Article carrier with strap-type handle and top panel access
AssigneeRiverwood International Corporation
InventorRandall L. Harris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article carrier having an elongated handle strap and a tear-away top opening feature. The handle strap may extend between either the end panels or the side panels of the carrier and is separably connected to the top panel. The separable lines of weakness extend into the end or side panels and, with other lines of weakness, allow portions of the end or side panels to be separated. This allows the top panel portions on either side of the handle strap to be folded back to allow access to the packaged articles. Even after the top panel portions are separated the carrier can be lifted by the handle.
Claims18
An article carrier, comprising:
- top and bottom panels, opposite side panels and opposite end panels;
- the top panel being connected by fold lines to the opposite side panels and the opposite end panels, the top panel and the side and end panels meeting at four upper corners;
- the top panel including a handle strap separably connected thereto by lines of weakness, the handle strap extending between either the opposite end panels or the opposite side panels and dividing the top panel into two portions;
- the lines of weakness of the handle continuing into either the opposite end panels or the opposite side panels;
- and
- additional lines of weakness extending from the continued lines of weakness substantially toward the upper corners;
- whereby severing of the lines of weakness of the handle, the continued lines of weakness and the additional lines of weakness allow the top panel portions to be folded back to provide access to the interior of the carrier.
A blank for forming an article carrier, comprising:
- two spaced side panel sections, a top panel section and a bottom panel section, the panel sections having side edges and end edges;
- the side and end edges of the top panel section substantially meeting at corners of the top panel section;
- one of the top and bottom panel sections being located between the side panel sections, the side edges of said one top or bottom panel section being connected to adjacent side edges of the side panel sections by fold lines;
- a side edge of the other of the top and bottom panel sections being connected to the side edge of one of the side panel sections by a fold line;
- end panel flaps connected by fold lines to the end edges of the top, bottom and side panel sections;
- the top panel section including a handle strap separably connected thereto by lines of weakness, the handle strap extending between either the end edges or the side edges of the top panel section;
- either the side panel sections or the end panel flaps connected to the top panel section including lines of weakness which in a carrier formed from the blank are continuations of the lines of weakness in the top panel;
- and
- additional lines of weakness extending from the continuing lines of weakness substantially toward the corners of the top panel of a carrier formed from the blank;
- whereby severing of the lines of weakness of the handle, the continuing lines of weakness and the additional lines of weakness allow the top panel portions of such a carrier to be folded back to provide access to the interior of the carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.