Abstract:
A carton is provided including an outer top panel, a pair of opposed end panels hingedly connected to the outer top panel, an integral strap handle extending between the end panels under the outer top panel, and an inner top panel which effectively maintains a closed carton even after activation of the strap handle. The carton is formed from a first blank of material, and the strap handle is formed from second blank of material. The second blank is folded to form a strap handle with an attached inner top panel, and this assembly is then glued to the inside of the carton outer top panel, as both a strap handle and a protective layer.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 60/729,016, filed Oct. 21, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to cartons for packaging articles such as beverage bottles, and more particularly to a carton with a strap handle and an additional top layer under the handle for carton strength and product protection.  
         [0003]     Cartons having handles in their top walls are well known in the art. An example of the strap handle carton for use in packaging beverage bottles is disclosed in Canadian Patent No. 1,243,987 in which a carton is illustrated as having a strap handle that is formed primarily from a top wall. The strap handle includes a longitudinally elongated medial grip portion and a pair of wider portions located at opposite ends of the medial grip portion. Each wider portion is defined by a pair of cut lines that diverge from the medial grip portion toward the adjacent end edge of the top wall. To lift the carton, the strap handle is gripped at the medial grip portion and pulled upward, which displaces the handle from a stowed position where the handle lies in the plane of the top wall to a use position where it is arched upwardly from the plane of the top wall. During this displacement, the wider portions of the handle are inwardly moved toward each other while the respective parts of the wider portions near the end edges of the top wall are moved downwardly under the plane of the top wall.  
         [0004]     Other types of top-wall handles are known. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,277 discloses a carton is disclosed in which the handle is formed from two elongated, parallel apertures. A further example of a top wall strap handle is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,066, which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0005]     Top wall handles allow customers to easily lift and carry cartons. However, when a handle is incorporated into or attached to the top wall, activating the handle may involve pulling at least a portion of the top wall partially away from carton. This may leave an opening in the top wall. If the handle is used during shipping and delivery, the resulting opening in the top of the carton may allow pilferage to occur during subsequent storage, for example in a supermarket stockroom. Cartons on display in a retail store aisle may have contents removed, for example by a customer wishing to purchase a single beverage container. Even if nothing is taken from the carton, a customer may perceive an “opened” carton to be less desirable. Dust, dirt, insects, or other undesirable material may find its way into the carton. Separating away a portion of the carton top wall may reduce the strength of the carton and make stacked storage less secure. The carton may be damaged during subsequent handling.  
         [0006]     What is needed, therefore, is a carton having a convenient strap handle, which upon use has adequate strength for lifting the carton, but which leaves intact a top wall of the carton to protect its contents during shipping and handling prior to the time that a purchaser is ready to remove the contents.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention provides a carton including an outer top panel, a pair of opposed ends panels hingedly connected to the outer top panel, an integral strap handle extending between the end panels under the outer top panel, and an inner top panel which effectively maintains a closed carton even after activation of the strap handle. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carton is formed from a first blank of material, and the strap handle is formed from second blank of material. The second blank is folded to form a strap handle with an attached inner top panel, and this assembly is then glued to the inside of the carton outer top panel, as both a strap handle and a protective layer.  
         [0008]     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a carton is provided having an outer top panel, a pair of side panels, and a base panel, the panels foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure. Opposed end portions close each end of the tubular structure, each end portions being formed from a plurality of overlapped end flaps, with each of the flaps being hingedly connected to a respective one of the panels. An inner top panel is secured to an inner surface of the outer top panel to thereby form a multi-ply top panel structure. A first strap handle has a central gripping portion disposed between and connected at each end thereof to a handle anchoring portion, the central gripping portion being disposed between the outer top panel and the inner top panel.  
         [0009]     Each handle anchoring portion may include a strap handle end flap foldably connected to the gripping portion, each anchoring portion being secured to an inner surface of one of the opposed end portions.  
         [0010]     The outer top panel, the side panels, and the bottom panel may all be formed from a first blank, and the inner top panel may be formed from a separate, second blank. The first strap handle may is formed from the second blank, and is foldably connected to the inner top panel.  
