Carton with dispensing feature for cans

Abstract

A carton for cans in two rows is provided wherein a base wall of the carton is formed from a pair of overlapping panels ( 12, 20 ) of the carton secured together so that the carton walls are tensioned around articles contained in the carton wherein the carton is adapted to be utilized such that a lower most row of cans (C) is in rolling contact with one ( 14 ) of the carton side walls ( 14, 18 ) disposed to act as the base of the carton and wherein article retaining means ( 74 a , 51 a , 51 b ) are provided at least partially to close one end of the carton to discourage dislodgement of the articles from that end of the carton and access means ( 30 ) is provided at the one end of the carton, the removal of which releases the upper row of cartons from restraint by the article retaining means but maintains the article retaining means effective for the lower row of articles, and wherein removal of the access means further relieves tension of the carton walls about the articles to facilitate their removal from that end of the carton.

1 . A carton for cans in two rows wherein a base wall of the carton is formed from a pair of overlapping panels of the carton secured together so that the carton walls are tensioned around articles contained in the carton wherein the carton is adapted to be utilized such that a lower most row of cans is in rolling contact with one of the carton side walls disposed to act as the base of the carton and wherein article retaining means are provided at least partially to close one end of the carton to discourage dislodgement of the articles from that end of the carton and access means is provided at said one end of the carton, the removal of which releases the upper row of cartons from restraint by said article retaining means but maintains said article retaining means effective for said lower row of articles, and wherein removal of the access means further relieves tension of the carton walls about said articles to facilitate their removal from that end of the carton.  
   
   
       2 . A carton as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the access means comprises removable portions of the side wall panel acting as a top wall of the carton and adjacent portions of each of the top and base walls acting as opposed side walls sufficient to expose the endmost articles, remove the restraining means from the uppermost row of articles and relieve tension in the carton walls relative to the carton contents.  
   
   
       3 . A carton as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the access means further includes a secondary removable portion which further opens said side wall panel (acting as a top wall) towards the opposite end of the carton thereby further facilitating removal of the upper row of articles.  
   
   
       4 . A carton wherein one wall of the carton is formed from a composite wall comprising a pair of overlapping panels secured together so that the carton is tensioned around articles contained in the carton, the carton further comprising end retention means at each end of the carton to at least partially close the respective end, wherein at least one of the end retention means comprises opposed stopper flaps to prevent dislodgement of the articles from the respective end of the carton, which carton further comprises a tear line which defines an at least two part removable device characterised in that a first portion of the at least two part removable device, includes a part of both the top and bottom stopper at a first end of the carton and a second part of the at least two part removable device extends from the first portion towards a second end of the carton, the at least two-part removable device designed so that when the first portion is removed access to the articles contained at said first end of the carton can be gained whilst a remaining part of the stopper substantially retains the articles, the rearmost articles are retained by the carton until the second part of the at least two part removable device is removed releasing the tension in the carton allowing substantial release of the articles contained proximate the second end of the carton.  
   
   
       5 . A carton according to  claim 4 , having an end retention structure comprising two pairs of top and bottom end flaps, and a pair of side end flaps each connected to the respective top and bottom end flaps through a pair of gusset panels, wherein each side end flap is folded inwardly and lying flat with the inside surface of the respective side wall, and wherein a tear line traverses one of the side walls and extends into the top and bottom to define a removable portion including one of the side end flaps and its associated pair of top and bottom end flaps.  
   
   
       6 . A carton according to  claim 4 , wherein only one of the side walls is formed with a tear line for removing the adjacent stopper from the carton when one side wall is torn along the tear line.  
   
   
       7 . A carton according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the tear line traverses the one sidewall extends into both the top and bottom of the carton.  
   
   
       8 . A carton according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the end edge of the top and bottom adjacent to the tear line has a free section that is free of connection to the other part of the carton and wherein the tear line extends to the free section of the adjacent end edge of the top and the bottom.  
   
   
       9 . A carton wherein one side is formed from a composite wall comprising a pair of overlapping panels secured together so that the carton may be tensioned around articles contained in the carton, the carton further comprises end retention means at each end of the carton to at least partially close the respective end, wherein at least one of the end retention means comprises a top and bottom stopper to prevent dislodging of the articles from the respective end of the carton, which carton further comprises a tear line which defines an at least two part removable device characterised in that each stopper comprises an anchor flap hingedly connected to the respective end edge of the respective side wall and in a flat face contacting relationship with the inside surface of the respective sidewall, a pair of top and bottom stopper flaps hingedly connected to the top and bottom respectively and extending toward each other, and a pair of gusset panels each hingedly interconnecting the anchor flap with respective one of top and bottom stopper flaps.  
   
   
       10 . A carton wherein one side is formed from a composite wall comprising a pair of overlapping panels secured together so that the carton may be tensioned around articles contained in the carton, the carton further comprises end retention means at each end of the carton to at least partially close the respective end, wherein at least one of the end retention means comprises a top and bottom stopper to prevent dislodging of the articles from the respective end of the carton, which carton further comprises a tear line which defines an at least two part removable device characterised in that each stopper comprises a stopper flap hingedly connected to the respective end edge of the respective side wall and extending away from the respective side wall, a pair of top and bottom anchor flaps hingedly connected to the top and bottom respectively and folded in flat face contacting relationship with the inside surfaces of the top and bottom respectively, and a pair of gusset panels each hingedly interconnecting the stopper flap with respective one of the top and bottom anchor flaps.  
   
   
       11 . A carton wherein one side is formed from a composite wall comprising a pair of overlapping panels secured together so that the carton may be tensioned around articles contained in the carton, the carton further comprises end retention means at each end of the carton to at least partially close the respective end, wherein at least one of the end retention means comprises a top and bottom stopper to prevent dislodging of the articles from the respective end of the carton, which carton further comprises a tear line which defines an at least two part removable device characterised in that each stopper comprises a stopper flap hingedly connected to the respective end edge of the respective side wall and extending away from the respective side wall, a pair of top and bottom anchor flaps hingedly connected to the top and bottom respectively and folded in flat face contacting relationship with the inside surfaces of the top and bottom respectively, and a pair of gusset panels each hingedly interconnecting the stopper flap with respective one of the top and bottom anchor flaps.  
   
   
       12 . A carton wherein one side is formed from a composite wall comprising a pair of overlapping panels secured together so that the carton may be tensioned around articles contained in the carton, the carton further comprises end retention means at each end of the carton to at least partially close the respective end, wherein at least one of the end retention means comprises a top and bottom stopper to prevent dislodging of the articles from the respective end of the carton, which carton further comprises a tear line which defines an at least two part removable device characterised in that the end retention structure comprises two pairs of top and bottom end flaps, and a pair of side end flaps each connected to the respective pair of top and bottom end flaps through a pair of gusset panels, wherein each side end flap is folded inwardly and lying flat with the inside surface of the respective side wall and extends into the top and bottom to define a removable portion including one of the side end flaps and its associated pair of top and bottom end flaps.  
   
   
       13 . A carton according to  claim 9 , wherein the end edge of each top and bottom adjacent tear line has a free section that is free of connection to the other part of the carton, and wherein the tear line extends to the free section of the adjacent end edge of each of the top and bottom.  
   
   
       14 . A carton according to any one of the preceding claims in the form of a wraparound carton.  
   
   
       15 . A blank for forming a carton as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.