GB1568089A

GB1568089A - Carton

Info

Publication number: GB1568089A
Application number: GB412979A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Bowater Packaging Ltd
Current assignee: SCA Packaging Britain Ltd
Priority date: 1977-04-06
Filing date: 1977-04-06
Publication date: 1980-05-21

Description

(54) IMPROVED CARTON (71) We, BOWATER PACKAGING LIMITED, a British Company of Bowater House, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LR, do heeeby declare the invention, for which we Pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the follsng statement: This invention relates to a carton. This patent application is divided out of our copending application No. 13861/76. Serial No. 1,568,088.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a carton which can be used for tnnspudng small quantities of var pious commodities, such as chocolates, frozen food, sand or other D.I.Y. materials, and which is easy to carry. The carton may also be used as the container of the pack described in the Complete Specification of Application No. 13861/76 (Serial No. 1,568,088) to provide a pack which is suitable even for transporting liquids, the pack being easily sealed to prevent spillage of liquid. The carton is preferably designed so that it can be supplied partially erected or even completely erected and in lay-flat state ready for final erection if necessary and/or opening out for use as and when required.

According to the present invention, we provide a carton comprising a rectangular base, a pair of opposite triangular end walls upstanding from and foldably connected to opposite ends of the base, a pair of inverted trapezoidal side walls upstanding from and foldably connected to the side edges of the base with the two sides of each triangular end wall being foldably connected to the adjacent side edges of the respective side walls, and a carrying handle portion foldably connected to a top edge of each side wall.

Preferably, each carrying handle portion extends the full length of its respective side wall and includes a central portion having a carrying handle aperture therein.

Preferably, each of the carrying handle portions is of two layer thickness with an inner layer being foldably connected to a top edge of the outer layer and being folded in back-to-back relationship thereto so that a carrying handle aperture therein overlies the aperture in said central portion.

Preferably, the base of the carton is formed in traditional manner from a pair of inner closure flaps and a pair of outer closure flaps foldably connected respectively to the bottom edges of the end and side walls of the carton and it is preferred that one of the outer closure flaps is provided with one or more locking tongues for locking engagement in one or more locking slots in the other outer closure flap.

If desired, one or both faces of the material of which the carton is formed may be coated with a water resistant material.

Preferably, so that the carton can be partially erected by the manufacturer and supplied in lay-flat or knock-down form, each of the triangular end walls and inner closure flaps of the carton is formed with fold lines bisecting the fold line connecting each closure flap to its associated end wall at a right angle.

It will be appreciated that the top of the carton would normally remain open or unsealed and would only be closed off by bringing the two handle portions into face to face engagement, but if desired, the handle portions may be adhesively secured together or a glue or closure flap may be foldably connected to one of the handle portions to close off the top of the carton.

When it is desired to have access to the interior of the carton, for example to fill it, the handle portions are folded outwardly through at least 900 so as to extend away from each other and the top edges of the two side walls are pulled apart at their centre thus causing the handle portions to bend out of their flat state and fold downwardly into back-to-back relationship with the side walls.

In order to assist in opening the top of the carton and to allow the carton to remain in this open position, it is preferred that a pair of fold lines be provided in each side wall of the carton, these fold lines extending respectively from a lower corner of the respective side wall and meeting at the centre of the top edge of the side walls, so as to define a triangular portion, these fold lines then extending co-linearly across the handle portion foldably connected to the top edge of the side wall as far as the opposite edge of the handle portion. If a further handle portion is provided, this is preferably provided with further fold lines formed as mirror images of the fold lines in the first handle portions and another fold line then extends across each handle portion so as to bisect the fold line connecting the two handle portions together at right angles.

Preferably, also, further fold lines are provided in each side wall extending up from the bottom comer of each side wall at right angles to the base so as to intersect with the top edge of each side wall at right angles, these fold lines then being extended colinearly across the or each handle portion.

By providing the above-mentioned fold lines it is easier to pull apart the top edges of the side walls of the carton when access to its interior is required, thereby enabling the upper perimeter of the side walls of the carton more to resemble the shape of the base.

Also according to the present invention, we provide a carton blank for erecting into a carton as described above and a carton formed from- a one-piece carton blank and partially erected into lay-flat form for erection into a carton as described above.

The carton of the present invention is now described by way of example wtih reference to the accompanying partially schematic drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a one-piece blank from which the carton is formed; FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a partially erected carton in lay-flat state; FIGURE 3 is a side view of the erected carton; FIGURE 4 is an end view of the erected carton; FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the erected carton and FIGURE 6 is a further perspective view of an erected carton containing a liner bag, the carton being in an open position to give access to the interior of the pack so that it can either be filled or its contents reached.

Referring to the drawings, the carton includes a rectangular base 1, a pair of opposed triangular end walls 3 and 5 foldably connected to the base 1 about fold lines 7 and 9, and a pair of inverted trapezoidal side walls 11 and 13 foldably connected to the base 1 about fold lines 15 and 17. As can be seen from Figure 1, the side wall 13 is made up from two side wall portions 13a and 13b adhesively secured together by a glue flap 13c. This glue flap 13c extends through the total depth of the carton blank.

