Patent Grant
7234596
The invention relates to a two-part packaging case formed from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material for accommodating a group of articles for example bottles. It also covers a package with a collapsible carrier placed within the carton.
It is known to produce two-part cartons in packaging, see for example EP0428397; the benefit being that it is possible to use two blanks formed from different material. It is common to form a first blank to receive the articles and then apply the second blank in order to form fully enclosed packages. The second blank is commonly applied to the outer surface of the carton and is secured thereto, by glue or other suitable known securing means. One disadvantage of this process is that the cartons need to be secured laterally as well as longitudinally which increases the complexity of the packaging process.
The present invention and its preferred embodiments seek to overcome or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.
A first aspect of the invention provides a carton for holding a plurality of articles including a tray portion with an open top and a cover connected to the tray portion to close the top of the tray portion, wherein the tray portion has a pair of opposed end walls each having a hand aperture and wherein the cover has a pair of end flaps disposed internally of the end walls of the tray portion. Preferably, the end flaps of the cover are disposed along the inner surfaces of the end walls to substantially close the hand apertures of the tray portion, wherein the end flaps are hinged to the cover to be yieldable in response to insertion of the user's hands into the apertures.
According to an optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the end flaps of the cover are interposed between the hand apertures and the packaged articles to protect the user's hands.
According to a further optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the cover has a pair of opposed side panels that are secured to the outer surface of the tray portion.
In some embodiments, there further comprises a reinforcing flap hingedly connected to the end wall and folded down in a flat face contacting relationship with the inner surface of the outer end wall, wherein the end flap engages the free edge of the reinforcing flap to restrict upward movement of the cover. Preferably, the reinforcing flap is placed in flat face contacting relationship with the end wall to reinforce the end wall around the hand aperture.
Preferably, the tray portion and cover are formed from first and second separate blanks respectively. More preferably, the first and second blanks are formed of different materials.
According to another optional feature of this aspect of the invention the cover has a tear strip to facilitate opening of the carton. Preferably, the tear strip extends transversely across a side wall panel of the cover.
A second aspect of the invention provides a blank for forming a tray portion as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a base wall panel, a first end wall and a second end wall hingedly connected to opposed side edges of the base wall panel and a second blank for forming the cover as claimed in any preceding claim.
A third aspect of the invention provides a method of constructing a package having a tray portion and a cover, which method comprises the steps of:
A fourth aspect of the invention provides a package including a carton, articles arranged in rows and accommodated within the carton and a collapsible carrier folded into a flat collapsed condition and placed within the carton. Preferably the carrier may be placed between adjacent rows of articles. More preferably the carrier may have a self-erecting feature including an automatically flattening bottom. Optionally the carrier may have a carrying handle by which the carrier may be lifted. Preferably the carrier may comprise a basket-style carrier.
A fifth aspect of the invention provides a carton for holding a plurality of articles including a tray portion with an open top and a cover connected to the tray portion to close the top of the tray portion, wherein the tray portion has a pair of opposed end walls each having a hand aperture and wherein the cover has a pair of end flaps disposed internally of the end walls of the tray portion. Preferably, the end flaps of the cover are disposed along the inner surfaces of the end walls to substantially close the hand apertures of the tray portion, wherein the end flaps are hinged to the cover to be yieldable in response to insertion of the user's hands into the apertures.
According to an optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the end flaps of the cover are interposed between the hand apertures and the packaged articles to protect the user's hands.
According to a further optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the cover has a pair of opposed side panels that are secured to the outer surface of the tray portion.
In some embodiments, there further comprises a reinforcing flap hingedly connected to the end wall and folded down in a flat face contacting relationship with the inner surface of the outer end wall, wherein the end flap engages the free edge of the reinforcing flap to restrict upward movement of the cover. Preferably, the reinforcing flap is placed in flat face contacting relationship with the end wall to reinforce the end wall around the hand aperture.
Preferably, the tray portion and cover are formed from first and second separate blanks respectively. More preferably, the first and second blanks are formed of different materials.
