Carton having texture

• US 9,809,348 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International LLC (Graphic Packaging International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Smalley, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): DEMEREE, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US14/927,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20160122072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 2291161, 229102, 229132, 229136, 206427, 206434
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00141 glued
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00444 for fingers
• 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 2571/00919 Informative or decorative surfaces
• 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 5/425 Decoration elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4266 Folding lines, score lines, crease lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/54 Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing B65D5/06, B65D5/5233, B65D5/5253 take precedence ; break-in flaps, or members adapted to be torn-off, to provide pouring openings B65D5/70
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 71/36 having a tubular shape, e.g. tubular wrappers, with end walls

Abstract

A carton for holding a plurality of containers is disclosed. The carton includes a plurality of panels. The plurality of panels includes a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. The carton includes a plurality of end flaps. Each end flap of the plurality of end flaps is respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for at least partially closing an end of the carton. The carton further includes a plurality of lines of weakening positioned in at least one portion of the carton. The at least one portion of the carton being selected from the group consisting of at least one panel of the plurality of panels and at least one end flap of the plurality of end flaps. The plurality of lines of weakening forms at least one texture in the exterior of the carton.

Claims

1. A carton for holding a plurality of containers, the carton comprising:

a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprises a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel comprising a first curved edge, and a second side panel comprising a second curved edge;

a plurality of end flaps comprising a first end flap foldably connected to the top panel and comprising a first portion foldably connected to the top panel and a second portion foldably connected to the first portion, each end flap of the plurality of end flaps is respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for at least partially closing an end of the carton, the first curved edge and the second curved edge of the respective first side panel and second side panel are generally adjacent the first end flap, and the first end flap is curved and cooperates with the first curved edge and the second curved edge to form a rounded corner of the carton; and

a plurality of lines of weakening positioned in at least one portion of the carton, the plurality of lines of weakening are a plurality of cuts, the at least one portion of the carton being selected from the group consisting of at least one panel of the plurality of panels and at least one end flap of the plurality of end flaps, and the plurality of lines of weakening forms at least one texture in the exterior of the carton, the at least one texture comprises a plurality of foldable flaps formed by the plurality of lines of weakening, each foldable flap comprises at least one edge that is positioned relative to the at least one portion of the carton to form the at least one texture.

2. The carton of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cuts are in the first portion of the first end flap.

3. The carton of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lines of weakening comprises a plurality of cuts each having a shape selected from the group consisting of:

C-shape, V-shape, S-shape, Z-shape, wave shape, and U-shape.

4. The carton of claim 3, further comprises a lateral axis and the plurality of cuts are oblique to the lateral axis.

5. The carton of claim 3, wherein the plurality of cuts is offset with respect to the adjacent row.

6. The carton of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lines of weakening comprises nicks between respective cuts of the plurality of cuts.

7. The carton of claim 1, wherein the plurality of end flaps comprises a second end flap foldably connected to the top panel, the second end flap comprises a third portion foldably connected to the top panel and a fourth portion foldably connected to the third portion.

8. The carton of claim 7, wherein the plurality of cuts are in the third portion of the second end flap, and the first side panel has a third curved edge and the second side panel has a fourth curved edge, the third curved edge and the fourth curved edge are generally adjacent the second end flap.

9. The carton of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cuts comprises a first row of cuts and a second row of cuts.

10. The carton of claim 9, wherein the cuts in the first row are in the same orientation as the cuts in the second row.

11. The carton of claim 9, wherein the cuts in the second row are in a different orientation as the cuts in the first row.

12. The carton of claim 1, wherein the at least one texture is disposed in at least a portion of each of the top panel, the first side panel, and the second side panel.

13. The carton of claim 1, wherein the carton comprises a rounded corner and the at least one texture is in the rounded corner.

14. The carton of claim 1, wherein the at least one texture is on the rounded corner.

15. The carton of claim 1, wherein the first portion is foldably connected to the top panel at a first fold line and the second portion is foldably connected to the first portion at a second fold line, and the first portion is curved to form the rounded corner extending between the first fold line and the second fold line.

