WO2005044549A2

WO2005044549A2 - Tubular carton with article retention tabs and blank therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2005044549A2
Application number: PCT/US2003/027951
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tamio Ikeda
Original assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems Llc
Priority date: 2002-09-05
Filing date: 2003-09-05
Publication date: 2005-05-19
Also published as: KR20050113591A; AU2003304529A1; EP1575766A2; AU2003304529A8; CN100404388C; JP4721611B2; BR0314057A; RU2005109556A; JP2004099054A; MXPA05002681A; EP1575766A3; CN1750977A; WO2005044549A3

Abstract

A carton includes a tubular structure (27) for surrounding at least one article (3a, 3b) and an article-retaining structure for engaging a recess (16) of an article (3b) to prevent the article from dislodging from one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure. The article-retaining structure includes a retention tab (18) hingedly connected to the tubular structure along a first fold line (25), and a spacer tab (23) disposed adjacent to the retention tab (18) and hingedly connected to the tubular structure along a second fold line (21) that is juxtaposed to the first fold line (25). The retention tab (18) is folded more than 90 degrees inwardly along the first fold line (25) to define an acute angle with respect to the inside surface of the tubular structure (27). The spacer tab is folded more than 90 degrees inwardly along the second fold line (21) to be disposed between the retention tab (18) and the inside surface of the tubular structure (27).

Description

TUBULAR CARTON WITH ARTICLE RETENTION TABS AND

BLANK THEREFOR

Background of the Invention

This invention relates generally to cartons for packaging articles and blanks for forming such cartons, and more particularly to a tubular carton or a wraparound carton having an article retention tab for engagement with the end recess of an article and a blank for forming such a carton.

Tubular cartons and wraparound cartons are well known as means for packaging articles such as cans and bottles so that more than one article may be easily transferred from, for example, a point of purchase to a different location. US Patent No. 2,571,833 shows one of these known cartons that is designed to package similarly dimensioned, cylindrical articles, such as steel cans, each having a cylindrical side wall, a circular top, a circular bottom and circular chimes each formed around the respective circular can end.

FIG. 12 illustrates a blank of a conventional carton designed to package steel cans while FIG. 13 illustrates a cross section of a carton formed from the blank of FIG. 12. The carton of FIG. 13 is shown as accommodating steel cans. The carton blank 62 includes a top wall panel 63, a pair of side wall panels 65 and 65 connected to the opposite side edges of the top wall panel 63 along fold lines 64 and 64, and a pair of bottom wall panels 67a and 67b connected to the side wall panels 65 and 65 along fold lines 66 and 66 respectively. The bottom wall panels 67a and 67b are designed to be secured together at their respective free edge portions in an overlapping relationship and to thereby form a composite bottom wall 68 of the carton 61. The top wall panel 63 is provided along each end edge thereof with a pair of similarly shaped, semicircular upper retention tabs 69 and 69. These retention tabs 69 and 69 of each pair are arranged side by side and are hingedly connected to the respective end edge along a fold line 70. Each bottom ^{rn 1} lanel 67a and 67b is provided along each end edge thereof with a semicircular lower ion tab 71. The lower retention tabs 71 are hingedly connected to the respective bottom wall panels along fold lines 72, respectively In order to assemble the carton 61 from the blank 62, the blank is folded along the fold lines 64 and 66 and the bottom wall panels 67a and 67b are secured together to form a tubular structure. Each of the upper and lower retention tabs 69 and 71 are then folded inwardly along their respective fold lines 70 and 72 so that each retention tabs are disposed within the tubular structure. The assembled carton 61 is designed to accommodate six cans 74 arranged in two rows each including three cans. The loaded package is designated by reference numeral 73 in FIG. 13.

The folded tabs 69 and 71 are urged toward their initial positions due to the resiliency of the sheet material, such as paperboard, from which the blank is formed. As a result, the retention tabs 69 and 71 are pressed against the respective end walls 75 and 76 of the associated end cans 74 and engage the respective can chimes 77 and 78. Typically, the can chimes of steel cans have cylindrical inside surfaces that define a right angle with respect to their respective can ends. For this reason, the free end of each retention tab is held in stable engagement with the inside surface 79 of the respective chime. This ensures that the cans are well retained within the carton.

