US3333758A

US3333758A - Container

Info

Publication number: US3333758A
Application number: US465307A
Authority: US
Inventors: Buchner Norbert
Original assignee: FR Hesser Maschinenfabrik AG
Current assignee: FR Hesser Maschinenfabrik AG
Priority date: 1964-06-23
Filing date: 1965-06-21
Publication date: 1967-08-01
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-01
Also published as: CH423612A; GB1062809A; SE310336B

Description

Aug. 1, 1967 N. BUCHNER 3,333,758

CONTAINER Filed June 21, 1965 Fl G 4 INVENTOR.

NORBERT BUCHNER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,333,758 CONTAINER Norbert Bnchner, Hegnach, Waiblingen, Germany, as-

signor to Firma Fr. Hesser Maschinenfabrik A.G., Stuttgart-Bad Connstatt, Germany, a corporation Filed June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,307

Claims priority, application Germany, June 23, 1964,

8 Claims. (Cl. 22917) The invention relates generally to a liquid shipping and dispensing container of thermoplastic coated paperboard, or the like, and, more particularly, to an improved closure flap arrangement thereof.

In the prior art containers of this type are fabricated from a paperboard blank which is formed into a tubular container by securely joining overlapping coated edges of the wall panels. The bottom is closed in a similar manner. The sealed edge is turned to lay flat against the bottom and the projecting portions, or flaps, from the side panels are folded 180 to rest the same against the bottom of the container. The top part of the container is also in most instances formed in this manner. In order to keep the flaps positioned against the bottom of the container, to avoid damage during shipping and other handling thereof, it is necessary to secure the same in a suitable manner. This is frequently accomplished by providing a small adhesive surface area. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the container blank be coated inside and outside and the overlapping flap adhesively secured to either the folded seam or directly to the bottom closure flap.

The containers of the type above described however have a number of shortcomings. The necessity of gluing the excess flap to the main container body necessitates machinery to perform this step. On the other hand, coating the container on both sides to avoid the foregoing appreciably increases the cost of the containers.

The container in accordance with this invention, avoids these disadvantages, by constructing the panels and connecting end flaps in such a manner that the edges thereof vary in width and extend relative to each other in overlapping relationship. The resulting sealed edge is flattened and the corner flap portions turned inward whereby the exposed coated surface of one of the edges is adapted to establish contact with another exposed and coated edge of the corner flap to facilitate welding the corner flap to the sealed edge.

The time required for fusing the coated parts together depends primarily upon the rate of heat penetration through the paper or cardboard. As the heat has to penetrate only through one layer of paper to effect fusing, as compared to the multiple layers as known in the prior art, it is possible to achieve an increase in packaging out- 1.11..

P Therefore the primary object of this invention is to provide a container of simplified construction.

A further object of this invention is to provide a container which permits a more rapid machine closing of the end openings thereof.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a container formed of a blank which is thermoplastically coated on one side only and requires no additional application of glue, or the like, for the closing of the end openings.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container of the type as above described and in which one of the flaps of the top opening is uniquely adapted for dispensing the fill goods.

An aspect of the present invention resides in the provision of a container adapted for fluids which has a tube-like 3,333,758 Patented Aug. 1, 1967 configuration and the inside thereof is coated with a thermoplastic substance. The container is formed with front and back marginal edges of unequal width which are adapted to be disposed in sealed overlapping engagement to form a seam and foldable to bear flat against an end portion of the container, such as the front end flap, with portions of the wider marginal edge exposing a thermoplastic coated surface facing away from this end portion. The corner flaps have an exposed portion which is also thermoplastically coated and faces the exposed coated surface of the wider marginal edge and is foldable for bringing into sealing contact the said exposed portion and the exposed marginal edge.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of a blank, including fold lines, for forming a container in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top portion of the container;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the container with a partly formed dispenser opening; and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the container with the dispenser opening in usable form.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a suitably cut blank 10 composed of paperboard, thin carton, paper or the like. One side of the blank is coated with a thermoplastic material such as, for instance, polyethylene or polyvinylchloride. The blank is divided by fold lines into a number of sections including front and back panels 12 and side panels 14. The blank 10 is formed into a tubelike container shell of rectangular cross-section by folding the

panels

12 and 14 about foldline 16, then bringing the marginal edges 18 into overlapping engagement so that the thermoplastic coated surfaces thereof are face to face. The surfaces of edges 18 are fused together forming a longitudinally extending seam and are bent to rest against one of the panels 12, as is shown in FIGURES 2 to 4.

