Abstract:
A multicarton pack which can be easily separated into individual cartons, without destroying the integrity of any of the cartons in the pack. Cartons may have an improved dispenser at one end of the carton, which preserves the integrity of the carton when the carton is opened by permitting a bottom end flap attached to the bottom panel to remain in place and also a portion of each side end flap that is adjacent to the bottom end flap. The dispenser may also provide a safety net for the first container that is automatically dispensed when the carton is opened. This is achieved by a novel method of providing a pattern of cuts in adjoining side walls of the cartons and for the cartons to be glued together by gluing the cuts on one of the adjoining side walls. The location of glue spots and their size and number are sufficient to maintain the pack together but yet allow the cartons to be separated without destroying the integrity of the panels glued together.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. utility application entitled, “CARTON WITH AN IMPROVED DISPENSING FEATURE,” having Ser. No. 09/757,714, filed Jan. 9, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,736, of which Raymond Spivey is the inventor, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to a multipack of cartons capable of enclosing containers and joined together by making a pattern of cuts in the paperboard panels to be glued together to permit the multipack to maintain its integrity and to facilitate the cartons being separated from each other. This multipack may also have a dispenser that allows the containers, for example, cans or bottles, to be removed or dispensed without destroying the overall structural integrity of the carton. A basket for the first container that is automatically dispensed when the carton is opened may also be provided. The dispensing feature also permits the carton to be carried from one location to another after the dispenser has been opened without the containers falling out of the carton. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fully enclosed cartons capable of enclosing cans have been used in the past that have a feature for dispensing the cans one at a time. Dispenser sections have been provided at various locations within these cartons depending on the design. Many of these dispensers suffer from the disadvantage that once open, they allow all of the containers to roll out. In addition, it is difficult to carry one of these cartons without the containers falling out once the dispenser has been opened. Most of these dispensers have been designed for dispensing cans or bottles which have cylindrical tops and bottoms of substantially the same size and configuration. These dispensers are not suitable for dispensing bottles that have a neck of smaller diameter than the body of the bottle. 
     In effect, many of these dispensers destroy the overall carton integrity once they have been opened. Many of these dispensing features do not have any means for preventing the first container that is automatically dispensed from falling free from the carton. In other words, its dispensing feature has no safety net. 
     Satisfactory multiple carton packages that contain different types of beverages in the pack have not been developed. Satisfactory methods of gluing the cartons together into a multipack have not been developed that would facilitate the easy separation of the cartons by the consumer. 
     PRIOR ART 
     Sometimes beverage manufacturers desire a package in which there are two rows of containers or where the package can be separated into two different cartons. 
     One of these cartons is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,291 issued on Apr. 3, 1990 to Richard L. Schuster. This carton is formed from a single sheet of paperboard and can be divided into two cartons by breaking weakened fold lines in areas of the carton. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,246,796 to Robert A. Englander, which issued on Apr. 19, 1966, discloses a carton that is made from a single sheet of paperboard and can be divided into two or four separate cartons. The carton has a handle with two plys of paperboard that may be stapled or glued together. The carton has two partition panels  24  which are held together at the bottom with tabs and slots  74 ,  76  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,458, which issued on Jul. 18, 1972 (Gosling), discloses an end-loading twin carton that can be separated into two cartons. The two cartons are basically formed from a single sheet of paperboard with adjoining vertical panels which can be separated into two cartons by pulling a tab  29  on tear strip  28  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Because the cartons are not joined at the bottom, the twin packs may be somewhat unstable or wobbly when being carried. U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,316, which issued on Jan. 5, 1999 (Spivey), discloses a basket carrier composed of two identical carrier units connected together by gluing the handle plys together to form a centrally located handle panel for the carrier. These two basket units are not designed to be separated from each other. 
