Abstract:
A thin generally rectangular package for containing a farinaceous product such as dry mixes, cereals and the like including a portion that is removable from the carton with out opening or destroying the integrity of the package. The removable portion is contained on a slide that is sandwiched between a flat side of the carton and a panel fixed to the flat side. The slide is tethered to the flat side by a portion of the panel arranged to buckle outward from the plane of the flat side when the slide is pulled from between the flat side and the panel.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   NONE. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable. 
   REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING” 
   Not Applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates generally to packaging for food products and the like and more particularly to such a package incorporating a removable portion that can be archived. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   A common sight on a grocer shelf is a generally thin, upright rectangular box containing a farinaceous product such as flours and other cereal grains, dry mixes for making baked items, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, cereal mixes and other food items and pet foods, among others. The outer surface of the box (and sometimes even the inner surface) is generally covered with advertising, descriptive and nutritional information, promotional items such as coupons, a collectable item, a game card or instructional information such as recipes and the like. 
   Some of the information on the box such as recipes, coupons or a collectable item can be saved for future use and to do so, the consumer has to cut the relevant portion from the container. As cutting compromises the integrity of the container and possibly destroys the container, the consumer generally has to wait until the contents are consumed before retrieving the desired information. In other cases, a manufacturer will package an item such as a card having the relevant information in clear plastic and then add this to the contents of the container. While this makes the relevant information accessible without destroying the container, the addition of a foreign object into the food item is not desirable. Also, in cases where the item is inside the box, the consumer cannot examine the item prior to purchase. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a package having a portion that can be easily removed and archived. 
   Another object is to provide a package having a portion that is removable without accessing or otherwise compromising the integrity of the container. 
   Still another object is to provide a package having a portion that can be extended from a concealed position for examination and then returned to the concealed position without destroying the integrity of the package. 
   A further object is to provide a package having a slide panel with a separable portion that is removable from the container without compromising the integrity of the container. 
   Yet another object is to provide a blank for forming a container including an integral slide portion having a separable portion. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The package of the present invention comprises a parallelepiped carton defining an enclosed volume. Preferably, and as is common in the art, the carton is generally the shape of a thin rectangular solid having major panels forming the front and back of the carton and smaller minor panels forming the opposite sides of the carton. The top and bottom of the carton comprise one or more flaps that overlap to close the carton. The top flaps may include elements such as a slot and a tap allowing the carton to be resealed after opening. 
   Provided preferably on one of the major panels are two additional panels including a slide panel. The slide panel is in a concealed position and can be extended from the footprint of the major panels to form a display panel. The slide panel includes a line of perforations allowing for the easy separation and removal of a portion of the slide panel. The removable portion includes the recipe, coupon, collectable or other indicia that the consumer intends to retain after the carton is discarded. 
   If the consumer does not need or intend to separate the removable portion, the slide panel can be returned to the concealed position. Moving the slide panel between the concealed and display positions can be repeated as desired by the consumer. 
   The present invention further provides a blank for forming a package having a slide panel with a separable portion. In particular the blank has a first portion provided with orthogonal score and fold lines defining panels that are foldable to form a rectangular carton having a front, back, opposite sides, a top and a bottom. Preferably the panels defining the front and back of the carton have a larger footprint than either the opposite sides, the top or the bottom. As known in the art, the portions of the blank forming the top of the carton can include the appropriate tabs and slots that permit the carton to be resealed or closed after opening. 
   Attached to the first portion is a slide-forming portion including a major panel connected to the first portion along a fold line that defines a first side edge of the carton and a minor panel that is connected to the major panel along a fold line that corresponds to a first bottom edge of the carton. The major panel is generally the size of the footprint of the front and back of the carton and the minor panel is narrower than the footprint of the carton front and back. 
   The major panel has two parallel cuts extending inward from the fold line corresponding to the first bottom edge. The cuts are parallel to the fold line corresponding to the side edge of the carton and extend inward to transverse fold line. 
   The minor panel has at least one transverse line of perforations extending generally parallel to the fold line corresponding to the first bottom edge so that at least one portion of the minor panel can be removed. The removable portion is printed with the indicia representing a recipe, coupon, collectable or other information that the consumer intends to save. 
   The present invention provides a product package with a removable display panel, the package having a flat side with an interior surface and an exterior surface. Disposed and tethered to the exterior surface of the flat side is a slide panel, the slide panel being slidable along an axis of the package in a plane parallel to the plane of the flat side between a first position laying within the foot print of the flat side and a second position exposing a portion of the slide panel out from the foot print of the flat side. The slide panel further has a line of weakness extending in a direction transverse the axis of the package facilitating the separation of at least a part of the exposed portion of the slide panel from the flat side. 
