Carton with recloseable features

• US 9,169,037 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Pinkstone, Felicia A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reynolds, Steven A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chu, King M
• Application Number:
  US14/268,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20140326743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 220/826, 220/833, 220/839, 229/150, 229/155, 229/156, 493/136, 493/162, 493/84
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/10 with end closures formed by inward-folding of self-locking flaps hinged to tubular body

Abstract

A carton for containing a product. The carton comprises a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel. A plurality of end flaps is respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for closing an end of the carton. The plurality of end flaps comprises a first end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second end flap foldably connected to second side panel. The first end flap and the second end flap have cooperating features for interlocking engagement of the end flaps in a closed configuration of the carton.

Claims

1. A carton for containing a product, the carton comprising:

a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprises a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel;

a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for closing an end of the carton, the plurality of end flaps comprises a first end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second end flap foldably connected to second side panel, each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprising a first curved edge and a second curved edge, the first end flap and the second end flap have cooperating features for interlocking engagement of the end flaps in a closed configuration of the carton, the cooperating features comprising a first notch in the first end flap and a second notch in the second end flap, the first notch and the second notch are for being in registration for locking the first end flap and the second end flap in a closed configuration, and each of the first notch and the second notch is formed at the convergence of the respective first curved edge and second curved edge of a respective first end flap and second end flap.

2. The carton of claim 1, wherein each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprises a first flap portion and second flap portion, the first flap portion comprising the first curved edge and the second flap portion comprising the second curved edge.

3. The carton of claim 2, wherein the first flap portion of the first end flap overlaps the second flap portion of the second end flap in the closed configuration and the first flap portion of the second end flap overlaps the second flap portion of the first end flap in the closed configuration.

5. The carton of claim 1, wherein the cooperating features comprises a third notch in the first end flap and a fourth notch in the second end flap, the third notch and the fourth notch are for being in registration for locking the first end flap and the second end flap in a closed configuration.

4. A carton for containing a product, the carton comprising:

a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprises a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel;

a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for closing an end of the carton, the plurality of end flaps comprises a first end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second end flap foldably connected to second side panel, each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprising a first curved edge and a second curved edge, the first end flap and the second end flap have cooperating features for interlocking engagement of the end flaps in a closed configuration of the carton; and

wherein the each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprises a cut extending from an intersection of the first curved edge and the second curved edge.

6. A carton for containing a product, the carton comprising:

a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton the plurality of panels comprises a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel;

a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for closing an end of the carton the plurality of end flaps comprises a first end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second end flap foldably connected to second side panel, each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprising a first curved edge and a second curved edge, the first end flap and the second end flap have cooperating features for interlocking engagement of the end flaps in a closed configuration of the carton, the cooperating features comprising a first notch in the first end flap and a second notch in the second end flap, the first notch and the second notch are for being in registration for locking the first end flap and the second end flap in a closed configuration, and a third notch in the first end flap and a fourth notch in the second end flap, the third notch and the fourth notch are for being in registration for locking the first end flap and the second end flap in a closed configuration; and

wherein the first end flap comprises a first curved edge extending between the first notch and the second notch, and the second end flap comprises a second curved edge extending between the second notch and the fourth notch.

7. The carton of claim 6, wherein the first end flap comprises a first end portion adjacent the first notch and a second end portion adjacent the third notch, and the second end flap comprises a third end portion adjacent the second notch and a fourth end portion adjacent the fourth notch.

8. The carton of claim 7, wherein the first end portion overlaps the third end portion and the second end portion overlaps the fourth end portion in the closed configuration.

9. The carton of claim 7, wherein each of the first end portion, the second end portion, the third end portion, and the fourth end portion comprises a respective straight edge.

10. A blank for forming a carton for containing a product, the blank comprising:

a plurality of panels comprising a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel;

a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for closing an end of the carton formed from the blank, the plurality of end flaps comprises a first end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second end flap foldably connected to second side panel, each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprising a first curved edge and a second curved edge, the first end flap and the second end flap have cooperating features for interlocking engagement of the end flaps in a closed configuration of the carton formed from the blank, the cooperating features comprising a first notch in the first end flap and a second notch in the second end flap, the first notch and the second notch are for being in registration for locking the first end flap and the second end flap in a closed configuration of the carton formed from the blank, and each of the first notch and the second notch is formed at the convergence of the respective first curved edge and second curved edge of a respective first end flap and second end flap.

