Handle construction

Claim 1

A carton construction comprising side walls; end closure flaps foldably connected to said side walls, one of said flaps being exposed and provided with an elongated first opening, said one flap being secured in overlapping relation with a second flap provided with an elongated second opening in registered relation with saId first opening; a coating of hot melt applied to the portion of the concealed surface of the second flap adjacent opposite ends of the elongated second opening to effect reinforcing of the perimeter of the latter against tearing when subjected to a predetermined amount of force; and an elongated handle mounted on said second flap to facilitate manual carrying of the carton construction; said handle including an elongated flexible strap means traversing said second opening and having end portions of said strap means subtending the coated perimetric portions of said second opening and being secured to the concealed surface of said second flap, the width of said strap means being greater than the width of a predetermined segment of said second opening, said strap means, when in an inoperative position, being recessed relative to said first opening and having a portion of said strap means folded upon itself and disposed beneath said predetermined segment of said second opening, said strap means, when in an operative position, being extensible to a length substantially in excess of the length of said second opening whereby said extended strap means has a central section protruding from said first opening for manual gripping and opposed end sections in engagement with the reinforced perimetric portions of said second opening, and an imperforate lamina subtending said second opening and said strap means, said lamina having the margin thereof bonded to the concealed surface of said second flap and in encircling sealing relation with said second opening.