Carton with locking features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11273950-B2
Application number	US-201816036161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2018
Priority date	Jul 17, 2017
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

A carton for holding one or more articles includes a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels including a front panel, a back panel, and at least one side panel. The carton also includes a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels and forming a closed top portion of the carton, the closed top portion of the carton is reconfigurable between a first configuration having a substantially flat profile and a second configuration forming a handle of the carton. The carton also includes locking features for engaging at least one other carton.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carton for holding one or more articles, the carton comprising:
a plurality of panels extending 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;
a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels and forming a closed top portion of the carton, the plurality of end flaps comprising a first top end flap foldably connected to the front panel, a second top end flap foldably connected to the back panel, a third top end flap foldably connected to the first side panel at a first fold line, and a fourth top end flap foldably connected to the second side panel at a second fold line, at least one of the first top end flap and the second top end flap comprising at least one handle tab and a handle portion comprising a top edge of the at least one of the first top end flap and the second top end flap, at least one of the third top end flap and the fourth top end flap comprising an aperture for at least partially receiving the at least one handle tab,
the closed top portion of the carton is reconfigurable between a first configuration having a substantially flat profile and a second configuration wherein the handle portion forms a handle of the carton; and
locking features for engaging at least one other carton, the locking features comprise a first locking tab foldably connected to the third top end flap at a third fold line and a second locking tab foldably connected to the fourth top end flap at a fourth fold line, the first locking tab is spaced away from the first side panel and the second locking tab is spaced away from the second side panel such that the third fold line is spaced away from the first fold line and such that the fourth fold line is spaced away from the second fold line, each of the first locking tab and the second locking tab has a respective pair of flange portions and a respective pair of notches between the respective flange portions and the respective third end flap and fourth top end flap, each of the first locking tab and the second locking tab extends above the top edge of the at least one of the first top end flap and the second top end flap when the closed top portion of the carton is in the second configuration.

2. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the locking features further comprise at least one locking flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one locking flap is at least partially separable from the at least one panel of the plurality of panels for forming an opening for at least partially receiving a portion of another carton.

3. The carton of claim 2 , wherein the at least one locking flap is a first locking flap foldably connected to the first side panel and the locking features further comprise a second locking flap foldably connected to the second side panel.

4. The carton of claim 1 , wherein each of the first top end flap and the second top end flap comprises a base portion, the handle portion is a first handle portion foldably connected to the base portion of the first top end flap, and the second top end flap comprises a second handle portion foldably connected to the base portion of the second top end flap.

5. The carton of claim 4 , wherein each of the first top end flap and the second top end flap comprises a handle opening disposed in a portion of at least one of the respective base portion and the handle portion.

6. The carton of claim 4 , wherein, in the first configuration of the closed top portion, the first top end flap and the second top end flap are in overlapping, generally planar relation.

7. The carton of claim 6 , wherein, in the first configuration of the closed top portion, each of the third top end flap and the fourth top end flap is in a generally upright configuration and a receiving space is defined between the third top end flap and the fourth top end flap.

8. The carton of claim 7 , wherein, in the second configuration of the closed top portion, the respective base portions are obliquely disposed relative to each another and the respective handle portions are in at least partial face-to-face contact.

9. The carton of claim 8 , wherein the at least one handle tab is a pair of handle tabs, each of the first top end flap and the second top end flap comprises the respective pair of handle tabs, and each of the third top end flap and the fourth top end flap comprises the respective aperture, and wherein, in the second configuration of the closed top portion, each handle tab is at least partially inserted through the respective aperture.

10. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a bottom panel, the bottom panel is foldably connected to each of the front panel, the back panel, the first side panel, and the second side panel.

11. The carton of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of gussets, the plurality of gussets comprising a first gusset foldably connected to each of the front panel and the first side panel, a second gusset foldably connected to each of the first side panel and the back panel, a third gusset foldably connected to each of the back panel and the second side panel, and a fourth gusset foldably connected to each of the second side panel and the front panel.

12. The carton of 11 , wherein the plurality of panels and the plurality of gussets provide a substantially continuous surface that at least partially forms a bottom receptacle of the carton.

13. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of end flaps further comprises a plurality of bottom end flaps foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels.

14. The carton of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of bottom end flaps at least partially overlap to form a closed bottom of the carton.

15. The carton of claim 14 , wherein at least one bottom end flap of the plurality of bottom end flaps comprises a proximal section foldably connected to a distal section, the distal section positioned in a generally upright position in the interior of the carton to form a plurality of interior sections.

16. A blank for forming a carton for holding one or more articles, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels for extending at least partially around an interior of the carton formed from the blank, the plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a back panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;
a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels, the plurality of end flaps is for forming a closed top portion of the carton that is reconfigurable between a first configuration having a substantially flat profile and a second configuration forming a handle of the carton formed from the blank, the plurality of end flaps comprising a first top end flap foldably connected to the front panel, a second top end flap foldably connected to the back panel, a third top end flap foldably connected to the first side panel at a first fold line, and a fourth top end flap foldably connected to the second side panel at a second fold line, at least one of the first top end flap and the second top end flap comprising at least one handle tab and a handle portion comprising a top edge of the at least one of the first top end flap and the second top end flap, at least one of the third top end flap and the fourth top end flap comprising an aperture for at least partially receiving the at least one handle tab when the carton is formed from the blank, the handle portion forms the handle of the carton formed from the

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Oliveira Steven M

Classifications

• B65D21/0219

  the closure presenting projecting peripheral elements receiving or surrounding the bottom or peripheral elements projecting from the bottom of a superimposed container (B65D21/0222 and B65D21/0223 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D5/48016

  formed by folding extensions hinged to the upper or lower edges of a tubular body (B65D5/48008 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D5/0015

  the container being formed by folding up portions connected to a central panel · CPC title

• B65D5/3621

  collapsed along two fold lines of the tubular body · CPC title

• B65D5/2057

  Inter-engaging self-locking flaps (B65D5/4254 takes precedence) · CPC title