A handle portion 19 is foldably connected to the top edge of the side wall 11 along a fold line 21 and a similar handle portion (made up of two interconnected parts) is foldably connected to the top edge of the side wall 13. The handle portion 19 is preferably of two-layer thickness, the layer connected to each side wall being an outer layer and an inner layer 23 being foldably connected to the part 19 about a fold line 25 parallel to the fold line 21. A central carrying handle aperture 27 is provided in each carrying handle portion.

As can be seen from the drawings, the side edges of the triangular end walls 3 and 5 are foldably connected to end edges of their adjacent side walls 11 so that the erected carton has the general configuration shown in Figures 3-5 of the drawings.

The rectangular base 1 of the carton may be made in any known manner but so as to enable the carton to be made up from the partially erected lay-flat state shown in Figure 2 into the construction shown in Figure 3, the base is comprised of a pair of inner closure flaps 29 connected to the bottom edges of the side walls respectively about the fold lines 7 and 9, a rectangular outer closure flap 31 connected to the side wall 13a about the fold line 17 and a further outer closure flap 33 connected to the side wall 11 about the fold line 15.Preferably, the shaded area 35 shown in Figure 1 is removed from the blank so that the flap 33 has a projecting tongue 37 for locking engagement in a slot 40 in the flap 31 and to achieve a more satisfactory locking of the carton base a further tongue 39 extending in the oposite sense to the tongue 37 is formed within the confines of the flap 33 for locking engagement in a slot 41 in the flap 31. To assist in the locking of the tongue 39 in the slot 41, a fold line 43 extends from the side edges of the tongue 39 to the sides of the flap 33.

To enable the blank of Figure 1 to be partially formed into the carton shown in its lay-flat state in Figure 2, a pair of parallel fold lines 47 and 49 extend across each of the end walls 3 and 5 so as to bisect at right angles the fold lines 7 and 9 and these fold lines 47 are joined to fold lines 49 dividing the two flaps 29 in half. The handle portions 19 and 23 are, however, separated from the other handle portions by cuts 51 which are separated from the fold lines 47 by circular cut-outs 53 provided to prevent the carton from tearing during erection and use. Hence, to fold the blank into the carton lay-flat state of Figure 2 the portion of the blank shown in Figure 1 to the right of the fold line 47 dividing the end wall 5 in half is folded over into back-to-back relationship with its adjacent portion of the blank about the fold lines 47 and 49 and the cut 51, and the portion of the blank shown in Figure 1 to the left of the fold line 47 in the end wall 3 is then folded over about the fold lines 47, 49 and cut 51 so that the free edge portion of this portion of the blank will overlie the glue flap 13c and its extensions. Glue can be applied as required either to the glue flap 1 3c or to the opposite free edge portion of the blank.However, if the blank is to be used as a carton for a liquid-proof bag, an inner liner bag 55 (see Figure 6) which is of standard rectangular construction, is first located in position. The liner bag is preferably a little wider than the length of the fold line 15 and its depth is approximately equal to the distance between the top edge of the lowermost carrying handle apertures 27 shown in Figure 1 and the slit 40 and it is located so that its central vertical axis corresponds with a line bisecting the fold line 15 at right angles. So that the pack can be formed on autotnatic apparatus, two lines of adhesive 57 and 59 are deposited on the blank by advancing the blank in one direction past a glue applicator.The two inner handle portions 23 including the complete portion and the twopart portion are then folded over about the fold line 25 into back-to-back relationship with the portions 19 and are held in position by the line of adhesive 57. A further line of adhesive 60 extending at right angles to the lines 57 and 59 is then applied down the edge of the blank by advancing the blank at right angles past another glue applicator. The liner bag is then placed in position, whereupon the two portions of the blank are folded over as previously descnbed so as completely to sandwich the bag within the blank, the line of adhesive 59 firmly securing the bag to the blank or carton adjacent the top of the side walls of the bag. The line of adhesive 60 then ensures that the blank remains folded over by adhering to the glue flap 13c.

The carton (or pack if the liner bag is provided) can then be supplied to a customer in lay-flat state, it being appreciated that if the liner bag is not provided the line of adhesive 59 is unnecessary.

