Dispensing carton

Abstract

A two-piece paperboard carton for retaining and dispensing cigarettes and the like, comprising a shell and a slide receptacle inserted into the shell. A simple motion of pulling down on the shell is sufficient to open the slide receptacle while an opposite action is effective to close the receptacle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a dispensing carton construction for the retention and dispensing of cigarettes, small cigars or the like, and more particularly to a two-piece, paperboard carton construction that is especially compact and is able to be opened and closed by a simple, sliding, reciprocable motion.

Prior art cartons having sliding sleeves for providing dispensing openings have been, of necessity, either too complex, leading to rapid deterioration of the carton, or too difficult to open, often times the closing procedure having no relation to the opening procedure.

The instant invention solves the problems of the prior art cartons by presenting a construction that is compact enough to be able to withstand rough handling by the user over a period of time, and which is opened and closed by a simple, reciprocable action.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a two-piece, suitably cut and scored paperboard blank capable of being erected into a dispensing carton, comprising a slide receptacle portion and a shell portion, said slide receptacle portion comprising:

A front wall panel;

A pair of opposed side wall panels hingedly connected to the sides of the front wall panel;

A bottom wall panel hingedly connected to the bottom of the front wall panel;

A rear wall panel hingedly connected to the bottom wall panel on the opposite edge from the front wall panel;

A pair of opposed fold-in panels hingedly connected to the sides of the rear wall panel;

A pair of opposed bottom wall glue flaps hingedly connected to the bottom of the fold-in panels;

A rear wall connecting panel depending from the top of the rear wall panel across an alternate cut and crease line;

A pair of opposed fold-in flaps hingedly connected to the sides of the connecting panel; and

A top wall panel hingedly connected to the top of the connecting panel; and

said shell portion comprising:

A rear wall panel;

A pair of opposed side wall panels hingedly connected to the sides of the rear wall panel;

A front wall panel hingedly connected to one of the side wall panels and extending laterally therefrom;

A side wall panel glue flap hingedly connected to the front wall panel and extending laterally therefrom,

A foldover panel hingedly connected to the top edge of the rear wall panel;

At least one folding panel hingedly connected to and extending from the edge of the foldover panel parallel to the rear wall panel top edge;

A hinge panel extending longitudinally from and hingedly connected to the adjacent folding panel; and

A glue panel extending longitudinally from and hingedly connected to the hinge panel. 64 65 , being superposed above score line 37 of the slide receptacle blank 20. Rear wall panel 70 is then folded inwardly about score line 49 to superpose on the foldover panel 78. The foldover panel 78, rear wall panel 70, and folding panels 80 and 82, then, as a double panel unit, are folded outwardly about score line 55 to superpose on the hinge panel 84, thereby creating a triple thickness panel. The hinge panel 84, together with the two remaining panels forming the triple panel, are now folded inwardly about score line 57 to superpose the receptacle rear wall panel 26.

The shell side wall panel 72 is then folded inwardly about score line 43 to superpose on the outside surfaces of the receptacle fold-in flap 52 and side wall panel 32. The front wall panel 74 is then folded inwardly about score line 45 to superpose on the outside surface of the slide receptacle front wall panel 24. The side wall panel 68 is then folded inwardly about score line 41 to superpose on the outside surface of side wall panel 30 and fold-in flap 50. Finally, the side panel glue flap 76 is folded inwardly about score line 47 to adhere to the outside surface of the side wall panel 68. The carton is now effectively closed.

The above described method of assembling the carton is merely illustrative of several possible different sequences that may be employed, and forms no part of the invention.

Opening the closed carton (FIG. 6) is preferably effected by grasping with the thumb of one hand the lower portion of the side wall panel 32 of the slide receptacle 22 and with some of the remaining fingers of that hand grasping the lower portion of the other side wall panel 30. Simultaneously, the other thumb grasps the shell side wall panel 72 while some of the remaining fingers grasp the shell side panel glue flap 76 and pull down on the panel 72 and glue flap 76 to expose the product contained within the slide receptacle 22. An opposite action is effective to close the carton.

As can be seen by an analysis of FIGS. 5 and 6, the initial lowering of the shell 66 results in the folding panels 80 and 82 being lowered in an accordian-like manner so that their inner surfaces, which rested against the inner surface of the foldover rear wall panel 78 70 when the carton was closed, become superposed on the other outer surface of the slide receptacle rear wall panel 26. In effect, folding panel 82 experiences rotation, while folding panel 80 undergoes rotation and translation in the space between the shell rear wall panel 70 and the receptacle rear wall panel 26. The initial lowering and accordian action of the shell 66 permits the top of the shell panels 68, 70, 72, 74 and 76 to be lowered below the top of the receptacle front wall panel 24 and to approach the alternate cut and crease line 46. Further lowering of the shell 66 effects a pulling back of receptacle top wall panel 62 and glue panel 64, and the connecting panel 48, thereby opening the contents of the receptacle 22 to a view from above. In effect, the connecting panel 48 is rotated about the alternate cut and crease line 46. The initial lowering of the shell 66 permits a view from the front of the carton only.

