CARTON AND STRESS RELIEVING PATTERN FOR HANDLE

Abstract

A carton blank is assembled into a carton for beverage containers, the blank having a number of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel and a pair of side panels each joined by a fold line to an adjacent one of the panels. A number of end flaps are each joined by an end flap fold line to one of the panels and the end flaps are adapted to be folded upon selected other end flaps to form composite end panels of the carton. A carrying handle is formed in a selected one of the panels and adapted to be grasped by a user to carry the erected carton filled with the beverage containers. A pattern of stress-relieving lines are formed in the carton blank to produce a desired buckling of the carton when erected, filled and lifted to avoid tearing of the carton material.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/678,892, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, which claimed priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/560,832, filed Nov. 17, 2011 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/053,384, filed Mar. 22, 2011, which in turned claimed priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/318,015, filed Mar. 26, 2010 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/346,602, filed May 20, 2010. Each of these prior applications is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to cartons, and more particularly, to a beverage container carton having a carrying handle.

In the marketing of soft drinks, beer and other beverages, it is well known to sell those retail consumer products in containers, such as cans, glass bottles, PET bottles or other containers which are grouped together in packs of four, six, eight, ten, twelve, twenty-four or any number of containers. Particularly in the case of twelve packs, it is common to package the containers in cartons so as to make it easier to handle the product for the wholesaler and the retailer, as well as for the retail consumer.

A wide variety of different types of container cartons are known. One particular type that has found significant commercial success over the years is a so-called wraparound or sleeve-style carton. In a wraparound carton, a number of containers, e.g., twelve, are wrapped in a paperboard box or carton having a top and bottom wall panels, side wall panels, and end flaps on each end. The end flaps at each end of the top, bottom and side panels are sealed one to the other, thereby providing a closed end and sealed package or carton for the containers.

With this and many types of container carton packages, a carrying handle is often provided on the carton so that both the retailer and retail consumer can more easily carry the carton. A number of different carrying handles are known in the wraparound carton art. The overall purpose of such carton handles is to provide an easy to use handle that is structurally sound so the users can pick up and carry the wraparound carton and containers therein simply through use of the handle structure without concern that the carton or handle will rip or fail.

Wraparound cartons of this type are commonly punched or die-cut from paperboard material. Different paperboard characteristics such as the composition and thickness offer differing amounts of strength, particularly tear strength, to the material and, as such, the resulting carton. Naturally, thicker, denser and stronger paperboard stock is typically more expensive and carton manufacturers who produce great quantities of paperboard cartons are interested in providing the most economical carton without sacrificing functionality, including carton strength. Paperboard stock that is thinner and made from non-virgin pulp is often less expensive than thicker stock made from virgin pulp, but the strength characteristics of such paperboard stock are also often lower. As such, carton designers endeavor to utilize the most economical paperboard stock while providing the requisite functionality and strength to the carton design.

Moreover, the use of different types of paperboard has a significantly different environmental impact. For example, two common types of paperboard utilized in beverage container cartons are coated recycled board (CRB) and coated unbleached kraftboard (CUK). As the name implies, the CRB is made from 100% recycled components, while the CUK is made from only 20% recycled materials. Environmental impact analysis has shown that the use of CRB is drastically more environmentally beneficial than the use of CUK with significant reductions in wood use, net energy consumption, overall energy for production, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide generation (SO₂ and NO_x), greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous air pollutants (HAP), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), total reduced sulfur (TRS), wastewater generation, biochemical and chemical oxygen demand (BOD and COD), and solid waste.

Various prior carton and handle designs utilize specifically positioned lines in the paperboard carton relative to the handle in an effort to reduce or transfer the forces experienced by the handle when the carton is lifted. In some instances, such lines are located only in the top panel of the carton and, due to their limited extent, fail to sufficiently distribute and dissipate the lifting stresses. Still other known arrangements of so-called stress-relieving lines focus the lifting stresses on specific areas of the carton, such as the corners, thereby creating a stress induced rupture or failure of the paperboard in those areas.

Taking these factors into consideration, it is one object of this invention to provide a beverage carton which has the necessary tear strength and rigidity in the area surrounding the handle and other areas of the carton, but is more cost-effective, utilizing thinner and/or environmentally friendly paperboard and which can be produced at or near top line speeds and production rates.

