Patent Application
20130126366
The present disclosure generally relates to packages or carriers for holding, displaying, and/or carrying containers.
In general, one aspect of the disclosure is directed to a carrier for holding a plurality of containers. The carrier can comprise a bottom panel, a top panel at least partially in face-to-face contact with the bottom panel, a handle comprising a bottom gripping portion in the bottom panel and a top gripping portion in the top panel, and at least one container receiver for at least partially receiving a respective container of the plurality of containers. The at least one container receiver is foldably connected to the handle.
In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers. The blank can comprise a bottom panel, a top panel foldably connected to the bottom panel along a longitudinal fold line, and a bottom gripping portion in the bottom panel and a top gripping portion in the top panel. The bottom gripping portion is for being positioned relative to the top gripping portion to form a handle when the carrier is formed from the blank. The blank can further comprise at least one bottom container-receiving portion foldably connected to the bottom gripping portion in the bottom panel and at least one top container-receiving portion foldably connected to the top gripping portion in the top panel. The at least one bottom container-receiving portion can be positionable relative to the at least one top container-receiving portion to form at least one container receiver for at least partially receiving a respective container of the plurality of containers when the carrier is formed from the blank, the at least one container receiver being foldably connected to the handle.
In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a method of forming a package comprising a carrier and a plurality of containers. The method can comprise obtaining a carrier blank comprising a bottom panel, a top panel foldably connected to the bottom panel along a longitudinal fold line, a bottom gripping portion in the bottom panel, a top gripping portion in the top panel, at least one bottom container-receiving portion foldably connected to the bottom gripping portion in the bottom panel, and at least one top container-receiving portion foldably connected to the top gripping portion in the top panel. The method can further comprise forming a handle and at least one container receiver by folding the top panel along the longitudinal fold line into face-to-face contact with the bottom panel so that the top gripping portion is substantially in face-to-face contact with the bottom gripping portion to form the handle and the at least one bottom container-receiving portion is in face-to-face contact with the at least one top container-receiving portion to form the at least one container receiver. The method can further comprise inserting at least a portion of a container of the plurality of containers into the at least one container receiver.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above stated advantages and other advantages and benefits of various additional embodiments reading the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the below-listed drawing figures. It is within the scope of the present disclosure that the above-discussed aspects be provided both individually and in various combinations.
According to common practice, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features and elements in the drawings may be expanded or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the disclosure.
Corresponding parts are designated by corresponding reference numbers throughout the drawings.
The present disclosure generally relates to carriers, constructs, sleeves, cartons, or the like, and packages for holding and displaying containers such as jars, bottles, cans, etc. The containers can be used for packaging food and beverage products, for example. The containers can be made from materials suitable in composition for packaging the particular food or beverage item, and the materials include, but are not limited to, plastics such as PET, LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, PP, PS, PVC, EVOH, and Nylon; and the like; aluminum and/or other metals; glass; or any combination thereof.
Carriers according to the present disclosure can accommodate containers of numerous different shapes. For the purpose of illustration and not for the purpose of limiting the scope of the disclosure, the following detailed description describes beverage product containers (e.g., plastic containers) at least partially disposed within the carrier embodiments. In this specification, the terms “lower,” “bottom,” “upper,” and “top” indicate orientations determined in relation to fully erected carriers or packages.
The present embodiments are addressed to carriers or packages for attachment to and accommodation of containers. A carrier or package 150 is illustrated in its erected state in
In
According to the illustrated embodiment, the bottom panel 10 includes two bottom container-receiving portions 12 and a bottom gripping portion 14. A bottom opening 30 extends between two bottom retainer flaps 32 in each bottom container-receiving portion 12, and each bottom opening 30 is shaped and sized to receive the upper neck portion N of a container C (
According to the exemplary embodiment, each of the bottom end portions 34 can be defined by longitudinal fold lines 36 and the lateral cut lines 33. As shown in
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the top panel 20 is similar in shape and functionality as the bottom panel 10. As shown in
According to the exemplary embodiment, each of the top end portions 54 can be defined by longitudinal fold lines 56 and the lateral cut lines 53. As shown in
As shown in
Handle features of the blank 8 for forming the handle 7 include the bottom gripping portion 14 of the bottom panel 10 and the top gripping portion 24 of the top panel 20. The blank 8 could have other handle features without departing from the disclosure. Additionally, the blank 8 could have more than one bottom gripping portion in the bottom panel 10 and more than one top gripping portion in the top panel 20 for forming more than one handle in the carrier 150.
An exemplary method of erecting the carrier 150 is discussed in detail below. At various stages in the erecting, respective portions of the blank 8 are mounted to one another in any suitable manner. For example, at various stages of the erecting process, glue or other adhesive material can be applied at various portions of the blank 8. For example, the adhesive material may be present where appropriate surfaces of the blank are in face-to-face contact. Depending upon the amount and/or type of adhesive material or other fastening mechanisms used, each of the face-to-face contacts described in this disclosure may be more generally referred to as the respective features being in substantially face-to-face contact or at least partially in face-to-face contact.
