Sealed clamshell carton

• US 8,523,049 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Fitzwater, Kelly R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELKINS, GARY E
• Application Number:
  US13/209,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20120037692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 229/114, 229/120.09, 229/120.17, 229/125.35, 229/162.7, 229/169, 229/182, 229/186, 229/146
• US Class Current: 229/146
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0085 the container body comprising two mating compartments hinged together B65D77/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2076 Cooperating flaps glued together
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/244 and the gussets folds connected to the outside of the container body B65D5/247, B65D5/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/28 with extensions of sides permanently secured to adjacent sides, with sides permanently secured together by adhesive strips, or with sides held in place solely by rigidity of material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4204 Inspection openings or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6626 formed by folding extensions of a side panel of a container body formed by erecting a "cross-like" blank
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/667 Lids in the form of an inverted tray

Abstract

A clamshell carton may be erected from a blank for holding a food product. The blank may include various fold lines and corner features such as gussets or glue tabs that facilitate formation of the blank into the clamshell carton that includes a tray and a lid. The tray may have a bottom panel for supporting a food product. The lid may include a window that allows inspection of the food product held in the carton. The carton may include flanges that project outwardly from the tray and lid. When the carton is closed the flanges may define overlapping pairs that may be sealed together to enclose and seal the food product within the carton.

Claims

1. A carton configured to store a food product, the carton comprising:

a tray, comprising;

a first tray panel;

a plurality of additional tray panels including a plurality of side tray panels, a front tray panel, and a rear tray panel each respectively extending from the first tray panel; and

a plurality of tray flanges,

wherein at least one of the plurality of tray flanges respectively extends from each of the side tray panels and the front tray panel; and

a lid hingedly coupled to the tray and moveable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the lid comprising;

a first lid panel;

a plurality of additional lid panels including a plurality of side lid panels, a front lid panel, and a rear lid panel each respectively extending from the first lid panel; and

a plurality of lid flanges,

wherein at least one of the plurality of lid flanges respectively extends from each of the side lid panels and the front lid panel,

wherein the plurality of lid flanges are aligned and in face-to-face contact with the plurality of tray flanges when the lid is in the closed configuration such that a plurality of overlapping pairs of flanges are defined,

wherein each of the plurality of tray flanges has a first edge and each of the plurality of lid flanges has a second edge, the first edge and the second edge comprise a respective free edge extending along the entire length of the plurality of overlapping pairs of flanges,

wherein a respective first edge is aligned with a respective second edge and each of the aligned first edge and second edge forms a free edge of the carton that extends along the length of the plurality of overlapping pairs of flanges,

wherein each of the overlapping pairs of flanges terminates adjacent another one of the overlapping pairs of flanges.

2. The carton of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of corner features that respectively couple each of the additional tray panels to an adjacent one of the additional tray panels and respectively couple each of the additional lid panels to an adjacent one of the additional lid panels,

wherein the corner features are respectively positioned between:

the side tray panels and the front tray panel,

the side tray panels and the rear tray panel,

the side lid panels and the front lid panel, and

the side lid panels and the rear lid panel.

3. The carton of claim 2, wherein the corner features of the tray are folded and attached to the side tray panels, and the corner features of the lid are folded and attached to the side lid panels.

4. The carton of claim 3, wherein the corner features comprise a plurality of gussets.

5. The carton of claim 3, wherein the corner features comprise a plurality of tabs.

6. The carton of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of first cut lines and a plurality of second cut lines, wherein a respective cut line of the plurality of first cut lines is positioned between a respective tab of the plurality of tabs and the tray side panels, and a respective cut line of the plurality of second cut lines is positioned between a respective tab of the plurality of tabs and the lid side panels.

7. The carton of claim 1, wherein the lid comprises a window.

8. The carton of claim 7, wherein the window is defined in the first lid panel and the front lid panel.

9. The carton of claim 7, wherein the window comprises a covering configured to allow for viewing therethrough.

10. The carton of claim 1, wherein each of the lid flanges respectively defines a lid flange length and each of the tray flanges respectively defines a tray flange length,

wherein the lid flange length is substantially equal to the tray flange length for each of the overlapping pairs of flanges.

