Reclosable carton having a zipper opening tear strip

Abstract

A reclosable carton is provided which has a reclosable top with a pair of top end flaps and a top reclosable flap to which a foldable tuck flap is attached. The carton has a top tear flap which has a zipper strip for opening the carton to gain access to the contents. This top tear flap is foldably attached to a side panel which has a locking slit between the flap and an adjoining side panel into which the tuck flap is inserted and locked as the carton is reclosed after having been opened. The tuck flap may have a pair of shoulders along the fold line between the tuck flap and the reclosable flap which interlock with shoulders formed along the slit between the side panel and the top tear flap.

1 . A reclosable carton comprising: 
 (a) an end panel, an opposite end panel and foldably attached adjoining side panels, said carton having a top closed by a pair of top end flaps with each foldably attached to an end panel, and a top reclosable flap and a top tear flap, with each flap being foldably attached to an adjoining side panel by a fold line, said top tear flap secured by glue in a closed position overlapping the top reclosable flap, said carton having a bottom closed by closing means;    (b) said top tear flap having a locking slit located between the flap and the adjoining side panel and having a zipper strip formed by a pair of tear lines, which when torn open allows access to the inside of the carton, said pair of tear lines being generally parallel to the fold line between the top tear flap and adjoining side panel, said pair of tear lines extending across said top tear flap, said top reclosable flap having an end remote from the fold line between said top reclosable flap and adjoining side panel, said carton having a tuck flap with two sides which is foldably attached to the remote end of the reclosable flap by a fold line; and    (c) said top of the carton being capable of being reclosed after it has been opened by closing and inserting said tuck flap into said locking slit.    
   
   
       2 . The carton of  claim 1 , in which the top tear flap has an end remote from the fold line between the side panel and top tear flap with a top seal strip located between its remote end and the zipper strip, with the top seal strip being glued to the reclosable flap in an overlapping position.  
   
   
       3 . The carton of  claim 2 , in which said locking slit between the top tear flap and adjoining side panel has a center section and two side sections with the center section spaced slightly closer to the remote end of the top tear flap than the side sections so as to form a locking shoulder where the center section of the slit meets a side section of the slit, with a cut line being located between the tuck flap and the top reclosable flap and extending from each side of the tuck flap until it meets the fold line between the tuck flap and top reclosable flap thereby forming a locking shoulder at a distance from the side of the tuck flap so that the locking shoulders on the cut line interlock with the locking shoulders in the locking slit, when the tuck flap is inserted into the locking slit thereby holding the tuck flap in a reclosed locked position.  
   
   
       4 . The carton of  claim 1 , in which one of the end panels is formed from a pair of flaps that are glued together.  
   
   
       5 . The carton of  claim 1 , in which the means for closing the bottom of the carton is a pair of bottom flaps with each flap foldably attached to a side panel and a pair of bottom end flaps with each flap foldably attached to an end panel, said flaps being secured in the closed position by being glued together.  
   
   
       6 . The carton of  claim 3 , in which the means for closing the bottom of the carton is a pair of bottom flaps with each flap foldably attached to a side panel and a pair of bottom end flaps with each flap foldably attached to an end panel, said flaps being secured in the closed position by being glued together.  
   
   
       7 . The carton of  claim 1 , in which the top tear flap has an end remote from the fold line between the side panel and top tear flap with the locking slit between said top tear flap and adjoining side panel having a center section and two side sections with the center section spaced slightly closer to the remote end of the top tear flap than the side sections so as to form a locking shoulder where the center section of the slit meets a side section of the slit, with a cut line being located between the tuck flap and the top reclosable flap and extending from each side of the tuck flap until it meets the fold line between the tuck flap and top reseable flap thereby forming a locking shoulder at a distance from the side of the tuck flap so that the locking shoulders on the cut line interlock with the locking shoulders in the locking slit, when the tuck flap is inserted into the locking slit thereby holding the tuck flap in a reclosed locked position.  
   
   
       8 . A carton that has been opened and reclosed comprising: 
 (a) an end panel, an opposite end panel and foldably attached adjoining side panels, said carton having a top closed by a pair of top end flaps with each foldably attached to an end panel, and a top reclosable flap and a top tear flap, with each flap being foldably attached to an adjoining side panel by a fold line;    (b) said top reclosable flap being secured by locks in the reclosed position overlapping the top tear flap, said top tear flap having an end remote from the fold line between the side panel and top tear flap with said top tear flap having a locking slit located between the flap and the adjoining side panel, said locking slit having a center section and two side sections with the center section spaced slightly closer to the remote end of the top tear flap than the side section so as to form a locking shoulder where the center section of the slit meets a side section of the slit, with a cut line being located between the tuck flap and the top reclosable flap and extending from each side of the tuck flap until it meets the fold line between the tuck flap and top resealable flap thereby forming a locking shoulder at a distance from the side of the tuck flap so that the locking shoulders on the cut line interlock with the locking shoulders in the locking slit, when the tuck flap is inserted into the locking slit thereby holding the tuck flap in a reclosed locked position; and    (c) said carton having a bottom closed by closing means.    
   
   
       9 . The reclosed carton of  claim 8 , in which the means for closing the bottom of the carton is a pair of bottom flaps with each flap foldably attached to a side panel and a pair of bottom end flaps with each flap foldably attached to an end panel, said flaps being secured in the closed position by being glued together.  
   
   
       10 . A blank for forming a reclosable carton comprising: 
 (a) an end panel, two end flaps for forming an opposite end panel and foldably attached adjoining side panels, said carton formed from the blank having a top closed by a pair of top end flaps with each foldably attached to an end panel, and a top reclosable flap and a top tear flap, with each flap being foldably attached to an adjoining side panel by a fold line;    (b) said top tear flap having a locking slit located between the flap and the adjoining side panel and having a zipper strip formed by a pair of tear lines, which when torn open allows access to the inside of the carton formed from the blank, said pair of tear lines being generally parallel to the fold line between the top tear flap and adjoining side panel, said pair of tear lines extending across said top tear flap, said top reclosable flap having an end remote from the fold line between said top reclosable flap and adjoining side panel, said carton having a tuck flap with two sides which is foldably attached to the remote end of the reclosable flap by a fold line; and    (c) said top of the carton formed from said blank being capable of being reclosed after it has been opened by tearing said zipper strip open by closing and inserting said tuck flap into said locking slit.    
   
   
       11 . The blank of  claim 10 , in which the top tear flap has an end remote from the fold line between the side panel and top tear flap with said locking slit between the top tear flap and adjoining side panel having a center section and two side sections with the center section spaced slightly closer to the remote end of the top tear flap than the side sections so as to form a locking shoulder where the center section of the slit meets a side section of the slit, with a cut line being located between the tuck flap and the top reclosable flap and extending from each side of the tuck flap until it meets the fold line between the tuck flap and top reclosable flap thereby forming a locking shoulder at a distance from the side of the tuck flap so that the locking shoulders on the cut line interlock with the locking shoulders in the locking slit, when the tuck flap is inserted into the locking slit when a carton formed from said blank is reclosed thereby holding the tuck flap in a reclosed locked position.