AU775024B2 - Top gripping carrier for bottles - Google Patents

Description

S&F Ref: 431456D1

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: TheMead Cerpratiun ^e~t I nCkn r LLCS X Cutlhuuse Plaza De ih P 'cc f4- -Northeast S-femford cne' Obcul V 050 Dayton Ohu 43403 United States of America Alain Saulas, Jean-Michel Auclair Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 Top Gripping Carrier for Bottles The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845c I 1 TOP GRIPPING CARRIER FOR BOTTLES Background of the Invention The invention relates to an article carrier which is used for securing a plurality of articles such as bottles in a group. More particularly the invention relates to an article carrier of the top gripping type which attaches to the tops of articles thereby to secure the articles in an array. It is known to provide top gripping carriers which comprise so-called "sun burst" type apertures having a series of circumferentially arranged tabs which enable the bottle top to pass through the aperture and in which the tabs engage from the underside of the bottle top or on a flange on the bottle neck to prevent removal of the bottle from the aperture.

A problem with top gripping carriers of this type is that the tabs need to be of sufficient thickness to provide support for the articles. At the point of connection with the panels, the tabs are prone to folding and losing their strength. This invention seeks to overcome the difficulties by providing a carrier which can flex to relieve the load applied to the bottle neck support tabs.

Discussion of Prior Art US 3, 387, 879 assigned by the applicant discloses an article carrier comprising a tubular structure having top, bottom and side walls and wherein a medial fold line is formed in the top wall together with a plurality of support tabs foldably joined to the top wall and biased inwardly against the neck of an adjacent bottle so that the weight of the bottle is taken by the ends of the support tabs, the bottom of the carrier being apertured to receive the necks of the bottles and the side walls being constructed of different heights so as to provide secure gripping action.

II

EP 317,379 (Gervais) illustrates a packaging device for individual containers comprising a blank, with a surface comprising apertures to receive articles, and two parallel strips which, after being folded, form two short parallel flaps with tongues emerging from cutouts formed in the apertures. Containers held in the apertures are supported by abutment of the flaps under an external projection of the containers.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a top-gripping bottle carrier for engaging and supporting at least one bottle at a bottle neck thereof, comprising: a main panel having opposed side edges and at least one aperture for receiving 1o said bottle; a pair of side panels hingably connected to said side edges of said main panel respectively and extending to respective uppermost edges located above said main panel so as to engage and support said bottle neck when said bottle is in said aperture; and means for forcing said uppermost edges toward each other in response to is5 introduction of said bottle into said aperture so that said free uppermost edges are tightened on said bottle neck.

Preferably, each of said side panels comprises an intermediate strip hingably connected to a respective one of said side edges of said main panel, and a support strip secured to said intermediate strip in a face to face relationship, and wherein said support S 20 strip of said each side panel includes a lower portion extending below said main panel so that upon said introduction of said article, said lower portions of said side panels may be •thrust away from each other by said article to force said upper edges toward each other, and said forcing means comprises said lower portions of said side panels.

~Preferably, said intermediate strip of said each side panel extends upward from said main panel to a respective one of said uppermost edges, and said support strip of said each side panel further includes a portion extending above said main panel to be secured to an adjacent one of said intermediate strips.

Preferably, said intermediate and support strips of said each side panel are hingedly connected together along said respective uppermost edge.

[I:\DayLib\LIBTT]02564.doc:keh Brief Description of the Drawings 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 plan view of a carrier blank; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a carrier formed from the blank as shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top-end perspective view of a carrier formed from the blank illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of a carrier blank according to another embodiment; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a carrier formed from the blank as shown in Figure 3.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a carrier blank 10 for forming a top gripping carrier and made from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material. The blank comprises a series of panels hinged one to the next. Thus, end panel 12 is hingably connected to side panel 14 along fold line 24; side panel 14 is connected by way of fold line 26 to a top panel 16, thereby enabling panels 14 and 16 to be placed in a substantially perpendicular relationship. Top panel 16 is connected along fold line 28 o• [R\LIBTL]02564.doc:aci to side panel 18 thereby enabling panels 16 and 18 to be placed in a substantially perpendicular relationship such that side panel 14 and side panel 18 form opposing sides in a set up carrier. The side panel 18 is connected to main panel 20 by way of fold line 30 thereby enabling panels 18 and 20 to be placed in a substantially perpendicular relationship such that top panel 16 and main panel 20 form opposed sides. The main panel 20 is connected to strengthening panel 22 by way of fold line 34, thereby enabling main panel 20 and strengthening panel 22 to be placed in a substantially perpendicular relationship whereby strengthening panel 22 and side panel 14 are placed in a face to face relationship when the carrier is in a set up condition.

