CARTON HAVING STRAP HANDLE WITH IMPROVED PRODUCT PROTECTION
A carton is provided including an outer top panel, a pair of opposed end panels hingedly connected to the outer top panel, an integral strap handle extending between the end panels under the outer top panel, and an inner top panel which effectively maintains a closed carton even after activation of the strap handle. The carton is formed from a first blank of material, and the strap handle is formed from second blank of material. The second blank is folded to form a strap handle with an attached inner top panel, and this assembly is then glued to the inside of the carton outer top panel, as both a strap handle and a protective layer.
The application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 60/729,016, filed Oct. 21, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to cartons for packaging articles such as beverage bottles, and more particularly to a carton with a strap handle and an additional top layer under the handle for carton strength and product protection.
Cartons having handles in their top walls are well known in the art. An example of the strap handle carton for use in packaging beverage bottles is disclosed in Canadian Patent No. 1,243,987 in which a carton is illustrated as having a strap handle that is formed primarily from a top wall. The strap handle includes a longitudinally elongated medial grip portion and a pair of wider portions located at opposite ends of the medial grip portion. Each wider portion is defined by a pair of cut lines that diverge from the medial grip portion toward the adjacent end edge of the top wall. To lift the carton, the strap handle is gripped at the medial grip portion and pulled upward, which displaces the handle from a stowed position where the handle lies in the plane of the top wall to a use position where it is arched upwardly from the plane of the top wall. During this displacement, the wider portions of the handle are inwardly moved toward each other while the respective parts of the wider portions near the end edges of the top wall are moved downwardly under the plane of the top wall.
Other types of top-wall handles are known. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,277 discloses a carton is disclosed in which the handle is formed from two elongated, parallel apertures. A further example of a top wall strap handle is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,066, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Top wall handles allow customers to easily lift and carry cartons. However, when a handle is incorporated into or attached to the top wall, activating the handle may involve pulling at least a portion of the top wall partially away from carton. This may leave an opening in the top wall. If the handle is used during shipping and delivery, the resulting opening in the top of the carton may allow pilferage to occur during subsequent storage, for example in a supermarket stockroom. Cartons on display in a retail store aisle may have contents removed, for example by a customer wishing to purchase a single beverage container. Even if nothing is taken from the carton, a customer may perceive an “opened” carton to be less desirable. Dust, dirt, insects, or other undesirable material may find its way into the carton. Separating away a portion of the carton top wall may reduce the strength of the carton and make stacked storage less secure. The carton may be damaged during subsequent handling.
What is needed, therefore, is a carton having a convenient strap handle, which upon use has adequate strength for lifting the carton, but which leaves intact a top wall of the carton to protect its contents during shipping and handling prior to the time that a purchaser is ready to remove the contents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a carton including an outer top panel, a pair of opposed ends panels hingedly connected to the outer top panel, an integral strap handle extending between the end panels under the outer top panel, and an inner top panel which effectively maintains a closed carton even after activation of the strap handle. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carton is formed from a first blank of material, and the strap handle is formed from second blank of material. The second blank is folded to form a strap handle with an attached inner top panel, and this assembly is then glued to the inside of the carton outer top panel, as both a strap handle and a protective layer.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a carton is provided having an outer top panel, a pair of side panels, and a base panel, the panels foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure. Opposed end portions close each end of the tubular structure, each end portions being formed from a plurality of overlapped end flaps, with each of the flaps being hingedly connected to a respective one of the panels. An inner top panel is secured to an inner surface of the outer top panel to thereby form a multi-ply top panel structure. A first strap handle has a central gripping portion disposed between and connected at each end thereof to a handle anchoring portion, the central gripping portion being disposed between the outer top panel and the inner top panel.
Each handle anchoring portion may include a strap handle end flap foldably connected to the gripping portion, each anchoring portion being secured to an inner surface of one of the opposed end portions.
The outer top panel, the side panels, and the bottom panel may all be formed from a first blank, and the inner top panel may be formed from a separate, second blank. The first strap handle may is formed from the second blank, and is foldably connected to the inner top panel.
