FI93935C - Sleeveless carrying case for items - Google Patents

Description

93935

The present invention relates to a sleeve-shaped article carrying case and, more particularly, to a sleeve-shaped article carrying case with an improved handle. In particular, the invention relates to a sleeve-like article carrying case comprising: a top panel; the bottom panel; 10 two side panels connected to the top and bottom panels along bending lines; and two end panels between the top, bottom and side panels; wherein the top panel is provided with a handle opening comprising two spaced apart substantially parallel edges extending transversely from bending lines connecting the side panels to the top panel, the spaced apart edges having ends located in the top panel; wherein each of the spaced apart edges of the handle opening is foldably connected to a strip covering a portion of the handle opening, the strips having edges terminating side by side between the spaced apart edges of the handle opening 20 such that the strips cover substantially the entire handle. the opening; wherein the second spaced edge of the handle opening is located between a point equidistant from the end panels and the second end panel, and wherein the top panel includes incisions extending transversely from and through the nearest bend line connecting the side panels to the top panel, and wherein each incision terminates. to the top of the side panel.

The sleeve-like carrying cases used to package beverage cans are typically formed from cardboard blanks that are opened into a sheet to receive the cans 30, after which the end panels of the blanks are folded and glued together. The resulting package completely encloses the cans and has a handle on the top panel to make it easier for the user to lift and carry the package.

35 Over the years, several different types of handles have been used in sleeve-type carrying cases, the most common of which is probably a suitcase-type handle. This comprises two handle openings in the top panel, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the carrying case and are separated from each other 93935 2 so that the part of the top panel between them forms a lifting part. The carrying case is lifted by inserting your fingers into the second opening and lifting from the lifting part. One problem with this construction is that the edges of the lifting part feel uncomfortable in the hand, especially if the package is carried for a longer period of time. Another problem is that the concentration of the lifting stresses at the ends of the lifting part has made it necessary to use relatively thick cardboard to prevent stresses in these places.

To overcome these problems, the use of a transversely advancing handle 10 has been proposed. Such a handle comprises a transverse opening in the top panel of the carrying case through which the fingers are inserted. The user then makes a movement against the underside of the top panel to lift and carry the package. Although this arrangement makes lifting and carrying more comfortable, the packages still need some precaution to dissipate the lifting stresses and thereby prevent tearing. Unless any precaution is provided, as in the handle arrangement disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,718,301 to F. D. Palmer, the package is prone to tearing at the ends of the handle opening. Since the only way to prevent tearing, for example in the structure presented by Palmer, is to use relatively thick cardboard, this leads to an increase in production costs.

To avoid the tendency to tear into the carrying case shown in P.J. U.S. Patent No. 4,558,816 to Wood discloses a centrally located incision extending into the side panels of the carrying case and also includes a series of fold lines connected to the incision. The purpose of this arrangement is to dissipate the lifting stresses that arise when lifting the package from the handle. However, also with this structure, the lifting stresses are concentrated more than desired next to the ends 30 of the transverse incision, in which case relatively rigid design parameters must be observed and the top panel retracts when lifting up too abruptly.

It would be desirable to provide a carrying case with a transverse handle, which handle resists the tendency to tear at the ends of the handle 35 and allows the thickness of the paperboard to be reduced without resulting in an overly flexible handle structure.

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The carrying case according to the invention is essentially characterized in that said incisions extend from each end of said second spaced edge, that each incision is substantially aligned with said second spaced edge; and that the side panels are devoid of 5 strain relief lines.

The present invention provides an improved handle structure that overcomes the above problems. The top panel includes a handle opening with two spaced apart edges 10 extending transversely from the folds connecting the side panels to the top panel. Each spaced apart edge of the handle opening is foldably connected to a flap or strip covering a portion of the handle opening, and the second spaced apart edge is located between the center of the top panel and the other end panel. The top panel 15 further includes incisions extending from the ends of the latter spaced edge through folds connecting the side panels to the end panel and terminating in the tops of the side panels.

With this arrangement, the incisions are located laterally from the center of the top panel 20 but still close enough to the center so that the handle opening is substantially central. When the carrying case is lifted, the weight is thus distributed substantially evenly on both sides of the handle opening, but the slit structure arranged on the side has a reducing effect on the lifting stresses, whereby the tendency to tear is reduced and thinner cardboard can be used.

These structural features can be easily applied to a standard core-like carrier housing production blank, and require only minor changes to the blank mold to provide new incision and fold lines.

