Dry goods container

Abstract

A dry goods container has a container body, a top portion constructed of injection molded plastic, and a cap portion. The container body includes a container base and a container sidewall, the container base having a base perimeter, and the container sidewall extending upwardly from the base perimeter to form a top perimeter that defines a top opening of the container body. The container body is constructed of paperboard and sealed with a barrier layer. The top portion is adapted to engage the top perimeter and close the top opening of the container body. The top portion has a generally planar box top surface and an indented portion, the indented portion having a pouring aperture surrounded by a pour spout. The cap portion is shaped to removably engage the pour spout to seal the pouring aperture.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] This invention relates generally to containers, and more particularly to a container adapted to contain dry goods such as cereal.

[0005] 2. Description of Related Art

[0006] The prior art teaches the construction of paperboard containers, known as “gable” type containers, for use in storing and dispensing drinks such as milk and fruit juice. The most recent gable type containers have included a fitment type pour spout formed of plastic and affixed to one of the upper sloped sides of the gable container. For dispensing with this type of container, the user unscrews a screw cap and pours a desired quantity of liquid and then recluses the container by threading the cap back on the spout. In the typical construction, as shown in Gordon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,562, a paperboard blank is first covered on either side with a plastic layer, and die cut into a plurality of panels that can then be folded to form the gable container.

[0007] The prior art also teaches the construction of paperboard cereal boxes, for use in storing and dispensing dry goods such as cereal. A typical cereal box is merely a paperboard box into which is placed a plastic bag full of cereal. The user partially rips open the plastic bag to dispense the cereal; and the user folds the top portion of the plastic bag to reseal the bag and protect the cereal. The primary problem with this construction is that it is not convenient, especially for children, to tear open the plastic bag containing the cereal. Furthermore, the rudimentary method of folding the plastic bag is inefficient in protecting the cereal, so the cereal tends to become stale after a period of time.

[0008] Finally, the prior art teaches various plastic containers, commonly known as TUPPERWARE®, for storage of leftover foods. These plastic containers are typically washed and reused; however, they are not suitable for product packaging due to the cost of construction.

[0009] The prior art does not teach a container adapted to store dry goods such as cereal that is so inexpensive to manufacture that it can be used as disposable product packaging, and yet is easy to open, dispense cereal, and be readily and effectively resealed. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.

[0011] The present invention provides a dry goods container having a container body, a top portion constructed of injection molded plastic, and a cap portion. The container body includes a container base and a container sidewall, the container base having a base perimeter, and the container sidewall extending upwardly from the base perimeter to form a top perimeter that defines a top opening of the container body. The container body is constructed of paperboard and sealed with a barrier layer. The top portion is adapted to engage the top perimeter and close the top opening of the container body. The top portion has a generally planar box top surface and an indented portion, the indented portion having a pouring aperture surrounded by a pour spout. The cap portion is shaped to removably engage the pour spout to seal the pouring aperture.

[0012] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a dry goods container having advantages not taught by the prior art.

[0013] Another objective is dry goods container that is constructed primarily of paperboard, and therefore inexpensive enough to be used as disposable product packaging, but includes a top portion that is injection molded to include a pour spout and a cap portion, thereby enabling the dry goods container to be easily opened and resealed.

[0014] A further objective is to provide a dry goods container that has a top portion and a cap portion that cooperate to provide a planar surface that enables a plurality of the dry goods containers to be easily stacked and securely stored and shipped.

