EP0526126A1

EP0526126A1 - A carton and blank therefor

Info

Publication number: EP0526126A1
Application number: EP92306793A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Colin Rowles
Original assignee: Mead Corp
Current assignee: Mead Corp
Priority date: 1991-07-25
Filing date: 1992-07-24
Publication date: 1993-02-03
Also published as: GB9116093D0

Abstract

A carton comprising top (12), bottom (18,20) and two side panels (14,16) for packaging a plurality of articles (A) such as tubs of yoghurt in multiple tiers. The carton comprises retaining locks (30)(34)(40) which interlock with certain articles in a given tier thereby providing an overall package which can carry three tiers of articles in a suitably secure and rigid carton.

Description

The invention relates to a carton of the wraparound type and blank therefor for packaging a plurality of articles such as tubs of yoghurt in a plurality of tiers. A carton according to the invention may be formed from a blank of paperboard or similar foldable sheet material which comprises a top, bottom and two opposed side panels which are foldably interconnected.
The invention primarily is concerned with a carton of the wraparound type which comprises an open-ended sleeve.
In known cartons of this type used for packaging pots or tubs of foodstuff, it is most usual to include only a single tier of articles such as a group of four tubs arranged in two rows of two tubs each. It is common that such groups include tubs which are interconnected by means of a frangible connection between peripheral flanges extending from the tops of the tubs. Whereas it is a relatively simple task to arrange for the retention of individual tubs or rows thereof against endwise dislodgement from such a carton sleeve where the tubs are disposed adjacent the top or base of the carton, the retention of an intermediate group of tubs is more problematic.
It has not previously been known to pack article groups of the type here contemplated in at least three tiers in such cartons and consequently it has been necessary to address the satisfactory retention of all the articles in the package.
Throughout this specification the preferred definition of the word 'tier' shall be a group of articles disposed in side by side relation wherein the group may comprise a single row of articles. Thus, two such tiers of a given structure are arranged in superposed relation one above the other. Generally, bases of articles in an upper tier stand upon the tops of articles in the tier immediately beneath.
One aspect of the present invention provides a carton accommodating a plurality of articles arranged in at least three tiers which carton comprises top, bottom and side panels which are foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure, characterised in that said side walls comprise article retention means which cooperate with articles in a tier which is intermediate the uppermost and lowermost tiers to resist dislodgement of articles in said intermediate tier through the ends of the carton.
According to a feature of this aspect of the invention, said retention means may comprise a foldable flap which is hinged to one of said side panels and a foldable flap hinged to an opposed side panel, each flap being displaced inwardly from the plane of its respective side panel and being disposed between a pair of adjacent articles in said intermediate tier.
According to another feature of this aspect of the invention, three tiers of articles may be accommodated with said carton one above the other and wherein the carton includes top, side and bottom retention means which interlock the carton and articles in the top, intermediate and bottom tiers respectively.
In a preferred embodiment the foldable flap has a length greater than half the width of an adjacent article. More preferably, the foldable flap has a length substantially equal to the width of an adjacent article. The foldable flap may comprise an article engaging portion or a pair of article engaging portions. Beneficially, the pair of article engaging portions may have a lateral extent which is greater than the minimum separation between two adjacent articles. The article engaging portions therefore act to retain the articles adjacent the side pane of the carton to which the foldable flap is hinged. In a preferred form, the article engaging portion is hingably attached to the foldable flap. In a further preferred form, the foldable flap has an arcuate lateral portion foldable substantially to contour the shape of an adjacent article.
Another aspect of the invention provides a carton blank for forming a carton according to any of the four immediately preceding paragraphs.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

FIGURE 1 shows a plan view of a carton blank according to the invention when unformed;
FIGURE 2 shows a schematic end elevation view of a formed carton packed with three layers of articles; and
FIGURE 3 shows a perspective elevation drawing of the embodiment of a carton according to the invention during the forming process.

