Dispensing carton

#This invention relates to an improved dispensing container or carton for materials supplied in roll form, particularly polymeric film, wax paper, metal foil and like wrapping materials for household and other uses. It has been known heretofore to provide dispensing cartons which are foldably erected from flat carton blanks of paper or paperboard materials. One of the recognized problems for cartons of this type is that a lead portion of the roll, after it is started is usually not adequately prevented from withdrawing back into the carton. This problem is most objectionable regarding wrapping materials of the general type having cling characteristics, since the lead portion or "lost" end tends to adhere to the roll, and become indistinguishable, or nearly so, against the background of the roll. Such occurs with some frequency as it has been, and is, a foremost source of consumer complaints.

#"Cling" as used herein is that property of a polymeric film either imparted thereto by suitable additives or occurring naturally therein which enables the film to stick or "cling" to itself or to other smooth surfaces. A practical solution to this problem has proved difficult in view of the need for strict compliance and compatibility with factors relating to the manufacture and loading of the carton, as well as factors which may be associated with marketing and consumer use aspects.

#For example, roll dispensing cartons are manufactured, erected, and loaded at extremely high speeds. Any modification to the carton which would impede its rate of manufacture, or the rate of loading or erecting thereof, would be of doubtful value, since it would materially add to the cost of erecting and loading the carton. Some have attempted to solve this problem, as typically shown by a Wankow U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,066. Wankow provides a series of vinyl spots, said vinyl spots being made from a vinyl resinous composition, on the container front wall adjacent to cutter bar to retain and hold the remaining lead portion of "cling" type polymeric film to the container after a desired length has been torn off. While somewhat successful in holding such "cling" type films, the vinyl spots are incapable of holding other films not possessing "cling" characteristics. Wankow also discloses using various other types of spot material for retaining "cling" type films. In addition, Wankow discloses the use of pressure sensitive adhesive spots for holding non-"cling" type films. Wankow does not, however, disclose how to keep such pressure sensitive spots from being removed upon opening the carton nor does he disclose how to protect such pressure sensitive spots from being contaminated by dust or other foreign matter after the carton is opened and portions of the lead portion of the roll material are not being held by such pressure sensitive spots.

#Other objectives and advantages of the invention will be more apparent by reference to the following specification taken in view of the accompanying drawings wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of a dispensing carton in accordance with the present invention showing the lid member in a closed configuration after the carton has been initially opened and a lead portion of the roll material has been placed against the cutting edge, torn and removed;

