Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~_2125
1136~
~R~ON FOR BEVERAGE ~O~TAI~ERS
Thi~ invention relate~ to a ca~ton partic!ularly of ~he
end_loading type suitable gor ~ccoQ~noda~ing beverage containers
~uch as l~ol~tle~ or cans.
., .. . ~ . .. , : .
Kno~.m ~artons o ~imilar constru~tion, but o~ ~he wrap-
5 axound type, take the fonn of a generally en~lo3ed ~a~e ~av~ng
end clo~ure panel~ which are adapted to bend ~o a~ to ~:onfonn
more closely to the ~hape o~ tho8e contai~err whi~h a:re in contact
wi~h the en~ clo~ure panel~ thus tendi-flg to proYide ~ tighter
fitting paclcage. }~awever, the exten~ of c~onformity of the ond
10 panel~ with respect to the paclcaged artit:le~ in known ~onstruc_
tion3 i~ limited by the manner in which the end C~108Ure E~anel~
are ocored with ~end line~.
The pre~ent invention results ~rom ~n appreciation ~ha~
modification ~n the arrange~ent of ~uch bend l~nes in th~s end
15 clo~ure panel~ resu1t~ in a tight~r ~ittlng package~,
One aspe~t of the invent:ion provide~ zl ¢arton ~or
a~ mnodat~ng ~everage container~ which carton cGmprlse~ ~ bottom
wall, a pair of ~iae wall~ oldl~bly ~oirl~a re~pec~lv~ly ~o th~
.
,~.
, .. ~..... ~
1 3 6 ~
_ 2 -- .
~ide e~lges of aid bottG~n wall, a 1:op wall ~oldably joined
re3peetively to the upper edge~ of the ~i~e wall~ ~hereby
providing ~ tubul~r ~tru~ture wherein ~ach ~na o~ ~ai~ tubular
s~ructure ha~ a pair of end ~lap~ foldably ~o~ ~ed respectively
!5 to ~aid ~ide walls which ~nd flap~ are foldable lslwaxdly across
said end, and an end c~lo~ure panel foldahly joined to ~aid
bottoqn wall and fols~able upwardly into overlapping relation~hip
with said end flaps, each of ~aid end flaps being formed with a
:Eold line ad jacent the ad joining fold line between that end
10 ~lap and the respective ~ide wall, eaid fc~ld lines together
defining the ~ida edges of a gus#et panel having an initial
lc~er portion with side edge~ whi~h are divergent in 'che
direction away frc~TI s~id bottom wall and an upper por~ion remote
fxom ~aid bottom wall having non_divergent side edge~.
Specific embodîments of he invention, by way of
exampla, are naw 3et for~h in the following de~cription ta3cen in
~onjunction with the acco~npanying drawing~ whit:h:-
Figure 1 i~ a plan ~riew of a blank fro~n which a carton i8
... . , . -
f ormed,
20 Figure 2 i~ a p~r~pective vi~w of one ena of a ~arton fonnedfrom the blank ~hown ~n Figur~ 1,
Figure 3 i8 a plar~ w o~E a modiied blar~c from which another
carton iB formed,
Figure 4 i~ a perseecti~re view of one end of a carton formed
25 from the blaa~ hcswn ln Figure 3,
Figure 5 i~ a plan vie~ of a furtl~er modified blank from which
yet ~nother ~arton i~ formed, an~l
Figure 6 i~ a perspective vi~w of one end of ~ c~rton formed
~roqn the blarlc ~hc~m in Figure S.
Referxing to th~ drawing~, F~gure 1 ~ha~s ~ blank 1 of
paperboard or simil~r ~ol~able ~heet material ~or ~ormlng a
.
1 1 6 ~ t
_ 3 --
~arton 'C' for a~comm~da~ing row~ of bottle~ and compri~es a
bottom wall panel 2, a ~i~e wall p~nel 3, a ~op panel 4 and
a further ~ide wall panel 5. ~he bottom wall panel 2 ~
~oldably ~oined to one tran~ver~e edge of ~he ~d~ ~all panel 3
~long a transver~e fold line 6~ Tbe opposite tr~n~ver~e edge
of side wall panel 3 i~ foldably ~oined to one tran~ver~ edge
o~ top panel 4 along a transver~e fold line 7 and the oppo~ite
tran~verse edge of top panel 4 i6 fOlaably ~oined to ~he
further ~i~e wall panel 5 along a tran~vers~ fold line 8. The
fre~ edge of bottom wall panel 2 includes a glue.~trip 9
foldably joined to the bottom wall panel along tran~ver~e fold
line 10.