         [0011]     The carton may include a second strap handle, the second strap handle being formed from the second blank and being disposed between the inner top panel and the outer top panel so as to be substantially coincident with the first strap handle.  
         [0012]     The outer top panel may define a hand aperture through which the gripping portion of the strap handle may be grasped. A cover panel may be formed within the hand aperture, the cover panel being secured to the gripping portion of the first strap handle so that the cover panel may be grasped simultaneously with the gripping portion of the first strap handle. The inner top panel may define a finger aperture disposed coincident with a part of the gripping portion of the first strap handle to facilitate gripping of the strap handle.  
         [0013]     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of assembling a carton includes the steps of providing a first blank having at least one first alignment bevel, and providing a second blank having at least one second alignment bevel. The first and second blanks are aligned by matching their respective alignment bevels, and the first blank and the second blank are secured together.  
         [0014]     At least one of the alignment bevels may be provided in an unfolded blank. Alternatively, at least one of the alignment bevels may be provided in a folded blank. The matching assembly of said blanks may be accomplished using at least one of visual recognition, video recognition, an alignment jig, an alignment fixture, and an alignment tool. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a plan view of a carton blank as viewed from its inner surface, from which a carton according to this invention is formed;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a plan view of a blank as viewed from its inner surface, from which a strap handle and inner top panel according to this invention is formed;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows a plan view of a partly folded strap handle and inner top panel;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  shows a plan view of a completely folded strap handle and inner top panel;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  shows a plan view of a completely folded strap handle and inner top panel being glued to the inner surface of a carton blank;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a carton blank from  FIG. 5 , partially completed to form a tubular structure;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a carton blank, with side end flaps folded;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a completed carton;  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a completed carton with the handle flaps depressed as a step in accessing the handle;  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a completed carton with the strap handle in use;  
         [0025]      FIG. 11  is a cutaway view of a carton with the strap handle in use;  
         [0026]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a completed carton that has been opened;  
         [0027]      FIG. 13  is a plan view of a pair of blanks from which a carton of an alternative embodiment is formed according to the invention; and  
         [0028]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a carton formed from the blanks of  FIG. 13 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0029]     In  FIG. 1 , there is shown a carton blank  100  which when constructed, forms a carton  400  shown in  FIG. 8  for packaging a plurality of articles such as beverage bottles. In this embodiment, the carton  400  is a fully enclosed carton designed to accommodate  24  bottles arranged in four rows each containing six bottles, but the blank or carton may be modified for any number of bottles, cans or other articles.  
         [0030]     The carton blank  100  has an outer top panel  110 , a pair of side panels  120  and  130  hingedly connected thereto along fold lines  117  and  118  respectively, and bottom panel  140  hingedly connected to side panel  120  along fold line  127 . Bottom panel  140  also is hingedly connected to longitudinal securing tab  150  along fold line  147 . The fold lines  117 ,  118 ,  127 , and  147  may be simple score lines, partially cut score lines, perforated lines or other suitable means. The base panel  140  has lower end flaps  141  and  142  which in use are folded to partially close the carton. The outer top panel  110  has outer top end flaps  111  and  112  which in use are folded down. Hingedly connected to the side panels  120  and  130  along fold lines are side end flaps  121 ,  122 ,  131 , and  132  which are folded inwardly and are adhesively secured to the inside surface of the end flaps  111 ,  112 ,  141 , and  142  so as to fully enclose the ends of the carton  400 . The side flaps may include one or more yielding tab severance lines  123 . For the construction described in this paragraph assumes that there are no other panels in the carton, but it should be understood from the following description that parts of a strap handle and inner top panel attached inside the carton (particularly the end flaps thereof) may be interposed between certain end flaps already described).  
         [0031]     The end flaps are hingedly connected to the other panels along fold lines  152  and  154 .  
         [0032]     The outer top panel  110  incorporates a series of tear lines which define a handle access panel  115 . The outer top panel  110  also incorporates opening flap tears lines  119 , which partially define opening flaps  113 . Also on outer top panel  110  are shown carton alignment bevels  161  whose use will be described later.  