     Cartons for carrying beverage containers in two or more tiers with a dispenser for each tier are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,194, issued on Nov. 29, 1994 (Oliff et al.). The carton may have a divider insert  90  between two tiers as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,135,457, issued on Jun. 2, 1964 (Risucci), discloses a carton that can be separated into two separate units. The units are attached by an accordion flap  13  between the left and right front panels  11  and  12  and which has a tear strip for separating this into two units. The two units are not otherwise attached to each other. This may be unstable or wobbly while carrying. A similar carton, which may be divided into two units, is disclosed in British Specification No. 739,899, published on Aug. 3, 1954. The carton is separated into two units by line  3 , between panels  1  and  2 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The two units are otherwise not attached, which makes them somewhat unstable during carrying. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,444, which issued on Dec. 29, 1992 (Adams et al.), discloses a label  40  holding two cigarette cartons together, which can be separated by tearing along a perforated line  41  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Tab  42  is used to join the top of the cartons together and is easily removed and the perforated score line torn to separate into two cigarette cartons. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,283 to Farquhar discloses a fully enclosed carton having a dispenser for dispensing the enclosed cans. The end wall of the carton has a dispensing flap which can be folded down upon opening. An aperture formed by the flap extends into the side walls to permit grasping of the can to withdraw it from the carton. When the flap is opened, the cans are held in the carton by an arcuate flap portion extending downwardly in the end wall into the center of the aperture. The structural integrity of this carton is compromised because the entire bottom end of the carton is opened. The dispensing flap does not provide a safety net to prevent a can from rolling out of the carton and falling to the floor. This carton cannot be easily moved from one location to another after the dispenser has been opened without the containers falling out. It will be realized that the design of this carton is not satisfactory for dispensing bottles with necks as the exiting container being dispensed needs to have a corresponding cylindrical top and bottom of approximately the same size to facilitate easy dispensing by a person grasping the ends of the exiting container. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,509 to Holley, Jr. et al. also discloses a fully enclosed carton with a dispenser in one end of the end walls. This dispenser is likewise formed in the end wall by tearing out an end flap and lowering it into proper position. Expansion slits are provided in the side wall for the user&#39;s fingers to grasp the ends of the exiting can. This carton is not adapted for use with bottles, because of the necessity of grasping the ends of the container for removal. In addition, it is not adapted for carrying cans once the carton has been opened as they are likely to roll out of the dispenser. There is also no safety net to receive the cans as they are rolled out of the dispenser. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,293 to Lingamfelter discloses a twelve-pack carton of cans with four cans in each row. A dispenser ( FIG. 1 ) is formed in the top portion of the end wall. The carton is designed to fit on a refrigerator shelf as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , where the top tier of cans can be removed through the dispenser. It is difficult to remove the bottom row and middle row because the front wall f/w has a height more than the diameter of one can, but less than the diameter of two cans, preferably between 1.5 and 1.8 times the diameter of a can. Col. 2, line 67 to Col. 3, line 3. Consequently, this carton does not provide a satisfactory dispenser because of the difficulty of removing cans from the bottom of the carton. 
     Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a dispenser that preserves the integrity of the carton after the dispenser has been opened. It is a further object to provide a dispenser that can be used with both cans and bottles. It is another object of this invention to provide a safety net or basket for the containers that are automatically dispensed when the dispenser is opened. It is a still further object of this invention to develop a dispenser that will permit the carton to be moved from one location to another after it has been opened without discharging containers. Another object of this invention is to provide a dispenser that can be easily opened. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a method of affixing multiple cartons together into a single package that can be easily carried, but yet allow the consumer to separate the individual cartons from each other. A further object is to provide such a multiple carton package with a dispenser for dispensing cans or bottles from the cartons. There is a still further object to provide a multicarton package that has a dispenser for each of the cartons. 
     Briefly described, in a preferred form, the objects of this invention are achieved by providing an enclosed carton that has a unique dispenser in the exiting end of the carton. This carton is generally rectangular and has a bottom, a top, two sides, a closed end and an exiting end. The carton is foldably constructed from a blank having panels and flaps. The exiting end or ends of the carton permits containers to be taken from the carton via the dispenser. The carton is preferably designed to carry two tiers of containers. 
