Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D71/06—Packaging elements holding or encircling completely or almost completely the bundle of articles, e.g. wrappers
  • B65D71/12—Packaging elements holding or encircling completely or almost completely the bundle of articles, e.g. wrappers the packaging elements, e.g. wrappers being formed by folding a single blank
  • B65D71/36—Packaging elements holding or encircling completely or almost completely the bundle of articles, e.g. wrappers the packaging elements, e.g. wrappers being formed by folding a single blank having a tubular shape, e.g. tubular wrappers, with end walls

Definitions

• a dispenser may be removable from, or hingedly attached to, a carton to create an opening from which articles can be removed from the carton. In many instances, after the user opens the dispenser, some of the articles, especially those disposed in a lower row or rows, may be difficult to remove from the carton.
• a carton comprises a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, a top panel, an end panel, an exiting end panel, and a dispenser pattern comprising breachable lines of disruption in the carton and defining a dispenser section.
• the dispenser section is defined in the top panel, at least one side panel, and the exiting end panel.
• the dispenser section extends in the top panel a distance of at least fifty percent of a length of the top panel.
• the resultant dispenser opening allows articles to be easily accessed and removed from the carton.
• the dispenser section extends in the side panel a distance of at least thirty percent of a length of the top panel. The resultant dispenser opening allows articles to be easily accessed and removed from the open side of the carton.
• a handle may be formed in the end panel of the carton.
• FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a carton according to a first embodiment of the invention is formed.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the exiting end of the first carton embodiment.
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the handle end of the first carton embodiment.
• FIG. 4 illustrates the first carton embodiment with a handle of the carton accessed.
• FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate opening of the dispenser of the first carton embodiment.
• FIG. 7 illustrates the first carton embodiment in an opened dispensing configuration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• the present invention generally relates to dispensers and handles for cartons.
• the present invention can be used, for example, in cartons that contain articles or other products such as, for example, food and beverages.
• the articles can also include beverage containers such as, for example, cans, bottles, PET containers, or other containers such as those used in packaging foodstuffs.
• beverage containers such as, for example, cans, bottles, PET containers, or other containers such as those used in packaging foodstuffs.
• the following detailed description describes generally cylindrical beverage containers as disposed within the carton embodiments.
• the relative terms "bottom,” “side,” and “top” may indicate orientations determined in relation to fully erected cartons.
• FIG. 1 is a plan view of the exterior or print side of a blank 8 used to form a carton 150 (illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3) according to a first embodiment of the invention.
• the blank 8 comprises a first side panel 10 foldably connected to a top panel 20 at a first transverse fold line 21, a second side panel 30 foldably connected to the top panel 20 at a second transverse fold line 31, and a bottom panel 40 foldably connected to the second side panel 30 at a third transverse fold line 41.
• An adhesive flap 50 may be foldably connected to the first side panel 10 at a fourth transverse fold line 51.
• Each of the panels 10, 20, 30, 40 has a rectangular plan shape and a length L 1 .
• the first side panel 10 is foldably connected to a first side end flap 12 and a first side exiting end flap 14.
• the top panel 20 is foldably connected to a top end flap 22 and a top exiting end flap 24.
• the second side panel 30 is foldably connected to a second side end flap 32 and a second side exiting end flap 34.
• the bottom panel 40 is foldably connected to a bottom end flap 42 and a bottom exiting end flap 44.
• the end flaps 12, 22, 32, 42 may extend along a first marginal area of the blank 8, and may be foldably connected along a first longitudinally extending fold line 62.
• the exiting end flaps 14, 24, 34, 44 may extend along a second or bottom marginal area of the blank 8, and may be foldably connected along a second longitudinally extending fold line 64.
• the longitudinal fold lines 62, 64 may be straight or substantially straight fold lines, or may be offset at one or more locations to account for, for example, blank thickness.
• the blank 8 includes a dispenser pattern 70 comprised of breachable lines of disruption that define a dispenser 180 in the erected carton 150 (illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3).