Contiguous to and integrally constructed with

panels

12 and 14 are at the top end of the

container closure flaps

20, 22, 24 and 26 and at the opposite end thereof bottom flaps 20', 22', 24' and 26'. The width of the closure flaps, and more particularly of the marginal edge thereof as measured from foldline 28, is varied in stepwise fashion. Each equal width marginal edge of the closure flaps, see 30 and 32, spans a distance substantially from one center of a side panel to the center of the opposite side panel. The width of top

marginal edges

30 and 32 is the same as the width of marginal edges 30' and 32, respectively, the location of the edges being in reversed order.

The bottom of the container is closed in the conventional manner. The bottom end is laid fiat to bring into cont-act the coated surfaces of edges 30 and 32' which are thereafter suitably sealed together and the main portions of closure flaps 22' and 26' are folded in place about bottom foldline 21. The resulting seam is then folded in such a manner that the edge 32' will rest against the flap portion 22'. In this position, that surface portion of the coated edge 32' which is not covered by edge 30' faces upwardly although both edges 30 and 32' point away from the container.

The folding of flaps 22' and 26' and the sealing together of marginal edges 30' and 32' leaves the two

corner flaps

20 and 24 in an upright position. Each corner flap is folded to bring the same to bear against the closure flaps of the front and back panels. More particularly, the coated edge portion 32', which forms part of corner flaps 20' and 24', is thereby brought into contact with the coated edge portion 32' which also forms part of panel 22. The engaging surface of 32', or parts thereof, are then fused together to complete the closure of the bottom end.

Upon filling the container, the top is closed in the same manner as above described. A prime'mark has been atfixed to the numerals identifying the bottom closure parts. The corresponding top closure parts are identified in FIGURES 2 to 4 with the same numerals but without the distinguishing prime mark.

The blank and more particularly the flap portions for the top closure are formed with two

slits

36 and 37 located in the two corner foldlines 16 of the side panel 14 at the terminal end of corner flap 24.

The container in accordance with this invention is adapted to be employed as a gradual dispenser of the fill good and in order to facilitate this purpose, the top closure can be converted to provide a pouring spout 38, see FIGURE 4.

The spout 38 is formed by first lifting the corner flap 24, which borders between

slits

36 and 37, off the edge portion 32 at the point of adhesive contact which is designated 40 in FIGURE 2, and thereafter by unfolding the flap 180 degrees to place same in the original position which existed at the time of forming the seam between the

marginal edges

30 and 32. The sealing edge of corner flap 24 is taken hold of and torn in the direction of

slits

36 and 37 along

tear line

40a, 40b and 40c. The tear line 40b extends parallel to the foldline 28 meeting diagonal lines 40a and 400 which define a 45 degree angle relative to foldline 28.

After portions of the flap 24 have been separated to form the spout 38, the latter when viewed from the top takes on a trapezoid configuration and a triangular internal surface, thermoplastically coated, is visible, see FIGURE 4. By squeezing the corners 42 of flap 24 against the middle, the side panel 14 is pushed outward and flaps 22 and 26 slightly upward thereby creating a substantially four cornered rhomboid-like spout configuration. To facilitate a simple and clean foldout, one side panel 14 is formed in the center thereof with a foldline 44 which extends vertically up to the terminal edge of flap 24. It is possible of course to utilize the above described spout arrangement in containers in which the corner flap is not sealed in the manner as above delineated.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore,

aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A shipping container adapted for fluids, comprising: a closed carton of tube-like configuration, the inside thereof coated with a thermoplastic substance, including front and back marginal edges of unequal width adapted to be disposed in sealed overlapping engagement to form a seamand foldable to bear fiat against an end portion of said carton with portions of the wider marginal edge exposing a thermoplastic coated surface facing away from said end portion, and corner flaps having an exposed portion thermoplastically coated facing the exposed coated surface of the wider marginal edge and foldable for bringing into sealing contact said exposed portion and the exposed marginal edge.

