Carrier for containers

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/278,322, filed Oct. 5, 2009.

[0002] The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent Application 61/278,322, filed Oct. 5, 2009 is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to carriers or cartons for holding and optionally also displaying containers.

[0004] In accordance with one aspect of this disclosure, a construct (e.g., a blank, carton, or the like) has a plurality of panels that are respectively foldably connected to one another. A reinforcement flap is positioned in an opening defined by at least one of the panels. The reinforcement flap is pivotably connected to at least one edge of the opening by first and second connections (e.g., nicks), so that the reinforcement flap is pivotable about a pivot axis. The pivot axis is cooperatively defined by the first and second connections. The pivot axis extends in an axial direction across the opening, and the first and second connections are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction. The reinforcement flap includes opposite inner and outer edges that are spaced apart from one another in a lateral direction that extends crosswise to the axial direction, so that the pivot axis is positioned between the inner and outer edges of the reinforcement flap. The reinforcement flap may be pivoted between first and second configurations by inserting an object, such as, but not limited to, the neck of a bottle, into the opening. In the first configuration, the reinforcement flap may be substantially coplanar with the at least one panel in which the opening is defined. In the second configuration, the neck of the bottle may extend through the opening and be engaged to the reinforcement flap, the inner edge of the reinforcement flap may be positioned below the at least one edge of the opening, and the outer edge of the reinforcement flap may be positioned above the at least one edge of the opening.

[0005] One aspect of the disclosure is directed to a carrier for holding a plurality of containers. The carrier comprises panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carrier. The panels comprise at least one bottom panel, at least one top panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels. The at least one top panel is foldably connected to one of the front panel and the back panel. The at least one top panel has a handle portion for forming a handle of the carrier and a retaining portion having container receiving openings for receiving the containers in the carrier. The carrier includes a reinforcement flap adjacent at least one of the container receiving openings for contacting a neck of at least one of the plurality of containers. The reinforcement flap may protect a foil cover on the neck of the container, guide the neck of the container, and/or protect the edge of the container receiving opening. As a result, the carrier may be made from a material having a reduced thickness (e.g., paperboard having a lower board caliper).

[0006] In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a blank for forming a carrier. The blank comprises a front panel, a back panel, a first side panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, a second side panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, at least one top panel, and at least one bottom panel. The at least one top panel is foldably connected to one of the front panel and the back panel. The at least one top panel comprises a handle portion for forming a handle of the carrier formed from the blank, and a retaining portion having container receiving openings. The at least one top panel comprises at least one reinforcement flap foldably connected to the retaining portion and positioned adjacent a respective container receiving opening.

[0007] 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.

[0008] 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.

[0015] Corresponding parts are designated by corresponding reference numbers throughout the drawings.

[0016] The present disclosure generally relates to carriers, packages, constructs, sleeves, cartons, or the like, for holding and optionally also displaying containers such as jars, bottles, cans, etc. The containers can be used for packaging food and beverage products, for example. The containers can be made from materials suitable in composition for packaging the particular food or beverage item, and the materials include, but are not limited to, plastics such as PET, LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, PP, PS, PVC, EVOH, and Nylon; and the like; aluminum and/or other metals; glass; or any combination thereof.

[0017] Carriers according to the present disclosure can accommodate containers of numerous different shapes. For the purpose of illustration and not for the purpose of limiting the scope of the disclosure, the following detailed description describes beverage containers (e.g., glass bottles or plastic containers) at least partially disposed within the carrier embodiments. In this specification, the terms “lower,” “bottom,” “upper”, “top”, “front”, and “back” indicate orientations determined in relation to fully erected carriers.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an exterior side 1 of a blank 3 used to form a package or basket-style carrier 5 (FIG. 2-6), in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 2-6, the carrier 5 is sized to contain six containers C, three containers being contained in a front portion 7 of the carrier and three containers being contained in a back portion 9 of the carrier. The carrier 5 may be sized and shaped to hold more or less than six containers. In the illustrated embodiment, the containers C are beverage bottles with necks covered by a foil cover 6, or the like, that extends upwardly to just below the caps of the containers, but the containers could be any other suitable type and size of container without departing from the disclosure. As will be discussed in greater detail below, portions of the carrier 5 are cut away in FIGS. 2-4 to show a portion of the interior of the carrier.

