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US 8,869,979 B2Granted
Carrier for containers
AssigneeGraphic Packaging International, Inc.
InventorBrian Smalley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
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 at least one bottom panel, at least one top panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels. The at least one top panel is foldably connected to one of the front panel and the back panel. The at least one top panel has a handle portion for forming a handle of the carrier and a retaining portion having container receiving openings for receiving the containers in the carrier. The carrier includes a reinforcement flap adjacent at least one of the container receiving openings for contacting at least one of the plurality of containers.
Claims14
A carton for at least partially receiving a container having a neck, the carton comprising:
- a plurality of panels for extending at least partially around an interior of the carton;
- a container-receiving opening that is defined in at least one panel of the plurality of panels for receiving the neck, the container-receiving opening having a curved edge in the at least one panel;
- a flap foldably connected to the at least one panel at the curved edge of the container-receiving opening, the flap being positionable to cooperate with the curved edge to at least partially form the container-receiving opening;
- first and second connections, the flap being pivotably connected to the at least one panel by the first and second connections, the flap is pivotable about a pivot axis, wherein
- the pivot axis is cooperatively defined by the first and second connections,
- the pivot axis extends in an axial direction across the container-receiving opening,
- the first and second connections are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction, and
- the flap includes opposite first and second edges that are spaced apart from one another in a lateral direction that extends crosswise to the axial direction, the pivot axis is positioned between the first and second edges of the flap;
- the first edge of the flap is curved and adjacent the at least one panel and configured to be positioned below the curved edge of the container-receiving opening and the second edge of the flap is substantially straight and defines at least a portion of the container receiving opening, the second edge is configured to be positioned above the curved edge of the container-receiving opening, the neck extending through the container-receiving opening such that a portion of the flap above the curved edge contacts the neck and a portion of the flap below the curved edge contacts the neck,
- the flap having a surface between the first edge and the second edge, the surface is configured to contact an external surface of the container along the length of the flap, the flap is curved and conforms to the curved edge, the flap extends around a portion of the circumference of the neck and conforms to a curvature of the neck to contact the neck around a portion of the circumference of the neck to protect the neck of the container, the curved edge of the container-receiving opening is free from contact with the neck of the container.
7 more elements
A carrier holding a plurality of containers with necks, the carrier comprising:
- panels for extending at least partially around an interior of the carrier, wherein the panels comprise at least one top panel, the at least one top panel comprises a handle portion and a retaining portion, the handle portion is foldably connected to the retaining portion, the handle portion at least partially forms a handle of the carrier, and the retaining portion has container-receiving openings for respectively receiving the necks of the containers when the containers are held by the carrier;
- a reinforcing flap extending through a container-receiving opening of the container-receiving openings, the container-receiving opening having a a curved edge in the retaining portion for engaging at least one of the necks, the reinforcing flap is foldably connected to the retaining portion at the curved edge of the container-receiving opening and is positionable to cooperate with the curved edge to at least partially form the container-receiving opening, the reinforcing flap comprising opposite inner and outer edges, the inner edge is curved and positioned in the interior of the carton below the curved edge of the container-receiving opening, and the outer edge is substantially straight and positioned outside of the interior of the carton above the curved edge of the container-receiving opening;
- and
- first and second connections that are spaced apart from one another around a periphery of the container-receiving opening, the reinforcement flap being foldably connected to the retaining portion by the first and second connections, wherein
- the neck extends through the container-receiving opening and the flap is positioned with a portion of the flap above the curved edge of the container-receiving opening in contact with the neck and a portion of the flap below the curved edge of the container-receiving opening in contact with the neck,
- the flap having a surface between the inner edge and the outer edge, the surface is configured to contact an external surface of the container along the length of the flap, the flap is curved and conforms to the curved edge, the flap extends around a portion of the circumference of the neck and conforms to a curvature of the neck to contact the neck around a portion of the circumference of the neck to protect the neck of the container, the curved edge of the container-receiving opening is free from contact with the neck of the container.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.