Reclosable carton and blank for a reclosable carton

Abstract: A carton for chocolate tables or blocks comprises a front face (12), back face and four side faces (16, 20) joining the front (12) and back face, at least one first dividing line (24) formed across at least the front face (12) and a first (16) and a second side face (20) opposing each other, a first fold line (26) formed on the back face and parallel with a third side face, second (28) and third dividing lines (30) intersecting the first dividing line (24) at an angle formed adjacent to the first fold line (26) on the back face or the edges (32, 34) thereof, and a second fold line (36) adapted to be folded in an opposite direction with regard to the folding direction of the first fold line (26) formed on the back face between the second (28) and the third dividing line (30) parallel to the first fold line (26) and intersecting the second (28) and third dividing lines (30). A carton blank (60) adapted to be folded to the above described carton, comprises third wall segments (62, 64) adapted to be joined to form the back face of the carton and comprises dividing and fold lines corresponding to those of the complete carton.

Description: Technical Field The present invention relates generally to packages or cartons and particularly to cartons which are formed from a single carton blank and which are reclosable. The invention further relates to blanks for such cartons. Conveniently, cartons in the form of flat boxes are used for storing, shipping, shop presentation and also by the end-user, especially in connection with chocolate tablets or blocks. Background art Numerous cartons for accommodating chocolate tablets are known in the art. The applicant's products are currently accommodated in a flat carton comprising a front and a back face as well as four side faces joining the front and back face, which are remarkably narrower than the front and back faces so that a comparably flat carton for chocolate tablets is formed. Conventionally, the smaller opposing side faces are formed into flaps which can be opened so that the chocolate contained in the carton can be removed. DE 295 17 933 U1 discloses a carton on which a dividing line is formed across the front face as well as two opposing side faces, and a fold line is formed on the back face such that the ends of the fold line and the ends of the dividing line are adjacent to each other. When the carton is to be opened, the dividing line is broken on the front face as well as the opposing side faces so that a flap-like portion of the carton can be folded at the fold line on the back face. This operation allows access to the product contained in the carton. This known carton is reclosable by means of a further box-like member which is slideable in the carton, and capable of engaging the flap such that it remains in the closed state. However, this structure renders the package complicated and difficult to handle. GB 2 202 516 A discloses a packaging carton comprising a handle and a weakened line extending across side and bottom panels so as to define an access flap. The weakened line can be part of a defined tearable strip which can comprise a graspable tab. A carton in accordance with the preamble of claim 1 and a carton blank as described in the preamble of claim 12 is known from US-A-3 486 682. This known carton comprises first, second and third dividing lines, wherein the first dividing line is formed across a front face and side faces. The second and third dividing lines intersect the first dividing line on the edges of the back face. A first and a second fold line are formed on the back face, such that they are foldable in opposite directions. By means of breaking the dividing lines and folding the fold lines in opposite directions, and, finally, sliding a top portion of the carton onto the remainder of the carton, the known carton can be reclosed after the initial opening. Summary of the invention In view of the known cartons, it is an object underlying the invention to provide a reclosable carton which is, furthermore, easy to open and sufficiently stable to protect the content of the package until it is completely consumed. Furthermore, it is an underlying object of the invention to provide a carton blank for producing such a carton. According to a first aspect of the invention, this problem is solved by a carton as described in claim 1. Accordingly, the carton according to the invention comprises at least two first dividing lines extending across the front face such that a flap-like member, similar to the flap of a cigarette package, is separable from the remainder of the carton. Furthermore, this flap is foldable at a fold line provided on the back face. However, unlike the known cartons, a further fold line is provided on the back face, which is adapted to allow folding in the opposite direction with regard to the first fold line. Finally, second and third dividing lines intersecting on of the first dividing lines at an angle are formed on the back face or the edges thereof. By