Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention provide a folding carton designed to accept a retractable panel. The retractable panel may contain written information that should stay with or otherwise connected to the packaging, rather than on a folded leaflet inserted inside the carton that may be displaced. The panel may be pulled from its fully inserted/retracted position (within the carton) out to an extended position, where the panel displays the information. Even in the extended position, however, the panel stays secured with the carton.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/637,494, filed Apr. 24, 2012, titled “Folding Carton with Retractable Panel,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a folding carton designed to accept a retractable panel. The retractable panel may contain written information that should stay with or otherwise connected to the packaging, rather than on a folded leaflet inserted inside the carton that may be displaced. The panel may be pulled from its fully inserted/retracted position (within the carton) out to an extended position, where the panel displays the information. Even in the extended position, however, the panel stays secured with the carton. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Many consumer products are packaged in small cartons or boxes that do not allow a large space for printing directions for use, ingredient lists, cautionary warnings, legal notices, or any other important communications from the manufacturer. Accordingly, such products are typically packaged with a leaflet with the desired and/or required instructions, materials, or disclosures. These leaflets are often ignored, thrown away, or misplaced. There are other printed materials that may also be desirable to include integrally associated with a carton or package, such as future coupons, recipes, directions for use, reminder cards, business cards, or any other materials. It is thus desirable to provide a unique packaging system that provides a retractable, but retainable, panel that can display additional information. 
     Some attempts have been made to manufacture cartons with retractable panels. However, in many of these instances, the panels have been made fully removable, such that when the panel is extended, it pulls directly out of the carton. In other instances, the retractable panel has been formed as a hang tag, such that the retailer has the option of either hanging the carton from a display peg (and thus, extending the panel) or stacking the carton without use of the hang tab (and thus, leaving the panel in the retracted position). However, these attempts do not fully meet all customer desires, and accordingly, improvements to cartons with retraceable panels are needed. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the invention described herein provide a folding carton designed to accept a retractable panel, and the retractable panel can either be retracted into the carton body or it can be extended for viewing of information printed on the panel. Even when the panel is pulled from its fully inserted/retracted position (within the carton) out to its extended position, the panel stays secured with the carton. Embodiments also provide a back panel with a hanging feature, which allows the carton to be displayed in various ways. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a back perspective view of one embodiment of a carton with a retractable panel in its extended position. 
         FIG. 2  shows a back perspective view of the carton of  FIG. 1  with the retractable panel in its retracted position. 
         FIG. 3  shows a front perspective view of the carton of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 4  shows one embodiment of a blank that may be used to create a folding carton with a retractable panel. 
         FIG. 5  shows an alternate blank embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  shows an even further alternate blank embodiment. 
         FIGS. 7-9  show various folding steps that are used to fold a blank into a foldable carton with a retractable panel. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide a one-piece folding carton  10  with a retractable panel  12 . This retractable panel  12 , which is generally formed from the same blank as the rest of the carton, can be used to provide more information about product housed in the carton without adding to the size of the carton. In use, after the carton  10  is formed from the blank and the retractable panel  12  is positioned properly, the retractable panel  12  may be pulled out from the body of the carton to reveal information. Though the panel is pulled from the carton, it is still secured within the carton structure and may be retracted back into the carton  10 . 
     Referring more specifically to  FIG. 1 , the carton  10  is shown as having a back wall  14  with an opening  16  at the base  20  thereof. The retractable panel  12  extends into and out of the opening  16 . The back wall  14  is also shown as having a hanging feature  18 , which allows the carton  10  to be hung on a display peg or other store display rack.  FIG. 1  shows the retractable panel  12  in its extended position, such that printing or other indicia on the panel  12  can be reviewed. In this embodiment, the panel  12  extends and retracts into the base area  20 . (It should be understood that it is possible to modify the carton blank from which carton is made in order to provide a panel  12  that extends from an upper portion of the back wall  14  instead.)  FIG. 2  shows an alternate back perspective view of the carton, with the retractable panel  12  in its retracted position.  FIG. 3  shows a front view of the carton with the retractable panel  12  in its retracted position. This embodiment shows the carton  10  having a back wall  14 , a top portion  22 , a front portion  24 , two side walls  26 , and a bottom portion  28 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the carton  10  is formed of a  30  blank that may be provided as a one-piece blank. The retractable panel  12  may be formed as a part of the blank  30  and simply die-cut to be removed during manufacture or it may be provided as a completely separate item of manufacture. In the blank embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the retractable panel  12  is shown as a part of the blank  30 . Retractable panel  12  is shown as being formed from primary panel  32  and secondary panel  34 . This embodiment provides the option of expanding the printable space available on the retractable panel  12  once extended, in the event that additional information is to be provided. Primary panel  32  is the primary portion of the retractable panel, and it has shoulder tabs  36  which secure panel  32  in place with respect to the carton. Secondary panel  34  is optional and may be folded out in order to provide additional printing space for the retractable panel  12 . ( FIGS. 5 and 6  shows primary panel  32  only, without a secondary panel being provided.) During manufacture, the primary retractable panel  32  and the secondary panel  34  may be removed prior to folding the remainder of the bank  30 . Variously-sized information panels may be provided by expanding or reducing the size(s) of panels  32 ,  34 . It may also be desirable to add additional folding panels to one or more of panels  32 ,  34  in order to provide even further printable space. These additional panels may be perforated and removable from the retractable panel  12  piece or they may be connected via score lines that allow easy folding of the panels, but keep all panels secured to one another. 
