Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ W094l25363 2 1 ~ ~ S 9~ PCT~S94/0~29
BOTTLE CARRIER
This invention relates to article carriers and blanks
therefor which are particularly useful for carrying
articles such as bottles. More particularly the
invention relates to a bottle carrier of the wrap-round
type and is concerned with an improved bottle retention
and carrier reinforcing feature which receive heel
portions of bottles accommodated in the carrier.
Bottle heel retention means in wraparound carriers are
well known.
EPO171229Bl discloses a known bottle carrier of the wrap-
around type having top, bottom and side walls inter-
connected to form a tubular open-ended structure. A
sloping h~eel panel interconnects each side wall along a
fold line with an associated bottom lap panel. The
bottom corners of the carton formed by the sloping heel
panel comprise bottle heel receiving apertures formed in
each sloping heel panel which extend into the associated
side wall and lap panels. ~he receiving apertures form
part of the bottle heel ~etaining feature which further
comprises bottle engaging and carrier reinforcing flaps
which are foldably ~oined along opposed peripheral edges
W094/2~363 2161 696 pcT~s94ln~29
of the bottle heel receiving apertures. In particular,
EP0171229B1 discloses bottle engaging and carrier
reinforcing flaps which extend across the associated
sloping heel panel and into the associated side wall and
lap panel, the flaps comprising hinged portions so that
in the formed bottle carrier a portion of the bottle
engaging and carrier reinforcing flap is substantially
parallel with the inner surface of the associated lap
panel. In this construction a portion of the heel of a
lQ bottle protrudes from the carrier without being protected
and the tighter the package is made the more is the
tendency for the heel to protrude further. Also, tears
can be created in the carton surrounding a receiving
aperture due sometimes to an "over tight" package and in
part at least, to any movement of a bottle acting
directly against the edge of the receiving aperture.
Another type of bottle heel retaining structure is shown
by EP0 059 104. This reference discloses a heel
ret~n~ng flap extenA ~ ng primarily outwardly of the
carton, although C-shaped cuts provided cause a small
portion of the flap to extend inwardly of the carton.
However the folding action of the retaining flaps is
outward i.e. the pivoting action is outward and not
inward. EP0 247 298 is another example of an outwardly
extending bottle heel retaining flap and whereas in
practice a small portion of the flap may extend inwardly
of the carton, the setting up pivoting action is outward.
~ W094/25363 2 ~ 6 1 ~ 9 6 PCT~S94/0~29
One aspect o the invention provides an article carrier
for bottles comprising angular~y related panels such as
a top, bottom and side wall panels which are foldably
interconnected. Accordingly the carrier might be of the
tray or wraparound types for example. The carrier
further comprises article receiving and ret~n~ng means
extending between a main side wall panel and a main
second panel which is either a top or a bottom panel,
said means comprising an aperture adapted to receive a
portion of an article containeA within the carrier, and
a flap struck from and hingably connected to an edge of
said aperture which flap is adapted to abut the article
received in the aperture, and wherein the flap is pivotal
into an operative position about its hinged connection to
provide portions thereof which protrude both inwardly and
outwardly of the carrier so that a portion of said flap
engages the article internally of the carrier and another
portion of said flap engages the article externally of
the carrier, said flap being put into its operative
position by pivoting inwardly of the carrier.
Beneficially, a retaining means might be provided to
retain a heel or a shoulder, or both, of an article such
as a bottle or a can for example.
According to a feature of this aspect of the invention
said receiving and ret~in;ng means may comprise a pair of
W094/25363 2 1 6 1 6 9 6 PCT~S94/0~29 ~
complimentary hinged flaps, each being hinged on opposite
edges of said aperture.
According to another feature of this aspect of the
invention, said other portion of the or each flap may be
defined at least in part by a cut line extending between
a pair of spaced hinged connections about which the flap
is pivotal out of the plane of said aperture.
