Patent Application
20140166519
The present invention generally relates to carriers or cartons for holding and displaying containers. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to basket-style carriers.
In general, one aspect of the disclosure is directed to a carrier for holding a plurality of containers. The carrier comprises panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carrier. The panels comprise a front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, at least one top panel foldably connected to one of the front panel and the back panel, and at least one handle panel foldably connected to the top panel. The at least one handle panel has a handle portion forming a handle of the carrier. The at least one handle panel is folded relative to the top panel. The at least one top panel comprises container receiving openings for receiving a respective container of the plurality of containers, each container receiving opening extends across the entire width of the top panel. At least a portion of the top panel and at least a portion of the handle panel are positioned between adjacent containers in the plurality of containers.
In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers. The blank comprises panels that comprise a front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, at least one top panel foldably connected to one of the front panel and the back panel, and at least one handle panel foldably connected to the top panel. The at least one handle panel has a handle portion forming a handle of the carrier formed from the blank. The at least one handle panel is for being folded relative to the top panel. The at least one top panel comprises container receiving openings for receiving a respective container of the plurality of containers. Each container receiving opening extends across the entire width of the top panel. At least a portion of the top panel and at least a portion of the handle panel are positioned between adjacent containers in the plurality of containers in the carrier formed from the blank
In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a method of forming a carrier for containing a plurality of containers. The method comprises obtaining a blank having panels that comprise a front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, at least one top panel foldably connected to one of the front panel and the back panel, and at least one handle panel foldably connected to the top panel. The at least one handle panel has a handle portion forming a handle of the carrier. The at least one top panel comprises container receiving openings extending across the entire width of the top panel. The method further comprises folding the at least one handle panel relative to the top panel to form the handle and positioning at least a portion of the top panel and at least a portion of the handle panel between adjacent containers in the plurality of containers.
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.
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, packages, constructs, sleeves, cartons, or the like, for holding, carrying, 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 containers (e.g., glass or plastic bottles) at least partially disposed within the carrier embodiments. In this specification, the terms “lower,” “bottom,” “upper,” “top,” “front,” and “back” indicate orientations determined in relation to fully erected carriers.
The blank 3 has a longitudinal axis L1 and a lateral axis L2. The blank 3 has a front panel 6, a back panel 8, a bottom panel 10, a first side panel 12, and a second side panel 14. The bottom panel 10 is foldably connected to the front panel 6 and to the back panel 8. A first top panel 16 is foldably connected to the front panel 6. A second top panel 18 is foldably connected to the back panel 8.
In one embodiment, the front panel 6 is foldably connected to a first end flap 20 and a second end flap 22. The back panel 8 is foldably connected to a first end flap 26 and a second end flap 28. When the carrier 5 is erected, the end flaps 20, 26 cooperate with the side panel 12 to partially close one end of the carrier and the end flaps 22, 28 cooperate with the side panel 14 to partially close a second end of the carrier. In accordance with alternative embodiments of the disclosure, different flap arrangements can be used for closing the ends of the carrier 5.
The end flaps 20, 26 and side panel 12 may extend along a first marginal area of the blank 3, and may be foldably connected at respective portions of a first longitudinal fold line 30 that extends along at least a portion of the length of the blank 3. The end flaps 22, 28 and side panel 14 may extend along a second marginal area of the blank 3 and may be foldably connected at respective portions of a second longitudinal fold line 32 that also extends along at least a portion of the length of blank 3. The longitudinal fold lines 30, 32 may be, for example, substantially straight, or offset at one or more locations to account for blank thickness or other factors.
In the illustrated embodiment, the front panel 6 is respectively foldably connected to the first top panel 16 at a lateral fold line 34 and is foldably connected to the bottom panel 10 at a lateral fold line 36. The back panel 8 is respectively foldably connected to the second top panel 18 at a lateral fold line 44 and is foldably connected to the bottom panel 10 at a lateral fold line 46. In one embodiment, the bottom panel 10 includes openings 33. The openings 33 can allow for accumulated moisture to drain from carton 5. In accordance with alternative embodiments of the disclosure, the openings 33 can be otherwise shaped, positioned, arranged, and/or omitted without departing from the disclosure.
In one embodiment, the first top panel 16 is foldably connected to a first handle panel 54 at lateral fold line 58. The first handle panel 54 comprises handle features including a respective handle opening 62 and handle flap 60 foldably connected to the first handle panel 54 at respective lateral fold line 64. The second top panel 18 is foldably connected to a second handle panel 66 at lateral fold line 76. The second handle panel 66 comprises handle features including a respective handle opening 78 and handle flap 80 foldably connected to the second handle panel 66 at respective lateral fold line 82. In one embodiment, the first handle panel 54 and second handle panel 66 have lateral fold lines 65 that connect base portions 67 of the handle panels 54, 66 to distal portions 69 of the handle panels.
In one embodiment, the first top panel 16 comprises lateral fold lines 102, 104, 106 for positioning the first top panel 16 relative to the first handle panel 54. As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the portions 101, 103, 105, 107 and the fold lines 102, 104, 106, allow the first top panel 16 to be shaped and contoured to be other than flat (i.e., such as arch or curve shaped). In one embodiment, the lateral fold lines 102, 104, 106 allow the portions 101, 103, 105, 107 of the first top panel 16 to be positioned as shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the second top panel 18 is shaped similar to the first top panel 16 and includes identical features that are identified by like reference numbers as the features described above for the first top panel 16. In one embodiment, the first handle panel 54 includes glue lines 112, 114, 116, 118 for adhering the first handle panel 54 to the second handle panel 66. Alternatively, the first handle panel 54 and the second handle panel 66 could be affixed together by other means, such as stapling or a locking arrangement with male and female locking tabs, without departing from the disclosure.
In the illustrated embodiment, the lower portions of each of the front panel 6 and the back panel 8 comprise three generally crescent-shaped apertures 126. In one embodiment, the apertures 126 extend between a respective lateral fold lines 36, 46 adjacent the bottom panel 10 and a respective lateral fold line 130, 132 that extends across a respective front or back panel 6, 8. In one embodiment, the apertures 126 extend into portions of the bottom panel 10. Once the carrier 5 is erected, the apertures 126 secure the base B of container C such that as the bottom edge of a respective container extends outward from an aperture 126 and the aperture limits movement of a respective container. Alternatively, one or more of the apertures 126 could be otherwise shaped, arranged, configured, and/or omitted without departing from the disclosure.
With reference to
Next, the caps CP of containers C are moved through the openings 92, 94, 96, in the top panels 16, 18, as shown in
In one embodiment, the carrier 5 may be carried at the carrier handle 142 by pushing flaps 64, 80 to either side then grasping the handle panels 54, 66. Containers C can be removed from the carrier 5 by pulling the carrier handle 142 upward to the raised position as shown in
As shown in
The exemplary carrier embodiment discussed above accommodates six containers C arranged in two rows of three containers, but the present disclosure is not limited to these numbers. As one example, additional containers may be accommodated by increasing the size of the blank 3 (e.g., in the lateral direction L2 in
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.
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 of 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, 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.
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.
The above embodiments may be described as having one or more panels adhered together by glue during erection of the carrier embodiments. The term “glue” is intended to encompass all manner of adhesives commonly used to secure carton panels in place.
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. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only selected embodiments, but various other combinations, modifications, and environments are within the scope of the disclosure 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 claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/848,004, filed on Dec. 19, 2012. The disclosure of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/848,004, filed on Dec. 19, 2012, is hereby incorporated by reference as if presented herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61848004 | Dec 2012 | US |