2. A shipping container according to claim 1, wherein said end portion is composed of end closure flaps and said exposed portion and said exposed marginal edge constitute an integral part thereof.

3. A shipping container according to claim 2, wherein said carton includes front and back panels and said closure flaps are integrally connected therewith, and the exposed marginal edge extends substantially the transverse length of one of said panels.

4. A shipping container adapted for fluids, comprising: a carton of substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration, the inside thereof coated with a thermoplastic substance, said carton including side, front and back panels and end closure, including corner flaps, extending from said panels and integrally connected therewith, said flaps being formed with one marginal edge of greater width than a second marginal edge thereof, the transverse length of one marginal edge extending from one center of the side panel to the other center of the opposite side panel, the marginal edges being adapted to be disposed in sealed overlapping engagement and foldable to bear flat against the end closure flaps, with portions of the wider marginal edge exposing a thermoplastic coated surface facing away from said end closure flap, said corner flaps and the exposed marginal edge thereof being foldable for bringing into sealing contact the coated marginal edge of the corner flap and the contiguous portion of the marginal edge extending between the side panels.

5. A shipping container according to claim 1, wherein said carton is composed of side, back and front panels and said marginal edges are integrally connected to the panels, said marginal edges having two slit-s extending in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the edges and slightly into said seam formed by said edges.

6. A shipping container according to claim 5, wherein each of said slits is located at one upper transverse end of a single side panel, and one of said corner flaps is provided with a transversely extending fold line and two diagonally extending fold lines connecting at opposite ends with said first mentioned fold line and terminating at the upper ends of the corner flap at a point each vertically in line with but spaced from one of said slits.

7. A shipping container according to claim 6, wherein the last mentioned side panel is provided in the upper portion thereof with a vertically extending centrally located fold line.

8. A shipping container adapted for fluids comprising: a carton of rectangular cross-sectional configuration formed of side, back and front panels and closure flaps including corner flaps at each end thereof with fold lines arranged therebetween, the fold lines defining the edges of one of the corner flaps each terminating in a slit extending to the marginal edge in line with its respective fold line, said last mentioned corner flap also having a first medial tear line extending perpendicular to and between the adjacent fold lines, and second and third tear lines connecting at opposite ends to said first tear line and extending angularly outwardly therefrom and each terminating at the junction of a panel and a flap fold line at a point spaced from but in line with one of said slits.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,339,156 1/ 1944 Davis 229-17 2,470,789 5/ 1949 Palmer 229-17 2,982,461 5/1961 Hultin 229-14 3,083,890 4/ 1963 Ignell 229-17 3,190,531 6/1965 Holmstrom 229-14 3,232,514 2/ 1966 Swede et al. 229-17 3,240,416 3/ 1966 Deegan 229-17 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner.

Claims

8. A SHIPPING CONTAINER ADAPTED FOR FLUIDS COMPRISING: A CARTON OF RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION FORMED OF SIDE, BACK AND FRONT PANELS AND CLOSURE FLAPS INCLUDING CORNER FLAPS AT EACH END THEREOF WITH FOLD LINES ARRANGED THEREBETWEEN, THE FOLD LINES DEFINING THE EDGES OF ONE OF THE CORNER FLAPS EACH TERMINATING IN A SLIT EXTENDING TO THE MARGINAL EDGE IN LINE WITH ITS RESPECTIVE FOLD LINE, SAID LAST MENTIONED CORNER FLAP ALSO HAVING A FIRST MEDIAL TEAR LINE EXTENDING PERPENDICULAR TO AND BETWEEN THE ADJACENT FOLD LINES, AND SECOND AND THRID TEAR LINES CONNECTING AT OPPOSITE ENDS TO SAID FIRST TEAR LINE AND EXTENDING ANGULARLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM AND EACH TERMINATING AT THE JUNCTION OF A PANEL AND A FLAP FOLD LINE AT A POINT SPACED FROM BUT IN LINE WITH ONE OF SAID SLITS.