CARTON FOR A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES

Abstract: There is provided a paperboard carton having side walls (11), end walls (12) and base panels (14, 15) for holding a number of bottles (25). The carton may be in the form of a basket type carton having a central handle section (13). One of the base panels (15) has an end portion (23) foldably attached to a remainder portion (24) with two spaced elongate slots spanning the fold. The other base panel (14) has two push up flaps which, when the base panels (14, 15) are assembled, extend into the slots. The push up flaps (19) and the end portion (23), in use, engage, between adjacent pairs of bottles to reduce bottle contact.

Description: CARTON FOR A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES This invention relates to paperboard cartons for retaining a plurality of articles such as bottles or cans, the carton providing division between the articles. The carton may take one of a number of known forms such as a wrap, a basket type container or a fully enclosed box. According to the present invention there is provided a paperboard carton for retaining a plurality of articles said carton having a pair of oppositely disposed side walls and a pair of oppositely disposed base panel sections hingedly connected to the respective side walls, one of said base panel sections incorporating a number of push up flaps which are hingedly connected to said one base panel section about hinges which are substantially perpendicular to the hinge with the side wall so as to be movable into positions in which they are, in use, angled relative to said one base panel section, said base panel sections in use overlapping each other and being secured relative to each other that said push up flaps project into the carton between adjacent pairs of articles in the lengthwise direction of the carton. Preferably said first base panel means overlies the second base panel means, which is provided with openings through which the flaps, in use, extend. It is a preferred feature that the second base panel means has a fold line substantially parallel to its hinge with its side wall to define an end portion which is hinged so as to be angled relative to the remainder of the second base panel so that, in use, the end portion is located between two adjacent rows of articles. Conveniently said openings are in the form of elongate slots spanning said hinge in the second base panel means and said base panel means each comprise a single panel. Normally the flaps and the end portion are, in use, substantially perpendicular to the respective base panels. With some arrangements said push up flaps are generally rectangular and are hinged along the long edges. Generally the base panel means are adhesively secured together. In certain embodiments the carton is in the form of an article retaining sleeve. In other embodiments the carton is in the form of a basket type container which further comprises a pair of end walls joining the two side walls at each end so as to define a compartment for receiving the articles which compartment is subdivided into individual article compartments by the push-up flaps and the end portion of the second base panel means. Preferably the end walls have inward folded extensions each having a bent back tab which is disposed in the general plane of the base and which, in use, is adhesively secured to one or both of the base panel means and also the bent back tabs extend towards the first base panel means. One embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail. The description makes reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a blank for a carton according to the present invention, Figures 2 to 6 are perspective views from below of the base panels of the carton being assembled, and Figure 7 shows a blank for a second embodiment according to the present invention. In figures 1 to 6 there is provided a paperboard blank 10 for producing a basket type container which has a pair of compartments on either side of a handle section. The compartments each have a side wall 1 1 and two end walls 12. The handle section is formed by cutting, folding and gluing the central section 13 of the blank 10 and such techniques as well as numerous variations are well known. A first base panel 14 is hingedly connected to one 5 of the side walls 11 and a second base panel 15 is hingedly connected to the other side wall 11. Hingedly connected to the end walls 12 are inner panels 16, 17 which are folded inwards of the basket during assembly of the basket and ^ glued together to form central wall portions at both ends of the basket between the two basket compartments. Further gluing tabs 18 are hingedly connected to the inner panels 16, 17 and are folded back so as to be in the same plane as the resulting base section. 1 The first base panel 14 has a pair of spaced push-up flaps 19 which remain hingedly connected to the first base panel 14 by way of folds 20. The flaps 19 are in this embodiment generally rectangular in shape. The second base panel 15 has a pair of spaced elongate slots 21 0 which are generally perpendicular to a lengthwise extending fold line 22 which is substantially parallel to the hinge line between the second base panel and its associated side wall 1 1. This fold 22 defines a free end portion 23 of the second base panel 15 and a remainder portion 24 attached to the side wall. The width of the remainder portion is equal to half the full width of the 5 basket. To assemble the container, as mentioned above, the central section 13, side walls 1 1, end walls 12 and inner panels 16, 17 are folded and glued using techniques well known in the industry. This results in a basket 30 type container with two open base panels 14, 15. Gluing tabs 18 are folded up towards the first base panel 14 so as to lie generally in the plane of the intended container base as shown in 5 figure 2. The end portion 23 is then hinged about the fold line 22 (see figure 3) and is inserted between the two rows of articles, bottles 25 in this 5 embodiment, located in the compartments of the basket container. This results in the arrangement shown in figure 4 in which the remainder portion 24 of the second base panel 15 is lying against the bottle bottoms in one compartment. The flaps 19 are then hinged about folds 20 so as to be ° generally perpendicular to the first base panel 14 as shown in figure 5. Adhesive is then applied to the tabs 18 which are in fact optional and to either the first base panel 14 or the remainder portion 24 of the second base panel 15. The first base panel 14 is then folded over such 15 that the flaps 19 pass between bottles in both compartments by virtue of their being accommodated in the slots 21 in the second base panel 15. The first base panel 14 closes off the base of the other compartment and is secured to the second base panel 15 and the tabs 18. In this way all the bottles 25 are 20 separated from each other by a portion of paperboard whilst the method of manufacture remains uncomplicated. Although the embodiment shown in figures 1 to 6 shows a basket type container for two rows of three articles, the invention is - - applicable to any type of carton for a multipack of other sizes, which carton has two side walls with associated base panels which are connected together. For example a simple sleeve type wrap could incorporate base panels similar to those described above for closing the wrap whilst providing product separation. 30 The precise form of the slots 21 and flaps 19 can of course be varied according to design choice. For example, the particular shape of the articles being carried in the container could affect the shape and size of the flaps 19 and end portion 23. 35 Other features can also be added. For example the blank 1 10 shown in figure 7 has many features which are the same as those shown in figures 1 to 6. These features have been given the same reference numerals and will not need further discussion. Along each fold 20 of each flap 19 there is a pair of short transverse cuts 50 which are linked at their ends by folds 51 which are parallel to the fold 20 which itself continues between the cuts 20 but as a reverse fold 52. The flaps 19 are folded by mechanical means by tucking the material between the transverse cuts 50 and the end folds 51 such that the flaps are bent back almost 180° about folds 20. The natural resilience of the material, in particular the reverse fold 51, results in the flaps 19 partially returning to a position perpendicular to the base panel 14. When the flaps 19 are perpendicular to the first base panel 14, the cuts 50 and folds 51, 52 result in the formation of a reinforcing angle piece for each flap 19. This angle piece is accommodated, in use, in a cut out extension 53 to the slots 21 which extension spans the fold line 22 in the second base panel 15. This results in a stronger pack. A further slight difference is that part of the slots 21 in the remainder portion 24 of the second base panel have the form of a cut 54 with parallel folds 55 along both sides so as to guide the flaps 19 to an upright position relative to the base of the pack and to disguise the slots to some extent.

