Expandable Carton

Abstract

A carton including a tubular structure defined by a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall and a first end wall and a second end wall, each enclosing an open end of the tubular structure. The top wall includes a first chimney side panel and a second chimney side panel that are separable from one another. A first collapsible chimney end wall and a second collapsible chimney end wall, each being positioned adjacent one of the walls of carton, wherein the first chimney side panel, the second chimney side panel, the first collapsible chimney end wall, and the second collapsible chimney end wall can be raised to be substantially upright to form a chimney so as to expand the volume of the carton.

1 . A blank for forming an expandable carton, comprising: 
 a top panel comprising a first chimney side panel and a second chimney side panel which are separable from one another; and    a first panel group hingedly connected to said first chimney side panel along a first end edge of said top panel and a second panel group hingedly connected to said second chimney side panel along said first end edge of said top panel;    wherein said first panel group and said second panel group are configured to be folded and secured to form a collapsible chimney end wall without otherwise folding or securing said blank.    
   
   
       2 . The blank of  claim 1 , each of said first panel group and said second panel group comprising: 
 a chimney gusset panel hingedly connected to a respective one of said first chimney side panel and said second chimney side panel;    a chimney end panel hingedly connected to said chimney gusset panel;    a top end flap panel hingedly connected to said chimney end panel;    wherein said top end flap panels form a composite top end flap;    said chimney end panels form a composite chimney end panel; and    said composite chimney end panel and said chimney gusset panels form said collapsible chimney end wall.    
   
   
       3 . The blank of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a first side panel hingedly connected to said top panel and a second side panel hingedly connected to a second side edge of said top panel;    a first side end flap hingedly connected to said first side panel;    a second side end flap hingedly connected to said second side panel,    wherein said first side end flap is adjacent to and separable from said first panel group and said second side end flap is adjacent to and separable from said second panel group.    
   
   
       4 . The blank of  claim 1 , wherein said collapsible chimney end wall can be selectively positioned in a substantially face contacting arrangement to any one of: the inside surface of a top wall of said carton, the outside surface of a top wall of said carton, and the outside surface of the end wall of said carton.  
   
   
       5 . The blank of  claim 1 , further comprising a removable tear strip that extends substantially across said top panel to secure said first chimney side panel to said second chimney side panel.  
   
   
       6 . The blank of  claim 5 , wherein said tear strip further secures said chimney gusset panels together.  
   
   
       7 . A collapsed, end-loadable and expandable carton, comprising: 
 an open ended tubular structure formed from a plurality of panels hingedly connected one to the next, a first one of said plurality of panels comprising a first chimney side panel and a second chimney side panel that are separable from one another, said first chimney side panel and said second chimney side panel, when separated, being foldable to provide side walls of a chimney;    a first collapsible chimney end wall and a second collapsible chimney end wall, each hingedly connected to an opposite end edge of said first one of said plurality of panels;    a first composite top end flap hingedly connected to said first collapsible chimney end wall and a second composite top end flap hingedly connected to said second collapsible chimney end wall, said first composite top end flap and said second composite top end flap each extending outwardly with respect to an open end of said tubular structure;    wherein said first collapsible chimney end wall and said second collapsible chimney end wall are selectively positionable to: 
 extend outwardly so as to be in a substantially face contacting arrangement with a respective one of said first top end flap and said second top end flap, or  
 extend inwardly so as to be in a substantially face contacting arrangement with the outside surface of said first one of said plurality of panels.  
   
   
   
       8 . An expandable carton, comprising: 
 a tubular structure defined by a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall; said top wall comprising a first chimney side panel and a second chimney side panel that are separable from one another, said first chimney side panel being hingedly connected to said first side wall and said second chimney side panel being hingedly connected to said second side wall; and    a first end wall and a second end wall, each closing an open end of said tubular structure;    a first collapsible chimney end wall and a second collapsible chimney end wall, each being positioned adjacent the outside surface of one of said walls of said carton, each comprising: 
 a chimney end panel hingedly connected to one of said first end wall and said second end wall; and  
 a first chimney gusset panel and a second chimney gusset panel that are separable from one another, each connecting said chimney end panel to a respective one of said first chimney side panel and said second chimney side panel;  
   wherein said first chimney side panel, said second chimney side panel, said first collapsible chimney end wall, and said second collapsible chimney end wall are movable to respective raised positions to define a periphery of a chimney.    
   
   
       9 . The carton of  claim 8 , wherein each of said first collapsible chimney end wall and a second collapsible chimney end wall is positioned adjacent the outside surface of said top wall.  
   
   
       10 . The carton of  claim 8 , wherein said first collapsible chimney end wall is positioned adjacent the outside surface of said first end wall and said second collapsible chimney end wall is positioned adjacent the outside surface of said second end wall.  
   
   
       11 . The carton of  claim 8 , wherein said first chimney side panel and said second chimney side panel are separable by a tear strip.  
   
   
       12 . The carton of  claim 11 , wherein said first chimney gusset panel and said second chimney gusset panel are separable from one another by said tear strip.  
   
   
       13 . The carton of  claim 10 , further comprising a tear strip, the removal of which separates said first chimney side panel from said second chimney side panel, and separates said first chimney gusset panel from said second chimney gusset panel; 
 wherein said tear strip comprises an end tab at each of its ends, each end tab being secured to a respective one of said end walls to secure said first collapsible chimney and wall in a substantially face contacting arrangement to said first end wall and to secure said second collapsible chimney end wall in a substantially face contacting arrangement to said second end wall.