Patent Publication Number: US-8967455-B2

Title: Carton structure

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims priority of China Patent Application No. 201220694957.7, filed on Dec. 14, 2012, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a carton structure and, more particularly, to a carbon structure which can be easily packaged and closed and has tamper evident features. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     To close a conventional carton structure, excessive amount of materials such as tape is necessary to fix upper and lower lid panels of the carton structure. Additionally, the conventional carton structure generally includes a pair of lateral panels, and after assembly the pair of lateral panels are folded inwardly and face an interior of the carton structure, whereby the bottom surface of the carton structure is not flat. Once the carton structure is impacted, contained products may be damaged. Moreover, to prevent the carton from being intentionally opened when being delivered, a tamper evident tape may be used on upper and lower lid panels of the carton structure. However, this approach is time consuming and unreliable. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, the invention discloses a carton structure. 
     According to one of the embodiments of the disclosure, the carton structure includes a side wall panel, a first end panel, a second end panel, a first lateral panel, and a second lateral panel. The side wall panel extends around an interior of the carton structure. The first end panel includes a first transverse edge and two opposite first longitudinal edges. The first end panel is connected to the side wall panel via the first transverse edge, and the two opposite first longitudinal edges are disposed at two sides of the first transverse edge, respectively. The second end panel includes a second transverse edge and two opposite second longitudinal edges. The second end panel is connected to the side wall panel via the second transverse edge, and the two opposite second longitudinal edges are disposed at two sides of the second transverse edge, respectively. The first and second lateral panels respectively extend outwardly from one of the second longitudinal edges, wherein the first and second lateral panels are respectively pressed by the two first longitudinal edges so that the first and second lateral panels abut against the side wall panel. 
     Through the structural arrangement where the first and second lateral panels are firmly disposed between the side wall panel and the first end panel, the carton structure can be erected without excessive amount of stock material. Additionally, the bottom end of the carton structure may be substantially flat such that the valuable or fragile products may be contained in the carton structure safely. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of a carton structure of one embodiment of the disclosure in a closed configuration; 
         FIG. 2  shows a plan view of a carton blank used to form the carton structure of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  shows a schematic view of the carton structure of  FIG. 1  in a partially closed configuration, wherein the first end plate  30  has been inwardly folded. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following description is of the contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is determined by reference to the appended claims. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the carton structure  1  includes a side wall panel  10  ( FIG. 2 ), an upper end panel  20  ( FIG. 2 ), a first end panel  30 , a second end panel  40 , a first lateral panel  50 , and a second lateral panel  60 . The side wall panel  10  extends around a tubular interior  11  of the carton structure  1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , which shows a plan view of a carton blank used to form the carton structure of  FIG. 1 . The side wall panel  10  includes two second main wall panels  12  and  14 , two minor wall panels  16  and  18  and an attachment panel  19 . For the purpose of illustration, the first main wall panel  12  and the second main wall panel  14  refers to the two main wall panels, and the first minor wall panel  16  and the second minor wall panel  18  refer to the two minor wall panels. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the first main wall panel  12 , the first minor wall panel  16 , the second main wall panel  14 , the second minor wall panel  18  and the attachment panel  19  are arranged alternatively in a traverse direction (X direction), wherein the first main wall panel  12 , the first minor wall panel  16 , the second main wall panel  14 , the second minor wall panel  18  and the attachment panel  19  are foldably connected to each other along the fold lines F. After erecting of the carton structure  1 , the attachment panel  19  is connected to an inner surface of the first main wall panel  12 . 
     In the embodiment, the first main wall panel  12 , the first minor wall panel  16 , the second main wall panel  14  and the second minor wall panel  18  have the same length in the longitudinal direction (Y direction), and the first main wall panel  12  and the second main wall panel  14  have the same length in the traverse direction (X direction), and the first minor wall panel  16  and the second minor wall panel  18  have the same length in the traverse direction (X direction). As shown in  FIG. 2 , the length of the first main wall panel  12  and the second main wall panel  14  is larger than that of the first minor wall panel  16  and the second minor wall panel  18 , but it should not be limited thereto. 
     The upper end panel  20  is connected to an upper edge of the side wall panel  10  and configured to close the upper opening of the interior  11  ( FIG. 1 ). The upper end panel  20  includes a first lid panel  22 , a second lid panel  24  and two web panels  26 . The first lid panel  22  is foldably connected to the first main wall panel  12 , and the second lid panel  24  is foldably connected to the second main wall panel  14 . The two web panels  26  are foldably connected to the first and second minor wall panel  16  and  18 , respectively. 
     The first end panel  30  has a first transverse edge  32 , two opposite first longitudinal edges  34  and  35  and a third transverse edge  36 . The first and third transverse edges  32  and  36  both extend in the traverse direction (X direction) and face to each other, wherein the first end panel  30  is connected to the first main wall panel  12  of the side wall panel  10  via the first transverse edge  32 . Therefore, the first end panel  30  and the first lid panel  22  are disposed at two opposite sides of the first main wall panel  12 , respectively. The two first longitudinal edges  34  and  35  both extend in the longitudinal direction (Y direction), wherein the two first longitudinal edges  34  and  35  are disposed at two opposite ends of each of the first and third transverse edges  32  and  36 . 
