Article carrier

Abstract

An article carrier formed from a unitary blank including a bottom wall, side walls joined to the side edges of the bottom wall, end wall panels joined to the end edges of the side walls, riser panels joined to the inner edges of the end wall panels and extending medially inward of the carrier, a telescoping handle structure including a pair of inner handle panels respectively having a hand gripping aperture and a hand gripping slot and a pair of outer handle panels respectively having a hand gripping aperture and a hand gripping slot, a reinforcing tab foldably joined to one of the handle panels, and a removable promotional tab whose top edge is disposed at approximately the same level as the top edges of the hand gripping apertures and the hand gripping slots and which is adjoined to the top edge of one side wall along a perforate line.

Description

Article carriers are known whereby various forms of promotional tabs or panels are provided to attract a customer's attention. In general these promotional tabs are removable by tearing along a severable attachment line to allow for subsequent redemption or for removal after a particular promotional activity has been terminated.

One known article carrier, having a promotional tab, includes at least one arcuate tab joined to a side wall. This carrier and others of a similar nature have been historically unsatisfactory for two basic reasons. First, since the promotional tabs are struck from the area which ordinarily constitutes the handle, they must be kept relatively small to avoid undue weakening of the handle structure. Second, carriers having a nontelescoping handle together with a promotional tab expose an unsightly portion of brown paperboard about the handle due to the fact that the promotional tab, in effect, is taken from a handle panel.

According to this invention an article carrier formed from a unitary blank is provided with bottom, side and end walls, a pair of riser panels at each end of the carrier and extending medially inward therefrom, a telescoping handle structure including a pair of inner handle panels respectively having a hand gripping aperture and a hand gripping slot and a pair of outer panels respectively having a hand gripping aperture and a hand gripping slot, a reinforcing tab foldably joined to one handle panel, and a promotional tab joined to the top edge of one side wall and whose upper edge is disposed at approximately the same level as the top edges of the hand gripping apertures and the hand gripping slots.

Even though the promotional tab of this invention is taken from portions of the blank which ordinarily form parts of handle panels, the carrier is rendered mechanically strong due to the overlapping of handle panels which is possible due to the telescoping nature of the handle panels. Furthermore, the telescoping feature inherently obscures the unsightly exposure of brown board which was characteristic of the prior art and thus provides a carrier of exceptional strength and which is also of a pleasing appearance.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a set-up carrier embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank from which the carrier depicted in FIG. 1 is formed; and in which

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 depict stages through which the blank of FIG. 2 is manipulated in order to form the completed carrier depicted in collapsed form in FIG. 5.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a side wall of the carrier to the bottom edge of which a glue flap 2 is foldably joined along fold line 3. An end panel 4 is foldably joined along fold line 5 to one end of the side wall 1 while a similar end panel 6 is foldably joined along fold line 7 to the other end of side wall 1. A riser panel 8 is foldably joined to one edge of end panel 4 along fold line 9 and a similar riser panel 10 is foldably joined to one edge of end panel 6 along fold line 11. A first handle panel 12 is foldably joined to a second handle panel 13 along medial fold line 14 and to riser panel 8 along fold line 9.

At the other end of the carrier a second pair of handle panels designated by the numerals 15 and 16 are foldably joined together along medial fold line 17. Handle panel 15 is foldably joined to riser panel 10 along fold line 11. Hand gripping slot 18 and hand gripping aperture 19 are formed respectively in the first pair of handle panels 12 and 13 while hand gripping slot 20 and hand gripping aperture 21 are formed respectively in the second pair of handle panels 15 and 16.

The opposite side of the carrier is similar in construction to those portions of the carrier blank described above and comprises a riser panel 22 foldably joined along fold line 23 to end panel 24 and to handle panel 13. End panel 24 is foldably joined along fold line 25 to side wall 26. In like fashion, end panel 27 is foldably joined to the other end of side wall 26 along fold line 28 and riser panel 29 is foldably joined to an edge 30 of end panel 27 and of handle panel 16. Bottom panel 31 is foldably joined along fold line 32 to the bottom edge of the side wall 26 and the bottom panel is provided with a medial fold line 33 at the ends of which a pair of notches 34 and 35 are formed.

