Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WRAPAROUND CARTON AND BLANK
Background of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wraparound carton and blank. More
particularly, the
invention relates to a wraparound carton and blank for packaging articles such
as pots of
foodstuff, for example yoghurt, in which the base of the article protrudes
through an aperture
in the base of the carton.
l0 It is known to provide wraparound cartons for packaging such articles.
In US 2 926 781 to Dickhens et al it discloses a carton for packaging a pair
of articles such as
food jars in which a pair of apertures is provided through which the top of
the jars may
protrude, the blank being further provided with apertures in the side walls
through which the
jar labels may be viewed.
US 3 189 215 to Currie discloses a wraparound carton for packaging bottles,
slotted apertures
extending across the width of the top wall and being arranged to accommodate
the necks of
two bottles.
When erecting wraparound cartons which a portion of the article or articles to
be packaged is
capable of protruding through one of the carton walls, it is often difficult
to ensure that the
carton is erected with side walls of the same height, when the ends of the
blank are side walls
to be secured together and so that the top and base walls of the carton are
parallel.
The present invention seeks to overcome or at least mitigate the problems of
the prior art.
SummarX of the Invention
3o A first aspect of the present invention provides a wraparound article
Garner for packaging an
article such as a pot of foodstuffs, for example, the carton comprising
opposed top and base
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walls interconnected by opposed side walls thereby forming a tubular
structure. An
aperture is provided in the base wall panel to accommodate a portion of the
article.
A bracing tab is struck from said base wall panel to define the aperture and
folded so
as to act as a spacer, thereby causing the top wall and base wall to be spaced
by a
predetermined distance, the bracing tab extending into and hingedly connected
to
one of the panels forming the side wall.
Preferably the one side wall panel is a securing flap which flap is secured to
an outer
side wall panel. The distance between the free edge of the securing flap and
the
fold line of the bracing tab is, preferably, less than the distance between
the free
edge and the fold line of the securing flap.
According to an optional feature of this aspect of the present invention the
bracing
tab extends to a flange of the article or to a panel opposed to the base wall
panel.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a blank for forming a
wraparound
carrier for packaging an article such as a pot of foodstuffs, for example, the
blank
comprising a first top panel, a first side wall panel, a base wall panel and a
second
side wall panel hingedly connected together in series for forming a tubular
structure.
An aperture is provided in the base wall panel to accommodate a portion of the
article wherein a bracing tab is struck from the base panel to define the
aperture and
so folded in a set up condition to act as a spacer thereby causing the top and
base
wall panels to be spaced by a predetermined distance, the bracing tab
extending into
the securing flap and is hingedly connected to the securing flap. There may
further
comprise a securing flap hingedly connected to the base wall panel.
According to an optional feature of the second aspect of the present invention
the
distance between the free edge of the securing flap and the fold line of the
bracing
tab is less than the distance between the free edge and the fold line of the
securing
flap.
~1 - AMENDED SHEET
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A third aspect of the present invention provides a wraparound article carrier
for packaging an
article for example a primary carton, the carton comprising opposed top and
base walls
interconnected by first and second side walls so as to form a tubular
structure. An aperture is
struck from the base wall to receive a protruding portion of the article
wherein the aperture
extends into a panel adjacent the top wall so as to facilitate the folding of
the top wall over
the protruding portion during construction of the carton.
Optionally, the panel adjacent the top wall is a securing flap arranged to
secure the top wall to
one of said first or second side walls. Preferably the securing flap is
disposed on the outside
surface of the side wall and a portion of the side wall is disposed in the
aperture to en,~age the
article in the aperture.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a
blank for forming a
wraparound article carrier for packaging an article such as a sachet for
example, the blank
comprising in series a first side wall panel, a base wall panel, a second side
wall panel, a top
wall panel and a securing flap, an aperture being struck from the top wall
panel so as to
receive a protruding portion of the carton in use. The aperture extends into a
panel adjacent
the top wall panel so as to facilitate the folding of the top wall panel over
the protruding
portion during the folding of the blank to form a carton. Preferably, the
adjacent panel is the
securing flap.
A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a method of forming a
wraparound carton
comprising a first side wall panel, a second side wall panel, a top wall panel
and a securing
flap, hingedly interconnected in series so as to form a tubular structure, the
top wall panel
having an article receiving aperture struck therefrom and extending into the
securing flap, the
method comprising the steps of
i) introducing the article to the carton;
ii) folding the top wall panel and securing flap about a first fold line
hingedly
interconnecting the second side wall panel; and
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iii) introducing a protruding portion of the article into the extended portion
of the
aperture whilst folding the top wall and securing flap, thereby allowing the
securing
flap to clear the article.
Preferably, the method may further comprise the step prior to step (ii) of
placing the article on
the top panel and folding the base wall and second side wall around the
article.
The method of the fifth aspect may further comprise the step of folding a
bracing tab out of
the plane of the base panel before the folding and introducing step and the
step of bringing the
to bracing tab into abutment on a flange of the article or on the top panel
before folding the
securing flap toward the opposed panel.
