Patent ID: 7784675

Claim:
A method of dispensing generally cylindrical containers from a carton, comprising: obtaining a substantially parallelepipedal carton formed from a blank comprising a first side panel, a second side panel foldably connected to the first side panel, a third side panel foldably connected to the second side panel, a fourth side panel foldably connected to the third side panel, and a fifth side panel foldably connected to the fourth side panel, a first plurality of end flaps foldably connected along a first marginal area of the blank, a second plurality of end flaps foldably connected along a second marginal area of the blank, a tear pattern extending in at least the first, second, third, and fifth side panels, and a hinge extending in at least the fourth side panel, the tear pattern comprising a first tear feature in the third side panel and a second tear feature in the fifth side panel and the hinge extending from respective ends of the first and second tear features, the carton having four sides formed from the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth side panels, a first end comprised of the first plurality of end flaps, and a second end comprised of the second plurality of end flaps, the first tear feature is an enlarged tear feature, wherein at least a portion of the enlarged tear feature is wider than the remainder of the tear pattern; obtaining a plurality of generally cylindrical containers accommodated in the carton in at least two rows and at least two columns, each generally cylindrical container having a longitudinal axis, a container side, a first container end and a second container end; separating the carton at least three of the sides into a first dispenser section and a second dispenser section so that the two dispenser sections remain hingedly attached in side-by-side configuration, wherein the first dispenser section accommodates a first plurality of the plurality of generally cylindrical containers and has a first open top through which the first plurality of containers can be dispensed, the first open top being at a top end of the first dispenser section opposite to the first end of the carton, the second dispenser section accommodates a second plurality of the plurality of generally cylindrical containers and has a second open top through which the second plurality of containers can be dispensed, the second open top being at a second top end of the second dispenser section opposite to the second end of the carton, substantially all of the containers in a bottom column of the first plurality of containers rest on their sides on the first end of the carton, and substantially all of the containers in a bottom column of the second plurality of containers rest on their sides on the second end of the carton; and removing at least one of the first plurality of generally cylindrical beverage containers from the first dispenser section.