IP Library Granted Patent US 9,415,914
Granted Patent B2
US 9,415,914 · App. 14/707,157 · Granted Aug 16, 2016

Carrier for containers

Inventor: John Murdick Holley, Jr. (Lawrenceville, GA)
Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
B65D71/0014B65D71/0022B65D2571/0045B65D2571/0066B65D2571/00141B65D2571/00308B65D2571/00388B65D2571/00456B65D2571/00487B65D2571/00549B65D2571/00783
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,415,914
App. No.
14/707,157
Granted
Aug 16, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A carrier for holding a plurality of containers. The carrier includes a plurality of panels that extends 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. The carrier includes at least one central panel dividing the interior of the carrier into a front portion and a back portion and at least one divider flap foldably attached to the at least one central panel. The at least one divider flap extends to one of the front panel and the back panel to divide one of the front portion and the back portion into at least two container-receiving spaces. The at least one divider flap having a main panel foldably connected to the at least one central panel. At least one beveled portion is foldably connected to the main panel.

Claims (40)

1. A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising:

a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carrier, the panels comprising at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels;

at least one central panel dividing the interior of the carrier into a front portion and a back portion; and

at least one divider flap foldably attached to the at least one central panel and extending to one of the front panel and the back panel and spaced apart from the least two side panels to divide one of the front portion and the back portion into at least two container-receiving spaces, the at least one divider flap having a main panel foldably connected to the at least one central panel and at least one beveled portion foldably connected to the main panel and oblique to the main panel,

the at least one divider flap comprises an attachment flap foldably connected to the at least one beveled portion, the attachment flap being in face-to-face contact with the one of the front panel and the back panel.

2. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one beveled portion comprises a first beveled portion and a second beveled portion.

3. The carrier of claim 2 , wherein the at least one central panel and the one of the front panel and the back panel are generally parallel, the main panel is generally perpendicular to the central panel and the one of the front panel and the back panel, and the first beveled portion and the second beveled portion are oblique relative to the main panel, the at least one central panel, and the one of the front panel and the back panel.

4. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one divider flap comprises a first divider flap and a second divider flap and the at least two container-receiving spaces comprise three container receiving spaces.

5. The carrier of claim 4 , wherein the first divider flap and the second divider flap extend from the at least one central panel to the front panel and the three container-receiving spaces are front container-receiving spaces, the at least one divider flap comprises a third divider flap and a fourth divider flap each extending from the at least one central panel to the back panel to divide the back portion of the carrier into back container-receiving spaces.

6. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front panel and the back panel is foldably connected to a first corner panel and a second corner panel, the first corner panel and the second corner panel are foldably connected to a respective one of the at least two side panels, the first corner panel and the second corner panel form a respective beveled corner of the carrier.

7. The carrier of claim 6 , wherein the at least one bottom panel comprises at least two beveled edges, each of the beveled edges cooperate with a respective first corner panel and second corner panel to form a respective beveled corner of the carton.

8. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one divider flap has a first dimension comprising a length of the main panel and the beveled portion, the one of the front portion and the back portion has a second dimension corresponding to the distance from the at least one central panel to the one of the front panel and the back panel, the first dimension being greater than the second dimension.

9. The carrier of claim 8 , wherein the attachment flap is foldably connected to the at least one beveled portion at a fold line, the first dimension extends from the central panel to the fold line.

10. The carrier of claim 1 , wherein the attachment flap comprises a free edge of the divider flap.

11. A blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:

a plurality of panels, the plurality of panels comprising at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels;

at least one central panel configured to divide the interior of the carrier into a front portion and a back portion when the carrier is formed from the blank; and

at least one divider flap foldably attached to the at least one central panel and configured to extend to one of the front panel and the back panel and be spaced apart from the at least two side panels to divide one of the front portion and the back portion into at least two container-receiving spaces when the carrier is formed from the blank, the at least one divider flap having a main panel foldably connected to the at least one central panel, at least one beveled portion foldably connected to the main panel and oblique to the main portion panel when the carrier is formed from the blank,

at least one divider flap comprises an attachment flap foldably connected to the at least one beveled portion, the attachment flap is configured to be in face-to-face contact with the one of the front panel and the back panel when the carrier is formed from the blank.

12. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the at least one beveled portion comprises a first beveled portion and a second beveled portion.

