GB2237266A - A carton - Google Patents

Abstract

A carton is formed from a blank 10 which comprises a plurality of panels 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 21, 25, 28, 29, 33. One of the panels 29 is formed with a tag 31. In the erect carton, the connection between the tag 31 and panel 29 is obscured such that the carton has the same appearance as a conventional carton to which a tag has been attached. Hook panels 35 serve to close the carton. <IMAGE>

Description

A CARTON The invention relates to a folding carton.

It is known to attach a tag to a carton for the purposes of decoration or information. The tag may be attached, for example, using adhesive tape, glue or a filament such as string. An example of a known use of a carton of this type is in containing luxury goods such as chocolates.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a carton formed from a blank comprising a plurality of panels one of said panels being formed with a tag.

Thus, the tag is part of the blank and does not have to be added to a finished carton thus reducing cost and time in manufacture.

The tag may be a display tag and preferably extends outwardly of the carton.

The tag may conveniently be provided at the edge of said one panel.

A connection between the tag and said one panel may be obscured by an overlying panel. The tag may be of any desired shape and may be shaped such that the exposed part thereof is, for example of rectangular shape or in the shape of part of a parallelogram, and the obscured part may be of any suitable shape to allow connection to said one panel. Thus, the appearance of the carton may be made the same as a known carton having a tag which is not formed as part of a panel of the carton.

The tag may be provided in the region of a closure of the container and preferably is arranged to extend over a closing panel which forms part of the closure of the container. The tag preferably extends or is arranged to appear to extend centrally from the closure.

In the case where the connection between the tag and said one panel is obscured by the overlying panel, the overlying panel preferably also forms part of the closure of the container and preferably the closing panel co-operates with the overlying panel to form at least part of said closure. The closing panel and the overlying panel may hook around each other to form at least part of the said closure. Preferably, the closing panel and the overlying panel each include hook panels which are connected to the remainder of their respective panels by fold lines which are part cut from one end to enable the panels to interleave. The tag may be connected to said one panel in the region where the hook panels interleave and preferably the tag extends over ,the closing panel from a position adjacent the point where the hook panels interleave.The hook panels may take any suitable form and may have an additional purpose, such as decoration. Preferably the hook panels are decoratively shaped. The hook panels may be identical, and in a preferred embodiment, the hook panels provide the appearance of a bow.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blank for use in forming the carton according to any of the six immediately preceding paragraphs.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blank of the embodiment; Fig. 2 is an underneath plan view of the erected carton of the embodiment; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the lower closure of the erected carton of the embodiment; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the erected carton of the embodiment with a closing panel in an open position; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the erected carton of the embodiment with the closing panels closed.

The blank 10, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises four main body panels 11, 12, 13, 14 which are connected in side by side arrangement by parallel fold lines 15. The first and third panels 11, 13 are broader than the second and fourth panels 12, 14. A glue flap 16 is connected to an end main body panel 14 through a fold line 17 which is parallel to the fold lines 15. The width of the broader main body panels 11, 13 is a distance 4B, and the width of the narrower main body panels 12, 14 is a distance 2A.

A lower end body panel 18 is connected to the lower edge of a broad main panel 13 through a fold line 19. The panel 18 extends for a distance A away from the fold line 19 but includes two rectangular projecting portions 20 of width B at each side of its lower edge which thus define a gap of width 2B therebetween. A lower end body panel 21 extends from the lower edge of the end broad main body panel 11 and is connected thereto through a fold line 22.

The panel 21 comprises a first portion 23 of depth A, the side edges of which taper inwardly through an inwards distance B. A tongue portion 24 extends from the lower edge of the first portion 23. Each of the narrower main body panels 12, 14 includes a lower end body panel 25 connected to its lower edge through a fold line 26. The panels 25 are in the shape of mirror images of each other in the blank 10. The edge of each panel 25 which is furthest from the panel 18 is straight and the other edge is directed inwardly over a distance B away from the fold line 26 and over an inwards distance A. The edge is then directed outwardly over a short distance to the end of the panel 25 to define'a short tongue portion 40. The lower body panels 18, 21, 25 together define a lower closure which is of theso-called "envelope" or "snap-hook n type.

