AU670283B2

AU670283B2 - Top gripping bottle carrier and method of packaging

Info

Publication number: AU670283B2
Application number: AU40352/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Will L. Culpepper; James R. Oliff; Bob E. Plaxico
Original assignee: Mead Corp
Current assignee: WestRock Packaging Systems LLC
Priority date: 1992-05-04
Filing date: 1993-05-04
Publication date: 1996-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 2013-05-04
Also published as: JPH08500070A; RU94046459A; IL105588A; NZ247538A; CN1037332C; EG19903A; HU216443B; HU9403129D0; HUT71851A; BR9306317A; SK281590B6; CA2134971A1; PL171115B1; KR950701293A; CN1082502A; AU4035293A; RU2114038C1; CZ270194A3; ZA933038B; SK132194A3

Description

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE LATER PUBLICATION OF AMENDED CLAIMS I (AND, WHERE APPLICABLE, STATEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 19) ,I o'sS

IC

INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (51) International Patent Classification 5 International Publication Number: WO 93/22217 71/00 Al (43) International Publication Date: 11 November 1993 (11.1 1.93) (21) International Application Number: (22) International Filing Date: PCT/US93/04200 4 May 1993 (04.05.93) Priority data: 07/877,792 4 May 1992 (04.05.92) (71)Applicant: THE MEAD CORPORATION [US/US]; Courthouse Plaza, Northeast, Dayton, OH 45463 (US).

(72) Inventors: OLIFF, James, R. 6838 Cherry Lug Place, Austell, GA 30001 CULPEPPER, Will, L. 6147 Turner Lake Road, Covington, GA 30209 PLAXICO, Bob, E. 3850 Mink Livsey Road, Lithonia, GA 30058

(US).

(74) Agents: DOERR. Erwin; The Mead Corporation, 4850D North Church Lane, Smyrna, GA 30080 (US) et al.

(81) Designated States: AU. BR, CA, HU. JP, KR, PL, RU, European patent (AT. BE, CH. DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL. PT, SE).

Published With international search report.

With amended claims.

Date of publication of the amended claims: 09 December 1993 (09.12.93) 67 028 (54)Title: TOP GRIPPING BOTTLE CARRIER AND METHOD OF PACKAGING (57) Abstract 33s 34 35 "h A bottle carrier includes a main panel to the side edges of which a pair of side panels 9) are foldably joined respectively and a pair of sup- a 7 plementary panels (12, 14) are foldably joined respectively to the side edges) 331a 32 of the side panels 9) which are remote from the main panel The main panel and the two supplementary panels (12, 14) include keyhole apertures 16-18, 30-32). Cutaway areas (23-25, 33-35) are formed 14 along the side edges of each supplementary panel (12-14) and serve to enve- 15 lope the necks of bottles following folding of one supplementary panel (12) 9- I into overlying relation with respect to the main panel followed by fold- I ing of the othtr supplementary panel (14) into overlying relation with the first supplementary panel (12).

-1- TOP GRIPPING BOTTLE CARRIER AND METHOD OF PACKAGING TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to the packaging of bottles normally containing consumer items and wherein a group of bottles are assembled in the unitary package and secured by top gripping structures of one kind or other.

BACKGROUND ART U.S. patent 2,252,235 issued August 12, 1941 discloses an arrangement wherein :i 10 a bottle carrier of the top gripping type is disclosed and which utilizes structures which 1o include apertures which are of keyhole configuration.

U.S. patent 2,320,440 issued June 1, 1943 discloses a top gripping bottle carrier wherein panels include apertures of keyhole configuration and which are disposed about and grip the neck of packaged bottles.

U.S. patent 2,337,243 issued December 21, 1943 discloses a top gripping bottle carrier wherein some of the bottle neck receiving apertures are of keyhole configuration.

'SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention in one broad form provides a top-gripping bottle carrier for packaging a group of bottles arranged in at least two rows, comprising a main panel S 20 having opposite side edges, a pair of side panels each having bottom and top edges and being foldably joined along the bottom edges thereof to a respective one of said side edges of said main panel, a pair of supplementary panels each having a side edge thereof joined to the respective top edge of said side panels and disposed in overlapping face-contacting relation with each other, at least two rows of first bottle neck receiving apertures formed in said main panel and disposed adjacent to a respective one of said side panels, second bottle neck receiving apertures formed in each of said supplementary panels and arranged to cooperate with said first bottle neck receiving apertures, at least one of said apertures in each row and in each of said supplementary panels being of keyhole shaped configuration having interconnected large and small portions and being arranged so that, during assembly of the carrier, the large portions of said cooperating apertures coincide when said supplementary panels are folded upon said side panels and main panel permitting the necks of the bottles to be inserted IN:LIBttI00942 MMC -2therethrough while the small portions of said apertures move into coincidental relationship when said side panels are brought into an upright position whereby the necks of the bottles are firmly gripped, and means for securing said main panel and supplementary panels in fixed relation to each other.

