Carton panel lock

In an article carrier, a panel comprising:

• inner and outer panel flaps, each panel flap having an end edge, a portion of the outer panel flap overlapping a portion of the inner panel flap;
• the inner panel flap including a locking tab connected thereto by a fold line spaced from the end edge of the inner panel flap;
• the locking tab including an intermediate fold line dividing the locking tab into a base portion and an end portion, the end portion of the locking tab containing a retaining opening adjacent the intermediate fold line;
• and
• the outer panel flap containing a locking opening spaced from the end edge of the outer panel flap, one edge of the locking opening being comprised of an edge of a retaining flap connected to the outer panel flap along a fold line located between the locking opening and the end edge of the outer panel flap and an opposite edge of the locking opening including a retaining tab extending from said opposite edge toward the end edge of the outer panel flap;
• the base portion of the locking tab overlapping an end portion of the outer panel flap and the end portion of the locking tab extending through the locking opening in the outer panel flap;
• the retaining tab extending through the retaining opening in the end portion of the locking tab and the edge of the retaining flap contacting the end portion of the locking tab.

A blank for forming a wrap-around article carrier, comprising:

• a generally rectangular sheet;
• a centrally located top panel section connected by fold lines to opposite side panel sections, one of the side panel sections being connected by a fold line to an inner bottom panel flap and the other side panel section being connected by a fold line to an outer bottom panel flap;
• each bottom panel flap having an end edge;
• the inner bottom panel flap including a locking tab defined by a slit having ends connected to the inner bottom panel flap by a fold line spaced from the end edge of the inner bottom panel flap;
• the locking tab including an intermediate fold line dividing the locking tab into a base portion and an end portion, the intermediate fold line being interrupted by a slit forming a retaining opening;
• and
• the outer panel flap containing a locking opening slit spaced from the end edge of the outer panel flap, one edge of the locking opening slit being comprised of an end edge of a retaining flap connected to the outer panel flap along a fold line located between the locking opening slit and the end edge of the outer panel flap and the opposite edge of the locking opening slit including a retaining tab extending from said opposite edge toward the end edge of the outer panel flap;
• the base portion of the locking tab overlapping an end portion of the outer panel flap, the end portion of the locking tab extending through the locking opening slit in the outer panel flap, the retaining tab extending through the retaining opening in the end portion of the locking tab and the end edge of the retaining flap contacting the end portion of the locking tab in a carrier formed from the blank.