Carrier for containers
View Patent ↗A carrier for holding a plurality of containers. The carrier has panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carrier. The panels comprise at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels. A divider flap is foldably attached to the back panel and the front panel. The side panels, the back panel, the divider flap, and the front panel are arranged to at least partially define at least two container-receiving spaces of the interior.
1. A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising:
panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carrier, the panels comprise at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, a handle panel, and at least two side panels;
a divider flap foldably attached to the back panel and the front panel for positioning of the front panel and side panels relative to the back panel when the divider flap is folded out of a planar relationship with the back panel,
the side panels, the back panel, the divider flap, and the front panel being arranged to at least partially define at least two container-receiving spaces of the interior;
a retention panel pivotable relative to the back panel for retaining at least one container of the plurality of containers, the retention panel being foldably attached to the handle panel,
the divider flap being positioned for contacting the retention panel so as to initiate upward folding of the retention panel as the divider panel is moved out of plane with the back panel; and
a reinforcement panel foldably attached to the handle panel and providing a supplemental layer of material attached to the divider flap so that the divider flap includes the supplemental layer of material.
2. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the divider flap is perpendicular to the back panel and the front panel.
3. The carrier of claim 2 wherein the divider flap is parallel to the side panels.
4. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the retention panel has at least two apertures for respectively receiving a portion of a container to retain the container in the carrier.
5. The carrier of claim 4 wherein the retention panel comprises at least two retaining tabs, each retaining tab being adjacent one of the apertures for respectively contacting a top portion of one of the containers.
6. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the retention panel is a first retention panel and the carrier further comprises a second retention panel foldably attached to the handle panel.
7. The carrier of claim 6 wherein the first retention panel has apertures for respectively receiving and aiding in retaining containers in a first and a second container-receiving space and the second retention panel has apertures for respectively receiving and aiding in retaining containers in a third and a fourth container-receiving opening.
8. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the supplemental layer of material attached to the divider flap is a divider flap portion of the reinforcement panel.
9. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the back panel comprises a central panel foldably attached to the divider flap and the reinforcement panel has a central panel portion attached to the central panel for providing a supplemental layer of material attached to the central panel.
10. The carrier of claim 9 wherein the reinforcement panel comprises a handle portion attached to the handle panel for providing a supplemental layer of material attached to the handle panel.
11. The carrier of claim 10 further comprising a first reinforcement flap and a second reinforcement flap, the first reinforcement flap being foldably attached to one of the side panels, and the second reinforcement flap being foldably attached to the other of the side panels, the central panel, and the handle panel.
12. The carrier of claim 11 wherein the first reinforcement flap provides a supplemental layer of material attached to the central panel.
13. The carrier of claim 11 wherein the first and the second reinforcement flap provides a supplemental layer of material attached to the handle panel.
14. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the divider flap has an upper edge, the upper edge being for contact with the retention panel when the retention panel is upwardly folded.
15. A blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:
panels that comprise at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, at least two side panels, a handle panel, and a retention panel foldably attached to the handle panel;
a divider flap foldably attached to the back panel and the front panel, the divider flap being foldably attached to the back panel at a longitudinal fold line, and being positionable relative to the fold line to position the front panel and side panels relative to the back panel when the divider flap is folded out of a planar relationship with the back panel,
the retention panel having at least two apertures,
the divider flap being positioned for contacting the retention panel so as to initiate upward folding of the retention panel when the blank is formed into the carrier; and
a reinforcement panel foldably attached to the handle panel, the reinforcement panel having a divider flap portion for providing a supplemental layer of material attached to the divider flap when the blank is formed into the carrier.
16. The blank of claim 15 wherein the at least two apertures are for respectively receiving a portion of a container of the plurality of the containers held in the carrier formed from the blank.
17. The blank of claim 15 wherein the retention panel comprises at least two retaining tabs, each retaining tab being adjacent one of the apertures.
18. The blank of claim 15 wherein the divider flap is a first divider flap, the front panel is a first front panel, and the retention panel is a first retention panel, and the blank further comprises a second divider flap, a second front panel, and a second retention panel, the second divider flap being foldably attached to the back panel and the second front panel and the second retention panel being foldably connected to the handle panel.
19. The blank of claim 18 wherein the first and second retention panels have apertures for respectively receiving a container in the carrier formed from the blank.
20. The blank of claim 15 wherein the back panel comprises a central panel foldably attached to the divider flap and the reinforcement panel has a central panel portion for providing a supplemental layer of material attached to the central panel and a handle panel portion for providing a supplemental layer of material attached to the handle panel.
21. The blank of claim 20 further comprising a first reinforcement flap and a second reinforcement flap, the first reinforcement flap being foldably attached to one of the side panels, the second reinforcement flap being foldably attached to the other of the side panels, the central panel, and the handle panel.
22. The blank of claim 15 wherein the divider flap has an upper edge being for contact with the retention panel when the blank is formed into the carrier.
23. A method of forming a carrier for containing a plurality of containers, the method comprising:
providing a blank having panels that comprise a front panel, a back panel, at least two side panels, a handle panel, and a retention panel foldably connected to the handle panel, and a divider flap foldably attached to the back panel and the front panel, the retention panel has at least one aperture for respectively receiving a portion of a container of the plurality of the containers; and
pivoting the divider flap out of a planar relationship with the back panel to at least partially define at least two container-receiving openings by positioning the front panel and side panels relative to the back panel, the pivoting the divider flap comprises contacting the divider flap with the retention panel so as to initiate pivoting the retention panel upward relative to the handle panel.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the blank comprises at least one bottom flap and the method further comprises positioning the at least one bottom flap to at least partially close the bottom of the carrier.
25. The method of claim 23 wherein pivoting the divider flap positions the front panel at a location spaced apart from the back panel.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein pivoting the divider flap positions the first side panel at a location spaced apart from the second side panel.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein the divider flap is pivoted to a position extending between the back panel and the front panel wherein the divider flap is generally parallel to the side panels.
28. The method of claim 23 wherein the blank further comprises a reinforcement panel foldably attached to the handle panel, the method further comprising folding the reinforcement panel to at least partially overlap the handle panel, back panel, and divider flap.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the blank further comprises a first reinforcement flap foldably attached to at least one of the panels and a second reinforcement flap foldably attached to at least one of the panels, the method further comprises folding the first reinforcement flap to at least partially overlap the reinforcement panel and folding the second reinforcement flap to at least partially overlap the reinforcement panel.
30. The method of claim 29 wherein the first reinforcement flap is foldably attached to one of the side panels, and the second reinforcement flap is foldably attached to the other of the side panels, the central panel, and the handle panel.
31. The method of claim 23 wherein the pivoting the divider flap comprises applying a force to the divider flap to initiate formation of the at least two container receiving openings.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein the applying a force to the divider flap causes the positioning of the front panel and the side panels relative to the back panel without application of force to the front or side panels.