Abstract:
The present invention concerns a carton for holding granular or other products in a bag. The carton comprises a substantially rectangular sleeve having front, rear and side panels ( 1, 2, 3 ). The front and rear panels have flaps ( 21, 22 ) which resiliently engage within a channel ( 20 ) formed when the side panels ( 3 ) are deformed inwardly along crease patterns ( 5 ), the resulting inter-engagement of components holding the top of the carton securely together. A bag is secured and sealed internally of the carton by being located under one of the flaps ( 22 ) which is biased to clamp the bag.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/GB2003/004825. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a carton for holding products such as cereal. There are many types of carton and each one must be carefully designed and prepared for its particular application. Cartons are usually made up from a blank, which can be made from a planar material such as cardboard or a malleable plastic for example acetate.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     Conventionally, cereals and other dry granular or grain-like products are sold, for example, by establishments such as supermarkets and high street retail outlets in standard rectangular shaped cardboard cartons where the product inside the carton is contained in a sealed air-tight bag.  
         [0006]     The carton usually contains numerous servings. In a household, servings are dispensed over a period of time from the initial opening of the carton, the remainder of the pack being put away until the next time the product is desired. For example a carton containing  12  servings may last a family  2  weeks during which the carton is opened and closed several times.  
         [0007]     In order to re-close such cartons, they typically have a pair of opposing lid flaps, provided with a tab and opposing slot arrangement. After an initial opening, the tab on one of the flaps can be slid into the slot provided in the other flap to engage the two together and close the top of the carton.  
         [0008]     Many families eat cereal for breakfast such that very high volumes of such cartons are produced. For this reason (and for hygiene) it is common for these cartons to be automatically packed on a machine packing line. It is also for this reason that the cartons tend to be purchased by the cereal manufacturer at very economical prices and have been designed to use the minimum of raw material possible.  
         [0009]     Machine packing lines are designed to run large volumes of products often working on a 24 hour basis. It is unusual for the cereal manufacturers or their engineers to want to adjust the machines to accommodate different styles or constructions and many machine packing lines are designed to accept only one size and style of carton. In this connection, it is common to see different surface print designs of cartons.  
         [0010]     There are several disadvantages associated with the typical cardboard cereal carton. Firstly, the re-closing mechanism on the carton tends not to work particularly well as the tab and slot engage only to a limited extent. The demand for economy in the carton does not in this regard however allow for additional material to be utilised to make a satisfactory closure mechanism.  
         [0011]     Secondly, the bag (which holds the cereal) is not securely held closed within the carton once opened and tends to unravel itself and leave the contents open to the environment. Consequently there is degradation in the quality of the product with regard to freshness. For example, a cereal will lose its “crispness”. This will happen after the carton has been opened and is being stored in the kitchen cupboard, which is not an airtight location.  
         [0012]     A third disadvantage is a result of the combination of the previously mentioned two problems. If the carton is knocked over, for example whilst on the breakfast table, it is likely that the product will fall out. The current designs are not generally “spill-proof”.  
         [0013]     It is recognised by the breakfast cereal industry that a better re-closure of the carton and the bag is high on the list of consumer requirements.  
         [0014]     There have been various attempts to create a better re-closure on a standard cereal carton. For example U.S. Pat. No. 2,789,751 discloses a re-closable carton for packaging breakfast foods, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,345,486 discloses another re-closable carton for packaging breakfast foods. Both of these packs use a “tab and slot” arrangement to re-close the pack. A disadvantage of such tab and slot arrangements is that once the tab is entered into the slot and then subsequently removed, the closure tends to fail on further use. This is because any minimal wear or damage to the tab or slot stops it performing.  
         [0015]     Another disadvantage of such arrangements is that the closure mechanism covers up a certain amount of decoration area that can be printed on the surface of the pack. This area is viewed as valuable for advertising and a further disadvantage of the tab and slot closure arrangement is that a slot hole has to be cut into the advertising area.  
         [0016]     Moreover, cuts and slots in various areas are disadvantageous to the strength and integrity of the carton. Cuts and slots in the outside of packs are furthermore not desirable to retailers and manufacturers because they are not “tamper-evident”.  
