WO2010048126A1

WO2010048126A1 - Carton for packaging articles and method therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2010048126A1
Application number: PCT/US2009/061248
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Michel Auclair
Original assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems, Llc
Priority date: 2008-10-20
Filing date: 2009-10-20
Publication date: 2010-04-29
Also published as: WO2010048132A1; GB0819187D0; DE112009002545T5

Abstract

Abstract A carton for accommodating an article (A), the carton (108) comprising a top panel (36) that is connected to the carton (108) only along a fold line (74) hingedly connecting said top panel (36) to a side panel (12) of the carton (108) such that it is hingable between a closed position and an opened position prior to being loaded with an article (A), wherein a top portion of the article (A) is receivable in an aperture (90) defined in said top panel (36) when said top panel (36) is in the closed position, and wherein the aperture (90) is positioned and dimensioned with respect to the hinged connection (74) of the top panel (36) such that the top panel (36) is preventable from hinging from the closed position to the opened position solely by means of the presence of a portion of the article (A) in the aperture (90).

Description

Carton for Packaging Articles and Method Therefor

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to cartons for packaging articles. More specifically, though not exclusively, the present invention relates to such cartons that have a mean of restricting removal of those articles from the carton once the carton is sealed around the articles, without evidence of that removal being readily apparent to the observer.

Background of the Invention

There is a need in the field of packaging to provide cartons that protect articles from being broken and that, optionally, also provide means by which one or more articles might be easily transported by a user.

One type of carton configuration that provides these two functions is known as a basket carrier. These basket carriers generally have a centralised handle portion that bisects a storage compartment that can be loaded with articles. The storage area is enclosed about its sides, ends and bottom so as to prevent unintentional egress of the articles with which it has been loaded. However, an exposed top portion leaves the carrier vulnerable to, for example, theft of one or more articles from the carton.

The present invention provides a carton that overcomes or at least mitigates the issues concerning the prior art, set out above.

Summary of the Invention

A first aspect of the present invention provides a carton for accommodating an article, the carton comprising a top panel that is connected to the carton only along a fold line hingedly connecting said top panel to a side panel of the carton such that it is hingable between a closed position and an opened position prior to being loaded with an article, wherein a top portion of the article is receivable in an aperture defined in said top panel when said top panel is in the closed position, and wherein the aperture is positioned and dimensioned with respect to the hinged connection of the top panel such that the top panel is preventable from hinging from the closed position to the opened position solely by means of the presence of a portion of the article in the aperture.

Preferably, a distance measured from the hinged connection of the top panel to a furthest point of said aperture is smaller than the distance from the same point on that hinged connection to the furthest point on said article received in said aperture, such that the top panel cannot be hinged relative to the remainder of the carton so as to release said article from the carton.

Preferably, the top panel comprises a tear initiation arrangement to facilitate tearing of the top panel through an edge of said aperture, thereby providing means to release enable removal of that article from the carton.

Preferably, the top panel comprises a hinged end portion along an edge furthest from its hinged connection to the rest side panel of the carton.

Preferably the carton further comprises a handle aperture by which aperture the carton is suspendable, which handle aperture is independent of said top panel.

Preferably the carton further comprises multiple compartments for containing articles, which compartments are separated by a medial wall within which the handle aperture is formed.

Preferably, the medial wall is secured along opposed edges to end panels of the carton. Preferably, the top panel is deployable into a collapsed state after articles previously present in the carton have been removed therefrom, which collapsed state requires sufficiently minimal volume in the compartment as to permit the removed articles to be reinserted thereinto, and thus the carton to be used to transport the articles after their use.

Preferably, the carton is a basket-style carrier.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a package comprising the above carton loaded with at least one article that abuts an edge of the aperture the top panel of the carton, thereby to prevent hinging of that top panel between an open state and a closed state, between which states the top panel would otherwise be free to hinge, and thereby retaining said at least one article within said carton.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a blank for forming a carton for accommodating at least one article, the blank comprising a panel for forming a top panel, which top panel is connected to the blank only along a fold line hingedly connecting said top panel to a panel for forming a side panel of the carton, such that, when the carton is set up, the top panel is hingable between a closed position and an opened position prior to that carton being loaded with at least one article, wherein a top portion of the at least one article is receivable in at least one aperture, defined in said panel for forming the top panel, when said top panel is in the closed position, and wherein said at least one aperture is positioned and dimensioned with respect to the hinged connection of the top panel such that the top panel is prevented from hinging from the closed position to the opened position solely by means of the presence of the at least one article.

