CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/043, 192, filed on June 24, 2020.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

[0002] The disclosures of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/043,192, which was filed on June 24, 2020, and U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29/756,578, which was filed on October 29, 2020, are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if presented herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to shipping and dispensing constructs and/or cartons for holding and dispensing containers or other types of articles. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a shipping and dispensing construct for holding and dispensing a plurality of containers such as product holding containers, the shipping and dispensing construct having features to facilitate dispensing one or more of the product holding containers.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0004] In general, one aspect of the disclosure is directed to a shipping and dispensing construct for engaging a plurality of product holding containers. The shipping and dispensing construct can comprise a plurality of panels comprising at least a front panel, a first side panel, a back panel, and a second side panel. Attachment features can be for attaching the shipping and dispensing construct to the plurality of product holding container. The attachment features can be in one or more panels of the plurality of panels. Dispensing features can be for removal of respective product holding containers of the plurality of product holding containers from the shipping and dispensing construct. The dispensing features can be in one or more panels of the plurality of panels.

[0005] In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a construct blank for forming a shipping and dispensing construct for engaging a plurality of product holding containers. The construct blank can comprise a plurality of panels comprising at least a front panel, a first side panel, a back panel, and a second side panel, Attachment features can be for attaching the blank to the plurality of product holding containers. The attachment features can be in one or more panels of the plurality of panels. Dispensing features can be for removal of respective product holding containers of the plurality of product holding containers from the shipping and dispensing construct formed from the construct blank. The dispensing features can be in one or more panels of the plurality of panels.

[0006] In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a package that can comprise a shipping and dispensing construct comprising a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the shipping and dispensing construct, attachment features in one or more panels of the plurality of panels, and dispensing features in one or more panels of the plurality of panels. The package further can comprise a plurality of product holding containers attached to the shipping and dispensing construct at the attachment features. The dispensing features can facilitate removing the product holding containers of the plurality of product holding containers from the package.

[0007] In another aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a method that can comprise obtaining a construct blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising at least a front panel, a first side panel, a back panel, and a second side panel, attachment features in one or more panels of the plurality of panels, and dispensing features in one or more panels of the plurality of panels. The method further can comprise attaching a plurality of product holding containers to the attachment features and forming the construct blank into a shipping and dispensing construct. The dispensing features can facilitate removing the product holding containers of the plurality of product holding containers from the shipping and dispensing construct.

[0008] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above stated advantages and other advantages and benefits of various additional embodiments reading the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the below-listed drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] According to common practice, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features and elements in the drawings may be expanded or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the disclosure.

[0010] Fig. 1 is an exterior plan view of a construct blank used to form a shipping and dispensing construct according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

[0011] Fig. 2A is an exterior plan view of a carton blank used to form a product holding carton according to the exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. [0012] Fig. 2B is a perspective view of the product holding carton formed from the carton blank of Fig. 2A according to the exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

[0013] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a package including the shipping and dispensing construct formed from the construct blank of Fig. 1 and a plurality of product holding containers of Fig. 2B according to the exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

[0014] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the package of Fig. 3 with a dispensing feature partially removed according to the exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

[0015] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the package of Figs. 3 and 4 with a dispensing feature removed according to the exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] Corresponding parts are designated by corresponding reference numbers throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The present disclosure generally relates to constructs, cartons, carriers, clips, sleeves, or the like, and packages for shipping and dispensing articles such as containers, cartons, constructs, sleeves, etc. that hold a product. The containers can be product holding containers used for packaging consumer products such as soap, but the product holding containers could hold other products such as food and beverage products, or any other suitable product. The product holding containers can be made from materials suitable in composition for packaging the particular consumer product or item, and the materials include, but are not limited to, paperboard, composite paperboard, and the like; plastics such as PET, LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, PP, PS, PVC, EVOH, and Nylon, or any combination thereof, or any other suitable material.

[0018] Constructs according to the present disclosure can accommodate articles of any shape.

