UnfoldIPThemes

Company patents

Westrock Shared Services, LLC

WestRock Shared Services, LLC's patent strategy reveals a surprising shift away from its core "Containers & Packaging" category, which, despite comprising 74.8% of its portfolio, has seen a significant decline of 85.0% so far in 2026. This trend is mirrored in "Packaging Machines," which has declined by 50.0% so far in 2026, indicating a broader re-evaluation of its traditional manufacturing and consumer sector focus.

Patent Trend by Technology Area

Yearly patent publications since 2023

Product themes

Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.

103 US filings (since 2023) · 5 categories · 11 themes

Specialized Container Forming & Dispensing

Methods and apparatuses for creating unique package structures, such as recesses in specific materials, blister packages, or single-dose units, and for controlled dispensing of products from storage into these containers.

Packaging Machines
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88since 2023
-12.0%YoY
Integrated Dispensing Mechanisms

Containers or packaging components featuring active mechanisms for controlled release, preparation, or delivery of their contents, such as liquids, bulk materials, volatile compounds, or single-serve portions.

Containers & Packaging
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14since 2023
0.0%YoY
Package Sealing and Integrity

Technologies and methods for securely closing, sealing, and maintaining the integrity of packages, including heat sealing, vacuum sealing, strapping, and specialized closure units, often involving material interaction and atmosphere control.

Packaging Machines
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13since 2023
0.0%YoY
Collapsible & Space-Saving Designs

Household articles engineered with mechanisms for folding, retracting, or collapsing to reduce their footprint, facilitate storage, or enable portability.

Containers & Packaging
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12since 2023
-33.3%YoY
Ergonomic Container Portability

Design features and components integrated into containers to improve ease of carrying, handling, or transport, such as specialized handles, wheels, or adjustable elements.

Containers & Packaging
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12since 2023
+50.0%YoY
Internal Content Protection

Structural elements within a container designed to secure, separate, cushion, or otherwise protect individual items or groups of contents from movement, shock, or damage.

Containers & Packaging
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12since 2023
-50.0%YoY
Smart & Active Container Featuresfiltered

Packaging solutions that incorporate active components such as motors, sensors, or indicators to perform specific functions, provide feedback, or enable tracking of the container or its contents.

Containers & Packaging
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7since 2023
n/a
Physical Item Tracking & Management

Systems and methods for uniquely identifying, tracking, and managing physical items using scannable codes (barcodes, QR codes) or wireless tags (RFID, IoT devices) to link physical objects to digital information, inventory, or services.

Data Recognition (Barcodes, OCR)
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5since 2023
0.0%YoY
High-Barrier Packaging Films

Multi-layer polymer films engineered to provide superior barrier properties against gases (e.g., oxygen), moisture, or aromas, often incorporating heat-sealing or resealing mechanisms for food and product preservation.

Containers & Packaging
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3since 2023
new
Automated Product Conveyance

Systems and mechanisms designed for the automated movement, feeding, transfer, and destacking of products or packaging materials within a packaging line, often utilizing various types of conveyors and actuators.

Packaging Machines
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3since 2023
n/a
Fiber-Reinforced Structural Composites

Multi-layered materials incorporating fiber layers (e.g., carbon, non-carbon, fabric, mesh) within a polymer or ceramic matrix to achieve enhanced mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness, impact resistance, or tailored hardness for demanding structural applications.

Layered Products (Laminates, Films)
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1since 2023
new

Patents

Showing 1-10 of 11

Smart & Active Container Features
Page 1 of 2
US 11970318 B2GRANTED
B65D5/48

Containers with selectable partitions

Filed:2021-11-05Pub:2024-04-30
Applicant:WestRock Shared Services, LLC

A container can include a plurality of side panels defining an interior space, and an inner partition member disposed at least partially within the interior space. The inner partition member can be configured to be at least partially conformal with the plurality of side panels in a first position, and to form one or more partitions dividing the interior space in at least a second position. In certain embodiments, only a portion of the inner partition member can be attached to an interior surface of the plurality of side panels such that the inner partition member can be configured to be moved between the first position and at least the second position.

US 20230196054 A1APPLICATION
G06K19/077

MANDREL-FORMING CONTAINERS WITH RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID)

Filed:2022-12-15Pub:2023-06-22
Applicant:WestRock Shared Services, LLC

A container includes a plurality of panels foldably connected to one another to enclose an interior space. A corner panel of the plurality of panels forms an oblique angle relative to a first one of the plurality of panels connected to the corner panel and relative to a second one of the plurality of panels connected to the corner panel. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is affixed to a surface of or proximate to the corner panel.

US 20230196037 A1APPLICATION
G06K1/12

MULTI STREAM LABELER

Filed:2023-02-13Pub:2023-06-22
Applicant:WestRock Shared Services, LLC

A label applicator system includes a first label applicator moveably coupled to a track configured to be moved along the track and fixed at plurality of positions along the track and a second label applicator moveably coupled to the track configured to be moved along the track and fixed at plurality of positions along the track.

