End loading can carton

Abstract: An end loading carton (c) for cans comprises a top panel (14,14a,14b), a bottom panel (18,18a, 18b), a pair of side wall panels (12,18,20) forming a generally tubular structure. End closure panels (30,32:38,40) are hinged to the opposite end edges of the top and bottom wall panels. Reinforcing panels (62,64,66,68;61,63,65,67) are disposed in overlapping relationship with the inner surface of at least one of the top or bottom wall panels of the carton directly engaging the adjacent ends of the packaged cans (c). The reinforcing panels are foldably joined to corner parts of the tubular structure and folded into overlapping relationship with the top and/or bottom wall panels.

Description: This invention relates to an end loading can carton and is particularly concerned with the prevention of damage to the top and bottom panels of such cartons which can occur when such cartons are stacked, for example, during palletisation. In such circumstances there is a tendency for the cans to disfigure the top and bottom carton panels by local embossing in which the cans themselves act as embossing dies. This occurs because cans of the so called two piece type are constructed so that the lower ends thereof coincide with and are received by (nested with) the recessed upper ends of a like stacked cam. When such cans are packaged in bulk in a container such as a corrugated paperboard container this nested relationship of cans between stacked containers enhances the stability of the overall stack. Thus the coincident can chines can effect a local embossing operation upon the contacting carton panels. It is known to utilise separating sheets formed, for example, from corrugated paper board in order to separate cans in one tier from the cans in another adjacent tier in order to prevent carton disfiguration. In our granted US Patent No 45666626 an end loading can carton is disclosed in which a reinforcing panel is secured in flat face contacting relation to the inner surface of one of the horizontal (top or bottom wall) panels for directly engaging the adjacent ends of the packaged cans. In this arrangement separate reinforced panels are secured to the top and bottom panels of the carton. In the present invention reinforcing panels are provided at the top and/or bottom wall panels of an end loading carton in which the reinforcing panels are derived from portions of the carton hinged to the said top and/or bottom panel and folded into overlapping relationship with that top and/or bottom wall panel. To this end the invention provides an end loading can carton comprising a top panel, a bottom panel a pair of side wall panels foldably joined respectively to opposite side edges of said top and bottom panels thereby forming a generally tubular structure, end closure panels hinged to the opposite end edges of the top and bottom wall panels at least partially to close the ends of the carton and a reinforcing panel disposed in superposed relationship with the inner surface of at least one of the top or bottom wall panels of the carton for directly engaging the adjacent ends of the packaged cans characterised in that said reinforcing panel is foldably joined to adjacent parts of the tubular structure and folded into said overlapping relationship. According to a feature of the invention, said reinforcing panel may be hinged to said top and/or bottom wall panels. In constructions where this feature is adopted, said reinforcing panel may be hinged to a corner portion of said top and/or bottom wall panel. According to another feature of the invention, said reinforcing panel may comprise material taken in part from each of the adjacent side and end walls of the carton and creates, in the completed carton, an opening in the corresponding corner of the carton. According to yet another feature of the invention, said reinforcing panel may be hinged to each corner of said top and/or bottom wall panels. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a plan view of a paperboard blank for forming a carton according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view as seen from above and from one end of an end loading carton showing the reinforcing panels in their final position and with one end of the carton shown open ready for loading; Figure 3 is a perspective view as seen from above and from one end of the carton shown in Figure 2 shown loaded and having its ends closed; Figure 4 is a plan view of a further carton blank for forming another carton according to the invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view as seen from above and from one end of a carton formed from the blank shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a plan view of the further paper board blank performing another carton according to the invention; and Figure 7 is a perspective view from above and from one end of a carton formed from the blank shown in Figure 6. Referring to the drawings and first to Figures 1-3 thereof, a carton "C" is formed from an elongate blank 10 of paperboard or similar foldable sheet material and comprises, in series, a first side wall panel 12, a top wall panel 14 a second side wall panel 16, a bottom panel 18 and a securing strip 20 hinged one to the next along transverse fold lines 22, 24, 26 and 28 respectively. Top end closure panels 30 and 32 are hinged to each of the opposite ends of the top panel along fold lines 34 and 36 and similar bottom end closure panels 38 and 40 are hinged to the bottom panel along fold lines 42 and 44 respectively. The bottom end closure panels 38 and 40 are hinged to side wall 16 by means of corner panels 46 and 48 and associated gusset panels 50 and 52 respectively and likewise are hinged to the securing strip 20 along corner panels 54 and 56 and associated gusset panels 58 and 60 respectively. A set of like reinforcing panels 62, 64, 66 and 68 is hinged to the top panel at each of its corners along diagonal fold lines 70, 72, 74 and 76, the hinged reinforcing panels being free to fold inwardly towards the centre of the top panel about their respective fold lines into superposed overlapping relationship with the top panel as shown in broken lines in Figure 1 and thereby provide substantial two-ply material over a substantive area of the top panel of the carton. The blank is formed into a sleeve by securing the securing strip 20 to the free transverse edge of the side panel 12 as is well known in the art and the carton sleeve thereby formed can be supplied in flat collapsed form to a user. Alternatively, reinforcement panels 62, 64, 66 and 68 can be folded and glued in superimposed relationship with top wall panel 14 prior to shipping to a location where cans are packaged. In this case, the carton is set up for loading by adopting the configuration substantially shown in Figure 2. Articles such as beverage cans are loaded through the open ends of the carton. When the end closure panels are closed to complete the carton it will be seen that corner portions of the complete package from which the reinforcing panels are struck are, at least in part, open so causing the corner articles to be partially exposed to view. Of course, this is because each reinforcing panel comprises material taken in part from each of the adjacent side and end walls (end closure panels) of the carton. However, the corner panels linking the end closure panels and the side walls of the carton do obscure part of the walls of the cans located at the carton corners. This has been found to be advantageous in that the product bar code of the can is obscured so that a price indication for a single can is not read instead of the pricing code for the carton as a whole. In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings a similar carton and blank is depicted and like parts designate like reference numerals with the addition of suffix "a". However, in this arrangement there is no connecting corner and gusset panels between the side walls of the carton and the bottom end closure panel and therefore in the completed carton the cornermost packaged articles are exposed to view over their full height. It will be appreciated that in either of the embodiments described above, the top wall panel described may in fact act as the bottom wall of the carton and therefore the reinforcing panels may be associated with either one of or both the top and bottom walls of the carton. Hence, in Figures 4 and 5 panel 14a represents the bottom panel. Referring now to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings a further embodiment of the invention is shown which is a blank and carton formed therefrom similar to that described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings and in which like parts are designated like reference numerals with the substitution of the suffix "b" . In this further modified arrangement foldable reinforcing panels are provided for both the top wall panel and the bottom wall panel of the carton. Thus, foldable reinforcing panels 62b, 64b, 66b, and 68b are associated with the top wall panel 14 and further foldable reinforcing panels 61, 63, 65 and 67 are associated with the bottom wall panel 18. As in the previous embodiment described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings when the carton is formed the corner portions are opened to expose to view the full height of the corner articles.