[0015] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0016] The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective, partially exploded view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective, partially exploded view of a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 4 is a perspective view thereof; and

[0021] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a paperboard blank that has been die cut into a plurality of panels that can be folded to form a container body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The above described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a dry goods container 10 for storing dry goods such as cereal and the like. The dry goods container 10 is constructed primarily of paperboard, but includes a pour spout 56 that is constructed of molded plastic that facilitates dispensing the dry goods from the dry goods container 10.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the dry goods container 10 includes a container body 20 that is constructed of a paperboard layer 22 and a barrier layer 24. The container body 20 includes a container base 26 and a container sidewall 36. The container base 26 is shaped to support the dry goods container 10 upon a surface. The container base 26 is generally planar, although a creative designer can create a more unusual shape that still functions to support the dry goods container 10 in the manner desired. The container base 26 has a base perimeter 28 from which the container sidewall 36 extends upwardly to form the remainder of the container body 20. The container base 26 and the container sidewall 36 together provide the container body 20 of the dry goods container 10 and function to contain the dry goods. The container body 20 is preferably similar to a standard cereal box in size, shape, and general construction.

[0024] The barrier layer 24 is preferably formed with a wax coating that is deposited onto an inside surface of the paperboard layer 22. The wax coating 24 functions to seal the container body 20 to prevent the dry goods from becoming dry and stale. In an alternative embodiment, the barrier layer 24 is provided by at least one plastic layer that is bonded to the paperboard layer 22. Further details of this form of construction are well known in the art, and described in Gordon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,562, Craig, U.S. Pat. No. 3,432,069, and Moody et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,669, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in full.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the container base 26 is preferably generally rectangular in shape such that the base perimeter 28 includes a front edge 30, a back edge 32, and a pair of opposing side edges 34. In this embodiment, the container sidewall 36 includes a front sidewall 38, an opposing back sidewall 40, a pair of opposing side sidewalls 42. The front sidewall 38 extends upwardly from the front edge 30, the back sidewall 40 extends upwardly from the back edge 32, and each of the pair of opposing side sidewalls extends 42 upwardly from one of the pair of opposing side edges 34, the front sidewall 38 being joined to one edge of each of the pair of opposing side sidewalls 42, the back sidewall 40 being joined to the other edge of each of the pair of opposing side sidewalls 42, thereby forming the container body 20.

[0026] Of course, alternative shapes can be equally effective. On example of an alternative shape, not shown, includes a round or oval base having a single upwardly extending sidewall that is bent to attach to the perimeter of the container base 26, thereby forming a cylindrical container body 20. Other examples include a base shaped to form various polygons, or even more unusual curved shapes.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the dry goods container 10 further includes a means for closing the top opening 76. The means for closing includes a generally planar box top surface 50 and an indented portion 52, the indented portion 52 having a pouring aperture 54 surrounded by a pour spout 56. The means for closing is critical to the invention because it integrates the pour spout 56, which is constructed of plastic, with the container body 20, which is constructed of paperboard. The means for closing can be provided in several embodiments.

[0028] In a first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the means for closing is a pour spout 56 having a spout base 60 with an annular flange 62. The pour spout 56 has a diameter of at least 1.5 inches, and most preferably has a diameter of approximately 2-2.5 inches, or larger, to accommodate the easy pouring of the dry goods from the dry goods container 10. In this embodiment, the generally planar box top surface 50 and the indented portion 52 are constructed of the paperboard layer 22 and the barrier layer 24, and are integral with the container body 20. Those skilled in the art can devise many methods of folding and adhesive-bonding a paperboard blank to form the container body 20, a process described in greater detail below. Once the container body 20 has been formed, the annular flange 62 of the pour spout 56 is bonded to the indented portion 52 around the pouring aperture 54, either with an adhesive layer 64 or ultrasonic welding, as well known in the art and as described in greater detail in Gordon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,562, Craig, U.S. Pat. No. 3,432,069, and Moody et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,669, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in full.

[0029] In a second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the means for forming the top portion includes an integrally molded top portion 70 that provides the generally planar box top surface 50 and an indented portion 52 as an integral molded plastic piece. The indented portion 52 has the pouring aperture 54, the pour spout 56, and a downwardly extending flange 72 that are also integrally formed. In this embodiment, the front, back, and side sidewalls 38, 40, and 42 preferably together form a top perimeter 74 that defines a top opening 76 of the container body 20, and the downwardly extending flange 72 is adapted to engage the top perimeter 74. The downwardly extending flange 72 is then bonded to the top perimeter 74 in the same manner as described above.