Preferably, the panel for forming the top panel comprises a tear initiation arrangement to facilitate tearing of the top panel through an edge of said aperture, thereby providing means to release the at least one article from the aperture of the top panel so as to enable removal of that article from the carton A four aspect of the present invention provides a method for packaging an article in a carton, which method comprises: forming a carton having an open end opposite a top panel that is connected to the carton only along a fold line hingedly connecting the top panel to a side wall of the carton, and having at least one aperture defined in said top panel positioned and dimensioned with respect to the hinged connection of the top panel such that the top panel is preventable from hinging from the closed position to the opened position solely by means of abutment between an article received in the aperture and an edge of the aperture; inserting an article through the open end of the compartment such that an upper portion of the article extends through said aperture; and closing the open end of the compartment with an end closing means thereby to enclose the article in the carton in such a way as to prevent the article being removed without the carton being torn.

A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a basket style carrier comprising a top panel, which top panel is hinged to a side wall of the carrier along an edge thereof, wherein a free edge of the top panel opposite to the hinged edge is disconnected from an upright medial handle structure of the carrier.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described, in detail, below, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a plan view of a blank according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figs. 2 illustrates a partially set up carton formed from the blank of Fig. 1 ; Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate intermediate steps in the process of loading a carton formed from the blank of Fig. 1 with articles;

Fig. 5 illustrates the fully loaded carton of Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 illustrates the loaded carton of Fig. 5 being torn open to expose an article contained therein;

Fig. 7 illustrates the removal of articles from the carton of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 illustrates a plan view of a blank for forming a carton according to a second preferred embodiment.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

A blank 2 for forming a carton according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 1. This blank comprises a series of panels, hinged to one another for forming opposed side and end walls of the carton, connected to a base wall, and an intermediate handle structure between the opposed end walls. In this preferred embodiment, the carton takes the form of a bottom-loaded basket carrier.

These panels are more specifically described as follows.

A series of the aforementioned panels are connected in a linear series. This series comprises a first glue flap 4, a handle panel 6, a first end panel 8, a first corner panel 10, a first side panel 12, a second corner panel 14, a second end panel 16, a third end panel 18, a third corner 20, a second side panel 22, a fourth corner 24, a fourth end panel 26 and second glue flap 28. These are hinged, one to the next in order in the aforementioned linear series, by a plurality of fold lines 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70. Whilst in a substantially planar condition, such as that of the blank 2 shown in Figure 1 , the aforementioned linear series of panels has a longitudinal axis that extends along each of the panels, substantially perpendicular to the fold lines mentioned above. Perpendicular to this longitudinal axis is a transverse axis. Edges of the panels of the blank 2 that are substantially perpendicular to the progression of panels of the linear series, and which are, therefore, perpendicular to the transverse axis, are described as transverse edges. Where an edge of a panel is described as a bottom transverse edge, this signifies that that edge lies along the side of the linear series of panels to which a bottom panel (described below) of the blank 2 is hinged. In contrast, where an edge of a panel is described as a top transverse edge, this refers to an edge of a panel that substantially opposes as aforementioned bottom transverse edge.

Hinged to the handle panel 6, along a top transverse edge 72 thereof, is an outer reinforcing panel 30, which panel is then hinged, along an adjacent edge 82 closest to the first side panel 12, to a first inner reinforcing panel 32. A second inner reinforcing panel 34 is then hinged to that first inner reinforcing panel 32, along a fold line 84 coinciding with an edge of the first inner reinforcing panel 32 that is closest to the first side panel 12.

Defined within both the handle panel 6 and the outer reinforcing panel 30, are formed two finger apertures 98. A finger flap 92 is defined from at least a portion of each finger aperture 98, and is hinged to the panel in which the finger aperture 98 is defined, along a fold line 96. The finger apertures 98 formed in the handle panel 6 are arranged so as to mirror those formed in the outer reinforcing panel 30, about the fold line 72 hinging those two panels 6, 30 together.

Finger cut-outs 100 are defined in the first inner reinforcing panel 32 to mirror the position of the finger apertures 98 in the outer reinforcing panel 30 about the fold line 82 hinging those two panels 32, 30 to one another. Optionally, the second inner reinforcing panel 34 is wider in the transverse axis than a distance between the closest edge of the finger cut-outs 100 in the first inner reinforcing panel 32 and the fold line 84 hinging the first 32 and second 34 inner reinforcing panels. If this is the case, the edge of the second inner reinforcing panel 34 closest to the first side panel 12 is shaped such that, when folded into coplanar contact with the first inner reinforcing panel 32, the second inner reinforcing panel 34 does not obstruct any portion of the finger cut-outs 100 defined therein.

