US3774836A

US3774836A - Carton having tape handle

Info

Publication number: US3774836A
Application number: US00130698A
Authority: US
Inventors: F Nunn
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 1971-04-02
Filing date: 1971-04-02
Publication date: 1973-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 1990-11-27
Also published as: CA952876A

Abstract

A rectangular tubular carton having an adhesively bonded, fourflap top closure incorporating a tape handle in combination with tape end accommodating receptacles in the carton''s flaps whereby improved anti-sift sealing of granular materials and the like is effected.

Description

United States Patent 1 Nunn [451 Nov. 27, 1973 CARTON HAVING TAPE HANDLE [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: The Proctor & Gamble Company,

Cincinnati, Ohio 221 Filed: Apr. 2, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 130,698

Frank C. Nunn, Cincinnati, Ohio [52] US. Cl. 229/52AL, 229/54 R [51], Int. Cl 365d 5/46, 865d 25/22 [58] Field of Search 229/52 A, 52 AC,

229/52 AL, 52 AM, 52 AW, 54 R, 54 C; 220/118 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Vander Jagt 229/52 AL 2,760,716 8/1956 Weiner 229/52 A 3,030,002 4/1962 Ringler 229/52 AC 3,134,531 5/1964 Hardy, Jr. 229/52 A Primary Examiner-Davis T. Moorhead Alt0rneyJ0hn V. Gorman and Richard C. Witte [5 7] ABSTRACT A rectangular tubular carton having an adhesively bonded, four-flap top closure incorporating a tape handle in combination with tape end accommodating receptacles in the cartons flaps whereby improved anti-sift sealing of granular materials and the like is effected.

15 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmv 271975 SHEET 10F 4 INVENTOR. Frank 'C. Nunn ATTORNEY 3.774.836 SHEET 20F 4 INVENTOR. Frank C. Nunn PMENIEUNUVP? I915 PATENTEI] NOV 2 7 I975 SHEET 4 [1F 4 INVENTOR. Frank C. Nunn I g/ kk ATTORNEY FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to cartonboard cartons of the type having adhesively bonded, flap formed end closures and relates specifically to such cartons having tape handles which are applied to the carton before the closure is formed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Large cartons of the folding cartonboard type, that is, cartons for packaging from about 8 to about 25 pounds or more or less of laundry detergent or the like, desirably have top-mounted handles which facilitate their being handled by consumers. Such cartons for granules or powders or other particulate materials must also be substantially sift-proof to minimize spillage during packout, shipment, handling, and use.

An example of applying a handle to a carton after the carton is filled'but before the carton is sealed is disclosed in Cope, U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,455, issued Apr. 25, 196 1. In that patent, the handle is secured to an auxiliary panel which is inserted into the carton before the flaps are folded inwardly to close the carton. Notches and T-shaped cutouts are provided in the flaps so that wire risers of the handle can extend upwardly through the flap-formed closure.

Ringler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,022, issued Apr. 17, 1962 discloses another large carton wherein a handle is secured to an auxiliary flat panel which is inserted into the carton before the flaps are closed. The handle is made accessible to the user through a combination of apertures and slots in the closure forming carton flaps. I

However, it has been found desirable to integrate handles into the cartons as by securing handles or handle assemblies to carton flaps during the carton manufacturing process. It is believed that applying a handle to a carton is more closely associatedwith manufacturing cartons than it is with carton filling and sealing operations. Having handles installed on cartons before filling and sealing them obviates handling loose carton components at the filling and sealing site, a desirable benefit.

Handles which-are installed before the filling and sealing operations must, of course, be compatible with the equipment used for those operations. The preferred method of insuring the requisite compatibility is for such a handle to lie flat against the flap to which it is secured from the time the handle is installed until activated or raised to the bail position by a consumer. The bulk of cartons having such handles is not greatly affected thereby. That is, the bulk of unfilled cartons which are normally shipped from a carton manufacturer to a packer in the knocked down or flat state is not greatly increased by the presence of flat, unactivated handles. Such handles are disclosed in Vogl, U.S.

Pat. No. 2,722,870, issued Nov. 8, 1955, and Vander .lagt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,876, issued Apr. 25, 1967.