Other features and characteristics of the invention, as well as its various advantages, will be explained in the more detailed description of the invention below.

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Fig. 1 is a plan view of a production blank used to form a carrying case according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a pictorial representation of a carrying case 5 formed from the production blank of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial plan view of the handle portion of the top panel of the carrying case of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken along the length of the carrying case through the handle portion along line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing the user's fingers pushing the strips covering the handle opening downward; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the fingers lifting the package after the strip next to the fingers has been folded back;

Fig. 6 is a pictorial view of the top of the carrying case 20 according to the present invention, showing the distortion of the handle portion and the tops of the side panels as the carrying case is lifted along the other edge of the handle opening; and

Fig. 7 is a pictorial view similar to Fig. 6, but with the carrying case 25 lifted along the other edge of the handle opening

In Figure 1, the production blank 10 has a central portion 12 connected to the intermediate portions 14 by the score lines 16. The end portions 18 are connected to the intermediate portions 14 by the score lines 20. When the blank is folded around the score lines 16, the central portion 12 becomes the main body portion and the intermediate portions 14 form the side panels. The end portions are dimensioned so that when folded around the score lines, they overlap each other. When the attached end portions are glued from the overlap area, they form the bottom panel of the carrying case.

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93935 5 The dust flaps 22 are connected to the central part 12 by groove lines 24, and the dust flaps 26 are connected to the end portions 18 by groove lines 28. The end flaps 30 are connected to the intermediate parts 14 by groove lines 32 aligned with the groove lines 24 and 28 and forming an extension thereof. When forming the carrying case 5, the dust flaps 22 and 26 are folded towards each other after the blank has been folded around the groove lines 16 and 20. The end flaps 30 are then folded toward each other and glued to the dust flap to form the end panels of the carrying case.

The resulting carrying case is shown in Figure 2, where the top panel 12 corresponds to the center portion 12 of the blank 10, the side panels 14 correspond to the intermediate portions 14, and the end panel is formed from the end flaps 30. Folds 16,20,24 and 32 correspond to the groove lines 16,20,24 and 32 of the blank 10. The bottom panel corresponding to the end portions 18 is not shown in this figure.

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In Figures 1, 2 and 3, the top panel is provided with a handle opening 36. Before the carrying case is lifted from the handle, the opening is covered with flaps or strips 38 and 40 connected to the top panel by fold lines 42 and 44, respectively. As best seen in Figure 3, the adjacent edges of the strips 20 and 40 are connected by separate narrow bases of cardboard 46 which are arranged to break easily under the downward pressure of the user's fingers so that the strips fold down into the interior of the carrying case around their fold lines 42 and 44. . The handle opening is thus preferably covered with joined strips to prevent dust and dirt from entering the carrying case.

Still referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, and in particular Figure 3, the ends of the fold lines 42 and 44 are connected by incisions 48 extending transversely from the handle opening 36. The fold lines 42 and 44 and the incisions 48 'thus define the handle opening. The incisions 50 extend from the ends of the fold line 42 and are connected to the adjacent ends of the incisions 48. The incisions 50 extend through the folds 16 and terminate in the tops of the side panels 14. The ends of the incisions 50 may, if desired, terminate in a small arcuate portion, as shown at 52 in Figures 1 and 2, so that the side panels 6 93935 do not tend to tear when the carrying case of the incisions 50 is lifted and carried.

As shown in the figure, the adjacent edges of the flaps or strips 38 and 40 are oriented substantially with the transverse centerline of the carrying case. That is, the adjacent ends of the strips pass through the center of the top panel 12. Thus, the edge 42 of the handle opening and the incisions 50 extending therefrom are located laterally from the center of the top panel, as is the edge 44 of the handle opening.

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In Figure 4, the interior of the carrying case 34 is shown as containing beverage cans C. Since the handle opening 36 is located in the center of the carrying case, it can be understood that the carrying case should be designed so that the row of cans immediately below the top panel 12 contains an even number of cans. In this way, the handle opening can be guaranteed to be located between the cans, allowing the user's fingers to protrude into the space between the adjacent cans. For example, the carrying case of Figure 4 could be designed to contain twelve cans arranged in three rows of four cans or twenty-four cans arranged in four rows of 20 six cans. The two cans shown immediately below the handle opening 36 would thus be the two inner cans in the top row immediately below the top panel 12.