means of the last described dividing lines as well as the combination of two fold lines, the flap-like member is not only foldable with regard to the remainder of the carton, but it can also be slid onto the remainder of the carton. This is essentially achieved by means of the first and second fold lines which are adapted to be folded in opposite direction so that the portion of the back face located between the two crease lines, can be folded outside and all the way "onto" the back face. As a result, the distance between the flap and the remainder of the carton can be reduced in order to allow the flap to be slid onto the remainder. For the above described folding of the back face's portion located between the two crease lines, it is necessary to separate this portion from the remainder of the back face (or the adjacent side faces). For this reason, the above mentioned second and third dividing lines intersecting the first dividing line as well as the first and second fold line are formed in the back face or the edges thereof adjacent to the side faces. Moreover, the second and third dividing lines also extend beyond the second fold line on the flap-like member. As a result, the portion of the back face located between the two fold lines as well as the portion of the flap's back face adjacent thereto can be folded onto the back face in a zigzag manner, which allows the described sliding of the flap onto the remainder of the carton. The inventive carton with this structure allows the carton to be reclosed after opening and particularly after a portion of the chocolate tablet contained therein, thereby reducing its extension, is consumed. The carton of the present invention, in order to provide easy-to-open properties, comprises two dividing lines formed on at least the front face which define at least one tearable strip. The tearable strip extends at least over the front face and is preferably completely removed during opening. As will be described in more detail below, the tearable strip defined between the two dividing lines can be formed as to be easy to be gripped so that the consumer can first grasp the end of the strip easily and then remove it by a tearing motion. The above-described tearable strip must, on the one hand, be formed so as to allow easy opening, and should, on the other hand, not deteriorate rigidity of the carton, in particular of the front face thereof. Both aspects are ensured by the structure of the tearable strip, in which at least one of the dividing lines defining the tearable strip, is at least over a part of its length formed by a combination of two generally parallel cuts, which are offset to each other and formed on opposite surfaces on the front face of the carton. Each of the cuts is cut only partially through the thickness of the carton. In this way, the carton is provided with sufficient stability and rigidity before it is opened. Furthermore, by means of defining a starting point of the tearable strip, the strip can be separated from the foldable flap as well as the remainder of the front face of the carton by means of separation in the region between the cuts defining the dividing line. For facilitating gripping of the tearable strip, at least one easy-to-grip tab is formed on the tearable strip by completely cutting through the carton in the end region of the tearable strip. In this manner, the tearable strip is completely separated from the front face of the carton so as to form a tab, which the consumer can grasp easily and make use of in order to remove the tearable strip. Preferred embodiments of the carton according to the invention are described in the dependent claims. In order to allow comfortable opening of the carton in particular after reclosing the same, it is preferred to form the first dividing line such that it extends across the front face in a way to form at least one tip on the flap. In other words, the dividing line may extend across the front face with the shape of a "V" so that the tip allowing comfortable opening of the carton will be formed at the point of the "V". After reclosing the carton by sliding the flap over the remainder of the carton, the tip is located on the front face and can be gripped easily. Preferably, the tip formed on the separable portion of the front face, i.e. on the flap, is provided with a relief. This relief on the one hand serves to emphasize the presence of the flap's tip so that the consumer will recognize easily, how the carton is to be opened. On the other hand, the relief formed at the tip of the flap will advantageously cooperate with a feature discussed below serving to allow safe reclosing of the carton. In this context it should be mentioned with regard to the relief formed at the tip, that it can be formed as a triangle - shaped (as seen in the plan view) elevation of a few tenths of a millimeter. Preferably, this elevation will be inclined towards the dividing lines delimiting the tip, as well as towards a straight line extending across the tip area at the upper end thereof, about one centimetre