For the purpose of cooperating with the notches 34 and 35 and thereby to maintain the carrier in set-up condition, a plurality of locking notches 36, 37, 38 and 39 are formed in riser panels 8, 22, 29 and 10, respectively, and perform in a well known manner.

In order to provide transverse separating means for articles disposed on either side of the handle structure, a plurality of straps is provided and, in the drawings, straps on one side of the carrier are designated by the numerls 40 and 41. Strap 40 is foldably joined to high center portion 1A of side wall 1 along a fold line 42 and to the handle panel 12 along the fold line 43. In like fashion, transverse partitioning strap 41 is foldably joined at one end to high center portion 1A of the side wall 1 along fold line 44 and at the other end the strap 41 is foldably joined to handle panel 15 along fold line 45.

The partitioning straps on the opposite side of the carrier are similarly constructed and are designated by the numerals 46 and 47. Strap 46 is foldably joined at one end along fold line 48 to the high center portion 26A of side wall 26 and at the other end strap 46 is foldably joined to handle panel 13 along the fold line 49. Transverse partitioning strap 47 is foldably joined along fold line 50 to the high center portion 26A of side wall 26 at one end of the strap and at the other end thereof the strap is joined to handle panel 16 along fold line 51.

To provide additional carrier strength in the area of the handle, reinforcing tab 52 is provided and is foldably joined to handle panel 13 along fold line 53. According to the invention promotional tab 54 is struck from the area of the handle and is joined to the high center portion 1A of side wall 1 along perforate line 55. While tab 54 is shown and described as being joined to portion 1A along a perforated line to render it detachable, the invention is not limited to this feature and perforate line 55 may be eliminated.

In order to form the collapsed carrier depicted in FIG. 5 from the blank depicted in FIG. 2, an application of glue is first made to the blank as indicated by strippling in FIG. 2. Thereafter, the first pair of handle panels 12 and 13 are elevated and swung toward the right simultaneously with the folding of the end panels 4 and 24 upwardly and toward the right along the fold lines 5 and 25, respectively. Simultaneously, the riser panels 8 and 22 are folded upwardly and toward the right along the fold lines 9 and 23, respectively, so that the inner ends of the riser panels 8 and 22 become adhered to the left hand ends of the first pair of handle panels 12 and 13. Of course, the parts following this folding operation occupy positions as depicted in FIG. 3. The folding action as described thus far is well known in the art.

In order to transform the carrier from the condition depicted in FIG. 3 to that depicted in FIG. 4, the bottom panel 31 is folded along the medial fold line 33 by simply folding the lower portion 33A thereof upwardly and over into flat face contacting relation with the upper portion 33B thereof as depicted in FIG. 3. Simultaneously, the riser panel 10 is folded upwardly and toward the left along the fold line 11 so that its inner end is secured in flat face contacting relation to the handle panel 15. Likewise, the riser panel 29 is folded upwardly and toward the left along fold line 30 so that the inner end thereof is affixed to the right hand end of handle panel 16. In addition reinforcing tab 52 is folded downwardly and over along fold line 53 into flat face contacting relation with handle panel 13. The blank then appears as depicted in FIG. 4.

In order to complete an application carrier anapplaication of glue is made to the blank as indicated by stippling in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the side wall 1, glue flap 2, end panels 4 and 6, riser panels 8 and 10 and handle panels 12 and 15 are folded upwardly and forwardly along the fold lines 14 and 17 into flat face contacting relation with the remaining portions of the blank to occupy positions as depicted in FIG. 5, i.e., to form the completed carrier in collapsed condition.

In order to set up the carrier from its collapsed condition as depicted in FIG. 5, it is simply necessary to press inwardly on the end panels 6 and 27 at the fold lines 11 and 30 while urging the side walls 1 and 26 toward the right. This action causes the locking notch 34 to engage the notches 36 and 37 and also allows the locking notch 35 to engage the locking notches 38 and 39. Thereafter, the carrier appears as depicted in FIG. 1.

