Patent Publication Number: US-2005133397-A1

Title: Container and locking sleeve and method for locking a sleeve relative to a container

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention is a sleeve that covers a portion of a container and includes a tab for locking the sleeve relative to the container.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Cardboard, paperboard, corrugated and chipboard containers are well known. Sleeves that cover a portion of such containers are also known. Such sleeves sometimes include graphics and typically are held in place on containers by friction, tape or the like. Graphics are applied to containers in a variety of ways including printing graphics directly on the containers as well as printing graphics on paper that is adhered to the containers.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention is based on the discovery of an elegantly simple sleeve for use with a container. More specifically, the invention is concerned with such a sleeve including a locking tab and a method for locking the sleeve on a container that is provided with a tab window.  
      The sleeve includes a locking tab that can be integral with the sleeve and defined by a cut out in the sleeve or by scoring of the sleeve, for example. Alternatively, a tab according to the invention can be secured adhesively or otherwise to the sleeve. The sleeve is adapted to encircle a portion of a largely conventional container. The container can be a generic container in the sense that it might be used for several different products. A specific sleeve that, for example, has graphics that relate to one of those products or a group of those products can be used with the generic container and a second sleeve that, for example, has graphics that relate to a different product or group of products can also be used with the generic container. Different sleeves may be rotated on a seasonal basis, as well. The sleeve of the invention is held fast on the container by a locking tab.  
      The tab on a sleeve according to the present invention, in one embodiment, is movable between a biased position in which it will not interfere with movement of the sleeve along the outside of a container, and an extended position. In this embodiment, the tab can be manually moved to the biased position and the sleeve can be slid onto the container until the tab contacts an outside surface of the container. At that point, the outside surface of the container will keep the tab in the biased position even as the sleeve is slid further along the container. Co-action between the tab and an outside surface of the container keep the tab in the biased position, between the sleeve and the container, until the sleeve is removed from the container or the tab aligns with or registers with a tab window formed in the container. When the tab aligns with the tab window, it will move from the biased position to an extended position in which the tab, or a portion of the tab, extends into the tab window of the container and, by engagement with one or more edges that define the tab window in the container, the tab will prevent or restrict further movement of the sleeve relative to the container.  
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
      It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a sleeve that can be locked to a container by engagement between a locking tab on the sleeve and a tab window on the container.  
      It is a further object of the invention to provide a graphics sleeve that can be secured to a largely generic container so that sleeves with different graphics can be used with a single type of container.  
      These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the disclosure herein of preferred embodiments, reference being made to the attached drawing figures. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of a blank for forming a sleeve including a locking tab according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of a blank for forming a largely conventional container modified to include a tab window according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is perspective exploded view showing a sleeve formed from the blank of  FIG. 1  aligned with a container formed from the blank of  FIG. 2  for sliding of the sleeve onto the container.  
       FIG. 3A  is a view in perspective showing the sleeve of  FIG. 3  slipped over and engaged with the container of  FIG. 3   
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A , and showing the sleeve slipped over and engaged with the container. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring now in more detail to the drawing figures,  FIG. 1  shows a blank, indicated generally at  10 , for producing a sleeve according to the instant invention. The blank  10  comprises a first side panel  12 , a second side panel  14 , a third side panel  16 , an inner fourth side panel  18  and an outer fourth side panel  20 . A locking tab  22 , which is a part of the inner fourth side panel  18 , has three cut edges  24  and a fold line  26 . An arcuate protrusion  28  on one side of the tab  22  leaves a thumb/finger cut out which facilitates the operation and manipulation of the tab  22 , as is described in more detail below.  
