Container end closure arrangement

• US 5,692,672 A
• Filed: 09/03/1996
• Issued: 12/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises Incorporated (WestRock Company)
• Original Assignee: Jefferson Smurfit Corporation (WestRock Company)
• Inventors: Hunt, Terry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDONALD, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US08/699,724
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 229/128, 229/137, 229/138, 229/931
• US Class Current: 229/128
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/06 with end-closing or contents-supporting elements formed by folding inwardly a wall extending from, and continuously around, an end of the tubular body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/931 Fold includes slit or aperture

Abstract

An improved end closure arrangement for a paperboard container which, when moved to closed position, will remain in a closed position without springing back to an open position. The closure arrangement includes a pair of outer end closure flaps interconnected by a pair of inner bellows members each of which includes three panel elements. The panel elements are foldably joined to a container end wall and to each other along spaced fold lines and are separated from each other by U-shaped cut lines that enable the container closure flaps, when folded to a closed position, to remain in a closed position without springing back to open position.

Claims

1. An end closure arrangement for a container, formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard and having pairs of opposed major and minor side wall panels foldably joined to each other to form a tubular body structure, said arrangement comprising:

(a) a pair of elongated, generally rectangular, outer closure flaps each including;

(i) an inner side edge foldably joined to an adjacent end edge of one of said major side wall panels along a first fold line;

(ii) a free outer side edge spaced from and parallel to said inner side edge;

(iii) said side edges having corresponding ends interconnected by end edges extending normal to and between said side edges;

(b) said outer closure flaps end edges interconnected by a pair of bellows members, each including;

(i) a generally triangular center panel element having a first edge foldably joined to an adjacent end edge of a related one of said minor side wall panels along a second fold line, and having a pair of second edges extending diagonally toward each other from opposite ends of said second fold line and converging at a location spaced from and aligned with a midpoint of said second fold line;

(ii) a pair of generally triangular side panel elements having first side edges foldably joined to adjacent end edges of related outer closure flaps along third fold lines, having free second edges extending from and normal to said first edges to said location, and having third edges extending diagonally between remote ends of said first and second edges;

(c) each of said side panel elements having end portions of each of its said third edges foldably joined to an adjacent one of said center panel elements second edges, along a pair of fourth fold lines spaced from each other, and having a central portion of each of its said third edges separated from an adjacent one of said center panel elements second edges by a generally U-shaped cut having a straight central portion and a pair of end portions extending from and normal to opposed ends of said central portion, whereby when said outer closure flaps are moved to a closed position said container end will remain in a closed position, without automatically springing to an open position, with said bellows member side panel elements interposed between said center panel element and said outer closure flaps.

2. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said bellows member side panel element free edges extend toward each other and meet adjacent an outer point of said center panel element.

3. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said U-shaped cut central portions are located within said center panel elements.

4. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said cut end portions extend from within said center panel elements to within said side panel elements.

5. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said fourth fold lines extend from opposite ends of said U-shaped cuts to opposite ends of said center panel second side edges.

6. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said fourth fold lines joining said bellows member center and side panel elements are offset from said cut center portions of said U-shaped cuts.

7. An end closure arrangement for a container, formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard and having pairs of opposed of major and minor side wall panels foldably joined to each other to form a tubular body structure, said arrangement comprising:

(a) a pair of elongated, generally rectangular, outer closure flaps each including;

(i) an inner side edge foldably joined to an adjacent end edge of one of said major side wall panels along a first fold line;

(ii) a free outer side edge spaced from and parallel to said inner side edge and interconnected by a pair of end edges;

(b) said outer closure flaps end edges interconnected by a pair of bellows members, each including;

(i) a generally triangular center panel element having a first edge foldably joined to an adjacent end edge of a related one of said minor side wall panels along a second fold line, and having a pair of second edges extending diagonally toward each other from opposite ends of said second fold line and converging at a location spaced from and aligned with a midpoint of said second fold line;

(ii) a pair of generally triangular side panel elements having first side edges foldably joined to adjacent end edges of related outer closure flaps along third fold lines, having free second edges extending from and normal to said first edges to said location, and having third edges extending diagonally between remote ends of said first and second edges;