above the point of the tip. In order to allow insertion of the flap, which has been separated from the front face, into the front face, after the carton has been reclosed, a further dividing line is advantageous. This dividing line can even be formed as a cut in the front face and will typically extend a few centimeters across the front face at a position, at which the tip of the flap is located, when the carton is reclosed by means of the described zigzag folding of a portion of the back face. As mentioned, the tip of the flap can be inserted into the dividing line, as soon as it is broken, so that accidental opening of the flap is prevented. With regard to design aspects, it is, moreover, preferred to form two tearable strips, of which the graspable ends are located adjacent to each other at approximately the center of the front face. In this way, the easy-to-grip tab of each of the tearable strips is formed at the center of the carton, where the consumer can immediately recognize its presence as well as its function. Furthermore, in particular, when combined with the above-described preferred embodiment, in which the dividing line is formed so as to form a tip of the foldable flap, the easy-to-grasp tab of each of the tearable strips can be formed in the surroundings of the tip so as to provide an attractive overall outer appearance. With regard to design aspects as well as to make the opening of the carton easier, it has been found advantageous to form the first dividing line on the side surfaces so as to comprise a portion, which is inclined to the longer edges of the side faces. In particular, the first dividing line can be formed in this inclined manner throughout the side faces. As an alternative, the first dividing line can also comprise a portion formed on the side faces adjacent to the edge between the side and the back faces, which is oriented substantially perpendicular to this edge. As will be described in more detail below, during first opening of the carton, the foldable flap as well as the portions of the carton connecting it with the back face of the carton, are subjected to remarkable stress. This can be relieved in the region of the first and second side faces, when, as preferred, a further dividing line is formed on the first and second side faces intersecting the first dividing line. During the first opening of the carton, the back face will usually not only be folded at the above mentioned fold line, but also at a position adjacent to the end of the second and third dividing lines. This is because the carton is placed relatively tightly on the chocolate tablet contained therein so that a remarkable amount of bending is required for the back face. During testing of the inventive carton, it was found that those ends of the second and third dividing lines, which are located remote from the fold lines, are liable to form starting points of undesired ruptures of the back face. Consequently, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second and third dividing lines are extended to form curves at these ends on the back face such that after a separation of the flap along the dividing lines a tab is defined by each of the second and third dividing line. These tabs provide relief for any stresses which would otherwise lead to ruptures in the back face. Whereas the dividing lines can be provided with the required weakening in any suitable way in order to allow separation along these lines, it is preferred that the dividing lines are perforated lines. This is also preferred for the fold line on the back face, which is adapted to allow outside folding of the back face. In particular, the first fold line can be formed as a perforation crease. Naturally, since the last mentioned line should not be separated, it will comprise a higher number of connecting portions than the dividing lines. Additionally, the connecting portions can be wider. Whereas the provision of a perforated line could also be used for the other fold line, which allows inside folding of the back face, in order to allow folding in a zigzag manner altogether, it has been found advantageous to form the crease at this portion such that the back face is cut partially along the thickness thereof. With this structure, easy folding of the back face about the remaining material on the inside of the carton is achieved. According to a second aspect of the invention, a carton blank comprising the features of claim 12 is provided in order to solve the above mentioned underlying object of the invention. The carton blank according to the present invention substantially comprises various wall segments adapted to form the various faces of the inventive carton. In comparison to the prior art, those tabs and flaps which are adapted to form the smaller side faces are formed so as to allow firm closing of the carton at these side faces. As described above, in the inventive carton, unlike with the prior art, the carton is not opened at the mentioned, smaller side faces. Rather, by separation along the dividing lines, a flap which