Reinforced package

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10023349-B2
Application number	US-201615240327-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2016
Priority date	Aug 21, 2015
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A reinforced package comprising a carton and a bag attached to the carton. The bag has an open top and a sealed bottom portion, and the carton comprises features to reinforce the shape of the formed package and allow access to the contents of the package.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reinforced package for holding at least one product, the package comprising a carton and a bag attached to the carton,
the bag has a closed bottom and an interior for holding the at least one product,
the carton comprises:
a plurality of panels forming an interior space of the carton for receiving the bag, the plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the front panel, a back panel foldably connected to the first side panel, and a second side panel foldably connected to the back panel,
a plurality of bottom end flaps comprising a first bottom end flap foldably connected to the front panel, a second bottom end flap foldably connected to the first side panel, a third bottom end flap foldably connected to the back panel, and a fourth bottom end flap foldably connected to the second side panel, the bottom end flaps are at least partially overlapped to form a closed bottom of the carton,

the bottom end flaps have locking features locking the carton in an expanded configuration of the package wherein the closed bottom is formed and the bag is received in the interior space of the carton and positioned to hold the at least one product therein, the locking features comprise a first notch in the first bottom end flap and a second notch in the fourth bottom end flap, the first notch and the second notch receiving an edge of at least one of the bottom end flaps to lock the bottom end flaps in position to form the closed bottom of the carton, the locking features comprise a female locking feature in the first bottom end flap and a male locking feature in the third bottom end flap, the male locking feature being inserted into the female locking feature to lock the carton in the expanded configuration of the package.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the first bottom end flap is foldably connected to the front panel at a fold line, the female locking feature comprises a cut adjacent the fold line that forms a female locking opening when the first bottom end flap is folded relative to the front panel.

3. The package of claim 2 , wherein the male locking feature comprises a protrusion at a distal edge of the third bottom end flap.

4. The package of claim 1 , wherein the locking features comprise a first oblique fold line extending from the first notch and across the first bottom end flap and a second oblique fold line extending from the second notch and across the fourth bottom end flap.

5. The package of claim 1 , wherein the bag has a first side and a second side, the first side comprises a first gusset and the second side comprises a second gusset.

6. The package of claim 5 , wherein the bag comprises a tear feature that defines a removable top portion of the bag, the top portion being removable from the bag to access the interior of the bag.

7. The package of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of panels comprises a top edge of the carton, the bag extends above the top edge of the carton.

8. The package of claim 1 , wherein the bag has a closed bottom, the closed bottom of the bag being supported by the closed bottom of the carton.

9. A carton for holding a bag attached to the carton and at least one product, the bag has a closed bottom and an interior for holding the at least one product, the carton comprises:
a plurality of panels forming an interior space of the carton for receiving the bag, the plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the front panel, a back panel foldably connected to the first side panel, and a second side panel foldably connected to the back panel,
a plurality of bottom end flaps comprising a first bottom end flap foldably connected to the front panel, a second bottom end flap foldably connected to the first side panel, a third bottom end flap foldably connected to the back panel, and a fourth bottom end flap foldably connected to the second side panel, the bottom end flaps are at least partially overlapped to form a closed bottom of the carton,
the bottom end flaps have locking features locking the carton in an expanded configuration wherein the closed bottom is formed and the bag is received in the interior space of the carton and positioned to hold the at least one product therein, the locking features comprise a first notch in the first bottom end flap and a second notch in the fourth bottom end flap, the first notch and the second notch are for receiving an edge of at least one of the bottom end flaps to lock the bottom end flaps in position to form the closed bottom of the carton, the locking features comprise a female locking feature in the first bottom end flap and a male locking feature in the third bottom end flap, the male locking feature being inserted into the female locking feature to lock the carton in the expanded configuration.

10. The carton of claim 9 , wherein the first bottom end flap is foldably connected to the front panel at a fold line, the female locking feature comprises a cut adjacent the fold line that forms a female locking opening when the first bottom end flap is folded relative to the front panel.

11. The carton of claim 10 , wherein the male locking feature comprises a protrusion at a distal edge of the third bottom end flap.

12. The carton of claim 9 , wherein the locking features comprises a first oblique fold line extending from the first notch and across the first bottom end flap and a second oblique fold line extending from the second notch and across the fourth bottom end flap.

13. In combination, a carton blank and a bag attached to the carton blank for forming a reinforced package for holding at least one product,
the bag has a closed bottom and an interior for holding the at least one product in the reinforced package,
the carton blank comprises:
a plurality of panels for forming an interior space of the carton for receiving the bag, the plurality of panels comprising a front panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the front panel, a back panel foldably connected to the first side panel, and a second side panel foldably connected to the back panel,
a plurality of bottom end flaps comprising a first bottom end flap foldably connected to the front panel, a second bottom end flap foldably connected to the first side panel, a third bottom end flap foldably connected to the back panel, and a fourth bottom end flap foldably connected to the second side panel, the bottom end flaps are for being at least partially overlapped to form a closed bottom of the carton in the reinforced package,

the bottom end flaps have locking features for locking the carton in an expanded configuration of the package wherein the closed bottom is formed, and the bag is received in the interior space of the carton and positioned to hold the at least one product therein, the locking features comprise a first notch in the first bottom end flap and a second notch in the fourth bottom end flap, the first notch and the second notch are for receiving an edge of at least one of the bottom end flaps to lock the bottom end flaps in position to form the closed bottom of the carton, the locking features comprise a female locking feature in the first bottom end flap and a male locking feature in the third bottom end flap, the male locking feature for being inserted into the female locking feature to lock the carton in the expanded configuration.

14. The combination of claim 13 , wherein the first bottom end flap is foldably connected to the front panel at a fold line, the female locking feature comprises a cut adjacent the fold line that forms a female locking opening when the first bottom end flap is folded

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc
• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Fitzwater Kelly R

Classifications

• B65D5/606

  Bags or bag-like tubes loosely glued to the wall of a "tubular" container · CPC title

• B65D5/106

  the opening being a slot · CPC title

• B65D33/02 Primary

  Local reinforcements or stiffening inserts, e.g. wires, strings, strips or frames {(B65D33/007 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D75/525

  External rigid or semi-rigid supports · CPC title

• B65D5/02 Primary

  by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body (specially constructed to allow collapsing and re-erecting without disengagement of side or bottom connections B65D5/36) · CPC title