GB2156316A

GB2156316A - Handles for containers

Info

Publication number: GB2156316A
Application number: GB08408089A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Susan O'neill
Original assignee: Corrugated Products Ltd
Current assignee: Corrugated Products Ltd
Priority date: 1984-03-29
Filing date: 1984-03-29
Publication date: 1985-10-09
Also published as: GB8408089D0; GB2156316B

Abstract

A container such as a wine box has a double layer top 28 with a tear-off tab in the upper layer, removal of which reveals a tape carrying handle 50 fixed to the lower layer 32. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to containers with handles The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to containers with handles, especially but not exclusively cartons made from board for containing bags of liquids to be dispensed, for example wine.

The sales of wine in plastics bags provided with dispensing taps and contained within board cartons are rapidly increasing but a difficulty has been encountered in packing and storing such containers as a result of the projection beyond the top plane of the container of a plastics carrying handle.

In the past this problem has been minimised by providing "collapsable" handles which in the storage condition are intended to be accommodated within a recess formed by cutting a slot in the upper layer of the multi-layer carton top, the handle being retained by means of tabs retained by slots provided in one of the lower layers of the carton top. In view of the resilience of the handle and its imprecise location the object of providing a substantially planar top to the carton has not always been achieved.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate this disadvantage.

According to the present invention there is provided a container having a top comprising at least two layers of a sheet-like material with one layer overlying the other layer, the uppermost layer in use being provided with a partially or fully removable tab and the lower layer being provided with a handle of a tape-like material in such a position that on removal of said tab the handle can be pulled through the uppermost layer.

Preferably the lowermost layer has a substantially rectangular aperture formed therethrough, the tape- like handle being attached to a backing member fixed to the side of said layer remote from the uppermost layer.

Preferably the carton is manufactured from corrugated board material.

Preferably the removable tab in the uppermost layer has a pair of spaced parallel sides and outwardly arcuate ends all defined by perforations, an inwardly arcuate continuous cut extending between corresponding ends of the parallel sides to provide a lift flap and a fold line spaced from said end and extending between the parallel sides to assist in partial or complete removal of the tab.

Alternatively the tab in the uppermost layer is substantially rectangular having relatively long perforations in two opposed shorter sides and one longer side, relatively short closely spaced perforations in the other longer side and an aperture alongside said one longer side to enable a finger to be placed under the said longer side and lifted upwardly to separate said one longer side and the shorter sides from the uppermost layer and hinge the tab away from said layer about said other longer side.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1shows a blank from which a carton is erected; Figure 2is a diagrammatic view of a handle to be attached to the blank of Fig. 1 prior to erection; Figure 3shows a partial view of a carton with the handle exposed; and Figure 4 shows, in a view similar to Fig. 1, a blank from which a modified carton is erected.

Fig. 1 shows a blank die-stamped from a sheet of corrugated board in which the flutes run in the direction of arrow F. The blank comprises four sides 2,4,6,8 and a side glue flap 10 so that when the sides are folded along the fold lines 14 and the glue flap 10 is affixed to the inside edge of the panel 2 a rectangular container is provided. The base of the container is formed by four flaps 16, 18, 20, 22 formed integrally with the sides 2, 4, 6, 8 respectively and separated therefrom by fold lines 24. On forming the blank into a rectangular tube the base if formed by first folding in the smaller flaps 16, 20 then the flap 22 and finally the flap 18, the flaps being affixed by gluing.

The top of the carton is formed in a similar manner by the flaps 26, 28, 30, 32 which are attached to the sides 2, 4, 6, 8 respectively at fold lines 34.

In the assembled carton when the top flaps are glued together flap 28 is uppermost and overlies, in descending order, flap 32 and flaps 30 and 26.

