Article carrier and blank therefor

Abstract

An article carrier for packaging articles has a main panel that has article retention structures each having a receiving aperture defined at least in part by an aperture or opening defined through the main panel. The receiving apertures are arranged in rows and columns to form a matrix or an array such that the receiving apertures include four corner apertures. The main panel defines a first notional footprint. The arrangement of the receiving apertures defines a second notional footprint. The first notional footprint defines a first footprint center. The second notional footprint defines a second footprint center. The first footprint center is offset from the second footprint center. Other examples include a set of article carriers and a set of connected blanks for forming article carriers.

1 . An article carrier of the top-engaging type for packaging articles, the article carrier comprising a main panel having a plurality of article retention structures each comprising a receiving aperture defined through the main panel, the receiving apertures being arranged in rows and columns to form a rectangular array such that the receiving apertures include four corner apertures, the main panel defining a first notional footprint, the arrangement of the receiving apertures defining a second notional footprint, wherein the first notional footprint defines a first footprint center, the second notional footprint defines a second footprint center, and wherein the first footprint center is offset from the second footprint center. 
     
     
         2 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the first footprint center is laterally offset from the second footprint center, or the first footprint center is offset from the second footprint center in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the main panel. 
     
     
         3 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the first footprint center is longitudinally offset from the second footprint center, or the first footprint center is offset from the second footprint center in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main panel. 
     
     
         4 . An article carrier according to  claim 1 , wherein the first footprint center is offset from the second footprint center in two orthogonal directions. 
     
     
         5 . An article carrier for packaging articles, the article carrier comprising a main panel having a plurality of article retention structures each comprising an aperture defined through the main panel, the apertures being arranged in rows and columns to form a rectangular array such that the apertures include four corner apertures, the main panel comprising four peripheral edges comprising a first edge and a second edge opposing the first edge, and a third edge and a fourth edge opposing the third edge, wherein a first one of the four corner apertures is located at a portion of the main panel defined by an intersection of the first edge and the third edge, a second one of the four corner apertures is located at a portion of the main panel defined by an intersection of the second edge and the fourth edge, and wherein a first distance defined between the first edge and a center of the first one of the four corner apertures is substantially different from a second distance defined between the second edge and a center of the second one of the four corner apertures. 
     
     
         6 . An article carrier according to  claim 5 , wherein the second distance is less than the first distance. 
     
     
         7 . An article carrier according to  claim 5 , wherein respective distances between the centers of each aperture and the centers of orthogonally adjacent apertures are equal, wherein a dimension of the main panel along a longitudinal axis x is represented by the formula MM×DD 1 −aa 2 , and wherein a dimension of the main panel along a transverse axis y is represented by the formula NN×DD 1 −aa 1 , wherein the transverse axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, “DD 1 ” is the distance between the centers of orthogonally adjacent apertures, “MM” is a first integer number equal to the number of said rows of the array of apertures, “NN” is a second integer number equal to the number of said columns of the array of apertures, “aa 1 ” is a first numerical value greater than zero, and “aa 2 ” is a second numerical value no less than zero. 
     
     
         8 . An article carrier according to  claim 7 , wherein “aa 2 ” is different from “aa 1 ”. 
     
     
         9 . An article carrier according to  claim 8 , wherein “aa 2 ” is greater than “aa 1 ”. 
     
     
         10 . An article carrier according to  claim 9 , wherein “aa 2 ” is twice “aa 1 ”. 
     
     
         11 . An article carrier according to  claim 5 , wherein the main panel has a maximum width no greater than NN×DD 1 , the main panel has a maximum length less than MM×DD 1 , where “DD 1 ” is a maximum diameter of each article that the plurality of article retention structures are configured to receive, “MM” is a first integer number equal to the number of said rows of the array of apertures, “NN” is a second integer number equal to the number of said columns of the array of apertures. 
     
     
         12 . An article carrier according to  claim 11 , wherein the maximum width of the main panel is less than NN×DD 1 . 
     
     
         13 . An article carrier according to  claim 5 , wherein the main panel further comprises one or more tabs formed about a periphery of each of the apertures in the main panel, the one or more tabs of each aperture being connected to the main panel such that the tabs yield out of the plane of the main panel upon receiving one of the articles in the aperture so as to bear against that article in an article-carrying configuration in which the main panel is applied to a group of the articles. 
     
     
         14 . An article carrier according to  claim 5 , wherein the article carrier further comprises a reinforcing panel hingedly connected to the main panel and secured thereto in a face-contacting arrangement, wherein the reinforcing panel comprises a plurality of article receiving structures each having a receiving aperture defined through the reinforcing panel and disposed in registry with a respective one of the apertures of the main panel. 
     
     
         15 . An article carrier according to  claim 5 , wherein a third distance defined between the third edge and the center of the first one of the four corner apertures is substantially different from a fourth distance defined between the fourth edge and the center of the second one of the four corner apertures. 
     
     
         16 . An article carrier according to  claim 5 , wherein a third distance defined between the third edge and the center of the first one of the four corner apertures is substantially equal to a fourth distance defined between the fourth edge and the center of the second one of the four corner apertures. 
     
     
         17 . A set of article carriers comprising at least two article carriers arranged next to each other and detachably connected together by a severance line to form a connected carrier group, each article carrier of the set comprising a main panel having a plurality of article retention structures each comprising an aperture defined through the main panel, wherein the apertures of the connected carrier group are arranged in one or more rows, the connected carrier group comprises peripheral edges comprising a first edge and a second edge opposing the first edge, and at least a portion of each of the first edge and the second edge is disposed parallel to the severance line, wherein the apertures of the connected carrier group comprise a first aperture disposed at an end of the one or more rows and adjacent to the first edge, the apertures of the connected carrier group further comprising a second aperture and a third aperture that are disposed next to each other on opposite sides of the severance line such that the severance line extends between the second aperture and the third aperture, wherein a first distance defined between the first edge and a center of the first aperture is less than one half of a second distance defined between a center of the second aperture and a center of the third aperture. 
     
     
         18 . A set of article carriers according to  claim 17 , wherein the connected carrier group comprises a third edge and a fourth edge opposing the third edge, wherein the one or more rows comprises a second end row extending alongside the fourth edge and extending transversely with respect to the severance line, and wherein a third distance defined between the fourth edge and a center of each of the apertures in the second end row is less than one half of the second distance defined between the center of the second aperture and the center of the third aperture. 
     
     
         19 . A set of article carriers according to  claim 17 , wherein each article carrier of the set further comprises a reinforcing panel hingedly connected to a respective one of the main panels and secured to the respective main panel in a face-contacting arrangement, wherein each reinforcing panel comprises a plurality of article receiving structures each having a receiving aperture defined through the reinforcing panel and disposed in registry with a respective one of the apertures of the respective main panel.