Abstract:
A child resistant carton assembly includes a carton including a body panel. A locking panel is spaced apart from the body panel. The locking panel and the body panel define a locking chamber therebetween. A tray is slidably mounted in the carton. The tray includes a locking tab adapted to releasably engage the locking panel such that at least an insert portion of the locking tab is disposed in the locking chamber. A method is provided for using a child resistant carton including a carton and a tray slidably mounted in the carton. The carton includes a body panel and a locking panel spaced apart from one another and defining a locking chamber therebetween. The tray includes a locking tab. The method includes inserting at least an insert portion of the locking tab into the locking chamber to resist withdrawal of the tray from the carton, and displacing the locking tab from the locking chamber to release the tray.

Description:
CLAIM FOR PRIORITY AND CROSS-REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to and is a continuation of parent application Ser. No. 09/922,596 filed Aug. 3, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,211, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to cartons, and, more particularly, to child resistant cartons and methods for using the same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cartons may be employed to package pharmaceutical tablets and the like. Often times, it is desirable or necessary to prevent or resist access of children to the contents of such packages. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide one or more child resistant features. The child resistant features should be durable and reliable, but nonetheless easily operated by adults. Preferably, the carton may be operated to repeatedly access the contents thereof. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to embodiments of the present invention, a child resistant carton assembly includes a carton including a body panel. A locking panel is spaced apart from the body panel. The locking panel and the body panel define a locking chamber therebetween. A tray is slidably mounted in the carton. The tray includes a locking tab adapted to releasably engage the locking panel such that at least an insert portion of the locking tab is disposed in the locking chamber. 
     According to method embodiments of the present invention, a method is provided for using a child resistant carton including a carton and a tray slidably mounted in the carton. The carton includes a body panel and a locking panel spaced apart from one another and defining a locking chamber therebetween. The tray includes a locking tab. The method includes inserting at least an insert portion of the locking tab into the locking chamber to resist withdrawal of the tray from the carton, and displacing the locking tab from the locking chamber to release the tray. 
     Objects of the present invention will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the figures and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which follow, such description being merely illustrative of the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a child resistant carton assembly according to embodiments of the present invention wherein the carton assembly is in a closed position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carton assembly of FIG. 1 wherein a tray forming a part thereof is partially withdrawn from a carton forming a part of the carton assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a blank for forming the carton of the carton assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the carton assembly of FIG. 1 taken along the line  4 — 4  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the carton assembly of FIG. 1 taken along the line  5 — 5  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the carton assembly of FIG. 1 taken along the line  6 — 6  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the carton assembly of FIG. 1 taken along the line  4 — 4 , but wherein the carton is open and the tray is in a fully inserted position; 
     FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the carton assembly of FIG. 1 taken along the line  4 — 4 , but wherein the carton is open and a release tab of the carton assembly is deflected into a releasing position; 
     FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the carton assembly of FIG. 1 taken along the line  4 — 4 , but wherein the carton is open and the tray is partially withdrawn; 
     FIG. 10 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the carton assembly of FIG. 1 taken along the line  4 — 4 , but wherein the carton is open and the tray is disposed in a fully extended, limited position; 
     FIG. 11 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a carton assembly according to further embodiments of the present invention taken along a line corresponding to the line  4 — 4  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a blank for forming a carton of the carton assembly of FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 13 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a carton assembly according to further embodiments of the present invention taken along a line corresponding to the line  4 — 4  of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 14 is a top plan view of a blank for forming a carton of the carton assembly of FIG.  13 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region or substrate is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present. “Upper,” “lower” and like terms as used herein refer to relative positions of components. However, it will be appreciated that cartons according to the invention may be oriented such that the relative positions of the components are reversed or are horizontally rather than vertically aligned, in which case it will be understood that “upper,” “lower” and the like describe the relative positions of the components along a selected axis (which may or may not be fully or partially vertically oriented). 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a child resistant carton assembly  100  according to embodiments of the present invention is shown therein. The assembly  100  has a rear end  102  and a front end  104  and includes generally a carton  101  and a tray  170 . The tray  170  may hold, for example, a plurality of pharmaceutical tablets  184  or the like. The carton assembly  100  may be transitioned from a closed configuration as shown in FIG. 1 to an open configuration as shown in FIG.  2 . The assembly  100  is adapted such that a user must execute certain releasing steps to unlock the tray  170  from a stored position in the carton  101  to allow the tray  170  to be pulled out from the carton  101  and into an open or fully extended position. These releasing steps are adapted to resist attempts by a child to access the tray  170  and its contents. 