Referring to the drawings there is shown an elongate carton blank 10 formed from paperboard or some other suitable foldable sheet material and comprises a top panel 12, side panels 14 and 16, and bottom panels 18 and 20. The panels are foldably interconnected by means of a series of parallel fold lines in which base panel 18 is hinged to side panel 14 by means of transverse fold line 2, side panel 14 is hinged to top panel 12 by means of transverse fold line 3, top panel 12 is hinged to side panel 16 by means of transverse fold line 4, and side panel 16 is hinged to base panel 20 by means of transverse fold line 5. In the specific embodiment shown, the wraparound carton blank 10 is used to pack three tiers of article groups each of which groups is formed into an array or 3 x 2 articles. These groups are stacked one on top of the other, the carton thereby providing packaging for a total of 18 articles.
Referring specifically to Figure 1, the base panels 18 and 20 are formed so that they can be connected together in overlapping relationship by known cooperating interlocking means 24 and 26. Base panel 20 comprises two flaps locking tabs 26 and two half locking tabs 27 all foldably connected to the base panel. Base panel 18 comprises locking apertures defined by retaining tabs 24 and 25 each of which is struck from the base panel 18 along three sides and foldably connected to the base panel 18 along a fourth side of the tab.
The blank includes retaining means for each tier of top articles locking flaps 30 side locks comprising locking flaps 32 and bottom retaining flaps 34 where the flaps in each case act on one or more articles in a given layer thereby better securing the articles within the carton and increasing the rigidity of the overall package. Top flaps 30 comprise two flaps 50 each of which is foldably connected to top panel 12 by means of hinge line 52. Once the articles (which in this case comprise plastics pots with top peripheral flanges) have been packed in the carton, flaps 50 can be rotated downwardly about hinge 52 whereby the free edges 54 of the flaps engage the lowermost surface of the upper peripheral rim of the pots positioned adjacent to the lock.
Side locking flaps 32 comprise a pair of like flaps 40 hingeably struck from each of the side panels 14 or 16 each flap being hinged to its associated side wall by means of fold line 42. In this specific example flap 40 is generally elongate and has arcuate side edges adapted to contour the outer, generally cylindrical shape of an adjacent pot with which it is to cooperate.
Each flap 40 further comprises two parallel lateral hinge lines 44 which define one side of a small triangular section 46 of the flap. Lateral hinges 44 enable these triangular sections 46 to rotate and thereby allow flap 40 to pass between two adjacent pots when the flap 40 is displaced into an operable position in the formed carton. In the formed carton flaps 40 are displaced so that they lie between two articles immediately adjacent a given side locking flap 32. In this preferred embodiment the waisted contoured shape of the flaps 40 and of sections 46 enables these flaps closely to engage the sides of the articles thereby retaining them and providing enhanced rigidity of the overall carton.
Bottom retaining flaps 34 are of a known heel retention type commonly used in cartons adapted to accommodate bottles or cans and comprise, in each case, an aperture 60 into which a heel portion of an article is fitted in the completed and packed carton. Bottom retention flaps 34 comprise triangular flaps 62 which are hinged to an associated side panel by means of a fold line 64. The bottom retaining flaps 34 engage the heels of the bottom row of articles which are formed in an array of 3 x 2 and therefore six heel retaining flaps are provided in this preferred embodiment.
Referring to Figure 2 there is shown a schematic side elevation of the preferred embodiment of the carton according to this invention where six articles A can be seen at the open end of the carton stacked in three tiers. The carton is shown already wrapped around the article tiers and in a completed formation; the top locking flaps having been engaged with the upper rims of the top tier of articles A the bottom tier of articles having been engaged by the bottom heel retention flaps and, as shown schematically, the side locking flaps having been displaced inwardly for the side panels into a locking formation.
Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective elevation of a carton according to the invention during the packaging process where the three tier arrangement of articles has been enclosed by the wraparound carton. Side locking flaps 32 are shown being displaced inwardly into a locking position by means of cam actuated fingers 70 carried by an endless chair mechanism.

Claims

A carton accommodating a plurality of articles arranged in at least three tiers which carton comprises top, bottom, and side panels which are foldably interconnected to form a tubular structure, characterised in that said side walls comprise article retention means which cooperate with articles in a tier which is intermediate the uppermost and lowermost tiers to resist dislodgement of articles in said intermediate tier through the ends of the carton.
A carton according to claim 1 wherein said article retention means comprises a foldable flap which is hinged to one of said side panels and a foldable flap hinged to an opposed side panel, each flap being displaced inwardly from the plane of its respective side panel and being disposed between a pair of adjacent articles in said intermediate tier.
A carton according to claim 2 wherein the foldable flap has a length greater than half the width of an adjacent article.
A carton according to claim 2 wherein the foldable flap has a length substantially equal to the width of an adjacent article.
A carton according to claims 2 to 4 wherein the foldable flap comprises an article engaging portion.
A carton according to claim 5 wherein the foldable flap comprises a pair of article engaging portions the lateral extent of which is greater than the minimum separation between two adjacent articles.
A carton according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the article engaging portion is hingably attached to the foldable flaps.
A carton according to any of claims 2 to 7 wherein the foldable flap has an arcuate lateral portion formable substantially to conform to the contour of an adjacent part of an adjacent article.
A carton as claimed in any preceding claim wherein three tiers of articles are accommodated therein one above the other and wherein the carton panels comprise top, side and bottom retention means which cooperate with the articles in the top, intermediate and bottom tiers respectively to resist endwise dislodgement of those articles from the carton.
A carton blank for forming a carton according to any of the preceding claims.