Can carton with three ply handle structure

A paperboard carton for carrying a plurality of beverage cans, said carton comprising:

• (a) a bottom wall;
• (b) a pair of side walls foldably connected to opposite side edges of said bottom wall;
• (c) an outer top wall panel foldably connected to a top edge of one of said side walls;
• (d) an inner top wall panel foldably connected to a top edge of the other of said side walls, said inner top wall panel having a reinforcement flap connected to an edge of said inner top wall panel along a fold line, said reinforcement flap being folded along said fold line and adhesively secured to an inner surface of said inner top wall panel;
• (e) a hand grip opening formed in said outer top wall panel and spaced apart from an inner edge of said outer top wall panel;
• and
• (f) said inner and outer top wall panels being overlapped and adhesively secured together to form a top wall of said carton, said fold line on said inner top wall panel being disposed inwardly adjacent to an inner edge of said hand grip opening and within the perimeter of said hand grip opening, and said fold line extending in two directions beyond the edges of said hand grip opening and being devoid of cuts so as to be continuous and uninterrupted to form a blunt edge on said hand grip opening providing finger comfort when the carton is filled and lifted via said hand grip opening, the portion of said top wall between said inner edge of said hand grip opening and said inner edge of said outer top wall panel consisting of three plies of paperboard material.