Container with secure audible closure

• US 9,481,486 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated, Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC (The Kraft Heinz Company)
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated, Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC (The Kraft Heinz Company)
• Inventors: Nameth, Tracy L., Burke, Bradley J., Werts, Ronald R. III, Brock, Tracy, Ruhbusch, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): ELKINS, GARY E
• Application Number:
  US14/848,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20150375891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 229/225, 229/228
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/12 Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2057 Inter-engaging self-locking flaps B65D5/4254 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2076 Cooperating flaps glued together
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5425 and defining after rupture a lid hinged to the upper edge of the container body
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5435 and defining after rupture a lid hinged to the side edge of the container body

Abstract

A re-closeable folded container includes a hexahedral base including a front panel and a rear panel, a cover pivotally connected with an upper edge of a rear panel for movement between an open position and a closed position, and a locking panel hingedly connected with an upper edge of the front panel. The front panel includes a tear-away portion defined by a score line. The locking panel includes a first tab, a second tab, and a tear-away portion defined by score lines. The tear-away portion of the locking panel is fixedly attached to both the front portion of the cover and the tear-away portion of the front panel such that initial movement of the cover from the closed position toward the open position causes the locking panel and the front panel to tear along the score lines and causes both tear-away portions to pivotally move with the cover.

Claims

1. A re-closeable container comprising:

a base having opposing front and rear panels, opposing side walls extending between the front and rear panels, and a bottom panel connected with lower edges of the front, rear, and side walls, wherein the front panel includes a fixed portion and a tear-away portion;

a cover pivotally connected with an upper edge of the rear panel for movement between an open position and a closed position, the cover having a top portion extending between the front and rear panels when the cover is in the closed position, and a front portion connected with the top portion and disposed in close parallel alignment with the front panel when the cover is in the closed position; and

a locking panel hingedly connected with an upper edge of the front panel and disposed between the front panel of the base and the front portion of the cover when the cover is in the closed position, the locking panel having a plurality of tabs and a tear-away portion;

wherein the tear-away portion of the locking panel is fixedly attached to both the front portion of the cover and the tear-away portion of the front panel such that initial movement of the cover from the closed position toward the open position causes the tear-away portions of the locking panel and the front panel to tear from the plurality of tabs and the fixed portion respectively and causes both tear-away portions to pivotally move with the cover.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the tearing of the locking panel forms a plurality of engagement surfaces projecting from an inner surface of the front portion of the cover,

wherein the plurality of tabs are configured to engage the plurality of engagement surfaces for securing the cover in the closed position.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein plurality of tabs each include a hinged edge pivotally connected with an upper edge of the front panel and an engagement surface opposite the hinged edge,

wherein the engagement surfaces of the first and second tabs are configured to align with the engagement surfaces projecting from the inner surface of the front portion of the cover for securing the cover in the closed position.

4. The container of claim 2, wherein the engagement between the tabs and the engagement surfaces is accompanied by at least one of an audile feedback and a tactile feedback.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein prior to the tearing of the locking panel, the locking panel includes:

a hinged edge connected with an upper edge of the front panel along a fold line;

an offset edge substantially parallel to the hinged edge;

a pair of side edges each having a first end connected with an end of the hinged edge, and a second end opposite the first end; and

a pair of non-linear edges connecting the second ends of the pair of side edges with ends of the offset edge.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the front portion of the cover includes:

a top edge connected with the top portion of the cover along a fold line;

a pair of front-side edges extending from ends of the top edge; and

a curved bottom edge extending between the pair of front-side edges.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the locking panel includes a pair of curved edges having radii of curvature equivalent to a radius of curvature of the curved bottom edge of the front portion of the cover,

wherein the pair of curved edges are aligned with the curved bottom edge of the front portion of the cover when the cover is in the closed position.

8. The container of claim 6, wherein the tear-away portion of the front panel includes:

an upper edge connected with an edge of the locking panel along a fold line;

a pair of side edges extending from ends of the upper edge; and

a curved lower edge extending between the pair of side edges.

9. The container of claim 8, wherein the curved lower edge of the tear-away portion of the front panel has a radius of curvature substantially equivalent to the radius of curvature of the curved bottom edge of the front portion of the cover.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the tearing of the front panel forms a plurality of mating surfaces,

wherein mating surfaces are configured to align when the cover is secured in the closed position.

11. The container of claim 10, wherein the fixed portion of the front panel includes an alignment surface substantially perpendicular to the second mating surface and disposed between the second mating surface and the bottom panel,

wherein orienting a surface of the tear-away portion of the locking panel in parallel abutment with the alignment surface causes the first mating surface to align with the second mating surface.

12. The container of claim 1, wherein an edge of the tear-away portion of the locking panel tangentially intersects an edge of the tear-away portion of the front panel.

