Carton With Reinforcing Features

Abstract

A carton for holding a plurality of containers. The carton has a plurality of panels for at least partially forming an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels includes at least one top panel comprising a handle portion and a retention portion. The handle portion is foldably connected to the retention portion and at least partially forms a handle of the carton. The retention portion has openings for respectively receiving the necks of the containers when the containers are in the carton. The retention portion has at least one reinforcing flap for reinforcing and stabilizing the carton when the handle is activated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A carton for holding a plurality of containers, the carton comprising:
 a plurality of panels for at least partially forming an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprises a front panel, a back panel, and at least one top panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, the at least one top panel comprising a handle portion and a retention portion, the handle portion is foldably connected to the retention portion, and the retention portion has at least one opening for receiving a respective container of the plurality of containers;   a handle that is positionable between a lowered position and a raised position to facilitate grasping and carrying the carton; and   a reinforcing structure extending between at least two containers, the reinforcing structure comprises at least one reinforcing flap comprising at least a portion of the retention portion, the reinforcing structure stabilizing the carton when the handle is positioned from the lowered position to the raised position.   
     
     
         2 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one reinforcing flap is foldably connected to one of the front panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         3 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one top panel comprises a first top panel foldably connected to the front panel and a second top panel foldably connected to the back panel, the at least one reinforcing flap comprises a first reinforcing flap in the first top panel and second reinforcing flap in the second top panel. 
     
     
         4 . The carton of  claim 3 , wherein the reinforcing structure extends between a first container in a front portion of the carton and a second container in the back portion of the carton. 
     
     
         5 . The carton of  claim 4 , wherein the reinforcing structure extends between the front panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         6 . The carton of  claim 3 , wherein the first reinforcing flap is foldably connected to the front panel and the second reinforcing flap is foldably connected to the back panel. 
     
     
         7 . The carton of  claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the first reinforcing flap is in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the second reinforcement flap. 
     
     
         8 . The carton of  claim 7 , wherein a distal portion of the first reinforcing flap is folded in to face-to-face contact with an adjacent portion of the first reinforcing flap to form a z-fold. 
     
     
         9 . The carton of  claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the reinforcing structure has a thickness that comprises three layers of material adjacent one of the at least two containers. 
     
     
         10 . The carton of  claim 8 , wherein the first reinforcing flap and the second reinforcing flap are adhered together by adhesive. 
     
     
         11 . The carton of  claim 10 , wherein the distal portion of the first reinforcing flap is adhered to the adjacent portion of the first reinforcing flap by adhesive. 
     
     
         12 . The carton of  claim 8 , wherein the first reinforcing flap and the second reinforcing flap have overlapping edges adjacent an opening of the retaining portion of the first top panel. 
     
     
         13 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing structure is generally perpendicular to the front panel and the back panel when the handle is positioned in the raised position. 
     
     
         14 . The carton of  claim 1 , further comprising a first bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel; and a second bottom panel foldably connected to the back panel, wherein the first bottom panel comprises locking features for mating with locking features of the second bottom panel. 
     
     
         15 . A blank for forming a carton for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:
 a plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a back panel, and at least one top panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, the at least one top panel comprising a handle portion and a retention portion, the handle portion is foldably connected to the retention portion, and the retention portion has at least one opening for receiving a respective container of the plurality of containers in the carton formed from the blank;   handle features for forming a handle that is positionable between a lowered position and a raised position to facilitate grasping and carrying the carton formed from the blank; and   reinforcing features for forming a reinforcing structure extending between at least two containers in the carton formed from the blank, the reinforcing features comprise at least one reinforcing flap comprising at least a portion of the retention portion, the reinforcing structure stabilizing the carton formed from the blank when the handle is positioned from the lowered position to the raised position.   
     
     
         16 . The blank of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one reinforcing flap is foldably connected to one of the front panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         17 . The blank of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one top panel comprises a first top panel foldably connected to the front panel and a second top panel foldably connected to the back panel, the at least one reinforcing flap comprises a first reinforcing flap in the first top panel and second reinforcing flap in the second top panel. 
     
     
         18 . The blank of  claim 17 , wherein the first reinforcing flap is foldably connected to the front panel and the second reinforcing flap is foldably connected to the back panel. 
     
