Carton with handle

• US 8,459,533 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Requena, Emili, Gonzalez, Ana
• Primary Examiner(s): ELKINS, GARY E
• Application Number:
  US12/711,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20100213249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 229/117.12, 229/117.13, 229/117.14, 206/141, 206/427
• US Class Current: 229/117.12
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00141 glued
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00456 integral with the wrapper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00462 Straps made by two slits in a wall
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00524 integral
• 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 comprises a first top panel, a second top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. A handle comprises a first handle panel and a second handle panel. The first handle panel comprises a central portion in the top panel and an end portion in a first top end flap. The second handle panel comprises a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in a second top end flap. The central portion of the first handle panel is attached to the first portion of the second handle panel and the end portion of the first handle panel is attached to the second portion of the second handle panel.

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, the at least two end flaps comprise a first top end flap foldably connected to the first top panel and a second top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel; and

a handle comprising a first handle panel and a second handle panel, the first handle panel comprises a central portion in the first top panel and an end portion in the first top end flap,

the second handle panel comprises a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the second top end flap,

the central portion of the first handle panel being attached to the first portion of the second handle panel and the end portion of the first handle panel being attached to the second portion of the second handle panel,

the second handle panel is at least partially defined by two spaced apart tear lines, the two spaced-apart tear lines each comprise a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the second top end flap, the second portion of each of the spaced-apart tear lines comprises an oblique portion that extends from a respective first portion and a curved portion that extends from a respective oblique portion, and the second handle panel comprises a plurality of fold lines that extend between the two spaced-apart tear lines, one of the plurality of fold lines foldably connecting the second handle panel and the second top panel.

2. The carton of claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a single-ply portion that comprises a portion of the central portion of the first handle panel that is free from attachment to the second top panel, and a two-ply portion that comprises a portion of the central portion of the first handle panel that is attached to the first portion of the second handle panel and the end portion of the first handle panel that is attached to the second portion of the second handle panel.

3. The carton of claim 1, wherein the first handle panel is at least partially defined by a tear line that comprises a central portion in the first top panel that at least partially defines the central portion of the first handle panel, and a second portion in the first top end flap that at least partially defines the end portion of the first handle panel.

4. The carton of claim 3, wherein the first handle panel is at least partially defined by an edge of the first top panel, the tear line being spaced apart from the edge.

5. The carton of claim 4, wherein the central portion of the tear line is generally parallel to the edge of the first top panel, and the second portion of the tear line comprises an oblique portion that extends from the central portion and a curved portion that extends from the oblique portion.

6. The carton of claim 2 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 carton 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, the at least two second end flaps comprise a third top end flap foldably connected to the first top panel and a fourth top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel;

the end portion of the first handle panel is a first end portion and the first handle panel comprises a second end portion in the third top end flap; and

the handle comprises a third handle panel, the third handle panel comprises a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the fourth top end flap, the central portion of the first handle panel being attached to the first portion of the third handle panel and the second end portion of the first handle panel being attached to the second portion of the third handle panel.

7. The carton of claim 6, wherein the first handle panel is at least partially defined by a tear line that comprises a central portion in the first top panel that at least partially defines the central portion of the first handle panel, a second portion in the first top end flap that at least partially defines the first end portion of the first handle panel, and a third portion in the third top end flap that at least partially defines the second end portion of the first handle panel.

8. The carton of claim 7, wherein the third handle panel is at least partially defined by two spaced-apart tear lines, each of the tear lines defining the third handle panel comprises a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the fourth top end flap.

9. The carton of claim 8, wherein the two-ply portion comprises a portion of the central panel that is attached to the first portion of the third handle panel and the second end portion of the first handle panel that is attached to the second portion of the third handle panel.

10. The carton of claim 9, wherein the single-ply portion of the handle extends between the second handle panel and the third handle panel, and the two-ply portion further comprises a portion of the central panel of the first handle panel that is attached to the first portion of the third handle panel and the second end portion of the first handle panel that is attached to the second portion of the third handle panel.

11. The carton of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of fold lines is an end fold line forming an end of the second handle panel.

