Article carrier and blank therefor

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 one article having a recess. The article carrier comprises an article retention device for engaging the recess of one of said at least one article to inhibit dislodgement of the article from at least one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure. The article retention device comprises a flap hingedly connected to one of the plurality of panels.

1 . An article carrier for packaging at least one article, the article carrier comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding at least one article and an article retention device for engaging said at least one article to inhibit dislodgement of the article from at least one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure, the article retention device comprising a single engaging tab disposed at least in part in a recess at an end edge of one of the plurality of panels, wherein the engaging tab is hinged to said one of the plurality of panels along an oblique edge of the recess, and wherein the oblique edge is spaced apart from an adjacent side edge of said one of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
         2 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein said one of the plurality of panels is a top panel. 
     
     
         3 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the engaging tab is disposed in registry with the at least one article received in the carrier. 
     
     
         4 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the recess is defined by the oblique edge, an opposed oblique edge and an intermediate edge extending between the oblique edges. 
     
     
         5 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the engaging tab comprises a first maximum width, and the recess comprises a second maximum width, the first maximum width of the engaging tab is greater than a half of the second maximum width of the recess. 
     
     
         6 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the engaging tab is disposed entirely within the recess. 
     
     
         7 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the article retention device is located in a recess defined in an end of said one of the plurality of panels and does not increase the footprint of the panel from which it is struck. 
     
     
         8 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein engaging tab partially defines a recess edge of said one of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
         9 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the engaging tab is folded inwardly about a hinged connection to said one of the plurality of panels more than ninety degrees so as to be substantially in face-to-face relationship with the panel to which it is hinged. 
     
     
         10 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the article carrier is of the wrap-around type, comprising a composite wall formed from two panels secured together. 
     
     
         11 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the composite wall is a bottom wall of the tubular structure. 
     
     
         12 . An article carrier for packaging at least one article, the article carrier comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding at least one article and an article retention device for engaging said at least one article to inhibit dislodgement of the article from at least one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure, the plurality of panels including a pair of overlapping panels forming a composite wall of the tubular structure, wherein the article retention device comprises an engaging tab hinged to a free edge of one of the pair of overlapping panels along an oblique hinged connection. 
     
     
         13 . An article carrier according to  claim 12 , wherein the oblique hinged connection is angled to prevent the engaging tab from interfering with a machine access opening when the engaging tab is folded thereabout. 
     
     
         14 . An article carrier according to  claim 12 , wherein the oblique hinged connection is a single oblique fold line. 
     
     
         15 . An article carrier according to  claim 12 , wherein the article carrier is of the wrap-around type, comprising a composite wall formed from two panels secured together and composite wall is a bottom wall of the tubular structure. 
     
     
         16 . An article carrier according to  claim 12 , wherein the engaging tab is folded inwardly about a hinged connection to said one of the pair of overlapping panels more than ninety degrees so as to be substantially in face-to-face relationship with the panel to which it is hinged. 
     
     
         17 . An article carrier for packaging at least one article, the article carrier comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding at least one article and an article retention device for engaging said at least one article to inhibit dislodgement of the article from at least one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure, the plurality of panels including a pair of overlapping panels forming a composite wall of the tubular structure, the article retention device comprising an engaging tab hinged to a free edge of one of the pair of overlapping panels and having a recess along its free end edge. 
     
     
         18 . An article carrier according to  claim 17 , wherein the recess is positioned and sized such that it is brought into registration with at least a part of a machine access opening when the engaging tab is held in its folded position. 
     
     
         19 . An article carrier according to  claim 17 , wherein the article carrier is of the wrap-around type, comprising a composite wall formed from two panels secured together and composite wall is a bottom wall of the tubular structure. 
     
     
         20 . An article carrier according to  claim 17 , wherein the engaging tab is folded inwardly about a hinged connection to said one of the pair of overlapping panels more than ninety degrees so as to be substantially in face-to-face relationship with the panel to which it is hinged. 
     
     
         21 . A package comprising the combination of an article carrier and at least one article having a recess, the article carrier comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure surrounding the at least one article and an article retention device engaging a recess of said at least one article to inhibit dislodgement of the article from at least one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure, the article retention device comprising a single engaging tab disposed in, and defining, at least in part, a cutaway at an end edge of one of the plurality of panels, wherein the engaging tab is hinged, by a hinged connection, to said one of the plurality of panels along an oblique edge of the cutaway, and wherein the oblique edge is spaced apart from an adjacent side edge of said one of the plurality of panels, the engaging tab being folded inwardly about the hinged connection more than ninety degrees so as to be substantially in face to face relationship with said one of the plurality of panels and in engagement with the recess in the article. 
     
     
         22 . A package comprising the combination of an article carrier and at least one article having a recess, the article carrier comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure surrounding at least one article and an article retention device engaging said at least one article to inhibit dislodgement of the article from at least one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure, the plurality of panels including a pair of overlapping panels forming a composite wall of the tubular structure, the article retention device comprising an engaging tab hinged to a free edge of one of the pair of the pair of overlapping panels along an oblique hinged connection, the engaging tab being folded inwardly about the oblique hinged connection more than ninety degrees so as to be substantially in face to face relationship with said one of the plurality of panels and in engagement with the recess in the article. 
     
     
         23 . A package comprising the combination of an article carrier and at least one article having a recess, the article carrier comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure surrounding at least one article and an article retention device engaging said at least one article to inhibit dislodgement of the article from at least one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure, the plurality of panels including a pair of overlapping panels forming a composite wall of the tubular structure, the article retention device comprising an engaging tab hinged, by a hinged connection, to a free edge of one of the pair of overlapping panels and having a recess along its free end edge, the engaging tab being folded inwardly about the hinged connection more than ninety degrees so as to be substantially in face to face relationship with said one of the plurality of panels and in engagement with the recess in the article. 
     
     
         24 . A blank for forming an article carrier, the blank comprising a plurality of panels for forming a tubular structure for surrounding at least one article and an article retention device for engaging said at least one article to inhibit dislodgement of the article from at least one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure in a setup article carrier, the article retention device comprising a single engaging tab disposed at least in part in a recess at an end edge of one of the plurality of panels, wherein the engaging tab is hinged to said one of the plurality of panels along an oblique edge of the recess, and wherein the oblique edge is spaced apart from an adjacent side edge of said one of the plurality of panels. 
     
     
         25 . A blank for forming an article carrier, the blank comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding at least one article and an article retention device for engaging the at least one article to inhibit dislodgement of the article from at least one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure in a setup article carrier, the article retention device comprising an engaging tab hinged to a free edge of one of the pair of overlapping panels along an oblique hinged connection. 
     
     
         26 . A blank for forming an article carrier, the blank comprising a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure for surrounding at least one article and an article retention device for engaging the at least one article to inhibit dislodgement of the article from at least one of opposite open ends of the tubular structure in a setup article carrier, the article retention device comprising an engaging tab hinged to a free edge of one of the pair of overlapping panels and having a recess along its free end edge.