DE69407125T2 - Bottle crate and matching box for use with the crate - Google Patents

Abstract

A crate (Ct) for returnable bottles and a carton adapted for use with the crate in which the crate is formed, for each carton with a set of upstanding spacer posts (P1,P2;P3,P4) arranged in two pairs. The carton is impaled upon the set of posts when it is received in the crate. The posts (P1,P2) of one pair of posts are each sized to span the space between a pair of bottles (B1,B3;B2,B4) adjacent a central bottle (Bc) of the group and the set of posts define a space in the central bottle of the group is received. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a shipping crate and to the combination of such a shipping crate and a box adapted both to contain a plurality of items such as bottles and for use with the crate. The crate is particularly adapted to contain a plurality of reusable glass bottles packed in such boxes either individually or in groups.

The invention also relates to a complementary box which accommodates a plurality of bottles in a group and which is adapted to be received in the crate containing the bottles, the bottles being arranged as they would otherwise be arranged without the presence of the crate.

Such boxes and crates are known as such from AT-B-368967.

The beverage industry uses a standardized size crate to hold 20 individual items such as bottles in a 4 × 5 arrangement. There is an increasing need for these 20 bottle crates to be used in conjunction with multipacks. However, the layout used in the common crates makes it impossible to use multipacks with the crates. The problem that arises in producing such a crate as well as such a box is that (i) the crate must maintain its standardized size, (ii) the number of items per crate must remain the same, and (iii) the boxes must have the same design and therefore must hold the same number of items.

The solution is to rearrange the positions of the objects in groups of five with one object placed in the middle, which is supported by the four other objects. The box is equipped with a pair of spacing means to maintain the distances between adjacent external objects.

A problem that arises from adopting this configuration is that the lower portion of the central object is not stable because it is not supported by side walls. The crate of the invention overcomes this particular problem by providing a pair of supports that pass through corresponding flaps while maintaining the spacing between adjacent outer objects. In addition, providing the supports through the flaps allows the flaps to be locked together.

The shape of the supports (and tabs) and the spacing means not only maintains the distance between the central object and the outer objects, but also contributes to stabilizing the central object, thereby maintaining the appropriate position of each object.

AT-B-368967 relates to a box for holding 24 objects. Accordingly, neither the problems identified above nor the individual solutions achieved by the present invention are addressed.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a crate for containing reusable bottles comprising a plurality of groups of spacing means arranged within the crate and arranged to contain the articles in separate groups, characterised in that the spacing means of each group are arranged such that void spaces available for containing the bottles enclose a central void space which, together with corresponding void spaces in other groups, forms rows whose void spaces are staggered relative to the void spaces available in each adjacent row of void spaces for containing bottles.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a crate for reusable bottles and a box combination in which the crate is formed for each box with a set of upright spacer supports comprising two pairs of supports on which the carton is impaled, characterized in that each support of a pair of supports is dimensioned to bridge the space between a pair of spaced bottles and, together with the supports of the other pair of supports, to form between them a central void space for a single bottle of the group.

According to a feature of this aspect of the invention, each support of the other pair is adapted to cooperate with a closure means securing the base panels of the carton together, such that the supports of the other pair can be brought into and out of engagement with the closure means without the closure means being displaced from position.

According to a further feature of this aspect of the invention, each group of spacer supports comprising the two pairs can be separated from an adjacent group by an internal separating means.

Where a partition means is provided, the internal partition means may divide the box substantially along its longitudinal and transverse axes to separate four approximately equal groups of spacing means.

Preferably, the individual bottle is a middle bottle in a group of five bottles.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a wraparound-type carton for use in a crate or combination, the carton accommodating a group of five bottles with a single central bottle and including a base in which a pair of openings are provided at exactly opposite locations relative to the single central bottle, each opening being sized and positioned to receive one of a first pair of spacer supports of the crate, and in which a locking means for securing the base is adapted to be placed in a locked condition by means of a second pair of spacer supports of the crate.

According to a feature of this aspect of the invention, the base comprises a pair of wall panels locked together in an overlapping relationship by means of the locking means, the locking means comprising hinged tabs, which are moved by a second pair of spacer supports to lock the base wall surfaces together.