is foldable with regard to the remainder of the carton is formed. After consuming part of the chocolate contained in the carton, the flap can be slid onto the carton such that the carton is reclosed. Preferred embodiments of the carton blank according to the invention are described in the dependent claims and substantially correspond to the preferred embodiments of the carton itself. Brief description of the drawings Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a carton blank foldable to a carton; Fig. 2 shows a perspective front view of a carton before opening; Fig. 3 shows a perspective rear view of a carton before opening; Fig. 4 shows a perspective rear view of a carton in a reclosed state; Fig. 5 shows the detail "A" of Figure 4; Fig. 6 shows a plan view of a carton blank according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 7 shows a perspective front view of the embodiment of the inventive carton before opening. Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention As can be taken from Fig. 1, the carton blank 60, which is foldable to the carton, comprises a first wall segment 12, which is adapted to form a front face of the completed carton. Adjacent to all four edges of the first wall segment 12 are comparably narrow, strip-like wall segments which are adapted to form the side faces of the completed carton. In particular, second wall segments 16, 20 are adapted to form first and second, i.e. lateral side faces of the carton. The tabs and flaps extending from the first and second wall segments at the upper and lower end thereof are adapted to form third and fourth side faces of the carton which are usually smaller than the lateral side faces. It should be noted that, according to the shown embodiment of a carton blank, the tabs and flaps constituting the third and fourth side faces of the carton are formed almost identical to those flaps formed at a conventional carton for chocolate tablets which can be opened at the third or fourth side face. However, according to the invention, the shown tabs and flaps constituting the third and fourth side walls are glued to the back face and to each other, because the inventive carton can be opened in a novel way. Before this function is described in detail, it should be noted that third wall segments 62, 64 extending from the second wall segments 16, 20 are adapted to be joined to each other so as to form a back face of the completed carton. All wall segments, tabs and flaps are connected with each other by means of fold lines, which are shown in the drawings and allow easy folding during manufacture of the carton. To ensure accessibility to the product contained in the final carton, a first dividing line 24 is formed across the first wall segment 12 as well as both. of the second wall segments 16, 20. Separation along the first dividing line results in a flap 50 formed in the upper part of the front and side faces 12, 16, 20 of the final carton. This flap 50 is foldable by a first fold line 26, which is formed on both of the third wall segments 62, 64 and adapted to be folded in a first direction. According to the preferred embodiment, this first direction is a direction for folding the flap 50 backwards, i.e. a direction away from the front face 12 of the final carton. In order to allow the flap 50 thus separated from the remainder of the front and side faces 12, 16, 20 to be slid onto this remainder and in order to allow the carton to be reclosed, a second fold line 36 is provided on both of the third wall segments 62, 64. This second fold line 36 is parallel to the first fold line 26 and is adapted to be folded in a direction opposite to the folding direction of the first fold line 26. In the present case, the second fold line 36 allows that portion 52 of the third wall segments 62, 64, which is foldable with regard to the back face of the final carton, to be folded onto the lower part of the third wall segments 62, 64 forming the back face of the completed carton. This folding of the back face of the completed carton can be realized according to the invention by means of second 28 and third dividing lines 30 which extend at least between the first 26 and the second fold line 36 and intersect the first dividing line 24. In the present case, the second 28 and third dividing lines 30 are extended to form curves 44 on the back face of the completed carton so that a tab 48 is formed at each lateral edge of the back face of the carton. This prevents any undesired tearing of the back face of the completed carton when the flap 50 is first opened, thus producing stress at the upper end portion of the second 28 and third dividing lines 30. It should be noted that, according to the embodiment shown in the drawing, the second 28 and third dividing lines 30 are formed along the side edges 32, 34 of the back face of the completed carton. However, the mentioned dividing lines 28, 30 can also be formed on the back face itself, i.e. on the third wall segments 62, 64 of the carton blank 60. Furthermore, the second 28 and third dividing lines 30 do not necessarily have to be orientated perpendicularly to the fold lines 26, 36. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the embodiment shown comprises a tip 38 formed on the front face 12 of the completed carton by means of the V-shape of the first dividing line 24. In order to store this tip 38 when the carton is reclosed by sliding the flap 50 onto the remainder of the carton, a further dividing line 40, preferably a cut, is provided on the first wall segment 12 of the carton blank forming the front face of the finished carton. In order to allow the tip to be inserted into the cut 40 easily, a further dividing line 42, preferably a cut, is provided such that it extends from the dividing line 40 towards the tip 38. In Fig. 2, the carton, into which the carton blank 60 of Fig. 1 can be folded, is shown in a perspective front view. The basic shape of the carton substantially corresponds to the shape of known cartons for chocolate tablets. However, unlike the conventional cartons, the third 18 and fourth side faces 22 are closed and cannot be opened. Rather, in order to take the chocolate tablet out of the carton, the first dividing line 24 extending across the front face 12 and both the first 16 and the second side face 20 must be broken. In this manner, a flap 50 is formed. As can be seen in Fig. 3, which is a perspective rear view, the flap 50 is foldable in a backwards direction by means of a first fold line 26 adapted to allow folding in the mentioned direction. However, in order to allow the carton to be reclosed, the invention provides a second fold line 36 adapted to be folded in a direction opposite to the folding direction of the first fold line 26. Furthermore, the second 28 and third dividing lines 30 are formed on the edges of the back face 14 of the carton, such that they intersect the first fold line 26, the second fold line 36, as well as the first dividing line 24. It should be noted that the second 28 and third dividing lines 30 do not necessarily have to extend beyond the first fold line 26. Rather, the second 28 and third dividing lines 30 can terminate at the first fold line 26. However, the second 28 and third dividing lines 30 have to extend beyond the second fold line 36 in order to allow the carton to be reclosed, as will be described below. It should be noted in this context, that the last-discussed structure can be provided different in that the second 28 and third dividing lines 30 extend beyond both fold lines 26, 36 or, alternatively, terminate at the second fold line 36 and extend beyond the first fold line 26. In the shown embodiment, the second 28 and third dividing lines 30 are extended to form curves 44, which result in tabs 48 as soon as the dividing lines are broken. In Fig. 4, the carton seen is shown in a reclosed state, after the various dividing lines have been broken, and the fold lines 26, 36 have been folded such that the flap 50 is slid onto the remainder of the carton. By means of folding the fold lines 26, 36, of which only the second fold line 36 can be seen in Fig. 4, the portion 52 of the back face 14 of the carton 10, which is located between the fold lines 26, 36 is brought onto the back face 14. In combination with those portions of the back face 14, which are adjacent to the wall portion 52, the back face is essentially folded in a zigzag manner which basically reduces the dimension between the upper and lower edge of the carton 10. This allows the flap to be slid onto the remainder of the carton, particularly on the front face 12. Since the flap 50 can only be reopened, if it is again folded backwards, or if the wall portion 52 is unfolded and brought into an orientation perpendicular to the back face 14, the reopening operation has to be performed "against" the rigidity of the carton, so that reopening is generally possible, but accidental reopening is sufficiently prevented. This is further supported, if the tip of the flap (see Fig. 1) is inserted into the dividing line 40, so that the flap 50 is further secured. The detailed view of Fig. 5 shows a tab 48 formed at the end of the third dividing line 30. It should be noted that this structure is identical for the second dividing line 28, which is not shown in Fig. 5. In particular during first opening, the flap 50 has to be folded backwards and basically be slid over the chocolate tablet completely filling the carton. During first opening, the first row of the chocolate tablet can be broken, but it does not necessarily have to be broken. In any event, folding the flap 50 backwards while sliding it over the complete chocolate tablet leads to remarkable stress acting on the ends of the second 28 and third dividing lines 30. In order to prevent any tearing in these areas, the tab 48 shown in Fig. 5 in detail has proven to be advantageous. This tab 48 formed by the curve 44 of the second 28 and third dividing lines 30, relieves any excessive stress in this area and prevents undesired tearing. The preferred embodiment of the inventive carton and the corresponding embodiment