When the customer wishes to complete erection of the carton or pack it is necessary for him to form the base by pressing inwardly on the fold lines 47. This will have the effect of folding the triangular end walls 3 and 5 so that they extend at right angles to the side walls 11 and 13 and will so position the fold lines 7, 9, 15 and 17 that they define a rectangle. It is then merely necessary for the two inner closure flaps 29 to be folded across this rectangle to define an inner layer of the base, for the rectangular outer closure flaps 31 to be folded to overlie the flaps 29 and finally for the flap 33 to be folded inwardly about its fold line 15 and for the two tongues 37 and 39 to be located in known manner in slots 40 and 41. The carton will then be formed as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

When it is desired to obtain access to the interior of the carton or pack, the handle portions 19, 23 are folded outwardly about the fold lines 21 so that the user's fingers can grip hold of the top edge of the side walls 11 and 13 adjacent the centre to pull the two edges apart. This will automatically tend to cause the carrying handle portions to be folded downwardly about the fold lines 21 as shown in Figure 6. To assist with this opening of the carton, each of the side walls 11 and 13 has score lines 61 and 63 formed therein extending from the bottom corners of the side walls and meeting at the top edge at a point 65. These score lines are continued through the handle portions 19 as shown at 67 and 69 and further score lines 71 and 73 which are mirror images of score lines 69 and 67 are formed in the outer layers of the carrying handles.As can be seen from Figure 1, a yet further score line 75 extends com pletely across the carrying handle portions from the point 65 to the point where the score lines 71 and 73 meet.

When a liner bag is located within the carton, as shown in Figure 6, it is merely necessary for the top edges of the liner bag to be gripped between the thumb and forefinger of each hand and for these edges to be pulled apart; this will automatically cause the carton to open as described above. Furthermore, the carton will remain in this open position because of the provision of the various score lines 61-75 and because of the folded down carrying handles.

As can clearly be seen from Figure 6, a re-closable seal of known construction somewhat resembling a waterproof zip fastener is attached to the top of the bag with one portion 81 attached to one side of the bag and the other portion 83 to the opposite side wall. This seal is of the general type such as sold under the trade name "Lamgrip".

As it will be appreciated, the pack is particularly suitable for hospital use by both males and females and is easily disposable.

The full width handles give a spine effect to the carton when it is carried and give support when the pack is fully opened, and the various score lines allow the contents to find their own level, the outer carton allowing the spread of strain around the body of the carton and the inner bag, being glued to the inside of the carton, giving strength and stability. The liner bag is easily opened and resealed and resealing and closing of the carton naturally brings the handles into their carrying position. The pack or carton can be stored flat, is easily erected and because of the flat base is stable in use. The two layer handles, as well as giving extra strength, mean that if the carton is formed of a fibrous sheet material or board having one white face, then even when the handles are folded outwardly the white board will still remain uppermost.

Furthermore, it means that the external edges of the handle, instead of being sharp, are formed by a folded edge.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A carton comprising a rectangular base, a pair of opposite triangular end walls upstanding from and foldably connected to opposite ends of the base, a pair of inverted trapezoidal side walls upstanding from and foldably connected to the side edges of the base with the two side edges of each triangular end wall being foldably connected to the adjacent side edges of the respective side walls, and a carrying handle portion foldably connected to the top edge of each side wall.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein each carrying handle portion extends the full length of its respective side wall and includes a central portion having a carrying handle aperture therein.

3. A carton as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of the carrying handle portions is of two layer thickness with an inner layer being foldably connected to a top edge of the outer layer and being folded in back to back re lationship thereto so that a carrying handle aperture therein overlies the aperture in said central portion.

4. A carton as claimed in claim 3 wherein the two thicknesses of the handle portions are adhesively secured together.

5. A carton as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein a flap is foldably connected to one of the portions to close off the top of the carton.

6. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the base of the carton is formed from a pair of inner closure flaps and a pair of outer closure flaps foldably connected respectively to the bottom edges of the end and side walls of the carton.

7. A carton as claimed in claim 6 wherein one of the outer closure flaps is provided with one or more locking tongues for locking engagement in one or more locking slots in the other outer closure flap.

8. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein each of the triangular end walls and inner closure flaps is formed with fold lines bisecting the fold line connecting each closure flap to its associated end wall at a right angle.

9. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein a pair of fold lines is provided in each side wall of the carton, these fold lines extending respectively from a lower corner of the respective side wall and meeting at the centre of the top edge of the side walls so as to define a triangular portion, these fold lines then extending colinearly across the handle portion foldably connected to the top edge of the side wall as far as the opposite edge of the handle portion.

10. A carton as claimed in claim 9 when dependent on claim 3 or claim 4 and in which the inner layer of each handle portion is provided with further fold lines formed as mirror images of the fold lines in the outer layer of the handle portions and another central fold line then extends across each handle portion so as to bisect the fold lines connecting the two handle portions together at right angles.

11. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein further fold lines are provided in each side wall extending up from the bottom corner of each side wall at right angles to the base so as to intersect with the top edge of each side wall at right angles, these fold lines then being extended colinearly across the or each handle portion.

12. The invention as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one of the faces of the material from which the carton is formed is coated with a water resistant material.

13. A carton blank for erecting into a carton as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 12.

14. An unlined carton substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. A carton blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Furthermore, it means that the external edges of the handle, instead of being sharp, are formed by a folded edge. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A carton comprising a rectangular base, a pair of opposite triangular end walls upstanding from and foldably connected to opposite ends of the base, a pair of inverted trapezoidal side walls upstanding from and foldably connected to the side edges of the base with the two side edges of each triangular end wall being foldably connected to the adjacent side edges of the respective side walls, and a carrying handle portion foldably connected to the top edge of each side wall.