Carton and a handle therefor

• US 6,536,656 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2002
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MEAD Corporation (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Inventors: Blin, Patrick, Auclair, Jean-Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US10/046,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20020079245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 229/117.12, 229/117.13, 229/117.23, 229/117.24, 229/920, 206/140, 206/141, 206/427, 206/434
• US Class Current: 229/117.13
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00141 glued
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00277 Slits or openings formed along a fold line
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00469 Straps made between two handholes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/0053 attached
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00549 consisting of fold lines
• 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 and blank for forming a carton for packaging a plurality of articles, for example bottles, comprises a plurality of panels for forming a tubular structure including a top wall panel having opposed side edges and end edges. The top panel is provided with first and second spaced apertures provided therein so as to define a handle, and a score line extends from the handle to a cut line disposed along a side edge of the top wall panel thereby to direct lifting stresses away from the handle.

Claims

1. A carton for packaging a plurality of articles, comprising a plurality of panels for forming a tubular structure including a top wall panel having opposed side edges and end edges, the top wall panel having a handle, wherein a first score line extends from the handle to a cut line disposed along one of the side edges of the top wall panel thereby to direct lifting stresses away from the handle, and wherein the cut line is aligned with the one side edge of the top wall panel.

2. The carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein the score line terminates intermediate the ends of the side edge cut line.

3. The carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein the score line comprises two straight portions with an obtuse angle therebetween such that one of the two straight portions intersects with the side edge cut line.

4. The carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein the handle comprises first and second spaced hand apertures defined in the top wall panel, the first and second hand apertures defining therebetween a handle panel.

5. The carton as claimed in claim 4 wherein there further comprises a second score line extending from an edge of the first hand aperture to the cut line and spaced from the first score line to define a first flexing part of the top wall panel that is capable of flexing relative the top wall panel, thereby to direct the lifting stresses away from the handle and/or absorb said lifting stresses.

6. The carton as claimed in claim 5 wherein a first frangible line extends from the first hand aperture to detachably connect the handle to the top wall panel and wherein the first score line extends from the first frangible line.

7. The carton as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first frangible line curves inwardly before terminating.

8. The carton as claimed in claim 6 wherein the second score line extends from a location proximate the intersection of the first hand aperture with the first frangible line.

9. The carton as claimed in claim 6 wherein the second score line extends from an edge of the first hand aperture.

10. The carton as claimed in claim 5 wherein on one of opposite sides of the handle, there comprises opposed frangible lines extending from the handle and a second flexing part, wherein the second flexing part is defined by a third score line extending from one of the (frangible lines to a second side edge cut line provided on the one side edge, and a fourth score line extending from the first hand aperture to an end of the second side edge cut line.

11. The carton as claimed in claim 10 wherein the second and the fourth score lines are arranged to be partially co-extensive with each other.

12. The carton as claimed in claim 10 wherein on the other of the opposite sides of the handle, there further comprises opposed frangible lines extending from the handle and a pair of flexing parts extending between the handle and a pair of spaced cut lines at the opposed side edge, and wherein the pair of cut lines and the first and second cut lines are located in different relative longitudinal positions on the opposed side edges.

13. The carton according to claim 1 wherein the side edge cut line forms part of an article receiving structure comprising opposed hingable flaps separated by a further cut line extending substantially perpendicular to the side edge cut line.

14. The carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cut line is spaced from the end edges of the top wall panel and terminates with curved portions to provide stress relief.

15. A blank for forming a carton for packaging a plurality of articles, comprising a first side wall panel, a top wall panel having opposed side edges and end edges, a second side wall panel and a base panel hingedly connected together in series, wherein the top wall panel has first and second spaced hand apertures provided therein so as to define a handle panel, wherein a first score line extends from the handle to a cut line disposed along one of the side edges of the top wall panel, and wherein the cut line is aligned with the one side edge of the top wall panel.

16. The blank according to claim 15 wherein the score line terminates intermediate the ends of the side edge cut line.

17. The blank as claimed in claim 15 wherein the score line comprises two straight portions with an obtuse angle therebetween such that one of the two straight portions intersects with the side edge cut line.

18. The blank as claimed in claim 15 wherein there further comprises a second score line extending from an edge of the first hand aperture to the cut line and spaced from the first score line to define a first flexing part of the top wall panel that is capable of flexing relative the top wall panel.

19. The blank as claimed in claim 18 wherein a first frangible line extends from the first hand aperture to detachably connect the handle to the top wall panel and wherein the first score line extends from the first frangible line.

20. The blank as claimed in claim 19 wherein the first frangible line curves inwardly before terminating.

21. The blank as claimed in claim 19 wherein the second score line extends from a location proximate the intersection of the first hand aperture with the first frangible line.

22. The blank as claimed in claim 19 wherein the second score line extends from an edge of the first hand aperture.

23. The blank as claimed in claim 18 wherein on one of opposite sides of the handle, there comprises opposed frangible lines extending from the handle and a second flexing part, wherein the second flexing part is defined by a third score line extending from one of the frangible lines to a second side edge cut line provided on the one side edge, and a fourth score line extending from the first hand aperture to an end of the second side edge cut line.

24. The blank as claimed in claim 23 wherein the second and the fourth score lines are arranged to be partially co-extensive with each other.

25. The blank as claimed in claim 22 wherein on the other of the opposite sides of the handle, there further comprises opposed frangible lines extending from the handle and a pair of flexing parts extending between the handle and a pair of spaced cut lines at the opposed side edge, and wherein the pair of cut lines and the first and second cut lines are located in different relative longitudinal positions on the opposed side edges.

26. The blank according to claim 15 wherein the side edge cut line forms part of an article receiving structure comprising opposed hingable flaps separated by a further cut line extending substantially perpendicular to the side edge cut line.

27. A handle structure for a carton for packaging a plurality of articles, comprising:

a top wall panel having opposed side edges and end edges, the top wall panel having first and second spaced hand apertures provided therein so as to define a handle wherein a score line extends from the handle to a cut line disposed along one of the side edges of the top wall panel and a second score line extending from an edge of the first hand aperture to the cut line and spaced from the first score line to define a part of the top wall panel that is capable of flexing relative the top wall panel, thereby to direct the lifting stresses away from the handle and/or absorb said lifting stresses, and wherein the cut line is aligned with the one side edge of the top wall panel.

28. A carton for packaging four or more rows of articles, comprising a plurality of panels for forming a tubular structure including opposed first and second side wall panels, wherein the first side wall panel has only two apertures to receive and retain respective ones of the articles from first and second ones of the four or more rows, wherein the second side wall panel has only two apertures to receive and retain respective ones of the articles from third and fourth ones of the four or more rows.

29. The carton as claimed in claim 28 wherein the first row is adjacent the second row so that the two apertures of the first side wall panel are adjacent each other.

30. The carton as claimed in claim 29 wherein the third and fourth rows are separated by the first and second rows.

31. The carton as claimed in claim 28 wherein each aperture is defined by one or more side opening flaps hingedly connected to the first or second side wall panel and adapted to articulate outwardly by the respective article present in the each aperture.