Abstract:
A carton with a new type of dispenser that is placed midway between the ends of the carton adjacent a fold line between the top panel and adjoining side panel. The dispenser is designed so that it is slightly larger than the diameter of the bottom ends of from two to three containers. Said dispenser may have a push tab or starting flap to aid in commencing tearing the dispenser flap open. A coupon may be located on the inside or outside of the dispenser flap.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. utility application entitled, “Carton With Top Dispensing Feature,” having Ser. No. 10/360,232, filed Feb. 6, 2003, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates generally to an enclosed paperboard carton capable of enclosing cylindrical containers, such as bottles, with a top of a smaller diameter than the bottom, which carton has a unique opening and dispensing feature in the top panel which allows the containers to be removed or dispensed one at a time by grasping the top of the container and pulling it through the opening. The opening is located approximately equidistance between the ends of the carton adjacent to a fold line between the top panel and an adjacent side panel. The opening is closed by a dispensing flap that is tightly attached to the carton by a resistant tear line. A push tab may be provided to commence tearing the dispensing flap open. Containers are dispensed from this carton while the carton is resting on a side panel adjacent to the dispenser in the top panel. The dispenser may have an opening large enough to expose from two to three bottles to facilitate easy removal of the bottles from the carton.  
         [0004]     2. Background  
         [0005]     Fully enclosed cartons capable of enclosing containers have been used in the past that have a feature for dispensing the containers one at a time. Dispensers have been provided at various locations within these cartons depending on the design. Many of these dispensers suffer from the disadvantage that once open, they allow all of the containers to roll out. In addition, it is difficult to carry one of these cartons without the containers falling out once the dispenser has been opened. Most of these dispensers have been designed for dispensing cans or bottles which have cylindrical tops and bottoms of substantially the same size and configuration. These dispensers are often not suitable for dispensing bottles that have a neck of smaller diameter than the body of the bottle.  
         [0006]     Many of these dispensers destroy the overall carton integrity once they have been opened.  
         [0007]     Many of these dispensers do not have any means for the easy opening of the dispenser for dispensing the containers inside the carton one at a time. Furthermore, many dispensers are not set up so that the containers inside the carton roll into the position for dispensing once a container has been removed from the dispenser.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     This invention relates to an enclosed carton for carrying bottles that has a unique dispenser or opening in the top panel of the carton midway between two ends of the carton. The blank for this carton is generally rectangular and has a bottom panel, top panel, two side panels and two ends. The carton is foldably constructed from a blank having panels and flaps. The dispenser or opening is formed in the top panel midway between the two ends of the carton adjacent a fold line between the top panel and side panel. A tear line is provided which defines the dispenser flap in the top panel. After the dispenser flap has been removed, the dispenser opening may be designed to expose from two to three bottles for removal. The unique dispenser of this invention is designed to be used with bottles that have a neck and bottle cap of smaller diameters than the main body of the bottle.  
         [0009]     One embodiment of this invention has a dispenser opening which exposes two bottles. The dispenser opening is located approximately midway between the ends of the carton adjacent to a fold line between the top panel and side panel. Part of a dispenser flap may extend into the adjacent side panel. A push tab may be provided between two V fold lines adjacent to the dispenser flap in the side panel so a person can push the push tab in and grab the dispenser flap for removal. If desired, this carton may be provided with twin dispensers in the top panel with each located along a fold line adjacent to a side panel.  
         [0010]     Another embodiment of this invention involves a dispenser that when open exposes three bottles for removal. It may also have V fold lines in the adjacent side panel with tabs that can be pushed in so a person can grasp the dispenser flap for removal. A starting tab may also be provided in the top panel that may be pushed in so that the dispensing flap can be grabbed for easy removal.  
