This invention relates to a carton which is particularly but not only suitable for accommodating beverage containers such as cans and which incorporates a “strap-type” carrying handle which is automatically set up into a position of use as the carton is being closed after having been loaded.
Beverage cartons, which include carrying handles and indeed, strap type-carrying handles are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,570 (Lazerand et al) discloses a packaging carton for beverage cans with a strap type handle. The handle strap has a central user portion exposed to view in a handle access aperture in top wall of the carton, extends across the top wall and has opposite ends which terminate in respective ones of a pair of end closure flaps which are hinged to the top wall. The handle strap is reinforced by a separate strip of reinforcing material, for example, a fibrous tape.
Lifting a carton and its contents by a strap handle causes the weight of the package to be concentrated at the handle and certain areas of the panels to which the handle is attached. The concentration of weight produces stress that can cause deformation and failure of the handle and various carton panels.
A further problem with known strap handles is that once it is in a set up condition, the nature of paperboard will tend to make the strap return to its original position, which is undesirable.
The present invention seeks to overcome or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.
One aspect of the invention provides a carton for holding a plurality of articles which carton comprises a series of hinged wall panels forming a sleeve including a top panel and opposed side panels hingedly connected to the top panel and a continuous strap handle formed from the carton and transversely extending entirely across the top panel and one of the side panels, the strap is so connected at its opposite ends as to provide a surplus of material to enable a user part of the handle to be brought into a position of use.
Preferably there further comprises a web is provided to interconnect the strap handle to one of the top or side panels.
According to an optional feature of this aspect of the invention the strap handle is defined by first and second pairs of juxtaposed cuts, the cuts of the first pair are disposed entirely across the top panel and extend into one of the side panels, the cuts of the second pair are disposed in the one side panel and extend from positions at a lateral space respectively from the cuts of the first pair to the adjacent side edge of a base panel. Optionally, a pair of juxtaposed fold lines extends between each cut of the first pair and the adjacent cut of the second pair to define a web there between for interconnecting the handle and the one side panel.
In one class of embodiments, the strap handle extends into the base panel. Preferably, the end of the strap handle adjacent to the base panel includes a portioned positioned between two adjacent articles in the carton to retain the handle in a position of use and/or to restrict relative movement between adjacent articles.
Preferably there further comprises a pair of load retaining apertures struck from the strap handle to retain said two adjacent articles.
A second aspect of the invention provides a blank for forming a carton for holding articles which blank includes in series hinged wall panels for forming a sleeve including a top panel and opposed side panels hingedly connected to the top panel and a continuous strap handle formed from the blank and transversely extending entirely across the top panel and one of the side panels, the strap is so connected at its opposite ends as to provide a surplus of material to enable a user part of the handle to be brought into a position of use in a set up condition.
Preferably there further comprises a web is provided to interconnect the strap handle to one of the top or side panels.
According to an optional feature of the second aspect of the invention the strap handle is defined by first and second pairs of juxtaposed cuts, the cuts of the first pair are disposed entirely across the top panel and extend into one of the side panels, the cuts of the second pair are disposed in the one side panel and extend from positions at a lateral space respectively from the cuts of the first pair to the adjacent side edge of the base panel.
Optionally, a pair of juxtaposed fold lines extends between each cut of the first pair and the adjacent cut of the second pair to define a web there between for interconnecting the handle and the one side panel.
In one class of embodiments, the strap handle extends into the base panel. Preferably, the end of the strap handle adjacent to the base panel includes a portioned positioned between two adjacent articles in the carton to retain the handle in a position of use and/or to restrict relative movement between adjacent articles.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention 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 carton blank 10 of the first embodiment illustrated in
There may further comprise one or more article engaging structures 30 for engaging an article or articles. Preferably, each structure 30 comprises a pair of oppositely disposed flaps 32, 34 hingedly connected to first side panel 14 or second side panel 16 along fold lines 36 and 38 respectively. Preferably, fold lines 36 and 38 diverge inwardly of the aperture defined by flaps 32, 34 in the respective side wall panel. Fold lines 36, 38 are convergent in an upward direction as viewed in
The lower edges of flaps 32, 34 define an edge of a tightening aperture 42. For tightening the carton around a group of articles, tightening apertures 42 are formed in first base panel 12 while similar tightening apertures 42 are formed in second base panel 20. With the carton disposed about a group of articles and with the base panels 12 and 20 disposed in an overlapping relationship, machine elements enter the tightening apertures 42 and move towards the other, so as to tighten the carton about the group of articles as is well known. After the carton is tightened, it is locked by suitable securing means, for example locking tabs 90 which are driven through the apertures defined by retaining tabs 92 respectively. The configurations of locking tabs and retaining tabs 90, 92 are well known and the locking operation is well understood.