     This carton has a dispenser that is torn from an end of the carton by tearing an end portion of the top panel, an triangular portion from the adjoining side panels, and all of the side end flaps except the bottom most portions, to form a dispenser. The top end flap is removed when this dispenser is opened. The bottom portions of the side end flaps are left intact to preserve the structural integrity of the carton and also to provide a wall to prevent an end container in the bottom of the carton from accidentally rolling out. Consequently, it is preferred that the height of the bottom portion of the side end flaps be left intact after the dispenser is removed and the bottom end flap on the exiting end of the carton be no greater than the diameter of the containers in the bottom row or tier. 
     It should be realized that the dispenser does not have to be totally removed from the carton, as the score lines in the side and top panels can be broken and the dispenser flipped over along the score lines in the side end flaps to form a safety net or basket when the first container in the top of the carton rolls out of the dispenser. If the score line in the side end flaps is not broken, the dispenser can be reclosed. 
     This carton can be constructed by gluing, taping, stapling and the like, or by locking. The dispenser of this invention can be put in one end of the carton or in both ends. A dispenser can be torn from the carton and placed under the other end of the carton to elevate it to facilitate the removal of the containers from the carton. 
     A multiple carton pack of this invention can be made by gluing together on cut lines that match cut lines of any adjoining carton, by providing the appropriate number of cut lines on each adjoining panel of the cartons. The matching cut lines on each adjoining panel of the carton pack can be glued to another carton, but yet the pack can be easily separated into individual cartons. The cartons in the multipack configuration may have dispensers and finger apertures to apply pressure to separate the cartons from each other. The cartons can be glued together in this way. The cartons may contain containers of different sizes. 
     These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of blanks for forming cartons (A and B) for being glued together after being loaded with cans or bottles. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of cartons A and B, filled with cans, that have been glued together. 
         FIG. 3  is perspective end view showing a person about to separate cartons A and B. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a person who is separating cartons A and B. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective side view of an inside side wall of carton B from which a coupon has been removed from the panel. 
         FIG. 6  is an end view of carton B with the carton dispenser opened with the dispenser still attached to the carton. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective end view of cartons A and B joined together with the dispensers removed. 
         FIG. 8  is a plan view of a carton for 8 oz. cans designed to be the left-hand carton of a three-carton package viewed from the dispenser end. 
         FIG. 9  is a plan view of the middle carton of a three-pack of 8 oz. cans. 
         FIG. 10  is a plan view of the right hand carton as viewed from the dispenser end of a three-pack carton for containing 8 oz. cans. 
         FIG. 11  is a side perspective view of three cartons of 8 oz. cans that have been joined together to form a single package. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective side view of a combination of two cartons, one containing 12 oz. cans and the other containing 8 oz. cans that have been joined together. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is intended primarily for use with cans and bottles of the types used to contain soft drinks, beer and the like. The blank is formed from a foldable sheet material, such as paperboard. The cartons of the current invention are designed to be joined together to form a package of two, three or more individual cartons. The cartons of this invention are capable of containing cans or bottles in two rows or tiers, preferably six containers in each row. It is especially designed to put on a refrigerator shelf for dispensing the cans or bottles. 
     1. Twin Pack 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of carton blanks for forming both the right hand and left hand cartons of a twin pack. Carton A is the left-hand carton when viewed from the dispensing end. Carton B is the right hand carton when also viewed from the dispensing end. 
     In first looking at the blank  10  for carton B it has bottom flap  12  which is connected to an inside side panel  14  by fold line  16  and in turn connected to top panel  18  by fold line  20 . Top panel  18  is connected to outside side panel  22  by fold line  24  and in turn connected to bottom flap  26  by fold line  28 . Bottom flap  12  has bottom end flap  30  connected by fold line  32  and bottom end flap  34  connected to bottom panel  12  by fold line  36 . Side end flap  38  is connected to inside side panel  14  by fold line  32  which is also connected to side end flap  40  by fold line  36 . End flaps  42  and  44  are similarly connected to top panel  18 . End flaps  46  and  48  are connected to side panel  22  and end flaps  50  and  52  are connected to bottom flap  26 . 
