INTEGRATED CARTON LID DESIGNS

• US 20090101701A1
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WestRock Shared Services, LLC (WestRock Company)
• Original Assignee: RockTenn CP LLC (WestRock Company)
• Inventors: McLeod, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,959,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/143
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0015 the container being formed by folding up portions connected to a central panel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4608 Handgrip holes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6632 the lid-halves being held in closed position by flaps or tabs provided at their side edges only B65D5/6644, B65D5/6647 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6638 combined with flaps or tabs provided at the side edges of the lid-halves
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6644 the lid-halves being held in closed position by local tabs or projections at the upper edge of opposite walls of the container body, e.g. by entering within slots provided in the lid-halves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/918 Corner construction

Abstract

A plurality of cartons, preferably fabricated from paper, paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard, and particularly of tray or wrapper-style construction, are provided, having integral lid constructions, and outer overlap panels, operably associated with the at least one top panel, to enable articulation of the carton into a substantially completed structure, without interfering with the subsequent articulation of the at least one top panel to enable loading of the carton subsequent to articulation and affixation of the outer overlap panels.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A carton, fabricated from at least one of paper, paperboard and corrugated paperboard, comprising:

a bottom panel;

two side panels each emanating from opposing side edges of the bottom panel, each of the two side panels having a top edge;

two end panels each emanating from opposing end edges of the bottom panel, the opposing end edges of the bottom panel extending perpendicular to the opposing side edges of the bottom panel;

two minor panels associated with respective end edges of each of the two side panels, the minor panels affixed, at least indirectly, to an inside surface of an adjacent one of the two end panels for maintaining the two end panels and the two side panels in raised, upright orientation relative to the bottom panel, wherein the bottom panel, the two side panels, the minor panels and the two end panels define a cavity within the carton;

at least one top panel emanating from a top edge of one of the end panels, wherein, when the carton is erect, the at least one top panel forms at least a portion of a top wall at least partially covering the cavity;

at least two first outer overlap panels emanating from the at least one top panel;

a second outer overlap panel emanating from a side edge of each of the at least two first outer overlap panels, each second outer overlap panel being folded, relative to its respective first outer overlap panel, and operably positioned in substantially parallel, at least partially overlying relation to at least one of the minor panels; and

at least one cut-out extending upwardly from at least one of the end edges of the bottom panel.

29. A carton in accordance with claim 28, wherein said at least one cut out comprises two cut outs extending upwardly from each of the end edges of the bottom panel, each of the cut outs extending into the at least a portion of the end panels.

30. A carton in accordance with claim 28, further comprising stacking tabs emanating upwardly from the top edge of at least one of one of the side panels and one of the end panels.

31. A carton in accordance with claim 28, wherein each first outer overlap panel is in overlying relation to an adjacent side panel.

32. A carton in accordance with claim 28, wherein each second outer overlap panel is folded, relative to its respective first outer overlap panel, and positioned in substantially parallel, at least partially overlying relation to at least one of the minor panels and end panels.

33. A carton in accordance with claim 28, wherein the at least one top panel emanates from a top edge of one of the end panels, and is operably positioned, upon articulation, in substantially spaced, parallel, overlying relation to at least a portion of the bottom panel, the at least one top panel, when positioned in the substantially spaced, parallel, overlying relation to the at least a portion of the bottom panel, being substantially maintained in said overlying position over at least a corner region of the carton.

34. A carton in accordance with claim 33, wherein each corner region of the carton is defined by one of the two side panels, one of the minor panels and one of the two end panels.

35. A carton in accordance with claim 28, wherein the at least one top panel comprises a plurality of top corner panels and at least one major top panel, each of the top corner panels and the at least one major top panel emanating from top edges of the end panels.

36. A carton in accordance with claim 28, further comprising:

stacking tabs emanating upwardly from the top edges at least one of the side panels and the end panels; and

stacking tab apertures disposed in at least one of the bottom panel, bottom edge regions of the side panels, and bottom edge regions of the end panels, wherein each stacking tab aperture of a first carton is configured to receive a corresponding stacking tab of a second carton when the first carton is positioned on top of the second carton.

37. A carton, fabricated from at least one of paper, paperboard and corrugated paperboard, comprising:

a bottom panel having at least a first side edge region and at least a first end edge region;

at least a first side panel having at least a first minor flap emanating from an end edge of the at least first side panel operably connected to the at least first side edge region of the bottom panel;

at least a first end panel operably connected to the at least first end edge region of the bottom panel, wherein the at least first side panel, the at least first minor flap, and the at least first end panel being operably arranged with respect to one another so as to define at least a first corner region of the carton, the at least first side panel, the at least first minor flap, and the at least first end panel further being operably arranged relative to the bottom panel so as to further at least partially define an article containment region;

at least one top panel, operably positioned in substantially spaced, parallel, overlying relation to at least a portion of the bottom panel, the at least one top panel, when positioned in said substantially spaced, parallel, overlying relation to the at least a portion of the bottom panel, being substantially maintained in said overlying position over the at least first corner region;

at least one corner support assembly, operably emanating from the at least one top panel, for providing vertical loading support for the carton, toward providing resistance to undesired collapsing of said at least first corner region of the carton upon the stacking of articles on top of the carton,

wherein said at least one corner support assembly including a first outer overlap panel and a second outer overlap panel, said first outer overlap panel operably emanating from the at least one top panel, said first outer overlap panel being operably positioned in substantially parallel, at least partially overlying relation to the outer surface of the at least first side panel, said second outer overlap panel emanating from a side edge of said first outer overlap panel, said second outer overlap panel being folded, relative to said first outer overlap panel, and operably positioned in substantially parallel, at least partially overlying relation to the at least first minor flap; and

stacking tabs emanating upwardly from a top edge of at least one of said at least first side panel and said at least first end panel.

38. A carton in accordance with claim 37, further comprising:

at least one cut-out extending upwardly from said first end edge region of said bottom panel.

39. A carton in accordance with claim 37, further comprising:

stacking tab apertures disposed in at least one of the bottom panel, bottom edge regions of the at least first side panel, and bottom edge regions of the at least first end panel, wherein each stacking tab aperture of a first carton is configured to receive a corresponding stacking tab of a second carton when the first carton is positioned on top of the second carton.

40. A blank of sheet material for forming a carton, said blank comprising:

a bottom panel;

two side panels each emanating from opposing side edges of the bottom panel, each of the two side panels having a top edge;

two end panels each emanating from opposing end edges of the bottom panel, the opposing end edges of the bottom panel extending perpendicular to the opposing side edges of the bottom panel;

two minor panels each emanating from respective end edges of each of the two side panels, wherein, upon articulation of the blank, a first of the two side panels, a first of the two end panels and a first of the two minor panels emanating from the first of the two side panels forms a first corner region;

at least one top panel emanating from a top edge of one of the two end panels, wherein, upon articulation of the blank, the at least one top panel forms at least a portion of a top wall at least partially covering the first corner region;

at least two first outer overlap panels emanating from the at least one top panel;

a second outer overlap panel emanating from a side edge of each of the at least two first outer overlap panels, each second outer overlap panel being foldable, relative to its respective first outer overlap panel, and operably positionable in substantially parallel, at least partially overlying relation to at least one of the minor panels; and

at least one cut-out extending upwardly from at least one of the end edges of the bottom panel.

41. A blank in accordance with claim 40, wherein the at least one cut out further comprises two cut outs extending upwardly from each of the end edges of the bottom panel into the end panels.