As illustrated in Figure 1, main panel 20 is formed with a row of three hexagonal tab apertures 44, the opposing sides of which carry hinged gripping tabs Each gripping tab 40 comprises three panels 50, 52, 54 connected one to the next along fold lines 56 and 58 respectively. Terminal panels 50 and 54 are further connected to main panel 20 along fold lines 60, 62 respectively, while cut line 64 separates middle panel 52 Sfrom main panel 20. Main panel 20 further comprises a central interrupted fold line 32 extending between the opposing free end edges of main panel 20 and aligned with the middle panels 52 of each tab 40. In a set up condition panels 50, 52 and 54 are moved out of alignment along fold lines 56 and 58 and co-act with fold line 32 to fold main panel 20. The middle one of the three said hexagonal tab apertures also has two opposingly positioned flaps 42.

A handle H is formed along top panel 16 provided by way of a pair of oppositely disposed semi-circular handle tabs 38 struck from the top panel 16 and separated by fold line 36. The carrier may be carried by folding back each handle tab 38. More specifically, a pair of spaced finger apertures are defined in the top panel 16 when handle tabs 38 are folded inwardly of the tubular carrier. The handle tabs 38 are connected to the top panel 16 along generally parallel fold lines 74, 76. The fold line 36 is disposed generally parallel to the opposed side edges of the top panel 16 and extends between the fold lines 74, 76. The portion of the top panel 16 between the fold lines 74, 76 folds upwardly about the fold line 36 when the carrier is lifted by the finger apertures. The fold line 36 functions to relieve the finger aperture area from stress, and thereby strengthen the handle.

1 0 In Figure 2 the carrier is in a substantially set up condition. Construction is achieved by folding all the panels in sequence so that panel 22 is face to face with panel 14 whereby a tubular structure is attained. More specifically, panels 14 and 16 are folded along fold line 26 to produce a perpendicular relationship then folding panels 16 and 18, 18 and 20, 20 and 22 are folded along fold lines 28, 30, 34 respectively to produce a perpendicular relationship between the respective panels.

The carrier is maintained in a box like condition illustrated in Figure 2, by connecting together side panels 14 and 22 into a face to face relationship, by glue or other suitable means.

As shown in Figure 3, said articles are inserted through apertures 44 thereby displacing the gripping tabs 40 out of their general plane until the distal edges of the tabs 40 come into contact with a radially protruding part of said articles. As the tabs 40 are displaced, the main panel 20 is caused to flex by folding along fold line 32, to allow the apertures to open to a greater extent and when the tabs engage a bottle neck the flexibility of the main panel gives additional support for tabs 40 which is enhanced by the provision of a stress relieving cut line 64..

In Figure 4 there is shown another embodiment of the invention which illustrates a carrier blank 110 for forming a top gripping carrier and made from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material. The blank comprises a

I

support strip 112 hingably connected to intermediate strip 114 along fold line 130 thereby enabling strips 112 and 114 to be placed in a face to face relationship. Intermediate strip 114 is hingably connected to main panel 116 along fold line 132 thereby enabling strips 114 and 112 to be folded out of the plane of the blank. Main panel 116 is also hingably connected to intermediate strip 118 along fold line 136. Support strip 120 is foldably connected to intermediate strip 118 along fold line 138 thereby enabling strips 118 and 120 to form a face to face relationship.

Fold line 136 enables strips 118 and 120 to be folded out of the general plane.

