Abstract:
A carton has a removable dispenser that forms a dispenser opening in an upper corner of the carton. The corner opening allows articles to be easily removed from the carton while preventing unwanted dispensing of articles from the carton.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/624,653, filed Nov. 3, 2004 and entitled “Corner Dispenser for Cartons,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if presented herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Enclosed cartons with dispensing features have been used in the past. Many of these cartons include article dispensers defined by lines of disruption such as tear lines, cuts, score lines, and fold lines. A dispenser may be removable from, or hingedly attached to, a carton to create an opening from which articles can be removed from the carton. Many such dispensers provide inadequate access to articles within the cartons, unnecessarily weaken the cartons when opened, and/or allow inadvertent escape of articles from the cartons. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to a first embodiment of the invention, a carton comprises a dispenser that when opened, forms a dispenser opening in an upper or top corner of an exiting end of the carton. Once the corner dispenser is opened or placed in a dispensing configuration, portions of the carton&#39;s exiting end and side panel remain intact and are capable of retaining articles within the carton. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, the corner dispenser opening provides easy access to selected articles within the carton, while securely retaining the remaining articles from inadvertently exiting the carton. If desired, a portion of the opened dispenser may remain hingedly attached to the remainder of the carton. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above stated advantages and other advantages and benefits of various additional embodiments reading the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the below-listed drawing figures. 
     According to common practice, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features and elements in the drawings may be expanded or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a blank used to form a carton according to a first embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the carton according to the first embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2B  is another perspective view of the carton according to the first embodiment. 
         FIGS. 3-5  illustrate the first carton embodiment being placed in an opened or dispensing configuration. 
         FIG. 6  is a partial, perspective view of the first carton embodiment in the dispensing configuration. 
         FIG. 7  is another partial, perspective view of the first carton embodiment in the dispensing configuration. 
         FIG. 8  is a side schematic view of the first carton embodiment in the dispensing configuration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention generally relates to dispensers for cartons. The present invention can be used, for example, in cartons that contain articles or other products such as, for example, food and beverages. The articles can also include beverage containers such as, for example, cans, bottles, PET containers, or other containers such as those used in packaging foodstuffs. For the purposes of illustration and not for the purpose of limiting the scope of the present invention, the following detailed description describes generally cylindrical beverage containers as disposed within the carton embodiments. In this specification, the relative terms “lower,” “bottom,” “upper” and “top” indicate relative orientations determined in relation to fully erected cartons. 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of the interior side of a blank  8  used to form a carton  150  (illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B ) according to a first embodiment of the invention. The blank  8  comprises a bottom panel  10  foldably connected to a first side panel  20  at a first transverse fold line  21 , a top panel  30  foldably connected to the first side panel  20  at a second transverse fold line  31 , and a second side panel  40  foldably connected to the top panel  30  at a third transverse fold line  41 . An adhesive flap  50  can be foldably connected to the second side panel  40  at a fourth transverse fold line  51 . The blank  8  may include a handle  36  in the top panel  30 . 
     The bottom panel  10  is foldably connected to a first bottom end flap  12  and a first bottom exiting end flap  14 . The first side panel  20  is foldably connected to a first side end flap  32  and a first side exiting end flap  34 . The top panel  30  is foldably connected to a top end flap  32  and a top exiting end flap  34 . The second side panel  40  is foldably connected to a second side end flap  42  and a second side exiting end flap  44 . When the carton  150  is erected, the end flaps  12 ,  22 ,  32 ,  42  close one end of the carton  150 , and the exiting end flaps  14 ,  24 ,  34 ,  44  close an exiting end of the carton  150 . The end flaps  12 ,  22 ,  32 ,  42  may extend along a first marginal area of the blank  8 , and may be foldably connected at a first longitudinal fold line  62  that extends along the length of the blank  8 . The exiting end flaps  14 ,  24 ,  34 ,  44  may extend along a second marginal area of the blank  8 , and may be foldably connected at a second longitudinal fold line  64  that also extends along the length of the blank  8 . The longitudinal fold lines  62 ,  64  may be, for example, substantially straight, or offset at one or more locations to account for blank thickness or for other factors. 
     The carton blank  8  includes a dispenser pattern  70  that defines a corner dispenser  100  in an upper corner of the erected carton  150  (illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B ). The dispenser pattern  70  extends across the first side panel  20 , the top panel  30 , and across the exiting end flaps  24 ,  34 ,  44 . A portion of the perimeter of the dispenser pattern  70  is defined by a first tear line  72 , a tear second line  74 , a third tear line  76 , and a fourth tear line  78 , all of which may be contiguous or substantially contiguous with one another. A fifth tear line  80  of the dispenser pattern  70  is formed in the exiting end flap  44 . 
