초록 ▼

A carton, having reinforced handle openings which define handles, includes a tubular structure that is formed from multiple walls. An edge flap connects two of the walls. The carton also includes end closures at each open end of the tubular structure. The end closures each include end flaps that hav

A carton, having reinforced handle openings which define handles, includes a tubular structure that is formed from multiple walls. An edge flap connects two of the walls. The carton also includes end closures at each open end of the tubular structure. The end closures each include end flaps that have features that define the handles. The end closures also include edge flap reinforcing panels that are hingedly connected to the edge flap and further define the handle. Specifically, a reinforcing edge of the edge flap reinforcing panel is disposed in reinforcing proximity to a handle opening so as to reinforce at least a weight bearing edge of the handle opening to define a handle with a multi-ply thick weight bearing edge.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A carton, comprising: a tubular structure comprising multiple walls; an edge flap connecting two of said walls; and at least one end closure that comprises: a handle opening; a first edge flap reinforcing panel that is hingedly connected to said edge flap; and a second edge f

What is claimed is: 1. A carton, comprising: a tubular structure comprising multiple walls; an edge flap connecting two of said walls; and at least one end closure that comprises: a handle opening; a first edge flap reinforcing panel that is hingedly connected to said edge flap; and a second edge flap reinforcing panel that is hingedly connected to said first edge flap reinforcing panel; wherein a reinforcing edge of each of said first and second edge flap reinforcing panels is disposed in reinforcing proximity to said handle opening so as to reinforce at least a weight bearing edge of said handle opening, wherein said multiple walls of said tubular structure comprising: a top wall; a bottom wall; and first and second side walls, and wherein the edge flap is hingedly connected to the top wall and secured in flat face contact with one of said first and said second side walls. 2. The carton of claim 1, wherein said at least one end closure further comprises a top end flap hingedly connected to said top wall, said top end flap including said handle opening, said handle opening being defined by an endless edge. 3. The carton of claim 2, said at least one end closure further comprising a side end flap hingedly connected to each of the first and second side walls, each side end flap comprising a cutout having dimensions complementary to the dimensions of at least part of said handle opening; and wherein said top end flap is foldable to at least partially overlie said side end flaps so that said handle opening in said top end flap is in registry with said cutouts in said first and second side end flaps. 4. The carton of claim 3, wherein at least one of said side end flaps comprises a side flap reinforcing panel hingedly connected thereto, said side flap reinforcing panel being folded into a face contacting arrangement with said at least one said side end flap. 5. The carton of claim 4, wherein one of said first and second edge flap reinforcing panels are coplanar with said side flap reinforcing panel such that each provide a portion of a single layer of reinforcement to at least said weight bearing edge of said handle opening. 6. The carton of claim 2, wherein the reinforcing edge of each of said first and second edge flap reinforcing panels is substantially aligned with a portion of a periphery of said handle opening. 7. The carton of claim 6, wherein the first edge flap reinforcing panel has a pair of upper and lower opposed edges, the lower edge comprises the reinforcing edge of the first edge flap reinforcing panel, and the first edge flap reinforcing g panel is connected along the upper edge thereof to the second edge flap reinforcing panel. 8. The carton of claim 7, wherein the second edge reinforcing panel extends downward from the upper edge of the first edge flap reinforcing panel and terminates in a lower edge of the second edge flap reinforcing panel, the lower edge of the second edge flap reinforcing panel being the reinforcing edge of the second edge flap reinforcing panel. 9. The carton of claim 1, wherein the second edge flap reinforcing panel is disposed in a face contacting arrangement with the first edge flap reinforcing panel. 10. A blank for forming a carton, comprising: a plurality of primary panels hingedly connected in series, the primary panels including a pair of endmost panels; an edge flap hingedly connected to one of the endmost panels to be secured to the other endmost panel to form the primary panels into a tubular structure; a first edge flap reinforcing panel hingedly connected to said edge flap; a second edge flap reinforcing panel hingedly connected to said first edge flap reinforcing panel; and a plurality of end flaps for forming an end closure at one end of said carton, each of said plurality of end flaps being hingedly connected to the corresponding end edge of one of said primary panels, said end flaps for forming an end closure, wherein at least one of said plurality of end flaps includes a feature for defining a handle opening disposed through said end closure; wherein a reinforcing edge of each of said first and second edge flap reinforcing panels is positioned and dimensioned for being disposed in reinforcing proximity to said handle opening so as to reinforce at least a weight bearing edge of said handle opening when said end closure is formed. 11. The blank of claim 10, wherein the reinforcing edge of the second edge flap reinforcing panel abuts said at least one of said plurality of end flaps. 12. A carton, comprising: a tubular structure comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall; an edge flap that is hingedly connected to the top wall and secured in flat face contact with one of said first side wall and said second side wall; and at least one end closure, comprising: a top end flap comprising a handle opening, the top end flap being hingedly connected to the top wall, said handle opening being defined by an endless edge; and a first edge flap reinforcing panel being hingedly connected to said edge flap, wherein a reinforcing edge of said edge flap reinforcing panel is substantially aligned with a portion of a periphery of said handle opening so as to reinforce at least a weight bearing edge of said handle opening, wherein said at least one end closure further comprises a second edge flap reinforcing panel hingedly connected to the first edge flap reinforcing panel. 13. The carton of claim 12, wherein said at least one end closure further comprises a side end flap hingedly connected to each of the first side wall and the second side wall, each side end flap comprising a cutout with a reinforcing edge that is configured to reinforce at least a part of the weight bearing edge of the handle opening. 14. The carton of claim 12, wherein the first edge flap reinforcing panel has a pair of upper and lower opposed edges, the lower edge comprises the reinforcing edge, and the first edge flap reinforcing panel is connected along the upper edge thereof to the second edge flap reinforcing panel. 15. The carton of claim 12, wherein the second edge flap reinforcing panel is disposed in a face contacting arrangement with the first edge flap reinforcing panel. 16. The carton of claim 12, wherein the first edge flap reinforcing panel is disposed in face a contacting arrangement with an inside surface of one of the side end flaps. 17. The carton of claim 16, wherein a side flap reinforcing panel is hingedly connected to the other side end flap and is folded such that the side end flap reinforcing panel is disposed in a face contacting arrangement with an inside surface of the other side end flap. 18. The carton of claim 12 wherein a reinforcing edge of said second edge flap reinforcing panel is substantially aligned with a portion of the periphery of said handle opening. 19. The carton of claim 12, wherein the second edge flap reinforcing panel is disposed in a face contacting arrangement with the first edge flap reinforcing panel.