Article carrier and blank therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11312529-B2
Application number	US-201916365314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2019
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to an article carrier for packaging a plurality of flanged articles, a blank for forming the article carrier. The article carrier comprises a plurality of primary panels for forming a tubular structure and defining an interior thereof. The plurality of primary panels includes a first panel and a second panel opposing the first panel. The article carrier further comprises a partition structure for dividing the interior into two or more article-receiving cells. The partition structure is formed from the first panel and comprises a lateral partition panel. The lateral partition panel is hingedly connected at a proximal end to the first panel by a proximal end fold line and is hingedly connected at a distal end to a glue panel by a distal end joint. The distal end joint between the lateral partition panel and the glue panel comprises a twistable strip extending between and joined with the lateral partition panel and the glue panel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article carrier comprising a plurality of primary panels for forming a tubular structure and defining an interior of the article carrier, the plurality of primary panels including:
a first panel; and
a second panel opposing the first panel;
wherein the carrier further comprises a partition structure for dividing the interior into two or more article-receiving cells, the partition structure being formed from the first panel and comprising a lateral partition panel hingedly connected at a proximal end to the first panel by a proximal end fold line and hingedly connected at a distal end to a glue panel by a distal end joint;
wherein the distal end joint between the lateral partition panel and the glue panel comprises a twistable strip extending between and joined with the lateral partition panel and the glue panel;
wherein the lateral partition panel has a length defined by a first distance extending between the proximal end fold line of the lateral partition panel and a distal end edge of the lateral partition panel;
wherein the first distance is generally equal to or less than a second distance extending between the first panel and the second panel; and
wherein the twistable strip is defined at least in part by one or more of: (i) a curved element extending into both the lateral partition panel and the glue panel, (ii) a cutaway element provided in at least one of the lateral partition panel and the glue panel, and (iii) a tear stopper disposed in at least one of the lateral partition panel and the glue panel.

2. The article carrier of claim 1 wherein the partition structure comprises a pair of lateral partition panels hingedly connected at their respective proximal ends to the first panel by proximal end fold lines and at their respective distal ends to a common glue panel by distal end joints, wherein the distal end joint between a first one of the pair of lateral partition panels and the glue panel comprises the twistable strip.

3. The article carrier of claim 1 wherein the tubular structure is collapsible.

4. The article carrier of claim 3 wherein the partition structure automatically erected when the tubular structure is erected from a collapsed condition.

5. The article carrier of claim 1 wherein the tubular structure comprises an end closed at least in part by one or more bottom panels.

6. The article carrier of claim 1 wherein the glue panel includes a glue-free region along an end edge thereof and continuous with the distal end edge of the first lateral partition panel, the glue-free region extending along the distal end edge into the first lateral partition panel.

7. An article carrier comprising a plurality of primary panels for defining an interior of the article carrier, the plurality of primary panels including a first panel and an opposing second panel for forming a part of a collapsible tubular structure, the tubular structure having an end closed at least in part by one or more bottom panels, wherein the article carrier further comprises a partition structure formed from the first panel for dividing the interior into two or more article-receiving cells, the partition structure comprising first and second lateral partition panels hingedly connected at their respective proximal ends to the first panel by proximal end fold lines and at their respective distal ends to a common glue panel by distal end joints, wherein the distal end joint between the first lateral partition panel and the glue panel comprises a twistable strip extending between and joined with the first lateral partition panel and the glue panel wherein the first lateral partition panel has a length defined by a first distance between the proximal end fold line of the first lateral partition panel and a distal end edge of the first lateral partition panel and wherein the first distance is generally equal to or less than a second distance between the first panel and the second panel, and wherein the glue panel includes a glue-free region along an end edge thereof and continuous with the distal end edge of the first lateral partition panel, the glue-free region extending along at least a portion of the distal end edge into the first lateral partition panel.

8. The article carrier of claim 7 wherein the twistable strip is a single joint which connects between the distal end of the first lateral partition panel and the glue panel.

9. The article carrier of claim 7 wherein the twistable strip is defined at least in part by a cutaway element provided n at least one of the first lateral partition panel and the glue panel.

10. The article carrier of claim 7 wherein the twistable strip is defined at least in part by a tear stopper disposed in at least one of the first lateral partition panel and the glue panel.

11. The article carrier of claim 10 wherein the tear stopper comprises a curved element extending in at least one of the first lateral partition panel and the glue panel, the curved element has at least one terminal end which is spaced apart from an adjacent one of the end edge and the distal end edge, a third distance defined between the at least one terminal end and the adjacent one of the end edge and the distal end edge being equal to or greater than a distance between the adjacent one of the end edge and the distal end edge and another part of the curved element.

12. The article carrier of claim 10 wherein the tear stopper comprises a curved element extending in at least one of the first lateral partition panel and the glue panel, the curved element has at least one terminal end which is directed away from the adjacent one of the end edge and the distal end edge.

13. The article carrier of claim 11 wherein the first lateral partition panel and the glue panel are separated from each other along a cut line when the carrier is in a blank form, the cut line extending between the proximal end fold line and the curved element and wherein the curved element comprises one selected from the group consisting of a C-shaped cut, a J-shaped cut, an oval slot and an aperture.

14. The article carrier of claim 6 wherein the twistable strip is defined at least in part by a curved element extending into both the first lateral partition panel and the glue panel.

15. The article carrier of claim 7 wherein the first lateral partition panel and the glue panel are separated from each other along a cut line and wherein the glue-free region includes at least an area defined between the end edge and the distal end edge and a notional line passing through the cut line, the notional line extending alongside the end edge and the distal end edge.

16. The article carrier of claim 12 wherein the glue-free region includes at least an area defined between one of the end edge and the distal end edge and a notional line passing through the at least one terminal end, the notional line extending alongside the one of the end edge and the distal end edge.

17. The article carrier of claim 12 wherein the twistable strip has a maximum width extending between the at least one terminal end and the adjacent one of the end edge and the distal end edge.

18. The article carrier of claim 7 wherein the twistable strip is disposed at an elevation vertically offset from the distal end fold line.

19. The article carrier of claim 18 wherein the elevation of the twistable strip is below the lower end of the distal end fold line or above the upper end of the distal end fold line.

20. The article carrier of claim 7 wherein the first lateral partition panel c

Assignees

• Westrock Packaging Systems Llc

Inventors

• Zacherle Matthew E
• Peeler Andrew T

Classifications

• B65D5/4608

  Handgrip holes · CPC title

• B65D71/0022 Primary

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

• B65D2571/00141

  glued · CPC title

• B65D2571/0087

  Special features for machine processing, e.g. gripper apertures · CPC title