GB2328203A

GB2328203A - Closable carton

Info

Publication number: GB2328203A
Application number: GB9817651A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neal Andrew Whipp
Original assignee: Boxfoldia Ltd
Current assignee: Boxfoldia Ltd
Priority date: 1997-08-14
Filing date: 1998-08-14
Publication date: 1999-02-17
Also published as: GB9817651D0; GB9717147D0

Abstract

A carton comprises a foldably connected body (10 fig.1) with at least one foldably connected closure panel, the closure panel(s) having transverse extension pieces (41,43,49,51) joined by fold lines to further extension pieces (33,37) of adjacent mutually opposed walls, whereby the extension pieces of the closure and walls that come into face-to-face engagement on closure of the carton form external flaps designed to retain the carton in a closed condition by forming double thickness outwardly inclined extensions. Further embodiments include a carton with six or eight wall panels whereby the lid panels are attached to opposing walls or a carton with an uneven number of sides and the lid panels are attached to selected walls. The closure panel(s) may be formed as part of the blank or formed separately from the body and joined as appropriate. A single closure panel may be retained in a closed position by adhesive tape or mechanical locking.

Description

Title : "Closable Cartons" Description of the invention This inventioin relates to closable cartons of the kind comprising a body portion having integrally or otherwise foldably thereto a closure portion, the two portions being formed from a filat blank of a semi-flexible sheet material, such as cartonboard or the like, which material is scored and/or creased and folded to define the various panels required to construct the desired carton.

The present invention has been developed in relatioin to lidded cartons in which the body portion has a generally flat base and respective wall panels foldably connected to the base at the lateral edges thereof, and the closure portion serves as a lid to close an otherwise open top of the body portion.

It is, however, to be understood that the closure portion need not form a lid in any sens implying that the orientation of the carton in use is such that the closure portion is uppermost. and the closure portion may be disposed at a lateral side of the carton body in some cases, and accordingly the term "lid" as used herein for convenience is not toi be deemed to be restricted to tp closures for cartons.

In one type of such body portion used for the construction of lidded cartons, the base comprises a single base panel to which the wall panels are mtegrally and foldably connccted at respective edges of said single base panel, and the wall panels are secured to each other at each corner of the body portion by means of a respective extension panel provided on one of the wall panels at each corner being adhesively of otherwise secured to an mside or outside margin of the other of the wall panels at that comer.

In another type of such body portion. the wall panels are forned as a continuous strip in which they are mtegrally and foldably connected to oneanother. and the endmost panels in the strip are secured together means of an extenston panel on one of sand condmost wall panels being adhesively or otherwise secured to the other of said endmost panels. while the base is defined by panels integrally and foldably connected to respective wall panels and secured one to the other to form a bottom closure. Such base-forming panels may be secured together by means of adhesive or appropriate fasteners, or they may be shaped so as to interlock.

Such constructions defining the body portion are all well known, and the present invention is concened with a lid or other closure portion that may be applied to both of the above-described types of body portion, and indeed any other construction of body portion having a similar external shape.

As applied to a lidded carton comprising foldably connected body and lid portions wherein the body portion is of quadrilateral form, the invention resides in a lid portion which is formed by two lid panels which are foldably connected to respective upper edges of a first opposed pair of said wall panels, and wherein each of said lid panels has a respective laterla extension foldably connected thereto at each of the opposed edges of the lid panel which extend transverse to the upper edge of te wall panel to which the lid panel is connected, and a second pair of said wall panels have foldably connected thereto at their upper edges respective wall extensions. each of which wall extensions is connected by a respective diagonally extending fold-line to a respective end of one of te lateral extensions of both of said lid panels. whereby as the lid panels are folded from an open position to a closed postion the lateral extensions of said lid panels come into face-to-face engagement with said wall extensions so that said wall extensions then are inclined diagonally outwardly relative to both the lid panel and the wall panel to provide reststance to opening movement of the lid panel Heretofore. such cartons hav been produced with other. conventional forms of top closure which requne the application of adhesive. or additional manual operation, to provide a secure top closure, and do not have the benefit of the increased rigidity to both lid and side wall panels which the present invention provides. The closure formed by the novel lid portion in accordance with the invention is effected particularly casily and quickly, which is of especial advantage, for example. for use m a fast food operation. A further advantage is the improved stackability of the closed cartons resulting from the upwardly and outwardly sloping extensions to the top sides of the closed carton.