     The carton  101  defines an interior cavity  111 . The carton  101  may be formed from an integral blank  101 A as shown in FIG.  3 . The blank  101 A may be formed of any suitable material and may be formed from a larger sheet of such material. The blank  101 A may be formed using any suitable method or equipment. For example, the blank  101 A may be formed by stamping from a sheet. Moreover, a plurality of blanks  101 A may be formed from a common sheet. As will be readily apparent from review of FIG. 3, a plurality of the blanks  101 A may be efficiently arranged so that the amount of waste material (i.e., material not within the peripheries of the blanks  101 A) is relatively small. 
     Suitable materials for the blank  101 A include any flexible sheet material that retains its shape at anticipated usage temperatures (typically, between about −20 and 120° F.). Preferred materials include paperboard, polymeric (e.g., thermoplastic) film and composite paper/foil film. More preferably, the blank  101 A is formed of a sheet of paperboard such as solid bleached sulfate (SBS), solid unbleached sulfate (SUS), clay-coated newsback (CCNB) or recycled paperboard. More preferably, the paperboard has a thickness of between about 0.008 and 0.028 inch. 
     The blank  101 A includes a top panel  110 , a bottom panel  120  and a subpanel  130 . A side panel  116  joins the top panel  110  to the bottom panel  120  along fold lines  116 A and  116 B. A side panel  126  joins the bottom panel  120  to the subpanel  130  along fold lines  126 A and  126 B. End panels  112  and  114  are joined to the top panel  110  along fold lines  110 A and  110 B. End panels  122  and  124  are joined to the bottom panel  120  along fold lines  120 A and  120 B. End flaps  118  are connected to the side panels  116 ,  126 . The several panels  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126  and  130  serve as body panels to form the general framework of the assembled carton  101 . 
     The fold lines  110 B,  120 B as well as arcuate lines  110 C and  120 C are weakened, preferably by perforations. Arcuate cut-outs  132  and  134  are formed in the end edges of the subpanel  130 . A cut line or perforated line  162  is formed in the top panel  110  and preferably intersects the fold line  110 A as shown. The line  162  defines a release tab  160 . 
     A connecting panel  140  is joined to the subpanel  130  along a fold  140 A. A locking panel  150  is in turn connected to the connecting panel  140  along a fold  140 B. A securing panel  142  is joined to the locking panel  150  along a fold line  142 A. The locking panel  150  has a rear edge  152  and an opposing front edge  154 . A stop opening  156  is formed in the locking panel  150  (e.g., by punching) and has a front edge  156 A. 
     The carton  101  may be formed from the blank  101 A in the following manner. The various folding and gluing steps may be accomplished using any suitable apparatus. For example, the carton  101  may be formed using a Bobst Domino folder/gluer. 
     The subpanel  130  is folded over the locking panel  150  by folding along each of the fold lines  140 A and  140 B. In this manner, the connecting panel  140  spaces the adjacent edges of the subpanel  130  and the locking panel  150  from one another. The side panel  126  and the securing panel  142  are each folded down and into engagement with one another as best seen in FIG. 5. A strip of glue  105  is applied to one or both of the side panel  126  and the securing panel  142  so that the panels  126  and  142  are adhered together. The bottom panel  120  is folded under the locking panel  150 , the side panel  116  is folded up alongside the connecting panel  140 , and the top panel  110  is folded over the subpanel  130 . A layer of glue  105  is applied to one or both of the top panel  110  and the subpanel  130  so that the panels  110  and  130  are adhered together. The end flaps  118  are folded in and the end panels  112 ,  114 ,  122 ,  124  are folded over and adhered by glue  105  as best seen in FIG.  4 . 
