Patent Application
20150225155
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Utility Model Application No. 2012-004734, filed on Aug. 2, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a carton and a carton blank for forming the carton having a tubular structure and capable of receiving articles in the tubular structure.
Conventionally, cartons have been used to facilitate storing and transporting a variety of articles. Among the conventional cartons, there are wraparound style cartons having an open-ended tubular structure that defines an internal space for collectively receiving a plurality of articles such as generally cylindrical cans.
A typical conventional carton having a tubular structure is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2003-34354. The carton disclosed in the publication has a top wall, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall. The opposed open ends of the tubular structure are provided with article retaining means for retaining articles in the tubular structure. The article retaining means includes a top cover panel connected to an end edge of the top wall, a first side cover panel connected to the top cover panel via a fold line, a second side cover panel connected to the first side cover panel via a fold line, and a fold-back panel connected to the second side cover panel via a fold line and to the end edges of the respective side wall. By mountain-folding both of the fold line between the top cover panel and the first side cover panel and the fold line between the first side cover panel and the second side cover panel, by valley-folding the fold line between the second side cover panel and the fold-back panel, and by inwardly folding the fold-back panel, the article retaining means covers upper ends of one or more of the end articles that faces the respective opening of the tubular structure, to hold the articles in the tubular structure.
However, according to the aforementioned carton, there is a risk that the fold-back panel may slip out of the tubular structure when the second side cover panel undergoes external force, or the load of the packaged articles. If the fold-back panel slips out in this way the article retaining means can no longer hold the articles in the tubular structure.
One solution to the aforementioned issue include to substantially increase the size of the fold-back panel such that the surface area of the fold back panel pressed on the articles in the tubular structure is substantially increased. However, such an approach requires use of a larger amount of paperboard material, which would result in substantial increase of the product price.
The present invention provides a carton blank and a carton which can improve strength to reliably hold articles to be received in a tubular structure and which can improve the aptitude to assembly using a machine.
The carton blank of the invention comprises wall panels for providing top, side, and bottom walls of a tubular structure. The wall panels are disposed in a line to form the tubular structure. The tubular structure has opposed open ends and is designed to receive one or more articles. The blank further comprise at least one section for forming at least one article retaining structure for retaining the one or more articles in the tubular structure. The at least one section is connected to respective end edges of two or more of the wall panels. The at least one section includes a fold-back panel that is hingedly connected to an end edge of first one of the wall panels. The fold back panel is adapted to be folded inward of the tubular structure when the blank is erected into a carton. The at least one section further includes a cover panel that is hingedly connected to the fold-back panel and hingedly connected to an end edge of a second one of the wall panels adjacent to the first wall panel. The cover panel covers a portion of an article in the carton when the blank is erected and loaded with one or more articles. The end edge of the fold-back panel to which the cover panel is connected is provided with at least one tab that protrudes into the cover panel. The tab may be formed by a cut in the cover panel so that it is substantially struck from the cover panel. When the blank is erected into a carton, the tab and the fold back panel together extend inwardly of the tubular structure such that the tab is held or sandwiched between the first wall panel and the adjacent article in the carton.
According to the carton blank of the invention, the tab protruding from the fold-back panel abuts against the peripheral surface of the article to be received. Thus, the area of the fold-back panel that abuts against the article to be received is substantially increased. For that reason, the chance of the fold-back panel's slipping out of the tubular structure may be decreased. The chance of the fold-back panel's easily breaking under pressure is also decreased. In addition, since the tab is formed at a position spaced apart from the adjacent open end of the tubular structure, the cut does not reach the adjacent open end. This arrangement is an additional feature that contributes to the strength of the carton formed from the blank of the invention.
In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one section comprises two or more sections for providing two or more article retaining structures when the blank is erected. In such an embodiment, the fold-back panels of the two or more sections may be hingedly connected to the opposed end edges of the first wall panels.
In one embodiment, the cover panel of the at least one section may be provided at only one end edge of the fold-back panel and to a second wall panel adjacent to the first wall panel. In an alternative embodiment, the cover panel may be provided at each of the opposed end edges of the fold-back panel. One of the cover panels connected to the same fold back panel may be connected to the respective wall panel adjacent to one side edge of the first wall panel while the other of the cover panels may be connected to the respective wall panel connected to the other side edge of the first wall panel.
