CA2025697A1 - Reusable bottle divider insert - Google Patents

Abstract

REUSABLE BOTTLE DIVIDER INSERT
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A divider insert for bottle cases, such as are used to transport and store long-neck beer bottles. The insert is injection-molded of sturdy plastic and can thus withstand repeated case filling and trans-porting procedures. It includes a rib structure defining a layer of interconnected bottle holding cells and peripheral upright walls con-tinuous with and at the corners and/or sides of the rib structure. The walls extend below the layer and when resting directly on the floor of the bottle case suspend the layer above the floor a distance sufficient to securely hold the bottles positioned in the cells and supported on the floor. The holding cells contact each of the bottles at more than four points about their circumferences, as along four short spaced arcs or eight spaced points, to thereby securely but not tightly hold the bottles in place in the case.

Description

~` 2~2~S~7 REUSABLE BOTTLE DIVIDER INSERT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to carriers or containers for bot-tles and to divider structures îor such carriers. In particular, this invention is concerned with packing cases for returnable glass ~long-neck~ beer bottles.
Cardboard boxes are typically used for the transportation, stor-age and sale of bottled beverages such as long-neck beer bottles.
These boxes include top closure flaps to protect the bottles during storage and transport. The boxes are heavy-duty, corrugated card board full-depth cases which can be returned and reused many times.
A thin-walled, paperboard insert separates the bottles inside of the case to prevent them from contacting each other during shipment and to hold them upright. While the case itself is sturdy enough to survive numerous trips between the brewery and the customers, the insert is ~ragile, easily damaged and generally unusable after one or two trips.
The insert further tends to shift or fold up on itself before the full bottles have dropped in at the filling lines. Warping of the insert sep-arators can also s~uff the paper labels on the bottles.
To be reusable, these dividers thus must be sturdy and prefera-bly economically constructed. Since twenty-four full beer bottles weigh approximately forty pounds, the box or carrier must be strong enough~to withstand rough handling thereof. The divider should also not contribute any excessive amount of weight to the heavy full con-tainers which often must be manually lifted and carried. The dividers additionally must be durable to withstand the rough handling that the boxes usually are subjected to without the bottles therein breaking.

-2- 2~2S6~7 SUMM~RY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal ob,lect of the present invention to provide for bottle carrying cases a divider structure which is durable and can withstand numerous reuses.
Another object of the present invention is to provide for returnable bottle cases a divider insert which securely retains the bottles therein during shipment and handling and is configured so that the bottles can be easily inserted therein with today~s filling equi~
ment.
A further object of the present invention ~ to provide an improved bottle divider structure which more securely holds the bot-tles in their respective cells.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved divider insert which can be used with a variety of existing corrugated boxes.
Another object is to provide an improved divider structure which is self-standing on the floor of the corrugated box.
A further object is to provide an improved bottle divider struc-ture which allows the bottles to rest and be supported directly on the floor of the corrugated box.
A still further ob~ect of the present invention is to provide an improved divider structure for bottle carriers which accommodates modern bottling operations.
Directed to achieving these objects, an improved reusable beer case insert is herein provided. This insert compfises a grid-11'ce sepa-rator adapted to hold the bottles upright in position and to prevent them from contacting each other while being transported in their cardboard cases. The separator is formed as a plastic divider of ur~-tary injection-molded,plastic~construction having an, array of aper, tures or cells defined by divider ribs forming a hofizontal element of relatively shallow height. The cells are sized to snugly retain therein a long-neck beer bottle around its girth. The rib thickness is sized for good strength and resilience. The interstices between the cells are open to increase the grid's resilience and to decrease the quantity of plastic required and thus the expense and weight of the divider. A

202~7 number of feet or walls along the sides of the array elevate it of i ot the floor of the case. The feet or walls extend straight down from the edges or sides oi the array of apertures at the corners andlor in the middles of the sides thereof. This sturdy, lightweight separator insert effectively accepts and protects the bottles as they are being inserted at the filling line and later as they are transported.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first insert oi the present invention shown in place in a conventional cardboard container with a portion thereof broken away for illustrative purposes and with a num-ber of bottles shown inserted and held in the insert.
Figure 2 is a crossæctional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first insert of Figure 1 shown in isolation.
Figure 4 is a top plan view thereof.
Figure 5 is a bottom plan view thereof.
Figure 6 is a side elevational view thereoi.
Figure 7 is an end elevationa~ view thereof.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a second insert of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a third insert of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a top plan view of the third insert.
Figure 11 is a bottomlplan view oi the third insert.
Figure 12 is a side elevational view of the second and third inserts.
Figure 13 is an end elevational view of the second and third inserts.

