Carton With Article Protection Feature

Abstract

A carton for containing at least one article. The carton includes a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around the interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. At least one article retention panel is for retaining the at least one article. The article retention panel is foldably connected to the at least one panel. The article retention panel is positioned relative to the at least one panel to contact the at least one article.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A carton for containing at least one article, the carton comprising:
 a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around the interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;   a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably attached to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the plurality of end flaps are overlapped with respect to one another and thereby at least partially form a closed end of the carton, the plurality of end flaps comprises a first side end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second side end flap foldably connected to the second side panel, and   at least one article retention panel for retaining the at least one article, the article retention panel is foldably connected to one of the first side panel and the second side panel, the article retention panel is positioned relative to the one of the first side panel and the second side panel to contact the at least one article, and the article retention panel has a first portion in one of the first side panel and the second side panel and a second portion in one of the first side end flap and the second side end flap.   
     
     
         2 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion is foldably connected to the one of the first side panel and the second side panel at a first fold line, and the second portion is foldably connected to the one of the first side end flap and the second side end flap at a second fold line. 
     
     
         3 . The carton of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one article retention panel comprises a first article retention panel, a second article retention panel, a third article retention panel, and a fourth article retention panel; the plurality of end flaps comprises a third side end flap foldably connected to the first side panel, and a fourth side end flap foldably connected to the second side panel. 
     
     
         4 . The carton of  claim 3 , wherein the first article retention panel, second article retention panel, third article retention panel, and fourth article retention panel are located at a respective corner of the carton and are inwardly folded relative to a respective first side panel and second side panel to contact the at least one article. 
     
     
         5 . The carton of  claim 4 , wherein the first portion and second portion of the first, second, third, and fourth article retention panels are inwardly folded and in contact with a retention member that extends around the exterior of the carton to retain the at least one article. 
     
     
         6 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom panel comprises at least one article protection flap, the article protection flap is foldably connected to the bottom panel and moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the bottom panel and a second position wherein the article protection flap is folded relative to the bottom panel and is positioned for contact with the at least one article. 
     
     
         7 . A blank for containing at least one article, the blank comprising:
 a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around the interior of the carton when the carton is formed from the blank, the plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel;   a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably attached to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the plurality of end flaps are overlapped with respect to one another and thereby at least partially form a closed end of the carton when the carton is formed from the blank, the plurality of end flaps comprises a first side end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second side end flap foldably connected to the second side panel, and   at least one article retention panel for retaining the at least one article when the carton is formed from the blank, the article retention panel is foldably connected to one of the first side panel and the second side panel, the article retention panel is for being positioned relative to the one of the first side panel and the second side panel to contact the at least one article in the carton formed from the blank, and the article retention panel has a first portion in one of the first side panel and the second side panel and a second portion in one of the first side end flap and the second side end flap.   
     
     
         8 . The blank of  claim 7 , wherein the first portion is foldably connected to the one of the first side panel and the second side panel at a first fold line, and the second portion is foldably connected to one of the first side end flap and the second side end flap at a second fold line. 
     
     
         9 . The blank of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one article retention panel comprises a first article retention panel, a second article retention panel, a third article retention panel, and a fourth article retention panel, the plurality of end flaps comprises a third side end flap foldably connected to the first side panel, and a fourth side end flap foldably connected to the second side panel. 
     
     
         10 . The blank of  claim 9 , wherein the first article retention panel, second article retention panel, third article retention panel, and fourth article retention panel are for being located at a respective corner of the carton and are for being inwardly folded relative to a respective first side panel and second side panel to contact the at least one article when the carton is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         11 . The blank of  claim 7 , wherein the bottom panel comprises at least one article protection flap, the article protection flap is foldably connected to the bottom panel and moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the bottom panel and a second position wherein the article protection flap is folded relative to the bottom panel and is positioned for contact with the at least one article in the carton formed from the blank. 
     
     
         12 . A method of forming a carton, the method comprising:
 obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, a plurality of end flaps respectively foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, the plurality of end flaps comprises a first side end flap foldably connected to the first side panel and a second side end flap foldably connected to the second side panel, the blank comprises at least one article retention panel foldably connected to one of the first side panel and the second side panel, the article retention panel has a first portion in the one of the first side panel and the second side panel and a second portion in one of the first side end flap and the second side end flap;   positioning the plurality of panels to form an interior of the carton;   loading at least one article in the interior;   positioning the at least one article retention panel relative to the one of the first side panel and the second side panel to contact at least one article in the carton after the loading of the at least one article, the positioning comprises moving the article retention panel from a first position that is substantially parallel to the one of the first side panel and the second side panel to a second position wherein the article retention panel is folded relative to the one of the first side panel and the second side panel.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein loading at least one article comprises loading a plurality of articles. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising forming a closed end of the carton by at least partially overlapping the plurality of end flaps with respect to one another. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the bottom panel comprises a plurality of article protection flaps, the method comprises positioning the article protection flaps from a first position that is substantially parallel to the bottom panel, to a second position wherein the article protection flaps are folded relative to the bottom panel and each of the plurality of article protection flaps are positioned between two respective adjacent articles of the plurality of articles. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first portion is foldably connected to the one of the first side panel and the second side panel at a first fold line, and the second portion is foldably connected to the one of the first side end flap and the second side end flap at a second fold line. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one article retention panel comprises a first article retention panel, a second article retention panel, a third article retention panel, and a fourth article retention panel, the plurality of end flaps comprises a third side end flap foldably connected to the first side panel, and a fourth side end flap foldably connected to the second side panel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first article retention panel, second article retention panel, third article retention panel, and fourth article retention panel each have a first portion and a second portion, the first portion is foldably attached to one of the first side panel and second side panel, and the second portion is foldably connected to one of the side end flaps, the first article retention panel, second article retention panel, third article retention panel, and fourth article retention panel are formed by inwardly folding the first portion from a first position that is substantially parallel to one of the first side panel and second side panel to a second position substantially perpendicular to one of the first side panel and second side panel; and inwardly folding the second portion from a first position that is substantially parallel to one of the side end flaps to a second position substantially perpendicular to one of the side end flaps to contact the at least one article. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising positioning a retention member around the exterior of the carton and in contact with the first article retention panel, second article retention panel, third article retention panel, and fourth article retention panel to retain the at least one article.