Carton with article protection feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11414236-B2
Application number	US-201916389293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2019
Priority date	Apr 10, 2013
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A carton for containing at least one article. The carton comprises at least one panel that can form an interior of the carton. The carton comprises at least one protection feature for protecting the articles from breakage. The article protection feature can comprise at least one feature in end flaps of the carton. The article protection feature can comprise an article protection flap foldably connected to the at least one panel. The article protection flap can be moveable between a first position and 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 carton for containing at least one article, the carton comprising:
at least one panel at least partially forming an interior of the carton; and
at least one article protection flap for protecting the at least one article, the at least one article protection flap comprising a central portion, a first outer portion foldably connected to the central portion, and a second outer portion foldably connected to the central portion, the at least one article protection flap being foldably connected to the at least one panel and moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the at least one panel and a second position wherein the at least one article protection flap is folded relative to the at least one panel and the first outer portion and the second outer portion are folded with respect to the central portion, the central portion being foldably connected to the at least one panel;
wherein the at least one article protection flap comprises features for preventing folding of the at least one article protection flap from the second position to the first position, the at least one article protection flap comprises a first cut and a second cut, the first cut extending along the first outer portion of the at least one article protection flap, the second cut extending along the second outer portion of the at least one article protection flap, the first cut at least partially defines a first tab extending outwardly from the central portion of the at least one article protection flap when the at least one article protection flap is in the second position, the second cut at least partially defines a second tab extending outwardly from the central portion of the at least one article protection flap when the at least one article protection flap is in the second position, the first tab is separable from the first outer portion along the first cut when the at least one article protection flap is in the first position, and the second tab is separable from the second outer portion along the second cut when the at least one article protection flap is in the first position.

2. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the first tab and the second tab extend from respective edges of the central portion of the at least one article protection flap when the first outer portion and the second outer portion are folded with respect to the central portion.

3. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the first cut is spaced apart from the second cut by the central portion of the at least one article protection flap when the at least one article protection flap is in the first position.

4. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the first tab and the second tab extend away from one another on opposite sides of the central portion of the at least one article protection flap.

5. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the second cut is spaced apart from the first cut, and the second tab is disposed opposite to the first tab when the at least one article protection flap is in the second position.

6. The carton of claim 5 , wherein the first cut and the second cut are generally arcuate.

7. The carton of claim 5 , wherein the central panel of the at least one article protection flap is foldably connected to the at least one panel along a lateral fold line and is at least partially separable from the at least one panel along a cut line, the cut line comprising a first portion extending from a first end of the lateral fold line and a second portion extending from a second end of the lateral fold line.

8. The carton of claim 7 , wherein the central portion of the at least one article protection flap comprises a longitudinal fold line on the centerline of the at least one article protection flap, the first cut and the second cut are offset from the longitudinal fold line.

9. The carton of claim 8 , wherein the first cut and the second cut are between the longitudinal fold line and the lateral fold line.

10. The carton of claim 7 , wherein the first portion and the second portion respectively form a first corner and a second corner, and the cut line comprises a third portion extending from the first corner to the second corner.

11. A blank for forming a carton for containing at least one article, the blank comprising:
at least one panel for at least partially forming an interior of the carton formed from the blank; and
at least one article protection flap for protecting the at least one article, the at least one article protection flap comprising a central portion, a first outer portion foldably connected to the central portion, and a second outer portion foldably connected to the central portion, the at least one article protection flap being foldably connected to the at least one panel and moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the at least one panel and a second position wherein the at least one article protection flap is folded relative to the at least one panel and the first outer portion and the second outer portion are folded with respect to the central portion, the central portion being foldably connected to the at least one panel;
the at least one article protection flap comprises features for preventing folding of the at least one article protection flap from the second position to the first positon, the at least one article protection flap comprises a first cut and a second cut, the first cut extending along the first outer portion of the at least one article protection flap, the second cut extending along the second outer portion of the at least one article protection flap, the first cut at least partially defines a first tab that is for extending outwardly from the central portion of the at least one article protection flap when the at least one article protection flap is in the second position in the carton formed from the blank, the second cut at least partially defines a second tab extending outwardly from the central portion of the at least one article protection flap when the at least one article protection flap is in the second position in the carton formed from the blank, the first tab is separable from the first outer portion along the first cut when the at least one article protection flap is in the first position, and the second tab is separable from the second outer portion along the second cut when the at least one article protection flap is in the first position.

12. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the first tab and the second tab extend from respective edges of the central portion of the at least one article protection flap when the first outer portion and the second outer portion are folded with respect to the central portion.

13. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the first cut is spaced apart from the second cut by the central portion of the at least one article protection flap when the at least one article protection flap is in the first position.

14. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the first tab and the second tab extend away from one another on opposite sides of the central portion of the at least one article protection flap.

15. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the second cut is spaced apart from the first cut, and the second tab is disposed opposite to the first tab when the at least one article protection flap is in the second position.

16. The blank of claim 15 , wherein the first cut and the second cut are generally arcuate.

17. The blank of claim 15 , wherein the central panel of the at least one article protection flap is foldably connected to the at least one panel along a lateral fold line, and the at least one article protection flap is at least partially def

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Holley Jr John Murdick

Classifications

• B31B2100/00

  Rigid or semi-rigid containers made by folding single-piece sheets, blanks or webs · CPC title

• B65D2571/00728

  the end walls being closed by gluing · CPC title

• B31B2120/00

  Construction of rigid or semi-rigid containers · CPC title

• B65D2571/0066

  formed from one single sheet · CPC title

• B65B21/24 Primary

  Enclosing bottles in wrappers · CPC title