Carton with handle

A package comprising a carton and a plurality of articles, the carton comprising;

• a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton;
• the plurality of articles being arranged in a plurality of rows of articles in the interior of the carton, the plurality of rows of articles comprising at least a first row and a second row, and the first row comprising at least one more article than the second row forming a void between a first article at an end of the first row and a second article at an end of the second row;
• a handle comprising the first article at the end of the first row and a handle flap extending in the carton, the handle flap being at least partially aligned with the void and being proximate the first article at the end of the first row, wherein the handle flap is for being folded inwardly to at least partially form a handle opening that is at least partially in communication with the void;
• and
• at least two end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels, the at least two end flaps at least partially forming a closed end of the carton, wherein the handle flap is foldably connected to at least one end flap of the at least two end flaps;
• wherein the at least two end flaps comprise at least a first end flap and a second end flap, and the handle flap comprises a first handle flap portion extending in the first end flap and a second handle flap portion extending in at least the second end flap;
• wherein the first end flap comprises a first upper extension, the second end flap comprises a second upper extension, the first handle flap portion is foldably connected to the first upper extension, the second handle flap portion is foldably connected to the second upper extension, and the first upper extension and the second upper extension at least partially overlap the first article at the end of the first row.

A package comprising a carton and a plurality of articles, the carton comprising;

• a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton;
• at least two end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels, the at least two end flaps at least partially forming a closed end of the carton, the at least two end flaps comprise at least a first end flap and a second end flap,
• the plurality of articles being arranged in a plurality of rows of articles in the interior of the carton, the plurality of rows of articles comprising at least a first row and a second row, and the first row comprising at least one more article than the second row forming a void between a first article at an end of the first row and a second article at an end of the second row;
• and
• a handle comprising the first article at the end of the first row and a handle flap extending in the carton, the handle flap being at least partially aligned with the void and being proximate the first article at the end of the first row, the handle flap is foldably connected to at least one end flap of the at least two end flaps, the handle flap comprises a first handle flap portion extending in the first end flap and a second handle flap portion extending in at least the second end flap, wherein the handle flap is for being folded inwardly to at least partially form a handle opening that is at least partially in communication with the void,
• wherein each of the first handle flap portion and the second handle flap portion is at least partially separable from the respective first end flap and second end flap along a respective tear line.

A method of forming a package comprising:

• obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels and a handle feature;
• forming an interior of a carton at least partially defined by the plurality of panels;
• arranging a plurality of articles in a plurality of rows of articles, the plurality of rows of articles comprising at least a first row and a second row, and the first row comprising at least one more article than the second row forming a void between a first article at an end of the first row and a second article at an end of the second row;
• disposing the plurality of articles at least partially in the interior of the carton;
• and
• forming a handle from the handle feature and the first article at the end of the first row, the handle comprising a handle flap extending in the carton, the forming the handle comprising at least partially aligning the handle flap with the void to be proximate the first article at the end of the first row, the forming the handle further comprising folding the handle flap inwardly to at least partially form a handle opening that is at least partially in communication with the void, the interior of the carton being accessible from the exterior of the carton through the handle opening.

A carton for containing a plurality of articles arranged in a plurality of rows of articles comprising at least a first row and a second row, the first row having at least one more article than the second row forming a void between a first article at an end of the first row and a second article at an end of the second row, the carton comprising:

• a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton for containing the plurality of articles;
• a handle comprising a handle flap extending in the carton, the handle comprising the first article at the end of the first row when the plurality of articles is contained in the carton, wherein the handle flap is for being at least partially aligned with the void, is for being proximate the first article at the end of the first row, and is for being folded inwardly to at least partially form a handle opening that is at least partially in communication with the void when the plurality of articles is contained in the carton;
• and
• at least two end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels, the at least two end flaps at least partially forming a closed end of the carton, wherein the handle flap is foldably connected to at least one end flap of the at least two end flaps;
• wherein the at least two end flaps comprise at least a first end flap and a second end flap, the handle flap comprises a first handle flap portion extending in the first end flap and a second handle flap portion extending in at least the second end flap, and the first handle flap portion and the second handle flap portion are overlapped.

A blank for forming a carton for holding a plurality of articles arranged in a plurality of rows of articles comprising at least a first row and a second row, the first row having at least one more article than the second row forming a void between a first article at an end of the first row and a second article at an end of the second row, the blank comprising;

• a plurality of panels;
• a handle feature extending in the blank for at least partially forming a handle when the carton is formed from the blank, the handle comprising a handle flap;
• and
• at least two end flaps respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels, the at least two end flaps being for at least partially forming a closed end of the carton formed from the blank, wherein the handle feature comprises a handle flap portion foldably connected to at least one end flap of the at least two end flaps, and the handle flap portion is for forming at least a portion of the handle flap when the carton is formed from the blank
• wherein the at least two end flaps comprise at least a first end flap and a second end flap, the handle flap portion comprises a first handle flap portion extending in the first end flap, the handle feature further comprises a second handle flap portion extending in at least the second end flap, and the first handle flap portion and the second handle flap portion are for at least partially forming the handle flap when the carton is formed from the blank;
• wherein the first handle flap portion and the second handle flap portion are for being overlapped when the carton is formed from the blank;
• wherein the handle comprises the first article at the end of the first row when the plurality of articles is contained in the carton formed from the blank, and the handle flap is for being at least partially aligned with the void, is for being proximate the first article at the end of the first row, and is for being folded inwardly to at least partially form a handle opening that is at least partially in communication with the void when the plurality of articles is contained in the carton formed from the blank.