     The second end panel  40  has a second transverse edge  42 , two opposite second longitudinal edges  44  and  45  and a fourth transverse edge  46 . The second and fourth transverse edges  42  and  46  both extend in the traverse direction (X direction) and face to each other, wherein the second end panel  40  is connected to the second main wall panel  12  of the side wall panel  10  via the second transverse edge  42 . Therefore, the second end panel  40  and the second lid panel  24  are disposed at two opposite sides of the second main wall panel  14 , respectively. The two second longitudinal edges  44  and  45  both extend in the longitudinal direction (Y direction), wherein the two second longitudinal edges  44  and  45  are disposed at two opposite ends of each of the second and fourth transverse edges  42  and  46 . 
     It is noted that, in the embodiment, a length in the traverse direction (X direction) of the first transverse edge  32  is smaller than a length in the traverse direction (X direction) of the second transverse edge  42 , a length in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of each of the two first longitudinal edges  34  and  35  is equal to a length in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of each of the two second longitudinal edges  44  and  45 , and the length in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of each of the two second longitudinal edges  44  and  45  is equal to a length in the traverse direction (X direction) of each of the first and second minor wall panels  16  and  18 . The advantages of the above-mentioned structural features may be further understood with reference to the illustration of  FIG. 3 . 
     The first lateral panel  50  extends outwardly from the second longitudinal edge  44 , and the second lateral panel  60  extends outwardly from the second longitudinal edge  45 . Both of the first and second lateral panels are fan shaped and respectively include curved edges  52  and  62  for facilitating the erecting of the carton. In the other embodiment, the first and second lateral panels  50  and  60  are rectangular or triangular. 
     In erecting of the carton structure  1 , the side wall panel  10  is firstly folded along the fold lines F to form the tubular interior  11  of the carton structure  1 . Next, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the upper and lower openings of the interior  11  are closed. In one exemplary embodiment, while closing the carton structure  1 , the lower opening of the interior  11  is closed prior to the upper opening of the interior  11 . More specifically, to close the upper opening of the interior  11 , the two web panels  26 , the first lid panel  22 , and the second lid panel  24  are folded inwardly in order and fixed by suitable means, for example by fastening structures or by glue materials. 
     To close the lower opening of the interior  11 , the first end panel  30  is folded inwardly along the first transverse edge  32 , so as to temporarily allow the first end panel  30  to abut the inner surface of the first mail wall panel  12 . It is noted that due to the structural feature where the length of the first transverse edge  32  is smaller than the length of the second transverse edge  42 , two gaps G with a width T are respectively disposed between the first minor wall panel  16  and the first longitudinal edges  34  and disposed between the second minor wall panel  18  and the first longitudinal edges  35 , wherein a total width of the two gaps G (i.e. two times of the width T) is smaller than or equal to a total thickness of the first and second lateral panels  50  and  60 . 
     Next, the first and second lateral panels  50  and  60  are folded inwardly along the corresponding second longitudinal edges  44  and  45  (as shown by arrow), and the second end panel  40  is simultaneously folded inwardly along the second transverse edge  42  so that the first and second lateral panels  50  and  60  are respectively disposed in the two gaps G. Finally, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the first end panel  30  is folded outwardly to abut the second end panel  40 . At this time, the first and second lateral panels  50  and  60  are respectively pressed by the first longitudinal edges  34  and  35  of the first end panel  30  whereby the first lateral panel  50  may abut against the minor wall panel  16  and the second lateral panel  60  may abut against the minor wall panel  18 . 
     In the embodiment, due to the structural feature where the length of each of the two second longitudinal edges  44  and  45  is equal to the length of each of the first and second minor wall panels  16  and  18 , the lower opening of the interior  11  is completely covered by the second end panel  40 . Additionally, due to the structural feature where the length of each of the two first longitudinal edges  34  and  35  is equal to the length of each of the two second longitudinal edges  44  and  45 , the inner surface of the second end panel  40  is covered by the first end panel  30 . That is, the third transverse edge  36  overlaps with the second transverse edge  42 , and the fourth transverse edge  46  overlaps with the first transverse edge  32  such that the bottom surface of the carton structure may be substantially planar. According to one testing result, the bottom of the carton structure  1  has uniform stress distribution, whereby contained products in the carton structure  1  can be well protected. 
     Through the arrangement of the first and second end panels  30  and  40  and the two lateral panels  50  and  60 , the carbon structure  1  of the disclosure is able to be closed firmly without excessive amount of stock material. Moreover, since the two lateral panels  50  and  60  are tightly fixed between the side wall panel  10  and the first end panel  30 , the second end panel  40  is unable to be moved. Thus, once the second end panel  40  is intentionally opened, the two lateral panels  50  and  60  and the structure adjacent thereof may be damaged. Through inspection of the carbon structure  1 , it can be determined whether the carbon structure  1  is opened, thereby increasing safety of the carbon structure  1 . 
     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.