     Blank  30  also has a securement flap  38  which is foldably connected via edge score lines  40  to a back panel  42 . There is a space  44  between securement flap  38  and back panel  42  (which is what forms the opening  16  through which the retractable panel  12  extends in use). Space  44  may be any shape, but it should generally be wide enough that it can receive the primary panel  32 , but provide a stop for shoulder tabs  36 . Alternate space  44  shapes are shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . Cut areas  46  may be provided adjacent each side of the space  44 , but inward of the score lines  40 , in order to provide further space for insertion of the panel  32 ,  34 . The cooperation between the securement flap  38  and the back panel  42  creates a housing of sorts, into which the retractable panel  12  (formed of primary panel  32  and optional panel  34 ) may be positioned in use. 
     Back panel  42  is generally the largest panel on the blank  30 . Back panel  42  provides the substantial part of back wall  14  of the carton  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , as well as in  FIG. 4 , back panel  42  may have a hanging feature  18 , such as a hole that is easily punched out of the panel for hanging use.  FIG. 6  also shows a back panel without a hanging feature. Back panel  42  may also have one or more side flap panels  50  secured thereto, which will be described in more detail below. 
     Foldably connected to the back panel  42  via another score line  40  is a face panel  48 . As shown in the folding  FIGS. 7-9 , face panel  48  folds back over the back panel  42 , such that the hanging feature  18 ′ of the face panel  48  aligns with the hanging feature  18  of the back panel  42 . Providing a back panel  42  and a face panel  48  that fold upon one another in use creates the visible back wall  14  of  FIG. 3 . This also allows only one side of the blank  30  to be printed or otherwise coated, with the other side left as raw, uncoated paperboard, saving manufacturing expense. Because these panels fold upon one another, only one side will show. 
     The next panel connected to the face panel  48  is a carton top panel  52 , which forms the top portion  22  of the carton. Carton top panel  52  may be connected to the face panel  48  via a score line or via deeper perforations  54 , which may ease the folding function and allow the carton top panel  52  to be folded at a right angle to the face panel  48 . Extending from the carton top panel  52  are one or more side flap panels  56 . Side flap panels  56  are shown as smaller than side flap panels  50  connected to the back panel  42 , but they may be similarly sized or sized to be larger. 
     Foldably connected to the carton top panel  52  is carton front panel  58 . Carton front panel  58  forms the front portion  24  of carton. Extending from the carton front panel  58  are one or more side flap panels  50 , which are similarly shaped and sized to side flap panels  50  connected to the back panel  42 , but they may be similarly sized, sized to be smaller, or sized to be larger. 
     Foldably connected to the carton front panel  58  is carton base panel  60 . Carton base panel  60  forms the bottom portion  28  of carton. Extending from the carton base panel  60  are one or more side flap panels  56 , which are similarly shaped and sized to side flap panels  56  connected to the carton top panel  52 , but they may be similarly sized, sized to be smaller, or sized to be larger. In use, when the above described panels are folded and the side panels  50 ,  56  and folded in, the folded side panels  50 ,  56  collectively form side walls  26  of carton  10 . The carton front panel  58  and carton base panel  60  are connected via a score line  40  that has cut areas  62  interposed therein. Cut areas are designed to assist with the folding of the carton, and they also provide two small feet  64  when the carton is assembled, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Front feet  64  can assist with the positioning of carton on a surface to counteract or balance the corresponding back feet  66  that may be created by the cut areas  46  between the securement flap  38  and the back panel  42 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Foldably connected to the carton base panel  60  is a glue flap  68 . In use, glue flap  68  folds back, up, and onto the securement panel  38 , and is secured in place by a portion of glue. An additional portion of glue may be provided at a lower portion of the face panel  48  in order to allow the face panel  48  to adhere to the back panel  42  once folded. 
     The blank of  FIG. 5  has similar features to the blank of  FIG. 4 , and it is folded similarly. As discussed above, the retractable panel  12  portion is provided as primary panel  32 . The space  44  is shaped differently, and the hanging portions  18 ,  18 ′ are shaped differently than the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 . But the folding of the carton and the primary features remain. 
     The blank of  FIG. 6  also had some differing features, but it is also folded similarly and the primary features remain. 
     Although various options have been shown on the various blanks of  FIGS. 4-6 , it should be understood that various retractable panels may be used with different blanks, that varying space  44  sizes may be provided, and that varying hanging options  18  may be provided. Simply because one option is shown in connection with a particular blank does not mean that it could not be used for other blanks, and such interchangeability is expected to be within the scope of one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, some embodiments may have a back panel that allows the carton to be hung from a shelf, some may not. 
     Changes and modifications, additions and deletions may be made to the structures and methods recited above and shown in the drawings without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention and the following claims.