     This carton preferably has a dispenser  54  that can be removed from the carton after it has been filled with cans by tearing tear line  56 . It will be noted from  FIGS. 1 and 7  that the bottom end flaps  34  and  52  and portions of the side end flaps  40  and  48  left intact after removal of the dispenser  54  preferably have a height (H) no greater than the diameter of the cans or bottles in the bottom row or tier. In any event, the height should not be significantly greater than the diameter of the containers. This is preferable to facilitate easy removal of the containers from the bottom of the carton, yet keep the bottom row of containers from rolling out. The height of portion of the side end flaps  40  and  48  left intact and the bottom end flaps  34  and  52  is ideally less than the diameter of the containers in the bottom row. It is only necessary that the height be sufficient to prevent the containers from rolling out of the carton. End flap  38  has a finger aperture  58  whose function will be described later. It may have a handle  60  on the outside side panel  22 . One of the interesting features of this carton is that it may have a coupon  62  attached to or as part of the inside side panel  14  which can be easily removed by tearing tear line  64 . The carton has a plurality of cut lines (e.g.,  66  and  68 ) on the inside side panel whose function will be discussed later. 
     Carton A is a mirror image of carton B. Blank  110  has a bottom flap  112  which is connected to the inside side panel  114  by fold line  116  and in turn connected to top panel  118  by fold line  120 . Top panel  118  is connected to outside side panel  122  by fold line  124  and in turn connected to bottom flap  126  by fold line  128 . End flaps  130  and  134  are connected to flap  112  by fold lines  132  and  136 , respectively. Side end flaps  138  and  140  are similarly connected to inside side panel  114 . Top end flaps  142  and  144  are connected to top panel  118 . End flaps  146  and  148  are similarly connected to outside side panel  122 . Bottom end flaps  150  and  152  are connected to bottom flap  126 . 
     This carton also may have a dispenser  154  which can be removed after the carton has been filled with containers by tearing tear line  156 . As in the case of carton B, the height of the bottom end flaps  134  and  152  and the portion of the side end flaps  140  and  148  remaining after removal of the dispenser  154  have a height (H) no greater than the diameter of the cans in the bottom row or tier. Side end flap  138  has a finger aperture  158 . This carton also may have a handle  160  on the outside side panel  122  and a coupon  162  on the inside side panel  114  which can be removed by tearing tear line  164 . Inside side panel  114  has cut lines  166  and  168  which line up respectively with cut lines  66  and  68  on carton B. The pattern of cut lines on inside side panel  14  and  114 , respectively, are aligned when the two cartons are filled with cans, and the inside side panels are brought together. 
     Cartons A and B are formed by gluing respective flaps  12  and  26  and  112  and  126  together to form carton sleeves. The carton sleeves can then be filled with cans through an end in the usual manner. 
     After the A and B cartons have been filled, they are placed on a pallet and glue is applied by a glue gun or other means on lines  66  and  68  and the other cut lines on carton B. Carton A is then brought into juxtaposition with carton B so that cuts  66  and  166  and  68  and  168 , respectively, are matched, along with the other cuts in each of the inside side panels  14  and  114 . Cuts have been made completely through the paperboard to allow adequate glue penetration. After glue has been applied, the cartons need to be held in juxtaposition for a period of time for the glue to set up. A device can be built to facilitate putting the A and B cartons in proper position for the gluing and affixing one carton to the other. It has been found that gluing through these cuts can be achieved without adversely affecting the cans inside the cartons. Cuts are preferably made completely through the paperboard, but this may not always be necessary. 
