Carrier for containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11628994-B2
Application number	US-202117487113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2021
Priority date	Sep 30, 2020
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A carrier for holding a plurality of containers includes a top panel comprising a plurality of container retention openings for at least partially receiving a respective container of the plurality of containers, at least one container retention flap foldably connected to the top panel, the top panel comprises at least one container retention tab positioned adjacent a respective container retention opening and foldably connected to the top panel at a respective fold line, at least one side reinforcement panel positioned between the top panel and the at least one container retention flap, and the top panel comprises at least one reinforcement portion extending from the respective fold line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising:
a top panel comprising a plurality of container retention openings for at least partially receiving a respective container of the plurality of containers;
a plurality of container retention flaps foldably connected to the top panel, the top panel comprises at least one container retention tab positioned adjacent a respective container retention opening and foldably connected to the top panel at a respective fold line;
a plurality of side reinforcement panels positioned between the top panel and the plurality of container retention flaps; and
the top panel comprises at least one reinforcement portion extending from the respective fold line.

2. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the is side reinforcement panels are generally upright relative to the top panel.

3. The carrier of claim 2 , wherein each side reinforcement panel is formed by a respective line of weakening.

4. The carrier of claim 3 , wherein the respective line of weakening includes a respective plurality of oblique line segments, each oblique line segment of the respective plurality of oblique line segments intersecting at least one other oblique line segment of the respective plurality of oblique line segments.

5. The carrier of claim 4 , wherein the reinforcement panels have a generally diamond-shaped configuration.

6. The carrier of claim 2 , wherein the respective fold line is a respective curved fold line and the at least one container retention tab is positioned to extend into a respective container retention opening of the plurality of container retention openings.

7. The carrier of claim 6 , wherein a respective at least one container retention tab is foldably connected to the top panel at a respective curved fold line and positioned to extend into a first container retention opening of the plurality of container retention openings, wherein a respective at least one container retention tab is foldably connected to the top panel at a respective curved fold line and positioned to extend into a second container retention opening of the plurality of container retention openings positioned adjacent the first container retention opening of the plurality of container retention openings, and the at least one reinforcement portion extends from the respective curved fold line at the first container retention opening to the respective curved fold line at the second container retention opening.

8. The carrier of claim 7 , wherein the second container retention opening is laterally adjacent the first container retention opening.

9. The carrier of claim 7 , wherein the second container retention opening is longitudinally adjacent the first container retention opening.

10. The carrier of claim 7 , wherein the at least one reinforcement portion is a first reinforcement portion and the carrier further comprises a second reinforcement portion formed between a container retention opening of the plurality of container retention openings and a respective side reinforcement panel of the plurality of side reinforcement panels.

11. The carrier of claim 7 , wherein each side reinforcement panel is formed by a respective line of weakening having a plurality of intersecting oblique segments, wherein the at least one container retention tab is an at least one first container retention tab and the respective curved fold line is a respective first curved fold line, wherein the carrier further comprises at least one second container retention tab foldably connected to the top panel at a respective second curved fold line and positioned to extend into a respective opening of the plurality of container retention openings, and wherein the second reinforcement portion extends from a respective second curved fold line to an oblique segment of the respective line of weakening.

12. The carrier of claim 11 , wherein the at least one first container retention tab is aligned with one of a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis defined by the top panel, and the at least one second container retention tab is positioned adjacent the at least one first container retention tab.

13. The carrier of claim 12 , wherein the at least one second container retention tab is obliquely positioned relative to the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis.

14. The carrier of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of container retention openings in the top panel is a first plurality of container retention openings, the plurality of container retention flaps comprises a second plurality of container retention openings, the container retention openings of the first plurality of container retention openings being aligned with respective container retention openings of the second plurality of container retention openings.

15. The carrier of claim 2 , further comprising a reinforcement flap foldably connected to a respective container retention flap of the plurality of container retention flaps and extending downwardly from the top panel and the plurality of container retention flaps.

16. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reinforcement portion is formed between a container retention opening of the plurality of container retention openings and a respective side reinforcement panel of the plurality of side reinforcement panels.

17. A blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:
a top panel comprising a plurality of container retention openings for at least partially receiving a respective container of the plurality of containers when the carrier is formed from the blank;
a plurality of container retention flaps foldably connected to the top panel, the top panel comprises at least one container retention tab positioned adjacent a respective container retention opening and foldably connected to the top panel at a respective fold line;
a plurality of side reinforcement panels positioned between the top panel and the plurality of container retention flaps; and
the top panel comprises at least one reinforcement portion extending from the respective fold line.

18. The blank of claim 17 , wherein each side reinforcement panel is formed by a respective line of weakening.

19. The blank of claim 18 , wherein the respective line of weakening includes a respective plurality of oblique line segments, each oblique line segment of the respective plurality of oblique line segments intersecting at least one other oblique line segment of the respective plurality of oblique line segments.

20. The blank of claim 19 , wherein the reinforcement panels have a generally diamond-shaped configuration.

21. The blank of claim 17 , wherein the respective fold line is a respective curved fold line and the at least one container retention tab is positioned to extend into a respective container retention opening of the plurality of container retention openings.

22. The blank of claim 21 , wherein a respective at least one container retention tab is foldably connected to the top panel at a respective curved fold line and positioned to extend into a first container retention opening of the plurality of container retention openings, wherein a respective at least one container retention tab is foldably connected to the top panel at a respective curved fold line and positioned to extend into a second container retention opening of the plurality of container retention openings positioned adjacent the first container retention opening of the plurality of container retention opening

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Mccree Justin
• Gould Steve M

Classifications

• B65D2571/0066

  formed from one single sheet · CPC title

• B65D2571/00561

  Lines of weakness (B65D2571/00864 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2571/00444

  for fingers · CPC title

• B65D2571/0029

  Openings in top or bottom walls · CPC title

• B65D2571/00259

  inwardly folded tabs, i.e. elements substantially narrower than the corresponding package dimension · CPC title