11. The carton of claim 1, wherein the lid flanges and the tray flanges are configured to be adhered together as the overlapping pairs of flanges.

12. The carton of claim 11, wherein each of the lid flanges respectively defines a lid flange width and each of the tray flanges respectively defines a tray flange width,

wherein the lid flange width is substantially equal to the tray flange width for each of the overlapping pairs of flanges.

13. The carton of claim 1, wherein the lid is coupled to the tray along a fold line.

14. The carton of claim 1, wherein the lid is coupled to the tray along a tear line.

15. A method for forming a carton of claim 1, comprising:

forming the tray having peripheral tray flanges;

folding the tray flanges outwardly;

forming the lid having peripheral lid flanges; and

folding the lid flanges outwardly.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

causing relative movement between the tray and the lid so that the folded outwardly lid flanges and the folded outwardly tray flanges respectively cooperate to define the plurality of overlapping pairs of flanges; and

respectively connecting the overlapping pairs of flanges together.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the connecting of the overlapping pairs of flanges together comprises applying heat and pressure to the overlapping pairs of flanges to activate hot-melt adhesive and respectively bond the overlapping pairs of flanges together.

18. The carton of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of lid flanges are foldably connected to each of the respective plurality of side lid panels along a respective lid flange fold line, the lid flange fold line is free from openings along the entire length of each of the plurality of lid flanges.

19. The carton of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of tray flanges are foldably connected to each of the respective plurality of side tray panels along a respective tray flange fold line, the tray flange fold line is free from openings along the entire length of each of the plurality of tray flanges.

20. A blank configured to form a carton, the blank comprising:

a tray portion, comprising;

a first tray panel;

a plurality of additional tray panels including a plurality of side tray panels, a front tray panel, and a rear tray panel each respectively extending from the first tray panel;

a plurality of tray corner features positioned between the side tray panels and the front tray panel and between the side tray panels and the rear tray panel and configured to respectively couple each of the additional tray panels to an adjacent one of the additional tray panels; and

a plurality of tray flanges,

wherein at least one of the plurality of tray flanges respectively extends from each of the side tray panels and the front tray panel; and

a lid portion coupled to the tray portion, the lid portion comprising;

a first lid panel;

a plurality of additional lid panels including a plurality of side lid panels, a front lid panel, and a rear lid panel each respectively extending from the first lid panel;

a plurality of lid corner features positioned between the side lid panels and the front lid panel and between the side lid panels and the rear lid panel and configured to respectively couple each of the additional lid panels to an adjacent one of the additional lid panels; and

a plurality of lid flanges,

wherein at least one of the plurality of lid flanges respectively extends from each of the side lid panels and the front lid panel,

wherein the plurality of lid flanges are for being aligned and in face-to-face contact with the plurality of tray flanges to define a plurality of overlapping pairs of flanges,

wherein each of the plurality of tray flanges has a first edge and each of the plurality of lid flanges has a second edge, the first edge and the second edge comprise a respective free edge extending along the entire length of the plurality of overlapping pairs of flanges in the carton formed from the blank,

wherein the first edge is for being aligned with a respective second edge such that each of the aligned first edge and second edge are for forming a free edge of the carton formed from the blank that extends along the length of the plurality of overlapping pairs of flanges.

21. The blank of claim 20, wherein the lid flanges and the tray flanges are configured to be adhered together.

22. The blank of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of lid flanges are foldably connected to each of the respective plurality of side lid panels along a respective lid flange fold line, the lid flange fold line is free from openings along the entire length of each of the plurality of tray flanges.

23. The blank of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of tray flanges are foldably connected to each of the respective plurality of side tray panels along a respective tray flange fold line, the tray flange fold line is free from openings along the entire length of each of the plurality of tray flanges.