Patent ID: 7159761

Claim:
A carton comprising a plurality of side panels hingedly joined together by parallel fold lines, and end panels where each of said end panels is hingedly joined along a hinged edge thereof to one of said side panels, respectively, by a second fold line substantially perpendicular to the parallel fold lines, said end panels each having a free edge opposite said hinged edge, and a locking mechanism comprising two notches formed in said free edge of each panel of two opposed pairs of the end panels, each of the notches being positioned in the free edge an equal distance from one of the parallel fold lines closest to a respective one of the notches, such that when the side panels are folded to form the carton and the end panels are folded over, one of the notches from each of the end panels interlocks with one of the notches from an adjacent one of the end panels to form double-notch locking junctions, said end panels remaining substantially planar during and after folding of the end panels to interlock them together, wherein the notches are substantially rectangular in shape and have tapered sides, such that each of said notches have a mouth in the free edge of each panel of two opposed pairs of said end panels, each mouth being wider than a base thereof each of said notches.