Claims: An end loading carton for cans which carton comprises a top panel (14, 14a, 14b), a bottom panel (18, 18a, 18b) and a pair of side wall panels (12, 12a, 12b; 16, 16a, 16b) foldably joined respectively to opposite side edges of said top and bottom panels thereby forming a generally tubular structure, end closure panels (30, 32; 30a, 32a; 30b, 32b) hinged to the opposite end edges of the top and bottom wall panels (38, 40; 38a 40a; 38b, 40b) at least partially to close the ends of the carton and a reinforcing panel (62, 62a, 62b; 64, 64a, 64b; 66, 66a, 66b; 68, 68a, 68b) disposed in overlapping relationship within the inner surface of at least one of the top or bottom wall panels of the carton for directly engaging the adjacent ends of the packaged articles characterised in that said reinforcing panel is foldably joined to adjacent parts of the tubular structure and folded into said overlapping relationship. An end loading carton according to Claim 1 wherein a reinforcing panel is hinged to said top and/or bottom wall panels. An end loading carton according to Claim 2 wherein said reinforcing panel is hinged to a corner portion (70, 70a, 70b; 72, 72a, 72b; 74, 74a, 74b; 76, 76a, 76b) of said top and/or bottom wall panel. And end loading carton according to any of Claims 1 to 3 wherein said reinforcing panel comprises material taken in part from each of the adjacent side and end wall of the carton and creates, in the completed carton, an opening in the corresponding corner of the carton. An end loading carton according to any of the preceding claims wherein a reinforcing panel is hinged to each corner of said top and/or bottom wall panels.

Inventors: BLIN PATRICK, SAULAS ALAIN, BLIN, PATRICK, SAULAS, ALAIN
Applicants: MEAD CORP, THE MEAD CORPORATION
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B65D71
IPC codes: B65D5, B65D71