Handle structure for wraparound carrier

Claim 1

A wrap-around carrier for transporting a plurality of beverage containers, said carrier including a bottom panel, a pair of side panels, a plurality of end panels and a pair of overlapping top panels which panels form a package enclosing said plurality of beverage containers; said top panels including an outer top panel and an inner top panel, said inner and outer top panels being substantially coextensive, with said outer top panel overlying said inner top panel and being adhesively bonded thereto; said outer top panel including a pair of elongated outer handle openings therein, said outer handle openings each having a tab hingedly joined to an inner longitudinal edge of the outer handle opening, said tabs adapted to be folded inwardly when fingers are inserted into the outer handle opening to lift the carrier; and said inner top panel including a pair of elongated inner handle openings which are aligned with and substantially the same size as the outer handle openings, said inner handle openings each having a tab hingedly joined to an inner longitudinal edge of the inner handle opening with one of said inner tabs being folded back onto and adhesively bonded to the inner top panel, the width of said folded-back inner handle tab being substantially equal to the distance between the inner longitudinal edges of said inner handle openings, whereby the folded-back inner handle tab and the portions of the outer and inner top panels between the handle openings provide a three ply layer between the handle openings and the other of said inner handle tabs being adapted to be folded inwardly when fingers are inserted into the inner handle openings to lift the carrier, said inner top panel including a drop-down partition comprising a main partition portion and a pair of spaced straps extending therefrom and being hingedly joined to the inner top panel along fold lines extending parallel to and substantially coextensive with the transverse center lines of the handle openings, the inner facing edges of the straps being substantially aligned with the outer horizontal edges of the inner handle openings so that the distance between the inner facing edges of the straps is substantially the same as the distance between the outer longitudinal edges of the inner handle openings; said inner top panel including a handle reinforcement section defined on three sides by edges corresponding to the upper edge of the main partition portion and to oppositely facing edge portions of the straps when said main partition portion is in folded-back condition parallel to the inner top panel, the remaining side of the handle reinforcement section being defined by the adjacent ends of the inner handle openings and by the portion of the inner top panel between the inner handle openings, the handle reinforcement section being adhesively bonded to said outer top panel and providing with said outer top panel a two ply layer.