Expandable carton

• US 8,727,204 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Burke, Bradley J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELKINS, GARY E
• Application Number:
  US12/947,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20110117258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 229/101, 229/235, 229/240, 220/666, 624/571, 624/577
• US Class Current: 229/101
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/15 using wave energy, irradiation, electrical means or magnetic fields, e.g. oven cooking or roasting using radiant dry heat
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2205/02 Venting holes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3406 Pizza or bread
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3421 Cooking pop-corn
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3437 specially adapted to be heated by microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3444 Packages having devices which convert microwave energy into movement
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0005 of variable capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2028 triangular
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4295 Ventilating arrangements, e.g. openings, space elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5445 for dividing a tubular body into separate parts
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/606 Bags or bag-like tubes loosely glued to the wall of a "tubular" container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/68 Telescope flanged lids
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3453 Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups

Abstract

A package for holding a food product. The package comprises a carton comprising a plurality of panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises at least two side panels. A tear feature extends at least partially across the plurality of panels for at least partially separating the carton into an upper portion and a lower portion. The package also comprises a liner disposed in the interior of the carton. The liner comprises an expandable region proximate to the tear feature of the carton.

Claims

1. A package for holding a food product, the package comprising:

a carton comprising;

a plurality of panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising at least two side panels;

a tear feature extending at least partially across the plurality of panels for at least partially separating the carton into an upper portion and a lower portion;

a liner disposed in the interior of the carton, the liner comprising an upper region, a lower region, and an expandable region proximate to the tear feature of the carton, the expandable region extends between the upper region of the liner and the lower region of the liner and comprises a first portion of the liner folded into face-to-face contact with a second portion of the liner so that when the upper portion of the carton is moved away from the lower portion of the carton the expandable region expands as the first and second portions of the liner unfold.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the liner is secured to at least a portion of at least one panel of the plurality of panels.

3. The package of claim 1, wherein the upper region is secured to at least one panel of the plurality of panels above the tear feature in the upper portion of the carton, and the lower region of the liner is secured to the at least one panel of the plurality of panels below the tear feature in the lower portion of the carton.

4. The package of claim 1, wherein the expandable region of the liner is free to move relative to the carton.

5. The package of claim 3, wherein the tear feature comprises at least one tear line extending across each panel of the plurality of panels so that the upper portion of the carton is separable from the lower portion of the carton.

6. The package of claim 5, wherein the upper region of the liner is adhered to at least a portion of each panel of the plurality of panels above the at least one tear line, and the lower region of the liner is adhered to at least a portion of each panel of the plurality of panels below the at least one tear line.

7. The package of claim 6, wherein at least the expandable region of the liner is at least partially transparent.

8. The package of claim 1, wherein the tear feature comprises at least one longitudinal tear line.

9. The package of claim 8, wherein the at least one longitudinal tear line comprises a first longitudinal tear line and a second longitudinal tear line, and the tear feature further comprises a tear strip at least partially defined by the first and second longitudinal tear lines, the tear strip extending across each panel of the plurality of panels.

10. The package of claim 9, wherein the at least two side panels comprise a first side panel, a second side panel, a third side panel, and a fourth side panel, an adhesive flap being foldably connected to the first side panel and adhered to an interior surface of the fourth side panel, wherein the tear strip extends across the adhesive flap, and at least a portion of the tear strip extending in the fourth side panel is in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the tear strip extending in the adhesive flap.

11. The package of claim 8, further comprising at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels for at least partially closing an end of the carton, wherein the at least one end flap comprises at least a first top end flap and a second top end flap respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels in the upper portion of the carton, the first and second top end flaps being overlapped with respect to one another to at least partially close a top end of the carton, and wherein a lateral score line extends at least partially across the first top end flap.

12. A package for holding a food product, the package comprising:

a carton comprising;

a plurality of panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising at least two side panels;

a tear feature extending at least partially across the plurality of panels for at least partially separating the carton into an upper portion and a lower portion;

a liner disposed in the interior of the carton, the liner comprising an expandable region , an upper region, and a lower region, and the expandable region of the liner is proximate to the tear feature of the carton and extends between the upper region of the liner and the lower region of the liner, wherein the upper region is secured to at least one panel of the plurality of panels above the tear feature in the upper portion of the carton, the lower region of the liner is secured to the at least one panel of the plurality of panels below the tear feature in the lower portion of the carton, and at least a portion of the upper region of the liner is sealed against another portion of the upper region of the liner in the upper portion of the carton, and at least a portion of the lower region of the liner is sealed against another portion of the lower region of the liner in the lower portion of the container.