The present invention also provides a carton which comprises a top wall, a pair of opposed side walls, and a bottom wall connected together to form a tubular structure having opposed open ends. The carton is adapted to receive one or more articles therein. The carton further comprises at least one article retaining structure provided at at least one of the opposed ends of the tubular structure for retaining one or more articles in the tubular structure. The at least one article retaining structure includes a fold-back panel hingedly connected to an end edge of one of the opposed side walls and folded inward of the tubular structure, and a cover panel hingedly connected to an end edge of the fold-back panel and hingedly connected to an end edge of one of the top and bottom walls. When the carton is loaded with one or more articles, the cover panel covers a portion or portions of the one or more articles in the carton. The end edge of the fold-back panel to which the cover panel is hingedly connected is provided with at least one tab that protrudes from the fold back panel in the direction away from the cover panel. The tab is formed at a position spaced apart from the adjacent open end of the tubular structure. The tab and the fold-back panel together extend inward of the tubular structure t such that the tab is disposed between the one side wall and the one or more articles in the carton.
According to the carton of the invention, the tab protruding from the fold-back panel abuts against the one or more articles. Thus, the area of the fold-back panel that abuts against the article is substantially increased. Accordingly, the carton of the invention can decrease the chance of the fold-back panel's slipping out of the tubular structure as well as of the fold-back panel's easily breaking or tearing. Additionally, since the tab is formed at a position spaced apart from the adjacent open end of the tubular structure, the cut that defines the tab does not reach the open end. This also decrease the chance of the fold-back panel's breaking or tearing staring at the open end.
According to the carton blank and the carton of the present invention, the area of the fold-back panel that abuts against the peripheral surface of the one or more articles in the carton is increased so that the fold-back panel formed with the tab is more securely retained at its folded position between the respective side wall of the carton and the one or more articles in the carton.
Embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to
Here, in the following embodiments, description will be made using cans, which are formed such that the overall shape of each of them is substantially cylindrical. Each can has a generally circular top surface, a generally circular bottom surface, and a generally cylindrical side surface extending between the top and the bottom surfaces.
As shown in
The wall panels 2 are disposed in a row. The side wall 2B is hingedly connected to the bottom panel 2Da along a fold line 47. The top wall 2A is hingedly connected to the side wall 2B via a fold line 5. The other side wall 2C is hingedly connected to the top wall 2A via a fold line 6. The other bottom panel 2Db is hingedly connected to the other side wall 2C along a fold line 48. The carton blank 1 is adapted to form a tubular structure 7 of a carton 9 as shown in
Referring to
The side edge of the fold-back panel 12 to which the cover panel 15 is hingedly connected is provided with a tab 21 that protrudes from fold back panel 12 into the cover panel 15. The tab 21 is defined by a generally C- or U-shaped cut 20 formed in the cover panel 15 such that the tab 21 is struck from the cover panel 15 and joined integrally with the fold-back panel 12. The U-shaped cut 20 is disposed at a position spaced apart from the free edge of the respective section 10 as well as from the adjacent end of the respective side wall 2B, 2C. In this embodiment, the tab 21 is formed at a position proximate the boundary (13) between the fold-back panel 12 and the cover panel 15. The fold line 13 between the fold-back panel 12 and the cover panel 15 is interrupted by the cut 20. Accordingly, the boundary between the fold-back panel 12 and the cover panel 15 is defined by the cut 20 and the fold line 13. As best shown in
The cover panel 15 is valley-folded along the fold line 13 so as to cover part of the upper end the adjacent article D which is located at an end position where it may be viewed through the respective end opening 8 of the tubular structure 7.
Referring further to
Referring further to
A plurality of mushroom-shaped locking tabs 31 are defined in the bottom panel 2Da. Each locking tab 31 is hingedly connected to the bottom panel 2Da via a fold line 33. Substantially rectangular retention tabs 36 are defined in the other bottom panel 2Db. The retention tabs 36 define locking apertures 35 are defined by the retention tabs 36 respectively. By folding the locking tabs 31 into the locking apertures 35 and having the locking tabs 31 retained inside the apertures 35 by the retention tabs 36, the bottom panels 2Da and 2Db are coupled together to provide the bottom wall 2D of the carton, which in turn keeps the carton in the erected tubular form as shown in
In addition, the bottom panel coupling means for securing the bottom panels 2Da and 2Db together is not limited to the combination of the locking and retention tabs 31 and 36. For example, the bottom panels 2Da and 2Db may be secured together by glue or any other type of adhesive. It is ready understood that although the bottom wall 2D is formed by the pair of bottom panels 2Da and 2Db, it may be provided by a single unitary bottom panel. In such an alternative embodiment, the top wall 2A may be formed by a pair of separate top panels.
Referring further to
Bottom receiving openings 39 are formed in the sloping panel portions 37, 38 and extend into the respective remainders of the side walls 2B, 2C. Those bottom receiving openings 39 are designed to receive articles D when the carton 9 is loaded with the articles D. Holding tabs 41 are connected to the respective bottom panels 2Da or 2Db via fold lines 40. The holding tabs 41 are designed to be in frictional engagement with the bottoms of the articles D to be received in the carton 9.
