Container clip for engaging at least one container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9669976-B2
Application number	US-201514680357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2015
Priority date	Apr 11, 2014
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A container clip for engaging at least one container having a top rim and a bottom rim. The container clip can comprise a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the container clip. The interior can be for receiving at least a portion of the at least one container. The plurality of panels can comprise a top panel and a bottom panel disposed generally opposite the top panel. At least one top locking flap can be foldably connected to the top panel for engaging the top rim of the at least one container for at least partially coupling the container clip to the at least one container. At least one bottom locking flap can be foldably connected to the bottom panel for engaging the bottom rim of the at least one container for at least partially coupling the container clip to the at least one container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container clip and at least one container, each container of the at least one container having a diameter, a top rim, and a bottom rim, the container clip comprising:
a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the container clip, the interior being for receiving at least a portion of the at least one container, the plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel disposed generally opposite the top panel, a first side panel extending at least partially between the top panel and the bottom panel, and a second side panel extending at least partially between the top panel and the bottom panel, wherein the first side panel and the second side panel are spaced apart from one another by a distance that is less than the diameter of each container of the at least one container;
at least one top locking flap foldably connected to the top panel for engaging the top rim of the at least one container for at least partially coupling the container clip to the at least one container; and
at least one bottom locking flap foldably connected to the bottom panel for engaging the bottom rim of the at least one container for at least partially coupling the container clip to the at least one container;
wherein the top panel has a top width extending away from the at least one top locking flap, the bottom panel has a bottom width extending away from the at least one bottom locking flap, the first side panel has a side width extending generally parallel to at least one of the top width and the bottom width, and the side width is less than at least one of the top width and the bottom width.

2. The container clip and at least one container of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one top locking flap and the at least one bottom locking flap comprises a curved edge for engaging an interior surface of the respective top rim and bottom rim.

3. The container clip and at least one container of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one top locking flap and the at least one bottom locking flap is disposed at least partially in face-to-face contact with a respective inner surface of the respective top panel and bottom panel.

4. The container clip and at least one container of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises at least one bevel panel foldably connected to at least one of the top panel and the bottom panel along a first fold line and to the first side panel along a second fold line, and the top width, the bottom width, and the side width are generally parallel to the first fold line.

5. The container clip and at least one container of claim 4 , wherein the at least one bevel panel comprises oblique edges.

6. The container clip and at least one container of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a top bevel panel foldably connected to each of the top panel and the first side panel and a bottom bevel panel foldably connected to each of the bottom panel and the first side panel.

7. The container clip and at least one container of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one container comprises a first container and a second container, the interior of the container clip being for receiving at least a portion of each of the first container and the second container;
the at least one top locking flap comprises a first top locking flap and a second top locking flap, the top width extending from the first top locking flap to the second top locking flap; and
the first top locking flap is for engaging the top rim of the first container, and the second top locking flap is for engaging the top rim of the second container.

8. The container clip and at least one container of claim 7 , wherein the at least one bottom locking flap comprises a first bottom locking flap for engaging the bottom rim of the first container and a second bottom locking flap for engaging the bottom rim of the second container, the bottom width extending from the first bottom locking flap to the second bottom locking flap.

9. The container clip and at least one container of claim 8 , wherein the top panel at least partially overlaps each of the first top locking flap and the second top locking flap, and each of the first bottom locking flap and the second bottom locking flap at least partially overlaps the bottom panel.

10. The container clip and at least one container of claim 7 , wherein the first side panel is foldably connected to at least one of the top panel and the bottom panel, the first side panel being for extending at least partially between the first container and the second container.

11. The container clip and at least one container of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one container comprises a first container and a second container, the interior of the container clip being for receiving at least a portion of each of the first container and the second container;
the at least one bottom locking flap comprises a first bottom locking flap and a second bottom locking flap; and
the first bottom locking flap is for engaging the bottom rim of the first container, and the second bottom locking flap is for engaging the bottom rim of the second container.

12. The container clip and at least one container of claim 1 , wherein the first side panel comprises a first free edge and a second free edge, and the side width extends from the first free edge to the second free edge.

13. The container clip and at least one container of claim 12 , wherein each of the first free edge and the second free edge of the first side panel is oblique so that at least a portion of the first side panel is tapered.

14. The container clip and at least one container of claim 13 , wherein a top bevel panel is foldably connected to the top panel and to the first side panel, the top bevel panel comprises a third free edge and a fourth free edge, and the third free edge and the fourth free edge are oblique so that the top bevel panel is tapered from the top panel to the first side panel.

15. The container clip and at least one container of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a bottom bevel panel foldably connected to the first side panel and the bottom panel, the bottom bevel panel comprises a fifth free edge and a sixth free edge, and the fifth free edge and the sixth free edge are oblique so that the bottom bevel panel is tapered from the bottom panel to the first side panel.

16. A container assembly comprising:
at least a first container, a second container, and a third container, the first container comprising a first rim, the second container comprising a second rim, and the third container comprising a third rim;
a first container clip engaging the first container and the second container, the first container clip comprising a first top panel, a first bottom panel disposed generally opposite the first top panel, a first side panel extending at least partially between the first top panel and the first bottom panel, a first locking flap, and a second locking flap, each of the first locking flap and the second locking flap being foldably connected to one of the first top panel and the first bottom panel;
a second container clip engaging the second container and the third container, the second container clip comprising a second top panel, a second bottom panel disposed generally opposite the second top panel, a second side panel extending at least partially between the second top panel and the second bottom panel, a third locking flap, and a fourth locking flap, each of the third locking flap and the fourth locking flap being foldably connected to one of the second t

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc

Inventors

• Kastanek Raymond S
• Fogle James C

Classifications

• B65D71/42 Primary

  formed by folding a single blank into a single layer element · CPC title

• B65D71/46 Primary

  formed by folding a single blank into a tubular element · CPC title