Wrap-around carrier panel lock and article retainer
AssigneeRiverwood International Corporation
InventorRandall L. Harris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wrap-around carrier suitable for packaging bottles. The bottom panel is formed from an inner flap to which article retainer tabs and locking tabs are hinged and an outer flap to which retainer support tabs are hinged. The locking tabs extend up partially through openings in the inner bottom panel flap and engage the retainer support tabs, which in turn support the article retainer tabs. Slits in the outer bottom panel flap extending from the openings receive remaining portions of the locking tabs.
Claims20
A wrap-around article carrier containing a plurality of adjacent rows of articles having curved bottom portions, comprising:
- a top panel;
- opposite side panels connected to the top panel;
- a bottom panel comprised of an inner bottom panel flap connected at a side edge thereof to one of the side panels and an outer bottom panel flap connected at a side edge thereof to the other side panel, each bottom panel flap having a free edge opposite the edge connected to a side panel and two end edges;
- the outer bottom panel flap including an integral retainer support tab hinged thereto adjacent each end edge of the outer bottom panel flap, the retainer support tabs being folded up from the outer bottom panel flap into the interior of the carrier;
- the inner bottom panel flap including an integral article retainer tab hinged thereto adjacent each end edge of the inner bottom panel flap, the article retainer tabs being folded up from the inner bottom panel flap into the interior of the carrier so as to engage the curved bottom portions of adjacent spaced articles and to engage the associated retainer support tab;
- and
- the inner bottom panel flap including a locking tab adjacent each article retainer tab, each locking tab extending through an associated locking opening in the outer bottom panel flap into the interior of the carrier and engaging an associated retainer support tab.
A blank for forming a wrap-around carrier for packaging a plurality of adjacent rows of articles having curved bottom portions, comprising:
- a generally rectangular sheet having a centrally located top panel section;
- side panel sections connected to opposite sides of the top panel section by fold lines, the top panel section and the side panel sections having end edges corresponding to opposite edges of the blank;
- an inner bottom panel flap connected to one of the side panel sections along a first fold line and an outer bottom panel flap connected to the other side panel section along a second fold line, each bottom panel flap having a free edge opposite the fold line connecting the bottom panel flap to an associated side panel section and end edges corresponding to opposite edges of the blank;
- the outer bottom panel flap including an integral retainer support tab hinged thereto adjacent each end edge of the outer bottom panel flap;
- the inner bottom panel flap including an integral article retainer tab hinged thereto adjacent each end edge of the inner bottom panel flap;
- and
- the inner bottom panel flap including a locking tab adjacent each article retainer tab;
- the locking tabs, article retainer tabs and retainer support tabs being located so that in a carrier formed from the blank each locking tab extends through an associated locking opening in the outer bottom panel flap created by the folding of an associated retainer support tab and engages the associated retainer support tab while the associated retainer support tab engages an associated folded article retainer tab.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.