Carton with article protection feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487320-B2
Application number	US-201414248650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2014
Priority date	Apr 10, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A carton for containing at least one article. The carton comprises at least one panel that can form an interior of the carton. The carton comprises at least one protection feature for protecting the articles from breakage. The article protection feature can comprise at least one feature in end flaps of the carton. The article protection feature can comprise an article protection flap foldably connected to the at least one panel. The article protection flap can be moveable between a first position and a second position wherein the article protection flap is folded relative to the at least one panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carton for containing at least one article, the carton comprising:
at least one panel at least partially forming an interior of the carton; and
at least one article protection flap for protecting the at least one article, the at least one article protection flap being foldably connected to the at least one panel at a fold line and moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the at least one panel and a second position wherein the at least one article protection flap is folded relative to the at least one panel;
wherein the at least one article protection flap comprises features for preventing folding of the at least one article protection flap from the second position to the first position, the features comprising at least one stop edge that selectively engages the at least one panel;
wherein the at least one article protection flap comprises a corner that comprises an outermost portion of the at least one article protection flap spaced apart from the fold line, the corner comprises a notch, the notch at least partially comprises the stop edge and a shoulder, the shoulder comprises a curved edge and the stop edge having a substantially straight portion extending from the curved edge, the stop edge extending to the outermost portion of the article protection flap, and in the second position, the entire corner is in the interior of the carton and the outermost portion of the at least one article protection flap is in the interior of the carton, the shoulder engages an edge of the at least one panel, and the stop edge engages an interior surface of the at least one panel along an entire length of the substantially straight portion.

2. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the at least one panel comprises a receiving recess formed when the at least one article protection flap is folded into the second position.

3. The carton of claim 2 , wherein the notch of the at least one article protection flap selectively engages a corner portion of the receiving recess for at least partially retaining the at least one article protection flap in the second position.

4. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the at least one article protection flap comprises a first portion foldably connected to a second portion along a longitudinal fold line.

5. The carton of claim 4 , wherein the fold line is a lateral fold line and the at least one article protection flap is at least partially separable from the at least one panel along a cut line, and the longitudinal fold line extends from the lateral fold line to a portion of the cut line opposite to the lateral fold line.

6. The carton of claim 4 , wherein the notch is a first notch in the first portion, and the second portion comprises a second notch, the first notch and the second notch selectively engaging the edge of the at least one panel.

7. The carton of claim 6 , wherein the at least one article protection flap is at least partially separable from the at least one panel along a cut line, and the edge of the at least one panel is at least partially formed by the cut line when the at least one article protection flap is folded to the second position.

8. The carton of claim 6 , wherein the edge comprises a recess comprising a first recess corner and a second recess corner, the first notch selectively at least partially engages the first recess corner, and the second notch selectively at least partially engages the second recess corner.

9. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the fold line is a lateral fold line and the at least one article protection flap is at least partially separable from the at least one panel along a cut line, the cut line comprising a first portion extending from a first end of the lateral fold line and a second portion extending from a second end of the lateral fold line.

10. The carton of claim 9 , wherein the corner of the at least one article protection flap is a first corner, the first portion and the second portion respectively form the first corner and a second corner, and the cut line comprises a third portion extending from the first corner to the second corner.

11. The carton of claim 10 , wherein the third portion of the cut line at least partially defines a recess in the at least one panel.

12. The carton of claim 11 , wherein the notch is at least partially defined by the cut line, the notch selectively engaging the recess.

13. The carton of claim 9 , wherein the notch is at least partially defined by the cut line.

14. The carton of claim 1 , wherein in the second position the at least one article protection flap is free from any portion extending below the at least one panel.

15. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the corner comprises a first corner and a second corner, the at least one article protection flap comprises a tab portion extending between the first corner and the second corner, the tab portions comprises an edge of the at least one article protection flap that is opposite the fold line, and the outermost portion of the first corner and the outermost portion of the second corner are spaced farther from the fold line than the edge of the tab portion.

16. The carton of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of beverage bottles in the interior of the carton, wherein the movement of the article protection flap to its second position presses the article protection flap against each of two adjacent beverage bottles and moves the beverage bottles to accommodate the article protection flap.

17. A blank for forming a carton for containing at least one article, the blank comprising:
at least one panel for at least partially forming an interior of the carton formed from the blank; and
at least one article protection flap for protecting the at least one article, the at least one article protection flap being foldably connected to the at least one panel along a fold line and moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the at least one panel and a second position wherein the at least one article protection flap is folded relative to the at least one panel;
wherein the at least one article protection flap is at least partially defined by a line of weakening and comprises features for preventing folding of the article protection flap from the second position to the first position in the carton formed from the blank, the features comprising at least one stop edge for being at least partially formed by the line of weakening of the at least one article protection flap, the stop edge being for selectively engaging the at least one panel when the carton is formed from the blank;
wherein the line of weakening comprises a cut line comprising a first portion extending from a first end of the fold line and a second portion extending from a second end of the fold line, the first portion and the second portion respectively form a first corner and a second corner, the first corner and the second corner comprises outermost portions of the at least one article protection flap spaced apart from the fold line, the cut line comprises a third portion extending from the first corner to the second corner, and each of the first corner and the second corner comprises a notch at least partially defined by the first portion or the second portion of the cut line, the notch selectively engaging the at least one panel when the carton is formed from the blank, the notch comprises the stop edge and a shoulder, the shoulder comprises a curved edge and the stop edge having a substantially straight portion extending from the curved edge, the stop extending to a respective one of the outermost portions of the

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc

Inventors

• Holley Jr John Murdick

Classifications

• B65D71/12

  the packaging elements {, e.g. wrappers} being formed by folding a single blank · CPC title

• B65D2571/00524

  integral · CPC title

• B65D5/5002 Primary

  Integral elements for containers having tubular body walls · CPC title

• B65B21/24 Primary

  Enclosing bottles in wrappers · CPC title

• B65D2571/00753

  the end walls being closed by interlocking · CPC title