WestRock Packaging Systems, LLC

Aspects of the disclosure relate to an article carrier or carton for packaging a plurality of articles and to a blank for forming the same. The present disclosure provides an article carrier in the form of a tray, the tray comprising a base panel and a pair of opposed side walls hingedly connected thereto. The carrier comprises a pair of opposed end walls hingedly connected to the base panel. The carrier further comprises at least one corner structure coupling one of the pair of opposed side walls to one of the pair of opposed end walls. The corner structure comprises a corner panel extending between an end wall and a side wall in an erected carrier and hingedly connected to one of said end wall or said side wall by a first hinged connection in the form of a first fold line. The corner structure comprises a web panel hingedly connected to the corner panel by a second hinged connection in the form of a second fold line. The corner structure comprises a securing panel hingedly connected to the web panel by a third hinged connection in the form of a third fold line.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a carton for packaging one or more article and a blank for forming the carton. An aspect of the invention provides a corner folding arrangement comprising a first panel ( 18 ) having a corner defined by an end edge and a side edge. A second panel ( 32 b ) is hingedly connected to the end edge of the first panel along a first fold line. A third panel ( 20 ) hingedly connected to the side edge of the first panel along a second fold line. A fourth ( 34 b ) and fifth ( 36 b ) panel couple the second panel to the third panel. The fourth panel is hingedly connected to the second panel along a third fold line and the fifth panel is hingedly connected to the third panel along a fourth fold line. A severance line ( 70 ) extends between the first and fourth fold lines or between the second and third fold lines. In an unfolded blank form the severance line bypasses a notional intersection of the first and second fold lines such that the notional intersection is located on one side of the severance line spaced apart from the fourth and fifth panels.

The present disclosure provides an article carrier blank and an auto-end closure structure, an automatically erectable or foldable end closure for a tubular carrier. The auto-end closure structure comprises at least three overlapping end closure flaps. The end closure includes a pair of innermost flaps which are hinged to respective ones of a pair of opposing panels of the tubular carrier and provide a multi-ply handle. At least one of the pair of innermost flaps comprises a handle opening. At least one of the pair of innermost flaps may comprise a handle flap.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to an article carrier for packaging a plurality of articles, a blank for forming the article carrier. The article carrier comprises a plurality of primary panels for forming a tubular structure and defining an interior thereof. The plurality of primary panels includes a first panel and a second panel opposing the first panel. The article carrier further comprises a partition structure for dividing the interior into two or more article-receiving cells. The partition structure is formed from the first panel and comprises a lateral partition panel. The lateral partition panel is hingedly connected at a proximal end to the first panel by a proximal end fold line and is hingedly connected at a distal end to a glue panel by a distal end joint.

A method of processing boxes includes shuttling a box in a first direction and cutting to separate outer flaps of the box from one another as the box moves past a cutting tool in the first direction, wherein the outer flaps overlie inner flaps. The method includes engaging a set of opening guides with the outer flaps of the box to drive the outer flaps open. The method includes opening inner flaps using shape memory and shuttling the box in the first direction over an inclined plane after the inner and outer flaps are open to flatten the box.

A carton ( 90 ) for packaging one or more articles. The carton includes a plurality of walls which extend at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of walls includes at least one of top ( 18 ) and bottom ( 12, 24 ) walls, a pair of opposed side walls ( 14, 16 and 20, 22 ) and a pair of opposed end walls ( 26 a, 28 a, 30 a, 34 a and 26 b, 28 b, 30 b, 34 b ). Each of the side walls has opposed upper ( 17, 19 ) and lower edges ( 13, 23 ). The upper edges of the side walls are disposed at a first distance (d 1 ) from each other. The lower edges of the side walls are disposed at a second distance (d 2 ) from each other. The first distance is substantially different from the second distance. Each of the end walls includes an upper end strap ( 28 b, 30 b ) and a lower end strap ( 26 b, 34 b ).

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a nestable blank for forming a basket-style carrier. The blank comprises a plurality of panels for forming walls of the carrier, which panels include a first side panel, a second side panel and a bottom panel. The first side panel is hinged to the bottom panel and the bottom panel is asymmetrical. The bottom panel has first and second opposed end edges, and the first end edge is offset from a first end edge of the adjacent first side panel by a first distance. The second end edge of the bottom panel is offset from a second end edge of the adjacent first side panel by a second distance, and the first distance is greater than the second distance. The bottom panel also comprises a beveled corner.

An article carrier comprises a collapsible tubular structure and a foldable end closure. The end closure comprises a first panel and a second panel. The first panel comprises a proximal portion hinged to the tubular structure along a first fold line and a distal portion hinged to the proximal portion along a second fold line. The second panel is hinged to the tubular structure along third fold line. The second panel is secured to the distal portion in face-contacting arrangement. The first, second, third fold lines are parallel to one another. The distal portion has a first free edge non-parallel to the first fold line. The second panel has a second free edge which is configured identical, or complementary, at least in part to at least part of the first free edge.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a package, a carton ( 90 ) for packaging one or more articles and a blank ( 10 ) for forming the carton ( 90 ). A plurality of panels ( 12, 14, 16, 18 ) define an interior of the carton ( 90 ) and include a first primary panel ( 16 ); a second primary panel ( 14 ) hinged to the first primary panel ( 16 ). A first end panel ( 16 A/ 26 A) is hinged to the first primary panel ( 16 ). A second end panel ( 24 A) is hinged to the second primary panel ( 14 ). A gusset panel ( 34 A) extends between and is hinged to the first end panel ( 16 A/ 26 A) and the second end panel ( 24 A). An opening A 3 defines a gusset edge ( 50 A) provided by the gusset panel ( 34 A) and a closure edge ( 50 B) provided by the first end panel ( 16 A/ 26 A). A cut ( 52 ) extends from the opening (A 3 ) into the first end panel ( 16 A/ 26 A).

A carrier for packaging one or more articles, includes outer walls ( 12, 16, 18, 22 a, 22 b, 24 a, 24 b ) which define an interior of the carrier. An intermediate wall ( 30 a, 30 b ) at least partially segregates the interior of the carrier in a first direction. A partition structure ( 50 a, 52 a ) divides the interior of the carrier in a second transverse direction. The partition structure is struck, at least in part, from one ( 16 ) of the outer walls. The partition structure is configured and arranged to be automatically erected in the interior of the carrier in response to unfolding a flat collapsed folded blank when the carrier is erected.