In a lid portion in accordance with the invention the two lid panels may each be of generally similar dimensions so as to meet, or overlap, on or near to, on a line equidistant from the walls carrying the lid panels, or they may each substantially correspond to the size of the open top of the body portion so as to overlap wholly to form a double-thickness closure, Alternatively, the lid panels may be of substantially different dimensions so as to meet, or overlap, at a position substantially closer to one of the walls on which they are carried.

The body portion may typically be of rectangular shape in plan view, with the walls also of generally rectangular form, or tapering in width downwardly in the vertical direction. However, other shapes are possible. For example, the opposed wall panels which carry the respective lid panels may be of different lengths so that the body portion is of tapering width in a horizontal direction, such as form baskc to front. Further, the wall panels which carry the lid panels may be of differing heights relative to the base so that the lid portion, when closed, is inclined relative to the lase of the body portion.

Furthermore. the carons may be either of the type delivered to the user in a folded and collapsed condition or of the type delivered in a pre-erected condition.

Additionally the invention maybe aplied to cartons of which the body portion is of other than quadrilateral shape, such as hexagondl, and m which the closure is not at the top.

Thus, in a more general aspect the invention resides in a closable carton comprising foldably connected body and closure portions wherein the body portion has a plurality of wall panels which in combination define an open side, and the closure portion is formed by at least two lid panels which are foldably connected at said open side to respective edges of two of said wall panels which are nonadjacent to one another. each of said closure panels has a respective lateral extension foldably connected thereto at each of the opposed edges of the closure panel which extend transverse to said edge of the wall panel at which the closure panel is connected. and the remaining wall panels not having said closure panels foldably connected thereto each have foldably connected thereto at their edges a respective wall extension, each of which wall extensions is connected by a respective diagonally extending fold-line to a respective end of one of the lateral extensions of one of said closure panels adjacent thereto, whereby as the closure paiiels ale folded flown all open position to a closed position tile lateial extensions of said closure passels conle ilitO face-to-face engagement with said wall extensions so that said extensions then are inclined diagonally outwardly relative to both the closure panels and the wall panels to provide resistance to opening movement of tlie closure panels.

In the case of a carton having an hexagonal body portion, there may be a pair of said lid or other closure panels carried by all opposed paii of said wall panels 110 tllis case tlie two lid panels Inay eacli be shaped so as to cover pait or all of the open top of tlie llexaollal bod) portiolo ill tlie saille manner as the two lid portions described above in relation to a rectangular carton. Alternatively, there may be three of said lid panels carried by alternate ones of said wall panels, each of said three lid panels extending hald way, or a little further, across the open tip of the body portion. Corresponding arrangements may be applied to an octagonal carton or to cartons having an uneven number of sides.

Whilst the lid portion will in most cases comprise two lid panels at opposite sides of the body portion. or a greater number of lid panels at nonadjacent sides, in some cases there may be only a smgle lid panel which is arranged to extend fully across the body portion.

Thus in a further aspect the invention also resides in a closable carton comprising foldably connected body and closure portions wherem the body portion has a plurality of wall panels. which in combination define an open side, and in which the closure portion is forined by at least one panel which is foldably comected at said open side to an edge of a first one of said wall panels, said closure panel had a respective lateral extension foldably connected thereto at each of the opposed edges of the closure panel which extend transverse to said edge of said first wall panel at which the closure panel is connected, and a second and third of said wall panels which are respectively adjacent to said first wall panel have foldably connected thereto at their edges a respective wall extension, each of which wall extensions is connected by respective diagonally extending fold-line to a respective end of one of the lateral extenstions of sand closure panel, whereby as the closure panel is folded from an open position to a closed position the lateral extensions of said closure panel come into face-to-face engagement with said wall extensions so that said extensions then are inclined diagonally outwardly relative to both the closure panel and the wall panel to provide resistance to opening movement of the closure panel.

