Carton with spout

• US 7,971,773 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Moss, Sean Alan, Wagner, Todd A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins; Gary E
• Application Number:
  US12/333,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20090152338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 229/215, 229/217, 229/221, 229/122.1, 493/162, 493/405, 221/302, 221/305
• US Class Current: 229/215
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/46192 formed by incisions in the container or blank forming straps used as handles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/743 Spouts formed by deforming or tearing scored or incised parts of the side-wall of containers

Abstract

A carton for containing a dispensable material. The carton has a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises at least a first panel and a second panel foldably connected to the first panel at a fold line. A spout is at least partially formed in the first panel and the second panel. The spout is moveable between a closed position substantially preventing the removal of the dispensable material from the carton and an open position allowing removal of the dispensable material from the carton. The spout comprises a first spout panel formed from a portion of the first panel and a second spout panel formed from a portion of the second panel. The second spout panel is foldably connected to the first spout panel at at least a portion of the fold line.

Claims

1. A carton for containing a dispensable material, the carton comprising:

a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising a first panel and a second panel foldably connected to the first panel at a fold line;

a spout at least partially formed in the first panel and the second panel, the spout being moveable between a closed position substantially preventing removal of dispensable material from the carton and an open position allowing removal of the dispensable material from the carton; and

the spout comprising a first spout panel formed from a portion of the first panel and a second spout panel formed from a portion of the second panel, and the second spout panel being foldably connected to the first spout panel at at least a portion of the fold line,

the second spout panel comprises a retention tab, and the second panel comprises an opening adjacent the retention tab, the opening comprising an upper curved side edge, a lower curved side edge, a first end edge forming a stopper surface at one end of the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge, and a second end edge forming a side edge of the retention tab at the other end of the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge, the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge being generally parallel, the retention tab being in slidable engagement with the upper curved side edge in said closed position of said spout and during movement of said spout from said closed position to said open position of said spout.

2. The carton of claim 1 wherein the fold line is located at a corner of the carton.

3. The carton of claim 1 wherein the first spout panel is foldably connected to the first panel at a spout fold line.

4. The carton of claim 3 wherein the fold line is a lateral fold line.

5. The carton of claim 4 wherein the spout fold line is an oblique fold line, and the spout fold line and the lateral fold line intersect at a junction.

6. The carton of claim 5 wherein the first spout panel is separable along a top edge at a curved tear line in the first panel.

7. The carton of claim 1 wherein the second spout panel is separable from the second panel at a tear line.

8. The carton of claim 1 wherein the stopper surface is for engaging the retention tab in the open position of the spout to prevent further opening of the spout.

9. The carton of claim 8 wherein the retention tab moves in the opening when the spout is moved from the closed position to the open position, the retention tab sliding along the upper curved side edge when moving from the closed position to the open position.

10. The carton of claim 1 wherein the first spout panel is generally triangular-shaped, and the second spout panel is generally triangular-shaped.

11. The carton of claim 1 further comprising an access panel in the first panel for accessing the first spout panel and initiating movement of the spout from the closed position to the open position, the first spout panel being defined by a curved tear line in the first panel, the access panel being foldably connected to the first panel for grasping an edge of the first spout panel corresponding to the curved tear line.

12. The carton of claim 1 wherein the plurality of panels comprises a third panel foldably connected to the second panel, and the second spout panel is in face-to-face contact with the third panel and capable of sliding movement relative to the third panel when the spout is moved between the closed position and the open position.

13. The carton of claim 1 wherein the plurality of panels comprises a first side panel, a first end panel foldably connected to the first side panel, a second side panel foldably connected to the first end panel, a second end panel foldably connected to the second side panel, a first support panel foldably connected to the second end panel, and a second support panel foldably connected to the first support panel, and

the first panel is the second end panel and the second panel is the first support panel.

14. The carton of claim 13 wherein the second support panel and the first side panel cooperate to form a sleeve for receiving the second spout panel.

15. The carton of claim 1 wherein the retention tab has a top edge, the top edge being in slidable engagement with the upper curved edge.

16. The carton of claim 1 wherein the retention tab is generally square-shaped.

17. A blank for forming a carton for containing a dispensable material, the blank comprising:

a plurality of panels that comprises a first panel and a second panel foldably connected to the first panel at a fold line;

a spout at least partially formed in the first panel and the second panel, the spout being moveable between a closed position substantially preventing removal of dispensable material from the carton formed from the blank and an open position allowing removal of the dispensable material from the carton formed from the blank;

the spout comprising a first spout panel formed from a portion of the first panel and a second spout panel formed from a portion of the second panel, and the second spout panel being foldably connected to the first spout panel at at least a portion of the fold line,

the second spout panel comprises a retention tab, and the second panel comprises an opening adjacent the retention tab, the opening comprising an upper curved side edge, a lower curved side edge, a first end edge forming a stopper surface at one end of the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge, and a second end edge forming a side edge of the retention tab at the other end of the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge, the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge being generally parallel, the retention tab being in slidable engagement with the upper curved edge.