Hinged to top transverse edges of the first and second side panels 12, 22, along fold lines 74, 78, are respective first and second top panels 36, 42. Hinged along bottom transverse edges of those first and second side panels 12, 22, via fold lines 76, 80, are first and second bottom panels 40, 46 respectively.

In each of the first and second top panels 74, 78 are defined a plurality of article apertures 90. The number of article apertures 90 corresponds to the number of articles that are desired to be housed in each half of the set up carton 108 (described below).

Defined between each of the article apertures 90 are tear initiation means 106. Optionally, the tear initiation mean comprise one or more frangible lines 106 that, when broken, allow the user to propagate a tear through remaining portions of the top panels 36, 42 and into the article apertures 90.

Optionally defined along edges of the first and second top panels 36, 42 furthest from respective first and second side panels 12, 22 are respective first and second top bevel panels 38, 44. The first and second top bevel panels 38, 44 hinge relative to the rest of the top panel in which they are defined, along a fold line 86, 88. The purpose of the top bevel panels 38, 44 is to permit the top panels 36, 42 to be sized larger than the width of the end panels 6, 16, 18, 26 without interfering with the operation of the top panels 36, 42. This is discussed in greater detail below.

In order to set up a carton 108 from the blank 2, the following process of folding the panels may be performed. To set up the handle structure, the first inner reinforcing panel 32 and second inner reinforcing panel 34 are folded about the fold line 82 connecting the first inner reinforcing panel 32 to the outer reinforcing panel 30. Thus the first inner reinforcing panel 32 and second inner reinforcing panel 34 are brought into contact with the first outer reinforcing panel 32 and handle panel 6 respectively, and are optionally secured thereto by some fastening means such as gluing.

The first inner reinforcing panel 32 and the out reinforcing panel 30 are then folded about respective fold lines 72, 84 so as to bring the first reinforcing panel 32 into contact with the second inner reinforcing panel 34 and with portions of the handle panel 6, thereby sandwiching the first and second inner reinforcing panels 32, 34 between the outer reinforcing panel 30 and the handle panel 6. Preferably some fastening means such as, amongst others, gluing is used to maintain the contact between the first inner reinforcing panel 32 and the handle panel 6. In this manner a set up handle structure is achieved (as shown, for example, in Fig. 2), wherein the placement and orientation of the finger apertures 98 and the finger cut-outs 100 provide are in registry with one another to allow a user's fingers to extend through the finger cut outs 100 by striking the finger flaps 92 from the finger apertures 98.

The glue flap 4 and the handle flap 6 are folded 180 degrees, about the fold line 50 hinging the handle panel 6 to the first end panel 8, into contact with first end panel 8, first corner panel 10, and first side panel 12.

The fourth end panel 26 and second glue flap 28 are folded about the fold line 68 hinging the fourth end panel 26 to the fourth corner panel 24, to bring them into contact with second side panel 22, and fourth corner panel 24.

The glue panel 4, handle panel 6, first end panel 8, first corner panel 10, first side panel 12, and second corner panel 14 are folded about the fold line 58, hinging the second corner panel 14 to the second end panel 16, to secure glue flap 4 to second end panel 16 as well as to secure the handle panel 6 to the second glue flap 28. Thus a partially erected tubular structure is created having opposed side panels 12, 22 either side of an intermediate handle panel 6. Each end of each side panel 12, 22 is hinged to a corner panel 10, 14, 20, 24 and then a corresponding end panel 8, 16, 18, 26. Each end panel is either hinged to the handle panel 6 itself or is hinged to an adjacent end panel that is so-hinged to the handle panel 6.

By folding the end panels perpendicular to the handle panel 6, the carton is put into a position in which articles may be loaded, in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 4, from beneath. This is achieved by moving the carton 108 and articles A vertically, relative to one another, thereby to bring carton down over upper portions of the articles A (as best shown in Figs.

It is envisaged that the articles A will preferably narrow toward their upper ends, in a manner such as a bottle. The narrow upper portions of the articles A pass through the articles apertures 90 in the first and second top panels 36, 42. This may be accomplished by folding those top panels 36, 42 inwardly toward the intermediate handle panel 6 before the articles A are brought upwardly into the carton 108, and thereby to extend through the article apertures 90. Alternatively, the articles A might be partially inserted into the carton 108, and then the first and second top panels 36, 42 might be folded down over their upper portions, before the articles A are fully inserted into the carton 108.

As the first and second top panels 36, 42 are folded toward the handle panel 6, the first and second top bevel panels 38, 44 may be folded away from the handle panel 6 to accommodate any excess width of the top panels 36, 42 beyond the width of the end panels 6, 16, 18, 26. Thus a continuous advertising space is provided along the top panels 36, 42, and into the handle panel 6, without leaving an interrupting gap that would potentially reduce the aesthetic appeal of the carton 108.

