Carton For Containers

Abstract

A carrier for at least partially holding a plurality of articles can comprise a plurality of panels that can comprise at least a top panel, a side panel, and a bottom panel. A plurality of article receiver features can be disposed in at least the top panel in at least a first row and a second row. The first row can comprise at least one more article receiver feature than the second row. Each article receiver feature of the plurality of article receiver features can be for at least partially receiving a respective article of the plurality of articles. A retention feature can extend in at least one of the side panel and the bottom panel. The retention feature can be for at least partially retaining at least one article that is at least partially received in a respective one of the article receiving features in the first row.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a package comprising:
 obtaining a plurality of articles;   obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels, the plurality of panels comprising at least a top panel, a first side panel foldably connected to the top panel, a second side panel foldably connected to the top panel, and a bottom panel foldably connected to at least one of the first side panel and the second side panel;   arranging the articles of the plurality of articles in at least a first row, a second row, and a third row, the first row and the third row comprising at least one more article than the second row;   positioning the articles in the second row to be nested with the articles in the first row and the third row;   forming a carrier from the blank by wrapping the plurality of panels at least partially around the plurality of articles, the carrier having a first open end and a second open end, a first end article of the first row is disposed adjacent the first open end, a first end article of the third row is disposed adjacent the first open end, a first end article of the second row is spaced inward from the first open end in an interior of the package,   the positioning the articles in the second row to be nested with the articles in the first row and the third row comprises positioning the articles so that a bottom portion of the first end article of the first row and a bottom portion of the first end article of the third row are positioned relative to a bottom portion of the first end article in the second row to retain the first end article of the second row in the carrier and prevent removal of the first end article of the second row through the first open end.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming the carrier comprises engaging the top panel with top portions of the articles of the plurality of articles and folding the first side panel with respect to the top panel to position the first side panel adjacent the articles in the first row, the articles in the second row being spaced from the first side panel by the articles in the first row. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the forming the carrier comprises folding the second side panel with respect to the top panel to position the second side panel adjacent the articles in the third row, the articles in the second row being spaced from the second side panel by the articles in the third row. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blank further comprises a plurality of article receiver features disposed in at least the top panel, and the forming the carrier comprises positioning the top panel relative to the articles of the plurality of articles so that each article receiver feature of the plurality of article receiver features at least partially receives a top portion of a respective article of the plurality of articles. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blank further comprises a retention feature extending in at least one of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the bottom panel, and the forming the carrier further comprising positioning the at least one of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the bottom panel so that the retention feature at least partially retains one of the end article in the first row and the end article of the third row. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the forming the carrier from the blank comprises forming the retention feature into a corner retainer that at least partially retains the one of the first end article of the first row and the first end article of the third row. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the corner retainer comprises a retention panel foldably connected to at least one of the first side panel, the second side panel, and the bottom panel, a first gusset panel foldably connected to the retention panel, and a second gusset panel foldably connected to the first gusset panel and to the bottom panel, the retention panel extending at least partially over the first open end of the carrier. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the forming the carrier comprises positioning the first gusset panel and the second gusset panel at least partially in face-to-face contact with one another and at least partially disposed between the bottom panel and the one of first end article of the first row and the first end article of the third row. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of articles comprises three articles in the first row, two articles in the second row, and three articles in the third row. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each article in the second row is nested in an at least partially staggered arrangement so that the containers in the second row are generally offset from the containers in the first row and the containers in the third row. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein at the open end of the carrier, the width between the first side panel and the second side panel is less than a maximum width of three articles of the plurality of articles. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each of the bottom portion of the end article in the first row and the bottom portion of the end article of the second row contact and overlap the bottom portion of the end article in the second row to restrict movement of the end article in the second row through the open end.