The present invention relates to an improved storage and carrying carton particularly adapted for use in storing and carrying loads of approximately 50-60 pounds. Nails and other metal fasteners and hardware are examples of products typically stored and carried in the cartons of the type to which the present invention relates. These cartons are typically of a “bellows” style and formed of a corrugated cardboard material. Sheets of the cardboard material are cut and scored such that the carton can be readily formed by folding, gluing, stapling or taping. The bottom flaps are typically folded together and secured by the use of glue, staples or tape prior to filling. The top flaps are normally secured by folding the flaps together into a flat disposition over the upper end of the filled carton and a strap formed of a plastic or other suitable material is wrapped about the entire carton and sealed in place. So secured, the strap forms a natural handle, albeit somewhat awkward to use, for lifting the package. Such a design, however, relies on the strap being in place to both secure the carton and provide a lifting handle. Removal of the strap, which is normally achieved by cutting, not only makes the carton difficult to re-close but effectively eliminates the lifting handle. It would be highly desirable to provide a carton that could be as easily formed as the bellows-style cartons currently in use but which provided both a more convenient lifting handle when the carton is sealed and a means for readily re-closing and carrying the carton after the removal of the strap. The carton of the present invention obtains these results.
Briefly, the present invention comprises a storage and carrying container of the bellows type in which the upper end flaps are provided with triangularly-shaped scoring, elongated apertures centrally disposed within the scoring adjacent the lower ends of the end flaps and cut-out lateral portions in the upper end portions of the end flap adjacent the side flaps. Pressing the scored end flaps inwardly before the side flaps, will cause the end flaps to fold outwardly along the scoring forming two triangularly-shaped projections extending inwardly and flush along the top of the carton and drawing the side flaps inwardly. Thus, upon pressing the side flaps over the end flaps and flush with the top of the carton and securing a conventional flexible closure strap about the carton and the overlapping upper side flaps, a filled carton can be readily sealed. By configuring the side flaps such that they each define a length that is greater than one-half the transverse width of the carton, the extended end portion of the uppermost side flaps will project laterally from the centrally secured closure strap such that one can slide his or her fingers under the projecting end portion and thus use the end portion that is anchored by the strap as a convenient handle for carrying the container in a filled and sealed disposition.
After the carton has been opened by severing the strap, pressing the side flaps inwardly over the open end of the box into a flush disposition will cause the end flaps to fold inwardly along the inclined score lines therein so as to again define the two triangularly-shaped projections. Openings are provided in the base of the formed projections to receive one's fingers. By folding the formed projections to an upright position, lateral handles are conveniently formed and positioned for carrying the opened carton. By folding the end flaps along the score lines, the formed triangularly-shaped projections are of a double thickness so as to form durable handles for carrying a filled carton without a securement strap. By forming the hand openings in the folded end flaps by means of elongated, generally u-shaped slits, depending flaps are formed that, when pushed inwardly by one's fingers, fold about the upper ends of the hand openings, further strengthening the formed handles and providing a smooth and comfortable gripping surface.
It is therefore the principle object of the present invention to provide an improved carton for the storage and carrying of objects in which the carton defines gripping handles for carrying the carton in both the opened and sealed disposition.
Referring now in detail to the drawings, the carton 10 of the present invention is preferably formed from a sheet 12 of a suitable flexible material such as corrugated cardboard. As seen in
An elongated, generally rectangular, partial cutout area 34 is centrally provided in each of the two upper end flaps 20a and 20b adjacent fold line 28. Areas 34 are preferably each defined by an elongated and generally unshaped slit 34′ extending horizontally through sheet 12 along fold 28 and terminating in opposed parallel vertical portions 34″. For reasons that will become apparent, such a configuration allows one to merely press their fingers against the formed flaps 36 defined by slits 34′, bending flaps 36 inwardly and through the formed openings 34. So as not to obstruct openings 34 upon the formation of carton 10 from sheet 12, substantially rectangular slots 38 are formed in the upper ends of the upper end flaps 20a and 20b adjacent the upper side flaps 18a and 18b as shown in
To form the carton 10 of the present invention from flat sheet 12, the sheet is folded along vertical fold lines 31 and the securement tab 26 is suitably adhered to the lateral end portion of side panel 14a and the adjacent upper side flap 18a such that the folded sheet 12 now defines a flat folded and endless sheet 12′, as illustrated in
To form the flat folded endless sheet 12′ into carton 10, one need only lift the end panel 16b and side panel 14a and their integrally formed upper and lower flaps relative to panels 16a and 14b so as to bring the carton from its collapsed flat disposition illustrated in
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the carton 10 is of a square configuration. The vertical heights H′ of the lower side and end flaps are equal to each other and to one-half of the transverse dimension of the formed carton. Accordingly, when the flaps are folded as described, two of the opposed flaps will form the inner surface of the bottom of the container with the extended ends of those flaps being in abutment and the outer surface of the other two opposed flaps will form the outer bottom surface of the container with the extended ends of those flaps being in abutment. A suitable adhesive or staples preferably are employed to secure the flaps comprising the inner surface of the carton bottom to the flaps forming the bottom outer surfaces to provide the carton with a secure bottom wall of double thickness. If a rectangular carton were employed, the height of the end flaps preferably would be greater than the height of the side flaps such that the ends of each pair of flaps would be in abutment to provide the double wall thickness of the bottom of the container.
As seen in
The closure strap 42 is positioned such that it runs parallel to the outer end 19 of the exposed upper side flap 18a. The heights H″ of the two upper side flaps 18a and 18b are preferably equal to each other and exceed the transverse dimension of the formed carton so that when the upper end and side flaps are folded flush over the end flaps and secured with strap 42, the exposed end 19 of the uppermost upper side flap will extend parallel to and be spaced laterally from the securement strap 42 a distance of about 1.5 to 2.5 inches, and more preferably 1.0 to 2.0 inches, so as to ensure securement of the flap by the strap while allowing the portion 44 of the exposed flap between strap 42 and end 19, which is anchored by the strap, to function as a convenient carrying handle for the container in a filled and sealed disposition. One can simply insert his or her fingers under the anchored end 19 of the exposed side flap to lift the carton and its sealed contents.
Once the strap 42 has been severed to open the carton, the carton 10 defines its own carrying handles. The upper side flaps 18a and 18b are folded inwardly and flush with the upper end of the carton 10. Upon so doing, the upper end flaps will again fold upon themselves along the fold lines 32, but outwardly along line-28 and inwardly along the inclined lines 32, forming two outwardly extending, opposed triangularly-shaped projections 50a and 50b as seen in
Various changes and modifications may be made in carrying out the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Insofar as these changes and modifications are within the purview of the appended claims, they are to be considered as part of the present invention.
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