Carton with Handle and Dispenser

• US 20070181658A1
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Sutherland, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,806,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/243
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00141 glued
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00444 for fingers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00462 Straps made by two slits in a wall
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00469 Straps made between two handholes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00512 movable or foldable between an extended and a retracted position
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00574 whereby contents can still be carried after the line has been torn
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/0066 formed from one single sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00728 the end walls being closed by gluing
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 71/36 having a tubular shape, e.g. tubular wrappers, with end walls

Abstract

A carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton has a plurality of panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton. End flaps are respectively foldably attached to panels of the plurality of panels. The end flaps are overlapped with respect to one another and thereby at least partially form a closed end of the carton. A dispenser has a tear line and at least one dispenser section foldably attached to the carton for at least partially defining an opening in the carton for accessing the containers. A gusset connects the end flaps, wherein the gusset can be unfolded to allow relative movement between the end flaps and to allow the dispenser section to pivot outwardly to enlarge the opening.

Claims

1. A carton for containing a plurality of articles, the carton comprising:

a plurality of panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton;

end flaps respectively foldably attached to panels of the plurality of panels, wherein the end flaps are overlapped with respect to one another and thereby at least partially form a closed end of the carton,

a dispenser comprising a tear line and at least one dispenser section foldably attached to the carton for at least partially defining an opening in the carton for accessing the containers; and

a gusset connecting the end flaps, wherein the gusset can be unfolded to allow relative movement between the end flaps and to allow the dispenser section to pivot outwardly to enlarge the opening.

2. The carton of claim 1 wherein the plurality of panels comprises at least one top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel.

3. The carton of claim 2 wherein the dispenser section comprises a first portion pivotally attached to one of the side panels at a first pivot location to allow an initial opening of the dispenser.

4. The carton of claim 3 wherein the first portion comprises an upper portion of the side panel, a portion of the top panel, and portions of the end panels.

5. The carton of claim 4 wherein the first pivot location comprises a fold line in the side panel.

6. The carton of claim 4 wherein the dispenser section comprises a second portion pivotally attached to the bottom panel at a second pivot location to allow the dispenser section to pivot outward relative to the bottom panel so as to expand the opening.

7. The carton of claim 6 wherein the second portion comprises a lower portion of the side panel, a portion of the end panels and the gusset.

8. The carton of claim 7 wherein the dispenser section is a first dispenser section, the opening is a first opening, and the carton further comprises a second dispenser section for creating a second opening in the carton to access the containers.

9. The carton of claim 8 wherein the carton further comprises a handle in the top panel and the first and the second openings are respectively adjacent the handle.

10. The carton of claim 8 wherein the second dispenser section has a first portion pivotally attached to one of the side panels at a first pivot location and a second portion pivotally attached to the bottom panel at a second pivot location.

11. The carton of claim 10 wherein the first pivot location comprises a fold line in one of the side panels and is for initially opening the second dispenser section.

12. The carton of claim 11 wherein the second pivot location comprises a fold line foldably connecting one of the side panels and the bottom panel and is for pivoting the second dispenser section outward relative to the bottom panel so as to expand the opening.

13. The carton of claim 8 wherein the gussets includes two gussets at least partially defining the first dispenser section and two gussets at least partially defining the second dispenser section, wherein the first dispenser section, second dispenser section, the bottom panel, and end panels cooperate to form a bottom receptacle of the carton.

14. The carton of claim 13 wherein the bottom receptacle is free of glued seams.

15. The carton of claim 2 wherein the end flaps comprise side end flaps, bottom end flaps, and top end flaps, and the gusset comprises gussets respectively connecting adjacent bottom and side end flaps.

16. The carton of claim 15 wherein an upper portion of the side end flaps is respectively adhesively attached to the top end flaps and a lower portion of the side end flaps is free to pivot with one of the side panels.

17. The carton of claim 2 further comprising a handle comprising at least a portion of the top panel and the side panels

18. The carton of claim 17 wherein the tear line defining the dispenser section is adjacent to and at least partially defines the handle.

19. The carton of claim 17 wherein the end flaps comprise top end flaps and the handle comprises a handle panel comprising at least a portion of the top panel and the top panel end flaps, and a gripping portion formed in the top panel.

20. The carton of claim 19 wherein the handle panel is at least partially defined by two spaced apart tear lines in the top panel and the top panel end flaps.

21. The carton of claim 20 wherein the top panel is a first top panel, the top panel end flaps are first top end flaps foldably attached to the first top panel, and the handle panel is a first handle panel, the carton comprises a second top panel for overlapping engagement with the first top panel, and second top end flaps foldably attached to the second top panel, and the handle comprises a second handle panel in the second top panel and the second top end flaps.

