대표
청구항
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1. A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising: panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carrier, the panels comprise a front panel, a back panel, a first side panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, a second side panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, a first top panel foldably connected to the front panel, a second top panel foldably connected to the back panel, and at least one bottom panel;each of the first top panel and...
1. A carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the carrier comprising: panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carrier, the panels comprise a front panel, a back panel, a first side panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, a second side panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, a first top panel foldably connected to the front panel, a second top panel foldably connected to the back panel, and at least one bottom panel;each of the first top panel and the second top panel comprises a handle portion for forming a handle of the carrier and a retaining portion having container receiving openings for receiving the containers in the carrier, wherein each of the handle portions is foldably connected to the respective retaining portion along a respective fold line, the handle portion of the first top panel overlaps the handle portion of the second top panel, and the fold line of the first top panel is adjacent the fold line of the second top panel,each of the first top panel and the second top panel comprises a retention flap foldably connected to the respective handle portion at the respective fold line and configured to be positioned between at least two of the containers for retaining the carrier in an assembled position, wherein, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the retention flap extends downwardly from the handle portion and is generally coplanar with the handle portion; andat least one reinforcement flap foldably connected to the second top panel and in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the first top panel and at least a portion of the second top panel, the at least one reinforcement flap comprising a retention portion in face-to-face contact with each of the retention flap of the first top panel and the retention flap of the second top panel. 2. The carrier of claim 1 wherein, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the handle portion is an upper portion and the retaining portion is a lower portion. 3. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the retention flap of each of the first top panel and the second top panel cooperate to retain the carrier in the assembled position. 4. The carrier of claim 3 wherein the at least one reinforcement flap comprises a first reinforcement flap and a second reinforcement flap, the first reinforcement flap comprising the retention portion. 5. The carrier of claim 3 wherein the retention flap of each of the first top panel and the second top panel is adjacent to a respective container receiving opening in the first and second top panel. 6. The carrier of claim 1 further comprising a dispenser comprising a dispenser panel that is at least partially separable from the carrier at a tear line, the dispenser allowing removal of at least one of the containers through a dispenser opening at least partially defined by the tear line. 7. The carrier of claim 6 wherein the dispenser panel comprises a portion of at least one of the first top panel and the second top panel. 8. The carrier of claim 7 wherein the dispenser panel comprises at least a portion of at least one of the front panel and the back panel. 9. The carrier of claim 1 wherein in the assembled position, the handle portions of the first top panel and the second top panel are configured to be retained in a lowered position between the containers. 10. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the at least one bottom panel comprises a first bottom flap foldably connected to the front panel and a second bottom flap foldably connected to the back panel, the first and second bottom flap being in interlocking engagement to form the bottom panel. 11. A blank for forming a carrier for holding a plurality of containers, the blank comprising: panels that comprise a front panel, a back panel, a first side panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, a second side panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, a first top panel foldably connected to the front panel, a second top panel foldably connected to the back panel, and at least one bottom panel;each of the first top panel and the second top panel comprises a handle portion for forming a handle of the carrier formed from the blank and a retaining portion having container receiving openings, wherein each of the handle portions is foldably connected to the respective retaining portion along a respective fold line, the handle portion of the first top panel is for overlapping the handle portion of the second top panel when the carrier is formed from the blank, and the fold line of the first top panel is for being disposed adjacent the fold line of the second top panel when the carrier is formed from the blank,each of the first top panel and the second top panel comprises a retention flap foldably connected to the handle portion at the respective fold line and adjacent one of the container receiving openings, wherein, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the retention flap extends downwardly from the handle portion and is generally coplanar with the handle portion when the carrier is formed from the blank; andat least one reinforcement flap foldably connected to the second top panel, the at least one reinforcement flap for being disposed in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the first top panel and at least a portion of the second top panel when the carrier is formed from the blank, the at least one reinforcement flap comprising a retention portion for being disposed in face-to-face contact with each of the retention flap of the first top panel and the retention flap of the second top panel when the carrier is formed from the blank. 12. The blank of claim 11 wherein, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the handle portion is an upper portion and the retaining portion is a lower portion. 13. The blank of claim 11 wherein the retention flap of each of the first top panel and the second top panel cooperate to retain the carrier in the assembled position. 14. The blank of claim 13 wherein the at least one reinforcement flap comprises a first reinforcement flap and a second reinforcement flap, and the first reinforcement flap comprises the retention portion. 15. The blank of claim 11 further comprising a dispenser panel that is at least partially separable from the carrier at a tear line, the dispenser panel comprises a portion of at least one of the first top panel and the second top panel. 16. The blank of claim 15 wherein the dispenser panel comprises at least a portion of at least one of the front panel and the back panel. 