Abstract:
The present application provides a reinforced carton. The reinforced carton may include a number of first panels, a number of adjoining second panels, and with the first panels including one or more strength enhancing features. The one or more strength enhancing features may include a vertical fold line extending across the first panels.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present application and the resulting patent relate generally to a box or a carton and more particularly relate to a corrugated paperboard carton with one or more strength enhancing features such as vertical fold lines for improved overall compression strength. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Corrugated boxes and cartons are in wide use to pack, ship, store, and/or display many different types of products. Specifically, these boxes and cartons should securely retain and protect the products therein during shipping and storage while providing easy access to the products for later display and/or removal. Moreover, existing supply chain requirements also should be met so as to ensure efficient production, transport, and use of the box or carton across one or more industries or across one or more geographies. 
         [0003]    One popular style of a box or a carton is known as a regular slotted carton. Regular slotted cartons and the like are in common use for packaging and shipping any number of different types of products. Generally described, a regular slotted carton has four rectangular sidewall panels. The top and bottom ends are usually formed from pairs of sidewall panel flaps. These sidewall panel flaps generally meet in the middle with no overlap. Such a regular slotted carton is usually made from a single rectangular blank with little material waste for cost effective and efficient manufacture. Regular slotted cartons typically may be used for products that require relatively high top to bottom stacking strength such as for plastic bottles and the like. Although known regular slotted cartons typically have considerable stacking strength, further strength improvements would be helpful and would provide additional versatility in use. 
         [0004]    There is thus a desire for an improved carton design. Preferably such a carton design may provide the versatility of known carton designs, such as a regular slotted carton, with reinforced strength for superior stacking and shipping with the use of a reduced amount of corrugated material. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present application and the resultant patent provide a reinforced carton. The reinforced carton may include a number of first panels, a number of adjoining second panels, and with the first panels including one or more strength enhancing features. The one or more strength enhancing features may include a vertical fold line extending across the first panels. 
         [0006]    The present application and the resultant patent further provide a reinforced corrugated carton. The reinforced corrugated carton may include a pair of first panels, a pair of adjoining second panels, and with the pair of first panels including one or more strength enhancing features. The one or more strength enhancing features may include a combination of scores and perforations extending vertically across the pair of first panels. 
         [0007]    The present application and the resultant patent further may provide a reinforced corrugated carton. The reinforced corrugated carton may include a pair of first panels, a pair of adjoining second panels, and with the pair of first panels including a number of strength enhancing features. The strength enhancing features may include a combination of scores and perforations extending vertically across the pair of first panels and a number of slots positioned about the pair of first panels and/or the pair of adjoining second panels. 
         [0008]    These and other features and improvements of the present application and the resultant patent will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example of a carton as may be described herein. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is further perspective view of the carton of  FIG. 1  shown in an open configuration. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a blank that may be used to construct the carton of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show an example of a carton  100  as may be described herein. In this example, the carton  100  may be a regular slotted carton  110  as will be described in more detail below. Other types of cartons  100  may be used herein. The carton  100  may contain any number or any type of products therein. In describing the carton  100 , the terms “bottom,” “top,” “side,” “end,” and the like are used for purposes of relative orientation only and not as absolute positions. For example, any surface of the carton  100  may be used as the bottom or the top as oriented by a user. Further, the terms “length,” “width,” “height,” and the like refer to relative orientations. Similarly, the term “carton” is meant to encompass “boxes,” “containers,” and any other type of enclosure as well as partial or non-continuous enclosures. 
         [0013]    The carton  100  may be made out of a corrugated paperboard stock  120  and the like. The corrugated paperboard stock  120  may be recyclable. The corrugated paperboard stock  120  may have a single wall construction and may be coated or uncoated. In this example, the coated paperboard stock  120  may be a “B-Flute” type corrugated board with about forty-seven (47) flutes per linear foot and a vertical orientation. Other types of corrugated paperboard stock  120  such as double wall constructions and the like also may be used. Other suitable types of substrates also may be used herein. The carton  100  may have any suitable overall size. The size of the carton  100  may be standard according to the intended industry, intended geography, or other type of use parameter. Any suitable type of graphics, messaging, and other types of indicia may be printed or otherwise applied to the carton  100 . 