         [0011]     While both of these embodiment have the dispenser located in the top panel the carton is placed for dispensing bottles so that it rests on the side panel immediately adjacent to the dispenser for easy removal of the bottles which lie on their sides on this side panel and automatically drop down towards the dispenser for easy removal. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a blank from which a carton according to one embodiment of this invention is formed.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a carton made from the blank of  FIG. 1  which has been loaded with bottles showing both dispenser openings.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the carton with a dispenser flap having been removed exposing one dispenser opening with the carton resting on the side panel adjacent the open dispenser opening.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of a blank from which a carton according to another embodiment of this invention is formed.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the top of the carton loaded with bottles with the carton resting on the side panel adjacent the dispenser opening showing the bottles in a position to be removed.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]     The carton of the present invention is intended primarily for use with bottles which have a top with a smaller diameter than the bottom. It is especially designed to carry PET bottles.  FIG. 1  is a plan view of a blank for forming one embodiment of this invention which has two dispensers in the top panel approximately of equidistance between the ends, with each dispenser being adjacent to a fold line between the top panel and a side panel. The carton formed from this blank is designed to hold 24 bottles. The blank  10  of  FIG. 1  is formed from a foldably sheet material, such as paperboard. The blank  10  has a glue flap  12  which is attached to the bottom panel  14  by fold line  16 . Bottom end flaps  18  and  22  are attached to bottom panel  14  by fold lines  20  and  24  respectively. Bottom panel  14  is attached to side panel  26  by fold line  28 . Side panel  26  is attached to side end flaps  30  and  34  by fold lines  32  and  36  respectively. Side panel  26  is attached to top panel  38  by fold line  40 . Top panel  38  is attached to top end flaps  42  and  46  by fold lines  44  and  48  respectively. Side panel  50  is attached to top panel  38  by fold line  52 . Side panel  50  is attached to side end flaps  54  and  58  by fold lines  56  and  60  respectively.  
         [0019]     This carton may be provided with handles  62 A and  62 B formed in top end flaps  42  and  46  respectively. The handles  62 A and  62 B may have handle flaps  64 A and  64 B. As this handle has a two ply structure, two handle cutouts  66 A-B are provided so that a person&#39;s hand can be extended through handle  62 A and handle cut outs  66 A-B to lift one end of the carton. On the other end the hand is extended through handle  62 B and handle cut outs  66 C-D. On both ends two plys of paperboard are supporting the handle.  
         [0020]     Twin dispensers  67 A and  67 B are formed largely in top panel  38  along fold lines  40  and  52  respectively. These dispensers  67 A and  67 B are formed at the midpoint between fold lines  44  and  48 . These dispensers  67 A and  67 B are formed by resistant tear lines  68 A and  68 B respectively. These tear lines  68 A and  68 B run parallel to fold lines  40  and  52  for distance approximately equal to the diameter of two bottles to be contained in the carton formed from the blank. Tear lines  68 A and  68 B extend inwardly into top panel  38  a distance that is approximately equal to the diameter of a bottle to be contained in the carton formed from the blank of  FIG. 1 . Tear lines  68 A and  68 B are parallel to fold line  40  and fold line  52  respectively for distance equal to approximately the diameter of two bottles. These tear lines  68 A and  68 B then turn at each end and converge towards each other and extend through fold lines  40  and  52  into side panels  26  and  50  respectively until they meet V fold lines  69 A and  69 B at the top of each V. V fold lines  69 A and  69 B are foldably attached to push tabs  71 A and  71 B which are located inside the V and are separated by cut lines  73 A and  73 B extending from the bottom of V fold lines  69 A and  69 B respectively. A cut line  75 A and  75 B separates the push tabs  71 A and  71 B from the dispenser flap  78 A and  78 B respectively.  
         [0021]     It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the carton of the present invention is generally symmetrical about a horizontal line of bisection, as viewed when  FIG. 1  is rotated lengthwise. This symmetry aids in the efficient production of the present carton.  
         [0022]     In forming this blank  10  into a carton, the carton is formed into a sleeve with glue flap  12  being glued to side panel  50 . Bottles B having a top portion of a smaller diameter than the bottom portion can be loaded into the carton with the bottle cap C and bottle neck N being adjacent to the top panel  38 . The various end flaps  18 ,  22 ,  30 ,  34 ,  42 ,  46 ,  54 , and  58  can be glued together to finish the formation of the loaded carton.  
         [0023]     It should be realized that this carton could be held together by conventional mechanical locks formed in the blank rather than glue.  
