Oral care article comprising a container

Abstract

An oral article comprising a six sided carton (suitable for containing a tube of dentifrice) having a front-top flap that is unfolded open along a line of weakness, wherein at least a portion of the line of weakness includes a ½ cut line of weakness on the top side of the carton.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oral care article comprising a six sided rectangular carton capable of containing a tube of dentifrice, wherein the carton comprises:
 (a) a front side, an adjoining a top side, a back side opposing the front side, and a longitudinal axis passing along the length of the carton;   (b) a top side/back side edge is located at the interface of the front side and the back side, wherein the top side/back side edge comprises a non-foldable edge, and an adjacent foldable edge;   (c) a foldable/non-foldable intersection is located between the non-foldable edge and the foldable edge;   (d) a front side/top side edge is located at the interface of the front side and the top side, wherein the front side/top side edge comprises a non-moveable edge, and an adjacent moveable edge;   (e) a movable/non-movable edge intersection is located between the non-moveable edge and the adjacent movable edge;   (f) a front-top flap defined by: a finger tab located at the front side integral to the moveable edge; a line of weakness essentially extending from the finger tab to the foldable/non-foldable intersection through the movable/non-movable edge intersection; and wherein the front-top flap is capable of unfolding open along the folding edge;   (g) wherein at least a portion of the line weakness on the top side is a ½ cut line of weakness.   
     
     
         2 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , further comprising an angle theta formed between an intersecting first plane and a second plane, wherein the first plane is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and intersects the foldable/non-foldable intersection, and the second plane is between the foldable-non-foldable intersection and the movable/non-movable edge intersection, and wherein angle theta is from 3 degrees to 15 degrees. 
     
     
         3 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , wherein a majority of the portion of the line weakness of the top side is a ½ cut line of weakness. 
     
     
         4 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the line of weakness of the front side is at least one of a ½ cut line of weakness or a cut through line of weakness. 
     
     
         5 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , wherein a leading edge of the finger tab is located in the middle ⅓ of the length of the front side. 
     
     
         6 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , wherein a majority of the line of weakness of the front side is a ½ cut line of weakness, except for locations immediately adjacent on either side of a leading edge of the finger tab. 
     
     
         7 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , further comprising an angle alpha formed between an intersecting fifth plane and a sixth plane, wherein the fifth plane is along the front side/top side edge intersecting the movable/non-moveable intersection, and the sixth plane is between the movable/non-movable edge intersection and a mid-point of a leading edge of the finger tab, wherein the angle alpha is from 5 degrees to 20 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , wherein an inside surface of the front-top flap comprises a message. 
     
     
         9 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , wherein the front-top flap is capable of exposing from 17% to 40% of the total surface area of the six sided rectangular carton upon the front-top flap unfolding open. 
     
     
         10 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , wherein the length of a non-openable portion of the top side immediately adjacent the top side/back side edge, is shorter than the length of a non-openable portion of the top side immediately adjacent the front side/top side edge. 
     
     
         11 . The oral care article of  claim 10 , wherein the non-openable portion of the top side comprises an upper layer and one or more non-upper layers opposing the upper layer, wherein the upper layer has a length longer than all of the one or more non-upper layers. 
     
     
         12 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , wherein the six sided rectangular carton further comprises a prominent curve in the line of weakness of the front side adjacent the movable/non-movable edge intersection;
 wherein the line of weakness is a ½ cut line of weakness having an outer radius from 2.7 mm to 6.7 mm and an inner radius from 0.5 mm to 3.5 mm.   
     
     
         13 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , wherein the six sided rectangular carton has the following dimensions: length of the carton is from 10 cm to 40 cm; width of the carton is from 3 cm to 9 cm; and height of the carton is from 2 cm to 8 cm. 
     
     
         14 . The oral care article of  claim 1 , further containing a tube of dentifrice, wherein the length of an exposed opening of the top side immediately adjacent the top side/back side edge is at the same or greater than the length of the tube of dentifrice. 
     
     
         15 . A method of opening an oral care article according to  claim 1 , comprising the step of grasping the finger tap and opening the front-top flap by separating the front-top flap along the line of weakness.