         [0014]    The carton  100  may have a first sidewall panel  130  and opposed second sidewall panel  140 . The carton  100  also may include a top wall  150  and an opposed bottom wall  160 . The top wall  150  may be formed from a first sidewall panel top flap  170  extending from the first sidewall panel  130  and a second sidewall panel top flap  180  extending from the second sidewall panel  140 . The bottom wall  160  may be formed from a first sidewall panel bottom flap  190  extending from the first sidewall panel  130  and a second sidewall panel bottom flap  200  extending from the second sidewall panel  140 . The top flaps  170 ,  180  and/or the bottom flaps  190 ,  200  may or may not be in contact with each other. For example, a gap  210  may extend between the flaps  170 ,  180  and/or the flaps  190 ,  200  when in a closed orientation as is shown in  FIG. 1 . The gap  210  may assist in opening the carton  100 . Other sizes, shapes, and configurations may be used herein. 
         [0015]    The carton  100  may include a first end wall panel  220  and an opposed second end wall panel  230 . The end wall panels  220 ,  230  may be positioned between the first sidewall panel  130 , the second sidewall panel  140 , the top wall  150 , and the bottom wall  160  so as to form the substantially rectangular carton  100 . Other types of suitable shapes may be used herein. The first end wall panel  220  may have a first end wall panel top flap  240  and a first end wall panel bottom flap  250 . The second end wall panel  230  may have a second end wall panel top flap  260  and a second end wall panel bottom flap  270 . The end wall panel top flaps  240 ,  260  may be positioned within the sidewall panel top flaps  170 ,  180  and attached thereto to form the top wall  150 . The end wall panel bottom flaps  250 ,  270  may be positioned within the sidewall panel bottom flaps  190 ,  200  and attached thereto to form the bottom wall  160 . Although the end wall panels  220 ,  230  are shown as being of lesser length than the sidewall panels  130 ,  140 , the end wall panels  220 ,  230  may be of equal or greater length. Other sizes, shapes, and configurations may be used herein. 
         [0016]      FIG. 3  shows a blank  300  that may be used to erect the carton  100 . The blank  300  may have any suitable size or shape. As described above, the blank  300  may be a single piece of the corrugated paperboard material  120 . In addition to the panels and flaps described above, the blank  300  also may include one or more glue panels  310 . The glue panel  310  may be attached to the first sidewall panel  130  or the second end wall panel  23  as is shown. The glue panel  310  may be attached elsewhere depending upon the configuration of the blank  300 . The blank  300  also may include the sidewall panels  130 ,  140 , the sidewall panel top flaps  170 ,  180 , and the sidewall panel bottom flaps  190 ,  200 . The blank  300  also may include the end wall panels  220 ,  230 , the end wall panel top flaps  240 ,  260 , and the end wall panel bottom flaps  250 ,  270 . The sidewall panels  130 ,  140  may be separated from the end panels  220 ,  230  and the glue panel  310  by a number of corner fold lines  320 . The side wall panel flaps  170 ,  180 ,  190 ,  200  may be separated from the sidewall panels  130 ,  140  by a number of sidewall panel flap fold lines  330 . The end wall panel flaps  240 ,  250 ,  260 ,  270  may be separated from the end wall panels  220 ,  230  by a number of end wall panel flap fold lines  340 . Other types of suitable configurations also may be used herein. 
         [0017]    It will be understood that the fold lines may be formed by crushing or scoring the corrugated paperboard stock  120  along the line to be folded so as to facilitate bending and forming of the various panels and flaps herein. Unless otherwise noted, the term “fold line’ may be used interchangeably with the terms “tear lines”, “score lines”, “perforated lines”, and the like. Other suitable types of construction techniques also may be used herein. The blank  300  may be of any suitable size. The various flaps described herein and the like may be attached to one another by a conventional adhesive as well as by stapling and other suitable types of attachment methods. 
         [0018]    To assemble the blank  300  into the carton  100 , the sidewall panels  130 ,  140  and the end wall panels  220 ,  230  may be folded about the corner fold lines  320 . The glue panel  310  may be folded and glued or otherwise attached to the second end wall panel  230 . The end wall panel flaps  240 ,  250 ,  260 ,  270  may be folded along the end wall panel flap fold lines  340 . The side wall panel flaps  170 ,  180 ,  190 ,  200  may be folded along the sidewall panel flap fold lines  330  and glued or otherwise attached to the end wall panel flaps  240 ,  250 ,  260 ,  270 . The carton  100  is now secure and ready for shipment or other use. Other and additional method steps may be used herein in any order. 
