AU2012101088A4

AU2012101088A4 - A carton and blank

Info

Publication number: AU2012101088A4
Application number: AU2012101088A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Graeme Hawke
Original assignee: Orora Packaging Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Orora Packaging Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2011-07-22
Filing date: 2012-07-23
Publication date: 2012-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-23

Abstract

- 15 The present invention relates to a carton and blank for making the carton. The carton includes a base wall, side walls extending from the base wall that define an entrance to the 5 carton and a closing panel that moves between opened and closed positions to partially obstruct the entrance. The carton also includes an internal wall assembly that is connected to the closing panel. The internal wall assembly is engaged by a item that is loaded into the carton which, in turn, causes the 10 closing panel to move into the closed position. Fig. 2 35395691 (GHMatters) P87428.AU.1 23/07/12 Figure 4 Figure 5 F.. gur 5

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Applicant(s) Amcor Limited Invention Title: A CAR TON AND BLANK The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: - 2 A CARTON AND BLANK FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention relates to a carton for storing and 5 displaying items such as, but by no means limited to, beverage bottles including bottles of wine, liqueur or spirits. The present invention also relates to a blank for making the carton. BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Containers for beverage bottles and particularly beverage 10 bottles at the higher end of their price range are often sold in containers such as a cartons or wooden boxes. The wooden box is typically made from slats of timber assembled together to form a base and side walls that define an opening along the length of the box. Cushioning material such a wood straw (shavings) may 15 be included in the box and wrapped in cellophane to form an enclosed box. Cartons, typically made from paper based material are either in a cylindrical form or a rectangular form having a lid at one end that can be opened and closed. In the case of the cylindrical 20 carton, the lid is typically a removable lid at the top end of the carton. In the case of the rectangular carton, the lid is typically a flap that is hinged to the top end of the carton. Is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative carton and blank for a bottle such as a wine bottle. 25 SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention relates to a carton for one or more items such as a beverage bottle, the carton includes: an outer wall defining an entrance for loading an item into the carton; 30 one or more closing panel that is hingedly mounted to the carton so as to be able to move between an open position in which the bottle can be loaded into the carton, and a closed position in which the closing panel at least partially obstructs the entrance; and 35395691 (GHMatters) P87428.AU.1 23/07/12 - 3 an inner wall assembly located inwardly of the outer wall that is connected to the closing panel and can move relative to the entrance; wherein the inner wall assembly and outer wall are sized 5 such that when the item is loaded into the carton and the closing panel is in the open position, the item moves the inner wall assembly away from the entrance and, in turn, moves the closing panel from the open position to the closed position. 10 It is within the scope of the present invention that the carton can be used for housing any item including edible items such a chocolate, baked goods, cakes and other confectionary items, beverage bottles such as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, cigars and alike, and non-edible products such as mobile 15 telephones, perfumes cologne, and other valuable personal items. When the closing panel is in the open position, at least part of the inner wall assembly may be located in a part in the carton that is intended to be occupied by the item, and by loading a item into the carton, the inner wall assembly may move away from 20 the entrance, which in turn, causes the closing panel to move from the open position to the closed position. In order for the item to be completely accommodated inside the carton, at least part of the inner wall assembly must be moved which causes the closing panel to move from the open position to 25 the closed position. The outer wall may include a base wall and side walls that extends from either side of the base wall, and the inner wall assembly may move toward the base wall when the item is loaded into the carton. Suitably, the side walls are sized (in a 30 direction from the base wall i.e. the height of the side walls) so that in order for the item to be received within the side walls, the inner wall assembly must be moved toward, and preferably contacts the base wall of the carton, which in turn, causes the closing panel to be moved in the closed position 35 The base wall may face toward the entrance and the closing panel may overhang at least part of the base wall in which the item is received when the closing panel is in the closed position. The closing panel may be spaced from the base wall so that the item can be completely accommodated between the closing panel and the 40 base wall when the closing panel is in a closed position. In other words, the spacing between the closing panel and the base 3539569_1 (GHMatters) P87428.AU.1 23/07/12 - 4 wall is greater than the maximum diameter or cross-section of the item. Suitably, the item may snugly fit between the closing panel and the base wall. 5 The closing panel may be hingedly mounted to the entrance of the carton, and the inner wall assembly and the side walls