For the purpose of illustration and not for the purpose of limiting the scope of the disclosure, the following detailed description describes product holding containers (e.g., paperboard cartons having closed ends such as cuboid paperboard boxes) as associated with the shipping and dispensing construct embodiments and/ or as disposed within the construct embodiments. In this specification, the terms “inner,” “interior,” “outer,” “exterior,” “lower,” “bottom,” “upper,” and “top” indicate orientations determined in relation to fully erected and upright constructs and cartons.

[0019] Fig. 1 is a plan view of an exterior surface 2 of a construct blank 3 used to form a shipping and dispensing construct 5 (Figs. 3-5) according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. The construct 5 can be used to hold a plurality of product holding containers C securely for shipping from the product holding container supplier to a point-of-sale vendor (e.g., department store, grocery store, etc.) where the construct with attached product holding containers can be displayed for purchase by a consumer. In one embodiment, the construct 5 has attachment features for securely attaching the product holding containers to the construct and dispensing features for allowing the respective product holding containers to be released or dispensed from the construct (e.g., by the consumer).

[0020] In one embodiment, twelve product holding containers C are contained in the construct 5 and can be arranged in two rows of six containers (e.g., a first row R1 and a second row R2 as shown in Figs. 3-5), but more or less than twelve product holding containers can be contained in the construct and the containers can be arranged in other than two rows of six containers without departing from the disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the product holding containers C are illustrated as paperboard cartons C (Fig. 2B) formed by the carton blank 11 (Fig. 2A) that hold a consumer product (e.g., soap or other consumer product). The carton blank 11 has a top panel 12, a bottom panel 13, two side panels 14, 15, and end flaps 16, 17, 18, 19 for closing a first end of the carton C and second end flaps 21, 22, 23, 24 for closing a second end of the carton. As shown in Fig. 2A, the panels 12, 13, 14, 15 are foldably connected along lateral fold lines 8 and an attachment flap 27 is foldably connected to the side panel 14 along a lateral fold line 9. In the illustrated embodiment, the end flaps 16, 17, 18, 19 and 21, 22, 23, 24 are foldably connected along respective marginal portions of the carton blank 11 along respective longitudinal fold lines 10. When the product holding container C is formed, the panels 12, 13, 14, 15 are folded along the lateral fold lines 8 to extend around a container interior and the attachment flap 27 is folded along the lateral fold line 9 and adhered to an interior surface of the bottom panel 13. A product can be inserted into the container interior and the ends of the container C can be at least partially closed by folding the end flaps 16, 17, 18, 19 and 21, 22, 23, 24 along the longitudinal fold lines 10 and overlapping the end flaps. Alternatively shaped and/or configured containers C may be held in the shipping and dispensing construct 5 without departing from the disclosure.

[0021] The construct blank 3 has a longitudinal axis LI and a lateral axis L2 and a first longitudinal edge 28 and a second longitudinal edge 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the construct blank 3 has a front panel 31 foldably connected to a first side panel 33 along a first lateral fold line 35, a second side panel 37 foldably connected to the front panel 31 along a second lateral fold line 39, and a back panel 41 foldably connected to the second side panel 37 at a third lateral fold line 43. An attachment flap 45 is foldably connected to the first side panel 33 along a fourth lateral fold line 47. [0022] In one embodiment, the back panel 41 has attachment features in the form of attachment tabs 51 that are for receiving glue or other suitable adhesive to attach a respective container C to the shipping and dispensing construct 5. In one embodiment, each attachment tab 51 is formed by a generally circular cut 53 interrupted by four nicks 55 that facilitate connection of the attachment tab to the back panel 41. While the attachment tabs 51 and the cuts 53 are shown as being circular in the figures, the attachment tabs 51 and/or the cuts 53 could be any suitable shape without departing from the disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the back panel 41 includes two rows 57, 59 of six attachment tabs 51 that correspond to the two rows Rl, R2 of six containers C, but the attachment tabs can be otherwise arranged to correspond to any alternative arrangement of the containers. The attachment tabs 51 can be otherwise shaped, arranged, and/or configured and/or can be formed by other lines of weakness (e.g., tear lines, cuts, etc.) without departing from the disclosure.

