REDUCIBLE FLIP TOP BOX

• US 3,680,766 A
• Filed: 07/17/1970
• Issued: 08/01/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Peter C. Collura, William P. Pintsak
• Original Assignee: Peter C. Collura, William P. Pintsak
• Inventors: Pintsak, William P., Collura, Peter C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lowrance, George E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garbe, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US05/055,895
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 229/51C,45,51TS,51TC,51SC,44CB
• US Class Current: 229/101.2
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5425 and defining after rupture a lid hinged to the upper edge of the container body

Abstract

A box is provided with a flip top which is movable to closing position after the movement of a wall flap to a position within the box interior. Such movement of the wall flap provides outward extending locking tabs which cooperate with closure tabs forming part of the flip top, so that the flip top is then locked into position. In one form of the invention a tear strip is provided in the aforesaid wall flap, the tear strip extending between side wall portions and across the wall flap. When the tear strip is removed, the wall flap may be folded to the position normal to the wall panels. In both forms of the invention the subsequent folding of the flip top to locking position results in a box which is reduced in size.

Claims

1. A reducible flip top box formed from a sheet of paperboard or the like, comprising:

a. interconnected main and side panels defining a sleeve;

b. at least one closure element for closing one end of said sleeve to define a box;

c. closure elements for the opposite end of said box including;

i. a side closure flap extending from each of said side panels;

ii. a closure flap extending from at least one of said main panels;

iii. said closure flaps being foldable with respect to their respective panels and interconnected to define a top closure for said box;

d. a line of weakness in each of said side panels spaced from the closure flap attached thereto;

e. a fold line in said one main panel spaced from the closure flap thereof;

f. A locking flap in the other of said main panels connected to each of said side panels by a line of weakness;

i. said locking flap being defined by an interrupted fold line spaced from the end of said other main panel, and ii. having cut portions between interrupted portions of said interrupted fold line slightly displaced from said fold line and defining locking tabs;

iii. said locking flap being foldable with respect to the plane of said main panel and having the locking tabs thereof engageable with said top closure;

g. said top closure being movable about said fold line in said one main panel after separation of said side panels at the lines of weakness therein, with the edges of said side closure flaps being in engagement with the locking tabs of said locking flap.

2. A reducible flip top box according to claim 1 wherein one of said main panels has a tear strip therein.