Author: claimsbot

1. A stacked capacitor comprising:
a first capacitor having a first plate comprising a first semiconductive body and a second plate comprising a first floating electrode; and
a second capacitor having a first plate comprising a second semiconductive body and a second plate comprising a second floating electrode, the first and second semiconductive bodies being electrically isolated from each other, the first and second floating electrodes being connected together at an intercapacitor node.
2. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first and second floating electrodes are only electrically connected to each other and to the intercapacitor node.
3. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein additional circuit elements are electrically connected to the intercapacitor node, each of the additional circuit elements chosen from a group consisting of: a capacitor, a resistor, a diode, a field-effect transistor, a NFET, a PFET, a MOSCAP, a bipolar-junction transistor, a metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor, a FinFET, a vertical-gate transistor and an insulated-gate transistor.
4. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first and second floating electrodes comprise a material chosen from a group consisting of: polysilicon, semiconductor material and a metal.
5. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first and second semiconductive bodies comprise doped silicon.
6. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the intercapacitor node is configured to self-adjust to a value less than a working voltage impressed on the stacked capacitor.
7. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the intercapacitor node is configured to store a voltage when electrical power is removed from the stacked capacitor.
8. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, further comprising:
a charge injector coupled to the first and second floating electrodes; and
a charge drain coupled to the first and second floating electrodes, wherein the charge injector and charge drain are configured to adjust a floating voltage of the first and second floating electrodes to a value less than a working voltage of the stacked high-voltage capacitor.
9. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the stacked capacitor is formed on a substrate chosen from a group consisting of: bulk monocrystalline silicon, silicon on insulator and silicon on sapphire.
10. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first and second capacitors each comprise at least one structure chosen from a group consisting of: PMOS-type and NMOS-type structures.
11. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein at least the first capacitor comprises a PMOS-type structure and at least the first semiconductive body comprises an n-well.
12. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein at least the first capacitor comprises a MOS capacitor.
13. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first and second semiconductive bodies are formed on a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type and the first and second semiconductive bodies comprise wells of semiconductor material doped to have a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type, the wells being configured to be electrically isolated from the semiconductor substrate and each other by one or more reverse-biased p-n junctions.
14. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein at least the first capacitor comprises a tunneling dielectric disposed between the first and second plates.
15. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein at least the first capacitor comprises a tunneling dielectric disposed between the first and second plates, and wherein the tunneling dielectric comprises materials chosen from a group consisting of: silicon dioxide, nitrided oxide, nitride, oxidenitride composition, titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, lanthanum oxide, any lanthanide oxide, titanium silicate, tantalum silicate, zirconium silicate, hafnium silicate, lanthanum silicate and any lanthanide silicate.
16. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second capacitors is a PMOS-type capacitor and another of the first and second capacitors is a NMOS-type capacitor.
17. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first and second semiconductive bodies have a first conductivity type.
18. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the first and second semiconductive bodies have different conductivity types.
19. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second plates are each respectively separated by a tunneling dielectric disposed between the first and second plates, the second plates comprising a conductive layer forming the first and second floating electrodes and an intercapacitor node.
20. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first plates comprises n-wells formed in a p-type substrate.
21. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first plates comprises p-wells formed in an n-type substrate.
22. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein the first plates each comprise doped semiconductor regions formed in an insulating substrate.
23. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein at least one of the second plates comprises a p-doped polysilicon common electrode.
24. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein at least one of the second plates comprises an n-doped polysilicon common electrode.
25. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein at least one of the second plates comprises an undoped polysilicon electrode.
26. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein at least one of the second plates comprises a metal common electrode.
27. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein the second plates are configured to self-adjust a voltage of the intercapacitor node to a value less than a working voltage of the stacked capacitor.
28. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein:
the second plates are disposed atop the tunneling dielectric layer and each second plate is disposed over a respective first plate, the tunneling dielectric layer having a thickness of between 2 and 50 nanometers; and
the first plates each comprise a semiconductive body, the first plates each being electrically isolated from each other.
29. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein the first and second capacitors each comprise PFET-type structures.
30. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein the first and second capacitors each comprise NFET-type structures.
31. The stacked capacitor of claim 19, wherein the first and second capacitors each comprise a mix of PFET- andor NFET-type structures.
32. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the stacked capacitor forms a high-voltage stacked capacitor, and wherein the intercapacitor node is configured to self-adjust to a value less than a working voltage impressed on the stacked capacitor.
33. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 32, wherein the first and second capacitors comprise FET-type structures formed on a substrate chosen from a group consisting of: silicon, glass, sapphire and insulative material.
34. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 32, wherein the first and second capacitors are formed on a p-type silicon substrate, the first plates each comprise n-wells formed in the substrate and the floating electrode comprises polysilicon separated from the substrate by a tunneling dielectric comprising silicon dioxide.
35. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 32, wherein the first and second capacitors are formed on an n-type silicon substrate, the first plates each comprise p-wells formed in the substrate and the floating electrode comprises polysilicon separated from the substrate by a tunneling dielectric comprising silicon dioxide.
36. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 32, wherein the first capacitor comprises an NFET-type structure and the second capacitor comprises a PFET-type structure.
37. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 32, wherein the first and second capacitors comprise MOS-type capacitors.
38. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 32, wherein at least one of the first and second capacitors includes a tunneling dielectric separating the first and second plates.
39. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 32, wherein at least one of the first and second capacitors operates in an inversion mode.
40. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 32, wherein at least one of the first and second capacitors operates in an accumulation mode.
41. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 32, wherein at least one of the first and second capacitors is an MOS-type capacitor and operates in an accumulation mode.
42. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 32, wherein at least one of the first and second capacitors is an MOS-type capacitor and operates in an inversion mode.
43. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the stacked capacitor forms a high-voltage stacked capacitor comprising:
a substrate; and
the first and second capacitors each comprise:
an n-well formed in the substrate and comprising the first semiconductive body and forming an electrode of the high-voltage stacked capacitor, each n-well being isolated from the substrate;
a tunneling dielectric disposed atop each of the n-wells; and
a floating electrode comprising the first and second floating electrodes, the floating electrode being formed from polysilicon disposed on the tunneling dielectric atop at least a portion of each of the n-wells and extending therebetween.
44. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 43, wherein the tunneling dielectric has a thickness of between 2 nm and 50 nm.
45. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 43, wherein the tunneling dielectric comprises silicon dioxide.
46. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 43, wherein the floating electrode is configured to self-adjust to a floating voltage whose value is less than a working voltage of the high-voltage stacked capacitor and is configured to store the floating voltage when electrical power is removed from the high-voltage stacked capacitor.
47. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 43, further comprising:
a charge injector coupled to the floating electrode; and
a charge drain coupled to the floating electrode, wherein the charge injector and charge drain are configured to adjust a floating voltage of the floating electrode to a value less than a working voltage of the stacked high-voltage capacitor.
48. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 43, wherein at least one of the n-wells includes an n+ contact.
49. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 43, wherein at least one of the first and second capacitors is configured to operate in an inversion mode.
50. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 43, wherein at least one of the first and second capacitors is configured to operate in an accumulation mode.
51. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 43, wherein at least one of the n-wells includes a p+ implant.
52. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 43, wherein the substrate comprises a p-type silicon substrate.
53. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the stacked capacitor forms a high-voltage stacked capacitor comprising:
a substrate; and
the first and second capacitors each comprise:
a semiconductive well supported by the substrate and comprising the first semiconductive body and forming an electrode of the high-voltage stacked capacitor, each well being electrically isolated from the substrate and from each other;
a tunneling dielectric disposed atop each of the wells; and
a floating electrode comprising the first and second floating electrodes, the floating electrode being formed from polysilicon disposed on the tunneling dielectric atop at least a portion of each of the wells and extending therebetween.
54. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein the tunneling dielectric has a thickness of between 2 nm and 50 nm.
55. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein the tunneling dielectric comprises silicon dioxide.
56. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein the floating electrode is configured to self-adjust to a floating voltage whose value is less than a working voltage of the high-voltage stacked capacitor.
57. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, further comprising:
a charge injector coupled to the floating electrode; and
a charge drain coupled to the floating electrode, wherein the charge injector and charge drain are configured to adjust a floating voltage of the floating electrode to a value less than a working voltage of the stacked high-voltage capacitor.
58. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein the floating electrode is configured to store a floating voltage when electrical power is removed from the high-voltage stacked capacitor.
59. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein at least one of the wells comprises an n-well.
60. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein at least one of the wells includes an n+ contact.
61. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein at least one of the wells comprises a p-well.
62. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein at least one of the wells includes a p+ contact.
63. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein at least one of the first and second capacitors is configured to operate in an inversion mode.
64. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein at least one of the first and second capacitors is configured to operate in an accumulation mode.
65. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein the substrate comprises p-type silicon.
66. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 53, wherein the substrate comprises n-type silicon.
67. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the stacked capacitor forms a high-voltage stacked capacitor comprising:
first and second capacitors sharing a common floating electrode; and
charge injection and extraction means coupled to the first and second capacitors and configured to set a voltage of the common floating electrode to a value less than a working voltage of the high-voltage stacked capacitor.
68. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 67, wherein the first and second capacitors comprise FET-type structures.
69. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 67, wherein the first and second capacitors comprise MOS-type capacitor structures.
70. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 67, wherein the charge injection and extraction means comprises a tunneling oxide disposed adjacent the common floating electrode.
71. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 67, wherein the common floating electrode comprises polysilicon.
72. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 67, wherein the charge injection and extraction means comprises a tunneling oxide disposed between each of the first and second bodies of semiconductive material and the common floating electrode, and wherein the common floating electrode comprises polysilicon.
73. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 67, wherein the charge injection and extraction means comprise:
a charge injector coupled to the floating electrode; and
a charge drain coupled to the floating electrode, wherein the charge injector and charge drain are configured to adjust the voltage of the common floating electrode.
74. The high-voltage stacked capacitor of claim 67, wherein the floating electrode is configured to store the voltage on the common floating electrode when electrical power is removed from the high-voltage stacked capacitor.
75. The stacked capacitor of claim 1, wherein the stacked capacitor is configured to be charged by a process comprising acts of:
coupling a first potential to the first semiconductive body;
coupling a second potential to the second semiconductive body, a difference between the first and second potentials comprising a working voltage of the stacked capacitor; and
charging the first and second floating electrodes to a floating voltage whose value is less than the working voltage, wherein the first and second floating electrodes are respectively capacitively coupled to the first and second semiconductive bodies and include the intercapacitor node.
76. The stacked capacitor of claim 75, wherein the stacked capacitor is configured to be charged by a process further comprising an act of storing the floating voltage on the first and second floating electrodes following removal of the first and second potentials from the high-voltage stacked capacitor.
77. The stacked capacitor of claim 75, wherein the act of charging comprises tunneling charge carriers through a dielectric, wherein the dielectric includes a first portion disposed between the first semiconductive body and a corresponding portion of the first floating electrode and the dielectric includes a second portion disposed between the second semiconductive body and a corresponding portion of the second floating electrode.
78. The stacked capacitor of claim 75, wherein the acts of coupling first and second potentials comprise coupling the first and second potentials to respective first and second semiconductive bodies of the high-voltage stacked capacitor, and wherein the high-voltage stacked capacitor comprises a plurality of PFETs, NFETs or MOSCAPs, or any combination thereof coupled to the common intercapacitor node.
79. Charge storage machination comprising:
a first capacitor having a first plate comprising a first semiconductive body and a second plate comprising a first floating electrode; and
a second capacitor having a first plate comprising a second semiconductive body and a second plate comprising a second floating electrode, the first and second semiconductive bodies being electrically isolated from each other, the first and second floating electrodes being connected together at an intercapacitor node, wherein the first and second capacitors are configured to be responsive to acts comprising:
coupling a first potential to the first electrode;
coupling a second potential to the second electrode, a difference between the first and second potentials comprising a working voltage of the stacked capacitor; and
charging the intercapacitor node to a floating voltage whose value is less than the working voltage.
80. The charge storage machination of claim 79, wherein the first and second floating electrodes are only electrically connected to each other and to the intercapacitor node.
81. The charge storage machination of claim 79, wherein additional circuit elements are electrically connected to the intercapacitor node, each of the additional circuit elements chosen from a group consisting of: a capacitor, a resistor, a diode, a field-effect transistor, a NFET, a PFET, a MOSCAP, a bipolar-junction transistor, a metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor, a FinFET, a vertical-gate transistor and an insulated-gate transistor.
82. The charge storage machination of claim 79, wherein the first and second floating electrodes comprise a material chosen from a group consisting of: polysilicon, semiconductor material and a metal.
83. The charge storage machination of claim 79, wherein the first and second semiconductive bodies comprise doped silicon.
84. The charge storage machination of claim 79, wherein the intercapacitor node is configured to self-adjust to a value less than a working voltage impressed on the stacked capacitor.
85. The charge storage machination of claim 79, wherein the intercapacitor node is configured to store a voltage when electrical power is removed from the stacked capacitor.
86. The charge storage machination of claim 79, further comprising:
a charge injector coupled to the first and second floating electrodes; and
a charge drain coupled to the first and second floating electrodes, wherein the charge injector and charge drain are configured to adjust a floating voltage of the first and second floating electrodes to a value less than a working voltage of the stacked high-voltage capacitor.
87. The charge storage machination of claim 79, wherein the first and second capacitors are configured to be further responsive to actions including storing the floating voltage on the floating electrode following removal of the first and second potentials from the high-voltage stacked capacitor.