Claims: Claims 1. A paperboard carton for retaining a plurality of articles said carton -> having a pair of oppositely disposed side walls and a pair of oppositely disposed base panel sections hingedly connected to the respective side walls, one of said base panel sections incorporating a number of push up flaps which are hingedly connected to said one base panel section o about hinges which are substantially perpendicular to the hinge with the side wall so as to be movable into positions in which they are, in use, angled relative to said one base panel section, said base panel sections in use overlapping each other and being secured relative to each other that said push up flaps project into the carton between adjacent pairs of 5 articles in the lengthwise direction of the carton. 2. A carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first base panel means overlies the second base panel means, which is provided with openings 0 through which the flaps, in use, extend. 3. A carton as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second base panel means has a fold line substantially parallel to its hinge with its side wall to -> define an end portion which is hinged so as to be angled relative to the remainder of the second base panel so that, in use, the end portion is located between two adjacent rows of articles. 0 4. A carton as claimed in claim 3 wherein said openings are in the form of elongate slots spanning said hinge in the second base panel means and said base panel means each comprise a single panel. 5 5. A carton as claimed in claim 4 wherein the flaps and the end portion are, in use, substantially perpendicular to the respective base panels. 6. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said push up flaps are generally rectangular and are hinged along the long edges. 7. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the base panel means are adhesively secured together. 8. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the carton is in the form of an article retaining sleeve. 9. A carton as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the carton is in the form of a basket type container which further comprises a pair of end walls joining the two side walls at each end so as to define a compartment for receiving the articles which compartment is subdivided into individual article compartments by the push-up flaps and the end portion of the second base panel means. 10. A carton as claimed in claim 9 wherein the end walls have inward folded extensions each having a bent back tab which is disposed in the general plane of the base and which, in use, is adhesively secured to one or both of the base panel means and also the bent back tabs extend towards the first base panel means.

Inventors: NEGELEN EMANUEL, NEGELEN, EMANUEL
Applicants: NEGELEN EMANUEL, RIVERWOOD INT CORP, RIVERWOOD INT LTD, NEGELEN, EMANUEL, RIVERWOOD INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, RIVERWOOD INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B65D71
IPC codes: B65D71