GB2262508A

GB2262508A - Handles for containers

Info

Publication number: GB2262508A
Application number: GB9127113A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony William Bradshaw
Original assignee: LIN PAC CONTAINERS INT
Current assignee: LIN PAC CONTAINERS INT
Priority date: 1991-12-20
Filing date: 1991-12-20
Publication date: 1993-06-23
Also published as: GB9127113D0

Abstract

A container, such as a bag-in-the-box unit, formed from a blank (1) has a handle (102) which is initially inaccessible but which can be rendered subsequently accessible for carrying purposes. The handle (102) can be concealed by, say, a press-out (206) forming part of a wall (6) of the erected container and removable therefrom to render the handle (102) accessible. The press-out (206) may be overprinted with promotional material and/ or may be used as a redeemable voucher. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINER AND ASSOCIATED BLANK IZITH HANDLE DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a container, and an associated blank, of the type including handle means which is accessible or carrying purposes.

Said means may be in the form of a paper handle folded or otherwise arranged in a non-use condition for storage and/or display purposes but accessible for subsequent unfolding or other rearrangement into an inuse condition for carrying purposes.

The invention is especially, but not exclusively, related to such a container, and associated blank, for use with an interior bag, commonly known as a "bag-in tllle-box'l unit, which can be fairly weighty, in that the bag is filled with wine or other liquid, and from which the wine or other liquid can be dispensed via a tap communicating with the interior of the bag and extending through a wall of the container.

Accordingly, one aspect of the invention resides in a container including handle means which is inaccessible, preferably, by substantial concealment, but which is capable of being rendered subsequently accessible for carrying purposes.

Another aspect of the invention comprises a container including a handle and means rendering the handle inaccessible, preferably by substantial concealment, but arranged to render the handle subsequently accessible for carrying purposes.

A further aspect of the invention resides in a container blank which includes handle means and which is cut and creased for erection into a container wherein, upon such erection, said handle means is rendered inaccessible, preferably by substantial concealment, by means arranged to render said handle means subsequently accessible for carrying purposes.

Preferably, the handle or handle means, as the case may be, is made of paper or other fibrous material which is folded in a non-use condition but which can be unfolded into an in-use condition for carrying purposes when rendered accessible. However, other materials may be used for the handle or handle means, for example, a plastics material.

Means for substantially concealing the handle or handle means initially to render the same accessible, may comprise a portion of the container wall or blank which can be removed for subsequent exposure of the handle or handle means, thereby rendering it accessible for carrying purposes.

Said removable means may be over printed with promotional material and/or may be used as a money voucher redeemable against the price of the product after removal from the container.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a blank and associated bag-in-the-box unit in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank; Figure 2 is a plan view of a handle of the blank and associated container; and Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of a panel of the blank and container for substantially concealing the handle.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, a container blank, indicated generally at 1, is made of corrugated board and comprises a pair of major panels 2, 4 and two minor panels 3, 5 separated therefrom by respective normal creases 23, 25 and 45. When the blank I is at least partially erected by folding about the creases 23, 25 and 45, respective opposed pairs of major and minor side walls of a bag-in-the-box container (not shown) are formed. A flexible bag (also not shown) containing wine or other liquid for subsequent dispensing therefrom, is receivable in the partially-erected container.

Each minor side wall panel 3, 5 has a pair of upper and lower flaps 7, 9 and 11, 13 separated therefrom by respective normal creases 37, 39; 51, 53, whilst each major side wall panel 2, 4 also has a pair of upper and lower flaps 6, 8 and 10, 12 separated therefrom by respective normal creases 26 28; 41, 42.

The upper flaps 6, 7, 10, Ii interleave when the blank 1 is erected by folding about creases 26, 37, 41 and 51 to form the top of the container and the bottom flaps 8, 9, 12, 13 interleave to form the base of the erected container by folding those bottom flaps about respective creases 28, 39, 42 and 53.

A side tab 20 is separated from the minor side wall panel 3 by a normal crease 32 and is glued, such that it adheres to the free edge 21 of the major side wall portion 4 when the box is erected, thereby at least assisting in maintaining the container in an erected condition.

The minor side wall panel 3 is provided with a press-out 30 defined by chain-dotted lines 31 and the normal crease 32 between the minor panel 3 and tab 20, the press-out being removable to permit access to a tap (not shown) of a liquid-filled bag accommodated within the erected container.

The upper flap 10 has adhered to its inner surface a backing sheet 101 bearing a paper handle 102 which is folded at 103, 104 in a non-use condition and is located within a correspondingly-shaped aperture 105 in the backing sheet 101, such that it lies in register with an aperture 10S in the upper flap., 10 and generally flush with the other aperture 105 , as shown in Figure 2.

The other upper flap 6 includes a press-out 206, as shown by the chain-dotted lines in Figure 3, which corresponds generally in shape with the aperture 106 in the upper flap 10.

The arrangement of the flaps 6 and 10 and the press-out 206 and aperture 106 is such that, when the blank 1 is erected into the container, the flap 6 overlies the flap 10, with the press-out 206 lying in register with and above the aperture 106 and folded handle 102.

In this arrangement of the so-erected container, the folded paper handle 102 is rendered inaccessible by substantial concealment by the press-out 206.

When the handle 102 is required to be used, the press-out 206 is removed by the insertion of a finger of a user in one of the end finger holes 207 and then tearing along the perforations of the press-out 206.

In this manner, the handle 102 is now exposed and accessible, so that it can be unfolded into an in-use condition for carrying purposes.

One other particular application of the press-out 206 is that it may be printed with promotional matter and/or may be used as a redeemable voucher once it has been removed from the flap 6 to expose the carrying handle 102 for accessibility.

Claims

1. A container including handle means which is inaccessible but which is capable of being rendered subsequently accessible for carrying purposes.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said handle means is inaccessible by substantial concealment thereof.

3. A container including a handle and means rendering the handle inaccessible but arranged to render the handle subsequently accessible for carrying purposes.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein the handle is rendered inaccessible by said means by substantial concealment thereby.

5. A container blank which includes handle means and which is cut and creased for erection into a container, wherein, upon such erection, said handle means is rendered inaccessible by means arranged to render said handle means subsequently accessible for carrying purposes.

6. A container blank according to claim 5, wherein said means is arranged to render said handle means inaccessible by concealment thereby.

7. A container according to claim 2 or 4 or a container blank according to claim 6, wherein said means for substantially concealing said handle means or the handle, as the case may be, to render the same inaccessible initially, comprises a portion of the container wall or the blank which can be removed for subsequent exposure of said handle means or the handle, thereby rendering it accessible for carrying purposes.

8. A container according to any of claims 1 to 4 and 7 or a container blank blank according to any of claims 5 to 7, wherein said handle means or the handle, as the case may be, is made of a plastics material, paper or other fibrous material which is folded in a non-use condition but which can be unfolded into an in-use condition for carrying purposes, when rendered accessible.

9. A container or a container blank according to claim 7 or claim 8 when dependent upon claim 7, wherein the removable portion of the container wall or the blank is over printed with promotional material and/or is used as a money voucher redeemable against the price of the associated product, after removal from the container.

10. A container or a container when erected from a blank according to claim 9, wherein the container is a bag-in-the-box unit.

11. A container, or container blank, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.