Carrier for containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12545490-B2
Application number	US-202418591153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 29, 2024
Priority date	Mar 1, 2023
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

A carrier for holding a plurality of containers includes a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carrier, the plurality of panels including a plurality of side panels and at least one bottom panel foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, locking features in the at least one bottom panel for at least partially maintaining a formed configuration of the carrier, and a plurality of system engagement features for at least partially receiving a portion of an outer container, each system engagement feature having a plurality of lines of weakening defining a plurality of separably connected sections in the at least one bottom panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising:
a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carrier, the plurality of panels comprising a plurality of side panels and at least one bottom panel foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels; locking features in the at least one bottom panel for at least partially maintaining a formed configuration of the carrier; and a plurality of system engagement features for at least partially receiving a portion of an outer container, each system engagement feature comprising a plurality of lines of weakening defining generally diamond-shaped oblique fold lines having a plurality of separably connected sections foldably connected to the at least one bottom panel, the plurality of lines of weakening further including a generally straight line of weakening extending from a first vertex of the generally diamond-shaped lines of weakening to a second vertex of the generally diamond-shaped lines of weakening.

2 . The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the respective generally straight line of weakening is bisected by an additional line of weakening.

3 . The carrier of claim 2 , wherein the at least one bottom panel is a first bottom panel foldably connected to a respective side panel of the plurality of side panels, and the plurality of panels further comprises a second bottom panel foldably connected to a respective side panel of the plurality of side panels and in at least partial face-to-face contact with the first bottom panel.

4 . The carrier of claim 3 , wherein the respective plurality of lines of weakening in the first bottom panel is a respective first plurality of lines of weakening, the respective plurality of separably connected sections in the first bottom panel is a respective first plurality of separably connected sections, the plurality of system engagement features further comprises second pluralities of lines of weakening in the second bottom panel defining a respective second plurality of separably connected sections.

5 . The carrier of claim 4 , wherein the respective second plurality of separably connected sections is in at least partial face-to-face contact with the respective first plurality of separably connected sections.

6 . The carrier of claim 5 , wherein the respective second plurality of lines of weakening comprises a plurality of oblique fold lines bisected by a generally straight fold line.

7 . The carrier of claim 6 , wherein the locking features comprise a plurality of locking tabs extending from the second bottom panel and a plurality of locking flaps separably connected to the first bottom panel, the locking tabs at least partially received between a respective locking flap and the first bottom panel.

8 . The carrier of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of locking flaps are bisected by the respective generally straight line of weakening in the first bottom panel.

9 . The carrier of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of locking tabs are bisected by the respective generally straight line of weakening in the second bottom panel.

10 . The carrier of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of side panels comprises a front side panel foldably connected to the first bottom panel and a back side panel foldably connected to the second bottom panel.

11 . The carrier of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of side panels further comprises at least one front end panel foldably connected to the front side panel and at least one back end panel foldably connected to the back end panel.

12 . The carrier of claim 11 , further comprising a front central panel foldably connected to the at least one front end panel and a back central panel foldably connected to the at least one back end panel, the front central panel and the back central panel positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact.

13 . The carrier of claim 12 , further comprising at least one front divider flap extending from the front central panel to the front side panel to form a plurality of front container-receiving spaces in the interior of the carrier and at least one back divider flap extending from the back central panel to the back side panel to form a plurality of back container-receiving spaces in the interior of the carrier.

14 . The carrier of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a top panel and the plurality of side panels comprises at least one upper side panel foldably connected to the top panel and at least one lower side panel foldably connected to the at least one upper side panel.

15 . The carrier of claim 14 , wherein the at least one upper side panel is a first upper side panel foldably connected to the top panel, the at least one lower side panel is a first lower side panel foldably connected to the first upper side panel, and the plurality of side panels further comprises a second upper side panel foldably connected to the top panel and a second lower side panel foldably connected to the second upper side panel.

16 . The carrier of claim 15 , wherein the first bottom panel is foldably connected to the first lower side panel and the second bottom panel is foldably connected to the second lower side panel.

17 . A blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels extending for at least partially around an interior of the carrier formed form the blank, the plurality of panels comprising a plurality of side panels and at least one bottom panel foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels; locking features in the at least one bottom panel for at least partially maintaining a formed configuration of the carrier formed from the blank; and a plurality of system engagement features for at least partially receiving a portion of an outer container, each system engagement feature comprising a plurality of lines of weakening defining generally diamond-shaped oblique fold lines having a plurality of separably connected sections foldably connected to the at least one bottom panel, the plurality of lines of weakening further including a generally straight line of weakening extending from a first vertex of the generally diamond-shaped lines of weakening to a second vertex of the generally diamond-shaped lines of weakening.

18 . The blank of claim 17 , wherein the respective generally straight line of weakening is bisected by an additional line of weakening.

19 . The blank of claim 18 , wherein the at least one bottom panel is a first bottom panel foldably connected to a respective side panel of the plurality of side panels, and the plurality of panels further comprises a second bottom panel foldably connected to a respective side panel of the plurality of side panels for being positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact with the first bottom panel when the carrier is formed from the blank.

20 . The blank of claim 19 , wherein the respective plurality of lines of weakening in the first bottom panel is a respective first plurality of lines of weakening, the respective plurality of separably connected sections in the first bottom panel is a respective first plurality of separably connected sections, the plurality of system engagement features further comprises second pluralities of lines of weakening in the second bottom panel defining a respective second plurality of separably connected sections.

21 . The blank of claim 20 , wherein the respective second plural

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Boersma Harmen
• Mathei Ralf

Classifications

• B65D1/243

  Crates for bottles or like containers · CPC title

• B31B2100/00

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

• B31B2241/001

  Making bottle carriers · CPC title

• B65D2571/00858

  Devices for locating the wrapped bundle in a container, e.g. in a bottle crate · CPC title

• B65D2571/00716

  tubular without end walls · CPC title