18. The blank of claim 17 wherein the first spout panel is foldably connected to the first panel at a spout fold line.

19. The blank of claim 18 wherein the fold line is a lateral fold line and the spout fold line is an oblique fold line, and the spout fold line and the lateral fold line intersect at a junction.

20. The blank of claim 19 wherein the first spout panel is separable along a top edge at a curved tear line in the first panel, and the second spout panel is separable from the second panel at a tear line.

21. The blank of claim 17 wherein the first spout panel is generally triangular-shaped, and the second spout panel is generally triangular-shaped.

22. The blank of claim 17 wherein the plurality of panels comprises a third panel foldably connected to the second panel, and the third spout panel is foldably positionable to be in face-to-face contact with the second panel when the carton is formed from the blank.

23. A method of forming a carton comprising:

obtaining a blank, the blank comprising a plurality of panels that comprises a first panel and a second panel foldably connected to one another at a fold line, a spout at least partially formed in the first panel and the second panel, the spout being moveable between a closed position substantially preventing removal of dispensable material from the carton formed from the blank and an open position allowing removal of the dispensable material from the carton formed from the blank, the spout comprising a first spout panel formed from a portion of the first panel and a second spout panel formed from a portion of the second panel and the second spout panel being foldably connected to the first spout panel at at least a portion of the fold line, the second spout panel comprises a retention tab, and the second panel comprises an opening adjacent the retention tab, the opening comprising an upper curved side edge, a lower curved side edge, a first end edge forming a stopper surface at one end of the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge, and a second end edge forming a side edge of the retention tab at the other end of the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge, the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge being generally parallel, the retention tab being in slidable engagement with the upper curved side edge;

folding the blank to form a carton, the folding the blank comprising positioning the plurality of panels to form an interior space; and

filling the interior space with a dispensable material.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the plurality of panels comprises a first side panel, a first end panel foldably connected to the first side panel, a second side panel foldably connected to the first end panel, a second end panel foldably connected to the second side panel, a first support panel foldably connected to the second end panel, and a second support panel foldably connected to the first support panel, and the first panel is the second end panel and the second panel is the first support panel, and

the folding the blank to form the carton comprises folding the plurality of panels to form a generally parallelepipedal-shaped carton having at least one corner, and the spout being generally located at the corner of the carton.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the folding the blank to form the carton comprises forming a sleeve for receiving the second spout panel.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the forming the sleeve comprises folding the second support panel to be in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the first support panel, and folding the first support panel to be in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the first side panel.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising opening the spout by folding the first spout panel outward from the first panel, the opening the spout comprises sliding the retention tab in the opening, a top surface of the retention tab being in sliding contact with the upper curved edge during the opening the spout.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising fully opening the spout by engaging the retention tab with the stopper wall.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising closing the spout by folding the first spout panel inward toward the first end panel, the closing the spout comprises sliding the retention tab in the opening, the top surface of the retention tab being in sliding contact with the upper curved edge during the closing the spout.

30. A carton for containing a dispensable material, the carton comprising:

a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising a first panel and a second panel foldably connected to the first panel at a fold line;

a spout at least partially formed in the first panel and the second panel, the spout being moveable between a closed position substantially preventing the removal of dispensable material from the carton and an open position allowing removal of the dispensable material from the carton;

the spout comprising a first spout panel formed from a portion of the first panel and a second spout panel formed from a portion of the second panel, the second spout panel being foldably connected to the first spout panel at at least a portion of the fold line, and the at least a portion of the fold line being located at a corner of the carton; and

the first spout panel being foldably connected to the first panel at a spout fold line, and the spout fold line intersecting the at least a portion of the fold line at a junction,

the second spout panel comprises a retention tab, and the second panel comprises an opening adjacent the retention tab, the opening comprising an upper curved side edge, a lower curved side edge, a first end edge forming a stopper surface at one end of the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge, and a second end edge forming a side edge of the retention tab at the other end of the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge, the upper curved side edge and the lower curved side edge being generally parallel, the retention tab being in slidable engagement with the upper curved side edge in said closed position of said spout and during movement of said spout from said closed position to said open position of said spout.

31. The carton of claim 30 wherein the at least a portion of the fold line extends in a lateral direction, and the spout fold line is generally oblique relative to the at least a portion of the fold line.

32. The carton of claim 30 wherein the second spout panel comprises a retention tab, the carton further comprises an opening in the second panel adjacent the retention tab, and the carton further comprises a stopper surface in the second panel adjacent the opening is for contacting the retention tab in the open position of the spout to prevent further opening the spout.

33. The carton of claim 30 further comprising a third panel foldably connected to the second panel, the second spout panel being in face-to-face contact with the third panel and capable of sliding movement relative to the third panel when the spout is moved between the closed position and the open position.