AU2012100081A4

AU2012100081A4 - A container and blank

Info

Publication number: AU2012100081A4
Application number: AU2012100081A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Graeme Hawke
Original assignee: Orora Packaging Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Orora Packaging Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2011-03-03
Filing date: 2012-01-25
Publication date: 2012-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2020-01-25

Abstract

The present invention relates to a carton for facial tissues and a blank for making the carton that are made 5 from paper based materials that can be readily recycled for making recycled paper products. The carton has at least one flap, and suitably two flaps that are connected to a top wall of the carton via a fold line. The or each flap suitably has an outer non-linear edge having peaks 10 and troughs which frictionally engage the tissues being dispensed from the carton and cause the tissue to have a curved profile. 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12 Figure (2 Ly 2-1)

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Applicant: Amcor Limited Invention Title: A CONTAINER AND BLANK The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: -2 A CARTON AND BLANK FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 5 The present invention relates to a carton for facial tissues and a blank for making the carton. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 10 Facial tissues are often Bold in cardboard boxes having an oval shaped removable panel in the top wall of the box. The removable panel is attached to the top wall by a serrated line and forms an oval opening in the top wall of the box when detached. 15 Tissues in the box partially overlap and are folded one on top of the other to form a line of separable tissues. The tissues being pulled from the box pass through a slit in a polymeric film which provides resistance and thereby 20 enables the top tissue to be separated from the tissue next in line. The slit of the polymeric film may be provided by a cut in a single sheet of the polymeric film adhered to the inside of the top wall of the box. Alternatively, the slit may be formed by two polymeric 25 sheets overlapping. The polymeric film also prevents the line of tissues from falling back into the box and acts as a barrier to prevent dust and other objects from entering the box after the 30 removable panel has been detached. Manufacture of the box for tissues involves handling, cutting and gluing the polymeric film to the top wall of the box. In addition, recycling the paper component of 35 the box after it has been emptied of tissues is hindered by the presence of the polymeric film which has the potential to contaminate recycled products. 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12 -3 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a carton for a line of 5 separable facial tissues, the carton being made of paper based material and having a base, a side wall extending from the base, and a top wall over the base and joined to the side 10 wall, at least one flap that is hinged to the top wall by a fold line that can be folded to allow a user to grasp the line of tissues from within the carton and be pulled through an opening that is at least in part defined by the 15 flap when in an operative position, and wherein the flap has an outer non-linear edge having peaks and troughs that frictionally engage the tissues being pulled through the opening to help a user to separate individual tissues , and when the flap is in an operative position, the tissues 20 pulled through the opening are caused to adopt a curved profile transverse to the direction of travel of the tissues by contacting the outer edge of the or each flap. Throughout this specification the term "paper based 25 material" or variations thereof include any fibrous material that can be used to make sheets such as but by no means limited to paper, cardboard, corrugated cardboard, and laminations thereof. The fibrous material may include synthetic fibres, but more typically include natural 30 fibres such as cellulosic, hemp, cotton and alike. The base, side wall, top wall and flap(s) of the carton are made from, or at least include, paper based material. The carton may include a pair of the flaps that are 35 oppositely hinged to the top wall by fold lines so that the flaps open away and close toward each other respectively, and prior to the carton being opened, the 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU-1 24101112 -4 outer edges of the flaps are interconnected by a frangible line of weakness. The two flaps may be hinged away from each other into the inoperative position to allow (access to an opening of the top wall so that) a user to grasp the 5 line of tissues from within the carton, the flaps may be hinged toward each other into the operative position to form a (narrow) gap therebetween through which the line of tissues can pass, wherein at least one of the flaps has the outer undulating edge for frictionally contacting the 10 line of tissues pulled from the carton. Suitably, each of the flaps has an outer edge that has a non-linear section along at least part of its length and each flap contacts opposite faces of the tissue when the 15 flaps are located in the operative position. In an embodiment, the outer edges of the flaps are interconnected, and suitably interconnected to one another by a frangible line of weakness prior to the carton being 20 opened for dispensing tissues. In other words, the outer edges of the flaps inter-fit, and suitably abut against each other either with or without sections of gaps between the flaps prior to being opened. Suitably, the flaps prior to being opened (i.e. in a closed sealed position) 25 is free of gaps between the flaps, or