Although sifting of granules or powders through adhesively bonded flap-formed top closures is not normally as severe as through bottom closures, certain manufacturing practices aggravate sifting through the top closure. For instance, whenever premiums are packed inside such cartons with the required quantity of product, consumers prefer to see such premiums and I have access to them when they first open the top of a 2 I carton. However, the design of some packing equipment necessitates or otherwise renders it highly desirable to insert premiums in the carton before inserting the product. For example, cartons are inverted in some types of equipment before filling and the premium is inserted before the product so that the premium will immediately be visible and accessible to the consumer who subsequently opens the top of the carton. Therefore,.it is necessary to insure that top closures are relatively sift-proof while inverted because the product will rest on the inside surface of the top of thecarton until the carton is turned right side up. Another advantage which inures to the benefit of those who practice inverted carton filling is that the weight of the product in a filled, inverted carton acts to hold the layers of the top closure firmly together giving the inter-layer bonding adhesive time to firmly set before the carton is turned top-side up.

Yet another benefit of providing cartons having relatively sift-proof top closures is realized whenever filled cartons are disposed top-side down during shipping and other post-filling handling.

The instant invention is specifically directed towards providing cartons having handles which lie flat on the top closure of the carton until activated by consumers, that possess adequate structural integrity and which are relatively sift-proof.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a carton having a substantially sift-proof, adhesively bonded flap-formed top closure, and a handle integrated into thecartons structure.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a carton having a relatively sift-proof top closure and which carton has an easily grasped handle which lies flat near the portion of the carton subjacent the handle until user activated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a carton having a relatively sift-proof top closure and which carton has a relatively flat flexible handle-of tape which lies against the subjacent portion of the carton until the handle is raised to the bail position and which handle has improved drop test strength.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a carton having a handleintegrated into a substantially sift-proof, adhesively bonded flap-formed top closure. It comprises a rectangular tubular carton of the type having an integrated,

1 flap and the outwardly facing surfaces of the minor flaps which tape ends are received in receptacles integrated into those adjacent carton flaps. The receptacles are formed by off-setting the material of the flaps. The offset portions of the flaps are spaced from the top side edges of the carton immediately adjacent the proximal edges of the minor flaps leaving substantially planar edge sealing surfaces extending the full width of the adjacent flaps along their edges which are immediately adjacent to the top side edges of the carton. Thus, adjacent edge sealing surface portions of the minor'flaps are juxtaposed superjacent edge sealing surfaces of the first-folded major flap whereupon adhesively bonding them together effects side sift-sealing whereby sifting of granular or other particulate material between the minor flaps and the first-folded major flap is substantially obviated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as the present invention, it is believed that the invention will be better understood by the following description taken in conjunction with FIGS. 1 through 12, on which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a carton embodying the present invention wherein its top closure is only partially closed.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton of FIG. 1 having its first-folded major flap folded to the closed position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton of FIG. 2 having its outer major flap folded to the closed position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton of FIG. 3 having its handle raised'to the carrying or bail position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, transverse sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view depicting a poorly sealed prior art carton having a tape handle but which carton does not embody the tape-end receiving receptacles of the instant invention.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of an alternate means of forming tape-end receiving receptacles in the flaps of a carton.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of aminor flap showing yet another alternate means of providing tapeend receiving receptacles in the flaps of a carton.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a carton comprising an alternate embodiment of the'instant invention.v

FIG. 1 l is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton of FIG. 10 having its top closure fully closed.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton of FIG. 11 showing its handle in the raised or bail position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, the top of a carton 20 embodying the instant invention is shown with a three-layer, four-flap top closure 21 which is partially closed or formed. The closure-forming flaps are hereby designated

minor flaps

22, 22, first-folded major flap 24, and outer major flap 25. Before the closure is formed, FIGS. 5, 6, by folding sixteenths of an the flaps inwardly, adhesive is applied to those flap surfaces which will be in abutting relationship when the closure is closed to bond the flaps together forming an integrated three-layer entity. When the layers are thus conventionally adhesively bonded, the innermost layer comprises substantially coplanar minor flaps 22, the intermediate layer comprises flap 24, and the outermost layer comprises flap 25.