22. The carton of claim 21 further comprising a reinforcement panel foldably attached to the second handle panel, the reinforcement panel comprising at least a portion of the second top panel and the second top panel end flaps.

23. The carton of claim 22 wherein the handle is a three-ply handle comprising the first handle panel, the second handle panel, and the reinforcement panel.

24. A blank for forming a carton comprising:

a plurality of panels;

end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels;

dispenser features comprising a tear line and at least one dispenser section for at least partially defining an opening the carton formed from the blank;

a gusset connecting the end flaps, wherein the gusset can be unfolded to allow relative movement between the end flaps and to allow the dispenser section to pivot outwardly to enlarge the opening.

25. The blank of claim 24 wherein the plurality of panels comprises at least one top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel.

26. The blank carton of claim 25 wherein the dispenser section comprises a first portion pivotally attached to one of the side panels at a first pivot location to allow an initial opening of the dispenser in the carton formed from the blank.

27. The blank of claim 26 wherein the first portion comprises an upper portion of the side panel, a portion of the top panel, and portions of the end flaps.

28. The blank of claim 27 wherein the first pivot location comprises a fold line in the side panel.

29. The blank of claim 27 wherein the dispenser section comprises a second portion pivotally attached to the bottom panel at a second pivot location, the second portion comprises a lower portion of the side panel, and two gussets.

30. The blank of claim 29 wherein the dispenser section is a first dispenser section, and the dispenser features further comprise a second dispenser section.

31. The blank of claim 30 wherein the second dispenser section has a first portion pivotally attached to one of the side panels at a first pivot location and a second portion pivotally attached to the bottom panel at a second pivot location, the first pivot location comprises a fold line in one of the side panels and the second pivot location comprises a fold line foldably connecting one of the side panels and the bottom panel.

32. The blank of claim 25 further comprising handle features in at least a portion of the top panel and the side panels for forming a handle in the carton formed from the blank.

33. The blank of claim 32 wherein the dispenser features include a tear line defining the dispenser section that is adjacent to and at least partially defines at least one handle feature.

34. The blank of claim 32 wherein the end flaps comprise top end flaps foldably attached to the top panel, and the handle features comprise a handle panel comprising at least a portion of the top panel and the top end flaps, with the handle panel comprising a gripping portion formed in the top panel.

35. The blank of claim 34 wherein the handle panel is at least partially defined by two spaced apart tear lines in the at least one top panel and the end flaps.

36. The blank of claim 34 wherein the top panel is a first top panel, the top end flaps are first top end flaps foldably attached to the first top panel, and the handle panel is a first handle panel, the blank comprises a second top panel and second top end flaps foldably attached to the second top panel, and the handle features comprises a second handle panel in the second top panel and the second top end flaps.

37. The blank of claim 36 further comprising a reinforcement panel foldably attached to the second handle portion, the reinforcement panel comprising at least a portion of the second top panel and second top end flaps.

38. A method of opening a carton comprising:

providing a carton having a plurality of panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprise a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel, end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels, wherein the end flaps are overlapped with respect to one another and thereby at least partially form a closed end of the carton, a handle comprising at least a portion of the top panel and the side panels, and a dispenser comprising a dispenser section foldably attached to the carton and at least partially defined by a tear line in the top panel;

grasping the handle to at least partially separate the handle from the top panel and end flaps and to create an opening for activating the dispenser; and

activating the dispenser by pivoting the dispenser section outward to increase the size of a dispenser opening in the carton.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein an upper portion of the dispenser section is pivoted about a first pivot location in one of the side panels to create the dispenser opening.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising pivoting the dispenser section about a second pivot location generally outward relative to the bottom panel to expand the dispenser opening.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the carton comprises two gussets respectively foldably connected to the dispenser section, and wherein pivoting the dispenser section about the second pivot location comprises expanding the gussets to further increase the size of the dispenser opening in the carton.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the dispenser section is a first dispenser section on a first side of the handle and the carton further comprises a second dispenser section on a second side of the handle, the method further comprises activating the second dispenser section by pivoting the second dispenser section outward to increase the size of a second dispenser opening in the carton.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising pivoting an upper portion of the second dispenser section about a first pivot location in the side panel to create the second dispenser opening.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising pivoting the second dispenser section about a second pivot location generally outward relative to the bottom panel to expand the second dispenser opening.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the gussets are first gussets and the carton further comprises second gussets foldably connected to the second dispenser section, wherein pivoting the second dispenser section about the second pivot location comprises expanding the gussets to expand the second dispenser opening.