13. The container of claim 1, wherein the tear-away portion of the front panel includes a first edge hingedly connected with an edge of the locking panel and a second edge offset from the first edge,

wherein an edge of the tear-away portion of the locking panel is disposed between the second edge of the tear-away portion of the front panel and a non-folded edge of the front portion of the cover.

14. The container of claim 1, wherein the hinged connection between the locking panel and the front panel is perforated,

wherein the perforation facilitates a rotation of the locking panel relative to the front panel.

15. The container of claim 14, wherein the perforation facilitates a rotation of the plurality of tabs relative to the front panel.

16. The container of claim 14, wherein the perforation includes a plurality of slots extending through a surface of the container along a length of the hinged connection, wherein the slots are separated by unbroken portions of the hinged connection,

wherein the slots have a length between 0.4 inches and 0.7 inches.

17. The container of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of tabs is hingedly connected with the front panel along a perforated fold line,

wherein the perforated fold line includes unbroken portions connecting corners of each of the plurality of tabs with the front panel and slots extending between the unbroken portions.

18. A re-closeable container comprising:

a base having opposing front and rear panels, opposing side walls extending between the front and rear panels, and a bottom panel connected with lower edges of the front, rear, and side walls, wherein the front panel includes a fixed portion and a tear-away portion separated by a non-linear score line or perforation line;

a cover pivotally connected with an upper edge of the rear panel for movement between an open position and a closed position, the cover having a top portion extending between the front and rear panels when the cover is in the closed position, and a front portion connected with the top portion and disposed in close parallel alignment with the front panel when the cover is in the closed position, wherein the front portion includes a non-linear edge; and

a locking panel hingedly connected with an upper edge of the front panel and disposed between the front panel of the base and the front portion of the cover when the cover is in the closed position, the locking panel having a plurality of tabs and a tear-away portion;

wherein the tear-away portion of the locking panel is fixedly attached to both the front portion of the cover and the tear-away portion of the front panel such that initial movement of the cover from the closed position toward the open position causes the locking panel and the front panel to tear;

wherein the tearing of the locking panel forms a plurality of engagement surfaces projecting from an inner surface of the front portion of the cover, wherein the plurality of tabs are configured to engage the plurality of engagement surfaces for securing the cover in the closed position, wherein the engagement is accompanied by at least one of an audile feedback and a tactile feedback.

19. The container of claim 18, wherein plurality of tabs each include a hinged edge pivotally connected with an upper edge of the front panel and an engagement surface opposite the hinged edge,

wherein the engagement surfaces of the plurality of tabs are configured to align with the engagement surfaces projecting from the inner surface of the front portion of the cover for securing the cover in the closed position.

20. The container of claim 18, wherein the non-linear score line separating the fixed portion of the front panel from the tear-away portion of the front panel is a curved score line and the non-linear edge of the front portion of the cover is a curved edge,

wherein the curved score line separating the fixed portion of the front panel from the tear-away portion of the front panel and the curved edge of the front portion of the cover have substantially equivalent radii of curvature.

21. A method for constructing a re-closeable container, the method comprising:

providing a base having opposing front and rear panels, opposing side walls extending between the front and rear panels, and a bottom panel connected with lower edges of the front, rear, and side walls, wherein the front panel includes a tear-away portion;

providing a cover pivotally connected with an upper edge of the rear panel for movement between an open position and a closed position, the cover having a top portion extending between the front and rear panels when the cover is in the closed position, and a front portion connected with the top portion and disposed in close parallel alignment with the front panel when the cover is in the closed position;

providing a locking panel hingedly connected with an upper edge of the front panel and disposed between the front panel of the base and the front portion of the cover when the cover is in the closed position, the locking panel having a plurality of tabs and a tear-away portion;

fixedly attaching the tear-away portion of the locking panel to the tear-away portion of the front panel; and

fixedly attaching the tear-away portion of the locking panel to an inner surface of the front portion of the cover with the cover in the closed position,

wherein the fixed attachments cause tearing of the locking panel and the front panels upon moving the cover from the closed position toward the open position.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the tearing of the locking panel forms a plurality of engagement surfaces projecting from an inner surface of the front portion of the cover,

wherein the plurality of tabs are configured to engage the plurality of engagement surfaces upon moving the cover into the closed position for securing the cover in the closed position.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the engagement of the tabs with the engagement surfaces is accompanied by at least one of an audile feedback and a tactile feedback.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the tearing of the front panel forms a first engagement surface projecting from an edge of the tear-away portion of the front panel and a second engagement surface projecting from an edge of a fixed portion of the front panel,

wherein the fixed portion of the front panel includes an alignment surface substantially perpendicular to the second engagement surface and disposed between the second engagement surface and the bottom panel,

wherein orienting a surface of the tear-away portion of the locking panel in parallel abutment with the alignment surface causes the first engagement surface to align with the second engagement surface.