Carton for Containers

Abstract

A carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton includes a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels includes a top panel, a bottom panel, and at least one side panel foldably connected to the top panel. At least one end flap is foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels. The at least one end flap at least partially closes an end of the carton. The top panel includes a first portion foldably connected to a second portion at a fold line. The second portion is positioned at an oblique angle relative to the first portion and configured to receive at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of articles. At least one of the plurality of articles extends through the second portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A carton for containing a plurality of articles, the carton comprising:
 a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprises a top panel, a bottom panel, and at least one side panel foldably connected to the top panel;   at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one end flap at least partially closes an end of the carton,   the top panel comprises a first portion foldably connected to a second portion at a fold line, the second portion is positioned at an oblique angle relative to the first portion and configured to receive at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of articles, and at least one of the plurality of articles extends through the second portion.   
     
     
         2 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion comprises at least one aperture for receiving at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of articles. 
     
     
         3 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the carton further comprises at least one gusset panel foldably connected to the second portion of the top panel and a portion of the at least one side panel. 
     
     
         4 . The carton of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one gusset panel comprises at least one opening aligning with the at least one aperture to at least partially receive a portion of the at least one of the plurality of articles. 
     
     
         5 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the fold line is a first fold line and the top panel comprises a third portion foldably connected to the first portion along a second fold line, the third portion is positioned at an oblique angle relative to the first portion and configured to receive at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of articles, and at least one of the plurality of articles extends through the third portion. 
     
     
         6 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the top panel is a first top panel, the at least one side panel is a first side panel foldably connected to the top panel, and the carton further comprises a second top panel, and a second side panel foldably connected to the second top panel,
 the first top panel and the second top panel being at least partially overlapped to form a top wall of the carton.   
     
     
         7 . The carton of  claim 6 , further comprising a handle in the top wall, the handle comprises handle panel in the first top panel. 
     
     
         8 . The carton of  claim 7 , wherein the handle panel extends across the first portion of the first top panel. 
     
     
         9 . The carton of  claim 8 , wherein the handle panel is a first handle panel and the handle comprises a second, handle panel in the second top panel, the second handle panel being operatively connected to the first handle panel. 
     
     
         10 . The carton of  claim 9 , wherein the handle comprises a third handle panel in the second top panel, the second handle panel and the third handle panel are in face-to-face contact. 
     
     
         11 . The carton of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one end flap comprises a first top end flap foldably connected to the first top panel and a second top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel, the handle the first handle panel comprises a first central portion in the first top panel and the second handle panel comprises a second central portion in the second top panel. 
     
     
         12 . The carton of  claim 11 , wherein the handle comprises a handle end flap in the first top end flap and a handle end portion in the second top end flap, the handle end portion being foldably connected to a central portion of the second handle panel. 
     
     
         13 . The carton of  claim 12 , wherein the handle end portion comprises an opening and the handle end flap comprises article-receiving flaps, the opening in the handle end portion being aligned with the article receiving flaps to create an article-receiving feature of the handle. 
     
     
         14 . The carton of  claim 6 , wherein the first top panel comprises a plurality of openings for receiving a respective article of the plurality of articles. 
     
     
         15 . The carton of  claim 14 , wherein the second top panel comprises at least one opening for being aligned with a respective opening of the plurality of openings in the first top panel. 
     
     
         16 . The carton of  claim 6 , further comprising a first gusset panel foldably connecting the first top panel and the first side panel and a second gusset panel foldably connecting the second top panel and the second side panel. 
     
     
         17 . A blank for forming a carton for containing a plurality of articles, the blank comprising:
 a plurality of panels, the plurality of panels comprises a top panel, a bottom panel, and at least one side panel foldably connected to the top panel;   at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one end flap for at least partially closing an end of the carton when the carton is formed from the blank,   the top panel comprises a first portion foldably connected to a second portion at a fold line, the second portion is positionable at an oblique angle relative to the first portion and configured to receive at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of articles when the carton is formed from the blank, and at least one of the plurality of articles extends through the second portion when the carton is formed from the blank.   
     
     
         18 . The blank of  claim 17 , wherein the second portion comprises at least one aperture for receiving at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of articles when the carton is formed from the blank 
     
     
         19 . The blank of  claim 17 , wherein the blank further comprises at least one gusset panel foldably connected to the second portion of the top panel and a portion of the at least one side panel. 
     
