US3081927A

US3081927A - Dispensing carton

Info

Publication number: US3081927A
Application number: US113431A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lewis J Hayhurst
Original assignee: Kraft Inc
Current assignee: Kraft Inc
Priority date: 1961-05-29
Filing date: 1961-05-29
Publication date: 1963-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1980-03-19

Description

United States Patent 3,081,927 DISPENSING CARTON Lewis J. Hayhurst, Glenview, Ill., assignor to National Dairy Products (Jorporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 29, 1961, Ser. No. 113,431 6 (Ilaims. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates generally to disposable containers for liquids and, in particular, it relates to containers of this type which are provided with a collapsible pouring spout.

In the packaging of liquids, and in particular, of liquid foods, it is common to use disposable containers which are adapted to hold a certain quantity of the liquid, and which can be discarded after they have been emptied of their contents. The use of such containers permits convenient and economical distribution of the liquid without the necessity of handling a large number of emptied bottles 'on a return basis.

Containers of this type are frequently provided with a means to facilitate the dispensing of the liquid. Some such containers have on their upper surface an opening fitted with a stopper which can be removed incident to the initial opening of the container and reinserted to close the opening if all of the contents of the container are not used. This closure, while generally satisfactory, does not provide a pouring spout and consequently dispensing of the liquid is sometimes difficult. Further, the stopper gradually becomes worn and eventually no longer provides a satisfactory closure for the container opening if removed and reinserted repeatedly.

Another form of container now widely used includes a collapsible pouring spout. The upper portions of one pair of opposing side walls of this container taper inwardly at the top to form a gable over the inwardly folded adjacent walls, and the container is opened by manually spreading the tapered side Walls at one end and unfolding the intermediate wall to form the spout. The disadvantage of this form of container, however, is that its upper surface is not flat and, consequently, the containers can not be conveniently stacked.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved disposable container having a collapsible pouring spout. A more specific object of the invention is to provide a container having a collapsible pouring spout and a flat upper surface which will permit the containers to be stacked one upon the other. A further object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible'spout container, which container is convenient and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the container, partially broken away and with the bottom portion of the container displaced to aid the illustration;

FIGURES 2, 3, and 4 are fragmentary perspective views of the upper end of the container of FIGURE 1, illustrating respectively the sequence of steps by which the container is opened and a pouring spout formed.

FIGURE 5 is a partially broken away plan view of a blank for forming the top and walls of the container of FIGURE 1.

A container 11 in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in its assembled form in FIGURE 1. It comprises a shell or body portion 13, a bottom closure 15, and a top closure .17. The :shell 13 includes four rectangular wall panels, designated for convenience of adhesive.

"ice

reference as a front wall .19, a rear wall 21, and

side walls

23 and 25. The top closure and all of the walls panels are formed from a single blank 27 (FIGURE 5), adjacent wall panels being defined between fold lines 29, and a joint being made between the rear wall 21 and side wall 25.

As seen best from the blank form 27 in FIGURE 5, the joint is formed by folding a longitudinal edge flap 31, integral with the rear wall 21, over the adjacent side wall 25. The fiap 31 is bonded to the side wall 25 by a suitable When the walls of the container are in an assembled condition, as shown in FIGURE 1, the shell 13 has a square or rectangular cross-section.

The bottom closure 15 of the container 11 includes a base panel 33, which is substantially the same size and shape as the cross-section of the shell 13, and a peripheral skirt 35 which is folded back on itself on all four sides to form peripheral grooves 37 which receive the lower edges of the wall members of the shell -13 to assemble the bottom closure 15 with the shell.

The container '11 is normally assembled by first folding and joining the wall panels and then by folding and sealing the top closure 17, still to be described in detail. The container is then filled in an inverted position through its lower end, after which the bottom 15 is attached as the final step in the assembly and filling of the container.

The top closure 17 comprises in part a fixed wall 42 which defines a trapezoidally-shaped opening 43, and a collapsible pouring spout 45 which is connected to the container by fold lines along edges of the opening 43.

