Granted Patent B2

US 7,743,944 · App. 11/767,871 · Granted Jun 29, 2010

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A method of dispensing beverage containers from a carton, comprising:

providing a substantially parallelepipedal carton having a first side panel, a second side panel foldably attached to the first side panel, a third side panel foldably attached to the second side panel, a fourth side panel foldably attached to the third side panel, at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one of the side panels forming a first end of the carton, at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one of the side panels forming a second end of the carton, and a first dispenser section defined in part by at least one breachable line of disruption, the first dispenser section extends across an entire width of the second side panel and comprises at least a portion of at least one of the first and third side panels, the carton comprising a tear feature extending across at least the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel and a hinge extending across at least the third side panel, the tear feature comprising a first tear feature extending across the first and second side panels, and a second tear feature extending across the fourth side panel, the hinge extending from respective ends of the first and second tear features;

providing a plurality of beverage containers accommodated in the carton in at least two rows and at least two columns;

separating the carton at at least three of the sides into a first carton section and a second carton section, the separating the carton comprising tearing the carton at the tear feature to divide each of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel into respective first and second portions, the first portions of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel comprising the first carton section and the second portions of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel comprising the second carton section;

pivoting the first and second carton sections at the hinge to place the first and second carton sections in a side-by-side configuration, wherein

the first carton section accommodates a first plurality of the plurality of beverage containers and has a first open top through which the first plurality of beverage containers can be dispensed, the first open top being at a top end of the first carton section opposite to the first end of the carton,

the second carton section accommodates a second plurality of the plurality of beverage containers and has a second open top through which the second plurality of beverage containers can be dispensed, the second open top being at a second top end of the second carton section opposite to the second end of the carton, and

the first dispenser section is located in the first carton section;

opening the first dispenser section; and

removing at least one of the first plurality of beverage containers through the opened first dispenser section.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dispenser section is adjacent to the first end of the carton.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the beverage containers are generally cylindrical containers.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein separating the carton into the carton sections comprises tearing the tear feature along the three sides of the carton.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of beverage containers comprises at least eight beverage containers arranged in at least two rows and at least four columns.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beverage containers lie on their sides when the first and second carton sections are in the side-by-side configuration.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sections are placed in a side-by-side configuration.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first tear feature is a tear strip, the second tear feature is a tear strip, and the hinge is a fold line.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the carton has an adhesive flap foldably connected to the first side panel that is adhesively secured and overlapped by the fourth side panel.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first side panel, the second side panel, the third side panel, and the fourth side panel each respectively comprise end flaps that respectively close ends of the carton.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one breachable line of disruption that defines the first dispenser section is located in the first portion of the second side panel and is spaced apart from the first end of the carton such that a portion of the second side panel is located between the first dispenser section and the first end of the carton.

12. A method of dispensing beverage containers from a carton, comprising:

providing a carton having a first side panel, a second side panel foldably attached to the first side panel, a third side panel foldably attached to the second side panel, a fourth side panel foldably attached to the third side panel, at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one of the side panels forming a first end of the carton, at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one of the side panels forming a second end of the carton, and a first dispenser section, the first dispenser section extends across an entire width of the second side panel and comprises at least a portion of at least one of the first and third side panels, the carton comprising a tear feature extending across at least the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel and a hinge extending across at least the third side panel, the tear feature comprising a first tear feature extending across the first and second side panels, and a second tear feature extending across the fourth side panel, the hinge extending from respective ends of the first and second tear features;

providing at least twelve beverage containers accommodated in the carton in at least three rows and at least four columns, each beverage container having a longitudinal axis, a container side, a first container end, and a second container end;

separating the carton into a first carton section and a second carton section so that the first and second carton sections remain hingedly attached at the hinge on one side of the carton, the separating the carton comprising tearing the carton at the tear feature to divide each of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel into respective first and second portions, the first portions of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel comprising the first carton section and the second portions of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel comprising the second carton section;

pivoting the first and second carton sections at the hinge to place the first and second carton sections in a side-by-side configuration, wherein

the first carton section accommodates a first half of the at least twelve beverage containers and has a first open top through which the first half of the beverage containers can be dispensed, the first open top being at a top end of the first carton section opposite to the first end of the carton,

the first dispenser section is located in the first carton section adjacent to the first end of the carton and is defined in part by a first plurality of breachable lines of disruption, and

the second carton section accommodates a second half of the at least twelve beverage containers and has a second open top through which the second half of the beverage containers can be dispensed, the second open top being at a second top end of the second carton section opposite to the second end of the carton; and

removing at least one of the first half of the beverage containers from the first carton section.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising opening the first dispenser section.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein beverage containers in a bottom column of the first half of the beverage containers rest on their sides on the first end of the carton.

15. A method of dispensing beverage containers from a carton, comprising:

providing a substantially parallelepipedal carton having a first side panel, a second side panel foldably attached to the first side panel, a third side panel foldably attached to the second side panel, a fourth side panel foldably attached to the third side panel, at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one of the side panels forming a first end of the carton, at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one of the side panels forming a second end of the carton, and a first dispenser section, the first dispenser section extends across an entire width of the second side panel and comprises at least a portion of at least one of the first and third side panels, the carton comprising a tear feature extending across at least the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel and a hinge extending across at least the third side panel, the tear feature comprising a first tear feature extending across the first and second side panels, and a second tear feature extending across the fourth side panel, the hinge extendin from respective ends of the first and second tear features;

providing at least eight beverage containers accommodated in the carton in at least two rows and at least two columns;

tearing a tear feature to separate the carton at at least three of the sides into a first carton section and a second carton section, the tearing a tear feature comprising tearing the carton at the tear feature to divide each of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel into respective first and second portions, the first portions of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel comprising the first carton section and the second portions of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the fourth side panel comprising the second carton section;

pivoting the carton sections about the hinge, which connects the first and second carton sections to place the first and second carton sections in a side-by-side configuration, wherein

the first carton section accommodates a first half of the at least eight beverage containers and has a first open top through which the first half of the beverage containers can be dispensed, the first open top being at a top end of the first carton section opposite to the first end panel of the carton,

the second carton section accommodates a second half of the at least eight beverage containers and has a second open top through which the second half of the beverage containers can be dispensed, the second open top being at a top end of the second carton section opposite to the second end panel of the carton,

articles in a bottom column of the first half of the beverage containers rest on their sides on the first end panel of the carton, and

articles in a bottom column of the second half of beverage containers rest on their sides on the second end panel of the carton;

opening the first dispenser section; and

removing at least one of the first half of the beverage containers through the opened first dispenser section.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the beverage containers are generally cylindrical containers.

Assignments (10)