Carrier For Containers

Abstract

A carrier for holding a plurality of containers. The carrier comprises a plurality of panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carrier. The plurality of panels comprises at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels. The interior of the carrier is divided into a front portion and a back portion. The carrier comprises a reinforced handle comprising a handle panel, a handle reinforcement panel at least partially overlapping the handle panel, and a handle reinforcement flap at least partially in face-to-face contact with the handle reinforcement panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:
 a plurality of panels comprising at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels; and   features for forming a reinforced handle comprising a handle panel, a handle reinforcement panel, and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the handle reinforcement panel along a first longitudinal fold line, the handle panel and the handle reinforcement panel generally extending along a centerline of the blank, wherein the handle reinforcement panel comprises a front handle reinforcement portion foldably connected to a back handle reinforcement portion along a second longitudinal fold line, and the first longitudinal fold line is laterally spaced apart from the second longitudinal fold line.   
     
     
         2 . The blank of  claim 1 , wherein the handle reinforcement flap is for being at least partially in face-to-face contact with an exterior surface of the handle reinforcement panel and at least partially in face-to-face contact with an interior surface of the handle panel when the carrier is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         3 . The blank of  claim 1 , wherein the handle panel comprises a front handle portion foldably connected to a back handle portion along a third longitudinal fold line that is for generally overlaying at least a portion of the second longitudinal fold line when the carrier is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         4 . The blank of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the handle reinforcement flap comprises a fourth longitudinal fold line; and   the first longitudinal fold line is approximately equidistant from the fourth longitudinal fold line and the second longitudinal fold line of the handle reinforcement panel.   
     
     
         5 . A blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising:
 a plurality of panels comprising at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels; and   features for forming a reinforced handle comprising a handle panel, a handle reinforcement panel, and a handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the handle reinforcement panel along a first longitudinal fold line, the handle panel and the handle reinforcement panel generally extending along a centerline of the blank, wherein:   the handle reinforcement panel comprises a front handle reinforcement portion foldably connected to a back handle reinforcement portion along a second longitudinal fold line;   the handle panel comprises a front handle portion foldably connected to a back handle portion along a third longitudinal fold line that is for generally overlaying at least a portion of the second longitudinal fold line when the carrier is formed from the blank;   the handle reinforcement flap comprises a fourth longitudinal fold line; and   the handle reinforcement flap is for being folded along the first longitudinal fold line so that the fourth longitudinal fold line generally overlays at least a portion of the second longitudinal fold line of the handle reinforcement panel with at least a portion of the handle reinforcement flap in face-to-face contact with each of the front and back handle reinforcement portions when the carrier is formed from the blank.   
     
     
         6 . The blank of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the handle reinforcement flap is foldably connected to the front handle reinforcement portion along the first longitudinal fold line and comprises a first edge that is spaced apart from the fourth longitudinal fold line of the handle reinforcement flap a first distance; and   the back handle reinforcement portion comprises a handle opening comprising a second edge that is spaced apart from the second longitudinal fold line of the handle reinforcement panel a second distance.   
     
     
         7 . The blank of  claim 6 , wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance so that at least a portion of the handle reinforcement flap overlays the handle opening when the carrier is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         8 . The blank of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the front handle portion comprises a front handle opening comprising a third edge, and the back handle portion comprises a back handle opening comprising a fourth edge;   the third edge and the fourth edge are each respectively spaced apart from the third longitudinal fold line of the handle panel by at least the second distance; and   the first longitudinal fold line connecting the handle reinforcement flap to the handle reinforcement panel is spaced apart from the second longitudinal fold line by at least the second distance.   
     
     
         9 . The blank of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the handle reinforcement flap comprises a central handle cushion flap foldably connected to the back handle reinforcement portion along at least a portion of the second edge of the handle opening of the back handle reinforcement portion;   each of the front and back handle portions comprises a respective front handle cushion flap and a back handle cushion flap;   the front handle cushion flap is foldably connected to the front handle portion along at least a portion of the third edge of the front handle opening; and   the back handle cushion flap is foldably connected to the back handle portion along at least a portion of the fourth edge of the front handle opening.   
     
