EP0754631A1

EP0754631A1 - Beverage carton for bottles with strap type carrying handle

Info

Publication number: EP0754631A1
Application number: EP96305219A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philippe Marie; Eric Boukredine
Original assignee: Mead Corp
Current assignee: Mead Corp
Priority date: 1995-07-17
Filing date: 1996-07-17
Publication date: 1997-01-22
Also published as: GB9514585D0

Abstract

A carton (c) for beverage containers includes a series of hinged panels (12-24) forming a sleeve and end closure panels (42, 42a: 78, 78a) hinged to at least a top panel (12, 24) of the carton for closing, at least in part, the opposite ends of the sleeve. The top panel includes a handle panel 'S' by which the carton can be carried. The handle panel is disposed in a stowed substantially coplanar relationship with the top panel when the carton subsists as an open-ended sleeve and is automatically put into a position of use when the end closure panels are hinged into their closed positions so that at least a user portion of the handle panel stands proud of the top panel. The handle panel include end apertures (78, 78a: 86, 86a) into which top portions of bottles (B) are engaged to prevent the bottles tending to topple inwardly when the carton is lifted by the handle.

Description

This invention relates to a carton which is particularly but not only suitable for accommodating beverage bottles and which incorporates a "strap-type" carrying handle. The handle preferably is automatically set up into a position of use as the carton is being closed after having been loaded and includes means to stabilize endmost central bottles within the carton. The handle in many respects is similar to that disclosed in our co-pending patent application No 9413862.5 which relates to a carton for beverage cans.
Beverage cartons which include carrying handles and, indeed, strap type carrying handles are known. US Patent No 2 889 104 (Caster) discloses a carton having an integral strap handle and a handle slot. The strap handle is formed from an inner top lap panel whereas the handle slot is formed in the outer top lap panel. A pair of end flaps is foldably joined to the opposite end edges of the inner lap panel to form parts of the carton end walls. The handle strap itself is relatively short and is formed solely from one of the main panels of the carton.
US Patent No 4 378 905 discloses a carton having a two-ply strap handle formed from the top lap panel of the carton. A score line is formed in the top lap panel and extends into both the end flaps associated with the top lap panel. A portion between the score line and the adjacent free side edge of the carton is folded double to form the handle joined at its opposite ends to the carton end walls. The strap handle extends completely across the top wall and load is transmitted from the handle into the end walls of the carton.
US Patent No 2 955 739 shows an integral strap handle similar to US 4 378 905 wherein a relatively wide slot is provided instead of a score line to define the strap handle.
European Patent Application No EP0203806 A2 shows a handle portion with a pair of yielding tabs disposed in the inner overlapping panel of the carton. These tabs allow upward bowing of the handle without applying undue force to the top portion of the end bottle in the middle row of bottles.
European Patent No 0 098 903 shows a handle slot having a pair of end tabs for partially covering a portion of the handle exposed in the slot. The handle strap itself is formed wholly from one of the end closure panels at one end of the carton.
German Patent DE 2 052 618 shows a strap handle formed from the top wall of a wrap-around carton and having opposite ends thereof extending into the carton side walls. The handle has no fold line co-linear with the fold lines between the top wall and the adjacent side walls and thus allows itself to "pop-up" when the side walls are folded downwardly.
In the present invention a "pop-up" strap carrying handle is provided in a top wall of the carton so that a central part of the strap is exposed to view in a handle access aperture. End portions of the handle strap which are disposed internally of the carton are secured to each of the top end closure panels hinged to the top wall panel. Intermediate portions of the handle strap between the central part and the end portions include means to stabilize endmost bottles in the carton so that the tendency of such bottles to topple inwardly when the carton is lifted is minimized. When the carton is lifted by the exposed part of the handle strap load is transmitted from the handle strap to the top wall of the carton at each of the opposite ends of the handle access aperture and is distributed through the top wall.
One aspect of the present invention provides a carton for beverage containers which carton includes a series of hinged panels forming a sleeve and end closure panels hinged at least to one of said hinged panels for closing, at least in part, the opposite ends of said sleeve, wherein said one hinged panel includes a handle panel by which the carton can be carried, characterized by means adjacent the ends of said handle panel for engaging top portions of adjacent containers when the carton is lifted by the handle panel so that said adjacent containers are maintained in a substantially upright attitude.
According to a feature of ths aspect of the invention, said handle panel may be disposed in a stowed substantially coplanar relationship with said one hinged panel when the carton subsists as an open ended sleeve and is put into a position of use when said end closure panels are hinged into their closed positions whereby at least a portion of said handle panel stands proud of said one panel.
