CARTON WITH HANDLE

• US 20090236408A1
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International LLC (Graphic Packaging International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Spivey, Raymond R. SR., Cooper, Leonard M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,070,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/117.130
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00141 glued
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00469 Straps made between two handholes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00524 integral
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00549 consisting of fold lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/0058 The tear line defining a dispensing aperture provided with means for preventing the articles from freely exiting the wrapper, e.g. by rolling out
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/92 Stress relief

Abstract

A carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton comprises a first top panel, a second top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. The first top panel and the second top panel being at least partially overlapped to form a top wall of the carton. At least two end flaps are overlapped with respect to one another and thereby at least partially form a closed end of the carton. A handle in the top wall of the carton comprises a first handle section in the first top panel, a second handle section in the second top panel, and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to at least one of the first top panel and the second top panel. The first handle section, the second handle section, and the handle reinforcement flap are placed in overlapping relationship to form the handle.

Claims

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

a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprises a first top panel, a second top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel, the first top panel and the second top panel being at least partially overlapped to form a top wall of the carton;

at least two 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; and

a handle in the top wall of the carton, the handle comprising a first handle section in the first top panel, a second handle section in the second top panel, and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to at least one of the first top panel and the second top panel,

the first handle section, the second handle section, and the handle reinforcement flap being in overlapping relationship to form the handle.

2. The carton of claim 1, wherein the handle reinforcement flap is foldably connected to the second top panel.

3. The carton of claim 2 wherein the at least two end flaps comprise at least one top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel, the handle reinforcement flap being foldably connected to the top end flap and comprising a reinforcement handle section.

4. The carton of claim 3 wherein the handle reinforcement flap is adhesively secured to the top end flap.

5. The carton of claim 3 wherein the handle reinforcement flap is in face-to-face contact with the interior surface of the second top panel, and the first top panel at least partially overlaps the exterior surface of the second top panel.

6. The carton of claim 5 wherein the first handle section is in face-to-face contact with the second handle section, and the second handle section is in face-to-face contact with the reinforcement handle section.

7. The carton of claim 1 further comprising a first plurality of stress-diverting score lines in the first top panel and a second plurality of stress-diverting score lines in the second top panel.

8. The carton of claim 7 wherein the first plurality of stress diverting score lines includes at least one group of oblique score lines.

9. The carton of claim 8 further comprising a dispenser for allowing access to the articles in the carton, the dispenser comprises a dispenser panel that is at least partially defined by a tear line in the carton and is for being at least partially removed for at least further opening a dispenser opening,

the dispenser panel comprises a top portion comprising at least a portion of at least one of the first and second top panel, a side portion comprising at least a portion of at least one of the first and second side panel, and the side portion comprising at least one stress-diverting score line that is adjacent to the stress diverting score lines in the at least one of the first and second top panel.

10. The carton of claim 3 wherein:

the closed end is a first closed end;

the end flaps are first end flaps that are overlapped with respect to one another to form the first closed end, the top end flap is a first top end flap;

the carton further includes at least two second end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels, wherein the second end flaps are overlapped with respect to one another to form a second closed end of the carton, the at least two second end flaps comprising at least one second top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel; and

the handle reinforcement flap comprises two reinforcement end portions respectively extending from the reinforcement handle section, each reinforcement end portion is in face-to-face contact with a portion of the second top panel and a respective one of the first top end flap and the second top end flap.

12. The blank of claim 1, wherein the handle reinforcement flap is foldably connected to the second top panel.

13. The blank of claim 12 wherein the at least two end flaps comprise at least one top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel, the handle reinforcement flap being foldably connected to the top end flap and comprising a reinforcement handle section.

14. The blank of claim 13 wherein the handle reinforcement flap is foldably connected to the top end flap at a fold lines and is removably attached to the second handle section at a cut line extending between the respective fold lines.

15. The blank of claim 14 wherein the cut line at least partially defines the reinforcement handle section and the second handle section.

16. The blank of claim 1 further comprising a first plurality of stress-diverting score lines in the first top panel and a second plurality of stress-diverting score lines in the second top panel, the first plurality of stress diverting score lines includes at least one group of oblique score lines.

17. The blank of claim 16 further comprising a dispenser panel that is at least partially defined by a tear line in the carton,

the dispenser panel comprises a top portion comprising at least a portion of at least one of the first top panel and the second top panel, a side portion comprising at least a portion of at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel, and the side portion comprising at least one stress-diverting score line that is adjacent to the stress-diverting score lines in the at least one of the first and second top panel.

18. The blank of claim 14 wherein:

the end flaps are first end flaps that are overlapped with respect to one another to form a first closed end of the carton erected from the blank, the top end flap is a first top end flap, and the fold line is a first fold line;

the blank further comprises at least two second end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels, wherein the second end flaps are overlapped with respect to one another to form a second closed end of the carton erected from the blank, the at least two second end flaps comprising at least one second top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel; and

the handle reinforcement flap comprises two reinforcement end portions respectively extending from the handle reinforcement section, one of the reinforcement end portions is foldably connected to the first top end flap and the second top panel at the first fold line, the other of the reinforcement end portions is foldably connected to the second top end flap and the second top panel at a second fold line.

11. A blank for forming a carton comprising:

a plurality of panels comprising a first top panel, a second top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;

at least two end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels; and

features in the first top panel and the second top panel, wherein the features are for cooperating to at least partially define a handle in a carton erected from the blank,

the features comprise a first handle section in the first top panel, a second handle section in the second top panel, and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to at least one of the first top panel and the second top panel.

19. A method of assembling a carton comprising:

providing a blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising a first top panel, a second top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel, the first top panel and the second top panel being at least partially overlapped to form a top wall of the carton, at least two end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels, the first top panel comprising a first handle section, the second top panel comprising a second handle section, and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to at least one of the first top panel and the second top panel;

forming a top wall of the carton by at least partially overlapping the first top panel and the second top panel, the forming the top wall comprising forming a handle in the top wall by at least partially positioning the first handle section, the second handle section, and the handle reinforcement flap in an overlapping relationship to form the handle.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising securing the handle reinforcement flap to the interior surface of the second top panel and securing the first top panel to at least a portion of the second top panel.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the at least two end flaps comprise at least one top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel, the securing the handle reinforcement flap comprises adhesively attaching the handle reinforcement flap to the second top pane and the at least one top end flap.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one top end flap is a first top end flap and the at least two end flaps comprises a second top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel, the securing the handle reinforcement flap further comprises adhesively attaching the handle reinforcement flap to the second top end flap.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the handle reinforcement flap comprises two reinforcement end portions respectively extending from a handle reinforcement section, the securing the handle reinforcement flap comprises attaching one of the reinforcement end portions to the first top end flap and the second top panel, and attaching the other of the reinforcement end portions to the second top end flap and the second top panel.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising loading the carton with a plurality of containers and overlapping the at least two end flaps to close a first end of the carton.