Flap 24 is depicted in FIG. 1, for convenience, with handle-forming tape 30 applied thereto in the manner disclosed in Vander Jagt, US. Pat. No. 3,315,876,

Handle Construction, issued Apr. 15, 1967. The handle is so disposed on flap 24 that it will be centrally located in the top of carton 20 when the closure is closed. Also, the longest or longitudinal dimension of tape 30 is generally parallel to the proximal edge of flap 24. Ends 32, 32 of tape 30 are secured to inwardly facing surface 33 of flap 24. The handle-forming central portion 34, FIG. 5, of tape 30 having Z fold 35, lies flat, FIG. 3, on the outwardly facing, subjacent hinged panel 39 of flap 24 until it is activated to form arcuately shaped bail 37, FIG. 4. Note that panel 39, FIG. I, defines an aperture in Flap 24 and acts to substantially close and seal that aperture after tape 30 is installed.

Although a variety of tapes are commercially available from which handles can be formed, it has been found that a composite structure comprised of a fibrous strip within a sheath of relatively stiff plastic or plastic coated outer wrapper is extremely well suited for this application. Applicant has further determined that if the inner strip and outer wrapper are so dimensioned that folding the outer wrapper about the inner strip causes the longitudinal edges of the outer wrapper to form a longitudinal butt joint on the inwardly facing surface of the composite structure, rather than a lap joint, the composite structure will be more acceptable to consumers. It is believed that a longitudinal ridge that would otherwise be formed by lap jointing the outer wrapper causes some user discomfort whereas a butt joint as herein provided obviates that possibility of user or consumer discomfort. Tape I-300, about nineinch wide and about fifteenthousandths of an inch thick, available from New England Printed Tape Co., Pawtucket, R.I., is such a composite structure and has been determined to be suitable for making tape handles as hereinbefore delineated.

Outer major flap 25, FIG. 1, is provided with a suitably sized, centrally located, handle access aperture 36 that is so disposed that it will be registered with handle portion 34 when top closure 21 is closed, FIG. 3, whereby handle portion 34 is accessible from the outside of carton 20. v

Each minor flap 22, FIG. 1, of the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has a tape-end receiving receptacle 42 incorporated into it, which is surrounded by non-receptacle border 44. Edge sealing surface 47 of each minor flap 22, shaded in FIGS. 1, 9 and 10, is a' generally rectangular portion of border 44 adjacent proximal edge 43 that extends the full width of each minor flap. Although receptacles 42, FIG. 1, are depicted in the preferred embodiment as being formed by debossing the cartonboard of the flaps to offset the material thereof from the non-offset non-receptacle portions thereof, debossing per se is not considered crucial to the instant invention.

Receptacles 42 formed in minor flaps 22 are so disposed and dimensioned that tape ends 32 are wholly receivable therein whenever top closure 21 is closed. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, receptacles 42 are spaced from top side edges 23 of the carton which are the edges of the carton immediately adjacent proximal edges 43 of minor flaps 22. They have sufficient length, width and depth to wholly receive tape ends 32. This insures that the three layers of top closure 21 are substantially parallel when closure 21 is closed and secured and further insures that some upwardly facing area of border 44 of each minor flap 22 is in abutting relationship with the superjacent area of inwardly facing surface 33 of flap 24. At least edge sealing surface 47 of each minor flap 22 is in abutting relationship with the superjacent juxtaposed edge sealing surface 47a of first-folded major flap 24 across the full width of flaps 22. This abutting relationship of juxtaposed pairs of edge sealing surfaces results, when they are adhesively secured together along their full length, in improved side sift-sealing by substantially obviating sifting granular product, such as laundry detergent, between minor flaps 22 and flap 24 from inverted, sealed, packed cartons.

Side sift-sealing performance is directly related to the width of edge sealing surface 47, FIG. 1, that is in abutting and adhesively secured relationship with the superjacent edge sealing surface 47a of flap 24, FIG. 5; the width being hereby defined as the distance between proximal edge 43 of flap 22 and outboard edge 46 of receptacle 42. That is, the greater the distance between proximal edge 43 of minor flap 22 and outboard edge 46 of receptacle 42 the better the side sift-sealing performance. However, increased side sift-sealing through increasing the width of edge sealing surfaces 47 is not unaccompanied by other carton performance ramifications. For instance, in order to increase the width of sealing surface 47 in a given carton configuration, receptacle 42 must be shortened so that edge 46 is further away from the adjacent, parallel proximal edge 43 of minor flap 22. Tape end 32 must then be commensurately shortened to still be wholly accommodated in the shortened receptacle. But this causes a reduction of the strength of the tape handle because its area of securement is reduced. Therefore, handle strength must be traded for increased side sift-sealing or vice versa in order to optimize overall carton performance to satisfy particular carton purposes.