         [0024]     The carton loaded with bottles is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . It will be noted from  FIG. 3  that the bottle B has a smaller neck N than bottom. The bottle has a cap C near the top. The bottles are loaded into the carton so that their bottoms rest on bottom panel  14 .  
         [0025]     The dispenser flap  78 A or  78 B can be opened by pushing push tabs  71 A or  71 B in and grasping the end of dispenser flap  78 A or  78 B along cut line  75 A or  75 B and commence pulling the dispenser flap  78 A or  78 B shown in  FIG. 2 , to remove a selected flap and provide access to the bottles within the carton.  
         [0026]     It should be realized that while  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show two dispensers, the carton can easily be constructed with a single dispenser.  
         [0027]     Once a dispenser flap  78 A or  78 B has been removed the carton can be rotated 90 degrees so that it rests on the side panel adjacent to the dispenser opening  84 A (not shown) or  84 B, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The bottles can be pulled from the dispenser opening  84 B one at a time. Other bottles will automatically drop into position for being dispensed since the bottles are lying on their sides. Locating the dispenser midway between the ends of the carton prevents bottles from hanging up in the carton during dispensing. It will be observed that the bottles B are placed in the carton with their longitudinal axes normal to top panel  38  and bottom panel  14  with the cap C of the bottle being adjacent to the top panel  38 . The dispenser opening  84 B is placed near the midpoint between fold lines  44  and  48  so that bottles tend to drop towards the dispenser opening  84 B. The dispenser opening  84 B extends into side panel  50  in order to facilitate having push tabs  71 B to open the dispensing flap  78 B and also to provide a large enough dispenser opening  84 B to ensure easy removal of the bottles from the dispenser opening  84 B. The exact size and configuration of the dispensing opening  84 B is dependent upon the size and configuration of the bottles. Whether the dispensing opening  84 B needs to extend into side wall  50  or is formed exclusively in top panel  38  is dependent upon the size, configuration of the bottles B and the size of the dispenser opening  84 B in top panel  38 . Putting the dispenser in the top panel permits the carton to be carried by the handles when the dispenser is open.  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of a blank from which a carton according to another embodiment of this invention is formed which is identical to the plan view of  FIG. 1  except for the number, location and configuration of the dispenser. The carton formed from this blank is also designed to hold 24 bottles. The blank illustrated in  FIG. 4  has the same numbers for the blank except for the dispenser, and the carton is folded and loaded with bottles and glued in the same manner as the carton formed from the blank illustrated in  FIG. 1 . This dispenser  67 C is formed by a resistant tear line  68 C in top panel  38  near tear fold line  40 . It will be noted that resistant tear line  68 C extends along a portion of fold line  40 . It will be noticed that dispensing flap  78 C is located approximately at the mid point between fold lines  44  and  48 .  
         [0029]     The dispensing flap  78 C is provided with a starting tab  81  which is connected to the top panel  38  by fold line  83  and connected to dispensing flap  78 C by tear line  85 . V fold lines  87  are provided in side panel  26  between which are formed two push tabs  89  separated by a cut line  91 . Tear line  68 C extends along push tabs  89 . These two push tabs  89  along with starting tab  81  can be pushed inwardly to remove dispensing flap  78 C exposing dispenser opening  84 C as shown in  FIG. 5  when the carton is resting on side panel  26 . The dispensing flap  78 C can have both, or either, the push tabs  89  and starting tab  81  to aid in opening the dispensing flap  78 C. The dispenser opening  84 C exposes three bottles for removal one at a time from the carton since the dispenser opening  84 C is located midway between the ends of the carton bottles automatically drop into a position adjacent the dispenser opening.  
         [0030]     Cartons for holding 12 to 24 bottles, can be designed on the basis of either of these embodiments.  
         [0031]     It should be realized that an identical dispenser can be placed along fold line  40  and top panel  38  if desired. As the bottles are removed from the dispenser opening  84 C other bottles in the carton roll into position to be removed.  
         [0032]     A coupon can be easily attached to the inside or outside of the dispensing flap for the convenience of the consumer. A coupon can be attached to the inside of the dispensing flap to prevent its removal without the removal of the dispensing flap.  
         [0033]     While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the following claims.