According to another optional feature of this aspect of the invention the cover has a tear strip to facilitate opening of the carton. Preferably, the tear strip extends transversely across a side wall panel of the cover.
A sixth aspect of the invention provides a blank for forming a tray portion as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a base wall panel, a first end wall and a second end wall hingedly connected to opposed side edges of the base wall panel and a second blank for forming the cover as described above.
A seventh aspect of the invention provides a method of constructing a package having a tray portion and a cover, which method comprises the steps of:
An eighth aspect of the present invention provides a package including a carton, first and second groups of articles accommodated within the carton and an erected carrier placed within the carton and loaded with the articles of the first group, wherein the articles of the second group are arranged to define a space for receiving the erected, loaded carrier.
Exemplary embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring to the drawings, and in particular
Turning to the blank 10 for forming the tray portion T as shown in
In order to maintain the side wall panels in a set up condition, described in more detail below, there further comprises a support flap arrangement for connecting the end wall panel 12 to the respective ones of the side wall panels 30 and 34. The support flap structure, in this embodiment, comprises a support flap 42a hingedly connected to the end wall panel 12 along fold line 40a. Preferably there comprises a bevelled comer panel 38a forming part of the support structure which is positioned intermediate end wall panel 12 and support flap 42a and is hingedly connected thereto along fold line 44a.
The support flap structure for side wall 34, comprises a support flap 50a hingedly connected to the end wall panel 12 along fold line 48a. Again, there comprises a bevelled comer panel 46a forming part of the support structure which is positioned intermediate side wall panel 12 and support flap 50a and is hingedly connected thereto along fold line 52a.
Likewise, the opposing end wall structure is formed from a support flap arrangement which is identical to the arrangement described in the preceding two paragraphs. Therefore like references have been used with the affix ‘b’ and will not be described in any further detail.
In one class of embodiments, there further comprises reinforcing panels 22 and 26 hingedly connected to the first and second end wall panels 12 and 16 respectively along fold lines 24 and 28. Hand apertures 54 and 62 may be provided, struck from opposing end wall panels 12, 16 and each reinforcing panel further comprises a recess 56 and 64 so that in use, the reinforcing panels 22 and 26 surround the hand apertures 54 and 62 respectively but do not interfere with the apertures. Hand cushioning panels 58 and 66 are, optionally, provided and are hingedly connected to the respective end wall panels 12 and 16 along fold lines 60 and 68.
In those embodiments with bevelled comer panels 38a, 46a, there further comprises reinforcing flaps 27, 29 hinged to the side edges of reinforcing panels 22 and 26.
Crease lines 70, 72, 74 and 76 may be used to direct lifting stresses away from the handles in use.
The blank 100 for forming the cover C is illustrated in
In some embodiments, side support flaps, 126, 128, 130 and 134, are provided and are hingedly connected to the inner end wall panels 112 and 118 respectively along fold lines 127 and 129; 132 and 136.
In the embodiment of
In order to form the completed package from the blanks of
The first stage in the construction of the carton from the blank shown in
In those embodiments, with reinforcing panels 22 and 26, the reinforcing panels are folded inwardly along fold lines 24 and 28 respectively and into face contacting arrangement with the respective side wall panels 12 and 16 shown in
Thereafter, the articles are loaded onto the tray portion T by a relative vertical movement between the bottles and the tray portion, as is well known. The cover portion C (shown in
In those embodiments with side support flaps 126, 128, 130 and 134, they are folded inwardly into face contacting arrangement with the respective side wall panels 106 and 108.
The inner end wall panels 112, 120 are then inserted within the tray portion intermediate the articles A and the end walls 12, 14 of the tray portion T. Finally, the side wall panel 108 is folded downwardly with respect to top wall panel 102 along fold line 104 to be secured to side wall panel 30 of the tray portion T so that the carton is in a set up and loaded condition as shown in
In some embodiments, the inner end wall panels 112 and 120 of the cover C are adapted to engage the free end edges E of reinforcing panels 22 and 26, so as to limit upward movement of the cover panel C, thereby to provide a more rigid arrangement. This arrangement is illustrated in
A further advantage of the arrangement shown in
The blanks of
Turning to the embodiment as illustrated in
The base structure is formed from a first base wall panel 216, hingedly connected to the first side wall panel 202 along fold line 218 and a second base wall panel 224 hingedly connected to the second side wall panel 206 along fold line 226. Preferably there further comprises end support flaps 220 and 228 hingedly connected to the respective end wall panels 204 and 208 along fold lines 222 and 230 respectively.