In the absence of receptacles 42 or suitable alternates thereto, FIG. 7 shows that in a prior art type of arrangement, tape end 32 deflects minor flap 2 2 downwardly from its desired parallel and abutting relationship with flap 24 as flap 24 is folded to the closed position. Thus, only line of sealing 45 is present, in prior art, between each minor flap 22 and flap 24 along proximal edge 43 of minor flap 22. Whenever a carton with such a prior art closure is inverted and agitated while containing granular materials, as for instance during inverted packaging, substantial sifting occurs across line of sealing 45.

An alternate means of achieving the foregoing abutting relationship between juxtaposed pairs of edge sealing surfaces of closed closure 21 is depicted in FIG. 8

as alternate receptacle 42'. FIG. 8 shows a representative flap 22 having a rectangular area 49 disposed and dimensioned substantially identically to debossed receptacles-42 as hereinbefore described. However, area 49 of receptacle 42 has three sides defined by

segmental cuts

50, 51 spaced by relatively narrow uncut portions 52 of cartonboard while its fourth side is defined by score line 53. Receptacles 42' receive and accommodate tape ends 32 for the purposes hereinbefore described by area 49 subsiding and thereby becoming offset from the non-receptacle portion of minor flap 22 as the closure is formed. That is, by subsiding, area 49 allows a tape end 32 to be accommodated so that its upper surface is even with or below upwardly facing border 44 of minor flap 22 whereby border 44 will be in abutting relationship with the super-jacent portion of first-folded major flap 24 offormed, closed closure 21.

Although this configuration is subject to some sifting of fine particulate or powdered materials through

cuts

50, 51, edge sealing surfaces 47, 47a would be in intimate, abutting relationship whereby they would still, when adhesively secured together, substantially obviate sifting therebetween during inverted carton conditions as hereinbefore delineated.

One specific alternate receptacle 42', FIG. 8, debossed into a minor flap of a carton made from cartonboard having a thickness of about forty-thousandths of an inch is approximately seven-eighths of an inch wide by two and three-quarters inches long and is defined by

cuts

50, 51 and score line 53. Each cut 50 is approximately one and one-sixteenth inches long and cut 51 is approximately seven-eighths of an inch long.

Cuts

50, 51 extend completely through the cartonboard for their entire lengths and are spaced approximately one-sixteenth of an inch apart by uncut portions 52. Score line 53 is approximately seven-eights of an inch long and extends between opposed ends of spaced cuts 50 as shown in FIG. 8. This configuration has been used to accommodate tape ends 32 having a length of up to about 2% inches, width of up to about ninesixteenths of an inch, and thickness of about fifteenthousandths of an inch.

Another means of accommodating tape ends 32 is depicted as alternate receptacle 42", FIG. 9. Rather than being a simple rectangle having a lineament comprising a score line and several cuts (like alternate receptacle 42' of FIG. 8), alternate receptacle 42" comprises the composite lineament of alternate receptacle 42 in combination with supplementary cuts 50 and supplementary scoreline 53'. Rectangular areas 49 of carton-board thus defined subside, upon closing the carton, to accommodate tape ends 32 in the manner hereinbefore described. I

An alternate embodiment of the instant invention is depicted in FIG. 10 which comprises embossed ridges 60,-two transverse reinforcing tapes 61, only one of which is shown in FIG. .10, and sift-sealing tape 62, in addition to the handle of tape 30 and tape-end receiving receptacles 42 in minor flaps 22 of the preferred embodiment, similar elements being identically designated.