It is understood that the foregoing general and detailed descriptions are exemplary of the present invention and are not to be interpreted as restrictive of the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A two-piece, suitably cut and scored paperboard blank capable of being erected into a dispensing carton, comprising a slide receptacle portion and a shell portion, said slide receptacle portion comprising:

a front wall panel;

a pair of opposed side wall panels hingedly connected to the sides of the front wall panel;

a bottom wall panel hingedly connected to the bottom of the front wall panel;

a rear wall panel hingedly connected to the bottom wall panel on the opposite edge from the front wall panel;

a pair of opposed fold-in panels hingedly connected to the sides of the rear wall panel;

a pair of opposed bottom wall glue flaps hingedly connected to the bottom of the fold-in panels;

a rear wall connecting panel depending from the top of the rear wall panel across an alternate cut and crease line;

a pair of opposed fold-in flaps hingedly connected to the sides of the connecting panel; and

a top wall panel hingedly connected to the top of the connecting panel; and

said shell portion comprising:

a rear wall panel;

a pair of opposed side wall panels hingedly connected to the sides of the rear wall panel;

a front wall panel hingedly connected to one of the side wall panels and extending laterally therefrom;

a side wall panel glue flap hingedly connected to the front wall panel and extending laterally therefrom;

a foldover panel hingedly connected to the top edge of the rear wall panel;

at least one folding panel hingedly connected to and extending from the edge of the foldover panel parallel to rear wall panel top edge;

a hinge panel extending longitudinally from and hingedly connected to the adjacent folding panel; and

a glue panel extending longitudinally from and hingedly connected to the hinge panel.

2. The blank of claim 1 additionally comprising in the slide receptacle portion a pair of opposed side wall glue flaps hingedly connected to the exterior side of each of the fold-in flaps and a pair of opposed side wall glue panels laterally extending from and hingedly connected to each of the side wall fold-in panels.

3. The blank of claim 2 wherein the slide receptacle portion additionally comprises a top wall glue panel hingedly connected longitudinally to the top wall panel.

4. The blank of claim 3 wherein the shell portion comprises two folding panels.

5. The blank of claim 4 wherein the height of the shell side wall panels, shell rear wall panel and shell front wall panel is about one-half that of the slide receptacle blank when erected.

6. A carton erected from the blank of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the shell glue panel is adhered to the exposed, outer surface of the slide receptacle top wall panel.

7. The carton of claim 6 wherein the heights of the folding panels and all other shell panels are such that the rotation and translation of the folding panels are concealed from view when the carton is either opened or closed.

8. The carton of claim 7 wherein the height of the folding panels is small enough so that the rotation and translation of said folding panels caused by the opening and closing of the carton does not unduly disturb the configuration of the erected carton.

9. The carton of claim 8 wherein the height of the shell hinge panel equals the combined heights of the shell foldover panel and the shell folding panels.

10. A dispensing carton comprising :a slide receptacle having a body portion with an open end and a cover portion hingedly connected to said body portion for pivotal movement between a closed position covering said open end and an open position displaced therefrom; and a shell having a slide portion and actuating means joined thereto, said slide portion being slidably mounted on said body portion of said receptacle for sliding movement toward and away from said open end, and said actuating means including a first panel portion hingedly connected to said cover portion at a location spaced from the hinge connection of said body and cover portions, a second panel portion hingedly connected to said slide portion, and a folding panel portion hingedly connected along opposite margins between said first and second panel portion, all of said hinge connections being substantially parallel to one another, and said actuating means extending between said receptacle and said slide portion with said first and second panels thereof extending away from said open end from their hinge connections with said cover portion and slide portion, respectively.

11. The carton of claim 10 wherein said folding panel portion consists of at least two panels hingedly connected to one another, the hinge connection therebetween being substantially parallel to the other hinge connections of said carton.

12. The carton of claim 10 wherein the length of said first panel portion is substantially equal to the combined lengths of said second panel portion and said folding panel portion, wherein said cover portion and body portion have rear walls lying in a common plane, and wherein said hinge connections of said first and second panel portions to said cover portion and said slide portion are adjacent the outer margins of, respectively, said cover portion rear wall and said slide portion, so that said slide portion is at least in part disposed over said cover portion in said closed position, and is displaced therefrom by sliding of said slide portion away from said open end.

13. The carton of claim 10 wherein said receptacle is of generally rectangular cross section, and wherein said slide portion comprises a band extending in close conformity thereabout.