EP0188327B1

EP0188327B1 - Top-gripping article carrier

Info

Publication number: EP0188327B1
Application number: EP19860300095
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philippe Marie
Original assignee: Mead Corp
Current assignee: Mw Custom Papers Inc (a Delaware Corporation); MW Custom Papers LLC; WestRock Packaging Systems LLC
Priority date: 1985-01-09
Filing date: 1986-01-08
Publication date: 1989-08-16
Also published as: DE3665047D1; EP0188327A3; EP0188327A2; HK70692A

Description

This invention relates to an article carrier of the top-gripping type of retaining a group of articles e.g. bottles in closely clustered relationship thereby providing a package which facilitates portage of the articles.
US―A―4 190 149 discloses a so-called top-gripping bottle carrier in which neck portions of a group of bottles are received in bottle neck receiving apertures in the top wall of the carrier, the carrier further including side and end walls which extend downwardly a short distance from the top wall and which are interconnected by corner gusset panels.
US―A―3 123 213 also discloses a top-gripping bottle carrier in the form of an open-ended sleeve and which comprises a top wall, opposed side walls and a pair of bottom wall panels which are secured by upright partition panels to the top wall panel, the bottom wall panels and the top wall panels having a plurality of registering bottle neck receiving apertures.
The top-gripping carrier of the present invention is most similar to that disclosed in US-A-4190 149 in that it comprises a top wall having a plurality of neck receiving apertures and side and end walls depending therefrom, the side and end walls being interconnected by corner gusset panels. The carrier of the present invention has no bottom wall as is the case of the carrier depicted in US―A―3 123 213 and therefore provides a saving in paperboard material. However, in order better to ensure the security of such a carrier, it has been found desirable to prevent the tendency to outward bowing of the carrier sidewalls while at the same time allowing the carrier to be supplied in a collapsed condition and readily erected therefrom.
To this end the invention provides an article carrier of the top-gripping type comprising a tray like structure adapted to be applied in inverted condition to the tops of a plurality of articles, said carrier having a top panel formed with at least one row of apertures each adapted to receive and retain an article to be carried, a pair of side wall panels and a pair of end wall panels depending from the top wall panel and wherein gusset panels are interposed between each of the end wall panels and the side wall panels of the carrier to allow corner portions of the tray like structure to conform more closely to the endmost articles to be carried, characterised by a reinforcing panel extending from each of said side wall panels and secured internally of the tray like structure to the underside of said top wall panel to brace the side wall panels relative to the top wall panel, each of said reinforcing panels extending from the free edge of a side wall panel and being secured substantially centrally of said top wall panel, and including a bend line intermediate its ends whereby it is flexed about said bend line towards said top wall panel.
According to a feature of the invention each of said reinforcing panels may be formed with cut-out portions so that the reinforcing panels do not interfere with said article receiving apertures in the top wall panel through which said articles can extend.
According to yet another feature of the invention, said reinforcing panels may each comprise a pair of strap portions each of which includes a bend line intermediate its ends by which said strap portions are flexed towards the top wall panel.
According to yet another feature of the invention the end wall panels may be outwardly and downwardly inclined relative to the top wall panel as seen when the tray-like structure is inverted into a position for application to a group of articles.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a paperboard blank for forming the top-gripping article carrier shown in Figure 4;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the article carrier in a flat folded condition;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the article carrier in a set-up condition;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a package comprising a group of bottles held together by a top-gripping article carrier according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings, an article carrier blank 10 formed from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material comprises in series, a first glue strip panel 12; a first reinforcing panel 14; a first sidewall panel 16; a top panel 18; a second sidewall panel 20; a second reinforcing panel 22 and a second glue strip panel 24 hinged one to the next along fold lines 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 respectively.
An end wall panel 38 is hinged to one end of the top wall panel 18 by fold line 40. Gusset panels 42 and 44 are hinged to opposite ends of the end panel 38 along oblique fold lines 46 and 48, respectively. A glue tab 50 is hinged to gusset panel 42 along fold line 52 and a similar glue tab 54 is hinged to gusset panel 44 along fold line 56.
Similarly, an end panel 58 is hinged to the opposite end of the top wall panel 18 by fold line 60. Gusset panels 62 and 64 are hinged to opposite ends of the end panel 38 along oblique fold lines 66 and 68, respectively. A glue tab 70 is hinged to gusset panel 62 along fold line 72 and a similar glue tab 74 is hinged to gusset panel 64 along fold line 76.
The top panel is formed with two rows of circular openings A1-A3; A4-A6, each of which is defined by an annular series of hinged tabs 't' as is well known in the art. More than two rows of openings may be provided in the case of an article carrier adapted to accommodate a larger group of bottles than that envisaged in this embodiment of the invention. A pair of central apertures 'G' is formed in the top panel to facilitate portage of the package when the carrier is applied to a group of bottles as shown in Figure 4.
