Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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REUSABLE BOTTLE DIVIDER INSERT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to carriers or containers for bot-
tles and to divider structures îor such carriers. In particular, this
invention is concerned with packing cases for returnable glass ~long-
neck~ beer bottles.
Cardboard boxes are typically used for the transportation, stor-
age and sale of bottled beverages such as long-neck beer bottles.
These boxes include top closure flaps to protect the bottles during
storage and transport. The boxes are heavy-duty, corrugated card
board full-depth cases which can be returned and reused many times.
A thin-walled, paperboard insert separates the bottles inside of the
case to prevent them from contacting each other during shipment and
to hold them upright. While the case itself is sturdy enough to survive
numerous trips between the brewery and the customers, the insert is
~ragile, easily damaged and generally unusable after one or two trips.
The insert further tends to shift or fold up on itself before the full
bottles have dropped in at the filling lines. Warping of the insert sep-
arators can also s~uff the paper labels on the bottles.
To be reusable, these dividers thus must be sturdy and prefera-
bly economically constructed. Since twenty-four full beer bottles
weigh approximately forty pounds, the box or carrier must be strong
enough~to withstand rough handling thereof. The divider should also
not contribute any excessive amount of weight to the heavy full con-
tainers which often must be manually lifted and carried. The dividers
additionally must be durable to withstand the rough handling that the
boxes usually are subjected to without the bottles therein breaking.
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SUMM~RY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal ob,lect of the present invention to
provide for bottle carrying cases a divider structure which is durable
and can withstand numerous reuses.
Another object of the present invention is to provide for
returnable bottle cases a divider insert which securely retains the
bottles therein during shipment and handling and is configured so that
the bottles can be easily inserted therein with today~s filling equi~
ment.
A further object of the present invention ~ to provide an
improved bottle divider structure which more securely holds the bot-
tles in their respective cells.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an
improved divider insert which can be used with a variety of existing
corrugated boxes.
Another object is to provide an improved divider structure
which is self-standing on the floor of the corrugated box.
A further object is to provide an improved bottle divider struc-
ture which allows the bottles to rest and be supported directly on the
floor of the corrugated box.
A still further ob~ect of the present invention is to provide an
improved divider structure for bottle carriers which accommodates
modern bottling operations.
Directed to achieving these objects, an improved reusable beer
case insert is herein provided. This insert compfises a grid-11'ce sepa-
rator adapted to hold the bottles upright in position and to prevent
them from contacting each other while being transported in their
cardboard cases. The separator is formed as a plastic divider of ur~-
tary injection-molded,plastic~construction having an, array of aper,
tures or cells defined by divider ribs forming a hofizontal element of
relatively shallow height. The cells are sized to snugly retain therein
a long-neck beer bottle around its girth. The rib thickness is sized for
good strength and resilience. The interstices between the cells are
open to increase the grid's resilience and to decrease the quantity of
plastic required and thus the expense and weight of the divider. A
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number of feet or walls along the sides of the array elevate it of i ot
the floor of the case. The feet or walls extend straight down from
the edges or sides oi the array of apertures at the corners andlor in
the middles of the sides thereof. This sturdy, lightweight separator
insert effectively accepts and protects the bottles as they are being
inserted at the filling line and later as they are transported.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become more apparent to those persons having ordinary skill in the
art to which the present invention pertains from the foregoing
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first insert oi the present
invention shown in place in a conventional cardboard container with a
portion thereof broken away for illustrative purposes and with a num-
ber of bottles shown inserted and held in the insert.
Figure 2 is a crossæctional view taken along line 2-2 of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first insert of Figure 1
shown in isolation.
Figure 4 is a top plan view thereof.
Figure 5 is a bottom plan view thereof.
Figure 6 is a side elevational view thereoi.
Figure 7 is an end elevationa~ view thereof.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a second insert of the present
invention.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a third insert of the present
invention.
Figure 10 is a top plan view of the third insert.
Figure 11 is a bottomlplan view oi the third insert.
Figure 12 is a side elevational view of the second and third
inserts.
Figure 13 is an end elevational view of the second and third
inserts.
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DETAILED DESCRlPllON OF PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Referring to Figure 1, a first divider insert of the present
invention shown generally at 20 is illustrated in its inserted position in
a conventional heavy-duty cardboard container shown generally at 22.
A first insert of this invention is illustrated in Figures 1-7, a second in
Figures 8, 12 and 13, and a third in Figures 9-13. Elements in the sec-
ond insert corresponding to those in the first are designated with the
same reference numeral followed with a prime (I) designation and
those in the third are followed with a double prime (") designation.
