Carton and carton blank

Abstract

A handle structure (H 1, H 2 ) for a carton includes a pair of adjoining hand flaps ( 42 A, 42 B) hingedly connected to a handle panel ( 26 A, 26 B) by a pair of hinged connections ( 41 A, 41 B). Each hinged connection has a longitudinal axis disposed at an acute angle (α+β) with respect to the vertical (N 2 ). The longitudinal axes of the hinged connections define an obtuse angle (λ) therebetween and extending divergently downwards.

1 . A handle structure for a carton, the handle structure comprising a pair of adjoining hand flaps hingedly connected to a handle panel by a pair of hinged connections such that the hand flaps together define a single hand opening in the handle panel when the hand flaps are folded out of a plane of the handle panel, each of the hinged connections having a longitudinal axis disposed at an acute angle with respect to a notional horizontal line, the longitudinal axes of the hinged connections defining an obtuse angle therebetween and downwardly extending divergently from each other. 
     
     
         2 . The handle structure according to  claim 1  wherein the handle panel is a unitary, substantially upright handle panel. 
     
     
         3 . The handle structure according to  claim 2  wherein a first one of the hand flaps is separated from a second one of the hand flaps by a severance line. 
     
     
         4 . The handle structure according to  claim 2  wherein each of the hinged connections comprises at least one linear fold line, and the hinged connections of the hand flaps together define an inverted V shape. 
     
     
         5 . The handle structure according to  claim 4  wherein the longitudinal axis of each of the hinged connection extends coincidentally with the at least one linear fold lines. 
     
     
         6 . The handle structure according to  claim 2  wherein each of the hinged connections comprises a pair of opposed arcuate fold lines intersecting at two points such that the arcuate fold lines define an elliptical panel therebetween, and wherein the longitudinal axis of each of the hinged connections extends through the two points of a respective one of the elliptical panels. 
     
     
         7 . The handle structure according to  claim 2  wherein each of the hand flaps comprises a flap fold line therein for facilitating folding of a first portion of the each hand flap with respect to a second portion of the each handle flap. 
     
     
         8 . The handle structure according to  claim 7  wherein the flap fold lines in the hand flaps together define an inverted V shape. 
     
     
         9 . The handle structure according to  claim 7  wherein the first portion of one of the hand flaps is disposed adjacent to the first portion of the other of the hand flaps. 
     
     
         10 . The handle structure according to  claim 2  comprising an aperture defining at least a portion of each of the hand flaps. 
     
     
         11 . The handle structure according to  claim 2  comprising at least one inner panel disposed in a face-contacting relationship with the handle panel, the at least one inner panel comprising at least one inner opening configured and arranged to be in registry with at least a portion of the hand opening. 
     
     
         12 . The handle structure according to  claim 11  wherein the at least one inner panel comprises a pair of inner flaps hinged to the at least one inner panel by a pair of inner hinged connections respectively, the inner flaps defining at least a portion of the at least one inner opening. 
     
     
         13 . The handle structure according to  claim 12  wherein each of the inner flaps partially overlaps with a respective one of the hand flaps. 
     
     
         14 . The handle structure according to  claim 13  wherein the inner hinged connection of each of the inner flaps is disposed at least in part above the hinged connection of a respective one of the hand flaps. 
     
     
         15 . The handle structure according to  claim 14  wherein the inner hinged connection of each of the inner flaps is spaced apart from the hinged connection of the respective one of the hand flaps. 
     
     
         16 . The handle structure according to  claim 13  wherein the inner hinged connection of each of the inner flaps is divergently arranged with respect to the hinged connection of the respective one of the hand flaps so as to define an acute angle therebetween. 
     
     
         17 . The handle structure according to  claim 6  further comprising at least one inner panel disposed in a face-contacting relationship with the handle panel, and a pair of inner flaps provided by the at least one inner panel. 
     
     
         18 . The handle structure according to  claim 17  wherein each of the inner flaps has a pair of lobes configured and arranged for facilitating folding of a respective one of the elliptical panels substantially transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the respective one of the elliptical panels. 
     
     
         19 . The handle structure according to  claim 18  wherein each of the elliptical panels comprises a fold line for facilitating folding thereof substantially transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         20 . The handle structure according to  claim 14  wherein the lower end of the inner hinged connection of each of the inner flaps, as viewed in an elevation of the at least one inner panel, is positioned below the lower end of the hinged connection of the respective one of the hand flaps 
     
     
         21 . The handle structure according to  claim 20  wherein the inner hinged connection of each of the inner flaps, as viewed in the elevation of the at least one inner panel, intersects with the hinged connection of the respective one of the hand flaps. 
     
     
         22 . The handle structure according to  claim 20  wherein the lower end of the hinged connection of each of the hand flaps, as viewed in the elevation of the at least one inner panel, is located on the inner hinged connection of the respective one of the inner flaps such that the hinged connection of the each of the hand flaps extends upwardly and divergently from the inner hinged connection of the respective one of the inner flaps. 
     
     
         23 . The handle structure according to  claim 20  wherein the inner hinged connection of each of the inner flaps, as viewed in the elevation of the at least one inner panel, defines an acute angle with respect to the hinged connection of the respective one of the hand flaps. 
     
     
         24 . A carton for packaging one or more articles, the carton comprising a plurality of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel and a second side panel forming a tubular structure, a first end panel for at least partially closing a first end of the tubular structure, and a second end panel for at least partially closing a second end of the tubular structure, wherein the carton comprises a handle structure comprising a pair of adjoining hand flaps hingedly connected to each of the first and second end panels by a pair of hinged connections such that the hand flaps together define a single hand opening in each of the first and second end panels when the hand flaps are folded out of a plane of each of the first and second end panels, each of the hinged connections having a longitudinal axis disposed at an acute angle with respect to a notional horizontal line, the longitudinal axes of the hinged connections defining an obtuse angle therebetween and downwardly extending divergently from each other. 
     
     
         25 . The carton according to  claim 24  wherein each of the first and second panels is a unitary, substantially upright handle panel. 
     
     
         26 . The carton according to  claim 24  wherein each hinged connection comprises at least one linear fold line. 
     
     
         27 . The carton according to  claim 26  wherein the longitudinal axis of each of the hinged connections extends coincidentally with the at least one linear fold lines. 
     
     
         28 . The carton according to  claim 24  wherein each of the hinged connections comprises a pair of opposed arcuate fold lines intersecting at two points such that the arcuate fold lines define an elliptical panel therebetween. 
     
     
         29 . The carton according to  claim 28  wherein the longitudinal axis of each of the hinged connections extends through the two points of a respective one of the elliptical panels. 
     
     
         30 . A blank for forming a carton, the blank comprising a plurality of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel and a second side panel for forming a tubular structure, a first end panel for at least partially closing a first end of the tubular structure, and a second end panel for at least partially closing a second end of the tubular structure, wherein the blank comprises a handle structure comprising a handle panel formed by one of said first and second end panels, the handle structure comprising a pair of adjoining hand flaps hingedly connected to the handle panel by a pair of hinged connections such that the hand flaps together define a single hand opening in the handle panel when the hand flaps are folded out of a plane of the handle panel, each of the hinged connections having a longitudinal axis disposed at an acute angle with respect to a severance line which separates the hand flaps from each other, the longitudinal axes of the hinged connections defining an obtuse angle therebetween such that the obtuse angle is divided by the severance line generally into halves.