The reinforcing panel 14 is formed with arcuate cutaway portions 80 and 82 at each of its side edges in order that the panel does not interfere with the openings A1 and A3 which the reinforcing panel is folded into its correct position in the completed carrier as will be described below. Similarly central aperture 84 is provided to avoid interference with top panel aperture A2 and arcuate recesses 86 and 88 are formed in glue strip 12 to avoid interference with the central apertures 'G'. Thus, reinforcing panel 14 comprises two similar strap portions 90 and 92 which are provided with bend lines 90a and 92a, respectively, to allow the strap portions to flex.
In like manner, reinforcing panel 22 includes arcuate cut-away portions 94 and 96 to avoid interference with top panel openings A4 and A6 and further includes central aperture 98 to avoid interference with top panel aperture A5. Arcuate recesses 100, 102 are formed in glue strip 24 to avoid interference with central apertures 'G'. Thus, reinforcing handle 22 comprises two similar strap portions 104 and 106 which are provided with bend lines 104a and 106a, respectively, to allow the strap portions to flex.
In order to form the collapsed carrier shown in Figure 3 reinforcing panel 14 is folded about fold line 28 inwardly of the blank and also about fold lines 90a, 92a so that those parts of strap portions 90, 92 defined between fold line 28 and fold lines 90a, 92a are brought into overlying relationship with sidewall panel 16, and those parts of strap portions 90, 92 defined between fold lines 90a, 92a and 26 are brought into overlying relationship with the parts defined between fold line 28 and fold lines 90a, 92a. Gusset panel 42 is folded about fold line 46 into overlying relationship with end wall panel 38 so that glue tab 50 is brought into overlapping relationship with the top wall panel 18 above aperture A1. Likewise, gusset panel 62 is folded about fold line 66 into overlying relationship with end wall panel 58 so that glue tab 70 is brought into overlapping relationship with the top wall panel 18 above aperture A3.
An application of glue is then made to the central area of the top panel 18 as shown in stippling in Figure 1 and to the uppermost faces of the glue tabs 50 and 70. Thereafter, the sidewall panel 16 together with the pre-folded reinforcing panel 18 is folded inwardly about fold line 30 so that the sidewall panel is adhered at each of its opposite ends to the glue tabs 50 and 70 respectively and the glue strip 12 is adhered in overlying relationship with the preglued central part of the top wall panel 18.
The opposite end of the blank is folded in like manner. Thus, reinforcing panel 22 is folded about fold line 34 inwardly of the blank and also about fold lines 104a, 106a so that those parts of strap portions 104, 106 defined between fold line 34 and fold lines 104a, 106 are brought into overlying relationship with sidewall panel 20, and those parts of strap portions 104, 106 defined between fold lines 104a, 106a and 36 are brought into overlying relationship with the parts defined between fold line 34 and fold lines 104a, 106a.
Gusset panel 44 is folded about fold line 48 into overlying relationship with end wall panel 38 so that glue tab 50 is brought into overlapping relationship with the top wall panel 18 above aperture A4. Likewise, gusset panel 64 is folded about fold line 68 into overlying relationship with end wall panel 58 so that glue tab 74 is brought into overlapping relationship with top wall panel 18 above aperture A6.
An application of glue is then made to the uppermost face of glue strip 12 and to the uppermost faces of glue tabs 54 and 74. Thereafter, the sidewall panel 20 together with the pre-folded reinforcing panel 22 is folded inwardly about fold line 32 so that the sidewall panel is adhered at each of its opposite ends to the glue tabs 54 and 74 respectively and the glue strip 24 is adhered in overlying relationship with the preglued glue strip 12 at the central part of the top wall panel 18.
The carrier is then in its completed but collapsed condition as shown in Figure 2. In order to bring the carrier into its erected condition shown in Figure 3 it is simply necessary to erect the sidewall panels 16 and 20 by folding about fold lines 30 and 34 into an upright position whereby the endwalls automatically also are erected, thereby forming the tray-like structure shown in Figure 3. The end panels are outwardly and upwardly inclined when the carrier is in its completed and erected condition since both the end panels and the gusset panels associated therewith bend outwardly relative to the side wall panels. This arrangement gives a more rounded corner construction so that the ends of the carrier conform more closely to the shoulder portions of the endmost bottles in the rows R1, R2 as shown in Figure 4.
In order to again collapse the carrier for storage, transport and stacking e.g. in a hopper, the side wall panels are folded inwardly about fold lines 30 and 32 into flat superposed relationship with the reinforcing panels. In so doing the strap portions of the reinforcing panels fold about bend lines 90a, 92a and 104a, 106a and the glue tabs 50, 54, 70 and 74 fold inwardly into flat superposed relationship with respective ones of the endwall panels about oblique fold lines 46, 48 and 66, 68 respectively.
Figure 4 shows the the erected carrier applied to a group of bottles 'B' arranged in two parallel rows R1 and R2. The carrier is applied in known manner whereby the top of the bottles are received in the apertures A so that the tabs are upwardly displaced and engage the bottles beneath their tops or neck flanges to support the bottles in a close clustered group within the carrier.

