Abstract:
A recloseable container comprising a substantially rectilinear, paperboard-based carton and a plastic recloseable device is provided. The carton defines a container interior and has a face panel defining an opening. The opening has a perimeter sized to receive the recloseable device. The recloseable device may be a plastic unitary structure similar to a clamshell type blister pack and may comprise a frame attached to the carton and a door hingedly attached to the frame.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention patent relates to recloseable containers. More particularly, this invention relates to a recloseable paperboard carton with a plastic thermoformed closure. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Current recloseable features for paperboard cartons are limited to flaps, slots and other mechanical means of closure that rely on the structural and folding properties of the paperboard itself to remain marginally effective. Repetitive opening and closing quickly degrades the marginal seal these features provide. Paperboard flaps, even if they tear properly and are not destroyed at the outset, offer limited closeability and a poor seal. The present disclosure addresses these problems by providing a more durable recloseable closure for a paperboard carton. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present disclosure provides a recloseable container comprising a paperboard-based carton and a plastic recloseable device. The carton defines a container interior and has a face panel defining an opening. The opening has a perimeter sized to receive the plastic recloseable device. 
         [0006]    The recloseable device may be a plastic unitary structure and may comprise a frame that attaches to the carton and a door hingedly attached to the frame. The frame may be sized to fit snugly within the carton opening and may comprise a planar securing flange extending around the perimeter of the carton opening and having an underside abutting the face panel, an annular side wall extending from the securing flange into the container interior, and a planar bottom wall extending inwardly from the annular side wall and defining a frame opening. 
         [0007]    The door may comprise a planar peripheral portion attached to the securing flange by one or more integrally formed hinges, an annular side wall extending from the peripheral portion, and a cover extending from the annular side wall and configured to cover the frame opening. 
         [0008]    In a second embodiment an insert card may be interposed between the door and the frame and, more particularly, between the door cover and the frame bottom wall. The insert card may define a hole through which the contents can be viewed before the container is opened. 
         [0009]    In a third embodiment the bottom wall of the frame comprises a removable center panel having a perforated perimeter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a recloseable container according to the disclosure. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2   a  is a cross-sectional view of the container of  FIG. 1  taken along line  2 - 2 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 2   b  is a cross-sectional view of the container in an open configuration. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a container according to the disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the container of  FIG. 3  taken along line  4 - 4 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a container according to the disclosure. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    While this invention may be embodied in many forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one or more embodiments with the understanding that this disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments. 
         [0018]    Turning to the drawings, there is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  one embodiment of the present invention, a container  10  comprising a carton  12  and a recloseable device  14 . 
         [0019]    The carton  12  may be made of a paperboard based material or any suitable material that can be cut, scored, folded, glued, erected, filled with product, and sealed securely around the edges in any conventional manner. The carton  12  may rectilinear in shape, wedge shaped, pillow box shaped or any suitable shape. In the illustrated embodiment the carton  12  comprises a face panel  16 , two opposing side panels  18 , two opposing end panels  20 , and a rear panel  22  opposite the face panel  16 . The face panel  16  defines a carton opening  24  that may be die-cut into the face panel  16 . The opening  24  has a perimeter  26  and is sized to receive the recloseable device  14 . A seal coating or seal beads  27  may be applied to the face panel  16  near the perimeter  26  for adhering the recloseable device  14  to the carton  12 . The recloseable device  14  may be a unitary (single piece) thermoformed blister structure comprising a door  28  and a frame  30 . 
         [0020]    The door  28  is moveable between a closed position in which the door  28  forms a snap fit with the frame  30  to seal the container  10  ( FIG. 2   a ), and an open position in which the door  28  is lifted away from the frame  30  to expose the interior  13  of the container  10  and make the contents accessible to a user ( FIG. 2   b ). The door  28  may include a grip or pull tab  48  extending from a peripheral portion  40  for the user to grip while opening the container  10 . 
         [0021]    As best shown in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , the frame  30  portion of the recloseable device  14  is sized to fit snugly within the opening  24  and comprises a planar securing flange  32 , an annular side wall  34  extending perpendicularly from the securing flange  32  into the carton opening  24 , and a planar bottom wall  36  extending inwardly from the bottom edge of the annular side wall  34  and defining a dispensing opening  38 . Optionally, the bottom wall  36  may define perforations  37  to facilitate opening. 