A further aspect of the invention provides a carton blank for use in providing a wrap-around type carton according to either of the immediately preceding paragraphs.

An embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example with reference to the drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for a carton of the wrap-around type adapted to wrap around a group of five bottles and to cooperate with the complementary bottle crate;

Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a bottle crate having upright supports on which a plurality of cartons according to the invention are impaled, the cartons being formed from blanks of the type shown in Figure 1 of the drawings; and

Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the box, namely of the box shown in Figure 2 with a cross-section superimposed along the lines 3 - 3 therein.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to Figure 1, a blank 10 formed from cardboard cover or similar foldable sheet material comprises in sequence a first base panel 12, a first heel panel 14, a first side panel 16, a top panel 18, a second side panel 20, a second heel panel 22 and a second base panel 24, each hinged to the next panel along transverse fold lines 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36, respectively.

The carton blank is of a wraparound type referred to as a so-called "neck-through" type and as such is adapted to receive a group of bottles whose neck portions are received in and project from the openings A formed in the top wall surface 18 of the blank. In this case the carton blank is adapted to wrap around a group of 5 bottles arranged in two rows of two bottles B₁, B₂; B₃, B₄ (Figure 2), each with a central bottle Bc. Thus, the upper ends of the bottles are held by the openings of the top panel. The lower ends of the other (outer) bottles of the group are held by engagement openings h₁, h₂; h₃, h₄ provided in the respective engagement panels 14 and 22 in a known manner. Deltoid openings D, also known, are provided on each of the base panels 12 and 24 and serve to receive machine elements which draw the base panels 12 and 24 together in an overlapping relationship so that they can be locked together. Closure is achieved by means of closure tabs N₁, N₂ which are folded out of the plane of the base 24 and are respectively received in the apertures defined by main retaining tabs T₁, T₂ which in turn remain in a stiffened or engaged relationship with the closure tabs N₁, N₂. The main closure tabs N₁, N₂ are offset in their locked position such that the posts P3, P₄ of each pair of spacer posts can be received in and removed from the respective apertures of the closure aperture without disengaging the closure tabs N₁, N₂. Auxiliary closure tabs n₁, n₂ are accordingly folded out of the plane of the base panel 24 and are received in the openings defined by auxiliary retaining tabs t₁, t₂ punched out of the base panel 12.

In Figure 1a, a detailed view of the configuration of the main retaining tab T1 is shown. Retaining tab T1 comprises a pair of similar hinged flaps f1, f2 hinged along fold lines at and a2, respectively. The flaps are adapted to be displaced out of the plane of the panel 12 as the locking tabs N1, N2 of the base panel 24 are brought through the openings defined by retaining tab T1.

Further openings X and Y are formed in each of the base panels 12 and 24, respectively. Opening X is formed between the deltoid openings D and between the retaining engagement openings h₁, h₂. Similarly, opening Y is formed between the deltoid openings D and between the retaining engagement openings h₃, h₄. Openings X and Y are positioned such that when the carton is formed from the blank and the base panels are in are locked in an overlapping relationship, the openings X and Y being positioned in a precisely opposite position relative to the position of the middle bottle Bc of the packaged group.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, a bottle crate Ct is formed from suitable plastics material and includes longitudinal and transverse partition wall panels PP₁ and PP₂, respectively, defining four identical box-receiving areas AC₁, AC₂, AC₃ and AC₄, respectively, within the crate.

These areas also receive a group of individual bottles placed in the crate without a box cover. Each of the box receiving areas, for example area AC1, includes a group of upright spacing supports arranged in pairs P1, P2 and P3, P4, respectively. Supports P1 and P2, which appear channel-shaped in plan view, are adapted to be received through openings X and Y formed in the base panels of a box received in the box receiving area AC1. The supports are positioned so that they are located at exactly opposite locations relative to the central bottle Bc of the box group. The supports are further sized to bridge the (empty) space between the endmost bottles B1, B3 and B2, B4 in the respective rows of the group. Thus, support P1 bridges the space between bottles B1 and B3 and similarly support P2 bridges the (empty) space between bottles B2 and 134. Supports P3 and P4, which appear T-shaped in plan view, are adapted to be received through the openings defined by closure tab N1 and retaining tab T1 and closure tab N2 and retaining tab T2, respectively. The shape and positioning of supports P1, P2 and P₃, P₄ serve not only to define a central receiving area for bottle Bc, whether as part of a packaged group or as a single bottle, but also to define, together with the adjacent walls and/or dividing wall surfaces of the crate, the other or remaining receiving areas for the remaining four bottles.

