Abstract:
A carton is provided for containing brick-shaped containers which has a dispenser in the top permitting the removal of any of the containers while maintaining the structural integrity of the carton through the provision of either a top gusset or middle gusset spanning each end of the carton. The top of the carton serves as a dispenser when the dispenser flap is removed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/437,121 filed May 13, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,981,631, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to cartons for brick-shaped containers, such as Tetra Pak®, that has a dispenser in the top for the removal of the containers, but permits the carton to remain intact as a package. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Brick-shaped containers made of paperboard and plastic composites for containing drinks have become popular in recent years. One of the popular brands of such containers is Tetra Pak®. These brick-shaped containers with product are sometimes sold as a single package. A number of these containers can be packaged together in plastic wrap. The plastic wrap is destroyed when the package is opened. Paperboard cartons can be used for containing these brick-shaped containers, but they are also destroyed as a package when they are opened to remove one or more containers. It would be desirable to have a package that could be torn open to allow the removal of one or more containers, but would still function as a package for the containers that are not removed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser for a carton for containing brick-shaped containers to allow the removal of one or more containers without destroying the utility of the carton containing the unremoved containers. 
     The objects of this invention are achieved by providing a carton for the dispenser that can be torn from the top panel and which has gussets at the top or middle of the carton for holding the two side panels together when the dispenser is torn open. This carton permits the removal of one or more containers, but it will still function as a carton for containing the unremoved containers. The top or middle gusset holds the side panels of the carton together forming a secure package even after the removal of the top dispenser flap. The top gusset is simply attached by fold lines to the two side panels by a side gusset on each side. The middle gusset is attached by a tuck-in gusset which is attached to a side gusset which in turn is attached to the middle of each side panel. This permits the middle gusset to span the end wall of the carton near its middle. 
     The carton of this invention can be held together either by locks or glue on the bottom flaps. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of the blank for containing brick-shaped containers that has a dispenser in the top and: a top gusset that spans each end of the carton connecting the side panels together. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a carton drawn from the blank of  FIG. 1  and loaded with containers. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bottom of the carton of  FIG. 2  that has been formed from the blank of  FIG. 1  and locked. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the blank for forming a carton for containing brick-shaped containers that has a dispenser in the top and a gusset in the middle of each end of the carton for holding the side panels together. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the carton formed from the blank of  FIG. 4  and loaded with containers. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the top of the carton of  FIG. 2  in which the dispenser top has been removed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is intended primarily for use with brick-shaped packages, such as Tetra Pak®, that contain various types of drinks. The brick-shaped containers are constructed of a composite of paperboard and plastic and designed to have a long shelf life without refrigeration. 
     The blank for forming the carton of this invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . This blank  10  is designed to contain ten brick-shaped containers C in two rows of five each. The blank  10  is formed from a foldable sheet of material, such as paperboard. The blank  10  has a bottom flap  12 , which is foldably connected to side panel  14  by fold line  16  and in turn connected to top panel  18  by fold line  20 . Top panel  18  is connected to side panel  22  by fold line  24 , which in turn is connected to bottom flap  26  by fold line  28 . A dispenser flap  30  occupies nearly all of the top panel  18 . The dispenser flap  30  can be torn from the carton along tear line  32  to form a dispenser in the top of the carton. 
     It should be understood that bottom flaps  12  and  26  can be glued together. However, in this embodiment, a locking system is used which includes both a primary locking system and a secondary locking system. The primary locking system is a locking arrangement between primary male locks  34 A-D formed along fold line  36  in bottom flap  26  and primary female openings  38 A-D in bottom flap  12 . The primary male locks  34 A-D are hooked over primary female ledges  40 A-D in the locking of the carton. As it is important to tighten the carton tightly about the containers, primary female openings  38 A-D also serve as tightening apertures, which allow mechanical tightening fingers to enter and tighten the carton during forming. 
     The primary locks connect the ends of the carton together via the flaps, while the secondary locks function to main the engaged flaps in place in order to provide a “backup” locking system to prevent the primary locks from separating. 
     The secondary locking system consists of secondary male locks  42 A-D formed as an extension of bottom flap  26 . Secondary female openings  44 A-D secure the secondary male locks  42 A-D when they are inserted into the respective secondary female openings  44 A-D. 
     It will be noticed that each pair of primary and secondary locks are aligned longitudinally, i.e., the length of the blank. This carton provides a locking system that is more secure because there are both primary and secondary locks. While the primary locks connect the ends of the carton together, the secondary locks keep the primary locks engaged. 