In the embodiment of
A handle structure is provided in which there comprises a multi-part handle. In
There further comprises hand apertures HA formed in the respective handle panels 252, 256 and support panel 260. A cushioning panel may be optionally provided. In order to secure the opposing ends of the blank together there further comprises a securing flap 248 hingedly connected to the second end wall panel 208 along fold line 250.
Turning to the carrier blank illustrated in
In this embodiment the securing flap is hingedly connected to the first side wall panel 302 along fold line 350.
The handle structure of blank 300 is formed with a two-ply central handle arrangement and individual cells. A first handle panel 360 is hingedly connected to first end wall panel 304 along fold line 376 and to inner second end wall panel 364 along fold line 362. The individual cells are formed from transverse partition panels 370, 375 hingedly connected to first side wall panel 302 along fold lines 370 and 378 and to handle panel 360 along fold lines 374 and 379 respectively. A hand aperture HA and cushioning panel(s) is provided.
A second handle panel 380 is hingedly connected to second end wall panel 308 along fold line 396 and to inner second end wall panel 384 along fold line 382. The individual cells are formed from transverse partition panels 390, 395 hingedly connected to second side wall panel 306 along fold lines 390 and 398 and to handle panel 380 along fold lines 394 and 399 respectively. Similarly, a hand aperture HA and cushioning panel(s) is provided.
To construct the carrier of
The panels forming one side of the carton is folded over along fold line 212 and the base flaps 232 and 240 are glued (shown as cross hatching) to base panels 220 and 228 or otherwise secured by known securing means. Handle support panels 260 and 264 are secured to handle panels 252 and 256 respectively; and securing flap 248 is secured to side wall panel 202, so that the carrier 291 is in a flat collapsed condition as shown in
In order to erect the carrier CA, shown in
In order to construct the carrier of
In order to erect the carrier, the same method is used as for the embodiment of carrier and described with reference to
In one class of embodiments, the carriers 291, 391 are folded in a flat collapsed condition, slotted between adjacent rows of articles A. Thus they are held within a tray T as shown in
In order to gain access to the interior of the package of
The carrier 291 or 391 is removed from the tray portion and erected as previously outlined. It is then loaded with some articles A to serve as a shuttle pack so as to remove the desired quantity from the tray portion and convey them to the fridge, for example.
The present invention and its preferred embodiment relates to an arrangement for providing a reclosable access structure in a fully enclosed tray. However, it is anticipated that the invention can be applied to a variety of carriers and is not limited to those of the fully enclosed type hereinbefore described and could be used for numerous applications for example a two-part wraparound carton.
It will be recognised that as used herein, directional references such as “top”, “base”, “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. Any reference to hinged connection should not be construed as necessarily referring to a single fold line only: indeed it is envisaged that hinged connection can be formed from one or more of one of the following, a score line, a frangible line or a fold line, without departing from the scope of invention.
It should be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the present invention, for example, the size and shape of the panels and apertures may be adjusted to accommodate articles of differing size or shape, alternative top and base closure structures may be used. The carton may accommodate more than one article in different arrays.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0214745.2 | Jun 2002 | GB | national |
| 0214819.5 | Jun 2002 | GB | national |
This is a continuation of international application No. PCT/US2003/020216, filed Jun. 26, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
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| 6283363 | Focke | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 922 280 | Sep 1986 | CA |
| 0 217 148 | Apr 1987 | EP |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050173269 A1 | Aug 2005 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/US2003/020216 | Jun 2003 | US |
| Child | 11020740 | US |