The bottles are therefore arranged as a separate group in each area of the crate, such as area AC₁, each group having a central space for bottle Bc. The middle spaces of the adjacent regions, e.g. AC₁ and AC₂, create a row BC₁, BC₂ that is offset from the (empty) spaces available to accommodate or be occupied by bottles B₁, B₂, B₅, B₆, B₃, B₄, B₃, B₄, B₇, B₄, respectively. Consequently, bottle Bc is "nested" in relation to bottles B₁, B₂ and B₃, B₄.

It will be appreciated that the case and box combination is thus adapted to receive a set of four boxes each containing five bottles for distribution and sale, and the box is later adapted to receive the individual bottles in the arrangement shown in Figure 2 for return for recycling. Thus, the box/box combination according to the invention is particularly suitable for use with reusable glass bottles and can preferably receive 20 such bottles either individually or in packed groups of five per box.

Claims (9)

1. Crate (Ct) for containing reusable bottles, including a plurality of groups of spacing means (P₁, P₂, P₃, P₄) arranged inside the crate and arranged to allow the objects to be contained in separate groups, characterized in that the spacing means of each group are arranged so that void spaces available for containing the bottles (B1, B2, B3, B4, Bc) enclose a central void space which, together with corresponding void spaces in other groups, forms rows whose void spaces are arranged offset from the void spaces available in each adjacent row of void spaces for containing bottles. 2. Crates (Ct) for reusable bottles and a carton combination in which the crate for each carton is formed with a set of upright spacer supports comprising two pairs of supports (P₁, P₂, P₃, P₄) on which the carton is impaled, characterized in that each support of a support pair (P₁, P₂) is dimensioned to bridge the space between a pair of spaced bottles (B₁, B₃, B₂, B₄) and together with the supports (P₃, P₄) of the other support pair, to form between them a central void space for a single bottle (Bc) of the group. 3. A crate and box combination according to claim 2, in which each support of the other pair (P₃, P₄) is adapted to cooperate with a locking device (T₁, T₂, N₁, N₂) securing the bases (12, 24) of the box together, in such a way that supports of the other pair (P₃, P₄) can be brought into and out of engagement with the locking device (T₁, T₂, N₁, N₂) without the locking device being displaced from its position. 4. A crate and box combination according to claim 2 or 3, in which each group of spacer supports comprising the two pairs (P₁, P₂, P₃, P₄) is separated from an adjacent group by an internal separating means (PP₁). 5. A crate and box combination according to claim 4, in which the internal separating means (PP₄) divides the crate substantially along its longitudinal and transverse axes to separate four approximately equal groups of spacing means (AC₁, AC₂, AC₃, AC₄). 6. A crate and box combination according to any one of claims 2 to 5, in which the single bottle is a middle bottle (Bc) in a group of five bottles (B1, B2, B3, B4, Bc). 7. A wrap-around type carton for use in a crate or combination according to any preceding claim, wherein the carton accommodates a group of five bottles (B₁, B₂, B3, B4, Bc) with a single central bottle and includes a base (12, 24) in which a pair of openings (X, Y) are provided at exactly opposite locations in relation to the single central bottle (Bc), each opening (X, Y) being sized and positioned to accommodate one of a first pair of spacer supports (P₁, P₂) of the crate, and in which locking means (T₁, T₂, N₁, N₂) for securing the base (12, 24) is adapted to be locked in a locked condition by means of a second pair of spacer supports (P₃, P₄) of the box (Ct). 8. A carton according to claim 7, in which the base (10, 12) comprises a pair of panels (10, 12) locked together in an overlapping relationship by means of the locking means (T₁, T₂, N₁, N₂), the locking means comprising hinged tabs (T₁, T₂) which are displaced by a second pair of spacer supports (P₃, P₄) to lock the bases (10, 12) together. 9. A carton blank for use in providing a wrap-around type carton according to claim 7 or claim 8.