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1; and

#Referring now to FIG. 1, a dispensing carton for materials supplied in roll form in accordance with the present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The carton 10, shown in its erected form, comprises a plurality of panels foldably connected, including bottom panel 20, front panel 40, rear panel 25, first end panel 30, and second end panel 35. A lid member 60 is hingedly connected to an adjacent edge of the rear panel 25. Contained within the dispensing carton 10 is a roll 100 of material commonly supplied in roll form. The lid member 60 comprises a generally rectangular panel 70, the panel 70 having four edges, a first edge 71 hingedly connected to the adjacent edge of the rear panel 25, a second edge 72 remote from and generally parallel to the first edge 71, a third edge 76, the third edge 76 being generally normal to the first and second edges 71 and 72, respectively, and a fourth edge 78, the fourth edge 78 being generally normal to the first and second edges 71 and 72, respectively, and generally parallel to the third edge 76. The lid member 60 also includes three flanges, flange 73, flange 77 and flange 79 which project toward the bottom panel 20 of the carton 10 when the lid member 60 is in the closed configuration, the flanges 73, 77 and 79 projecting from edges 72, 76 and 79, respectively, of the generally rectangular panel 70. The flange 73 slideably overlaps a portion of the front panel 40 of the carton 10 for a distance of greater than one-half the height of the front panel 40 when the lid member 60 is in the closed configuration. The flange 73 has an upper edge 81 foldably connected with edge 72 of the rectangular panel 70, a lower edge 82 remote from the upper edge 81, an inner face 85 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) and an outer face 86. The flanges 77 and 79 are arranged so that when the lid member 60 is in the closed configuration, the flanges 77 and 79 slideably overlap portions of the first end 30 and the second end 35, respectively. The front panel 40 has an inner face 46 (see FIG. 2), an outer face 47, an upper edge 42 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), said upper edge 42 being folded inwardly upon itself thereby forming a strip 50 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), said strip 50 acting as a stiffener for a portion of the front panel 40 and providing a smooth edge over which to withdraw material from the roll 100, a lower edge 44, an embossed area 45 (see FIG. 3), said embossed area 45 being generally rectangular and being positioned generally centrally on the outer face 47 of the front panel 40 proximate to the upper edge 42 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the front panel 40 and a carton closure means such as a plurality of spaced glue dots 43, said plurality of glue dots being beneficially die cut and being arranged in such a manner that a line drawn through the center of each glue dot 43 is generally parallel to the upper edge 42 of the front panel 40. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the arrangement of the glue dots 43 is not critical, that the glue dots 43 are arranged along a generally straight line for ease of processing, and that the line of glue dots 43 may be in alignment with the embossed area 45, as shown in FIG. 1, out of alignment with the embossed area 45, or partially in alignment with the embossed area 45. Affixed to the inner face 85 (see FIG. 3) of the flange 73 is a glue strip 84, said glue strip 84 beneficially running the length of the outer face 47 of the front panel 40, the glue strip 84 being positioned so that when the lid member 60 is in the closed configuration, the glue strip 84 is generally adjacent to and opposite from the glue dots 43. The lid member 60 is free of the front panel 40 except for a portion of the outer face 47 along the line of glue dots 43, the lid member 60 being detachably attached to the outer face 47 of the front panel 40 by the glue strip 84 in cooperative combination with the glue dots 43 until after the carton has been initially opened. A material retaining means, or adhesive spot, 48 is affixed to the outer face 47 of the front panel 40 and is positioned so that the material retaining means 48 is generally adjacent to and generally parallel to the embossed area 45 and so that the flange 73 covers the material retaining means or adhesive spot 48 when the lid member 60 is in the closed configuration. An adhesive surface protecting means 75 is affixed to the inner face 85 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the flange 73 and positioned so that the adhesive surface protecting means 75 is generally opposite from and generally parallel to the material retaining means 48 when the lid member 60 is in the closed configuration. A cutting means, or cutter bar, 80 having a cutting edge 90 is affixed to the lid member 60 and is positioned along, and generally parallel to, the lower edge 82 of the flange 73 in such a manner that the cutting edge 90 extends beyond the lower edge 82 of the flange 73. A carton opening assisting means, or tab, 74 is integral with and is an extension of the lower edge 82 of the flange 73 proximate to the cutting means 80.

#In FIG. 2, a transverse sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1, the manner in which the materials supplied in roll form 100 is dispensed from the carton 10 is more clearly illustrated. A lead portion 110 of the roll 100 is drawn over the upper edge 42 of the front panel 40 between the material retaining means 48 and the adhesive surface protecting means 75 and along the outer face 47 of the front panel 40 toward and past the lower edge 44 of the front panel 40 until a desired length is obtained. The desired length is separated from the roll 100 by placing the lid member 60 in the closed configuration and pulling the lead portion 110 generally in a direction from the lower edge 44 to the upper edge 42 of the front panel 40 until the cutting means 80 causes the material to tear in a generally serrated line along the cutting edge 90 (see FIG. 1). After the desired length is separated, a new lead portion 110 is retained by the retaining means 48 and is held against the outward face 47 of the front panel 40 by the lid member 60 when the lid member is in the closed configuration as is illustrated in FIG. 2.

#FIG. 3 shows the lid member 60 of the carton 10 in an open configuration with the lead portion 110 of the material on the roll 100 being withdrawn prior to tearing off. When a person has extended the desired length of material, he or she returns the lid member 60 to the closed configuration and places his or her thumb over a central portion of the outward face 86 of the flange 73 and by pulling upward or generally in the direction going from the lower edge 82 of the flange 73 toward the upper edge 81 of the flange 73, forces the material being withdrawn from the roll 100 against the cutting edge 90 of the cutting means 80 and causes the material to be torn in a generally serrated line along the cutting edge 90.