[0030] In a third embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3-4, the means for closing includes a top sidewall 80 that is integral with the container body 20 and shaped to cover a portion of the top opening 76. In this embodiment, the means for closing further includes an alternative top portion 82 that is similar to the top portion 70 described above, only having a partial downwardly extending flange 84, shorter than the downwardly extending flange 72, and further including a rearwardly extending flange 86. The partial downwardly extending flange 84 and the rearwardly extending flange 86 together are adapted to engage the top perimeter 74 and a top portion leading edge 88, respectively, to close the top opening 76. The partial downwardly extending flange 84 is bonded to the top perimeter 74, and the rearwardly extending flange 86 is bonded to the top portion leading edge 88, in the same manner as described above.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the dry goods container 10 also includes a cap portion 90 shaped to removably engage the pour spout 56 to seal the pouring aperture 54. The cap portion 90 is preferably shaped to either threadedly engage the pour spout 56, or frictionally engage the pour spout 56, and the cap portion 90 preferably includes tamper evident features (not shown) well known in the art. The cap portion 90 provides a generally planar cap top surface 92 that is generally coplanar with the generally planar box top surface 50. It is important that the generally planar cap top surface 92 and the generally planar box top surface 50 are generally coplanar because this enables the dry goods container 10 to be stacked, stored and shipped more efficiently. The generally planar box top surface 50 and the generally planar cap top surface 92 preferably lie on a plane that is generally parallel to the container base 26.

[0032] For purposes of this application the geometric terms relating to surfaces, planes, and relative orientations are meant to provide only a general description of the functional shapes and relative orientations of the various surfaces, not a precise geometric description. For purposes of this application, a surface or plane is formed by the functional interaction of at least three surface points, and the actual shape can include curves and other ornamental features as long as the ornamentation does not detract from the functional features of the various elements. Describing the planes as parallel or coplanar is once again only meant in general terms regarding the functionality of the element, and precise geometric measurements are not meant to be implied.

[0033] The invention includes a method for packaging dry goods using the above-described product. First, a paperboard blank 94 is coated with a barrier layer 24, preferably a wax layer or alternatively a plastic layer. The paperboard blank 94 is then die cut into a plurality of integral panels 96, shown in FIG. 5. Developing a suitable die can be accomplished by one skilled in the art. The plurality of integral panels 96 are then folded and bonded to each other to form the container body 20 described above, also according to techniques well known in the art.

[0034] The top portion 70 and the cap portion 90 are then formed through a process of plastic injection molding, and provided with the container body 20 for filling. The container body 20 is filled with the dry goods and the top portion 70 is positioned to cover the top opening 76 such that the downwardly extending flange 72 engages the top perimeter 74. Finally, the top portion 70 is bonded to the top perimeter 74. In the preferred embodiment, the downwardly extending flange 72 of the top portion 70 is inserted into the top opening 76, thereby engaging the top perimeter 74, and the downwardly extending flange 72 is bonded to the top perimeter 74, either with an adhesive, ultrasonic welding, or an equivalent attachment process.

[0035] While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dry goods container comprising:

a container body having a container base and a container sidewall, the container base having a base perimeter, and the container sidewall extending upwardly from the base perimeter to form a top perimeter that defines a top opening of the container body, the container body being constructed of a paperboard layer that is sealed with a barrier layer;

a top portion adapted to engage the top perimeter and close the top opening of the container body, the top portion having a generally planar box top surface and an indented portion, the indented portion having a pouring aperture surrounded by a pour spout; and

a cap portion shaped to removably engage the pour spout to seal the pouring aperture.

2. The dry goods container of claim 1 wherein the top portion includes a generally planar box top surface and the cap portion includes a generally planar cap top surface, the generally planar box top surface and the generally planar cap top surface being coplanar and generally parallel to the container base.

