Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 96126129 21 B 719 0 p~n7S96100814
BASKET-STYLE ARTICLE CARRIER
d of
This invention relates to a basket-style carrier for
packaging articles such as beverage bottles._ More
particularly, it relates to basket-style carrier for
packaging four articles.
~CkCTrOU_nd O'~ the Tnvran3-i nn
Basket-style carriers are commonly employed to package
beverage bottles. They typically include a separate cell
for each bottle, from which the bottles can be readily
removed, and a center handle panel for easily carrying the
package. Contact between adjacent bottles is prevented by
partitions which define the cells and by a center
longitudinal partition in order to prevent breakage of the
bottles. Normally, basket-style carriers of this type
which are designed to hold four bottles are fabricated from
blanks in which the side and end panels and the center
handle panel are connected to each other in serial fashion
to form an elongated rectangular arrangement, with the cell
divider partitions being in the form of flaps connected to
the top or bottom edge of the center handle panel. The
formation of a carrier requires these flaps to be folded
into place prior to the ends of the flaps being glued to
the side panels to hold the partitions in place.
One problem with this arrangement is the extent to
which the divider partition flaps extend transversely from
the panel sections. This results in a web layout in which
the blanks are relatively widely spaced from each other,
resulting in a substantial amount of material usage. In
addition, the relatively complicated gluing operation, made
necessary by the transverse layout of the divider partition
flaps, and the relatively slow speed of the moving web,
' made necessary by the need to initially fold the cell
divider partition flaps into place, add to the cost of the
carriers.
An object of the invention is to provide a four-bottle
carrier which can be formed from a more efficient layout
with respect to material usage and the required gluing
pattern. Another object is to provide a carrier which is
WO 96/26129 218 719 d PC1'IUS96I00814~
-2
formed without first having to fold the cell divider
partition flap into place before folding the side and end
panels. A further object is to provide a carrier of this
type which is capable of providing full protection to the
packaged bottles.
r
Br7.ef Rnmma~y Of the Invantinn
As is typical of basket-style carriers, the carrier
of the invention comprises a bottom panel, side panels, end
panels and a central handle panel. The handle panel is
connected at opposite ends to the end panels, and a
partition panel, formed from a cutout portion in the handle
panel, is connected at opposite ends to the side panels.
A fold line connects the partition panel to the handle
panel.
In a preferred arrangement the fold line connecting
the partition panel to the handle panel is a substantially
vertical fold line located substantially centrally of the
carrier and is comprised of spaced upper and lower
segments. Both the handle panel and the partition panel
include solid portions and cutout portions on opposite
sides of the fold line segments, the solid portions of each
panel being formed from the cutout portion of the other
panel.
The carrier is formed from an elongated blank which
includes a partial end panel at one end and a handle panel
section at the other end. The blank can be rapidly folded
and glued to form a collapsed carrier which subsequently
is opened during the packaging operation.
These and other features and aspects of the invention
will be readily ascertained from the detailed description
of the preferred embodiment described below.
Brief Description Of the Drawina ,.
FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a basket-style carrier
incorporating the invention; ,
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank for fabricating the
carrier;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the carrier blank after an
initial folding step;
WO 96/26129 21 ~ 719 0 PCTIU596I00814
-3
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a collapsed carrier resulting
from a final folding step;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5
of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6
of FIG. 1.
~ 1
s
D~ta
ed Desc
~t~ on of the PT'e FPrrAA Fmhnr3 i mo +
Referring to FIG. 1, the basket-style carrier 10 of
the invention includes a central handle panel 12 connected
to end panels 14. The end panels are connected to side
panels 16 and 18, and the side panels are connected to a
bottom panel, not visible in this view. Individual cells
for receiving bottles or other articles are formed by
transverse partitions 20 which extend from the side panels
to the handle panel 12. The handle panel includes a handle
opening 22. Because there are only two similar cells on
opposite sides of the handle panel, the length and width
of the carrier are the same. Additional features of the
carrier indicated by other reference numerals in this
drawing figure will be referred to below in connection with
other drawing figures.
Referring to FIG. 2, wherein like reference numerals
to those used in FIG. 1 denote Like elements, a blank 24
is shown as being of generally elongated rectangular shape
with bottom panel flaps and a handle flap extending
transversely from the basic shape. At one end of the blank
partial end panel flap 26 is connected by fold line 28 to
side panel section 16, which in turn is connected by fold
line 30 to end panel section 15. The other side panel
section 18 is connected to the end panel section 15 by fold
line 32 and to partial end panel section 34 by fold line
36. At the other end of the blank the handle panel section
12 is connected to the partial end panel section 34 by fold
line 38 and to glue flap 40 by fold line 42.
The partition section 20 is formed by two continuous
slits 44 and 45, each of which extends across half the
width of the handle panel section 12, the slit 44
terminating in the glue flap 40 and the slit 45 in the
WO 96!26129 ~ ~ PCTIUS96f00814
-4
partial end panel section 34. Aligned vertical fold lines
46 connect the spaced ends of the slits 44 and 45 at a
point substantially midway between the fold lines 38 and
42. The fold lines 42 and 38 cross the slits 44 and 45,
respectively, terminating at arcuate slits 48 and 50 to
form partition glue flaps 49 and 51. Connected by fold -
line 52 to the upper edge of the handle panel section 12
is a handle panel extension 54 which, like the handle panel
section 12, contains a handle opening 22.