~ he blank iæ ~ymetrical about the longitudinal centre
line "L-~H and for ease of understanding reference i~ made to
those portions of the bla~k above ~he ~entre line "~-h" which
depi~t the closure con~tru~tion at one end of the carton 'C' as
~hown in Fi~ure 2.
A bottom end closure panel 11 which ~apers ~owards i~
free end i~ foldably joined to the bottom wall panel 2 along
a longitudinal fold line 12 and a top end closure panel 13 i~
foldably joined to the top wall panel 4 along longitudinal fold
line 14. Integral end flap panels 15, 16 are foldably ~oined
to the ~ide wallR 3, 5 along longitudinal fold line~ 17, 18
re~pectively. The end ~lap panels 1 5, 16 also are integral
2S with and foldably joined to the top end ~losure panel 13 along
the transverse fold lines 7, 8 re~pectiv~ly. In ord~r to
fa~ilitate folding of the t~p end clo~ure panel 13 ~bout fold
line 14 ~he top end panel~ 15, 16 are each ~ormed w~th generally
deltoid opening~ 19, 20 located in ~he ca~e o~ panel 15 be~ween
tran~verse fold l~ne 7 ~nd an obli~ue fold lin~ 21, ~nd in ~he
~ase of panel 16 between tran~ver~e fold line B and ~n oblique
( ? 1 1 6~
fc: ld l~ne 22 . ~e ree en~ of 1:he top ~nd clo~ure panel
i~clude~ t2gral tongue portion 2 3 ,.
~ach of the ~nd 1ap panels 15, 16 are forme~ with
~urther fold l~nes 24, 25 extending adjacent fola llne 17, lB
S respe~tively an~ definirlg a pair of gus~et panel~ 25, 27. The
fold lis~e 17 t:ompxise~ two angularly related pc~rtions 17 ' ,17 "
which meet at a tran~verse fold line 2B extending aentrally
acro~ side wall panel 3. Similarly, ~old line 24 cosnpri~e~
two angularly relat~d portion~ 24', 24n which xnset at the
10 tran~verse fold line 28. q~he fold lines 17, 24 t~ether defin~
the side edges of the gusset panel 2 6 .
LiXewise fold line 18 ~mpri~e~ t~o angularly relat d
portion~ iB', lB~ w~i~h meet at transveree fold line 2~'
extending centrally acro~s ~ide wall panel S. Similarly, fold
15 line 25 ~ompri~e~ two angularly related portions 25' ~ 25"
which meet at transverse fold line 2B'. The fol~ lines 18 and
25 together define the side edge~ csf gusset panel 27.
l~he angular relationships of the ~old line~ de~ining
gusset panel~ 26 and 27 are cho~en ~uch that ~e adjacent fold
20 line3 17', 24' and 17" and 24" are divergent in a direction
toward~ the tran~ver~e fold line 28 and the adja~ent fold lines
18', 25' and 18n, 25" are divergent towards the trarisver3e fol~
line 28 ' .
To ere~t the blar~c to form a ~ompleted ~:ar~:c~n 'C', ~irst
25 side wall panel 5 i~ b~naed to the glue~ ~trip 9 thus bringing
the blank to a ~leeve l~ke con~iguration ready ~or loading with
bottl~s or othar oontainer~ through the opp~ed opesl ends of
the ~leeve. ~o ~lo~e that ~3nd o~ ~he bl~nX previou31y de~c:rib~3d
the end flap p~nel3 15, 16 ~ra iEolded inwardly a~:~o~s the open
. . .
l ) I l~;Zl l
_ 5 -- .
~nd o~ the ~leeve abouk 'cheir respect~ ve i~ol~ line~ 17, 18
tl u8 cau~ing the top end ~:lo~ure panel 13 to $niti2lte folding
about fold line 14. ~rhe top end c:losure panel ~11 bagin ~o
fold owing to the folding movement s~f the ~n ss~ral tuck_in
5 8trap~ 29, 30 defined be~ween fola line~ 7, 21 nnd 8, 22
re8pectively and the panel 13 even~llally will be brought into
c~vexlapping relation~hip wi~h ~he upper por~ions of end flap
panel~ 15, 16 and l3ecured thereto. To complete t~e end
t:lo~ure the bottom end t:lo~ure panel 11 i8 ~au~ed to fold
1~:) abou~ fold lille 12 and i~ bxough~ into overlapping relation~
ship with the lower portions of ~3nd flap panel~ 15, 16 and
secured theretoO The frae end of bottom end cloE~ure panel 11
al80 i8 ov~rlapped with and secured to the tongue 23 integral
with top panel 13. 'rhu~ one end of the carton 'C ' i~
15 ~!ompletely elosed with the top and bottom ~nd ~losure panel~
11, 13 meetirlg at about mid lleight of the carrier as ~hown in
Figure 2~ The carton panel~ are ~ized QUc~a lthat ~he overall
carton width reduce~ tawards its top end whereby ~he top panel
4 i8 narrcwer ~han bottcm panel 2. Redu~tion $n ~idth i~
20 more pr ~inent in the top~ection of the ~rton i.e. above
the ~onti~uous central ~old line constituted by t~ansver~e fold
lines 2~, 2B'. The tightne 8 of the carto~ end stru~ture i~
enhanced by the constru~tion of the ~orner gu~8et panel~ which
~re ~haped to conform closely to ~he ~o~t~iner~ aecommodated
adjacent the ~ornerR of the ~arton. Thu~ each gu~et panel has
side edges which are divergent in a dire~ion ~way from ~ottom
panel 2 pp to t~e point o~ inter~e~tion with ~ol~ l~ne~ 28, 28'
wherea~ter the gus~et panel side edses are conv~rge~t towaras
the top panel 4.