The wall 42 is formed of a pair of side flaps 47 and a rear flap 49 which overlies the side flaps: when the container is in the assembled condition, as can be seen in FIGURE 4. Each of the side flaps 47 is trapezoidal in shape, having parallel upper and

lower edges

51 and 53, a rear edge 55 which is generally normal to the upper and lower edges, and a rearwardly inclined forward edge 57 which partially defines the opening 43. The angle between each of the edges 57 and the edges 53 is approximately 45 degrees.

The lower edge 53 constitutes a fold line which connects each flap 47 to the upper edge of one of the

side walls

23 or 25. As can be seen by the dotted lines in FIGURE 4, the side flaps 47 are normally in a horizontal position and, when so disposed, the length of the rear edges 55 is such that the upper edges 51 of the panels are in an abutting relationship to one another when folded.

The remaining element of the fixed wall 42 is the rear flap 49 which is generally rectangular and positioned in partially overlying relation to the side flaps 47 so as to provide a double thickness of material over the area covered by the fixed wall 42. The rear flap 49 includes a forward edge 59, side edges 61, and a rearward edge 63. The rear edge 63 constitutes a fold line by which the flap is attached to the upper edge of the rear wall 21 of the container.

It will be noted in FIGURE 4 that the length of the side edges 51 of the rear flap 49 is somewhat greater than the length of the upper edges SI of the inclined side flaps 4'7, and that the rear flap overlaps a portion of the edges 57. Hence, there is a small triangularly-shaped area, adjacent the forward edge 59 of the rear flap and designated by the numeral 65 in FIGURE 4, which does not overlie any portion of the side flaps 47. The forward edge 59 is indented slightly at 64 adjacent the area 65, and the area 65 is depressed slightly to accommodate a portion of the pouring spout 45, as will be seen shortly.

The opening 43, previously referred to as trapezoidal in shape, includes a pair of parallel edges and a pair of inclined edges. The parallel edges comprise a base edge 66 which is the longer of the two and which is defined by the upper edge of the front panel 19, and a top edge defined by the indentation 6d of the rear flap 49. The side edges of the openin 43 are defined by the rearwardly inclined forward edges 57 of the side flaps 47. It is noted that since the rear flap 49 overlaps somewhat the edges 57 of the side flaps 47, the side edges of the opening 43 are not equal in length to the edges 57. The side edges are, however, equal in length to one another and form an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the base edge 66.

The pouring spout 45 is constructed so that it can be collapsed in such a manner as to provide a fiat surface which will accommodate the stacking of the containers while still providing a satisfactory seal. The spout 45 comprises a triangular forward panel 67 and a pair of inverted triangular end panels 68, one of which is disposed along each side of the forward panel. Fold lines 69, constituting (when the carton is in blank form, FIGURE extensions of the fold line 29 between the front panel 19 and side panels 25, divide each of the panels 68 into a triangular upper end panel 71} and a triangular lower end panel 71.

The triangular forward panel 67 is in the shape of an isosceles triangle and includes a base edge which is equal in length to the base edge 66 of the opening 43, and

side edges

75 and 77 which are of equal length and slightly longer than the length of the inclined edges 57 of the side panels 51. Thus, the panel 67 overlies the opening 43 and the depressed area 65, completely covering the opening with the apex of the panel overlying the area 65. The

apex of the panel 67 may be conveniently bonded to the area 65 to seal the opening.

All of the edges of the forward panel 67 constitute fold lines by which the panel is connected to the walls of the container and to the end panels 68, the base edge 66 constituting a fold line which connects the panel 67 with the upper edge of the front wall 19 of the container, and the

side edges

75 and 77 constituting fold lines which interconnect the panel 67 with the end panels 68.

Both the upper and lower end panels 78' and 71 of the end panel 68 are in the shape of an isosceles right triangle. The lower panels 71 include a hypotenuse which is equal in length to the length of a side edge of the opening 43, and legs 79 which are equal in length to the distance between one end of the indentation 64 and the adjacent side wall of the container. The upper panels 70 include a hypotenuse equal in length to the length of one of the legs of the forward panel 67, and legs equal in length to one half the length of the base edge 66 of the opening 43.

As can be seen in FIGURE 5, the upper panels 71 complement the forward panel 67 such that the three panels constitute a rectangle. Also, since the legs of the upper panels 70 are longer than the legs of the lower panels 71 measured along the fold line 77, an edge 86 of the upper panel overlaps the lower panel and provides a finger grip when the panels are in side-by-side relation, as shown for example in FIGURE 3.

