[0001] This invention relates to a carton for beverage cans which incorporates a carrying
handle which is adapted to be raised from a flat stowed position to an upright position
by which the carton can be carried and by which access to the contents of the carton
is facilitated. More particularly, the handle panel includes parts which are separable
to give access to security panels means which is openable to create an opening to
facilitate removal of the contents of the carton.
[0002] The invention provides a carton having a wall which comprises an openable panel means
by which access to the contents of the carton can be gained said openable panel means
comprising a handle panel construction and security panel means, wherein said handle
panel construction can be manipulated from a flat stowed position in which the handle
panel construction forms a part of said carton wall to an upright position for use
in carrying the carton and wherein one part of said handle panel construction is separable
from an attached adjacent part thereof to facilitate access to said security panel
means said security panel means being openable to create an opening in said carton
wall to facilitate removal of the contents of the carton.
[0003] According to a feature of the invention, said wall may be formed from a pair of overlapping
top panels joined to opposed side walls of the carton.
[0004] According to another feature of the invention said security panel means may comprise
a pair of reclosably interconnected flaps each forming a part of a respective one
of said top panels and extending from said opposed side walls.
[0005] According to yet another feature of the invention said handle panel construction
may comprise a pair of like handle panels joined together intermediate their ends,
one of said handle panels overlying the other of said handle panels when the panels
are in their flat stowed position and in that joined portions of each of said panels
are raised for use in carrying the carton.
[0006] In constructions where the feature of the immediately preceding paragraph is adopted
said one handle panel may be frangibly joined to parts of said one wall adjacent opposite
ends of said security panel means at least a part of each of said frangible joints
being broken in order to bring said handle panels out of said flat stowed position
into said raised position.
[0007] Preferably, said joined portions of said handle panels are adapted to be broken so
that the handle panels can be separated from one another thereby to give access to
said security panel means.
[0008] An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank having a handle and security panel means according
to the invention;
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a fully enclosed carton for beverage cans formed
from the blank shown in Figure 1 and shown with the carrying handle in a stowed position;
and
FIGURE 3 is another perspective view of the same carton but in which the handle is
raised to reveal an openable security panel means.
[0009] Referring then to the drawings, a fully enclosed carton 'C' is formed from a paperboard
blank 10 or blank of like foldable sheet material and comprises a top wall 12, bottom
wall 14, side walls 16, 18 and end walls formed by panels 80, 80a and 82, 82a referred
to later.
[0010] The top wall 12 is of two ply construction comprising inner top wall panel 12a and
an outer handle panel assembly 12b which are disposed in overlapping relationship
when the blank from which the carton is formed is put into the form of a sleeve. Normally,
the sleeve would be furnished to a beverage manufacturer in flat folded condition
whereafter the flat sleeve would be erected and loaded from one or both of its open
ends and the end panels then closed to complete the carton.
[0011] Referring now more particularly to Figure 1, the inner top wall panel 12a comprises
a central handle panel H1 to each of the opposite ends of which is attached an inner
end panel portion 26a and 28a by means of cut and score lines 30 and 32, respectively.
Inner end panel portion 26a is hinged to inner top end closure panel 34a by means
of spaced fold lines 36 and 38 and openings 40 are formed therebetween to facilitate
folding. Likewise, inner end panel portion 28a is hinged to inner top end closure
panel 42a by means of spaced fold lines 44 and 46 and openings 48 are formed therealong
to facilitate folding.
[0012] The central handle panel H1 and each of the end panel portions 26a, 28a, has of its
ends hinged to side wall panel 16 along a common fold line 50.
[0013] Elongate reinforcing panel 52 is hinged along the unattached transverse edge of inner
end panel 26a along transverse fold line 54 and terminates in end tab 56 secured to
panel 52 along fold line 58. Likewise, elongate reinforcing panel 62 is hinged along
the unattached transverse edge of inner end panel 28a, along transverse fold line
64 and terminates in end tab 66 secured to panel 62 along fold line 68.
[0014] The handle panel H1 includes a reinforcing top strip S1 foldably joined to an upper
portion ha of the handle panel by transverse fold line 70. A male locking panel 72
is struck centrally from handle panel H1 which is hinged along fold line 50 to side
panel 16 and includes a protruding locking tab 74 foldably joined to panel 72 along
fold line 76. Handle panel H1 also includes hand cushioning flap 78 disposed adjacent
the free end of locking tab 74.
[0015] Inner top end closure panels 34a and 42a are hinged to side end closure panels 80
and 82 by means of foldable gusset panels 84 and 86 respectively. The side end closure
panels 80, 82 are hinged to opposite ends of the side wall panel 16 along fold lines
88 and 90 respectively.
[0016] At the opposite end of the blank shown in Figure 1, the outer handle panel assembly
12b comprises a central handle panel H2 to each of the opposite ends of which is attached
an outer end panel portion 26b and 28b by means of cut and score lines 30a and 32a
respectively. Outer end panel portion 26b is hinged to inner top end closure panel
34b by means of spaced fold lines 36a and 38a. Likewise, outer end panel portion 28b
is hinged to outer top end closure panel 42b by means of spaced fold lines 44a and
46a.
[0017] The central handle panel H2 and each of the end panel portions 26b, 28b has one of
its ends hinged to side wall panel 18 along a common fold line 50a.
