Carton, carton blank and method of forming a loaded carton

Abstract

A carton for packaging articles comprising a first plurality of walls including a top wall, base wall, first side wall and second side wall forming a first tubular structure, each end of the first tubular structure being at least partially closed by one or more end closure panels, wherein the carton comprises an end pull device for withdrawing the carton from a display apparatus wherein the end pull device comprises a first recess struck from an end of the first side wall panel whereby facilitating access to an edge of a first end closure panel.

1 . A carton for packaging articles, the carton comprising a first plurality of walls including a top wall, base wall, first side wall and second side wall forming a first tubular structure, each end of the first tubular structure being at least partially closed by one or more end closure panels to form a first package, and a second plurality of walls including a top wall, base wall, first side wall and second side wall forming a second tubular structure, each end of the second tubular structure being at least partially closed by one or more end closure panels to form a second package, wherein the first package and the second package are connected together by a unitary bottom wall of the carton formed from the base walls of the first and second packages, the unitary bottom wall of the carton comprising a frangible line along which the base walls of the first and second packages are detachably connected. 
     
     
         2 . A carton according to  claim 1  wherein the carton comprises at least one an end pull device for withdrawing the first package and/or the second package from a display apparatus wherein the end pull device comprises a first recess defined at an end of the first side wall panel of at least one of the first and second tubular structures so as to facilitate access to an edge of the one or more end closure panels at an adjacent end of the at least one of the first and second tubular structures. 
     
     
         3 . A carton according to  claim 2  wherein the one or more end closure panels at the adjacent end of the at least one of the first and second tubular structures comprises a first end closure panel, and wherein the first end closure panel comprises a second recess defined along a side edge thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A carton according to  claim 3  wherein the one or more end closure panels at the adjacent end of the at least one of the first and second tubular structures further comprises a second end closure panel hinged to the end of the first side wall panel of the at least one of the first and second tubular structures, and wherein a third recess is defined in the second end closure panel, the first recess and the third recess together forming an aperture which interrupts the hinged connection between the second end closure panel and the first side wall panel of the at least one of the first and second tubular structures. 
     
     
         5 . A carton according to  claim 4  wherein the second recess is arranged to be in registry with at least a portion of the aperture when the first end closure panel is in overlapping relationship with the second end closure panel. 
     
     
         6 . A carton according to  claim 4  wherein the end pull device comprises a fourth recess defined at an end of the second side wall panel of the at least one of the first and second tubular structures. 
     
     
         7 . A carton according to  claim 2  wherein the second side wall panel comprises a free end edge which is connected to no other part of the carton. 
     
     
         8 . A carton according to  claim 2  wherein the at least one end pull device comprises two end pull devices for withdrawing each of the first and second packages from a display apparatus. 
     
     
         9 . A carton according to  claim 8  wherein a first one of the two end pull device is disposed at a first end of the carton and a second one of the two end pull device is disposed at second end of the carton, the second end opposing the first end. 
     
     
         10 . A carton according to  claim 1  wherein the second side wall panel of the first package and the second side wall panel of the second package are disposed in face contacting relationship with each other to form an internal divider structure between two adjacent rows of articles to be received in the carton. 
     
     
         11 . A carton according to  claim 10  wherein the second side wall panel of the first package and the second side wall panel of the second package are secured to each other by glue or other adhesive treatment. 
     
     
         12 . A blank for forming a carton, the blank comprising a first plurality of walls including a top wall, base wall, first side wall and second side wall, for forming a first tubular structure, one or more end closure panels for at least partially closing each end of the first tubular structure, a second plurality of walls including a top wall, base wall, first side wall and second side wall, for forming a second tubular structure, and one or more end closure panels for at least partially closing each end of the second tubular structure, wherein the base walls of the first and second plurality of walls are frangibly connected together by a frangible line such that the base walls of the first and second plurality of walls form a unitary panel by which the first and second tubular structures are connected together when the blank is erected into a carton. 
     
     
         13 . A blank according to  claim 12  wherein the one or more end closure panels for closing each end of the first and second tubular structures includes an upper end closure panel and a lower end closure panel, the upper end closure panel is hingedly connected to a respective one of the top walls, the lower end closure panel is hingedly connected to a respective one of the base walls, an outside surface of the lower end closure panel for each end has a glue application area for being secured to an inside surface of a respective one of the upper end closure panels. 
     
     
         14 . A blank according to  claim 12  wherein the one or more end closure panels for closing each end of the first and second tubular structures includes an upper end closure panel and a lower end closure panel, the upper end closure panel is hingedly connected to a respective one of the top walls, the lower end closure panel is hingedly connected to a respective one of the base walls, an inside surface of the upper end closure panel for each end has a glue application area for being secured to an outside surface of a respective one of the lower end closure panels. 
     
     
         15 . A method of packaging articles in the carton of  claim 1  comprising:
 providing the carton in a flat collapsed condition to a packaging machine; 
 erecting the carton into an open ended double tube structure including the first and second tubular structures; 
 placing the carton with the bottom wall down onto a supporting surface of the packaging machine; 
 loading articles into the carton through at least one open end of each of the first and second tubular structures; and 
 closing, at least partially, each end of the first and second tubular structures to retain the articles therein. 
 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a loaded carton using a divisible carton, the divisible carton comprising:
 a first plurality of walls including a top wall, base wall, first side wall and second side wall forming a first tubular structure, each end of the first tubular structure being at least partially closed by one or more end closure panels to form a first package, and a second plurality of walls including a top wall, base wall, first side wall and second side wall forming a second tubular structure, each end of the second tubular structure being at least partially closed by one or more end closure panels to form a second package, wherein the first package and the second package are connected together by a unitary bottom wall of the carton formed from the base walls of the first and second packages, the unitary bottom wall of the carton comprising a frangible line along which the base walls of the first and second packages are detachably connected, the method comprising:   forming the carton in a flat collapsed condition;   feeding the flat carton to a packaging machine;   erecting the carton into an open ended double tube structure including the first and second tubular structures;   placing the carton with the unitary bottom wall down onto a supporting surface of the packaging machine;   loading articles into the carton through at least one open end of each of the first and second tubular structures; and   closing, at least partially, each end of the first and second tubular structures to retain the articles therein, whereby a divisible, loaded carton is formed with the first and second packages detachably connected together along the frangible line.