even more suitably, only one gap/opening is present into which a user can insert their finger to assist in opening the flaps. The non-linear edge of the flaps may include any one or a 30 combination of: undulating profiles, curved profiles, convolute profiles, stepped profiles, trough and peak profiles, S-shaped profiles, serpentine profiles, zig-zag profiles, V-shaped profiles, W-shaped profiles, curvilinear profiles and alike. In any event, ideally the 35 non-linear profile of the outer edges of the flaps include peaks and troughs, and at least one of the peaks of each flap protrudes into one of the troughs of the other flap 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01112 - 5 so that the tissue is caused to adopt at least to some extent a curved profile, and suitably alternating curves to form a wavy profile transverse to the direction of travel of the tissues being pulled from the box. 5 The outer edge of the flaps may have from 2 to 10 peaks and troughs, and suitably from 2 to 4 peaks and troughs. Suitably, the distance or displacement between tangents to 10 the peaks and troughs is at least 0.3 cm, and suitably in the range from 0.5 cm to 3.0 cm, and suitably from 1.0 to 2.0 cm. Even more suitably, the distance between the tangents to all of the peaks and all of the troughs is at least 0.3cm, and ideadlly from 1.0 to 2.0 cm. 15 The outer edge of the flap(s) may have any stiffness and are suitably stiffer than the facial tissues that can be contained in the carton. 20 In an embodiment, the non-linear section of the edge of the flaps extends across more than 20% of the outer edge of the or each flap, suitably more than 50% of the outer edge of the or each flap, and even more suitably more than 75% of the outer edge of the or each flap. Ideally, the 25 entire outer edge of the or each flap is non-linear. In an embodiment, the flaps are hinged to the top wall along a fold line that has sections that are relatively non-linear i.e., the sections are not co-linear. The non 30 linear sections of the fold line have the effect of stiffening the hinge connection of the flap to the top wall relative to a linear fold line of equivalent length. An advantage of the non-linear fold line is that it can help maintain the flaps in an operative position. 35 Moreover, the non-linear fold line reduces movement of the flaps under gravity, or movement of the flaps toward or away from the top wall is limited when the tissues 30983941 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12 - 6 frictionally engage the flaps. The profile of the fold line may therefore in part be responsible for adequate frictional contact between the flaps and the tissue so that a user can readily separate the tissues by pulling 5 the tissues from the carton, and prevent tissues from readily fall back into the carton. The non-linear fold line(s) between the flap(s) and the top wall enables the flaps to retain an operative position on their own accord. In other words, the flaps can retain an operative position 10 relative to the top wall with a functional gap between the flaps while tissues are being pulled from the carton. In an embodiment, at least 50% of the fold line connecting the flaps and the top wall is a non-linear fold line. 15 Suitably, the non-linear fold lines connecting the flaps to the top wall extend across the entire fold line. In an embodiment, the fold line may include zig-zag folds, serpentine folds, a curved folds, S-shaped folds and 20 - alike. In an embodiment, the operative position of the flaps is in the range of the 2 to 10 degrees from the top wall, and suitably, in the range of 4 to 8 degrees of the top wall. 25 In an embodiment, the carton includes an access panel that is able to be dislodged to allow a user to insert their finger into the container. The access panel may form part of the top wall prior to being dislodged. The access 30 panel may be pushed into the carton or peeled away. Suitably, the access panel is frangibly connected to the top wall and may be completely detached from the carton. In situation in which the carton has two flaps, suitably 35 the access panel is located along the line of weakness interconnecting the two flaps, and even more suitably intermediate of the two flaps. 3098394_1 (GHMatters) PB6347 AU 1 24/01/12 - 7 The access panel may have a diameter or width ranging from 1 to 6cm, and suitably 2 to 4cm. 5 According to the present invention, there is also provided a carton for a line of facial tissues, the carton being made of paper based material and having a base, a side wall extending from the base, and 10 a top wall over the base and joined to the side wall at least one flap that can be opened to allow a user to grasp the line of tissues from within the carton, and the flap can be moved into an operative position so 15 that the flap at least in part defines a gap through which the line of tissues passes, and wherein the flap is hinged to the top wall by a fold line that is non-linear such that the hinge connection of the flap to the top wall is stiffened relative to a linear fold line of equivalent 20 length. The present invention also relates to a blank for making a carton for a line of separable facial tissues, the blank having a series of interconnected panels for forming a 25 carton having base, a side wall extending from the base, and a top wall over the base and joined to the side wall that are made of paper based materials, wherein the panel for forming the top wall of the carton includes at least one flap that is hinged to the 30 top wall by a fold line that can be folded to allow a user to grasp the line of tissues from within the carton and be pulled through an opening that is at least in part defined by the flap when in an operative position, and wherein the flap has an outer non-linear edge that frictionally 35 engages the tissues being pulled through the opening to help a user to separate individual tissues one after the other by pulling on the line, and wherein the outer edge 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01112 -8 of the flap is configured so that when the flap is in an operative position, the tissues dispensed through the opening are caused to adopt a curved profile transverse to the direction of travel of the tissues. 