[0019] The blank 3 has a longitudinal axis L1 and a lateral axis L2. The blank 3 has a first portion 11 for forming the front portion 7 of the carrier 5, and a second portion 13 for forming the back portion 9 of the carrier. A bottom panel 15 is foldably connected by a fold line to the second portion 13, and a bottom adhesive flap 17 is foldably connected by a fold line to the first portion 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the first portion 11 and second portion 13 are for being folded about a lateral centerline CL when the blank 3 is formed into the carrier 5. As discussed in more detail below, the blank 3 is formed into the carrier 5 by folding the blank about the centerline CL so that the first portion 11 and the second portion 13 are overlapped.

[0020] In the illustrated embodiment, the first portion 11 is generally a mirror image of the second portion 13. Accordingly, like or similar features of the first portion 11 and the second portion 13 are given like or similar reference numbers with the features of the first portion given the suffix “a”, and the features of the second portion 13 given the suffix “b”. Also, a discussion of one of two similar features is generally applicable to the other of the similar features.

[0021] The first portion 11 has a front panel 14a foldably connected by respective fold lines to a first side panel 17a and a second side panel 19a. As will be discussed in greater detail below, an outer marginal portion of each of the side panels 17a, 19a is connected by a fold line to the main portion of the respective side panel 17a, 19a and serves as a glue flap. The first portion 11 includes a top panel 21a foldably connected to the front panel 14a at a lateral fold line 26a. The top panel 21a includes a retention portion 23a that is foldably connected to a handle portion 25a at a lateral fold line 24a. The retention portion 23a is foldably connected to the front panel 14a at the lateral fold line 26a and has three openings 27a, 29a, 31a.

[0022] The two outer openings 27a, 31a are at least partially respectively defined by reinforcement flaps 33a, 35a that are adjacent the openings. The reinforcement flaps 33a, 35a may also be characterized as respectively extending into the outer openings 27a, 31a. Initially, the reinforcement flaps 33a, 35a are coplanar with the retention portion 23a of the top panel 21a. In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcement flaps 33a, 35a are respectively at least partially defined by a respective curved cut 37a, 39a (e.g., slit) in the retention portion 23a. The reinforcement flaps 33a, 35a are foldably connected to the retention portion 23a by respective connectors that may be characterized as nicks 42a, 44a. The nicks 42a, 44a are located at respective ends of the curved cuts 37a, 39a. The nicks 42a, 44a are areas of material in the retention portion 23a that are typically free from cuts, and at least initially they are free of fold lines or other lines of weakness. The nicks 42a, 44a are adjacent respective curved cuts 46a, 48a (e.g., slits) that extend from a respective one of the nicks to a respective opening 27a, 31a. In accordance with the illustrated embodiment and for example, a continuous slit would be collectively formed by the cuts 37a, 46a, except that that continuous slit is interrupted by the nicks 46a. The openings 27a, 29a, 31a and the reinforcement flaps 33a, 35a could be otherwise shaped, arranged, and/or configured without departing from the disclosure.

[0023] The handle portion 25a optionally includes two handle flaps 45a, 47a that are foldably connected to the handle portion and partially obstruct handle holes in the handle portion. The handle portion 25a optionally also includes two handle reinforcement flaps 49a, 51a foldably connected by fold lines to the handle portion at respective ends of the top panel 21a. The handle portion 25a of the first portion 11 is foldably connected to the handle portion 25b of the second portion 13 at a lateral fold line 55. The handle reinforcement flaps 49a, 51a of the first portion 11 are foldably connected to the respective handle reinforcement flaps 49b, 51b of the second portion 13 at respective lateral fold lines 57, 59. The handle reinforcement flaps 49a, 51a have respective notches 63a, 65a that cooperate with the handle holes partially obstructed by the handle flaps 45a, 47a to form a handle of the carrier 5. The handle reinforcement flaps 49a, 49b, 51a, 51b are respectively separated from the adjacent side panels 17a, 17b, 19a, 19b by slits and cut-outs. The handle could be formed by other features of the blank 3 without departing from the disclosure.

