Carton with locking features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12570434-B2
Application number	US-202318239188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2023
Priority date	Aug 29, 2022
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A carton comprising an inner construct comprising a plurality of inner panels extending at least partially around a first interior, an inner locking tab foldably connected to at least one inner panel, and at least one inner locking flap foldably connected to the at least one inner panel. An outer construct can comprise a plurality of outer panels extending at least partially around a second interior. The outer construct can comprise an outer locking tab foldably connected to at least one outer panel, and the inner locking tab and the inner locking flap cooperate with the outer locking tab to limit movement between the inner construct and the outer construct at a locked position. The inner locking flap being moveable relative to the at least one inner panel to create an audible locking sound upon positioning the inner construct to the locked position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A carton comprising:
an inner construct comprising a plurality of inner panels extending at least partially around a first interior of the inner construct, wherein the inner construct comprises an inner locking tab foldably connected to at least one inner panel of the plurality of inner panels at an edge, wherein the inner locking tab has a tab engagement edge positioned a first distance from the edge; and an inner locking flap foldably connected to the at least one inner panel of the plurality of inner panels, wherein the inner locking flap includes a flap engagement edge positioned a second distance from the edge, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance; an outer construct comprising a plurality of outer panels extending at least partially around a second interior of the outer construct, the inner construct being at least partially received in the second interior of the outer construct and positionable to a locked position wherein movement of the inner construct relative to the outer construct is restricted, the outer construct comprises an outer locking tab foldably connected to at least one outer panel of the plurality of outer panels, and the inner locking tab limits movement between the inner construct and the outer construct at the locked position; and an engagement feature extending in the at least one outer panel of the outer construct, the engagement feature comprising an engagement hole in the at least one outer panel, at least one of the inner locking tab and the inner locking flap of the inner construct are adjacent the engagement feature in the outer construct at the locked position so that the at least one of the inner locking tab and the inner locking flap is positioned for disengagement with the outer locking tab via the engagement hole for facilitating movement of the inner construct and the outer construct relative to one another from the locked position to an open position wherein the first interior of the inner construct is accessible.

2 . The carton of claim 1 , wherein the inner locking tab is attached to the at least one inner panel.

3 . The carton of claim 2 , wherein the inner locking tab is a first inner locking tab and the carton comprises a second inner locking tab attached to the at least one inner panel.

4 . The carton of claim 2 , wherein the inner locking flap is adjacent and spaced apart from each of the first inner locking tab and the second inner locking tab.

5 . The carton of claim 4 , wherein the inner locking flap is folded against the at least one inner panel and free from attachment to the at least one inner panel.

6 . The carton of claim 1 , wherein the at least one inner panel is accessible via the engagement hole and pressed inwardly to facilitate disengagement of the inner locking tab and the inner locking flap from the outer locking tab.

7 . The carton of claim 1 , further comprising an engagement recess extending in the outer construct, wherein at least a portion of the inner construct extends along at least a portion of the engagement recess in the outer construct so that the inner construct can be gripped via at least the engagement recess in the outer construct.

8 . The carton of claim 7 , wherein the engagement recess extends along at least a portion of the outer locking tab and the at least one outer panel.

9 . The carton of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of outer panels of the outer construct comprises a top panel foldably connected to the at least one outer panel, the outer construct comprises an opening opposite to the top panel, the inner construct being selectively movable through the opening, and wherein the engagement feature is closer to the top panel than the opening and the engagement recess extends along the opening.

10 . The carton of claim 1 , wherein the inner locking tab is a first inner locking tab, the inner locking flap is a first inner locking flap, the at least one inner panel comprises a first inner panel, the outer locking tab is a first outer locking tab, the at least one outer panel comprises a first outer panel, and the engagement feature is a first engagement feature, wherein the inner construct further comprises a second inner locking tab foldably connected to a second inner panel of the plurality of inner panels and a second inner locking flap foldably connected to the second inner panel of the plurality of inner panels, the outer construct further comprises a second outer locking tab foldably connected to a second outer panel of the plurality of outer panels and a second engagement feature extending in the second outer panel, and the second inner locking tab and the second inner locking flap cooperate with the second outer locking tab to limit movement between the inner construct and the outer construct at the locked position,
the second inner locking flap being moveable relative to the second inner panel to cooperate with the first inner locking flap to create an audible locking sound upon positioning the inner construct to the locked position.

11 . The carton of claim 10 , wherein the engagement hole is a first engagement hole, the second engagement feature comprises a second engagement hole, and at least one of the second inner locking tab and the second inner locking flap is positioned for disengagement with the second outer locking tab via the second engagement hole for facilitating movement of the inner construct and the outer construct relative to one another from the locked position to the open position.

12 . The carton of claim 11 , wherein the tab engagement edge is a first tab engagement edge and the second inner locking tab has a second tab engagement edge and each of the first outer locking tab and the second outer locking tab has a second locking edge facing the respective first or second tab engagement edge for limiting movement between the inner construct and the outer construct at the locked position.

13 . The carton of claim 12 , wherein the flap engagement edge is a first flap engagement edge and the second inner locking flap has a second flap engagement edge, the first engagement edge of the first inner locking flap and the second flap engagement edge of the second inner locking flap being positioned for engagement with the second locking edge of a respective first outer locking tab and second outer locking tab to cooperate with the first inner locking tab and the second inner locking tab to limit movement between the inner construct and the outer construct at the locked position.

14 . The carton of claim 1 , wherein the inner construct comprises an opening for inserting and/or removing items from the first interior, the opening in the inner construct being at least partially enclosed by the outer construct.

15 . In combination, a first blank and a second blank for cooperating to at least partially form a carton,
the first blank comprising a plurality of inner panels, an inner locking tab foldably connected to at least one inner panel of the plurality of inner panels at an edge, wherein the inner locking tab has a tab engagement edge positioned a first distance from the edge when an inner construct of the carton is formed from the first blank, and an inner locking flap foldably connected to the at least one inner panel of the plurality of inner panels, wherein the inner locking flap includes a flap engagement edge positioned a second distance from the edge when the inner construct is formed from the first blank, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance; the second blank comprising a plurality of outer panels and an outer locking tab fo

Assignees

• Gpi Frankfurt & Augsburg Gmbh
• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Spahlinger Carolin

Classifications

• B65D5/38

  Drawer-and-shell type containers · CPC title

• B65D5/20

  by folding-up portions connected to a central panel from all sides to form a container body, e.g. of tray-like form (specially constructed to allow collapsing and re-erecting without disengagement of side or bottom connections B65D5/36) · CPC title

• B65D2215/02

  requiring the combination of simultaneous actions · CPC title

• B65D2215/06

  based on the difference in size between children's and adults' hands · CPC title

• B65D5/685 Primary

  having an inwardly or upwardly extending tab on the lid side wall cooperating with a tab on, or an opening in, the container side wall · CPC title