• the dispenser pattern 70 comprises a first end tear line 74 that extends transversely through the top exiting end flap 24 and a second end tear line 92 that extends transversely through the second side exiting end flap 34.
• the first end tear line 74 extends to a point at or adjacent to a top oblique tear line 76 extending obliquely through the top panel 20, which in turn connects to a top edge tear line 78 that may extend along or adjacent to the transverse fold line 21.
• the second end tear line 92 extends to a point at or adjacent to a first side tear line 94 extending through the second side panel 30, which connects to an oblique second side tear line 96.
• a pair of top oblique tear lines 82, 84 form a general V-shape and meet at an access feature 86 at the vertex of the "V.”
• a cut or score 98 connects the second side tear line 96 to the top oblique tear line 84.
• the dispenser pattern extends a distance Dj in the top panel 20, and a distance D 2 in the second side panel 30.
• the tear lines 74, 76, 78, 82, 84, 92, 94, 96 of the dispenser pattern 70 can be breachable lines of disruption formed from continuous or substantially continuous tear lines formed by, for example, scores, creases, cuts, gaps, cut/creases, perforations, offset cuts, and overlapping and/or sequential combinations thereof. If cuts are used to form the tear lines 74, 76, 78, 82, 84, 92, 94, 96, the cuts may be, for example, interrupted by breachable nicks.
• the cut 98 may be a continuous cut, a cut interrupted by breachable nicks, or another form of breachable line of disruption, such as a score.
• the access feature 86 may have a generally circular perimeter defined by a continuous cut, which defines a cutout section of the top panel 20.
• the perimeter of the access feature 86 can be a cut interrupted by nicks, or a tear line, such that a removable knockout section is formed in the top panel 20.
• the carton blank 8 includes an end handle pattern 100 comprised of breachable lines of disruption in the side end flaps 12, 32.
• the end handle pattern 100 defines a handle 140 in the erected carton 150 (illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3).
• the end handle pattern 100 comprises a first handle pattern 102 in the first side end flap 12 and a second handle pattern 122 in the second side end flap 32.
• the first handle pattern 102 includes a first section 104 comprising cuts interspersed with nicks.
• a second section 106 is opposed to the first section 104 and can be a cut-crease line, for example.
• a transverse fold line 108 extends between the opposed first and second sections 104, 106.
• the second handle pattern 122 includes a first section 124 comprising cuts interspersed with nicks.
• a second section 126 is opposed to the first section 124 and can be a cut-crease line.
• a transverse fold line 128 extends between the first and second opposed sections 124, 126.
• the handle patterns 102, 122 comprising the pattern 100 may have similarly- shaped perimeters and overlap and cooperate with one another in the erected carton.
• the dimensions of the blank 8 may be selected to accommodate characteristic dimensions of articles to be accommodated within the carton 150.
• the top panel 20 can have a width W 1 that generally corresponds to or slightly exceeds a height of containers C (illustrated in FIG. 7) or other articles to be accommodated within the carton 150.
• the first and second side panels 10, 30 can have, for example, a height Hi that generally corresponds to or slightly exceeds an integral multiple of a largest or characteristic diameter D c of the containers C.
• the height H 1 of the carton 150 can be about equal to or slightly greater than twice the containers' C largest or characteristic diameter D c (FIG. 7). If multiple generally cylindrical containers C, such as beverage containers, are to be accommodated in a carton, it may be expected that the containers will share at least one substantially equal common largest diameter.
• the carton 150 may be erected from the blank 8 by folding the blank flat at the transverse fold lines 21, 41 so that the adhesive flap 50 can be glued or otherwise adhered to the inner side of the bottom panel 40.
• the bottom panel 40, the first side panel 10, the top panel 20, and the second side panel 30 may then be opened to a generally tubular form.