88. The charge storage machination of claim 79, wherein the first and second capacitors are configured to be responsive to acts including tunneling charge carriers through a dielectric, wherein the dielectric includes a first portion disposed between the first semiconductive body and a corresponding portion of the floating electrode and the dielectric includes a second portion disposed between the second semiconductive body and a corresponding portion of the floating electrode.
89. The charge storage machination of claim 79, wherein the acts of coupling first and second potentials comprise coupling the first and second potentials to first and second electrodes of the high-voltage stacked capacitor, and wherein the high-voltage stacked capacitor comprises a plurality of PFETs, NFETs or MOSCAPs, or any combination thereof coupled to the common intercapacitor node.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of compressing image signals, comprising the steps of:
i) obtaining a plurality of radiation image signals respectively representing a plurality of radiation images of an object, which radiation images have been formed with several kinds of radiation having different energy distributions,
ii) obtaining an energy subtraction image signal, which has been formed from the plurality of the radiation image signals, and
iii) performing compression processing on the plurality of the radiation image signals and the energy subtraction image signal,
wherein the energy subtraction image signal is compressed with a compressibility higher than the compressibility with respect to each of the radiation image signals.
2. An apparatus for compressing image signals wherein:
a plurality of radiation image signals respectively representing a plurality of radiation images of an object, which radiation images have been formed with several kinds of radiation having different energy distributions, are obtained,
an energy subtraction image signal, which has been formed from the plurality of the radiation image signals, is obtained, and
compression processing is performed on the plurality of the radiation image signals and the energy subtraction image signal are compressed,
the apparatus comprising:
a) radiation image signal compressing means for performing compression processing on each of the radiation image signals with a first compressing process, and
b) energy subtraction image signal compressing means for performing compression processing on the energy subtraction image signal with a second compressing process,
a compressibility in the second compressing process being higher than the compressibility in the first compressing process.
3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the first compressing process is a reversible compressing process.
4. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 or 3 wherein the second compressing process is an irreversible compressing process.
5. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 or 3 wherein the compressibility in the first compressing process is set at 1.
6. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the compressibility in the first compressing process is set at 1.

1. A system to control computer access, comprising:
at least one user profile having settings customized for a respective user of a computer, the settings specifying types of information that the user is authorized to access via the computer;
a database for storing the at least one user profile, the database being in a remote location from the computer;
a server for communicating with the database, the server being accessible from the Internet, wherein the at least one user profile is accessible by the server; and
a control unit for controlling access to the computer in accordance with the at least one user profile, wherein an administrator of the computer is enabled to remotely access and modify the at least one user profile.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the settings include an allow list of Internet addresses that the administrator authorized the respective user to access on the computer.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the settings include a block list of Internet addresses that the administrator prohibits the respective user to access on the computer.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the settings include a list of categories of information that the administrator prohibits the respective user to access on the computer.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the settings include a particular computer application on the computer that the administrator prohibits the respective user to access on the computer.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrator modifies access privileges for the respective user via the World Wide Web.
7. A system to control computer access, comprising:
means for creating at least one user profile having settings customized for a respective user of a computer, the settings specifying types of information that the user is authorized to access on the computer;
means for remotely storing the at least one user profile;
means for remotely accessing information contained in the at least one user profile; and
means for controlling access to the computer in accordance with the at least one user profile.
8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:
means for authorizing, in the settings, the respective user to access an allow list of Internet addresses on the computer.
9. The system of claim 7, further comprising:
means for prohibiting, in the settings, the respective user to access a block list of Internet addresses on the computer.
10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:
means for prohibiting, in the settings, the respective user to access a list of categories of information on the computer.
11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:
means for prohibiting, in the settings, a particular computer application on the computer.
12. The system of claim 7, further comprising:
means for modifying access privileges for the respective user via the World Wide Web.
13. A method to control computer access, comprising the steps of:
creating at least one user profile having settings customized for a respective user of a computer, the settings specifying types of information that the user is authorized to access on the computer;
remotely storing the at least one user profile;
remotely accessing information contained in the at least one user profile; and
controlling access to the computer in accordance with the at least one user profile.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:
authorizing, in the settings, the respective user to access an allow list of Internet addresses on the computer.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:
prohibiting, in the settings, the respective user to access a block list of Internet addresses on the computer.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:
prohibiting, in the settings, the respective user to access a list of categories of information on the computer.
17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:
prohibiting, in the settings, a particular computer application on the computer.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:
modifying access privileges for the respective user via the world wide web.
19. A computer-readable medium for storing a program that controls computer access to Internet content, the program comprising the steps of:
creating at least one user profile having settings customized for a respective user of a computer, the settings specifying types of information that the user is authorized to access on the computer;
remotely storing the at least one user profile;
remotely accessing information contained in the at least one user profile; and
controlling access to the computer in accordance with the at least one user profile.