The invention still further resides in a closable carton comprising a body portion having a plurality of wall panels, which in combination define an open side, a closure portion foldably conected to said body portion body and comprising at least two closure panels which at least partially overlap one another in the position of closure, wherein each of said closure panels has one edge thereof foldably connected to an edge of a respective one of said wall panels, and has a respective lateral extensioin foldably connected thereto at a lateral edge extending transverse to said one edge, and each of said wall panels which are respectively adjacent to said wall panels which have said closure panels connected thereto have foldably connected thereto at their edges a respective wall extension, each of which wall extension is connected by a respective diagonally extending fold-line to a respective end of one of the lateral extensions of said closure panels, whereby as the closure panels are folded from an open position to a closed position the lateral extensions of said closure panels come into face-to-face engagement with said wall extensions so that said extensions then are melined diagonally outwardly relative to both the closure panels and the wall panels to provide restaance to opening movement of the closure panels.

In accordance with all aspects of the mvention. as the lid or other closure panels are initially folded towards the body portion. the lateral closure panel extensions fold out and the side wall extensions foiex outwardly as a result of the pressure exerted from the closure panel extensions through the diagonal fold connecting the said closure panel extensions to the side wall extensions. Further closing movement causes the closure panel extensions to fold inwards and to come into face-to-face contract with the side wall extensions. The amount of displaentent of the closure panel and side wall extensions respectively is controlled by the degree of weakening of the folds connecting said extensons to their adjacent closure or wall panels. Thus the displacment can be made to approximate to 45 out of the plane of the adjacent panels to which said extensions are conneced.

Depending on the intended use of the carton, the lid or other closure panels may simply be left to lie one over ther other or, where additional securtiy is required, may be secured by any conventional and known medod for example by locking tab or adhesive label. When one of the closure panels extends fully across the carton, then the free edge of such closure panel may be provided with an extensioin foldably connected to the free edge such that it may be folded and adhesively secured or mechanically locked onto or into the wall panel of the body portion, with which it comes into contact on closure.

The invention further resides in a flat blank for forming into such a carton.

These and other features of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the acccompanying drawing wherein FLGURE 1 is a plan view of a flat blank for a first embodiment of a lidded carton in accordance with the invention; FLGURE 2 is a perspective view of a carton, erected from the blank of Figure 1 and in an open condition; FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of carton of Figure 2 in a partly closed position; FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of carton of Figure 2 in a fully closed condition; FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a flat blank from which a second embodiment of carton in accordance with the invention may be constructed, FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a carton of formed from the blank of Figure 5 and in an open condition; FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the blank of Figure 6 in a partly closed condition; FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the carton of Figure 6 in a fully closed condition; FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of a carton of llexagonal shape in its closed condition; FIGURE 10 is a top plail view of all octagonal carton ill its closed condition; FIGURE 11 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of octagonal carton in its closed condition; FLGURE 12 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of hexagonal carton in its closed condition; and FLGURE 13 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of carton liaviiog a pertagonal body.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is shown a flat blank 10 for the construction of a lidded carton as illustrated in Figrue 2 which is of rectangular, parallel sided form and of the type in which the base of the body portion is formed from four adhesively secureed panels.

The blank 10 comprises a rectangular front wall panel 11 having foldably conected at one edge 12 a rectangular side wall panel 13, which in turn has foldably connected at its opposite dege 14 a rectangular front wall panel 15, at the opposite dege 16 of which there is foldably connected a further side wall panel 17. At the opposite, fiee edge 18 of the latter a foldably connected glue flap 19 is formed whereby the side wall panel 17 can be connected at the opposite free edge 20 of the blank to the front wall panel 11 yto form a rectangular body portion.

Respective base-forming panels 21,23,25 and 27 are foldably connected to the lower edge 22,24,26 and 28 of the panels 11,12,15 and 17. The baseforming panels are of a known construction such that as the blank is opened up from a flat folded adhesively secured condition. they open out to form a bottom closure for the body portion 30 of the carton.