13. In combination, a carton blank and a liner for forming a package for holding a food product,

the carton blank comprising:

a plurality of panels comprising at least two side panels;

a tear feature extending at least partially across the plurality of panels, the tear feature extending between an upper portion and a lower portion of the carton blank;

a liner comprising an upper region, a lower region, and an expandable region, at least a portion of the liner being in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of an interior surface of the carton blank, the expandable region of the liner being proximate to the tear feature of the carton and extending between the upper region of the liner and the lower region of the liner and comprising a first portion of the liner folded into face-to-face contact with a second portion of the liner so that when an upper portion of the carton formed from the blank is moved away from a lower portion of the carton formed from the blank the expandable region expands as the first and second portions of the liner unfold.

14. The combination of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the liner is secured to at least a portion of at least one panel of the plurality of panels.

15. The combination of claim 13, wherein the upper region is secured to at least one panel of the plurality of panels above the tear feature in the upper portion of the carton blank, the lower region of the liner is secured to the at least one panel of the plurality of panels below the tear feature in the lower portion of the carton blank, and the expandable region of the liner is free from connection to the carton blank.

16. The combination of claim 15, wherein the tear feature comprises at least one tear line extending across each panel of the plurality of panels so that the upper portion of the carton blank is separable from the lower portion of the carton blank.

17. The combination of claim 13, wherein the tear feature comprises a first longitudinal tear line, a second longitudinal tear line, and a tear strip at least partially defined by the first and second longitudinal tear lines, wherein the at least two side panels comprise a first side panel, a second side panel, a third side panel, and a fourth side panel, an adhesive flap being foldably connected to the first side panel, and wherein the tear strip extends across each of the first side panel, the second side panel, the third side panel, the fourth side panel, and the adhesive flap.

18. The combination of claim 17, further comprising at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels for at least partially closing an end of the carton formed from the blank, wherein the at least one end flap comprises at least a first top end flap and a second top end flap respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels in the upper portion of the carton, the first and second top end flaps for being overlapped with respect to one another to at least partially close a top end of a carton formed from the carton blank, and wherein a lateral score line extends at least partially across the first top end flap.

19. A method of forming a package for holding a food product comprising:

obtaining a carton blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising at least two side panels, a tear feature extending at least partially across the plurality of panels;

obtaining a liner comprising an upper region, a lower region, and an expandable region, the expandable region of the liner extends between the upper region of the liner to the lower region of the liner and comprises a first portion of the liner folded into face-to-face contact with a second portion of the liner;

positioning at least a portion of the liner in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of an interior surface of the carton blank so that the expandable region of the liner is proximate to the tear feature of the carton;

forming an interior of a carton by respectively folding the plurality of panels of the carton blank, wherein the tear feature extends between an upper portion and a lower portion of the carton;

activating the tear feature to separate the upper portion and the lower portion; and

moving the upper portion away from the lower portion to expand the expandable region and unfold the first and second portions of the liner.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises securing the upper region to at least one panel of the plurality of panels in the upper portion of the carton, and securing the lower region of the liner to the at least one panel of the plurality of panels in the lower portion of the carton.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the carton blank further comprises at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one end flap comprising at least one bottom end flap, and the method further comprises at least partially closing a bottom end of the carton by folding the at least one bottom end flap.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one end flap comprises at least one top end flap, and the method further comprises disposing at least one food product in the interior of the carton and at least partially closing a top end of the carton by folding the at least one top end flap.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one end flap comprises at least one top end flap, and the method further comprises sealing at least a portion of the lower region of the liner against another portion of the lower region of the liner in the lower portion of the carton, disposing at least one food product in the interior of the carton, sealing at least a portion of the upper region of the liner against another portion of the upper region of the liner in the upper portion of the carton, and at least partially closing a top end of the carton by folding the at least one top end flap.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the tear feature comprises at least one tear line extending across each panel of the plurality of panels so that the upper portion of the carton is separable from the lower portion of the carton, and the method further comprises adhering the upper region of the liner to at least a portion of each panel of the plurality of panels above the at least one tear line and adhering the lower region of the liner to at least a portion of each panel of the plurality of panels below the at least one tear line.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the tear feature comprises a first longitudinal tear line, a second longitudinal tear line, and a tear strip at least partially defined by the first and second longitudinal tear lines, the tear strip extending across each panel of the plurality of panels, wherein the at least two side panels comprise a first side panel, a second side panel, a third side panel, and a fourth side panel, an adhesive flap being foldably connected to the first side panel and the tear strip extending across the adhesive flap, and wherein the method further comprises adhering the adhesive flap to an interior surface of the fourth side panel so that at least a portion of the tear strip extending in the fourth side panel is in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the tear strip extending in the adhesive flap.