Paperboard carton-liner assembly with balancing means

A carton-liner assembly, comprising:

• a carton including opposing top and bottom walls, opposing front and back walls, and opposing side walls, said side walls and front wall including a contiguous horizontal tear strip for opening up said carton from a sealed form to form a lid hingedly attached to a base section;
• a partial-height liner constructed and arranged for placement within said carton and including a front panel and opposing side panels for fitting said liner within said carton, said front panel having an outer surface adjacent to an inner surface of said carton front wall, said liner extending from said carton top wall to a location spaced away from said carton bottom wall;
• and
• balancing means, integral with said carton, for increasing the thickness of the assembly in regions spaced from said partial-height liner while the assembly is in flattened tubular form during production so as to counteract the increased thickness provided to the assembly by said liner, thereby improving stackability of the assembly while the assembly is in flattened tubular form.