Abstract: A carton has an automatically erected bottom that securely closes the bottom of the carton. In one embodiment, the carton blank has two major side panels and two minor side panels serially connected. The carton blank has two bottom flaps which form the bottom of the carton. Each bottom flap is connected to one of the major side panels and one of the minor side panels. The carton blank avoids the erecting and forming issues associated with prior art carton blanks which have an automatically erected bottom.

Abstract: A combination shipping carton and display stand contains a number of items such as pouches, bags, containers or products to be displayed for retail sale, distribution or other purposes. The carton serves as a shipping container for transport and/or storage of the products. When the products are to be displayed for retail sale or distribution, an upper shipping portion of the carton is removed by tear strips to expose the products in a display stand. The products are arranged and maintained in an orderly fashion by a pair of wedges inside of the carton and formed by the carton material to cant the products for enhanced display to the consumer.

Abstract: A support system for holding a sheet of material being cut by a laser has a base and a number of needles extending upwardly from the base. A vacuum generator or suction mechanism is in communication with a lumen in each needle to hold the sheet atop the bed of needles and spaced from the base so as to avoid scorching the sheet by the laser.

Abstract: A combination shipping carton and display stand contains a number of items such as pouches, bags, containers or products to be displayed for retail sale, distribution or other purposes. The carton serves as a shipping container for transport and/or storage of the products. When the products are to be displayed for retail sale or distribution, an upper shipping portion of the carton is removed by tear strips to expose the products in a display stand. The products are arranged and maintained in an orderly fashion by a pair of wedges inside of the carton and formed by the carton material to cant the products for enhanced display to the consumer.

Abstract: A carton has an automatically erected bottom that securely closes the bottom of the carton. In one embodiment, the carton blank has two major side panels and two minor side panels serially connected. The carton blank has two bottom flaps which form the bottom of the carton. Each bottom flap is connected to one of the major side panels and one of the minor side panels. The carton blank avoids the erecting and forming issues associated with prior art carton blanks which have an automatically erected bottom.

Abstract: A method and system for digitally scoring a substrate prior to completing a carton blank is disclosed. After digitally printing a substrate, it is processed through a series of scoring wheels, male on top, female wheel on bottom. The scoring wheels (and transfer belts which help move the substrate through the wheels) are controlled from the same computer file used to create the graphic image. Subsequent to the first scoring sequence, the substrate is turned 90 degrees and a second scoring sequence takes place. After the scoring sequences have been performed, the substrate continues to the laser die cutter where the same computer or digital file determines where to physically cut the sheet into a carton blank.

Abstract: A cutting and/or creasing rule is produced on a 3D printing machine which may be mounted on a board for use is a die for cutting and/or creasing a sheet of paperboard or other material into a blank for a carton. With the advent of additive manufacturing, i.e. 3D printing, it is now possible to eliminate traditional slotted die boards with generally rectangular steel cutting and creasing rules and replace same with surface printed boards with three-dimensional creasing and cutting rules.

Abstract: A carton for holding containers can be converted from a first configuration for storing and shipping the containers therein to a second configuration in which the carton forms an open-top cooler for chilling and serving the containers. A beverage container cooling carton is dimensioned for increased ice surface contact with the outer surfaces of a number of the beverage containers such that heat transfer between the ice and beverage containers occurs efficiently.

Abstract: A carton for holding containers can be converted from a first configuration for storing and shipping the containers therein to a second configuration in which the carton forms an open-top cooler for chilling and serving the containers. A beverage container cooling carton is dimensioned for increased ice surface contact with the outer surfaces of a number of the beverage containers such that heat transfer between the ice and beverage containers occurs efficiently.

Abstract: A support system for holding a sheet of material being cut by a laser has a base and a number of needles extending upwardly from the base. A vacuum generator or suction mechanism is in communication with a lumen in each needle to hold the sheet atop the bed of needles and spaced from the base so as to avoid scorching the sheet by the laser.

Abstract: A package of multiple containers in a carton formed from a carton blank has a number of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel, opposed side panels and opposed end panels. The carton may include a dispenser defined by a dispenser tear line formed in one or more panels of the carton in which the dispenser tear line does not extend into the composite end panels nor does it remove corners from the panels. The dispenser may include a portion in the top panel of the carton and may also include a portion of the top panel and an adjacent side panel of the carton. In one aspect, the dispenser leaves the adjacent corners in the top panel of the carton intact thereby maintaining the structural integrity of the carton and the package containing the pouches or other containers.

Abstract: A carton blank is assembled into a carton for beverage containers, the blank having a number of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel and a pair of side panels each joined by a fold line to an adjacent one of the panels. A number of end flaps are each joined by an end flap fold line to one of the panels and the end flaps are adapted to be folded upon selected other end flaps to form composite end panels of the carton. A carrying handle is formed in a selected one of the panels and adapted to be grasped by a user to carry the erected carton filled with the beverage containers. The blank includes a primary reinforcing panel joined to one of the panels such that the primary reinforcing panel may be folded into face to face juxtaposition with the selected one of the panels.