Further, in Figure 4, the user's fingers have depressed the strips 38 and 40 25 sufficiently to break the weak connection between them, whereby the strip 38 is folded around its fold line 42 by the fingertips. At the same time, the palms of the fingers have folded the strip 40 around its fold line 44. As can be seen, due to the position on the side of the fold line 42, the strip 38 would strike the nearest can C when the strip 30 turns around its fold line. At this point, however, the user lifts up, still continuing to fold the strip. The result is then according to Fig. 5, in which the top panel adjacent to the fold line 42 is raised and the strip 38 is folded under the panel 12 in the space created by the raised panel. The fingers are padded with a double thickness of cardboard created by the top panel 12 and the strip 38. The strip 40 is simply bent downward from the plane of the top panel.

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As illustrated in Fig. 6, i.e. when the carrying case is lifted as shown in Fig. 5, the lifting tensions cause the folds 16 located in the part of the top panel to be bent upwards to move inwards towards each other. This inward movement 5 is made possible by the slits 50 in the side panels 14. The lifting stresses are thus evenly distributed in the side panels 14 and folds 16, as evidenced by the fact that the top panel 12 bends upwards neatly and evenly between the slits 50 and the end panel closest to the edge 42.

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Although it is easier to lift the carrying case from edge 42 than from edge 44 because the distance from the slits 50 to the nearest end panel is less than the distance from the slits 50 to the opposite end panel, it is of course also possible to lift the carrying case from edge 44. In such a case and the folds 16 between the incisions 50 and the end panel closest to the edge 44 would retract towards each other due to the stresses caused by the lifting. Similar to the top panel bent in the example above, the top panel 12 between the slits 50 and the end panel 20 closest to the edge 44 would bend upward and the lifting stresses would be distributed throughout the side panels 14 and folds 16. If the carrying case is lifted from the edge 44, and then fold the strip 40 back against the underside of the top panel 12, which functions are the same as those shown in Examples 4 and 5 except that the strip 40 is the main strip instead of the strip 38. In either case, the easy and uniform upward bending of the top panel indicates an even distribution of the lifting stresses, thus avoiding the concentration of the stresses in another area or other point and thus the tearing of the cardboard.

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It should be noted that the score lines shown in the Wood patent, for example, are not required. Incisions extending from the side edge of the handle opening to the tops of the side panels allow for even distribution of stresses so that the groove lines for stress distribution 35 become unnecessary.

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Although the adjacent edges of the handle flaps are centrally located in the top panel in the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is possible to apply the handle arrangement of the present invention to carrying cases designed to contain an odd number of cans 5 immediately below the top panel. In such a case, the adjacent flap edges would be located above the space between the cylindrical side walls of the adjacent cans and would therefore be lateral to the centerline of the top panel. The carrying case would then normally be lifted from the edge closest to the end panel closest to the handle opening.

Having read the above description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that certain specific features of the preferred embodiment may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (3)

93935 9 Patent for suction e t A sleeve-like article carrying case comprising: 5 top panels (12); a bottom panel (18); two side panels (14) connected to the top and bottom panels (12, 18) along bend lines (16); two end panels (30) between the top, bottom and side panels (12,18,14); wherein the top panel (12) is provided with a handle opening (36) comprising two spaced apart substantially parallel edges (42, 44) extending transversely from bending lines (16) connecting the side panels (14) to the top panel (12), spaced apart from each other. the edges (42, 44) have ends located in the top panel (12); 20 wherein each spaced apart edge (42,44) of the handle opening (36) is foldably connected to a strip (38,40) covering a portion of the handle opening (36) having strips (38, 40) having edges terminating . 25 adjacent to each other between the spaced apart edges (42, 44) of the handle opening (36) such that the strips (38, 40) cover substantially the entire handle opening (36); wherein the second spaced edge (42) of the handle opening (36) is located between a point 30 equidistant from the end panels (30) and the second end panel (30) f «:, and wherein the top panel (12) includes incisions (50), extending transversely from and through the nearest bending line (16) connecting the side panels (14) to the top panel (12), and wherein each incision terminates at the top of the nearest side panel (14), characterized in that said incisions 93935 10 (50) extend at each end of said second spaced edge (42) that each incision (50) is substantially aligned with said second spaced edge (42); and that the side panels (14) are free of strain relief lines. 5 A sleeve-like article carrying case according to claim 1, characterized in that the spaced apart edges (42, 44) of the handle opening (36) are located substantially equidistant from the center of the top panel (12). 10 Sleeve-shaped article carrier according to Claim 1, characterized in that the adjacent edges of the strips (38, 40) are weakly connected (46) to one another in such a way that they easily differ when the user's fingers press against the other strip. 15 93935 11