Improvements In and Relating to Cartons

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cartons, to blanks suitable for the construction of such cartons and to methods of manufacturing cartons .

Background to the Invention

Cartons with bases are commonly used as containers for products, especially at a point of sale. However, the construction of such cartons often presents difficulties for the manufacturer/user. For instance, their construction can be complex which is a problem for the manufacturer. A user may find that the base of the carton does not sit well or is not sufficiently supported for it to be fit for purpose.

It is an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to obviate or overcome a disadvantage of the prior art, whether such prior art or disadvantage is referred to herein or otherwise.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention in a first aspect there is provided a carton comprising a side wall, the side wall comprising a first panel and an end panel, the first panel being fixedly connected to the end panel, the first panel being hingedly connected to a panel, the end panel being hingedly connected to a panel, and a web extending between

a panel and an adjacent panel and being secured to both the panels between which the web extends.

Suitably, the web is capable of at least partly supporting a base panel .

Suitably, the carton additionally comprises a base panel, and the supporting web at least partly supports the base panel .

Suitably, the carton is of a single piece construction.

Suitably, the single piece construction comprises side walls and a base.

Suitably, each panel is connected to an adjacent panel by a web.

Suitably a web comprises a first web member associated with a panel and a second web member associated with another panel whereby the first web member is fixedly connected to the second web member. Suitably, a web glue flap extends from one of the web members and provides for glued connection of the first web member to the second web member .

Suitably, a web member is hingedly connected to a side panel (which may be via an intermediate flap) by a curved hinged connection. Suitably, the curvature of the curved hinged connection corresponds to the curvature of the side wall of the carton.

Suitably, a substantial proportion of the circumference of the base portion of the carton is supported.

Suitably, the first panel comprises a flap from which extends a part of the web.

Suitably, the end panel comprises a flap from which extends a part of the web.

Suitably, the carton comprises two side wall panels. Suitably, the first panel is hingedly connected to the end panel .

Suitably, the base comprises a base panel hingedly connected to a side wall panel. Suitably, the base is hingedly connected to a side panel (which may be via an intermediate flap) by a curved hinged connection. Suitably, the curvature of the curved hinged connection corresponds to the curvature of the side wall of the carton. Suitably, the base additionally comprises a hinged base panel. Suitably, the hinged base panel is hingedly connected to a side wall panel. Suitably, the hinged base panel is hingedly connected to a side panel

(which may be via an intermediate flap) by a curved hinged connection. Suitably, the curvature of the curved hinged connection corresponds to the curvature of the side wall of the carton. Suitably, the hinged base panel is connected to the base panel. Suitably, the hinged base panel is hinged with a hinge line substantially perpendicular to a hinge between the first panel and another panel and the portion of the hinged base panel distal from the hinged connection of the hinged base panel with the side wall is connected to the base panel.

Suitably, the walls of the carton are curved.

According to the present invention in a second aspect, there is provided a blank suitable for constructing a carton according to the first aspect of the invention.

According to the present invention in a third aspect, there is provided a method of constructing a carton, the method comprising:

providing a blank according to the second aspect of the invention; and

constructing a carton according to the first aspect of the invention from the blank.

The web extending between panels can in preferred embodiments provide both for the shaping of the carton and support for a base .

Preferred embodiments of the present invention enable the provision of shaped, curved cartons deliverable in a flat form.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings that following; in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for producing a carton according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a carton constructed using the blank of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of the carton shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the carton shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figures 5-16 are views of alternative embodiments of the present invention.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a one-piece carton board blank 2 comprising a side wall 4. The side wall 4 comprises a first panel 6 and a second panel 8. In this case, the second panel 8 also is an end panel. First panel 6 is generally- rectangular and is hingedly connected to the similarly shaped second panel 8 by a fold line 10 along a short edge thereof forming a hinged connection therebetween. Extending from the short edge of first panel 6 distant from the fold 10 is a glue flap 12 connected to the first panel 6 by a fold line 14.

First panel 6 includes a lower flap 16. Second panel 8 also includes a corresponding lower flap 18. The lower flaps 16, 18 are not connected edge wise, being separated by a slot 20.

Depending from the lower flap 16, 18 are members making up the first web arrangement 22 and a second web arrangement 24.

First web arrangement 22 comprises a first web member 26 depending from lower flap 16, a web glue flap 28 extending from first web member 26 and a second web member 30 depending from lower flap 18. Slot 20 extends to provide a separation between web glue flap 28 and second web member 30.

First web member 26 is hingedly connected to lower flap 16 by a curved hinge line 32. Web glue flap 28 is hingedly connected to first web member 26 by a straight fold line 34. Second web member 30 is hingedly connected to lower flap 18 by a curved fold line 36.

Second web arrangement 24 comprises a first web member 38 depending from lower flap 16, a web glue flap 40 extending from first web member 38 and a second web member 42 depending from lower flap 18.

First web member 38 is hingedly connected to lower flap 16 by a curved hinge line 44. Web glue flap 40 is hingedly connected to first web member 38 by a straight fold line 46. Second web member 42 is hingedly connected to lower flap 18 by a curved fold line 48.

