IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,415,646
Granted Patent B2
US 12,415,646 · App. 18/108,799 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Beverage container packaging

Inventors: John Gilligan (Santa Barbara, CA); Rick Gant (Napa, CA); David Weissberg (Century City, CA); Ron Valtierra (Vacaville, CA); Gord Heyting (Toronto, CA); Chris Russell (Brough, GB)
Assignee: ACORN WEST LLC
B65D1/34B65D1/30B65D5/5028B65D21/04B65D81/133D21J3/10D21J7/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,415,646
App. No.
18/108,799
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A beverage container packaging assembly is disclosed. The beverage container packaging assembly includes a bottom tray, center support, and a top tray. The bottom tray includes a plurality of cup-shaped elements each configured to accommodate a bottom portion of a beverage container. Each cup-shaped element includes at least a first deformable element comprising one or more wide portions and one or more thin portions. The center support is disposed between the bottom tray and the top tray. The top tray includes bottle neck accommodating spaces each bounded by a set of vertical posts.

Claims (23)

1. A beverage container packaging assembly comprising:

a bottom tray of molded paper pulp including a plurality of cup-shaped elements, the cup-shaped elements including a first deformable element and a second deformable element, the first and second deformable elements including different widths, wherein at least one of the first deformable element and the second deformable element includes at least two overlapping elements;

a top tray of molded paper pulp including a plurality of bottle neck accommodating spaces each bounded by at least one deformable element, the bottle neck accommodating spaces configured to accommodate a neck portion of the beverage container; and

a center support of molded paper pulp disposed between the bottom tray and the top tray, the center support including a plurality of center support posts, at least one recessed element located between at least two of the center support posts, and a plurality of beverage container support cavities bounded by one or more of the center support posts,

wherein one or more walls of the beverage container support cavities are configured to surround at least a portion of the beverage container, and

wherein a cross-sectional area of the center support decreases between a top end of the center support and a bottom end of the center support.

2. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least two overlapping elements form a cross shape.

3. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first deformable element and the second deformable element include a cross shape.

4. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the top tray further includes a plurality of vertical members, and the center support posts contact one of the plurality of vertical members when the beverage container packaging assembly is assembled.

5. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 4 , wherein at least one first flat surface of the center support posts contacts at least one second flat surface of the vertical members.

6. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cup-shaped elements comprise a draft.

7. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cup-shaped elements vary in diameter from a bottom end to a top end of the bottom tray.

8. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the top tray further includes a plurality of vertical members including one or more deformable elements, the deformable elements at least partially surrounding the bottle neck accommodating spaces.

9. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the vertical members comprises a vertical post.

10. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 8 , wherein the deformable elements extend towards a center of at least one of the bottle neck accommodating spaces.

11. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the beverage container support cavities include one or more of a quarter circle shape, a half circle shape, and full circle shape.

12. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the beverage container support cavities include a semi-circular shape and at least one of the beverage container support cavities include a fully circular shape.

13. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the walls of the beverage container support cavities are configured to fully encapsulate the beverage container.

14. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first set of the beverage container support cavities are configured to fully encapsulate the beverage container and a second set of the beverage container support cavities are configured to partially encapsulate the beverage container.

15. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bottom tray, center support, and top tray are configured to contact the beverage container.

16. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the center support posts include a thru hole.

17. The beverage container packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the beverage container support cavities are configured to fully encapsulate a beverage container.

18. The beverage packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the beverage support cavities further include a draft such that the beverage support cavities vary in diameter from a bottom end of the center support to a top end of the center support.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2023
From: GILLIGAN, JOHN; GANT, RICK; WEISSBERG, DAVID; VALTIERRA, RON; HEYTING, GORD; RUSSELL, CHRIS
To: ACORN WEST LLC
Reel/Frame 065363/0247 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17397619 · Aug 9, 2021
Continuation 16884922 · May 27, 2020
Continuation 16180840 · Nov 5, 2018
Continuation 15671348 · Aug 8, 2017
Provisional Application 62372129 · Aug 8, 2016
Related Publication 20230192348A1 · Jun 22, 2023
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