Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~039688
This invention relates generally to an improved multiple-
article carrier and more particularly relates to an improved
multiple-carrier ~rrier which may be formed from a single blank
of sheet material and is designed for locking engagement with
the crowns of the bottles carried in the carrier. The improved
features of the subject carrier comprise new and novel handle
means and/or gripper means formed in the carrier.
In the evolution of the crown-support carrier from its
original design up to the present state of the art, it has been
found that carriers of this type are usually stacked one on top
of the other in an attractive display at the local supermarket
or retail outlet. Prior art crown-support carriers of the later
vintage have provided gripper means in the form of holes formed
through the central portion of the carrier by which the grocer
or stock boy could grasp the carrier and stack it on top of other
similar carriers in the display. It was thought that this
gripper means would be sufficient also for use by the customer
who could simply insert his fingers in the openings provided in
the carrier and pick up the carrier and transport it to his home.
This idea has now changed since it is now felt that this
means of transporting the carrie~, while possibly satisfactory
for mal~ customers, would not be entirely satisfactory for female
customers, especially those of the frail species that do not
have a great amount of strength in their fingers.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide
an improved multiple-article carrier of the crown-support type
which has a new and novel recessed tear-out handle means formed
in at least one crown cover panel by means of a plurality of
die cuts. The new and novel carrier of the subject invention
may also DnCO~pOrate the beforementioned gripper means in the
central portion of the carrier as another embodiment of the
preferred form of the invention.
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For a chronological study of the development of the
crown-support carrier in general reference should be made to
the following U.S. patents:
U,S. Patent ~o. Issue Date Patentee
2,187,494 Jan. 16, 1940 H. Z. Gray
2,298,209 Oct. 6, 1942 H. Z. Gray
2,320,440 June 1, 1943 C. H. Kruea et al.
2,330,699 SeptO 28, 1943 A. Flamm
2,650,128 Aug. 25, 1953 R. ~. Failor
2,737,326 Mar. 6, 1956 P. A. Toensmeier
3,073,644 Jan. 15, 1963 H. L. Baker et al.
3,156,358 Nov. 10, 1964 B. F. Randrup
3,587,847 June 28, 1971 Earl J. Graser
3,606,003 Sept. 20, 1971 Earl J. Graser
3,698,550 Oct. 17, 1972 Earl J. Graser -
3,612,266 Oct. 12, 1971 Earl J. Graser
Aftar reviewing the development of this type carrier as
represented by these patents, it should become readily apparent
that the prior art carriers all generally have provided some
handle means or means for carrying the multiple-article carrier,
but none of the prior art carriers allow several carriers to be
stacked on top of each other while still providing a handle
means for use by the female customer as beforementioned.
For example, it should be noted that the two Gray patents,
the Kruea patent, the Flamm patent, the Failor patent, the
Toensmeier patent, and the Baker patent, all provide the more or
less conventional handle means for carrying the multiple carrier
which would be acceptable by the felame customer, but none of
these carriers can be easily stacked one on top of each other
in a store display, since no provision is made in the carriers
for such stacking. And, in a similar manner, the later developed
carriers shown by the Randrup patent and the four Graser patents
all provide the beforementioned gripper means in the form of
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centrally located holes which allows these carriers to be easily
stacked, but without providing the female customer with an
easily used handle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide
a new and improved crown-support carrier which has formed therein
a recessed tear-out handle means which allows the carrier to be
stacked one on top of another by the shopkeeper, while allowing
the handle to be torn out by the customer, thereby providing an
improved means for conveying the articles to the customer's
home.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new
and novel crown-support carrier wherein the recessed tear-out
handle means is formed from a portion of one or both of the
crown cover panels.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new
and novel crown-support carrier which has a new and novel
recessed tear-out handle formed therein with improved cushioning
means formed on the handle for cushioning the load of the carrier
on the hand of the customer.
Still ~et another object of the invention is to provide
a new and novel crown-support carrier which has an improved
recessed tear-out handle means formed therein with a folded
central portion formed in the handle means which may be folded
over to the other handle means to provide a still larger surface
of contact for cushioning the hands of the customer.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and
novel crown-support carrier which has a new and novel recessed
tear-out handle portion formed thereon in combination with at
least one gripper means formed in the central portion of the
carrier so that the carrier can be gripped by the stock boy
when stacking the carriers in the store with the new and novel
recessed tear-out handle means being utilized by the customer
for carrying the package to the customer's home. These and
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other objects and advantages of the invention will become
apparent from a review of the preferred embodiment of the
invention and from a study of the drawings.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical package of
the crown-support type showing the new and novel recessed tear-
out means after being torn out of the crown cover panels and
ready for transport by the customer;
Figure 2 is a plan view of a unitary blank cut and scored
in a manner necessary to the formation of the new and novel
carrier shown in Figure l; and
Figure 3 is a partial end view of the package shown in
Figure 1, taken along lines 3-3 of Figure 1, and showing the
improved cushioning means formed on the recessed tear-out handle
of the invention.