     While other means of fastening the cartons together may be used, such as metal fasteners, glue is the preferred method. 
     Once the A and B cartons have been glued and the glue allowed to set up, the package can be picked up by the handle as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The cartons of this invention are particularly designed to fit in refrigerators with the cans being dispensed from the dispensers. Sometimes, it will be desired to separate the A and B cartons, which can be done by inserting a thumb in finger apertures  58  and  158  and pulling the A and B cartons apart, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . This will allow the consumer to place the cartons in different places in the refrigerator or in different locations where the consumer desires. 
     After the cartons have been separated, the coupon  62  or  162  that has been attached to the inside side panel  14  or  114  can be removed by the consumer by tearing the tear line  64  or  164  that attaches the coupon to the inside side panel. The consumer cannot remove the coupon before purchasing the package and pulling the two cartons apart. This adds additional security for the coupons as the manufacturers prefer, so that a coupon cannot be removed from the carton in the store and used for another purpose other than intended. Various promotional items as desired can be placed between the two cartons as long as they do not interfere with the cut lines made or, the gluing of the cartons together. 
     Opening the dispenser  54  will allow cans to be removed from carton B and is especially convenient for use in the refrigerator as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Dispensers  54  and  154  can be removed from the carton as illustrated in  FIG. 7  with the A and B cartons still glued together. An advantage of the dual pack is that different types of beverages can be placed in the cartons, giving the consumer a choice of which beverage he or she desires to consume. 
     Gluing of the A and B cartons together has been found to produce a satisfactory twin pack that can be carried by the handle once the glue has properly cured because of the cut lines that have been placed for the glue pattern to be applied to. It has been found that it is only necessary to apply the glue to the cut lines on one of the inside side panels. It is only necessary that the glue be applied to a limited extent to hold the cartons together. It has been found that the A and B cartons can be separated from each other without undue tearing of the paperboard, thus preserving the integrity of the inside side panels of both cartons. The inside side panels can be varnished on the portions where there are not cut lines, to facilitate separating the cartons. 
     It has been found that a handle can be constructed that is capable of carrying the combined cartons. The handle  60  can be a “racetrack” handle, or slotted handle on the outside side panel rather than the top panel, in a way in which the two cartons are affixed to each other. Other types of handles may be used as well. 
     It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the carton of the present invention is generally symmetrical about a horizontal line of bisection, as viewed when  FIG. 1  is rotated lengthwise. This symmetry aids in the efficient production of the present carton. 
     The twin pack is ideal for carrying cans for 8-oz. size as well as other sizes depending on the size and weight of the combined multipack. The twin pack, showing cartons containing 12 oz. cans is illustrated in  FIG. 2 , and another pack containing 8 oz. and 12 oz. cans, is illustrated in  FIG. 12 . 
     2. Triple Pack 
     Three or more cartons can be combined into a single package. Such a package is illustrated by  FIGS. 8 ,  9 ,  10  and  11 .  FIG. 8  illustrates a blank  210  for a carton for the triple pack identified as a left hand carton as viewed from the dispensing end of the carton. The triple pack carton blank is similar to the blanks of the cartons illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and currently need not be explained in as much detail. The triple pack carton has a bottom flap  212 , inside side panel  214 , top panel  218 , outside side panel  222 , and bottom flap  226 . It has bottom end flaps  230  and  234  and side end flaps  238  and  240 . It has top end flaps  242  and  244 , side end flaps  246  and  248 , and bottom end flaps  250  and  252 . This device is shown with dispenser  254  and tear line  256  for removing the dispenser. The carton likewise may have a handle  260  and coupon  262  with tear line  264  and a plurality of cut lines (e.g.,  266  and  268 ) and finger aperture  258 . 
