Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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Backqround of the Invention -
Carriers for bottles, cans and the like wi-th over-
top integral handles are known in the prior art. Some
pertinent examples of the prior art are the following United
States patents:
2,575,612 3,283,947
2,821,327 3,587,915
3,184,1~8 3,~91,084
3,g91,879.
The objective of this invention is to satisfy the
ever-present need for a more economical, lightweight, sturdy
and convenient carrier for bottles and the like and to
improve on the Xnown prior art in endeavoring to satisfy this
need.
Sw~nary of the Inven~ion -
~ unitized molded plastic two bottle carrier
possesses side-by-side bottle cells fo~ned by rectangular leg
arrays with the tops of the legs interconnected by a
continuoua marginal frame,. Opposing web~ of paired interior,
le~s are extended above said frame and joined at their tops
by a transverse web constituting an over-top carrying handle
at the center of the carrier.
The bottoms of the two bottle cells of the carrier
are formed by webs which are united at the bottoms Oc the legs
and are upwardly recessed to facilitate stacking the carrier
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with an underlying filled carrier A contoured divider parti-
tion between the two bottle cells materially strengthens the
carrier in two directions without adding significantly to
the amount of material utilized. The carrier is drafted for
telescopic stacking with other like carriers in a minimum
vertical space. Plural two bottle carriers, accordinq to
the invention, can be snugly disposed side-by-side in a
parent carrying case with or without divider partitions.
The invention, in its broadest aspect, contemplates
a carrier for containers which comprises a skeleton frame
defining at least two side-by-side container cells. The
frame includes a top marginal portion and legs depending
from the top marginal portion to define corners for the cells.
Bottom webs joined with the lower ends of the legs form bottom
walls for the cells, and a top-to-bottom divider is joined
with the top marginal portion and extends transversely of the
top marginal portion and the divider is also joined with a
bottom web substantially in the area adjacent to where the
centers of the side-by-side container cells are ali~ned. Tlle
divider is between the cells and separates the cells and
prevents contact of containers within the side-by-side cells.
A top central handle for the carrier is joined wi-th the top
marginal portion of the frame and is substantially parallel
to the divider where the divider joins the top marginal
portion. The carrying handle is also joined with the top
of the divider.
In a further embodiment, the invention contelllplates
a carrier for a pair of container units which comprises a
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continuous maryinal frame of roughly rectangular configuration
which has elongated, opposing pairs of legs depending from
the frame near the opposite ends and longitudinal center
thereof and which forms rectangular arrays of legs with the
arrays separated somewhat near the longitudinal center of
the frame. Bottom webs are joined with the lower ends of
the legs in the rectangular arrays of legs and form with the
arrays of legs and with the marginal frame a pair of discrete
container unit cells. A substantially T-shaped divider
separates the cells substantially at the longitudinal center
of the frame and includes a transverse upper bar joined with
opposite sides of the frame and a generally vertical leg
substantially at the transverse center of the frame joined-
at its lower end to one of the bottom webs. An over-top
handle for the carrier extends parallel to the transverse
upper bar at the longitudinal center of the frame and has
side arm portions joined to the frame and the T-shaped divider.
Brief Description of the Drawings -
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Figure 1 is a perspective view of a two bottle carrier
embodying the invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.
Figure 3 is a vertical section through the carrier taken
on line 3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of plural
two bottle carriers and a parent crate or case for the same.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of nested carriers
according to the invention.
Figure ~ is a fragmentary cross section similar to
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Figure 3 illustratillg the stackability of the carrier with
another filled carrier therebelow.
Detailed Description -
Referring to the drawing in detail ~herein like
- numerals designate like parts, a two bottle carrier embodying
the invention is shown in its entirety at 10 and is formed as
an integral unit b~ molding ~rom plastics by techniques well
known in the art. The two bottle carrier 10 as viewed from
the top, Figure 2, i~ roughly rectangular and elongated to
form two si~e-by-side cells for a pair of large bottles 11 or
other types of containers. Each of the two cells is formed
by a rectangular array of paired outer and inner legs 12 and
13 of roughly right angular cross sectional shape and being
somewhat tapered downwardly. ~s shown in Figure 2, the oute
paired legs 12 have rounded generally vertical corners while
the inner paired legs 13 are more nearly right angular in
cross section.