The upper edge of the broad main body panel 13 has connected thereto by a fold line 27 at its upper edge a rectangular upper body panel 28. The end broad main body panel 11 has an upper body panel 29 (constituting the aforesaid "one panel") connected to the upper edge thereof through a fold line 30. The panel 29 is integral with a tag 31 through a fold line 32. The fold line 32 between the tag 31 and the panel 29 is perpendicular to the fold line 30 between the panel 29 and the main body panel 11 and extends to a distance A from the fold line 30. The tag 31 is in part cut from the panel 29 which is of generally rectangular shape. The edges of the tag 31 diverge outwardly from the fold line 32 and then extend in a parallel manner to a straight end edge of the tag 31. The tag 31 as a whole extends from the fold line 32 away from the main body panel 11.

Each narrow main body panel 12, 14 includes an upper body panel 33 connected to the upper edge thereof through a fold line 34. The first portion 36 of each panel 33 tapers inwardly over a distance 2B from the fold line 34.

A hook panel 35 is connected to the outer edge of the first portion 36. Each hook panel 35 is in the shape of one half of a bow which has been transversely bisected.

Each hook panel 35 includes a central fold line 37 which is perpendicular to the fold line 34. Each hook panel 35 is connected to its said first portion 36 through a fold line 38 which is parallel to the fold line 34 and is provided on one side of the fold line 37.

The carton would normally be supplied for filling in the form of a flat sleeve with the glue flap 16 having been glued to the free edge of the end broad main body panel 11. The carton is then assembled by firstly folding the panel 18 inwardly about fold line 19 and folding the panels 25 are folded about the fold lines 26 on top of that panel 19. The panel 21 is then folded about the fold line 22 and pushed into the carton such that the tongue portion 24 enters the gap between the projections 20 on the panel 18. As the panel 21 is allowed to return out of the carton, the tongue portions 40 also enter the gap between the projections 20 and a closure resisting outwards forces is formed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

At the top of the carton, the panel 28 is folded inwardly about the fold line 27 and the panel 29 is folded inwardly about the fold line 30 to lay on top of the panel 28. The tag 31 is then folded about the fold line 32 to lie back across the panel 29. The panel 28 is sufficiently deep that it covers the gap left by the folding of the tag 31. The panel 33 which is adjacent the tag 31 in the blank as shown in Fig. 1 and towards which the tag extends in the blank 10, is then folded inwardly about the fold line 34. The hook panel 35 is folded up about the fold line 38 and is folded in half about the fold line 37 so that the tag 31 can be folded back about the fold line 32 onto the panel 33 as shown in Fig. 4. The other panel 33 is then folded inwardly about its fold line 34 with its hook panel folded back about the fold line 38.That hook panel is also folded in half about the line 37 such that the hook panels can then be folded downwardly over their opposite first portions 36 and unfolded about the fold lines 37 to form a hook closure. The second panel 33 to be folded covers the fold line 32 between the tag 31 and the panel 28 and thus constitutes the aforesaid "overlying panel". The other panel 33 forms part of the upper closure and has the tag 31 extending thereover so that it thus constitutes the aforesaid "closing panel". The resulting upper closure is shown in Fig. 5 from which it will be seen that the hook panels 35 together provide the shape of a complete bow and the tag 31 extends as a parallel sided tag from behind one of the hook panels 35, with the tapered edges of the tag 31 being hidden behind one of the hook panels 35.Thus, the closure has an attractive appearance and provides a tag on a carton container which is integral with the carton blank and need not be separately attached.

The hook panels 35 need not be in the shape of a bow but may be in any decorative shape or may be purely functional but, for example, may have decorative printing thereon. The tag, also, need not be in the form as shown but may take any suitable shape.