of the carton blank differs from the above-described embodiment only with regard to the following features so that a detailed explanation of the remaining features of the carton blank shown in Fig. 6 will be omitted. Firstly, in the carton blank according to Fig. 6, an additional dividing line 54 is formed in the second wall segments 16, 20 intersecting the first dividing line 24. These additional dividing lines 54 provide some relief for those portions of the second wall segment 16, 20, which belong to the foldable flap 50 of the carton. Since these regions are stressed during first opening of the carton, any undesired ruptures can be avoided by the dividing lines 54. On the first wall segment 12 forming the front face of the final carton, two dividing lines 24, 56 are formed parallel to each other so as to form at least one tearable strip. In the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 6, both dividing lines 24, 56 are V-shaped so that the foldable flap 50 comprises a tip 38. Moreover, both dividing lines 24, 56 comprise portions at approximately the center of the carton, which are completely cut through the carton. These portions are shown in solid lines in Fig. 6. Furthermore, a cut 58 extends between the cut-through portions of the dividing lines 24, 56 in order to define two tearable strips 66, 68 which extend from approximately the center of the carton to the left and right side respectively. At the center of the carton, the approximately triangle-shaped end portions of each of the tearable strips 66, 68 are located adjacent each other. These triangle-shaped end portions define easy-to-grasp tabs 70, which are, as mentioned above, completely separated from the remainder of the front face 12 of the carton. In this manner, the tabs 70 can be grasped easily and can be torn in order to remove the tearable strips 66, 68 from the front face 12. In the embodiment according to Fig. 6, each of the first dividing lines 24, 56 is formed in a different manner than in the above described embodiment. In particular, the interrupted lines of each of the dividing lines 24, 56, denote cuts which are cut partially along the thickness of the carton from the opposite side of the carton blank. In contrast, those lines, which are solid, denote cuts, which are also cut along only a part of the thickness of the carton, but are formed from the front surface of the carton. In this way, the front face 12 of the carton is provided with sufficient stability, because unlike a perforation line, there is not a single line, which is separated already when a small force is applied. In contrast, when the tearable strip 66, 68 is to be removed, the tab 70 must be grasped, and the pulling motion of the consumer, directed away from the carton, will have the effect of advancing the continuous cuts formed in the center region of the front face towards the respective combination of cuts from either side of the carton. When a continuous pulling force is applied, the carton is separated in the region between the opposite cuts forming the dividing line 24, 56. In particular, the carton is separated along its thickness in this region, i.e. an upper layer of the carton will remain with the tearable strip 66, 68, whereas a lower layer of the carton in the region between the two cuts will stay with the flap 50 and the remainder of the front face 12 respectively. By means of removing the tearable strips 66, 68, which are defined by two so-called first dividing lines 24, 56, the foldable flap 50 is separated from the remainder of the front face 12 so that the flap can be opened and reclosed in the above-described manner. In order to facilitate complete removal of the tearable strips 66, 68 from the carton, those portions of the edges between the first wall segment 12 of the carton blank 60 and the second wall segments 16, 20, which are located between the dividing lines 24, 56, i.e. portions 72 in Fig. 6, are perforated. It should additionally be noted that the through-cuts in the center region of the front face 12, are formed rounded in that portion belonging to the upper first dividing line 24. This structure forms a tip of the foldable flap 50, which has a nice appearance. In contrast, the cut-through portions of the lower first dividing line 56 are pointed so that the easy-to-grasp tabs 70 comprise a point, which can easily be grasped by the consumer. Finally, the upper first dividing line 24, formed across the front face 12, extends across the second wall segments 16, 20 as a perforation line. Consequently, the flap 50 is separated from the first and second side faces of the completed carton along these perforation lines. In contrast, the lower first dividing line 56 terminates at the edge between the first wall segment 12 and the second wall segments 16, 20. Therefore, also the tearable strip terminates at this edge. In other words, there is no portion of the second wall segment 16, 20, which is removed therefrom. Rather, the side face portions of the foldable flap 50 have to be slid over the remainder of the side