(c) each of said side panel elements having end portions of each of its said third edges foldably joined to an adjacent one of said center panel elements second edges, along a pair of fourth fold lines spaced from each other, and having a central portion of each of its said third edges separated from an adjacent one of said center panel elements second edges by a generally U-shaped cut having a straight central portion and a pair of end portions extending from and normal to opposed ends of said central portion, whereby when said outer closure flaps are moved to a closed position said container end will remain in a closed position, without automatically springing to an open position, with said bellows member side panel elements interposed between said center panel element and said outer closure flaps.

8. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said bellows member side panel element free edges extend toward each other and meet adjacent an outer point of said center panel element.

9. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said U-shaped cut central portions are located within said center panel elements.

10. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said cut end portions extend from within said center panel elements to within said side panel elements.

11. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said fourth fold lines extend from opposite ends of said U-shaped cuts to opposite ends of said center panel second side edges.

12. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said fourth fold lines joining said bellows member center and side panel elements are offset from said cut center portions of said U-shaped cuts.

13. An end closure arrangement for a paperboard container, having pairs of opposed major and minor side wall panels, which arrangement includes a pair of rectangular outer closure flaps foldably joined to end edges of said major side wall panels, along first fold lines, and interconnected by a pair of bellows members each including a pair of triangular side panel elements foldably joined to the outer closure flaps, along second fold lines, and a triangular center panel element foldably joined to an end edge of a container minor side wall panel, along a third fold line, and to both side panel elements, along spaced fourth fold lines and separated from the side panel elements by U-shaped cut lines that enable the bellows panel elements, after being folded to closed position with the bellows side panel elements interposed between the end closure flaps and the center panel element, to remain in closed position without springing back to open position.

14. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said bellows member side panel element free edges extend toward each other and meet adjacent an outer point of said center panel element.

15. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said U-shaped cut central portions are located within said center panel elements.

16. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said cut end portions extend from within said center panel elements to within said side panel elements.

17. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said fourth fold lines extend from opposite ends of said U-shaped cuts to opposite ends of said center panel second side edges.

18. A container end closure arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said fourth fold lines joining said bellows member center and side panel elements are offset from said cut center portions of said U-shaped cuts.

19. A blank of foldable paperboard for use in forming an end closure for a container, said blank being cut and scored to provide:

(a) a first major side wall panel, a first minor side wall panel, a second major side wall panel, a second minor side wall panel, and a glue panel foldably joined to each other along parallel first fold lines to form a tubular body structure;

(b) pairs of opposed, elongated, generally rectangular, outer closure flaps foldably joined to opposite ends of each of said major side wall panels along second fold lines;

(c) pairs of opposed, generally rectangular, inner closure flaps foldably joined to opposite ends of each of said minor side wall panels along third fold lines;

(d) each of said inner closure flaps being arranged and dispose to form a bellows member for interconnecting corresponding ends of said outer closure flaps, when a container is erected from said blank, and comprising;

(i) a generally triangular center panel element having a first edge foldably joined to an adjacent end edge of a related one of said minor side wall panels along one of said third fold lines, and having a pair of second edges extending diagonally toward each other from opposite ends of said third fold line and converging at a location spaced from and aligned with a midpoint of said third fold line;

(ii) a pair of generally triangular side panel elements having first side edges foldably joined to adjacent end edges of related outer closure flaps and glue flap along fourth fold lines, having free second edges extending from and normal to said first edges to said location, and having third edges extending diagonally between remote ends of said first and second edges;

(iii) each of said side panel elements having end portions of each of its said third edges foldably joined to an adjacent one of said center panel elements second edges, along a pair of fourth fold lines spaced from each other, and having a central portion of each of its said third edges separated from an adjacent one of said center panel elements second edges by a generally U-shaped cut having a straight central portion and a pair of end portions extending from and normal to opposed ends of said central portion.

20. A blank according to claim 19 wherein said U-shaped cut central portions are located within said center panel elements, and said cut end portions extend from within said center panel elements to within said side panel elements.