[0024] In the illustrated embodiment the front panel 14a has a dispenser panel 73a formed from a series of tear lines 75a in the front panel. The series of tear lines 75a includes portions that respectively extend from each opening 27a, 29a, 31a. The dispenser panel 73a has tabs 77a, 79a in the front panel 14a for grasping and initiating tearing of respective portions of the series of tear lines 75a. When the dispenser panel 73a of the carrier 5 is at least partially separated from the front panel 14a (e.g., see FIG. 5), the containers C can be accessed and removed from the carrier. The dispenser panel 73a could be otherwise shaped, arranged, configured, and/or omitted without departing from the disclosure.

[0025] In one exemplary method of erection of the carrier 5, the handle reinforcement flaps 49a, 49b, 51a, 51b are folded inwardly relative to a respective top panel 21a, 21b so that the reinforcement flaps overlap and are in face-to-face contact with a respective top panel. Similarly, the side panels 17a, 17b, 19a, 19b are folded inwardly relative to a respective front panel 14a and back panel 14b so that the side panels overlap and are in face-to-face contact with a respective front or back panel. Then, adhesive material is applied to the upper surfaces of each of the handle reinforcement flaps 49a, 49b, 51a, 51b and the glue flap portions of the side panels 17a, 17b, 19a, 19b. Then the partially erected blank is folded about one hundred and eighty degrees at fold lines 55, 57, 59 so that the glue flaps of the side panels 17a, 17b are attached to each other, the glue flaps of the side panels 19a, 19b are attached to each other, and the handle reinforcement flaps 49a, 49b, 51a, 51c are respectively attached to each other.

[0026] Next, the partially assembled blank 3 is “opened” so that the retention portions 23a, 23b extend divergently downwardly from the lower end of the handle 25x, the side panels 17a, 19a form the sides of the front portion 7 of the carrier 5, the front panel 14a forms the front of the carrier, the side panels 17b, 19b form the sides of the back portion 9 of the carrier 5, and the back panel 14b forms the back of the carrier. The partially assembled blank 3 has an open bottom to allow the partially assembled blank to be placed over the top of a group of containers C. During the relative movement, the containers C are received in respective openings 27a, 29a, 31a at the front portion 7 and respective openings 27b, 29b, 31b at the back portion 9 of the carrier 5. In FIGS. 2-4, upper portions of the side panels 19a, 19a have been cut away to show a portion of the interior of the carrier 5.

[0027] Each container C received in a respective outer opening 27a, 31a, 27b, 31b contacts a respective reinforcement flap 33a, 35a, 33b, 35b and pivots the respective reinforcement flap in the manner shown for the reinforcement flap 35a in FIGS. 2-5. For example, the structure and functionality of the reinforcement flap 35a and associated features shown in FIGS. 2-4 is representative of the functionality of the other reinforcement flaps 33a, 33b, 35b and associated features. The nicks 44a function as connectors that pivotably connect the reinforcement flap 35a to an edge (at least one edge) of the opening 31a so that the reinforcement flap 35a is pivotable about a pivot axis. The pivot axis is cooperatively defined by the nicks 44a, and the pivot axis extends in an axial direction across the opening 31a. The nicks 44a are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction. The reinforcement flap 35a includes opposite inner and outer edges 90, 91 that are spaced apart from one another in a lateral direction that extends crosswise to the axial direction, so that the pivot axis is positioned between the inner and outer edges of the reinforcement flap 35a.

[0028] As the respective container C moves into the opening 31a from below and engages the reinforcement flap 35a, the reinforcement flap 35a pivots about its pivot axis defined by the nicks 44a so that the opposite inner and outer edges 90, 91 of the reinforcement flap 35a simultaneously pivot in opposite directions. When the neck of the container C fully extends through the opening 31a and is engaged to the reinforcement flap 35a, the reinforcement flap 35a extends upright (e.g., at a nonzero angle relative to the retention portion 23a of the top panel 21a) so that the inner edge 90 is substantially below the upper edge 91 as shown in FIG. 4, and the reinforcement flap 35a is curved and at least partially conforms to a curvature of the neck of the subject container.

