EP1934112B1 - Carrier for bottles or similar containers - Google Patents

Abstract

The carrier (1) for bottles and similar containers comprises a carrier body (2) with edge cutouts, and an integral handle (3) provided with hinge joints.

Description

The present invention relates to a carrier for holding bottles and the like. Container with a mounting bracket and a support body with edge-side, in particular clip-like receptacles for the bottles, wherein the mounting bracket is integrally connected to the support body.

There are various possibilities for the transport of packaging articles, in particular beverage bottles. On the one hand it is known to store and transport beverage bottles in solid crates, wherein such a crate serves both the transport of the full bottles of drinks from the consumer and the return transport of empty bottles for return of the deposit. In order to facilitate the transport of these crates, in particular crates are offered with a reduced capacity of six to ten bottles but also divisible crates provided, which are separated after unlocking in two parts and thus worn by a person with good weight distribution in both hands can.

Another approach was with the WO 2004/076310 proposed by a carrier is shown, in which several bottles are inserted, so that they can be transported in the full state of the consumer or in the empty state for deposit return. This carrier essentially comprises a support body into which the beverage bottles are inserted at their necks and then can be lifted and transported by means of a carrying handle. In contrast to the above-mentioned beverage crates, this carrier has the property that it grabs the bottles on the one hand from above and on the other hand kept very compact and thus easily carried by the consumer. In this way, beverage bottles, which are kept in stock in trays or a shrink wrap, can be transported in the desired number by the consumer without providing appropriate crates, bags, bags or the like.

The US-A-3,036,853 describes a carrier having a flexible, tab-like handle. The flexible handle is integrally formed on the carrier. The disadvantage is that there is no convenient handling of the carrier by the flexible design of the handle.

The US 2005/0167289 A 1 shows a side of clip-like receptacles for bottles hinged mounting bracket, which is rigid in itself. The bracket can be folded around the joint in an angular range of 90 °. The disadvantage is that an asymmetrical load-bearing position is created by the lateral linkage, which may be inconvenient for the customer under certain circumstances.

Object of the present invention is to further develop this known carrier to the effect that it allows a simple and convenient handling, but also a good and stable stacking of several bottles filled carrier. In particular, the carrier should be inexpensive to produce while still stable and robust construction.

This object is achieved by a carrier according to claim 1, wherein expedient developments are characterized by the features contained in the dependent claims.

The present invention is based on the recognition that such a carrier can only be readily available together with beverage bottles, if this carrier does not hinder the transport of several mostly stacked containers of trays or shrink-wrapped beverage bottles on the other hand the consumer a stable and comfortable transport of beverage bottles allows. For this purpose, it is provided that the carrier is integrally formed from a support body and a mounting bracket and has a pivotable about hinges or retractable mounting bracket, wherein the hinge joints are formed by film hinges. At each hinge connection two or three spaced film hinges are provided, whereby the support bracket is pivotally hinged at its ends on the support body and the film hinges have opposite to each other Vorzugsknickrichtungen, such that the support bracket is foldable in the hinge region.

Such a carrier, which is arranged for example for receiving six bottles of beverage in the space between two rows of three bottles of drinks and in which the beverage bottle necks are clipped, for example, does not hinder the transport of several beverage bottle bundles, since the bracket of the wearer when parking another Bundle on the first beverage bottle container lowers so far on the support body of the carrier, that he does not reach beyond the caps of the recorded in the carrier bottles.

The film hinges with the mutually opposite preferred buckling directions can be particularly easy to bring into the integrally formed carrier. Due to the shape and position of these hinges a defined unfolding and folding of the support bracket is guaranteed.

The articulated connections are preferably designed and arranged such that the mounting bracket can be transferred from a position approximating the support body into a support position raised in contrast thereto.

Advantageously, the container is additionally stabilized by the carrier, since, for example, six bottles are verkuppelt directly to each other. A consumer can now easily remove a certain number of bottles from the container and transport that he pulls the support bracket in an unfolded position in which this extends beyond the caps of the bottles received in the carrier and then with the carrier on the mounting bracket with the bottles raised.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the mounting bracket is integrally connected at two opposite ends with the support body of the carrier. Advantageously, the handle of the support bracket is formed as a thin profiled rib, since thus a stable, load-bearing carrier does not have to have a high weight and therefore the transport costs are not significantly increased. To improve the use of the wearer, the support bracket may have anatomical formations for the fingers.