It has been another objective of this invention to provide a novel carrying handle and carton design and, particularly, for a wraparound type carton, where the handle's structural components are formed directly from the carton blank. And with this type of handle, it is another objective of this invention to provide an improved carton having a carrying handle structure which maintains the structural integrity of the wraparound carton through the distribution chain until it is chosen by a retail consumer, which is very easy to render usable, and to use, by the retail consumer once the carton has been so chosen, and which does not adversely impact on the structural integrity of the carton when the carton handle is lifted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other drawbacks in the prior art have been addressed and overcome with a blank, carton, package and handle configuration of this invention. A carton of this invention is manufactured from thinner paperboard stock of either non-virgin or virgin pulp thereby reducing costs or expenses without sacrificing strength or production rates.

Various embodiments of this invention include a carton blank to be assembled into a carton for beverage containers, the blank having a number of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel and a pair of side panels each joined by a fold line to an adjacent one of the panels. A plurality of end flaps are each joined by an end flap fold line to one of the panels and the end flaps are adapted to be folded upon selected other end flaps to form composite end panels of the carton. A carrying handle is formed in a selected one of the panels and adapted to be grasped by a user to carry the erected carton filled with the beverage containers.

In various embodiments, a pattern of stress-relieving lines is provided in the blank and positioned relative to the carrying handle and the containers in the carton so as to distribute lifting stresses exerted on the carton to avoid tearing the handle and the panels. The blank may be made from recycled pulp and the components of the blank are of single piece construction integrally joined together from a single sheet of paperboard material. Alternatively, the blank may be made of a single sheet of laminate materials including combinations of any type of paperboard, fiber, plastic or other materials. The beverage containers may be arranged in the erected carton in a 4×6 arrangement with their longitudinal axes oriented generally perpendicular to the selected one of the panels, 3×4 arrangements, 2×6 arrangements or another arrangement. The containers may be cans or bottles made out of metal, plastic, glass or another material.

In various embodiments, the carton includes one or more patterns of stress-relieving lines to distribute the lifting forces away from the handle and the top panel without jeopardizing the structural integrity of the remainder of the carton by focusing such forces in other areas. The stress-relieving lines may include score lines, cut lines or combinations of these and other types of lines. The configuration of the stress-relieving lines may be sized, shaped and designed to follow at least a portion of the contour of the containers within the carton.

In various embodiments, the stress relieving lines follow at least a portion of the profile of one or more cans in the carton. In other embodiments, the stress relieving lines include a combination of score or crease lines and cut lines through the entirety of the carton material. These and other features of this invention enables the carton to puff up or bow in specific areas when lifted by the handle to lessen the forces or tension on the handle to avoid tearing or rupture of the carton.

Other embodiments of this invention include a beverage container carton, a package including a carton and beverage containers, and a method of forming a carton for beverage containers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. While the drawings are not drawn to scale, they do represent the relative positioning, spacing, relationship and form of the various components and elements shown, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a print side of a blank used to construct a carton according to one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the opposite, non-print side of the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the erected carton from the blank of FIGS. 1-2 with beverage containers oriented laterally between opposing sidewalls of the carton;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a handle on the carton of FIG. 3 with a pattern of stress relieving lines proximate the handle;

FIG. 4A is a side elevational view of the carton of FIGS. 3-4 with selected containers within the carton shown in phantom lines relative to the pattern of stress relieving lines;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4B-4B of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the carton being lifted by the handle;

FIG. 5A is a side elevational view of the carton of FIG. 5 with selected containers within the carton shown in phantom lines relative to the pattern of stress relieving lines;

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5B-5B of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is perspective view of the carton of FIG. 3 with the dispenser positioned to be opened for removal of the containers in the carton;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the dispenser removed to expose containers in the carton;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a print side of a blank used to construct a carton according to a second embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the opposite, non-print side of the blank of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 3 to 7 illustrate a carton 10 having a carrying handle 11 in accordance with one of the embodiments of this invention. FIGS. 1-2 illustrate a first embodiment of a blank 12 from which the carton 10 of FIGS. 3-7 is formed. An alternative carton blank 12 is shown in FIGS. 8-9. Containers “C” arranged in a 4×6 array are shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B as an aid in understanding the invention. However, the various embodiments of this invention are applicable to other types of containers (glass bottles, PET bottles, etc.) as well as other container arrangements (3×4, 2×6, 2×2, etc.) including various orientations of the containers in the carton 10. More specifically in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3-7, the containers C are arranged in a matrix consisting of four vertically disposed tiers each including six 12 ounce cans. The containers C in each tier are disposed on their sides in a side-by-side parallel fashion. Each container C includes a rim 13 on a longitudinal end of the can as shown within the carton in dot-dash lines (see FIGS. 4A and 5A).