[0023] In one embodiment, the blank 3 includes dispensing features in the form of two tear strips

61, 63 to allow removal of a respective product holding container C from the shipping and dispensing construct 5. The first tear strip 61 is formed by two lateral tear lines 65, 67 extending across the back panel 41 from the first longitudinal edge 28 to the second longitudinal edge 30, and the second tear strip 63 is formed by two lateral tear lines 69, 71 extending across the back panel from the first longitudinal edge 28 to the second longitudinal edge 30. In one embodiment, the first tear strip 61 includes six attachment tabs 51 in the first row 57 and the second tear strip 63 includes six attachment tabs 51 in the second row 59. The attachment tabs 51 are removably attached to the tear strips 61, 63 by the nicks 55 interrupting the cuts 53, but the cuts 53 and nicks 55 could be replaced by a tear line or other line of weakening without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the attachment tabs 51 can be separable from the respective tear strips 61, 63 and from the back panel 41 along the respective lines of weakening (e.g., along the cuts 53 after breaking the nicks 55). Further, the tear strips 61, 63 could be otherwise shaped, arranged, and/or configured without departing from the disclosure.

[0024] In one embodiment, the shipping and dispensing construct 5 can be formed from the construct blank 3 as shown in Figs. 3-6. The construct 5 is formed around the product holding containers C that are arranged in two rows of six containers. Glue (e.g., glue dots, beads of glue, etc.) or other adhesive can be placed on the attachment tabs 51 (e.g., by timed gluing) and applied to a respective container C, or the glue or other adhesive can be applied to a respective container prior to attachment to the blank 3 without departing from the disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the glue could be permanent glue or a releasable glue, such as fugitive glue, or any other suitable adhesive. The glue attaches the containers C to the shipping and dispensing construct 5 at the attachment tabs 51. Glue could be otherwise located to attach the containers C to the shipping and dispensing construct 5 at other locations/panels of the construct. After the containers C are attached to the back panel 41 at the attachment tabs 51, the second side panel 37 can be folded at the lateral fold line 43 and formed around a side of the first row R1 of containers C, the front panel 31 can be folded about the lateral fold line 39 and formed around the front of the two rows Rl, R2 of containers C, and the first side panel 33 can be folded at the lateral fold line 33 and formed around a side of the second row R2 of containers C. The adhesive flap 45 can be folded at lateral fold line 47 and attached to an interior surface of the back panel 41 by glue or other adhesive. In this way, the shipping and dispensing construct 5 forms a sleeve around the two rows Rl, R2 of product holding containers C having a first open end 72 at the top of the construct corresponding to the first longitudinal edge 28 of the construct blank 3 (e.g., the first longitudinal edge 28 extends along the first open end 72) and a second open end 73 at the bottom of the construct corresponding to the second longitudinal edge 30 of the blank 3 (e.g., the second longitudinal edge 30 extends along the second open end 73).

[0025] A package 75 of the present disclosure is formed by the shipping dispensing construct 5 with the product holding containers C attached to the construct. The package 75 can be shipped to a point of sale vendor (e.g., department store, grocery store, etc.) for sale to a consumer. The package 75, shipping dispensing construct 5, and/or construct blank 3 can have other features and can be alternatively shaped, arranged, and/or configured without departing from the disclosure.

