Carton With Article Protection Insert

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016244231-A1
Application number	US-201615146298-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 4, 2016
Priority date	May 6, 2011
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A carton for containing at least one article. The carton comprises a plurality of panels at least partially forming an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises a top panel. The carton comprises an article protection flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels. The article protection flap is moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the top panel and a second position wherein the article protection flap is folded relative to the top panel. The at least one access feature in the top panel is for positioning the article protection flap from the first position to the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A carton containing a plurality of articles, the carton comprising:
a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel; an article protection insert comprising a middle portion, two outer portions, and a plurality of features for engaging a respective article of the plurality of articles; and a plurality of access features in the top panel aligning with the middle portion and two outer portions of the article protection insert, and the article protection insert is positionable from a first position wherein the middle portion is generally coplanar with the two outer portions to a second position wherein the outer portions are folded relative to the middle portion and the plurality of features engages a respective article of the plurality of articles.

2 . The carton of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of features comprise at least one opening in the article protection insert, the at least one opening receiving at least a portion of an article of the plurality of articles in the second position.

3 . The carton of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of features comprise at least one notch in an edge of the article protection insert, the at least one notch being in engagement with at least a portion of an article of the plurality of articles in the second position.

4 . The carton of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of articles comprises containers having a cap and a shoulder, the plurality of features being in contact with one of the cap and the shoulder in the second position.

5 . The carton of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of features engage a respective cap of a respective article of the plurality of articles in the second position.

6 . The carton of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of features engage a respective shoulder of a respective article of the plurality of articles in the second position.

7 . The carton of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of access features comprises a plurality of openings in the top panel.

8 . The carton of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of openings in the top panel comprises a plurality of cuts.

9 . The carton of claim 4 , wherein the middle portion being in face-to-face contact with the top panel and the two outer portions extending downwardly from the middle portion in the second position.

10 . The carton of claim 9 , wherein the middle portion is in contact with respective caps of the containers, the outer portions each comprising notches in a respective outer edge, the notches engaging respective containers at a location below the shoulder in the second position.

11 . The carton of claim 10 , wherein the middle portion has openings and tabs adjacent the openings, the tabs being in contact with a top surface of a cap of the containers and the openings receiving at least a portion of the cap of the containers in the second position.

12 . The carton of claim 1 , wherein the middle portion comprises a top panel of the article protection insert, the two outer portions comprises a first side panel of the article protection insert foldably connected to the top panel of the article protection insert, and a second side panel of the article protection insert foldably connected to the top panel of the article protection insert, the top panel of the article protection insert having the at least one opening.

13 . The carton of claim 12 , wherein the containers are arranged in adjacent rows in the carton, the first side panel of the article protection insert and the second side panel of the article protection insert being respectively folded relative to the top panel of the article protection insert to be located between adjacent rows of containers.

14 . The carton of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first side panel of the article protection insert and the second side panel of the article protection insert having article protection flaps that are moveable from a first position substantially parallel to the one of the first side panel of the article protection insert and the second side panel of the article protection insert and a second position for placement between containers of an adjacent row of containers.

15 . The carton of claim 1 , wherein the middle portion extends downwardly from the two outer portions in the second position.

16 . The carton of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of articles comprises containers having a cap and a shoulder, the article retention features in the middle portion contact a portion of the articles below the shoulder in the second position, article retention features in the two outer portions contact the cap of the articles to restrain movement of the containers in the carton in the second position.

17 . The carton of claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser, the dispenser comprising a dispenser panel at least partially defined by at least one dispenser pattern extending in at least the top panel, the plurality of access features being in the dispenser panel.

18 . The carton of claim 1 , wherein the carton further comprising at least one article protection flap foldably connected to the bottom panel, the at least one article protection flap is moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the bottom panel and a second position wherein the at least one article protection flap is folded relative to the bottom panel.

19 . The carton of claim 18 , wherein the article protection flap is for contact with a bottom portion of at least one article of the plurality of articles, and the article protection insert is for contact with a top portion of at least one article of the plurality of articles.

20 . In combination, a carton blank and an article protection insert blank for forming a carton for containing a plurality of articles,
the carton blank comprising:
a plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel, and a plurality of access features in the top panel for positioning the article protection insert blank; and
the article protection insert blank comprising a middle portion, two outer portions and a plurality of features for engaging a respective article of the plurality of articles, the plurality of access features being for aligning with the middle portion and two outer portions of the article protection insert when the carton is formed from the carton blank and being for positioning the article protection insert blank from a first position wherein the middle portion is generally coplanar with the two outer portions to a second position wherein the outer portions are folded relative to the middle portion and the plurality of features engages a respective article of the plurality of articles.

21 . The combination of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of features comprise at least one opening in the article protection insert blank, the at least one opening being for receiving at least a portion of an article of the plurality of articles in the second position.

22 . The combination of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of features comprise at least one notch in an edge of the article protection insert blank, the at least one notch being for engagement with at least a portion of an article of the plurality of articles in the second position.

23 . The combination of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of acc

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc

Inventors

• Alexander O'Neal
• Spivey Sr Raymond R
• Baldino Mark
• Gonzalez Ana
• Holley Jr John Murdick

Classifications

• B65D5/42

  Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks · CPC title

• B65D5/4608

  Handgrip holes · CPC title

• B65D5/5026

  Hollow frame-like elements surrounding the object · CPC title

• B65B5/10

  Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles · CPC title

• B65D2571/00728

  the end walls being closed by gluing · CPC title