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, the blank 12 includes four primary panels for forming the carton walls, i.e., a first side panel 14, a bottom panel 16, a second side panel 18 and a top panel 20 foldably connected one to the next along fold lines 22, 24 and 26. A glue flap 28 is foldably connected to side panel 14 along fold line 30. Reference numerals 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40, 42, 44, 46 designate end flaps foldably connected the ends of the panels 14, 16, 18 and 20, respectively. Each end flap 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 is joined to the associated panel 14, 16, 18, 20 by a fold line 32a, 34a, 36a, 38a, 40a, 42a, 44a, 46a, respectively. The end flaps 32, 34, 36 and 38 arranged along the upper edge (as viewed in FIG. 1) of the blank 12 form a first composite end wall 47 (FIG. 3) of the carton 10. The end flaps 40, 42, 44 and 46 arranged along the lower edge of FIG. 1 form a second composite end wall 48 (FIG. 4A) of the carton 10.

FIG. 1 shows a print side of the blank 12; whereas, FIG. 2 shows the opposite face of a non-print side of the blank 12. Referring to FIG. 1, the carrying handle 11 is formed in the top panel 20 and includes a pair of handle flaps 49a, 49b separated by a tear line 49c and joined to a remainder of the panel 14 by a combination of fold and cut lines 50 so that when the user grasps the handle 11, the flaps 49a, 49b separate along tear line 49c and may be folded away from each other and inwardly toward the non-print side of the blank 12 for convenient use.

A pattern 52 of stress-relieving lines is formed in the blank 12 generally surrounding the carrying handle 11 in the top panel 20 and the adjacent panels 14, 18 of the carton 10. The pattern 52 of stress-relieving lines includes score lines of first and second portions 52a, 52b each positioned to span one of the fold lines 26, 28, each portion is a mirror image of the other and includes both score lines and cut lines, in one embodiment. Additional stress-relieving score lines 55, 57 are formed adjacent the carrying handle 11 in the adjacent panels 16, 20 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The pattern 52 includes a number of rounded triangular configurations to both distribute and blunt the stress forces surrounding the handle ii. The pattern of stress-relieving lines 52 spans the fold lines 26, 28 between the panels 18, 20 and 14, 20 and in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2 are spaced from the longitudinal ends of the carton 10 and blank 12 and the associated longitudinal corners of the carton 10. Moreover, the stress-relieving lines may be formed in each of the multiple layers of the carton blank 12 which contribute to form the respective panels 14, 16, 18, 20 of the erected carton 10 as in a carton formed from the blank 12 of FIGS. 8-9. The purpose of the pattern 52 of stress-relieving lines is to distribute the lifting stresses exerted on the carton 10 so that the panels of the carton 10 do not tear and to control and minimize buckling of the carton 10 when lifted.

The pattern of stress relieving lines 52 according to one embodiment of this invention includes the two portions 52a, 52b each straddling one of the fold lines 26, 30 adjacent to the top panel. Each portion 52a, 52b includes generally triangular lobes 53 defined by the stress relieving lines and bordering the fold line 26, 30 of the adjacent side panel 14 or 18 of the carton 10. Juxtaposed directly opposite to each of three generally triangular lobes in the side panel 14, 18 is a generally triangular lobe extending into the top panel 20 from the fold line 26 or 30. The two portions 52a, 52b of the pattern of stress relieving lines 52 are joined together by a pair of generally parallel score lines 54 spaced from the handle in the top panel 20.

One aspect of various embodiments of this invention is that the pattern of stress relieving lines 52 includes both score lines 55 and cut lines 56. The cut lines 56 are positioned contiguous with respective score lines 55 and provide a cut entirely through the thickness of the paperboard or other blank material. In one embodiment, the cut lines 56 of the pattern of stress relieving lines 52 are generally arcuate and positioned at the apex of specific triangular lobes 53 in a generally arcuate configuration as shown in FIGS. 1-4A. The arcuate cut lines 56 are positioned between a pair of adjacent containers C within the carton 10 in various embodiments of this invention.