~4~ 20~6~7 DETAILED DESCRlPllON OF PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Referring to Figure 1, a first divider insert of the present invention shown generally at 20 is illustrated in its inserted position in a conventional heavy-duty cardboard container shown generally at 22.
A first insert of this invention is illustrated in Figures 1-7, a second in Figures 8, 12 and 13, and a third in Figures 9-13. Elements in the sec-ond insert corresponding to those in the first are designated with the same reference numeral followed with a prime (I) designation and those in the third are followed with a double prime (") designation.
The cardboard container shown generally at 22 includes a pair of ends 24, 26, a pair of sides 29, 30, a floor or bottom 32, and a pair of top covers 34, 36 which fold towards one another such that their edge flaps 38, 40 meet and fold in. Convenient hand-holding openings 42, 44 are provided at both ends thereof. The insert 20 is dimensioned to fit relatively snugly, but not tightly, within the end and side walls of the container 22 and to rest directly on the floor 32 as can be seen in Figures 1 and 2. As will be appreciated the design of insert 20 allows it to be used in a variety of existing containers in addition to con-tainer 22.
The insert 20 comprises a relatively shallow (one-and-a-half to two inches high) rib structure 48 suspended above the floor 32 by side walls or feet 5û. The rib structure 48 is formed by interconnected ribs 51 defining a fou~by sL~c array of cells 52 in which individual long-neck beer bottles 54 can be inserted and held as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The walls 50 elevate the rib structure 48 to a height suffi-cient to hold the bottles 54 in place and to prevent them from rubbing or striking on another during shipment. The top of the rib structure 48 and associated cells 52 engages its bottle 54 generally near the bottom o~ the shoulder of the bottle.
The rib structure 48 is thus formed by a plurality of intercon-nected ribs 51 configured to form an attractive pattern of holding cells 52, as can be seen for example in Figure(s) 4 tand 10). The thick-ness of the ribs 51 provides good strcngth and resii~ence for the 202~7 insert. Each cell 52 is sized to snugly retain therein a returnable long-neck beer bottle 54 around its girth and to contact the bottle at more than four points about its circumference. The insert design of Figures 1-8 has curved diamond-shaped apertures 56 between ad~acent cells 52 and curved triangular-shaped apertures 58 between adjacent cells 52 along the peripheral ribs 60 of the rib structure 48. Thus, the interstices or apertures 56 and 58 between the cells 52 are open to increase the resilience of the grid and to decrease the quantity of plastic required and thus the expense and weight of the divider insert 20. Each of these apertures 56, 58 has rounded corners 62a and inwardly curving sides 62b in between them. The ribs 63 intercon-necting these apertures 56, 58, however, are straight. Thus, each of the holding cells 52 contacts the bottle 54 therein along four short spaced arcs.
Another design of the present invention æ shown in Figures 9-ll configures the apertures 56~1 as diamonds using four straight lines 62a" and sharp corners 62b" and the apertures 58" as triangles. Thus, each holding cell 52 defines a nearly perfect octagon with eight straight sides and eight sharp corners. These cells 52 then will con-tact the bottles at generally eight spaced points around their circum-ferences. Even for this design, however, the four corners 64 of the peripheral ribs 60 of the rib structure 48 are rounded.
The upright periphery walls or feet 50 extend down from, are the same thickness as and are an extension of the peripheral ribs 60 of the rib structure 48. Although the wall could be configured to define a continuous solid wall along the full extent of the perimeter of the rib structure 48 and extending all the way down to the rloor 32 o~
the container 22, such a design would be unnecessarily heavy and use unnècessary amounts of plastic material. Thus, the present invention provides for wall segments 66 spaced at four or more locations about the perimeter of the rib structure 46. One design positions these wall segments 66 only at each of the round corners 64 to define corner legs 68 as can be seen for example in Figures 8, 9, 12 and 13. Another embodiment includes central side wall segments 70 centrally posi-tioned at the length sides of the rib structure 58 as can be seen in /
-6- 202~97 Figures 1, 3 and 6. Since these walls segments 66 are upright, the same thickness as the peripheral ribs 60 and continuous therewith, they do not project outwardly from the periphery 60 of the rib struc-tures 58 to increase the outer dimensions of the insert 22 or inwardly to contact any bottles 54 held in the cel)s 52. In fact, the entire space within the wall segments 66 and underneath the rib structure 48 is open as can be seen in the drawings.
The bottle divider insert 20 is formed by a unitary, injection-molded plastic construction and thus defines a sturdy mem-ber which can hold up to repeated uses. It snugly retains the bottles 54 in place in the cells 52 and allows ~or easy consistent loading of the containers 22 with the filled bottles using today~s filing equipment.
Its open array oî cells 52 and apertures 56, 58 provides an aestheti-cally pleasing design. Although illustrated as holding long-neck beer bottles 54, the insert 20 can be configured to retain generally any size and shape bottle or other container.
From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications oI the present invention which come within the province of those persons skilled in the art. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered æ within the scope thereof as limited solely by the claims appended hereto.