20. The medium of claim 19, the program further comprising the step of:
authorizing, in the settings, the respective user to access an allow list of Internet addresses on the computer.
21. The medium of claim 19, the program further comprising the step of:
prohibiting, in the settings, the respective user to access a block list of Internet addresses on the computer.
22. The medium of claim 19, the program further comprising the step of:
prohibiting, in the settings, the respective user to access a list of categories of information on the computer.
23. The medium of claim 19, the program further comprising the step of:
prohibiting, in the settings, a particular computer application on the computer.
24. The medium of claim 19, the program further comprising the step of:
modifying access privileges for the respective user via the World Wide Web.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. Mated first and second blanks formed from a single sheet of foldable material, each of the blanks being erectable into a wall-engaged carton having at least one flap-free side wall, each of the blanks being cut and scored to define:
a bottom panel,
a rear end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel and having a free end,
a cover comprising a full-length cover panel hingedly attached to said rear end wall and having a front edge and a first free side edge,
a front wall structure opposing said rear end wall and comprising a front end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel and having a free end, and
a first side wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel at a bottom edge and comprising a free top edge, a free rear end disposed at an acute angle to said bottom edge, a free front end, and a non-folding front-wall-engagement tab projecting from said free front end, whereby said first side wall is free of attachment to any panel other than said bottom panel;
the blanks being oriented in a mated relationship with the first side wall of each blank being disposed within a recess created by the first free side edge of the cover panel, the free end of the rear wall, and the free rear end of the first side wall of the other blank, and each of the blanks having opposite front and rear end edges formed by furthermost extremities of the blank, the opposite end edges of each blank being substantially aligned with the opposite end edges of the other blank.
2. The first and second blanks of claim 1, wherein each of the blanks further comprises:
a second side wall opposing said first side wall and hingedly attached to said bottom panel and having a non-folding front-wall-engagement tab projecting from a free front end of the side wall, and
an article-retaining structure hingedly attached to said second side wall, whereby after each of the blanks is erected into said wall-engaged carton said article-retaining structure is capable of holding an article in a substantially fixed position.
3. The first and second blanks of claim 1 wherein:
said front end wall of each of the blanks comprises a first tab-receiving opening having a side-wall-retaining outside edge, wherein said outside edge slopes inwardly from bottom to top.
4. Mated first and second blanks formed from a single sheet of foldable material, each of the blanks being erectable into a wall-engaged carton, each of the blanks being cut and scored to define:
a bottom panel,
a rear end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel and having a free end,
a cover comprising a full-length cover panel hingedly attached to said rear end wall and having a front edge and a first free side edge and a cover front flap hingedly attached to said front edge,
a front wall structure opposing said rear end wall and comprising a front end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel and having a free end and an ancillary panel hingedly attached to a top edge of said front end wall, and
a first side wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel at a bottom edge and having a free rear end;
the blanks being oriented in a mated relationship and each blank having opposite front and rear end edges formed by furthermost extremities of the blank, the opposite end edges of each blank being substantially aligned with the opposite end edges of the other blank, and the first side wall of each blank being disposed within a recess created by the first free side edge of the cover panel, the free end of the rear wall, and the free rear end of the first side wall of the other blank;
wherein the free rear end of said first side wall is disposed at an acute angle to the bottom edge of the side wall.
5. The first and second blanks of claim 4, wherein each of the blanks further comprises:
a second side wall opposing said first side wall and hingedly attached to said bottom panel and having a free rear end disposed at an acute angle to the bottom edge of the side wall, and
an article-retaining structure hingedly attached to said second side wall, whereby after each of the blanks is erected into said wall-engaged carton said article-retaining structure is capable of holding an article in a substantially fixed position.
6. A blank for a wall-engaged carton having a front wall erectable into first and second positions, said blank being of foldable material cut and scored to define:
a bottom panel,
opposing first and second side walls hingedly attached to said bottom panel and comprising respective first and second non-folding front-wall-engagement tabs projecting from respective first and second front ends of the side walls, the first and second tabs comprising respective first and second hook portions each having a front-wall-retainable inside edge,
a front wall structure comprising a front end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel and comprising opposing first and second tab-receiving openings having respective first and second side-wall-retaining outside edges,
a rear end wall opposing said front end wall and hingedly attached to said bottom panel, and
a cover comprising a cover panel hingedly attached to said rear end wall;
said blank being erectable into (a) a partially-erected carton having the front end wall disposed in a first position and (b) a fully-erected carton having the front end wall disposed in a second position,
said first position having said first and second non-folding front-wall-engagement tabs respectively disposed within said first and second tab-receiving openings and the front end wall disposed in contact with the front-wall-retainable inside edge of each of the tabs,
said second position having said first and second non-folding front-wall-engagement tabs respectively disposed within said first and second tab-receiving openings and the front end wall disposed free of contact with the front-wall-retainable inside edge of each of the tabs.