The erected carrier 150 illustrated in
The carrier 150 can then be placed onto the containers C such that the neck portion N of each of the containers is respectively received in the openings 202 and the retainer flaps 204 are respectively upwardly folded. Particularly, the retainer flaps 204 pivot outwardly as the cap CP passes through the opening 202 until the shoulder S passes through. The retainer flaps 204 then can pivot inwardly so the edges 208 of the retainer flaps 204 engage the shoulder S or other suitable feature at opposite sides of the containers C to at least partially provide a retaining force for holding the containers in the carrier (
A user can carry the assembled package and containers by gripping the handle 7 with a thumb on one side of the handle and a finger on the other side of the handle as shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the carrier 150 is retained on the containers C by the engagement of the retainer flaps 204 with portions of the shoulders S of the containers. The edges 208 of the flaps 204 engage an underside of a respective shoulder S at opposite sides of each container to apply a retention force that tends to prevent withdrawal of each container from the carrier. The retention force from the engagement of the retaining edges 204 with the shoulder S creates an upward bias force that retains the container C and resists removal of the containers. In addition, the narrowing of openings 202 toward the end panels 206 can bias the containers toward the handle 7. In one embodiment, the upward bias force may be overcome or eliminated such as by tearing or manipulation of the carrier 150, in order to withdraw the container C from the carrier. The containers C can be otherwise retained in the carrier without departing from the disclosure.
According to the exemplary embodiment, a container C can be removed from the carrier 150 by squeezing the container receivers 200 at one end of the carrier inwardly and downwardly to pivot the retainer flaps 204 away from the shoulder S. The container C can then be pulled downwardly so that the shoulder S and cap CP pass through the opening 202.
Alternatively, a container C can be removed from the carrier 150 by tearing away the adjacent end panel 206 from the carrier 150. Particularly, the end portions 34, 54 of the container-receiving portions 12, 22 forming the end panel 206 can be torn along the respective lines 36, 56. The user can reach into the opening 202 with a finger and pull upwardly and outwardly on the end panel 206 to tear it along lines 36, 56. The remaining portions of the container-receiving portions 12, 22 can then pivot about respective fold lines 44, 64 to allow the retainer flaps 204 to move apart. The container C can then easily slide out of the opening 202. The carrier 150 can have other dispensing features to remove the containers C from the carrier 150 without departing from the disclosure.
In the illustrated embodiment, the container receivers 200 are foldably connected to the handle 7 at fold lines 44, 64. The foldable connection between the container receivers 200 and the handle 7 allows the container receivers to flex when the carrier is lifted by grasping the handle. The container receivers 200 could be otherwise shaped, arranged, and/or configured without departing from the disclosure. Further, the carrier 150 could have additional container receivers that are foldably connected to a respective one of the container receivers 200 shown to accommodate additional containers C without departing from the disclosure. Also, the carrier 150 could have a line of weakness for separating a respective container receiver 200 from the carrier to facilitate dispensing of the containers C from the carrier.
In general, the blank may be constructed from paperboard having a caliper so that it is heavier and more rigid than ordinary paper. The blank can also be constructed of other materials, such as cardboard, or any other material having properties suitable for enabling the carton to function at least generally as described above.
The blank can be coated with, for example, a clay coating. The clay coating may then be printed over with product, advertising, and other information or images. The blanks may then be coated with a varnish to protect information printed on the blanks. The blanks may also be coated with, for example, a moisture barrier layer, on either or both sides of the blanks. The blanks can also be laminated to or coated with one or more sheet-like materials at selected panels or panel sections.
The above embodiments may be described as having one or panels adhered together by glue. The term “glue” is intended to encompass all manner of adhesives commonly used to secure paperboard carton panels in place, and the adhesive material can be replaced by, or supplemented with any suitable fastening devices.
The term “line” as used herein includes not only straight lines, but also other types of lines such as curved, curvilinear or angularly displaced lines.
In accordance with the exemplary embodiments, a fold line can be any substantially linear, although not necessarily straight, form of weakening that facilitates folding therealong. More specifically, but not for the purpose of narrowing the scope of the present disclosure, fold lines include: a score line, such as lines formed with a blunt scoring knife, or the like, which creates a crushed or depressed portion in the material along the desired line of weakness; a cut that extends partially into a material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of cuts that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness; and various combinations of these features. In situations where cutting is used to create a fold line, typically the cutting will not be overly extensive in a manner that might cause a reasonable user to incorrectly consider the fold line to be a tear line.
As an example, a tear line can include: a slit that extends partially into the material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of spaced apart slits that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness, or various combinations of these features. As a more specific example, one type tear line is in the form of a series of spaced apart slits that extend completely through the material, with adjacent slits being spaced apart slightly so that a nick (e.g., a small somewhat bridging-like piece of the material) is defined between the adjacent slits for typically temporarily connecting the material across the tear line. The nicks are broken during tearing along the tear line. The nicks typically are a relatively small percentage of the tear line, and alternatively the nicks can be omitted from or torn in a tear line such that the tear line is a continuous cut line. That is, it is within the scope of the present disclosure for each of the tear lines to be replaced with a continuous slit, cut line, or the like. For example, a cut line can be a continuous slit or could be wider than a slit without departing from the present disclosure.
The foregoing description of the disclosure illustrates and describes various embodiments. As various changes could be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Furthermore, the scope of the present disclosure covers various modifications, combinations, alterations, etc., of the above-described embodiments that are within the scope of the claims. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only selected embodiments of the disclosure, but the disclosure is capable of use in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings, and/or within the skill or knowledge of the relevant art. Furthermore, certain features and characteristics of each embodiment may be selectively interchanged and applied to other illustrated and non-illustrated embodiments of the disclosure.
This application is a continuation application of PCT/US2011/045704, filed Jul. 28, 2011, which application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/400,625, filed Jul. 30, 2010. The disclosures of PCT/US2011/045704, which was filed on Jul. 28, 2011, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/400,625, which was filed on Jul. 30, 2010, are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if presented herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61400625 | Jul 2010 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/US2011/045704 | Jul 2011 | US |
| Child | 13721993 | US |
