Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to rigid or semi-rigid cartons with zipper-type reclosable elements, particularly self-mating zippers. The cartons can be formed from blanks which have a self-mating zipper on the inside of the carton. Additionally, the zipper can be attached to a flexible film which is, in turn, attached to the package.

Description:
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/329,326, filed on Apr. 29, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     The present disclosure relates to rigid or semi-rigid cartons with zipper-type reclosable elements, particularly self-mating zippers. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The art of semi-rigid or rigid containers with a polymeric reclosable header has been developed. Manufacturing such a package typically requires two webs of film, or a single web folded lengthwise, with mated opposing zipper halves typically attached to the inside facing surfaces of the web. This flexible portion must be unfolded and wrapped around a box blank that has been folded and glued or otherwise sealed together at a lap seam. The box must be flattened in a specific way so that extra folds are made in the center of the two sides of the box, which is not typical of many other types of prior art box construction. 
     A prior art container is disclosed in application Ser. No. 12/922,537 entitled “Carton with Plastic Reclosable Header” filed by Howell et al. on Sep. 14, 2010. 
     Other prior art regarding similar containers includes those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,524,111 entitled “Rigid-Bottomed Resealable Bag with Handles”, issued on Apr. 28, 2009 to Williams; U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,716 entitled “Flexible Container Having Flat Walls”, issued on Apr. 24, 2007 to Buchanan; U.S. Pat. No. 7,160,029 entitled “Enclosure for Resealing a Package and Method Therefor”, issued on Jan. 9, 2007 to Bein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,422 entitled “Reclosable Packaging Bag and Method for Manufacturing Same”, issued on Jun. 21, 2005 to Ichikawa et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,512 entitled “Package and Merchandiser”, issued on Aug. 29, 2000 to Teasdale; U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,416 entitled “Procedure and Package to Enable Peg Display of Food Pouch in Tent-Style Paperboard Carton”, issued on May 16, 2000 to Teasdale et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,373 entitled “Zipper Closure with Unitary Adhesive Cover Sheet”, issued on Sep. 1, 1987 to Ausnit; and U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2005/0194386, entitled “Zipper Box Covers” published on Sep. 8, 2005 for Shai; and Japanese Patent No. 2002104511 entitled “Bag-in-Carton”, published on Apr. 10, 2002 for Makoto et al. 
     SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a rigid or semi-rigid carton with zipper-type reclosable elements, wherein the manufacturing process is simplified, typically including a reduction in the number of folds required in the rigid or semi-rigid carton. 
     This and other objects are attained by the present disclosure by attaching a self-mating zipper profile directly to the top edge of the carton while the carton is in its flat unfolded state. The zipper can be attached in segments or as a continuous strip. Alternatively, a strip of flexible film with an integral or attached self-mating zipper profile can be attached to the top edge of a box blank whereby the zipper profile is positioned above the box blank or rigid portion of the container. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further objects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the sealing together of opposite ends of the zipper or closure. 
         FIG. 4  is a partially exploded view showing the interlocking of opposite ends of the zipper or closure. 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the attachment of a continuous zipper strip to a series of box blanks that are configured side-to-side. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, one sees that  FIGS. 1 and 2  disclose blanks  10 ,  12 , respectively, with similar configurations of the rigid or semi-rigid portions. The blanks  10 ,  12  both include rigid or semi-rigid portions which are typically made from a single piece of paper, cardboard, fiberboard, chipboard, plastic or similar material. Blanks  10 ,  12  include front panel  14  and rear panel  16  (the “front” and “rear” characteristics are arbitrary and used with respect to the illustrated embodiments) which are separated by first gusset (or panel)  18  which includes first front gusset wall  20  and first rear gusset wall  22  separated by first gusset fold  24 . Likewise, front panel  14  is joined to first front gusset wall  20  by first front fold  26  and rear panel  16  is joined to first rear gusset wall  22  by first rear fold  28 . Likewise, second gusset (or panel)  30  includes second rear gusset wall  32  and second front gusset wall  34 , separated by second gusset fold  36  with second front gusset wall  34  joined to front panel  14  by second front fold  38 . Tab  42  is joined to rear panel  16  by second rear fold  44 , and includes a notch  43  to prevent interference with closure  70 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , tab  42  is used to overlap and join to the distal edge  46  of second rear gusset wall  32  thereby forming the resulting container, with a resulting storage volume. In some embodiments, tab  42  may extend from or be incorporated into second gusset (or panel)  30 . In some embodiments, the first and second panels  18  do not include the gusset structure and therefore do not include first and second gusset folds  24 ,  36 . 