The wall panels 11, 13, 15, 17 and base-forming panels 21, 23, 25, 27 collectively form the body portion 30 of the erected carton as shown in figurre 2 to 4 A front lid panel 31 is foldably connected at the upper edge 32 of the front wall panel 11. In the similar manner a wall extension panel 33 is carried at the upper edge 34 of the side wall panel 13, a rear lid panel 35 is carried at the upper edge 36 of the rear wall panel 15 and a wall extension panel 37 is carried at the upper edge 38 of the other side wall panel 17.

At the end edge 40 of the front lid panel 31 a lateral extension panel 41 is foldably connected thereto, and at the opposing side edge 42 of the rear lid panel 35 a further lateral extension panel 43 is likewise foldably connected thereto. The lateral extension panels 41 and 43 are intergrally and foldably connected with opposite ends of the wall extension panel 33 at the upper end of the side wall panel 13 by way of diagonally extending fold lines 44, 46. A further lateral extension panel 49 is integrally and foldably connected at the other side edge 48 of the rear lid panel 35. The lateral extension panel 49 is itself integrally and foldably connected with one end of the wall extension panel 37 by way of diagonal fold line 50.

A further lateral extension panel 51 is connected via diagonal fold line 52 to the oppositite end of the wall extension panel 37, and a glue flap extension 53 is foldably and integrally connected thereto a fold line 54, so that, the glue flap extension 53 can be secured at the free end edge 56 of the fron lid panel 31 when the blank is in us its flat folded. adhesively secured condition. The glue flap extension 53 is separated from the glue flap 19 by means of a notch 43 to facilitate folding of the front lid panel 31 about fold line 32. It wall be nderstood that when side wall panel 17 is folded about edge 16 and front wall panel 11 about edge 12. the glue flaps 19 and 53 are secured adjacent to the free edges 20 and 56 of the front wall panel 11 and front lid panel 31 in known manner.

The lid panels 31 and 35. logether with extension panels 41, 43, 49 and 51 collectively form the lid portion 55 of the earton as shown in figure 2 to 4.

Prior to use. the blank is opened up from its flat folded from to provide a rectangular. parallel sided carton as shown in Figure 2.

The carton is closed very simply by folding the font lid panel 31 inwardly as indicated by arrow A and folding the rear lid panel 33 inwardly as indicated by arrow B in Figurre 3. There movements initially cause the lateral extension panels 41, 53, 49 and 51 and the wall extension panels 33,37 to flex outwardly as indicated by arrows C,D,E and F in Figure 3.

Continued downward movement of the lid portions 31 and 35 brings the lateral extension panels 41 and 43 into face-to-face contact with the wall extension panel 33, and lateral extension panels 51 and 49 into face-to-face contact with the wall extension panel 37, and the carton is in its fully closed condition when the rear lid panel 35 overlaps and rests on teh front lid panel 31, as shown in Figure 4.

In this condition, the wall ext6ension panels 33 and 37 preferably extend outwardly at an angle of approximately 135 to both the side walls 13 and 17, and to the closure fonned by the two lid panels 31 and 35. The anglt to which the wall extension panels 33 and 37 fold on completion of the closure operation is determined by the stiffness of their fold lines 34 and 38 relative to the stiffness of the lid extension panel fold lines 40, 42, 48 and 54.

Whilst it is intended that the wall extension panels 33 and 37 should remina in their inclined positions once the carton is closed. it is possible for the user to fold them upwardly somewhat to bring them closer to the plane of the side walls 13 and 17 and improve the security of the closure.

The first embodiment of carton in accordance with the inventioin, as described above, represents a basie form which illustrates the principles of the present invention, and it will be understood that the shape and construction of the carton may be varied in many respects.

In particular, the lid panels 31 and 35 may be varied so that instead of the front lid panel 31 beng significantly narrower than the rear lid panel 35 so as to overlap near the front wall 11. they are of approximately equal width and overlap on the front-to-back centre-line.

Alternatively, the two lid panels may each be of such a width as to extend substantially across the full front-to-back width of the body portion in overlapping relation to form a double-thickness closure.

