Carton with article protection features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9394094-B2
Application number	US-201514633459-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2015
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A carton for holding a plurality of containers. The carton can include a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels including a top panel, and an insert including a central panel, an inner end flap foldably connected to the central panel, and at least one crown guard flap foldably connected to the inner end flap adjacent a crown guard relief in the insert. The crown guard flap can be connected to at least a portion of the central panel by a collapsing nick. The top panel can at least partially overlap the central panel, and the crown guard flap can be positioned for contact with at least one container of the plurality of containers with the collapsing nick being at least partially folded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carton for holding a plurality of containers, the carton comprises:
a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising a top panel;
an insert comprising a central panel, an inner end flap foldably connected to the central panel, and at least one crown guard flap foldably connected to the inner end flap adjacent a crown guard relief in the insert, the crown guard flap being connected to at least a portion of the central panel by a collapsing nick, and the at least one crown guard flap comprising a first portion foldably connected to the inner end flap and a second portion foldably connected to the first portion; and
a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels, the plurality of end flaps being at least partially overlapped with respect to one another to thereby at least partially form a closed end of the carton, the plurality of end flaps comprising a top end flap foldably connected to the top panel and at least partially overlapping the inner end flap and being in face-to-face contact with the inner end flap;
wherein the top panel at least partially overlaps the central panel, and the crown guard flap is positioned for contact with at least one container of the plurality of containers with the collapsing nick being at least partially folded, and the first portion of the crown guard flap extends obliquely with respect to the inner end flap and the central panel, and the second portion of the crown guard flap is disposed adjacent the central panel.

2. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the central panel comprises a stop edge extending along the crown guard relief, and a distal edge of the crown guard flap is disposed adjacent the stop edge.

3. The carton of claim 2 , wherein the collapsing nick extends from the central panel adjacent the stop edge and extends from the crown guard flap adjacent the distal edge.

4. The carton of claim 2 , wherein the crown guard flap comprises the first portion foldably connected to the inner end flap and the second portion foldably connected to the first portion, and the second portion of the crown guard flap is disposed adjacent the stop edge of the central panel.

5. The carton of claim 4 , wherein the collapsing nick extends from the central panel adjacent the stop edge and from the second portion of the crown guard flap.

6. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the collapsing nick is continuous with the central panel adjacent the crown guard relief and is continuous with the crown guard flap adjacent the crown guard relief.

7. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the collapsing nick is a first collapsing nick, and the crown guard flap is further connected to the central panel by a second collapsing nick.

8. The carton of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the second portion of the crown guard flap is for being disposed between a top portion of the at least one container and the top panel.

9. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the crown guard flap is at least partially in face-to-face contact with the top panel.

10. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the inner end flap is foldably connected to the central panel along a first fold line, the first portion of the crown guard flap is foldably connected to the inner end flap along a second fold line, the second portion of the crown guard flap is foldably connected to the first portion of the crown guard flap along a third fold line, and each of the second fold line and the third fold line is spaced apart from the first fold line.

11. A carton for holding a plurality of containers, the carton comprises:
a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising a top panel; and
an insert comprising a central panel, an inner end flap foldably connected to the central panel, and at least one crown guard flap foldably connected to the inner end flap adjacent a crown guard relief in the insert, the crown guard flap being connected to at least a portion of the central panel by a collapsing nick;
wherein the top panel at least partially overlaps the central panel, the crown guard flap is positioned for contact with at least one container of the plurality of containers with the collapsing nick being at least partially folded, the inner end flap is foldably connected to the central panel along a first fold line, the first fold line is interrupted by the crown guard relief, the crown guard flap is foldably connected to the inner end flap along a second fold line, and the second fold line is spaced apart from the first fold line and the central panel.

12. The carton of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the crown guard flap extends obliquely with respect to the inner end flap and the central panel.

13. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the crown guard flap is a first crown guard flap, the crown guard relief is a first crown guard relief, and the insert comprises a second crown guard flap foldably connected to the inner end flap adjacent a second crown guard relief.

14. The carton of claim 13 , wherein the collapsing nick is a first collapsing nick, and the second crown guard flap is connected to at least a portion of the central panel along a second collapsing nick.

15. The carton of claim 14 , wherein the first crown guard flap is further connected to the central panel by a third collapsing nick, and the second crown guard flap is further connected to the central panel by a fourth collapsing nick.

16. The carton of claim 13 , wherein the first crown guard flap comprises a first proximal portion foldably connected to the inner end flap and a first distal portion foldably connected to the first proximal portion, and the second crown guard flap comprises a second proximal portion foldably connected to the inner end flap and a second distal portion foldably connected to the second proximal portion.

17. The carton of claim 1 , further comprising a handle formed in the closed end, the handle extending in at least the top end flap and the inner end flap.

18. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the insert further comprises a crown retention panel foldably connected to the central panel and an attachment flap foldably connected to the crown retention panel.

19. The carton of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a side panel, at least a portion of the crown retention panel is spaced apart from the side panel in the interior of the carton for contacting at least one of the plurality of containers, and at least a portion of the attachment flap is at least partially in face-to-face contact with the side panel.

20. The carton of claim 19 , wherein the side panel is a first side panel, the carton further comprises a second side panel, and the insert further comprises a side flap foldably connected to the central panel along a lateral fold line, the side flap extending at least generally downwardly from the central panel and towards the second side panel in the interior of the carton.

21. A carton for holding a plurality of containers, the carton comprises:
a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising a top panel; and
an insert comprising a central panel, an inner end flap foldably connected to the central panel, and at least one crown guard flap foldably connected to the inner end flap adjacent a crown guard relief in the insert, the crown

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc

Inventors

• Holley Jr John Murdick
• Ford Colin P

Classifications

• B65D2571/0087

  Special features for machine processing, e.g. gripper apertures · CPC title

• B65D2571/00141

  glued · CPC title

• B65D2571/00592

  with means for reclosing · CPC title

• B65D2571/00814

  for reinforcing · CPC title

• B65D2571/0032

  inserted the wrapper · CPC title