# US 8,740,051 B2 · Carton with handle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,740,051 B2 - Document ID: US8740051B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/182,668 - Filed: 2011-07-14 - Published: 2012-01-19 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2010-07-15 - Assignees: Graphic Packaging International, Inc. - Applicants: Ana Gonzalez - Inventors: Ana Gonzalez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8740051B2 ## CPC - B65D 71/36: {having a tubular shape, e.g. tubular wrappers, with} end walls - B65D 2571/00456: integral with the wrapper - B65D 2571/00462: Straps made by two slits in a wall - B65D 2571/00574: whereby contents can still be carried after the line has been torn - B65D 2571/00654: Blanks - B65D 2571/0066: formed from one single sheet - B65D 2571/00728: the end walls being closed by gluing - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES ## Abstract A carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton can comprise a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels can comprise an inner top panel and an outer top panel that at least partially overlaps the inner top panel. An outer end flap can be foldably connected to the outer top panel at an upper corner of the carton, and the outer end flap can at least partially close an end of the carton. A handle can comprise a handle panel defined in at least the inner top panel and a handle flap defined in the outer end flap. The handle panel can be mounted to the handle flap so that a portion of the handle panel is covered by the upper corner. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A carton for containing a plurality of articles, the carton comprising: a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising an inner top panel and an outer top panel that at least partially overlaps the inner top panel; an outer end flap foldably connected to the outer top panel, the outer end flap at least partially closing an end of the carton; and a handle comprising a handle panel defined in at least the inner top panel and a handle flap defined in the outer end flap, wherein the handle panel comprises a central portion and an end portion foldably connected to the central portion, at least a portion of the end portion of the handle panel being in substantially face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the handle flap; and at least a portion of the handle flap being defined by a tear line extending in the outer end flap. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The carton of claim 1, wherein: the handle further comprises article-receiving features extending in at least one of the end portion of the handle panel and the handle flap, the article-receiving features being for receiving at least a portion of at least one article of the plurality of articles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The carton of claim 2, wherein: the article-receiving features comprise an article-receiving opening extending in the end portion of the handle panel and at least two article-receiving flaps foldably connected to the handle flap; and the article-receiving flaps of the handle flap are generally aligned with the article-receiving opening in the end portion of the handle panel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The carton of claim 2, wherein: the handle panel is a first handle panel, the central portion is a first central portion, and the end portion is a first end portion; the handle further comprises a second handle panel extending in at least the top panel, the second handle panel comprising a second central portion and a second end portion foldably connected to the second central portion; at least a portion of the second handle panel is in substantially face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the first handle panel; and the first end portion is foldably connected to the second end portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The carton of claim 1, wherein the handle further comprises an outer handle panel extending in the outer top panel, at least a portion of the outer handle panel being in substantially face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the handle panel in the inner top panel. ### Claim 6 A carton for containing a plurality of articles, the carton comprising: a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising an inner top panel, an outer top panel, at least a portion of the outer top panel defining at least a portion of a top wall of the carton; an end flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels, the end flap at least partially closing an end of the carton, the end flap comprises a top end flap foldably connected to the outer top panel; a handle comprising a handle panel extending in at least the inner top panel and a handle flap extending in at least the top end flap, wherein the handle panel is mounted to the handle flap, and the handle flap is circumscribed by a remainder of the top end flap and spaced apart from the top wall of the carton; and at least a portion of the handle flap being defined by a tear line extending in the top end flap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The carton of claim 6, wherein the handle panel comprises a central portion and an end portion foldably connected to the central portion, at least a portion of the end portion of the handle panel being in substantially face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the handle flap. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The carton of claim 7, wherein: the end portion of the handle panel is secured to an interior surface of the handle flap; the handle further comprises article-receiving features extending in at least one of the end portion of the handle panel and the handle flap, the article-receiving features being for receiving at least a portion of at least one article of the plurality of articles. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The carton of claim 8, wherein: the article-receiving features comprise an article-receiving opening extending in the end portion of the handle panel and at least two article-receiving flaps foldably connected to the handle flap; and the article-receiving flaps of the handle flap are generally aligned with the article-receiving opening in the end portion of the handle panel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The carton of claim 7, wherein: the handle panel is a first handle panel, the central portion is a first central portion, and the end portion is a first end portion; the handle further comprises a second handle panel extending in at least the inner top panel, the second handle panel comprising a second central portion and a second end portion foldably connected to the second central portion; and at least a portion of the second handle panel is in substantially face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the first handle panel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The carton of claim 10, wherein: the first end portion is in substantially face-to-face contact with