end of the carton, thus providing a package for the containers that are not removed.

[0022] The primary and secondary locking systems of the present embodiment are illustrated in FIG. 3, which shows the bottom of the carton locked.

[0023] The blank for forming of a carton with the middle gusset is illustrated in FIG. 4. This blank 110 has a bottom flap 112 that is connected to side panel 114 by fold line 116, which is connected to dispenser flap 120 which encompasses the entire top along tear line 122, which in turn is connected opposite side panel 124 by tear line 126. Side panel 124 is connected to bottom flap 128 by fold line 130. This carton has the same locking systems as illustrated in FIG. 1. It has a primary locking system with primary male locks 132A-D formed in bottom flap 128 and primary female openings 134A-D formed in bottom flap 112. Secondary male locks 138A-D are an extension of bottom flap 128 and are locked into secondary female openings 140A-D in bottom flap 112. These locks function in the same way as the locks described in connection with FIG. 1.

[0024] The blank 110 illustrated in FIG. 4 has a middle gusset 142 on one end of the carton that is foldably attached to tuck-in gusset 144 by fold line 146, which in turn is connected to side gusset 148 by fold line 150 which in turn is connected to side panel 114 by fold line 152. Middle gusset 142 is connected to tuck-in gusset 154 by fold line 156, which in turn is connected to side gusset 158 by fold line 160 which in turn is connected to side panel 124 by fold line 162. The other end of the carton has a middle gusset 164 which is connected to tuck-in gusset 166 by fold line 168 which in turn is connected to side gusset 170 by fold line 172 which in turn is connected to side panel 124 by fold line 174. Middle gusset 164 is connected to tuck-in gusset 176 by fold line 178 which in turn is connected to side gusset 180 by fold line 182 and in turn connected to side panel 114 by fold line 184. Dispenser flap 120 can be removed by pulling on either tear tab 186 on each end of the carton. The middle gussets 142 and 164 are separated from dispenser flap 120 by cut lines 190 and 188, respectively.

[0025] This carton is formed about containers and locked in the same way as the carton is formed from the blank shown in FIG. 1. A carton formed from the blank illustrated in FIG. 4 is shown in FIG. 5.

[0026] However, the middle gussets 142 and 164 of this embodiment span the end of the carton near its center. Tuck-in gussets 144, 154, 166, 176 and side gussets 148, 158, 170 and 180 are folded inwardly in the process of erecting this carton so that they rest between the inside of the side panels 124 and 114 and the containers therein. This results in holding middle gussets 142 and 164 tightly against the ends of the carton and prevents the containers from falling out when the dispensing flap 120 has been removed.

[0027] While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the following claims.

[0028] An important unique feature of this invention is that this carton provides a dispenser with easy access to all the containers contained in the carton, but preserves the integrity of the carton in holding containers through the provision of either a top gusset or middle gusset across each end of the carton which holds the containers in place in the carton and holds the carton together.