5 In an embodiment, the series of panels includes a base panel, a top wall panel, and two side wall panels interconnected by a line. The side wall panels may form the front and back side walls of the carton, or alternatively end walls of the carton. 10 In an embodiment, the series of panels are interconnected side-by-side so as to form four panels in a line. The blank may also have flaps extending from opposite ends 15 of the panels, and suitably opposite ends of the panels. The present invention also relates to a blank for making a carton for a line of separable facial tissues, the blank having a series of interconnected panels for forming a 20 carton having base, a side wall extending from the base, and a top wall over the base and joined to the side wall that are made of paper based materials, wherein the panel for forming the top wall of the carton includes at least one flap that can be opened to 25 allow a user to grasp the line of tissues from within the carton, and the flap can be moved into an operative position so that the flap at least in part defines a gap through which the line of tissues passes, and wherein the flap is hinged to the top wall by a fold line that is non 30 linear such that the hinge connection of the flap to the top wall is stiffened relative to a linear fold line of equivalent length. The blanks of the present invention may also include any 35 one or a combination of the features of the carton described herein. For example, the panel for forming the top wall of the carton may include flaps having undulating 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12 -9 outer edges that are interconnected by a frangible line of weakness. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 5 A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: Figure 1 is a line drawing showing a perspective 10 view of a carton for tissues, the carton having flaps in a an operative position for allowing a line of tissues to be pulled from the carton, however, tissues are not shown in Figure 1; and Figure 2 is a line drawing of a blank for making 15 the carton shown in Figures 1 and 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION With reference to the Figures, the carton according to a 20 preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a base 10, a top wall 11 and a side wall 12. The side wall includes front and rear side wall panels 13 and 14, and ends wall panels that comprise a series of overlapping flaps. 25 The top wall of the carton includes an outer border region 15 and two centralised flaps 16, which prior to opening of the carton forms part of the top wall 11 and lie co-planar with the border region 15 of the top wall 11. Located in 30 the centre of the top wall 11 and intermediate of the length of the flaps 16 is a circular removable access panel 17 (not shown in Figure 1) that can be pushed into, or peeled away from the top wall 11. The removable panel 17 is frangibly connected to the flaps 16 via a line of 35 weakness 18 that is formed during cutting of a blank of the carton, an example of which is shown in Figure 2. The removable panel 17 is sized to allow a user's finger 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12 - 10 through an aperture which is formed when the access is removed. Prior to the carton being opened, outer edges of the flaps 5 are interconnected by a frangible line 18 (see Figure 2) of weakness that defines an outer non-linear outer edge 20 of the flaps 16. Suitably the frangible line 18 is in the form of an S-shape either side of the removable access panel 17. Each S-shape defines at least one peak 24 and 10 one trough 25 on each flap 16, and similarly, the opening formed when the panel 17 has been removed defines one peak 24 and and one trough 25 in each trough 25. Given that there are two S-shapes at the outer edge of each flap 16, each flap has three troughs 25 and three peaks 24. In any 15 event, the curvature of the S-shape is such that the there is at least 0.3cm between tangents to the peaks 24 and the troughs 25, and suitably from 1.0 to 2.0 cm between the the tangents to the peaks 24 and troughs 25. 20 The frangible line 18 of weakness holds the flaps 16 closed prior to the carton being opened. Although not shown in the Figures, the frangible line 18 interconnecting the flaps 16 may be provided by a pull or tear strip. 25 In order to open the carton, the removable access panel 17 is separated from the top wall 11 so that a user can place their finger inside and pulled outwardly so as to break the frangible line 18 that extends longitudinally of the 30 flaps 16 and break a frangible line at the opposite end edges of the flaps. A user can move the flaps 16 away and outwardly of each other into an inoperative position (not shown in the Figures) to allow access into the carton for a user to grasp and initiate pulling of the line of the 35 tissues from the carton. The flaps 16 are hingedly connected to the border region 3098394_1 (GHMatlers) P86347.AU.1 24/01112 - 11 15 of the top wall 11 along pre-formed creases or fold lines 19. The preformed creases 19 are serpentine or non linear. An advantage of the serpentine fold line 19 is that hinged movement of the flaps 16 is stiffer than if 5 the fold line was solely.linear. Once the line of tissues protrudes from the carton, the flaps 16 can then be manually hinged inward toward each other to partially close the gap between