In a further alternative. one of the lid panels may be omitted entirely so that there is a single lid panel, carried for example at the upper edge of the rear wall, and extending fully across the open top of the body portion, preferably with a locking tab adapted to enter a slit fonned in the front wall.

Additionally, the id panels may be carried by the shorter walls of the body portion rather than by the longer walls as illustrated, and altheough described as "lid" portions the orientation of the carton in use may be such that the closure formed by these panels is at a side of the carton.

Also, as mentioned above, the base of the carton may be fonned in any other conventional manner, the front and rear walls of the body portion need not be of the same height or length as each other, and the carton may be of tapering form so as to be capable of nesting prior to use.

Some of these variations are illustrated in the second embodiment in which the body is of downwardly tapering form and the base is formed from a single panel. This embodiment is constructed from a flat blank 60 as shown in Figure 5.

The blank 60 comprises rectangular dase panel 61 to which a front wall panel 62 is connected at a front edge 63. A rear wall panel 64 is similarly connected at a rear edge 65 of the base panel 61. Likewise, side wall panels 66 and 68 are foldably connected at a side edges 67 and 69 of the base panel 61.

Lateral extension panels 70a. 70b are foldably connected at the inclined end edges 71a. 71b of the front wall panel 62. and similarly lateral extension panels 72a. 72b are doldably connected at the correspondingly inclined end edges 73a, 73b of the rear wall panel 64. In known manner, the lateral extension panels 70a and 72a are adhesively secured in face-to-face relation with the adjacent side wall panel 66, and the lateral extenston panels 70b. 72b are likewise secuied to the adjacent side wall panel 68 to form a carton body 99 of nestable, tapering form.

A from lid panel 74 is foldably connected at the upper edge 75 of the front wall panel 62. and a rear lid panel 76 is foldably connected at the upper edge 77 of the rear wall panel 64, As can be seen, the two lid panels are of unequeal width in the illustrated embodinment. but if desired the relative proportions of the two lid panels may be varied between, at one extrement, an arrangement in which one of the lid panels extends across substantially the whole front-to-rear width of the body and at the other extreme. one in which the two panels meet, or overlap, at a position equi-distant from the front and rear wall panels.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rear lid panel 76 is formed at ots free edge to afford a tongue 78 adapted to enter a slot 79 formed in the front lid panel 74 so as to lock the two panels together when the carton is closed, as hereinafter described.

Wall extension panels 80,82 are foldably connected at the upper edges 81,83 of the side wall panels 66,68. Lateral extension panels 84 and 86 are fldably connected at the lateral edges 85 and 87 of the rear lid panel 76, and triangular lateral extension panels 88 and 90 are foldably connected at the opposite end edge 89 and 91 of the front lid panel 74.

Additionaly, top extension panels 92a,92b are foldably connected at the upper edges 93a,93b of the lateral extension panels 70a,70b, and likewise generally triangular extension panels 94a,49b are foldably connected at the upper edges 95a,95b of the lateral extension panels 72a,72b.

The top extension panels 92a,92b are integrally and foldably connected withthe adjacent triangular lateral extension panels 88,90 respectively by means of diagonally extending fold lines 96a,96b. Likewise, the generally triangular extensiion panels 94a,94b are integrally and foldably connected with the adjacent lateral extenstion panels 84,86 by means of diagonally extending fold lines 97a,97b.

The lateral extension panels 84,86 carried by the rear wall panel 76 are each divided into respective inner are outer generally triangular portions, 84a,84b, 86a,86b by respective fold lines 98a,98b which form in-line extensions of the edges 73a,73b of the rear wall panel 64.

When the blank is formed into a carton by securing the lateral extension panels at the ends of the front and rear wall panels to the corresponding side wall panels, as previously mentioned, the top extension panels 92a,92b, 94a,94b are simultaneously secured to the wall extension panels 80,82 at the uppera edges of the side wall panels. The sides of the carton body 99 thus formed are accordingly of composite construction, as are te extension panels at the upper edges of the side wall.