It is particularly preferred if the support is stackable, in particular if the support body has an opening below the support bracket. In this way, the provision of the carrier by the packaging industry can be done very economically.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the support is made of a plastic, in particular of polyethylene or a recycled material, and was preferably produced by injection molding. Such a carrier is very simple and, above all, inexpensive to produce. Its costs are comparable to those of the shrink wrap of a six-bottle package, so that no additional costs are incurred by this carrier as a replacement for a shrink wrap or the extra cost is very low if, in addition to the carrier, a shrink wrap is still provided.

Fig. 1

einen Träger mit ausgeklapptem Tragbügel,

Fig. 2

den Träger aus Fig. 1 mit eingeklapptem Tragbügel und

Fig. 3

zwei übereinander gestapelte Träger entsprechend Fig. 1 und Fig. 2.

Further advantages, characteristics and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Show:

Fig. 1

a carrier with unfolded carrying handle,

Fig. 2

the carrier off Fig. 1 with folded mounting bracket and

Fig. 3

two carriers stacked on top of each other accordingly Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 ,

Is purely schematic in Fig. 1 a carrier 1 is shown, which has a support body 2 and a mounting bracket 3. The mounting bracket 3 is located in Fig. 1 in its unfolded position while in Fig. 2 the folded position of mounting bracket 3 is shown. The support body 2 of the carrier 1 has on both sides in each case three juxtaposed slit-like receptacles 4 for the necks of beverage bottles (not shown). The beverage bottles are clipped into the receptacles 4 and are then partially covered by the front ends 5, 6, so that they can not be removed from the receptacles 4 in the horizontal direction without a force. In the vertical direction, the beverage bottles are based either with a ring collar on the upper edge of the bottle or the closure, in particular crown caps or the like., Even in this way are in the in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 illustrated embodiment of the carrier 1 six bottles fixed both relative to the carrier 1 and with each other in its horizontal and vertical position.

As an alternative to the front Einclipsenden 5, 6 also straight expiring ends may be provided, which are designed skipitzenartig rising relative to the support body 2, so that in this way a horizontal sliding out of the bottles from the carrier 1 is prevented.

The mounting bracket 3 has a profiled handle 7, which may be anatomically adapted to the human hand to increase the wearing comfort. To stiffen the handle 7, this reinforcing struts may have.

The mounting bracket 3 is connected to the support body 2 on opposite sides via a respective articulated connection 8, 9. These articulated joints 8, 9 are formed by two spaced apart arranged film hinges 10, 11, 12, 13, wherein the film hinges 10, 11, 12, 13 is defined by a transverse groove extending in the hinge direction or material weakening extending on one side. In order to enable a defined folding of the support bracket 3 in the direction of the support body 2, the film hinges 10, 11, 12, 13 of a respective joint 8, 9 are arranged with their preferred directions of buckling in opposite directions, wherein the preferred direction of buckling is the direction of the side of the film hinge, which has no transverse groove or material weakening. Thus, in carrier 1, the film hinges 10, 12 are provided with a notch on the outside, so that these hinges in the direction of the support body 2 to fold while the film hinges 11,13 have a notch on its inner side, so that their preferred buckling direction opposite to the the film hinges 10, 12 is. By this configuration, the mounting bracket 3 kinks in the folded state, as in Fig. 2 can be seen in the direction of the arranged below the support bracket 3 in the support body 2 opening 14 to. Above the film hinges 10, 12, in each case a further film hinge may be arranged, but in a carrier 1 made of a plastic material usually the flexibility of the material sufficient to give by yielding at the points a, b during folding and unfolding of the support bracket 3 the Function of the joints 8, 9 to support.

In contrast to the above-described arrangement of the film hinges 10, 11, 12, 13 and their preferred buckling directions to each other, however, it would be easily possible that the upper hinges 10, 12 are interchanged with the lower film hinges 11,13 and the support bracket 3 in the folded state approaches the support body 2, wherein the articulated joints 8, 9 not now, as in Fig. 2 shown to fold on the opening 14 but from this away to the outside.

The distance of the handle 7 of the support body 2 is dimensioned so that the support bracket 3 extends so far beyond the caps of the bottle attached to the carrier 1 in the unfolded state that it can be easily grasped for carrying by one hand and the hand with the caps come into contact. The distance between the upper film hinges 10, 12 of the lower film hinges 11, 13 is again such that in the folded state of the support bracket 3, the upper edge of the handle 7 of the support bracket 3 at height or below the caps of the inserted into the carrier bottles is located so that the support bracket 3 does not stand in the way of stacking more bottle containers.

