GB2245249A

GB2245249A - Cartons

Info

Publication number: GB2245249A
Application number: GB9011827A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edwin Ruddock
Original assignee: Reed Packaging Ltd
Current assignee: Reed Packaging Ltd
Priority date: 1990-05-25
Filing date: 1990-05-25
Publication date: 1992-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 2010-05-25
Also published as: GB9011827D0; GB2245249B

Abstract

A carton 1 made of cardboard or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, comprises side wall panels 3, 4, 5, 6 forming a tubular body which is open at one end. The carton has an inset wall portion extending around the periphery of the opening, for example to receive a lid. The inset wall portion is at least partially defined by first and second extension panels 16, 16', 17, 17' serially hingedly connected to a side wall panel 4, 6 and folded inwardly relative thereto in a flattened Z configuration, the second extension panel 17, 17' being longer than the first 16, 16' so as to extend beyond the side wall panel and define the inset wall portion. A third extension panel 18, 18' hingedly connected to one side of a second extension panel may define an inset wall portion on the adjacent side wall 5, 3. <IMAGE>

Description

CARTONS This invention relates to cartons, and in particular to cartons formed with an inset wall portion extending around at least part of the periphery of an opening therein, e.g. an open end or top of the carton, for example to receive a flange of a lid or other closure for said opening.

Known cartons having such an inset wall portion to receive a lid typically suffer from the disadvantage of being relatively complex and/or inconvenient to assemble. For example, one common method of providing a carton with such an inset portion is to insert and glue in place a separate sleeve within the carton,which is inconvenient and time consuming. Such cartons have also been formed from complex one-piece blanks but these are wasteful of material and are complicated and time consuming to erect.

Viewed from one aspect the present invention provides a carton made of cardboard or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, comprising side wall panels forming a tubular body open at at least one end and having an inset wall portion extending at least part way around said body at said open end, said inset wall portion being at least partly defined by first and second extension panels serially hingedly connected to a said side wall panel and folded inwardly relative thereto in a flattened Z configuration, the second such panel (remote from the side wall panel) being longer than the first one so as to extend beyond the side wall panel and define the said inset wall portion.

There is thus provided a particularly simple arrangement which is relatively easy to erect from a simple one-piece blank and is economical in use of materials.

Each side wall panel may be provided with a said first and second extension panel for forming an inset portion, or alternatively, only some side wall panels may have said extension panels hingedly connected thereto. An inset wall portion may extend around the entire periphery of an opening in a carton body or may extend only part of the way around the body.

In one arrangement an extension provided on one side wall panel may define an inset wall portion also on one or more adjacent side walls. In a preferred arrangement an inset wall portion is at least partially defined by first, second and third extension panels serially hingedly connected to a side wall panel, said third extension panel being hingedly connected to one side of said second extension panel and being folded to inwardly overlie and extend beyond an adjacent side wall panel and define an inset wall portion on said adjacent side wall.

Such an adjacent side wall panel need not itself be provided with any extension panels, or it may be provided only with a first extension panel hingedly connected thereto and folded inwardly between the side wall panel and the third extension panel.

A fourth extension panel could be hingedly connected to a second extension panel opposite a third extension panel, and folded to define an inset wall portion on the opposite adjacent side wall. Successive extension panels could be serially hingedly connected to either or both sides of a second extension panel.

In one arrangement alternate side wall panels are each provided with first, second and third extension panels forming an inset wall portion around the entire periphery of an opening in a carton, the intermediate side wall panels optionally being provided with first extension panels only.

Preferably securing means are provided for securing the extension panels in a folded configuration defining an inset wall portion. Such securing means may comprise an adhesive or any other suitable means. Preferably however said securing means comprises a series of corresponding tongues and grooves formed on said extension panels adapted to co-operate in use to secure said panels in a configuration wherein an inset wall portion is defined. A carton provided with such a tongue and groove arrangement is particularly simple and convenient to erect.

In one arrangement a second extension panel connected to each side wall panel is provided on one side with a tongue, and on the opposite side with a corresponding groove, the tongues and grooves on adjacent second extension panels being adapted to engage in use when folded within the carton. In a preferred arrangement in which alternate side wall panels are provided with first, second and third extension panels, corresponding tongues and grooves are formed on one side of each second and third extension panel to cooperate with adjacent second and third extension panels. Such is a particularly secure arrangement which is easy to assemble.

