Carton with handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10549875-B2
Application number	US-201514926422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A carton for holding a plurality of containers. The carton includes a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The carton includes a first end flap foldably connected to a first panel of the plurality of panels and a second end flap foldably connected to a second panel of the plurality of panels. The first end flap and the second end flap form a closed end of the carton. The carton further includes a handle comprising a first handle feature in the first end flap and a second handle feature in the second end flap. The first and second handle features are configured for directing stress and controlling tearing of the carton when force is applied to the handle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carton for holding 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 comprising a bottom panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and a top panel foldably connected to at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel;
a first end flap foldably connected to a first panel of the plurality of panels and a second end flap foldably connected to a second panel of the plurality of panels, the first end flap and the second end flap at least partially form a closed end of the carton, wherein the first panel comprises the bottom panel and the second panel comprises one of the first side panel and the second side panel;
a handle comprising a first handle feature in the first end flap and a second handle feature in the second end flap, the first and second handle features being configured for directing stress and controlling tearing of the carton when force is applied to the handle;
wherein the handle comprises a handle flap foldably connected to the first end flap along a fold line and a handle opening in the second end flap, the first handle feature comprises a cut extending from the fold line in a direction away from the handle flap, the second handle feature comprises a notch adjacent the handle opening, the first end flap and the second end flap are in face-to-face relationship, and the cut is aligned with the notch, at least a portion of the cut overlapping the notch.

2. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the second end flap overlaps the first end flap.

3. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the first end flap overlaps the second end flap.

4. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the cut is a v-shaped cut.

5. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the fold line is a curved fold line.

6. The carton of claim 1 , further comprising a third end flap foldably connected to the top panel and the handle comprises a third handle feature in the third end flap, the handle flap is a first handle flap, and the handle comprises a second handle flap foldably connected to the third end flap at a fold line, and the third handle feature comprises a cut extending from the fold line in the third end flap.

7. The carton of claim 6 , wherein the third end flap is in face-to-face relationship with the second end flap.

8. The carton of claim 7 wherein the third end flap overlaps the second end flap and the first end flap overlaps at least the third end flap so that at least the second end flap is adjacent an interior of the carton.

9. The carton of claim 7 wherein the first end flap, the second end flap, and the third end flap form a reinforced portion in the closed end that is above the handle.

10. The carton of claim 9 , wherein the first handle feature, the second handle feature, and the third handle feature cooperate to direct tearing in the closed end in an upward direction from the handle towards the reinforced portion.

11. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the top panel has a first lateral length and the bottom panel has a second lateral length, and the second lateral length is greater than the first lateral length.

12. The carton of claim 1 , further comprises a dispenser in at least one of the top panel, the first side panel, and the second side panel.

13. The carton of claim 12 , wherein the dispenser comprises a first dispenser panel separable from the top panel and the first side panel along a first tear line, and a second dispenser panel separable from the top panel and the second side panel along a second tear line.

14. The carton of claim 13 , wherein the dispenser comprises at least one finger tab along the first tear line in the first side panel and along the second tear line in the second side panel.

15. The carton of claim 1 , further comprises a plurality of article protection flaps foldably connected to the bottom panel.

16. A blank for forming a carton for holding a plurality of articles, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels, the plurality of panels comprising a bottom panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and a top panel foldably connected to at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel;
a first end flap foldably connected to a first panel of the plurality of panels and a second end flap foldably connected to a second panel of the plurality of panels, the first end flap and the second end flap being configured to at least partially form a closed end of the carton formed from the blank, wherein the first panel comprises the bottom panel and the second panel comprises one of the first side panel and the second side panel;
a first handle feature and a second handle feature for forming a handle, the first handle feature being in the first end flap and the second handle feature being in the second end flap, the first and second handle features being configured for directing stress and controlling tearing of the carton formed from the blank when force is applied to the handle;
a handle flap foldably connected to the first end flap along a fold line, the first handle feature comprising a cut extending from the fold line in a direction away from the handle flap;
a handle opening in the second end flap, the second handle feature comprising a notch adjacent the handle opening;
wherein the first end flap and the second end flap are configured to be in face-to-face relationship, the cut is configured to align with the notch, and at least a portion of the cut is configured for overlapping the notch when the blank is formed into the carton.

17. The blank of claim 16 , wherein the second end flap is configured to overlap the first end flap when the blank is formed into the carton.

18. The blank of claim 16 , wherein the first end flap is configured to overlap the second end flap when the blank is formed into the carton.

19. The blank of claim 16 , wherein the cut is a v-shaped cut.

20. The blank of claim 16 , wherein the fold line is a curved fold line.

21. The blank of claim 16 , further comprising a third end flap foldably connected to the top panel and a third handle feature in the third end flap, the handle flap is a first handle flap, and the blank comprises a second handle flap foldably connected to the third end flap at a fold line, and the third handle feature comprises a cut extending from the fold line in the third end flap.

22. The blank of claim 21 , wherein the third end flap is configured to be in face-to-face relationship with the second end flap when the blank is formed into the carton.

23. The blank of claim 22 wherein the third end flap is configured to overlap the second end flap and the first end flap is configured to overlap at least the third end flap so that at least the second end flap is adjacent an interior of the carton formed from the blank.

24. The blank of claim 22 wherein the first end flap, the second end flap, and the third end flap form a reinforced portion in the closed end that is above the handle of the carton formed from the blank.

25. The blank of claim 24 , wherein the first handle feature, the second handle feature, and the third handle feature are configured to cooperate to direct tearing in the closed end in an upward direction from the handle towards the reinforced portion of

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Spivey Sr Raymond R
• Coxe Jr Charles Frances
• Bates Aaron Lee
• Baldino Mark

Classifications

• B65D71/36 Primary

  {having a tubular shape, e.g. tubular wrappers, with} end walls · CPC title

• B65D2571/00265

  extending from the upper or lower wall · CPC title

• B65B61/14 Primary

  for incorporating, or forming and incorporating, handles or suspension means in packages (attaching, or forming and attaching, string handles or tags to tea-bags B65B29/04) · CPC title

• B65D5/4608

  Handgrip holes · CPC title

• B65D2571/0066

  formed from one single sheet · CPC title