Severable connection between a handle and a divider panel of a carton

A divider panel assembly for a carton which has a handle panel and an anchor panel which are interconnected by tear bars is cut to form the tear bars in a manner which will maintain the strength of the handle panel while facilitating the separation of the handle panel and the anchor panel. The joint between the handle panel and the anchor panel is formed by providing a plurality of cuts at the connection between the handle panel and the anchor panel. Each joint has first, second and third cuts which are arranged to form tear bars therebetween which are of a greater length than the tear bars previously known so as to facilitate the initial movement of the handle with respect to the anchor panel and the ease with which the tear bars may ultimately be torn. All of the cuts which form the joining means extend in or below the severance plane.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
This invention relates to dividers for use in cartons in which a handle is 
formed integrally with the divider. In particular, this invention relates 
to a structure in which the handle is detachably secured to the divider 
during the assembly of the divider and can be separated therefrom so as to 
be raised to extend above the carton in which the divider is located. 
The divider of the type to which the present invention is directed is 
described in Canadian Patent No. 946,335. In this divider construction, 
the handle is initially connected to the anchor panel by so-called bars 
which are formed by cutting the divider panel in a manner which will serve 
to cause the bars to tear when the handle panel is lifted upwardly away 
from the anchor panel. 
It has been found in practice that the preferred bar structure is a 
modified version of that illustrated in FIG. 5 of Patent 946,335 in which 
two bars are provided. The modification involves extending the uppermost 
and lowermost cut lines so that they extend downwardly and upwardly 
respectively in a spaced parallel relationship with respect to the 
angularly inclined portion of the Z-shaped central cut line. 
It has been found that it is advantageous to provide two bars rather than 
the single bar which is illustrated in FIG. 7 of Patent 946,335 because 
the provision of two bars increases the strength of the initial connection 
between the handle panel and the anchor panel which is important during 
the initial forming and folding of the divider panel. 
The handle described in Patent 946,335 is formed with a shoulder which 
bears against the folded upper edge of the anchor panel to support the 
weight of the carton and its contents when the carton is being carried by 
the handle. The strength of this shoulder is dependent upon the height of 
the shoulder panel. As is shown in FIG. 4 of Patent 946,335, the cut lines 
used to form the double bar connect includes cuts that extend above the 
horizontal severance plane along which the handle is severed from the 
anchor panel in use. As a result, the weakest point of the handle is along 
the line that extends from the intersection of the upper edge of the 
shoulder and the vertical side edge of the handle portion and the 
uppermost cut- line of the adjacent connecting bars. 
It will also be noted that the pattern of the cut lines of Patent 946,335 
is such that the cut lines of each set of connecting bars are identical to 
one another. That is to say, the cut lines are each of the same "hand". As 
a result of this structure, when the handle panel is initially raised, the 
panel will tend to move laterally. This results in a twisting or bending 
of the connecting arms and can make the initial tearing operation somewhat 
more difficult. 
It will be noted that the free length of the interconnecting arms formed by 
the cut pattern of Patent 946,335 is relatively short. As a result, very 
little vertical movement of the handle is permitted before it is necessary 
to tear the bars to free the handle. Generally the most difficult 
operation involved in manipulating the handle panel to its raised position 
is the effort required to tear the connecting bars to release the handle 
from the anchor panel. This is made more difficult because it is necessary 
to apply the forces necessary to tear the handle before the handle is 
raised to a sufficient extent to provide good finger access to the opening 
in the handle. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved connecting 
structure for connecting a handle to an anchor panel of a carton divider. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide connecting bars 
which interconnect the handle and the anchor panel which are elongated so 
as to permit the handle to be raised a substantial distance from the 
anchor panel before the connecting bars need to be torn to release the 
handle. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pattern of 
cuts which form the connecting bars in which right and left hand patterns 
are used to ensure that the handle may be raised vertically during the 
initial separation of the handle and anchor panel. 
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a 
structure in which two connecting bars are provided at each connecting 
point and wherein both connecting bars extend below the plane of severance 
along which the remainder of the handle panel is severed from the anchor 
panel. 