It will be particularly be noted fron Figure 6 than because the fold lines 98a,98b are in line with the inclined end edges 73a,73b of the rear wall 64, the inner portions 84a,86a of the lateral extensions 84,86 of the rear lid panel 76 can remain in the plane of the rear lid panel, whilst the outer portions 84b,86b lie in the same planes as the side wall panels 66,68. The front lid panel 74 is also disposed in the same palne as the front wall panel 62, and in this way it is possible for te erected cartons to be nested one within another prior to use.

After filling. the carton is closed, in the same manner as the first embodiment, by folding the front and lid panels 74 and 76 downwardly, whereby the lateral extension panels 84,86 are brought into face-to-face engagement with the wall extension panels 80,82 at the upper ends of the side wall panels 66,68, and for further security the tongue 78 may be inserted into the slot 79.

As with the first embodiment, the relationship between the lid panels may be varred in a similar manner.

Whilst in the embodiments described above, the body portion of the carton is of foru-sided form, it is envisaged that a sumilar form of closure may be applied to other shapes of carton. For example. the embodiment as shown in Figures 1 to 4 may be adapted to afford an hexagonal body portion by suitably altering the shape of the base and dividing both of the side wall panels 13 and 17 into two wall panels on adjacent side of the base. and by dividing the wall extension panels 33 and 37 correspondingly into two portions, each associated with a respective one of the four side walls, and modifying the shape of the front and rear lid panels 31 and 35 accordingly to follow the the hexagonal shape of the body portion.

Such a modification is illustrated in figure 9, from which it can be seen that the body portion comprises form and rear wall panels 110, 120 and pairs of side wall panels 112. 114 and 116, 118. The front and rear wall panels 110, 120 carry respective front and rear closure panels 122. 132 having divergent lateral edges 124, 126 and 134, 136 respectively to correspond to the upper edges of the side wall panels 112, 116 and 114, 118. The free end edges 128 and 138 of the closure portions 120, 130 are spaced from the front and rear wall panels 110 and 120 such that the closure panels overlap along in a central area equi-distant from the front and rear walls of the body portion, but it will be understood that, as in the figure 1 enbodiment they may overlap nearer the front wal. Moreover, in any of the embodiments descrinbed, the free end edges of the closure panels need not be formed as a straight line, but may take any appropriate shape, including curved, zig-zag and wavy for example.

At the divergent lateral edges 124, 126 and 134, 136, the closure panels are forined with lateral respective extensions 140, 142, 144 and 146 which, in the closed condition as illustrated overlie corresponding side wall panel extensions formed at the upper edges of the side wall panels 112, 114, 116 and 118, the lateral extensions of the closure panels being integrally connected with the respective side wall panel extensions by diagonal fold-lines 141, 143, 145 and 147 similar to the fold lines 44, 46, 50 and 52 of the figure 1 embodiment.

An octagonal carton with two lid panels can be constructed in a similar manner as illustrated in figure 10, in which appropriately shaped closure panels 172, 182 are carried by the front and rear wall panels 150, 160, and pairs of side wall panels 162, 164, 166 and 168 carry extensions that are overlaid by extensions 190. 192, 194 and 196 formned at the respective divergent edges 174, 176, 184 and 186 of the closure portions and foldably connected to the respective wall panel extenstons along fold-lines 191, 193, 195 and 197. In this case the remaining pair side wall panels 152, 154 do not carry any extension at their upper edges, however, as shown in figure 11 such wall panels may carry a further pair of closure panels 156, 158 which, in use are folded in before the front and rear closure panels 152, 182 so that there are four closure panels arranged on opposing pains of wall panels to form a stronger top cosure, for example to facilitate the stacking of filled cartons However, the closure panels in such polygonal cartons need not be arranged inopposted pairs, and in an alternative design of hexagonal bodi with divergent lateral edges shaped to correspond to the body portion. At one lateral edge 231, the closure panel 230 carries an extension 241 which in the position of closure overlies a wall extension carried by the side wall panel 212 and connected thereto by fold-line at the end adjacent the wall panel 210 which carries the closure panel 230. In a similar manner, the closure panel 234 carried by wall panel 214 is fornmed at its lateral edge 235 with an extension 245 which overlies an extension carried by side wall panel 216 and connected thereto by fold-line 255, and the closure panel 238 carried by wall panel 218 is formed at its lateral edge 237 with an extension 247 which overhes an extension carried by side wall panel 220 and connected thereto by fold-line 257.

