Patent Abstract:
A carton including a first top panel, a pair of opposed end panels hingedly connected to the top panel, a handle extending between the end panels across the top panel, and handling apertures in the end panels for grasping and lifting during handling. The handling apertures are placed in end panels formed by the overlap of two or more flaps. The handling apertures may be formed by partially perforating one or more end flap.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 60/725,262, filed Oct. 11, 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 apertures formed in a carton wall to provide finger access for facilitating moving and lifting, especially during shipment and stock handling.  
         [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. 1,234,987 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, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,277, a carton is disclosed in which the handle is formed from two elongated, parallel apertures.  
         [0005]     Top wall handles allow customers to easily lift and carry cartons. However, the location of the handles being on the top of a carton, they may not be accessible for use by personnel handling the carton during shipment or handling by the retailer or at other points along the supply chain. This is particularly true if the cartons are stacked on a pallet, in a delivery truck, or on a warehouse shelf. Often, for example with strap handles, the handle upon first use may be designed to lift or separate partly out of the top plane of the carton, and such a lifted handle may interfere with convenient stacking of the carton, or may be negatively perceived by a consumer as having been handled.  
         [0006]     What is needed, therefore, is a carton having integral, easily-accessed feature for movement and handling wherein the handle in the top wall is effectively left undisturbed. Such a carton should be provided with means for quickly and easily grasping the carton from stacked arrangement or an elevated placement without the need to disturb the strap handle  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention provides a carton including a first top panel, a pair of opposed end panels hingedly connected to the top panel, an integral strap handle extending between the end panels across the top panel, and handling apertures in the end panels for grasping and lifting during handling. The handling apertures are placed in end panels formed by the overlap of two or more flaps. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the handling apertures are provided at each end of the carton. The handling apertures may be formed by partially perforating one or more end tab. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a plan view of a blank as viewed from its inner surface, from which a carton according to this invention is formed;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a completed carton erected from the blank of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a further view of a completed carton erected from the blank of  FIG. 1 , showing the invention in use. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0011]     In  FIG. 1 , there is shown a blank  100  which when constructed, forms a carton  200  shown in  FIG. 2  for packaging a plurality of articles such as beverage bottles. In this embodiment, the carton  200  is a fully enclosed carton designed to accommodate twelve bottles arranged in three rows each containing four bottles, but the blank or carton may be modified for any number of bottles, cans or other articles.  
         [0012]     The blank  100  has a 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 . Base panel  140  also is hingedly connected to longitudinal glue flap  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 top panel  110  has 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 surfaces of the end flaps  111 ,  112 ,  141 , and  142  so as to fully enclose the ends of the carton  200 .  
         [0013]     The top panel  110  incorporates a series of tear lines  115  which define a strap handle. The particular strap handle depicted is disclosed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,066, which is incorporated herein by reference, although any other suitable carrying handle may be provided.  
         [0014]     Formed into end flaps  121  and  141  are provided a plurality of cut or score lines  161  and  162  respectively, which on each said flap define perforated or partially perforated regions that overlap to form a handling-facilitating feature (similar to feature  167  shown in  FIG. 2 ) when the carton  200  has been assembled. Likewise end flaps  132  and  142  are provided with score lines  165  and  166  respectively, which on each said flap define perforated or partially perforated regions that overlap when the carton  200  has been assembled, to form handling-facilitating feature  167  shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0015]     The carton upon assembly and filling will typically be placed in a stack for storage or shipping. In a stacked arrangement, the top strap handle  115  may not be accessible, or it may be desired to leave the top strap handle  115  undisturbed, that is, not pulled away from or partly separated from the carton  200 . In order to move the carton  200 , for example to pull the carton from a stack of cartons, a person handling the carton may instead press through either or both of features  167 . This pressing action will push aside the covering portions defined within the area of the feature  167  by the respective score lines to form openings large enough to insert a finger or preferably several fingers in order to grasp, move, lift, or otherwise handle the carton  200 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  shows a carton  200  being grasped by a user who has passed his fingers through feature  167 , forming an opening by which the carton can be grasped without using the strap handle  115 . Preferably two fingers will fit into the opening, so that moving or lifting the carton will be less strain on the user&#39;s hand.  FIG. 3  also shows similar features  168  and  169 , (not represented in the  FIG. 1  drawing of carbon blank  100 ), representing several other possible locations for such features. It should be understood that features  168  and  169  are generally shown as alternative positions for feature  167 , and that typically only one such feature on each end of the carton will be provided (although multiple features could be included if desired).  
         [0017]     In the example embodiment, carton  200  is rectangular in shape. Such a carton may hold cylindrical contents such as bottles or cans (not shown) which leave some void space within the filled carton. The carton blank  100  may be designed so that score lines  161 ,  162 ,  165 , and  166  are positioned so that on assembled carton  200 , the features  167  will be proximate to such void space. When a feature  167  is pressed open, the void space behind the feature will allow improved access for the user&#39;s fingers.  
         [0018]     The score lines  161 ,  162 ,  165 , and/or  166  that define the feature areas  167  may be designed so as to allow portions of the feature area to open easily (for example, linear cuts completely through the blank material) or to open with resistance and possibly with retained strength or reinforcement, (for example curved or bent partial cuts, perforations, or score lines). The feature may further be designed for user comfort, for example by providing a cushioning effect on the user&#39;s fingers, or keeping any cut or fully cut lines out of the line of expected load to minimize carton tearing or discomfort to the user&#39;s fingers. While it is generally preferred that the portions remain connected to the carton, such portions could be designed if desired to break completely away from the carton panel from which they are formed.  
         [0019]     While the above embodiments describe the feature  167  formed on the assembled end regions of the carton  200 , the placement of the feature is not limited to these areas. Rather any portion of the carton that may be accessible for handling may be provided with such features. Preferably, for relatively heavy cartons such as 24 bottles, the feature is formed through an overlap of two panels, such as the end flaps as shown in the preferred embodiment described herein. In this way, the feature is reinforced, and the carton is less likely to tear when the feature is used.  
         [0020]     The features are here exemplified as chevron-shaped and large enough for access by one or several fingers, but the shape and size are not limited by this example.  
         [0021]     It should be further appreciated that the perforations or cuts that define the feature  167  are not limited to a particular type of cut, or to straight or curved lines.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1