Preferably, said other flap portion is disposed laterally
beyond an imaginary straight line taken between ad;acent
ends of the hinged connections. Moreover the other flap
portion might be defined by said straight line and said
cut line extending between the spaced hinged connections.
According to yet another feature of this aspect of the
invention, the carrier may further comprise an inclined
panel which foldably co~nects together a side panel and
the second wall panel of the carrier and wherein said
aperture is struck partially from each of said side
panels, said inclined panel and said second wall panel.
In some constructions where this feature is adopted said
cut line may be formed in said inclined panel between the
first and second hinges of the flap which hinges are
formed in the side and second wall panels respectively.
In other constructions where this feature is adopted said
cut line may be formed partially in said inclined panel
and partially in said second wall panel between the first
~wog4es363 216~696 PCT~594/~Z9
and second hinges which hinges are formed at least
partially in said side panel and in said second wall
panel respectively. Preferably, the cut between the
first and second hinges of the flaps is substantially
arcuate.
According to yet another feature of this aspect of the
invention each of said flaps may include an upper portion
and a lower portion hinged so as to be foldable relative
to one another and thereby allow the flap to bend and
better conform to the shape of a bottle heel portion and
wherein the hinged connection between said upper and
lower flap portions is disposed above the base of a
bottle engaged therewith.
According to a still further feature of the invention an
article carrier receiving means may be provided to
receive each of the outermost corner articles contained
in the carrier.
Another aspect of the invention provides an article
carrier of the wraparound type having top, bottom and
side walls interconnected to form a tubular open-ended
structure, a sloping heel panel interconnected with each
side wall along a fold line and an associated bottom lap
panel along a fold line and article heel receiving and
retaining means comprising apertures formed in each
sloping heel panel which extend into the associated side
W094/Z53~ 2 1 6 1 6 ~ 6 PCT~94/0~29 ~
wall and bottom lap panel, said receiving means including
article engaging and carrier reinforcing flaps which are
foldably joined to said lap panel and said side wall
panel, said flaps having fold lines formed therein which
allow the flaps to conform to the configuration of the
article and wherein, in the formed carrier, the flaps are
folded substantially inwardly but also provide an
outwardly ext~d~ng portion which abuts that part of the
article protruding through the associated receiving
aperture.
Another aspect of the invention provides an article
receiving and retaining means for an article carrier
struck from corner panels in ad~acent walls of the
carrier, which means comprises an aperture within the
corner panels and a flap struck from and hingably
connected to an edge of the aperture which flap is
adapted to pivot into an operative position about its
hinge to provide portions thereof which extend both
inwardly and outwardly of the carrier, both inwardly and
outwardly extending portions being adapted to engage
respective parts of an article retA~ne~ in the means in
use, said flap being adapted to be put into said
operative position by pivoting said operatively inwardly
extending flap portion inwardly. In a preferred form of
the article receiving and retaining means the flap
comprises a series of foldably interconnected flap
portions, at least one portion of which is adapted at
2~616~6
~ W094/25363 PCT~S94/0~29
least partially to engage an end of an article in use and
at least an adjacent flap portion is adapted to engage a
side of an article in use, wherein the fold line between
the one and adjacent flap portions is disposed ad~acent
the side of the article in use.
Another aspect of the invention provides a blank
comprising side wall panels and a second wall panel such
as a bottom or top wall panel which are foldably
interconnected, article receiving and ret~ n~ ng means
extending between a side wall panel and said second wall
panel, said means comprising an aperture adapted to
receive a portion of an article in use and a flap struck
from and hingably connected to an edge of said aperture
which flap is adapted to abut the article received in the
aperture in use and wherein the flap is adapted to pivot
into an operative position about its hinged connection to
provide portions thereof which extend both inwardly and
outwardly through the aperture in use, a portion of said
flap being adapted to engage part of an article
internally of a carrier formed from the blank and another
portion of said flap being adapted to engage part of the
article externally of the carrier, said flap being
adapted to be put into its operative position by pivoting
inwardly of the carrier.