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Claims (24)

1. A reusable bottle divider insert for a bottle carrier case, said insert comprising:
a rib structure defining a layer of interconnected upright bottle holding cells, said rib structure having a rib structure periphery; and peripheral upright walls positioned at said rib structure periphery and extending below said layer, said peripheral upright walls being configured to rest on a floor of a bottle carrier case and to thereby suspend said layer above the floor a distance sufficient to hold bottles positioned in said bottle holding cells and supported on the floor securely relative to each other.

2. The insert of claim 1 wherein said layer is rectangularly configured and has a pair of layer peripheral sides and a pair of layer peripheral ends, and at least two of said peripheral upright walls are directly secured to at least two of said sides and ends.

3. The insert of claim 2 wherein at least two of said peripheral upright walls are directly secured to said sides.

4. The insert of claim 3 wherein at least two of said peripheral upright walls are directly secured to corners of said layer between said sides and said ends.

5. The insert of claim 1 wherein said layer is rectangularly configured and has four corners, and said peripheral upright walls include corner walls directly secured to and depending from said four corners.

6. The insert of claim 5 wherein said corner walls are rounded and extend down from each of said four corners.

7. The insert of claim 1 wherein said rib structure and said peripheral upright walls are formed of plastic.

8. The insert of claim 7 wherein said rib structure and said peripheral upright walls are injection molded together.

9. The insert of claim 1 wherein each of said cells is con-figured to contact the bottle positioned therein at more than four circumferentially spaced points on the cylindrical surface of the bottle.

10. The insert of claim 9 wherein said circumferentially spaced points comprise eight points.

11. The insert of claim 1 wherein said cells are aligned in an array within said rib structure periphery.

12. The insert of claim 11 wherein said array comprises a four-by-six array.

13. The insert of claim 11 wherein said rib structure defines an open area at each interstice between adjacent said cells.

14. The insert of claim 13 wherein said open areas are each four-sided.

15. The insert of claim 13 wherein each said open area has a diamond shape.

16. The insert of claim 15 wherein said diamond shape has rounded corners and inwardly curving sides.

17. The insert of claim 15 wherein said diamond shape has four straight sides and four sharp corners.

18. The insert of claim 1 wherein said peripheral upright walls and said rib structure define an open area beneath the entire width and length of said rib structure and within the entire area defined within said peripheral upright walls.

19. The insert of claim 1 wherein said rib structure and said peripheral upright walls are configured to securely hold, when said insert is positioned in the bottle carrier case, a long necked beer bot-tle in each said cell and supported on the floor when the peripheral upright walls are resting on the floor.

20. The insert of claim 1 wherein said peripheral upright walls is continuous with and extends directly down from said rib structure periphery.

21. The insert of claim 1 wherein each said bottle holding cell has an octagon-like shape.

22. The insert of claim 21 wherein said octagon-like shape has four straight sides and four curving sides.

23. The insert of claim 21 wherein said octagon-like shape has eight straight sides.

24. The insert of claim 1 wherein each said bottle holding cell has curved sides to contact a bottle held therein along at least four spaced arcs.