GB2222147A

GB2222147A - Cartons

Info

Publication number: GB2222147A
Application number: GB8918516A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Thomas Bannon
Original assignee: LMG WILLIAM THYNE Ltd
Current assignee: LMG WILLIAM THYNE Ltd
Priority date: 1988-08-18
Filing date: 1989-08-14
Publication date: 1990-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 2009-08-14
Also published as: GB8918516D0; GB8819630D0; DE3926553A1; GB2222147B

Description

4 7 CARTONS The present invention relates to cartons of the kind

comprising two compartments disposed one above the other and wherein the upper compartment is movable to reveal the interior of the lower compartment. Cartons of this kind are frequently employed for the packaging of confectionery, such as chocolates, and other small articles.

As at present constructed the upper compartment is usually in the form of a removal tray which normally rests on the lower compartment but which can be lifted away from -o reveal ---s contents.

the lower compartment in order 111 It is an object of the present invent.Lon to provide an improved construction of carton of the above kind.

According to the present invention, the upper compartment is hingedly connected to the lower compartment such that it can be moved between a posit On in which the upper co7parnent overlies the lower compartment and a position in which the upper compart-ment is swung aside to reveal at least aportic.of the area of the lower compartment. The hinge connection may be such that the upper compartment can be swung (to - I partially at least two defined positions, in one of which it stJ.1. L., overlies the lower compartment and in the other of which it is moved entirely from the area of the lower compartment According to a preferred form of the invention the upper compartment is hingedly connected to the lower compartment by a web which serves both as a support for the upper compartment and is also creased to define hinge lines allowing the web to fold and unfold as the upper compartment is moved to its different positions, each hinge line serving to define one predetermined position of the upper compartment. The upper compartment is also preferably hinged at one corner to a vertical extension of one wall of the lower compartment.

The carton may be provided with a lid hingedly connected to an extension of a second wall of the lower compartment and which serves to cover over the upper compartment and also has a flap which extends down one side of both the upper and lower compartments. The flap may terminate in a tongue which engages in a slot in the bottom region of the lower compartment.

From another aspect, the invention provides a carton of the kind comprising two compartments disposed one above the other wherein the upper compartment is movable to reveal the interior of the lower compartment and the upper compartment is hingedly connected to the lower compartment both by one corner of the upper compartment being attached to one end of an upward extension of a wall of the lower compartment and also by a web which extends over the lower compartment when the two compartments lie one above the other and which is hingedly connected both to the underside of the upper compartment and to the upper edge of a wall of the lower compartment, said web having a further hinge line extending between that corner of the upper compartment which is hinged to an upward extension of a wall of the lower compartment and an opposite edge of said web.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of carton according to the invention with the two compartments one above the other and the lid open, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing two possible positions for the upper compartment to expose the lower compArtm ent, Figure 3 is a view illustrating the action of the web between the two compartments; and Figure 4 is an underneath plan view showing the upper compartment fully displaced from the lower compartment and the lid fully open.

Referring to the drawings the carton generally indicated at 1 may be made of a card, a board or a plastics material fac - of any suitable type used in carton manu. Lure and is of generally rectangular shape. As shown in Fig.1, the cartcn has an upper compartment 2 normally disposed above a lower compartment 3 so that the upper cc:-,, partment conceals the lower compartment. In lLhis position, the carton can be 'csed by a lid 4 hingedly connected to an upwardly c L extending wall 3a of the lower compartment and which can extend over the top Of the upper compartment. The lid.n21u,es a flap 5 which extends dcwn one side of both --he upper and lower compartments and terminates in a tab 6 which can engage in a slot 7 adjacent the bottom of the lower compartment 31.

