Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
218019
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
A five-piece container with stabilizer tablet.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to an improved container to
separately receive a plurality of bottles therein. More particularly, the
present invention pertains to a five-piece container for carrying bottles
which
is provided with stabilizer means for steadying the bottles in their vertical
position in the container to thereby minimize the up, down and sideway
movements of the bottles in the container.
1o BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Different types of separators are presently used in bottle-
receiving containers to protect the bottle or the labels, or both. These
separators are made of cardboard or plastic; they may consist of a separate
unit placed in the containers, vertically extending between the bottles or
they
i5 may be molded in one piece with the container. If the interior of the
container is to be protected from dust or dirt, then a lid is incorporated to
the
container. This lid is also made of plastics material or cardboard and can be
part or incorporated with the container when they are fabricated in one piece
with the contour of the container.
2~so~l~
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OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel system
to separate bottles in containers in order to protect the bottles or their
labels,
or both. This is achieved by providing, on the bottom of the container, a
plurality of short bottle-abutting projections configured to contact the lower
edges of bottles placed thereon and also by providing a separate stabilizer
means which consists of a tablet member having a series of openings to
receive the neck of the bottles therethrough. The combination of projections
and tablet member minimizes up, down and sideway movements of the
to bottles in the container.
Therefore, the present invention relates to a combination of a
five-piece container and of stabilizer means.
(i) the container comprising
a) a bottom piece formed of plastics material, the
i5 bottom piece having opposite side edges and
opposite end edges displaying therebetween a top
side and an under side; the top side having,
integrally formed thereon, a plurality of short bottle-
abutting projections having a configuration to
2 o partially contact the lower edges of bottles placed
on the bottom piece;
b) opposite side pieces and opposite end pieces
formed of plastics material, each side and end
pieces having a lower edge; the lower edges of the
z5 side and end pieces being hingedly connected to
corresponding side and end edges of the bottom
piece whereby the side pieces and the end pieces
may be pivotally moved between an erected
position and an outward foldback position and vice-
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versa; each side and end piece having opposite
lateral edges and interengaging means thereon to
enable connection of adjacent side and end pieces
together when in the erected position;
(ii) the stabilizer means consisting of a tablet member
displaying a series of openings having a size to receive
therethrough neck portions of bottles placed on the
bottom piece; the tablet member engaging the neck
portions of the bottles to minimize up, down and sideway
1o movements of the bottles in the container.
In a preferred form of the invention, the inner faces of the sided
end pieces have retaining means to maintain the board member on the
bottles.
In another form of the invention, the underside of the bottom
is piece has a series of recessed areas corresponding in number and in shape
to the projections on the top side of the container so that in their outward
foldback position, containers of identical construction may be stacked one
upon the other with the projections nested in superposed recessed areas.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present
2o invention will become apparent from the detailed description given
hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that this detailed description,
while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, is given by way of
illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit
and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container used for carrying
bottles made in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the container showing the
sides in an outward foldback position;
Figure 3 is a perspective view similar to that of figure 2, but
showing the underside of the container;
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the bottom piece;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of
io figure 5 and showing two stacked bottom pieces;
Figure 6 is a perspective top view of another embodiment of a
bottom piece of the container made in accordance with the present
invention;
Figure 7 is an enlarged bottom plan view showing part of the
i5 underside of the bottom piece of figure 7; and
Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing the
engagement of the tablet member to the sides of the container.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to figures 1 and 2, there is shown a five-piece
2o container, generally denoted 10, made entirely and solely of rigid plastics
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material. The container which is used to carry bottles 11 essentially consists
of a bottom piece 12, of opposite side pieces 14 and 16 and of opposite end
pieces 18 and 20. Handles 19 and 21 are provided in respective end pieces
18 ans 20 to facilitate manual handling of the container. The side pieces
and the end pieces are provided with a series of rectangular openings that
provide lightness to the container. Figure 1 shows that the outer faces of the
side and end pieces may be covered with a cardboard or like sheet 15 for
advertisement.
As shown in figures 2, the bottom piece 12 is rectangular with
Zo a pair of opposite side edges 22 and 24 and a pair of opposite end edges 26
and 28 (see also figure 4). In the embodiment illustrated, the side edges 22
and 24 have a length greater than that of the end edges 26 and 28. Each
side edge and each end edge of the bottom piece 12 include a series of
horizontally spaced recessed areas identified as 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d for
side edge 22, as 24a, 24b, 24c and 24d for side edge 24, as 26a, 26b and
26c for end edge 26, and as 28a, 28b and 28c for end edge 28. Interspaced
with all these recessed areas are respective planar surfaces 22', 24', 26' and
28' all extending in a common horizontal plane. Included in each recessed
area is a cylindrical hinge 29 which is integrally formed with the edges.
The top side of the bottom piece is recessed with respect to its
side edges and end edges and displays a series of raised profiles 32 (six
being shown) which serve as abutments for the lower part of bottles resting
on the bottom wall 12. Each profile defines a rhomboidal configuration with
concave sidewalls displaying a series of small vertical ribs 33 for
z5 reinforcement and for washing purposes. As can be seen in figure 3, the
underside of the bottom wall 12 provides a series of recessed areas 34 with
convex sidewalls which are complementary in shape to the profiles 32 so
that they may nest therein as illustrated in figure 5.
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Figure 6 shows another embodiment of a bottom piece 112
made in accordance with the present invention and which may receive side
and end pieces such as those illustrated in figures 1-5.