         [0033]     In  FIG. 2 , there is shown a handle block  200  which when constructed, forms a strap handle and inner top panel  300  shown in  FIG. 4 , for incorporating into carton  400  as a handle and for improved protection of the carton contents.  
         [0034]     The handle blank  200  has an inner top panel  210  with a first strap panel  220  and a second strap panel  230  hingedly connected thereto along fold lines  217  and  218  respectively. Each of the first strap panel  220  and the second strap panel  230  include a gripping portion  223  and  233  respectively. The inner top panel  210  also has hingedly attached along fold lines  252  and  254  inner top end flaps  211  and  212  which in use are folded down. The first strap panel  220  has corresponding handle end flaps  221  and  222 , and the second strap panel  230  has corresponding handle end flaps  231  and  232 . The handle flaps are hingedly attached to the first strap panel and second strap panel along fold lines  252  and  254 . In use, the handle flaps are folded down.  
         [0035]     The fold lines  217 ,  218 ,  252 , and  254  may be simple score lines, partially cut score lines, perforated lines or other suitable means.  
         [0036]     Also shown in  FIG. 2  are bottleneck receiving apertures  225  and bottleneck yielding tabs  235 , and handle clearance apertures  213  and corresponding yielding tabs  215 . The size and placement of these apertures and tabs is shown for example only, and may be tailored to suit the size, number, and position of bottles or other contents held by the carton.  
         [0037]     Top inner panel  210  includes mitered opening flaps  260 , defined by lateral severance line  262 , longitudinal severance line  264 , peripheral severance lines  266 , and peripheral fold lines  268 . Also shown in top inner panel  210  are opening flap tear lines  270 , which partly define opening flaps  275 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 3  shows a first step in assembling the handle blank. Adhesive is applied to glue areas  226  and  227  in the handle flap areas of first strap panel  220 , as shown in phantom view. The first strap panel  220  is then folded as denoted by arrow  228 , along fold lines  217  (previously shown in  FIG. 2 ) so that the first strap panel overlays the top inner panel  210 , with the first strap panel then being positioned as shown by  220 ′. Note that the adhesive at glue areas  226  and  227  cause the first strap panel  220  to attach to the top inner panel  210  at the respective end panel areas of these two panels ( 220  and  210 ), while leaving the first strap panel  220  not attached to the top inner panel  210  along the middle portion of the panels. The glue areas  226  and  227  preferably glue together the distant ends of inner top end flaps  211  and  212 , with handle end flaps  221  and  222 , so that upon final assembly when these flaps are bent downward within the carton, only a lower portion of the assembled flaps will be held together, thus allowing some movement of the strap.  
         [0039]      FIG. 4  shows a second step in assembling the handle blank. Adhesive is applied to glue area  236  on second panel  230 , as shown in phantom view. The glue area is preferably most of the surface of second strap panel  230 . The second strap panel  220  is then folded as denoted by arrow  238 , along fold lines  218  (previously shown in  FIG. 2 ) so that the second strap panel  230  overlays the first strap  220 , with the first strap panel then being positioned as shown by  230 ′. Note that the adhesive at glue area  236  causes the first strap panel  220  and second strap panel  230  to be bonded together over much or all of their interfacing surfaces. The combined first and second strap panels are however not glued to middle area of the top inner panel  210 . As viewed in  FIG. 4 , yielding tabs  235  will align with and overlie clearance apertures  225 , but tabs  235  and apertures  225  will be positioned between clearance apertures  213 .  
         [0040]     After folding and gluing, the handle blank  200  is handle subassembly  300  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Along the outer periphery of the handle subassembly  300  are incorporated handle alignment bevels  361 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 5  shows the step of assembling the handle subassembly  300  to the carton blank  100 . On the handle assembly  300  shown in an initial position in phantom view, adhesive is applied to glue areas  311  and  312  on the inner top end flaps, which will attach to the outer top end flaps  111  and  112 . These glue areas  311  and  312  are at the distant ends of the end flaps.  
