Article carrier and blank therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12528629-B2
Application number	US-202118019668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2021
Priority date	Aug 3, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a package, a carrier ( 90 ) for packaging one or more articles (B, B 1 , B 2 ) and a blank ( 10; 110; 210; 310 A, 310 B) for forming the carrier. The package comprises an article carrier and one or more articles. The carrier comprises a main panel ( 14 ) having at least two article retention structures for receiving and securing the main panel to a respective article. Each of the at least two article retention structures comprises a center. The center C of the at least two article retention structures is spaced apart from the center of an adjacent one of the at least two article retention structures by a distance. The distance is greater than the maximum diameter of each of the at least two articles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An article carrier for packaging at least two articles, each of the at least two articles having a maximum diameter, the carrier comprising a main panel having at least two article retention structures for receiving and securing the main panel to a respective article, wherein the main panel comprises a pair of opposing side edges and a pair of opposing and edges, wherein each of the side edges has a length that is greater than a length of each of the end edges, wherein at least one of the side edges of the main panel is a free edge, and each of the at least two article retention structures comprises a center, the center of one of the at least two article retention structures being spaced apart from the center of an adjacent one of the at least two article retention structures by a distance, wherein the distance is greater than the maximum diameter of each of the at least two articles.

2 . A blank for forming an article carrier for packaging at least two articles each of the at least two articles having a maximum diameter, the blank comprising a main panel having at least two article retention structures for receiving and securing the main panel to a respective article, wherein the main panel comprises a pair of opposing side edges and a pair of opposing end edges, wherein each of the side edges has a length that is greater than a length of each of the end edges, wherein at least one of the side edges of the main panel is a free edge, and each of the at least two article retention structures comprises a center, the center of one of the at least two article retention structures being spaced apart from the center of an adjacent one of the at least two article retention structures by a distance, wherein the distance is greater than the maximum diameter of each of the at least two articles.

3 . A package comprising an article carrier and at least two articles, each of the at least two articles having a maximum diameter, the article carrier comprising a main panel having at least two article retention structures receiving and securing the main panel to a respective article, wherein at least one side edge of the main panel is a free edge, each of the at least two article retention structures comprises a center, the center of one of the at least two article retention structures being spaced apart from the center of an adjacent one of the at least two article retention structures by a distance, wherein the distance is greater than the maximum diameter of each of the at least two articles.

4 . A blank device for forming at least two article carriers, the blank device comprising at least first and second blanks separably connected together, each blank comprising a plurality of article retention structures, wherein each of the plurality of article retention structures is configured to accommodate an article having a maximum diameter and comprises a center, the center of each article retention structure in the first blank being spaced apart from the center of an adjacent article retention structure in the first blank by a first distance, the center of each article retention structure in the second blank being spaced apart from the center of an adjacent article retention structure in the first blank by a second distance, and wherein the first distance is greater than the maximum diameter of the article to be accommodated, and the second distance is equal to or greater than the first distance.

5 . A carrier comprising at least first and second separably connected article carriers, each article carrier comprising a plurality of article retention structures, wherein each of the plurality of article retention structures is configured to accommodate an article having a maximum diameter and comprises a center, the center of each article retention structure in the first article carrier being spaced apart from the center of an adjacent article retention structure in the first article carrier by a first distance, wherein the center of an article retention structure in the first article carrier is spaced apart from the center of an adjacent article retention structure in the second article carrier by a second distance, and wherein the first distance is greater than the maximum diameter of the article to be accommodated, and the second distance is equal to or greater than the first distance.

6 . A package comprising at least first and second separably connected article carriers each comprising at least two articles, each article carrier comprising a plurality of article retention structures, wherein each of the plurality of article retention structures accommodating an article having a maximum diameter and comprises a center, the center of each article retention structure in the first article carrier being spaced apart from the center of an adjacent article retention structure in the first article carrier by a first distance, wherein the center of an article retention structure in the first article carrier is spaced apart from the center of an adjacent article retention structure in the second article carrier by a second distance, and wherein the first distance is greater than the maximum diameter of the article, and the second distance is equal to or greater than the first distance.

7 . A package according to claim 6 , wherein the difference between the second distance and the maximum diameter of the article is equal to or greater than twice the difference between the first distance and the maximum diameter of the article.

8 . An article carrier for packaging at least three articles, the article carrier having an engaging panel comprising a plurality of article retention structures, each article retention structure comprising an aperture and an annular series of tabs disposed thereabout, wherein side edges of the annular series of tabs are defined by radial cutlines, the annular series of tabs being interrupted by at least two recesses including a first recess and a second recess, the first recess of a first one of the plurality of article retention structures being disposed proximate to the first recess of a second one of the plurality of article retention structures, the second one being disposed adjacent to the first one, the second recess of the first one being disposed proximate to the second recess of a third one of the plurality of article retention structures, the third one being disposed adjacent to the first one.

9 . An article carrier according to claim 8 , wherein the first one of the plurality of article retention structures comprises a first center and the second one of the plurality of article retention structures comprises a second center, the first and second centers define a first notional line, the first notional line bisects the first recesses of the first and second ones of the plurality of article retention structures.

10 . An article carrier according to claim 9 , wherein the third one of the plurality of article retention structures comprises a third center, the first and third centers define a second notional line, the second notional line bisects the second recesses of the first and third ones of the plurality of article retention structures.

11 . An article carrier according to claim 10 , wherein the second notional line is perpendicular to the first notional line.

12 . A blank for forming an article carrier, the blank comprising an engaging panel comprising a plurality of article retention structures, each article retention structure comprising an aperture and an annular series of tabs disposed thereabout, wherein side edges of the annular series of tabs are defined by radial cutlines, the annular series of tabs being interrupted by at least two recesses inc

Assignees

• Westrock Packaging Systems Llc

Inventors

• Barrette Alex N
• Zacherle Matthew E
• Merzeau Julien D

Classifications

• B65D2571/0066

  formed from one single sheet · CPC title

• B65D2571/00444

  for fingers · CPC title

• B65D71/32

  formed by finger-holes · CPC title

• B65D2571/00438

  Holes · CPC title

• B65D2571/00432

  Handles or suspending means · CPC title