It is a feature of this invention that promotional tab 54 is longer than the length of high center portion 1A by an amount substantially less than one of the straps such as 40 or 41 which, in the six cell carrier illustrated, are equal in length to one third of the length of the carton side walls. When the handle panels 12 and 13 are telescoped from the condition shown in FIG. 2 to that shown in FIG. 3 relative longitudinal movement between panels 12 and 13 on the one hand and panels 15 and 16 on the other is equal to the length of two cells or twice the length of one strap. Thus fold line 43 coincides with fold line 44 in FIG. 3. Thus if tab 54 were equal in length to twice the length of a strap such as 40, the inner ends 12A and 15A would not overlap and the carrier would not have sufficient handle strength. By making the tab 54 longer than a cell by an amount substantially less than the length of a strap adequate overlap of panels 12A and 15A is provided and in turn the handle is afforded adequate strength. Thus this particular dimensional parameter is necessary in order to provide the necessary overlap of portions 12A and 15A of handle panels 12 and 15 when handle panels 12 and 13 are manipulated in a telescoping manner into an overlapping relationship with handle panels 15 and 16 as shown in FIG. 3 and as described above. Thus necessary strength is provided in the carrier handle structure according to one facet of this invention which adequately compensates for the tendency to weaken the handle by the removal of tab 54 from portions of the carrier which ordinarily form parts of handle panels 12 and 15 while at the same time providing a promotional tab which is considerably larger than known tabs.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An article carrier comprising a bottom wall, opposed side walls foldably joined to the side edges of said bottom wall, end wall panels foldably joined to the end edges of said side walls and extending inwardly therefrom, riser panels foldably joined to said end wall panels remote from said side walls and extending medially inward of the carrier, telescoping handle panels comprising a pair of inner handle panels respectively having a hand gripping aperture and a hand gripping slot and foldably joined respectively to the riser panels at one end of the carrier and a pair of outer handle panels respectively having a hand gripping aperture and a hand gripping slot and foldably joined respectively to the riser panels at the other end of the carrier, a promotional tab adjoined to the top edge of one of said side walls, the top edge of said promotional tab disposed at approximately the same level as the top edges of said hand gripping apertures and said hand gripping slots, a portion of said one side wall forming a high center portion to the top edge of which said promotional tab is adjoined, a transverse partition strap joined to each end of said high center portion and to one of said handle panels, and the length of said promotional tab being greater than the length of said high center portion by a distance substantially less than the length of one of said transverse partition straps.

2. An article carrier according to claim 1 wherein said promotional tab is disposed approximately midway from the end edges of said one side wall.

3. An article carrier according to claim 1 wherein a reinforcing tab is struck from one of said handle panels and foldably joined thereto in face contacting relationship.

4. An article carrier blank comprising a bottom wall, a first side wall foldably joined to one side edge of said bottom wall, a first pair of end wall panels foldably joined respectively to the end edges of said first side wall, a first pair of riser panels foldably joined respectively to said first pair of end wall panels along the edges thereof remote from said first side wall, a first pair of handle panels foldably joined respectively at one end thereof to said first pair of riser panels along fold lines aligned respectively with the fold lines between said first pair of riser panels and said first pair of end wall panels, a first pair of straps foldably joined respectively to said first pair of handle panels and to said first side wall along vertical fold lines, a second pair of handle panels foldably joined respectively to said first pair of handle panels along the top edges thereof, a second pair of riser panels foldably joined respectively to said second pair of handle panels at one end thereof, a second pair of end wall panels foldably joined respectively to said second pair of riser panels along fold lines aligned respectively with the fold lines between said second pair of riser panels and said second pair of handle panels, a second side wall foldably joined at its end edges respectively with the edges of said second pair of end wall panels remote from said second pair of riser panels, a second pair of straps foldably joined respectively to said second pair of handle panels and to said second side wall along vertical fold lines, a promotional tab forming an extension of the top edge of one of said side walls and disposed between portions of the panels of one pair of handle panels, said one of said pairs of handle panels provided respectively with hand gripping slots, the top edge of said promotional tab being in coincidence with the top edge of at least one of said hand gripping slots, said promotional tab being affixed to an upraised portion of said one side wall, and the length of said tab being greater than the length of said upraised portion of said one side wall by a distance substantially less than the length of one of said straps.