In one class of embodiments, a stabilizing (or bottle neck spacer) flap 96 shown in
The blank of
The central user portion 68 is separated from the top panel by opposed cut lines 78 and 80. Preferably, there further comprises one or more apertures 82 and 84 positioned along each longitudinal edge of central user portion 68 to make it easier for a user to grip the central user portion.
The handle H extends into first side wall panel 14 and is defined, at least in part, by side handle panel 58. Side handle panel 58 is separated from side wall panel 14 by two pairs of opposed or juxtaposed cut lines 64, 66; and 63, 65. The cut lines 64, 66 of the upper pair are the respective extensions of cut lines 78, 80 and extend downwardly from fold line 24 to web panels 72a, 72b respectively. The cut lines 63, 65 of the lower pair extend downwardly from web panels 72a, 72b at the positions laterally spaced respectively from the cut lines 64, 66 to fold line 22. Cut lines 64, 66 further define an intermediate panel 71 in the side panel 14. There is only one intermediate panel 71 in this embodiment; however, The handle H may comprise two or more intermediate panels for connecting the side handle panel 58 to the central user portion 68. In
It is preferred that the handle H extends further into base panel 12 and is hingedly connected thereto. In the embodiment of
In one class of embodiments, the handle H is hinged to one of the side or top panels 14, 16 intermediate the ends of the handle, by means of a web structure. In this embodiment, the web structure is provided by the aforementioned web panels 72a, 72b. The first web panel 72a hingedly interconnects the side handle panel 58 and side wall panel 14 along juxtaposed fold lines 74a and 76a while the second web panel 72b hingedly interconnects the opposing edge of side handle panel 58 and side wall panel 14 along juxtaposed fold lines 74b and 76b. Fold lines 74a, 76a extend between cut line 64 of the upper pair and the adjacent cut line 63 of the lower pair and thereby define the first web panel 72a therebetween. Fold lines 74b, 76b extend between cut line 66 of the upper pair and the adjacent cut line 65 of the lower pair and thereby define the second web panel 72b therebetween. The web panels 72a, 72b restrict the degree of movement of the handle so improving the structural integrity of the handle whilst retaining a degree of flexibility. The web panels 72a, 72b also contribute to the connection between the opposed end portions of side wall panel 14 so as to enhance the structural integrity of side wall panel 14. The web panel further helps to dissipate the stresses from handling the package.
It is envisaged that the web structure is not limited to the embodiment described in the preceding paragraph. Indeed, it is envisaged that the web structure can be arranged so as to hinge the handle to the top panel without departing from the scope of invention.
In
In order to provide a stronger handle structure, it is preferable for the handle H to widen towards its ends and to this end, the cut lines 64, 66 and 63, 65 of the side handle panel 58 may diverge toward the first base panel 12.
A further preferred feature is to provide one or more article retention structures within the handle H which perform two purposes: (i) to reduce movement between adjacent articles, thereby to improve the rigidity of the package; and (ii) to maintain the handle H in a set up condition after it has been placed in a position of use.
In the embodiment of
As the or each article retention structure 46 is positioned intermediate the opposed cut lines 63, 65 forming the handle H, the base handle panels 15a and 15b are separated from base panel by cut lines 60 and 62. In use, the base handle panels function in identical manner to base handle panel 15.
The handle H may extend into the second side wall panel 18 in like manner as the first side wall panel 14, by providing one or more of a side handle panel, a web structure, one or more base handle panels or an article retention structure. However, in the embodiment of
An additional handle strap (not shown) can be applied to the inner surface of the blank 10, being secured to the central user portion 68 by glue or other means known in the art. It is further preferred the handle strap is formed from paper board, laminated paper board, fibrous tape or other suitable plastics material.
