Abstract:
A composite container for the storage of material. The composite container including a carton body constructed to define a enclosure. The enclosure coated on one surface with a heat sealable material. Secured to the coated surface of the enclosure is a cap portion.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates generally to containers and more specifically to sealable composite containers. These sealable composite containers are commonly used to store and transport perishable goods, such as cereals, baking goods, juice or other liquids.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Sealable containers such as cereal boxes or juice cartons are designed to allow the user to open and reseal the container as often as required to exhaust the contained product. These sealable containers are commonly used to store and transport perishable goods, such as cereals, baking goods, juice or other liquids. The challenge faced when designing a sealable container is to create an inexpensive container that limits the exposure of the goods to the air, which causes the goods to become stale or spoil, while making it easy for the user to open and dispense the goods.  
           [0003]    A typical sealable container is constructed from a single sheet of stiff paper scored and folded to create an enclosure which is secured by gluing opposing edges of the sheet together. Complicated overlapping layered designs are used in an attempt to eliminate pin holes or voids in the corners of the enclosure that are created during manufacture. Often, these difficult to produce overlapping designs are insufficient to create a airtight or watertight seal. To overcome this problem the interior surface of the enclosure can be coated with a thermoplastic film or a heat sealable bag can be added to protect and secure the contents of the container. In order to open a container sealed in this manner, the end user must breach the container&#39;s seal by pulling or cutting the heat sealed edges of the container or sealable bag. Once the container has been opened and the seal breached, there is no way for the end user to reseal the container and prevent the contents from being exposed to the air.  
           [0004]    In order to construct a container that can be opened and resealed some containers have integrated a fixture, such as a plastic screw top in a juice carton, that allows the end user to open and reseal the container as needed. However, this configuration requires additional manufacturing steps and/or material to insure the integrity of the sealable container and as a result the container is more expensive and difficult to manufacture. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a composite container assembled in accordance with the teaching of a preferred embodiment of the invention;  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 2 is an exploded view in perspective of the composite container illustrated in FIG. 1;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the composite container illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along section line A-A;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the composite container where one side has been formed to integrate a pour spout;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the composite container where one side has been formed to integrate a hand grip;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the composite container where one side has been formed into an extended transparent cap;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 7 illustrates the bottom of the composite container shown in FIG. 6;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a cylindrical composite container assembled in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 9 illustrates the bottom of the cylindrical composite container shown in FIG. 8; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 10 illustrates a composite container integrating a single formed end cap. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]    A container constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes one or two thermoformed end caps and a foldable carton coated, at least partially, with a material compatible with the end caps. The heat causes the compatible material of either the end cap or the coated carton to melt and join together. A bond can be formed by melting one of the compatible materials and joining it to the other, but it is preferred to use an ultrasonic generator to melt both of the compatible materials to form a weld. In the process a continuous seal between the end cap and the coated carton is formed, thereby creating a completely sealed container with a coated interior. The resulting container is an amalgam of thermoformed plastic and coated paper that is easy to manufacture and requires less raw material, while providing an airtight and/or watertight container.  
         [0016]    Additional benefits and feature of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reviewing the teachings illustrated by this detailed description of several preferred embodiments. The following description of the preferred embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the precise form or forms detailed herein. Instead, the following description is intended to illustrative of the principles of the invention so that others may follow its teachings.  
         [0017]    Referring now to the drawings, a sealable composite container is shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 . The composite container  10  includes a carton  12 , a lid  14  and a base  16 . The carton  12  is constructed of stiff paper, such as cardboard, having a interior surface  18  coated with a themoplastic film  20 , as seen in FIG. 3. The lid  14  and the base  16  are formed from a thermoplastic material compatible to the thermoplastic film  20  coating the interior surface  18 . The compatible thermoplastic materials have similar melting points, such that when heat is applied, preferably using an ultrasonic generator, the thermoplastic materials will form a continuous weld  22  between the two surfaces. To aid in the formation of the weld  22 , the lid  14  and the base  16  are formed to include a flange  24 , as seen in FIG. 3, which increases the contact area between the compatible materials of the lid  14 , the base  16  and the thermoplastic film  20 .  
         [0018]    Additionally, the lid  14  is formed with a discharge passage  26  and a resealable cover  28 . The discharge passage  26  includes a bonding surface  30  to which a freshness seal (not shown) is secured. Upon removal of the freshness seal the product can be pour from the carton  12  through the discharge passage  26 . When finished dispensing the product the resealable cover  28  can be closed to prevent the product from being continuously exposed to the air.  
         [0019]    FIGS.  4 - 10  illustrate alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 4 and 5 exemplify a composite container  40  having a carton  12 , a pour side  32  and a handle side  34 . The carton  12  is constructed in the same manner as described above. The pour side  32  and the handle side  34  are formed from a material compatible to the thermoplastic film  20  that at least partially coats the interior surface  18  of the carton  12 . In the same manner as described above, the pour side  32  and the handle side  34  are formed with a flange  24  that facilitates the attachment of the sides  32 ,  34  to the carton  12  along weld seam  22 .  
         [0020]    The carton  12  is oriented such that the interior surface  20  is accessible from the sides, rather than from the top as illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 3 . The pour side  32  is formed with an integral spout  38  and a resealable cover  16 . A freshness seal (not shown) is secured to a bonding surface  18  after the product has been introduced into the carton  12  and prior to dispensing by the end user. Upon removal of the freshness seal the carton  12  can be tilted using the handle  36  integrally formed in the handle side  34 , and product is easily dispensed from the spout  38  integrally formed in the pour side  32 . When the end user has dispensed a desired amount of product the resealable cover  16  can be closed to prevent the product from being further exposed to the air.  
         [0021]    Turning now to FIGS.  6 - 7 , the internal volume of the carton  12  is increased by uniformly increasing the dimensions of the carton cap  40  beyond the boundary defined by the carton  12  enclosure. The end cap  16 , shown in FIG. 7, is welded in place using the flange  24  to join the end cap  16  to the thermoplastic film  20  coating the interior surface  18  of the carton  12 .  
         [0022]    The cylindrical composite container  42  illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 is constructed from a single piece if stiff paper to form a cylindrical enclosure  48 . The container  42  incorporates the cylindrical enclosure  48 , a rounded cap  44  and a rounded base  46 . The rounded cap  44  includes a resealable cover  16  that can be used to seal the cylindrical container  42  after use. Both the rounded cap  44  and rounded base  46  extend beyond the enclosure defined by the cylindrical enclosure  48 .  
         [0023]    The hybrid carton  50 , shown in FIG. 10, incorporates a thermoformed end cap  14  into an enclosure constructed using overlapping flaps  52  to form the base.  
         [0024]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, although the teachings of the invention have been illustrated in connection with certain embodiments, there is no intent to limit the invention to such embodiments. On the contrary, the intention of this application is to cover all modifications and embodiments fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.