     
         10 . The blank of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the handle reinforcement flap is a first handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the front handle reinforcement portion along the first longitudinal fold line;   the features for forming the reinforced handle further comprise a second handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the back handle reinforcement portion along a fourth longitudinal fold line;   the first handle reinforcement flap is for being in face-to-face contact with the front handle reinforcement portion extending between the first longitudinal fold line and the second longitudinal fold line of the handle reinforcement panel; and   the second handle reinforcement flap is for being in face-to-face contact with the back handle reinforcement portion extending between the fourth longitudinal fold line and the second longitudinal fold line.   
     
     
         11 . The blank of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the front handle portion comprises a front handle opening and a front handle cushion flap foldably connected to the front handle portion adjacent the front handle opening along a fifth longitudinal fold line;   the back handle portion comprises a back handle opening and a back handle cushion flap foldably connected to the back handle portion adjacent the back handle opening along a sixth longitudinal fold line; and   the fifth and sixth longitudinal fold lines are each respectively spaced apart from the third fold line of the handle panel a first distance; and   the first and fourth longitudinal fold lines connecting the respective first and second handle reinforcement flaps to the respective front and back handle reinforcement portions are each respectively spaced apart from the second fold line of the handle reinforcement panel by the first distance.   
     
     
         12 . The blank of  claim 3 , wherein
 the second longitudinal fold line of the handle reinforcement panel and the third longitudinal fold line of the handle panel are generally collinear with the centerline of the blank; and   the handle reinforcement panel is at least partially separated from the handle panel along a transverse cut line.   
     
     
         13 . The blank of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one central panel and at least one central flap, wherein:
 the at least two side panels comprise a first side panel and a second side panel;   the at least one central flap is foldably connected to the first side panel along a first transverse fold line;   the at least one central panel is foldably connected to the second side panel along a second transverse fold line;   at least a portion of the handle panel is foldably connected to the at least one central panel along a third transverse fold line; and   at least a portion of the handle reinforcement panel is foldably connected to the at least one central flap along a fourth transverse fold line.   
     
     
         14 . The blank of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the third transverse fold line at least partially connecting the handle panel to the at least one central panel is generally collinear with the second transverse fold line connecting the at least one central panel to the second side panel;   the fourth transverse fold line at least partially connecting the handle reinforcement panel to the at least one central flap is offset from the first transverse fold line connecting the at least one central flap to the first side panel;   the handle panel and the handle reinforcement panel are respectively separated from at least the front panel along a first cut; and   the handle panel and the handle reinforcement panel are respectively separated from at least the back panel along a second cut.   
     
     
         15 . The blank of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the at least one central panel comprises a front central panel and a back central panel;   the front central panel comprises at least one front divider flap for dividing the front portion into at least two container-receiving spaces when the carrier is formed from the blank; and   the back central panel comprises at least one back divider flap for dividing the back portion into at least two container-receiving spaces when the carrier is formed from the blank.   
     
     
         16 . A method for forming a carrier comprising:
 obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels, the blank further comprising a handle panel, a handle reinforcement panel, and a handle reinforcement flap, the handle reinforcement flap being foldably connected to the handle reinforcement panel along a first longitudinal fold line, wherein the handle reinforcement panel comprises a front handle reinforcement portion foldably connected to a back handle reinforcement portion along a second longitudinal fold line, and the first longitudinal fold line is laterally spaced apart from the second longitudinal fold line;   folding the handle reinforcement flap along the first longitudinal fold line so that the handle reinforcement flap is at least partially in face-to-face contact with the handle reinforcement panel;   folding the plurality of panels to selectively overlap respective panels of the plurality of panels, the folding the plurality of panels comprises at least partially overlapping the handle reinforcement panel with the handle panel;   forming a reinforced handle by folding the handle panel, the handle reinforcement panel, and the handle reinforcement flap along a longitudinal centerline; and   forming an interior of the carrier by further respectively folding the plurality of panels, the interior of the carrier being divided into a front portion and a back portion.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the folding the handle reinforcement flap comprises folding the handle reinforcement flap to be at least partially in face-to-face contact with an exterior surface of the handle reinforcement panel; and   the at least partially overlapping the handle reinforcement panel with the handle panel comprises disposing the handle reinforcement flap at least partially in face-to-face contact with an interior surface of the handle panel.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the handle panel comprises a front handle portion foldably connected to a back handle portion along a third longitudinal fold line; and   the overlapping the handle reinforcement panel with the handle panel comprises overlaying at least a portion of the third longitudinal fold line along at least a portion of the second longitudinal fold line.   
     