5. An article carrier blank according to claim 4 wherein said promotional tab is disposed midway from the end edges of said one side wall.

6. An article carrier blank according to claim 4 wherein a reinforcing tab is struck from one of said first pair of handle panels and foldably joined thereto.

7. An article carrier blank comprising a bottom wall, a first side wall foldably joined to one side edge of said bottom wall, a first pair of end wall panels foldably joined respectively to the end edges of said first side wall, a first pair of riser panels foldably joined respectively to said first pair of end wall panels along the edges thereof remote from said first side wall, a first pair of handle panels foldably joined respectively at one end thereof to said first pair of riser panels along fold lines aligned respectively with the fold lines between said first pair of riser panels and said first pair of end wall panels, a first pair of straps foldably joined respectively to said first pair of handle panels and to said first side wall along vertical fold lines, a second pair of handle panels foldably joined respectively to said first pair of handle panels along the top edges thereof, a second pair of riser panels foldably joined respectively to said second pair of handle panels at one end thereof, a second pair of end wall panels foldably joined respectively to said second pair of riser panels along fold lines aligned respectively with the fold lines between said second pair of riser panels and said second pair of handle panels, a second side wall foldably joined at its end edges respectively with the edges of said second pair of end wall panels remote from said second pair of riser panels, a second pair of straps foldably joined respectively to said second pair of handle panels and to said second side wall along vertical fold lines, a promotional tab forming an extension of the top edge of one of said side walls, said promotional tab being disposed midway from the end edges of said one side wall, said one of said pairs of handle panels being provided respectively with hand gripping slots, the top edges of said promotional tab being in coincidence with the top edge of at least one of said hand gripping slots, said promotional tab being affixed to an upraised portion of said one side wall, and the length of said promotional tab being greater than the length of said upraised portion of said one side wall by a distance substantially less than the length of one of said straps.

8. An article carrier blank comprising a bottom wall, a first side wall foldably joined to one side edge of said bottom wall, a first pair of end wall panels foldably joined respectively to the end edges of said first side wall, a first pair of riser panels foldably joined respectively to said first pair of end wall panels along the edges thereof remote from said first side wall, a first pair of handle panels foldably joined respectively at one end thereof to said first pair of riser panels along fold lines aligned respectively with the fold lines between said first pair of riser panels and said first pair of end wall panels, a first pair of straps foldably joined respectively to said first pair of handle panels and to said first side wall along vertical fold lines, a second pair of handle panels foldably joined respectively to said first pair of handle panels along the top edges thereof, a second pair of riser panels foldably joined respectively to said second pair of handle panels at one end thereof, a second pair of end wall panels foldably joined respectively to said second pair of riser panels along fold lines aligned respectively with the fold lines between said second pair of riser panels and said second pair of handle panels, a second side wall foldably joined at its end edges respectively with the edges of said second pair of end wall panels remote from said second pair of riser panels, a second pair of straps foldably joined respectively to said second pair of handle panels and to said second side wall along vertical fold lines, a promotional tab forming an extension of the top edge of one of said side walls and disposed between portions of the panels of one pair of handle panels, said one of said pairs of handle panels provided respectively with hand gripping slots, the top edge of said promotional tab being in coincidence with the top edge of at least one of said hand gripping slots, said promotional tab joined along a perforate line to an upraised portion of said one side wall, the length of said upraised portion being equal to or a multiple of the length of one of said straps, and the length of said tab being greater than the length of said upraised portion of said one side wall by a distance substantially less than the length of one of said straps.