     Lower horizontal fold  50  extends across the blanks  10 ,  12 , perpendicular to folds  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  36 ,  38  and  44 , thereby defining second rear gusset wall floor panel  52 , second front gusset wall floor panel  54 , front panel floor panel  56 , first front gusset wall floor panel  58 , first rear gusset wall floor panel  60  and rear panel floor panel  62 . First front gusset wall floor panel  58  and first rear gusset wall floor panel  60  are joined by an extension of first gusset fold  24 . Similarly, second front gusset wall floor panel  54  is joined to second rear gusset wall floor panel  56  by an extension of second gusset fold  36 . Typically, the front panel floor panel  56  and the rear panel floor panel  62  have inclined lateral walls,  57 ,  63 , respectively. Similarly, the combination of first front and rear floor panels  58 ,  60  and of second front and rear floor panels  52 ,  54  have inclined lateral walls  64 ,  66 , respectively. Other designs of the various floor panels may be used for different applications. Typically, after the tab  42  has been overlapped and joined to the distal edge of second rear gusset wall  32 , thereby forming the storage volume of the container, floor tabs  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58 ,  60  and  62  are folded inwardly and glued with adhesive or otherwise secured to form the floor of the resulting package. 
     The blank  10  shown in  FIG. 1  includes a closure  70 , such as, but not limited to, a self-mating zipper profile in a continuous one-piece configuration, attached to what will be the interior of the resulting package, and is typically supplied as a single strip of zipper profile. Therefore, when the package is formed, the closure or self-mating zipper profile  70  will engage against itself around the upper interior perimeter of the package. A self-mating zipper profile is one that, when folded back upon itself, or when two identical segments are put in opposition, can be pressed together and engage in a way that typical dissimilar zipper halves are mated together. The locking members can take a variety of shapes, typically including multiple tracks, but can include such configurations as a series of posts with hooks (males), a series of U-shaped members with hooks (females), a field of mushrooms (Aplix), or hook and loop (Velcro). Closure or self-mating zipper profile  70  may extend beyond the edges of the blank  10  in order to provide material that can overlap at the opposite end of closure or zipper profile  70  in order to create a lap seal. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the opposite ends  71 ,  73  of closure or zipper profile  70  may be interlocked and/or sealed together during formation of the package. 
     Similarly, the blank  12  shown in  FIG. 2  includes a strip of flexible, typically polymeric, film  72  attached to the top edge of the blank  10 . Film  72  may be attached on either side of blank  12 , so that film  72  may be attached to the interior or exterior of the resulting package. Film  72  includes an integral or attached closure  70 , such as, but not limited to, a self-mating zipper profile in a continuous one-piece configuration, above the rigid portion of the blank  12 , which will be on the interior of the strip of film  72  when the package is formed, so that the self-mating zipper profile, typically provided as a single piece, will be around the interior perimeter of package and will be able to engage with itself. Film  72  may extend beyond the edges of the blank  12  in order to provide material that can overlap at the opposite end of film  72  in order to create a lap seal. 
     Once the closure (or zipper)  70 , or film portion  72 , is attached to the blank  10  or  12 , the container can be folded to construct a box shape. The top can be sealed closed, or the bottom folded and sealed closed. Additionally, the top edge of blank  10  or  12  can be sealed closed if provision has been made for web flanges above the closure or zipper  70 . Depending on the package style, the package can be filled through the bottom, through the opened closure or zipper  70 , or by leaving a portion of the closure or zipper  70  unattached and filling between the closure or zipper  70  and one of the blank walls, and subsequently sealing the unattached portion of the closure or zipper  70  to the blank wall. 
     Additionally,  FIG. 5  illustrates how a continuous zipper strip  70  (or closure strip) can be attached to a series of blanks  10  that are connected side-by-side. 
     This design greatly simplifies the manufacturing process and allows the zipper to be attached while the blank is in its flat unfolded state. This construction also allows for the possibility of forming a gusset in the flexible portion of the package to match the side walls of the rigid portion. 
     Thus the several aforementioned objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.