Gable top container

Claim 2

A gable top container of sheet material including a tubular body having four side walls; a bottom closure fixed to said body; a pair of opposed roof panels inclining toward each other and overlying the top of said body; a pair of opposed end closure panels enfolded between said roof panels from the opposite gable ends formed by the latter; first and second pairs of fold-back panels, each pair of fold-back panels being joined to opposite sides of a respective one of said end closure panels along the fold lines which are in proximity with said roof panels, said fold-back panels being folded against the underside of said roof panels; a ridge panel surmounting each of said roof panels; a ridge panel surmounting each of said fold-back panels, each pair of ridge panels surmounting a pair of fold-back panels being hinged together at the apex of the contiguous end closure panels and being folded about said hinge joinder in face-to-face relation between the ridge panels surmounting said roof panels, wherein the improvement comprises lower and upper score lines located in each of said pair of roof panels, said lower and upper score lines each having upper and lower end parts defining an elongate beam section extending diagonally from the upper edge of their respective roof panels toward the lower corner thereof, the upper end of said beam section being tapered to terminate substantially in a point on said upper edge, said lower score line extending continuously from said upper edge to said lower corner, the lower end of said upper score line terminating at a point longitudinally spaced from said lower corner and laterally spaced from said lower score line, said lower end of said upper score line defining the lower end of said beam section, the plane of an upper end portion of said closure panel lying along the upper end portion of the lower score line and the plane of the lower end portion of said closure panel lying adjacent and at a lower elevation than the lower end portion of the lower score line.

Claim 3

The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said lower score line includes first, second and third score portions, said lower score line second portion extending generally outwardly from the plane of the upper end portion of the closure panel, said lower score line first portion interconnecting the upper end of said lower score line second portion and said upper edge and lying along the plane of the upper end portion of the closure panel, and said lower score line third portion interconnecting the lower end of said lower score line second portion and said lower corner forming a triangle with the plane of the lower portion of the closure panel, and said upper score line includes first and second score portions, said upper score line first portion interconnecting the upper end of said upper score line second portion and said upper edge, said upper score line second portion extending from the lower end of said upper score line first portion in a downwardly converging direction toward the junction of the second and third portions of the lower score line, said upper score line second portion terminating at a point spaced from said lower score line second portion and said lower corner.

Claim 4

The inventiOn as recited in claim 1 wherein said four sides are of substantially equal width, the apexes of said pair of opposed end closure panels being located substantially at the midpoint of the upper edge of their respective roof panels, and the point of intersection of said first score portion of each of said upper and lower score lines with the upper edge of the respective roof panels being substantially at the midpoint of said upper edge.

Claim 5

The invention as recited in claim 3 wherein said upper score line second portion extends in a diagonal straight line forming an angle with the upper edge of its respective roof panel, said angle being in the range from 30* to 40* and the plane of said one of said end closure panels forming an angle with said upper score line second portion.

Claim 6

A gable top container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the junction of the first and second portions of the upper score line is adjacent and at a lower elevation than the weakened line of severance.

Claim 7

A paperboard blank for forming a container of rectangular formation and having a gable top, said blank being formed with laterally spaced apart score lines extending vertically from the lower edge to the upper edge of the blank, a score line extending transversely on the blank in downward spaced relation to the upper edge thereof, said latter score line, in conjunction with said vertically extending score lines, defining opposed front and rear wall panels and opposed side wall panels, a second transversely extending score line arranged intermediate the upper edge of said blank and said first transversely extending score line and defining, in conjunction therewith and with said vertically extending score lines, a front roof panel surmounting said front wall panel, a rear roof panel surmounting said rear wall panel, and an area surmounting each of said side wall panels, each of said areas being provided with converging score lines inclining upwardly from said first transverse score line to said second transverse score line and defining in each of said areas an end closure panel and a pair of fold-back panels hinged to the end closure panel, said second transversely extending score line, in conjunction with said vertically extending score lines, defining ridge panels surmounting said front and rear roof panels and each pair of said fold-back panels, and a weakened line of severance traversing upper portion of said end closure panel and extending across a portion of said fold-back panels, wherein the improvement comprises upper and lower pry score lines located on each of said roof panels, said score lines defining an elongate beam section extending diagonally from the upper edge of its respective roof panel toward the lower corner thereof, the upper end of said beam section being tapered to terminate substantially at a point on said upper edge, said lower score line extending continuously from said upper edge to said lower corner, the lower end of said upper score line terminating at a point longitudinally spaced from said lower corner and laterally spaced from said lower score line, said lower end of said upper score line defining the lower end of said beam section, the plane of an upper end portion of said closure panel lying along the upper end portion of the lower score line and the plane of a lower end portion of said closure panel lying adjacent and at a lower elevation than the lower end portion of the lower score line in the container formed and closed position of the blank.

Claim 8

A paperboard blank for forming a container of rectangular formation and having a gable top, said blank being formed with laterally spaced apart score lines extending vertically from the lower edge to the upper edge of the blank, a score line extending transversely on the blank in downward spaced relation to the upper edge thereof, said latter score line, in conjunction with said vertically extending score lines, defining opposed front and rear wall panels and opposed side wall panels, a second transversely extending score line arranged intermediate the upper edge of said blank and said first transversely extending score line and defining, in conjunction therewith and with said vertically extending score lines, a front roof panel surmounting said front wall panel, a rear roof panel surmounting said rear wall panel, and an area surmounting each of said side wall panels, each of said areas being provided with converging score lines inclining upwardly from said first transverse score line to said second transverse score line and defining in each of said areas an end closure panel and a pair of fold-back panels hinged to the end closure panel, said second transversely extending score line, in conjunction with said vertically extending score lines, defining ridge panels surmounting said front and rear roof panels and each pair of said fold-back panels, and a weakened line of severance traversing upper portion of said end closure panel and extending across a portion of said fold-back panels, wherein the improvement comprises upper and lower pry score lines located on each of said roof panels, said score lines defining an elongate beam section extending diagonally from the upper edge of its respective roof panel toward the lower corner thereof, the upper end of said beam section being tapered to terminate substantially at a point on said upper edge, said lower score line extending continuously from said upper edge to said lower corner, the lower end of said upper score line terminating at a point longitudinally spaced from said lower corner and laterally spaced from said lower score line, said lower end of said upper score line defining the lower end of said beam section, the plane of an upper end portion of said closure panel lying along the upper end portion of the lower score line and the plane of a lower end portion of said closure panel lying adjacent and at a lower elevation than the lower end portion of the lower score line in the container formed and closed position of the blank.

Claim 9

The invention as recited in claim 6 wherein said lower score line includes first, second, and third portions, said lower score line second portion extending diagonally and downwardly along said respective roof panel at an angle between 35* and 45* with said upper edge of said respective roof panel, said lower score line first portion interconnecting the upper end of said lower score line second portion and said upper edge of said respective roof panel and lying along the planE of the upper end portion of the closure panel in the container formed, closed position, and said lower score line third portion interconnecting the lower end of said lower score line second portion and said lower corner; and said upper score line including first and second portions, said upper score line first portion interconnecting the upper end of said upper score line second portion and said upper edge of said respective roof panel, said upper score line second portion extending from the lower end of said second score portion in a downwardly converging direction toward the junction of the second and third portions of the lower score line, said upper score line second portion terminating at a point spaced from said lower score line second portion and said lower corner.

Claim 10

The invention as recited in claim 7 wherein said front and rear wall panels and said opposed side wall panels are of substantially equal width, and the upper end of said beam is substantially at the midpoint of the upper edge of said roof panels.