Box with pour spout

• US 20030057266A1
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Menasha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Menasha Corporation
• Inventors: Sedo, Chad R.
• Application Number:
  US10/253,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20030057266A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/215
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/744 combined with swivelling devices having a bottom-wall and two side-walls

Abstract

A box is folded from a paperboard blank and has a spout along one side of the box formed by two layers of the blank laminated together. The layers are connected to overlapping panels, at opposite ends of the blank, by aligned fold lines. The flaps of the inner spout layer can also have hold-open and hold-closed notches formed in them, and a vapor barrier can be provided. The spout and container form a labyrinth seal such when the spout is closed the spout inner layer and the inner panel are substantially coplanar and the spout outer layer and the outer panel are substantially coplanar and an edge of the spout inner layer abuts an edge of the inner panel at a location between the first fold line and an edge of the spout outer layer opposite the first fold line.

Claims

1. A container having a pour spout, comprising:

a one piece paperboard sheet folded and glued so as to make the container, wherein,

the sheet has two panels which overlap, one panel on the outside of the container and one on the inside, the outer panel being at one end of the sheet and having a spout outer layer cut into it, the spout outer layer connected to the outer panel by a first fold line, the inside panel being at an end of the sheet opposite the outside panel and having a spout inner layer cut into it, the spout inner layer connected to the inside panel by a second fold line, wherein the first and second fold lines lie in substantial registration with one another; and

the inner and outer spout layers are laminated together so that the laminated spout layers pivot about the first and second fold lines.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein at least one side of the outer spout layer has cuts offset from one another and only partially through the material thickness of the outer spout layer.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein the cuts are on opposite surfaces of the outer spout layer.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the inner spout layer includes flaps folded inwardly from a center panel of set inner spout layer which is laminated to the outer spout layer.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein at least one of the flaps has a hold-open notch formed in it.

6. A container of claim 4, wherein at least one of the flaps has a hold-closed notch formed in it.

7. The container of claim 1, wherein the spout is adjacent to a side of the container.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein the spout is spaced from opposite side edges of the panels.

9. The container of claim 1, further comprising a vapor barrier layer covering an outside surface of the container including the pour spout.

10. The container of claim 9, wherein the vapor barrier layer is a film applied to the paperboard sheet.

11. The container of claim 9, wherein the vapor barrier layer is a coating applied to the paperboard sheet.

12. The container of claim 1, wherein the outer panel defines a finger cut-out adjacent an edge of the spout outer layer opposite the first fold line.

13. The container of claim 1, wherein the spout inner layer and the inner panel are substantially coplanar and the spout outer layer and the outer panel are substantially coplanar when the spout is in a closed position.

15. A container having a pour spout, comprising a one piece paperboard sheet folded and glued so as to make the container and define a pour spout cut into a wall of the container having an inner panel and an outer panel, wherein the pour spout is comprised of a spout outer layer connected to the outer panel by a first fold line and a spout inner layer connected to the inner panel by a second fold line in substantial registration with the first fold line so that the pour spout can pivot about the fold lines between a closed position and an open position in which contents in the container can be expelled through the pour spout, wherein at least a portion of the spout inner layer and the inner panel are substantially coplanar and at least a portion of the spout outer layer and the outer panel are substantially coplanar when the spout is in a closed position.

14. The container of claim 15, wherein the container and the pour spout form a labyrinth seal in which an edge of the spout inner layer abuts an edge of the inner panel at a location between the first fold line and an edge of the spout outer layer opposite the first fold line.

16. The container of claim 15, wherein the outer and inner panels are located at opposite edges of the paperboard sheet.

17. The container of claim 15, wherein the inner spout layer includes flaps folded inwardly from a center panel of set inner spout layer which is laminated to the outer spout layer.

18. The container of claim 17, wherein one flap has a hold-open notch formed in it and the other flap has a hold-closed notch formed in it.

19. The container of claim 15, wherein the spout is adjacent to a side of the container.

20. The container of claim 15, wherein the spout is spaced from opposite side edges of the panels.

21. The container of claim 15, further comprising a vapor barrier layer covering an outside surface of the container including the pour spout.

22. The container of claim 15, wherein the outer panel defines a finger cut-out adjacent an edge of the spout outer layer opposite the first fold line.

23. The container of claim 15, wherein side edges of the spout outer layer are defined by nick cuts extending only partially through the outer panel.

24. The container of claim 15, wherein the container and the pour spout form a labyrinth seal in which an edge of the spout inner layer abuts an edge of the inner panel at a location between the first fold line and an edge of the spout outer layer opposite the first fold line.

25. A container having a pour spout, comprising a one piece paperboard sheet folded and glued so as to make the container and define a pour spout cut into a wall of the container having an inner panel and an outer panel, wherein the pour spout is comprised of a spout outer layer connected to the outer panel by a first fold line and a spout inner layer connected to the inner panel by a second fold line in substantial registration with the first fold line so that the pour spout can pivot about the fold lines between a closed position and an open position in which contents in the container can be expelled through the pour spout, wherein the container and the pour spout form a labyrinth seal in which an edge of the spout inner layer abuts an edge of the inner panel at a location between the first fold line and an edge of the spout outer layer opposite the first fold line.

26. The container of claim 25, wherein the outer and inner panels are located at opposite edges of the paperboard sheet.

27. The container of claim 25, wherein the inner spout layer includes flaps folded inwardly from a center panel of set inner spout layer which is laminated to the outer spout layer.

28. The container of claim 27, wherein one flap has a hold-open notch formed in it and the other flap has a hold-closed notch formed in it.

29. The container of claim 25, wherein the spout is adjacent to a side of the container.

30. The container of claim 25, wherein the spout is spaced from opposite side edges of the panels.

31. The container of claim 25, further comprising a vapor barrier layer covering an outside surface of the container including the pour spout.

32. The container of claim 25, wherein the outer panel defines a finger cut-out adjacent an edge of the spout outer layer opposite the first fold line.

33. The container of claim 25, wherein side edges of the spout outer layer are defined by nick cuts extending only partially through the outer panel.

34. The container of claim 25, wherein the spout inner layer and the inner panel are substantially coplanar and the spout outer layer and the outer panel are substantially coplanar when the spout is in a closed position.