The present invention in another broad form provides a method of packaging a group of bottles arranged in two rows in a top-gripping carrier formed from an initially flat blank comprising a main panel, a pair of side panels foldably joined to opposed side edges of said main panel and supplementary panels foldably joined to the edges of the side panels remote from the main panel, keyhole shaped apertures having large and small portions formed in said main panel and said supplementary panels and arranged so that the large portions of said apertures substantially coincide when the supplementary panels are folded into face-contacting overlying relationship with said side panels and main panels, the method comprising the steps of: sequentially folding said supplementary panels into flat face-contacting 15 overlying relation with said side panels and said main panel whereby the large portions of said apertures in said main panel whereby the large portions of said apertures in said main panel and supplementary panels are brought into substantially mutual alignment, applying said folded blank to the tops of said bottles so that necks of said S: 20 bottles are received through said aligned apertures in said main panel and complementary panel, imparting an inward force to opposite sides of the group or bottles to S.cause the bottles to move inwardly whereby the necks of the bottles are forced to move into the small portions of said keyhole shaped apertures in said main panel and supplementary panels, securing said supplementary panels and said main panel in facecontacting relation with respect to each other at a location intermediate said side panels whereby the necks of the bottles are maintained in said small portions of said apertures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: IN 'LIBtt100942 MMC 2a FIG. 1 is a plan view of a unitary blank as viewed from the inside of the blank; FIG. 2 is a view which shows the sequence of folding of one supplementary panel into overlapping relation with the main panel followed by folding of the other supplementary panel into overlying relation with respect to the first supplementary panel; FIG. 3 shows the blank as manipulated according to FIG. 1 during a lowering operation whereby the group of bottles shown in phantom lines are enveloped in sequence to form a completed package; FIG. 4 shows the collapsed blank with overlapping supplementary panels as S. viewed from the end edges of the supplementary panels; FIG. 5 shows a pair of bottles separated by a machine element as these bottles appear before and after a collapsed blank is lowered into position as shown in FIG.

6; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the blank and associated pair of bottles following inward movement of the bottles into engagement with each other and which shows the locking apparatus for manipulating the locking tabs into locking :i relation with the locking tabs formed in one supplementary panel into the apertures formed in the other supplementary panel, such locking elements being maintained in 20 locked condition; 9• IN t11311100942 MMC WO 93/222177 I'Cl/US93/04200 3 FIG. 8 shows the completely assembled structure of a pair of bottles together with the carrier structure; and FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 8 but, in addition, shows the locking and retaining tabs which hold the carrier in fully set up locked condition.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The unitary blank formed of paperboard as shown in FIG. 1 and as viewed from the inside includes main panel 1 having keyhole apertures 2-7. Of course, the keyhole apertures include standard large and small portions. Side panels 8 and 9 are foldably joined to main panel 1 along fold lines 10 and 11 respectively. A supplementary panel designated by the numeral 12 is foldably joined to side panel 8 along fold line 13. At the other end of the blank, supplementary panel 14 is foldably joined to side panel 9 along fold line 15. Supplementary panel 12 includes keyhole apertures 16, 17 and 18 as well as locking apertures 19 and 20. Also, retaining tabs T1 and T2 are struck from main panel 1 and are joined thereto, respectively, along fold lines 21 and 22.

For enveloping the necks of bottles to be packaged, cutaway areas 23, 24 and 25 are formed in supplementary panel 12. At the other end of the blank, locking tabs 26 and 27 are struck from supplementary panel 14. Locking tab 26 is foldably joined to supplementary panel 14 along fold line 28 while locking tab 27 is foldably joined to supplementary panel 14 along fold line 29.

Keyhole apertures 30, 31 and 32 are formed in supplementary panel 14 and cutaway areas 33, 34 and 35 are struck from supplementary panel 14 along one side edge thereof.

Initial stages of a packaging operation are indicated in FIG.

2 wherein supplementary panel 12 is elevated and folded over into flat face contacting relationship with the main panel 1 and side panel 8 to occupy the position indicated by arrow Al in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2 and indicated by arrow A2, supplementary panel 14 is elevated and folded forwardly along fold line 15 to occupy the position shown in the left portion of FIG. 2.

The downward travel of the collapsed carrier, as shown in FIG.

3, results in the necks of bottles Bl-B6 being enveloped by the SUBSTITUTE SHEET WO 93/22217 2PCT/US93/04200 4 large portions of the respective keyhole apertures of main panel 1 and supplementary panels 12 and 14. The bottle group with its collapsed carrier is depicted in the left hand portion of FIG. 3.

The two rows of bottles are separated, as indicated in FIG.

by means of machine guide G. In FIG. 6, bottles B6 and B3 are shown in conjunction with the collapsed carrier having main panel 1 and supplementary panels 12 and 14 shown in their collapsed condition.

In FIG. 7, the bottles B6 and B3 are shown in their final assembled position as determined by the inward guiding action of machine guides G1 and G2. The inward motion of the bottles, such as B6 and B3, is also represented in FIG. 8 by arrows X and Y.