Brief Description of the Drawings
1 5 Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of
example only,
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank for folding a carton according to one
embodiment of the
present invention;
FIGURES 2 and 3 are perspective views of the blank of Figure 1 during
successive stages of
the carton erection article loading procedure with the carton and articles
inverted;
FIGURE 4a is a perspective view of the carton formed from the blank of Figure
1 in a fully ,
set-up and loaded condition;
FIGURE 4b is a cross section view of the carton shown in Figure 4a through X -
X.
FIGURE 5 is a blank for forming a carton according to a second embodiment of
the present
invention;
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FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the blank of Figure 5 illustrating one stage
of the carton
erection procedure with the carton and articles in an inverted state;
FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the carton formed from the blank of Figure 5
in a fully
set-up and loaded condition;
FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the blank for forming a carton according to a third
embodiment
of the present invention;
to FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the blank of Figure 8 at one stage of the
carton erection
procedure with the carton and articles shown in an inverted state; and
FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a carton formed from the blank of Figure 8
in a fully set-
up and loaded condition.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
Referring to the first embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figures 1
to 4 and in
particular to Figure 1, there is illustrated a blank 10 of paperboard or like
foldable sheet
2o material for forming a wraparound carton. There comprises a plurality of
panels for forming
a top wall, a base and opposed side walls. In this embodiment, the blank 10
comprises in
series a base wall panel 14, first side wall panel 16, top wall panel 18 and
second side wall
panel 20 hingedly interconnected in series along fold lines 24, 26 and 28
respectively.
Preferably, there further comprises an inner side wall panel or securing flap
12 hingedly
connected to base wall panel 14 along fold line 20.
There may further comprise one or more aperture structures. In Figure 1 there
is shown a pair
of aperture structures 30 and 32 are struck from base wall panel 14 and, in
this embodiment,
extends into securing flap 12. Each structure is substantially identical and
therefore only
3o aperture structure 30 is described in further detail.
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There further comprises a spacer (or bracing) tab 34, struck from base wall
panel I4 and
extending into spacer flap 12 so as to interrupt fold line 22. Spacer tab 34
is hingedly
connected to securing flap 12 by fold line 38. The tab is defined by cut line
58, with each end
of cut line 58 being connected to fold line 38 by relatively short straight
mutually parallel cut
lines 59a and 59b. Of course, the position of the cut lines is non-limiting
and in some
embodiments cut lines 59a and 59b are dispensed with. The end of tab 34 remote
from fold
line 38 is, in this embodiment, substantially parallel to fold line 38 so as
to define a portion to
engage the flange of an article or a panel of the article carrier.
to Opposed pairs of article retention structures 42, 44; 46, 48 are preferably
provided along fold
Iines 26 and 28 respectively, the structures being arranged so as to interrupt
the aforesaid fold
lines. Each retention structure is substantially identical, and therefore only
structure 46 is
described in further detail. It can be seen from Figure 1 that structure 46
comprises a
protruding portion 50 of top wall panel 18 arranged so as to interrupt fold
line 28 and being
defined by curved cut line 52.
The structure further comprises a pair of spaced parallel cut lines 54 and 56
which is, in this
embodiment, arranged substantially perpendicular to fold line 28, to extend
from curved cut
Iine 52 and terminates part way down second side wall panel 20. The cut lines
54 and 56
2o thereby define a tab portion 57.
It is envisaged that the carton of any of the embodiments of the present
invention are formed
by a series of sequential folding and gluing operations in a straight line
machine so that the
carton is not required to be rotated or inverted to complete its constTUCtion.
The folding
process is not limited to that described below and may be altered according to
particular
manufacturing requirements.
It can be seen from Figure 2, in which the carton and articles A are inverted
for the sake of
clarity, that top wall panel 18 is placed so as to overlie the planar top face
of the articles A.
3o All references to directions are to be understood as if the blank and
articles are in an upright
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state. Top wall panel 18 is dimensioned, in this embodiment, such that flange
portions F of
the articles A extend beyond fold lines 26 and 28.
Spacer tabs 34 are then folded downwardly out of alignment with securing flap
12 thereby
revealing aperture 36 completely. Subsequently, first side wall panel I6 is
folded inwardly
out of alignment with top wall panel 18 and base wall panel 14 is folded
inwardly and
upwardly about fold line 24 out of alignment with first side wall panel 16.
The elongate
nature of apertures 36 enables base wall panel 14 to fold over the base of
articles A without
fouling on securing flap 12.
to
Subsequently, securing flap 12 is folded upwardly and inwardly about fold line
22 and second
side wall panel 20 is folded downwardly and inwardly about fold Iine 28 as
shown in Figure
3. Thus, spacer tabs 34 are guided between second side wall panel 20 and the
side of the
respective article A and are thus brought into engagement with the under side
of flange
portions F of the articles A to restrict relative movement of the article A
shown in Figure 4b.