16. The carton of claim 15, wherein the at least one texture is in the first portion.

17. A blank for forming a carton for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:

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

a plurality of end flaps comprising a first end flap foldably connected to the top panel and comprising a first portion foldably connected to the top panel at a first fold line and a second portion foldably connected to the first portion at a second fold line, the first fold line extends from one of the first curved edge and the second curved edge, each end flap of the plurality of end flaps is respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the first curved edge and the second curved edge of the respective first side panel and second side panel are generally adjacent the first end flap when the blank is formed into a carton; and

a plurality of lines of weakening positioned in at least one portion of the blank, the plurality of lines of weakening are a plurality of cuts, the at least one portion of the blank being selected from the group consisting of at least one panel of the plurality of panels and at least one end flap of the plurality of end flaps, and the plurality of lines of weakening forms at least one texture in the exterior of the carton formed from the blank, the at least one texture comprises a plurality of foldable flaps formed by the plurality of lines of weakening, each foldable flap comprises at least one edge that is positioned relative to the at least one portion of the blank to form the at least one texture in the carton formed from the blank.

18. The blank of claim 17, wherein the plurality of cuts are in the first portion of the first end flap.

19. The blank of claim 17, wherein the plurality of lines of weakening comprises a plurality of cuts each having a shape selected from the group consisting of:

C-shape, V-shape, S-shape, Z-shape, wave shape, and U-shape.

20. The blank of claim 19, further comprises a lateral axis and the plurality of cuts are oblique to the lateral axis.

21. The blank of claim 19, wherein the plurality of cuts is offset with respect to the adjacent row.

22. The blank of claim 17, wherein the plurality of lines of weakening comprises nicks between respective cuts of the plurality of cuts.

23. The blank of claim 17, wherein the plurality of end flaps comprises a second end flap foldably connected to the top panel, the second end flap comprises a third portion foldably connected to the top panel and a fourth portion foldably connected to the third portion.

24. The blank of claim 23, wherein the plurality of cuts are in the third portion of the second end flap, and the first side panel has a third curved edge and the second side panel has a fourth curved edge, the third curved edge and the fourth curved edge are generally adjacent the second end flap when the blank is formed into a carton.

25. The blank of claim 17, wherein the plurality of cuts comprises a first row of cuts and a second row of cuts.

26. The blank of claim 25, wherein the cuts in the first row are in the same orientation as the cuts in the second row.

27. The blank of claim 25, wherein the cuts in the second row are in a different orientation as the cuts in the first row.

28. The blank of claim 17, wherein the at least one texture is in the first portion.

29. A method for forming a carton, the method comprising:

obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel comprising a first curved edge, and a second side panel comprising a second curved edge, and a plurality of end flaps comprising a first end flap foldably connected to the top panel and comprising a first portion foldably connected to the top panel and a second portion foldably connected to the first portion, each end flap of the plurality of end flaps is respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the first curved edge and the second curved edge are generally adjacent the first end flap, the blank comprises a plurality of lines of weakening positioned in at least one portion of the blank, the plurality of lines of weakening are a plurality of cuts, the at least one portion of the blank being selected from the group consisting of at least one panel of the plurality of panels and at least one end flap of the plurality of end flaps;

forming an interior of the carton at least partially defined by the plurality of panels;

inserting a plurality of articles into the interior of the carton;

closing an end of the carton by at least partially overlapping the plurality of end flaps such that the first end flap is curved and cooperates with the first curved edge and the second curved edge to form a rounded corner of the carton; and

forming at least one texture in the exterior of the carton from the plurality of lines of weakening, the at least one texture comprises a plurality of foldable flaps forming by the plurality of lines of weakening, each foldable flap comprises at least one edge that is positioned relative to the at least one portion of the carton to form the at least one texture.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of cuts are in the first portion of the first end flap.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of lines of weakening comprises a plurality of cuts each having a shape selected from the group consisting of:

C-shape, V-shape, S-shape, Z-shape, wave shape, and U-shape.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprises a lateral axis and the plurality of cuts are oblique to the lateral axis.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the plurality of cuts is offset with respect to the adjacent row.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of lines of weakening comprises nicks between respective cuts of the plurality of cuts.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of end flaps comprises a second end flap foldably connected to the top panel, the second end flap comprises a third portion foldably connected to the top panel and a fourth portion foldably connected to the third portion.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the plurality of cuts are in the third portion of the second end flap, and the first side panel has a third curved edge and the second side panel has a fourth curved edge, the third curved edge and the fourth curved edge are generally adjacent the second end flap.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of cuts comprises a first row of cuts and a second row of cuts.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the cuts in the first row are in the same orientation as the cuts in the second row.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the cuts in the second row are in a different orientation as the cuts in the first row.