T he upper compartment 2 is hingedly connected zo the lewer co,,.npar--,.en- 1 3 so that it can be swung frcm the position where it overlies the latter as shown in Figure 1, when the carton lid can be closed, to a second position 4n which the upper cor.,, nartmer.z partially overlies the lower ----U - -L -c a third co,,P.Par-,r,nent as shown in Figure 2 and also -11 pos-4--J)n in which the upper compartment is enti-re-ly clear c, the area c-,- the lower compartment, as shown in Figure 4 and in Figure 2 in broken lines. In order to achieve this result Llhe wall 3b of the lower compartment is extended upwardly to the level of the top of the upper compartment 2 and one corner c.' the latter is hingedly connected at 8. to a vertical edge of the upward extension of the wall'3b. Furthermore a web 9 of the carton material is disposed between the two compartments and is hingedly attached at 10 to an edge of the lower compartment and also diagonally at 11 to the underside of the upper compartment between the corne.

adjacent the hinge connection 8 and the opposite corner 2a.

The web 9 also includes an additional hinge line 12 extending from the hinge connection 8 diagonally to the opposite edge 9a of the web and located between the hinge lines 10 and 11. When the upper compartment 2 overlies -on is closed, the lower compartment 3, e.g. when the cart the web 9 is folded diagonally on itself about the hinge -his folded state between the two line 11 and lies in t compartments. Rotation of the upper compartment 3 about the vertical hinge 8 allows this compartment to cant upwardly as seen in Figure 3, and the web to hinge both about the hinge line 11 and --he hinge line 12 to the full line position shown in Figure 2 in which the upper compartment 2 --ment and a part is partially displaced from the lower compart of the lower compartment 3 and its contents is exposed. is Further rotation of the upper compartment 2 about the vertical hinge 8 with further canting of this compartment allows the web 9 complezely to unfold as it pivots about -LLs hinge lines 10 and 12 untilthe upper compartment comes tc res- in a position where it no longer overlies the lower compartment but lies alongside it supported by the web, as shown in broken lines in FiguT-e"2. In this position the contents of both comnartments can be viewed side-by-side.

The upper compartment is restored to its position overlying -,v rot In the lower compartmenz b ilating it in the reverse -ion about the vertical hinge 8.

direct k As shown each of the compartments is provided with one or more inwardly direczed side flanges 13.

The carton can be readily constructed from two blanks which are appropriately creased and folded. One blank forms the lower compartment 3, the lid 4, flap 5 and tab 6 as well as the web 9 whilst the other blank forms the upper compartment 2. The erected blanks are maintained in their desired form by means of glued tabs such as 14 and the upper compartment is secured to the lower compartment a by gluing the triangular area 9b of the web 9- to the underside of the upper compartment 3 and the tab 15 to the adjacent wall of the upper compartment to form the vertical hinge 8.

The carton according to the present invention provides a novel and attractive carton structure for confectionery or a variety of other articles such as toiletries. It will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this invention. For example, the principles of the construction of the present invention could be emplcyed in a carton having more than two tiers of compartments. Also the overall shape of the carton could be other than that shown. Moreover, if desired, a part of the car-Ion, e.g. one of the compartments, may 12e made from a transparent plastics material and the remainder from an opaque card material.

-1

Claims

1. A carton of the kind comprising two compartments disposed one above the other and wherein the upper compartment is movable to reveal the interior of the lower compartment in which the upper compartment is hingedly connected to the lower compartment by a hinge structure disposed between the two compartments such that said upper compartment can be moved between a position in which it overlies the lower compartment and a position in which the upper compartment is swung aside to reveal at least a portion of the area of the lower compartment.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1, in which the hinge connection is such that the upper compartment can be swung to at least two defined positions, in one of which it still partially overlies the lower compartment and in the other of which it is moved entirely from the area of the lower compartment.

3. A carton as claimed in claim I or 2, in which the upper compartment is hingedly connected to the lower compartment by a web which serves both as a support for the upper compartment and is also creased to define hinge lines allowing the web to fold and unfold as the upper compartment is moved to its different positions, each hinge line serving to define one predetermined position of the upper compartment.

4. A carton as claimed in claim 3, in which the upper compartment is also hinged at one corner to a vertical extension of one wall of the lower compartment.