Securing of the extension panels in a configuration defining an inset portion may be assisted by the extension panels being a tight fit within the carton when folded inwardly into such a configuration.

Preferably a second extension panel is glued into engagement with the first extension panel which it overlies in the flattened Z configuration, and a hinged connection between first and second extension panels may be weakened to facilitate folding together of the two extension panels in the Z configuration.

The carton may be provided with a lid having a flange which is adapted to be received on an inset wall portion.

The scope of the invention extends to cartons as set forth above whether erected or folded flat, and also to blanks for making such cartons.

Viewed from another aspect the present invention provides a method of making a carton as set forth above, comprising providing a blank for a carton made of cardboard or similar lightweight foldable sheet material having side wall panels and first and second extension panels serially hingedly connected to at least one side wall panel, said one or more second extension panels being longer than said first extension panels, forming said side wall panels into a tubular carton body and folding said one or more first and second extension panels inwardly relative to said side wall panels in a flattened Z configuration such that said second extension panels extend beyond said side wall panels to define an inset wall portion at least part way round an opening in said carton body.

Preferably the method further comprises providing a third extension panel hingedly connected to the second extension panel and thereafter folding said first, second and third extension panels inwardly together such that the third extension panel inwardly overlies and extends beyond an adjacent side wall panel to define an inset wall portion.

Preferably the method further comprises the steps of securing the extension panels configured to define an inset wall portion, for example, by gluing the first and second extension panels in overlying engagement prior to folding said panels inwardly, and providing cooperating tongues and grooves on said extension panels and engaging said co-operating tongues and grooves within the carton after folding said extensions panels inwardly.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a carton blank according to the illustrated embodiment; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the top of a carton formed from the blank of Fig. 1 in a partially assembled configuration; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the top of a carton formed from the blank of Fig. 1 when fully assembled.

Fig. 1 shows a blank 1 which, when assembled, forms a four sided carton having an inset wall portion 2 defined around the periphery of an open end towards the top of the carton, as shown in Fig. 3. The blank 1 is made of cardboard or other similar lightweight, semirigid, foldable sheet material and includes four side wall panels 3,4,5,6 divided by fold lines shown in chain line. One side wall panel 3 is provided with a glue flap 7 along one edge. Base panels 8,9,10,11 are attached to one end of side wall panels 3,4,5,6 and are separated therefrom by fold lines. The base panels 8,9,10,11 co-operate to form a base for the carton in a conventional manner and will not be described further.

Side wall panels 3,4,5,6 are each provided with an extension 12,13,14,15 hingedly connected thereto at the opposite end from the base panels. The extensions 13,15 each comprise three generally rectangular extension panels which are serially hingedly interconnected.

First extension panels 16,16' are hingedly connected via fold lines to the side wall panels 4,6 along one long edge. Along their opposite long edges first extension panels 16,16' are hingedly connected to long edges of second extension panels 17,17' via fold lines weakened with a line of perforations (not shown). Along a short side, second extension panels 17,17' are hingedly connected via fold lines lying parallel to the axis of the carton to third extension panels 18,18'. The dimension x,x' of the second and third extension panels 17,17',18,18' in the short direction is greater than the dimension y,y' of the first extension panels 16,16' in the short direction by a distance Z,Z'.

Corresponding tongues 19,19' and grooves 20,20' are formed on the remaining short sides of the second and third extension panels 17,17' ,18,18'.

Intermediate side walls panels 3,5 are each formed at the end opposite the base panels with alternative generally rectangular first extension panels 21,21' hingedly connected to the side wall panels 3,5 via fold lines.

As shown in Fig. 2, the blank of Fig 1 may be assembled by folding the side wall panels into a foursided tubular body and gluing glue flap 7 to panel 6.

The base may be formed from base panels 8,9,10 and 11, and the first extension panels 21,21' attached to intermediate side wall panels 3,5 can be folded inwardly as shown.

To form the inset wall portion 2, first and second extension panels are folded inwardly relative to the side wall panels into a flattened Z configuration, and the third extension panels are folded into a substantially perpendicular configuration relative to and inwardly of the second extension panels. Firstly, second extension panels 17,17' on alternate side wall panels 4,6 are folded outwardly along the weakened fold lines which connect first and second extension panels 16,16' and 17,17' through substantially 1800 from the position shown in Fig. 1, to overlie the first extension panels 16,16'. The first and second panels are glued to each other in this overlying configuration.

