Patent Publication Number: US-2021163172-A1

Title: Carton with integrated partition and related methods

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/942,412 filed Dec. 2, 2019, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by this reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This application relates to paperboard cartons with integrated partitions and related methods. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Partitions may be used in the interior of a carton to create a plurality of cells that separate the contents of the carton from one another. For example, a partition may be used to separate glass bottles or other breakable or damage-prone items. Existing partitions require that a user manually fold and assemble individual pieces to form a partition, and then place the partition into a separate carton. 
     SUMMARY 
     The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the invention and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this application, and any or all drawings or figures. 
     Disclosed are cartons with integrated partitions formed from a single blank. The blank is glued and folded to form an unerected carton with integrated partition. The unerected carton is configured so it snaps automatically into an erected carton with an integrated partition when a user simply applies force to opposing corners of the unerected carton. Since the partition is integrated with the carton and the integrated unit is erected during a one-step forming process, there is no need to assemble various components to form the partition or to assemble the erected unit with another carton. The erected carton with integrated partition can then be easily collapsed into the unerected configuration by squeezing/pressing together adjacent sides of the erected partition about the corners. Because the carton with integrated partition moves easily and automatically between the unerected and erected positions, the carton with integrated partition can be used repeatedly without deassembly or reassembly, as is required with existing partitions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features and components of the following figures are illustrated to emphasize the general principles of the present disclosure. Corresponding features and components throughout the figures can be designated by matching reference characters for the sake of consistency and clarity. 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of an embodiment of a unitary blank of a foldable material that may be folded and glued to form an unerected carton with integrated partition. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of another embodiment of a unitary blank of a foldable material that may be folded and glued to form an unerected carton with integrated partition. 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of another embodiment of a unitary blank of a foldable material that may be folded and glued to form an unerected carton with integrated partition. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of another embodiment of a unitary blank of a foldable material that may be folded and glued to form an unerected carton with integrated partition. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an unerected carton with integrated partition formed from the blank of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an erected carton with integrated partition formed from the unerected carton of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating an unerected carton with integrated partition as it is being erected into an erected carton. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described. 
     Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention,  FIG. 1  illustrates a single blank  10  of foldable material. The foldable material may be paper-based material such as paperboard, although other materials may be used if desired. If used, the paperboard may, but need not be, corrugated and/or recycled. 
       FIGS. 1-4  illustrate blanks from which the unerected cartons with integrated partitions may be formed. In the drawings of the blanks, solid lines indicate cut lines and dashed lines indicate fold (crease) lines. The drawings also include cut and crease lines having a series of creases separated by cuts, where such lines often start and end with a crease. In some cases, the cut and crease lines have cuts that are ¼ inches long separated by creases that are ¼ inches long, although cuts and creases of various lengths could be used. Although the blanks include example dimensions, they are not intended to be limiting and the various panels, flaps, cut lines, fold lines, cut and crease lines, openings, etc. can have any suitable dimensions. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , blank  10  includes top flaps  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  that are foldably connected to body panels  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  at fold lines  62 ,  72 ,  76 , and  80 , respectively. Top flaps  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18  are separated from one another by cut lines that form slots between the top flaps  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18 . Body panels  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  are foldably connected to bottom flaps  28 ,  30 ,  32  and  34  at fold lines  68 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , respectively. Bottom flap  28  is foldably connected to divider  46  at fold line  88 ; bottom flap  30  is foldably connected to divider  50  at fold line  92 ; bottom flap  32  is foldably connected to divider  54  at fold line  94 ; and bottom flap  34  is foldably connected to divider  58  at fold line  96 . A tongue  38  extends from divider  46  and a tongue  40  extends from divider  54 . Divider  50  defines an opening  42  and divider  58  defines an opening  44 . When the blank is formed (as described below) into the unerected carton with integrated partition  60 , tongue  40  is received in opening  42  and tongue  38  is received in opening  44  to help secure the partition walls in position. The openings  42  and  44  and the tongues  38  and  40  can have various shapes and sizes, as desired.  FIGS. 1-4  illustrate a few examples of how the shapes and dimensions of the tongues and openings can vary. 
     Divider  46  is foldably connected to panel  48  about cut crease line  102 , and panel  56  is foldably connected with divider  54  about cut crease line  104 . Panel  56  is foldably connected to divider  58  at fold line  100 , and panel  48  is foldably connected with divider  50  at fold line  98 . 
     Bottom flaps  28  and  30  and panels  48  and  50  are shaped and arranged relative to one another so together they define a first opening  57  in the shape of a four-sided polygon (a quadrilateral). More specifically, one side of each of bottom flap  28 , bottom flap  30 , panel  48  and divider  50  are cut at an angle relative to the other sides of the respective flaps/panel/divider. Similarly, bottom flaps  32  and  34 , panel  56  and divider  58  are shaped and arranged relative to one another so together they define a second opening  59  in the shape of a four-sided polygon (a quadrilateral). More specifically, one side of each of bottom flap  32 , bottom flap  34 , panel  56  and divider  58  are cut at an angle relative to the other sides of the respective flaps/panel/divider. The first and second openings  57 ,  59  serve as entry points for the panels and other components that form the integrated partition that provides separation for each cell of the erected carton, as described in more detail below. The first and second openings  57 ,  59  also provide relief to allow the materials to fold in various directions as desired. The size and shape of the first and second openings  57 ,  59  are driven by the dimensions of bottom flaps  32  and  34 , panel  56  and divider  58  and thus can vary as desired.  FIGS. 1-4  illustrate a few examples of how the shapes and dimensions of the first and second openings  57 ,  59  can vary. 