According to another feature of this aspect of the invention, said handle other than said portion may be secured to end closure panels associated with said one panel internally of the carton and wherein said handle portion is exposed to view within a handle access aperture provided in said one panel.
Another aspect of the invention provides a carton for beverage containers which carton has a strap handle by which the carton can be carried, said strap handle having a central user portion exposed to view in a handle access aperture formed in the top wall of the carton, intermediate portions adjacent to said central user portion disposed beneath said top panel and end portions adjacent to said intermediate portions secured to end closure panels hinged at opposed ends of said top wall and including in said intermediate portions means for stabilizing adjacent containers so that they are held in a substantially upright attitude.
According to a feature of this aspect of the invention, said intermediate and end portions may be disposed internally of said carton. Preferably, said strap handle is formed from material provided at one end of a blank from which the carton is formed.
According to another feature of this aspect of the invention, said user portion may lie substantially coplanar with said top panel when said end closure panels also lie substantially coplanar with respect to the top panel but automatically is deployed through said handle access aperture into a position of use, upstanding from the top wall, when the end closure panels are closed.
Preferably, the handle is formed from material which is integral with said top panel. It is also a preferred feature of the invention that the opposite ends of the carton include end closure panels hinged to said top panel and wherein said handle panel includes end portions secured to said end closure panels.
According to yet another feature of this aspect of the invention, said handle panel may be a multi-ply strap formed from material which is integral with said top panel and said end closure panels.
Yet another aspect of the invention provides a carton blank comprising a series of main panels hinged one to the next for forming an open ended sleeve and a series of end closure panel hinged along opposed edges of said main panels to close the ends of the sleeve and wherein material to form a handle is provided at one end of said blank said material including a central portion integral with one of said main panels and end portions integral with opposed end closure panels hinged to said one main panel and said material to form said handle being provided with means to engage the tops of endmost containers to hold those containers stabily.
According to a feature of this aspect of the invention, said one main panel may be adapted to be secured to a main panel at the opposite end of the blank, said opposite main panel being formed with a handle access aperture with which said central portion is brought into register when said one and said opposite main panels are secured together.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a carton blank from which a carton according to the invention is formed;
Figure 2 is a schematic end view of one end of the carton showing the carrying handle strap in use without stabilizing means according to the present invention; and
Figure 3 is a schematic end view of the completed carton with the carrying handle disposed in a position of use upstanding from an aperture in the top wall of the carton and in which the carrying handle includes stabilizing means according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings, an elongate carton blank 10 formed from paperboard or other suitable foldable sheet material comprises a series of main panels hinged one to the next. The main panels comprise, in series, a first top panel 12, a first upper side wall panel 14, a first lower side wall panel 16, a base panel 18, a second lower side wall panel 20, a second upper side wall panel 22, a second top panel 24 and a handle strap reinforcing panel 26 hinged one to the next along transverse fold lines 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 respectively. The first and second top walls 12 and 24 together form a single composite top wall in the completed carton when they are secured together in overlapping relationship.
In order to close the ends of the carton, a series of end closure panels are hinged along the opposed longitudinal edges of the main panels. Since the carton blank is symmetrical about its longitudinal centre line, reference is now made to one set of end closure panels, it being understood that the opposite set of end closure panels are identical and designated by like reference numerals with the addition of the suffix 'a'. Thus, a top end closure panel 42 is hinged to the top panel 12 along a longitudinal fold line 32. An upper side wall end closure panel 44 is hinged to the first upper side wall panel 14 along a general longitudinal fold line 46. Top end closure panel 42 and upper side wall end closure panel 44 are hinged together by means of a web 48. Lower side wall closure panel 50 is hinged to lower side wall panel 16 along longitudinal fold line 52 and closure panels 44 and 50 are hinged together to facilitate closure by means of a web 54. A bottom end closure panel 56 is hinged to bottom panel 18 along a longitudinal fold line 58.
A further lower side wall end closure panel 60 is hinged to the lower side wall panel 20 along longitudinal fold line 62. Upper side wall end closure panel 64 is hinged to upper side wall panel 22 along a longitudinal fold line 66. Upper and lower side end closure panels 60 and 64 are hinged together to facilitate closure by means of a web 68. Top end closure panel 70 is hinged to top panel 24 along a longitudinal fold line 72 and end closure panels 64 and 70 are hinged together by means of a mutually hinged web 74. A similar set of end closure panels and webs are provided at the opposite ends of the various main panels.
