Handle and Top Handle Reinforcement for a Paperboard Carton

摘要

A fully enclosed carton for carrying heavy loads with a reinforcement insert for the handle apertures located in the top end flaps of the carton. The paperboard reinforcing insert may be extended as a bridge across the top panel of the carton to prevent tearing of the handle apertures in the top end flaps and also tearing in the top panel of the carton when carrying a heavy load. The carton may have one or more dispensers in the top panel which may extend into an adjoining side panel. Multiple tear lines may be formed for the dispenser flap in the insert that extends across the top panel to permit easy access to the containers, such as bottles, in the carton. The paperboard reinforcing insert may have a larger aperture than the handle aperture in each top end flap to adjust for any imprecision in the alignment of the paperboard insert in forming the carton sleeve from the paperboard blank. When the paperboard insert extends across the top panel and one or more dispensers are formed in the top panel, multiple tear lines may be used to form the flaps in the insert to compensate for any imprecision in the insertion of the insert that extends across the top panel into the carton sleeve when it is being formed.

主权项

1. A method of forming a carton comprising:
forming a carton blank comprising (1) a top panel having a first side edge, a second side edge, and end edges, a first side panel and a second side panel each having a first side edge, a second side edge, and end edges, the first side edge of the first side panel being connected at the first side edge of the top panel, the first side edge of the second side panel being connected at the second side edge of the top panel, and a bottom panel connected to the second side edge of the second side panel; (2) top end flaps including a first top end flap and a second top end flap, the first top end flap being connected to one of the end edges of the top panel along a first top end fold line; (3) a handle aperture through at least one of said top end flaps; and (4) side panel end flaps, including a first side panel end flap connected to one of the end edges of the first side panel and a second side panel end flap connected to one of the end edges of the second side panel, the first side panel end flap and the second side panel end flap each having a side panel end flap aperture that corresponds to said handle aperture and positioned to be in substantial alignment with said handle aperture when the carton is formed from the blank; (5) a finger flap located in the top panel; and forming an insert, separate from the carton, the insert having at least one insert aperture and being securable to the first top end flap, the second top end flap, and the top panel in such a position that, when the carton is formed from said blank, (1) the insert aperture will be in sufficient alignment with the handle aperture and the side panel end flap apertures (i) to reinforce the handle aperture, and (ii) to allow a person's hand to be extended through the handle aperture, the side panel end flap aperture, and the insert aperture, (2) the insert does not cover any part of at least one of the first side panel or the second side panel, and, (3) the insert is positioned between the first top end flap and the first side panel end flap such that the insert, the first top end flap, and the first side panel end flap forms three layers between the first top end fold line and the handle aperture; wherein the insert includes a finger aperture located to be sufficiently aligned with the finger flap in the top panel to permit the finger flap to be pushed into the finger aperture; wherein the first side panel and the second side panel are connected at opposite sides of the top panel; attaching the bottom panel to the second side panel to form a sleeve; and securing the insert to the first top end flap or the second top end flap in position where the at least one insert aperture is sufficiently aligned with the handle aperture (i) to reinforce the handle aperture and (ii) to allow a person's hand to be extended through the handle aperture and the at least one insert aperture.