Readily openable shipping and display container

• US 6,209,786 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Fenton, James T., Butscha, Mark R., Yelton, Donald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US09/369,092
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 229/120, 229/38, 229/240, 229/241, 229/242, 206/746, 206/774
• US Class Current: 229/241
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5405 for opening containers formed by erecting a blank in tubular form

Abstract

Disclosed is a container for shipping, display, and subsequent removal of a plurality of articles. The container includes a first surface having two oppositely extending flaps folded towards each other. Each of the flaps has a proximal end and a distal end. The distal ends of the flaps are oppositely disposed and form a flap gap therebetween. The container further includes a line of weakness having two ends. Each end of the line of weakness is juxtaposed with at least one of the distal ends of the flaps. The line of weakness extends therefrom to intercept at least one panel of the container adjacent one of the flaps. The line of weakness may include perforation lines having a multiplicity of cuts and skips. The line of weakness defines a removable segment, which may be removed by tearing along the perforation lines. The flap gap between the distal ends of the flaps provides an opening for the hand access to remove the removable segment of the container. Carton blanks used to form the containers are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A container for shipping, display, and subsequent removal of at least one of a plurality of articles, said container having a plurality of panels and comprising:

a first surface, said first surface having

a first pair of flaps comprising two oppositely extending flaps folded towards each other, each of said flaps having a proximal end and a distal end, said oppositely disposed distal ends of said flaps being oriented towards and spaced apart from each other to form a flap gap therebetween, said container further comprising a line of weakness having two ends, each end being juxtaposed with at least one of said distal ends of said flaps, said line of weakness extending therefrom to intercept at least one of said plurality of panels of said container adjacent one of said flaps; and

a second pair of flaps oppositely extending towards each other and having the distal ends thereof spaced apart to form a second flap gap therebetween, said second flap gap intercepting said flap gap formed by said first pair of flaps, said first pair of flaps and said second pair of flaps overlaying one another to form at least two junctions, said line of weakness intercepting said two junctions, wherein said container is parallelepipedly shaped, said first and second pairs of flaps on said first surface are oriented 90 degrees from each other and form two pairs of junctions, said line of weakness intercepting both ends of one pair of junctions and

wherein said line of weakness intercepts at least two adjacent surfaces of said container.

2. The container according to claim 1 wherein said line of weakness intercepts at least four adjacent surfaces said container.

3. The container according to claim 1 wherein said line of weakness intercepts at least five adjacent surfaces said container.

4. The container according to claim 1 further comprising a second pair of two oppositely disposed junctions formed by said second pair of flaps and a second line of weakness, said second line of weakness intercepting each of said two junctions of said second pair of two oppositely disposed junctions.

5. The container according to claim 4 wherein said second line of weakness is a mirror image of said first line of weakness.

6. A carton blank formable into a container for shipping, display, and subsequent removal of a plurality of articles therefrom, said carton blank having, in order, a first side panel, a front panel having a width, a second side panel, and a rear panel, said panels being connected together by spaced apart fold lines, said panels being fastenable so as to form a sleeve, at least one of said panels having a bottom flap foldably connected to said panel suitable for forming a bottom of said container, said container blank comprising:

(a) a plurality of top flaps, each said top flap being connected to one of said first side, front, second side, and rear panels by a fold line, each of said top flaps having a proximal and a distal end, said plurality of top flaps having a width between said proximal and said distal ends, said width being less than about half of said width of said front panel; and

(b) a line of weakness having two ends, each end of said line of weakness being juxtaposed with at least one of said distal ends of said top flaps, said line of weakness extending therefrom to intercept at least one adjacent panel of said carton blank,

wherein said line of weakness is juxtaposed with at least two of said distal ends of said top flaps and extending therefrom to intercept at least one adjacent panel.

7. The carton blank according to claim 6 wherein said line of weakness intercepts at least two adjacent panels.

8. The carton blank according to claim 7 wherein said panels are generally rectangular body panels.

9. The carton blank of claim 8 wherein said width of said plurality of said top flaps is at least 1 inch less than about one half of said width of said front panel.

10. The carton blank of claim 8 wherein said width of said plurality of said top flaps is at least 2 inches less than about one half of said width of said front panel.

11. A carton blank comprising:

(1) a first side panel;

(2) a front panel connected to said first side panel by a first vertical fold line, said front panel having a width;

(3) a second side panel connected to said front panel by a second vertical fold line;

(4) a rear panel connected to said second side panel by a third vertical fold line;

(5) a first side panel top flap connected to said first side panel by a first side panel top fold line, said first side panel top flap having a proximal end and a distal end, said first side panel having a width less than half of said front panel width;

(6) a front panel top flap connected to said front panel by a front panel top fold line, said front panel top flap having a width less than half of said front panel width;

(7) a second side panel top flap connected to said second side panel by a second side panel top fold line, said second side panel top flap having a width less than half of said front panel width;

(8) a rear panel top flap connected to said rear panel by a rear panel top fold line;

(9) a first side panel bottom flap connected to said first side panel by a first side panel bottom fold line;

(10) a front panel bottom flap connected to said front panel by a front panel bottom fold line;

(11) a second side panel bottom flap connected to said second side panel by a second side panel bottom fold line;

(12) a rear panel bottom flap connected to said rear panel by a rear panel bottom fold line; and

(13) a line of weakness comprising a multiplicity of sections, wherein

(a) a first vertical section extends from near said distal end of said first side panel top flap to said first side panel top fold line approximately perpendicular to said first side panel top fold line at a distance approximately equal to said front panel top flap width;

(b) a first horizontal section extends from near said first vertical section generally along said first side panel top fold line to near said first vertical fold line;

(c) a second vertical section extends from near said first horizontal section to a lateral section extending between near said first vertical and said second vertical fold lines;

(d) a third vertical section extends from near said lateral section to near front panel top fold line; and

(e) a second horizontal section extends from near said third vertical section generally along said second side panel top fold line at a distance approximately equal to said front panel top flap width.

12. The carton blank according to claim 11 wherein said line of weakness comprises a plurality of successive perforation sections, each perforation section comprising a cut followed by a skip.