EASY OPEN CARTON

Abstract: A carton is constructed from a fiberboard or paper blank to form hingedly connected rectangular side walls (14, 15, 16, 17). The carton is completed by opposed end walls (18) formed by panels (20, 22, 24, 26, 40, 42) connected to the side walls. Side wall (17) includes a tear line (30) which is positioned to extend to the adjacent corners of side wall (14) when the carton is assembled. When assembled, a portion of side wall (17) is adhesively connected to panel (28) which is hingedly connected to side wall (14). When tear line (30) is severed, the adhesively connected portion of side wall (17) is disengaged permitting side wall (14) to be raised to provide access to the carton. Additional tear lines (32, 34) may be provided in side wall (17) which extend from tear line (30) to the adjacent corners of hingedly connected side wall (16). When tear lines (32, 34) are severed, the carton can be completely unfolded.

Description: EASY OPEN CARTON This invention relates to cartons, and more particularly to cartons formed from blanks provided with tear lines for quick and convenient opening. It is known to construct rectilinear cartons of folded and glued fiberboard or paper blanks which are formed with tear lines along predetermined paths. Such containers are disclosed in U.S. Patents No. 2,155,791 and No. 2,363,861. The carton of this invention is an improvement over such cartons in that one side wall of the carton can be raised to open the carton when a single tear line, which extends between two corners of that wall, is severed. Additional tear lines enable the carton to be easily unfolded to 'give access to information printed on the interior of the carton. Cartons according to the prior art are difficult to open partially for access to their contents and fully for access to the information printed on their interior surfaces. This problem is solved in accordance with the present invention by constructing a carton with simple tear lines that readily permit the carton to be opened either partially or fully. In accordance with this invention, a carton is constructed from a fiberboard or paper blank to form four hingedly connected rectangular side walls, 14; 15; 16; 17. The carton is completed by opposed end walls 18, formed by panels 20, 22, 24, 26, 40, 42 hingedly connected to the side walls.. Side wall 17 includes a tear line 30 which is positioned to extend to the adjacent corners of side wall 14 when the OMPI carton is assembled. A portion of side wall 17 is adhesively connected to panel 28 which is hingedly connected to side wall 14. When tear line 30 is severed, the adhesively connected portion of side wall 17 is disengaged permitting side wall 14 to be raised to provide access to the carton. Additional tear lines 32, 34 may be provided in side wall 17 which extend from tear line 30 to the adjacent corners of hingedly connnected side wall 16. When tear lines 32, 34 are severed, the carton can be completely unfolded. Cartons of the type described herein are particularly adapted for packaging consumer articles which are accompanied by information such as a parts list, operating instructions, etc. printed on an enclosed sheet of paper. The carton of the present invention is adapted to provide the consumer with information printed on the interior of the carton so that the information is readily available and saves the cost of packing separate instructions or information sheets into the carton. One use for the carton is for holding a cassette of photographic film. Exposure setting information can be printed on the carton's interior walls. In the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the interior surface of a carton blank in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a carton assembled from the blank shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the carton of Fig. 2 'BUREA OMPI with the top side wall partially opened; Fig. 4 is a view of the carton of Figs. 2 and 3 with the front open; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the interior 5 surface of the opened carton of Figs. 2-4. Fig. 1 shows a suitable fiberboard or paper blank 10 which may be scored or perforated, and which has been cut to a -desired shape to form the carton illustrated in Fig- 2. Blank 10 has been scored or ■HI creased along lines 12 to form separate, hingedly connected panels which, when the blank is folded, form side walls- and .end walls of the carton. In the present description of the carton, specific names have been applied to the side and end 15 walls . However, it is to be understood -that terms such as side, end, top, bottom, front, and back are used with respect .to the particular orientation illustrated and * may apply to any wall area. Accordingly, walls 14, 15, 16 and 17 will be referred 20 to respectivedly as the top, rear, bottom and front walls of the carton and will be collectively referred to as the side walls. In like manner, wall 18, shown in Fig. 2, and its opposed wall, not shown, will be referred to as the end walls of the carton. * 25 Each side wall 14-17 has a plurality of panels hingedly connected thereto. The panels which extend laterally .from the side walls as viewed in Fig. 1 will, when the carton is assembled, form the carton's end walls. Panels 20 and 22 are partially 30 coated with a suitable adhesive, which is placed on a portion of panels 20 and 22 on the interior of blank 10 so as to adhere to panels 24 and 26 as seen in Figure 5. Panel 28 also carries adhesive on the exterior of blank 10 and underlies a portion of front ■^^ wall 17 when the carton is assembled. OMPI To enable easy access to the contents of the carton, suitable lines of weakness, or tear lines, are provided in front wall 17 by, for example, perforating the blank. Such lines of weakness include a first tear line 30 and second tear lines 32 and 34. Tear line 30 extends across front wall 17 to the adjacent two corners of top wall 14, as shown in Fig. 2 when the carton is assembled. Tear lines 32 and 34 extend from tear line 30 to the adjacent two corners of bottom wall 16. Once assembled, the carton may be readily opened by pushing on the region at the top of front wall 17 to sever it at tear line 30, and then lifting top wall 14 to the position shown In Fig. 3. Since top wall 14 is not connected to either of the end walls except by non-adhered panels 36 and 38, and is hingedly connected only to rear wall 15, the top wall can be fully opened to remove the contents of the carton. As mentioned hereinbefore, the carton may be adapted to provide information useful to the consumer. Such information is printed on the interior surface of blank 10, and access to it is provided by severing tear lines 32 and 34 to permit unfolding front wall 17 as shown in Fig. 4. Since bottom wall 16 is not connected to either end wall except by non-adhered panels 40 and 42, the bottom wall can be unfolded so that the carton blank can lie flat as shown in Fig. 5. Any information printed on the interior of the carton's blank is readily available to the consumer.

Claims: Claims 1. A carton comprising: hingedly connected rectangular side walls (14, 15, 16, 17); end walls (18) formed by panels (20, 22, 24, 26, 40, 42) connected to said rectangular side walls; and a tear line (30) extending across one side wall (17) to the corners of an adjacent side wall (14) , a portion of said side wall '(17) containing tear line (30) being adhesively connected to adjacent side wall (14) so that when tear line (30) is severed a portion of side wall (17) is disengaged to allow adjacent side wall (14) to be raised to provide access to the interior of the • carton. 2. A carton according to Claim 1 wherein; tear lines (32, 34) are provided in side wall (17) to extend from tear line (30) to the adjacent corners of hingedly connected side wall (16) so that when tear lines (32, 34) are severed the carton can be unfolded. 3. A carton according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein; panels forming said end walls extend laterally from said side walls and are hingedly connected thereto. 4. A carton according to Claim 3 wherein; end panels (20 and 22) are partially coated with adhesive to adhere to end panels (24, 26) . 5.. A carton according to Claim 4 wherein; side wall (14) is not adhesively connected to either end wall (18) except by non adhering panels (36 and 38) and is hingedly connected to side wall (15) to permit side wall (14) to be raised. OMPI 6. A carton according to Claim 2 wherein; side wall (16) Is not adhesively connected to either end wall except by non adhering panels (40 and 42) to permit the carton to be unfolded to expose the interior of the carton. 7. A carton according to Claim 6 wherein; information is printed on the interior of said carton. 'BUREA OMPI Λ

Inventors: KINGSLEY RICHARD T, SHERMAN LARRY
Applicants: EASTMAN KODAK CO
Application year: 1982
Main classification: B65D5
IPC codes: B65D5