         [0017]     U.S. Pat. No. 2,178,730 discloses a carton having a top which is formed of two top flaps which each extend across the whole of the top of the carton. To re-close the carton, this top has to be cut along three sides of the carton and then folded into the interior, with the side panels having been deformed inwardly. The requirement of cutting the top flap is burdensome on the user. Moreover, the carton requires relatively large amounts of material in its manufacture, since the top flaps must span the entire top of the carton.  
         [0018]     EP0 639 512 discloses a carton having top flaps which fold into the interior of the carton, the carton sides being collapsible inwardly to create a recess in the top of the carton into which the flaps are directed, the inserted flaps being biassed against one another to prevent them coming out of the recess. The top flaps of this carton are cut away at their sides to prevent the flaps being distorted as they enter the recess. This arrangement however suffers from the problem that repeated use of the carton rapidly reduces the effectiveness of the re-closure mechanism, in that once inserted into and then removed from the recess the flaps lose their resiliency. It is this resiliency which biasses the flaps against one another and thereby holds the carton in a closed position.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     The present invention seeks to provide a carton that can overcome the aforementioned disadvantages. Whilst this style of construction is perfectly suited to the current market for cereal packaging there are various other end uses for which it is suited.  
         [0020]     According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reclosable carton comprising front, rear and side panels; the side panels being configured to deform when the front and rear panels are brought together, such that one or more holding areas are created between an inside face of a side panel and an inside face of one of the front or rear panels, the one or more holding areas having an increased holding effect as the front and rear panels are brought closer together, wherein the front and rear panels are each provided with a flap at a top portion thereof, and wherein in a reclosure operation, the front and rear panels are movable together and the front and rear panel flaps are positionable in a common one of said holding areas; at least one of said front and rear panel flaps having an interference fit with said common holding area.  
         [0021]     In this way, a re-closure mechanism is formed from the engagement of the front and rear panel flaps in a holding area formed between one of the front and rear panel flaps and the deformed side panels. In this regard, the front and rear panel flaps may be resiliently biased against being folded into the interior of the carton. Hence, when inserted into the channel the front and rear panel flaps are urged against one another, increasing the friction there-between and thereby enhancing the security of the re-closure mechanism.  
         [0022]     Preferably, the side panels are configured to deform inwardly, such that the reclosure mechanism is provided inwardly of the carton.  
         [0023]     The one or more holding areas may further each comprise a deformed side panel flap folded into the interior of the carton. This assists in enhancing the holding action of the holding area on the front and rear panel flaps.  
         [0024]     The interference fit of the at least one of the front and rear panel flaps with the holding areas can be provided where its edges engage with the one or more holding areas.  
         [0025]     In this respect, the at least one of the front and rear panel flaps has substantially the same width as a width of the panel from which it extends.  
         [0026]     This said, the at least one of the front and rear panel flaps can be provided with a slight taper to gradually increase the extent of interference fit and hence holding action of the holding areas as it is introduced into the holding areas.  
         [0027]     The at least one of the front and rear panel flaps may have a line of weakness across its width, extending parallel with a top edge of said panel from which it is provided. This line of weakness allows the flap to be folded for its facilitating insertion.  
         [0028]     Conveniently, said flaps are foldable into the interior of the carton to thereby form, in association with the front, rear and side panels, two internal compartments at the top of the carton, the flaps being biased against one another when folded into the interior of the carton to thereby promote resistance to the flaps being removed from the top of the carton.  
         [0029]     The internal compartments have two main functions. The function of a smaller one of the compartments is to hold an open liner bag closed. The function of both compartments is to generally seal the internal environment of the carton. In closing both the bag and the carton, air is prevented from reaching the product and hence the product retains its freshness for a longer period.  
         [0030]     The carton may comprise a substantially rectangular tube.  
         [0031]     Conveniently, the side panels of the carton are each provided with a score pattern extending downwardly from their top. The score pattern may in this regard comprise a vertical score line extending downwardly from the top of the carton substantially parallel with the vertical sides of the side panel, and a substantially triangular score line whose top apex connects with the vertical score line, the remaining corners of the triangular score line terminating at the vertical sides of the side panel. The substantially triangular score line may comprise arcuate sides.  