17. The blank of claim 11 wherein the at least one bottom panel comprises a first bottom flap foldably connected to the front panel and a second bottom flap foldably connected to the back panel, the first and second bottom flap having features for being interlockingly engaged when the blank is formed into the carrier. 18. A method of forming a carrier for containing a plurality of containers, the method comprising: obtaining a blank having panels that comprise a front panel, a back panel, a first side panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, a second side panel foldably connected to at least one of the front panel and the back panel, a first top panel foldably connected to the front panel, a second top panel foldably connected to the back panel, at least one bottom panel, and at least one reinforcement flap foldably connected to the second top panel, the at lest one reinforcement flap comprising a retention portion, each of the first top panel and the second top panel comprises handle portion, a retaining portion foldably connected to the handle portion along a fold line and having container receiving openings, and a retention flap foldably connected to the handle portion at the fold line and adjacent one of the container receiving openings;forming the blank into an open-ended sleeve with the handle portion of the first top panel overlapping the handle portion of the second top panel and the fold line of the first top panel adjacent the fold line of the second top panel such that, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the retention flap extends downwardly from the handle portion and is generally coplanar with the handle portion, the forming the blank into the open-ended sleeve comprising positioning the at least one reinforcement flap in face-to-face contact with at least a portion of the first top panel and at least a portion of the second top panel and positioning the retention portion of the at least one reinforcement flap in face-to-face contact with each of the retention flap of the first top panel and the retention flap of the second top panel;inserting containers into the sleeve such that the containers are inserted through the container receiving openings of the retaining portion, at least two of the containers being placed into contact with the retention flaps of the first top panel and the second top panel to retain the carrier in an assembled position; andclosing the open-ended sleeve to at least partially close the carrier. 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least two containers comprises at least a first container and a second container, and the inserting the containers comprises inserting the first container through a first container receiving opening in the retaining portion of the first top panel so that the first container contacts the retention flap of the first top panel and inserting the second container through a second container receiving opening in the retaining portion of the second top panel so that the second container contacts the retention flap of the second top panel. 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the first container and the second container cooperate to apply a compressive force on the adjacent retention flaps of the first top panel and the second top panel that retains the carrier in the assembled position. 21. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one reinforcement flap comprises a first reinforcement flap and a second reinforcement flap, and the first reinforcement flap comprises the retention portion. 22. The carrier of claim 1, wherein, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the container receiving openings comprise a middle opening and at least one end opening in the retaining portion, the middle opening being at least partially defined by the retention flap and comprising an edge that is collinear with at least a portion of the fold line of the respective first top panel and second top panel, and the at least one end opening being spaced apart from the respective fold line. 23. The carrier of claim 1, further comprising a dispenser comprising a dispenser panel that is at least partially separable from the carrier at a tear line, wherein, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the container receiving openings comprise at least a first container receiving opening and a second container receiving opening, at least a portion of the dispenser panel extending between the first container receiving opening and the second container receiving opening. 24. The carrier of claim 23, wherein the tear line comprises a first end extending from the first container receiving opening and a second end extending from the second container receiving opening in each of the first top panel and the second top panel. 25. The blank of claim 11, wherein, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the container receiving openings comprise a middle opening and at least one end opening in the retaining portion, the middle opening being at least partially defined by the retention flap and comprising an edge that is collinear with at least a portion of the fold line of the respective first top panel and second top panel, and the at least one end opening being spaced apart from the respective fold line. 26. The blank of claim 11, further comprising a dispenser comprising a dispenser panel that is at least partially separable from the carrier at a tear line, wherein, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the container receiving openings comprise at least a first container receiving opening and a second container receiving opening, at least a portion of the dispenser panel extending between the first container receiving opening and the second container receiving opening. 27. The blank of claim 26, wherein the tear line comprises a first end extending from the first container receiving opening and a second end extending from the second container receiving opening in each of the first top panel and the second top panel. 28. The method of claim 18, wherein, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the container receiving openings comprise a middle opening and at least one end opening in the retaining portion, the middle opening being at least partially defined by the retention flap and comprising an edge that is collinear with at least a portion of the fold line of the respective first top panel and second top panel, and the at least one end opening being spaced apart from the respective fold line. 29. The method of claim 18, further comprising a dispenser comprising a dispenser panel that is at least partially separable from the carrier at a tear line, wherein, for each of the first top panel and the second top panel, the container receiving openings comprise at least a first container receiving opening and a second container receiving opening, at least a portion of the dispenser panel extending between the first container receiving opening and the second container receiving opening. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the tear line comprises a first end extending from the first container receiving opening and a second end extending from the second container receiving opening in each of the first top panel and the second top panel.