Granted Patent B2

US 7,601,111 · App. 11/943,915 · Granted Oct 13, 2009

Abstract

Claims (63)

1. A method of erecting a carton, comprising:

providing a carton blank having an upper side and an under side, the carton blank comprising:

a first side panel;

a bottom panel;

a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel at a transverse fold line;

a first top panel;

a second top panel foldably connected to the second side panel;

a first bottom end panel at a first end of the bottom panel;

a second bottom end panel at a second end of the bottom panel;

at least one first top flap foldably connected to a first end of the second top panel at a first longitudinal fold line; and

at least one second top flap foldably connected to a second end of the second top panel at a second longitudinal fold line;

folding the second side panel with respect to the bottom panel about the transverse fold line;

after folding the second side panel about the transverse fold line, folding the at least one first top flap about the first longitudinal fold line so that a print side of the at least one first top flap contacts a print side of the second top panel; and

folding the at least one second top flap about the second longitudinal fold line.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after folding the at least one first top flap about the first longitudinal fold line:

gluing the blank so that it forms a tubular structure; and

forming a top panel at least from the first top panel, the second top panel, the at least one first top flap, and the at least one second top flap.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one first top flap comprises a pair of first top flaps connected at an oblique fold line, the method further comprising folding the pair of first top flaps at the oblique fold line.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one second top flap comprises a pair of second top flaps connected at an oblique fold line, the method further comprising folding the pair of second top flaps at the oblique fold line.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein gluing the blank so that it forms a tubular structure comprises:

folding the first top panel with respect to the first side panel about a transverse fold line.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein gluing the blank so that it forms a tubular structure comprises:

adhering the first top panel to the at least one first top flap and the at least one second top flap.

7. The method of claim 6 . wherein the blank further comprises a first top end flap foldably connected to the at least one first top flap and a second top end flap foldably connected to the at least one second top flap, wherein gluing the blank so that it forms a tubular structure further comprises:

adhering the first top panel to the first top end flap and to the second top end flap.

8. The method of claim 2 , after gluing the blank so that it forms a tubular structure:

at least partially closing a first end of the tubular structure; and

at least partially closing a second end of the tubular structure.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least partially closing the first end of the tubular structure comprises folding the first bottom end panel with respect to the bottom panel about the first longitudinal fold line.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a first pair of gusset panels connects a first side of the first bottom end panel to the first side panel and a second pair of gusset panels connects a second side of the first bottom end panel to the second side panel, wherein folding the first bottom end panel about the first longitudinal fold line causes the first and second gusset panel pairs to fold inwardly.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blank further comprises:

at least one third top flap foldably connected to a first end of the first top panel at the first longitudinal fold line; and

at least one fourth top flap foldably connected to a second end of the first top panel at the second longitudinal fold line.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

folding the at least one third top flap about the first longitudinal fold line;

folding the at least one fourth top flap about the second longitudinal fold line;

adhering the at least one third top flap to the at least one first top flap; and

adhering the at least one fourth top flap to the at least second top flap.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the upper side of the blank is for forming an exterior surface of the carton and the under side of the blank is for forming an interior surface of the blank, the print side of the at least one first top flap and the print side of the second top panel both comprise at least a portion of the upper side of the blank.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one first top flap comprises two first top flaps connected at an oblique fold line, the method further comprising folding one of the two first top flaps at the oblique fold line so that the two first top flaps are in face-to-face contact.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one second top flap comprises two second top flaps connected at an oblique fold line, the method further comprises folding one of the two second top flaps at the oblique fold line so that the two second top flaps are in face-to-face contact.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the transverse fold line is a second transverse fold line;

the first side panel is foldably connected to the bottom panel at a first transverse fold line;

the first top panel is foldably connected to the first side panel;

the method further comprises, after folding the second top flap about the second longitudinal fold line, folding the first top panel about a third transverse fold line connecting the first top panel to the first side panel.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the blank further comprises:

at least one third top flap foldably connected to a first end of the first top panel at the first longitudinal fold line; and

at least one fourth top flap foldably connected to a second end of the first top panel at the second longitudinal fold line.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

after folding the first top panel about the transverse fold line connecting the first top panel to the first side panel, folding the at least one third top flap about the first longitudinal fold line so that a print side of the at least one third top flap contacts a print side of the first top panel and folding the at least one fourth top flap about the second longitudinal fold line so that a print side of the at least one fourth top flap contacts a print side of the first top panel.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

adhering the at least one third top flap to the at least one first top flap; and

adhering the at least one fourth top flap to the at least one second top flap.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, after folding the at least one first top flap about the first longitudinal fold line:

gluing the blank; and

forming a top panel at least from the first top panel, the second top panel, the at least one first top flap, and the at least one second top flap.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one first top flap comprises a pair of top flaps connected at an oblique fold line, the method further comprising folding the pair of top flaps at the oblique fold line after folding the at least one first top flap about the first longitudinal fold line.

22. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

gluing the blank so that it forms a tubular structure;

at least partially closing a first end of the tubular structure; and

at least partially closing a second end of the tubular structure.

23. The method of claim 16 , wherein a first pair of gusset panels connects a first side of the first bottom end panel to the first side panel and a second pair of gusset panels connects a second side of the first bottom end panel to the second side panel, wherein folding the first bottom end panel about the first longitudinal fold line causes the first and second gusset panel pairs to fold inwardly.

Assignments (10)