Top panel 24 is formed to provide a handle strap 76 by means of cut line '1' integral with end closure panels 70 and 70a, which is provided with end apertures 78, 78a which taper towards and extend into each of the top end closure panels 70 and 70a. The end apertures are disposed, in the main, between inner and outer parallel longitudinal fold lines 80 and 82 formed at the end of the handle strap 76 and the handle strap 76 is hinged to top end closure panel 70 by fold line 80.
At one extreme end of the blank integral with handle strap 76, there is provided a handle reinforcing strip 26 which is in general a mirror image of handle strap 76.
Thus, as best seen in Figure 1 of the drawings, in order to form a two-ply thickness handle the extreme end of the blank is folded about perforate fold line 40 to produce a multi-ply handle strap S which is free of the top wall panel 12/24 but secured at each of its opposite ends with end closure panels 70 and 70a.
Handle reinforcing strip 26 includes at each of its opposite ends reinforcing panels 84 and 84a and end apertures 86 and 86a. Handle reinforcing strip 26 is hinged to end reinforcing panels 84 and 84a along outer longitudinal fold lines 88 and 88a and includes inner longitudinal fold lines 90 and 90a disposed substantially parallel to fold lines 88 and 88a. Thus end apertures are disposed in the main, between fold lines 88/90 and 88a/90a and taper in a direction towards the end reinforcing panels.
At the opposite end of the blank, the top panel 12 is formed with a handle access aperture 92. A set of stress relieving score lines 'sl' extend from the handle access opening to the adjacent sides of the top panel. However, since the top panel as a whole is in part provided by panel 24 a portion of the handle access opening and stress relief score lines are formed in panel 24. These are brought into registry with their complementary features in panel 12 when panels 12 and 24 are secured together.
In order to create a sleeve in flat folded condition from the blank, after the handle strip has been put into its two-ply form S, the blank is folded about fold lines 30 and 36 so that upper side wall panels 14 and 22, top wall panel 12 and top wall panel 24 together with the double-ply handle panel S are folded together through 180° and the two top wall panels secured in face to face relationship. Thus, the completed top wall is disposed in face to face relationship with bottom panel 18 and the upper side wall panels 14 and 22 are disposed in face to face relationship with the lower side wall panels to provide a complete sleeve in flat collapsed condition.
When the top panel 12 and top panel 24 have been brought into register, it will be appreciated that the central user part of the handle strip 76 is exposed to view in the handle access aperture 92 but is otherwise disposed internally of the carton. While the top end closure panels are generally in the plane of the composite top panel 12/24 the handle strip panel 76 also remains generally coplanar with those panels and with the associated end closure panels 70, 70a.
The carton can then be set up from the flat collapsed condition, to an erected position ready for loading through each or both of its open ends. Once loading has taken place, the end closure panels 70, 70a are closed and secured together at each of the ends of the carton as is well known in the art.
The end closure panels 70, 70a closing preferably has an effect on the disposition of the handle strap. As the top end closure panels are hinged into their closing position, the tautness of the handle strip panel across the composite top wall is reduced so that in effect the central portion of the handle strip panel underlying the composite top wall panel becomes slack and a central user part H of the handle bows upwardly and protrudes through the handle access aperture 92 as shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. Thus the central part of the handle H is bowed upwardly proud of the top wall into a position for ready use.
Figures 2 and 3 show the completed carton as it would be presented to a user.
Thus in order to lift the carton, a user would grasp the handle whereby upward force on the handle strap causes load exerted by the carton on the handle strap is transmitted at the ends of the handle access aperture to the carton top wall. The stress distribution score lines allow the top wall of the carton to "give" somewhat so that the stresses transferred to the carton panels are more evenly distributed whereby that tearing is inhibited.
Figure 2 of the drawings illustrates the effect of lifting such a carton in the absence of means to stabilize the centre row endmost bottles in the carton. These endmost bottles are pulled at their tops by the intermediate portions of the handle strap, that is, those portions which are free of the top wall and located between the central section and the end portions. This tendency to cause the central endmost bottles to topple inwardly has the consequential effect that the heel portions of the relevant bottles push outwardly and can cause tearing at the lower side wall parts of the carton.
Figure 3 of the drawings illustrates the effect of lifting a carton which includes end apertures 80/80a and 86/86a struck from the intermediate portions of the handle strap. Thus, the top ends of the central endmost bottles can enter these end apertures so that the inward movement of the intermediate portions does not cause a consequential inward force on the bottle necks. Indeed, the tapered nature of the end apertures allow the bottle tops to be progresively locked into engagement with the apertures as the handle strap is moved upwardly. Thus, the end apertures allow the central endmost bottles to be stabilized in that they are retained in a more upright attitude thereby avoiding the transfer of shear stress to bottom and or lower side portion of the carton.

