Reinforced cartons

A carton blank, comprising:

• a primary blank, the primary blank comprising:
• a first side panel;
• a bottom panel;
• a second side panel;
• a top panel;
• a plurality of first primary end flaps disposed in a first marginal area of the primary blank, wherein at least one first primary end flap of the plurality of first primary end flaps comprises a first proximal side end flap foldably connected to the first side panel, and a first distal side end flap foldably connected to the first proximal side end flap along a longitudinal fold line;
• and
• a plurality of second primary end flaps disposed in a second marginal area of the primary blank;
• and
• a first reinforcing blank attached to the first marginal area of the primary blank, wherein the first reinforcing blank and the primary blank comprise substantially identical materials, the first reinforcing blank comprising:
• a plurality of foldably connected first reinforcing panels;
• and
• a plurality of first reinforcing flaps, each of the first reinforcing end flaps is respectively foldably connected to a respective one of the plurality of first reinforcing panels, each of the first reinforcing end flaps overlying and generally conforming in shape to one of a corresponding first primary end flap;
• wherein the plurality of first primary end flaps comprises at least one first free edge portion that extends in a generally longitudinal direction, and the plurality of first reinforcing end flaps comprises at least one second free edge portion that is generally aligned with the first free edge portion;
• wherein at least one first reinforcing end flap of the plurality of first reinforcing end flaps overlaps the first proximal side end flap and comprises at least one third free edge portion that generally overlaps the longitudinal fold line.

A carton formed from a primary blank and at least a first reinforcing blank, comprising:

• a first side panel;
• a bottom panel;
• a second side panel;
• a top panel;
• at least one first end flap at least partially closing a first end of the carton;
• and
• at least one second end flap at least partially closing a second end of the carton, wherein
• the first reinforcing blank is adhered to the primary blank at the first end of the carton, at which end the carton is multi-ply, wherein the first reinforcing blank comprises a plurality of first reinforcing panels and at least one first reinforcing end flap foldably connected to one of the plurality of first reinforcing panels, the primary blank comprises a plurality of foldably connected primary panels and a plurality of first primary end flaps, each first primary end flap being foldably connected to at least one of the primary panels;
• the at least one first reinforcing end flap overlies and generally conforms in shape to one of the first primary end flaps;
• wherein the plurality of first primary end flaps comprises at least one first free edge portion that extends in a generally longitudinal direction, and the at least one first reinforcing end flap comprises at least one second free edge portion that is generally aligned with the first free edge portion;
• wherein the first reinforcing blank and the primary blank comprise substantially identical materials;
• wherein the plurality of first primary end flaps comprises at least one distal end flap foldably connected to at least one proximal end flap along a longitudinal fold line, and the first reinforcing blank comprises at least one second reinforcing end flap that overlaps the at least one proximal end flap and comprises at least one third free edge portion that generally overlaps the longitudinal fold line.

A method of forming carton, comprising:

• providing a primary blank, the primary blank comprising:
• a plurality of foldably connected primary panels;
• a plurality of first primary end flaps, the plurality of first primary end flaps comprising at least one first free edge portion that extends in a generally longitudinal direction and at least one distal end flap foldably connected to at least one proximal end flap along a longitudinal fold line;
• and
• a plurality of second primary end flaps;
• and
• providing a first reinforcing blank, wherein the first reinforcing blank and the primary blank comprise substantially identical materials, the first reinforcing blank comprising a plurality of foldably connected first reinforcing panels and a plurality of first reinforcing end flaps;
• adhering the first reinforcing blank to the primary blank to form a multi-ply blank, aligning a second free edge portion of the plurality of first reinforcing end flaps with the first free edge portion of the plurality of first primary end flaps, positioning at least one first reinforcing end flap of the plurality of first reinforcing end flaps to overlap the at least one proximal end flap, and positioning at least one third free edge portion of the at least one first reinforcing end flap to generally overlap the longitudinal fold line;
• and
• folding the multi-ply blank along one or more fold lines, wherein folding the multi-ply blank along one or more fold lines comprises folding a bottom panel of the primary blank along a transverse fold line.

A primary carton blank in combination with at least one reinforcing blank, the at least one reinforcing blank for being attached to the primary carton blank, the primary blank comprising:

• a plurality of foldably connected primary panels;
• a plurality of first primary end flaps, each first primary end flap being foldably connected to at least one of the primary panels, the plurality of first primary end flaps comprising at least one first free edge portion that extends in a generally longitudinal direction;
• and
• a plurality of second primary end flaps, each second primary end flap being foldably connected to at least one of the primary panels;
• and
• wherein the at least one reinforcing blank comprises:
• a plurality of foldably connected reinforcing panels;
• and
• a plurality of reinforcing end flaps, each of the reinforcing end flaps is respectively foldably connected to a respective one of the plurality of reinforcing panels, each of the reinforcing end flaps generally conforming in shape to a corresponding first primary end flap of the primary blank, wherein the plurality of reinforcing end flaps comprises at least one second free edge portion that is for being generally aligned with the first free edge portion when the at least one reinforcing blank is attached to the primary carton blank;
• wherein the at least one reinforcing blank and the primary blank comprise substantially identical materials;
• wherein the plurality of first primary end flaps comprises at least one distal end flap foldably connected to at least one proximal end flap along a longitudinal fold line, and at least one reinforcing end flap of the plurality of reinforcing end flaps overlaps the at least one proximal end flap and comprises at least one third free edge portion that is for generally overlapping the longitudinal fold line when the at least one reinforcing blank is attached to the primary carton blank.