Carton with handle

• US 8,950,657 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2011
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Wagner, Todd A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELKINS, GARY E
• Application Number:
  US13/281,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20120104079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 229/117.11, 229/117.13, 229/117.14, 229/117.22, 229/117.24, 229/109
• US Class Current: 229/117.11
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0227 with end closures formed by inward folding of flaps and securing them by heat-sealing, by applying adhesive to the flaps or by staples
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/46024 Straps used as handles with anchoring elements fixed in slots
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4608 Handgrip holes

Abstract

A carton for containing and dispensing flowable materials. The carton comprises a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels can comprise a front panel, a back panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. At least one bottom flap is respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels. The at least one bottom flap can at least partially form a closed bottom end of the carton. A handle can extend in at least the bottom end proximate the back panel.

Claims

1. A carton for containing and dispensing flowable materials, the carton comprising:

a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a back panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;

at least one bottom flap respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one bottom flap at least partially forming a closed bottom end of the carton; and

a handle extending in at least the bottom end proximate the back panel;

wherein

at least a lower portion of the back panel extends in an oblique direction with respect to the bottom end;

the at least one bottom flap comprises a first side bottom flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second side bottom flap foldably connected to the second side panel, the handle comprises a first handle portion in the first side bottom flap, a second handle portion in the second side bottom flap, a first handle opening disposed in the first handle portion of and a second handle opening disposed in the second handle portion, the first handle opening being generally aligned with the second handle opening.

2. The carton of claim 1, wherein the handle is disposed adjacent the lower portion of the back panel.

3. The carton of claim 1, wherein:

the handle portion of the at least one side bottom flap and the lower portion of the back panel at least partially define a handle recess in the carton.

4. The carton of claim 1, wherein:

the first side bottom flap and the second side bottom flap are at least partially overlapped with respect to one another to at least partially form the closed bottom end.

5. The carton of claim 4, wherein the at least one bottom flap further comprises a back bottom flap foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel, the back bottom flap overlapping at least a portion of at least one of the first side bottom flap and the second side bottom flap.

6. The carton of claim 3, wherein the first side panel comprises a first triangular portion and the second side panel comprises a second triangular portion, the first triangular portion is foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel and the first side panel, the second triangular portion is foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel and the second side panel, and the handle recess is further defined by at least the first triangular portion and the second triangular portion, the first triangular portion and the second triangular portion being at least partially in face-to-face contact with the respective first side panel and the second side panel.

7. The carton of claim 6, wherein the first triangular portion is foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel along a first fold line and the first side panel along a second fold line, and the second triangular portion is foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel along a third fold line and the second side panel along a fourth fold line, the first fold line, the second fold line, the third fold line, and the fourth fold line extending obliquely with respect to the back panel and the bottom end of the carton.

8. The carton of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one top flap respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one top flap at least partially forming a closed top end of the carton; and

a dispenser comprising at least a portion of the front panel and at least a portion of the top end of the carton.

9. The carton of claim 8, wherein the dispenser comprises a first oblique tear line extending in the first side panel, a second oblique tear line extending in the second side panel, a longitudinal tear line extending in the front panel, and at least one lateral fold line extending in the at least one top flap.

10. The carton of claim 8, further comprising a top handle extending in the closed top end of the carton.

11. A blank for forming a carton, the blank comprising:

a plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a back panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;

at least one bottom flap respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one bottom flap being for at least partially forming a closed bottom end of the carton formed from the blank; and

handle features in at least the at least one bottom flap for forming a handle extending in at least the bottom end proximate the back panel in the carton formed from the blank;

wherein

the at least one bottom flap comprises a first side bottom flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second side bottom flap foldably connected to the second side panel;

the handle features comprise a first handle portion in the first side bottom flap, a second handle portion in the second side bottom flap, a first handle opening disposed in the first handle portion of the first side bottom flap, and a second handle opening disposed in the second handle portion of the second side bottom flap,

at least a lower portion of the back panel is foldably connected to a remainder of the back panel along a longitudinal fold line and is foldable relative to a remainder of the back panel for being positioned to extend in an oblique direction with respect to the bottom end in the carton formed from the blank, and the handle formed from the handle features is disposed adjacent the lower portion of the back panel in the carton formed from the blank.

