A blank for being repeatably assembled into a box configuration without the use of adhesives. The blank has a bottom panel, a side panel foldably attached to the bottom panel, an end panel foldably attached to the bottom panel, and a locking structure configured to secure the side panel and the end panel in respective orthogonal positions with respect to the bottom panel. The locking structure includes an overlay panel foldably attached to the end panel and foldable toward an overlying position in which it overlies a portion of the side panel. The locking structure also includes a slot in the bottom panel, a flap foldably attached to the bottom panel and extending into the slot, and a tab foldably attached to the overlay panel for being lockingly received in the slot to secure the overlay panel in the overlying position.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a package, a carton, and a blank for forming the carton. An aspect of the invention provides a package comprising a carton or article carrier loaded with one or more articles. The package comprises a group of generally cylindrical articles each having an end and a cylindrical side. The carton is disposed at least partially around the group of articles B. The carton comprises a plurality of panels including: a bottom wall, a top wall, first and second opposed side walls and first and second opposed end walls. The group of articles are arranged in a plurality of rows of articles comprising a first row and a second row.

A system for automatically forming packaging boxes comprises a folding station comprising four folding units adapted to fold panels of cardboards blanks to form substantially cuboid boxes or lids or combinations of a box and a lid, some of said panels in the folded state forming pairs of two panels running substantially parallel to each other in a processing direction, in which the blanks are transported through the system, and orthogonal to a width direction of the blanks, which is the orthogonal direction to the processing direction in the plane of the blanks, one or more glue application units adapted to put glue on at least one panel of each of said pairs of two panels, a feeding conveyor to convey a cardboard blank into the folding station, a curing station adapted to take over the boxes or lids or combinations of a box and a lid folded in the forming station from the folding station, said curing station comprising holding structure to form-fittingly hold said pairs of panels and to guide the boxes or lids or combinations of a box and a lid through the curing station.

Provided herein is a machine for forming a container from a blank including a tray and a lid. The machine has an upstream end where the blank is loaded and a downstream end where the container is discharged and includes a frame, a pre-forming assembly, and a mandrel assembly. The pre-forming assembly is configured to partially form the lid and the tray by folding each of a plurality of side panels of the blank and further form the tray by partially folding a front panel assembly of the blank, the front panel assembly including a front panel and a roll-over panel. The mandrel assembly is mounted to the frame and configured to engage a bottom panel of the tray to form each of a plurality of corners of the tray and fold the roll-over panel to form a front wall of the container.

A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material is provided. The blank includes a reinforcing panel assembly for forming a reinforcing corner assembly. The machine includes a hopper station for storing the blank in a substantially flat configuration and a forming station for forming the blank into the container. The forming station includes an initial forming station that rotates a first portion of the reinforcing panel assembly with respect to a second portion of the reinforcing panel assembly, and a secondary forming station having male and female forming members with shapes corresponding to an interior shape and an exterior shape of the reinforcing corner assembly, respectively. The male and the female forming members are configured to form the reinforcing corner assembly by compressing together the first and second portions of the reinforcing panel assembly.

A tray for supporting a food product includes a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the tray, the plurality of panels including a central panel, at least one side panel, and at least one end panel. At least one corner flap is foldably connected to the at least one end panel, and at least one adjustment feature receives at least a portion of the at least one corner flap such that the tray is reconfigurable between an erected configuration and a collapsed configuration.

An apparatus and method for forming a tray is provided including a forming plate and the complementary aperture in the mandrel formed to define a space therebetween that deforms the blank into the desired shape of the tray. The space between or tolerance defined by the forming plate and the mandrel is less than the actual thickness of the tray at one or more sections and/or points on the tray, such as at the corners of the tray, in order to crush the foldable material forming the tray at the one or more sections. The crushing of the foldable material at these sections effectively removes any shape memory from the foldable material, such that the tray including the crushed sections retains the shape of the tray without the need for additional securing materials on the tray but without degrading any leak-proof functionality of the tray.

A machine is provided that forms blanks of fiberboard material into containers. The machine includes a frame structure, a mandrel assembly, and a carriage assembly. One or both of the mandrel assembly or the carriage assembly can be easily removed from the frame structure such that another mandrel and/or carriage assembly having different dimensions can be easily installed in the place of the removed mandrel and/or carriage assembly.

The present invention relates to a blank for a flip-top container and a method for producing a blank for a flip-top container and a method of producing a flip-top container from a blank. A blank according to the present invention may preferably comprise a section for an outer body part and a section for an inner frame. The section of the blank for the outer body comprises two side panels, a front panel and a rear panel. Each side panel is typically connected to the front panel at opposite vertical folding lines; the rear panel is typically connected to one of the side panels along a vertical folding line. A scoring line is provided in the side panels and in the front panel; the scoring line extends downwardly sloping in the side panels towards front panel and extends horizontally in at least a part of the front panel. Each of the side panels, front panel and rear panel has a flap connected at an upper and at a lower horizontal folding line of the panel. Further, the section of the blank for the inner frame comprising two inner side parts and an inner front part, wherein each inner side parts is connected to the inner front part at opposite vertical folding lines, and the inner front part comprising a flap connected at an upper horizontal folding line, said flap comprising a scoring line defining a flap part above the scoring line.

Dual handle box designs, blanks for forming boxes by folding, collapsible and non-collapsible boxes formed thereby, and manufacturing methods therefor are disclosed. Preferably each handle is located on an opposite end of the box; is two-ply; defines an elongate hand opening for receiving fingers of a hand; defines an elongate tab opening for receiving a tab of a center handle, and that intersects the hand opening; and defines a recess for receiving and retaining a lid panel of the box. Furthermore, the boxes preferably have a waterproof or water-resistant coating applied and are used as ice coolers for beverages and food items.