Moreover, the invention is not restricted to carons with bodies having an even number of sides, and figure 13 shows an example of carton in accordance with the invention having a five-sided body.

As shown, non-adjacent side wall panels 260, 264 carry closure panels 270, 280. At its divergent lateral edges 271, 273 the closure panel 270 carries respective extensions 272 274, which are connected at the ends thereof adjacent wall panel 260 by fold-lines 275, 27 to extensions formed at the upper edges of the side walls 262 and 268 adjacent to the side wall 260 to which the closure panel 270 is foldably connected.

The other closure panel 280 is likewise formed with lateral extensions 282, 274 at its divergent edges 281, 283. The extenston 282 of closure panel 280. overlaps the extension 272 of the closure panel 270 and the wall extension panel of the side wall 262 and is connected to that wall extension at fold-line 285, so that said wall extension panel is foldably connected to at its opposed ends to one extension of both closure panels 270, 280 in a sunilar manner to wall extension pancl 33 of the figure 1 embodiment. The other extension 284 of the closrue panel 280 overlies the wall extension panel carried by side wall 268. and is connected thereto by fold-line 287 so that the arrangement is sinular to that for either pair of side wall panels 112, 114 or 116, 118 of the figure 9 embodiment.

Whilst in all the embodiments described and illustrated the carton is formed from a one-piece blank. it will be understood that the body portion and the closure portion may be formed form separate blanks which are secured together as apropriate.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawing, expressed in their specific forms or in terins of a means for performing tlie disclosed function, or a method or piocess for attaining tile disclosed iesult, may, sepaiately or ill any combination of Such features, be utilised for realising te invention in diverse forns thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:1. A closable carton comprising foldably connected body and closure portions wherein tlie body l)0i'IiOll lias a plurality of' wall paiiels, which in combination define an open side, and in which the closure portion is formed by at least one panel which is foldably connected at said open side to an edge of a first one of said wall panels, said closure panel has a pespective lateral extension foldably conected thereto at each of the opposed edges of the closure panel which extend transverse to said edge of said firt wall panel at which the closure panel is connected, and a second and third of said wall panels which are respectively adjacent to said first wall panel have foldably connedcted thereto at their edges a respective wall extension. each of which wal extesnsions is connected by a respective diagonally extending fold-line to a respective end of one of the lateral extensions of said closure panel. whereby as the closure panel is folded from an open position to a closed position the lateral extensions of said closure panel come into face-to-face engagement with said wall extensions so that said extensions then are inclined diagonally outwardly relative to both the closure panel and the wall panel to provide resistance ot opening movement of the closure panel.
2. A closable carton according to Claim 1 wherein the closure portion comprises a single closure panel which extends fully across sand open side of the body portion.
3. A closable carton according to Clamm 1 wherein the closure portion comprises a pair of closure panels foldably connected to respective wall panels which are non-adjacent to one another
4. A closable carton according to Claim 3 wherein the body portion is formed with four of said wall panels and sair closure panels fare foldably connected to an opposed pair of said wall panhels.
5. A closable carton according to Claim 3 wherein the body portion is formed with six of said wall panels and said closure panels are foldably connected to an opposed pair of said wall panels.
6. A closable carton according to Claim 3 wherein the body portion is formed with eight of said wall panels and said closure panels are foldably connected to an opposed pair of said wall panels.
7. A closable carton according to any one of Claim 4 to 6 wherein said closure panels meet or overlap on or near to a line equidistant from the wall panels on which the closure panels are provided.
8. A closable carton according to any one of Claim 3 to 6 wherein said closure panels meet or overlap on a line nearer to one of said wall panels on which said clsorue panels are provided.
9. A closable carton according to Claim 1 wherein the body portion is formed with six of said wall panels and the closure panels comprises three of said closure panels foldably connected to alternate ones of said wall panels.
10. A closable carton according to Claim 1 wherein the body portion is formed with eight of said wall panels and the closure portin comprises four of said closure panels foldably connected to alternate ones of said wall panels.