The carrier C in FIG. 7 is shown in set up condition and spoked locking wheel W, rotatable about fixed shaft S, is synchronized so as to drive locking tabs 26 and 27 respectively through apertures 19 and The action of locking wheel W also activates retaining tabs T1 and T2 and causes them to prop respectively against locking tabs 26 and 27, as indicated in FIG. 9, thus to secure the carrier in set-up latched condition. The manipulation and function of the retaining tabs is described in more detail in U. S. patent 2,786,572.

Finally, in the set-up carrier, the dimensions of the elements are such that when the carrier is completely set-up, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, main panel 1 is disposed in an upwardly bowed condition. Also, the necks of the bottles are disposed in the small portions of the respective keyhole apertures and the respective cutaway areas as a result of which the bottles are securely locked in the carrier.

During the gripping of the bottle necks, the small portions of the keyhole apertures receive the bottle necks in cooperation with the cutaway areas in the supplementary panels and thus achieve a secure gripping action of the bottles. The cutaway areas in each supplementary panel cooperate with the small parts of the keyhole apertures in the other supplementary panel.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Claims

2. A top-gripping bottle carrier according to claim 1 wherein cutaway areas are formed along the side edge of each of said supplementary panels which is remote from the associated one of said side panels, said cutaway areas being transversely aligned with said apertures in said supplemental panel and effective to grip the necks of the bottles disposed adjacent the opposite side panel. WO 93/22217 PCT/US93/04200
3. A top-gripping bottle carrier according to claim 1 wherein said side panels are disposed in substantially vertical planes.
4. A top-gripping bottle carrier according to claims 1 or 3 wherein said main panel is of upwaily bowed configuration. A top-gripping bottle carrier according to claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a pair of finger holes and associated locking tabs struck from one of said supplementary panels and cooperating locking apertures formed in said main panel.
6. A unitary blank for forming a top-gripping bottle carrier, comprising a main panel having opposed side edges, a plurality of keyhole shaped bottle neck receiving apertures formed in said main panel and arranged in two parallel longitudinal rows, a side panel foldably joined to each side edge of said main panel, a supplementary pa:iel foldably joined to each of said side panels, a plurality of bottle neck receiving apertures formed in each of said supplementary panels and arranged in a single longitudinal row to cooperate with the neck receiving apertures of one of said longitudinal rows formed in said main panel, and a plurality of cutaway areas formed along the edge of each of said supplementary panels which is remote from the associated side panel and adapted to cooperate with the bottle neck receiving apertures formed in the other of said supplementary panel when the carrier is assembled, said keyhole shaped apertures having large and small portions, said keyhole shaped apertures formed in said main panel being oriented so that the large portions thereof are disposed adjacent the respective ones of said side edges of said main panel, said keyhole shaped apertures formed in said supplementary panels being oriented so that the small portions thereof are disposed adjacent the respective ones of said side panels. -7-
7. A unitary blank for forming a top-gripping bottle carrier according to claim 6, wherein said main panel forms a lower panel of the assembled carrier and is dimensioned so that it assumes an upwardly bowed configuration when the carrier is assembled.
8. A method of packaging a group of bottles arranged in two rows in a top- gripping carrier formed fromn an initially flat blank comprising a main panel, a pair of side panels foldably joined to opposed side edges of said main panel and supplementary panels foldably joined to the edges of the side panels remote from the main panel, keyhole shaped apertures having large and small portions formed in said main panel and said supplementary panels and arranged so that the large portions of said apertures substantially coincide when the supplementary panels are folded into face-contacting i overlying relationship with said side panels and main panels, the method comprising the steps of: sequentially folding said supplementary panels into flat face-contacting overlying relation with said side panels and said main panel whereby the large portions of said apertures in said main panel whereby the large portions of said apertures in said :i main panel and supplementary panels are brought into substantially mutual alignment, applying said folded blank to the tops of said bottles so that necks of said bottles are received through said aligned apertures in said main panel and 20 complementary panel, imparting an inward force to opposite sides of the group or bottles to cause the bottles to move inwardly whereby the necks of the bottles are forced to move into the small portions of said keyhole shaped apertures in said main panel end supplementary panels, securing said supplementary panels and said main panel in face-contacting relation with respect to each other at a location intermediate said side panels whereby the necks of the bottles are maintained in said small portions of said apertures.
9. A method according to claim 8 wherein said inward force imparted to opposite sides of the group of bottles causes said side panels to move into an upright position. A method according to claim 8 wherein said inward force imparted to opposite sides of the group of bottles causes said main panel to bow upwardly. 11, A method according to claim 8 wherein each of said supplementary panels is provided with cutaway areas along the side edge which is remote from the associated IN A1rlhnA 942 MMC -8- one of said side panels and wherein the inward force imparted to opposite sides of said group of bottles causes said cutaway areas to engage the necks of adjacent bottles.
12. A top-gripping bottle carrier for packaging a group of bottles arranged in at least two rows, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. A unitary blank for forming a top-gripping bottle carrier, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
14. A method of packaging a group of bottles arranged in two rows in a top- gripping carrier, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this Seventeenth Day of May 1996 The Mead Corporation Patent Attorneys for the Applicant 15 SPRUSON FERGUSON 4 4* :e 4. IN 'LDtll00942 MMC