Enclosed container carton convertible into a tray

An enclosed carton for containing a plurality of containers that is easily convertible into a tray with a hinged lid for dispensing the containers, said carton comprising:

• (a) a top panel attached to two side panels, a bottom flap attached to each side panel by a fold line, each bottom flap having an edge which is at least substantially parallel to said fold line, one bottom flap overlapping the other bottom flap with means to secure said bottom flaps together to form a bottom panel;
• (b) the carton having two ends, with each end being closed by a top end flap foldably attached to said top panel, a bottom end flap foldably attached to each bottom flap forming said bottom panel, a side end flap foldably attached to each side panel, with said side end flaps being secured to said adjacent top end and adjacent bottom end flaps by securing means when said end is closed, with no more than a small overlap of one side end flap over the other side end flap;
• (c) said carton having a co-extensive tear strip in said bottom panel comprising an edge portion of said bottom and between a tear line in each bottom flap, said tear strip extending from one bottom end flap to the other bottom end flap, said tear lines being at least substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other to form a tear strip in each bottom flap that is co-extensive with the tear strip in the other bottom flap;
• (d) said top panel having a fold line that extends from one top end flap to the other top end flap, with a tear line extending through each top end flap, with said side end flaps on each end of the carton meeting in an area that is at least in the proximity of a plane that extends through the co-extensive tear strip in said bottom panel, and said fold line in said top panel, and
• (e) said carton being capable of being converted into a tray for holding said containers on one side panel, said tray having a hinged lid, said tray being formed by tearing said co-extensive tear strip which results in one bottom flap, and the bottom end flaps foldably attached to said one bottom flap and the one side panel foldably attached to said one bottom end flap and the side end flaps foldably attached to said one side panel and the portion of the top panel between said one side panel and said fold line in the top panel, with said lid being formed by the remaining flaps and panels of said carton, said lid being hinged by said fold line in said top panel.