Once the carton is fully loaded with articles A, the first and second bottom panels 40, 46 are folded inwardly toward one another, thereby to become affixed to one another in coplanar contact by some fastening means such as gluing. In this manner the articles A loaded into the carton 108 are retained therein, the bottom panels 40, 46 being secured with sufficient strength such that the weight of the articles A may be suspended in the carton 108 when the carton 108 is lifted by its handle structure.

Once the articles A are fully inserted into the carton 108, the upper portions thereof extend sufficiently far through the article apertures 90 so as to prevent the top panels 36, 42 from being hinged away from the handle panel 6 thereby to expose the articles A for removal from the carton 108. This is best illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein two distances are illustrated, both measured from the fold line 74hinging the top panel 36 to the side panel 12. The first distance D1 is that between the fold line 74 and a furthest point on the edge of the article apertures 90, in a direction perpendicular to the fold line 74. The second distance D2 is that between the fold line 74 and a furthest point on an upper portion of an article A received in the article aperture 90.

Thus the articles A are retained in the carton 108 without the need for the top panels 36, 42 to be attached to the handle panel 6 because distance D2 is greater than D1 , and therefore the top panels 36, 42 are unable to hinge over the articles A disposed in the article apertures 90, and thereby release those articles A. This achieves an advantageous theft-proof construction, wherein the articles A cannot be removed from the carton 108 without tearing the top panels 36, 42, even though those top panels 36, 42 have not been secured at their terminal ends. The relief of any need to secure the top panels 36, 42 to the handle structure leads to a time and cost saving in the construction of the carton 108.

In order to remove articles A from the carton 108 it is necessary for the user to break the tear initiation means 106, and thereby to propagate a tear through remaining portions of the top panels 36, 42 and into the article apertures 90. In this fashion, the edges of those article apertures 90 are openable to allow the articles A contained therein to be released. In the first preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 7 the tear initiation means 106 are provided either side of a central article aperture 90 disposed between two adjacent article apertures 90, in each top panel 36, 42. By breaking the tear initiation means 106 of each top panel 36, 42 (as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7), the central article restrained by that top panel 36, 42 is freed and can be removed (as shown in Fig. 7). The adjacent articles A cannot be removed before the central article A because portions of the top panel 36, 42 that are not broken by the tear initiation means 106 still overlie portions of those adjacent articles A. Once the central article A has been removed, these adjacent articles A can be moved out from beneath the aforementioned overlying portions of the top panel 36, 42, and thus be removed from the carton 108.

Once the carton 108 has been opened, and the articles A contained therein dispensed as required, empty, or otherwise "used" articles A can be replaced into the carton 108, and that carton 108 used to return those articles A so-replaced to, for example, a shop or a recycling point. This is achieved by the fact that the tearing of the top panels 36, 42 to permit removal of the articles A does not compromise the structural integrity of the carton 108 as a basic carrier. The handle structure is still capable of supporting the weight of the articles A once the tear initiation means 106 has been deployed, and so the carton 108 can be used again. To make space in the carton for the used articles A, the first and second top panels 36, 42 may be folded inwardly of the carton, into coplanar contact with the respective side panels 12, 22, to create an open-topped compartment into which the articles A may be reinserted.

A blank 202 for forming a carton according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 8, which illustrated an alternative blank 202. The majority of the features of this second blank 202 are identical to those of the original blank 2 described above. Therefore, only the differences between the two blanks 2, 202 will be described below, and like reference numerals will be used for like elements, raised by a factor of "200" to denote the second embodiment.

The first and second top bevel panels 238, 244 are larger than those of the previously discussed blank 2. So as to prevent these panels interfering with the extension of a user's fingers through the finger apertures of the set up carton (not shown), each of the first and second top bevel panels 238, 244 have an indent 239, 245 formed in a free edges furthest from the side panels, which indent 239, 245 is sized and shaped to as to align with the finger apertures 298 when the carton is set up.

Additionally, the first and second bottom panels 240, 246 are sized such that the second bottom panel 246 extends across substantially the entire base of the set up carton, and secures to a relatively small first bottom panel 240 proximate the first side panel 212.

Blank 202 does not provide a second inner reinforcing panel, meaning that the handle structure of the resulting carton is only 3-ply in thickness.

It will be understood that the provision of the 4-ply structure of the handle described above in relation to the first embodiment is advantageous in that it provide enhanced stress distribution when the carton 108 is suspended by that handle structure in the manner described below. Nonetheless, it will also be understood that the provision of this reinforced handle structure is not limiting to the scope of the invention.