         [0022]    The securing flange  32  extends around the perimeter  26  of the carton opening  24  and has an underside  33  that abuts the face panel  16 . The securing flange  32 , and thus the recloseable device  14 , can be adhered to the face panel  16  with any adhesive or can be secured with a spot-applied heat seal coating or seal beads  27 . 
         [0023]    Alternatively, the topside of the securing flange  32  may abut and be sealed to the interior facing underside of the face panel  16  so the consumer does not see the flange  32 . Also, the annular side wall  34  may extend outward (away from the container interior  13 ) rather than inward. 
         [0024]    The door portion  28  of the recloseable device  14  comprises a planar peripheral portion  40 , an annular side wall  42  extending perpendicularly from the peripheral portion  40 , and a cover  44  extending peripherally inward from the annular side wall  42 . The cover  44  may be any suitable shape, including flat and dome shaped as shown in the figures to enhance rigidity. The peripheral portion  40  of the door  28  may be attached to the securing flange  32  portion of the frame  30  by one or more integrally formed or coined hinges  46 . 
         [0025]    When the door  28  is closed as shown in  FIG. 2   a , the door&#39;s annular side wall  42  extends below the plane of the face panel  16  and mates with the annular side wall  34  of the frame  30 . For example, the annular side wall  34  of the frame  30  may have peripherally inwardly extending beads, ridges  35  or other fastening means for forming a snap fit with undercuts  43  or other complementary fastening means on the annular side wall  42  of the door  28 . Alternatively, the annular side wall  34  of the frame  30  may define undercuts and the annular side wall  42  of the door  28  may include beads, ridges  35  or other fastening means. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 3 and 4  show a second embodiment of a container  11  according to the disclosure. As best shown in  FIG. 4 , an insert card  50  is located between the door  28  and the frame  30  to further cover the dispensing opening  38 . Preferably there is a clearance (gap) between the door cover  44  and the bottom wall  36  of the frame  30  to accommodate the insert card  50 . The insert card  50  may be printed with graphics or other information about the contents of the container  10 . The insert card  50  may define a hole or perimeter notch  49  which allows the user to easily lift out the card  50  and access the contents. Preferably the card  50  is not secured to the frame  30 , but rather “floats” in the space between the frame  30  and the door  28  when the container  11  is closed. The perforations  37  in the bottom wall  36  shown in  FIG. 4  are optional. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 5 and 6  show a third embodiment of a container  51  according to the disclosure. As in the two previous embodiments, the container  51  comprises a paperboard carton  12  and a plastic recloseable device  14 . As in the second embodiment, an insert card may be located between the door  28  and the frame  30  to further cover the dispensing opening  38 , although no insert card is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
         [0028]    In a key aspect of this embodiment the bottom wall  36  covers the container interior  13  and comprises a removable center panel  54 . The removable center panel  54  may have a perforated perimeter  56  and a die cut pull tab  58  or other lifting means for removing the center panel  54 . After opening the door  28 , the user may lift up on the pull tab  58  to remove the center panel  54 , allowing access to the container contents. 
         [0029]    The container  10 ,  11 ,  51  may be used in the following manner. First, the user pulls on the pull tab  48  to lift the door  28  away from the frame  30 . Second, the user may remove the optional insert card  50  or the center panel  54  of the recloseable device  14 , if the recloseable device  14  covers the dispensing opening  38 . The container  10  can be reclosed by closing the door  28  so that the ridges  35  engage the undercuts  43  to form a snap fit. Multiple open and reclose operations can be made without compromising the integrity of the seal between the door  28  and the frame  30 . 
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
       [0030]    The container described and claimed herein can be used in the pet food industry, home goods industry, hardware industry, personal care industry, automobile industry or for any application calling for a non-hermetically sealed recloseable paperboard-based container for holding consumables. 
         [0031]    It is understood that the embodiments of the invention described above are only particular examples which serve to illustrate the principles of the invention. Modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention are contemplated which do not depart from the scope of the invention as defined by the foregoing teachings and appended claims. It is intended that the claims cover all such modifications and alternative embodiments that fall within their scope.