Carton with article protection feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9573744-B2
Application number	US-201414490970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2014
Priority date	May 6, 2011
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

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:
a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton;
at least two end flaps respectively foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels, the end flaps being at least partially overlapped to close an end of the carton;
at least one article protection feature for protecting the at least one article, the at least one article protection feature is positioned between the at least two end flaps;
wherein the at least two end flaps comprises a first end flap and a second end flap, the first end flap comprises a first interior surface and an opposing first exterior surface, the second end flap comprises a second interior surface and an opposing second exterior surface, the article protection feature comprises at least one feature on one of the first end flap and the second end flap, the at least one feature comprises a first feature on the first end flap and a second feature on the second end flap, and the first feature and the second feature are generally aligned at the closed end;
wherein the first feature comprises a first deformation and the second feature comprises a second deformation, the first deformation comprises a first indentation on the first exterior surface of the first end flap, the second deformation comprises a second indentation on the second interior surface of the second end flap, the first indentation forms a first protrusion on the first interior surface of the first end flap, and the second indentation forms a second protrusion on the second exterior surface of the second end flap;
wherein the first indentation and the second indentation combine to form a pocket in the overlapped first and second end flaps, the pocket being for providing cushioning of the at least one article.

2. The carton of claim 1 wherein the pocket comprises a shock absorbing material that provides cushioning of the at least one of the articles.

3. The carton of claim 2 wherein the material is a thermoplastic adhesive.

4. The carton of claim 2 wherein the material is an adhesive, and the adhesive is further applied between the first end flap and the second end flap to secure the end flaps in a closed position.

5. The carton of claim 1 further comprising a third feature on the first end flap and a fourth feature on the second end flap, the third feature and the fourth feature are generally aligned at the closed end, the third feature comprises an indentation on the exterior surface of the first end flap and the fourth feature comprises an indentation on the interior surface of the second end flap, the pocket is a first pocket and the third feature and the fourth feature combine to form a second pocket in the overlapped first and second end flaps for providing cushioning of the at least one of the articles in the carton.

6. The carton of claim 5 wherein the second pocket comprises a shock absorbing material that provides cushioning of the at least one of the articles in the carton.

7. The carton of claim 5 wherein the plurality of panels comprises a bottom panel and the first pocket is spaced apart from the bottom panel by a first distance, the second pocket is spaced apart from the bottom panel by a second distance, the first distance is less than the second distance.

8. The carton of claim 5 wherein the plurality of panels comprises a bottom panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and the first end flap is a side end flap foldably connected to one of the first and second side panels, and the second end flap is a bottom end flap foldably connected to the bottom panel.

9. The carton of claim 1 further comprising at least one article protection flap for protecting the at least one article, the article protection flap is foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels and is moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the at least one panel and a second position wherein the article protection flap is folded relative to the at least one panel, the article protection flap has features for preventing folding of the article protection flap from the second position to the first position.

10. The carton of claim 9 wherein the features for preventing folding of the article protection flap from the second position to the first position comprise a first portion and a second portion of the article protection flap that are folded relative to each other when the article protection flap is in the second position.

11. The carton of claim 1 wherein the plurality of panels comprises a bottom panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and the first end flap is a side end flap foldably connected to one of the first and second side panels, the second end flap is a bottom end flap foldably connected to the bottom panel, and further comprising a third end flap foldably connected to one of the first and second side panels.

12. The carton of claim 1 wherein the pocket is a first pocket and one of the at least two end flaps comprises a base portion and a reinforcement flap foldably connected to the base portion, the one of the at least two end flaps comprises a third feature on the base portion and a fourth feature on the reinforcement flap, the third feature and the fourth feature are generally aligned at the closed end with the third feature and the fourth feature forming a second pocket adjacent the first pocket.

13. The carton of claim 12 wherein the third feature is an indentation on the interior surface of the base portion and the fourth feature is an indentation on the interior surface of the reinforcement flap.

14. The carton of claim 13 wherein the reinforcement flap is in generally face-to-face contact with the base portion.

15. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the at least two end flaps further comprise a third end flap, the at least one article protection feature further comprises a third indentation on the third end flap, and the third indentation at least partially receives at least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

16. The carton of claim 15 , wherein the third indentation is formed on a third exterior surface of the third end flap, the third indentation forms a third protrusion on a third interior surface of the third end flap, and the third protrusion extends into the interior of the carton for contacting the at least one article.

17. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion on the first interior surface of the first end flap extends into the interior of the carton for contacting the at least one article.

18. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the second protrusion on the second exterior surface of the second end flap extends on an exterior of the carton.

19. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion on the first interior surface of the first end flap extends into the interior of the carton for contacting the at least one article, and the second protrusion on the second exterior surface of the second end flap extends on an exterior of the carton.

20. A blank for forming a carton for containing at least one article, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels for extending at least partially around an interior of the carton formed from the blank;
at least two end flaps respectively foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc

Inventors

• Schmal Michael R
• Alexander O'Neal
• Baldino Mark
• Cerio Michael
• Holley Jr John Murdick
• Moncrief Frank N
• Kastanek Raymond S
• Ford Colin

Classifications

• B65D71/16

  with article-locating elements · CPC title

• B65D71/18 Primary

  Tabs inwardly folded tabs from the upper or lower wall · CPC title

• B65D2571/00141

  glued · CPC title

• B65D2571/00679

  Shrink films · CPC title

• B65B21/24

  Enclosing bottles in wrappers · CPC title