In a preferred form of the blank the side wall panel
comprises a side panel and an inclined panel which
W094/25363 2 1 6 1 6 9 6 PCT~S91/0~29 0
inclined panel foldably connects together the side panel
and the second wall panel, and wherein the aperture is
struck partially in all three panels. Additionally, the
flap may be hingably connected to said side panel and to
said second wall panel, said means comprising a cut line
between said hinged connections which extends into both
said side panel and second wall panel.
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ret~1~1ng means
according to the invention in a portion of an unformed
blank;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the retaining means
shown in Figure 1 in a formed position in engagement with
a bottle A;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the arrangement shown
in Figure 2 as seen internally of the carton with the
article removed;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the arrangement shown
in Figure 3 as seen externally of the carton;
Figure 5 is a plan view of an unformed retaining feature
~ W094/25363 2 ~ 6 ~ 6 9 6 PCT~S94/0~29
as shown in Figure 1;
Figure 6 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a
retaining feature according to the invention,
Figure 7 is a plan view of a third embodiment of a
retaining feature according to the invention; and
Figure 8 is a plan view of a fourth embodiment of a
retaining feature according to the invention.
Referring to Figures l to 5 there is shown a first
embodiment of a retA~ng means 10 according to the
invention. The retaining means 10 is formed in a side
wall comprising a side panel 42 and inclined heel panel
44 and a second wall panel which in this example is lap
(bottom) panel 46 of a wrap-around carrier of a known
type such as that disclosed in EP0171229Bl. The
retaining means lO is not exclusively intended for the
heel portion of an article and might be used for an upper
shoulder of an article for example. The retA~n~n~ means
10 can be formed at the ends of the tubular structure of
a wraparound carrier for example to retain the end
(corner) articles or alternatively can be provided for
only any one or more of the articles held in a carrier.
The retaining means 10 comprises a ret~;~ing aperture ll
which in this example receives the heel of a bottle A as
W094/2~363 2 1 6 1 ~ ~ 6 PCT~S94/0~29
shown in Figure 2. The retaining means 10 also comprises
retaining flaps 12 and 14 which in the formed carton
provide internal flap portions F which abut that part of
the heel of an art$cle A ad~acent the sloping panel 44
and external flap portions F1 which engage heel portions
of an article protruding externally through the aperture.
In more deta$1, ret~ n~ means 10 comprises a first flap
12 comprising upper, middle and lower flap portions 12a,
12b and 12c respectively. Upper portion 12a is hinged to
side wall 42 along hinge line 26. Middle portion 12b is
hinged to upper portion 12a along hinge line 30, and to
lower panel portion 12c along hinge line 32. Lower panel
portion 12c is hinged to lap panel 46 along hinge line
22. An arcuate cut 18 extends from hinge line 26 to
hinge line 22. These hinge lines 26, 22 and cut 18
together define a lateral edge of first flap 12 as shown
in Figures 1 and 5. First flap 12 is struck from the
carton panels 42, 44 and 46 by top cut 15, central cut
line 16 and bottom cut 17 and is pivotal about the hinged
connections 26 and 22.
Similarly, a complementary second flap 14 comprises top,
middle and bottom flap portions 14a, 14b and 14c
respectively. In this embodiment of the invention flap
14 is the mirror image of flap 12 along the central cut
line 16. Of course, they need not necessarily be mirror
images and indeed only one flap might be provided in a
~ W094/2~363 2 ~ 6 1 6 9 6 PCT~S94/0~29
11
given retaining means 10. Also, it is envisaged that
where two flaps are provided they need not abut along cut
line 16 and indeed a significant gap could be provided
between the flaps for example. In flap 14, upper hinge
line 28 connects upper flap portion 14a to side wall 42
and upper flap portion 14a is foldably connected to
central panel portion 14b along hinge line 34. Lower
portion 14c is hingably connected to middle flap portion
14b along hinge line 36 and to lap panel 46 along hinge
line 24. Complementary flap 14 is pivotal about the
hinged connections 28 and 24. When both flaps are
coplanar, such as when the carrier is in blank form, the
aperture is substantially closed.
