Extensible handle carton with leakage preventing flap structure

Abstract

A carton has upright side walls, end walls, multiple inner flaps at the top of the carton, and an outermost flap at the carton top to cover the folded inner flaps. An elongated opening is provided through the outer flap, and a substantially flat strip handle extends at least partly in that opening and has opposite end portions retained to the outer flap and extending beneath same. A substantially flat closure means closes the opening beneath said handle and isolates said handle from said inner flaps, the closure means including a first closure sheet underlying the opening and flatly attached to said outermost flap and supporting the handle end portions at the side of said first sheet furthest from the outermost flap. There are windows in the first closure sheet through which the handle passes. The closure means also includes a second and flexible closure sheet underlying the first closure sheet and attached thereto, so as to close the windows, the second closure sheet also covering the first closure sheet and retaining said handle end portions to the first closure sheet; and the first closure sheet also contains a slit extending between the windows, and beneath the major length of the handle, to enable downward deflection of the first closure sheet by finger pressure facilitating under grasping of the handle in stored position in said opening, the second closure sheet also covering the slit.