[0018] Outer top end closure panels 34b and 42b are hinged to side end closure panels 80a
and 82b by means of foldable gusset panels 84a and 86a respectively. The side end
closure panels 80a, 82a are hinged to opposite ends of side wall panel 18 along fold
lines 88a and 90a respectively.
[0019] Elongate reinforcing panel 52a is hinged along the unattached transverse edge of
inner end panel 26b along transverse fold line 54a and terminates in end tab 56a secured
to panel 52a along fold line 58a.
[0020] Likewise, elongate reinforcing panel 62a is hinged along the unattached transverse
edge of inner end panel 28b along transverse fold line 64a and terminates in end tab
66a secured to panel 62a along fold line 68a.
[0021] The handle panel H2 includes a reinforcing top strip S2 foldably joined to the handle
panel by transverse fold line 70a. A female locking panel 72a is struck centrally
from handle panel H2 which is hinged along fold line 50a to side panel 18 and includes
a locking slit 92. Handle panel H2 also includes hand cushioning flap 78a disposed
adjacent the locking slit 92.
[0022] The remainder of the blank includes bottom wall 14 hinged to side wall 16 along fold
line 94 and side wall panel 18 is hinged to bottom wall 14 along fold line 96. Bottom
wall 14 has bottom end closure flaps 98, 100 hinged at opposite ends thereof along
fold lines 102, 104 respectively.
[0023] In order to bring the blank into a flat folded sleeve, reinforcing panels 52/56;
62/66 and S1 are given an application of glue and folded inwardly of the blank through
180 degrees and are secured to underlying portions of the blank and likewise reinforcing
panels 52a/56a; 62a/66a and S2 also are given an application of glue, folded inwardly
of the blank through 180 degrees and are secured to adjacent portions of the blank.
Thus, a multi-ply thickness of material is present around the handle panels H1 and
H2. Thereafter the whole blank assembly to the left side of fold line 50 is folded
through 180 degrees towards the opposite end of the blank about fold line 50 into
superposed relationship with side wall panel 16. Thereafter handle panel H1 is folded
back upon itself to expose the reinforcing strip S1 which is thereby uppermost when
the blank is viewed in plan. The opposite end of the blank to the right side of fold
line 96 including handle panel H2 together with end portions 26b, 28b and upper end
closure panels 34b, 42b are folded through 180 degrees about fold line 96 and the
folded over reinforcing strip S2 of handle panel H2 is secured in the exposed reinforcing
strip S1 of handle panel H1. Simultaneously, outer end panel portions 26b and 28b
including their reinforcing panels are secured in superposed relationship to inner
end panel portions 26a and 28a, respectively, while outer top end closure panels 34b
and 42b are secured in superposed relationship to inner end closure panels 34a and
42a, respectively. Locking tab 74 of the locking panel 72 is inserted into locking
slit 92 in panel 72a to detachably secure those panels together and thereby form a
security panel extending between the carton sidewalls.
[0024] The flat sleeve thus formed can thereafter be erected, loaded and then closed by
mutually securing its end closure flaps.
[0025] In order to lift and carry the carton, the composite handle thus formed is grasped
by means of the registered hand gripping apertures (defined by the hand cushioning
flaps as seen in the blank) and raised away from the top wall of the carton about
fold line 'f' between upper and lower portions of the handle panel (Figures 2 & 3)
but leaving the other portions of the handle panel H1 and H2 in position thereby forming
a part of the top wall. In order to gain access to the security panel the frangible
joints provided by cut and fold lines 30, 30a and 32, 32a are torn to separate the
handle panels from the adjacent inner and outer end panel portions 26a, 26b and 28a,
28b whereafter the handle panels are separated from one another. In order to gain
access to the contents of the carton through the top wall, the locking panels 72 and
72a are unlocked by disengaging the locking tab 74 from the locking slit 92 and thus
separating the handle panels. The handle panels can however be brought together again
for use in carrying the carton again if desired.
1. A carton having a wall which comprises an openable panel means by which access
to the contents of the carton can be gained said openable panel means comprising a
handle panel construction and security panel means, wherein said handle panel construction
can be manipulated from a flat stowed position in which the handle panel construction
forms a part of said carton wall to an upright position for use in carrying the carton,
and wherein one part of said handle panel construction is separable from an attached
adjacent part thereof to facilitate access to said security panel means said security
panel means being openable to create an opening in said carton wall to facilitate
removal of the contents of the carton.
2. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said wall is formed from a pair of overlapping
top panels joined to opposed side walls of the carton.
3. A carton according to claim 2, wherein said security panel means comprises a pair
of reclosably interconnected flaps each forming part of a respective one of said top
panels and extending from said opposed side walls.
4. A carton according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said handle panel construction
comprises a pair of like handle panels joined together intermediate their ends, one
of said handle panels overlying the other of said handle panels when the panels are
in their flat stowed position and in that joined portions of each of said panels are
raised for use in carrying the carton.
5. A carton according to claim 4, wherein said one handle panel is frangibly joined
to parts of said one wall adjacent opposite ends of said security panel means at least
a part of each of said frangible joints being broken in order to bring said handle
panels out of said flat stowed position into said raised position.
6. A carton according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said joined portions of said handle
panels are adapted to be broken so that the handle panels can be separated from one
another thereby to give access to said security panel means.