Subsequently, third extension panels 18,18' are folded through at least 90 outwardly away from the carton, and the entire side wall extensions 13,15 comprising first, second and third extension panels 16,16',17,17',18,18' are folded inwardly through substantially 1800 about the fold line dividing the first extension panels 16,16' from side wall panels 4,6. The second and third extension panels 17,17',18,18' take up a generally tubular configuration of square cross-section forming a snug-fit within the top end of the carton, with second and third extension panels 17,17',18,18' respectively overlying side wall panels 4,6,5,3.The tongues 19,19' co-operate with grooves 20,20' to secure the extension panels 12,13,14,15 in this folded configuration, tongue 19 engaging with groove 20' and tongue 19' engaging with groove 20. Since the second and third extension panels 17,17',18,18' are longer in the axial direction of the carton than the first extension panels 16,16' by an amount Z,Z', the second and third extension panels extend beyond the top of the side wall panels by the distance Z,Z' to define an inset wall portion 2. The inset wall portion 2 is suitable to locate the flange of a lid 22.

It is to be clearly understood that there are no particular features of the foregoing specification, or of any claims appended hereto, which are at present regarded as being essential to the performance of the present invention, and that any one or more of such features or combinations thereof may therefore be included in, added to, omitted from or deleted from any of such claims if and when amended during the prosecution of this application or in the filing or prosecution of any divisional application based thereon.

Furthermore the manner in which any of such features of the specification or claims are described or defined may be amended, broadened or otherwise modified in any manner which falls within the knowledge of a person skilled in the relevant art, for example so as to encompass, either implicitly or explicitly, equivalents or generalisations thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A carton made of cardboard or similar light-weight foldable sheet material, comprising side wall panels forming a tubular body open at at least one end and having an inset wall portion extending at least part way around said body at said open end, said inset wall portion being at least partly defined by first and second extension panels serially hingedly connected to a said side wall panel and folded inwardly relative thereto in a flattened Z configuration, the second such panel (remote from the side wall panel) being longer than the first one so as to extend beyond the side wall panel and define the said inset wall portion.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein an extension panel hingedly connected to a first side wall at least partially defines an inset wall portion on a second side wall.

3. A carton as claimed in claim 2, wherein first, second and third extension panels are serially hingedly connected to a said side wall panel on said first side wall, said third extension panel being hingedly connected to one side of said second extension panel and being folded to inwardly overlie and extend beyond a said side wall panel of a second side wall, adjacent the first side wall, to define an inset wall portion on said second side wall.

4. A carton as claimed in claim 3, wherein the side wall panel of said second side wall is provided with an extension panel hingedly connected thereto, folded inwardly between said side wall panel and said third extension panel.

5. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein securing means are provided for securing the extension panels in a folded configuration defining an inset wall portion.

6. A carton as claimed in claim 5, wherein said securing means comprises co-operating tongues and grooves formed on adjacent extension panels.

7. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the extension panels are configured so as to be a tight fit when folded within the carton.

8. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said first and second extension panels are secured in said flattened Z configuration by means of an adhesive.

9. A carton as claimed in any preceding claim, which includes a lid having a flange which is adapted to be received on said inset portion.

10. A method of making a carton as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising providing a blank for a carton made of cardboard or similar lightweight foldable sheet material having side wall panels and first and second extension panels serially hingedly connected to at least one side wall panel, said one or more second extension panels being longer than said first extension panels, forming said side wall panels into a tubular carton body and folding said one or more first and second extension panels inwardly relative to said side wall panels in a flattened Z configuration such that said second extension panels extend beyond said side wall panels to define an inset wall portion at least part way round an opening in said carton body.

11. A method of making a carton as claimed in claim 10, further comprising providing a third extension panel hingedly connected to the second extension panel and thereafter folding said first, second and third extension panels inwardly together such that the thirdextension panel inwardly overlies and extends beyond an adjacent side wall panel to define an inset wall portion.

12. A method of making a carton as claimed in claim 10 or 11, further comprising securing the extension panels in a folded configuration defining said inset wall portion, by means of an adhesive and/or by means of cooperating tongues and grooves formed on the extension panels.

13. A carton substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A method of making a carton, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.