The carton 9 formed from the carton blank 1 of the present embodiment will be described hereinafter.
As shown in
After the articles D are loaded, the fold back panels 12 of the sections 10 are folded about their respective fold lines 11 into the tubular structure 7 as shown in
An example of the process for forming the carton 9 from the carton blank 1 using a packaging machine is described herein after.
First, the articles D are arranged in a group of a predetermined configuration, such as a 2×3 configuration. The blank 1 is lowered over the group of articles D such that the upper surfaces of the articles D face the inside surface of the top wall 2A. At about the same time as the side walls 2B, 2C are folded about the fold lines 5 and 6 toward the opposed sides of the group of articles D, the inner surfaces of the fold-back panels 12 are brought into a face-contacting arrangement with the inner surfaces of the side walls 2B and 2C. By this means, portions of the outer surfaces of the fold-back panels 12 are brought into direct abutment against the articles D. The cover panels 15 and the tabs 21 are also made to abut against the articles D. By the time the side walls 2B and 2C are brought to the position alongside the opposed sides of the group of articles, the fold back panel, cover panel and tab 12, 15 and 21 of each article retaining structure is held at the position between the respective article and the respective side wall 2B or 2C.
Subsequently, the bottom panels 2Da, 2Db are folded about the fold lines 47, 48 such that the inner surfaces of the bottom panels 2Da and 2Db are brought into face-contacting arrangement with the lower surfaces of the articles D. Meanwhile, portions of the lower ends of the articles D are received in the bottom receiving openings 39. The locking tabs 31 are then engaged with the locking apertures 35 to secure the bottom panels 2Da and 2Db together. The carton 9 as shown
A second embodiment of the invention is described hereinafter with reference to
As shown in
The fold-back panel 12 of each section 10 has two angled outer edges along the fold lines 13. These fold lines 13 each is interrupted by two tabs 21 that protrude into the respective cover panel 15 from the fold-back panel 12. Each tab 21 is defined by a generally U-shaped cut 20. The tabs 21 along each angled edge are arranged side by side at a predetermined interval and are spaced apart from the free edge of the adjacent cover panel 15.
The carton formed by the carton blank 1 of
The article retaining structure shown in
It can be appreciated that various changes may be made within the scope of the present invention, for example, the size and shape of the panels and apertures/openings may be adjusted to accommodate articles of differing size or shape.
It should be understood that although the article retaining structures 10 each is provided at a position straddling the respective side wall 2B or 2C and the top wall 2A in the first embodiment, the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the article retaining structures each may be provided at a position straddling the respective side wall 2B or 2C and the bottom wall 2D. Alternatively, four article retaining structures may be provided at each open end of the tubular structure. In such an embodiment, a structure 10 may be provided at a position straddling the respective side wall 2B or 2C and the top wall 2A and another structure 10 may be at a position straddling the respective side wall 2B or 2C and the bottom wall 2D. Although the fold-back panels 12 in the foregoing embodiments are connected to the side walls 2B and 2C, it is readily appreciated that the fold-back panels may be connected to the other wall panels 2 such as the top wall 2A and/or the bottom wall 2D.
It will be recognized that as used herein, directional references such as “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “end”, “side”, “inner”, “outer”, “upper” and “lower” do not limit the respective panels to such orientation, but merely serve to distinguish these panels from one another.
As used herein, the terms “hingedly connected” and “fold line” refers to all manner, or all manner of lines, which uses hinge features of the blank, that facilitate folding portions of the blank with respect to one another, or otherwise indicate optimal panel folding locations for the blank. A fold line is typically a scored line, an embossed line, or a debossed line. Any reference to hinged connection or fold line should not be construed as necessarily referring to a single fold line only; indeed it is envisaged that hinged connection can be formed from any one or more of the following, a short slit, a frangible line or a fold line without departing from the scope of the invention.
As used herein, the term “severance line” refers to all manner of lines that facilitate separating portions of the substrate from one another or that indicate optimal separation locations. Severance lines may be frangible or otherwise weakened lines, tear lines, cut lines, or slits.
It should be understood that hinged connection, severance lines and fold lines can each include elements that are formed in the substrate of the blank including perforations, a line of perforations, a line of short slits, a line of half-cuts, a single half-cut, a cut line, an interrupted cut line, slits, scores, any combination thereof, and the like. The elements can be dimensioned and arranged to provide the desired functionality. For example, a line of perforations can be dimensioned or designed with degrees of weakness to define a fold line and/or a severance line. The line of perforations can be designed to facilitate folding and resist breaking, to facilitate folding and facilitate breaking with more effort, or to facilitate breaking with little effort.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-004734U | Aug 2012 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2013/053405 | 8/2/2013 | WO | 00 |
