Carton with composite wall and expansion panels

A carton for enclosing articles, comprising:

• a composite top wall, comprising:
• an outer top panel;
• an inner top panel secured to the outer top panel such that the outside surface of the inner top panel is fixedly secured to the inside surface of the outer top panel;
• and
• a handle comprising at least one handle aperture disposed through at least one of the inner and the outer top panels;
• a bottom wall opposite the composite top wall;
• an end wall closure, comprising:
• a lower end wall panel hingedly connected to the bottom wall;
• and
• a composite upper end wall panel hingedly connected to the composite top wall and secured to the lower end wall panel in an overlapping configuration, the composite upper end wall comprising:
• an upper end wall panel hingedly connected to the outer top panel;
• and
• an expansion panel hingedly connected to the inner top panel, the expansion panel comprising:
• a first fixed section, its outside surface being fixedly secured to the inside surface of the upper end wall panel;
• a slideable section adjacent to the first fixed section, its outside surface being disposed against the inside surface of the upper end wall panel in a face-contacting arrangement, and its outside surface being slidable from a neutral position to a stress relieving position with respect to the inside surface of the outer end wall panel;
• a second fixed section adjacent to the slidable section, its outside surface being fixedly secured to the inside surface of the upper end wall panel;
• a first expansion cut partially detaching the slidable section from the first fixed section;
• a second expansion cut partially detaching the slidable section from the second fixed section;
• a first expansion hinge flexibly connecting the slideable section to the first fixed section, comprising a slit extending from the toward expansion cut toward the second fixed section;
• and
• a second expansion hinge flexibly connecting the slideable section to the second fixed section, comprising a slit extending from the second expansion cut toward the first fixed section.

A blank for forming a carton for enclosing articles, comprising:

• an elongate transverse section comprising:
• an outer composite wall panel;
• a first side panel hingedly connected to the outer composite wall panel;
• a bottom panel hingedly connected to the first side panel;
• a second side panel hingedly connected to the bottom panel;
• an inner composite wall panel hingedly connected to the second side panel;
• and
• an end wall panel hingedly connected to the outer composite wall panel;
• and
• an expansion panel hingedly connected to the inner composite wall panel, the expansion panel comprising:
• a first fixed section defined in part by the hinged connection between the expansion panel and inner composite wall panel;
• a second fixed section defined in part by the hinged connection between the expansion panel and inner composite wall panel;
• at least one slidable section adjacently disposed between the first fixed section and the second fixed section;
• and
• means for cooperative relief.