As illustrated in Figure 4, main panel 116 is formed with a row of three hexagonal tab apertures 144 the opposing sides of which are furnished with gripping tabs 140. Each gripping tab comprises three panels 150, 152, 154 connected one to the next along fold lines 156 and 158 respectively. Terminal panels 150 and 154 are further connected to main panel 116 along fold lines 160, 162 respectively, while cut line 164 separates middle panel 152 from main panel 116. Main panel 116 further comprises a central interrupted fold line 134 extending between the opposing free end edges of main panel 116 and aligned with the middle panels 152 of each tab 140. In a set up condition panels 150, 152 and 154 are moved out of alignment along fold lines 156 and 158 and co-act with fold line 134 to fold main panel 116.

A handle is formed along support strip 120 provided by way of a pair of oppositely disposed tabs 166 formed in the support strip 120. The carrier may be carried by folding back each tab 166.

Construction of the carrier is achieved by folding strips 112 and 114 along fold line 130 in a face to face relationship, and folding strips 118 and 120 along fold lines 138 in a face to face relationship. Strips 112, 114 are secured together by glue or other suitable means and thereby maintained in the face to face relationship to f or= a composite side pane].. in like amanr, strips 120, 118 are secured together to formo another composite side panel. There side panels are Coldod along fold lines 132, 1.36 to be disposed qenerally perpendicularly to main panei1 116.

To secure articles A together by the a.bove carrier, articles A are inserted through apertures 144. By this means, the lower portions of the strips iz, 2.20 are tiwust away from each other by the articles A, and thereby the gap C71 between the lower portions are increased to produce a pivotal effect. The result is to reduce the gap G2 between the upper portions of strips 1.12 and 120 thus enabling the free upperzo.Bt edges 250, 252 to be tightened on the articles A so as to securely xupport radially protruding parts of the articles A as illustrated in Fiegure The introduction of the articles also move the tabs 140 out of their general plane until the distal edges of the tabe 140 "lie into contacat with a radially protruding part of the articles. By moving the tabs 1.40 out of 20 alignment,. main panel 116 is causedl to flex along fold line 134, to allow the aperturez to open to a greater extent.

When the tabs 140 engage the protruding part, such as a bottle neck~ flange, the flexibility of the main panels gives additional s~ipport for tab$ 140 Which is anhanced by 26 the provision of a strear, relieving cut line 164.

Thie present in~venton -and its Preferred embodiments relate to a bottle-cArrier which is. shaped to Provide satisfactorY rigidity to hold the bottles securely but with a degree of flexibility so that load transfeCrred to the aperture tabx can be better absorbedl by the carrier.

The shape of the blank mzininizes the amount of paper board req~uired. The carrier can be applied to- an array of bOtt-las by hand or by autonatic machinery. it is aniticipated that the invention can be applied to a variety of carrier3 not limited to those of the top gripping sort.

Claims (4)

1. A top-gripping bottle carrier for engaging and supporting at least one bottle at a bottle neck thereof, comprising: a main panel having opposed side edges and at least one aperture for receiving said bottle; a pair of side panels hingably connected to said side edges of said main panel respectively and extending to respective uppermost edges located above said main panel so as to engage and support said bottle neck when said bottle is in said aperture; and means for forcing said uppermost edges toward each other in response to introduction of said bottle into said aperture so that said free uppermost edges are tightened on said bottle neck.

2. The carrier according to claim 1 wherein each of said side panels comprises an intermediate strip hingably connected to a respective one of said side edges of said main panel, and a support strip secured to said intermediate strip in a face to face 15 relationship, and wherein said support strip of said each side panel includes a lower portion extending below said main panel so that upon said introduction of said article, said lower portions of said side panels may be thrust away from each other by said article to force said upper edges toward each other, and said forcing means comprises said lower portions of said side panels.

3. The carrier according to claim 2, wherein said intermediate strip of said each side panel extends upward from said main panel to a respective one of said uppermost edges, and said support strip of said each side panel further includes a portion extending above said main panel to be secured to an adjacent one of said intermediate strips.

4. The carrier according to claim 3, wherein said intermediate and support strips of said each side panel are hingedly connected together along said respective uppermost edge. A top-gripping bottle carrier, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings. Dated 10 December, 2002 Tho Moad Corporation lweadW/esliaco Rock a;n_ Jyslr LC Patent Attorneys for the Altllcait/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON [RALIT102564.doc:aer:KEH