Another feature of the pattern of stress relieving lines 52 according to various embodiments of this invention is that at least some of the lines which form the pattern follow, conform to, trace or mirror the profile of at least a portion of the container C or rim 13 of the container C within the carton 10. Specifically, as best shown in FIG. 4A, a portion 55a of a score line 55 contributing to the pattern of the stress relieving lines 52 in each of the side panels 14, 18 has the same or similar shape as the profile of the container rim 13 adjacent to the associated panel 14, 18.

These and other features of various embodiments of this invention allow the top panel 20 of the carton 10 to bow or puff up when the handle 11 is grabbed as shown particularly in FIGS. 5 and 5A so as to lessen the forces on the handle ii and minimize or avoid tearing of the carton 10 in the vicinity of the handle ii due to the weight of the carton being suspended. The profile of at least a portion of the rim 13 of the container C within the carton contributes to the bending or flexing of the carton material along at least some of the stress relieving lines as shown generally in FIGS. 5 and 5A. Likewise, the cut lines 56 which contribute to the pattern of stress relieving lines 52 also allow the carton material to buckle, bend or otherwise shape more easily to dissipate the stresses and the forces experienced by the carton material during lifting of the carton 10 by a user grasping the handle 10.

A dispenser 58 is formed from appropriate tear lines 60 and a finger hole 62 in the carton blank 12 to provide access to the containers C inside the erected carton 10. The dispenser 58 shown herein is merely an exemplary dispenser and any of a wide variety of dispenser configurations and designs can be utilized with this invention. In various embodiments, the dispenser 58 does not include or overlap the pattern of stress-relieving lines 52 such that when the dispenser 58 is removed from the carton 10, the stress-relieving lines remain intact for operation in subsequent lifting of the carton 10.

As shown in the blank 12 of a second embodiment as shown in FIGS. 8-9, a primary reinforcing panel 64 is joined to the glue flap 28 adjacent the side panel 14. A secondary reinforcing panel 66 is joined to a longitudinal end of a primary reinforcing panel 64 along a secondary reinforcing panel fold line 68. A cut line 70 is formed between the adjacent edges of the secondary reinforcing panel 66 and the glue flap 28 to permit the secondary reinforcing panel 66 to be pivoted about the secondary reinforcing panel fold line 68 onto the primary reinforcing panel 64. Handle apertures 72a, 72b are provided in each of the primary and secondary reinforcing panels 64, 66, respectively, and are mirror images of one another about the secondary reinforcing panel fold line 68 so that when the reinforcing panels 64, 66 are in face-to-face juxtaposition, the respective apertures 72a, 72b are in alignment and registration.

Additionally, in the primary reinforcing panel 64, a second pattern 74 of stress-relieving lines is provided which are complimentary to the pattern 52 of stress-relieving lines in the first side panel 14 and a third pattern 75 of lines is complimentary to the pattern 52 in the second side panel 18. The patterns 52, 74 and 75 align with one another in the formed carton such that the multi-layer carton material includes multiple layers of aligned stress-relieving lines 55, 56.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, glue lines 76 are provided on the print side of the glue flap 28 as well as on the primary reinforcing panel 64. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 9, glue lines 76 are provided on the non-print side of the secondary reinforcing panel 66 to adhere that panel to the primary reinforcing panel 64. The glue line 76 on the glue flap 28 adheres the glue flap to the top panel 16 adjacent the fold line 30 and the glue lines 76 on the primary reinforcing panel 64 adhere that panel as well as the secondary reinforcing panel 66 to the non-print surface of the first side panel 14 containing the carrying handle 11 as will be described later herein. The glue flap 28 configuration advantageously affords the carton 10 with a well-formed, clean and secure seam when the blank 12 is formed into a tubular configuration and without interference from the reinforcing panels 64, 66. Specifically, since the secondary reinforcing panel 66 is attached to and folded upon the primary reinforcing layer 64, the glue flap 28 which is contiguous with the primary reinforcing layer 64 remains on the same elevation or plane as the primary reinforcing layer 64. In this way when the glue flap 28 is joined to the first side panel 14, there is a flat even area (same plane) for the seam while still providing for the multiple ply reinforcing area surrounding the carrying handle 11.

