Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~52~3Z
BOTTLE CARRIER
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to bottle carriers of the
top gripping variety with adequate cushioning means provided
between the packaged bottles.
BACKGROUND ART
Article carriers of the top gripping elongated
type especially adapted for use in conjunction with bottles
are known in the art as evidence by U. S. Patents 3,387,879;
3,528,697; 3,640,563; 3,860,281 and 4,180,191 all of which are
owned by the assignee of this invention. This general category
of carrier is extremely economical to produce and is highly
reliable as a carrying means for multiple bottles although
historically one drawback to carriers of this type has been
the lack of adequate and convenient cushioning means between
the shoulder portions of the bottles.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of this invention, there
is provided a bottle carrier comprising a bottom wall having
a plurality of neck receiving apertures, a pair of side walls
joined respectively along their bottom edges to the side edges
of said bottom wall, each of said side walls being formed of
inner and outer panels secured together in face contacting
relation, a plurality of top receiving apertures formed in
the upper portions of said side walls and disposed respectively
in aligned relationship with said neck receiving apertures, a
side wall extension panel foidably joined to one of said outer
panels and extending generally downwardly therefrom and dis-
posed in an overlying relationship with the shoulder portion
of at least one bottle, and a cushioning panel joined to said
s side wall extension panel and extending generally laterally
inwardly therefrom.
~ . .
.
~L5ZQ3Z
- la -
According to a further aspect of the invention,
there is provided a bottle carrier blank comprising a bottom
wall, inner side wall means foldably joined to a side edge of
said bottom wall, outer side wall means foldably joined to
the opposite side edge of said bottom wall, a side wall
extension panel foldably joined to said outer side wall means
remote from said bottom wall, and a cushioning panel foldably
joined to said side wall extension panel along a fold line
disposed generally perpendicular to the fold line between said
side wall extension panel and said outer side wall means.
~52032
Docket D-2075 -2-
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
In the drawings, FIG. 1 iS a plan view of a
blank from which the bottle carrier is formed according
to this invention; FIGS. 2 and 3 depict intermediate
stages through which the blank of FIG. 1 iS manipulated
and glued in order to form the complete and collapsed
carrier as shown in FIG. 4; and FIG. 5 is an isometric
view of the carrier disposed in erected condition.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the
bottom wall of the carrier-in which medial fold line 2
and a pair of neck receiving apertures 3 and 4 are formed.
Inner side wall means in the form of inner side
wall panels 5 and 6 is joined to a side edge of bottom wall
1 along fold line 7. To the opposite side edge o~ bottom
wall 1, outer side wall means in the form of outer side
wall psnels 8 and 9 is joined along fold line 10.
In order to receive portions of the packaged
bottles, top receiving aperture~ 11 and 12 are formed
-' 20 in the inner side wall means and, in similar fashion,
top receiving apertures 13 and 14 are formed in the .
outer side wall means.
.~ At one end of the blank, inner side wall panel 6
is foldably joined to inner ~ide wall panel 5 along inter-
: 25 rupted fold line 15. A1RO bend lines 16, 17 and 18 are
formed in inner side wall panel 5 and, likewise, bend lines
19, 20 and 21 are formed in inner side wall panel 6.
Similar structure is disposed on the opposite side of
bottom wall 1 in that outer side wall panel 8 is joined
: 30 to outer side wall panel 9 along interrupted fold line 22.
Additionally, bend lines 23, 24 and 25 are formed in outer
. ~ide wall panel 8 and bend lines 26, 27 and 28 are formed
in outer side wall panel 9.
For the purpo6e of transporting the carrier, hand
grlpping apertures 29 and 30 are formed respectively in
~lSZ032
Docket D-2075 -3-
inner side wall panels 5 and 6. Hand cushioning flaps
31 and 32 are joined respectively to inner ~ide wall
panels 5 and 6 along fold lines 33 and 34. In similar
fashion, hand gripping apertures 35 and 36 are formed
respectively in outer side wall panels 8 and 9 and hand
cushioning flaps 37 and 38 are joined respectively thereto
along fold lines 39 and 40. ,
According to a feature of this invention,
side wall exten~ion panel 41 is ~oined to the lower edge
of outer side wall paneI 8 along fold line 42. Additionally,
cushioning panel 43 is joined to side wall extension panel
41 along fold line 44. As is apparent from FIG. 1, fold
line 44 i8 disposed perpendicular to fold line 42 and the
length of cu~hioning panel 43 is approximately one half
the length o side wall extension panel 41.
In order to form the carrier from the blank
6hown in FIG, 1, initially it is necessary ~o fold inner
side wall panel 6 upwardly along interrupted fold line 15
into the disposition shown in FIG. 2. Then it iR necessary
to make an application of glue to inner side wall 6 and
outer side wall 9 as shown by stippling in FIG. 2.
Thereafter the carrier inner side wall means in
the form of inner side wall panels 5 and 6 together with
one-half of bottom wall 1 are elevated and folded over along
fold line 2 to occupy the positions as ~hown in FIG. 3.
By this operation inner side wall panel 6 is adhered to
outer side wall panel 9.
Following this operation, an application o~ glue
is made to inner side wall panel 5 and outer side wall
panel 8 as shown by stippling in FIG. 3. Following this
the inner side wall means together with bottom wall 1 and
outer side wall panel 9 are elevated along interrupted
fold line 22 and folded over into face contacting glued
relation with out:er side wall panel 8. The blank then
appears as shown in FIG. 4 which represents the carrier
ln complete and c:ollap~ed condition.
~52032
Docket D-2075 ~4-
In order to set up the collapsed carrier as
6hown in FIG. 4, it is simply necessary to fold bottom
wall 1 into a flat plane. By this operation one
composite side w~ll in the form of inner side wall 5
and outer side wall 8 and the other composite side wall
in the form of inner side wall 6 and outer side wall 9
assume an upwardly converging relationship from the
respective 6ides of bottom wall 1. As the carrier i8 formed
side wall extension panel 41 automatically extends
,10 downwardly from the'composite'side wall composed of
inner side wall paneI 6 and outer side wall panel 8.
Following this, cushioning panel 43 is simply rotated
inwardly along fold line 4~ to a position substantially `!
perpendicular to side wall extension panel 41. Then the
carrier i8 simply pressed downwardly into locked relation-
ship with the corresponding bottles to be packaged as i8
welL known. The carrier then appears as 6hown in FIG. S
with the cushioning panel 41 disposed between the
shoulder portions of adjacent bottles.
,~ , 20 While the invention is illustrated and described
'~' in connection with a carrier for two bottles in which a
~' ~ingle cushioning panel is provided, it is apparent that
a top gripping carrier for more than two bottles would
inclute a plurality of cushioning panels so as to afford
cushioning between each pair of adjacent bottles in a
row of bottles.
, INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
By thi6 invention an economical top gripping
carrier is provided for the packaging of bottles which
includes effective and convenient separation andcushioning means between the s,houlder portions of the
bottles.'
... .
,~.,~ .
... .
,~' ' ' . .
. i .
.
- . .