Abstract: A package of multiple containers in a carton formed from a carton blank has a number of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel, opposed side panels and opposed end panels. The carton may include a dispenser defined by a dispenser tear line formed in one or more panels of the carton in which the dispenser tear line does not extend into the composite end panels nor does it remove corners from the panels. The dispenser may include a portion in the top panel of the carton and may also include a portion of the top panel and an adjacent side panel of the carton. In one aspect, the dispenser leaves the adjacent corners in the top panel of the carton intact thereby maintaining the structural integrity of the carton and the package containing the pouches or other containers.

Abstract: A carton blank is assembled into a carton for beverage containers, the blank having a number of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel and a pair of side panels each joined by a fold line to an adjacent one of the panels. A number of end flaps are each joined by an end flap fold line to one of the panels and the end flaps are adapted to be folded upon selected other end flaps to form composite end panels of the carton. A carrying handle is formed in a selected one of the panels and adapted to be grasped by a user to carry the erected carton filled with the beverage containers. A pattern of stress-relieving lines are formed in the carton blank to produce a desired buckling of the carton when erected, filled and lifted to avoid tearing of the carton material.

Abstract: A carton blank is assembled into a carton for beverage containers, the blank having a number of panels including a top panel, a bottom panel and a pair of side panels each joined by a fold line to an adjacent one of the panels. A number of end flaps are each joined by an end flap fold line to one of the panels and the end flaps are adapted to be folded upon selected other end flaps to form composite end panels of the carton. A carrying handle is formed in a selected one of the panels and adapted to be grasped by a user to carry the erected carton filled with the beverage containers. A pattern of stress-relieving score lines are formed in the carton blank to produce a desired buckling of the carton when erected, filled and lifted to avoid tearing of the carton material.

Abstract: A dispenser is for removal of containers, e.g., beverage and non-beverage containers, held in a matrix configuration within a carton. A dispenser opening is defined in the carton's top panel with the dispenser opening being oriented on a single longitudinal axis oriented normal to the top panel. The dispenser opening is sized to allow egress of each container in the container matrix. Retaining flaps are included with the dispenser to inhibit unintended egress of the containers. A push hole may be provided in the carton opposite from the dispenser to allow access by a user to push the container out of the dispenser.

Abstract: A carrier is constructed from paperboard and includes a rounded or non-rectangular top in combination with a non-rounded or rectangular bottom. Dust flaps which extend from the top and bottom of the carrier overlap one another to form a pair of opposing composite side panels. The dust flaps which are attached to the side panels include a crease or fold line adjacent to the bottom of the carrier which only extends partially along the height of the carrier so that the juncture between the side flap and the associated side panel adjacent the top of the carrier does not include a crease or fold line. As such, the side panel and adjacent side flap adjacent the top of the carrier can be tightly wrapped around the arcuate sidewall of the containers within the carrier to thereby provide a neat and tightly packed package configuration.

Abstract: Product packages and methods of making same, and unpowered conductive circuits for use, for example, as game pieces and methods of making the same. The product package includes a paperboard blank configured to be formed into a box. An electrical circuit is printed with conductive ink pattern onto a surface of the blank. A user may interact with the electrical circuit by, for example, pressing tabs cut into the box. The tabs may include conductive contacts that activate sections of the electrical circuit, thereby producing one or more desirable effects in response to various combinations of tabs being pressed by the user. The electrical circuit may be powered by a battery inserted into a battery compartment of the product package. The blank may include a removable section with a printed electrical circuit, or a portion thereof, that may be separated from the blank and used separately from the product package.

Abstract: A method and system for digitally scoring a substrate prior to completing a carton blank is disclosed. After digitally printing a substrate, it is processed through a series of scoring wheels, male on top, female wheel on bottom. The scoring wheels (and transfer belts which help move the substrate through the wheels) are controlled from the same computer file used to create the graphic image. Subsequent to the first scoring sequence, the substrate is turned 90 degrees and a second scoring sequence takes place. After the scoring sequences have been performed, the substrate continues to the laser die cutter where the same computer or digital file determines where to physically cut the sheet into a carton blank.

Abstract: A package includes an article group formed of cylindrical articles disposed on their sides in a side-by-side parallel fashion, and a carton disposed around the group. The carton includes a top wall, opposed side walls, end walls and an article dispenser. The side walls are disposed alongside the ends of the articles while one end wall is disposed adjacent to the side wall of an endmost article. The dispenser is formed from the end and top walls and includes at least one retaining panel to hold all the articles in the carton until removed by the user.