Claims

A carton for beverage containers which carton includes a series of hinged panels forming a sleeve and end closure panels hinged at least to one of said hinged panels for closing, at least in part, the opposite ends of said sleeve, wherein said one hinged panel includes a handle panel by which the carton can be carried, characterized by means adjacent the ends of said handle panel for engaging top portions of adjacent containers when the carton is lifted by the handle panel so that said adjacent containers are maintained in a substantially upright attitude.
A carton according to claim 1 wherein said handle panel is disposed in a stowed substantially coplanar relationship with said one hinged panel when the carton subsists as an open ended sleeve and is put into a position of use when said end closure panels are hinged into their closed positions whereby at least a portion of said handle panel stands proud of said one panel.
A carton according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein parts of said handle other than said portion are secured to end closure panels associated with said one panel internally of the carton and wherein said handle portion is exposed to view within a handle access aperture provided in said one panel.
A carton for beverage containers which carton has a strap handle by which the carton can be carried, said strap handle having a central user portion exposed to view in a handle access aperture formed in the top wall of the carton, intermediate portions adjacent to said central user portion disposed beneath said top panel and end portions adjacent to said intermediate portions secured to end closure panels hinged at opposed ends of said top wall and including in said intermediate portions means for stabilizing adjacent containers so that they are held in a substantially upright attitude.
A carton according to claim 4 wherein said intermediate and end portions are disposed internally of said carton.
A carton according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said strap handle is formed from material provided at one end of a blank from which the carton is formed.
A carton according to any of claims 4 to 6 wherein said user portion lies substantially coplanar with said top panel when said end closure panels also lie substantially coplanar with respect to the top panel but automatically is deployed through said handle access aperture into a position of use, upstanding from the top wall, when the end closure panels are closed.
A carton according to any of the preceding claims wherein the handle is formed from material which is integral with said top panel.
A carton according to any of the preceding claims wherein the opposite ends of the carton include end closure panels hinged to said top panel and wherein said handle panel includes end portions secured to said end closure panels.
A carton according to any of the preceding claims wherein said handle panel is a multi-ply strap formed from material which is integral with said top panel and said end closure panels.
A carton blank comprising a series of main panels hinged one to the next for forming an open ended sleeve and a series of end closure panel hinged along opposed edges of said main panels to close the ends of the sleeve and wherein material to form a handle is provided at one end of said blank said material including a central portion integral with one of said main panels and end portions integral with opposed end closure panels hinged to said one main panel and said material to form said handle being provided with means to engage the tops of endmost containers to hold those containers stabily.
A carton blank according to claim 11 wherein said one main panel is adapted to be secured to a main panel at the opposite end of the blank, said opposite main panel being formed with a handle access aperture with which said central portion is brought into register when said one and said opposite main panels are secured together.