- It will be apprecizted that ~he opposi~ 2nd of the
~arto~ lOe- below ~entre line ~ " i8 0~ sim~lar aon~truction
and i~ ~lo~ed in a z~hion similar to ~hat de~cribea above.
.
~ J:~66~1~
_ 6 --
To fac~litate ~arrying an~l opening the c~rtorl 'C' the
~op panel ~ ~8 ~ormed with grippiny ~pertures defin~d ~y push_in
t~lbs 31, 32 ~nd t~ara~ay panel~ 33, 34 defi~ed l:~y ~rforate
~core lines formed in the top panel. When tear-away panels 33,34
5 are removed and di~carded a ~sntral sectic>n of the 'cop panel
be~een tab3 31, 32 remain~, thus provisling a handle by w~ich ~he
carton ~an be grasped. 'rhi8 ~eature allc~ he carton lt~ be u3ed
for returning empty beverage contaislers.
Referring now to Figures 3 of the drawings there i3 ~ha~
10 a blank la of paperboard or similar foldable ~heet ma~erial in
which like part6 of Figure 1 are de~ignated liXe reference
numerals but with the addition of ~uffix 'a".
The ~nain ~truc ural difference bet:ween ~e carton 'C' of thi8
embodiment and that previously ae~cribed iB ~hat opening~ are
15 provided in each top ~orner of the cartorl (aee Figure 4) ~o that
the contents of 'che carton can be ~een. To achieve lthis feature
the apertures l9a, ~Oa of blas~k la are enlarged as compared with
apertures 19, 20 of blank 1. The aperture l9a ~ut~ in~o panel 3a,
13a and taXes out a sub tantial portion of panel 15a. Similarly,
20 aperture 20 ~uts into panels 5a, 13a and take~ out a sub3tantial
portion of panel 16a. Hence, eaGh Df the gusset E~anels 26a, 27a
are shortened rslativ~ to gu~set pan~ls 26, 27 ~o that the upper
portion~ of tho8e panel~ i.e. the ~mall pc)rtis:~ns above the central
transver~e fold lines 28a, 28a' ~top ~horl; of the carrier top
25 panel 4. ~leverthel~s, the construc:tion of the gu~se~ pan~l~ in
this erabodiment a~h~ eve~ the tightnes3 of fit tequ~red in that Z18
~th the previous embodiment the in~ tial part of each gu3Re'c panel
ha~ oide ~dges whi~h alre ~ivergent in a ~irec:tion ~way fxorn the
bottom panel 2a up to 1~he point o~ in'cersectior~ with ~ol~ line~
30 2B, 28 ' whereafter th~ ide edge~ ~re ~:oqnvergent in a direct~ on
ltcn~rards 'che cc>rne~ ilpertur0~ l9a, 20a respectively.
~ l ~;IS621~
_ 7 --
Xt will b0 appreciated that the oppo~ite ond o~ ~e
~:arton 'C ' ~ ne. belc~w eentr~ line ~ f similar con -
~truction ansl iB ~lo~ed in a ~ashion similar to ~ a0E~cribed
~bove., ~oxeover, it i~ envi~aged that top panel 4a may be
5 provided with the c:arryin~ zmd opening~ feature~ previously
d~3~ribed in relation to carton 'C'.
Referring r~ow to Figure 5 of th~ arawings there i~ shawn
a blan}c lb of paperboard or E~imilar foldabl~ ~heet material in
which like part~ o~ Figure 1 are designated li3ce xeference
10 numerals but with the addition of su~fix "b". The layout of
blank lb also i8 different to that oiE blanks 1 and la previously
.
de~cribe~ in that a part of one ~ide wall panel 5~ hown
inteyral with top wall panel 4b and the rernaining part of side
wall panel 5b is sh~wn integral wit:h bottom wall panel 2b. The
15 effeet of thi~ layout i~ that both the ~ide flap panel~ 15b, 16b
depend from the bottom wall panel prior to glu~3ing the blanX into
its ~leeve_like confiyuration. Thi~ i8 nece~ary . ince ~he
carton of thi~ embodiment i8 not provided wi~h a top wall end
closure panel as in the previous embodime23t~.