the second end portion; each of the first end portion and the second end portion comprising an article-receiving opening, the article-receiving opening of the first end portion being generally aligned with the article-receiving opening of the second end portion; the article-receiving openings are for receiving at least a portion of an article of the plurality of articles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The carton of claim 10, wherein: at least a portion of the outer top panel overlaps at least a portion of the inner top panel, the top wall further comprising at least a portion of the outer top panel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The carton of claim 12, wherein: at least a portion of the first handle panel is connected to the inner top panel along a first tear line; at least a portion of the handle flap is connected to the top end flap along a second tear line; and the handle further comprises an outer handle panel connected to the outer top panel along a third tear line, the outer handle panel being in substantially face-to-face contact with an exterior surface of at least the first central portion of the first handle panel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The carton of claim 13, wherein at least the outer top panel and the top end flap form an upper corner at the end of the carton, wherein the upper corner is disposed between at least a portion of the second tear line and the third tear line, and the upper corner remains intact when the handle is activated. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The carton of claim 6, wherein: the plurality of panels further comprises a first side panel and a second side panel; the inner top panel is foldably connected to the first side panel, and the outer top panel is foldably connected to the second side panel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The carton of claim 15, wherein at least the outer top panel and the end flap form an upper corner at the end of the carton, wherein the handle is disposed inwardly of the upper corner, and the upper corner remains intact when the handle is activated. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The carton of claim 15, wherein the handle further comprises an outer handle panel extending in the outer top panel, at least a portion of the outer handle panel being in substantially face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the handle panel in the inner top panel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The carton of claim 15, wherein the handle panel comprises a central portion and an end portion foldably connected to the central portion, at least a portion of the end portion of the handle panel being in substantially face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the handle flap. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The carton of claim 18, wherein: the carton further comprises a first side end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second side end flap foldably connected to the second side panel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The carton of claim 18, wherein: the end portion of the handle panel is secured to an interior surface of the handle flap; the end portion of the handle panel defines an article-receiving opening for receiving at least a portion of at least one article of the plurality of articles; and the handle flap comprising at least two article-receiving flaps for engaging at least one article of the plurality of articles, the at least two article-receiving flaps being generally aligned with the article-receiving opening in the end portion of the handle panel. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The carton of claim 20, wherein: the end flap comprises a first end flap, the end of the carton comprises a first end of the carton, and the handle flap comprises a first handle flap; the carton further comprises a second end flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels, the end flap at least partially closing a second end of the carton; and the carton further comprises a second handle flap extending in at least the second end flap, the second handle flap is spaced apart from the inner top panel and the outer top panel. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The carton of claim 21, wherein: the end portion of the handle panel comprises a first end portion, and the handle panel further comprises a second end portion foldably connected to the central portion opposite to the first end portion; and the second end portion of the handle panel is secured to an interior surface of the second handle flap. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The carton of claim 15, wherein: the handle panel is a first handle panel, and the handle further comprises a second handle panel extending in at least the inner top panel; and at least a portion of the second handle panel is in substantially face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the first handle panel. ### Claim 24 A blank for forming a carton for containing a plurality of articles, the blank comprising: a plurality of panels comprising an inner top panel, an outer top panel; a top end flap foldably connected to the outer top panel; a handle comprising a first handle panel and a second handle panel extending in at least the inner top panel and a handle flap extending in the top end flap, wherein the first handle panel comprises a central portion and an end portion foldably connected to the central portion, and the handle flap is circumscribed by a remainder of the top end flap and spaced apart from the plurality of panels, the handle further comprises an outer handle panel extending in the outer top panel; at least a portion of the first handle panel is foldably connected to at least a portion of the second handle panel; at least a portion of the first handle panel is connected to the inner top panel along a first tear line at least a portion of the handle flap is connected to the top end flap along a second tear line; and the outer handle panel is connected to the outer top panel along a third tear line. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The blank of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the central portion of the first handle panel comprises a first width, at least a portion of the end portion of the first handle panel comprises a second width, and the first width is less than the second width. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The blank of claim 24, wherein the handle further comprises article-receiving features extending in at least one of the handle flap and the end portion of the first handle panel, the article-receiving features being for receiving at least a portion of at least one article of the plurality of articles. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The blank of claim 26, wherein the article-receiving features comprise an article-receiving opening extending in the end portion of the second handle panel and at least two article-receiving flaps foldably connected to the handle flap.