     The first tear line  72  extends in what may be a substantially straight line transversely across the blank  8  from an edge of the first side exiting end flap  24 , across the longitudinal fold line  64 , and into the first side panel  20 . The first tear line  72  divides the first side exiting end flap  24  into a first tear away section  88  and an end retainer section  90 . The first tear line  72  also defines a side retainer section  92  in the first side panel  20 . The second tear line  74  extends obliquely along at least a majority of its length through the first side panel  20  and connects to the third tear line  76 . The third tear line  76  may extend in a generally arcuate path along at least a majority of its length across the top panel  30 , and turns to extend to the second longitudinal fold line  64 . The fourth tear line  78  extends from the second longitudinal fold line  64 , adjacent to an end of the third tear line  76 , to an exterior edge of the top exiting end flap  34 . The fourth tear line  78  may be substantially straight. The fifth tear line  80  extends in an ell-shape or dogleg shape from a top edge of the second side exiting end flap  44  to an end edge of the flap  44 . The fifth tear line  80  defines a tear away section  96  and end retainer sections  95 ,  98  in the second side exiting end flap  44 , and can include two orthogonal or substantially orthogonal sections. 
     An access flap  82  can be defined in the first side panel  20  by a dogleg-shaped or ell-shaped access cut or tear line  84  that extends between the first tear line  72  and the second tear line  74 , and a fold line  86  about which the access flap  82  may pivot or otherwise deform inwardly. Alternatively, the access flap  82  can be omitted and an access opening or aperture can be defined by the lines  84 ,  86 . Multiple access flaps may, for example, be included in the dispenser pattern  70  at selected locations within the dispenser pattern. 
     The first through fifth tear lines  72 ,  74 ,  76 ,  78 ,  80  of the dispenser pattern  70  can be continuous or substantially continuous tear lines formed by, for example, scores, creases, cuts, gaps, cut/creases, perforations, offset cuts, and combinations thereof. If cuts are used to form the dispenser pattern tear lines  72 ,  74 ,  76 ,  78 ,  80 , the cuts may be interrupted by, for example, one or more breachable nicks. The access flap  82  can generally be disposed in any position along the first side panel  20 , the exiting end flaps  24 ,  34 , or the top panel  30 . The access flap  82  can be designed to provide easy initial access for opening of the dispenser  100 , and may therefore be formed from a continuous cut  84 , a cut interrupted by nicks, and/or other easily breachable lines of disruption. 
     The dimensions and shape of the blank  8  may be selected to accommodate the characteristic dimensions of an article or articles to be accommodated within the carton  150 . For example, the top panel  30  can have a width W 1  that generally corresponds to or slightly exceeds a height H C  of containers C ( FIGS. 2A and 2B ) to be held within the carton  150 . The first and second side panels  20 ,  40  can have, for example, heights H 1  that generally correspond to or slightly exceed an integral multiple of a largest or characteristic diameter D C  of the containers C. For example, if the containers C are to be stacked in two rows (illustrated in  FIG. 2B ) in the carton  150 , the height H 1  of the carton  150  can be slightly greater than twice the containers&#39; C largest or characteristic diameter D C . If multiple generally cylindrical containers C, such as beverage containers, are to be accommodated, it may be expected that the containers will share at least one substantially equal common largest diameter D C . 
     The end retainer section  90  in the first side exiting end flap  24  can have, for example, a height H 2  in the range of, for example, about 20-110% of the characteristic dimension or diameter D C  of the containers C. The end retainer section  98  in the second side end flap  44  can also have a height H 2 . The second tear line  74  can extend generally at an angle α that is in the range of, for example, about 30-80 degrees with respect to the second transverse fold line  31 . The second and third tear lines  74 ,  76  can extend into the panels  20 ,  30  a depth of D 1  in the range of, for example, about 90-300% of the characteristic dimension or diameter D C . 