7. A fully-erected wall-engaged carton made of foldable material and comprising:
a bottom panel,
a first side wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel at a bottom edge and having a top edge and opposing front and rear ends and comprising a non-folding end-wall-engagement tab projecting from at least one of the front end and the rear end, the tab comprising a hook portion having an end-wall-retainable inside edge,
opposing front and rear end walls each hingedly attached to said bottom panel, at least one of the end walls comprising a tab-receiving opening having a side-wall-retaining outside edge, and
a cover comprising a cover panel hingedly attached to said rear end wall and in a closed disposition on said carton;
said non-folding end-wall-engagement tab being disposed within said tab-receiving opening and said first side wall being in contact with said side-wall-retaining outside edge,
wherein said at least one of the front end wall and the rear end wall is free of contact with the end-wall-retainable inside edge of said non-folding end-wall-engagement tab.
8. The carton of claim 7 wherein:
the top edge, the front end, and the rear end of said first side wall are free of attachment, whereby said first side wall is a flap-free side wall free of attachment to any panel other than said bottom panel.
9. The carton of claim 8 further comprising:
a second side wall opposing said first side wall and hingedly attached to said bottom panel and having a free rear end, and
an article-retaining structure comprising a first panel hingedly attached to a top edge of said second side wall and having at least one cup-holder opening.
10. A fully-erected wall-engaged carton having a side-wall-locking front wall ancillary panel, said carton being made of foldable material and comprising:
a bottom panel,
a rear end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel,
a cover comprising a cover panel hingedly attached to said rear end wall and having a front edge and opposing first and second free side edges,
a first side wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel at a bottom edge and having a top edge, a rear end, and a free front end, and
a front wall structure opposing said rear end wall and comprising a front end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel and an ancillary panel hingedly attached to a top edge of said front end wall, said ancillary panel having opposing first and second end edges;
wherein at least a portion of the first end edge of said ancillary panel is disposed interior to and in close proximity to said first side wall and lower than the top edge of said first side wall, whereby the first end edge prevents said first side wall from moving to a substantially inward-sloping angle when the side wall receives an inward-pushing force.
11. The carton of claim 10 wherein:
said first end edge has another portion, said another portion being disposed exterior to the first side wall.
12. The carton of claim 10 wherein:
at least one of said front end wall and said rear end wall is disposed at an acute angle to said bottom panel.
13. The carton of claim 10 wherein:
both of said front end wall and said rear end wall are disposed at an acute angle to said bottom panel.
14. The carton of claim 10 wherein:
said first side wall has a free rear end and at least a portion of said free rear end is disposed at an acute angle to the bottom edge of the side wall.
15. The carton of claim 10 wherein:
the top edge and the rear end of said first side wall are free of attachment, whereby said first side wall is a flap-free side wall free of attachment to any panel other than said bottom panel.
16. The carton of claim 10 wherein:
said first side wall comprises a non-folding front-wall-engagement tab projecting from the free front end of the side wall,
said front end wall comprises a tab-receiving opening, and
said non-folding front-wall-engagement tab is disposed within said tab-receiving opening.
17. The carton of claim 16 wherein:
said tab-receiving opening has a swing flap hingedly attached to an inside edge of the opening and disposed at an oblique angle to said front end wall and in contact with said non-folding front-wall-engagement tab.
18. The carton of claim 16 wherein:
said non-folding front-wall-engagement tab comprises a hook portion having a front-wall-retainable inside edge,
the front end wall being disposed free of contact with said front-wall-retainable inside edge.
19. A carton having a unique tab-receiving opening, said carton being of foldable material and comprising:
a bottom panel,
a first wall comprising a non-folding wall-engagement tab projecting from an end of the first wall, and
a second wall adjacent said first wall and having a bottom edge and comprising a tab-receiving opening having an inside edge and a wall-retaining outside edge opposing said inside edge and disposed laterally thereto;
the non-folding wall-engagement tab being disposed within said tab-receiving opening and contacting said wall-retaining outside edge,
wherein said wall-retaining outside edge is obliquely disposed to the bottom edge of said second wall, whereby the end of said first wall is disposed at an oblique angle to said bottom panel.