     The middle carton of this triple package is illustrated in  FIG. 9 , where the numeral  310  illustrates the blank. This carton has bottom flap  312 , two inside side panels  314  and  322 , separated by top panel  318 . The carton has a bottom flap  326  and bottom end flaps  330  and  334 , side end flaps  338  and  340 , and top end flaps  342  and  344 , side end flaps  346  and  348 , and another set of bottom end flaps  350  and  352 . This carton is also shown with a dispenser  354  that can be opened by tear line  356 . A coupon  362  can be attached to part of each inside side panel  314  and  322 . Each of the inside side panels has cut lines  366 ,  368 ,  370 , and  372  designed to be aligned with corresponding cut lines on the right and left carton side panels. 
     The blank  410  for the right hand carton is illustrated in  FIG. 10 . It has a bottom flap  412  and inside side panel  422 . It has a top panel  418  and outside side panel  414  and bottom flap  426 , and it has bottom end flaps  430  and  434  and side end flaps  438  and  440  and top end flaps  442  and  444 . 
     It has side end flaps  446  and  448  and bottom end flaps  450  and  452  and a dispenser  454  with tear line  456  and finger aperture  458 . A coupon  462  may be attached to the inside side panel  422 . It has cut lines  466  and  468  on inside side panel  422 . As in the case of the twin packs, the height of the bottom end flaps  234 ,  252 ,  334 ,  352 ,  434  and  452  and portion of the side end flaps  240 ,  248 ,  340 ,  348 ,  440  and  448  after the removal of the dispenser on each of the cartons should preferably have a height (H) no greater than the diameter of the cans in the bottom row or tier. 
     The bottom flaps on these three cartons are glued in a conventional manner to produce the sleeves, which are then filled with cans or bottles, with the end flaps being sealed. The packages are put together to form a triple pack by applying glue to the cut lines on panel  322  of cartons formed from the blank shown in  FIG. 9 . Glue is placed on the cut lines on inside side panel  422  of the right hand carton are illustrated in  FIG. 10 . These three cartons, filled with containers, are then put together so that the cut lines on inside panel  422  match with the cut lines on inside panel  314  and cut lines on inside panel  322  of middle carton match the cut lines on inside panel  214  of the left hand carton. Thus, cut lines  266  and  268  match cut lines  372  and  370  respectively and cut lines  366  and  368  match cut lines  466  and  468 , respectively. Glue is preferably only applied to the cut lines on one of the adjoining panels. The resulting triple pack is shown in  FIG. 11 . It is designed for carrying 8-oz containers. The package can be used as a shipping package from the beverage manufacturer to the store and separated in the store, or may be sold as the triple pack and left together or separated by the consumer, or can be divided as in the twin pack, separating the three cartons from each other. The dispenser may be left out of the shipping package. 
     Unique Features of the Dispenser of this Application 
     The unique feature of the dispenser of each carton of this invention is that it provides easy access to the cans or bottles in the carton, yet does not significantly diminish the structural integrity of the carton. This is partly because the bottom end of the end panel in which the dispenser is located is retained. This is accomplished by leaving a bottom portion on the side end panels that is equal in height to the bottom end flaps and no greater than the diameter of the cans or bottles in the bottom row or tier. 
     The dispenser of this invention can be easily opened by the provision of tear lines. 
     This dispenser also provides a safety net or basket in that if the tear line for the dispenser is not torn along the side end flaps, it remains attached to the carton and can catch a can in its basket as it is removed from the carton. 
     The multiple carton packs inventions are unique and can be glued together to produce secure packages, but yet can be easily torn apart and separated into separate cartons. This is accomplished by the unique feature of providing a pattern of cut lines, that can be glued together, and only applying glue to the cut lines on one panel and affixing it to an adjoining panel. It is surprising that a multicarton package with a high degree of structural integrity could be produced in this way, but yet easily separated by the consumer, without destroying the side panels. It should be realized that such gluing could be used to glue cartons together to form shipping packages with or without a dispenser, and broader applications where it is necessary to glue two pieces of paperboard together but yet permit their easy separation. 
     While this invention has been disclosed in its preferred forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the following claims.