Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Background and Summarv Z
This invention relates to a holder for a drink carton
having flexible sides and a method which enables the contents of
the car~on to be drunk without squeezing the flexible sides of
the carton.
Fruit juices and other beverages or drinks are often
packaged in rectangular fiberboard cartons. A popular size of
such a drink carton holds about 8 to 9 fluid ounces of beverage
and is sold under the name Tetra Pak. The contents of the ~ ' ~
carton are removed by inserting a straw through the top of the ~;
carton and sucking on the straw.
A problem arises particularly when such a carton is
used by a toddler or young child. The sides of the carton are
flexible, and when the child saueezes the carton too hard, the
contents can be forced through the straw, thereby causing a mess
and a loss of the beverage.
The invention provides a holder for the drink carton
which protects the sides of the carton from being squeezed and
whlch provides convenient handles for holding the carton. The
holder includes a bottom wall and four side walls which provide
an open-topped receptacle for the carton. A pair of handles
extend outwardly from opposite sides of the holder. The carton
is inserted into the receptacle, and a straw is inserted into
.
the carton. A child or other user can raise the carton by
grasping the handles, and the flexible sides of the carton are
protected by the holder.
Descri~tion of the Drawina
The invention will be explained in conjunction with an
illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing in
which -- ~
Fig. 1 i9 a perspective view of the inventive drink- ;
holder and a drink carton contained therein;
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Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the drink holder;
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the drink holder;and
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the drink holder. -
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DescriPtion_o_ Specific Embodiment
The numeral 10 designates generally a drink holder for
a drink carton 11. The particular drink carton illustrated is a
conventional container which is sold under the name Tetra Pak
and is commonly used to package fruit drinks, fruit-flavored
drinks, and other beverages. The carton is formed from waxed ` -
fiberboard and includes four orthogonally related rectangular ~
side panels -- two wide panels 12 and two narrow panels 13 -- a ; ;
rectangular top panel 14, and a rectangular bottom panel. The ;
carton typically holds ~.45 ounces of beverage. It will be
understood, however, that the drink holder can be used for the
other types of containers.
The drink holder 10 includes a bottom wall 15 and four
orthogonally related side walls 16, 17, 18, and 19 which extend
vertically upwardly from the bottom wall. The bottom and side
walls form an open-topped receptacle 20 which has a rectangular ;
horizontal cross section and which is sized to receive the drink -
carton 11 relatively snugly. A pair of handles 21 extend
laterally outwardly from the narrow side walls. - ~
The drink holder is advantageously molded from high ~-
impact polystyrene. In one specific embodiment of the drink ~-
holder, the inside surfaces of the side walls provided
rectangular horizontal dimensions of 2-9/16 inches x 1-11/16 -~
inches and the height of the side wall was 2-15/16 inches. A ~ ; ~
Tetra Pak carton typically has horizontal dimensions of about -
2-1/2 x 1-9/16 inches and a height of about 4-3/16 inches. The
height of the side walls of the holder can therefore vary from
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about 2-1/2 inches to about 4-3/16 inches. For a snugger or
looser fit, the horizontal dimensions of the sides can range
from about 2-1/2 x 1-9/16 inches to about 2-3/4 x 1-13/16
inches.
When the carton is inserted into the drink holder, the -~
majority of the surface area of each of the side panels of the
carton is covered by one of the side walls of the drink holder.
The carton conventionally is provided with a weakened area 23
which can be pierced by a straw 24. The carton is held by
grasping one or both of the handles 21, and the flexible sides
of the carton are not touched or squeezed while the contents of
the container are sucked through the straw.
If desired, the drink holder can be provided with only
one handle 21, or the handles can be omitted entirely. In that
event the user grasps the side walls of the drink holder. The
drink holder has sufficient rigidity to prevent sqeezing of the
sides of the carton.
The drink holder also provides desirable insulation for
the carton both during use and during storage or transportion.
The contents of the carton will remain colder longer when the
carton is inserted into the holder.
While in the foregoing specification, a detailed
description of a specific embodiment of the invention was set
forth for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood ~-
that many of the details herein given may be varied considerably
by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention.
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