CARTON WITH RECLOSABLE LID

• US 20120118904A1
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Fitzwater, Kelly R., Wilson, Weston R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,701,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/833
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6623 the lid being hinged about a line located in the top surface of the container

Abstract

A carton for containing a product. The carton can comprise a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel. At least one top flap is respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels. The at least one top flap at least partially forms a closed top end of the carton. A reclosable lid is positionable between an open position and a closed position. The reclosable lid comprises a central panel that is foldably connected to the at least one top flap. The reclosable lid can be downwardly folded relative to the at least one top flap in the closed position.

Claims

1. A carton for containing a product, the carton comprising:

a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprises a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel;

at least one top flap respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one top flap at least partially forming a closed top end of the carton; and

a reclosable lid being positionable between an open position and a closed position, the reclosable lid comprising a central panel, the central panel being foldably connected to the at least one top flap, the reclosable lid being downwardly folded relative to the at least one top flap in the closed position.

2. The carton of claim 1, wherein the central panel of the reclosable lid is oblique with respect to the at least one top flap in the closed position.

3. The carton of claim 2, wherein the reclosable lid at least partially forms a closed front top portion of the carton in the closed position, and the first side panel comprises a first oblique edge, and the second side panel comprises a second oblique edge, the front top portion of the carton being at least partially defined by the first oblique edge and the second oblique edge.

4. The carton of claim 2, wherein the reclosable lid comprises a first lid flap, a second lid flap, and a third lid flap, the first lid flap being foldably connected to the central panel and at least partially overlapping the first side panel, the second lid flap being foldably connected to the central panel and at least partially overlapping the second side panel, and the third lid flap being foldably connected to the central panel and at least partially overlapping the second end panel.

5. The carton of claim 4, further comprising a locking flap foldably connected to the second end panel and at least partially engaging the reclosable lid in the closed position.

6. The carton of claim 4, wherein the at least one top flap comprises a first side top flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second side top flap foldably connected to the second side panel, the central panel of the reclosable lid being foldably connected to the first side top flap or the second side top flap along a lateral fold line.

7. The carton of claim 1, wherein the reclosable lid comprises a first lid flap, a second lid flap, and a third lid flap, the first lid flap being foldably connected to the central panel and at least partially overlapping the first side panel, the second lid flap being foldably connected to the central panel and at least partially overlapping the second side panel, and the third lid flap being foldably connected to the central panel and at least partially overlapping the second end panel.

8. The carton of claim 7, wherein:

the reclosable lid further comprises a first closure tab foldably connected to the first lid flap and a second closure tab foldably connected to the second lid flap, the first closure tab and the second closure tab being secured to an interior surface of the third lid flap; and

the carton further comprises a locking flap foldably connected to the second end panel and at least partially contacting at least one of the third lid flap, the first closure tab, and the second closure tab when the reclosable lid is in the closed position.

9. The carton of claim 7, wherein the at least one top flap comprises at least one side top flap foldably connected to at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel, the central panel of the reclosable lid being foldably connected to the at least one side top flap along a lateral fold line.

10. The carton of claim 9, wherein:

the first side panel comprises a first oblique edge, and the second side panel comprises a second oblique edge;

the at least one side top flap extends generally perpendicular to at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel; and

in the closed position, the central panel of the reclosable lid at least partially contacts at least one of the first oblique edge and the second oblique edge, the central panel of the reclosable lid extending in an oblique direction with respect to the at least one side top flap.

11. A blank for forming a carton for containing a product, the blank comprising:

a plurality of panels comprising a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel, at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel having an oblique edge;

at least one top flap respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one top flap being for at least partially forming a closed top end of the carton formed from the blank; and

lid features for forming a reclosable lid positionable between an open position and a closed position in the carton formed from the blank, the lid features comprising a central panel that is foldably connected to the at least one top flap, the lid features being adjacent to the oblique edge.

12. The blank of claim 11, wherein the first side panel comprises a first oblique edge, and the second side panel comprises a second oblique edge, the first oblique edge and the second oblique edge being for at least partially defining a front top portion of the carton formed from the blank, the reclosable lid being for at least partially closing the front top portion in the closed position in the carton formed from the blank.