     The carton of this invention has a top gusset  46  that spans one end of the carton. Top gusset  46  is connected to top panel  18  by fold line  48  and is connected to side gusset  50  by fold line  24  and side gusset  52  by fold line  20 . Side gussets  50  and  52  serve to hold the top gusset  46  in proper position across the top end of the carton. Fold line  54  may be provided in each side gusset  50  and  52  to facilitate folding the gussets into proper position. Apertures  56  may be provided to facilitate folding. The other end of the carton likewise has a top gusset  58  connected to top panel  18  by fold line  60 . Top gusset  58  is connected to side gusset  62  and  64  by fold lines  20  and  24  respectively. 
     The carton of this invention is formed from the blank of  FIG. 1  by moving the top panel along with the dispensing flap  30  over the containers C. The blank  10  can is pulled tight about the containers C and bottom flap  12  and bottom flap  26  are overlapped with bottom flap  26  being on the outside. Primary male locks  34 A-D are punched inwardly into primary female openings  38 A-D and are locked on primary female ledges  40 A-D. The secondary male locks  42 A-D are pushed inwardly into secondary female openings  44 A-D. 
     In the process of folding side panels  14  and  22  downwardly, side gussets  50 ,  52 ,  62  and  64  are folded inwardly along with top gussets  46  and  58  so that the top gusset  46  and  58  span the end of a carton between the side panels  14  and  12  at the top. 
     The carton loaded with containers is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . This carton can be opened by tearing tear line  32  and removing dispenser flap  30 . The opened carton with containers C is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Even though nearly the entire top panel  18  is removed, the carton is held together by the top gussets  46  and  58  and side gussets  50 ,  52 ,  62  and  64  at each end of the carton, thus providing a package for the containers that are not removed. 
     The primary and secondary locking systems of the present embodiment are illustrated in  FIG. 3 , which shows the bottom of the carton locked. 
     The blank for forming of a carton with the middle gusset is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . This blank  110  has a bottom flap  112  that is connected to side panel  114  by fold line  116 , which is connected to dispenser flap  120  which encompasses the entire top along tear line  122 , which in turn is connected opposite side panel  124  by tear line  126 . Side panel  124  is connected to bottom flap  128  by fold line  130 . This carton has the same locking systems as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . It has a primary locking system with primary male locks  132 A-D formed in bottom flap  128  and primary female openings  134 A-D formed in bottom flap  112 . Secondary male locks  138 A-D are an extension of bottom flap  128  and are locked into secondary female openings  140 A-D in bottom flap  112 . These locks function in the same way as the locks described in connection with  FIG. 1 . 
     The blank  110  illustrated in  FIG. 4  has a middle gusset  142  on one end of the carton that is foldably attached to tuck-in gusset  144  by fold line  146 , which in turn is connected to side gusset  148  by fold line  150  which in turn is connected to side panel  114  by fold line  152 . Middle gusset  142  is connected to tuck-in gusset  154  by fold line  156 , which in turn is connected to side gusset  158  by fold line  160  which in turn is connected to side panel  124  by fold line  162 . The other end of the carton has a middle gusset  164  which is connected to tuck-in gusset  166  by fold line  168  which in turn is connected to side gusset  170  by fold line  172  which in turn is connected to side panel  124  by fold line  174 . Middle gusset  164  is connected to tuck-in gusset  176  by fold line  178  which in turn is connected to side gusset  180  by fold line  182  and in turn connected to side panel  114  by fold line  184 . Dispenser flap  120  can be removed by pulling on either tear tab  186  on each end of the carton. The middle gussets  142  and  164  are separated from dispenser flap  120  by cut lines  190  and  188 , respectively. 
     This carton is formed about containers and locked in the same way as the carton is formed from the blank shown in  FIG. 1 . A carton formed from the blank illustrated in  FIG. 4  is shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     However, the middle gussets  142  and  164  of this embodiment span the end of the carton near its center. Tuck-in gussets  144 ,  154 ,  166 ,  176  and side gussets  148 ,  158 ,  170  and  180  are folded inwardly in the process of erecting this carton so that they rest between the inside of the side panels  124  and  114  and the containers therein. This results in holding middle gussets  142  and  164  tightly against the ends of the carton and prevents the containers from falling out when the dispensing flap  120  has been removed. 
     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. 
     UNIQUE FEATURES OF THIS INVENTION 
     An important unique feature of this invention is that this carton provides a dispenser with easy access to all the containers contained in the carton, but preserves the integrity of the carton in holding containers through the provision of either a top gusset or middle gusset across each end of the carton which holds the containers in place in the carton and holds the carton together.