Carton, carton blank and method for forming the carton

• US 5,794,812 A
• Filed: 10/29/1996
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging Corporation
• Inventors: Walsh, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US08/741,349
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 220/416, 220/418, 220/462, 220/460, 220/461, 220/463, 229/3.1, 229/198.2, 493/96, 493/97, 493/162, 493/183, 53/485, 53/491
• US Class Current: 229/117.27
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2105/001 made from laminated webs, e.g. including laminating the webs
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/56 Linings or internal coatings , e.g. pre-formed trays provided with a blow- or thermoformed layer to protect the articles from mechanical damage B65D81/127
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/563 Laminated linings; Coatings

Abstract

A carton, formed from a unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material secured thereto and wherein a top portion of the sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material extends upwardly from a common plane formed below the fold lines of the top panels of the unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material, wherein the top portion of the sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material has facing surfaces adjacent to the top edge thereof that can be folded over two times to form a folded portion lying substantially in a plane parallel to the common plane.

Claims

1. A carton blank comprising:

a unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having an inner surface and an outer surface;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a left side edge, a right side edge, a top edge and a bottom edge;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a plurality of cut and fold lines for dividing said unitary sheet of relatively rigid material into a front panel portion, a back panel portion and opposite sidewall panel portions, a glue tab panel portion, and top and bottom panel portions extending outwardly in opposite directions from said front wall, back wall and opposite sidewall panel portions;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a length extending from said top edge to said bottom edge and a width extending in a direction perpendicular to said length;

a sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material having portions thereof superposed over said inner surface of at least said top panel portions and at least portions of said front and back panel portions, said opposite sidewall panel portions and said glue tab panel portion;

securing means extending between said right side edge and said left side edge for securing at least a first portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material to at least portions of said front and back panel portions, said opposite sidewall panel portions and said glue tab panel portion;

said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material having a top edge spaced from and parallel to said top edge of said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material;

said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material having a left side edge and a right side edge and a width substantially the same as the width between said left side edge and said right side edge of said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material; and

said top edge of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material being spaced from said fold lines between said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said top panels a distance at least equal to one-half inch greater than the width of one of said opposite sidewall panel portions.

2. A carton blank as in claim 1 wherein:

said top panel portions having at least a top front panel portion and a top back panel portion;

said top edge of said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material comprises at least one of said top front panel portion and said top back panel portion.

3. A carton blank as in claim 1 wherein said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material comprises:

a plastic material.

4. A carton blank as in claim 1 wherein said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material comprises:

a plastic coated kraft paper.

5. A carton blank comprising:

a unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having an inner surface and an outer surface;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a left side edge, a right side edge, a top edge and a bottom edge;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a plurality of cut and fold lines for dividing said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material into a front panel, a back panel, opposite sidewall panels, a glue tab panel and a plurality of top and bottom panels extending outwardly in opposite directions from said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and joined thereto by fold lines;

said inner surface of said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel portion having a central body portion, a top body portion and a bottom body portion;

said central body portion located between and spaced from said fold lines between said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said plurality of top panels and said fold lines between said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said plurality of bottom panels and extending into said glue tab panel;

a rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible, fluid impervious material having a central body portion;

said central body portion of said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material being secured to said central body portion of said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel;

said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material having a top body portion and a bottom body portion;

at least portions of said top body portion of said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material overlying but not secured to said top panels and said top body portion of said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel;

at least portions of said bottom body portion of said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible material overlying but not secured to said plurality of bottom panels portions and said bottom body portion of said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a length extending from said top edge to said bottom edge and a width extending from said left side edge to said right side edge;

said top body portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible impervious material having a top edge spaced from and parallel to said top edge of said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material;

said top body portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material having a left side edge and a right side edge and a width substantially the same as the width between said left side edge and said right side edge of said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material; and

said top edge of said top body portion of said sheet of relatively flexible fluid impervious material being spaced from said fold lines between said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said top panels a distance at least equal to one-half inch greater than the width of one of said opposite sidewall panels.

8. A carton blank as in claim 5 wherein:

said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material is formed from a plastic material.

9. A carton blank as in claim 5 wherein:

said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material is formed from a plastic coated kraft paper.

6. A carton blank as in 5 and further comprising:

a first sheet of a relatively flexible material secured to said top body portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material; and

a second sheet of a relatively flexible material secured to said bottom body portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material.

7. A carton blank as in claim 6 wherein:

said first and second sheets of a relatively flexible material comprise a kraft paper.

