Cartons having dispensing configurations

This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/767,959, filed Jun. 25, 2007, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/816,106, filed Jun. 23, 2006. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/016,935, filed Dec. 27, 2007. Each of the above-referenced applications is incorporated by reference for all purposes as if presented herein in their entirety.

The present disclosure generally relates to cartons for holding and dispensing beverage containers or other types of articles. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to cartons being configurable into dispensing sections.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the present disclosure generally relates to a carton accommodating a plurality of articles arranged in the carton in at least two rows and at least two columns. The carton can include a tear feature that allows the carton to be placed in a dispensing configuration. In the dispensing configuration, the carton is separated into a first section and a second section, with each section accommodating a portion of the articles. The carton can include a hinge connecting the two sections and about which the carton is pivoted to place the carton in the dispensing configuration.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, recessed or open portions can be formed at upper edges of the first and second sections as the carton is placed in the dispensing configuration. The recessed portions, which can be defined in one or more side panels of the first and second sections, allow for ease of access to, and dispensing of articles from, the first and second sections. In one embodiment, the carton can be placed in the dispensing configuration by removing a tear strip extending around three sides of the carton to separate the carton into the first and second sections, and pivoting the first and second sections about a hinge in a fourth side of the carton so that the first and second sections are in a side-by-side configuration.

According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, the first and second dispenser sections may be completely separated from one another to place the carton in a dispensing configuration.

According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, corner sections can be removed from one or both of the dispenser sections to allow access to the containers from the front and sides of the dispenser sections.

According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, one or more apertures can extend downward from the upper edges of the side panels of the dispenser sections. The apertures can extend downwardly to varying degrees and in varying shapes in order to provide access to lower columns of containers in the dispenser sections.

According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, one or more access features can be formed in the side panels of the dispenser sections. The access features can be breached and/or removed in order to provide access to lower columns of containers in the dispenser section.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above-stated advantages and other advantages and benefits of various additional embodiments reading the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the below-listed drawing figures.

According to common practice, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features and elements in the drawings may be expanded or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a carton according to a first embodiment of the disclosure is formed.

FIG. 2 illustrates the first carton embodiment.

FIGS. 3-4 illustrate placing the first carton embodiment into a dispensing configuration.

FIG. 5 illustrates the first carton embodiment in the dispensing configuration.

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Carton bottom closure
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Carton having modified end flaps for improved stacking strength and including easy opening feature
Industry Class:
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes

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