20. The carton of claim 19 wherein:
said wall-retaining outside edge slopes inwardly from bottom to top, whereby the end of said first wall is caused to be disposed at an acute angle to said bottom panel.
21. Mated first and second blanks formed from a single sheet of foldable material, each of the blanks being erectable into a carton having at least one article-retaining structure, each of the blanks being cut and scored to define:
a bottom panel,
a rear end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel,
a cover hingedly attached to said rear end wall,
a front wall structure opposing said rear end wall and comprising a front end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel,
a first side wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel and having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a free rear end disposed at an acute angle to said bottom edge,
a second side wall opposing said first side wall and hingedly attached to said bottom panel and having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a free rear end disposed at an acute angle to said bottom edge, and
an article-retaining structure hingedly attached to said second side wall and having an outermost edge and comprising a first panel hingedly attached to the top edge of said second side wall and a second panel hingedly attached to said first panel, said first panel having at least one cup-holder opening, whereby after each of the blanks is erected into said carton said article-retaining structure is capable of holding an article in a substantially fixed position;
the blanks being oriented at one hundred eighty degrees from each other and disposed in one of a first and a second mated relationship,
the first mated relationship having at least a portion of the top edge of the first side wall of the first blank facing an edge of the cover of the second blank,
the second mated relationship having at least a portion of the outermost edge of the article-retaining structure of the first blank facing an edge of the cover of the second blank.
22. The first and second blanks of claim 21 wherein:
the mated relationship between the blanks is the first mated relationship.
23. The first and second blanks of claim 21 wherein:
the mated relationship between the blanks is the second mated relationship.
24. The first and second blanks of claim 21 wherein:
each of the blanks has opposite front and rear end edges formed by furthermost extremities of the blank, the opposite end edges of each blank being substantially aligned with the opposite end edges of the other blank.
25. The first and second blanks of claim 21 wherein:
said article-retaining structure of each of the blanks is engagable with at least one of said rear end wall and said front wall structure after the blank has been erected into said carton.
26. The first and second blanks of claim 21 wherein:
said at least one cup-holder opening of each of the blanks comprises one hole-opening flap hingedly attached to an edge of the opening.
27. The first and second blanks of claim 21 wherein:
said at least one cup-holder opening of each of the blanks comprises multiple hole-opening flaps each hingedly attached to an edge of the opening.
28. The first and second blanks of claim 21 wherein:
the cover of each of the blanks comprises a cover panel having a front edge and a free side edge disposed on a same side of the blank as said article-retaining structure.
29. The first and second blanks of claim 28 wherein:
the cover panel of each of the blanks has a predetermined left-to-right width and the bottom panel of each of the blanks has a predetermined left-to-right width, and
the predetermined left-to-right width of the cover panel is substantially less than the predetermined left-to-right width of the bottom panel, whereby after each blank has been erected into a closed carton at least a portion of said article-retaining structure is exposed to view.
30. Mated first, second, and third blanks formed from a single sheet of foldable material, each of the blanks being erectable into a carton having at least one article-retaining structure, each of the blanks being cut and scored to define:
a bottom panel,
a rear end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel,
a cover hingedly attached to said rear end wall,
a front wall structure opposing said rear end wall and comprising a front end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel,
a first side wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel and having a top edge,
a second side wall opposing said first side wall and hingedly attached to said bottom panel, and
an article-retaining structure hingedly attached to said second side wall and having an outermost edge, whereby after each of the blanks is erected into said carton said article-retaining structure is capable of holding an article in a substantially fixed position;
the blanks being oriented in a mated configuration wherein,
at least a portion of the top edge of the first side wall of the first blank faces an edge of the cover of the second blank, and
at least a portion of the outermost edge of the article-retaining structure of the second blank faces an edge of the cover of the third blank.
31. The first, second, and third blanks of claim 30 wherein:
each of the blanks has opposite front and rear end edges formed by furthermost extremities of the blank, the opposite end edges of each blank being substantially aligned with the opposite end edges of the other blanks.
32. A blank for a carton having at least one article-retaining structure, said blank being of foldable material cut and scored to define:
a bottom panel,
a rear end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel,
a cover hingedly attached to said rear end wall,
a front wall structure opposing said rear end wall and comprising a front end wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel,
opposing first and second side walls hingedly attached to said bottom panel, and
an article-retaining structure comprising a plurality of interconnected panels consisting of a first panel hingedly attached to a top edge of said second side wall and a second panel hingedly attached to said first panel, said article-retaining structure having at least one cup-holder opening.
33. The blank of claim 32 wherein:
said article-retaining structure is engagable with at least one of said rear end wall and said front wall structure after the blank has been erected into said carton.
