Recloseable carton

• US 20050051612A1
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: General Mills Incorporated
• Inventors: Surmik, Stephen J., Jouppi, Patrick T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,021,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/158
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/10 with end closures formed by inward-folding of self-locking flaps hinged to tubular body

Abstract

A blank for forming a carton. The blank includes a first major panel, a second major panel, a first minor panel, a first closure flap, and a second closure flap. The first minor panel is connected between the first and second major panels. The first closure flap is connected to a first end of the first major panel and extends therefrom to a leading edge. The first closure flap includes a central region forming a tuck slot that is open relative to the leading edge. The second closure flap extends from a first end of the second major panel and forms a tab. The tuck slot is adapted to selectively receive the tab in a carton formed by the blank.

Claims

1. A blank for forming a carton, the blank comprising:

a first major panel;

a second major panel;

a first minor panel connected between the first and second major panels;

a first closure flap connected to a first end of the first major panel and extending therefrom to a leading edge, the first closure flap including a central region forming a tuck slot that is open relative to the leading edge; and

a second closure flap extending from a first end of the second major panel, the second closure flap forming a tab;

wherein the tuck slot is adapted to selectively receive the tab in a carton formed by the blank.

2. The blank of claim 1, wherein at least the central region of the first closure flap is characterized by the absence of a perforation cut.

3. The blank of claim 1, wherein the tuck slot is characterized as not being defined by a perforation cut.

4. The blank of claim 1, wherein the first closure flap further includes first and second side regions at opposite sides of the central region, respectively, and further wherein of a maximum linear extension of each of the side regions adjacent the tuck slot relative to the first end of the first major panel is greater than a majority of a linear extension of the central region.

5. The blank of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the leading edge at the central region is not aligned with the leading edge at the first side region.

6. The blank of claim 4, wherein the leading edge at the central region defines a first section extending from the first side region, a second section extending from the first section, and a third section extending from the second section to the second side region, and further wherein the first section extends from the second section in an angular fashion in a plane of the blank.

7. The blank of claim 6, wherein extension of the first section from the second section defines a taper angle in the range of 40°

-70°

.

8. The blank of claim 6, wherein the third section extends from the second section in an angular fashion in a plane of the blank.

9. The blank of claim 6, wherein relative to the first end of the first major panel, the first section extends inwardly from the first side region to the second section, and the third section extends inwardly from the second side region to the second section.

10. The blank of claim 6, wherein the leading edge at the second section is off-set from the leading edge at the first end and second side regions in a plane of the blank.

11. The blank of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the leading edge at the first side region is aligned with at least a portion of the leading edge at the second side region and is not aligned with the leading edge at the central region.

12. The blank of claim 1, wherein the tuck slot defines an opening having an area of at least 0.52 inch.

13. The blank of claim 1, wherein the tuck slot has a longitudinal width in a plane of the blank of at least 0.125 inch.

14. The blank of claim 1, further comprising:

a third closure flap extending from an end of the first major panel opposite the first closure flap; and

a fourth closure flap extending from an end of the second major panel opposite the second closure flap;

wherein one of the third and fourth closure flaps forms a second tuck slot that is open relative to a leading edge thereof and an other of the third and fourth closure flaps forms a second tab;

further wherein the second tuck slot is adapted to receive the second tab in a carton formed by the blank.

15. The blank of claim 1, wherein the first and second major panels are arranged such that the first end of the first major panel is generally aligned with the first end of the second major panel in a plane of the blank.

16. The blank of claim 15, further comprising:

a glue flap connected to the first major panel opposite the first minor panel; and

a second minor panel connected to the second major panel opposite the first minor panel.

17. The blank of claim 15, further comprising:

a second minor panel connected to the first major panel opposite the first minor panel; and

a glue flap connected to the second major panel opposite the first minor panel.

18. The blank of claim 1, wherein the first and second major panels are arranged such that the first end of the first major panel is generally parallel to, but not aligned with, the first end of the second major panel in plane of the blank.

19. The blank of claim 18, further comprising:

first and second side flaps extending from opposite ends of the first major panel, respectively, in a perpendicular fashion relative to an extension of the first closure flap in a plane of the blank; and

third and fourth side flaps extending from opposite ends of the second major panel, respectively, in a perpendicular fashion, relative to an extension of the second closure flap in a plane of the blank.

20. A carton comprising:

a front wall;

a back wall;

opposing side walls connecting opposite sides of the front and back walls, respectively, to define a tubular structure having a top and a bottom;

a bottom closure provided at the bottom of the tubular structure; and

a top closure provided at the top of the tubular structure, the top closure including;

a first closure flap extending to a leading edge and including a central region forming a tuck slot that is open relative to the leading edge,

a second closure flap forming a tab;

wherein the top closure is configured such that the tuck slot selectively receives the tab as part of a reclosure operation.

21. The carton of claim 20, wherein at least the central region of the first closure flap is characterized by the absence of a perforation cut.

22. The carton of claim 20, wherein the tuck slot is characterized as not be defined by a perforation cut.

23. The carton of claim 20, wherein the tuck slot is defined by a first section, a second section, and a third section, and further wherein extension of the first and third sections relative to the second section each define a taper angle greater than 30°

in a plane of the first closure flap.

24. The carton of claim 23, wherein the tab includes a central portion and opposing side portions each defining a taper angle relative to the central portion, and further wherein the taper angle of the tuck slot is greater than the taper angle of the tab.

25. The carton of claim 20, wherein the first closure flap is connected to the front wall, and the second closure flap is connected to the back wall.

26. The carton of claim 20, wherein the first closure flap is connected to the back wall, and the second closure flap is connected to the front wall.

27. The carton of claim 20, wherein the bottom closure includes:

a third closure flap extending to a leading edge and including a central region forming a second tuck slot that is open relative to the leading edge of the third closure flap;

a fourth closure flap forming a tab;

wherein the bottom closure is configured such that the second tuck slot selectively receives the second tab as part of a reclosure operation.

28. A method of forming a carton comprising:

creating a blank having first and second major panels, at least one minor panel, a first closure flap including a central region forming a tuck slot that is open relative to a leading edge thereof, a second closure flap forming a tab, and a plurality of fold lines;

folding the blank along the plurality of fold lines to form a front wall, a back wall, at least first and second side walls, a bottom closure, and a top closure including the first and second closure flaps; and

gluing the second closure flap over the first closure flap such that the second closure flap covers the tuck slot;

wherein the top closure is transitionable to an open state, whereby the second closure flap is released from the first closure flap, and subsequently to a reclosed state in which the tab is received within the tuck slot.