12. 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, the at least two end flaps are for being overlapped with respect to one another to at least partially close a first end of the carton erected from the blank, the at least two end flaps comprise a first top end flap foldably connected to the first top panel and a second top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel; and

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

the handle features comprise a first handle panel and a second handle panel,

the first handle panel comprises a central portion in the first top panel and an end portion in the first top end flap,

the second handle panel comprises a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the second top end flap,

the central portion of the first handle panel being for attachment to the first portion of the second handle panel when the blank is formed into the carton, and the end portion of the first handle panel being for attachment to the second portion of the second handle panel when the blank is formed into the carton,

the second handle panel is at least partially defined by two spaced apart tear lines, the two spaced-apart tear lines each comprise a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the second top end flap, the second portion of each of the spaced-apart tear lines comprises an oblique portion that extends from a respective first portion and a curved portion that extends from a respective oblique portion, and the second handle panel comprises a plurality of fold lines that extend between the two spaced-apart tear lines, one of the plurality of fold lines foldably connecting the second handle panel and the second top panel.

13. The blank of claim 12, wherein the first handle panel is at least partially defined by a tear line that comprises a central portion in the first top panel that at least partially defines the central portion of the first handle panel, and a second portion in the first top end flap that at least partially defines the end portion of the first handle panel.

14. The blank of claim 13, wherein the first handle panel is at least partially defined by an edge of the first top panel, the tear line being spaced apart from the edge.

15. The blank of claim 14, wherein the central portion of the tear line is generally parallel to the edge of the first top panel, and the second portion of the tear line comprises an oblique portion that extends from the central portion and a curved portion that extends from the oblique portion.

16. The blank of claim 12 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 of the carton erected from the blank;

the blank comprises at least two second end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels, wherein the second end flaps are for being 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 comprise a third top end flap foldably connected to the first top panel and a fourth top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel;

the end portion of the first handle panel is a first end portion and the first handle panel comprises a second end portion in the third top end flap; and

the handle features comprise a third handle panel, the third handle panel comprises a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the fourth top end flap, the central portion of the first handle panel is for being attached to the first portion of the third handle panel when the carton is erected from the blank, and the second end portion of the first handle panel is for being attached to the second portion of the third handle panel when the carton is erected from the blank.

17. The blank of claim 16, wherein the first handle panel is at least partially defined by a tear line that comprises a central portion in the first top panel that at least partially defines the central portion of the first handle panel, a second portion in the first top end flap that at least partially defines the first end portion of the first handle panel, and a third portion in the third top end flap that at least partially defines the second end portion of the first handle panel.

18. The blank of claim 17, wherein the third handle panel is at least partially defined by two spaced-apart tear lines, each of the tear lines defining the third handle panel comprises a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the fourth top end flap.

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, a second side panel, a first handle panel and a second handle panel, and a first top end flap foldably connected to the first top panel, and a second top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel, the first handle panel comprises a central portion in the first top panel and an end portion in the first top end flap, the second handle panel comprises a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the second top end flap, the second handle panel is at least partially defined by two spaced apart tear lines, the two spaced-apart tear lines each comprise a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the second top end flap, the second portion of each of the spaced-apart tear lines comprises an oblique portion that extends from a respective first portion and a curved portion that extends from a respective oblique portion, and the second handle panel comprises a plurality of fold lines that extend between the two spaced-apart tear lines, one of the plurality of fold lines foldably connecting the second handle 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 comprises forming a handle, the forming the handle comprises attaching the central portion of the first handle panel to the first portion of the second handle panel, and attaching the end portion of the first handle panel being to the second portion of the second handle panel.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the forming the handle comprises forming a single-ply portion of the handle that comprises a portion of the central panel of the first handle panel that is free from attachment to the second top panel, and forming a two-ply portion of the handle that comprises a portion of the central portion of the first handle panel that is attached to the first portion of the second handle panel and the end portion of the first handle panel that is attached to the second portion of the second handle panel.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first handle panel is at least partially defined by a tear line that comprises a central portion of the first top panel that at least partially defines the central portion of the first handle panel, and a second portion in the first top end flap that at least partially defines the end portion of the first handle panel, the forming the handle comprises separating the first handle panel from the first top panel and the first top end flap by tearing along the tear line.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the forming the handle comprises separating the second handle panel from the first top panel and the second top end flap by tearing along the two spaced-apart tear lines.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising loading the carton with a plurality of articles and overlapping the first top end flap and the second top end flap to close a first end of the carton.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the blank further comprises a third top end flap and a fourth top end flap, the end portion of the first handle panel is a first end portion and the first handle panel comprises a second end portion in the third top end flap, the handle features comprise a third handle panel that comprises a first portion in the second top panel and a second portion in the fourth top end flap, the forming the handle comprises attaching the central portion of the first handle panel to the first portion of the third handle panel and attaching the second end portion of the first handle panel to the second portion of the third handle panel.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising grasping the single-ply portion of the handle and lifting the single-ply portion above the top wall.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein when the single-ply portion of the handle is lifted, the two-ply portions are moved inwardly toward the interior of the carton.