The upper end panels 70 are connected to the forward triangular panel 67 along what would constitute the hypotenuse of the former by the

fold lines

75 and 77 as previously set forth. The lower end panels 71 are connected along their hypotenuse to the inclined edge 57 of the side flaps 47 of the flat wall 42. Hence, the pouring spout 45 is formed of a series of interconnected, triangularly-shaped panels which permit the spout to assume both the collapsed position shown in FIGURE 1 and open position shown in FIGURE 4.

Referring to the FIGURES l and 2, it will be noted that when the spout 4-5 is folded into the collapsed position, the upper surface of the top closure 17 is essentially flat, and would permit the container to be stacked, as for example in a carton or for display purposes. The flat surfaces of the containers also permits them to be packaged in such a manner that all of the space within the carton is utilized, a feature heretofore not possible with the container in which the side walls taper to a single edge at the top.

In the open position, the spout 4-5 defines a discharge opening 82 (FIGURE 4) having walls tapering to a single point so as to assure an accurate pouring of the contents of the package. Also, when the spout is fully open, the forward triangular panel 67 may be disposed in the same plane as the front wall 19 of the container, or at an obtuse angle to the front wall, thus eliminating any corner or cavities where a portion of the liquid might accumulate and become inaccessible.

The pouring spout 45 may be maintained in the collapsed condition by a suitable adhesive by some form of a fastener, such as a tape 81 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The tape 81 is provided with an adhesive of some form on its inner surface which will cause it to adhere to the outer surface of the container. One edge of the tape 81 is not coated, as at 83, so that the tape may be easily grasped and removed when it is desired to open the container.

It will be noted from the drawing that the upper end panel 70 flexes relative to the triangular forward panel 67 through an angle of over 180 degrees when the pouring spout is moved from a collapsed to an open position. Further, it is noted that the apex of the triangular forward panel is temporarily bonded to the depressed area 65 of the flap 47 and that this apex will also flex through a considerable angle in the opening of the package. Accordingly, in order to strengthen this portion of the spout and also to provide a more sturdy surface to be bonded to the depressed area 65, the lip 85 of the pouring spout is coated with a lacquer or similar stiffening substances as shown by shading in FIGURE 5.

Assuming that the pouring spout is in the collapsed position as shown in FIGURE 1, the container 11 is opened by grasping the edge 83 of the tape and pulling it upwardly and toward the rear wall 21 until the tape is no longer in contact with the pouring spout 45. This will release the opposing pairs of end walls 68 on each side of the spout, rendering them liftable to the position shown in FIGURE 3. The edges (FIGURE 3) of the upper end panel may then be grasped with the fingers of each hand and lifted upwardly until the spout snaps into the position shown in FIGURE 4.

To close the container, as for the purpose of storing an unused portion, the triangular panel 67 is pressed at a point slightly above its center which causes the spout to snap back into the position shown in FIGURE 3. In this position, the spout provides a substantially complete closure for the container which, while not suitable for transporting the liquid, will safely preserve its contents while they are being stored.

A container has thus been described which includes a collapsible pouring spout. The spout greatly facilitates the dispensing of liquids when in the open position, provides an effective seal for the container when in the semiclosed position, and provides a flat upper surface for the container when in the completely closed position.

Various of the features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

-1. A disposable container for liquids, which container comprises a hollow elongated shell, the walls of which define an opening, and a collapsible pouring spout at least partially surrounding said opening, said spout including a first panel connected along one edge of saidopening defining wall by means of a fold line, and a pair of end comprises a hollow elongated shell, the walls of which define an opening, and a collapsible pouring spout at least partially surrounding said opening, said spout including a first panel connected along one edge of said opening defining wall by means of a fold line, and a pair of end panels, each of which is connected to a side edge of said first panel and to an edge of said opening defining wall by means of a fold line, each of said end panels being divided into two sections by a fold line extending from a point on the edge of said opening to an unconnected edge of said panel, said spout being collapsible to a substantially flat position in which said first panel overlies said opening and said end panels are folded upon themselves and overlie said first panel.