Also extending from lower flap 16 is a hinged base panel 50, being hinged at 52, which is hingedly connected to lower flap 16 by a curved fold line 54.

Also extending from lower flap 18 is a base locking panel 56 hingedly connected to lower flap 18 by a curved fold line 58.

A method of construction of a carton from the blank 2 described above will now be set out. Typically construction is carried out using carton making machines, but can also be done by hand.

The constructed carton is shown in the accompanying Figures 2-4.

In a pre-application of glue and adhesive, contact adhesive is applied to the reverse (as shown) of the blank 2 along strips 60a, 60b, 60c and 6Od. Glue is applied to the reverse of the distal end of the second panel 8 at 62.

Next the lower flaps 16, 18 are folded towards the first and second panels 6, 8 respectively so that the contact adhesive applied on the flaps 16, 18 and panels 6, 8 are pressed together to form a neat lower edge 64.

Then the outside glue flap is moved to contact strip of glue 62 to form the loop of the carton. First and second panels 6, 8 are thereby fixedly connected to form a carton wall .

The web arrangements 22, 24 are then constructed. For first web arrangement 22, glue is applied to web glue flap 28 and it is adhered to second web member 30 to form a first web 70. For second web arrangement 24, glue is applied to web glue flap 40 and it is adhered to second web member 42 to form a second web 72.

Hinged base panel 50 is folded over to substantially over lie the other half of the panel 50 (i.e. the unshaded part. The underside of base locking panel 56 is then

glued to the distal part of hinged panel 50 (as illustrated by the shading on hinged base panel 50) . Thus, from figure 1, it is the underside of the shaded section of hinged panel 50 that is glued to base locking panel 56 and the panel 50 is folded over on itself when the carton is fully assembled and constructed

The curved connections 32, 36, 44, 48, 54 and 58 each enable the respective members/paneIs 26, 30, 38, 42, 50 and 56 to be folded into place in the constructed carton essentially at 90° to the side wall 4 without distorting the side wall 4. The curves are dimensioned so that they correspond to the curvature of the constructed side wall 4 in the made-up carton, i.e. they have corresponding radii.

The carton can be transported in a "flat" configuration with panels 6 and 8 pressed together and pushed into a usable configuration with pressure applied to fold lines 10 and 14. Here base locking panel 56 is pressed down towards the bottom of the carton to lock the carton into shape . Looking down on the carton as in Figure 2 , the base locking panel 56 overlies the hinged base panel 50 which overlies the first and second web arrangements 22, 24.

The web arrangements 22, 24 provide webs extending between a panel and an adjacent panel and being secured to both the panels between which the web extends. The webs are capable of supporting a base. The base can be a part of the carton blank or a separate element, in which case panels 50 and 56 need not be used. When the base is integral with the carton the webs still provide a supporting function.

It will be appreciated that variations to the method of construction of the carton can be made, such as to the order of construction and to the surface (s) to which adhesive is applied. Further, different methods of fixing panels together can be used.

A benefit of the construction described above is that a substantial proportion of the circumference of the base portion of the carton is supported, effectively at the curved hinged regions 32, 36, 44, 48, 54 and 58. This enhances the stability of the shape and the strength of the base portion when it is required to be load-bearing.

A wide variety of shapes can be achieved according to embodiments of the present invention. These can be with two panels or more. It is preferred that each panel is connected to the adjacent panel at either end thereof by a web as described above.

Other carton constructions according to the present invention are shown in Figures 5-14. These are described briefly as they apply the same principles of construction as the embodiment described in relation to Figures 1-4.

The embodiment of figures 1-4 can be modified for instance by changing the shape of hinged panel 50 from circular to rectangular and truncating the glued part of the panel 50 and folding it back so that when constructed it is a folded-back glue flap.

The accompanying Figure 5 is a generally square construction, with rounded walls and corners. It can be

seen that the web 200 is formed as a one piece construction hingedly connected to one panel with a glue flap 202 fixedly attached to an adjacent panel. A blank suitable for the construction of the carton shown in Figure 5 is shown in the accompanying Figure 6.

A two-walled curved construction carton is shown in the accompanying Figure 7, a blank for which is shown in Figure 8.

The accompanying Figure 9 shows an oval carton, the blank for which is shown in Figure 10.

The accompanying Figures 11 and 12 shows, respectively, a plan view of a heart shaped carton construction and a suitable blank therefor.

The accompanying Figures 13 and 14 show, respectively, a plan view of a rectangular carton with curved ends and a suitable blank therefor.

Figure 15 is a plan view of a carton blank 300 for a carton with four panels 302, 304, 306 and 308, first to fourth respectively, to produce a four-sided carton with curved sides as shown by the plan view of a suitable separate base 310 illustrated in Figure 16.

In the embodiment of the invention, web arrangements are provided at 312 and 314.

The fourth panel 308 is the end panel in this embodiment.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) , and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s) . The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) , or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.