H~wever, the carton 'C2 ' ~ a~sembl~d in a ~imilar
ashioII in that fir~t tl e blahk lb i8 bxought into a sleeve-like
~:or~figura~ion by bonding the glue ~rip portiorl 9b of side wall
panel 5b in overlapping relation~hip wi~ the oppo~ite part o~
-
~ide wall pan~l 5b. After ~he ~arton ~as been end- loaded with
~5 containers as previou31y referred to ~e carton end~ are ~losed.
In the example shown, lthe end flap panels 15b, 16b zlre folded
inwardly acroRs the open end of the eleeve ~bou'c t~eir re3pec-
tive fold line~ 17b, lBbo Thi~ ~olding operat~on cau~es the
botto~n ~nd clo~ure panel llb tc~ initiate fold~ng ~bout fold
30 l~e 12b. The bottam end ~lo~ure panel will beg~n to fol~ ~wing
to ~he foldiny movemen~ of kh~ integral tu~ in ~lap~ 3S, 36
! ~ 13~62
. B
provided betw0en ~ottom ~nd clo~ure p~nel llb and each of end
flap panel~ 15b ~nd 16b re~pectively. ~he tuck-in flap 35
will old fl~t ~gain0t the inside face c~f ~s3ttom ~nd closure
panel llb by folaing ~bout oblique ~old line~ 37, 3B ~nd
5 13imilarly th2 tu~X.in flap 36 will fold ~lat ~gain~t the inside
face of bottom nd clo~ure panel llb by ~olding about obliqu0
fold lin23 39, 40.
q~o complete the end clcsure ( ~ee Figure 6~, olding of
the bottom end closure pane~ llb i~ continued ~o a~ to bring it
10 into oYerlapping relation~hip wi~ the end flap panels l5b, 16b
and ~ecure~ ther to. It will be appreciated that the oppo~ite
end of the carrier i.~. bel~w cel~tre line "L-L" iB of ~imilar
c:onqtruction and i~ clo3ed in a fashion ~imilar to that ~u~t
described-. Thu8, the carton end~ are ~losed only at the bottom
15 Election ~o that ~he contents of the carrier ~an be viewed
through the open top portions of the end ~lo~ure~ as best seen
in Figure 6 of the drawings.
The tightneQs of the carton structure wi~h respect to lts
content~ i~ achieved in a manner ~ ilar to that previou~ly
20 described in that ea~h gUQBet panel has side edge~ w~ich are
divergent in a direction away fr~m the bottom panel 2b up to
the point of $nter~e~tion wit~ central ~san Yer8e fold line
28b, 28b' whereafter the gU8Eet panel ~ide edges are convergent
towards the top mo t edges of the respect~ve end flap panel~.
An ade~uate degree of tightne~s i8 par~ieularly important
with regard to the Qarton 'C2' of 'chis embodi~en~ ~n ~hat the
esAd structure i~ part~ally open ~o that ~ecuro retention of 'çhe
beverage container~ i~ de~irable to prevent aceidental
lodg~nent or pilf~rag~.
.
. .
l l B ~
_ g _
A~ in 't:he e~mbodimen'c o~ Pigura~ 1 a.nd 2, in or~sr to
facil~t~t~ csarrying and opening of the carton, ~e top panel
4b ~ ~ormed with han~le aperture~ definsd by pushing tabs
31b, 32b ~nd t~ar_away panels 33b, 34b provi~ied. by perfora~e
S ~core 1~ nes $ormed in lthe tc~p panel . Thi c~truction permit~- th2 carton 'C2' to be used for returning empty beverage con-
*ainers a~ mentioned previously.
.
envisaged tha~ a~ least wi~h re~pe~t to ~e
carton3 'C ', and 'C2 ' adequate tightne~s of the ~:arton end
10 ~trul:ture may be o~tained if the upper portion~ of the ~fus~et
- panel~ have side edges which are parallel to one ano~her
rather than ~onvergent a3 de3cribed And sho~m.. For example,
with respect to ~igur~s 5 and 6, the fold line portion~ 18b",
and 25b" of gu~et panel 27b may be for~ed parallel to one
15 ano~her and Rimilarly ~old lir~e portion 17b" and 24b" of gu~et
panel 26b ~nay be fom~ed parallel to one anotherO H~wever, the
conver~ent arrangement as de~cribed ~nd zh~wn i~ to be
preferred .