         [0032]     When folded into the interior of the carton, the side panel flaps promote the overall stiffness of the top of the carton, and also additionally urge the respective components into inter-engagement thereby increasing the friction within the closure arrangement and further increasing the resistance to the flaps becoming released from the top of the carton.  
         [0033]     The side panel flaps can be provided with a score pattern which overlies that of the side panels when folded into the interior of the carton against the inside surface of the side panel.  
         [0034]     The present invention further comprises a reclosable carton comprising front and rear panels connected by side panels, the front and rear panels having flaps at their top portions; wherein an upper portion of each side panel is formed to be deformable from an open position of the carton to a closed position of the carton against an opening force, the side panels in the closed position defining a holding channel together with one of the front and rear panel flaps; and wherein the other of the front and rear panel flaps is insertable into the channel and engages the said one of the front and rear panel flaps, the flaps being biassed into engagement with one another and further being held within the holding channel through a clamping action of the channel on edge portions of the flaps.  
         [0035]     Conveniently, the carton has means for affixing a surface of a liner bag in position at or adjacent said first one of said front and rear panel flaps.  
         [0036]     According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a blank for use in forming a carton comprising:- front and rear panels, and a pair of side panels; wherein the front and rear panels are each provided with a flap at a top end thereof, the side panels having a score pattern enabling the side panels to deform to form a channel with one of said front and rear panel flaps, when folded into the interior of the carton, the other of the front and rear panel flaps being configured to be clamped at edge portions thereof when inserted in the channel and when the front and rear panels are brought together.  
         [0037]     The score pattern may comprise a vertical score line extending downwardly from a top of the side panel substantially parallel with the vertical sides of the side panel, and a substantially triangular score line whose apex connects with the vertical score line, the remaining corners of the triangular score line terminating at the vertical sides of the side panel. The sides of the triangular score line may be arcuate.  
         [0038]     The other of said front and rear panel flaps may have a score line extending parallel with a top edge of said front or rear panel.  
         [0039]     The other of said front and rear panel flaps can moreover be sized to engage with an interference fit in said channel.  
         [0040]     Each side panel may further be provided with a side panel flap at its upper portion.  
         [0041]     The present invention can thus provide a carton whereby a smaller one of two compartments can be used to secure the open top of a bag (containing the product) by the front and rear panel flaps and the side wall of the compartment pressing the two sides of the bag together and holding it closed. The configuration of the re-closing device creates a carton which will not open unless specifically opened, even if it is knocked over and is therefore “spill-proof”. The configuration changes the shape of the carton from rectangular to “house-shaped”, i.e. a structure having a top resembling a tapered roof. This appearance is pleasing to the eye.  
         [0042]     As all the elements of the re-closure device are internal and can be made with no cuts or slots in any of the panels, the advertising abilities of the main panels are not diminished. Similarly the strength and integrity of the carton is maintained during manufacturing, machine packing and delivery processes.  
         [0043]     The flaps provided to the front, rear and side panels can be formed from the same four panels that form the top of the rectangular box in the machine packing process. General wear and tear or minor damage to flaps does not impair the performance of the re-closure device over the life span of the carton.  
         [0044]     The structure forming the compartments makes a strong closure. This makes the carton “spill-proof”. “Spill-proof” in this instance being defined as preventing product from falling or running out the carton due to accidental events such as knocking over. This feature of the design is desirable and may be required by companies or individuals where the product is not held in a bag.  
         [0045]     The present invention requires no additional material to make the re-closure device. The “extra material” utilised is created by the compression or deformation of the two side panels.  
         [0046]     The present invention operates whether the overlap of the top panel flaps of the carton is minimal or full and can be used on a variety of different sizes of carton.  
         [0047]     The present invention will operate on existing packing lines with little or no modification. This is beneficial to many manufacturers, who may have several factories worldwide, as there is little or no cost associated with implementing the present invention worldwide. The cost implications are within the tooling for carton manufacture and are minimal.  
         [0048]     The design of the closure mechanism can determine whether the front panel flap folds in last or whether the rear panel flap folds in last or can be constructed so that either engaging member can be chosen to fold in last. This has no effect on the forming of the compartments. This decision is the responsibility of the carton purchaser (product manufacturer) in instructing the carton manufacturer to produce the tooling accordingly.  
         [0049]     As there are no slots or cuts in the outside walls of the carton in the retail outlets the pack is “tamper-proof”.  