The carton may include a second strap handle, the second strap handle being formed from the second blank and being disposed between the inner top panel and the outer top panel so as to be substantially coincident with the first strap handle.
The outer top panel may define a hand aperture through which the gripping portion of the strap handle may be grasped. A cover panel may be formed within the hand aperture, the cover panel being secured to the gripping portion of the first strap handle so that the cover panel may be grasped simultaneously with the gripping portion of the first strap handle. The inner top panel may define a finger aperture disposed coincident with a part of the gripping portion of the first strap handle to facilitate gripping of the strap handle.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of assembling a carton includes the steps of providing a first blank having at least one first alignment bevel, and providing a second blank having at least one second alignment bevel. The first and second blanks are aligned by matching their respective alignment bevels, and the first blank and the second blank are secured together.
At least one of the alignment bevels may be provided in an unfolded blank. Alternatively, at least one of the alignment bevels may be provided in a folded blank. The matching assembly of said blanks may be accomplished using at least one of visual recognition, video recognition, an alignment jig, an alignment fixture, and an alignment tool.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In
The carton blank 100 has an outer top panel 110, a pair of side panels 120 and 130 hingedly connected thereto along fold lines 117 and 118 respectively, and bottom panel 140 hingedly connected to side panel 120 along fold line 127. Bottom panel 140 also is hingedly connected to longitudinal securing tab 150 along fold line 147. The fold lines 117, 118, 127, and 147 may be simple score lines, partially cut score lines, perforated lines or other suitable means. The base panel 140 has lower end flaps 141 and 142 which in use are folded to partially close the carton. The outer top panel 110 has outer top end flaps 111 and 112 which in use are folded down. Hingedly connected to the side panels 120 and 130 along fold lines are side end flaps 121, 122, 131, and 132 which are folded inwardly and are adhesively secured to the inside surface of the end flaps 111, 112, 141, and 142 so as to fully enclose the ends of the carton 400. The side flaps may include one or more yielding tab severance lines 123. For the construction described in this paragraph assumes that there are no other panels in the carton, but it should be understood from the following description that parts of a strap handle and inner top panel attached inside the carton (particularly the end flaps thereof) may be interposed between certain end flaps already described).
The end flaps are hingedly connected to the other panels along fold lines 152 and 154.
The outer top panel 110 incorporates a series of tear lines which define a handle access panel 115. The outer top panel 110 also incorporates opening flap tears lines 119, which partially define opening flaps 113. Also on outer top panel 110 are shown carton alignment bevels 161 whose use will be described later.
In
The handle blank 200 has an inner top panel 210 with a first strap panel 220 and a second strap panel 230 hingedly connected thereto along fold lines 217 and 218 respectively. Each of the first strap panel 220 and the second strap panel 230 include a gripping portion 223 and 233 respectively. The inner top panel 210 also has hingedly attached along fold lines 252 and 254 inner top end flaps 211 and 212 which in use are folded down. The first strap panel 220 has corresponding handle end flaps 221 and 222, and the second strap panel 230 has corresponding handle end flaps 231 and 232. The handle flaps are hingedly attached to the first strap panel and second strap panel along fold lines 252 and 254. In use, the handle flaps are folded down.
The fold lines 217, 218, 252, and 254 may be simple score lines, partially cut score lines, perforated lines or other suitable means.
Also shown in
Top inner panel 210 includes mitered opening flaps 260, defined by lateral severance line 262, longitudinal severance line 264, peripheral severance lines 266, and peripheral fold lines 268. Also shown in top inner panel 210 are opening flap tear lines 270, which partly define opening flaps 275.
After folding and gluing, the handle blank 200 is handle subassembly 300 as shown in
Adhesive is applied to glue area 315 on a central portion of the second strap panel 230, which will attach to the handle access panel 115 in outer top panel 110. Adhesive is applied to glue areas 318 on selected portions of the inner top panel to attach to the outer top panel 110. The handle subassembly 300 with glue thereupon is then turned over as shown by arrow 320, and placed upon outer top panel 110 (now mostly hidden beneath it) as denoted by position 300′.