3. A disposable container for liquids, which container comprises a hollow elongated shell including a flat wall at one end, the walls of said shell defining an opening, and a collapsible pouring spout at least partially surrounding said opening, said spout including a first panel connected along one edge of the wall defining said opening by means of a fold line, and a pair of end panels each of which is connected to a side edge of said first panel and to an edge of said wall defining said opening by means of a fold line, each of said end panels being divided into two sections by a third fold line extending from a point on the edge of said opening to an unconnected edge of said panel, said spout being collapsible to a substantially fiat position in which said first panel overlies said opening and said end panels are folded upon themselves and overlie said first panel.

4. A disposable container for liquids, which container comprises a hollow elongated shell including a fiat wall at one end, the walls of said shell defining an opening, and a collapsible pouring spout at least partially surrounding said opening, said spout including a triangularlyshaped first panel connected along its base edge to one edge of said wall defining said opening by means of a fold line and adapted to be bonded to a portion of said flat wall, and a pair of end panels, each of which is connected to a side edge of said first panel and to an edge of said wall defining said opening by means of a fold line, each of said end panels being divided into two triangularly-shaped sections by a fold line extending from a point on the edge of said opening to an unconnected edge of said panel, said spout being thereby collapsible to a substantially flat position in which said first panel overlies said opening and said end panels are folded upon themselves and overlie said first panel.

5. A disposable container for liquids, which container comprises a hollow elongated shell including a flat wall at one end, the walls of said shell defining an opening, and a collapsible pouring spout at least partially surrounding said opening, said spout including a triangular first panel connected along its base edge to one edge of said wall defining said opening by means of a fold line and adapted to be bonded at its apex to a portion of said flat wall, said fiat wall and said first panel being coated with a binding material over the areas to be bonded, and a pair of end panels, each of which is connected to a side edge of said first panel and to an edge of said wall defining said opening by means of fold lines, each of said end panels being divided into two triangularly-shaped sections by a fold line extending from a point on the edge of said wall defining said opening to an unconnected edge of said panel, said spout being thereby collapsible to a substantially flat position in which said first panel overlies said opening and said end panels are folded upon themselves and overlie said first panel, and means for holding said spout in said collapsed position.

6. A disposable container for liquids, which container comprises a hollow elongated shell including a flat wall at one end, the walls of said shell defining an opening, and a collapsible pouring spout at least partially surrounding said opening, said spout including a triangular first panel connected along its base edge to one edge of said wall defining said opening by means of fold lines and adapted to be bonded at its apex to a portion of said fiat :wall, the portion of said flat wall which is to be bonded and the lip of said pouring spout being coated with a binding material, and a pair of end panels, each of which is connected to a side edge of said first panel and to an edge of said wall defining said opening by means of fold lines, each of said end panels being divided into two triangularly-shaped sections by a fold line extending from a point on the edge of said opening to an unconnected edge of said panel, said spout being thereby collapsible to a substantially fiat position in which said first panel overlies said opening and said end panels are folded upon themselves and overlie said first panel, and means for holding said spout in said collapsed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,034,594 Norris et al Mar. 17, 1936 2,861,732 Parker 'Nov. 25, 1958 2,928,579 Graybill Mar. 15, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 113,928 Sweden Apr. 24, 1945

Claims

1. A DISPOSABLE CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS, WHICH CONTAINER COMPRISES A HOLLOW ELONGATED SHELL, THE WALLS OF WHICH DEFINE AN OPENING, AND A COLLAPSIBLE POURING SPOUT AT LEAST PARTIALLY SURROUNDING SAID OPENING, SAID SPOUT INCLUDING A FIRST PANEL CONNECTED ALONG ONE EDGE OF SAID OPENING DEFINING WALL BY MEANS OF A FOLD LINE, AND A PAIR OF END PANELS, EACH OF WHICH IS CONNECTED TO A SIDE EDGE OF SAID FIRST PANEL AND TO A EDGE OF SAID OPENING DEFINING WALL BY MEANS OF A FOLD LINE, SAID SPOUT BEING COLLAPSIBLE TO A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT POSITION IN WHICH SAID FIRST PANEL OVERLIES SAID OPENING AND SAID END PANELS ARE FOLDED UPON THEMSELVES AND OVERLIE SAID FIRST PANEL.