faces 16, 20, when the carton is reclosed after opening. However, the tearable strips 66, 68 can also be formed so as to extend over the first and second side faces 16, 20. In Fig. 7, both of the first dividing lines 24, 56 are shown in solid lines for reasons of simplicity. However, it should be noted that the dividing lines are formed in accordance with Fig. 6. Alternatively, the dividing lines defining tearable strips 66, 68 could be formed as perforation lines. Either way, in the embodiment of Fig. 6 and 7, two tearable strips 66, 68 are formed in the front face comprising easy-to-grasp tabs 70 at which removal of the tearable strips 66, 68 can be initiated in order to separate the flap 50 from the remainder of the carton and allow opening and reclosing of the carton in accordance with those features, which have been described in detail above with reference to the previous embodiment. It should also be noted that any features, which have been described above merely with reference to the previous embodiment, can also be applied to the second embodiment. In particular, also the preferred embodiment could comprise the combination of cuts 40, 42 formed in the front face, which allows insertion of the tip of the flap 50. Furthermore, also the previous embodiment could be formed with additional dividing lines 54 at the first and second side faces. This also applies to any features or structures which were mentioned with regard to one particular embodiment, but are of course suitable in the very same way for the other embodiment.

Claims: A carton (10) for chocolate tablets or blocks comprising a front face (12), a back face (14) and four side faces (16, 18, 20, 22) joining the front (12) and the back face (14), two first dividing lines (24, 56) formed across at least the front face (12), one of the first dividing lines (24) being additionally formed across at least a first (16) and a second side face (20) opposing each other, the two first dividing lines (24, 56) defining at least one tearable strip (66, 68)between them, a first fold line (26) formed on the back face (14) in parallel with a third side face (18), second (28) and third dividing lines (30) intersecting the first dividing line (24) being additionally formed across at least a first (16)and a second side face (20) opposing each other at an angle and being formed adjacent to the first fold line (26) on the back face (14) or the edges (32, 34) thereof, and a second fold line (36) adapted to be folded in an opposite direction with regard to the folding direction of the first fold line (26) formed on the back face (14) between the second (28) and the third dividing line (30) in parallel to the first fold line (26) and intersecting the second (28) and third dividing lines (30), characterized in that the first dividing lines (24, 56) are at least over a part of their length formed by a combination of two generally parallel cuts, which are offset to each other and formed from opposite surfaces of the front face (12) of the carton (50), each cut cutting the carton partially along its thickness, and an easy-to-grasp tab (70) is formed on the tearable strip (66, 68) by completely cutting through the carton in the end region of the tearable strip (66, 68). A carton according to claim 1, characterized in that the first dividing line (24) extends across the front face (12) such that at least one tip (38) is formed on the separable portion of the front face (12). A carton according to claim 2, characterized in that the tip (38) is provided with a relief. A carton according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a further dividing line (40), preferably a cut, is formed on the front face (12), into which the tip (38) is insertable, when the fold lines (26, 36) are folded. A carton according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that two tearable strips (66, 68) are formed, the graspable ends of which are adjacent to each other at approximately the center of the front face (12). A carton according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first dividing line (24) comprises a portion on at least one of the first and second side faces (16, 20) which is inclined with regard to the direction perpendicular to the edges (32, 34) of the side faces (16, 20). A carton according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a further dividing line (54) is formed on the first and second side face (16, 20) intersecting the first dividing line (24). A carton according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second and third dividing lines (28, 30) are extended to form curves (44) on the back face (14) at a position between the fold lines (26, 36) and the edge (46) of the back face (14) closer thereby such that after separation along the dividing lines (24, 28, 30) a tab (48) is defined by each of the second and third dividing lines (28, 30). A carton according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dividing lines (24, 28, 30) are perforated lines. A carton according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first