   Accordingly, the present invention may be characterized by a product package with a removable display panel comprising:
         a) a sealable package sized to encompass a product, the package having a flat side with an interior surface and an exterior surface;   b) a slide panel disposed against the exterior surface of the flat side, the slide panel having an end tethered to the exterior surface and a free end, and the slide panel being slidable along an axis of the package in a plane parallel to the plane of the flat side between a first position laying within the foot print of the flat side and a second position exposing a portion of the slide panel out from the foot print of the flat side; and   c) the slide panel having a line of weakness extending in a direction transverse the axis of the package, the portion of the slide between the line of weakness and a free edge of the slide comprising a removable portion and the line of weakness facilitating the separation of the removable portion of the slide panel from the flat side.       

   In another aspect, the present invention may be characterized by a blank for a paperboard container having a removable display portion comprising:
         a) a first portion cut and scored with orthogonal fold lines to define panels that are foldable to form a rectangular carton having a front, back, opposite sides, a top and a bottom;   b) a second portion including a major panel connected to the first portion along a fold line that corresponds to a side edge of the carton and a minor panel connected to the major panel along a transverse fold line that corresponds to a first bottom edge of the carton, the major panel being of a size generally consistent with the footprint of the front and back of the carton and the minor panel being narrower than the footprint of the front and back of the carton;   c) the major panel including two cuts extending inward from the transverse fold line and parallel to the fold line corresponding to a side edge of the carton, the cuts terminating in a second transverse fold line; and   d) the minor panel having at least one transverse line of perforations extending generally parallel to the fold line corresponding to the first bottom edge.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of a blank of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a partly assembled carton lying on its face; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing another step in the construction of the carton; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an assembled carton lying flat on its face; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a sealed carton standing upright; 
       FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  showing the sliding panel partly extended; and 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along lines  7 — 7  of FIG.  6 . 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing a sealed carton with a flush slide panel. 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the carton configuration of  FIG. 8  in an extended position. 
       FIG. 10  is a plan view of a blank for forming the carton configuration of FIGS.  8  and  9 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a paperboard or cardboard blank generally indicated at  10  to include a first portion  12  that forms an enclosed carton or package and a second portion  14  that forms a slide panel with a removable portion. The first portion  12  is conventional in that it is cut and scored to form a foldably connected panels that are formable into a generally rectangular package of a size and shape commonly used for the packaging of dry mixes, cereal grains, breakfast cereals and the like. 
   In particular the first portion  12  of the blank includes a first major carton panel  16  including a free edge  20 , a second major carton panel  18  and two narrower carton panels  22 ,  24  all connected by fold lines  26 . The two major carton panels  16 ,  18  correspond to the front and back of the carton and the two narrower panels  22 ,  24  correspond to the opposite sides of the carton. Accordingly, as shown, the free edge  20  and the fold lines  26  correspond to the side edges of the carton when the blank is folded. 
   The blank further includes one or more bottom forming tabs  28  connected to the panels  16 ,  18 ,  22 ,  24  along an orthogonal fold line  30  that corresponds to the bottom edge of the carton when the blank is folded. It is to be understood that the fold lines as described herein may be impressed or scored to facilitate folding. 
   One or more top forming tabs  32  are connected to the panels  16 ,  18 ,  22  and  24  at the opposite side of the blank along an orthogonal fold line  34  that forms the top edge of the carton when the blank is folded. While not shown, it is understood that the tabs  32  may be cut and scored as is known in the art to provide structure that allows the top to be resealed after the carton is opened. 
   The second portion of the blank includes a third major panel  36  that has a footprint generally consistent with the size and shape of the first and second carton panels  16 , 18  and a slide panel  38  that is connected to and extends from the third major panel. The major panel  36  (and therefore the slide panel  38 ) is connected to the first portion of the blank along one of the fold lines  26  and has a free edge  39 . The slide panel  38  extends from the third major panel  36  at a fold line  30   a  that is the fold line  30  extended. 
   The third major panel  36  has two parallel cuts  40  extending inward from the fold line  30   a . The cuts extend parallel to the fold lines  26  and terminate at a transverse fold line  42  that extends parallel to the fold line  34 . The two parallel cuts and transverse fold line  42  define a free section  55  of the major panel. In addition, two transverse cuts  44  extend along the fold line  30   a  outwardly from each of the parallel cuts  40 . The two transverse cuts  44  separates the slide panel  38  from the third major panel. They also free the section  55  and allow the section to separate and move out from the plane of the third major panel  36  so the slide panel and the section  55  are free to fold relative to the third major panel. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the slide panel  38  is narrower than the major panel  36  but wider than the distance between the two cuts  40 . One or more lines of perforations  46  extend across the slide panel to facilitate the separation and removal of portions of the slide panel. The line of perforation can include scoring, laser scoring, weakening as well as perforations. Each of these portions, indicated at  48  can be provided with indicia  50  representing recipe instructions, coupon information, a collectible image or the like. If the removable portion contains recipe instructions, the size of each removable portion  48  preferably is the size of an index card so the removed portion can be retained in a file box. In any event if appropriate, an outer edge of the slide panel is provided with a tab  51  that is useful as a file index tab. 
