Carton with article protection feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840358-B2
Application number	US-201313803817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

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 first panel and a second panel, the first panel and the second panel being in face-to-face contact to at least partially form the interior of the carton. The first panel comprises at least one article protection flap for protecting the at least one article. The at least one article protection flap is foldably connected to the first panel and moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the first panel and a second position wherein the article protection flap is folded relative to the first panel. The second panel comprises at least one access feature for positioning the at least one 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 at least partially forming an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising a first bottom panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the first bottom panel, a top panel foldably connected to the first side panel, a second side panel foldably connected to the top panel, and a second bottom panel, the first bottom panel and the second bottom panel being in face-to-face contact to at least partially form the interior of the carton,
a first plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels, and a second plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to respective panels of the plurality of panels, the first plurality of end flaps being at least partially overlapped to close a first end of the carton, and the second plurality of end flaps being at least partially overlapped to close a second end of the carton,
the plurality of articles comprises at least a first article and a second article that are adjacent and in the interior of the carton,
the first bottom panel comprising at least one article protection flap foldably connected to the first bottom panel and moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the first bottom panel and a second position wherein the at least one article protection flap is folded relative to the first bottom panel into the interior of the carton and into contact with the first article and the second article such that the first bottom panel comprises an opening when the at least one article protection flap is in the second position, the at least one article protection flap comprising a first flap portion and a second flap portion foldably connected to the first flap portion at a fold line, in the second position the first flap portion and the second flap portion are folded relative to each other and the first flap portion contacts at least the first article and the second flap portion contacts at least the second article, and
the second bottom panel comprising at least one access feature for positioning the at least one article protection flap from the first position to the second position, the at least one access feature comprising a cut to allow access to the at least one article protection flap through the cut, the second bottom panel substantially covers the opening when the at least one article protection flap is in the second position.

2. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the at least one access feature is in registration with the at least one article protection flap.

3. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the first bottom panel is in contact with a bottom of the at least one article.

4. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the at least one article protection flap has features for preventing folding of the at least one article protection flap from the second position to the first position.

5. The carton of claim 4 , wherein the first bottom panel comprises an opening having an opening edge at least partially formed by a line of weakening defining at least a portion of the at least one article protection flap, and the features for preventing folding of the at least one article protection flap comprise a free edge of at least one of the first flap portion and the second flap portion that extends beyond the opening edge.

6. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the at least one article protection flap comprises a plurality of article protection flaps, the at least one access feature comprises a plurality of access features, the first article comprises a plurality of first articles, the second article comprises a plurality of second articles, and each article protection flap of the plurality of article protection flaps is positioned between a respective first article and a respective second article of the plurality of articles.

7. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the first bottom panel is in contact with a bottom of the plurality of articles, and the top panel is adjacent a top of the plurality of articles.

8. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the first bottom panel is an insert in face-to-face contact with the second bottom panel.

9. The carton of claim 1 , wherein the cut is a first portion of the at least one access feature, the at least one access feature further comprising a second portion perpendicular to the first portion.

10. The carton of claim 9 , wherein the at least one access feature further comprises a third portion oblique to the first portion.

11. A blank for forming a carton for containing at least one article, the blank comprising
a plurality of panels for at least partially forming an interior of the carton formed from the blank, the plurality of panels comprising a first panel and a second panel, the first panel and the second panel are for being in face-to-face contact to at least partially form the interior of the carton formed from the blank,
the first panel comprising at least one article protection flap foldably connected to the first panel and moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the first panel and a second position wherein the at least one article protection flap is folded relative to the first panel such that the first bottom panel comprises an opening when the at least one article protection flap is in the second position, the at least one article protection flap has features for preventing folding of the at least one article protection flap from the second position to the first position comprising a first flap portion of the at least one article protection flap and a second flap portion of the at least one article protection flap foldably connected to the first flap portion at a fold line, the first flap portion and the second flap portion are for being folded relative to each other when the article protection flap is in the second position in the carton formed from the blank, in the second position the first flap portion is in contact with at least a first article, the second flap portion is in contact with at least a second article in the carton formed from the blank, and
the second panel comprising at least one access feature for positioning the at least one article protection flap from the first position to the second position, the at least one access feature comprising a cut to allow access to the at least one article protection flap through the cut in the carton formed from the blank, the second panel is for substantially covering the opening when the carton is formed from the blank and the at least one article protection flap is in the second position.

12. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the at least one access feature is positioned in the second panel for registration with the at least one article protection flap in the carton formed from the blank.

13. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the first panel comprises a line of weakening at least partially defining the at least one article retention flap, the line of weakening forming an opening having an opening edge in the carton formed from the blank, the features for preventing folding of the article protection flap comprise a free edge of at least one of the first flap portion and the second flap portion that extends beyond the opening edge in the carton formed from the blank.

14. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the at least one article protection flap comprises a plurality of article protection flaps, the at least one access feature comprises a plurality of access features, the at least one article comprises a plurality of adjacent articles, and each article protection flap of the plurality of article protection flaps i

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc

Inventors

• Oliveira Steven M

Classifications

• B65D2571/0066

  formed from one single sheet · CPC title

• B65D2571/00265

  extending from the upper or lower wall · CPC title

• B65D2571/00141

  glued · CPC title

• B65D2571/00728

  the end walls being closed by gluing · CPC title

• B65D71/36 Primary

  {having a tubular shape, e.g. tubular wrappers, with} end walls · CPC title