• the exiting end of the generally tubular form may be closed, for example, by folding the exiting end flaps 24 and 44 inwardly across the open exiting end, followed by folding the exiting end flap 14, then folding the exiting end flap 34 inwardly.
• the interior side of the exiting end flap 14 can be adhered to the exiting end flaps 24, 44, and the interior side of the exiting end flap 34 can be adhered to one or more of the exiting end flaps 14, 24, 44.
• the opposite or handle end of the generally tubular form may be closed, for example, by folding the end flaps 22 and 42 across the open back end, followed by the end flap 12, then the end flap 32, and gluing one or more of the end flaps 12, 22, 32, 42 together.
• Substantially cylindrical containers C or other articles may be loaded into the tubular sleeve in a conventional manner at any time before one or both ends of the carton are closed by the end flaps 12, 22, 32, 42, 14, 24, 34, 44.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carton 150 erected from the blank 8 illustrated in FIG. 1.
• the exiting end flaps 14, 24, 34, 44 form an exiting end panel 160 and the end flaps 12, 22, 32, 42 form an end panel 170.
• the carton 150 has a substantially parallelepipedal shape.
• the dispenser pattern 70 illustrated in FIG. 1 defines a dispenser 180 having a dispenser section 182 that may be wholly or partially separated from a remainder of the carton 150 to place the carton in an open or dispensing configuration.
• the dispenser section 182 can include portions of the exiting end panel
• the handle pattern 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 in the overlapping end flaps 12, 32 defines a multi-ply handle 140 in the end panel 170.
• the handle 140 is formed from the overlapping first handle pattern 102 (FIG. 1) in the first side end flap 12, and the second handle pattern 122 in the second side end flap 32.
• the handle 140 is accessed by breaching the end panel 170 at the overlapping handle patterns 126 and 106.
• the carton 150 can be carried by the handle 140 in the end panel 170.
• the handle 140 is of relatively high strength due to its multi-ply construction.
• opening of the dispenser 180 may be initiated by inserting a finger, fingers, a tool, or other object into the carton 150 at the access feature 86.
• the top panel 20 may be further torn along the tear lines 82, 84, 78 and further along the remainder of the dispenser pattern 70 until the dispenser section 182 is fully separated from the remainder of the carton 150, as shown in FIG. 7.
• a dispenser opening 184 is thereby formed in the carton 150.
• the dispenser opening 184 in the carton 150 extends in the top panel 20 the distance Di from the remainder of the end panel 160, and extends in the side panel 30 the distance D 2 (FIG. 1). The corner at the junction of the panels 160, 20 and the second side panel 30 is removed, while the corner at the junction of the panels 160, 20 and the first side panel 10 remains intact.
• the distance D 1 of the dispenser opening 184 in the top panel 20 can be at least 50% of the length L 1 of the panels 10, 20, 30, 40. In another embodiment, the distance Di can be at least 70% of the length Li.
• the carton 150 accommodates twelve containers C in a 2 x 6 x 1 arrangement. As shown in FIG. 7, the exemplary distance Di of the dispenser opening 184 in the top panel 20 can be selected to allow five of the six containers C in the top row of containers to be accessed from the top of the open carton 150.
• the distance D 2 of the dispenser opening 184 in the second side panel 30 can be, for example, at least 30% of the length L 1 . In another embodiment, the distance D 2 can be at least 50% of the length L 1 . As shown in FIG. 7, the exemplary distance D 2 of the dispenser opening 184 allows three of the six containers C in the top row of containers to be accessed from the side of the open carton 150.
• height H E of the end retainer section 186 can be selected to retain one or more containers C from inadvertently rolling out of the end of the dispenser opening 184.
• the height H E of the end retainer section 186 is between 20-90% of the characteristic largest diameter Dc of the containers C.
• the end retainer section height H E is between 50-80% of the characteristic diameter D c .
