Carton, carton blank and handle structure therefor

Abstract

A carton for packaging one or more articles, the carton including a first end wall and a pair of opposed side walls. The upper portion of the first end wall is hinged to one of the opposed side walls by a first gusset panel. The gusset panel is hinged to a first end edge of the one side wall. The carton includes a dispenser for accessing one or more articles within the carton. The dispenser is formed at least in part from the upper portion of the first end wall. The dispenser includes a first, stowed, position in which the first gusset panel extends inwardly from the first end edge of the one side wall and a second, dispensing, position in which the first gusset panel extends outwardly from the first end edge of the one side wall. The dispenser is moveable between the first and second positions.

1 . A carton for packaging one or more articles comprising:
 opposed first and second side walls, each of the side walls having a first side edge;   a first end wall;   wherein an upper portion of the first end wall is hinged to the first side wall by a first gusset panel, the first gusset panel being hinged to the first side edge of the first side wall,   the carton comprising a dispenser for accessing one or more articles within the carton, the dispenser being formed at least in part from the upper portion of the first end wall,   the dispenser having a first, stowed, position in which the first gusset panel extends inwardly from the first side edge of the first side wall,   the dispenser having a second, dispensing position in which the first gusset panel extends outwardly from the first side edge of the first side wall, the dispenser being moveable between the first and second positions.   
     
     
         2 . The carton according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion of the first end wall is hinged to the second side wall by a second gusset panel, the second gusset panel being hinged to the first side edge of the second side wall,
 wherein the second gusset panel extends inwardly from the first side edge of the second side wall when the dispenser is disposed in the first, stowed position, and   wherein the second gusset panel extends outwardly from the first side edge of the second side wall when the dispenser is disposed in the second, dispensing position.   
     
     
         3 . The carton according to  claim 1 , wherein the carton comprises a top panel and wherein the first end wall comprises a free upper end edge. 
     
     
         4 . The carton according to  claim 3 , wherein at least one recess is struck from the free upper end edge of the first end wall. 
     
     
         5 . The carton according to  claim 3 , wherein the first end wall comprises a tab extending from the free upper end edge and the top panel comprises an aperture for receiving a portion of the tab. 
     
     
         6 . The carton according to  claim 3 , wherein the top panel comprises a tear strip for forming an opening at a first end of the carton. 
     
     
         7 . The carton according to  claim 2 , wherein the first gusset panel is coupled to the first side wall by a first severance line, and the second gusset panel is coupled to the second side wall by a second severance line. 
     
     
         8 . The carton according to  claim 7 , wherein the first severance line extends from the first gusset panel so as to couple the first end wall directly to the first side wall, and the second severance line extends from the second gusset panel so as to couple the first end wall directly to the second side wall. 
     
     
         9 . The carton according to  claim 7 , wherein the first end wall comprises a hinged connection extending substantially between opposed side edges of the first end wall. 
     
     
         10 . The carton according  claim 9 , wherein the hinged connection extends from a first, lower, terminus of the first severance line to a first, lower, terminus of the second severance line. 
     
     
         11 . A carton for packaging one or more articles comprising:
 opposed first and second side walls, each of the side walls having a front end edge;   a front end wall;   the carton having a dispenser comprising an upper portion of the front end wall and first and second gusset panels, each of the first and second gusset panels being hingedly connected to the upper portion and being detachably connected to the front end edge of a respective one of the first and second side walls,   the dispenser having a first, initial, position in which at least a part of the upper portion is disposed inwardly with respect to the front end edges of the first and second side walls,   the dispenser having a second, dispensing, position in which each gusset panel is detached from the respective first and second side walls such that the upper portion is disposed outwardly with respect to the front end edges of the first and second side walls.   
     
     
         12 . The carton according to  claim 11 , wherein the dispenser having a third, stowed, position in which each of the first and second gusset panels is detached from the respective one of the first and second side walls and in which each of the first and second gusset panels is disposed in face contacting arrangement with an inside surface of the respective one of the first and second side walls such that the first and second gusset panels frictionally engage with the first and second side walls respectively to provide a retention device so as to retain the dispensing feature in the third, stowed, position, the dispenser being moveable between the second and third positions. 
     
     
         13 . The carton according to  claim 11 , wherein the carton comprises a top panel and wherein the front end wall comprises a free upper end edge. 
     
     
         14 . The carton according to  claim 13 , wherein at least one recess is struck from the free upper end edge of the front end wall. 
     
     
         15 . The carton according to  claim 13 , wherein the front end wall comprises a tab extending from the free upper end edge and the top panel comprises an aperture for receiving at least a portion of the tab. 
     
     
         16 . The carton according to  claim 15 , wherein the top panel comprises a first inner ply and a second outer ply, the aperture being struck from the first inner ply. 
     
     
         17 . The carton according to  claim 11 , wherein the first gusset panel is coupled to the first side wall by a first severance line, and the second gusset panel is coupled to the second side wall by a second severance line. 
     
     
         18 . The carton according to  claim 16 , wherein the first severance line extends from the first gusset panel so as to couple the front end wall directly to the first side wall, and the second severance line extends from the second gusset panel so as to couple the front end wall directly to the second side wall. 
     
     
         19 . A blank for forming a carton comprising:
 first and second panels for forming first and second opposed side walls of the carton,   each of the first and second panels having a first side edge;   a first end panel for forming a first end wall of the carton;   wherein an upper portion of the first end wall is arranged to be hinged to the first side edge of the first side wall by a first gusset panel in a set up condition,   the blank comprising components for forming a dispenser for accessing one or more articles within the carton, the dispenser being formed at least in part from the upper portion of the first end wall,   wherein in a set up carton the dispenser has a first, stowed, position in which the first gusset panel extends inwardly from the first side edge of the first side wall and a second, dispensing, position in which the first gusset panel extends outwardly from the first side edge of the first side walls, the dispenser being moveable between the first and second positions.   
     
     
         20 . The blank according to  claim 19 , wherein the upper portion of the first end wall is arranged to be hinged to the first side edge of the second side wall by a second gusset panel,
 wherein in a set up carton, the second gusset panel extends inwardly from the first side edge of the second side wall when the dispenser is in the first, stowed, position, and the second gusset panel extends outwardly from the first side edge of the second side wall when the dispenser is disposed in the second, dispensing, position.