Ridges 60, FIG. 11, formed by embossing or the like,

i.e. pressed outwardly from surface 33 and thereby forming protuberences on the opposite surface, are immediately subjacent the flat, handle-forming central portion 34 of tape 30 so longas tape 30 has Z fold 35 formed therein. Thus, most of handle portion 34 is spaced from the subjacent outwardly facing surface of panel 39 of flap 24'by ridges whereby handle portion 34 can be grasped to unfold Z fold 35 to form bail 37, FIG. 12. Although two ridges 60, are shown" in FIGS. 10-12, the number of such protuberences is not considered critical to the invention. Further,although embossed ridges 60 of FIGS. l012 are the preferred spacing means, it is clear that other equivalent spacing means can be used for example, one or more lines or dots of hot melt adhesive. Ridges having a height of from about five to about twenty-five thousandths of an inch have been found to provide adequate spacing of handle portion 34 of tape 30 from the panel subjacent thereto, however, it is not intended to thereby limit the present invention to that range of spacing. Achieving adequate structural integrity of tape handles attached to cartons as hereinbefore described is sometimes troublesome when heavy contents are involved. As is well known to those having ordinary skill in the art, cartons 20 are conventionally formed from cartonboard having a grain oriented generally parallel to the proximal and distal edges of the flaps. That is, the grain runs around the carton rather than up and down the carton. Thus, tape handles that are attached to cartonboard flaps so that the longitudinal dimension of the tape is generally parallel to the grain of the cartonboard are relatively weak handles. The weakness is due to the relatively low resistance of carton-board to tearing forces acting generally parallel to its grain.

Transverse reinforcing tapes 61, FIG. 10, are provided to increase the resistance of the carton to having its handle torn therefrom or being otherwise damaged by upwardly acting forces on bail 37, FIG. 12. Tapes 61 are adhesively secured to the inwardly facing surface 33 of flap 24 intermediate surface 33 and tape ends 32 adjacent edges 38 of panel 39, FIG. 10, where tape 30 passes through flap 24. Thus,- the lateral tearing strength of reinforcing tapes 61 is added to the withthe-grain tearing strength of the superposed major flaps. When reinforcing tapes 61 are constituted of tape having longitudinally extending reinforcing fibers, the cartons tear resistance to upwardly acting forces on bail 37 is markedly increased.

Resistance to having the carton handle torn from the carton by upwardly acting forces on the handle can also be increased by adhesively securing the undersides of each tape end 32 to the upwardly facing surface of the bottom of receptacle 42 when the closure is formed. This would necessarily require that the depth of receptacle 42 be approximately equal to the thickness of tape end 32. v 7

Thin, sift-sealing tape 62, FIG. 10, adhesively secured to the underside of flap 24 is provided tov preclude sift leakage of granular material through flap 24 having a handle of tape installed thereon as hereinbefore described; particularly whenever a packed carton containing granular particulate or powdery matter is inverted. It will be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art that whenever sift-sealing tape 62 is used, the dimensions of receptacles 42 will have to be adjusted in order to achieve the hereinbefore described abutting and adhesively secured relationship between pairs of edge sealing surfaces so that the means of preventing sifting through flap 24 does not destroy the improved side sift-sealing performance between flaps 22 and flap 24 achieved through the use of receptacles 42 and edge sealing surfaces 47,47a as taught hereinbefore. v

For instance, a carton approximately 15 9/16 inches high, 10 7/32 inches wide and 5 7/16 inches thick made from cartonboard having a thickness of about fortythousandths of an inch, having debossed receptacles 42 in minor flaps 22 approximately 2% inches long, seveneighths inches wide, and from about forty to about fifty-thousandths of an inch deep, having edges 46 spaced approximately nine-sixteenths of an inch from proximal edges 43, having a handle of tape 30 that is approximately nine-sixteenths of an inch wide and fifteen-thousandths of an inch thick secured to flap 24, flap 24 being approximately 10% inches long and 5 7/16 of an inch wide, and having the end edges of tape 30 spaced from about seven-eighths of an inch to about 1% of an inch, more or less, from the adjacent top side edges 23 of the carton immediately adjacent proximal edges 43 of flaps 22, can be suitably sealed against sift leakage through flap 24, yet have adequate side siftsealing, by securing a piece of gum paper tape 62 approximately 8% inches long, 2 3/16 inches wide and six-thousandths of an inch thick to the underside of flap 31 subjacent tape ends 32 around the entire perimeter of tape 62 so that tape 62 is approximately symmetrically disposed relative to flap 31 and sealed thereto around the entire perimeter of tape 62. Such a carton has been determined to be well suited for packaging from about 8 to about 25 pounds of granulated laundry detergent and particularly well suited for packaging about 10 pounds and l 1 ounces, more or less, of granulated laundry detergent.