are sized so that the inner wall assembly contacts the base wall when the closing panel is located in the closed position. The inner wall assembly may include at least two panels joined 10 by a fold line, one of the panels is directly or indirectly connected to the closing panel, and relative movement between the panels about the fold line moves the closing panel between the opened position and the closed position. Suitably, the panels are folded about the fold line to form a first angle 15 therebetween when the closing panel is in a closed position, and at a second angle when the closing panel is in the opened position, and wherein the first angle is less than the second angle. Even more suitably, the panels are perpendicular to each other when the closing panel is in the closed position, and the 20 panels are at an obtuse angle when the closing panel is in the opened position. Suitably, one of the panels is spaced from the base wall when the closing panel is in the opened position, and the panel is located against the base wall by the item being received by the 25 carton, and suitably completely received within the carton, which in turn, causes the closing panel to move into the closed position. Suitably the outer walls of the carton are sized so that when the item is completely received within the carton, the inner wall assembly is moved by the item. 30 The inner wall assembly may include a bottom panel that is connected to the closing panel. The bottom panel may contact the item, for example, at a largest cross-section thereof, and at least part of the bottom panel may contact the base wall when the item is loaded into the carton. The bottom panel may have a 35 width that is the same as an inner face of the base wall, and the entire width of the bottom panel may be located against the base wall when the closing panel is in the closed position. The inner wall assembly may include a front side panel that interconnects the closing panel and the bottom panel, and the 40 front side panel contacts an inner surface of the outer side wall of the carton, for example an inner surface of a front wall 3539569_1 (GHMatters) P87428 AU. 1 23/07/12 - 5 of the carton. The inner wall assembly may also include a rear side panel connected to the bottom panel, the rear side panel may contact an inner surface of the outer side wall, for example, an inner surface of a rear wall of the carton. 5 Ideally, the front side panel includes at least two sub-panels connected side-by-side of which, one of the sub-panels is connected to the closing panel at a spacing from the hinge mounting, and the other is connected to the bottom panel. The sub-panel connected to the closing panel may extend toward an 10 inner face of the outer side wall when the closing panel is located in a closed position. Suitably, the sub-panels can be oriented in a common plane when the closing panel is in the opened position, and the sub-panels can be oriented in different plans when the closing panel is in the closed position 15 The sub-panel connected to the rear wall may be located against the inner surface of the outer side wall when the closing panel is positioned in a closed position. When the carton is oriented with the base wall facing downward and the entrance of the carton facing upwardly, the weight of 20 the item loaded into the carton will cause the inner wall assembly to move toward the base wall, and in turn move the closing panel into the closed position. One side of the closing panel may be hingedly connected to the side wall and an opposite side of the closing panel may be 25 connected to the internal wall assembly. Ideally, the closing panel is hingedly mounted to an edge of the side wall at the entrance of the carton. The outer side wall may include a front wall, a back wall, and opposite end walls. The front and back walls may be spaced 30 apart by the width (or diameter) of one or more items, and the length of the carton between the opposite end walls may be equal to at least the length of the item. The carton may also include a lid such as a separable lid that can be removed from the carton, or a pivotally or hingedly 35 mounted lid that can be pivoted open and closed. In the case where the lid is a separable, suitably the lid includes a top wall and a skirt extending about the lid that can fit over the outer side walls of the carton. 35395691 (GHMatters) P87428.AU 1 23/07/12 - 6 In the case where the lid is hingedly mounted, suitably the lid includes a top wall that is pivotally connected to the carton, a leading wall that extends from the top wall, and two end webs that are connected to the top wall and the leading wall. 5 Suitably, the lid and the closing panels are hingedly mounted to the oppositely disposed side walls. The end walls may, when the lid is pivoted into a closed position, be located in the outside of the outer side wall of the carton. 10 The present invention also relates to a blank for making a carton for one or more than one item, the blank includes: a first set of panels that can be folded to form an outer wall defining an entrance for loading a item into the carton; 15 a second set of panels that can be folded to form: i) one or more closing panel that is hingedly mounted to the carton so as to be able to move between an open position in which the item can be loaded into the carton, and a closed position in which the closing 20 panel at least partially obstructs the entrance; and ii) an inner wall assembly located inwardly of the outer wall that is connected to the closing panel and can move relative to the entrance; wherein the inner wall assembly and outer wall are sized such 25 that when the item is loaded into the carton and the closing panel is in the open position, the item moves the inner wall assembly away from the entrance and, in turn, moves the closing panel from the open position to the closed position. The blank may also include a third set of the panels that can be 30 folded to from a lid and may include a top panel that is connected to the rear wall along a fold line, and a leading panel that is folded orthogonal to the top panel and webs at opposite flanks of the top panel spanning between the top panel and the leading panel. 