Shipping and display carton

• US 7,021,468 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Inventors: Cargile, John W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernstrom, Kurt
• Application Number:
  US10/393,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20040099570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 206/264, 206/271, 206/273, 206/297, 206/299, 206/432, 206/499, 206/746, 206/750, 206/784
• US Class Current: 206/746
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/061 Filled bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/08 Packaging groups of articles, the articles being individually gripped or guided for transfer to the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/10 Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/106 by pushers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/208 of triangular shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5004 formed as an extension of the end closures hollow or recessed end closures B65D5/0245
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5253 Containers initially closed but folded about a central axis to display the contents in two or more cells
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/542 the lines of weakness being provided in the container body
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/545 for opening containers formed by erecting a "cross-like" blank

Abstract

The carton is convertible into two display trays on which tapered articles may be displayed. The trays can be pivoted about a fold line without disturbing each row of articles in the carton. The fold line is formed in the base of the carton whereas lines of weakening are formed in the top, front and rear. The top of the carton is provided with a pair of parallel weakened or tear lines that are parallel to the fold line in the base. The tear lines in the top extend all the way across the top to define between themselves a removable portion. The distance between the fold line and either tear line of the top is dimensioned such that the two rows of articles may be efficiently separated or uninterleaved from each other while held respectively in the two trays when the two trays are pivoted about the fold line.

Claims

1. A package comprising:

a carton including a top wall having front and rear edges and a pair of opposed side edges, front and rear walls extending downwardly respectively from said front and rear edges of said top wall to respective lower edges thereof, a base wall extending between said lower edges of said front and rear walls, and a pair of opposed side walls extending downwardly from said side edges of said top wall to said base wall; and

a plurality of tapered articles disposed within said carton, each of said articles having top and bottom, said top being less in thickness than said bottom, said articles being arranged into a group of two rows disposed respectively along said side edges of said top wall with said bottoms of said articles in one of said rows facing one of said side walls of said carton and said bottoms of said articles in the other row facing the other side wall of said carton, said tops of said articles in said one row being disposed in an overlapping nested relationship with said tops of said articles in said other row,

wherein said top wall of said carton is formed with a pair of parallel tear lines extending from said front edge to said rear edge to define therebetween a first removable portion, said base wall being formed with a fold line disposed substantially parallel to said parallel tear lines and extending between said lower edges of said front and rear walls, said fold line being located at a first distance from either one of said parallel tear lines, each of said front and rear walls being formed with at least one tear line so that said carton is separable into two display trays with said side walls forming bottoms of said display tray when said removable portion is removed from said carton and said base wall is folded double along said fold line, and

wherein said first distance is greater than a maximum distance between the fold line and said tops of said articles in either one of said two rows.

2. The package according to claim 1 wherein said removable portion is disposed mid way between said opposed side edges of said top wall, said tops of said articles in said one row are disposed at a second distance along said front edge from said tops of said articles in said other row, said second distance is less than the distance between said parallel tear lines in said top wall.

3. The package according to claim 1 wherein said fold line in said base wall extends generally along said thickness of said articles of said group and generally perpendicularly to the length of said articles of said group, said top of said each article is greater in width than said bottom thereof, said top and base walls are spaced at a distance generally equal to said width of said each article at said top, and said carton further comprises a spacer disposed between said top wall and said bottoms of said articles in each of said rows.

4. The package according to claim 3 wherein said spacers are formed from said side walls of said carton.

5. The package according to claim 4 wherein each of said side walls comprises a top flap hingedly connected to said top wall and a base flap hingedly connected to said base wall, and each of said spacers comprises an engaging flap hingedly connected to said base flap of an adjacent one of said side walls.

6. The package according to claim 5 wherein said top flap of said each side wall extends downwardly toward said base flap of said each side wall, said base flap of said each side wall is disposed in an overlapping relationship with said top flap of said each side wall, and said engaging flaps extend inwardly of said carton from said base flaps.

7. The package according to claim 4 wherein each of said side walls comprises a top flap hingedly connected to said top wall and a base flap hingedly connected to said base wall, and each of said spacers comprises at least one panel hingedly connected to said top flap of an adjacent one of said side walls.

8. The package according to claim 7 wherein said at least one panel is extended entirely between said front and rear walls to increase the stacking strength of said carton.