13. The blank of claim 12 , wherein the at least one central panel and the one of the front panel and the back panel are configured to be generally parallel, the main panel is configured to be generally perpendicular to the central panel and the one of the front panel and the back panel, and the first beveled portion and the second beveled portion are configured to be oblique relative to the main panel, the at least one central panel, and the one of the front panel and the back panel when the carrier is formed from the blank.

14. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the at least one divider flap comprises a first divider flap and a second divider flap.

15. The blank of claim 14 , wherein the first divider flap and the second divider flap are configured to extend from the at least one central panel to the front panel when the carrier is formed from the blank, and the at least two container-receiving spaces are front container-receiving spaces, the at least one divider flap comprises a third divider flap and a fourth divider flap each configured to extend from the at least one central panel to the back panel to divide the back portion of the carrier into back container-receiving spaces when the carrier is formed from the blank.

16. The blank of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the front panel and the back panel is foldably connected to a first corner panel and a second corner panel, the first corner panel and the second corner panel are foldably connected to a respective one of the at least two side panels, the first corner panel and the second corner panel form a respective beveled corner of the carrier when the carrier is formed from the blank.

17. The blank of claim 16 , wherein the at least one bottom panel comprises at least two beveled edges, each of the beveled edges are configured to cooperate with a respective first corner panel and second corner panel to form a respective beveled corner of the carrier when the carrier is formed from the blank.

18. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the at least one divider flap has a first dimension comprising a length of the main panel and the beveled portion, the one of the front portion and the back portion has a second dimension corresponding to the distance from the at least one central panel to the one of the front panel and the back panel when the carrier is formed from the blank, the first dimension being greater than the second dimension.

19. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the attachment flap comprises a free edge of the divider flap.

20. A method of forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the method comprising:

obtaining a blank comprising at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, at least two side panels, at least one central panel, and at least one divider flap foldably attached to the at least one central panel, the at least one divider flap having a main panel foldably connected to the at least one central panel, at least one beveled portion foldably connected to the main panel, and an attachment flap foldably connected to the at least one beveled portion;

forming the interior,

dividing the interior into a front portion and a back portion with the at least one central panel,

dividing one of the front portion and the back portion into at least two container receiving spaces by positioning the at least one divider flap so that the at least one divider flap extends to a respective one of the front and back panels and is spaced apart from the at least two side panels; and

positioning the attachment flap in face-to-face contact with the one of the front panel and the back panel.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one beveled portion comprises a first beveled portion and a second beveled portion.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the at least one central panel and at least one of the front panel and the back panel are generally parallel, the main panel is generally perpendicular to the at least one central panel and at least one of the front panel and the back panel; and the first beveled portion and the second beveled portion are oblique relative to the main panel, the at least one central panel, and at least one of the front panel and the back panel.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one divider flap comprises a first divider flap and a second divider flap and the at least two container-receiving spaces comprise three container receiving spaces.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first divider flap and the second divider flap extend from the at least one central panel and the three container-receiving spaces are front container-receiving spaces, the at least one divider flap comprises a third divider flap and a fourth divider flap, the method further comprising extending the third divider flap and the fourth divider flap from the at least one central panel to the back panel to divide the back portion of the carrier into back container-receiving spaces.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein at least one of the front panel and the back panel is foldably connected to a first corner panel and a second corner panel, the first corner panel and the second corner panel are foldably connected to a respective one of the at least two side panels, and the at least one bottom panel comprises at least two beveled edges; the method further comprises positioning the first corner panel and second corner panel adjacent a respective one of the at least two beveled edges to form a respective beveled corner of the carrier.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one divider flap has a first dimension comprising a length of the main panel and the beveled portion, the one of the front portion and the back portion has a second dimension corresponding to the distance from the at least one central panel to the one of the front panel and the back panel, the first dimension being greater than the second dimension.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein the attachment flap comprises a free edge of the divider flap.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 15, 2026
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR‑IN‑INTEREST TO U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 075415/0575 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2021
From: GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 055811/0676 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2021
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, LLC; FIELD CONTAINER QUERETARO (USA), L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 055545/0204 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 8, 2021
From: GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, LLC
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 055520/0204 →
CERTIFICATE OF CONVERSION Recorded Jan 29, 2018
From: GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 045177/0871 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 8, 2018
From: GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 045020/0746 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2018
From: GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, LLC (FORMERLY KNOWN AS GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, INC.); FIELD CONTAINER QUERETARO (USA), L.L.C.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 045009/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2016
From: HOLLEY, JOHN MURDICK, JR.
To: GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 038646/0315 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61996512 · May 9, 2014
Related Publication 20150321816A1 · Nov 12, 2015