34. The blank of claim 32 wherein:
said at least one cup-holder opening comprises one hole-opening flap hingedly attached to an edge of the opening.
35. The blank of claim 32 wherein:
said at least one cup-holder opening comprises multiple hole-opening flaps each hingedly attached to an edge of the opening.
36. The blank of claim 32 wherein:
said cover comprises a cover panel having at least one free side edge,
the cover panel and the bottom panel each has a predetermined left-to-right width, and
the predetermined left-to-right width of the cover panel is substantially less than the predetermined left-to-right width of the bottom panel, whereby after the blank has been erected into a closed carton at least a portion of said article-retaining structure is exposed to view.
37. The blank of claim 32 wherein:
said cover panel has opposing first and second free side edges.
38. A fully-erected closed carton having an exposed article-retaining structure, said carton being of foldable material and comprising:
a bottom panel,
opposing first and second side walls attached to said bottom panel,
opposing front and rear end walls attached to said bottom panel,
an article-retaining structure comprising a first panel attached to a top edge of one of the first and second side walls and disposed substantially parallel to said bottom panel, said first panel having at least one cup-holder opening, and
a cover attached to said rear end wall and comprising a cover panel disposed substantially parallel to said bottom panel and of a configuration wherein at least a portion of the first panel of said article-retaining structure is free of coverage by said cover panel and said cover panel overlies a portion of said at least one cup-holder opening and another portion of said at least one cup-holder opening is free of coverage by said cover panel, whereby when said cup-holder opening contains a sauce cup a portion of the top of the sauce cup is exposed to view while, concurrently, the sauce cup is prevented from coming out of the opening by the cover panel.
39. The carton of claim 38 wherein:
said rear end wall is disposed at an acute angle to said bottom panel.
40. A fully-erected carton having an article-retaining structure, said carton being of foldable material and comprising:
a bottom panel,
a rear end wall attached to said bottom panel,
a cover attached to said rear end wall,
a front wall structure opposing said rear end wall and comprising a front end wall attached to said bottom panel,
opposing first and second side walls attached to said bottom panel, and
an article-retaining structure comprising a plurality of interconnected panels consisting of a first panel attached to a top edge of said second side wall and disposed substantially parallel to said bottom panel and a second panel attached to said first panel and disposed substantially perpendicular thereto, said first panel having at least one cup-holder opening.
41. The carton of claim 40 wherein:
said article-retaining structure is engaged with at least one of said rear end wall and said front wall structure, whereby said article-retaining structure is held in a substantially fixed position.
42. The carton of claim 40 wherein:
said at least one cup-holder opening comprises one hole-opening flap hingedly attached to an edge of the opening.
43. The carton of claim 40 wherein:
said at least one cup-holder opening comprises multiple hole-opening flaps each hingedly attached to an edge of the opening.
44. The carton of claim 40 wherein:
the cover comprises a cover panel having at least one free side edge,
the cover panel and the bottom panel each has a predetermined left-to-right width, and
the predetermined left-to-right width of the cover panel is substantially less than the predetermined left-to-right width of the bottom panel, whereby at least a portion of said article-retaining structure is exposed to view.
45. The carton of claim 40 wherein:
said rear end wall has a predetermined left-to-right width and said bottom panel has a predetermined left-to-right width, the predetermined left-to-right width of said rear end wall being less than the predetermined left-to-right width of said bottom panel,
whereby a portion of a rear side of said carton is open.
46. A blank for a carton having a unique tab-receiving opening, said blank being of foldable material cut and scored to define:
a bottom panel,
a first wall hingedly attached to said bottom panel and comprising a non-folding wall-engagement tab projecting from an end of the first wall, and
a second wall adjacent said first wall and hingedly attached to said bottom panel at a bottom edge and having a top edge opposing said bottom edge, said second wall comprising a tab-receiving opening having an inside edge and a wall-retaining outside edge opposing said inside edge and disposed laterally thereto;
wherein said wall-retaining outside edge slopes inwardly from bottom to top.
47. A fully-erected carton made of foldable material and comprising:
a bottom panel,
a rear end wall attached to said bottom panel and having a free end,
a front wall structure opposing said rear end wall and comprising a front end wall attached to said bottom panel and having a free end and an ancillary panel attached to a top edge of said front end wall,
a first side wall disposed adjacent said rear end wall and attached to said bottom panel at a bottom edge and having a free rear end, and
a cover comprising a full-length cover panel attached to said rear end wall and having a front edge and a first free side edge and a cover front flap hingedly attached to said front edge, said cover panel overlying a top edge of said first side wall;
wherein the free rear end of said first side wall is disposed at an acute angle to the bottom edge of the side wall.