[0026] In one embodiment, the product holding containers C can be dispensed from the shipping and dispensing construct 5 of the package 75 by tearing one or both of the tear strips 61, 63. For example, the tear strip 63 can be removed as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Upon tearing of the tear strips 61, 63, the attachment tabs 51 separate from the back panel 41 and the respective tear strip 61, 63 by tearing the nicks 55 so that the attachment tabs 51 remain attached to a respective product holding container C. When the attachment tabs 51 separate from the tear strip 61, 63 the product holding container C is released from the package 75 and the shipping and dispensing construct 5 and is free to be dispensed or removed from the shipping and dispensing construct 5. The first row Rl of product holding containers C can be dispensed from the shipping and dispensing construct 5 by removal of the first tear strip 61 and the second row R2 of product holding containers C can be dispensed from the shipping and dispensing construct by removal of the second tear strip 63 (Fig. 5). As shown in Fig. 4, the tear strips 61, 63 could be partially removed to selectively release one or more containers C so that the released containers C can be removed from the package 75 while the other containers C in that row remain attached to the back panel 41. [0027] The tear strips 61, 63 could be removed from the package 75 in any order or could be removed at the same time by tearing along at least one of the tear lines 65, 67, 69, 71. In one embodiment, at least some of the attachment tabs 51 can be separated from the back panel 41 while one or both of the tear strips 61, 63 remains connected to at least a portion of the back panel 41 by pulling the back panel 41 away from the containers C to tear the nicks 55. For example, after the second tear strip 63 is removed as shown in Fig. 5, the first tear strip 61 could be removed by tearing along at least one of the tear lines 65, 67 in a similar manner to the second tear strip 63, or the first tear strip 61 could remain attached to the remainder of the construct 5 shown in Fig. 5 and the containers C in the first row R1 can be released from the package 75 by pulling the remainder of the construct 5 away from the containers C to separate the attachment tabs 51 from the back panel 41. The package 75 and the shipping and dispensing construct 5 could have other dispensing features or the dispensing features could be otherwise shaped, arranged, and/or configured without departing from the disclosure.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the package 75 of the present disclosure has a shipping and dispensing construct 5 comprising paperboard material that is attached to the product holding containers C and eliminates and or reduces the use of plastic over wrap around the product holding containers. The front panel 31 provides a suitable surface for graphics such as advertising or other indicia, and the back panel 41 has the release features for allowing selective dispensing of one or more of the product holding containers C from the shipping and dispensing construct 5.

[0029] In general, the blanks of the present disclosure may be constructed from paperboard having a caliper so that it is heavier and more rigid than ordinary paper. The blank can also be constructed of other materials, such as cardboard, or any other material having properties suitable for enabling the carton to function at least generally as described above. The blank can be coated with, for example, a clay coating. The clay coating may then be printed over with product, advertising, and other information or images. The blanks may then be coated with a varnish to protect information printed on the blanks. The blanks may also be coated with, for example, a moisture barrier layer, on either or both sides of the blanks. The blanks can also be laminated to or coated with one or more sheet-like materials at selected panels or panel sections.

[0030] As an example, a tear line can include: a slit that extends partially into the material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of spaced apart slits that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness, or various combinations of these features. As a more specific example, one type tear line is in the form of a series of spaced apart slits that extend completely through the material, with adjacent slits being spaced apart slightly so that a nick (e.g., a small somewhat bridging-like piece of the material) is defined between the adjacent slits for typically temporarily connecting the material across the tear line. The nicks are broken during tearing along the tear line. The nicks typically are a relatively small percentage of the tear line, and alternatively the nicks can be omitted from or tom in a tear line such that the tear line is a continuous cut line. That is, it is within the scope of the present disclosure for each of the tear lines to be replaced with a continuous slit, or the like. For example, a cut line can be a continuous slit or could be wider than a slit without departing from the present disclosure.

[0031] In accordance with the exemplary embodiments, a fold line can be any substantially linear, although not necessarily straight, form of weakening that facilitates folding there along. More specifically, but not for the purpose of narrowing the scope of the present disclosure, fold lines include: a score line, such as lines formed with a blunt scoring knife, or the like, which creates a cmshed or depressed portion in the material along the desired line of weakness; a cut that extends partially into a material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of cuts that extend partially into and or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness; and various combinations of these features. In situations where cutting is used to create a fold line, typically the cutting will not be overly extensive in a manner that might cause a reasonable user to incorrectly consider the fold line to be a tear line.

[0032] The above embodiments may be described as having one or more panels adhered together by glue during erection of the carton embodiments. The term “glue” is intended to encompass all manner of adhesives commonly used to secure carton panels in place.

[0033] The foregoing description of the disclosure illustrates and describes various embodiments.

As various changes could be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Furthermore, the scope of the present disclosure covers various modifications, combinations, alterations, etc., of the above-described embodiments. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only selected embodiments, but various other combinations, modifications, and environments are within the scope of the disclosure as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings, and or within the skill or knowledge of the relevant art. Furthermore, certain features and characteristics of each embodiment may be selectively interchanged and applied to other illustrated and non-illustrated embodiments of the disclosure.