Article carrier and blank therfor

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a package, an article carrier for packaging a plurality of articles and to a blank for forming the article carrier. The article carrier comprises a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding at least two articles each having a recess. The article carrier comprises a pair of article retention devices each comprising a flap ( 80 ) for engaging the recess of a respective one of said at least two articles to inhibit movement thereof. The flaps are hingedly connected by a respective hinged connection to one of the plurality of panels in opposition to each other. The article carrier comprises a pair of handle openings (A 4 ) defined in said one of the plurality of panels. The handle openings and the flaps define a handle in said one of the plurality of panels.

1 . An article carrier for packaging at least two articles each having a recess, the article carrier comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding the at least two article and a pair of article retention devices each comprising a flap for engaging a recess of a respective one of said at least two articles to inhibit movement of the articles within the tubular structure, wherein the flaps are hingedly connected by a respective hinged connection to one of the plurality of panels in opposition to each other, the article carrier comprises a pair of handle openings defined in said one of the plurality of panels, the handle openings and the flaps define a handle in said one of the plurality of panels, the handle is coupled or connected to said one of the plurality of panels by four arms, each arm is defined by a region of said one of the plurality of panels disposed between one of the handle openings and one of the flaps. 
     
     
         2 . An article carrier according to  claim 1  wherein the tubular structure is at least partially open at each end and a tubular axis is defined between said ends and wherein the hinged connection between the flaps and the one of the plurality of panels is parallel to the tubular axis. 
     
     
         3 . An article carrier according to  claim 1  wherein the tubular structure is at least partially open at each end and a tubular axis is defined between said ends and wherein the hinged connection between the flaps and the one of the plurality of panels is oblique to the tubular axis. 
     
     
         4 . An article carrier according to  claim 1  wherein said one of the plurality of panels is a top panel. 
     
     
         5 . An article carrier according to  claim 1  wherein the flaps are hingedly connected to said one of the plurality of panels by a hinged connection in the form of a first fold line. 
     
     
         6 . An article carrier according to  claim 5  wherein the plurality of panels include a pair of opposed side walls and the flaps fold towards a respective one of the opposed side walls. 
     
     
         7 . An article carrier for packaging one or more articles each having a recess, the article carrier comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding the one or more articles and an article retention device for engaging a recess of one of the one or more articles to inhibit movement of said article within the tubular structure, wherein the article retention device comprises a flap hingedly connected to one of the plurality of panels, the article carrier further comprises a dispenser feature having an access panel, and wherein the flap is hingedly connected to the access panel so as to provide a tear initiation device for the dispenser. 
     
     
         8 . An article carrier according to  claim 7  wherein the access panel is defined at an end of the article carrier, the access panel is defined in part by a free end edge of the article carrier and in part by a severable line extending from the flap. 
     
     
         9 . An article carrier according to  claim 7  wherein the access panel is defined in an intermediate portion of the article carrier, the access panel is defined at least in part by a pair of severable lines extending from the flap, the pair of severable lines are spaced apart from each end of the article carrier. 
     
     
         10 . An article carrier for packaging one or more articles each having a recess, the article carrier comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding the one or more articles and an article retention device for engaging a recess of one of the one or more articles to inhibit movement of said article within the tubular structure, the article retention device comprising a flap hingedly connected by a hinged connection to one of the plurality of panels, the flap comprising a hinged edge defined by the hinged connection and a free edge, wherein the free edge extends from a first end of the hinged connection to a second end of the hinged connection, and wherein the free edge is arcuate or curved across or along its entire extent. 
     
     
         11 . An article carrier according to  claim 10  wherein the hinged edge of the flap is disposed closer to one of a pair of opposed side walls than the free edge in an unfolded condition. 
     
     
         12 . An article carrier according to  claim 10  wherein the flap in an operative condition is reverse folded into face to face relationship with an inner surface of the panel to which it is hinged, in the operative position the free edge of the flap is disposed closer to one of a pair of opposed side walls than the hinged edge. 
     
     
         13 . An article carrier according to  claim 10  wherein the hinged connection is oriented non-parallel to an open end of the tubular structure. 
     
     
         14 . An article carrier according to  claim 10  wherein the hinged connection is obliquely oriented to an open end of the tubular structure. 
     
     
         15 . An article carrier according to  claim 10  wherein the hinged connection is perpendicularly oriented with respect to an open end of the tubular structure. 
     
     
         16 . An article carrier according to  claim 10  wherein the article retention device is located in a recess defined in an end of said one of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
         17 . An article carrier according to  claim 16  wherein the top panel comprises at least one recessed end edge to which article retention device is hingedly connected. 
     
