Ice cream container and method of manufacturing same
AssigneeRock-Tenn Shared Services, LLC
InventorDavid W. Northrup
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide cartons that they are designed and shaped to hold product, such as ice cream, that are made from a single, one-piece blank. The one-piece blank can be folded by the food product manufacturer on-site to create a container or carton, without having to be shipped in a pre-glued configuration. The cartons generally do not require polyethylene in order to maintain their shape. Some embodiments are designed so as to have a slight outward taper of the left and right side walls and the back wall, which provides a pleasing shape to consumers, potentially increasing marketing opportunities and sales.
Claims18
A carton blank, comprising:
- (a) a base panel;
- (b) a front panel foldably connected to a front edge portion of the base panel via a crease line;
- (c) the front wall panel foldably connected to a first front gusset panel on a left side and a second front gusset panel on a right side;
- (d) a left side panel foldably connected to a left side edge portion of the base panel via a crease line;
- (e) the left side panel foldably connected to a first forward side gusset panel on a forward side and a first rear side gusset panel on a rear side;
- (f) a right side panel foldably connected to a right side edge portion of the base panel via a crease line;
- (g) the right side panel foldably connected to a second forward side gusset panel on a forward side and a second rear side gusset panel on a rear side;
- (h) a back wall panel foldably connected to a rear edge portion of the base panel via a crease line;
- (i) the back wall panel foldably connected to a first rear gusset panel on a left side and a second rear gusset panel on a right side;
- (j) a lid panel foldably connected to an upper side of the back wall panel;
- (k) a left side flap foldably connected to a left side of the lid panel;
- (l) a right side flap foldably connected to a right side of the lid panel;
- (m) lid lip panel foldably connected to a front edge of the lid panel.
A carton formed from a one-piece blank, comprising:
- (a) a front wall,
- (b) a left side wall,
- (c) a right side wall;
- (d) a back wall;
- (e) a base;
- and
- (f) a lid,
- wherein the left side wall is reinforced by a left-hand side gusset and wherein the right side wall is reinforced by a right-hand side gusset;
- (f) the left hand side gusset comprising a series of four overlapping gusset panels extending a height similar to a height of the left side wall and comprising (i) a first left gusset panel foldably connected to the front wall, (ii) a second left gusset panel foldably connected to a front side of the left side wall, (iii) a third left gusset panel foldably connected to a rear side of the left side wall, and (iv) a fourth gusset panel foldably connected a left side to the back wall;
- (g) the right hand side gusset comprising a series of four overlapping gusset panels extending a height similar to a height of the right side wall and comprising (i) a first right gusset panel foldably connected to the front wall, (ii) a second right gusset panel foldably connected to a front side of the right side wall, (iii) a third right gusset panel foldably connected to a rear side of the right side wall, and (iv) a fourth gusset panel foldably connected to a right side of the back wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.