Paperboard dispenser having separately formed drawer

• US 5,458,272 A
• Filed: 06/27/1994
• Issued: 10/17/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caraustar Industries Incorporated (Greif Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Packaging Corporation of America
• Inventors: Ward-Weber, Christine E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDONALD, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US08/266,723
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 229/122.1, 229/240, 229/221, 229/229, 229/122, 221/305
• US Class Current: 229/122.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/10 with end closures formed by inward-folding of self-locking flaps hinged to tubular body
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/722 having an alternating movement co-operating with incised or scored openings near the bottom-edges of the bodies of tubular containers

Abstract

A paperboard dispenser for holding multiple individual items comprises an outer container formed from a first unitary blank and a drawer formed from a second unitary blank. The outer container includes opposing front and back walls, opposing side walls bridging the front and back walls, and opposing top and bottom walls. The front wall includes an upper portion and a lower portion, and the lower portion is hingedly connected to the container. The drawer is movable between an initial closed position where the drawer is housed within the container and an open dispensing position, and the drawer is releasably maintained in the initial closed position. The drawer includes a front section having an outer surface attached to an inner surface of the lower portion of the front wall so that hingedly moving the lower portion causes the drawer to move from the initial closed position to the open position. The drawer further includes a pair of ears hingedly connected to opposing edges of the front section and extending into the container adjacent respective ones of the opposing side walls of the container.

Claims

1. A paperboard dispenser, comprising:

an outer container formed from a first unitary paperboard blank and adapted to hold multiple individual items therein, said container having opposing front and back walls, opposing side walls bridging said front and back walls, and a bottom wall, said front wall including an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion being pivotally connected to said container; and

a bottomless drawer formed from a second unitary paperboard blank and movable between an initial closed position and an open dispensing position, said drawer including a front section disposed substantially parallel to said front wall and pivotally movable relative to said container beneath said upper portion of said front wall, said lower portion of said front wall of said container having an inner surface disposed adjacent to an outer surface of said front section of said drawer, said drawer further including a pair of ears hingedly connected to opposing edges of said front section and extending into said container adjacent respective ones of said opposing side walls of said container.

2. The paperboard dispenser of claim 1, further including means for releasably maintaining said drawer in said initial closed position.

3. The paperboard dispenser of claim 2, wherein said lower portion is generally rectangular in shape and includes a pair of opposing vertical edges and opposing upper and lower horizontal edges, and wherein said means for releasably maintaining said drawer in said initial closed position includes perforations between said pair of opposing vertical edges and said respective side walls.

4. The paperboard dispenser of claim 3, wherein said means for releasably maintaining said drawer in said initial closed position includes means for detachably connecting said upper horizontal edge of said lower portion to a lower horizontal edge of said upper portion.

5. The paperboard dispenser of claim 4, wherein said means for detachably connecting said upper horizontal edge of said lower portion to a lower horizontal edge of said upper portion includes a horizontal tear strip.

6. The paperboard dispenser of claim 4, wherein said means for detachably connecting said upper horizontal edge of said lower portion to a lower horizontal edge of said upper portion includes perforations.

7. The paperboard dispenser of claim 2, wherein one of said pair of ears includes a primary portion and a secondary portion, and wherein said means for releasably maintaining said drawer in said initial closed position includes a detachable connection of an outer surface of said secondary portion to an inner surface of said respective side wall in said initial closed position of said drawer such that moving said drawer to said open position detaches said secondary portion from said primary portion.

8. The paperboard dispenser of claim 1, wherein one of said pair of ears includes a primary portion and a secondary portion detachably connected to said primary portion in said initial closed position of said drawer, said secondary portion having an outer surface attached to an inner surface of said respective side wall of said container such that moving said drawer to said open position detaches said secondary portion from said primary portion.

9. The paperboard dispenser of claim 1, wherein said container further includes a top wall opposing said bottom wall.

10. The paperboard dispenser of claim 1, wherein said pair of ears includes respective stoppers constructed and arranged to contact an inner surface of said upper portion of said front wall in response to said drawer moving to said open position.

11. The paperboard dispenser of claim 1, wherein said lower portion of said front wall is hingedly connected to said bottom wall along a horizontal score line, and wherein said lower portion pivotally moves about said horizontal score line as said drawer moves from said initial closed position to said open position.

12. A paperboard dispenser, comprising:

an outer container formed from a first unitary paperboard blank and adapted to hold multiple individual items therein, said container having opposing front and back walls, opposing side walls bridging said front and back walls, and a bottom wall, said front wall including an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion hingedly connected to said container along a horizontal score line;

a bottomless drawer formed from a second unitary paperboard blank and movable between an initial closed position where said drawer is housed within said outer container and an open dispensing position, said drawer including a front section having an outer surface attached to an inner surface of said lower portion of said front wall so that said lower portion hingedly moves about said horizontal score line as said drawer moves from said initial closed position to said open position, said drawer further including a pair of ears hingedly connected to opposing edges of said front section and extending into said container adjacent respective ones of said opposing side walls of said container; and

means for releasably maintaining said drawer in said initial closed position.

13. The paperboard dispenser of claim 12, wherein one of said pair of ears includes a primary portion and a secondary portion detachably connected to said primary portion in said initial closed position of said drawer, said secondary portion having an outer surface attached to an inner surface of said respective side wall of said container such that moving said drawer to said open position detaches said secondary portion from said primary portion.

14. The paperboard dispenser of claim 12, wherein said container further includes a top wall opposing said bottom wall.

15. The paperboard dispenser of claim 12, wherein said pair of ears includes respective stoppers constructed and arranged to contact an inner surface of said upper portion of said front wall in response to said drawer moving to said open position.

16. A paperboard dispenser, comprising:

an outer container formed from a first unitary blank and adapted to hold multiple individual items therein, said container having opposing front and back walls, opposing side walls bridging said front and back walls, and a bottom wall, said front wall including at least an upper portion spaced away from said bottom wall; and

a drawer formed from a second unitary blank and movable between an initial closed position and an open dispensing position, said drawer including a front section disposed substantially parallel to said front wall and pivotally movable relative to said container beneath said upper portion of said front wall, said drawer further including a pair of ears hingedly connected to opposing edges of said front section and extending into said container adjacent respective ones of said opposing side walls of said container, one of said pair of ears including a primary portion and a secondary portion detachably connected to said primary portion in said initial closed position of said drawer, said secondary portion having an outer surface attached to an inner surface of said respective side wall of said container such that moving said drawer to said open position detaches said secondary portion from said primary portion.