     Blank  10  also includes a tab  36  that is foldably connected to body panel  20  at fold line  64 . Any suitable adhesive is applied to the underside of tab  36  (the opposite side of tab  36  shown in  FIG. 1 ), and tab  36  is attached to body panel  26  when forming the unerected carton with integrated partition  60 . In other examples, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the underside of body panel  26  may receive adhesive instead of tab  36 , and body panel  26  may be adhered to tab  36 . Similarly, a suitable adhesive is applied to the underside of panel  48  (the opposite side of panel  48  shown in  FIG. 1 ), and the underside panel  56  (the opposite side of the panel  56  shown in  FIG. 1 ). When forming the unerected carton with integrated partition  60 , the underside of panel  48  is adhered to the underside of divider  50 , and the underside of panel  56  is adhered to the underside of divider  58 . In other examples, the undersides of dividers  50  and  58  may receive adhesive instead of panels  48  and  56 . 
     After adhesive is applied, the blank  10  is folded to form the unerected partition  60  shown in  FIG. 5 . In particular, the blank  10  is first folded about fold lines  68 ,  82 ,  84  and  86 . The blank  10  is then folded about fold line  70 , and finally about fold line  78  to form unerected carton with integrated partition  60 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , to erect erected carton with integrated partition  110  shown in  FIG. 6 , a user applies force with one hand to corner  52  (which corresponds to fold line  70  of blank  10 ) and force with another hand to corner  90  (which corresponds to fold line  78  of blank  10 ), as shown in  FIG. 7 . This action urges unerected carton with integrated partition  60  ( FIG. 5 ) to automatically snap into erected carton with integrated partition  110  ( FIG. 6 ). Once erected, the bottom flaps  28 ,  30 ,  32  and  34  integrate together to form the bottom of the erected carton with integrated partition  110  without further assembly (sometimes referred to as an “auto bottom” or “automatic bottom”). 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , erected carton with integrated partition  110  includes a carton having six cells. First cell  112  is formed from a portion of body panel  22 , a portion of tongue  40  (the opposite side of the surface shown in the blank  10  of  FIG. 1 ), a portion of divider  50 , a portion of body panel  20  and a portion of bottom flap  30 . 
     Second cell  114  is formed from the remaining portion of body panel  22 , the opposite side of tongue  40  (the surface shown in the blank  10  of  FIG. 1 ), the remaining portion of divider  50 , a portion of body panel  24  and a portion of bottom flap  32 . 
     Third cell  116  is formed from a portion of body panel  24 , panel  56 , a portion of divider  50  (the opposite side of the surface shown in the blank  10  of  FIG. 1 ), divider  54  and a portion of bottom flap  32 . 
     Fourth cell  118  is formed from a portion of body panel  20 , panel  48 , divider  46 , a portion of panel  56  (the opposite side of the surface shown in the blank  10  of  FIG. 1 ) and a portion of bottom flap  28 . 
     Fifth cell  120  is formed from a portion of body panel  24 , a portion of body panel  26 , a portion of tongue  38  (the opposite side of the surface shown in blank  10  of  FIG. 1 ), a portion of divider  58  and a portion of bottom flap  34 . 
     Sixth cell  122  is formed from the remaining portion of body panel  26 , a portion of tongue  38 , the remaining portion of divider  58 , a portion of body panel  20  and a portion of bottom flap  28 . 
     One or more of the six cells can be filled with product or items as desired and the top flaps  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18  can be folded about fold lines  62 ,  72 ,  76  and  80 , respectively, and secured for shipment. 
     Although the carton is shown with six cells, the carton design can be modified to have any number of desired cells, such as four, eight, twelve, or more. 
     The blanks  10 ′,  10 ″ and  10 ′″ shown in  FIGS. 2-4  are similar to blank  10  of  FIG. 1 , but with different dimensions and configurations for the various components. As another exemplary difference, the blank of  FIG. 3  shows the application of adhesive to a portion of body panel  26  to be secured to tab  36  instead of vice versa, and thus has a slightly different folding order. In particular, after adhesive is applied, the blank is folded to form an unerected similar to partition  60  by first folding the blank about fold lines  68 ,  82 ,  84  and  86 , then folding the blank about fold line  78  and finally about fold line  70 . 
     As noted above, the design of blank  10  and similar blanks allow a user to easily erect a carton with integrated partition in one step, without needing to assemble various components relative to one another or worry about placing the correct panels into the corresponding slots. Instead, the unerected carton with integrated partition (as glued and folded) lays flat for shipment and a user can simply “pop” the unerected carton into position by grasping and applying force to the unerected carton about opposite corners. Because the unerected blank is already folded and glued into position for easy assembly, the erected carton with integrated partition easily collapses into its unerected position when a user squeezes the corners/presses adjacent sides of the carton toward one another. In this way, the carton with integrated partition moves easily and repeatedly between the erected and unerected positions, making it reusable since it does not have to be deassembled and reassembled between uses. 
     Also disclosed are methods of assembling the blanks into unerected cartons with integrated partitions, and methods for forming erected cartons with integrated partitions in a single step. 
     Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and sub-combinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims below.