Claims

1. An article carrier of the top-gripping type comprising a tray like structure adapted to be applied in inverted condition to the tops of a plurality of articles (B), said carrier having a top panel (18) formed with at least one row of apertures (A) each adapted to receive and retain an article to be carried, a pair of side wall panels (16, 20) and a pair of end wall panels (38, 58) depending from the top wall panel and wherein gusset panels (42, 44, 62, 64) are interposed between each of the end wall panels and the side wall panels of the carrier to allow corner portions of the tray like structure to conform more closely to the endmost articles to be carried, characterised by a reinforcing panel (14, 22) extending from each of said side wall panels and secured internally of the tray like structure to the underside of said top wall panel to brace the side wall panels relative to the top wall panel, each of said reinforcing panels extending from the free edge of a side wall panel and being secured substantially centrally of said top wall panel, and including a bend line (90a, 92a; 104a, 106a) intermediate its ends whereby it is flexed about said bend line towards said top wall panel.

2. An article carrier accordimg to claim 1, further characterised in that each of said reinforcing panels is formed with cut-out portions (80, 82, 84; 94, 96, 98) so that the reinforcing panels do not interfere with said article receiving apertures in the top wall panel through which said articles can extend.

3. An article carrier according to claim 1 or claim 2, further characterised in that said reinforcing panels each comprise a pair of strap portions (90, 92; 104, 106) each of which includes a bend line (90a, 92a; 104a, 106a) intermediate its ends by which said strap portions are flexed towards the top wall panel.

4. An article carrier according to any of the preceding claims further characterised in that the end wall panels (38, 58) are outwardly and downwardly inclined relative to the top wall panel as seen when the tray-like structure is inverted into a position for application to a group of articles.