To form an erected carton 10 from the blank 12 of FIGS. 8-9, one sequence begins with folding the secondary reinforcing panel 64 upwardly toward the primary reinforcing panel 66 until it is in face-to-face juxtaposition therewith and the handle apertures 72a, 72b are in registration. The secondary reinforcing panel 66 is adhered to the primary reinforcing panel 64 by the glue lines. Additionally, the end flaps 42, 46, 34, 38 on the opposite ends of the top and bottom panels 16, 20 are folded upwardly so as to be generally perpendicular to their associated panels.

The primary and secondary reinforcing panels 64, 66, as well as the adjoined glue flap 28 are folded upwardly so as to be generally perpendicular to the adjacent side panel 14. The top and first side panels 16, 14 are folded upwardly so as to be generally perpendicular to the second side panel 18 and bottom panel 20.

The bottom panel 20 and first side panel 14 are folded inwardly toward one another so that the primary and secondary reinforcing panels 64, 66 underlie the first side panel 14 with the handle apertures 72 aligned with the carrying handle ii. The glue lines 76 on the primary reinforcing panel 64 adhere that panel to the non-print side of the first side panel 14 and the glue lines 76 on the glue flap 28 likewise adheres the glue flap 28 to the non-print side of the first side panel 14 thereby forming the carton blank 11 into a tubular configuration. The carton 10 may be in a flat tubular configuration and expanded into an open-ended tubular form into which the containers C are loaded through one or both of the open ends of the carton 10. The end flaps 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 are folded and glued to form the respective end walls to thereby close the ends of the carton 10. To form the end walls, the top and bottom end flaps 34, 42, 38, 46 are folded to their respective positions generally perpendicular to the associated panel 16, 20. Glue is applied to the outside face of the end flaps 34, 42, 38, 46 to form the composite end walls thereby enclosing the containers C in the carton 10 as shown in FIG. 9. The process steps of erecting the carton blank into a carton may be varied as required for the various applications.

Advantageously, as shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B, the longitudinal ends of the containers C are juxtaposed to the side panels 14 and 18.

From the above disclosure of the general principles of this invention and the preceding detailed description of at least one embodiment, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the various modifications to which this invention is susceptible. Therefore, we desire to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A carton blank to be assembled into a carton for beverage containers, the carton blank comprising:

a plurality of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel and a pair of side panels each joined by one of a plurality of panel fold lines to an adjacent one of the panels;

a plurality of end flaps each joined by one of a plurality of end flap fold lines to one of the panels, the end flaps being adapted to be folded upon other end flaps to form composite end panels of the carton;

a carrying handle formed in a selected one of the panels and adapted to be grasped by a user to carry the erected carton when filled with the beverage containers; and

a pattern of stress-relieving lines in the blank positioned relative to the carrying handle so as to distribute lifting stresses exerted on the carton to avoid tearing the panels;

wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines includes both score lines and cut lines in which the cut lines extend entirely through a thickness of the carton blank.

2. The carton blank of claim 1 wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines spans the fold line joining the selected one of the panels to the adjacent panel.

3. The carton blank of claim 1 wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines includes a first portion on one side of the handle and a second portion on an opposite side of the handle.

4. The carton blank of claim 1 wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines is approximately centered on the blank between opposite ends of the blank formed by the respective end flaps.

5. The carton blank of claim 4 wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines is spaced from each of the opposite ends of the blank.

6. The carton blank of claim 1 wherein the selected one of the panels further comprises multiple layers of material when the blank is formed into the carton and the pattern of stress-relieving lines is formed in a plurality of the multiple layers.

7. The carton blank of claim 1 wherein the selected one of the panels is the top panel and the adjacent panel is a side panel.

8. The carton blank of claim 1 further comprising:

a dispenser formed in the blank through which a user may access the beverage containers in the formed carton;

wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines does not encompass the dispenser.

9. The carton blank of claim 1 further comprising:

a primary reinforcing panel joined to one of the panels such that the primary reinforcing panel may be folded into face to face juxtaposition with the selected one of the panels; and

a secondary reinforcing panel joined to one of the panels via a secondary reinforcing panel fold line about which the secondary reinforcing panel may be folded into face to face juxtaposition with at least one of the primary reinforcing panel and the selected one of the panels;

wherein when the primary and secondary reinforcing panels are folded into position at least portions of the selected one of the panels surrounding the handle have a triple layer of thickness.