One drawback of the above-described conventional carton is that the carton cannot well retain articles having a hemispherical end recess. An example of such an article is an aluminum can. Aluminum cans typically have a hemispherical bottom recess that is continuous with the cylindrical can side wall. The recessed bottom is smoothly curved to form a dome-shaped ceiling. There is no chime between the bottom and the side wall. Keeping this type of bottom recess in engagement with a folded retention tab is difficult. Referring to FIG. 14, the curved surface of the bottom recess 80 of an aluminum can 81 extends all the way to the perimeter 82 of the can bottom. Therefore, the free end edge of the lower retention tab 71, when placed in abutment on the recess 80, tends to slide toward the perimeter 82 during the transportation, causing the tab 71 to be folded flat with the bottom wall 68 of the carton. This would result in dislodging of a can(s) from the carton. What is needed, therefore, is a tubular or wraparound carton that can reliably retain articles having hemispherical end recesses and effectively prevent such articles from dislodging through the open ends of the carton.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a carton for packaging at least one article. The carton comprises a tubular structure for surrounding at least one article and an article-retaining means for engaging a recess of one of the at least one article to prevent the one article from dislodging from one of the opposite open ends of the tubular structure. The article-retaining means comprises a retention tab hingedly connected to the tubular structure along a first fold line, and a spacer tab disposed adjacent to the retention tab and hingedly connected to the tubular structure along a second fold line that is juxtaposed to the first fold line. The retention tab is folded more than 90 degrees inwardly along the first fold line to define an acute angle with respect to the inside surface of the tubular structure. The spacer tab is folded more than 90 degrees inwardly along the second fold line to be disposed between the retention tab and the inside surface of the tubular structure. In this arrangement, the spacer tab serves as a spacer that is interposed between the retention tab and the tubular structure so that the spacer tab holds the retention tab in the angled position where the retention tab defines an acute angle with, and thus is spaced apart from, the inside surface of the tubular structure. When in the angle position, the retention tab protrudes inwardly from the inside surface of the tubular structure so as to be maintained in engagement with the recess of the associated article.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least part of the spacer tab may be formed from a portion of the tubular structure between the first and second fold lines while the retention tab may be formed from the material outside the portion of the tubular structure.

This arrangement allows the retention tab and the spacer tab to be folded in the same direction, which facilitates mechanization of the tab-folding process. In an arrangement where the retention and spacer tabs are designed to be folded toward each other, there is a chance that the spacer tab accidentally moves out of the space between the retention tab and the tubular structure. This type of accident is eliminated in the arrangement of this embodiment. In this embodiment, at least part of the spacer tab may be formed from the retention tab. In such an additional arrangement, slight pre-folding of the spacer tab allows the spacer tab to be automatically folded in response to folding of the retention tab. This arrangement further facilitates mechanization of the tab-folding process.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the maximum distance between the first fold line and the free end edge of the retention tab may be greater than the distance between the first and second fold lines. This arrangement assures that the spacer tab is positioned between the retention tab and the tubular structure when both the retention and spacer tabs are folded more than 90 degrees. In this embodiment, the maximum distance may be even greater than the summation of the distance between the first and second fold lines and the distance between the second fold line and the free end edge of the spacer tab. This additional arrangement assures that the retention tab extends beyond the free end edge of the spacer tab so that not only a part but the entirety of the spacer tab is positioned between the retention tab and the tubular structure.

The present invention in another aspect provides a carton blank for forming the carton of the invention in the preceding aspect. The blank comprises a plurality of panels hingedly interconnected in series to form a tubular structure for surrounding at least one article and an article-retaining means for engaging a recess of one of the at least one article. The article- retaining means comprises a retention tab hingedly connected to one of the panels of the blank along a first fold line and a spacer tab hingedly connected to the one panel along a second fold line that is juxtaposed to the first fold line. The retention tab extends from the first fold line away from the second fold line whereas the spacer tab extends from the second fold line toward the first fold line. The maximum distance between the first fold line and the free end edge of the retention tab is greater than the distance between the first and second fold lines.

In a preferred embodiment of the blank of the invention, at least part of the spacer tab may be formed from a portion of the one panel between the first and second fold lines. The retention tab may be formed from the material outside the portion of the one panel. In this embodiment, at least part of the spacer tab may be formed from the retention tab.

In another preferred embodiment, the maximum distance between the first fold line and the free end edge of the retention tab may be greater than the distance between the first and second fold lines. In this embodiment, the maximum distance may be even greater than the summation of the distance between the first and second fold lines and the distance between the second fold line and the free end edge of the spacer tab.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Exemplary embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a carton blank according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of a carton half erected from the blank of FIG. 1, showing one of the steps for erecting the blank;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross section of a package formed from the carton of FIG. 2 and a plurality of articles (i.e., cans) contained therein;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a carton blank according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a carton blank according to a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a carton blank according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a transverse cross section of a carton formed from the blank of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a carton blank according to a fifth embodiment of the invention; FIG. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross section of a carton formed from the blank of FIG.