' Connected to the lower edge of the side panel section
16 by fold line 56 is inner bottom panel flap 58, while
outer bottom panel flap 60 is connected to the lower edge
of the side panel section 18 by fold line 62. The outer
bottom panel flap 60 includes secondary locking tabs 64 and
primary locking tabs 66, the latter being formed by slits
68 which interrupt fold line 70. Primary locking openings
72 and secondary locking slits 74 are provided in the
bottom panel flap 58 to receive the primary and secondary
locking tabs.
The fold lines 28, 30, 32, 36, 38 and 42 are parallel
to each other and extend vertically in a carrier formed
from the blank, while the fold lines 56 and 62 are aligned
with the lower edges of the main rectangular body of the
blank and form substantially right angles with the vertical
fold lines.
To form a carrier from the blank glue is applied to
the upper portion of the handle panel section 12, to the
glue flap 40 and to the glue flap 49, as shown in stipple
in FIG. 2. No glue is applied to the glue flap 51. The
handle panel extension 54 is folded down about the fold
line 52 to adhere it to the upper portion of the handle
panel section~l2 so as to make the area surrounding the ,
aligned handle openings 22 of two-ply construction. The
portion of the blank to the right of the fold line 36 is ,
then pivoted about the fold line 36 to the interim
configuration shown in FIG. 3. In this manner the glue
flap 40 is adhered to the end panel section 15 and the glue
flap 49 is adhered to the underlying side panel section 18.
WO 96126129 2 ~ g 7 ~ 9 0 -5_ PCT/US96100814
Glue is then applied to the edge portion of the end
panel flap 26 shown in stipple in FIG. 3 and to the central
_ portion of the side panel section 16, also shown in
stipple, after which the left portion of the blank is
pivoted about fold line 30 to form the collapsed, carrier
shown in FIG. 4. This brings the glue on the end panel
flap 26 into contact with the portion of the partial end
panel section 34 surrounding the glue flap 49, and the glue
in the side panel section 16 into contact with the glue
flap 51. After the collapsed carrier is squared up by
applying opposed inward pressure to the end folds 30 and
36, it only remains for the bottom panel of the carrier
to
be formed.
The particular design of the bottom panel of the
carrier is not a feature of the invention, and the bottom
panel may therefore be of any suitable design. As to the
formation of the bottom panel from the blank design shown,
it will be understood by those familiar with the carrier
art that after the collapsed carrier has been squared up
the bottom panel flaps 58 and 60 are folded so that the
edge portion of the flap 60 overlaps the edge portion of
the flap 58. By first folding the outer portion of the
flap 60 back along the fold line 70 and then back again
toward its normal planar position, the primary locking tabs
66 can be engaged with the straight edges of the locking
openings 72. Then the secondary locking tabs 64 can be
inserted into the slits 74 to prevent the primary locks
from disengaging. Completion of the bottom panel results
in the carrier of FIG. 1.
As best shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the handle panel
12 of the carrier is integrally connected to the partial
end panel section 34 by the fold line 38 and is connected
to the opposite end panel by the glue flap 40. The
transverse partition 20 is integrally connected to the
handle panel by the fold line segments 46 and to the side
panels by the glue flaps 49 and 51. The result is a very
sturdy carrier which provides effective bottle separation.
It will be understood that the specific shape of the
R'O 96!26129 _ _ PCT/US96/00814
6
partition 20 may vary from the design illustrated in the
drawing. It is expected that the design be irregular in
shape, however, in order to provide for the integral _
connection of the partition to the handle panel along the
fold line 46 and to allow the partition to be punched out
of the handle panel along the slits 44 and 45. In
addition, the height of the partition should be such that
the partition prevents adjacent bottles from contacting
each other, while the remaining portion of the handle panel
should also be of dimensions which are capable of
preventing contact between adjacent bottles.
Because the partition 20 is formed from the body of
the handle panel, the usual need to connect the partition
to the upper or lower edge of the handle panel is
eliminated, thereby eliminating substantial transverse
projections of the blank. This allows the blank to be laid
out in the web from which it is die cut so that the space
between adjacent blanks is minimized, thus reducing
material usage, and also eliminates the extra step required -
to fold the partition down when the partition is provided
in the conventional form of a flap connected to the upper
or lower edge of the handle panel. A further benefit of
the design is that the gluing operation can be performed
at high rates of speed. This is made possible by the fact
that the blank is quite narrow, making the area over which
glue is introduced quite narrow as well, thereby enabling
the blanks to be moved past the glue heads at more rapid
rates of speed than normal. Since this permits the carrier
blanks to be formed at higher rates of speed, the cost of
the operation is reduced.
Although the carrier has been described in connection
with a basket-style carrier for packaging four bottles, it ,
will be understood that it may be used to package other
types of articles as well, particularly articles which ,
should not be permitted to come into direct contact with
each other.
The various design features described contribute to
the ability to rapidly and economically produce an
WO 96126129 218 71 (~ ~ PCT/US96I00814
effective, strong basket-style carrier for holding four
articles. It will be understood, however, that the
invention is not limited to all the specific details
~ described in connection with the preferred embodiment,
except as they may be within the scope of the appended
claims, and that changes to certain features of the
preferred embodiment which do not alter the overall basic
function and concept of the invention are contemplated.