As in the Fig. 1 and 2 to recognize, the carrier 1 is integrally formed and advantageously made of a plastic by injection molding. Such a support 1 is characterized not only by a light weight and a high stability, especially in the region of the support body 2, which can be increased by correspondingly attached stiffening ribs, but above all is particularly inexpensive to manufacture. In this way, by adding the carrier 1 to beverage bottle containers, only very small additional costs are incurred, which can be compensated for by the fact that the shrink wrap packaging commonly used can be omitted, since the carrier 1 itself now acts as packaging material connecting the bottles.

In addition to the advantages of its low weight and low production costs, the illustrated carrier 1 of the present invention is characterized by the fact that it is very economical for the beverage industry due to its stackability Can be made available. As in Fig. 3 illustrated, the opening 14 of the support 1 not only acts as a receiving space for the folded support bracket 3 but it allows the stacking of a large number of identical carriers 1,1 '. In this stacking of the opening 14 'of the support 1' is penetrated by the support bracket 3 of the underlying support 1, so that the support body 2, 2 'of the carrier 1,1' are directly adjacent to each other and so with appropriate stacking other support 1.1 'a large number of carriers 1,1' can be stored or transported very space-saving.

The cycle of use of such a carrier 1 can now be represented as follows. The carrier 1 is attached to a drinks bottle container in which six bottles are connected to each other. In order to facilitate the consumer's choice, for example, in a tray different segments can be formed with carriers, each receiving a different number of bottles. For example, carriers can be provided for four, six and eight beverage bottles. The container is transported together with other stacked containers to a point of sale, with the support bracket 3 of the carrier 1 are each in their folded position.

The consumer grasps the mounting bracket 3 and pulls it upwards, so that it can grip around the grip area 7 and thus transport a certain number of bottles. If the consumer wants to purchase fewer bottles than can be received by the carrier 1, a corresponding number of bottles can be easily removed without affecting the wearing comfort of the wearer.

Before consumption, the desired beverage bottle is removed from the carrier 1 and can then be re-inserted into the carrier 1 to collect the empties. A stocked with empties carrier 1 is finally transported by the consumer to the deposit return, where the bottles delivered and the carrier 1 is also discharged or disposed of. Depending on the condition, in particular after several cycles of use, the carrier can either continue to be used in the beverage sales or may be recycled.

Although the present description has been made with reference to beverage bottles, it will be understood that the present invention is suitable for any type of container that can be placed in appropriate receptacles of the carrier.

From the above description it has become clear that with the aid of the present invention, a carrier for containers, especially bottles, is provided, which is very economical to use and thereby neither the delivery of stacked beverage containers in the way is still a loss of comfort when carrying bottles for causes the consumer.

Claims (6)

1. A carrier (1) for receiving bottles and similar containers, the carrier comprising a carry bar (3) and a carry element (2) with peripherally configured, in particular clip shaped receivers for bottles, wherein the carry bar (3) is integrally connected with the carry element (2) in one piece, wherein the carry bar (3) is connected with the carry element (2) through pivoting links (8, 9) so that the carry bar can be folded out and folded in and the pivot links (8, 9) are formed by film hinges (10, 11, 12, 13), wherein the carry bar (3) is pivotably linked at the carry element (2) at ends of the carry bar through two or three offset film hinges (10, 12, 13) and the film hinges include preferred folding directions that are opposed to one another so that the carry bar (3) is configured to be folded in in the link portion (8, 9).
2. The carrier (1) according to claim 1, wherein the link connections (8, 9) are configured or arranged so that the carry bar (3) is transferrable from a position that is close to the carry element (2) into a carry position that is raised compared to the close position.
3. The carrier (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carry bar (3) is connected at both its ends with the carry element (2).
4. The carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the grip (7) of the carry bar (3) is configured as a thin profiled rib and in particular includes anatomical moldings for fingers.
5. The carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier (1) is configured stackable and in particular includes an aperture (14) in a portion underneath the carry bar (3).
6. The carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier (1) is made from synthetic material, in particular from polyethylene or from a recycled material, and is preferably is produced through an injection molding method.

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