the flaps 16 so 10 as to locate the flaps 16 in an operative position and in which position the flaps 16 can contact the opposite sides of the line of tissues. Figure 1 illustrates the orientation of the flaps 16 when in the operative position without the tissues being shown. Ideally, the flaps 16 15 are oriented at an angle in the range of 2 to 10 degrees from the top wall 11. As can be seen, the outer undulating edge of the flaps 16 is configured so that some of the peaks of one of the flaps 16 extend into troughs of the other flap 16, and vice versa so that the tissue being 20 dispense between the flaps is caused to adopt a curved profile, and suitably an wavy profile comprising two or more alternating curves transverse to the direction of the tissues being pulled from the box. 25 The carton contains a line of facial tissues that overlap and are folded one on top of the other in such a manner such that as the top tissue is pulled, the second and subsequent tissues follow in a line when unencumbered. The top tissue is separated from the line of tissues when 30 the second tissue or line of tissues frictionally engages the flaps 16, preventing the line of tissues from continuing to move with the top tissue. The carton of the preferred embodiment is constructed so 35 that tissues are able to be separated from the line of tissues as they are pulled from the carton by engaging the non-linear edge profile 20. According to the preferred 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12 - 12 embodiment, the carton is able to be made solely from paper based materials i.e., without polymeric films that form part of prior art tissue boxes for frictionally engaging the line of tissues. The fact that the flaps 16 5 of the preferred embodiment are made of paper based materials enhances the ease at which the carton can be recycled with other paper based products. An advantage of the carton shown in Figure 1 is that the 10 flaps 16, when located in an operative position are able to provide resistance to separate the top tissue free of the line of tissues held between the flaps 16 of the carton. The flaps 16 also provide an effective obstacle to dust and particles entering the carton. The curved 15 shape of the tissues when retained by the flaps 16 also presents a useful alternative to other prior art tissue designs, which both allows the seller of tissues who uses these cartons to distinguish themselves in the marketplace, and the consumer of these tissues to grasp 20 these tissues in what may be a more convenient manner than with other tissue cartons. Moreover, the carton of the preferred embodiment can have the benefit of providing improved separation of tissues from cartons made solely from paper based materials and ancillary materials that 25 can be recycled in paper recycling process. Figure 2 illustrates a paperboard blank suitable for making the carton shown in Figure 1. The blank includes four interconnected rectangular panels arranged side-by 30 side by preformed creases that form a base 10, side walls 13, 14 extending from opposite sides of the base 10, and a top wall 11 for interconnecting the side walls and over the base 10 when assembled into the carton. Extending from opposite ends of the panels is a series of 35 rectangular end flaps that can overlap in the conventional manner to form end wall when the blank is assembled into a carton. The end flaps are connected to the panels by 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12 - 13 preformed creases or fold lines. The end flaps include four short end flaps 20 that are substantially the same width of the panels from which they extend. The end flaps also include four longer end flaps 21 that are attached 5 across the width of the panel by a fold line and taper inward to form the main tongue of the longer flap. The panel for forming the base 10 of the carton includes an attachment flap 22 extending along the length of the 10 panel for gluing to the side wall panel 14 when the carton is assembled. The panel for forming the top wall 11 includes an outer boundary region 15 and a centralised dispensing assembly 15 that lies planar to the boundary region. The dispensing assembly includes two oppositely disposed flaps 16 that are interconnected by a frangible line of weakness 18 having a serpentine profile which provides a non-linear outer edge for frictionally engaging tissues when a carton 20 made from the blank is opened. The flaps 16 are joined to the boundary region by fold lines including and, suitably consisting of non-linear fold lines 19. The non-linear fold lines 19 stiffen the hinged connection between the flaps 16 and top wall 11 of the carton compared to a 25 linear fold line of comparable length. The non-linear fold line 19 helps retain the flaps 16 in an operative position for frictionally engaging the line of tissues. As can be seen in Figure 2, the non-linear fold line 19 30 has an elongated of flattened S-shape profile. Identified by reference numerals 23 and 24 in Figure 2 are opposite sides of the flaps 16 that are formed by cut lines or pre-cut serrated lines that are broken when the 35 flaps 16 are opened. Interposed centrally of the flaps 16 is a removable access 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12 - 14 panel 17 that is joined to both of the flaps 16 via a frangible circular line. The access panel 17 can be detached by manually pressing the panel 17 to form a circular opening. Once removed, a user is then able to 5 insert their finger into the circular opening and open the flaps 16 outwardly to allow a user to grasp a line of tissues from within a carton made from the blank. The flaps 16 may then be moved toward the top wall to engage the tissue. 10 It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 15 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12

