Carton and carton blank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9527642-B2
Application number	US-201414891866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	May 24, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A carton ( 90 ) for packaging one of more articles (A) comprising a plurality of walls including a top wall ( 16 ), a first side wall ( 14 ), a second side wall ( 18 ), a first end wall ( 22 a, 24 a, 26 a, 28 a ), a second end wall ( 2 b, 24 b, 26 b, 28 b ) and a bottom wall ( 12 ), the carton having an access device (D) for accessing said one or more articles, the access device comprising a plurality of primary lines of severance ( 36 a, 34 a, 32 a, 30 a, 36 b, 34 b, 32 b, 30 b ) which are defined in the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall and the top wall so as to define a detachable corner (C) of the carton, wherein the access device comprises a fold line ( 40 ) extending transversely across the top wall for enabling folding of the detachable corner when in a partially detached condition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A carton for packaging one or more articles comprising a plurality of walls including a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a first end wall, a second end wall and a bottom wall, the carton having an access device for accessing one or more articles in the carton, the access device comprising a detachable corner defined by a plurality of primary lines of severance which extend across the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall and the top wall such that the detachable corner is formed from respective detachable portions of the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall and the top wall, wherein the access device comprises at least one cut line which separates at least two of the primary lines of severance in at least one of the first and second side walls so as to control tearing of the primary lines of severance, wherein the access device further comprises a minor line of severance which extends from an intermediate portion of the at least one cut line.

2. The carton according to claim 1 wherein the at least one cut line comprises first and second end portions which are shaped to return towards the at least two of the primary lines of severance for mitigating against propagation of tears away from the primary lines of severance in the at least one of the first and second side walls.

3. The carton according to claim 2 wherein the at least two of the primary lines of severance in the at least one of the first and second side walls extend from the first end portion of the at least one cut line in a first direction and from the second end portion of the at least one cut line in a second direction.

4. The carton according to claim 3 wherein the minor line of severance extends from the intermediate portion of the at least one cut line in a third direction.

5. The carton according to claim 1 wherein the at least one cut line comprises a cut line in each of the first and second side walls, each of the cut lines separates the at least two of the primary lines of severance in a respective one of the first and second side walls to control tearing of the primary lines of severance, the access device further comprising a fold line extending transversely across the detachable portion of the top wall for enabling folding of the detachable corner when in a partially detached condition, a first minor line of severance defined in the detachable portion of the first side wall extending between the cut line in the first side wall and a first end of the fold line, and a second minor line of severance defined in the detachable portion of the second side wall extending between the cut line in the second side wall and a second end of the fold line, the first and second minor lines of severance being arranged contiguously with the fold line.

6. The carton according to claim 5 wherein the access device further comprises a tear initiation device which comprises a tab defined at least in part by at least one of the primary lines of severance, and wherein the tab is hinged to the detachable corner by a fold line.

7. A blank for forming a carton, the blank comprising a plurality of panels including a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a first end wall, a second end wall and a bottom wall, the blank having an access device for accessing one or more articles in the carton, the access device comprising a detachable corner defined by a plurality of primary lines of severance which extend across the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall and the top wall such that the detachable corner is formed from respective detachable portions of the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall and the top wall, wherein the access device comprises at least one cut line which separates at least two of the primary lines of severance in at least one of the first and second side walls so as to control tearing of the primary lines of severance, wherein the access device further comprises a minor line of severance which extends from an intermediate portion of the at least one cut line.

8. The blank according to claim 7 wherein the access device further comprises a tear initiation device for facilitating initiation of a tear developing along the primary lines of severance for removal of the detachable corner; the primary lines of severance include a tear completion point where the tear stops developing when the detachable corner is fully separated from the carton, and the at least one cut line is located along the primary lines of severance between the tear initiation device and the tear completion point, the at least one cut line being spaced apart from either one of the tear initiation device and the tear completion point.

9. The blank according to claim 7 wherein the at least one cut line comprises a cut line in each of the first and second side walls, each of the cut lines separates at least two of the primary lines of severance in a respective one of the first and second side walls to control tearing of the primary lines of severance, the access device further comprising a fold line extending transversely across the detachable portion of the top wall for enabling folding of the detachable corner when in a partially detached condition, a first minor line of severance defined in the detachable portion of the first side wall extending between the cut line in the first side wall and a first end of the fold line and a second minor line of severance defined in the detachable portion of the second side wall extending between the cut line in the second side wall and a second end of the fold line, the first and second minor lines of severance being arranged contiguously with the fold line.

10. A carton for packaging one of more articles comprising a plurality of walls including a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a first end wall, a second end wall and a bottom wall, the carton having an access device for accessing one or more articles in the carton, the access device comprising a detachable corner defined by a plurality of primary lines of severance which extend across the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall and the top wall such that the detachable corner is formed from respective detachable portions of the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall and the top wall, wherein the access device comprises at least one aperture which separates at least two of the primary lines of severance in at least one of the first and second side walls so as to control tearing of the primary lines of severance, wherein the access device comprises a minor line of severance which extends from a side edge of the at least one aperture.

11. The carton according to claim 10 wherein said at least one aperture is substantially oval in shape, the aperture having a longitudinal axis which is substantially aligned with the at least two of the primary lines of severance.

12. The carton according to claim 11 wherein the longitudinal axis extends between a first end of said at least one aperture and a second end of said at least one aperture wherein the at least two of the primary lines of severance extend from the first end in a first direction and from the second end in a second direction.

13. The carton according to claim 12 wherein the minor line of severance extends from the side edge of the at least one aperture in a third direction.

14. The carton according to claim 10 wherein the access device comprises a tear initiation device for facilitating initiation of tear developing along the primary lines of severance for removal of the detachable corner; the primary lines o

Assignees

• Westrock Packaging Systems Llc

Inventors

• Ramsuer Brandon L
• Ball Nathaniel B

Classifications

• B65D2571/0058

  The tear line defining a dispensing aperture provided with means for preventing the articles from freely exiting the wrapper, e.g. by rolling out · CPC title

• B65D2571/0066

  formed from one single sheet · CPC title

• B65D5/541

  the lines of weakness being provided in one or more closure flaps · CPC title

• B65D2571/0045

  for hands · CPC title

• B65D2571/00728

  the end walls being closed by gluing · CPC title