      The blank  10  is folded along fold lines  30  to produce a sleeve  32 , which is shown in  FIG. 3 . The outer fourth side panel  20  (a portion of which is broken away in  FIG. 3 ) overlays the inner fourth side panel  18  and is secured thereto by adhesive, mechanical fasteners or other suitable means (not shown). In  FIG. 3 , the locking tab  22  has been folded downwardly about the fold line  26  from a neutral position shown in  FIG. 1  to what is subsequently herein called “a biased position”.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a blank indicated generally at  34  is used to form a container indicated generally at  36  in  FIG. 3 . So far as the present invention is concerned, a tab window, indicated at  38 , is the significant aspect of the container blank  34  and of the container  36 . Like many known containers, the container  36  has a first side panel  40 , a second side panel  42  ( FIG. 2 ), a third side panel  44  ( FIG. 2 ) and a fourth side panel  46 . The blank  34  for the particular container  36  further comprises a first inner end panel  48 , a second inner end panel  50 , a first outer end panel  52  and a second outer end panel  54 . The blank  34  also comprises various and sundry commonly known end tabs and edge tabs that do not relate to the present invention and will not be described further.  
      The tab window  38  is an opening that extends through the fourth side panel  46  of the blank  34  and of the container  36 . According to the invention, the tab window  38  is at least as large as, and, preferably, slightly larger than, the locking tab  22  of the blank  10  and on the container  36 . Preferably, the window  38  is slightly larger than the locking tab  22 . The sleeve  32  is sized, relative to the container  36 , so that an open end of the former can be positioned around a given end of the container  36  and slid along the outside of the container  36  towards the opposite the container  36 . Prior to or during the placement of the sleeve  32  around the container  36 , the locking tab  22  is manually folded about the fold line  26  to the biased position where it is adjacent the under side of the panel  18 , and extends away from the panel  12  from the fold line  26 . The tab  22  is held in the biased position as the sleeve  32  is slid toward the opposite end of the container  36  until the tab  22  engages the outside of the container and, specifically, the outside of the fourth side panel  46  in which the tab window  38  is formed. As the sleeve  32  is slid further toward the opposite end of the container  36 , the locking tab  22 , in the biased position, is held captive between the fourth side panel  46  and the inner surface of the fourth side panel  18  of the sleeve  22 . The locking tab  22  will thus be maintained and retained in the biased position until the tab  22  registers or is aligned with the tab window  38 . When this registration occurs, the locking tab  22  will enter the tab window  38  under its own bias which is imparted to the tab  22  when it is folded along the fold line  26  to the biased position. The material which forms the tab  22 , whether it is corrugated cardboard, cardboard, paperboard or some other packaging material, can be folded so that the tab  22  is in the biased position but the material will cause the tab  22  to move from the biased to a locking position when the tab isn&#39;t held or otherwise maintained in the biased position.  
      When the tab  22  registers with the tab window  38  and the tab  22  moves from the biased position (in which it is adjacent the under side of the fourth side panel  18 ) to the locking position, shown in  FIG. 4 , the tab  22  or a portion of it extends through the window  38  and into the interior of the container  36 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Engagement between the edges of the tab  22  of the sleeve  32  and the edges that define the tab window  38  in the container  36  prevent relative longitudinal movement between the sleeve  32  and the container  36  when the locking tab  22  is in the locking position. If necessary or desired, the tab  22  can be manually moved from the locking position to the biased position, where it no longer engages the edges that define the tab window  38 , thereby unlocking the sleeve  32  from the container  36  so that the sleeve  32  may be removed from the container  36 .  
      It will be appreciated that, so far as the function of a tab to lock a sleeve relative to a container is concerned, the position of the tab on the sleeve is a matter of choice, as is the position of a, tab window on the container, so long as the tab and the window register when the tab is in the biased position, and the sleeve and the container are in their desired relative positions. Although the tab  22  is illustrated in the drawing Figures as being carried on the panel  18 , it could function just as well if it was carried on the panel  12 , the panel  16  or the panel  14 . Primarily for aesthetic reasons, however, it is preferred that the tab be carried on an inner sleeve panel which is covered by another sleeve panel when the sleeve is assembled.  
      For purposes of the present invention, a container having at least three side panels, i.e., one that is polygonal in cross section, is suitable for use with a sleeve according to the invention. The sleeve should have a like number of side panels and be sized to fit, fairly snugly, over the side panels of the container. It will be appreciated that a single sleeve with a plurality of locking tabs might be used with a plurality of containers including tab windows and that the sleeve could be locked to any of the containers.  
      It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications are possible from the specific details of the invention shown in the attached drawing figures and described above with reference thereto, and can be made without departing from the spirit thereof as defined in the attached claims.