Blank for forming a carton and a method of recycling hollow cores back into the carton

Abstract

A blank formed from cellulosic fibers is disclosed which is capable of being constructed into a carton. The carton is capable of housing a plurality of roll products, such as rolls of paper towels or rolls of toilet paper. Each of the roll products is wound onto a hollow core made from cellulosic fibers. The carton has a pair of dispensing openings through which the roll products can be individually removed. The carton also has a pair of openings through which an empty hollow core can be inserted back into the carton for the purpose of being recycled along with the empty carton. A method of recycling the empty hollow cores back into the carton is also disclosed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A carton formed from cellulose fibers and having a pair of dispensing openings, said carton capable of housing a plurality of generally cylindrically shaped products formed from cellulose fibers, each of said products wound upon a hollow core formed from cellulose fibers and having a common diameter, said carton comprising:
 a) a top panel;   b) a bottom panel aligned opposite to said top panel;   c) a pair of end walls each being located between said top panel and said bottom panel;   d) a front panel and a back panel each being located between said top panel and said bottom panel and adjacent to each of said pair of end walls;   e) a first tear panel formed in said front panel and having portions that extend into each of said top and bottom panels, said first tear panel defining a first dispensing opening when removed which provides access to at least one of said products housed within said carton;   f) a second tear panel formed in one of said end walls and having portions that extend into each of said top and bottom panels, said second tear panel defining a second dispensing opening when removed which provides access to at least one of said products housed within said carton; and   g) a pair of third tear panels formed in said top panel, said pair of third tear panels defining a pair of third openings when removed which allow an empty hollow core to be inserted back into said carton once one of said products has been removed from said carton.   
     
     
         2 . The carton of  claim 1  wherein one of said pair of third tear panels is located adjacent to a first corner of said top panel and said other pair of third tear panels is located adjacent to a second corner of said top panel, and said first corner is located diagonally across from said second corner. 
     
     
         3 . The carton of  claim 2  wherein one of said pair of third tear panels has a circular configuration with a central axis which is located with 2 inches of said first tear panel. 
     
     
         4 . The carton of  claim 3  wherein said other of said pair of third tear panels has a circular configuration with a central axis which is located with 2 inches of said second tear panel. 
     
     
         5 . The carton of  claim 2  wherein each of said pair of third tear panels has a diameter which is greater than said common diameter of said empty hollow cores. 
     
     
         6 . The carton of  claim 1  further comprising a pair of fourth tear panels formed in said bottom wall, said pair of fourth tear panels defining a pair of fourth openings when removed which allow an empty hollow core to be inserted back into said carton once at least one of said products has been removed from said carton. 
     
     
         7 . The carton of  claim 6  wherein each of said third and fourth pairs of tear panels has a central axis and said central axis of each of said pair of third tear panels is coaxially aligned with a central axis of each of said pair of fourth tear panels. 
     
     
         8 . The carton of  claim 1  wherein each of said first, second and pair of third tear panels includes a plurality of perforations and a handle is positioned in said top panel. 
     
     
         9 . The carton of  claim 1  wherein one of said first and second openings has an edge located flush with an adjacent panel and a detent is formed along said edge to restrict movement of said product. 
     
     
         10 . A blank for forming a carton having a pair of dispensing openings, comprising:
 a) an adhesive tab;   b) a back panel located adjacent to said adhesive tab and having a top and a bottom;   c) a first vertical fold line positioned between said adhesive tab and said back panel;   d) a top panel located adjacent to said back panel and having a top and a bottom;   e) a second vertical fold line positioned between said back panel and said top panel;   f) a front panel located adjacent to said top panel and having a top and a bottom;   g) a third vertical fold line positioned between said top panel and said front panel;   h) a bottom panel located adjacent to said front panel and having a top and a bottom;   i) a fourth vertical fold line positioned between said front panel and said bottom panel;   j) a back panel top flap located adjacent to said top of said back panel;   k) a back panel bottom flap located adjacent to said bottom of said back panel;   l) a top panel top flap located adjacent to said top of said top panel;   m) a top panel bottom flap located adjacent to said bottom of said top panel;   n) a front panel top flap located adjacent to said top of said front panel;   o) a front panel bottom flap located adjacent to said bottom of said front panel;   p) a bottom panel top flap located adjacent to said top of said bottom panel;   q) a bottom panel bottom flap located adjacent to said bottom of said bottom panel;   r) a first horizontal fold line disposed between said back panel and said back panel top flap, between said top panel and said top panel top flap, between said front panel and said front panel top flap, and between said bottom panel and said bottom panel top flap;   s) a second horizontal fold line disposed between said back panel and said back panel bottom flap, between said top panel and said top panel bottom flap, between said front panel and said front panel bottom flap, and between said bottom panel and said bottom panel bottom flap;   t) a first tear panel formed in said front panel and having a pair of portions which extends partially into said top panel and said bottom panel, and when said first tear panel is removed a first opening is formed into said carton; and   u) a pair of second tear panels, one of said pair of second tear panels formed in said top panel top flap and having a portion which partially extends into said top panel and said other of said pair of second tear panels formed in said bottom panel top flap and having a portion which partially extends into said bottom panel, and when said pair of second perforations is removed a second opening is formed into said carton.   
     