35 The blank may also include any one or a combination of the features of carton described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 35395691 (GHMatters) P87428 AU. 1 23/07/12 - 7 A preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carton for a bottle, the carton having a base, an outer side wall defining an entrance 5 and a lid for opening the carton, in addition, the carton includes a closing panel, which in Figure 1 is located in a closed position so as to partially obstruct the entrance to the carton; Figure 2 is an end view of the carton shown in Figure 1 in which 10 the end wall has been disassembled to show the inside of the carton and in which an inner wall assembly is located adjacent to an inside surface of the bottom wall of the carton such that the closing panel is located in a closed position to partially obstruct the entrance to the carton; 15 Figure 3 is an end view of the carton shown in Figure 2 in which the inner wall assembly has moved away from the bottom wall of the carton such that the closing panel is located in an opened position to allow a bottle to be loaded into an entrance of the carton; 20 Figure 4 is a photograph of the carton shown in Figure 1 in which the lid is opened and a bottle located inside the carton such that the weight of the bottle has moved the inner wall assembly downwardly to locate the closing panel in the closed position as shown; 25 Figure 5 is a photograph of the carton as shown in Figure 4 in which the closing panel has been manually pulled upwardly by hand to full open the entrance to the carton; and Figure 6 is a blank for making the carton as shown in Figures 1 to 5. 30 DETAILED DESCRIPTION As a matter of convenience, in the following text and the accompanying Figures, the same reference numerals have been used to identify the same or equivalent parts on the carton and the blank. However, in order to maintain the clarity of the 35 Figures, all of the reference numerals may not have been included on each Figure. With reference to the Figures, the carton 10 includes a base wall 11, an outer side wall 12 comprising front 13, rear 14 and 3539569_1 (GHMatters) P87428 AU.1 23107112 - 8 end walls 15 forming an entrance 16, and a lid 17 for covering the entrance 16 of the carton 10. The carton 10 also includes a closing panel 18. One side of the closing panel 18 is pivotally mounted to an upper section of the front wall 13 by a fold line 5 19 and an opposite side of the closing panel 18 is connected to an inner wall assembly 30 along another fold line 20. The inner wall assembly 30 comprises three panels connected side-by-side by fold lines. Specifically, the inner wall assembly 30 includes i) a rear panel 21 that, in the preferred 10 embodiment, may be glued to an inside face of the rear 14 external wall, ii) a bottom panel 22 that is joined, at one side, by a fold line to the rear panel 21, and iii) a front panel 23 that is joined at an opposite side of the bottom panel 22. The bottom panel 22 covers the entire width of an inside 15 surface of the base wall 11 when the bottom panel 22 of the inner wall assembly 19 is resting on the base wall 11 as shown in Figure 2. The front panel 23 of the inner wall assembly 30 comprises three sub-panels connected side-by-side and joined by fold lines. The sub-panels include an upper sub-panel 23a, an 20 intermediate sub-panel 23b, and a lower sub-panel 23c that are oriented in an operative position in which the intermediate and upper sub-panels 23b and 23a from an angle to the lower sub panel 23c when the closing panel 18 is in a closed position as shown in Figure 2. In other words, when the closing panel 18 is 25 in a closed position, the intermediate and upper sub-panels 23b and 23a are located in a non-planar formation. When the closing panel 18 is opened the sub-panels are essentially planar. As can be seen, the height of the front external wall 13 and the effect heights of the sub-panels 23a-c are sized so that when 30 the sub-panels 23a-c are in the operative orientation, the closing panel 18 is seated against the upper edges of the end side walls 15 of the carton so as to partially obstruct the upwardly facing entrance 16 of the carton 10, see Figure 2. The closing panel 18 may at the same time, or instead of being 35 seated against the upper edges, the closing panel 18 may be align with, or align closely with, the upper edges of the side walls 15. Figure 3 illustrates the situation in which the bottom panel 22 is moved into an inclined position relative to the base wall so 40 that a side of the bottom panel 22 closest to the front side wall 13 is lifted upward about fold line 24 in the direction of arrow A. The bottom panel 22 lifts the front panel 23 upward, and in turn, allows the closing panel 18 to be pivoted in the 3539569_1 (GHMatters) P87428.AU.1 23/07112 - 9 direction of arrow B shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 illustrates that the height dimension of the closing panel 18 and the front wall 13 are dimensioned such that the lower, intermediate and upper sub-panels 23a-c can collapse relative to the closing 5 panel 18 when the closing panel 18 and front panel 23 are hinged into an upright open position. Figures 1 to 5 illustrate the lid 17 in an opened position to allow access via the entrance 16 to the inside of the carton 10. While the lid 17 is in the open position, one or more bottles 10 can be loaded into the carton 10. The weight