         [0042]     Adhesive is applied to glue area  315  on a central portion of the second strap panel  230 , which will attach to the handle access panel  115  in outer top panel  110 . Adhesive is applied to glue areas  318  on selected portions of the inner top panel to attach to the outer top panel  110 . The handle subassembly  300  with glue thereupon is then turned over as shown by arrow  320 , and placed upon outer top panel  110  (now mostly hidden beneath it) as denoted by position  300 ′.  
         [0043]     Note that upon gluing to the inside surface of carton blank  100 , the handle subassembly  300 ′ now shows inner top panel  210 , but the strap handle itself is not visible in this view, being sandwiched between inner top panel  210  and outer top panel  110 .  
         [0044]     To aid in the assembly step shown in  FIG. 5 , carton blank  100  is provided with carton alignment bevels  161 , and the handle subassembly  300  is provided with handle alignment bevels  361 . During carton assembly, these alignment bevels are superimposed at points “A,” preferably utilizing a suitable tool, fixture, jig, or other alignment means. To further aid in such alignment, the inner top end flaps  211  and  212  of the handle subassembly  300  may be slightly narrower, shorter, or both, relative to the corresponding outer top end flaps  111  and  112  of the carton blank  100 .  
         [0045]     While the example embodiment here uses alignment bevels for precise assembly or positioning of a carton blank and a handle subassembly, such alignment bevels may be used for precise assembly or positioning of other types of structures including other types of cartons, particularly where proper registration of parts is important. For example, alignment bevels may be used to precisely locate other types of handle assemblies, reinforcing elements, secondary containment layers, or any other structures that are preferably assembled in precise registration with the carton or carton blank. An actual example wherein alignment bevels are used according to the invention illustrated in  FIG. 13 , which will be described later in more details.  
         [0046]      FIG. 6  shows the carton  400  being assembled into a tubular arrangement where securing tab  150  has been glued to join bottom panel  140  with side panel  120 . At this stage the carton could be filled with product, for example with beverage containers such as bottles.  
         [0047]      FIG. 7  shows the carton  400  being assembled with the ends partially closed as the side end flaps  122  and  132  (and also  121  and  131 , not shown) have been folded inward.  
         [0048]      FIG. 8  shows the carton  400  being assembled with the ends closed as top end flap  112  and bottom end flap  142  have been folded inward and glued to the side end flaps. (Top end flap  111  and bottom end flap  141  are not shown). For the bottom end flap such as  142 , the gluing area is preferably much of the interior of the end flap as shown by area  402 . For the top end flap such as  112  (which has attached to its interior one end of the handle subassembly  300 ) a preferable gluing area is only the low end of the top end flap such as shown by gluing area  404 . This leaves an upper portion of the handle end flap ( 221 ,  222 ,  231 ,  232 , all hidden in  FIG. 8 ) free to move or flex inward when the handle is used.  
         [0049]      FIG. 9  shows a first step in using the handle on a completed carton. Handle flaps  160  have been pressed inward, breaking them free of the plane of outer top panel  110  along handle flap tear lines  162 , and bending inward along handle flap fold lines  164 . The wide ends  166  of handle access panel  115  are still attached to the plane of outer top panel  110  along tear lines  168  and  169 . The movement of handle flaps  160  downward into a position convenient for carrying is made easier because the downward movement of a customer&#39;s fingers, or of these flaps when pushed by a customer, may also move mitered opening flaps  260  that are part of inner top panel  210 , previously shown in the carton blank in  FIG. 1 , now shown as having been opened inward in  FIG. 10 .  
         [0050]     In  FIG. 10 , the handle has been pulled upward from the plane of the outer top panel  110 , so that handle access panel  115  separates from outer top panel  110  as shown by wide ends  166  of the handle access panel  115  separating away from tear lines  168  and  169 . With this separation, the handle access panel  115  may move further upward, as further shown by bringing into view a portion of second strap panel  230 , which is adhesively attached to the handle access panel  115 . The second strap panel  230  is able to move upward being glue attachment of the handle end flaps  221 ,  222 ,  231 ,  232  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) does not extend all the way to the top inside of the carton, and thus the center of the handle as attached to handle access panel  115  may move or flex upward, as shown in cutaway view in  FIG. 11 .  