It will be realized, that while the instant invention is shown in connection with a handle installed in the manner discussed in Vanderjagt, US. Pat. No. 3,315,876, cartons having tape handles or tape handle assemblies applied in other manners or of different configurations would also be amenable to improved performance if used in the manner taught by the instant invention. Also, tape end receiving receptacles could be provided in first-folded major flap 24 or by registered, facing receptacles in first-folded major flap 24 and subjacent minor flaps 22 so that the side sift-sealing abutting relationship of adjacent edge sealing surfaces as hereinbefore described is achieved. Many other modifications of the present invention may also be devised and it is not intended to hereby limit the present invention to the embodiments shown or described. The terms used in describing the invention are used in their descriptive sense and not as terms of limitation it being intended that all of the equivalents thereof be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1 An improved tape handle equipped rectangular parallelopipedal carton having a flap-formed topclosure comprising three substantially parallel layers of inwardly folded flaps which are integral portions of said carton, said layers having juxtaposed flap surfaces secured together to give the carton adequate structural rigidity for its intended use, said three layers being an innermost layer, an intermediate layer, and an outermost layer, said innermost layer comprising two substantially co-planar minor flaps, said intermediate layer being the first-folded major flap of the carton, and said outermost layer being the outer major flap of the carton, each said major flap having a handle access aper ture centrally disposed therein, said improvement comprising a handle-forming tape, tape end receiving receptacles, and two juxtaposed pairs of edge sealing surfaces, said tape having a central bail-forming portion intermediate opposed end portions thereof, said bailfonning portion of said tape spanning said apertures rendering it accessible from outside the carton, said end portions of said tape being disposed, and secured intermediate the adjacent first-folded major flap and said minor flaps, said receptacles formed by an offsetting of the material comprising said adjacent flaps, said offsetting being spaced from the top side edges of the carton immediately adjacent the proximal edges of said minor flaps and being adapted to wholly receive said end portions of said tape, said edge sealing surfaces being substantially planar non-receptacleareas of said adjacent flaps that are immediately adjacent said top side edges of said carton and extending the full length of said proximal edges of said minor flaps, said edge sealing surfaces being adhesively secured together in juxtaposed pairs along substantially the full lengths of said proximal edges of said minor flaps thereby effecting substantial side sift-sealing of said top closure against sifting of granular or powdered particles between said minor flaps and said first-folded major flap.

2. The carton of claim 1 having said end portions of said handle-forming tape adhesively secured to the superjacent underside of said first-folded major flap.

3. The carton of claim 2 having said receptacles formed by debossing the cartonboard of said adjacent flaps. f

4. The carton of claim 2 having said tape end receiving receptacles formed by offsetting only material of said minor flaps.

5. The carton of claim 4 wherein the longest dimension of the handle-forming tape is disposed substantially parallel to the proximal edges of said major flaps, said carton further having a fibrous reinforcing tape disposed adjacent each end of said aperture in the firstfolded major flap and secured tothe underside thereof so that each reinforcing tape extends transverse said first-folded major flap and has its central portion intermediate said first-folded major flap and the portion of the handle-forming tape subjacent thereto whereby the lateral tearing strength of said reinforcing tapes increase the tear resistance of said cartons to upwardly acting forces imposed on said central portion of said handle-forming tape, 1

6. The carton of claim 4 having said receptacles defined by a rectangular lineament comprising a score line on one side thereof and a plurality of spaced cuts forming the other three sides thereof.

7. The carton of claim 6 wherein said score line is substantially parallel to the proximal edge of the associated minor flap and is the closest edge of said receptacle to said proximal edge.

8. The carton of claim 1 having spacing means disposed intermediate said central portion of said handleforming tape and the subjacent carton structure whereby said central portion of said tape is spaced from said subjacent structure to facilitate its being grasped by the fingers of the user of the carton.

9. The carton of claim 1 further comprising an aperture closing panel subjacent said central portion of said tape and configured to substantially sealingly close said aperture in said first-folded major flap, said aperture closing panel having an upwardly raised ridge formed therein by ofisetting material thereof which ridge is adapted to space a substantial portion of said central portion of said handle-forming tape away from said aperture closing panel whereby said central portion of said tape can be grasped by the user of the carton.

