Carton with easy opening feature and blank therefor

Claim 2

A paperboard carton comprising a first side panel, a front panel, a second side panel and a back panel hingedly connected along parallel scorelines, a manufacturer''s flap hinged along a scoreline to said back panel and sealed to said first side panel to form a tubular carton body, end closure flaps hinged to said panels and adapted to form end closures for said carton, a tear strip formed across at least three of said panels, said tear strip having an end at which tear is initiated, said end lying at an edge of said first side panel and sealed to said manufacturer''s flap therewith, and limited depth transverse cuts formed in the area of said manufacturer''s flap which underlies said end of said tear strip, said transverse cuts extending across said manufacturer''s flap and beyond the scorelines joining said manufacturer''s flap to said back panel, and a longitudinal limited depth cut in said back panel joining the ends of said transverse cuts, said cuts forming tab means which protrude from the carton body when the carton is in erected condition, so that said tab means may be grasped and pulled to initiate removal of said tear strip.

Claim 3

The carton of claim 1 wherein at least the exterior surface of said carton is coated with a heat sealable barrier film.

Claim 4

The carton of claim 2 wherein said heat sealable barrier film is polyethylene.

Claim 5

The carton of claim 2 wherein said tear strip further comprises two parallel, limited depth cut lines in the outer surface of said carton, said cut lines extending through the barrier film but not through the paperboard and at least one limited depth cut line in the interior surface of said carton, parallel to and lying between said aformentioned cut lines.

Claim 6

A paperboard carton blank comprising a first side panel, a front panel, a second side panel, a back panel and a manufacturer''s flap hingedly connected along scorelines, said manufacturer''s flap having a free edge, and said first side panel having a free edge, and end closure flaps hinged along scorelines to the said panels, said manufacturer''s flap adapted to be sealed to said first side panel to form a tubular carton body, a tear strip extending across said side panels and said front panel and having an end at the edge of said first side panel adapted to be sealed to said manufacturer''s flap, said tear strip comprising two parallel, limited depth cut lines in the exterior surface of said blank and at least one limited depth cut line in the interior surface thereof, parallel to and lying between said first mentioned cut lines, and tab means formed in the area of said manufacturer''s flap underyling and sealed to said end of said tear strip, said tab means adapted to protrude from the carton body when said blank is sealed into tubular form and erected, said tab means comprising transverse, limited depth cuts extending from the free edge of said manufacturer''s flap across said flap and across the scoreline joining said flap to said back panel, and a longitudinal, limited depth cut in said back panel joining the ends of said first mentioned cuts.

Claim 7

A paperboard carton blank comprising a first side panel, a front panel, a second side panel, a back panel and a manufacturer''s flap hingedly connected along scorelines, said manufacturer''s flap having a free edge, and said first side panel having a free edge, and end closure flaps hinged along scorelines to the said panels, said manufacturer''s flap adapted to be sealed to said first side panel to form a tubular carton body, a tear strip extending across said side panels and said front panel and having an end at the edge of said first side panel adapted to be sealed to said manufacturer''s flap, said tear strip comprising two parallel, limited depth cut lines in the exterior surface of said blank and at least one limited depth cut line in the interior surface thereof, parallel to and lying between said first mentioned cut lines, and tab means formed in the area of said manufacturer''s flap underyling and sealed to said end of said tear strip, said tab means adapted to protrude from the carton body when said blank is sealed into tubular form and erected, said tab means comprising transverse, limited depth cuts extending from the free edge of said manufacturer''s flap across said flap and across the scoreline joining said flap to said back panel, and a longitudinal, limited depth cut in said back panel joining the ends of said first mentioned cuts.

Claim 8

The blank of claim 5 wherein at least the exterior surface of the blank is coated with a heat sealable barrier film, and said cut lines in said exterior surface and said cuts extend through said barrier film but not through said paperboard.