5. A carton of the kind comprising two compartments disposed one above the other wherein the upper compartment is movable to reveal the interior of the lower compartment and the upper compartment is hingedly connected to the lower compartment both by one corner of the upper compartment being attached to one end of an upward extension of a wall of the lower compartment and also by a web which extends over the lower compartment when the two compartments lie one above the other and which is hingedly connected both to the underside of the upper compartment, said web having a further hinge line extending between that corner of the upper compartment which is hinged to an upward extension of a wall of the lower compartment and an opposite edge of said web.

6. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the carton is provided with a lid hingedly connected to an extension of a second wall of the lower compartment and which serves to cover over the upper compartment and also has a flap which extends down the side of both the upper and lower compartments.

7. A carton as claimed in claim 6, in which the flap terminates in a tongue which engages in a slot in the bottom region of the lower compartment.

8. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each of the compartments is provided with one or more inwardly directed side flanges.

9. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim in which it is of overall rectangular shape.

10. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim comprising more than two tiers of compartments.

11. A carton as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 -8 which is constructed from two blanks which are appropriately creased and folded, one of said blanks forming the lower compartment, the lid and the web between the two compartments and the other blank forming the upper compartment.

12. A carton as claimed in claim 11, in which the erected blanks are maintained in their desired form by means of glued tabs.

13. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the carton is made from a ccxrd, board or plastics sheet material.

14. A carton substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1990 at The Patent Office. State House. 613.7 t High Holburn. London WC I R 4TP Further copies maybe obtained ft'oni 77ie Patent Omce. Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, K2nt'8'.R5 3FLD- Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent, Cori. V87

14. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim in which at least a part of the carton, e.g. one compartment is made of a transparent plastics material.

15. A carton substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

-1 Q ZI -g- Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1. A carton of the kind comprising two compartments disposed one above the other and wherein the upper compartment is movable to reveal the interior of the lower compartment in which the upper compartment is hingedly connected to the lower compartment by a hinge structure disposed between the two compartments such that said upper compartment can be swung from a position in which it overlies the lower compartment to either one of at least two defined positions, in one of which it still partially overlies the lower compartment and in the other of which it is moved entirely from the area of the lower compartment.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1, in which the upper compartment is hingedly connected to the lower compartment by a web which serves both as a support for the upper compartment and is also creased to define hinge lines allowing the web to fold and unfold as the upper compartment is moved to its different positions, each hinge line serving to define one predetermined position of the upper compartment.

3. A carton as claimed in claim 2, in which the upper compartment is also hinged at one corner to a vertical extension of one wall of the lower compartment.

4. A carton of the kind comprising two compartments disposed one above the other wherein the upper compartment is movable to reveal the interior of the lower compartment and the upper compartment is hingedly connected to the lower compartment both by one corner of the upper compartment being attached to one end of an upward extension of a wall of the lower compartment - IC- and also by a web which extends over the lower comDartment when the two compartments lie one above the other and which is hingedly connected both to the underside of the upper compartment and to the upper edge of a wall of the lower compartment, said web having a further hinge line extending between that corner of the upper compartment which is hinged to an upward extension of a wall of the lower compartment and an opposite edge of said web.

5. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the carton is provided with a lid hingedly connected to an extension of a second wall of the lower compartment and which serves to cover over the upper comiDartment and also has a flap which extends down the side of both the upper and lower compartments.

6. A carton as claimed in claim 5, in which the flap terminates in a tongue which engages in a slot in the bottom region of the lower compartment.

7. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each of the compartments is provided with one or more inwardly directed side flanges.

8. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, in which it is of overall rectangular shape.

9. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim comprising more than two tiers of compartments.

10. A carton as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 which is constructed from two blanks which are appropriately creased and folded, one of said blanks forming the lower compartment, the lid and the web between the two compartments and the other blank forming the upper compartment.

11. A carton as claimed in claim 10, in which the erected blanks are maintained in their desired form by - II- means of glued tabs.

12. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the carton is made from a card, board, or plastics sheet material.

13. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, in which at least a part of the carton, e.g. one compartment, is made of a transparent plastics material.