GB2035960A - Partitioned cartons - Google Patents

Abstract

A carton e.g. for light bulbs has a bottom wall 10 from a central region of which are cut out two flaps 22. These flaps hinge about lines 24 and have nose portions 28 which engage behind each other so that the flaps stand up to form a partition between two light bulbs 42. The hinge lines 24 are parallel but not in line with each other so that the flaps do not lie snugly against each other but can be pressed resiliently together. This cushions the light bulbs and prevents them coming into direct contact with each other, and also holds them firmly in the carton. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cartons, blanks for forming them. and packages comprising filled cartons This invention relates to cartons, and also to blanks for forming cartons and packages comprising fiiled cartons.

When packaging two or more fragile articles such as for example light bulbs, it is desirable to ensure that the articles do not come into contact with each other in the package, so that they do not cause damage to each other.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a carton of foldable sheet material, comprising a bottom wall and side walls upstanding from the periphery of the bottom wall, at least one portion of the bottom wall being cut away to form a flap hinged to the remainder of the bottom wall in a central region thereof, whereby the flap can be folded upwardly inside the carton to form a partition member with an article receiving space on either side thereof, so that the partition member separates articles in the two spaces.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a blank of foldable sheet material for forming a carton, the blank having a bottom wallforming panel and side wall-forming panels (which preferably are hinged to the edges of the bottom wall-forming panel), at least one portion of the bottom wall-forming panel being cut away to form a flap hinged to the remainder of the bottom wallforming panel in a central region thereof, whereby when the carton is erected the flap can be folded upwardly inside the carton to form a partition member with an article receiving space on either side thereof, so that the partition member separates articles in the two spaces.

Preferably two such flaps are provided, hingeable in opposing directions and overlapping one behind the other when in the partitionforming position, so that the two flaps hold each other in the upwardly folded position. Preferably the respective hinge lines of the two flaps are not in line with each other, so that the two flaps do not lie snugly against each other but can be pressed resiliently together. Preferably the two hinge lines are generally parallel to each other, and desirably each hinge line is arranged on the flap side of the other, so that the two flaps have to cross past each other and engage behind each other before the two flaps reach a fully upright position.

In a third aspect, the invention provides a package comprising a carton as defined above; containing two articles one on either side of the partition. The cut-outs left in the bottom wail by the flaps when they are folded upwardly may be used to display one or both articles.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, one embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank for forming a carton; and Fiq. 2 shows the carton when erected.

Referring to the drawings, and firstly to Fig. 1; the blank is of foldable board material and has an approximately square bottom wall-forming panel 10, with four side wall-forming panels 12, 14, 1 6, 1 hinged to its edges. On the edge of the side wall-forming panel 12 furthest from the bottomforming panel 10, there is a lid forming panel 20.

The corresponding edges of the panels 1 4, 1 6, 1 8, have closure flaps 34, 38.

Two flaps 22 are cut out of the central region of the bottom wall-forming panel 10, the flaps being joined to the panel 10 only through hinge lines 24.

When they are in the plane of the panel 10, the flaps 22 are adjacent and are divided by. a cut 26.

The shape of the flaps 22 includes respective opposed nose portions 28. The hinge lines 24 are at either end of the cut 26, and are approximately on a diagonal of the panel 10, but are slightly angled thereto. Thus, the hinge lines 24 are parallel but are not in line.

The panels 12 and 18 are each provided with a pair of corner flaps 30 adjacent the panels 14, 1 6.

These panels 30 have shoulders 32. At the ends of the crease lines 35 between the panels 14, 1 6 and their closure flaps 34, there are provided locking slits 36. The slits 36 are slightly displaced from the line of the hinge, and on erection of the carton co-operate with the shoulders 32.

On erection of the carton, the panels 12, 14, 1 6, 1 8 are folded up-around the bottom-forming panel 10 by conventional carton forming machinery, the corner flaps 30 being folded inside the panels 14, 16. Initially, the carton is not erected completely into the final rectangular shape. A plunger pushes the flaps 22 from underneath, causing them to hinge upwardly about the lines 24. Before the flaps 22 are fully upright, the nose portions 28 will meet each other, and these are pushed past each other so that the nose portions engaged one behind the other, holding the flaps 22 in a substantially upright position as seen in Fig. 2.In this position, the flaps 22 form a partition which lies generally along a diagonal of the carton, dividing it into two approximately triangular spaces for the receipt of articles such as the light bulbs shown in outline at 42 in Fig. 2.