     
         18 . An article carrier according to  claim 17  wherein the flap partially defines the at least one recessed end edge of the top panel in an unfolded condition. 
     
     
         19 . An article carrier according to  claim 16  wherein the article carrier comprises a pair of article retention devices at an end of said one of the plurality of panels, and wherein the pair of article retention devices are spaced apart from each other by a recess struck from or defined in an end edge of the top panel. 
     
     
         20 . An article carrier according to  claim 19  wherein the pair of article retention devices are hingedly connected to the top panel by a respective fold line, said fold lines being divergently arranged with respect to each other. 
     
     
         21 . An article carrier according to  claim 10  wherein the flap is folded inwardly about a hinged connection to said one of the plurality of panels more than 90 degrees so as to be substantially in face to face relationship with the panel to which it is hinged. 
     
     
         22 . An article carrier according to  claim 10  wherein the article retention device comprises a fold line defined in the flap and forming a keel for increasing the security of the article within the article carrier. 
     
     
         23 . An article carrier according to  claim 22  wherein the fold line defines in part a wing tab, the wing tab coupled to the said one of the plurality of panels only through its hinged connection to the flap. 
     
     
         24 . An article carrier according to  claim 22  wherein the fold line is arranged to converge at an end of the hinged connection to form a vertex, and wherein a cutaway separates the wing tab from the said one of the plurality of panels, the cutaway intersects with the vertex between the hinged connection and fold line. 
     
     
         25 . An article carrier according to  claim 10  wherein the article carrier is of the wrap-around type, comprising a composite wall formed from two panels secured together. 
     
     
         26 . An article carrier according to  claim 25  wherein the composite wall is a bottom wall of the tubular structure. 
     
     
         27 . An article carrier according to  claim 10  wherein the flap of the article retention device is contained entirely within the footprint of said one of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
         28 . An article carrier according to  claim 19  wherein the flaps of the pair of article retention devices are contained entirely within the footprint of the top panel. 
     
     
         29 . A blank for forming an article carrier, the blank comprising a plurality of panels for forming a tubular structure for surrounding at least two articles each having a recess, the blank comprising a pair of article retention devices each comprising a flap for engaging a recess of a respective one of said at least two articles to inhibit movement of the articles within the tubular structure, wherein the flaps are hingedly connected by a respective hinged connection to one of the plurality of panels in opposition to each other, the blank comprising a pair of handle openings defined in said one of the plurality of panels, the handle openings and the flaps define a handle in said one of the plurality of panels, the handle is coupled or connected to said one of the plurality of panels by four arms, each arm is defined by a region of said one of the plurality of panels disposed between one of the handle openings and one of the flaps. 
     
     
         30 . A blank according to  claim 29  wherein in a setup condition the tubular structure is at least partially open at each end and a tubular axis is defined between said ends and wherein the hinged connection between the flaps and the one of the plurality of panels is parallel to the tubular axis. 
     
     
         31 . A blank according to  claim 29  wherein in a setup condition the tubular structure is at least partially open at each end and a tubular axis is defined between said ends and wherein the hinged connection between the flaps and the one of the plurality of panels is oblique to the tubular axis. 
     
     
         32 . A blank according to  claim 29  wherein the flaps are hingedly connected to said one of the plurality of panels by a hinged connection in the form of a first fold line. 
     
     
         33 . A blank according to  claim 32  wherein the plurality of panels include a pair of opposed side walls hingedly connected to a top panel along hinged edges thereof and the flaps fold towards a respective one of the hinged edges. 
     
     
         34 . A blank for forming an article carrier, the blank comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding one or more articles having a recess and an article retention device for engaging the recess of one of the one or more articles to inhibit movement of said article within the tubular structure, wherein the article retention device comprises a flap hingedly connected to one of the plurality of panels, the blank further comprises a dispenser feature having an access panel, and wherein the flap is hingedly connected to the access panel so as to provide a tear initiation device for the dispenser. 
     
     
         35 . A blank for forming an article carrier, the blank comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding the one or more articles having a recess and an article retention device for engaging the recess of one of the one or more articles to inhibit movement of said article within the tubular structure, the article retention device comprising a flap hingedly connected by a hinged connection to one of the plurality of panels, the flap comprising a hinged edge defined by the hinged connection and a free edge, wherein the free edge extends from a first end of the hinged connection to a second end of the hinged connection, and wherein the free edge is arcuate or curved across or along its entire extent.