The lower closure of the carton comprising the four lower panels 18, 21, 25 need not be in the form as shown but may take any other suitable form.

The main body panels 11, 12, 13, 14 need not be blank as shown but may have printing thereon and may include cutouts e.g. for decoration. The main body panels 11, 12, 13, 14 may increase in width upwardly so that the carton is wider at the top than at the base. In this case, the dimensions of the upper body panels 28, 29, 33 will not correspond to the dimensions of the lower body panels 18, 21, 25 as described and shown in Fig. 1 but will remain in the described proportions to one another.

Claims (18)

1. A carton formed from a blank comprising a plurality of panels one of said panels being formed with a tag.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tag is a display tag.

3. A carton as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tag extends outwardly of the carton.

4. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tag is provided at the edge of said one panel.

5. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a connection between the tag and said one panel is obscured by an overlying panel.

6. A carton as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tag is shaped such that the exposed part thereof is in the shape of part of a parallelogram.

7. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tag is provided in the region of a closure of the container.

8. A carton as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tag is arranged to extend over a closing panel which forms part of the closure of the container.

9. A carton as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the tag extends or is arranged to appear to extend centrally from the closure.

10. A carton as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9 when dependent on claim 5, wherein the overlying panel forms part of the closure of the container.

11. A carton as claimed in claim 10 when dependent on claim 8, wherein the closing panel co-operates with the overlying panel to form at least part of said closure.

12. A carton as claimed in claim 11, wherein the closing panel and the overlying panel hook around each other to form at least part of the said closure.

13. A carton as claimed in claim 12, wherein the closing panel and the overlying panel each include hook panels which are connected to the remainder of their respective panels by fold lines which are part cut from one end to enable the panels to interleave.

14. A carton as claimed in claim 13, wherein the tag is connected to said one panel in the region where the hook panels interleave.

15. A carton as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the tag extends over the closing panel from a position adjacent the point where the hook panels interleave.

16. A carton as claimed in any of claims 13, 14 and 15, wherein the hook panels are decoratively shaped.

17. A carton as claimed in any of claims 13 to 16, wherein the hook panels are identical.

18. A blank for use in forming a carton as claimed in any preceding claim.

18. A carton as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the hook panels provide the appearance of a bow.

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

20. A blank for use in forming a carton as claimed in any preceding claim.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A carton formed from a blank comprising a plurality of panels, one of said panels being formed with a tag such that in the erect carton the tag extends outwardly of the carton and a connection between the tag and said one panel is obscured by an overlying panel.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tag is a display tag.

3. A carton as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tag is provided at the edge of said one panel.

4. A carton as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the tag is shaped such that the exposed part thereof is in the shape of part of a parallelogram.

5. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tag is provided in the region of a closure of the container.

6. A carton as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tag is arranged to extend over a closing panel which forms part of the closure of the container.

7. A carton as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the tag extends or is arranged to appear to extend centrally from the closure.

8. A carton as claimed in any of claims 5 to 7, wherein the overlying panel forms part of the closure of the container.

9. A carton as claimed in claim 8 when dependent on claim 6, wherein the closing panel co-operates with the overlying panel to form at least part of said closure.

10. A carton as claimed in claim 9, wherein the closing panel and the overlying panel hook around each other to form at least part of the said closure.

11. A carton as claimed in claim 10, wherein the closing panel and the overlying panel each include hook panels which are connected to the remainder of their respective panels by fold lines which are part cut from one end to enable the panels to interleave.

12. A carton as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tag is connected to said one panel in the region where the hook panels interleave.

13. A carton s claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the tag extends over the closing panel from a position adjacent the point where the hook panels interleave.

14. A carton as claimed din any of claims 11, 12 and 13, wherein the hook panels are decoratively shaped.

15. A carton as claimed in any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the hook panels are identical.

16. A carton as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the hook panels provide the appearance of a bow.

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