To erect a wrap-around carrier comprising a ret~i n; ng
means 10 first the underside of the top of the carrier
blank is applied to the tops of a group of bottles to be
packaged in the carrier and the side walls folded
downwardly to be disposed in flanking relationship along
the side walls of the bottles. Then flaps 12 and 14 are
displaced inwardly by suitable means which may be
similar, at least in function, to those known for example
from EP0322159Bl. Displacement of flaps 12 and 14 thus,
causes flap portions F to be disposed internally of the
carton and flap portion F1 to be disposed externally of
the carton. The heel portion of a bottle A is thereby
engaged in the aperture 11 and also received by the flaps
12 and 14 of ret~;~; ng means 10. Lap panel 46 can then
W094/25363 2 ~ ~ ~ 6 9 6 PCT~S94/0~29 ~
12
be folded upwardly into engagement with the bases of the
bottles A as shown in Figure 2. A similar operation on
the opposite side of the group o~ articles also is
performed and the wraparound carrier can be completed by
securing the overlapping base panels together, for
example by gluing or preferably by mechanical locks.
The structure of retaining means 10 is such that both
internal and external ret~ g flap portions are
provided to engage the heel of bottle A. The external
flap portion Fl helps to protect that part of the bottle
A which protrudes from the carrier. The retaining flaps
are particularly able to conform to the bottom portions
of bottles because of their pivotal action and the
bending action permitted by fold lines 30, 32 and 34, 36.
Conformab~lity of this type is enh~nce~ by the long
curved "c" cut of the types 18 and 20 shown in the first
embodiment of the invention and by the double hinge
lech~nism provided for each flap 12 and 14.
Additionally, better pack tight~n~ng can be effected by
the invention due to a beneficial resistance to tear
provided by the flaps 12 and 14. These flaps (or
aperture doors) can act as buffers, which push against
the lateral edges of the aperture 11 (or door frame) when
a bottle heel is inserted in the aperture 11. The flaps
12 and 14 having both inner and outer portions can
therefore act to disperse the tearing action of a bottle
against the periphery of the aperture. It is apparent
~ W094/25363 2 1 6 1 6 9 6 PCT~S94/0~29
13
that a large amount of paperboard may be put into contact
w~th a retained article using a retaining structure
according to the invention, thereby providing both
protection and security for the article.
Additionally, this door opening effect allows a
relatively large portion of the heel portion of bottles
to be inserted into aperture 11, thereby enabling a
relatively strong pack tightening whilst minimising the
risk of tearing. This is found to be advantageous for
example in packaging petalloid bottles where a relatively
large aperture is useful in locating the bottle in the
carton and the flap acts to protect the relatively large
amount of bottle protruding from the carton aperture.
These features and benefits can possibly be better
appreciated from the perspective views shown ln Figures
3 and 4 wherein an article A has been removed leaving
only a circle drawn on lap panel 46 which ls
representative of the base of article A. Fold lines 32
and 36 are positioned so that when flaps 12 and 14 are
set up in their operative positions, lower flap port~ons
12c and 14c are disposed in inclined relationship above
lap panel 46 beneath the base of bottle A, the fold lines
32 and 36 being above the base of the bottle. The curved
side edge of bottle A is engaged by flaps 12 and 14 which
act to "cup" around the heel portion o~ the bottle
thereby ret~; n; ng and bracing the bottle whilst also
cushioning it against knocks.
wo 94/25363 2 1 6 1 6 9 6 PCT/USg4/04429
14
Further examples of embodiments of the invention are
shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8. These comprise
substantially similar ret~;n~ng means to that shown in
Figures 1 to 5 and accordingly like elements are given
like reference digits prefixed by the digit 1 for the
embodiment in Figure 6, the digit 2 for the embodiment
shown in Figure 7 and the digit 3 for the embodiment
shown in Figure 8.