     
         19 . A method for forming a carrier comprising:
 obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising at least one bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel, and at least two side panels, the blank further comprising a handle panel, a handle reinforcement panel, and a handle reinforcement flap, the handle reinforcement flap being foldably connected to the handle reinforcement panel along a first longitudinal fold line, wherein the handle reinforcement panel comprises a front handle reinforcement portion foldably connected to a back handle reinforcement portion along a second longitudinal fold line, the handle panel comprises a front handle portion foldably connected to a back handle portion along a third longitudinal fold line, and the handle reinforcement flap comprises a third longitudinal fold line;   folding the handle reinforcement flap along the first longitudinal fold line so that the handle reinforcement flap is at least partially in face-to-face contact with the handle reinforcement panel, wherein the folding the handle reinforcement flap comprises generally overlaying at least a portion of the third longitudinal fold line along at least a portion of the second longitudinal fold line of the handle reinforcement panel so that at least a portion of the handle reinforcement flap is in face-to-face contact with each of the front and back handle reinforcement portions;   folding the plurality of panels to selectively overlap respective panels of the plurality of panels, the folding the plurality of panels comprises at least partially overlapping the handle reinforcement panel with the handle panel, the overlapping the handle reinforcement panel with the handle panel comprises overlaying at least a portion of the third longitudinal fold line along at least a portion of the second longitudinal fold line;   forming a reinforced handle by folding the handle panel, the handle reinforcement panel, and the handle reinforcement flap along a longitudinal centerline; and   forming an interior of the carrier by further respectively folding the plurality of panels, the interior of the carrier being divided into a front portion and a back portion.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the handle reinforcement flap is foldably connected to the front handle reinforcement portion along the first longitudinal fold line;   the back handle reinforcement portion comprises a handle opening; and   the folding the handle reinforcement flap comprises overlaying at least a portion of the handle reinforcement flap in face-to-face contact with the handle reinforcement panel at least between the second longitudinal fold line of the handle reinforcement panel and the handle opening in the back handle reinforcement portion.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the handle opening of the back handle reinforcement portion comprises a first edge, the front handle portion comprises a front handle opening that comprises a second edge, and the back handle portion comprises a back handle opening that comprises a third edge;   the at least partially overlapping the handle reinforcement panel with the handle panel comprises at least partially overlaying the second edge along at least a portion of the first longitudinal fold line connecting the handle reinforcement flap to the handle reinforcement panel and at least partially overlaying the third edge along at least a portion of the first edge;   the folding the handle panel, the handle reinforcement panel, and the handle reinforcement flap along the longitudinal centerline comprises generally aligning the front handle opening, the back handle opening, and the handle opening of the back handle reinforcement portion.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the handle reinforcement flap is a first handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the front handle reinforcement portion along the first longitudinal fold line;   the reinforced handle further comprises a second handle reinforcement flap foldably connected to the back handle reinforcement portion along a fourth longitudinal fold line;   the folding the handle reinforcement flap comprises:
 folding the first handle reinforcement flap into face-to-face contact with the front handle reinforcement portion extending between the first longitudinal fold line and the second longitudinal fold line; and 
 folding the second handle reinforcement flap into face-to-face contact with the back handle reinforcement portion extending between the fourth longitudinal fold line and the second longitudinal fold line. 
   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the blank further comprises at least one central panel and at least one central flap;   the at least two side panels comprise a first side panel and a second side panel;   the at least one central flap is foldably connected to the first side panel along a first transverse fold line, and the at least one central panel is foldably connected to the second side panel along a second transverse fold line;   at least a portion of the handle panel is foldably connected to the at least one central panel along a third transverse fold line, and at least a portion of the handle reinforcement panel is foldably connected to the at least one central flap along a fourth transverse fold line; and   the forming an interior of the carrier comprises positioning each of the at least one central panel and the at least one central flap at least partially between the front portion and the back portion of the carrier.