10. A carton formed from a carton blank comprising a unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having an inner surface and an outer surface;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a left side edge, a right side edge, a top edge and a bottom edge;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a plurality of cut and fold lines for dividing said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material into a front panel, a back panel, opposite sidewall panels, a glue tab panel and a plurality of top and bottom panels extending outwardly in opposite directions from said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and joined thereto by fold lines;

said inner surface of said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel portion having a central body portion, a top body portion and a bottom body portion;

said central body portion located between and spaced from said fold lines between said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said plurality of top panels and said fold lines between said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said plurality of bottom panels and extending into said glue tab panel;

a rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible, fluid impervious material having a central body portion;

said central body portion of said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material being secured to said central body portion of said fron, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel;

said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material having a top body portion and a bottom body portion;

at least portions of said top body portion of said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material overlying but not secured to said top panels and said top body portion of said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel;

at least portions of said bottom body portion of said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible material overlying but not secured to said plurality of bottom panels portions and said bottom body portion of said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a length extending from said top edge to said bottom edge and a width extending from said left side edge to said right side edge;

said top body portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible impervious material having a top edge spaced from and parallel to said top edge of said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material;

said top body portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material having a left side edge and a right side edge and a width substantially the same as the width between said left side edge and said right side edge of said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material; and

said top edge of said top body portion of said sheet of relatively flexible fluid impervious material being spaced from said fold lines between said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said top panels a distance at least equal to one-half inch greater than the width of one of said opposite sidewall panels comprising;

said unitary sheet of said relatively rigid material and said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material being folded and sealed to form an open ended enclosure comprising a front wall portion, a back wall portion and at least two opposite sidewall portions and top and bottom panel portions and a continuous inner surface comprising said generally rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material;

said bottom body portions of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material and said bottom body portion of said sheet of a relatively rigid material and said bottom panel portions being folded and secured together to form a bottom closed end so that the partially formed carton can be filled with material;

the top edge portion of said central body portin lying substantially in a common plane;

facing portions of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material adjacent to said top edge thereof being secured together;

the portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material extending upwardly from said common plane being folded over until at least a portion of said top edge thereof is in said common plane to form a first folded portion;

said first folded portion being folded over to form a second folded portion comprising superposed portions of said first folded portions;

said second folded portion lying in a plane parallel to and substantially in contact with said common plane; and

sealing together said top panel portions.

11. A Carton as in claim 10 wherein:

said portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material extending upwardly from said common plane being folded to form a gable joint.

12. A carton as in claim 10 and further comprising:

said second folded portion being folded so that a widthwise extending edge portion thereof is substantially in contact with said fold line between one of said top panel portions and either of said front and back panel portions.

13. A method for forming a carton from a carton blank comprising;

a unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having an inner surface and an outer surface;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a left side edge, a right side edge, a top edge and a bottom edge;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a plurality of cut and fold lines for dividing said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material into a front panel, a back panel, opposite sidewall panels, a glue tab panel and a plurality of top and bottom panels extending outwardly in opposite directions from said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and joined thereto by fold lines;

said inner surface of said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel portion having a central body portion, a top body portion and a bottom body portion;

said central body portion located between and spaced from said fold lines between said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said plurality of top panels and said fold lines between said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said plurality of bottom panels and extending into said glue tab panel;

a rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible, fluid impervious material having a central body portion;

said central body portion of said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material being secured to said central body portion of said fron, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel;

said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material having a top body portion and a bottom body portion;

at least portions of said top body portion of said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material overlying but not secured to said top panels and said top body portion of said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel;

at least portions of said bottom body portion of said rectangular sheet of a relatively flexible material overlying but not secured to said plurality of bottom panels portions and said bottom body portion of said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said glue tab panel;

said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material having a length extending from said top edge to said bottom edge and a width extending from said left side edge to said right side edge;

said top body portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible impervious material having a top edge spaced from and parallel to said top edge of said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material;

said top body portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material having a left side edge and a right side edge and a width substantially the same as the width between said left side edge and said right side edge of said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material; and

said top edge of said top body portion of said sheet of relatively flexible fluid impervious material being spaced from said fold lines between said front, back and opposite sidewall panels and said top panels a distance at least equal to one-half inch greater than the width of one of said opposite sidewall panels comprising;

folding said unitary sheet of a relatively rigid material around some of said fold lines and sealing said glue tab panel to one of said front and back wall panels and sealing together portions of said sheet of relatively flexible material and folding and sealing together said bottom panels to form an enclosure having one closed end and one open end with the top edges of said central body portions lying substantially in a common plane;

filling said enclosure with a desired material;

securing together facing portions of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material adjacent to said top edge thereof;

folding the portion of said sheet of a relatively flexible fluid impervious material extending upwardly from said common plane until said top edge thereof substantially touches said common plane to form a first folded portion; and

folding said first folded portion to form a second folded portion comprising superposed portions of said first folded portion lying substantially in a plane parallel to said common plane.

14. A method as in claim 13 and further comprising:

folding said first folded portion so that said second folded portion has a widthwise extending edge portion parallel to said common plane; and

folding said second folded portion so that said widthwise extending edge portion is substantially in contact with said top panels and either of said front and back wall panels.