It will be understood that directional references in the above description such as "upper", "top", "lower", "bottom", "side" etc are used purely for clarity of description only and are not intended to be limiting to the scope of the invention. It is contemplated that the carton and/or blank may be re-orientated such that the above directional references do not apply, with changing the material features of the invention.

In particular, it is contemplated that instances of gluing in the above description are not limited to adhesive compounds and may apply equally to other known means of securing such as mechanical fastening, welding, or interlocking.

Whilst the above description relates to the application of the present invention to a basket style carrier, it is envisaged that other carton types would also be suitable to benefit from the advantages that it provides. For example, restraint of the articles could be achieved without the handle structure, and therefore the invention could be applied to a wraparound carton having a handle structure in the top, end or side panels.

Claims

1. A carton for accommodating an article, the carton comprising a top panel that is connected to the carton only along a fold line hingedly connecting said top panel to a side panel of the carton such that it is hingable between a closed position and an opened position prior to being loaded with an article, wherein a top portion of the article is receivable in an aperture defined in said top panel when said top panel is in the closed position, and wherein the aperture is positioned and dimensioned with respect to the hinged connection of the top panel such that the top panel is preventable from hinging from the closed position to the opened position solely by means of the presence of a portion of the article in the aperture.

2. The carton according to claim 1 , wherein a distance measured from the hinged connection of the top panel to a furthest point of said aperture is smaller than the distance from the same point on that hinged connection to the furthest point on said article received in said aperture, such that the top panel cannot be hinged relative to the remainder of the carton so as to release said article from the carton.

3. The carton according to claims 1 or claim 2, wherein the top panel comprises a tear initiation arrangement to facilitate tearing of the top panel through an edge of said aperture, thereby providing means to release enable removal of that article from the carton.

4. The carton according to and one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the top panel comprises a hinged end portion along an edge furthest from its hinged connection to the rest side panel of the carton.

5. The carton according to any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising a handle aperture by which aperture the carton is suspendable, which handle aperture is independent of said top panel.

6. The carton according to any one of claims 5 further comprising multiple compartments for containing articles, which compartments are separated by a medial wall within which the handle aperture is formed.

7. The carton according to claim 6, wherein said medial wall is secured along opposed edges to end panels of the carton.

8. The carton according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the top panel is deployable into a collapsed state after articles previously present in the carton have been removed therefrom, which collapsed state requires sufficiently minimal volume in the compartment as to permit the removed articles to be reinserted thereinto, and thus the carton to be used to transport the articles after their use.

9. The carton according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the carton is a basket-style carrier.

10. A package comprising a carton according to any one of claims 1 to 9 loaded with at least one article that abuts an edge of the aperture the top panel of the carton, thereby to prevent hinging of that top panel between an open state and a closed state, between which states the top panel would otherwise be free to hinge, and thereby retaining said at least one article within said carton.

1 1 . A blank for forming a carton for accommodating at least one article, the blank comprising a panel for forming a top panel, which top panel is connected to the blank only along a fold line hingedly connecting said top panel to a panel for forming a side panel of the carton, such that, when the carton is set up, the top panel is hingable between a closed position and an opened position prior to that carton being loaded with at least one article, wherein a top portion of the at least one article is receivable in at least one aperture, defined in said panel for forming the top panel, when said top panel is in the closed position, and wherein said at least one aperture is positioned and dimensioned with respect to the hinged connection of the top panel such that the top panel is prevented from hinging from the closed position to the opened position solely by means of the presence of the at least one article.

12. The blank according to claim 1 1 , wherein said panel for forming the top panel comprises a tear initiation arrangement to facilitate tearing of the top panel through an edge of said aperture, thereby providing means to release the at least one article from the aperture of the top panel so as to enable removal of that article from the carton

13. A method for packaging an article in a carton, which method comprises: forming a carton having an open end opposite a top panel that is connected to the carton only along a fold line hingedly connecting the top panel to a side wall of the carton, and having at least one aperture defined in said top panel positioned and dimensioned with respect to the hinged connection of the top panel such that the top panel is preventable from hinging from the closed position to the opened position solely by means of abutment between an article received in the aperture and an edge of the aperture; inserting an article through the open end of the compartment such that an upper portion of the article extends through said aperture; and closing the open end of the compartment with an end closing means thereby to enclose the article in the carton in such a way as to prevent the article being removed without the carton being torn.

14. A basket style carrier comprising a top panel, which top panel is hinged to a side wall of the carrier along an edge thereof, wherein a free edge of the top panel opposite to the hinged edge is disconnected from an upright medial handle structure of the carrier.