   To complete the structure of the blank,  FIG. 1  shows that the portion of the third major panel  36  between the cuts  40  includes two additional transverse fold lines  52 ,  54  with the fold line  52  being midway between fold lines  42  and  54 . 
   To assemble the carton, an adhesive (not shown) is applied to portions of one of the first or second major panels  16 ,  18  and tabs  28 ,  32 . The panels,  16 ,  18 ,  22 ,  24  and tabs  28  of the first portion  12  of the blank are folded to form a rectangular carton as shown in FIG.  2 . The tabs  32  are not closed until after the carton is filled. 
   An adhesive also is applied to portions of the slide-forming portion  14  of the blank. In this respect as shown  FIG. 2 , an adhesive applied to the area of the third major panel  36  between the fold lines  30   a  and  54  indicated at  56 . An adhesive further is applied to portions of the panel  36  along the free edge  39  and the fold line  26  as indicated at  58  and  60  respectively. The adhesive  58 , 60  does not extend inward to the width of the slide panel  38  so the slide panel can be folded flat against the panel  36  with out contacting the adhesive  58 ,  60 . 
   The slide panel  38  is then folded up and over the third major panel  36  ( FIG. 3 ) until it lays flat on the panel. This adheres the slide panel to the portion of the third major panel  36  in the area of the adhesive  56 . The third major panel  36  then is folded along the fold line  26  up and over the first major panel  16 . This sandwiches the slide panel  38  between the two major panels  16  and  36  wherein the adhesive  58 , 60  fixes the two panels  16 ,  36  together as shown in FIG.  4 . 
   In the context of the present invention, the third major panel  36  represents an external panel of the assembled carton. Also, the arrangement as described, allows the slide panel  38  to move relative to the carton wherein the section  55  of the third major panel tethers the slide to the surface of the assembled container (the section  55  being connected to the third major panel  36  along the fold line  42  and the third major panel being adhered to the carton panel  16 ). 
   The carton, now assembled can be stood upright, filled and the top tabs  32  folded and sealed to close the carton as shown in FIG.  6 . 
   In use, as show in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the file tab  51  at the top or free end of the slide panel  38  is pulled to extend the slide panel  38  up from between the first and third panels  16 ,  36 . The section of the major panel  36  as indicated at  55  that lies between the two cuts  40  buckles outward and collapses by folding along the fold lines  42 ,  52  and  54  as the slide panel is pulled up. The slide panel cannot be pulled completely out from under the major panel  36  because as noted above, the slide panel is tethered to the exterior surface of the flat side  16  of the carton. 
   Pulling the slide panel up exposes a first portion  48  that can be torn away along the line of perforations  46  and removed. Continued pulling will expose a second portion  48   a  ( FIG. 1 ) that also can be removed. Rather than removing a portion of the slide panel, the slide panel  38  can be push down to return it to the position shown in FIG.  5 . 
   It is important to note that the information on the slide panel can be exposed and examined without opening the package. Also, one or more of the portions  48  can be removed without destroying the integrity of the carton. This allows a consumer to reseal the carton after partial use of the contents, while still being able to remove a portion of the slide panel. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , the tab  51  is shown as projecting above the top of the container, the folded tabs  32 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 8 ,  9  and  10 , it is understood the slide panel  38  can be sized such that a top edge of the tab  51 , or panel  48 , is substantially coplanar with the top of the container  10 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 8 , access to the slide panel  38 , for moving the slide panel can be provided by a recess  53  in the adjacent portion of the major panel  36 . 
   Thus, the present carton  10  can be formed to have the tab  51  project above the top of the carton, or the top of the slide panel  38  can be flush with the top of the carton. 
   Further, in the flush configuration of  FIGS. 8-10 , the slide panel  38  can still provide a first portion  48  having the index tab  51 . Specifically, the index tab  51  can be formed by perforation lines within the slide panel  38 , such that upon separation of the first portion  48  from the slide panel, the separated portion includes the index tab  51 . That is, an upper edge of the first portion  48  can be substantially linear along the top of the carton  10 , wherein the tab  51  is formed along the separation line with a second portion  48   a.    
   In addition, if the slide panel  38  is formed with spaced perforation lines  46 , the second portion  48   a  can be removed, wherein both the first portion  48  and the second portion  48   a  include index tab  51 ,  51   a  respectively. The index tab  51 ,  51   a  for each of the portions  48 ,  48   a  can be formed by a common perforation line that extends across the slide panel  38 . 
   Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the present invention accomplishes its intended objects in providing a package having a portion that can be easily removed and archived without accessing or otherwise compromising the integrity of the container. The invention further provides a package having a slide panel with a separable portion that is removable from the container without compromising the integrity of the container, and a blank for forming the container including an integral slide portion having a separable portion.