[0029] The reinforcement flaps 33a, 35a, 33b, 35b protect the optional foil covers 6 on the necks of the containers C and respectively guide the containers when the partially assembled blank (e.g., the blank formed into a sleeve with an open lower end) is lowered onto the containers. Also, the reinforcement flaps 33a, 35a, 33b, 35b protect the edge of the openings 27a, 31a, 27b, 31b to prevent the carrier from being damaged or torn at the opening. The use of the reinforcement flaps 33a, 35a, 33b, 35b seeks to allow the carrier 5 to be made from a material having a reduced thickness (e.g., paperboard having a lower board caliper).

[0030] After the containers C are received in respective openings 27a, 29a, 31a, 27b, 29b, 31b, the bottom of the carrier 5 can be closed by overlapping and securing the bottom flaps 15, 17 to one another with any suitable fastening mechanism(s), such as adhesive material. The carrier 5 can be formed and loaded by other suitable positioning and loading steps without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0031] After the carrier 5 has been loaded and closed, the containers C can be accessed by tearing a respective dispenser panel 73a, 73b and creating a dispensing opening (e.g., see FIG. 5). The tabs 77a, 79a, 77b, 79b can be used to initiate separation of the dispenser panel 73a, 73b from a respective front panel 14a or back panel 14b along a respective tear line 75a, 75b. The containers C can be accessed and/or removed from the carrier 5 by any other suitable step or other mechanism.

[0032] The exemplary carrier embodiment discussed above accommodates six containers arranged in two rows, but the present disclosure is not limited to these numbers. As one example, additional containers may be accommodated by increasing the size of the blank 3 (e.g., in the lateral direction L2 in FIG. 1) and forming additional container-receiving spaces therein. Also, the blank 3 could have less than six container-receiving spaces without departing from the disclosure.

[0033] In general, the blank may be constructed from paperboard having a caliper so that it is heavier and more rigid than ordinary paper. The blank can also be constructed of other materials, such as cardboard, or any other material having properties suitable for enabling the carton to function at least generally as described above. The blank can be coated with, for example, a clay coating. The clay coating may then be printed over with product, advertising, and other information or images. The blanks may then be coated with a varnish to protect information printed on the blanks. The blanks may also be coated with, for example, a moisture barrier layer, on either or both sides of the blanks. The blanks can also be laminated to or coated with one or more sheet-like materials at selected panels or panel sections.

[0034] As an example, a tear line can include: a slit that extends partially into the material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of spaced apart slits that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness, or various combinations of these features. As a more specific example, one type tear line is in the form of a series of spaced apart slits that extend completely through the material, with adjacent slits being spaced apart slightly so that a nick (e.g., a small somewhat bridging-like piece of the material) is defined between the adjacent slits for typically temporarily connecting the material across the tear line. The nicks are broken during tearing along the tear line. The nicks typically are a relatively small percentage of the tear line, and alternatively the nicks can be omitted from or torn in a tear line such that the tear line is a continuous cut line. That is, it is within the scope of the present disclosure for each of the tear lines to be replaced with a continuous slit, or the like. For example, a cut line can be a continuous slit or could be wider than a slit without departing from the present disclosure.

[0035] In accordance with the exemplary embodiments, a fold line can be any substantially linear, although not necessarily straight, form of weakening that facilitates folding therealong. More specifically, but not for the purpose of narrowing the scope of the present disclosure, fold lines include: a score line, such as lines formed with a blunt scoring knife, or the like, which creates a crushed or depressed portion in the material along the desired line of weakness; a cut that extends partially into a material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of cuts that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness; and various combinations of these features. In situations where cutting is used to create a fold line, typically the cutting will not be overly extensive in a manner that might cause a reasonable user to incorrectly consider the fold line to be a tear line.

[0036] The above embodiments may be described as having one or more panels adhered together by glue during erection of the carton embodiments. The term “glue” is intended to encompass all manner of adhesives commonly used to secure carton panels in place.

[0037] The above examples are in no way intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that while the present disclosure has been discussed above with reference to exemplary embodiment(s), various additions, modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.