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided in a 
divider panel assembly of the type which has a handle panel that is formed 
integrally with an anchor panel, the handle panel having shoulders that 
project laterally from opposite side edges of the handle portion thereof 
which serve to support the weight of a carton that is carried by the 
handle in use, the handle panel being severed from the anchor panel along 
a severance cut that extends in a severance plane that extends 
transversely below the handle panel and is interrupted by first and second 
tearable joining means that connect the handle panel and the anchor panel, 
the first and second joining means being located one below each side edge 
of the handle portion, the improvement wherein each joining means 
comprises; a first cut which has a first portion of its length that 
extends along the severance plane and a second portion of its length that 
extends downwardly and inwardly from the first portion to a terminal end 
portion, a second cut which has first and second portions of its length 
located below and extending parallel to the first and second portions of 
the first cut and a third portion that extends upwardly from the second 
portion in a plane that is parallel to the severance plane to form a first 
tear bar therebetween, a third cut that extends from a first end and has 
first and second portions of its length that are located below and extend 
parallel to the second and third portions of the second cut and a third 
portion that extends upwardly and inwardly to the severance plane, the 
second and third cuts being separated from one another by a second tear 
bar, the terminal end of the first cut and the first end of the third cut 
being disposed opposite one another on opposite sides of the second cut.

With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the reference numeral 10 refers 
generally to a carton which, with the exception of the joining means that 
is used to connect the handle panel to the anchor panel, is constructed 
generally in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,137. 
The carton 10 has end walls 12 and a divider wall generally identified by 
the reference numeral 14 which extends along the length of the container 
between the end walls 12. 
With the exception of the joining means the divider 14 is formed from a 
series of hingedly connected panels in the manner described in U.S. Pat. 
No. 2,609,137. The divider has a pair of outer panels 16 joined at their 
upper ends by a fold line 18 which has a central section removed to 
provide an opening 20 through which the gripping portion of the handle 
member 22 may pass. The handle member 22 is severably connected to an 
anchor panel 28 along the generally horizontally extending severance line 
34. The divider also has a pair of shoulders 24 that project laterally 
outwardly from opposite side edges 32 of the handle portion 30. 
The present invention can be distinguished from the structure disclosed in 
Canadian Patent No. 946,335 because of the shape configuration and 
orientation of the joining means used to connect the handle member 22 to 
the anchor panel 28. The joining means is generally identified by 
reference numerals 40 and 42 in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The joining means 
40 is of an opposite hand to the joining means 42. Otherwise the joining 
means 40 and the joining means 42 are identical to one another. As shown 
in FIG. 5 of the drawings, the joining means 40 includes a first cut 44 
which has a first portion of its length 46 that extends along the 
severance plane 34 and a second portion of its length 48 that extends 
downwardly and inwardly from the first portion and terminates at 50. A 
second cut 52 has a first portion 54 and a second portion 56 of its length 
located below and extending parallel to the first portion 46 and second 
portion 48 of the first cut 44. A third portion 57 extends inwardly from 
the lower end of the second portion 56 parallel to the severance plane 34 
to form a first tear bar 58. 
A third cut 62 extends from a first end 60 and has first and second 
portions 64 and 66 that are located below and extend parallel to the 
second and third portions 56 and 58. The third cut also includes a third 
portion 68 which extends upwardly and inwardly to the severance plane 34. 
The second cut 52 is separated from the third cut 64 by a second tear bar 
70. The terminal end 50 of the first cut and the first end 60 of the third 
cut are disposed opposite one another on opposite sides of the second 
portion 56 of the second cut and are located substantially centrally of 
the length of the second portion 56. 
As shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, when the handle portion 30 is raised 
with respect to the anchor panel 28, the first and second tear bars 58 and 
70 will be deformed and will assume a configuration at least approximating 
that illustrated in FIG. 6. Ultimately the continued raising of the handle 
portion will cause the tear bars to sever along one or other of the tear 
lines 80, 82 and one or other of the tear lines 84, 86. 
Because of the fact that the joining means 40 and 42 are of opposite hand 
configuration, the raising of the handle portion 30 will tend to occur in 
the general direction of the vertically oriented arrows 88. 
Because the tear bars 58 and 70 are considerably longer than the tear bars 
of prior Canadian Patent No. 946,335, they are more flexible than the 
previously known tear bars; and as a result it is possible to initiate the 
lifting of the handle portion more easily. Typically the length of each 
section of the tear bar of the present invention is about 5 mm. with the 
result that the total length of each chair bar is about 1 cm. This 
contrasts with the previously known tear bars which have a total length of 
about 5 mm. 
It will also be noted that because none of the tear lines extend above the 
severance plane 34, the distance H from the corner 33 which is formed 
between the shoulder 24 and the side edge 32 to the first cut line 44 is 
at least equal to the distance from the corner 33 to the severance plane 
34 with the result that the forming of the joining means does not weaken 
the handle structure along its weakest point which is the vertical plane 
that extends from the corner 33. 
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides 
an improved joining means for releasably securing the handle of a divider 
panel to its anchor panel. The joining means serves to permit the handle 
to be displaced from its initial storage position to a partially raised 
position with ease without weakening the connection formed between the 
shoulder portions of the handle and the hand engaging portion. These and 
other advantages of the structure of the present invention will be 
apparent to those skilled in the art.