Carton for articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963262-B2
Application number	US-201514923636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 27, 2014
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

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 plurality of panels includes a front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, and at least one top panel. The carton includes a plurality of end flaps each 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 handle having a handle opening in at least one of the front panel and the back panel, and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the at least one top panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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 front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, and at least one top panel;
a plurality of end flaps each respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for at least partially closing an end of the carton; and
a handle comprising a handle opening in the back panel, a handle flap foldably connected to the back panel at a curved fold line and adjacent the handle opening, and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the at least one top panel and defined by a cut line in the at least one top panel, wherein the handle comprises two oblique fold lines in the back panel extending from the curved fold line to the fold line connecting the back panel and the at least one top panel.

2. 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 front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, and at least one top panel, wherein the front panel comprises a first edge margin and a second edge margin, a first plurality of fold lines extend across the first edge margin, and a second plurality of fold lines extend across the second edge margin, and wherein the at least one top panel comprises a first top curved edge and a second top curved edge and the bottom panel comprises a first bottom curved edge and a second bottom curved edge, the carton comprises a first curved corner comprising the first edge margin that is curved to confirm to the first top curved edge and the first bottom curved edge and a second curved corner comprising the second edge margin that is curved to conform to the second top curved edge and the second bottom curved edge;
a plurality of end flaps each respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for at least partially closing an end of the carton; and
a handle comprising a handle opening in at least one of the front panel and the back panel, and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the at least one top panel.

3. The carton of claim 2 , wherein the handle opening is in the back panel, the handle comprises a handle flap foldably connected to the back panel at a curved fold line and adjacent the handle opening, and the handle reinforcement flap is defined by a cut line in the at least one top panel.

4. The carton of claim 2 , wherein the handle opening is in the back panel, the handle comprises a handle flap foldably connected to the back panel at a curved fold line and adjacent the handle opening, and the handle reinforcement flap is in face-to-face contact with the back panel above the handle flap.

5. The carton of claim 3 , wherein the back panel is foldably connected to the at least one top panel at a fold line and the handle reinforcement flap is foldably connected to the at least one top panel at the fold line.

6. The carton of claim 3 , wherein the at least one top panel is a second top panel and the plurality of panels comprises a first top panel that overlaps the second top panel to form the top of the carton.

7. The carton of claim 2 , further comprising a dispenser comprising a dispenser panel comprising at least a portion of a panel of the plurality of panels.

8. The carton of claim 7 , wherein the dispenser panel comprises at least a portion of the front panel and the at least one top panel.

9. The carton of claim 8 , wherein the dispenser panel is defined by a plurality of tear lines in the at least one top panel and the front panel.

10. The carton of claim 9 , wherein the at least one top panel comprises a first top panel foldably connected to the front panel at a first fold line and a second top panel foldably connected to the back panel and the handle reinforcement flap.

11. The carton of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of tear lines comprise a first tear line and a second tear line in the first top panel and a third tear line in the front panel, the dispenser panel comprises the second top panel adhered to the first top panel.

12. The carton of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of end flaps comprises an article support flap foldably connected to at least one end flap, the article support flap is defined by a lateral cut extending at least partially across the at least one end flap.

13. The carton of claim 12 , wherein the article support flap comprises a longitudinal fold line dividing the article support flap into a base portion and a distal portion, the distal portion is folded relative to the first base portion to form the article support flap.

14. A blank for forming a carton for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, and at least one top panel;
a plurality of end flaps each respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for at least partially closing an end of the carton formed from the blank; and
handle features for forming a handle, the handle features comprising a handle opening in the back panel, a handle flap foldably connected to the back panel at a curved fold line and adjacent the handle opening, and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the at least one top panel and defined by a cut line in the at least one top panel, wherein the handle features comprises two oblique fold lines in the back panel extending from the curved fold line to the fold line connecting the back panel and the at least one top panel.

15. A blank for forming a carton for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, and at least one top panel, wherein the front panel comprises a first edge margin and a second edge margin, a first plurality of fold lines extend across the first edge margin, and a second plurality of fold lines extend across the second edge margin, and wherein the at least one top panel comprises a first top curved edge and a second top curved edge and the bottom panel comprises a first bottom curved edge and a second bottom curved edge;
a plurality of end flaps each respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels for at least partially closing an end of the carton formed from the blank; and
handle features for forming a handle, the handle features comprising a handle opening in at least one of the front panel and the back panel and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the at least one top panel.

16. The blank of claim 15 , wherein the handle opening is in the back panel, the handle comprises a handle flap foldably connected to the back panel at a curved fold line and adjacent the handle opening, and the handle reinforcement flap is defined by a cut line in the at least one top panel.

17. The blank of claim 15 , wherein the handle opening is in the back panel, the handle comprises a handle flap foldably connected to the back panel at a curved fold line and adjacent the handle opening, and the handle reinforcement flap is configured to be in face-to-face contact with the back panel above the handle flap when the carton is formed from the blank.

18. The blank of claim 16 , wherein the back panel is foldably connected to the at least one top panel at a fold line and the handle reinforcement flap is foldably connected to the at lea

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc
• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Smalley Brian

Classifications

• B65D5/0227

  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 title

• B65D2571/00141

  glued · CPC title

• B65D5/5425

  and defining after rupture a lid hinged to the upper edge of the container body · CPC title

• B65D2571/00475

  and extending ion a substantially vertical plane · CPC title

• B65D5/4208 Primary

  Means facilitating suspending, lifting, handling, or the like of containers (handles B65D5/46) · CPC title