The cardboard container shown generally at 22 includes a pair of ends
24, 26, a pair of sides 29, 30, a floor or bottom 32, and a pair of top
covers 34, 36 which fold towards one another such that their edge
flaps 38, 40 meet and fold in. Convenient hand-holding openings 42,
44 are provided at both ends thereof. The insert 20 is dimensioned to
fit relatively snugly, but not tightly, within the end and side walls of
the container 22 and to rest directly on the floor 32 as can be seen in
Figures 1 and 2. As will be appreciated the design of insert 20 allows
it to be used in a variety of existing containers in addition to con-
tainer 22.
The insert 20 comprises a relatively shallow (one-and-a-half to
two inches high) rib structure 48 suspended above the floor 32 by side
walls or feet 5û. The rib structure 48 is formed by interconnected
ribs 51 defining a fou~by sL~c array of cells 52 in which individual
long-neck beer bottles 54 can be inserted and held as shown in Figures
1 and 2. The walls 50 elevate the rib structure 48 to a height suffi-
cient to hold the bottles 54 in place and to prevent them from rubbing
or striking on another during shipment. The top of the rib structure
48 and associated cells 52 engages its bottle 54 generally near the
bottom o~ the shoulder of the bottle.
The rib structure 48 is thus formed by a plurality of intercon-
nected ribs 51 configured to form an attractive pattern of holding
cells 52, as can be seen for example in Figure(s) 4 tand 10). The thick-
ness of the ribs 51 provides good strcngth and resii~ence for the
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insert. Each cell 52 is sized to snugly retain therein a returnable
long-neck beer bottle 54 around its girth and to contact the bottle at
more than four points about its circumference. The insert design of
Figures 1-8 has curved diamond-shaped apertures 56 between ad~acent
cells 52 and curved triangular-shaped apertures 58 between adjacent
cells 52 along the peripheral ribs 60 of the rib structure 48. Thus, the
interstices or apertures 56 and 58 between the cells 52 are open to
increase the resilience of the grid and to decrease the quantity of
plastic required and thus the expense and weight of the divider insert
20. Each of these apertures 56, 58 has rounded corners 62a and
inwardly curving sides 62b in between them. The ribs 63 intercon-
necting these apertures 56, 58, however, are straight. Thus, each of
the holding cells 52 contacts the bottle 54 therein along four short
spaced arcs.
Another design of the present invention æ shown in Figures
9-ll configures the apertures 56~1 as diamonds using four straight lines
62a" and sharp corners 62b" and the apertures 58" as triangles. Thus,
each holding cell 52 defines a nearly perfect octagon with eight
straight sides and eight sharp corners. These cells 52 then will con-
tact the bottles at generally eight spaced points around their circum-
ferences. Even for this design, however, the four corners 64 of the
peripheral ribs 60 of the rib structure 48 are rounded.
The upright periphery walls or feet 50 extend down from, are
the same thickness as and are an extension of the peripheral ribs 60
of the rib structure 48. Although the wall could be configured to
define a continuous solid wall along the full extent of the perimeter of
the rib structure 48 and extending all the way down to the rloor 32 o~
the container 22, such a design would be unnecessarily heavy and use
unnècessary amounts of plastic material. Thus, the present invention
provides for wall segments 66 spaced at four or more locations about
the perimeter of the rib structure 46. One design positions these wall
segments 66 only at each of the round corners 64 to define corner legs
68 as can be seen for example in Figures 8, 9, 12 and 13. Another
embodiment includes central side wall segments 70 centrally posi-
tioned at the length sides of the rib structure 58 as can be seen in
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Figures 1, 3 and 6. Since these walls segments 66 are upright, the
same thickness as the peripheral ribs 60 and continuous therewith,
they do not project outwardly from the periphery 60 of the rib struc-
tures 58 to increase the outer dimensions of the insert 22 or inwardly
to contact any bottles 54 held in the cel)s 52. In fact, the entire
space within the wall segments 66 and underneath the rib structure 48
is open as can be seen in the drawings.
The bottle divider insert 20 is formed by a unitary,
injection-molded plastic construction and thus defines a sturdy mem-
ber which can hold up to repeated uses. It snugly retains the bottles
54 in place in the cells 52 and allows ~or easy consistent loading of the
containers 22 with the filled bottles using today~s filing equipment.
Its open array oî cells 52 and apertures 56, 58 provides an aestheti-
cally pleasing design. Although illustrated as holding long-neck beer
bottles 54, the insert 20 can be configured to retain generally any size
and shape bottle or other container.
From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that
there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications oI the
present invention which come within the province of those persons
skilled in the art. However, it is intended that all such variations not
departing from the spirit of the invention be considered æ within the
scope thereof as limited solely by the claims appended hereto.
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