Dispensing carton

• US 7,703,665 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: McGowan, Gregory Hallenbeck
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins; Gary E
• Assistant Examiner(s): BYRD, LATRICE CHENELL
• Application Number:
  US11/454,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20060289616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 229/122.1, 229/122, 229/243, 221/302, 221/305
• US Class Current: 229/122.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/721 consisting of mobile elements forming part of the containers or attached to the containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/722 having an alternating movement co-operating with incised or scored openings near the bottom-edges of the bodies of tubular containers

Abstract

A carton accommodates stacked, articles. The carton has a pivoting dispenser that allows the articles to be dispensed from the front of the carton. The bottom panel can be erected using relatively simple folding operations.

Claims

1. A carton, comprising:

a back panel;

a first side panel;

a second side panel;

a front panel;

a bottom panel comprising a substantially rectangular panel covering substantially all of a bottom opening of the carton;

a dispenser formed at least in the front panel, the dispenser comprising an outer pivoting dispenser panel formed from the front panel, and an inner dispenser panel foldably connected to a bottom edge of the front panel and attached to an inner surface of the front panel; and

a tuck panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, the tuck panel being tucked into an interior of the carton and abutting the inner dispenser panel, wherein

when the dispenser is opened, a dispenser opening is left in the front panel as the outer dispenser panel pivots away from the front panel and allows access to the interior of the carton.

2. The carton of claim 1, further comprising a first side bottom flap extending from the first side panel and a second side bottom flap extending from the second side panel, the first and second side bottom flaps extending at least partially across the bottom opening.

3. The carton of claim 2, wherein the bottom panel overlaps the first side bottom flap and the second side bottom flap, and substantial entireties of both side bottom flaps are disposed in the carton interior with respect to the bottom panel.

4. The carton of claim 1, wherein a pivoting portion of the inner dispenser panel is adhered to an inner surface of the outer dispenser panel.

5. The carton of claim 4, wherein the dispenser further comprises:

a first side extension foldably connected to a first side of the inner dispenser panel; and

a second side extension foldably connected to a second side of the inner dispenser panel.

6. The carton of claim 5, further comprising a pivotably mounted top panel at least partially closing a top end of the carton.

7. The carton of claim 6, wherein the carton is substantially parallelepipedal, with the front panel being wider than the side panels.

8. The carton of claim 1, wherein the outer dispenser panel is pivotable outwardly about a horizontal fold line disposed at a bottom edge of the outer dispenser panel.

9. The carton of claim 8, wherein the carton is substantially parallelepipedal, with the front panel being wider than the side panels.

10. A substantially parallelepipedal carton, comprising:

a back panel;

a first side panel;

a second side panel;

a front panel;

a top panel;

a bottom panel at least partially covering a bottom of the carton;

a first side bottom flap extending from the first side panel; and

a second side bottom flap extending from the second side panel, the first and second side bottom flaps extending at least partially across the carton bottom and abutting the bottom panel, wherein substantial entireties of both side bottom flaps are disposed in the carton interior with respect to the bottom panel, wherein

a dispenser is formed at least in the front panel, the dispenser comprising an outer pivoting dispenser panel formed from the front panel and pivotable about a horizontal fold line adjacent to a bottom of the front panel, and an inner dispenser panel foldably connected to a bottom edge of the front panel, the inner dispenser panel comprising a base panel directly foldably connected to the front panel and attached to an inner surface of the front panel, and the inner dispenser panel comprising an inner pivoting panel foldably connected to the base panel and attached to an inner surface of the outer pivoting dispenser panel, and wherein

when the dispenser is opened, a dispenser opening is left in the front panel as the outer dispenser panel pivots away from the front panel and allows access to an interior of the carton.

11. The carton of claim 10, wherein the dispenser further comprises:

a first side extension foldably connected to a first side of the inner dispenser panel; and

a second side extension foldably connected to a second side of the inner dispenser panel.

12. The carton of claim 11, further comprising a tuck flap foldably connected to the bottom panel, wherein the tuck flap is tucked into the carton interior.

13. The carton of claim 11, wherein the carton is substantially parallelepipedal, with the front panel being wider than the side panels.

14. A carton blank, comprising:

a back panel;

a first side panel;

a second side panel;

a front panel;

a top panel;

a bottom panel;

a tuck flap foldably connected to the bottom panel;

at least one bottom flap, wherein each at least one bottom flap is less than half a size of the bottom panel; and

an inner dispenser panel extending from a bottom edge of the front panel, wherein

a dispenser pattern is formed at least in the front panel, the dispenser pattern defining an outer dispenser panel in the front panel, wherein the inner dispenser panel is foldably connected at the bottom edge of the front panel so that the inner dispenser panel is foldable upward to contact the outer dispenser panel, and wherein the tuck flap is foldable upward to abut the inner dispenser panel.

15. The carton blank of claim 14, wherein the bottom panel extends from a bottom edge of the back panel.

16. The carton blank of claim 15, wherein the bottom panel is of about the same width as the back panel.

17. The carton blank of claim 14, wherein the inner dispenser panel comprises:

a base panel extending from the bottom edge of the front panel; and

an inner pivot panel extending from the base panel.

18. The carton blank of claim 17, wherein the inner dispenser panel further comprises:

a first side extension foldably connected to a first side of the inner pivot panel; and

a second side extension foldably connected to a second side of the inner pivot panel.

19. The carton blank of claim 14, wherein the front panel is wider than the side panels.

20. A method of erecting a carton blank, comprising:

providing a carton blank according to claim 14;

folding the inner dispenser panel upward;

adhering at least a portion of the inner dispenser panel to an inner surface of the outer dispenser panel;

forming a generally tubular form from the front, side, and back panels;

folding the bottom panel over a bottom end of the tubular form; and

folding the top panel over a top end of the tubular form.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one bottom flap comprises a first bottom flap and a second bottom flap, the method further comprising folding the first bottom flap over the bottom end before folding the bottom panel over the bottom end of the carton.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising folding the second bottom flap over the bottom end before folding the bottom panel over the bottom end of the carton.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the bottom panel overlaps the first bottom flap and the second bottom flap, and substantial entireties of both bottom flaps are disposed in an interior of the carton with respect to the bottom panel and abut an inner surface of the bottom panel.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising tucking in a tuck flap extending from an end of the bottom panel.