10. The carton of claim 1 having a fiber. reinforced tape disposed adjacent each end of said aperture in said first-folded major flap and secured to the underside thereof, said reinforced tape being reinforced by longitudinally oriented fibrous material, the longitudinal dimension of each reinforced tape extending transverse said handle-forming tape with its central portion intermediate said flap and the subjacent portion of said handle-forming tape to which it is secured whereby said reinforced tapes improve the tear resistance of said cartons to upwardly acting forces imposed on said central portion of said handle-forming tape.

11. in a rectangular tubular carton having an integrated, three-layer, four-flap, top closure wherein two minor flaps comprise the innermost layer, the intermediate layer comprises a first-folded major flap, and the outermost layer comprises an outer major flap, each said major flap having a handle access aperture centrally disposed therein, an improvement comprising a handle-forming tape, means of sealing said aperture in the first-folded major flap, tape end receiving receptacles, and a plurality of adhesively bonded edge sealing surfaces, said tape having its end portionssecured to the underside of said first-folded major flap and its hand accommodating central portion longitudinally spanning said aperture in said first-folded major flap, said aperture sealing means adapted ,to substantially preclude communication between the exterior and interior of said carton through said apertures, said receptacles being formed by offsetting material of said flaps adjacent said tape ends but spaced from the top side edges of the carton immediately adjacent the proximal edges of the associated minor flaps, said receptacles being adapted to wholly accommodate said ends of said tape extending between said minor flaps and said firstfolded major flap, said edge sealing surfaces being the generally reactangular planar areas of said minor flaps immediately adjacent the proximal edges of said minor flaps which extend the full width thereof and the super jacent juxtaposed areas of said first-folded major flap, said edge sealing surfaces of said minor flaps being adhesively secured to the superjacent edge sealing surfaces of said first-folded major flap along the full width of said minor flaps whereby sifting of particulate matter from the interior to the exterior of said carton between said first-folded major flap and said minor flaps is substantially obviated.

12. The carton of claim 11 having said end portions of said handle-forming tape further secured to the upwardly facing surfaces of said minor flaps.

13. The carton of claim 11 wherein said means for sealing said aperture in the first-folded major flap is an imperforate sift-sealing tape which is configured and disposed to underlie and extend beyond the edges of said aperture and said tape ends and which is sealingly secured around its entire perimeter to the inwardly facing surface of the first-folded major flap. 14. The carton of claim 11 having said handleforming tape comprised of a fibrous inner strip encased by folding a relatively stiff outer wrapper around the inner strip to form a flat composite structure, said inner strip and said outer wrapper being generally longitudinally aligned and adhesively secured together whereby said composite structure is relatively inflexible laterally compared to its longitudinal flexibility.

15. The carton of claim 14 wherein the longitudinal edges of said outer tape form a butt joint extending generally longitudinally on the downwardly facing side of said composite structure tape.

Claims

1. An improved tape handle equipped rectangular parallelopipedal carton having a flap-formed top-closure comprising three substantially parallel layers of inwardly folded flaps which are integral portions of said carton, said layers having juxtaposed flap surfaces secured together to give the carton adequate structural rigidity for its intended use, said three layers being an innermost layer, an intermediate layer, and an outermost layer, said innermost layer comprising two substantially coplanar minor flaps, said intermediate layer being the firstfolded major flap of the carton, and said outermost layer being the outer major flap of the carton, each said major flap having a handle access aperture centrally disposed therein, said improvement comprising a handle-forming tape, tape end receiving receptacles, and two juxtaposed pairs of edge sealing surfaces, said tape having a central bail-forming portion intermediate opposed end portions thereof, said bail-forming portion of said tape spanning said apertures rendering it accessible from outside the carton, said end portions of said tape being disposed, and secured intermediate the adjacent first-folded majoR flap and said minor flaps, said receptacles formed by an offsetting of the material comprising said adjacent flaps, said offsetting being spaced from the top side edges of the carton immediately adjacent the proximal edges of said minor flaps and being adapted to wholly receive said end portions of said tape, said edge sealing surfaces being substantially planar non-receptacle areas of said adjacent flaps that are immediately adjacent said top side edges of said carton and extending the full length of said proximal edges of said minor flaps, said edge sealing surfaces being adhesively secured together in juxtaposed pairs along substantially the full lengths of said proximal edges of said minor flaps thereby effecting substantial side sift-sealing of said top closure against sifting of granular or powdered particles between said minor flaps and said first-folded major flap.