         [0050]     The present invention can be printed according to existing methods.  
         [0051]     The present invention also provides a blank for forming the carton according to the present invention. The present invention is formed from the blank as is conventional by joining various areas of the carton blank to each other. This can occur both in carton manufacture and machine packing.  
         [0052]     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0053]      FIG. 1  shows a plan view of a blank of the present invention;  
         [0054]      FIG. 2  shows an external view of a carton formed from the blank shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0055]      FIG. 3  shows a diagrammatic view of the formed carton showing all main panels (including those which cannot be seen from the front) formed from the blank shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0056]      FIG. 4  shows a plan top view of the carton shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  once it has been originally opened;  
         [0057]      FIG. 5  shows a plan top view of the carton shown in  FIG. 4  undergoing a re-closing operation;  
         [0058]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the carton after it has been originally opened and then re-closed;  
         [0059]      FIG. 7  shows an internal plan view from underneath of the carton showing the inside components of the top portion of the carton in a re-closed state;  
         [0060]      FIG. 8  shows a plan view of an alternative carton blank;  
         [0061]      FIG. 9  shows a plan view of an alternative carton blank;  
         [0062]      FIG. 10  shows a perspective view of the carton of the present invention partially into the re-closure operation; and  
         [0063]      FIG. 11  shows a perspective view of the carton of the present invention on completion of the re-closure operation. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0064]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a blank  100  of the present invention is formed from a planar sheet of solid board cardboard (or acetate/plastic) and comprises four main panels, including a front panel  1 , a rear panel  2  and two side panels  3 . At the top portion of these panels are provided associated flaps  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  23  which form four engaging members of the reclosure device and the top of the carton.  
         [0065]     The base of the carton is formed from four flaps  7 . A glue seam  4  on the side facilitates formation of the carton  200  from the blank  100  as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0066]     Flaps  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  23  are shown in  FIG. 1  in an unfolded position. In this regard, flap  21  has a crease  11  along its width to facilitate re-closure of the carton. The crease allows the flap  21  to be bent over and thereby be angled favourably for insertion into the carton as described more fully below.  
         [0067]     Flaps  23  are creased with a score pattern  10  as shown in  FIG. 1 , to allow inward folding, following a crease or score pattern  5  afforded to the collapsible or compressible side panels.  
         [0068]     The crease pattern  5  on the relatively narrow side panels  3  allows the carton to deform at the top, into the shape required for the re-closure. In particular, the top portion of the side panels can deform inwardly as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , and as described more fully below.  
         [0069]     The creases  5  may be straight or curved as shown in the figures. The glue seam  4  can itself include a score pattern adjustment  6  to allow the carton to fold at this point easily. It will be understood that the creases shown could be replaced by combinations of scores or cuts to assist make up.  
         [0070]     A carton  200  of the present invention formed from the blank  100  shown in  FIG. 1 , is shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  and is initially prepared from the blank  100  as follows.  
         [0071]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the flaps  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  23  and the base  7  are folded inwards at 90 degrees along crease lines  8  and  9  and fixed, for example, by gluing forming a rectangular carton. This is the configuration in which the carton with product inside in intended to be initially sold.  
         [0072]      FIG. 4  shows a view looking into the top of the carton once it has been initially opened. Front and rear panel flaps  21  and  22  have been folded outwards and downwards, and flaps  23  are at 90 degrees to the carton sides  3 .  
         [0073]      FIG. 5  shows the commencement of make up of the re-closure device. Rear panel flap  22  now is folded inward across crease  8  so that it projects downwardly into the interior of the carton. It is arranged to face the inside surface of the adjacent rear panel  2 .  
         [0074]     In this way, and as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 10 , there is formed a first compartment  17  between the rear panel  2  and the rear panel flap  22 . This compartment is used to cover the top portion of a bag (provided within the interior of the carton for holding product) in use. In this respect, side panel flaps  23  are shown folded inward across crease  13  against the inside surface of the side panels  3 .  
