Method of forming a carton with article protection feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10526103-B2
Application number	US-201615295238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2016
Priority date	May 6, 2011
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A method of forming a carton. The method includes obtaining a blank having at least one panel and at least one article protection flap foldably connected to the at least one panel. The method includes positioning the at least one panel to at least partially form an interior space of the carton, loading at least one article in the interior space, and folding the at least one article protection flap relative to the at least one panel after the loading the at least one article. The folding includes moving the article protection flap from a first position that is substantially parallel to the at least one panel to a second position wherein the article protection flap is folded relative to the at least one panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a carton, the method comprising:
obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising a bottom panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and a top panel foldably connected to at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel, at least one article protection flap foldably connected to the bottom panel, and a plurality of end flaps, each end flap of the plurality of end flaps being foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels;
positioning the plurality of panels to at least partially form an interior space of the carton, the carton having at least one open end;
loading at least one article through the at least one open end into the interior space;
closing the at least one open end of the carton to form at least one closed end of the carton, the closing the at least one open end comprising folding the plurality of end flaps; and
folding the at least one article protection flap relative to the bottom panel after the loading the at least one article, the folding the at least one article protection flap comprises moving the at least one article protection flap from a first position that is substantially parallel to the bottom panel to a second position wherein the at least one article protection flap is folded relative to the bottom panel, the folding of the at least one article protection flap is after the closing the at least one open end of the carton.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the loading at least one article comprises loading a plurality of articles.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one article protection flap comprises a plurality of article protection flaps, and the folding the at least one article protection flap comprises positioning each of the article protection flaps between two respective adjacent articles of the plurality of articles.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the folding the at least one article protection flap comprises folding the at least one article protection flap between adjacent articles of the plurality of articles, and the at least one article protection flap comprises features to facilitate the folding of the at least one article protection flap between the adjacent articles.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one open end comprises at least a first open end and a second open end and the plurality of end flaps is a first plurality of end flaps, the positioning the plurality of panels comprises forming a sleeve comprising the first open end and the second open end, the blank has a second plurality of end flaps at the second open end of the blank, the closing the at least one open end comprises closing the first open end by at least partially overlapping the first plurality of end flaps and closing the second open end by at least partially overlapping the second plurality of end flaps.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one closed end comprises at least a first closed end and a second closed end, and the loading the at least one article comprises arranging a plurality of the articles in at least one row that extends from the first closed end to the second closed end, the at least one article protection flap being positioned between two respective adjacent articles in the at least one row.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one row comprises at least three rows and the at least one article protection flap comprises at least three article protection flaps, the folding the at least one article protection flap comprises positioning each article protection flap between adjacent articles in a respective one of the at least three rows.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least three article protection flaps are primary article protection flaps, the carton further comprising secondary article protection flaps foldably connected to the bottom panel, the method further comprises folding the secondary article protection flaps after the loading of the plurality of articles.

9. The method of carton of claim 1 , wherein the at least one article protection flap has features for preventing folding of the at least one article protection flap from the second position to the first position.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one article protection flap comprises a first portion and a second portion, and the folding of the at least one article protection flap comprises folding the first portion and the second portion relative to each other.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are folded about a fold line during the folding so that the first portion and the second portion are inwardly folded relative to each other.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one bottom panel comprises an opening formed by the folding of the at least one article protection flap from the first position to the second position, the opening having an edge at least partially formed by a line of weakening defining at least a portion of the at least one article protection flap, the features for preventing folding of the at least one article protection flap comprise a free edge of at least one of the first portion and the second portion that are positioned to extend beyond the edge of the opening during the folding the first portion and the second portion relative to each other.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the features for preventing folding of the at least one article protection flap comprise a distal portion of the first portion and a distal portion of the second portion.

14. The method claim 13 , wherein the features for preventing folding of the at least one article protection flap comprises a heel of the at least one article protection flap at the distal end of the at least one article protection flap.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one article protection flap is foldably connected to the bottom panel at a first fold line, the at least one article protection flap comprises a second fold line extending from the first fold line and a third fold line extending from the first fold line, the at least one article protection flap comprises a central portion at least partially defined by the first fold line, the second fold line, and the third fold line, the first fold line is a longitudinal fold line, the second fold line extends from the first fold line and the third fold line extends from the first fold line, the folding the first portion and second portion relative to each other comprises folding the first portion at the second fold line and folding the second portion at the third fold line.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning the plurality of panels comprises positioning the first side panel and the second side panel relative to the bottom panel.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the positioning the plurality of panels comprises positioning the first side panel relative to the bottom panel, positioning the second side panel relative to the bottom panel, and positioning the top panel relative to the first side panel and the second side panel.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the folding the at least one article protection flap comprises engaging the at least one article protection flap with a finger of a mechanism for forming the carton.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the folding the at least one article protection flap comprises contacting the at least one article and moving the article.

20. The metho

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc
• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Schmal Michael R
• Alexander O'Neal
• Baldino Mark
• Cerio Michael
• Holley Jr John Murdick
• Moncrief Frank N
• Kastanek Raymond S
• Ford Colin

Classifications

• B65D71/16

  with article-locating elements · CPC title

• B65D71/26

  extending from the upper or lower wall · CPC title

• B65D2571/00728

  the end walls being closed by gluing · CPC title

• B65D71/34

  characterised by {weakened lines or other opening devices} · CPC title

• B65D2571/0045

  for hands · CPC title