In some embodiments, the outer face of securing flap 12 is brought into face
contacting
relationship with the inner face of second side wall panel 20. Panels 12 and
20 are preferably
secured together using glue or other suitable means known in the art.
2o The inward folding of first and second side wall panels 16 and 20 causes
flange portions F to
protrude laterally beyond fold lines 26 and 28 and the thickness of the flange
portions causes
tabs 57 to fold outwardly slightly beyond the plane of first and second side
wall panel 20.
The tabs 57 thereby engage underneath the flanges F, shown in Figures 4a and
4b, and assist
in the retention of the articles A within the carton. The carton is now in a
fully set-up and
loaded condition as illustrated in Figure 4.
It will be apparent that spacer tabs 34 are dimensioned such that during the
folding operation,
their positioning underneath flanges F ensures that the free edge of second
side wall panel 20
is substantially co-extensive with fold Line 28 when securing flap 12 is
brought into face
3o contacting relationship with second side wall panel 20, thus ensuring that,
in this
embodiment, base and top wall panels 14 and I8 are substantially parallel
because the first
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side wall 16 is the same width W as the resulting second wall formed by
securing flap 12 and
second side wall panel 20. The alternative arrangement of achieving such a
parallel
arrangement with a relatively small engagement flap requires the flap to be
secured to the
outer face of second side wall panel 20. The disadvantage of such an
arrangement is that the
side wall surface is interrupted and therefore the display of information
and/or advertising
indicia is compromised.
In other embodiments, the free edge of spacer tab 34 may abut the inner
surface of the top
panel to achieve the same effect. This is particularly useful for articles
without flanges. It is
to not necessary for the free edge of side wall panel 20 to be co-extensive
with fold line 22, for
example where the side wall panel is narrower and securing flap is wider, then
the spacer tab
would be used to determine the position of overlap for the securing flap and
second side wall
panel.
Turning now to the second embodiment of the invention as illustrated in
Figures 5 to 7 and in
particular to the blank as shown in Figure 5, the first and second embodiments
are similar and
therefore like numerals have, where possible, been used for like parts where
possible with the
addition of the prefix "1". Only the differences between the second embodiment
in relation
to the first have therefore been described below.
The second embodiment of Figure 5 differs from the first embodiment largely in
relation to
the aperture structures. In this embodiment, due to the shallower nature of
the articles A, the
aperture structures 130 and 132 are contained entirely within the base wall
panel as it is not
necessary for the apertures 136 to be elongate to prevent securing flap 112
fouling on the base
of the article A.
As can be seen from Figure 6, the erection procedure is substantially
identical to that of the
first embodiment and, as before, tabs 134 act as a spacer so as to ensure that
the top and base
walls of the erected carton are parallel as shown in Figure 7.
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Turning now to the third embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figures
8 to 10 and in
particular to the blanlc as shown in Figure 8: again the blank of the third
embodiment is
similar to the first embodiment and like numerals have where possible been
used for like
parts where possible with the addition of the prefix "2". Only the differences
between the
third embodiment in relation to the first have therefore been described below.
As can be seen from Figure 8, the blank of Figure 8 differs from that of
Figure 5 in that spacer
tab 234 does not follow the cut line 258 defining aperture 236 rather the side
edges thereof
are defined by extensions of cut lines 259a and 259b.
The erection procedure of the blank to form the completed carton of the third
embodiment is
substantially identical to the erection procedure of the first and second
embodiments and is
shown in Figure 9. The fully set-up and loaded carton formed from the blank of
Figure 8 is
shown in Figure 10.
It is envisaged the invention can be applied to a wraparound carton or an end
loading carton
with only minor amendments to the structure. For example, the bracing tab
could be struck
entirely from the securing flap in those cartons without article apertures.
The width of the
securing flap (and therefore the bracing tab) can be adjusted according to the
size of the
carton.
It will be recognised that as used herein, directional references such as
"top", "base", "end",
"side", "upper", "lower", "inner" and "outer" do not limit the respective
panels to such
orientation, but merely serve to distinguish these panels from one another.
Any reference to
hinged connection should not be construed as necessarily referring to a single
fold line only:
indeed it is envisaged that hinged connection can be formed from one or more
of one of the
following, a score line, a frangible line or a fold line, without departing
from the scope , of
invention.
3o It should be understood that numerous changes may be made within the scope
of the
invention. For example, the carton may be adapted to accommodate a single
article or more
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than two articles. However the size and shape of the apertures and panels may
be adjusted
according to the particular requirements of the articles to be packaged and
other known article
retention means may be employed. The present invention and its preferred
embodiment
relates to a carton which is shaped to provide satisfactory rigidity to hold
items such as
primary containers securely but with a degree of flexibility. The shape of the
blank
minimises the amount of paperboard required for the carton. The items can be
applied to the
carrier by hand or automatic machinery. It is anticipated the invention can be
applied to a
variety of carton or tray types and not limited to those of the wraparound
sort.