8;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a carton blank according to a sixth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross section of a carton formed from the blank of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a blank for forming a conventional carton;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross section of a carton formed from the blank of FIG. 12, showing by the phantom line steel cans loaded into the carton; and

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary cross section of the carton of FIG. 13, showing the bottom portion of an aluminum can loaded into the carton.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

The invention will be described hereinafter based on the several embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-11.

In the following embodiments of the present invention, cans with a hemispherical bottom recess, namely an aluminum can-style articles, are packaged in the carton or blank of the invention. The cans used with the carton or blank of each embodiment are similarly dimensioned. Each can has a cylindrical side wall, a circular top, and a circular bottom. The can top is connected to the upper end of the side wall by a can chime whereas the can bottom is integrally formed with the side wall. The bottom is concave or curved to form a recess to assume the shape of a domed ceiling. Examples of such cans are shown in FIGS. 3, 7, 9 and 11. However, articles useful with the present invention are not limited to aluminum can-style articles but include steel can-style articles and bottles with a bottom recess. FIGS. 1-5 illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, an elongate, essentially rectangular carton blank 1 is formed from paperboard or any foldable sheet material such as sheet plastic. At around the center of the blank, there is provided a rectangular top wall panel 2. The width Wl of the top wall panel 2 is dimensioned to match N x dl where N is a positive integer, preferably two (2), and dl is the diameter of the top of the cans 3 to be accommodated in the carton formed from the blank 1. The length LI of the top wall panel 2 is dimensioned to match M x dl where M is a positive integer, preferably two (2), and dl is the diameter of the top of the cans 3. Although the length LI is M x dl, M+1 cans may be accommodated in the carton along each side edge of the top wall panel 2 while a half of each end can projects from the respective carton end to be exposed to view.

A pair of semicircular upper retention tabs 5 and 5 are hingedly connected to each end edge of ' the top wall panel 2 along a fold line 6. The upper retention tabs 5 of each pair are arranged side by side along the respective fold line 6. The diameter of each upper retention tab 5 is approximately equal to, or slightly less than, the diameter of the top 4 of the cans 3.

A pair of side wall panels 8 and 8 are hingedly connected to the opposite side edges of the top wall panel 2 along fold lines 9 respectively. The height HI of each side wall panel 8 is equal to the length or height of the cans 3. The opposed end edges of each side wall panel 8 are concavely curved toward each other. Each side wall panel 8 is formed with a medial fold line 10 that is disposed parallel with the fold line 9 and traverses that side wall panel 8.

A pair of rectangular bottom wall panels 12a and 12b are hingedly connected to the lower edges of the side wall panels 8 and 8, respectively. These bottom wall panels 12a and 12b are designed to be secured together in an overlapping relationship to form a composite bottom wall 14 when the blank is assembled into the carton. The width W2 of each bottom wall panel is dimensioned such that the width of the composite bottom wall 14 is equal to N x d2 where N is a positive integer, preferably two (2), and d2 is the diameter of the bottom of the cans 3.. A semicircular lower retention tab 18 is hingedly connected to each end edge of each bottom wall panel 12a and 12b along a fold line 25. The diameter of each lower retention tab 18 is approximately equal to, or slightly less than, the diameter of the bottom 16 of the cans 3.

A semicircular spacer tab 23 is provided adjacent to each lower retention tab 18. Each spacer tab 23 is defined by a semicircular cut 22 and thereby struck in part from the adjacent lower retention tab 18 and in part from the adjacent end portion of the respective bottom wall panel 12a or 12b. Each spacer tab 23 is hingedly connected to the respective bottom wall panel 12a or 12b along a fold line 21 and extends into the adjacent retention tab 18 beyond the fold line 25 of the adjacent retention tab 18. The fold lines 21 and 25 are juxtaposed to each other.

The maximum distance Dl between the fold line 25 of each retention tab 18 and the free end edge of that retention tab 18 is greater than the summation of D2 and D3 where D2 is the distance between the fold line 25 and the adjacent fold line 21 and D3 is the maximum distance between the adjacent fold line 21 and the free end edge of the adjacent spacer tab 23.