9. The package according to claim 1 wherein said at least one tear line in said front wall extends from said front edge of said top wall to said lower edge of said front wall, and said at least one tear line in said rear wall extends from said rear edge of said top wall to said lower edge of said rear wall.

10. The package according to claim 9 wherein said at least one tear line in said front wall comprises a pair of tear lines which define therebetween a second removable portion, and said at least one tear line in said rear wall comprises a pair of tear lines which define therebetween a third removable portion.

11. The package according to claim 10 wherein said first, second and third removable portions are joined together to form a single tear away tab removable from said carton.

12. A carton comprising:

a pair of top and base opposed walls in a spaced parallel relationship;

a pair of front and rear opposed walls interconnecting said top and base walls to form a tubular structure;

a pair of opposed side walls disposed at opposite ends of said tubular structure to at least partially close said opposite ends;

means for converting the carton from a substantially closed form to an opened display form, said converting means including a fold line formed in said base wall, and a tear away tab formed at least from said top wall, said fold line extending between said front and rear walls, said tear away tab being defined at least by a pair of tear lines each disposed across said top wall; and

a pair of spacers connected respectively to said side walls and extending toward said top wall to engage articles to be accommodated in said carton.

13. The carton according to claim 12 wherein said spacers are formed from said side walls.

14. The carton according to claim 13 wherein each of said side walls comprises a top flap hingedly connected to said top wall and a base flap hingedly connected to said base wall, and each of said spacers comprises an engaging flap hingedly connected to said base flap of an adjacent one of said side wall.

15. The carton according to claim 14 wherein said top flap of said each side wall extends downwardly toward said base wall of said each side wall, said base flap of said each side wall is disposed in an overlapping relationship with said top flap of said each side wall, and said engaging flaps extend inwardly of said carton from said base flaps.

16. The carton according to claim 13 wherein each of said side walls comprises a top flap hingedly connected to said top wall and a base flap hingedly connected to said base wall, and each of said spacers comprises at least one panel hingedly connected to said top flap of an adjacent one of said side walls.

17. The carton according to claim 16 wherein said at least one panel is extended entirely between said front and rear walls to increase the stacking strength of the carton.

18. A blank for forming a carton, said blank comprising:

a top wall panel having a pair of front and rear opposed edges and a pair of opposed side edges;

a pair of front and rear opposed wall panels hingedly connected to said top wall panel along said front and rear edges respectively;

a base wall panel hingedly connected to one of said front and rear wall panels along a lower edge of said one wall panel opposed to a respective one of said front and rear edges;

a pair of tear lines each disposed across said top wall panel so that a removable portion is defined between said tear lines;

a fold line formed in said base wall and extending from said lower edge of said one wall panel to a free edge of said base wall panel opposed to said lower edge,

a pair of top flaps hingedly connected to said top wall panel along said side edges of said top wall panel respectively;

a pair of base flaps hingedly connected to said base wall panel along opposed side edges of said base wall panel respectively to cooperate with said top flaps to form side walls of the carton; and

spacer panels hingedly connected respectively to said base flaps along fold lines substantially parallel to said side edges of said base wall panel.

19. A method of forming a package by loading tapered articles into a tubular carton, each of said articles having top and bottom, said top being less in thickness than said bottom, said method comprising the steps of:

arranging said articles into a group of two rows including first and second rows wherein said bottoms of said articles in said first row face away from said bottoms of said articles in said second row and wherein said tops of said first row articles are disposed in an overlapping nested relationship with said tops of said second row articles;

moving said first and second row articles simultaneously into said carton through one end of said carton while said group is oriented such that said first row articles are moved first into the carton, and thereby inserting said first row articles fully into said carton while said second row articles remain incompletely inserted into said carton;

moving said second row articles toward said first row articles so that said second row articles are more deeply nested in said first row article, and thereby inserting said second row articles completely into said carton; and

closing said one end of said carton by a suitable end closure wall.

20. The packaging method according to claim 19 wherein said moving steps are carried out by two separately operable pushers, one of said pushers being used for moving said first row articles and the other pusher for said second row articles.

21. The packaging method according to claim 20 wherein said first moving step comprises operating said two pushers synchronously to move both said first and second row articles simultaneously, and said second moving step comprises operating said other pusher independently from said one pusher to move only said second row articles.