11. A closable carton comprising foldably connected body and closure portions wherein the body portion has a plurality of wall panels which in conbination deifine an open side. and the closure portion is formed by at least two closure panels which are foldably connected at said open side to respective edges of two of said wall panels which are non-adjacent to one another, each of said closure panels has a respective lateral extension foldably connected thereto at each of the opposed edges of the closure panel which extend transverse to said edge of the wall panel at which the colusre panel is connected, and the remaining wall panels not having said closure panels foldably connected thereto each have foldably connected thereto at their edges a respective wall extension, each of which wall extensions is connected by a respective diagonally extending fold-line to a respective end of one of the lateral extensions of one of said closure panels adjacent thereto, whereby as the closure panels are folded from an open positon to a closed position the lateral extensions of said closure panels come into face-toface engagement with said wall extensions so that said extensions then are inclined diagonally outwardly relative to both the closure panels and the wall panels to provide resistance to opening movement of the closrue panels.
12. A lidded carton comprising foldably connected body and lid portions wherein the body portion is of quadrilateral form having foru side walls, wherein the lid portion is formed by two lid panels which are foldably connected to respective upper edges of a first opposed pair of said wall panels, and wherein each of said lid panels has a respective lateral extension foldably connected thereto at each of the opposed edges of the lid panel which extend transverse to the upper edge of the wall panel to which the lid panel is connected, and a second pair of said wall panels have foldably connected thereto at their upper edges respective wall extensions, each of which wall extesnsions is connected by a respective diagonally extending fold-line to a respective end of one of the lateral extensions of both of said lid panels. whereby as the lid panels are folded from an open position to a closed position the lateral evtensions of said lid panels come into face-to-face engagement with said wall extensions so that said wall extensions then are inclined diagonally outwarely relative to both the lid panel and the wall panel to provide tesistance to operning movement of the lid panel
13. A closable carton comprising a body porton having a plurality of wall panels, which in combination define an open side. a closure portion foldably connected to said body portion body and comprising at least two closrue panels which at least partially overlap one another in the position of closure. wherein each of said closure panels has ole edge thereof foldably connected to all edge of a respective one of said wall panels, all lias a respective lateral extension foldably connected thereto at a lateral edge ectending transverse to said one edge, and each of said wall panels wliicli are respectively adjaceit to said wall paiiels which have said closure panels connected thereto have foldably connected thereto at their edges a respective wall extension, each of which wall extensions is connected by a respective diagonally exteioding fold-liiie to a respectvie end of one of the lateral extellsions of said closure panels, whereby as tlie closure pallets ale folded fiom an open position to a closed position tlie lateral extensions of said closuie panels come into face-to-face engagement with said wall extensions so that said extensions then are inclined diagonally outwardly relative to botch tlie closure panels and the wall panels to provide resistance to opening movement of the closure panels.
14. A blank for the construction of a closable carton according to any one of the preceding claims.
15. A carton-forming blank including a lid portion substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
16. A carton-forming blank including a lid portion substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
17. A closable carton having a lid portion substantially as hereinbefore descibed with reference to and as shown in Figure 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
18. A closable carton having a lid portion substantially as hereinbefore descibed with reference to and as shown in Figure 6 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.
19. A closable carton having a lid portion substantially as hereinbefore descibed with reference to and as shown in Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.
20. A closable carton having a lid portion substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown ill Figuie 10 of the accompanying drawings.
21. A closable carton having a lid portion substantially as hereinbefore descibed with reference to and as shown in Figure 11 of the accompanying drawings.
22. A closable carton having a lid portion substantially as hereinbefore descibed with reference to and as shown in Figure 12 of the accompanying drawings.
23. A closable carton having a lid portion substantially as hereinbefore descibed with reference to and as shown in Figure 13 of the accompanying drawings.