SNAP-ERECTED CONTAINER

• US 3,845,897 A
• Filed: 11/28/1972
• Issued: 11/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James River Corporation of Virginia (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kenneth T. Buttery, Thomas Vander Lugt Jr
• Inventors: Buttery, Kenneth T., Lugt, Thomas Vander Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, William I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bernstein, Bruce H.
• Application Number:
  US05/310,124
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 229/41R,41B,1.5B,8,16R,21,34R,57 220/83
• US Class Current: 229/117
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/18 by folding a single blank to U-shape to form the base of the container and opposite sides of the body portion, the remaining sides being formed primarily by extensions of one or more of these opposite sides, e.g. flaps hinged thereto B65D5/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/3685 by folding the blank to U-shape to form the base and opposite sides, the remaining sides being formed by extensions of these opposite sides

Abstract

A container in the form of a scoop having front, rear and end wall panels hingedly connected together at arcuate score lines defining convex side edges for the end wall panels and concave side edges for the front and rear wall panels, a bottom hingedly connected to at least two of the wall panels, and an open top, the carton being erected by squeezing together the end wall panels with the fingers of one hand. The carton erects with a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'snap'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and stays erect without pushing up from the bottom, stands erect before or after filling or when partly empty, and can be conveniently erected and used for the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'scooping'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' of materials thereinto in the same motion and using a single hand.

Claims

1. A carton comprising a front wall panel, a rear wall panel, and a pair of end wall panels hingedly connected together at arcuate score lines defining complementary convex and concave side edges of adjacent panels, said end wall panels having bisecting folding score lines provided therein permitting said carton to be folded flat, an open top, and a bottom panel hingedly connected to the lower edges of said front and rear wall panels, but unconnected to the lower edges of said end wall panels, wherein the side edges of said end wall panels are arcuately convex and the side edges of said front and rear wall panels are arcuately concave, whereby said carton may be snapped from flat folded position into open position by squeezing the end wall panels thereof with the fingers of one hand and whereby said carton remains in said open position with said end wall panels curved arcuately concave outwardly, the bottom of said carton bulging downwardly and having a bottom plane not lower than the lower edges of said end wall panels so as to provide stability of said carton upon standing.

2. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said end wall panels and said bottom panel are provided with median folding score lines permitting said carton to be folded flat.

3. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said bottom panel is provided with score lines dividing said panel into four panel members.

4. A carton according to claim 1, wherein some of said score lines are provided with cut slits.

5. An integral blank for forming a carton, suitably cut and scored to provide a front wall panel and a rear wall panel having arcuately concave side edges, and a pair of end wall panels having arcuately convex side edges and having bisecting folding score lines permitting said carton when glued to be folded flat, a bottom panel hingedly connected to the lower edge of at least one of said front wall panel and rear wall panel and uncoNnected to the lower edges of said end wall panels, and glue flap means for assembling said carton, the dimensions of said bottom panel and said wall panels being such that the bottom of said carton, when erected, bulges downwardly and has a bottom plane not lower than the lower edges of said end wall panels so as to provide stability of said carton upon standing.

6. An integral blank according to claim 5 wherein said side wall panels and said bottom panel are provided with medially positioned folding score lines.

7. An integral blank according to claim 5 wherein said bottom panel is hingedly connected at folding score lines to both said front wall panel and rear wall panel, and wherein glue flaps are provided at an edge of each of said end wall panels adapted to be adhesively affixed to said rear wall panel.

8. An integral blank according to claim 5 wherein said bottom panel is hingedly connected to said rear wall panel at a score line, and wherein said front wall panel is provided with a flap adapted to be adhesively affixed to said bottom panel.

9. An integral blank according to claim 5 wherein said bottom panel is hingedly connected at a score line to said front wall panel and said rear wall panel is provided with a flap for being adhesively affixed to said bottom panel.

10. An integral blank according to claim 5 wherein said bottom panel is connected at a score line to said front wall panel and additionally is provided with a glue flap adapted to be adhesively affixed to the lower edge of said rear wall panel.

11. An integral blank according to claim 5 wherein said rear wall panel is comprised of a pair of rear wall panel members, one hingedly connected to one of said end wall panels and the other hingedly connected to the other of said side wall panels, means for adhesively connecting said rear wall panel members together, and a bottom panel connected at one edge to said front wall panel and having a glue flap at the other edge adapted to be adhesively affixed to said rear wall panel members, one of said rear wall panel members being provided with a recess to permit close nesting of said blank with a group of similar blanks.