         [0075]     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the side panels  3  at the top of the carton are pushed inwards according to the configuration of creases  5 . The top of the carton is shown as being compressed or collapsed together. To re-close the carton, front panel flap  21  is pushed into a channel or apertures  20  defined by the deformed side panels  3  and their flaps  23  and the inwardly folded rear panel flap  22 . In  FIG. 10  the rear panel flap  22  and the lower portion of the front panel flap  21  are shown in phantom lines as they would not be visible, being within the interior of the carton. The crease  11  on the front panel flap  21  allows the leading edge of the flap  21  to be angled for insertion into the channel  20 .  
         [0076]     When front panel flap  21  is pressed fully into the channel  20 , the carton  300  shown in  FIG. 6  is formed.  
         [0077]     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 8  and  9 , the width of the front panel flap  21  is substantially the same as the width of the top of the front panel, such that the edges of the front panel flap  25  extend at substantially at right angles from the top edge of the front panel  26 . As a result, as the front panel flap is urged into the channel  20 , it will engage and interfere at its edges  25  with the channel. There is hence a deliberate distortional force on the front panel flap as it is urged into the channel. As the internal faces of the channel come together and the front panel flap is moved further into the channel, the edges of the front panel flap will become clamped by the channel.  
         [0078]     The front panel flap can have a slight tapered profile, to afford an progressively increased “interference-fit” with the channel  20  as the top edges of the front and rear panels are brought to be adjacent one another when the carton is re-closed. Hence, when the front panel flap  21  is pushed in fully, a clamping “interference-fit” is attained between its edges and the channel, the front panel flap being wedged in position at that point against the opening force of the deformed side panels  3 . The folded over side panel flaps assist in ensuring a clamping interference fit. As shown in  FIG. 11 , edges  25  the front panel flap  21  extend down along edges  27  of the channel  20 , where they are held securely.  
         [0079]     A second relatively larger compartment  16  is formed in the interior of the carton, and is defined by a top portion of the front panel  1 , the inside surface of the front panel flap  21  and the deformed side panels flaps  23 .  
         [0080]     In this regard, the deformed side panel flaps  23  and side panels act as abutment surfaces which project into the larger compartment  16 .  
         [0081]      FIG. 6  hence shows a view of the outside of the carton  300  having undergone the re-closure operation. All flaps  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  23  are folded internally within the top of the carton and the carton is held in a secure formation. The combination of the flaps  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  23  pressing against each other together with the side panels  3  deformed at their top according to crease pattern  5  generates cooperating and opposing forces for assisting in securing the reclosure device closed. The pack also provides a pleasing aesthetic appearance. Moreover the clamping action afforded by the holding channel  20  on the edge portions of the front panel flap  21  ensures a reliable and re-usable closing mechanism.  
         [0082]     Referring to  FIG. 7  there is shown an internal view of the made up carton  300  shown in  FIG. 6  from the blank  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . The base is shown folded back along crease lines  9  to show the formation of the re-closure device at the top of the pack. The side panels  3  of the carton are compressed and shaped according to the crease lines  5  on either side. Side panel flaps  3  have a crease pattern  10  that overlies the shape of crease pattern  5 . The two compartments formed  16  and  17  are on either side of the touching engaging flaps  21  and  22 . The smaller of the compartments  17  can be used to compress the sides of an open bag together to thereby seal the bag. In order to assist in the location of such a bag under the flap  22 , the bag may be affixed to the inside surface of the carton at a position which will locate under the flap  22 . For example a line of suitable adhesive running parallel to the top edge of panel  2  may be used to fix one side of the bag in the carton. The line of adhesive may further create a raised ridge which can assist to pinch the bag to seal it when the carton is re-closed.  
         [0083]      FIG. 8  shows a plan view of an alternative carton blank  400  where either engaging flaps  18  or  19  can be folded in first. In this embodiment both engaging flaps have the characteristics to perform the functions of either of the flaps  21  or  22  as shown in FIGS.  1  to  7 .  
         [0084]      FIG. 9  shows a plan view of an alternative blank  500  where glue seam  4  is attached to side panel  15 . The blank  500  is substantially identical to the blank  100  shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0085]     In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the blanks  100 ,  500 ,  400  and cartons  200 ,  300  will have printed material on the outer surface.  
         [0086]     It will be understood that the embodiments illustrated describe the invention only for the purpose of illustration. In practice, the invention may be applied to many different configurations, the detailed embodiments being straightforward for those skilled in the art to implement.