Paperboard carton with a new type of dispenser
AssigneeGraphic Packaging International, Inc.
InventorGlen R. Harrelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A carton for carrying a plurality of cans in at least three rows having a dispenser flap that is easily removed from the end of the carton to expose a dispenser which has a bottom of a sufficient height from the bottom panel to prevent containers in the bottom row from rolling out, but less than the diameter of a container in the bottom row. The top of the dispenser is at a height from the bottom panel that is equal to diameter of a can contained in the carton plus the distance that is substantially less than the diameter of a can, such height being sufficient to prevent any container in the middle row from automatically rolling out of the dispenser when opened, but allowing a person to grasp and pull out the container in the middle row that is adjacent to the dispenser.
Claims34
An enclosed carton for carrying a plurality of cylindrical containers in at least three rows, with a bottom row, a middle row and a top row, with each container having a diameter and two ends, the carton having ends, at least one of which is an exiting end capable of permitting containers to exit the carton one at a time when a container is pulled from the carton, the carton comprising:
- a. a bottom panel, top panel and foldably attached adjoining side panels;
- b. said exiting end having a bottom and a top tear line which are at least approximately parallel to each other, for forming a container dispenser, said bottom tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is less than the diameter of a container to be contained in the bottom row, but a sufficient height to prevent any containers in the bottom row from automatically rolling out when said dispenser is open when the carton is on a horizontal plane, said top tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is equal to the diameter of a container to be contained in the bottom row of containers plus a distance that is substantially less than the diameter of a container to be contained in the middle row of containers, but at a sufficient height from said bottom panel to prevent any container in the middle row from automatically rolling out of said dispenser when open when the carton is on a horizontal plane;
- c. said top and bottom tear lines extending into at least one of said side panels a sufficient distance and turning towards each other a sufficient distance to permit said top and bottom tear lines to be torn open so that at least the end of a container in the middle row adjacent said exiting end and said one side panel can be grasped and removed from the carton;
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- d. means for closing any end of the carton that is not an exiting end.
An enclosed carton for carrying a plurality of cylindrical containers in at least three rows, with a bottom row, a middle row and a top row, with each container having a diameter and two ends, at least one of which is an exiting end capable of permitting containers to exit the carton one at a time, when pulled from the carton, the carton comprising:
- a. a bottom panel, top panel and foldably attached adjoining side panel;
- b. said exiting end having a bottom end flap with a height that is significantly less than the diameter of a container to be contained in the bottom row and which is attached by a fold line to the bottom panel, a top end flap foldably attached to the top panel, a side end flap foldably attached to each side panel and means for attaching said flaps together to close the exiting end of carton;
- c. said exiting end having a bottom and top tear line formed in each side end panel that are at least approximately parallel to each other for forming a container dispenser, said bottom tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is less than the height of a container to be contained in the bottom row, but of a sufficient height to prevent any container in the bottom row from automatically rolling out when said dispenser is open when the carton is on a horizontal plane, said top tear lines having a height from said bottom panel that is equal to the diameter of a container to be contained in said bottom row of containers plus a distance that is substantially less than the diameter of a container to be contained in the middle row of containers, but at a sufficient height from said bottom panel to prevent any container in the middle row from automatically rolling out of said dispenser when open when the carton is on a horizontal plane;
- d. said top and bottom tear lines extending into at least one of said side panels a sufficient distance and turning towards each other a sufficient distance to permit said top and bottom tear lines to be torn open so that at least the end of a container in the middle row adjacent said exiting end and said one side panel can be grasped and removed from the carton;
- and
- e. means for closing an end of the carton that is not an exiting end.
An enclosed carton for carrying a plurality of cylindrical containers in three rows with a bottom row, middle row and top row with each container having a diameter and two ends, at least one of which is an exiting end capable of permitting containers to exit the carton one at a time when pulled from the carton comprising:
- a. a bottom panel, top panel and foldably attached adjoining side panel;
- b. said exiting end having a bottom end flap with a height that is significantly less than the diameter of a container to be contained in the bottom row and which is attached by a fold line to the bottom panel, a top end flap foldably attached to the top panel, a side end flap foldably attached to the top panel, a side end flap foldably attached to each side panel and means for attaching said flaps together to close the exiting end of the carton;
- c. said exiting end having a bottom and top tear line formed in each side end panel that are at least approximately parallel to each other for forming a container dispenser said bottom tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is less than the height of a container to be contained in the bottom row, but of a sufficient height to present any containers in the bottom row from automatically rolling out when said dispenser is open when the carton is on a horizontal plane, said top tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is equal to the diameter of a container to be contained in said bottom row of containers plus a distance that is substantially less than the diameter of a container to be contained in the middle row of containers, but at a sufficient height from said bottom panel to prevent any container in the middle row from automatically rolling out of said dispenser when open when the carton is on a horizontal plane.
- d. said top and bottom tear lines extending into at least one of said side panels a sufficient distance and turning towards each other a sufficient distance to permit said top and bottom tear lines to be torn open so that at least the end of a container in the middle row adjacent said exiting end and said one side panel can be grasped and removed from the carton;
- and
- e. means of closing any end of the carton that is not an exiting end.
A method for dispensing cylindrical containers from a dispenser in an enclosed carton which contains the containers in at least three rows, with a bottom row, a middle row, and a top row, with each container having a diameter and two ends, said carton having two ends with one end being an exiting end having a dispenser,
- a. a bottom panel, top panel and foldably attached adjoining said panels
- b. said exiting end having a bottom and a top tear line which are at least approximately parallel for forming a container dispenser, said bottom tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is less than the diameter of a container to be contained in the bottom row, but at a sufficient height to prevent any container in the bottom row from automatically rolling out when said dispenser is open when the carton is on a horizontal plane said top tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is equal to the diameter of a container to be contained in the bottom row of containers plus a distance that is substantially less than the diameter of a container to be contained in the middle row of containers, but at a sufficient height from said bottom panel to prevent any container in the middle row from automatically rolling out of said dispenser when open when the carton is on a horizontal plane;
- c. said top and bottom tear lines extending into both side panels a sufficient distance and turning toward each other a sufficient distance to permit said top and bottom tear lines to be torn open so that the ends of a container in the middle row adjacent said exiting end and said side panel can be grasped and removed from the carton;
- said method comprising placing the carton so that the bottom panel is in an approximately horizontal plane, tearing said top and bottom tear lines open, grasping the ends of a container in the middle row adjacent the dispenser opening and pulling the container through the dispenser opening, whereupon a container in the top row falls in the position occupied by the container removed, with additional containers being removed in the same manner, with the carton finally being tilted so that the end of the carton with the dispenser is lower than the other end of the carton permitting containers in all rows to roll forward towards the dispenser opening until all containers have been removed from the carton.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.