• the height Hs of the side retainer section 188 can be selected to retain one or more containers C from inadvertently falling out of the side of the dispenser opening 184. In one embodiment, for a 2 x 6 x 1 carton, the height Hs of the side retainer section 186 is between 20-90% of the characteristic diameter Dc of the containers C. In another embodiment, for a 2 x 6 x 1 carton, the height Hs is between 50-80% of the characteristic diameter Dc-
• the handle 140 is oriented in the end panel 170 so that insertion of a hand into the handle 140 is facilitated by the orientation of the containers C. As shown in FIG. 7, the cylindrical sides of adjacent containers C creates a space to receive the user's hand and the portion of the handle 140 pushed inwardly during use.
• a parallelepipedal carton 150 as illustrated in FIGS. 3-7 accommodates twelve, 12 fluid ounce, cylindrical containers C in a 2 x 6 x 1 arrangement.
• the carton has a height Hi of about 5 - 3/32 in.
• the width Wi is about 4 - 7/8 in.
• the length Li is about 23 - 9/64 in.
• the distance Di is about 12.7 in.
• the distance D 2 is about 7 - V 2 in.
• the height H E is about 2 - 1/4 in.
• the height H s is about 2 -1/8 in.
• V-shaped indicates a profile defined by two lines that need not be perfectly straight. Further, the lines forming the V shape need not actually meet at the vertex of the "V.”
• the exemplary carton is described as accommodating twelve 12-ounce cylindrical beverage containers C in a 2 x 6 x 1 configuration.
• Other arrangements of containers, packages, articles, and other items, however, can be accommodated within a carton constructed according to the principles of the present invention.
• a carton constructed according to the principles of the present invention would also function satisfactorily if the carton were sized and shaped to hold articles in other configurations, such as 4 x 3 x 1 , 3 x 6 x 1, 2 x 4 x l, 2 x 5 x 1, 2 x 8 x 1, 4 x 6 x 1, etc., and multi-tier variations of the aforementioned configurations.
• the dimensions of the exemplary blank may also be altered, for example, to accommodate various container forms. For example, 16- ounce petaloid bottles may be accommodated within cartons constructed according to the principles of the present invention.
• the blank may be constructed of paperboard.
• the blank can also be constructed of other materials, such as cardboard, hard paper, solid unbleached sulfate (SUS) board, or any other material having properties suitable for enabling the carton to function as described above.
• the blank can also be laminated to one or more sheet-like materials at selected panels or panel sections.
• the interior and/or exterior sides of the blank can be coated with a clay coating.
• the clay coating may then be printed over with product, advertising, price coding, and other information or images.
• the blank may then be coated with a varnish to protect any information printed on the blank.
• the blank may also be coated with, for example, a moisture barrier layer, on either or both sides of the blank.
• line of disruption can be used to generally refer to cut lines, tear lines, crease lines, score lines, and fold lines (or overlapping and/or sequential combinations of at least one cut line, crease line, score line, tear line, or fold line).
• a "breachable line of disruption” is a line of disruption that is intended to be breached during ordinary use of the carton.
• An example of a breachable line of disruption is a tear line.
• a fold line can be any substantially linear, although not necessarily straight, line of disruption or other form of weakening that facilitates folding therealong. More specifically, but not for the purpose of narrowing the scope of the present invention, fold lines include: score lines; cuts that extend partially into a material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of cuts that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness; and various overlapping and/or sequential combinations of these features.
• a "panel” or “flap” need not be flat or otherwise planar.
• a “panel” or “flap” can, for example, comprise a plurality of interconnected generally flat or planar blank sections.
• the above embodiment may be described as having one or more panels adhered together by glue during erection of the carton embodiment.
• glue is intended to encompass all manner of adhesives commonly used to secure carton panels in place.

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• 2007
  • 2007-06-22 EP EP07798922A patent/EP2032462A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2007-06-22 WO PCT/US2007/071862 patent/WO2007150014A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2007-06-22 US US11/766,826 patent/US20070295789A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-06-22 CA CA002654739A patent/CA2654739A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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