         [0051]      FIG. 11  is a cutaway view  420  of a carton with the handle lifted, as shown by handle access panel  115  being separated upward from the carton. The wide end  166  of the handle access panel is attached to the handle assembly  300 , as previously described. For simplicity here, the wide end  166  is depicted as being attached to second strap handle  230 , which in turn continues as handle end flap  231  which further is glued to the end of the carton as denoted by glue area  311 . (The handle end flaps and attached inner top panel end flaps may be outside at least portions of the side top end flaps.) Since glue area  311  does not extend all the way to the top of the carton, the handle assembly as characterized by second strap handle  230  is able to flex away from the inside upper corner edge of the carton (as represented by the dihedral angle  430 ), allowing the attached handle access panel to move further upward. The top of bottle  410  might obstruct the inward movement of strap handle  230 , but to permit freer movement of the strap handle, yield tabs  235  are provided, as are bottleneck-receiving apertures  225  (not directly shown; previously shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ), through which the neck of the end-most bottle  410  is seen protruding. Although only second strap handle  230  is drawn in  FIG. 11 , it should be understood that the curvature of this handle is also followed by first strap handle  220  (not shown) to which second strap handle  230  is glued. To avoid or minimize separation of inner top panel  210  (not shown) from the carton top wall, clearance apertures  213  (see  FIG. 2 ) are provided, into which the portions of handle straps  220  and  230  formed adjacent to apertures  225  and tabs  235  may protrude.  
         [0052]      FIG. 12  shows the carton being opened for access to contents such as bottles  410 . By grasping the inner top panel  210  and the outer top panel  110 , for example proximate to mitered opening flaps  260  under the handle access panel  115 , and pulling upward, the consumer may tear outer top panel opening flap  113  and inner top panel opening flap  275  (which are glued together) along outer top panel opening flap tear lines  119  and inner top panel opening flap tear lines  270  respectively, thereby folding the combined opening flaps outward about folding line  118 . The opening flaps may then either be torn loose along this line, or left hingedly attached to the carton, for example to be reclosed later.  
         [0053]      FIGS. 13 and 14  illustrate a pair of separate blanks and a carton according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. Blanks  500  and  600  in  FIG. 13  correspond respectively to blanks  100  and  200  in the preceding embodiment and are designed to be assembled into a carton  800  of  FIG. 14  that is similar in a general sense to the carton  400  shown in  FIG. 8 . Therefore, those elements in  FIGS. 13 and 14  that correspond with like elements of the preceding embodiment have been given the same numbering and prefixed with the number ‘5’ or ‘6’ for clarity. In the majority of respects, the details of composition and method of assembly of the carton of the alternative embodiment are identical to those of the preceding embodiment described above, and therefore only those areas that differ will be described below.  
         [0054]     The carton  800  in  FIG. 14  differs from the carton  400  in that the carton  800  employs aperture handles  580  (only one shown in  FIG. 14 ) formed in the opposite end walls  590  (only one shown in  FIG. 14 ) of the carton  800 , respectively. Such aperture handles  580  are formed from hand apertures  514 ,  515 ,  614  and  615  as well as cutouts  570 ,  571 ,  572 ,  573  and particularly by bringing those apertures and cutouts on each end of the carton into proper alignment. The hand apertures  614  and  615  of the insert blank  600  must be brought into alignment with the hand apertures  514  and  515  respectively during the process wherein the insert blank  610  is secured to the inside surface of the carton blank  500 . For the purpose of precisely positioning the insert blank  600  on the carton blank  500 , the alignment bevel  561  and  661  are used in the same way as the alignment bevels  161  in the preceding embodiment. Guiding the alignment bevels  561  and  661  into alignment with each other results in the accurate alignment of hand apertures  514  and  614  as well as that of hand apertures  515  and  615 . After the alignment of the hand apertures is completed, the inner top panel  610  and the inner top end flaps  611  and  612  are secured to the inside surfaces of the outer top panel  510  and the outer top end flaps  511  and  512  respectively. The remainder of the carton-assembling process is substantially identical to that described in the preceding embodiment.