of the bottle(s) loaded into the carton 10 pivots the bottom panel 22 downwardly in the direction of arrow A (see Figure 3) such that the bottom panel 22 rests on an inside surface of the base wall 11. As the bottom panel 22 moves down, the front wall 23 also pulls the 15 closing panel 18 from the open position, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, to the closed position, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. As can be seen in Figure 2, the intermediate and upper panels 23b and 23a move or fall away from the front wall 13 of the carton 10 into the curved operative position to fit about the 20 bottle (not shown in the Figure 2) when the closing panel 18 is located into the closed position. When the closing panel 18 is closed, the bottle located inside the carton 10 is prevented from freely moving through the entrance 16 of the carton 10. The lid 17 of the carton 10 is pivotally connected along a fold 25 line 25 to a rear wall 14 of the carton 10 and includes a top panel 26 and a leading panel 27 that is orthogonal to the top panel 26. Opposite ends of the lid 17 are flanked by webs 28 having a curved outer profile. The webs 28 may, when the lid 17 is closed, be located so as to either: i) fit over the outside 30 faces of the end walls 15, ii) be received between layers that form the end walls 15 of the carton 10, for example in a slot formed between layers of the end walls 15, or iii) fit over the inside surfaces of the end walls 15 of the carton 10. In the case of the embodiment shown in Figures, the webs 28 fit over 35 the outside faces of the end walls 15. The leading panel 27 can fit against an outside surface of the front wall 13 of the carton 10 and the top panel 26 seats against upper edges of the front, end and rear walls 13, 14 and 15 when the lid 17 is closed. 40 Figure 5 illustrates the situation in which the person's hand lifts the closing panel 18 and collapses the front panels 23 of the internal wall assembly. This action manually orients the 3539569_1 (GHMatters) P87428.AU. 1 23/07/12 - 10 bottom panel 22 into an inclined orientation, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 6 illustrates a blank 40 for making the carton shown in the Figures 1 to 5. The blank 40 includes three sets of panels 5 12, 17, 30 that are connected by fold lines. The first set of panels 12 includes a base panel 11, a front panel 13, a rear panel 14, and a set of end flaps 15 extending from opposite ends thereof including two flaps 15 connected end to-end extending from either end of the base panel 11. As can 10 be seen, cutouts 41 are provided in the base wall 11 adjacent to the fold line between the base wall and the end flaps 15. Tabs 42 at the outer edges of the flaps 15 are located in the cutouts 41 when the blank 40 is folded into a carton 10. Moreover, when the blank 40 is assembled into a carton 10, the base panel, 15 front panel, rear panel and end flaps form: the base wall and exterior side wall of the carton including the front wall, rear wall and end walls. A second set of panels 30 comprises panels arranged side-by-side and connected by fold lines extend from an edge of the front 20 panel 13 and form the inner wall assembly of the carton described above. The second set of panels 30 includes the closing panel 18 joined by a fold line to the opposite side or edge of the front panel 13, followed by an upper sub-panel 23a joined by a fold line to the closing panel 18, followed by an 25 intermediate sub-panel 23b joined by a fold line to the upper panel 23a, followed by a lower sub-panel 23c joined by a fold line to the intermediate panel 23b. The three sub-panels 23 (including panels 23a, 23b and 23c) form the front panel of the inner wall assembly 30 of the carton 10 shown in Figures 1 to 5. 30 The lower sub-panel 23c is connected to a bottom panel 22 and the bottom panel 22 is connected to a rear panel 21. As can be seen, the closing panel 18 is longer than the base panel 22 and the outer side wall panels 11, 13, 14 so that when folded into the carton 10, the closing panel 18 can be seated on the upper 35 edges of the external walls as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. A third set of panels 17 comprises panels arranged side-by-side and connected by fold lines extend from the rear panel to from a lid for a carton made from the blank 40. The third set of panels includes a top panel 26 joined to the rear panel 14, and 40 the top panel 26 is connected to a leading panel 27, and two further panels 45 are joined to the leaning panel 27 and can be folded to cover the inside of the leading panel 27 and the top 3539569 1 (GHMatters) P87428.AU.1 23/07/12 - 11 panel 26. Curved shaped webs 28 extend from opposite ends of the top panel 26, and tongues 44 extend from the leading panel 27. The tongues 44 that can be folded to hold the leading panel 27 orthogonal to the top panel 26. 5 The blank is preferably made from a singular sheet of the paper based material. The term paper based material includes paper, cardboard, corrugated cardboard, and any other fibrous based material. Those skilled in the art of the present invention will 10 appreciate that many variation and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The width of the carton shown in Figures 1 to 5 and blank of Figure 6 is sized to receive one standard 750ml wine bottle. It 15 will be appreciated, however, that the width and height of the carton may be adjusted to allow multiple bottles to be housed inside the carton. For example, the bottle may be housed side by In another variant, the length of the carton may be shortened to 20 less than the length of the bottle so that whilst the main body of the bottle is housed inside the carton, the neck of the bottle may protrude beyond the carton. 25 35395691 (GHMatters) P87428.AU 1 23/07/12

