Packaging sleeve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10159276-B2
Application number	US-201815892619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2018
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A sleeve operable to at least partially contain two cylindrical articles in side-by-side or back-to-back relation, the sleeve including first and second openings or a single opening in a bottom thereof and the first and second cylindrical articles contained within the sleeve such that portions of the first and second cylindrical articles are exposed outside the sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A package comprising two sleeves designed to at least partially contain two cylindrical containers of smokeless tobacco in side-by-side relationship in the sleeves, each of the sleeves comprising:
a pair of side panels having free edges at lower ends thereof;
a pair of bowed dust flaps extending upwardly from upper ends of the side panels; front and back panels having rounded corner portions on upper ends thereof and free edges on lower ends thereof;
a pair of overlapping top panels overlying upper portions of the bowed dust flaps, the overlapping top panels being mutually secured, wherein the bowed dust flaps are retained in a bowed condition that conforms with the rounded corner portions of the front and back panels; and
the free edges defining a rectangular opening which receives a respective one of the cylindrical containers,
wherein the sleeves are attached and contain the two cylindrical containers of smokeless tobacco in side-by-side relationship.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the pair of side panels provide a sliding fit with the respective one of the cylindrical containers.

3. The package of claim 1 , wherein the front and back panels are substantially the same width.

4. The package of claim 1 , wherein each of the sleeves is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of cardboard or paperboard.

5. The package of claim 4 , wherein each of the sleeves is formed from a paperboard blank or cardboard blank having a weight ranging from about 100 grams per square meter to about 350 grams per square meter.

6. A method of forming the package of claim 5 , comprising: erecting the sleeves from the blank so as to have two side-by-side openings at a bottom of the package and arranging the two cylindrical containers in the erected sleeves such that cylindrical side surfaces of the cylindrical containers extend outwardly of the openings of the sleeves.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the erecting step further includes: pre-folding the blank; folding the blank; and applying glue to one or more of the side panels.

8. The package of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical containers have the same size.

9. A method of forming a package comprising two sleeves designed to at least partially contain two cylindrical containers in side-by-side relationship in the sleeves, each of the sleeves comprising a pair of side panels having free edges at lower ends thereof, a pair of bowed dust flaps extending upwardly from upper ends of the side panels, front and back panels having rounded corner portions on upper ends thereof and free edges on lower ends thereof, a pair of overlapping top panels overlying upper portions of the bowed dust flaps, the overlapping top panels being mutually secured, wherein the bowed dust flaps are retained in a bowed condition that conforms with the rounded corner portions of the front and back panels, and the free edges defining a rectangular opening which receives a respective one of the cylindrical containers, wherein each of the sleeves is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of cardboard or paperboard, each of the sleeves is formed from a paperboard blank or cardboard blank having a weight ranging from about 100 grams per square meter to about 350 grams per square meter and wherein the cylindrical containers contain smokeless tobacco having the same flavor, the method comprising:
erecting the sleeves from the blank so as to have two side-by-side openings at a bottom of the package and arranging the two cylindrical containers in the erected sleeves such that cylindrical side surfaces of the cylindrical containers extend outwardly of the openings of the sleeves.

10. A method of forming a package comprising two sleeves designed to at least partially contain two cylindrical containers in side-by-side relationship in the sleeves, each of the sleeves comprising a pair of side panels having free edges at lower ends thereof, a pair of bowed dust flaps extending upwardly from upper ends of the side panels, front and back panels having rounded corner portions on upper ends thereof and free edges on lower ends thereof, a pair of overlapping top panels overlying upper portions of the bowed dust flaps, the overlapping top panels being mutually secured, wherein the bowed dust flaps are retained in a bowed condition that conforms with the rounded corner portions of the front and back panels, and the free edges defining a rectangular opening which receives a respective one of the cylindrical containers, wherein each of the sleeves is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of cardboard or paperboard, each of the sleeves is formed from a paperboard blank or cardboard blank having a weight ranging from about 100 grams per square meter to about 350 grams per square meter and wherein the two sleeves are attached by a connection panel extending between the two sleeves, the method comprising:
erecting the sleeves from the blank, attaching the two sleeves together with the connection panel extending between the two sleeves to form a dual sleeve package with two side-by-side openings at a bottom of the package and arranging the two cylindrical containers in the erected sleeves such that cylindrical side surfaces of the cylindrical containers extend outwardly of the openings of the sleeves.

11. A sleeve containing two cylindrical containers in back-to-back relationship in the sleeve, the sleeve comprising:
a pair of opposing side panels having free edges at lower ends thereof, bowed dust flaps extending from the side panels, front and back panels having rounded corner portions at upper ends thereof and free edges at lower ends thereof, and overlapping top panels overlying upper portions of the bowed dust flaps, the overlapping top panels being mutually secured, wherein the bowed dust flaps are retained in a bowed condition, and the free edges defining a rectangular opening which receives a pair of cylindrical containers in back-to-back relationship, wherein the sleeve contains a pair of cylindrical containers in back-to-back relationship, the cylindrical containers containing smokeless tobacco.

12. The sleeve of claim 11 , wherein the sleeve is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of cardboard or paperboard.

13. The sleeve of claim 12 , wherein the sleeve is formed from a paperboard blank or cardboard blank having a weight ranging from about 100 grams per square meter to about 350 grams per square meter.

14. The sleeve of claim 11 , wherein the side panels have a width which provides a friction fit with the two cylindrical containers in a back-to-back relationship.

15. The sleeve of claim 11 , wherein each of the cylindrical containers includes indicia visible outside the sleeve.

16. A method of packaging the sleeve of claim 11 , comprising partially erecting the sleeve from a cardboard or paperboard blank, and inserting the two cylindrical containers in back-to-back relationship within the sleeve such that cylindrical side surfaces of the cylindrical containers are exposed outside the sleeve.

17. A method of packaging a sleeve designed to contain two cylindrical containers in back-to-back relationship in the sleeve, the sleeve comprising a pair of opposing side panels having free edges at lower ends thereof, bowed dust flaps extending from the side panels, front and back panels having rounded corner portions at upper ends thereof and free edges at lower ends thereof, and overlapping top panels overlying upper portions of the bowed dust flaps, the overlapping top panels being mutually secured, wherein the bowe

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Fath Scott
• Sousa Ryan J
• Rinehart Steven R

Classifications

• B65D77/0426

  the inner container being a bottle, canister or like hollow container · CPC title

• B65D5/3621

  collapsed along two fold lines of the tubular body · CPC title

• B65D5/04

  the tubular body having no end closures · CPC title

• B65D5/029

  the tubular body presenting a special shape (pyramidal B65D5/008) · CPC title

• B65D5/0227

  with end closures formed by inward folding of flaps and securing them by heat-sealing, by applying adhesive to the flaps or by staples · CPC title