US 11655065 B2GRANTED
B65D5/50

Shippers with air cells

Filed:2019-05-30Pub:2023-05-23
Applicant:WestRock Shared Services, LLC

A container includes a plurality of panels connected together at fold lines configured for extending at least partially around an interior space, including a front panel, a first side panel, a back panel and a second side panel. A plurality of end flaps are included, each end flap foldably connected to a respective one of the panels. The end flaps are overlapped with one another to enclose an end of the interior space. An air cell flap is foldably connected to at least one of the end flaps and/or one of the panels, wherein the air cell flap is within the interior space and is inwardly offset from the end flaps to define an air cell between the air cell flap and the end flaps to protect product within the interior space.

US 20230085252 A1APPLICATION
B65D25/20

Product Packaging and Associated System and Method for Authenticating a Product

Filed:2022-09-02Pub:2023-03-16
Applicant:WestRock Shared Services, LLC

Product packaging includes a packaging container configured to contain product. The packaging also includes a first tag disposed on the packaging container and encoded with a first one of a plurality of package attributes and a second code disposed on the packaging container and encoded with a second one of the plurality of package attributes. The first tag and the second tag are linked to each other to determine authenticity of the product.

US 20230061172 A1APPLICATION
B65D5/54

SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CONTAINER

Filed:2022-08-29Pub:2023-03-02
Applicant:WestRock Shared Services, LLC

Techniques and/or systems are disclosed for a container including a plurality of panels and a plurality of flaps integrally formed in a blank. The plurality of panels includes a front panel, a top panel adjacent the front panel, a back panel adjacent the top panel, a bottom panel adjacent the back panel, and a support panel adjacent the bottom panel, wherein adjacent panels are connected with one another. The plurality of flaps are configured to cooperate with each other to enclose the container at its ends. A first line of weakness is formed in the front and top panels and defines a first severable portion of the container. A second line of weakness is formed in the support panel and defines a second severable portion of the container, the support panel being fixedly attached to the front panel such that the first and second severable portions are generally aligned.

US 20230002108 A1APPLICATION
B65D5/48

CONTAINERS WITH SELECTABLE PARTITIONS

Filed:2021-11-05Pub:2023-01-05
Applicant:WestRock Shared Services, LLC

A container can include a plurality of side panels defining an interior space, and an inner partition member disposed at least partially within the interior space. The inner partition member can be configured to be at least partially conformal with the plurality of side panels in a first position, and to form one or more partitions dividing the interior space in at least a second position. In certain embodiments, only a portion of the inner partition member can be attached to an interior surface of the plurality of side panels such that the inner partition member can be configured to be moved between the first position and at least the second position.

US 11511907 B2GRANTED
B65D5/54

Shippers with a constant depth

Filed:2021-06-15Pub:2022-11-29
Applicant:WestRock Shared Services, LLC

A container includes a blank having a plurality of panels foldably connected to one another and erected about an interior space, and a plurality of top flaps foldably connected to the plurality of panels to enclose a top end of the interior space, and a plurality of bottom flaps wherein each of the bottom flaps is foldably connected to a corresponding panel of plurality of panels to enclose a bottom end of the interior space. The blank includes a line of weakness pattern configured to allow a user to break the top flaps from a closed configuration enclosing the interior space to an open configuration allowing access to the interior space.

US 20220144481 A1APPLICATION
B65D5/50

SHIPPERS WITH AIR CELLS

Filed:2022-01-25Pub:2022-05-12
Applicant:WestRock Shared Services, LLC

A container includes a plurality of panels connected together at fold lines configured for extending at least partially around an interior space, including a front panel, a first side panel, a back panel and a second side panel. A plurality of end flaps are included, each end flap foldably connected to a respective one of the panels. The end flaps are overlapped with one another to enclose an end of the interior space. An air cell flap is foldably connected to at least one of the end flaps and/or one of the panels, wherein the air cell flap is within the interior space and is inwardly offset from the end flaps to define an air cell between the air cell flap and the end flaps to protect product within the interior space.

US 20210309411 A1APPLICATION
B65D5/54

Shippers with a Constant Depth

Filed:2021-06-15Pub:2021-10-07
Applicant:WestRock Shared Services, LLC

A container includes a blank having a plurality of panels foldably connected to one another and erected about an interior space, and a plurality of top flaps foldably connected to the plurality of panels to enclose a top end of the interior space, and a plurality of bottom flaps wherein each of the bottom flaps is foldably connected to a corresponding panel of plurality of panels to enclose a bottom end of the interior space. The blank includes a line of weakness pattern configured to allow a user to break the top flaps from a closed configuration enclosing the interior space to an open configuration allowing access to the interior space.

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