Easy open carton

Abstract

The present application provides a carton for enclosing one or more products. The carton includes a pair of side walls, a top wall or a bottom wall, an end wall, and a tear away section extending across the pair of sidewalls, the top wall or the bottom wall, and the end wall in a number of perforations and a number of slits. The tear away section defines a notch on the end wall at the intersection of one of the pair of sidewalls.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A carton for enclosing one or more products, comprising:
 a pair of side walls;   a top wall or a bottom wall;   an end wall; and   a tear away section extending across the pair of sidewalls, the top wall or the bottom wall, and the end wall in a plurality of perforations and a plurality of slits;   wherein the tear away section defines a notch on the end wall at the intersection of one of the pair of sidewalls.   
     
     
         2 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the notch comprises a V-shaped notch. 
     
     
         3 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the tear away section comprises a tab section along the top wall or the bottom wall. 
     
     
         4 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the tear away section extends along each of the pair of sidewalls at an angle from the top wall or the bottom wall to the end wall. 
     
     
         5 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the end wall comprises a first side wall panel flap with a first notch therein and a second side wall panel flap with a second notch therein. 
     
     
         6 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of perforations comprises alternating or stagger right and left short cuts. 
     
     
         7 . The carton of  claim 6 , wherein the cuts may be about 1/16 inch (about 1.5875 millimeters). 
     
     
         8 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slits comprises about ¼ inch to about ⅞ inch (about 6.35 millimeters to about 22.225 millimeters) with a gap of about 3/32 inch (about 2.3 millimeters) in between. 
     
     
         9 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the tear away section along each of the pair of sidewalls comprises three slits and a length of perforations. 
     
     
         10 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more products comprise a pouch with a micro-ingredient therein. 
     
     
         11 . A blank for erecting a carton, comprising:
 a first side panel;   the first side panel comprising a first side panel flap connected thereto;   a second side panel;   the second side panel comprising a second side panel flap connected thereto;   a top or a bottom panel connected to the first side panel and the second side panel; and   a tear away section extending across the first side panel flap, the first side panel, the top or bottom panel, the second side panel, and the second side panel flap in a plurality of perforations, a plurality of slits, and a plurality of notches.   
     
     
         12 . The blank of  claim 11 , further comprising panel fold lines between the first side panel and the top or the bottom panel and between the second side panel and the top or the bottom panel. 
     
     
         13 . The blank of  claim 11 , further comprising flap fold lines between the first side panel and first side panel flap and between the second side panel and the second side panel flap. 
     
     
         14 . The blank of  claim 11 , wherein the first side panel flap comprises a first notch and a first length of flap perforations. 
     
     
         15 . The blank of  claim 14 , wherein the second side panel flap comprises a second notch and a second length of flap perforations. 
     
     
         16 . The blank of  claim 11 , wherein the first side panel and the second side panel both comprise three side panel slits and length of side panel perforations. 
     
     
         17 . The blank of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of notches comprise a plurality of V-shaped notches. 
     
     
         18 . The blank of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of perforations comprises alternating or stagger right and left short cuts of about 1/16 inch (about 1.5875 millimeters). 
     
     
         19 . The blank of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of slits comprises about ¼ inch to about ⅞ inch (about 6.35 millimeters to about 22.225 millimeters) with a gap of about 3/32 inch (about 2.3 millimeters) in between. 
     
     
         20 . A method of filling a beverage dispensing system with micro-ingredients, comprising:
 filling a pouch with the micro-ingredients;   packaging the pouch in a carton;   transporting the carton to the beverage dispensing system;   removing a tear away section of the carton by tearing along a plurality of perforations, a plurality of slits, and a plurality of notches; and   positioning the carton within the beverage dispensing system.