Carton with lug locked tray and cover

• US 5,188,284 A
• Filed: 02/10/1992
• Issued: 02/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dopaco Incorporated (Graeme Richard Hart, MBA)
• Original Assignee: Dopaco Incorporated (Graeme Richard Hart, MBA)
• Inventors: Eisman, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US07/833,114
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 229/110, 229/112, 229/113, 229/114, 229/125.27, 229/146, 229/148, 229/150, 229/178, 229/901, 229/902, 229/906
• US Class Current: 229/110
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/64 Lids
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/667 Lids in the form of an inverted tray
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/68 Telescope flanged lids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/901 Box structure alternatively useable as a container or a lid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/902 Box for prepared or processed food
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/906 Baked goods

Abstract

In a carton comprising a tray and a removable cover, peripheral walls on the cover and tray overlapping and engaging each other. Outwardly projecting locking lugs on the cover and tray walls cross each other and interlock upon a movement of the cover to a closed position over the tray and provide spaced points of interlock about the periphery of the carton.

Claims

1. A carton comprising a tray, and a cover selectively movable to a position overlying and closing said tray;

said tray including a bottom panel with a plurality of generally planar upstanding peripheral walls having adjacent ends defining corners spaced about said tray, at least one tray locking lug formed generally coplanar with a first one of said walls and extending outwardly at an angle across a second adjacent one of said tray walls at a defined corner therebetween;

said cover including a top panel with a plurality of generally planar depending peripheral walls having adjacent ends defining corners spaced about said cover, at least one corner locking lug formed generally coplanar with a first one of said cover walls and extending outwardly at an angle across a second adjacent one of said cover walls at a defined corner therebetween;

said cover locking lug being releasably interlocked with said tray locking lug when said cover is in said position closing said tray, said interlocked cover and tray lugs extending at an angle across each other, one of said walls of said tray and one of said walls of said cover being integrally joined along a fold line defining a common outer edge for a pivotal movement of said cover between said position overlying and closing said tray and a second position outwardly pivoted from said tray.

2. The carton of claim 1 wherein said tray and cover walls pivotally joined along said fold line comprise rear walls, another of said walls of said tray comprising a front wall generally parallel to said tray rear wall, said tray front wall having opposed ends, a tray lug on each of said ends and extending therefrom generally coplanar with said front wall, said walls of said cover including a pair of opposed side walls extending in spaced parallel relation to each other forward from said rear wall of said cover, a further one of said cover walls comprising a cover front wall generally parallel to said cover rear wall and extending between said cover side walls, aid cover side walls each including a cover locking lug coplanar therewith and extending forwardly beyond said cover front wall for selective engagement with said lugs on said tray front wall.

3. The carton of claim 1 including a glue flap integral with each of said second adjacent ones of said tray and cover walls and overlying and being bonded to the adjacent first ones of said walls, each of said lugs being defined by a first tab integral with the first one of said walls and a second tab integral with the overlying glue flap and bonded to said first tab to define a double thickness lug.

4. The carton of claim 1 wherein said tray and said cover are folded from a unitary paperboard blank.

5. The carton of claim 1 wherein said walls of said tray and said walls of said cover comprise low and high walls about the respective tray bottom panel and cover top panel, said lugs being generally coplanar with and extending from said high walls.

6. The carton of claim 5 including glue flaps integral with said low walls of said tray and said cover at ends thereof adjacent said high walls, said glue flaps overlying and being bonded to said adjacent high walls, said lugs each being defined by a tab on each glue flap and a generally coextensive tab on the overlaid high wall whereby lugs of double thickness are defined.

7. A carton formed from a unitary blank of folded paperboard comprising a tray and a cover integrally joined along a fold line for a selective closing of said tray by said cover, said tray comprising a bottom panel, two side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, said side walls each having a glue flap adhered to said front wall, each of said glue flaps having a tab thereof extending laterally above and beyond the associated side wall, said front wall having a tab thereon adjacent each of said side walls and overlying said glue flap tabs to define a pair of double thickness lugs, said cover comprising a top panel, two side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, said cover front wall having two glue flaps, said front wall glue flaps each being adhered to one of said cover side walls and having a tab thereon extending forwardly and above said cover front wall, each cover side wall having a tab thereon extending forwardly and above said cover front wall and extending in engagement with and coextensive with the cover glue flap tabs to form a pair of double thickness lugs selectively engaged with the tray lugs upon a closing of said cover over said tray.