3. The carton of claim 2 having said receptacles formed by debossing the cartonboard of said adjacent flaps.

5. The carton of claim 4 wherein the longest dimension of the handle-forming tape is disposed substantially parallel to the proximal edges of said major flaps, said carton further having a fibrous reinforcing tape disposed adjacent each end of said aperture in the first-folded major flap and secured to the underside thereof so that each reinforcing tape extends transverse said first-folded major flap and has its central portion intermediate said first-folded major flap and the portion of the handle-forming tape subjacent thereto whereby the lateral tearing strength of said reinforcing tapes increase the tear resistance of said cartons to upwardly acting forces imposed on said central portion of said handle-forming tape.

8. The carton of claim 1 having spacing means disposed intermediate said central portion of said handle-forming tape and the subjacent carton structure whereby said central portion of said tape is spaced from said subjacent structure to facilitate its being grasped by the fingers of the user of the carton.

9. The carton of claim 1 further comprising an aperture closing panel subjacent said central portion of said tape and configured to substantially sealingly close said aperture in said first-folded major flap, said aperture closing panel having an upwardly raised ridge formed therein by offsetting material thereof which ridge is adapted to space a substantial portion of said central portion of said handle-forming tape away from said aperture closing panel whereby said central portion of said tape can be grasped by the user of the carton.

10. The carton of claim 1 having a fiber reinforced tape disposed adjacent each end of said aperture in said first-folded major flap and secured to the underside thereof, said reinforced tape being reinforced by longitudinally oriented fibrous material, the longitudinal dimension of each reinforced tape extending transverse said handle-forming tape with its central portion intermediate said flap and the subjacent portion of said handle-forming tape to which it is secured whereby said reinforced tapes improve the tear resistance of said cartons to upwardly acting forces imposed on said central portion of said handle-forming tape.

11. In a rectangular tubular carton having an integrated, three-layer, four-flap, top closure wherein two minor flaps comprise the iNnermost layer, the intermediate layer comprises a first-folded major flap, and the outermost layer comprises an outer major flap, each said major flap having a handle access aperture centrally disposed therein, an improvement comprising a handle-forming tape, means of sealing said aperture in the first-folded major flap, tape end receiving receptacles, and a plurality of adhesively bonded edge sealing surfaces, said tape having its end portions secured to the underside of said first-folded major flap and its hand accommodating central portion longitudinally spanning said aperture in said first-folded major flap, said aperture sealing means adapted to substantially preclude communication between the exterior and interior of said carton through said apertures, said receptacles being formed by offsetting material of said flaps adjacent said tape ends but spaced from the top side edges of the carton immediately adjacent the proximal edges of the associated minor flaps, said receptacles being adapted to wholly accommodate said ends of said tape extending between said minor flaps and said first-folded major flap, said edge sealing surfaces being the generally reactangular planar areas of said minor flaps immediately adjacent the proximal edges of said minor flaps which extend the full width thereof and the superjacent juxtaposed areas of said first-folded major flap, said edge sealing surfaces of said minor flaps being adhesively secured to the superjacent edge sealing surfaces of said first-folded major flap along the full width of said minor flaps whereby sifting of particulate matter from the interior to the exterior of said carton between said first-folded major flap and said minor flaps is substantially obviated.

13. The carton of claim 11 wherein said means for sealing said aperture in the first-folded major flap is an imperforate sift-sealing tape which is configured and disposed to underlie and extend beyond the edges of said aperture and said tape ends and which is sealingly secured around its entire perimeter to the inwardly facing surface of the first-folded major flap.

14. The carton of claim 11 having said handle-forming tape comprised of a fibrous inner strip encased by folding a relatively stiff outer wrapper around the inner strip to form a flat composite structure, said inner strip and said outer wrapper being generally longitudinally aligned and adhesively secured together whereby said composite structure is relatively inflexible laterally compared to its longitudinal flexibility.