3. The dry goods container of claim 1 wherein the barrier layer is provided by a wax coating on an interior surface of the container body.

4. The dry goods container of claim 1 wherein the top portion is formed of injection molded plastic and includes a downwardly extending flange that is shaped to engage with the top perimeter of the container body such that the top portion is positioned to close the top opening of the container body.

5. The dry goods container of claim 1 wherein the pour spout has a diameter of at least 1.5 inches.

6. The dry goods container of claim 1 wherein the pour spout has a diameter of at least 2 inches.

7. The dry goods container of claim 1 wherein the pour spout has a diameter of at least 2.5 inches.

8. A dry goods container comprising:

a container body having a container base and a container sidewall, the container base having a base perimeter, and the container sidewall extending upwardly from the base perimeter to form a top perimeter that defines a top opening of the container body,

the container body being constructed of a paperboard layer that is sealed with a barrier layer;

a means for closing the top opening, the means for closing providing a generally planar box top surface and an indented portion, the indented portion having a pouring aperture surrounded by a pour spout; and

a cap portion shaped to removably engage the pour spout to seal the pouring aperture, the cap portion providing a generally planar cap top surface,

the generally planar box top surface and the generally planar cap top surface being generally coplanar.

9. The dry goods container of claim 8 wherein the generally planar box top surface and the generally planar cap top surface together lie on a plane that is generally parallel to the container base.

10. The dry goods container of claim 8 wherein the means for closing includes a pour spout having a spout base with an annular flange, wherein the generally planar box top surface and the indented portion of the means for closing are integral with the container body; and wherein the annular flange of the pour spout is bonded to the indented portion around the pouring aperture.

11. The dry goods container of claim 8 wherein the base is generally rectangular in shape and the base perimeter includes a front edge, a back edge, and a pair of opposing side edges,

wherein the sidewall includes a front sidewall, an opposing back sidewall, a pair of opposing side sidewalls, and

wherein the front sidewall extends upwardly from the front edge, the back sidewall extends upwardly from the back, and each of the pair of opposing side sidewalls extends upwardly from one of the pair of opposing side edges,

the front sidewall being joined to one edge of each of the pair of opposing side sidewalls, the back sidewall being joined to the other edge of each of the pair of opposing side sidewalls.

12. The dry goods container of claim 11 wherein the front, back, and side sidewalls together form a top perimeter that defines a top opening of the container body; and

wherein the means for closing is a top portion having a downwardly extending flange that is adapted to engage the top perimeter, the downwardly extending flange being adapted to be bonded to the top perimeter.

13. The dry goods container of claim 11 wherein the front, back, and side sidewalls together form a top perimeter that defines a top opening of the container body;

wherein the means for closing includes a top sidewall integral with the container body and shaped to cover a portion of the top opening; and

wherein the means for closing further includes an alternative top portion having a partial downwardly extending flange and a rearwardly extending flange that together are adapted to engage the top perimeter and a top portion leading edge to close the top opening, the partial downwardly extending flange being bonded to the top perimeter, and the rearwardly extending flange being bonded to the top portion leading edge.

14. A method for packaging dry goods, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a paperboard blank that has been covered with or bonded to a barrier layer and die cut into a plurality of integral panels;

folding the plurality of integral panels, and bonding the plurality of integral panels to each other, to form a container body having a container base and a container sidewall, the container base having a base perimeter, and the container sidewall extending upwardly from the base perimeter, the container sidewall extending upwardly from the base perimeter to form a top perimeter that defines a top opening of the container body;

providing a top portion that has been formed through plastic injection molding, the top portion having a pouring aperture surrounded by a pour spout, the top portion further having a downwardly extending flange; and

providing a cap portion that has been formed through plastic injection molding, the cap portion being shaped to removably engage the pour spout to seal the pouring aperture.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

filling the container body with the dry goods;

positioning the top portion to cover the top opening such that the downwardly extending flange engages the top perimeter; and

bonding the downwardly extending flange to the top perimeter.