Carrier for containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12195256-B2
Application number	US-202217851200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2022
Priority date	Jun 29, 2021
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier including a plurality of panels having at least one attachment panel configured to receive a portion of one or more containers of the plurality of containers, at least one side panel, and at least one top panel, and locking features for maintaining an erected configuration of the carrier, the locking features including at least one male locking feature extending from a respective panel of the plurality of panels being at least partially received in a respective at least one female locking feature at least partially defined in a respective panel of the plurality of panels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising:
a plurality of panels comprising at least one attachment panel configured to receive a portion of one or more containers of the plurality of containers, at least one side panel, and at least one top panel, the at least one attachment panel comprising a container retention portion and at least one marginal portion foldably connected to the container retention portion; and
locking features for maintaining an erected configuration of the carrier, the locking features comprising at least one male locking feature extending from a respective panel of the plurality of panels and being at least partially received in a respective at least one female locking feature at least partially defined in a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the at least one female locking feature at least partially defined in the container retention portion of the at least one attachment panel.

2. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one male locking feature is a locking tab and the at least one female locking feature is a locking opening.

3. The carrier of claim 2 , wherein the at least one attachment panel is a front attachment panel, the at least one side panel is a front side panel, the at least one top panel is a front top panel, and the plurality of panels further comprises a back attachment panel configured to receive a portion of one or more containers of the plurality of containers, a back side panel, and a back top panel.

4. The carrier of claim 3 , wherein the at least one male locking feature is a first male locking feature extending from the front top panel, the at least one female locking feature is a first female locking feature at least partially defined in the front attachment panel, the locking features further comprise a second male locking feature extending from the front top panel, and a second female locking feature at least partially defined between the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel and at least partially receiving the second male locking feature.

5. The carrier of claim 4 , wherein the locking features further comprise a third male locking feature extending from the back top panel and at least partially received in a third female locking feature at least partially defined in the back attachment panel.

6. The carrier of claim 5 , wherein the locking features further comprising a fourth male locking feature extending from the back top panel and at least partially received in the second female locking feature.

7. The carrier of claim 5 , wherein the locking features further comprise a fourth female locking feature at least partially defined in the back top panel, the fourth female locking feature at least partially receiving the second male locking feature.

8. The carrier of claim 7 , wherein the fourth female locking feature is aligned with the second female locking feature such that each of the fourth female locking feature and the second female locking feature at least partially receives the second male locking feature therethrough.

9. The carrier of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a front locking panel and a back locking panel, wherein the at least one male locking feature is a first male locking feature extending from the front locking panel and the at least one female locking feature is a first female locking feature at least partially defined in the front attachment panel and at least partially receiving the first male locking feature.

10. The carrier of claim 9 , wherein the locking features further comprise a second male locking feature extending from the front locking panel and a second female locking feature at least partially defined between the front attachment panel and the back attachment panel and at least partially receiving the second male locking feature.

11. The carrier of claim 9 , wherein the front locking panel is in at least partial face-to-face contact with the back locking panel, the locking features comprise a third female locking feature at least partially defined in the back locking panel, the third female locking feature aligned with the second locking feature such that each of the third female locking feature and the second female locking feature at least partially receives the second male locking feature therethrough.

12. The carrier of claim 11 , wherein the third female locking feature is aligned with the first female locking feature such that each of the third female locking feature and the first female locking feature at least partially receive the first male locking feature.

13. The carrier of claim 11 , wherein the locking features further comprise a third male locking feature extending from the front top panel and a fourth female locking feature at least partially defined in the front attachment panel and at least partially receiving the third male locking feature.

14. The carrier of claim 13 , wherein the locking features further comprise a fifth female locking feature at least partially defined in the back locking panel, the fifth female locking feature aligned with the first female locking feature such that each of the fifth female locking feature and the first female locking feature at least partially receive the third male locking feature therethrough.

15. The carrier of claim 14 , wherein the locking features further comprise a fourth male locking feature extending from the front attachment panel and in at least partial face-to-face contact with a portion of the back locking panel.

16. The carrier of claim 15 , wherein the locking features further comprise a fifth male locking feature extending from the back locking panel and at least partially received in a sixth female locking feature at least partially defined in the back attachment panel.

17. The carrier of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a front locking panel, wherein the at least one male locking feature is a first male locking feature extending from the front locking panel and the at least one female locking feature is a first female locking feature at least partially defined in the back attachment panel and at least partially receiving the first male locking feature.

18. The carrier of claim 17 , wherein the locking features further comprise a second male locking feature extending from the front locking panel and a second female locking feature at least partially defined in the back top panel, the second female locking feature at least partially receiving the second male locking feature, the front locking panel and the back top panel are positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact.

19. A blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels comprising at least one attachment panel configured to receive a portion of one or more containers of the plurality of containers, at least one side panel, and at least one top panel, the at least one attachment panel comprising a container retention portion and at least one marginal portion foldably connected to the container retention portion; and
locking features for maintaining an erected configuration of the carrier formed from the blank, the locking features comprising at least one male locking feature extending from a respective panel of the plurality of panels for being at least partially received in a respective at least one female locking feature at least partially defined in a respective panel of the plurality of panels when the carrier is formed from the blank, the at

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Ford Colin P

Classifications

• B65D71/46

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

• B65D2571/0016

  by tabs protruding from one end and co-operating with openings at the other end · CPC title

• B65D2571/00444

  for fingers · CPC title

• B65D2571/00277

  Slits or openings formed along a fold line · CPC title

• B65D2571/0066

  formed from one single sheet · CPC title