Gable Top Container Panels with Bowed Sealing and Score Line Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gable top carton designs lack the ability to offer non-traditional appearances, and traditional designs face issues with structural support and ergonomic usability, particularly with deeper roof parts and narrow gaps that can lead to damage during production and folding.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates outwardly bowed top sealing sub-panels bounded by score lines, intermediate sub-panels with through holes for pour spout fitments, and lanceolate sub-sub-panels that promote inward folding and support curved edges, reducing the need for internal support and allowing larger pour spout fitments, while minimizing score lines to prevent damage and enhance ergonomic properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional gable top carton designs are used, then the carton maintains a traditional appearance, but the ability to offer non-traditional appearances is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The top closure is divided into multiple sub-panels (front roof sub-panel, rear roof sub-panel, and side roof sub-panels) that can be independently shaped and configured. This segmentation allows different appearance styles while maintaining the gable top structure, enabling both traditional and non-traditional appearances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces design freedom in the third dimension by allowing the top closure panels to have varied curvatures, angles, and depths. The front roof sub-panel can be positioned at different distances from the front body sub-panel, creating depth variations that enable non-traditional appearances while preserving structural integrity.
2Ease of operation
If deeper roof parts are used to improve ergonomic properties, then ergonomic usability is enhanced, but structural support requirements increase and narrow gaps can lead to damage during production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different structural qualities to different regions of the carton. The top closure panels have deeper sections where ergonomic support is needed (such as the front roof sub-panel area) while maintaining sufficient structural thickness in critical load-bearing regions. This local differentiation provides both ergonomic benefits and structural strength without requiring uniform increases throughout the entire carton.
3Shape
If multiple score lines are used to create sub-panels, then structural definition is improved, but the risk of damage during production and folding increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent strategically removes or reduces certain score lines that would create unnecessary weakness points. Specifically, the design minimizes score lines in the top closure panels while maintaining essential structural definition through the panel configurations themselves. This extraction of redundant score lines reduces damage risk during production and folding while preserving adequate structural definition.
4Productivity
If pour spout fitments are made larger to improve pouring functionality, then through-flow cross-sectional area is increased, but the structural integrity of the top closure may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating structural reinforcement around the pour spout fitment area. The top closure panels are designed with adequate thickness and support specifically in the regions surrounding the fitment openings, while maintaining larger opening sizes for improved pouring. This localized structural enhancement preserves top closure integrity without restricting pour spout size.
Data Source
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AI summary
A container formed of a blank (2) consisting of first, second, third, fourth and fith panels (4, 6, 8, 10, 12), respectively. The first, second, third, fourth and fith panels (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) include respective top sealing sub-panels (14, 16, 18, 20, 22), of an outwardly bowed form bounded inwardly by respective score lines (15, 17, 19, 21, 23). The first, second, third, fourth and fifth panels (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) also include respective bottom sealing sub-panels (24, 26, 28, 32, 34) of a per se known form. The first and third panels (4, 8) also include respective intermediate panels (34,38) which are each uninterrupted by score lines, except that one intermediate sub-panel (38) is formed with a through hole (40) for receiving a pour spout fitment. The second and fourth panels (6, 10) include respective intermediate sub-panels (36, 40) which are divided by score lines into respective sub- sub-panels (42, 44), identically as between the sub-panels (36, 40).