     
         19 . The blank of  claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the first reinforcing flap is in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the second reinforcement flap. 
     
     
         20 . The blank of  claim 19 , wherein a distal portion of the first reinforcing flap is folded in to face-to-face contact with an adjacent portion of the first reinforcing flap to form a z-fold. 
     
     
         21 . The blank of  claim 20 , wherein at least a portion of the reinforcing structure has a thickness that comprises three layers of material. 
     
     
         22 . The blank of  claim 20 , wherein the first reinforcing flap and the second reinforcing flap are adhered together by adhesive. 
     
     
         23 . The blank of  claim 22 , wherein the distal portion of the first reinforcing flap is adhered to the adjacent portion of the first reinforcing flap by adhesive. 
     
     
         24 . The blank of  claim 20 , wherein the first reinforcing flap and the second reinforcing flap have overlapping edges adjacent an opening of the retaining portion of the first top panel. 
     
     
         25 . The blank of  claim 15 , further comprising a first bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel; and a second bottom panel foldably connected to the back panel, wherein the first bottom panel comprises locking features for mating with locking features of the second bottom panel. 
     
     
         26 . A method of forming a carton for containing a plurality of containers, the method comprising:
 obtaining a blank having a plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a back panel, and at least one top panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, the at least one top panel comprising a handle portion and a retention portion, the handle portion is foldably connected to the retention portion, and the retention portion has at least one opening for receiving a respective container of the plurality of containers, the blank comprises handle features comprising the handle portion for forming a handle that is positionable between a lowered position and a raised position to facilitate grasping and carrying the carton formed from the blank and reinforcing features for forming a reinforcing structure, the reinforcing features comprise at least one reinforcing flap comprising at least a portion of the retention portion;   positioning the blank relative to a plurality of containers so that the at least one container of the plurality of containers is received in the at least one opening;   forming the handle from the handle features;   forming the reinforcement structure by positioning the at least one reinforcing flap, the reinforcing structure extending between at least two containers in the carton and stabilizing the carton.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising activating the handle by grasping the handle to raise the handle from the lowered position to the raised position. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the reinforcing structure is generally perpendicular to the front panel and the back panel when the handle is activated. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the reinforcing structure is generally perpendicular to the front panel and the back panel in the lowered position of the handle and the raised position of the handle. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one reinforcing flap is foldably connected to one of the front panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one top panel comprises a first top panel foldably connected to the front panel and a second top panel foldably connected to the back panel, the at least one reinforcing flap comprises a first reinforcing flap in the first top panel and second reinforcing flap in the second top panel. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the forming the handle comprises positioning the handle portion of the first top panel and the handle portion of the second top panel in face-to-face contact. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the positioning the containers comprises positioning a first row of containers in a front portion of the carton and positioning a second row of containers in a back portion of the carton, the reinforcing structure extends between a first container in a front portion of the carton and a second container in the back portion of the carton. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first reinforcing flap is foldably connected to the front panel and the second reinforcing flap is foldably connected to the back panel, and the forming the reinforcement structure comprises positioning at least a portion of the first reinforcing flap in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the second reinforcement flap. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the forming the reinforcement structure comprises forming a z-fold by folding a distal portion of the first reinforcing flap in to face-to-face contact with an adjacent portion of the first reinforcing flap. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein at least a portion of the reinforcing structure comprises three layers of material adjacent one of the at least two containers. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the forming the reinforcement structures comprises adhering the first reinforcing flap and the second reinforcing with adhesive. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the distal portion of the first reinforcing flap is adhered to the adjacent portion of the first reinforcing flap by adhesive. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the forming the reinforcement structure comprises overlapping edges of the first reinforcing flap and the second reinforcing flap have overlapping edges and positioning the edges adjacent an opening of the retaining portion of the first top panel. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the blank further comprises a first bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel and a second bottom panel foldably connected to the back panel, the method further comprises forming a bottom of the carton by at least partially overlapping the first bottom panel and the second bottom panel. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the first bottom panel comprises first locking features and the second bottom panel comprises second locking features, the method further comprises mating the first locking features and the second locking features.