Referring now to Figures l and 2 of the drawings, there
is shown the new and novel crown-support carrier of the invention
generally by the numeral 10 and comprises a bottom panel 12
hingedly attached to a pair of side wall panels 14 and 16 which
are, in turn, hingedly attached to a pair of crown cover panels
18 and 20. The crown cover panels 18 and 20 are each hingedly
attached to an elevation panel 22 and 24. The elevation panel
22 is hingedly attached to a top panel 26 while the elevation
panel 24 is hingedly attached to a securing panel 28. For a
more detailed reference to how the various panels are folded and
interrelated, reference should be made to the beforementioned
U.S. Patents3,698,550 issued October 17, 1972 to Earl J. Graser, -
which shows a similar type carrier without the new and novel
recessed tear-out handle means formed therein.
The bottom panel has formed therein a plurality of -
apertures 30 which are formed as taught in the beforementioned
Graser patent and which function to receive the necks of the
bottles to be carried by the carrier and to retain the bottles
in the package when the carrier is formed around the bottles.
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The crown cover panels 18 and 20 have formed therein the new and
novel recessed tear-out handle means in the form of the handle
32 and 34, which is formed by means of the die cuts 36 and 38
which define the outer edges of the handles 32 and 34 whenever
the handles are severed from the crown cover panels 18 and 20.
While the embodiment shown in Figurès 1 and 2 of the drawing
utilize two recessed tear-out handle means, it is within the
spirit and scope of the invention that a single recessed handle
means could be provided in either the crown cover panel 18 or
the crown cover panel 20.
When the crown-support carrier is provided with either
one or two handle means, it may be desirable to provide the
handle means with a folded portion 40 and/or 42 which may be
formed by means of the longitudinal perforated scorelines 46
and/or 48. The folded portion 40 is formed in the general con-
figuration shown in Figure 2 of the drawings out of the handle
opening 50 and/or 52.
When the folded portion 40 and/or 42 is formed in the
recessed handle 32 and/or 34, it may be utilized to provide a
cushioning effect at the line of contact of the hand of the cus-
tomer by folding it back against the top portion 54 and/or the
top portion 56 of the respective handles. Referring now to
Figure 3 of the drawings, there is shown an end view which shows ;~
how the folded portion 40 and 42 may be utilized together when-
ever the carrier is formed with two handles 32 and 34. In this
embodiment, the folded portion 40 may be folded vertically under-
neath and in juxtaposition to the folded portion 42 to provide
a larger surface of contact for cushioning of the hand of the
customer whenever the carrier is carried by the customer. This
general type structure is shown in U.S. Patent 3,698,625 issued
October 17, 1972 to Earl J. Graser, but has been modified in the
subject invention by utilizing substantially horizontal tabs in
distinction to the inclined tabs taught in the Graser patent.
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The crown-support carrier may or may not have formed in
the bottom panel thereof one or more gripper means in the form
of a hole 58 and/or a hole 60, which may be utilized in combina-
tion with associated openings 62, 64, 66 and 68. When the
carrier 10 is constructed in this embodiment, the holes 58 and/or
60 form a gripper means by which the stock boy may grip the
carrier to aid him in removing it from the bo~ in which it was
packed and to aid him in stacking the carrier on other similar
carriers. When formed in this manner, the recessed tear-out
handle of the carrier is left intact in its folded down position
and the appearance of the package is not diminished. Thereafter,
the purchaser of the package can utilize either the gripper means
58 and/or 60 or the tear-out handle 32 and/or 34 to convey the
package to its ultimate destination. The gripper means may be
formed with one hole in the central portion of the package or
may be formed with two holes, as shown in the preferred embodi-
ment, or may be formed with more than the two holes depending
upon the particular desires of the bottler. It is also con-
ceivable that the gripper means may be formed by further indent-
ing the openings 70 and 72 into the central portion o~ the pack-
age to allow the package to be grasped, for example, by the thumb
and little finger of the hand. When formed in this manner,
corresponding cutouts would have to be provided in the top panel
26 and the securing panel 28.
From the above, it can be seen that there has been pro-
vided a new and novel crown-support carrier having a new and
novel recessed tear-out handle means which allows the carrier
to be stacked on top of a similar carrier and at the same time
provides an acceptable handle for use by the most discriminating
customer. The handle may be formed in various ways and may be
formed, as taught in the preferred embodiment, by die cutting it
from the crown cover panel. The handle may also be formed by
cutting it from two crown cover panels and may have cushioning
1~39f~88
means attached to the handle which may be utilized to cushion
the fingers of the user against the weight of the packaged
bottles as a comfort feature.
The new and novel crown-support carrier may also have
provided in the central portion thereof gripper means for gripping
the carrier to stack the carrier on top of a similar carrier with
the gripper means also being available for utilization by the
customer if he so desires.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that a new and novel
crown-support carrier has been provided which accomplishes all
of the objects and advantages of the invention. Nevertheless,
it is apparent that many changes in details of construction or
arrangement of the various parts of the carrier may be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as
expressed in the accompanying claims and the invention is not to
be limited to the exact ~atter shown and described since only ~-
the preferred embodiments have been given by way of illustration
only.
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