Carton for containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518951-B2
Application number	US-201514973983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 23, 2014
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A carrier for holding a plurality of containers. The carrier comprises a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carrier. The plurality of panels can comprise at least a front panel and a side panel. A central panel can at least partially divide the interior of the carrier into a front portion and a back portion, and the side panel can extend at least partially between the front panel and the central panel. A handle can comprise a handle feature extending in at least the side panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising:
a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carrier, the plurality of panels comprising at least a front panel and a side panel;
a central panel at least partially dividing the interior of the carrier into a front portion and a back portion, the side panel extending at least partially between the front panel and the central panel;
a handle comprising a handle feature extending in at least the side panel; and
a reinforcing structure, the reinforcing structure at least partially overlapping at least one panel of the plurality of panels, the reinforcing structure comprises a front reinforcing panel foldably connected to a top marginal portion of the front panel and positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact with a top portion of the top panel, a side reinforcing panel foldably connected to a top marginal portion of the side panel and positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact with a top portion of the side panel, and a central reinforcing panel foldably connected to a top marginal portion of the central panel and positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact with a top portion of the central panel, such that the reinforcing structure reinforces a top portion of the carrier.

2. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the handle feature comprises a handle opening extending in the side panel.

3. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the handle feature comprises a handle flap foldably connected to the side panel.

4. The carrier of claim 3 , wherein the side panel is foldably connected to the central panel along a first fold line, the handle flap is foldably connected to the side panel along a second fold line, and the second fold line extends from the first fold line.

5. The carrier of claim 4 , wherein the handle further comprises a handle opening extending in the side panel adjacent the central panel and the handle flap.

6. The carrier of claim 1 , further comprising a central flap being at least partially overlapped with the central panel, wherein the side panel is foldably connected to the front panel and the central flap.

7. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the side panel is foldably connected to the central panel and to the front panel.

8. The carrier of claim 7 , wherein the side panel is a first side panel, the plurality of panels further comprises a second side panel foldably connected to the front panel, the second side panel is foldably connected to a central flap, and the central flap is at least partially overlapped with the central panel.

9. The carrier of claim 8 , wherein the handle is a first handle and the handle feature is a first handle feature, the carrier further comprising a second handle comprising a second handle feature extending in at least the second side panel.

10. The carrier of claim 9 , wherein the first handle feature comprises a first handle opening in the first side panel, and the second handle feature comprises a second handle opening in the second side panel.

11. The carrier of claim 9 , wherein the first handle feature comprises a first handle flap foldably connected to the first side panel, and the second handle feature comprises a second handle flap foldably connected to the second side panel.

12. The carrier of claim 8 , wherein the side reinforcing panel is a first side reinforcing panel at least partially overlapping the first side panel, and the reinforcing structure further comprises a second side reinforcing panel at least partially overlapping the second side panel.

13. The carrier of claim 12 , wherein the handle is a first handle comprising a first handle opening in the first side panel and a second handle opening in the first side reinforcing panel, the second handle opening being generally aligned with the first handle opening, the carrier further comprising a second handle comprising a third handle opening in the second side panel and a fourth handle opening in the second side reinforcing panel, the fourth handle opening being generally aligned with the third handle opening.

14. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein front panel is foldably connected to a bottom panel, the plurality of panels further comprises a back panel, and the back panel is foldably connected to the bottom panel.

15. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the side panel is a front side panel, and the plurality of panels further comprises at least a back panel and a back side panel.

16. The carrier of claim 15 , wherein the handle feature is a first handle feature, and the handle further comprises a second handle feature extending the back side panel.

17. The carrier of claim 16 , wherein the first handle feature comprises a first handle opening in the front side panel, and the second handle feature comprises a second handle opening in the back side panel.

18. The carrier of claim 17 , wherein the reinforcing structure is a front reinforcing structure and the carrier further comprises a back reinforcing structure, the side reinforcing panel is a front side reinforcing panel of the front reinforcing structure and at least partially overlaps the front side panel, the back reinforcing structure comprising at least a back side reinforcing panel at least partially overlapping the back side panel, and the handle further comprises a third handle opening in the front side reinforcing panel and a fourth handle opening in the back side reinforcing panel, the third handle opening and the fourth handle opening being generally aligned with the respective first handle opening and second handle opening.

19. The carrier of claim 16 , wherein the first handle feature comprises a first handle flap foldably connected to the front side panel, and the second handle feature comprises a second handle flap foldably connected to the back side panel.

20. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the side panel is foldably connected to the front panel and the central panel, and the side reinforcing panel is foldably connected to the front reinforcing panel and the central reinforcing panel.

21. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing structure is foldably connected to the at least one panel.

22. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the handle further comprises a handle opening in the side reinforcing panel, and the handle opening is at least partially aligned with the handle feature in the side panel.

23. The carrier of claim 22 , wherein the side reinforcing panel is foldably connected to the side panel.

24. The carrier of claim 1 , further comprising a divider flap foldably connected to the central panel and extending from the central panel to the front panel, wherein the divider flap comprises an attachment flap engaging the front panel.

25. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein at least one panel of the plurality of panels comprises a height, and the height is substantially equal to or greater than an article height of at least one article of the plurality of articles.

26. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front reinforcing panel, the side reinforcing panel, and the central reinforcing panel is foldably connected to at least one of the respective top marginal portion of the front panel, the top marginal portion of the side panel, and the top marginal portion of the central panel at a respective longitudinal fold line.

27. A blank for forming a carrier for holding

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc
• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Holley Jr John Murdick

Classifications

• B65D2571/00839

  Integral reinforcements · CPC title

• B65D71/0022 Primary

  formed by folding or erecting one blank, and provided with vertical partitions · CPC title

• B65D2571/00444

  for fingers · CPC title

• B65D2571/00802

  Other shapes · CPC title

• B65D2571/00271

  extending from at least a side wall · CPC title