Turning to the construction of the carton, illustrated in
Articles are held together in an array, for example two rows of four articles A and the carton blank is introduced to the articles A. In this embodiment, the blank 10 is introduced from above. The side panels 14, 18 of the blank are then folded about fold lines 24 and 26 respectively such that the side panels are folded downwardly with respect to top panel 16.
The article engaging structures 30 are also formed by folding outwardly to define receiving apertures as is well known, and base panels 12 and 20 are folded out of alignment with side wall panels 14 and 18. The side wall panels 14, 18 and base panels 12, 20 are brought into contact with the respective articles A, such that the lower portion of articles A protrude through apertures defined by the engaging flaps 32, 34 and are held in position thereto as shown in FIG. 3.
Thereafter, base panels 12 and 20 are brought into overlapping relationship and connected or secured together by glue or by the locking means to form the base of the carton as hereinbefore described. Thus, the carton is in a set up and loaded condition as shown in FIG. 2.
In order to form the handle H, reference is made to
By causing the web panels 72a, 72b and side handle panel 58 to move inwardly, it provides a surplus of material to enable the central user portion 68 to be placed in a position of use, similar to that shown in FIG. 3. In the preferred embodiment of
In those embodiments with one or more article retention structures 46, as the side handle panel 58 is displaced inwardly, the article engaging flaps 48 and 50 are caused to be folded outwardly along fold lines 52 and 54, as shown in
By connecting the side handle panel 58 to the side wall panel 14 by the web panels 72a, 72b, the upward movement of the handle H will cause the web panels 72a, 72b to be folded into a proximate face to face arrangement with side wall panel 14, shown in FIG. 4. This, in turn, pulls the side wall panel 14 inwardly towards the article thereby preventing or at least restricting the web panels 72a, 72b from being folded back to its original position. Thus, the handle H is maintained in a set up condition, shown in
Turning to the second embodiment of the invention, shown in
It will be seen from
As shown in
Turning to the third embodiment shown in
In this embodiment, there comprises a single article retention structure 246 formed from side handle panel 258.
The article retention structure 246 is identical to that described in the first embodiment and comprises a pair of article engaging flaps 248 and 250. In this embodiment, the base handle panel 215 is struck from one side of the article retention structure 246 and there further comprises a second base handle panel 215a struck from the base panel 212 along the opposing side of the article retention structure 246. As this is a two tier structure, there also comprises a second intermediate panel 259 hingedly interconnecting side handle panel 258 and first intermediate panel 271 along fold lines 219 and 270 respectively.
The third embodiment is constructed in a like manner to the first and second embodiments and therefore will not be described in any greater detail but is illustrated in
The invention and its preferred embodiments provide a pack with a handle which can be moved from a flat collapsed position with respect to the top panel 216 to a position of use and is held in place by the handle structure. Beneficially, this makes it easier for a user to reuse the handle. The web structure and handle structure arrangement imparts a degree of flexibility in the handle so that the stresses created when handling the carton are dissipated across a larger area and absorbed in the side wall and base wall structures thereby to reduce the risk of unwanted tearing.
It will be recognized that as used herein, the terms “top”, “bottom”, “base”, “side”, “upper”, “lower”, “inner”, “outer” with respect to the panels of the carton are relative terms, and that the carton may be re-oriented as necessary or as desired. Any reference to hinged connections should not be construed as necessarily referring to a single fold line only; indeed it is envisaged that a hinged connection can be formed from a score line, a frangible line or one, two or more fold lines without departing from the scope of invention.
The present invention and its preferred embodiment relate to a package, which is shaped to provide satisfactory strength to hold articles securely but with a degree of flexibility so that load transfer to the handle is absorbed by the carton. The shape of the blank minimizes the amount of paperboard required and the carrier can be applied to an array of articles by hand or automatic machinery. It is anticipated that the invention can be applied to a variety of carriers and is not limited to the wrap around type. For example, the handle H of the aforementioned carton can be applied to a top gripping carton or fully enclosed carton without departing from the scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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0125070 | Oct 2001 | GB | national |
This is a continuation of international application No. PCT/US02/33271, filed Oct. 18, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
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Number | Date | Country |
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2756374 | May 1980 | DE |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20040256445 A1 | Dec 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/US02/33271 | Oct 2002 | US |
Child | 10825041 | US |