The process for forming a package 30 (FIG. 3) from the blank 1 is described herein below:

One of the side wall panels 8 and 8 that is adjacent to the bottom wall panel 12b is folded along its fold line 10 so that the bottom wall panel 12b lies flat with the inside surface of the top wall panel 2. Glue is applied to the inside surface of the bottom wall panel 12a along its free end edge and then the other side wall panel 8 is folded along its fold line 10. This brings the bottom wall panel 12a into an overlapping relationship with the bottom wall panel 12b, which secures the bottom wall panels 12a and 12b together. By this means, a flat tubular carton is created. In this flat form, the carton may be shipped from a carton manufacturer to a packaging facility where the carton is loaded with articles.

At a packaging facility, the flat carton is expanded into a fully erected tubular form wherein the side wall panels 8 and 8 extend between the top wall panel 2 and the bottom wall 14. A half erected carton is shown in FIG. 2 to illustrate the carton expanding step. The spacer tabs

23 are then inwardly pre-folded along the fold lines 21, followed by inward folding of the upper and lower retention tabs 5 and 18 along the respective fold lines 6 and 25. Both the upper and lower retention tabs 5 and 18 are folded more than 90 degrees. In response to the folding of the lower retention tabs 18, the spacer tabs 23 are automatically folded inwardly along their fold lines 21. This final folding of the spacer tabs 23 is induced because the free end edge of each pre-folded spacer tab 23 is caught by the inside surface of the adjacent lower retention tab 18 as the retention tab 18 is folded inwardly of the tubular carton 27. After that, cans 3 that have been arranged in two groups, one having a 2x2 configuration and the other having a 2x1 configuration, are loaded into the tubular carton 27 through its opposite open ends to form a can package 30 of a 2x3 configuration. During the loading process, the upper and lower retention tabs 5 and 18 snap into engagement with the end cans 3b at their top and bottom recesses 4 and 16, which is best shown in FIG. 3. In the bottom recess 16 of each end can 3b, the associated lower retention tab 18 is held in the folded position where it defines an acute angle with respect to the inside surface of the bottom wall 14. When in the folded position, the lower retention tab 18 is pressed against the domed ceiling of the recess 16 of the can 3b due not only to its own resilience but also to the associated spacer tab 23 under the retention tab 18. The spacer tab 23 that has been also folded over 90 degrees is pressed at its free end edge against the adjacent retention tab 18 and thereby urges the retention tab 18 upwardly. Because of the spacer tab 23, the retention tab 18 can never be folded all the way down to the bottom wall 14 be flat with it. As further shown in FIG. 3, the associated upper retention tab 5 is placed within the top recess 4 and engages the inner surface 29 of the can chime 28 in the conventional manner. The cans 3 with a hemispherical bottom recess are thus retained stably within the carton 27.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention. The carton in FIG. 4 is a so-called wraparound-style carrier that is designed to be applied over a group of articles and wound around the group to form a package. The bottom wall panels 12a and 12b are provided with a mechanical lock for interconnecting the panels 12a and 12b together without using glue. The mechanical lock comprises a male tab 36 that is defined by a cut 37 in the bottom wall panel 12a and a female tab 39 struck from the other bottom wall panel 12b. After the panel 12a is placed to overlie the panel 12b, the male tab 36 is folded and inserted into the locking aperture 38 that is defined by the female tab 39 to secured the panels 12a and 12b in an overlapping relationship. Mechanical locks of this type are well known in the art. Details of the male and female tabs are disclosed, for example, in US Patent No 6,315,123 which is hereby incorporated by reference.