10. The carton blank of claim 9 wherein the cut lines of the pattern of stress-relieving lines are formed in each of the layers of the triple layer of thickness and are aligned with one another in the formed carton.

11. The carton blank of claim 1 in which the components thereof are of single piece construction integrally joined together from a single sheet of material.

12. The carton blank of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the pattern of stress-relieving lines is shaped to conform to at least a portion of the contour of one of the containers in the carton formed from the carton blank.

13. The carton blank of claim 12 wherein the contour of one of the containers is at least a portion of an arcuate rim of one of the containers with the rim juxtaposed to one of the side panels of the carton blank when formed into the carton.

14. A package comprising:

a plurality of beverage containers similarly oriented and arranged in a matrix;

a carton formed around the plurality of beverage containers, the carton further comprising (a) a plurality of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel and a pair of side panels each joined by one of a plurality of panel fold lines to an adjacent one of the panels; (b) a plurality of end flaps each joined by one of a plurality of end flap fold lines to one of the panels, the end flaps being folded upon selected other end flaps to form composite end panels of the carton; (c) a carrying handle formed in a selected one of the panels and adapted to be grasped by a user to carry the package; and (d) a pattern of stress-relieving lines in the carton positioned relative to the carrying handle so as to distribute lifting stresses exerted on the carton to avoid tearing the panels;

wherein at least one of the stress-relieving lines of the pattern of stress-relieving lines is shaped to conform to at least a portion of the contour of one of the containers in the carton.

15. The package of claim 14 wherein the contour of one of the containers is at least a portion of an arcuate rim of one of the containers with the rim juxtaposed to one of the side panels of the carton and the handle is formed in the top panel adjacent to the one of the side panels.

16. The package of claim 14 wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines includes both score lines and cut lines in which the cut lines extend entirely through a thickness of the carton material.

17. The package of claim 14 wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines spans the fold line joining the selected one of the panels to the adjacent panel.

18. The package of claim 14 wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines includes a first portion on one side of the handle and a second portion on an opposite side of the handle.

19. The package of claim 14 wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines is approximately centered on the top panel and between opposite ends of the top panel.

20. The package of claim 14 wherein the selected one of the panels further comprises multiple layers of material and the pattern of stress-relieving lines is formed in a plurality of the multiple layers.

21. The package of claim 14 wherein the selected one of the panels is the top panel and an adjacent panel is a side panel.

22. The package of claim 14 further comprising:

a dispenser formed in the carton through which a user may access the beverage containers in the carton;

wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines does not encompass the dispenser.

23. The package of claim 14 further comprising:

a primary reinforcing panel joined to one of the panels such that the primary reinforcing panel is folded into face to face juxtaposition with the selected one of the panels; and

a secondary reinforcing panel joined to one of the panels via a secondary reinforcing panel fold line about which the secondary reinforcing panel is folded into face to face juxtaposition with at least one of the primary reinforcing panel and the selected one of the panels;

wherein when the primary and secondary reinforcing panels are folded into position at least portions of the selected one of the panels surrounding the handle have a triple layer of thickness.

24. The package of claim 9 wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines includes a plurality of cut lines which are formed in each of the layers of the triple layer of thickness and are aligned with one another in the carton.

25. A package comprising:

a plurality of beverage containers similarly oriented and arranged in a matrix;

a carton formed around the plurality of beverage containers, the carton further comprising (a) a plurality of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel and a pair of side panels each joined by one of a plurality of panel fold lines to an adjacent one of the panels; (b) a plurality of end flaps each joined by one of a plurality of end flap fold lines to one of the panels, the end flaps being folded upon selected other end flaps to form composite end panels of the carton; (c) a carrying handle formed in a selected one of the panels and adapted to be grasped by a user to carry the package; and (d) a pattern of stress-relieving lines in the carton positioned relative to the carrying handle so as to distribute lifting stresses exerted on the carton to avoid tearing the panels;

wherein the pattern of stress-relieving lines includes both score lines and cut lines in which the cut lines extend entirely through a thickness of the carton material.