Once the partition has thus been formed, the light bulbs can be inserted, and the side walls 12, 14, 16, 1 8 brought into their completely upright, fully erected position. In this position, the closure flaps 34 are folded in, about the hinge lines 35, and as this is done the slits 36 co-operate with the shoulders 32 to lock the side panels of the carton in the erected condition. The flap 38 is also folded in, and the lid 20 is folded down over the top of the carton and its free edge is glued to the flap 38.

The package is thus made secure. However, the lid 20 is not secured to the flaps 34, so that the flaps 34 form tuck-in-laps and the package can be opened at the side walls I 4, 16, to remove the light bulbs.

Because the hinge lines 24 are not in line with each other, the flaps 22 do not lie snugly against each other, but can be compressed towards each other slightly with a degree bf resilience. This has the dual function of preventing the light bulbs coming into direct contact with each other and cushioning any forces which tend to make them do so, and also tends to hold the light bulbs firmly in the package against the side walls 12, 14, 16, 18.

The upward hinging of the flaps 22 leaves in the bottom panel 10 two linked cut out windows 40.

The articles packaged inside the carton can be viewed through these apertures, and can be made of the apertures in designing the get-up of the carton. To this end, it will be noted that in the example illustrated in the drawings, the apertures 40 are roughly light bulb shaped, and lie approximately in the same configuration as the light bulbs packaged inside the carton. This helps to provide an effective display of the final package in a shop or store.

Various modifications could be made to the carton described. For example, the partition could be differently oriented for packaging different articles, or there could be more than one partition separating several articles.

Claims (19)

1. A carton of foldable sheet material, comprising a bottom wall and side walls upstanding from the periphery of the bottom wall, at least one portion of the bottom wall being cut away to form a flap hinged to the remainder of the bottom wall in a central region thereof, whereby the flap can be folded upwardly inside the carton to form a partition member with an article receiving space on either side thereof, so that the partition member separates articles in the two spaces.

2. A carton according to claim 1 having two said portions cut away to form respective flaps hinged to the bottom wall ina central region thereof.

3. A carton according to claim 2 wherein the two flaps are hingeable in opposing directions and overlap one behind the other when in the partition-forming position, so that the two flaps hold each other in the upwardly folded position.

4. A carton according to claim 3 wherein the flaps have respective nose portions which engage behind each other.

5. A carton according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the respective hinge lines of the two flaps are not in line with each other, so that the two flaps do not lie snugly against each other but can be pressed resiliently together.

6. A carton according to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the two hinge lines are generally parallel to each other.

7. A carton according to any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein each hinge line is arranged on the flap side of the other, so that the two flaps have to cross past each other and engage behind each other before the two flaps reach a fully upright position.

8. A carton substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A blank of foldable sheet material for forming a carton, the blank having a bottom wall-forming panel and side wall-forming panels, at least one portion of the bottom wall-forming panel being cut away to form a flap hinged to the remainder of the bottom wall-forming panel in a central region thereof, whereby when the carton is erected the flap can be folded upwardly inside the carton to form a partition member with an article receiving space on either side thereof, so that the partition member separates articles in the two spaces.

10. A blank according to claim 9 having two said portions cut away to form respective flaps hinged to the bottom wall-forming panel in a central region thereof.

11. A blank according to claim 10 wherein the two flaps are hingeable in opposing directions and overlap one behind the other when in the partition-forming position, so that the two flaps hold each other in the upwardly folded position.

12. A blank according to claim 11 wherein the respective hinge lines of the two flaps are not in line with each other.

1 3. A blank according to claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the two hinge lines are generally parallel to each other.

14. A blank according to claim 11, claim 12 or claim 13 wherein each hinge line is arranged on the flap side of the other.

1 5. A blank according to any one of claims 9 to 14 wherein the side wall-forming panels are hinged to the bottom wall-forming panels.

16. A blank of foldable sheet material for forming a carton, substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

1 7. A package comprising a carton according to any one of claims 1 to 8, or made from a blank according to any one of claims 9 to 16, containing two articles one on either side of the partition.

18. A package according to claim 1 7 wherein the articles are visible through the cut-outs left in the bottom wall by the flaps when they are folded upwardly.

19. A package according to claim 1 7 or claim 1 8 wherein the article-receiving spaces are substantially triangular and the articles are light bulbs.