     As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the locking panel  150  divides the cavity  111  of the carton  101  into an upper chamber  111 A and a lower chamber  111 B. Preferably, the upper chamber  111 A has a height H (i.e., the spacing between the panels  130  and  150 ; FIG. 5) that is greater than the thickness of a locking flap  178 . The height H is more preferably at least {fraction (1/16)} inch and, most preferably, between about ⅛ inch and ¼ inch. The locking panel  150  may be substantially uniformly spaced from the subpanel  130  along its entire length. The rear edge  152  and the subpanel  130  form a rear opening  151  (FIG. 8) communicating with the chamber  111 A. The opening  115  preferably has the same height as the height H. 
     The tray  170  may be formed of the same material as described above with regard to the carton  101 . The tray  170  may be formed using any suitable method or equipment. The tray  170  has a body portion including a top panel  172 , an end panel  174  and a bottom panel  176 . The tray  170  further includes the locking flap  178  joined to the bottom panel  176  along a fold  178 A. As discussed in greater detail below, the locking flap  178  serves as a releasable locking tab. 
     A locking projection  179  extends forwardly from the locking flap  178 . Preferably, the width W (FIG. 5) of the locking projection  179  is less than the corresponding width of the locking flap  178 . The width W of the locking projection  179  is preferably substantially the same as the width U (FIG. 3) of the release tab  160  and between about {fraction (3/16)} and ¼ inch less than the width V (FIG. 3) of the stop opening  156 . Preferably, the length L (FIG. 6) of the projection  179  is greater than the height H of the upper chamber  111 A. 
     A plurality of holes  176 A are formed in the bottom panel  176 . A carrier layer  180  (e.g., formed of molded plastic) and a frangible foil layer  182  are adhered to the bottom panel  176 . The tray  170  is configured such that pills  184  may be removed from the holes  176 A upon tearing the foil  182 . 
     The carton assembly  100  may be used in the following manner. FIGS. 4-6 show the assembly  100  in its initial configuration wherein the tray  170  is in a stored position in the carton  110 . An insert portion of the locking flap  179  overlaps the rear edge  152  of the locking panel  150  and extends through the opening  151  and into the upper chamber  111 A between the locking panel  150  and the subpanel  130 . Preferably, the insert portion includes at least the locking projection  179 , and more preferably an additional portion of the locking flap  178 . The rear edge of the tray  170  as defined by the fold  178 A is spaced apart from the end panel  114  at least a distance M (FIG. 4) as discussed below. 
     The user may tear along the lines  110 B and  110 C and fold the end panel  114  down as shown in FIG.  2 . Alternatively or additionally, the user may tear along the lines  120 B and  120 C. The user may then grasp the tray  170 . Because the locking projection  179  is positioned between the panels  130  and  150 , the locking panel  150  prevents the user from further withdrawing the tray  170  from the carton  101 . 
     The user may push the tray  170  back into the carton  101  as shown in FIG. 7 to disengage the locking projection  179  from the locking panel  150 . The tray  170  is pushed back until the locking projection  179  is substantially fully withdrawn through the opening  151  (i.e., the locking projection  179  clears the rear edge  152 ). Preferably, the tray  170  must be pushed back a distance M (FIG. 4) of at least ¼ inch and, more preferably, between about ¼ and ½ inch. Preferably, as shown, the locking flap  178  does not clear the rear edge of the subpanel  130  when in the rearmost position. 
     The user may then press the release tab  160  such that it separates from the carton  101  along the line  162 , hingedly pivots about the fold line  110 A and engages the locking flap  178 . The release tab  160  thereby deflects the locking flap  178  about the fold  178 A as shown in FIG.  8 . By holding the locking flap  178  in the deflected position using the release tab  160 , the user may pull the tray  170  forwardly out from the carton  101  through the front opening. 
     After the locking projection  179  and the leading edge of the locking flap  178  clear the rear edge  152  of the locking panel  150 , the tray  170  may be slid forwardly as shown in FIG. 9 until the locking projection  179  is positioned adjacent the stop opening  156 . The locking panel  150  will maintain the locking flap  178  in a partially deflected position as shown and the properties of the material from which the tray  170  is formed will cause the locking flap  178  to be spring biased upwardly against the locking panel  150 . Upon reaching the opening  156 , the locking flap  178  is permitted to deflect upwardly such that the locking projection  179  extends through the opening  156 , over the edge  156 A and into the upper chamber  111 A between the panels  130  and  150 . In this manner, the opening  156  and the locking projection  179  cooperate to limit withdrawal of the tray  170  from the carton  101  to a fully extended position as shown in FIG.  10 . 