     
         11 . The blank of  claim 10  further comprising a pair of third tear panels formed in said top panel, when at least one of said pair of third tear panels is removed a third opening is formed into said carton which allows an empty hollow core to be inserted back into said carton, and each of said third openings has a diameter which is at least equal to said common diameter of said empty hollow core. 
     
     
         12 . The blank of  claim 11  wherein a pair of third tear panels are formed in said top panel, each of said pair of third tear panels has a central axis which is located within about 3 inches of one of said first and second horizontal fold lines. 
     
     
         13 . The blank of  claim 10  wherein each of said back panel top flap, said front panel top flap, said top panel top flap and said bottom panel top flap has a height, and said height of each of said top panel top flap and said bottom panel top flap is greater than said height of each of said back panel top flap and said front panel top flap. 
     
     
         14 . The blank of  claim 10  wherein each of said back panel, said front panel, said top panel and said bottom panel has a width, said width of said back panel is approximately equal to said width of said front panel, and said width of said top panel is approximately equal to said width of said bottom panel, and said width of said back panel is greater than said width of said top panel. 
     
     
         15 . The blank of  claim 10  wherein said back panel bottom flap and said front panel bottom flap are identical in size and configuration, and said top panel bottom flap and said bottom panel bottom flap are identical in size and configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The blank of  claim 10  further comprising a pair of fourth tear panels formed in said bottom panel, when at least one of said pair of fourth tear panels is removed a fourth opening is formed into said carton which allows an empty hollow core to be inserted back into said carton, and said fourth opening has a diameter which is at least equal to said common diameter of said empty hollow core. 
     
     
         17 . The blank of  claim 16  wherein each of said pair of fourth tear panels has a central axis which is located within about 3 inches of one of said first and second horizontal fold lines. 
     
     
         18 . A method of recycling empty hollow cores formed from cellulose fibers which are housed in a carton formed from cellulose fibers, each of said hollow cores having a product formed from cellulose fibers wound upon it, said method comprising the steps of:
 a) inserting a plurality of said products into said carton and sealing said carton, said carton having a top panel, a bottom panel aligned opposite to said top panel, a pair of end walls each being located between said top panel and said bottom panel, a front panel and a back panel each being located between said top panel and said bottom panel and adjacent to each of said pair of end walls, a first tear panel formed in said front panel and having portions that extend into each of said top and bottom panels, said first tear panel defining a first opening when removed which provides access to at least one of said products housed within said carton, a second tear panel formed in one of said pair of end walls and having portions that extend into each of said top and bottom panels, said second tear panel defining a second opening when removed which provides access to at least one of said products housed within said carton, and a pair of third tear panels formed in said top panel, said pair of third tear panels defining a pair of third openings when removed which permits an empty hollow core to be inserted back into said carton once one of said products has been removed from said carton;   b) removing one of said first and second tear panels to obtain a dispensing opening into said carton;   c) removing at least one of said third tear panels;   d) removing one of said products from said carton;   e) removing said product wound upon said hollow core to obtain an empty hollow core; and   f) inserting said empty hollow core back into said carton through one of said third openings.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the step of removing both of said third tear panels. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising recycling said carton containing one or more of said empty hollow cores.