Carton with handle and dispenser

• US 7,806,314 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins; Gary E
• Assistant Examiner(s): BYRD, LATRICE CHENELL
• Application Number:
  US11/671,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20070181658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 229/243, 229/117.12, 229/123, 229/242, 229/240, 229/101, 624/571, 624/572, 624/574, 624/575, 624/577, 624/579, 206/427
• 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, wherein the plurality of panels comprises at least one top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;

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, wherein the dispenser section comprises a first portion pivotally attached to a lower portion of the first side panel at a first pivot location to allow an initial opening of the dispenser, the first portion comprising an upper portion of the first side panel, and the first pivot location comprising a fold line extending in the first side panel, the fold line being spaced apart from the at least one top panel and the bottom panel; 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 first portion further comprises a portion of the top panel and portions of the end panels.

3. The carton of claim 2 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, and wherein the second portion is pivotally attached to the first portion at the fold line.

4. The carton of claim 3 wherein the second portion comprises the lower portion of the first side panel, a portion of the end panels and the gusset.

5. The carton of claim 4 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.

6. The carton of claim 5 wherein the carton further comprises a handle in the top panel and the first and the second openings are respectively adjacent the handle.

7. The carton of claim 5 wherein the second dispenser section has a first portion pivotally attached to a lower portion of the second side panel at a first pivot location and a second portion pivotally attached to the bottom panel at a second pivot location.

8. The carton of claim 7 wherein the first pivot location of the second dispenser section comprises a fold line in the second side panel and is for initially opening the second dispenser section, wherein the fold line is spaced apart from the at least one top panel and the bottom panel.

9. The carton of claim 8 wherein the second pivot location of the second dispenser section 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.

10. The carton of claim 5 wherein the gusset 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.

11. The carton of claim 10 wherein the bottom receptacle is free of glued seams.

12. The carton of claim 1 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.

13. The carton of claim 12 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.

14. The carton of claim 1 further comprising a handle comprising at least a portion of the top panel and at least a portion of the end flaps.

15. The carton of claim 14 wherein the tear line defining the dispenser section is adjacent to and at least partially defines the handle.

16. The carton of claim 14 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.

17. The carton of claim 16 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.

18. 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;

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; and

a handle comprising at least a portion of the top panel and at least a portion of the end flaps;

wherein;

the plurality of panels comprises at least one top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;

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;

the handle panel is at least partially defined by two spaced apart tear lines in the top panel and the top panel end flaps; and

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.

19. The carton of claim 18 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.

20. The carton of claim 19 wherein the handle is a three-ply handle comprising the first handle panel, the second handle panel, and the reinforcement panel.

21. A blank for forming a carton comprising:

a plurality of panels comprising at least one 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 adapted to overlap with respect to one another and thereby at least partially form a closed end of the carton formed from the blank;

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, wherein the dispenser section comprises a first portion pivotally attached to a lower portion of the first side panel at a first pivot location to allow an initial opening of the dispenser in the carton formed from the blank, the first portion comprising an upper portion of the first side panel, and the first pivot location comprising a fold line extending in the first side panel, the fold line being spaced apart from the at least one top panel and the bottom panel;

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.

22. The blank of claim 21 wherein the first portion further comprises a portion of the top panel and portions of the end flaps.

23. The blank of claim 21 wherein the dispenser section comprises a second portion pivotally attached to the bottom panel at a second pivot location, the second portion comprises the lower portion of the first side panel, and two gussets.

24. The blank of claim 23 wherein the dispenser section is a first dispenser section, and the dispenser features further comprise a second dispenser section.

25. The blank of claim 24 wherein the second dispenser section has a first portion pivotally attached to a lower portion of the second side panel 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 spaced apart from the at least one top panel and the bottom panel, and the second pivot location comprises a fold line foldably connecting the second side panel and the bottom panel.

26. The blank of claim 21 further comprising handle features in at least a portion of the top panel and at least a portion of the end flaps for forming a handle in the carton formed from the blank.

27. The blank of claim 26 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.

28. The blank of claim 26 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.

29. The blank of claim 28 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.

30. 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; and

handle features in at least a portion of the top panel and at least a portion of the end flaps for forming a handle in the carton formed from the blank;

wherein;

the plurality of panels comprises at least one top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;

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; and

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.

31. The blank of claim 30 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.