In the first embodiment the fold line between upper
portion 12a and middle portion 12b and between portions
14a and 14b of the flap panels 12 and 14, i.e. fold lines
30 and 34, are both co-terminus with interrupted fold
line 38 at the outer lateral edges of flaps 12 and 14.
The cut lines 18 and 20 extend in the sloping panel 44
between fold lines 38 and 40. In the embo~ -nt shown in
Figure 6 no such fold line exists. Accordingly, flaps
112 and 114 comprise only upper portions 112a and 114a
respectively and bottom panels 112b and 114b
respectively.
Lateral cut lines 118 and 120 are differently shaped to
cut lines 18 and 20 of the first embodiment, and
therefore provide a different shape of flap F on the
exterior of the carrier. In this embodiment the cuts 118
and 120 extend from within the inclined heel panel 144
into the lap panel 146. Additionally, fold line 130 and
134 between portions of the flap panels 112 and 114 are
~ W094/25363 2 1 6 1 6 9 6 PCT~Sg4/0~29
interrupted by cuts 131 and 135 respectively. These cuts
are found to assist in the folding of the flap panel
portions relative to one another.
With regard to Figure 7 there is shown a third embodiment
of a retaining feature 210 according to the invention.
Retaining feature 210 comprises lateral cuts 218 and 220
which extend from the interrupted hinge line 238 between
the side wall 242 and inclined heel panel 244, into the
lap panel 246. Again, cuts 231 and 235 are provided
along the fold lines between portions of the main flap
panels 212 and 214.
Additionally, in common with the embodiment shown in
Figure 6 and cut 117 thereof, the bottom cut 217 which
defines the bottom of the main flaps 212 and 214, defines
an aperture 219 in lap panel 246. This aperture is
visible in the unformed condition of retention means 210
as shown in Figure 7 and forms part of aperture 211 in
the formed condition. Similarly, bottom cut 111 defines
an aperture 119, and in the fourth embodiment shown in
Figure 8 bottom cut 317 defines an aperture 319. These
apertures in the lap panels 146, 246 and 346 can be used
to push two lap panels together before and during the
step of securing the lap panels together in forming the
carrier.
Finally, the fourth embodiment shown in Figure 8 is
W094/25363 2 1 6 ~ 6 96 PCT~S94/0~29 ~
16
substantially similar to the embodiment shown ln Figure
7 except that lateral cuts 318 and 320 are of a more
elaborate shape thereby providing a differently shaped
aperture 311 to 211 and hence outwardly ext~n~i ng flap
portion F1.
It should be noted that in all the embodiments shown a
"double hinge" mechanism is provided for each of the main
flap portions of the retaining means. This is found to
be a benefit in enabling the formation of an outwardly
protruding flap portion Fl and also in providing a
flexible buf~er or brace against which the heel of an
article or bottle can abut without tearing the carton
walls surrounding the retaining features. However, an
aspect of the invention is not limited to such a
configuration and it is envisaged that it would be
possible to provide a retaining means according to the
invention comprising one or more hinge means per
retaining flap in order to enable a protruding flap
portion F1 to be provided in the assembled carrier. Also,
it is envisaged that when two hinges are provided for
each flap they might oo~n~-t the flap to a side and
inclined panel of a carton, or a bottom and inclined
panel, or a side and bottom panel for example. In all
these constructions however the external flap portion Fl
~ wog4ns363 2 ~ 6 ~ 6 9 6 PCT~594/04429
is put into its operative position by displacing the
retaining flap portion F internally of the carton out of
the plane of the associated ret~n~ng aperture.