     
         20 . The blank of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one gusset panel comprises at least one opening configured to align with the at least one aperture to at least partially receive a portion of the at least one of the plurality of articles when the carton is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         21 . The blank of  claim 17 , wherein the fold line is a first fold line and the top panel comprises a third portion foldably connected to the first portion along a second fold line, the third portion is positionable at an oblique angle relative to the first portion and configured to receive at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of articles when the carton is formed from the blank, and at least one of the plurality of articles extends through the third portion when the carton is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         22 . The blank of  claim 17 , wherein the top panel is a first top panel, the at least one side panel is a first side panel foldably connected to the top panel, and the blank further comprises a second top panel, and a second side panel foldably connected to the second top panel, and
 the first top panel and the second top panel are configured to at least partially overlapped to form a top wall of the carton when the carton is formed from the blank.   
     
     
         23 . The blank of  claim 22 , further comprising handle features in the top wall, the handle features comprises handle panel in the first top panel. 
     
     
         24 . The blank of  claim 23 , wherein the handle features extend across the first portion of the first top panel. 
     
     
         25 . The blank of  claim 24 , wherein the handle panel is a first handle panel and the handle features comprise a second handle panel in the second top panel, the second handle panel being operatively connectable to the first handle panel when the carton is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         26 . The blank of  claim 25 , wherein the handle features comprise a third handle panel in the second top panel, the second handle panel and the third handle panel are in face-to-face contact when the carton is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         27 . The blank of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one end flap comprises a first top end flap foldably connected to the first top panel and a second top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel, the first handle panel comprises a first central portion in the first top panel and the second handle panel comprises a second central portion in the second top panel. 
     
     
         28 . The blank of  claim 22 , wherein the first top panel comprises a plurality of openings for receiving a respective article of the plurality of articles when the carton is formed from the blank, and the second top panel comprises at least one opening for being aligned with a respective opening of the plurality of openings in the first top panel when the carton is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         29 . The blank of  claim 22 , further comprising a first gusset panel foldably connecting the first top panel and the first side panel and a second gusset panel foldably connecting the second top panel and the second side panel. 
     
     
         30 . A method of forming a carton for containing a plurality of articles, the method comprising:
 obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels, the plurality of panels comprises a top panel, a bottom panel, and at least one side panel foldably connected to the top panel, at least one end flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels, the top panel comprises a first portion foldably connected to a second portion at a fold line;   forming an interior of the carton at least partially defined by the plurality of panels, the forming the interior of the carton comprising forming an open-ended sleeve;   positioning the second portion at an oblique angle relative to the first portion; and   extending at least one of the plurality of articles through the second portion.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the second portion comprises at least one aperture for receiving at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of articles. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the blank further comprises at least one gusset panel foldably connected to the second portion of the top panel and a portion of the at least one side panel. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one gusset panel comprises at least one opening, the forming the open-ended sleeve comprises aligning the at least one opening with the at least one aperture to at least partially receive a portion of the at least one of the plurality of articles. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the fold line is a first fold line and the top panel comprises a third portion foldably connected to the first portion along a second fold line,
 the method further comprises positioning the third portion at an oblique angle relative to the first portion and extending at least one of the plurality of articles through the third portion.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the top panel is a first top panel, the at least one side panel is a first side panel foldably connected to the top panel, and the blank further comprises a second top panel, and a second side panel foldably connected to the second top panel, and the forming the open-ended sleeve comprises overlapping the first top panel and the second top panel to form a top wall of the carton. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising forming a handle in the top wall, the handle comprises handle panel in the first top panel. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the handle panel extends across the first portion of the first top panel. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the handle panel is a first handle panel and the handle comprises a second handle panel in the second top panel, the forming the handle comprises connecting the second handle panel to the first handle panel. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the handle comprises a third handle panel in the second top panel, the forming the handle comprises positioning the second handle panel and the third handle panel in face-to-face contact. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one end flap comprises a first top end flap foldably connected to the first top panel and a second top end flap foldably connected to the second top panel, the first handle panel comprises a first central portion in the first top panel and the second handle panel comprises a second central portion in the second top panel. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the handle comprises a handle end flap in the first top end flap and a handle end portion in the second top end flap, the handle end portion being foldably connected to a central portion of the second handle panel. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the handle end portion comprises an opening and the handle end flap comprises article-receiving flaps, the forming the handle comprises aligning the opening in the handle end portion with the article receiving flaps and creating an article-receiving feature of the handle. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first top panel comprises a plurality of openings for receiving a respective article of the plurality of articles and the second top panel comprises at least one opening, the method comprises aligning the at least one opening with a respective opening of the plurality of openings in the first top panel. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the blank comprises a first gusset panel foldably connecting the first top panel and the first side panel and a second gusset panel foldably connecting the second top panel and the second side panel.