Cooler carton with zipper opening feature
View Patent ↗A paperboard carton doubles as a shipping container for articles such as beverage cans and a cooler for containing ice to cool the articles when the carton is opened. The top portion of the carton is breached by removing an opening strip defined by zipper rules. Once breached, the tops and side panels of the carton are opened up to form an upwardly open chimney or skirt into which ice can be placed to cool the contents of the carton. Gussets formed in the lower corners of the cartons insure that water from melting ice does not leak prematurely from the carton.
1. A method of erecting a carton blank, the carton blank comprising:
a first side panel,
a bottom panel,
a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel at a first transverse fold line,
a first top panel foldably connected to the first side panel at a second transverse fold line,
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 first top panel at a first longitudinal fold line, the at least one first top flap comprising a pair of first top flap portions connected to one another at a first oblique fold line;
at least one second top flap foldably connected to a second end of the first top panel at a second longitudinal fold line, the at least one second top flap comprising a pair of second top flap portions connected to one another at a second oblique fold line;
at least one third top flap foldably connected to a first end of the second top panel at a third longitudinal fold line, the at least one third top flap comprising a pair of third top flap portions connected to one another at a third oblique fold line, and
at least one fourth top flap foldably connected to a second end of the second top panel at a fourth longitudinal fold line, the at least one fourth top flap comprising a pair of fourth top flap portions connected to one another at a fourth oblique fold line; the method comprising:
folding the at least one first top flap at the first oblique fold line, and folding the at least one second top flap at the second oblique fold line;
folding the at least one third top flap at the third oblique fold line, and folding the at least one fourth top flap at the fourth oblique fold line;
folding the first top panel with respect to the first side panel about the second transverse fold line;
folding the second side panel with respect to the bottom panel about the first transverse fold line;
folding the blank to form a tubular structure;
folding the at least one first top flap and the at least one third top flap with respect to the first top panel and the second top panel about the first longitudinal fold line and the third longitudinal fold line, respectively;
folding the first bottom end panel with respect to the bottom panel, gluing the first bottom end panel to an inner portion of the at least one first top flap and the at least one third top flap; and
folding an outer portion of the at least one first top flap and the at least one third top flap about the first longitudinal fold line and the third longitudinal fold line, respectively, to overlap the first bottom end panel and to close a first end of the carton.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein gluing the blank to form a tubular structure comprises:
forming a top panel at least from the first top panel and the second top panel,
adhering the first top panel to the second top panel;
adhering the at least one first top flap to the at least one third top flap; and
adhering the at least one second top flap to the at least one fourth top flap.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the carton blank further comprises:
at least one first side panel flap foldably connected to a first end of the first side panel at a fifth longitudinal fold line;
at least one second side panel flap foldably connected to a second end of the first side panel at a sixth longitudinal fold line;
at least one third side panel flap foldably connected to a first end of the second side panel at a seventh longitudinal fold line;
at least one fourth side panel flap foldably connected to a second end of the second side panel at an eighth longitudinal fold line;
wherein the first bottom end panel is foldably connected to the bottom panel along a ninth longitudinal fold line; and
wherein the second bottom end panel is foldably connected to the bottom panel along a tenth longitudinal fold line.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
folding the at least one first side panel flap with respect to the first side panel about the fifth longitudinal fold line; and
folding the at least one third side panel flap with respect to the second side panel about the seventh longitudinal fold line.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the at least one first side panel flap comprises a pair of first side panel flap portions connected to one another at a fifth oblique fold line;
the at least one third side panel flap comprises a pair of third side panel flap portions connected to one another at a sixth oblique fold line;
the folding of the at least one first side panel flap with respect to the first side panel about the fifth longitudinal fold line comprises folding one of the pair of first side panel flap portions about the fifth oblique fold line; and
the folding of the at least one third side panel flap with respect to the second side panel about the seventh longitudinal fold line comprises folding one of the pair of third side panel flap portions about the sixth oblique fold line.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
at least partially closing a second end of the tubular structure.
7. The method of claim 2 , wherein, after the folding of the at least one first top flap and the at least third top flap with respect to the top panel about the first longitudinal fold line and the third longitudinal fold line, respectively, the method further comprises:
loading the tubular structure with a plurality of containers.
8. A method of erecting a carton, the method comprising:
obtaining a blank comprising
a plurality of panels comprising a bottom panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, a first top panel foldably connected to the first side panel, and a second top panel foldably connected to the second side panel;
a plurality of top flaps comprising a first top flap foldably connected to the first top panel at a first longitudinal fold line and a second top flap foldably connected to the second top panel at a second longitudinal fold line, the first top flap comprising a pair of first top flap portions connected to one another at a first oblique fold line the second top flap comprising a pair of second top flap portions connected to one another at a second oblique fold line; and
a bottom end panel foldably connected to an end of the bottom panel;
folding the first top flap at the first oblique fold line, and folding the second top flap at the second oblique fold line;
forming a top panel by at least partially overlapping the first top panel and the second top panel, and forming a top end flap by at least partially overlapping the first top flap and the second top flap;
folding the plurality of panels to form a tubular structure; and
at least partially closing a first end of the tubular structure by folding the top end flap about the first longitudinal fold line and the second longitudinal fold line, folding the bottom end panel to overlap at least an inner portion of the top end flap, and folding at least an outer portion of the top end flap to overlap the bottom end panel.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first top flap further comprises a first tab foldably connected to a first top flap portion of the pair of first top flap portions, the second top flap further comprises a second tab foldably connected to a second top flap portion of the pair of second top flap portions, and the inner portion of the top end flap comprises at least the first tab and the second tab.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the outer portion of the top end flap comprises at least the pair of first top flap portions and the pair of second top flap portions.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the folding the first top flap at the first oblique fold line comprises disposing the first tab to be overlapped by the first top panel, the folding the second top flap at the second oblique fold line comprises disposing the second tab to be overlapped by the second top panel, and the method further comprises, prior to the at least partially closing the first end, folding the top end flap along the first longitudinal fold line and the second longitudinal fold line so that the inner portion of the top end flap pivots away from the top panel and the outer portion of the top end flap overlaps the top panel.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising loading a plurality of containers into the tubular structure after the folding the top end flap along the first longitudinal fold line and the second longitudinal fold line so that the inner portion of the top end flap pivots away from the top panel, and prior to the at least partially closing the first end.