12. The blank of claim 11, wherein:

the handle portion of the at least one side bottom flap and the lower portion of the back panel are for at least partially defining a handle recess in the carton formed from the blank.

13. The blank of claim 12, wherein:

the first side bottom flap and the second side bottom flap are for being at least partially overlapped with respect to one another to at least partially form the closed bottom end in the carton formed from the blank.

14. The blank of claim 11, wherein the at least one bottom flap further comprises a back bottom flap foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel, the back bottom flap being for overlapping at least a portion of at least one of the first side bottom flap and the second side bottom flap in the carton formed from the blank.

15. The blank of claim 12, wherein the first side panel comprises a first triangular portion and the second side panel comprises a second triangular portion, the first triangular portion is foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel and the first side panel, the second triangular portion is foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel and the second side panel, and the first triangular portion and the second triangular portion are for being positioned at least partially in face-to-face contact with the respective first side panel and the second side panel to further define the handle recess in the carton formed from the blank.

16. The blank of claim 15, wherein:

the first side panel is foldably connected to the back panel along a first lateral fold line, and the second side panel is foldably connected to the back panel along a second lateral fold line; and

the first triangular portion is foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel along the first lateral fold line and the first side panel along a first oblique fold line, and the second triangular portion is foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel along the second lateral fold line and the second side panel along a second oblique fold line.

17. The blank of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one top flap respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one top flap being for at least partially forming a closed top end of the carton formed from the blank; and

dispenser features extending in at least a portion of the front panel and at least a portion of the at least one top flap for forming a dispenser in the carton formed from the blank.

18. The blank of claim 17, wherein the dispenser comprises a first oblique tear line extending in the first side panel, a second oblique tear line extending in the second side panel, a longitudinal tear line extending in the front panel, and at least one lateral fold line extending in the at least one top flap.

19. A method of forming a carton comprising:

obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a back panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel, at least one bottom flap respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, and handle features in at least the at least one bottom flap, the at least one bottom flap comprises a first side bottom flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second side bottom flap foldably connected to the second side panel, the handle features comprise a first handle portion in the first side bottom flap, a second handle portion in the second side bottom flap, a first handle opening in the first handle portion, and a second handle opening in the second handle portion;

forming an interior of the carton at least partially defined by the plurality of panels, the forming the interior of the carton comprising forming an open-ended sleeve and positioning at least a lower portion of the back panel to extend in an oblique direction with respect to the bottom end; and

positioning the at least one bottom flap to at least partially close a bottom end of the open-ended sleeve, the positioning the at least one bottom flap comprising positioning the handle features to form a handle adjacent the back panel, the positioning the handle features comprises aligning the first handle opening and the second handle opening.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the at least one bottom flap comprises at least one side bottom flap foldably connected to at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel, the at least one side bottom flap comprising at least one handle portion;

the handle features comprise at least one handle opening in the at least one handle portion of the at least one side bottom flap; and

the method further comprises forming a handle recess by folding at least a lower portion of the back panel to extend in an oblique direction with respect to the bottom end, the handle recess being defined by at least the lower portion of the back panel and the handle portion of the at least one side bottom flap.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the first side panel comprises a first triangular portion and the second side panel comprises a second triangular portion, the first triangular portion being foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel and the first side panel, the second triangular portion being foldably connected to the lower portion of the back panel and the second side panel; and

the forming the handle recess further comprises positioning the first triangular portion and the second triangular portion at least partially in face-to-face contact with the respective first side panel and the second side panel so that the handle recess is further defined by at least the first triangular portion and the second triangular portion.