         [0019]    The carton  100  also may include a number of strength enhancing features  400 . For example, the carton  100  may have a number of vertical fold lines  410  extending along the vertical length of the sidewall panels  130 ,  140 . (By the term “vertical fold line” we mean substantially parallel to the flute orientation.) The vertical fold lines  410  may be positioned about the middle of the sidewall panels  130 ,  140  or elsewhere. Although one vertical fold line  410  is shown on each of the sidewall panels  130 ,  140 , multiple vertical fold lines  410  may be used. One or more vertical fold lines  410  also may be positioned about the end wall panels  220 ,  230  or elsewhere. 
         [0020]    The vertical fold lines  410  also may take the form of a score line, a line of perforations, and/or a line of scores and perforations. Different types of vertical fold lines, score lines, lines of perforations, lines of combinations of scores and perforations, and the like may be used herein. Each of these different lines may result in differing strength enhancements. The vertical fold lines  410  may be continuous or intermittent. Different types of vertical fold lines  410  may be used on the same carton  100 . Other shapes, sizes, and configurations may be used herein. 
         [0021]    The vertical fold lines  410  may aid in overall top to bottom compression strength. Specifically, the vertical fold lines  410  may strengthen the sidewall panels  130 ,  140  by subdividing the panels so as to reduce panel buckling while under load. The vertical fold lines  410  may increase the compression strength of the carton  100  by making the sidewall panels  130 ,  140  (or other panels) more resistant to deformation or buckling. Specifically, the vertical fold lines  410  may provide for controlled buckling/deformation in a specified direction. The vertical fold lines  410  may allow the sidewall panels  130 ,  140  to bend in an opposite direction to the natural direction that the panels  130 ,  140  tend to bulge during top to bottom compression. The type, number, and configuration of the vertical fold lines  410  may vary with the size, shape, and configuration of the carton  100  and based upon other types of parameters. Other components and other configurations also may be used herein. 
         [0022]    Previous cartons may have used either non-vertical fold lines and/or incomplete fold lines so as promote failure or bulging in a predetermined manner, so as to prevent pallet overhang and the like. The vertical fold lines  410  described herein increase overall top to bottom compression strength so as to prevent or limit failure or bulging. 
         [0023]    The improvement in compression strength may be shown via the use of a conventional box compression tester. The box compression tester generally includes a pair of parallel platens. The box compression tester may exert a dynamic load on the cartons placed therebetween and may track force versus deflection and the like. Other methods of applying a load and measuring compression strength and the like also may be used herein. Repeated testing of the cartons  100  with the vertical fold lines  410  described herein showed an increase in compression strength of about twenty percent (20%) or more as compared to cartons without such strength enhancing features. Specifically, a carton  100  made with a B-flute paperboard stock  120  (E32B 33MW-U37B-U60 with a total basis weight of 97 lbs/msf) was used in this example. Of interest is that the compression strength increased as the vertical fold lines  401  approached the center of the sidewall panel  130 ,  140 . Moreover, overall compression strength was improved without the use of additional material and the associated costs. 
         [0024]    The carton  100  also may have other types of strength enhancing features  400 . For example, the carton  100  may have a number of the slots  420  formed between the sidewall panels  130 ,  140  and the sidewall flaps  170 ,  180 ,  190 ,  200  and between the end wall panels  220 ,  230  and the end wall flaps  240 ,  250 ,  260 ,  270 . The number of the slots  420 , the offset of the slots  420  (if any), the spacing of the slots  420 , and the length of the slots  420  may depend on the overall size of the carton  100  and other parameters. The slots  420  also may assist in load bearing by laterally distributing the load therein. Other suitable sizes, shapes, and configurations also may be used herein. 
         [0025]    Although the strength enhancing features  400  have been described herein in the context of a regular slotted carton  110 , the strength enhancing features  400  may be applicable to almost any type of carton and the like so as to provide improved compression strength and stackability. Other types of strength enhancing features  400 , and combinations thereof, may be used herein. 
         [0026]    It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present application and the resultant patent. Numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.