A bevelled heel panel 43 is provided between each side wall panel 8 and the adjacent bottom wall panel. Each heel panel 43 is hingedly connected to the adjacent side and bottom wall panels 8 and 12 along fold lines 41 and 42 respectively. These heel panels 43 are adapted to be disposed alongside the tapered lower portions 31 (FIG. 3) of the cans 3 upon formation of a package and thereby help to provide a tight package. Reference numeral 34 in FIG. 4 designates finger tabs defined by C-shaped slits 33 in the top wall panel 2. These finger tabs 34 are folded inwardly of the carton to provide finger apertures by which the carton may be lifted and carried.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the invention, in which the carton is provided with a glue flap 58 that is hingedly connected to one of the opposed side edges of the bottom wall 56 along a fold line 59. The glue flap 58 is used to connect the bottom wall 56 to the side wall panel 54b to form the blank 52 into a tubular carton. This carton is an end loading-style carton similar to that of the first embodiment.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The carton 91 (FIG. 7) of this embodiment is a tubular carrier similar to that of the first embodiment. The carton 91 comprises a top wall panel 93, a pair of opposed side wall panels 95 and 95 connected to the top wall panel 93 along fold lines 94 and 94 and a pair of bottom wall panels 97 and 97 connected to the side wall panels 95 and 95 along fold lines 96 and 96 respectively. The bottom wall panels are adapted to be secured together in an overlapping relationship to form a tubular carton. The carton differs from that of the first embodiment in that upper and lower retention tabs 100 and 105 and spacer tabs 108 are oriented sideways as opposed to being oriented outward when the carton is in blank form. The upper retention tabs 100 are struck from the top wall panel 93 and hingedly connected thereto along fold lines 98. The fold lines 98 are disposed parallel to the fold lines 94. In the blank form shown in FIG. 6, the pair of tabs 98 at each end of the carton extend toward each other from the respective fold lines 98 and 98. Each lower retention tab 105 is also struck from the respective bottom wall panel 97. Each lower retention tab 105 is hingedly connected to the respective bottom wall panel 97 along a fold line 103 that is parallel to the adjacent fold line 96 between that bottom wall panel 97 and the adjacent side wall panel. Each lower retention tab 105 is accompanied by the associated spacer tab 108 that is struck in part from that lower retention tab 105 and in part from the respective bottom wall panel 97. Each spacer tab 108 is hingedly connected to the respective bottom wall panel 97 along a fold line 106 and extends into the associated lower retention tab 105. The fold line 103 of each retention tab 105 and the fold line 106 of the associated spacer tab 108 are juxtaposed to each other.

The above retention and spacer tabs 100, 105 and 108 must be held in folded positions during the can loading process to allow cans to be end-loaded and have the tabs properly engaged with the associated can ends. Otherwise, the retention and spacer tabs function in the same way as those in the first embodiment to retain cans 101 in the carton 91. The manner in which cans are retained in the carton 91 is shown in FIG. 7 wherein the upper and lower retention tabs 100 and 105 are folded more than 90 degrees with respect to their respective wall panels 93 and 97 and wherein the spacer tabs 108 are also folded more than 90 degrees to serve as spacers under their respective lower retention tabs 105.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a fifth embodiment of the invention. The carton 111 (FIG. 9) of this embodiment is also an end loading-style carton similar to that of the first embodiment. As viewed in FIG. 8, panels 117, 115, 113, 115 and 117 are interconnected in series by fold lines 116, 114, 114 and 115. The bottom wall panels 117 and 117 are secured together to form the tubular carton 111 from the blank of FIG. 8. The carton 111 differs from that of the first embodiment in that both the upper end lower retention tabs 120 and 125 are formed from their respective carton panels 113 and 117. Otherwise, the carton 111 and the retention and spacer tabs 120, 125 and 128 function in the same way as those in the first embodiment. The manner in which cans are retained in the carton 111 is shown in FIG. 9 wherein the upper and lower retention tabs 120 and 125 are folded more than 90 degrees with respect to their respective wall panels 113 and 117 and wherein the spacer tabs 128 are also folded over 90 degrees to serve as spacers under their respective lower retention tabs 125. FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a sixth embodiment of the invention. The carton 131 (FIG. 11) of this embodiment is also an end loading-style carton similar to that of the fifth embodiment. As viewed in FIG. 10, panels 137, 135, 133, 135 and 137 are interconnected in series by fold lines 136, 134, 134 and 136. The bottom wall panels 137 and 137 are secured together to form the tubular carton 131 from the blank of FIG. 10. The carton 131 differs from that of the fifth embodiment in that a pair of retention tabs 140 and 140; or 145 and 145 are provided to engage each can end and that a pair of spacer tabs 148 are provided to urge the respective pair of lower retention tabs 145 and 145 upwards. The upper retention tabs 140 and 140 of each pair are hingedly connected to the top wall panel 133 along a pair of fold lines 138 and 138 which extend divergently toward the adjacent end edge of the top wall panel 133. . The lower retention tabs 145 and 145 of each pair are hingedly connected to the respective bottom wall panel 137 along a pair of fold lines 143 and 143 which extend divergently toward the adjacent end edge of that bottom wall panel 137. Each lower retention tab 145 is accompanied by the associated spacer tab 148 that is struck in part from that lower retention tab 145 and in part from the respective bottom wall panel 137. Each spacer tab 148 is hingedly connected to the respective bottom wall panel 137 along a fold line 146 and extends into the associated lower retention tab 145. The fold line 143 of each retention tab 145 and the fold line 146 of the associated spacer tab 148 are juxtaposed to each other.

