Article carrier

Abstract

An article carrier is formable from a blank having opposing side wall panels interconnected by a set of major end panels. A set of minor end panels of one side wall panel is foldably adjoined to an unjoined end another side wall panel or to the other set of minor end panels. The side wall panels are interconnected by the minor end panels to form a substantially tubular structure. Transverse panels are connected to at least one of the side wall panels in the blank. The transverse panels extend between and interconnect the side wall panels in the erected carrier. The tubular partially-erect carrier is collapsible into a flat-face condition. Connecting structure includes at least one top connecting panel hingedly adjoined to a respective one of the transverse panels. In the erected carrier the connecting structure interconnects the transverse panels.

1 . An article carrier comprising: 
 opposed side walls and opposed end wall structures hingedly connected to one another along substantially vertical fold lines to define a tubular structure, each of said opposed side walls and said end wall structures having lower edges adjacent a bottom open end of the tubular structure and having upper edges adjacent a top open end of the tubular structure;    a bottom closure structure enclosing the bottom open end of the tubular structure; and    a top structure comprising: 
 a pair of transverse panels defining a central compartment and at least a flanking end compartment; wherein at least one of said pair of transverse panels comprises: 
 a lower edge that extends between said opposed side walls and across the top open end; and  
 opposed side edges that are hingedly connected to said upper edges of said opposed side walls along substantially vertical fold lines;  
 
 wherein respective upper edges of said transverse panels are connected to one another to cover said central compartment.  
   
   
   
       2 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said pair of transverse panels and an adjacent one of said end wall structures are offset from one another and define said at least one flanking end compartment.  
   
   
       3 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , wherein said transverse panels are connected by a connecting structure that is substantially parallel to said bottom closure structure.  
   
   
       4 . The article carrier of  claim 3 , wherein said connecting structure is disposed at a position spaced above said upper edges of said opposed side walls.  
   
   
       5 . The article carrier of  claim 3 , wherein a notch is defined along at least one of opposed side edges of said connecting structure to provide a handle for said article carrier.  
   
   
       6 . The article carrier of  claim 5 , wherein said at least one side edge comprises both said opposed side edges, and a pair of notches is defined along said opposed side edges of said connecting structure, respectively.  
   
   
       7 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said pair of transverse panels comprises both of said pair of transverse panels; and 
 wherein said at least one flanking end compartment comprises a pair of flanking end compartments, each flanking end compartment being defined by one of said pair of transverse panels and an adjacent one of said opposed end wall structures.    
   
   
       8 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , wherein an aperture is disposed in at least one of said transverse panels to provide a handle for said article carrier.  
   
   
       9 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , said bottom structure being hingedly connected to said lower edges of said opposed side walls.  
   
   
       10 . The article carrier of  claim 1 , wherein said upper edges of said transverse panels are disposed above said upper edges of said opposed side walls.  
   
   
       11 . A package, comprising; 
 Opposed side walls and opposed end wall structures hingedly connected to one another along substantially vertical fold lines to define a tubular structure, each of said opposed side walls and said end wall structures having lower edges adjacent a bottom open end of the tubular structure and having upper edges adjacent a top open end of the tubular structure;    a bottom closure structure enclosing the bottom open end of the tubular structure; and    a top structure comprising: 
 a pair of transverse panels defining a central compartment and at least a flanking end compartment; wherein at least one of said pair of transverse panels comprises: 
 a lower edge that extends between said opposed side walls and across the top open end; and  
 opposed side edges that are hingedly connected to said upper edges of said opposed side walls along substantially vertical fold lines;  
 
 wherein respective upper edges of said transverse panels are connected to one another to cover said central compartment; and  
   a first group of articles comprising at least two articles and being disposed in said central compartment, a second group of articles comprising at least one article and being disposed in said at least one flanking end compartment.    
   
   
       12 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein an article of said second group is arranged so as to be substantially nested between two articles of said first group, said nested articles being adjacent said at least one of said pair of transverse panels.  
   
   
       13 . The package of  claim 11 , said at least one of said pair of transverse panels partitioning upper portions of said first group of articles from upper portions of said second group of articles.  
   
   
       14 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein said articles are tapered articles having shoulders.  
   
   
       15 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein an aperture is disposed in at least one of said pair of transverse panels so as to align with the space between adjacent articles in said first group of articles.  
   
   
       16 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein a connecting structure connects said transverse panels so as to cover said central compartment; and 
 wherein notches are disposed in side edges of said connecting structure so as to align with the space between adjacent articles in said first group of articles.    
   
   
       17 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein a connecting structure connects said transverse panels so as to be adjacent to the tops of said first group of articles.  
   
   
       18 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein said bottom structure is hingedly connected to said lower edges of said side walls such that said second group of articles rests on a cantilevered portion of said bottom structure.  
   
   
       19 . A blank for forming an article carrier, comprising: 
 a series of side panels and end panel structures hingedly connected to one another along longitudinal first fold lines such that endmost side panels and end panel structures can be secured to one another to form a tubular structure, said series of side panels and end panels having upper edges and lower edges;    a pair of transverse panels, each having a lower edge that is substantially adjacent the upper edges of respective ones of said side panels and end panel structures, each having a side edge that is hingedly connected to the upper edge of a respective one of said side panels along a longitudinal second fold line that is substantially parallel to said longitudinal first fold lines; and    at least one top connecting panel hingedly adjoined to a respective one of said transverse panels for forming a connecting structure interconnecting said transverse panels.    
   
   
       20 . The blank of  claim 19 , wherein each of said pair of transverse panels is substantially bisected by a longitudinally extending third fold line to facilitate symmetrically collapsing the article carrier, said third fold line being substantially parallel to said first and second fold lines.  
   
   
       21 . The blank of  claim 19 , further comprising a pair of joinder flaps for attaching transverse panels and respective side panels that are not initially hingedly connected, each of said joinder flaps being hingedly connected along a longitudinal fourth fold line to a side edge of a respective one of said pair of transverse panels or to an upper edge edge of a respective one of said side panels.