11. The blank of claim 10, wherein each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprises a first flap portion and second flap portion, the first flap portion comprising the first curved edge and the second flap portion comprising the second curved edge.

13. The blank of claim 10, wherein the cooperating features comprises a third notch in the first end flap and a fourth notch in the second end flap, the third notch and the fourth notch are for being in registration for locking the first end flap and the second end flap in a closed configuration.

12. A blank for forming a carton for containing a product, the blank comprising:

a plurality of panels comprising a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel;

a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for closing an end of the carton formed from the blank, the plurality of end flaps comprises a first end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second end flap foldably connected to second side panel, each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprising a first curved edge and a second curved edge, the first end flap and the second end flap have cooperating features for interlocking engagement of the end flaps in a closed configuration of the carton formed from the blank, the cooperating features comprising a first notch in the first end flap and a second notch in the second end flap, the first notch and the second notch are for being in registration for locking the first end flap and the second end flap in a closed configuration of the carton formed from the blank; and

wherein the each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprises a cut extending from an intersection of the first curved edge and the second curved edge.

14. A blank for forming a carton for containing a product, the blank comprising:

a plurality of panels comprising a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel;

a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for closing an end of the carton formed from the blank, the plurality of end flaps comprises a first end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second end flap foldably connected to second side panel, the first end flap and the second end flap have cooperating features for interlocking engagement of the end flaps in a closed configuration of the carton formed from the blank, the cooperating features comprising a first notch in the first end flap and a second notch in the second end flap, the first notch and the second notch are for being in registration for locking the first end flap and the second end flap in a closed configuration of the carton formed from the blank, the cooperating features comprises a third notch in the first end flap and a fourth notch in the second end flap, the third notch and the fourth notch are for being in registration for locking the first end flap and the second end flap in a closed configuration; and

wherein the first end flap comprises a first curved edge extending between the first notch and the second notch, and the second end flap comprises a second curved edge extending between the second notch and the fourth notch.

15. The blank of claim 14, wherein the first end flap comprises a first end portion adjacent the first notch and a second end portion adjacent the third notch, and the second end flap comprises a third end portion adjacent the second notch and a fourth end portion adjacent the fourth notch.

16. The blank of claim 15, wherein each of the first end portion, the second end portion, the third end portion, and the fourth end portion comprises a respective straight edge.

17. A method of forming a carton, the method comprising:

obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising a first end panel, a first side panel, a second end panel, and a second side panel, a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the plurality of end flaps comprises a first end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second end flap foldably connected to second side panel, each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprising a first curved edge and a second curved edge, and each of the first notch and the second notch is formed at the convergence of the respective first curved edge and second curved edge of a respective first end flap and second end flap, the first end flap and the second end flap have cooperating features for opening and closing the end of the carton formed from the blank, the cooperating features comprising a first notch in the first end flap and a second notch in the second end flap;

forming an interior of the carton at least partially defined by the plurality of panels;

positioning the plurality of end flaps to close an end of the interior wherein the first end flap and the second end flap are at least partially overlapped and are secured;

opening the end of the carton by separating the first end flap and the second end flap;

closing the end of the carton by interlockingly engaging the cooperating features of the first end flap and the second end flap by moving the first notch and the second notch into registration and locking the first end flap and the second end flap in the a closed configuration.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprises a first flap portion and second flap portion, the first flap portion comprising the first curved edge and the second flap portion comprising the second curved edge, and the closing the end of the carton comprises overlapping the first flap portion of the first end flap and the second flap portion of the second end flap and overlapping the first flap portion of the second end flap and the second flap portion of the first end flap.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the each of the first end flap and the second end flap comprises a cut extending from an intersection of the first curved edge and the second curved edge, the closing the end comprises engaging a respective portion of each of the first end flap and the second end flap in a respective cut.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the cooperating features comprises a third notch in the first end flap and a fourth notch in the second end flap, the closing the end of the carton comprises moving the third notch and the fourth notch into registration.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first end flap comprises a first curved edge and a second curved edge between the first notch and the second notch, the second end flap comprises a third curved edge and a fourth curved edge between the second notch and the fourth notch, the first end flap comprises a first end portion adjacent the first notch and a second end portion adjacent the third notch, and the second end flap comprises a third end portion adjacent the second notch and a fourth end portion adjacent the fourth notch, the closing the end comprises overlapping the first end portion and the third end portion and overlapping the second end portion and the fourth end portion.