     The carton  150  may be erected from the blank  8  by gluing or otherwise adhering the adhesive flap  50  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) to the inner side of the bottom panel  10  so that the bottom panel  10 , the first side panel  20 , the top panel  30 , and the second side panel  40  may be opened or set up to form a generally tubular sleeve. The ends of the generally tubular sleeve may be closed, for example, by folding and adhering the end flaps  12 ,  22 ,  32 ,  42  and the exiting end flaps  14 ,  24 ,  34 ,  44 . Containers C or other articles, for example, may be loaded into the sleeve in a conventional manner at any time before one or both ends of the carton are closed by the end flaps  12 ,  22 ,  32 ,  42 ,  14 ,  24 ,  34 ,  44 . 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  are perspective views of the carton  150  erected from the blank  8  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In the erected carton  150 , the end flaps  12 ,  22 ,  32 ,  42  form an end panel  130  and the exiting end flaps  14 ,  24 ,  34 ,  44  form an exiting end panel  120 . The dispenser pattern  70  forms a corner dispenser  100  that extends across the corner existing at the intersection of the exiting end panel  120 , the top panel  30 , and the first side panel  20 . The carton dispenser  100  includes a dispenser flap  110  that may be either wholly or partially removed in order to open the carton  150 . The dispenser flap  110  extends in the three planes occupied by the exiting end panel  120 , the top panel  30 , and the first side panel  20 . Opening of the carton dispenser  100  to place the carton  150  in a dispensing configuration will be discussed below with reference to  FIGS. 3-6 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , opening of the dispenser  100  may be initiated by inserting a finger, fingers, tool, or other object into the carton  150  at the access flap  82 . The access flap  82  may be, for example, defined by the cut line  84  to allow for ease of insertion. The cut line  84  can be, for example, a continuous cut, or a cut interrupted by nicks. Other lines of disruption in the carton  150  may also be used to form the access flap  82 . Alternatively, an access opening or aperture may be provided at the location of the flap  82 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the dispenser  100  may be opened by pulling the dispenser flap  110  outwardly and/or upwardly and tearing the carton  150  along the first and second tear lines  72 ,  74 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the dispenser  100  is fully opened by tearing the carton along the third, fourth and fifth tear lines  76 ,  78 ,  80  to remove the dispenser flap  110  and thereby form a dispenser opening  112 . The lower end of the dispenser opening  112  is defined by a lower edge  114  ( FIG. 6 ) extending across the remainder of the exiting end panel  120  and the first side panel  20 . The lower edge of the dispenser opening  114  is the top edge of the horizontally extending end retainer wall  90  and side retainer wall  92 . 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  are a partial perspective and a schematic side view, respectively, of the carton  150  in the fully opened or dispensing configuration. In the exemplary embodiment, the carton  150  encloses twelve 12 ounce beverage containers C arranged in the carton  150  in a two row and six column (2×6) configuration (shown in  FIG. 2B ). In  FIGS. 7 and 8 , one container C has been removed through the dispenser opening  112 . 
     In the dispensing configuration, containers C may be withdrawn from the upper corner of the opened carton  150  through the dispenser opening  112 . In general, with the dispenser flap  110  removed, a container or containers C adjacent to the dispenser opening  112  can be easily accessed and removed from the carton  150 . Referring to  FIG. 7 , the end retainer section  90  in the first side end flap  24  and the side retainer section  92  in the first side panel  20  can have a height H 2  in the range of about 20-110% of the container characteristic dimension or diameter D C , which may be sufficient to prevent a bottom or lower row of containers C from rolling out of the exiting end of the carton  150 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the vertically extending end retainer section  95  in the exiting end panel  120  may extend across the full height of the exiting end of the carton  150  to prevent containers C from inadvertently rolling out of the carton. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the height of the lower edge  114  of the dispenser opening  112  may be high enough to prevent containers C from escaping through the side of the opened carton  150 . Also, the dispenser opening  112  may extend downwardly in the exiting end panel  120  such that containers C in a bottom or lower row may also be easily accessible by hand. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the depth D 1  that the corner dispenser  100  extends into the top and side panels  30 ,  20  may be selected so that a container C in the top row of containers C may be easily pulled through the dispenser opening  112 , as well as containers C in a bottom or lower row adjacent to the exiting end panel  120 . The depth D 1  may also be selected so that containers C further back in the carton  150  may be removed from the carton through the dispenser opening  112 . For example, the depth D 1  can be selected so that containers C two, three, four or more columns back in the carton  150  may be accessed through the dispenser opening  112 . 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  illustrate the dispenser flap  110  completely separated from a remainder of the carton  150 . A user may optionally choose to leave a portion of the dispenser pattern  70  intact, and thus create a hingedly attached dispenser flap  110 . For example, referring to  FIG. 5 , the dispenser flap  110  has been separated from the first side panel  20 , the top panel  30 , and a portion of the exiting end panel  120 , but at least a portion of the tear lines  78 ,  80  in the exiting end panel  120  have not been torn. Opening of the dispenser  100  can be halted at this point at the discretion of the user. The dispenser flap  110  therefore remains pivotably attached at one or both of the tear lines  78 ,  80 . The user has the option of completely removing the dispenser flap  110  at a later time, or, partially or wholly reclosing the dispenser flap  110  about the hinge tear lines  78 ,  80 . The hinged attachment could alternatively be formed, for example, along the first side panel  20  or the top panel  30 . 
