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US 11,760,549 B2Granted
Carton with article protection insert
AssigneeGraphic Packaging International, Inc.
InventorsO'Neal Alexander, Raymond R. Spivey, Sr., Mark Baldino, Ana Gonzalez, John Murdick Holley, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton includes a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. An article protection insert comprises a plurality of features for engaging a respective article of the plurality of articles. At least one access feature is in the top panel for positioning the article protection insert to a position wherein the features engage at least one article of the plurality of articles.
Claims14
A carton containing a plurality of articles, the carton comprising:
- a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;
- an article protection insert comprising a plurality of features, the plurality of features comprising at least one opening in the article protection insert, the at least one opening engaging a respective article of the plurality of articles, wherein the article protection insert is positioned in the interior of the carton and is spaced apart from the top panel and the bottom panel of the carton:
- the article protection insert comprises a middle portion and two outer portions, the middle portion comprises at least one feature of the plurality of features, the middle portion comprises a top panel of the article protection insert, the two outer portions comprise a first side panel of the article protection insert foldably connected to the top panel of the article protection insert, and a second side panel of the article protection insert foldably connected to the top panel of the article protection insert;
- wherein articles of the plurality of articles are arranged in adjacent rows in the carton, the first side panel of the article protection insert and the second side panel of the article protection insert being respectively folded relative to the top panel of the article protection insert to be located between adjacent rows of the articles;
- wherein at least one of the first side panel of the article protection insert and the second side panel of the article protection insert has article protection flaps that are foldably connected to the one of the first side panel of the article protection insert and the second side panel of the article protection insert and that extend outwardly from the one of the first side panel of the article protection insert and the second side panel of the article protection insert between articles in an adjacent row of articles.
2 more elements
In combination, a carton blank and an article protection insert blank for forming a carton for containing a plurality of articles,
- the carton blank comprising:
- a plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;
- and
- the article protection insert blank comprising a plurality of features comprising at least one opening in the article protection insert blank, the at least one opening being for engaging a respective article of the plurality of articles, wherein the article protection insert blank is attached to the top panel of the carton blank by releasable adhesive;
- the article protection insert blank comprises a middle portion and two outer portions, the middle portion comprises the at least one opening,
- the middle portion comprises a top panel of the article protection insert blank, the two outer portions comprises a first side panel of the article protection insert blank foldably connected to the top panel of the article protection insert blank, and a second side panel of the article protection insert blank is foldably connected to the top panel of the article protection insert blank;
- wherein articles of the plurality of articles are for being arranged in adjacent rows in the carton formed from the carton blank and the article protection insert blank, and the first side panel of the article protection insert blank and the second side panel of the article protection insert blank are for being respectively folded relative to the top panel of the article protection insert blank to be located between adjacent rows of the articles;
- wherein at least one of the first side panel of the article protection insert blank and the second side panel of the article protection insert blank has article protection flaps that are moveable from a first position parallel to the one of the first side panel of the article protection insert blank and the second side panel of the article protection insert blank to a second position for placement between articles in an adjacent row of articles.
5 more elements
A method of forming a carton comprising:
- obtaining a carton blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;
- obtaining an article protection insert blank comprising a plurality of features, a middle portion, and two outer portions, the middle portion comprises at least one feature of the plurality of features, the plurality of features comprising at least one opening in the article protection flap, the middle portion comprises a top panel of the article protection insert blank, the two outer portions comprise a first side panel of the article protection insert blank foldably connected to the top panel of the article protection insert, and a second side panel of the article protection insert blank foldably connected to the top panel of the article protection insert blank, and at least one of the first side panel of the article protection insert blank and the second side panel of the article protection insert blank has article protection flaps;
- positioning the article protection insert blank relative to the carton blank comprising attaching the article protection insert blank to the top panel of the carton blank with releasable adhesive;
- forming an interior of the carton at least partially defined by the plurality of panels, the forming the interior of the carton comprising forming an open-ended sleeve;
- loading a plurality of articles in the interior of the carton, wherein the articles are arranged in adjacent rows in the carton;
- and
- forming an article protection insert from the article protection insert blank and moving the article protection insert away from the top panel of the carton to a position in which the article protection insert engages a respective article of the plurality of articles with a respective feature of the plurality of features, the forming the article protection insert comprises downwardly folding the first side panel of the article protection insert blank relative to the top panel of the article protection insert blank, downwardly folding the second side panel of article protection insert blank relative to the top panel of the article protection insert blank, positioning the first side panel and the second side panel of the article protection insert blank between adjacent rows of articles, and moving the article protection flaps from a first position parallel to the one of the first side panel of the article protection insert blank and the second side panel of the article protection insert blank to a second position between articles in an adjacent row of articles.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.