Other than the above differences, the carton 131 and the retention and spacer tabs 140, 145 and 148 function in the same way as those in the fifth embodiment. The manner in which cans are retained in the carton 131 is shown in FIG. 11 wherein the upper and lower retention tabs 140 and 145 are folded more than 90 degrees with respect to their respective wall panels 133 and 137 and wherein the spacer tabs 148 are also folded over 90 degrees to serve as spacers under their respective lower retention tabs 145. The cans 141 may be end-loaded into the carton 131 in the same way as described earlier for the first embodiment.

While the present invention has been described with the preferred embodiments, it should be understood that variations and modifications may be resorted to as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications are to be considered within the purview and the scope of the claims appended hereto.

It should be readily apparent that not only each lower retention tab but also each upper retention tab in the foregoing embodiments may be accompanied by a spaced tab to ensure the engagement of the upper retention tab with the top recess of the associated article. It should be also apparent that the carton and blank of the present invention may be used to package bottles or any other articles having an end recess. When bottles are packaged, an apertured upper retention tab for engaging a bottleneck may be used with a combination of a lower retention tab and a spacer tab. An example of the apertured upper retention tab is disclosed in US Patent No. 2,523,986 which is hereby incorporated by reference. It should be further apparent that the number and configuration of the retention tabs on each carton are not limited to those disclosed in the preferred embodiments but may vary depending on the number of the packaged articles and the shape of the top and/or bottom of the articles.

It will be recognized that as used herein, directional references such as "top", "bottom", "end", "side", "upper" and "lower" do not limit the respective panels and/or tabs to such orientation, but merely serve to distinguish these panels from one another. Any reference to hinged connection should not be construed as necessarily referring to a single fold line only: indeed it is envisaged that hinged connection can be fonned from one or more of one of the following, a score line, a frangible line or a fold line, without departing from the scope of invention.

Claims

CLALMS

1. A carton for packaging at least one article each having a recess, said carton comprising a tubular structure for surrounding at least one article and an article-retaining means for engaging a recess of one of said at least one article to prevent said one article from dislodging from at least one of opposite open ends of said tubular structure, said article- retaining means comprising a retention tab hingedly connected to said tubular structure along a first fold line, and a spacer tab disposed adjacent to said retention tab and hingedly connected to said tubular structure along a second fold line juxtaposed to said first fold line, said retention tab being folded more than 90 degrees inwardly along said first fold line to define an acute angle with respect to an inside surface of said tubular structure, said spacer tab being folded more than 90 degrees inwardly along said second fold line to be disposed between said retention tab and said inside surface of said tubular structure.

2. The carton according to claim 1 wherein at least part of said spacer tab is formed from a portion of said tubular structure between said first and second fold lines, and said retention tab is formed from material outside said portion of said tubular structure.

3. The carton according to claim 2 wherein at least part of said spacer tab is formed from said retention tab.

4. The carton according to claim 1 wherein a maximum distance between said first fold line and a free end edge of said retention tab is greater than a distance between said first and second fold lines.

5. The carton according to claim 4 wherein said maximum distance is greater than a summation of said distance between said first and second fold lines and a distance between said second fold line and a free end edge of said spacer tab.

6. A carton blank for forming a carton for packaging at least one article each having a recess, said blank comprising a plurality of panels hingedly interconnected in series to form a tubular structure for surrounding at least one article and an article-retaining means for engaging a recess of one of said at least one article to prevent said one article from dislodging from at least one of opposite open ends of said tubular structure when said carton is erected, said article-retaining means comprising a retention tab hingedly connected to at least one of said panels along a first fold line and a spacer tab hingedly connected to said at least one panel along a second fold line that is juxtaposed to said first fold line, said retention tab extending from said first fold line away from said second fold line, said spacer tab extending from said second fold line toward said first fold line, wherein a maximum distance between said first fold line and a free end edge of said retention tab is greater than a distance between said first and second fold lines.

7. The blank according to claim 6 wherein at least part of said spacer tab is formed from a portion of said at least one panel between said first and second fold lines, and said retention tab is formed from material outside said portion of said at least one panel.

8. The blank according to claim 7 wherein at least part of said spacer tab is formed from said retention tab.

9. The blank according to claim 6 wherein a maximum distance between said first fold line and a free end edge of said retention tab is greater than a distance between said first and second fold lines.

10. The blank according to claim 9 wherein said maximum distance is greater than a summation of said distance between said first and second fold lines and a distance between said second fold line and a free end edge of said spacer tab.