Severable carton wall

• US 6,929,172 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Inventors: Bates, Aaron, Oliff, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Tri M.
• Application Number:
  US10/179,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 211/305, 211/302, 211/303, 211/122.1, 211/221, 211/241, 211/242, 229/244, 229/122.1, 229/221, 229/241, 229/242
• US Class Current: 229/244
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00141 glued
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/0045 for hands
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00549 consisting of fold lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/0058 The tear line defining a dispensing aperture provided with means for preventing the articles from freely exiting the wrapper, e.g. by rolling out
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/0066 formed from one single sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00728 the end walls being closed by gluing
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00876 Frangible bridges left into cut lines for facilitating folding operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/54 Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing B65D5/06, B65D5/5233, B65D5/5253 take precedence ; break-in flaps, or members adapted to be torn-off, to provide pouring openings B65D5/70
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/541 the lines of weakness being provided in one or more closure flaps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/725 Incised or pre-scored openings or windows provided in the side wall of containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 71/36 having a tubular shape, e.g. tubular wrappers, with end walls

Abstract

A frangible line defines a line of severance by extending across a carton wall that has a seam. The frangible line is extensively weakened along a predetermined segment where it traverses the seam. Preferably, the predetermined segment is extensively weakened by substantially disjoining the panel regions on either side of the line. Disjoinder is preferably achieved by making the predetermined segment a cut line.

Claims

1. A severable carton wall comprising:

a composite wall formed from a pair of overlapping panels joined along a seam, said seam comprising an overlap of respective end portions of said panels; and

a frangible line extending across the composite wall, traversing the seam, defining a a removable portion of said composite wall;

wherein a segment of the frangible line that traverses the seam is an extensively-weakened segment, and

wherein the extensively-weakened segment is arcuate in shape and disposed such that the extensively-weakened segment defines a notch in said removable portion within said seam of said removable portion, and said extensively-weakened segment includes a pair of arcuate cut lines formed respectively in said end portions of said panels, said arcuate cut lines having different radii and being radially offset from each other to facilitate severance of the composite wall along said arcuate segment.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the cut line in the panel that is disposed outermost with respect to the seam has a first radius at least slightly smaller than a second radius of the cut line of the innermost panel.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein each of said cut lines terminates at a nick member disposed proximate an end edge of a respective one of the panels.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein said arcuate cut lines are disposed generally concentrically with each other.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein said arcuate cut lines extend alongside each other such that a clearance is provided between said cut lines.

6. The invention of claim 5, wherein said clearance is a radial clearance.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein said arcuate cut lines are out of alignment in a radial direction.

8. A carton comprising:

top, bottom and a pair of side walls interconnected to form a substantially tubular structure having at least one end region terminating in a composite end wall having a seam, said composite end wall being formed from a pair of overlapping panels joined together along a seam, said seam comprising an overlap of respective end portions of said panels; and

a separable trough formed from a portion of the end region hingably and severably connected to the end wall along a frangible line that traverses the seam;

wherein said frangible line comprises an arcuate segment that traverses the seam and a pair of straight segments extending from the arcuate segment toward said side walls respectively, and

wherein the arcuate segment is disposed such that the arcuate segment defines a notch in said trough within said seam of said trough whereby when said trough is partially severed from the carton and pivoted about said straight segments, severance of said trough from the carton along said arcuate segment is facilitated.

9. The invention of claim 8, wherein said arcuate segment includes a pair of arcuate cut lines formed respectively in said end portions of said panels, and wherein said cut lines have different radii and extend alongside each other such that a clearance is provided between said cut lines.

10. The invention of claim 8, wherein said arcuate cut lines are disposed generally concentrically with each other.

11. The invention of claim 9, wherein said clearance is a radial clearance.

12. The invention of claim 9, wherein said arcuate cut lines are out of alignment in a radial direction.

13. The invention of claim 9, wherein said arcuate cut lines are radially offset from each other.

14. The invention of claim 9, wherein the cut line in the panel that is disposed outermost with respect to the seam has a first radius at least slightly smaller than a second radius of the cut line of the innermost panel.

15. The invention of claim 9, wherein each of said cut lines terminates at a nick member disposed proximate an end edge of a respective one of the panels.

16. The invention of claim 8, wherein the trough is formed in part from the top wall, in part from the end wall and in part from the side walls, the trough being severably connected to the top and side walls.

17. The invention of claim 16, wherein said frangible line is disposed across the end wall and extends into the side walls so that the trough is severably connected to the side walls.

18. The invention of claim 17, wherein said frangible line extends into the top wall such that the frangible line extends across the top wall.

19. A blank for forming an erected carton having a severable carton wall, the blank comprising:

a pair of panels for forming a composite wall joined along a seam in the erected carton; and

a frangible line extending across each of the panels, said frangible lines being disposed for defining a line of severance upon erection of the carton, the line of severance extending across said composite wall and traversing the seam in the erected carton;

wherein a segment of each of the frangible lines next to an end edge of a respective one of the panels comprises an arcuate cut line that extends at least partially across the seam in the erected carton so that the arcuate cut lines of said panels together form an extensively-weakened segment of said line of severance traversing the seam in the erected carton, said arcuate cut lines having different radii so that in the erected carton, said arcuate cut lines are radially offset from each other to facilitate severance of the composite wall along said arcuate segment.

20. The invention of claim 19, wherein the cut line in one of the panels has a first radius at least slightly smaller than a second radius of the cut line of the other of the panels.

21. The invention of claim 19, wherein each of said cut lines terminates at a nick member disposed proximate said end edge of a respective one of the panels.