Note that upon gluing to the inside surface of carton blank 100, the handle subassembly 300′ now shows inner top panel 210, but the strap handle itself is not visible in this view, being sandwiched between inner top panel 210 and outer top panel 110.
To aid in the assembly step shown in
While the example embodiment here uses alignment bevels for precise assembly or positioning of a carton blank and a handle subassembly, such alignment bevels may be used for precise assembly or positioning of other types of structures including other types of cartons, particularly where proper registration of parts is important. For example, alignment bevels may be used to precisely locate other types of handle assemblies, reinforcing elements, secondary containment layers, or any other structures that are preferably assembled in precise registration with the carton or carton blank. An actual example wherein alignment bevels are used according to the invention illustrated in
In
The carton 800 in
Claims
1. A carton comprising an outer top panel, a pair of side panels, a base panel, said panels foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure, opposed end portions for closing each end of said tubular structure, each end portion formed from a plurality of overlapped end flaps, each of said flaps being hingedly connected to a respective one of said panels, an inner top panel secured to an inner surface of said outer top panel to thereby form a multi-ply top panel structure, and a first strap handle having a central gripping portion disposed between and connected at each end thereof to a handle anchoring portion, said central gripping portion being disposed between said outer top panel and said inner top panel.
2. The carton of claim 1, wherein each said handle anchoring portion comprises a strap handle end flap foldably connected to said gripping portion, each said anchoring portion being secured to an inner surface of one of said opposed end portion.
3. The carton of claim 1, wherein said outer top panel, said side panels, and said bottom panel are all formed from a first blank, and wherein said inner top panel is formed from a separate, second blank.
4. The carton of claim 3, wherein said first strap handle is formed from said second blank, and is foldably connected to said inner top panel.
5. The carton of claim 4, wherein said carton comprises a second strap handle, said second strap handle being formed from said second blank and being disposed between said inner top panel and said out top panel so as to be substantially coincident with said first strap handle.
6. The carton of claim 1, wherein said outer top panel defines a hand aperture through which said gripping portion of said strap handle may be grasped.
7. The carton of claim 6, further comprising a cover panel formed within said hand aperture, said cover panel being secured to said gripping portion of said first strap handle so that said cover panel may be grasped simultaneously with said gripping portion of said first strap handle.
8. The carton of claim 6, wherein said inner top panel defines a finger aperture disposed coincident with a part of said gripping portion of said first strap handle to facilitate gripping of said strap handle.
9. The carton of claim 4, wherein said at inner top panel comprises at least one first alignment bevel for alignment during assembly to the portion of the carton formed from said first blank.
10. The carton of claim 4, wherein said portion of the carton formed from said first blank comprises at least one said alignment bevel for alignment during assembly.
11. A method of assembling a carton comprising the steps of:
- providing a first blank having at least one first alignment bevel,
- providing a second blank having at least one second alignment bevel,
- aligning said first and said second blanks by matching their respective alignment bevels, and
- securing said first blank and said second blank together.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of said alignment bevels is provided in an unfolded blank.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of said alignment bevels is provided in a folded blank.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein matching assembly of said blanks is accomplished using at least one of visual recognition, video recognition, an alignment jig, an alignment fixture, and an alignment tool.
15. A blank arrangement comprising a first and second separate blanks secured together in a single unit wherein the first blank comprises an outer primary panel, a pair of outer end flaps hingedly connected to opposite end edges of the outer primary panel and a first handle means, wherein the second blank comprises an inner primary panel, a pair of inner end flaps hingedly connected to opposite end edges of the inner primary panel and a second handle means, and wherein at least one of the outer end flaps has a pair of divergently extending first beveled edges disposed in general alignment with a pair of divergently extending second beveled edges of one of the inner end flaps.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 20, 2006
Publication Date: May 3, 2007
Inventor: John Holley, Jr. (Lawrenceville, GA)
Application Number: 11/551,598
International Classification: B65D 5/56 (20060101);