13. The blank of claim 12, wherein:

the lid features comprise a first lid flap, a second lid flap, and a third lid flap, the first lid flap and the second lid flap being respectively foldably connected to the central panel along a respective first longitudinal fold line and second longitudinal fold line, the third lid flap being foldably connected to the central panel along a first lateral fold line; and

the first lid flap, the second lid flap, and the third lid flap, respectively, are for at least partially overlapping the first side panel, the second side panel, and the second end panel.

14. The blank of claim 13, further comprising a locking flap foldably connected to the second end panel along a third longitudinal fold line, the third longitudinal fold line extending from an end of the first oblique edge to an end of the second oblique edge, the locking flap being for at least partially engaging the reclosable lid in the closed position of the reclosable lid in the carton formed from the blank.

15. The blank of claim 13, wherein the at least one top flap comprises a first side top flap foldably connected to the first side panel along a third longitudinal fold line and a second side top flap foldably connected to the second side panel along a fourth longitudinal fold line, the central panel being foldably connected to the first side top flap or the second side top flap along a second lateral fold line.

16. The blank of claim 11, wherein the lid features comprise a first lid flap, a second lid flap, and a third lid flap, the first lid flap and the second lid flap being respectively foldably connected to the central panel along a respective first longitudinal fold line and second longitudinal fold line, the third lid flap being foldably connected to the central panel along a first lateral fold line.

17. The blank of claim 16, wherein:

the lid features further comprise a first closure tab foldably connected to the first lid flap along a first oblique fold line and a second closure tab foldably connected to the second lid flap along a second oblique fold line, the first closure tab and the second closure tab for being secured to an interior surface of the third lid flap in the carton formed from the blank; and

the carton further comprises a locking flap foldably connected to the second end panel along a third longitudinal fold line.

18. The blank of claim 16, wherein the at least one top flap comprises at least one side top flap foldably connected to at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel, the central panel being foldably connected to the at least one side top flap along a second lateral fold line.

19. The blank of claim 18, wherein the central panel is for being generally parallel to the oblique edge and oblique with respect to the at least one side top flap in the closed position of the reclosable lid in the carton formed from the blank.

20. The blank of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the lid features is separable from the first side panel or the second side panel along a cut line, the cut line being generally collinear with the oblique edge.

21. A method of forming a carton, the method comprising:

obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel, at least one top flap respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, and lid features comprising a central panel, the central panel being foldably connected to the at least one top flap;

forming an interior of the carton at least partially defined by the plurality of panels, the forming the interior of the carton comprising forming an open-ended sleeve;

positioning the at least one top flap to at least partially close a top end of the open-ended sleeve;

positioning the lid features to form a reclosable lid; and

positioning the reclosable lid to a closed position wherein the reclosable lid is downwardly folded relative to the at least one top flap.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the first side panel comprises a first oblique fold line and the second side panel comprises a second oblique fold line, the forming the interior of the carton further comprising forming a front top portion of the carton at least partially defined by the first oblique fold line and the second oblique fold line; and

the positioning the reclosable lid to a closed position comprises positioning the central panel of the reclosable lid to be oblique with respect to the at least one top flap and to at least partially close the front top portion of the carton.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the reclosable lid comprises a first lid flap, a second lid flap, and a third lid flap, each of the first lid flap, the second lid flap, and the third lid flap being respectively foldably connected to the central panel; and

the positioning the lid features comprises folding the first lid flap, the second lid flap, and the third lid flap downwardly with respect to the central panel so that, in the closed position of the reclosable lid, the first lid flap at least partially overlaps the first side panel, the second lid flap at least partially overlaps the second side panel, and the third lid flap at least partially overlaps the second end panel.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein

the at least one top flap comprises at least one side top flap foldably connected to at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel, the positioning the at least one side top flap comprising folding the at least one side flap relative to the first side panel or the second side panel to at least partially close the top end;

and

the central panel of the reclosable lid is foldably connected to the at least one side top flap along a lateral fold line, the positioning the reclosable lid to a closed position comprising folding the central panel downwardly along the lateral fold line to be oblique with respect to the at least one side top flap.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising positioning the reclosable lid to an open position by folding the reclosable lid upwardly along the lateral fold line relative to the at least one side top flap.