Carrier for containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11027904-B2
Application number	US-201916426057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2019
Priority date	Dec 14, 2018
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A carrier for holding a plurality of container includes a plurality of panels including at least one central panel and at least one attachment panel configured to receive a portion of one or more containers of the plurality of containers. The at least one central panel is for being positioned between and attached to adjacent containers of the plurality of containers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising:
a plurality of panels comprising a front central panel foldably connected to a back central panel at a lateral fold line, a front attachment panel foldably connected to the front central panel, and a back attachment panel foldably connected to the back central panel, each of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel configured to receive a portion of one or more containers of the plurality of containers,
each of the front central panel and the back central panel is for being positioned between and attached to adjacent containers of the plurality of containers, and each of the front central panel and the back central panel comprises an opening in communication with the respective other of the front central panel and the back central panel, the opening in the front central panel is spaced a first longitudinal distance from the lateral fold line, the opening in the back central panel is spaced a second longitudinal distance from the lateral fold line, the first longitudinal distance is greater than the second longitudinal distance such that the opening in the front central panel is offset from the opening in the back central panel.

2. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front central panel and the back central panel is adhered to adjacent containers of the plurality of containers.

3. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein a face of the front central panel is in at least partial face-to-face contact with a face of the back central panel.

4. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel comprises a plurality of cuts that define edges for engaging respective containers of the plurality of containers.

5. The carrier of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of cuts defines a respective plurality of container retention tabs.

6. The carrier of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of cuts are for receiving at least a portion of respective containers of the plurality of containers therethrough.

7. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a top panel overlying at least a portion of at least one of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel.

8. The carrier of claim 7 , wherein the top panel comprises at least one handle feature and the at least one of the front central panel and the back central panel comprises a handle opening, the at least one handle feature of the top panel is aligned with the handle opening.

9. The carrier of claim 8 , wherein the at least one handle feature comprises a first handle feature and a second handle feature, and the handle opening comprises a first handle opening and a second handle opening.

10. The carrier of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a side panel.

11. The carrier of claim 10 , wherein the side panel is a front side panel foldably connected to the front attachment panel, and the plurality of panels further comprises a back side panel foldably connected to the back attachment panel.

12. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein at least one end flap is foldably connected to at least one of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel.

13. The carrier of claim 12 , wherein the at least one end flap is folded downwardly relative to the at least one of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel to overlie a portion of a container of the plurality of containers.

14. The carrier of claim 13 , wherein the at least one end flap is a first end flap, the carrier further comprises a second end flap foldably connected to the at least one of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel and folded downwardly relative to the at least one of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel to overlie a portion of the container of the plurality of containers, and the carrier further comprises a third end flap foldably connected to and at least partially overlying a portion of the at least one of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel.

15. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel comprises a plurality of openings for at least partially receiving respective containers of the plurality of containers.

16. A blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels comprising a front central panel foldably connected to a back central panel at a lateral fold line, a front attachment panel foldably connected to the front central panel, and a back attachment panel foldably connected to the back central panel, each of the back attachment panel and the front attachment panel is configured to receive a portion of one or more containers of the plurality of containers,
each of the front central panel and the back central panel is for being positioned between and attached to adjacent containers of the plurality of containers in the carrier formed from the blank, and each of the front central panel and the back central panel comprises an opening for being in communication with the respective other of the front central panel and the back central panel when the carrier is formed from the blank, the opening in the front central panel is spaced a first longitudinal distance from the lateral fold line, the opening in the back central panel is spaced a second longitudinal distance from the lateral fold line, the first longitudinal distance is greater than the second longitudinal distance.

17. The blank of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the front central panel and the back central panel is for being adhered to adjacent containers of the plurality of containers in the carrier formed from the blank.

18. The blank of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the front attachment panel and the back central panel comprises a plurality of cuts that define edges for engaging respective containers of the plurality of containers in the carrier formed from the blank.

19. The blank of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of cuts defines a respective plurality of container retention tabs.

20. The blank of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a top panel.

21. The blank of claim 20 , wherein the top panel comprises at least one handle feature and the at least one central panel comprises a handle opening.

22. The blank of claim 21 , wherein the at least one handle feature comprises a first handle feature and a second handle feature, and the handle opening comprises a first handle opening and a second handle opening.

23. The blank of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a side panel.

24. The blank of claim 23 , wherein the side panel is a front side panel foldably connected to the front attachment panel, and the plurality of panels further comprises a back side panel foldably connected to the back attachment panel.

25. The blank of claim 16 , wherein at least one end flap is foldably connected to the at least one of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel.

26. The blank of claim 25 , wherein the at least one end flap is a first end flap, the blank further comprises a second end flap foldably connected to the at least one of the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel, and the blank further comprises a third end flap foldably connected to the at least one of t

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Mccree Justin
• Smalley Brian
• Gould Steve M

Classifications

• B65D2571/00444

  for fingers · CPC title

• B65D2571/00327

  the articles being glued to the wrapper · CPC title

• B65D2571/00141

  glued · CPC title

• B65D71/42 Primary

  formed by folding a single blank into a single layer element · CPC title

• B65D2571/0066

  formed from one single sheet · CPC title