Flap 32 has a substantially rectangular aperture 36 punched therethrough and a pull-off tab 38 is formed in the centre of flap 28. The pull-off tab is defined by two parallel lines of perforations 40 joined at their ends by arcuate lines of perforations 42, the arcs extending outwardly. A full arcuate cut line 44 extends between corresponding ends of the perforated lines 40 to provide a finger lift flap and a fold line 46 extends between the lines 40 at their mid- point. It will be realised therefore that to remove the tab 38 finger pressure is applied to the section thereof defined by the arcuate lines 42 and 44, to allow the finger to be placed under the remainder of the tab such that it can be ripped off along the perforated lines 40, 42.

Removing the tab reveals a tape handle 50 located in the aperture 36 in the flap 32. The tape handle in the storage condition lies in the flat or collapsed state shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2.

The handle is made from a tough plastics material and has in its storage condition an upper portion 52 from the ends of which extend two lower portions 54A which in turn at their ends are each turned back to form end fixing regions 56, the outer ends of which are sandwiched between two sheets 58, 60 of a backing member. The upper face of the sheet 58 of the backing member is fixed by gluing to the underside of the top flap 32 such that the collapsed handle 50 is accommodated within the aperture 36. On removing the tab 38 from the top flap 28 the central area of the upper portion 52 of the handle 50 is revealed and it can be pulled out to form a carrying handle as shown in Fig. 3.

The carton is advantageously utilised to package a plastics material bag having dispensing tap and containing wine. Perforations 60, 62 are formed in the side panel 6 to reveal and fix the dispensing tap in an in use position.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example the top and bottom flaps can have any suitable shape and rather than utilising glue for fixing this could utilise stapling, stitching or interlocking formations. The orientation of the flutes may be varied, for example they could extend horizontally.

The handle need not be the form shown in Fig. 2 but should have a form which enables it to be stored in a substantially flat condition in a recess similar to the recess 36 with a portion available for removal on removal of the tab 38 which, of course, could take any alternative suitable shape. Indeed in certain instances the tab 38 could be dispensed with leaving a suitably shaped aperture in the top flap 28.

Fig. 4 shows a blank for erecting a carton having a modified tab and handle. In Fig. 4 components similar to those illustrated in Fig. 1 will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described again. In the modification the tab 70 in the flap 28 takes a different form. It is substantially rectangular with the longer sides running parallel to the fold lines 34. One of the longer sides 72 and the two shorter sides 74 have long perforations formed therein while the other longer side 76 has relatively short closely spaced perforations.An arcuate cut-out 78 is provided alongside the longer side 72 and it will be realised that by placing a finger tip through the cut-out 78 the tab 70 can be lifted breaking the line of perforations in the sides 72, 74, and hinged about the side 76 to reveal the handle which is mounted in the aperture 36 in the flap 32 in a manner similar to that described above. In this modification the tape of the handle is folded in a manner different from that described above. The ends of the tape are fixed to the backing member and in the storage condition the tape is folded under at only one end thereof to provide a short triple thickness portion adjacent the end so that the tape can lie flat in the storage condition.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A container having a top comprising at least two layers of a sheet-like material with one layer overlying the other layer, the uppermost layer in use being provided with a partially or fully removable tab and the lower layer being provided with a handle of a tape-like material in such a position that on removal of said tab the handle can be pulled through the uppermost layer.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which the lowermost layer has a substantially rectangular aperture formed therethrough, the tape-like handle being attached to a backing member fixed to the side of said layer remote from the uppermost layer.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the container is manufactured from corrugated board material.

4. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the removable tab in the uppermost layer has a pair of spaced parallel sides and outwardly arcuate ends all defined by perforations, an inwardly arcuate continuous cut extending between corresponding ends of the parallel sides to provide a lift flap and a fold line spaced from said end and extending between the parallel sides to assist in partial or complete removal of the tab.

5. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the tab in the uppermost layer is substantially rectangular having relatively long perforations in two opposed shorter sides and one longer side, relatively short closely spaced perforations in the other longer side and an aperture alongside said one longer side to enable a finger to be placed under the said longer side and lifted upwardly to separate said one longer side and the shorter sides from the uppermost layer and hinge the tab away from said layer about said other longer side.

6. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

7. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.