Claims

1. A carton for one or more item, the carton includes: an outer wall defining an entrance for loading a item into the carton; 5 one or more closing panel that is hingedly mounted to the carton so as to be able to move between an open position in which the item can be loaded into the carton, and a closed position in which the panel at least partially obstructs the entrance; and 10 an inner wall assembly located inwardly of the outer wall that is connected to the closing panel and can move relative to the entrance; wherein the inner wall assembly and outer wall are sized such that when the item is loaded into the carton and the closing 15 panel is in the open position, the item moves the inner wall assembly away from the entrance and, in turn, moves the closing panel from the open position to the closed position.

2. The carton according to claim 1, wherein when the closing panel is in the open position, at least part of the inner wall 20 assembly is located in a part in the carton that is intended to be occupied by the item, and by loading a item into the carton, the inner wall assembly is move away from the entrance, which in turn, causes the closing panel to move from the open position to the closed position. 25

3. The carton according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner wall assembly includes at least two panels joined by a fold line, and one of the panels is directly or indirectly connected to the closing panel and the other is connected to the outer wall such that relative movement between the panels about the 30 fold line is operable to move the closing panel between the opened position and the closed position.

4. The carton according to claim 3, wherein the panel connected to the closing panel includes at least two sub-panels joined together side-by-side by a fold line and of which, one of 35 the sub-panels is connected to the closing panel at a spacing from the hinge mounting of the closing panel, and the sub-panels can be oriented in a common plane when the closing panel is in the opened position, and the sub-panels can be oriented in 35395691 (GHMatters) P87428.AU.1 23/07/12 - 13 different plans when the closing panel is in the closed position.

5. The carton according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outer wall includes a base wall and side walls that extends 5 from either side of the base wall, and the side walls extends from base wall be a height so that in order for the item to be received within the side walls, the inner wall assembly must be moved toward, and preferably contacts, the base wall of the carton, which in turn, causes the closing panel to be moved in 10 the closed position.

6. The carton according to claim 5, wherein the closing panel is hingedly mounted to one of the side walls at the entrance of the carton.

7. The carton according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the carton 15 includes a lid having a top wall and a skirt extending about the top wall and the lid and the closing panel are hingedly mounted to oppositely disposed side walls.

8. A blank for making a carton for one or more than one item, the blank includes: 20 a first set of panels that can be folded to form an outer wall defining an entrance for loading a item into the carton; a second set of panels that can be folded to form: i) one or more closing panel that is hingedly mounted to 25 the carton so as to be able to move between an open position in which the item can be loaded into the carton, and a closed position in which the closing panel at least partially obstructs the entrance; and ii) an inner wall assembly located inwardly of the outer 30 wall that is connected to the closing panel and can move relative to the entrance; wherein the inner wall assembly and outer wall are sized such that when the item is loaded into the carton and the closing panel is in the open position, the item moves the inner wall 35 assembly away from the entrance and, in turn, moves the closing panel from the open position to the closed position.

9. The blank according to claim 8, wherein the blank includes a third set of the panels that can be folded to from a lid and 35395691 (GHMatters) P87428.AU.1 23/07/12 - 14 the third set includes i) a top panel that is connected to the first set of panels by a fold line, ii) a leading panel that is folded orthogonal to the top panel, and iii) webs at opposite flanks of the top panel spanning between the top panel and the 5 leading panel.

10. The carton according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or the blank according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the item is a beverage bottle. 10 15 3539569_1 (GHMatters) P87428.AU.1 23/07/12