Carton and carton blank

A carton for receiving a plurality of articles, the carton comprising a plurality of panels for forming walls of the carton including:

• a top wall;
• a bottom wall;
• a pair of side walls;
• and
• a pair of end walls;
• the top wall having opposed side edges and opposed end edges, the top wall having a handle structure comprising:
• at least one hand aperture defined in the top wall;
• at least one primary fold line formed in the top wall and extending from a region of the at least one hand aperture toward at least one of the corners of the top wall;
• a diagonal severance line formed in the top wall inwardly of and spaced from the at least one corner for separating the at least one primary fold line from the at least one corner;
• and
• a first branch fold line extending from an intermediate point along the length of the at least one primary fold line and extending toward one of an adjacent end wall and an adjacent side wall,
• wherein the at least one primary fold is at least 50% longer in length than the first branch line.

A carton for receiving a plurality of generally cylindrical articles, the carton comprising a plurality of panels for forming walls of the carton including:

• at least one top panel for forming a top wall;
• at least one base panel for forming a base wall;
• a first side panel for forming a first side wall, the first side panel hingedly connected to the at least one top panel by a first fold line;
• and
• a first end closure panel for forming an end wall, the first end closure panel hingedly connected to the at least one top panel by a second fold line;
• the top wall is adapted to be placed over the plurality of generally cylindrical articles such that the top wall is disposed generally perpendicularly to the cylindrical axes of the articles, the top wall having opposed side edges and opposed end edges, the top wall comprising a handle structure, the handle structure comprising:
• at least one hand aperture defined in the top wall;
• at least one primary fold line formed in the top wall and extending from a region of the at least one hand aperture toward at least one of the corners of the top wall;
• and
• a diagonal severance line formed in the top wall inwardly of and spaced from the at least one corner for separating the at least one primary fold line from the at least one corner, wherein the diagonal severance line intersects with at least one of first and second fold lines to form at least one intersection, wherein the distance between the at least one intersection and the at least one corner is in the range given by the following formula:
• Dc
• ⁡
• (
• 2
• -
• 1
• )
• 2
• <
• D
• ≤
• Dc
• where Dc is a diameter of each cylindrical article.

A blank for forming a carton, the blank comprising a plurality of panels for forming walls of the carton, the blank including:

• at least one top panel for forming a top wall;
• a base panel for forming a base wall;
• a pair of side panels for forming opposed side walls;
• and
• at least one end closure panel for forming an end wall at each end of the carton;
• the at least one top panel having opposed side edges and opposed end edges, the at least one top panel having a handle structure comprising:
• at least one hand aperture defined in the at least one top panel;
• at least one primary fold line formed in the at least one top panel and extending from a region of the at least one hand aperture toward at least one of the corners of the at least one top panel;
• a diagonal severance line formed in the at least one top panel inwardly of and spaced from the at least one corner for separating the at least one primary fold line from the at least one corner;
• and
• a first branch fold line extending from an intermediate point along the length of the at least one primary fold line and extending toward one of an adjacent end wall and an adjacent side wall,
• wherein the intermediate point is located at a first distance from the at least one corner and a second distance from the at least one hand aperture,
• wherein (i) the first distance is less than the second distance, or (ii) the at least one primary fold is at least 50% longer in length than the first branch line, or (iii) both the first distance is less than the second distance and the at least one primary fold is at least 50% longer in length than the first branch line.