fold line (26), which allows outside folding of the back face (14) is a perforation crease. A carton according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second fold line (36) is formed by partially cutting the back face (14) along the thickness thereof. A carton blank (60) foldable to a carton (10) for chocolate tablets or blocks, the blank (60) comprising: a first wall segment (12) adapted to form a front face of the carton (10), two second wall segments (16, 20) narrower than the first wall segment (12) and adapted to form first and second side faces of the carton (10), two third wall segments (62, 64) adjacent to the second wall segments (16, 20), adapted to be joined with each other to form a back face (14) of the carton (10), and sufficient tabs or flaps extending from the first, second and third wall segments to form third and fourth side faces of the carton, the wall segments, tabs and flaps being joined by fold lines, two first dividing lines (24, 56) formed across the first wall segment (12), one of the first dividing lines (24) being additionally formed across at least both of the second wall segments (16, 20), the first dividing lines (24, 56) defining at least one tearable strip (66, 68)between them, a first fold line (26) formed on both of the third wall segments (62, 64) substantially perpendicular to the edges between the second and third wall segments and adapted to be folded in a first direction, second (28) and third dividing lines (30) intersecting the first dividing line (24) being additionally formed across at least a first (16) and a second side face (20) opposing each other at an angle and being formed on each of the third wall segments or the edges (32, 34) thereof which are adjacent to the second wall segments (16, 20), and a second fold line (36) adapted to be folded in a direction opposite to the first direction formed on both of the third wall segments (62, 64) so as to be parallel to the first fold line (26) and to intersect the second (28) and third dividing lines (30), characterized in that the dividing lines (24, 56) are at least over a part of their length formed by a combination of two generally parallel cuts, which are offset to each other and formed from opposite surfaces of the first wall segment (12) of the carton blank (60), each cut cutting the carton partially along its thickness, and an easy-to-grasp tab (70) is formed on the tearable strip (66, 68) by completely cutting through the carton in the end region of the tearable strip (66, 68). A carton blank according to claim 12, characterized in that the first dividing line (24) extends across the first wall segment (12) such that at least one tip (38) is formed on the separable portion of the first wall segment (12). A carton blank according to claim 13, characterized in that the tip (38) is provided with a relief. A carton blank according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that a further dividing line (40), preferably a cut, is formed on the first wall segment (12), into which the tip (38) is insertable. A carton blank according to any of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that two tearable strips (66, 68) are formed, of which the graspable ends are adjacent to each other at approximately the center of the first wall segment (12) of the carton blank (60). A carton blank according to any of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that the first dividing line (24) comprises a portion on at least one of the second wall segments (16, 20) which is inclined with regard to the direction perpendicular to the edges (32, 34) of the second wall segments (16, 20). A carton blank according to any of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that a further dividing line (54) is formed on the second wall segments (16, 20) intersecting the first dividing line (24). A carton blank according to any of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that the second and third dividing lines (28, 30) are extended to form curves (44) on the third wall segments (62, 64) at a position between the fold lines (26, 36) and the edge (46) of the third wall segments (62, 64) closer thereby such that after separation along the dividing lines (24, 28, 30) a tab (48) is defined by each of the second and third dividing lines (28, 30). A carton blank according to any of claims 12 to 19, characterized in that the dividing lines (24, 28, 30) are perforated lines. A carton blank according to any of claims 12 to 20, characterized in that the first fold line (26) is a perforation crease. A carton blank according to any of claims 12 to 21, characterized in that the second fold line (36) is formed by partially cutting the third wall segments (62, 64) along the thickness thereof.

Inventors: BERTHOLD CLAUDE, HEELEY JOHN, MACE CYRIL, BERTHOLD, CLAUDE, HEELEY, JOHN, MACE, CYRIL, Macé, Cyril
Applicants: KRAFT FOODS R & D INC, KRAFT FOODS R & D, INC. ZWEIGNIEDERLASSUNG MUENCHEN
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B65D5
IPC codes: B65D5