     The tray  170  may be returned to the stored position by simply pushing the tray  170  back into the carton  110 . Further attempts to withdraw the tray  170  without pressing the release tab  160  will cause a portion of the locking flap  178  to enter the chamber  111 A through the opening  151 , thereby resisting withdrawal. The tray  170  may again be withdrawn to the fully extended position by repeating the foregoing steps. 
     Various modifications may be made to the carton assembly  100  as desired. For example, the subpanel  130  may be omitted such that the upper chamber  111 A is defined directly between the locking panel  150  and the top panel  110 . The carton  101  may be formed from multiple pieces joined together by suitable means such as adhesive. Similarly, the integral panels  172 ,  174 ,  176  of the tray  170  may be replaced with multiple, joined pieces. The stop opening  156  may be provided in a further panel spaced apart form the locking panel  150 . Preferably, this further panel is also spaced apart from the subpanel. 
     With reference to FIG. 11, a carton assembly  200  is shown therein including a tray  270  and a carton  201 . The tray  270  corresponds to the tray  170  and the carton  201  corresponds to the carton  101 , except as follows. 
     The carton  201  may be formed from a blank  201 A as shown in FIG.  12 . The blank  201 A corresponds to the blank  101 A, except that the locking panel  250  is reduced in length and a separate stop panel  290  extends from the connecting panel  240  to the securing panel  242 . The locking panel  250 , the stop panel  290 , the connecting panel  240  and the securing panel  242  define a stop opening  292 . The locking panel  250  is joined to the connecting panel  240  along a fold line  240 B, and is joined to the securing panel  242  along a fold line  242 A. The stop panel is joined to the connecting panel  240  along a fold line  240 C, and is joined to the securing panel  242  along a fold line  242 B. The carton  201  may be formed from the blank  201 A by gluing and folding in the same manner as described above with respect to the blank  101 A and the carton  101 . 
     The locking flap  278  (FIG. 11) cooperates with the release tab  260  and the locking panel  240  in the same manner as described above with regard to the carton assembly  100 , to releasably and relockably secure the tray  270  in the stored position. When the tray  270  is released and pulled forwardly, the locking flap  278  will slide into a chamber  211 C defined between the stop panel  290  and the subpanel  230  such that the locking flap  278  overlaps the rear edge  291  of the stop panel  290 . In this manner, removal of the tray  270  from the carton  201  is limited. 
     With reference to FIG. 13, a carton assembly  300  is shown therein including a tray  370  and a carton  301 . The tray  370  corresponds to the tray  170  and the carton  301  corresponds to the carton  101 , except as follows. 
     The carton  301  may be formed from a blank  301 A, as shown in FIG.  14 . The blank  301 A corresponds to the blank  101 A, except as follows. The front edge  354  of the locking panel  350  is set back from the front edge of the subpanel  330  by an increased distance. A stop flap  394  is formed, in part, by cut lines  394 A in the subpanel  330  and a portion  397  extending forwardly beyond the front edge of the subpanel  330 . The stop flap  394  is connected to the subpanel  330  by a fold line  396 . The carton  301  may be assembled in the same manner by folding and gluing as described above with regard to assembly of the carton  301 , except that the stop flap  394  is folded downwardly and rearwardly into the carton  301  (i.e., toward the rear end of the carton  301 ). 
     In use, the locking flap  378  cooperates with the release tab  360  and the locking panel  350  in the same manner as described above, to releasably and relockably secure the tray  370  in the stored position. When the tray  370  is released and pulled forward, the locking flap  378  will slide between the stop panel  394  and the subpanel  330  in interlocking manner. In this manner, removal of the tray  370  from the carton  301  is limited. 
     The carton assemblies  100 ,  200 ,  300  may be modified to include one or more relatively rigid components. For example, the cartons  101 ,  201 ,  301  may be formed of a stiff plastic or metal with the release tabs  160 ,  260 ,  360  being hingedly connected to the remainder of the carton, for example, by a live hinge. Similarly, the trays  170 ,  270 ,  370  may be formed of a stiff material with the locking flaps  178 ,  278 ,  378  being hingedly connected to the bottom tray panels (e.g., the panel  176 ) such as by a live hinge. 
     The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.