Claims

1. A carton for dispensing a line of separable facial tissues, the carton being made of paper based material and 5 having a base, a side wall extending from the base, a top wall over the base and joined to the side wall, and 10 at least one flap that is hinged to the top wall by a fold line that can be folded to allow a user to grasp the line of tissues from within the carton and be pulled through an opening that is at least in part defined by the flap when in an operative position, and wherein the flap 15 has an outer non-linear edge having peaks and troughs that frictionally engage the tissues being pulled through the opening to help a user to separate individual tissues , and when the flap is in an operative position, the tissues pulled through the opening are caused to adopt a curved 20 profile transverse to the direction of travel of the tissues by contacting the outer edge of the or each flap.

2. The carton according to claim 1, wherein the non linear edge of the flap includes at least two peaks and 25 two troughs and the lenght between a tangent to one of the peaks to a tangent to one of the troughs of the flap is at least 0.5cm.

3. The carton according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the 30 carton includes a pair of the flaps that are oppositely hinged to the top wall by fold lines so that the flaps open away from each other and close toward each other respectively, and at least one of the peaks of each flap protrudes into one of the troughs of the other flap when 35 the flaps are in an operative position.

4. The carton according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12 - 16 wherein the fold line(s) hingedly connecting the or each flap to the top wall is non-linear which has the effect of stiffening the fold line(s) between the or each flap and the top wall, compared to linear fold lines, so that the 5 flaps can retain the operative position while tissues are being pulled from the carton.

5. A blank for making a carton for dispensing a line of separable facial tissues, the blank having a series of 10 interconnected panels for forming a carton having a base, a side wall extending from the base, and a top wall over the base and joined to the side wall that are made of paper based materials, wherein the panel for forming the top wall of the 15 carton includes at least one flap that is hinged to the top wall by a fold line that can be folded to allow a user to grasp the line of tissues from within the carton and be pulled through an opening that is at least in part defined by the flap when in an operative position, and wherein the 20 flap has an outer non-linear edge having peaks and troughs that frictionally engage the tissues being pulled through the opening to help a user to separate individual tissues, and when the flap is in an operative position, the tissues pulled through the opening are caused to adopt a curved 25 profile transverse to the direction of travel of the tissues by contacting the outer edge of the or each flap. 3098394_1 (GHMatters) P86347.AU.1 24/01/12