The top~ of the legs 12 and 13 are integrally ioined
to an upper continuous marginal frame 14, also of generally
rectangular form, but including end transverse bars 15 which
are bowe~ outwardly in a syw22etrical manner as shown in Fig2re
2.
The bottoms of the two bottle cells are defined by
generall~ rectan~ular webs 16 ana 17 whose corners are joined
by four extensions 18 to the bottoms of the legs 12 and 13
integrally.
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The webs 16 and 17 have upwardly stepped recesses
19 and 20 in their bottoms to facilitate stacking the two
bottle carrier 10 with other filled carriers below it. The
bottom recess 20 is semi-circular, Figure 2, while the recass
19 is circular. A flat somewhat inclined wall 21 extends
outwardly from the semi-circular recess 2~ ~o one edge o. the
web 17 and this wall formQ a mounting surface for inven~or~
control and/or price indicia labels or the like~
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To further separate the two bottle cells of the
carrier, a xoughly T-shaped divider 22 spans the carrier at
its center including a transverse top bar 23 which is arched
or bowed so as to locate the top of the divider 22 squarely
at the center of the carrier or midway between the two frame
ends 15. A center leg 24 of the divider 22 extends to the
- bottom of the carrier and is inclined in approximate parallel-
ism to the taper of the legs 13 and joined to the lower web .~6
.
by a short horizontal extension 25 substantially at right
angles thereto In addition to separating or dividing the
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cells o~ the carrier so that the two:bottles 11 will not come
into contact, the divider materially strengthens the carrier ..
by providing a stur~y crossbrace near the top an~ longitudinal
center thereof~ The opposite end po~-tions ~6 of the har 23 are
joined integrally to the legs 13 of one bottle eell, namely,
the cell having the bottom web 16.
Above the T-shaped divider 22 ~nd marginal frame 14
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gradually upT.~ardly converging paired web extensions 27 o~
the interior legs 13 extend for a substantial distance above
the fxame 14 and are integrall~ joined ~y a crossbar 28 form~
ing a convenient over-top liftiny and carrying handle for the
two bottle carrier at its center. The converging web~ 27 are
integrally joined above the frame 14 by outer upwardly tapering -
walls 29 whose lower enas are joined into the frame 14 as
clearly shown in Figure 1. In effect, the web 27 and walls 29
form hollow channel-~ike arms to which the handle 28 is
attached at the top ~hereof. The tapering hollow nature of .
the two handle sup2or~ arms and the gradual divergence of the ~.
interior legs 13, Figure 3, along with;;the downward draft o
the bottle cells xen~rs the two bottle carrier 10 readily
nestable or stackable telescopicall~ with othe- like carriers
as illustrated clearly in Figure 5 o~ the drawings. As shown
in Figure S, the carriers are nested by telescoping the
roughly rectangular cells of two or more carriers, in the
manner shown When ~his is done, th~ over-top.handles tele-
scope or nest due to the above-described hollow construction
: 20 of the handle arms ~
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As shown in Figure 4, three o~ the carriers 10 may
be receivea side-by-sid~ in a rectangular carrying b~x ox
case 30 having transverse-and longitudinal dividers 31 and
32 forming six rectangular cells in the crate. The rectan~ular
bottle cells of the carriers lO can enter the compartments or
cells of the case 30 and the divid~rs 31 and 32 will simp-~y -
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enter between the legs 12 and 13 of the three carriers, as
should be readily apparent The two bottle carriers 10 are
independently removable from or insertable into the parent
case 30. The case dividers 31 and 32 are no~ absolutely
necessary and may be dispensed with in some instances
It is to be understood that the fonm of the inven-
tion herewith shown and descrîbed is to be taken as a
preferred example of the same, and that various changes in
the shape, size and arra~gement of parts may be resorted to~
without ~epartlng from the spirit of the inven~ion or scope .
of the subjoined claims
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