The bottom piece 112 is rectangular with a pair of opposite
s side edges 122 and 124 and a pair of opposite end edges 126 and 128. In
the embodiment illustrated, the side edges 122 and 124 have a length
greater than that of the end edges 126 and 128. Each side edge and each
end edge of the bottom piece 112 include a series of horizontally spaced
recessed areas identified as 122a, 122b, 122c and 122d for side edge 122,
1o as 124a, 124b, 124c and 124d for side edge 124, as 126a, 126b and 126c
for end edge 126, and as 128a, 128b and 128c for end edge 128.
Interspaced with all these recessed areas are respective planar surfaces
122', 124', 126' and 128' all extending in a common horizontal plane.
Included in each recessed area is a cylindrical hinge 129 which is integrally
i5 formed with the edges.
The top side of the bottom piece is recessed with respect to its
side edges and end edges and displays a plurality of openings 130 that
lighten the container and facilitate washing. The top side also displays a
series of raised profiles 132 (six being shown) which serve as abutments for
2o the lower part of bottles resting on the bottom 112. Each profile defines
an
X-shaped configuration with four sidewalls consisting of vertical ribs. As can
be seen in figure 7, the underside 133 of the bottom wall 112 includes a
series of recessed areas 134 which are complementary in shape to the
profiles 132 so that they may nest therein.
as Referring to figure 2, the lower edge of each side piece 14, 16
and of each end piece 18, 20 are identically shaped. A detailed description
of every lower edge will not be given since the lower edges of both side
pieces and both end pieces all have the same structural configuration.
CA 02180819 2001-05-22
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Referring to figure 1, a side piece comprises, along the lower
edge thereof, a series of planar faces 36a, 36b and 36c while an end piece
20 has a series of flat faces 38a, 38b, 38c and 38d. Interspaced with these
flat surface are C-shaped extensions 40, 42 which are adapted to engage
the cylindrical hinges 29 (or 129) of the bottom piece. A detailed description
of this C-shaped profile of an extension that engages a cylindrical hinge may
be found described in applicant's Canadian patent no. 2,153,141 issued
October 6, 1998.
As can be seen in figure 1, when the sides 14, 16, 18 and 20
are hingedly pivoted to an erected vertical position, the flat surfaces 40 and
42 of the sides will rest upon the corresponding flat surfaces 22', 24', 26'
and
28' (or 122', 124', 126' and 128') of the bottom piece, thus maintaining the
sides in vertical position and preventing their inward folding. This is
particularly useful when the height of the sides is greater than the width of
i5 the bottom piece such as when the height of the side pieces 14 and 16 is
greater than the length of the opposite end edges 26 and 28 (126 and 128)
of the bottom piece.
Since the container is made of plastics material that has some
resiliency, the engagement of the C-shaped profile onto the hinges is
2o effected through a snap-in motion; similarly, a snap-out disengagement is
required in order to removes the side pieces, or end pieces, from the bottom
piece. The particular connection achieved by the C-shaped extension to the
hinges allows the side pieces to move from an outward foldback position to
an erected position, or vice-versa.
2 s In order to secure the side pieces and end pieces in the
erected position, each ha,s, on its opposite lateral edges, interengaging
means which cooperate with complementary interengaging means on the
lateral edges of adjacent side pieces. Referring to figure 2, one example of
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_8_
such interengaging means may consist of a flange 62 and a U-shaped
extension 64, both of which are integrally formed with the side piece, while
another interengaging means may consist of a longitudinal slot 66 and of a
flexible tongue 68. The flanges 62 are received in corresponding slots 66
while the tongues 68 are flexed for subsequerit connection with the U-
shaped extensions 64.
The construction of the present invention is extremely useful
when it is wished to return the containers for either bottle reloading,
repairing
or washing. For each case, the four sides are disconnected from one
io another and moved outwardly to lie in a horizontal plane, common with that
of the bottom piece. During transport, the particular construction of the
bottom piece enables containers of similar construction to be stacked in their
outward foldback position with profiles 32 nestingly received in recesses 34
of superposed containers. For repairing, the damaged pieces may be
disconnected from the others by snapping them out from their C-shaped and
hinge connections. Thereafter, they are reconnected through a simple snap-
in engagement. It is to be noted that the container may be washed with the
four side pieces in a vertical position, assembled to one another and to the
bottom piece.
2 o Referring to figures 2 and 8, the present invention is concerned
with providing a bottle separator or bottle stabilizer 200 in order to retain
the
bottles 11 in the vertical position, especially during transport and handling
of the container. The stabilizer is a flat tablet member that includes a
series
of circular openings 202 (twelve being shown) to engage the neck portions
11 n of the bottles. The projections 32 or 132 being of small height, the
bottles must receive some additional retaining so that they will not contact
one another during handling; this is achieved by the tablet member. To
ensure the positioning of the tablet member onto the bottles, the inner face
of each side and end pieces are provided with studs 204 (three being shown
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on end piece 18 in figure 8). These studs have a ramp portion 206 and a
base 208 so that the edge 210 of the tablet member may slide along ramp
portion 206 and engage under the base portions 208 when downwardly
inserted onto the bottle necks. The tablet member is preferably made of
s resilient material, such as cardboard or plastic, so that to remove the
tablet
member from its engagement to the studs of the side and end pieces, finger
insertion through openings 212 is carried out to flex and retrieve the tablet
member.
Although the invention has been described above with respect
1o with one specific form, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art
that it
may be modified and refined in various ways. It is therefore wished to have
it understood that the present invention should not be limited in scope,
except by the terms of the following claims.
