Dispensing carton

Claim 1

An improved dispensing carton for materials supplied in roll form, the carton comprising a hollow, generally rectangular box, the box having a bottom panel, a first end panel, a second end panel, a front panel, said front panel having an upper edge, said upper edge being folded inwardly upon itself, a lower edge, said lower edge being remote from and generally parallel to the upper edge, an outer face and an inner face, a rear panel, a lid member, said lid member comprising a generally rectangular panel having four edges, a first edge hingedly connected to the adjacent edge of the rear panel, a second edge remote from and generally parallel to the first edge, a third edge generally normal to the first and second edges and a fourth edge generally normal to the first and second edges and generally parallel to the third edge, the second, third and fourth edges each having a flange which projects toward the bottom panel of the carton when the lid member is in a closed configuration, a frontal flange projecting from the second edge, a first end flange projecting from the third edge, a second end flange projecting from the fourth edge, the three flanges being adapted so that when the lid member is in the closed configuration, the frontal flange slideably overlaps a portion of the front panel of the carton for a vertical distance of greater than one-half the height of said front panel, said frontal flange having an inner face, an outer face, an upper edge foldably connected with the second edge of the lid member and a lower edge remote from the upper edge, the inner face of the frontal flange having affixed thereto a glue strip, the first and second end flanges slideably overlap portions of the first and second end panels repectively, wherein the improvement comprises: a cutting means having a cutting edge, the cutting means being in association with the lid member, said cutting means being positioned at, and generally parallel to the lower edge of the frontal flange of the lid member in such a manner that at least the cutting edge extends beyond the lower edge of the frontal flange of the lid member toward the bottom panel of the carton when the lid member is in the closed configuration; a material retaining means having an adhesive outer surface, said material retaining means being affixed to the outer face of the front panel of the carton and being positioned so that the frontal flange of the lid member covers the material retaining means when the lid member is in the closed configuation; an adhesive surface protecting means, said adhesive surface protecting means being affixed to the inner face of the frontal flange of the lid member and positioned so that said adhesive surface protecting means is generally opposite from and generally parallel to the material retaining means when the lid member is in the closed configuration; and a carton opening assisting means, said carton opening assisting means being an extension of at least a portion of the lower edge of the frontal flange of the lid member.