     EXAMPLE 1 
     A carton  150  as illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  accommodates twelve 12 ounce beverage cans having a container diameter D C  of about 2 and ½ in and a height H C  of about 4 and 13/16 in. The containers are arranged in two rows, six columns of cans to each row (2×6 configuration, as shown in  FIG. 2B ). The carton has a height H 1  of about 5 and 7/32 in. and a width W 1  of about 4 and 27/32 in. The distance D 1  is about 130% of container diameter D C . The height H 2  of the lower edge  114  of the dispenser opening is about 60% of container diameter D C , and the height H 3  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) is about 140% of container diameter D C . The lines  74 ,  76  are tear lines and the longitudinal fold lines  62 ,  64  are cut/crease lines. The fold lines  21 ,  31 ,  41 ,  51  are crease lines and the lines  72 ,  78 ,  80  are tear lines formed from offset cut/space lines. 
     According to the above embodiments, articles may be easily removed from the open upper corner of a carton when the carton dispenser is opened. The corner opening provides visibility of the articles inside the carton without entirely exposing all of the articles. The corner dispenser generally may be formed by perforations or cut lines, which are of such dimensions to provide access to cans or other articles in the carton, without unnecessarily weakening the panel or panels in which the corner dispenser is formed. After the removal of the dispenser flap, the remaining portions of the carton at the exiting end and in the first side panel prevent articles, and specifically the next article in the columns or rows of articles adjacent to the exiting end, from inadvertently falling or rolling out of the carton. Thus, the articles are securely retained inside the carton until selectively removed. 
     For purposes of illustration, the present invention is generally disclosed in the context of paperboard cartons or packages sized and dimensioned to contain cylindrical beverage containers. The cartons illustrated in the drawing figures are sized to accommodate containers in a two row configuration with multiple columns of containers included in each row, although the present invention is not limited to any specific size or dimension. For example, the present invention would work satisfactorily if sized and shaped to hold containers in alternative arrangements, such as 3×4, 4×3, 2×4, 2×5, 4×6, 4×5, 3×6, 5×6, etc. 
     If a carton according to the present invention is designed to accommodate three rows of containers, the height H 2  of the lower edge of the dispenser opening may be selected to, for example, extend across or at least partially block the second or intermediate row of containers C. The height H 2  may be also be lower, for example, and the dimensions of the end retainer wall  95  and/or the profile of the second tear line  74  extending through the first side panel  20  may be changed in order to secure the bottom and/or intermediate rows of containers when the dispenser is placed in the dispensing configuration. If four or more rows of containers are to be accommodated, the height of the lower edge of the dispenser opening, the depth D 1 , and other dimensions of the blank can be further adjusted in order to provide a desired accessibility for the various rows. 
     The present invention can be used in cartons that include various features, including additional opening features that provide easy access to the articles, and tilt features that position the articles at the front end of the carton. 
     One of ordinary skill will recognize that the corner dispenser according to the present invention can be disposed in any upper corner of a carton. Further, although not shown in the figures, it is understood that a carton according to the present invention could include spaced corner dispensers on each side of one end of the exiting end of the carton. In such a scenario, a remaining portion of the exiting end would provide the stop or retention feature in the exiting end. Corner dispensers could also be provided at opposite ends of a carton. 
     The blanks according to the present invention can be, for example, formed from coated paperboard and similar materials. For example, the interior and/or exterior sides of the blanks can be coated with a clay coating. The clay coating may then be printed over with product, advertising, price coding, and other information or images. The blanks may then be coated with a varnish to protect any information printed on the blanks. The blanks may also be coated with, for example, a moisture barrier layer, on either or both sides of the blanks. In accordance with the above-described embodiments, the blanks may be constructed of paperboard of a caliper such that it is heavier and more rigid than ordinary paper. The blanks can also be constructed of other materials, such as cardboard, hard paper, or any other material having properties suitable for enabling the dispensers to function at least generally as described above. The blanks can also be laminated to or coated with one or more sheet-like materials at selected panels or panel sections. 
     In accordance with the above-described embodiments of the present invention, a fold line can be any substantially linear, although not necessarily straight, form of weakening that facilitates folding therealong. More specifically, but not for the purpose of narrowing the scope of the present invention, fold lines include: a score line, such as lines formed with a blunt scoring knife, or the like, which creates a crushed portion in the material along the desired line of weakness; a cut that extends partially into a material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of cuts that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness; and various combinations of these features. In situations where cutting is used to create a fold line, typically the cutting will not be overly extensive in a manner that might cause a reasonable user to incorrectly consider the fold line to be a tear line or other line of disruption. 
     The above embodiments may be described as having one or panels adhered together by glue during erection of the carton embodiments. The term “glue” is intended to encompass all manner of adhesives commonly used to secure carton panels in place. 
     The foregoing description of the invention illustrates and describes the present invention. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only selected embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is capable of use in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings, and/or within the skill or knowledge of the relevant art.