EP2042443A1

EP2042443A1 - Bottle-holder and die-cut sheet for producing such bottle-holder

Info

Publication number: EP2042443A1
Application number: EP08016590A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sylvain Liagre; Vittorio Ostinelli; Giorgio Tosetti
Original assignee: Smurfit SISA SpA
Current assignee: Smurfit SISA SpA
Priority date: 2007-09-25
Filing date: 2008-09-19
Publication date: 2009-04-01
Also published as: ITTO20070668A1

Abstract

A bottle-holder (1) is described, made by bending a single die-cut sheet or rigid panel, equipped with at least one lower surface (2) equipped with at least two receiving seats (3a, 3b) for a neck of a bottle, each one of such receiving seats (3a, 3b) being surmounted by at least one abutment surface (5) laterally linked to the lower surface (2) through at least one respective perimeter side wall (7a, 7b) and centrally to at least one bulkhead (9) through at least one respective central wall (11a, 11b). A die-cut sheet (20) for making such bottle-holder (1) is further described.

Description

The present invention refers to a bottle-holder, in particular obtained by bending a single rigid panel or die-cut sheet, and to a die-cut sheet that can be used for producing such bottle-holder.
As known, the art provides a great number of bottle-holders deriving from cutting and bending one or more rigid die-cut sheets, typically made of cardboard or similar material, such as for example those described in prior patents n. US-A-2006065555 , NZ-A-238087 , GB-A-873349 , GB-A-592864 , US-A-2324771 , GB-A-528928 , US-A-2331312 , GB-A-480138 , US-A-2079352 , US-A-1967285 , US-A-1967621 .
Object of the present invention is solving the prior art problems by providing a bottle-holder obtained by bending a single rigid panel or die-cut sheet that prevents an access to bottle corks or their withdrawal, unless the bottle-holder itself is previously broken.
Another object of the present invention is providing a bottle-holder obtained by bending a single rigid panel or die-cut sheet that strongly reduces the use of material, such as for example cardboard, for its production with respect to what has been proposed by the prior art.
Moreover, an object of the present invention is providing a die-cut sheet that can be used for producing a bottle-holder that prevents accessing the bottle corks or withdrawing these latter ones, unless the bottle-holder is previously broken.
A further object of the present invention is providing a die-cut sheet that can be used for producing a bottle-holder that strongly reduces the use of material, such as for example cardboard, for its production with respect to what has been proposed by the prior art.
The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are reached with a bottle-holder obtained by bending a single rigid panel or die-cut sheet as described in claim 1.
Moreover, the above and other objects and advantages of the invention are reached with a die-cut sheet that can be used for producing a bottle-holder as described in claim 7.
Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes and parts with equivalent functionalities) can be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention as appears from the enclosed claims.
The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the bottle-holder according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a side perspective view of the bottle-holder of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the die-cut sheet according to the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 1 and 2, it is possible to note that the bottle-holder 1 according to the present invention is made by bending a single die-cut sheet or rigid panel, for example made of cardboard, other similar or functionally adequate material for the specific application, previously equipped with bending and cutting lines. Once being obtained by bending the die-cut sheet, the bottle-holder 1 according to the present invention is therefore equipped with at least one lower surface 2 equipped with at least two receiving seats 3a, 3b of a neck of a bottle (not shown), preferably with a circular shape, each one of such receiving seats 3a, 3b being surmounted by at least one abutment surface 5 laterally linked to the lower surface 2 by at least one respective perimeter side wall 7a, 7b and centrally to at least one bulkhead 9, substantially orthogonal to the lower surface 2 and to the upper surfaces 5, with at least one respective central wall 11a, 11b. The bulkhead 9 is further preferably equipped with at least one through-openings 13 operating as handle.
In particular, the upper surface 5 operates as abutment surface of the corks of the bottles inserted in the receiving seats 3a, 3b. For such purpose, and to make it impossible to remove the bottles themselves from such seats 3a, 3b, obviously without having to break the bottle-holder 1, next to each receiving seat 3a, 3b, each perimeter side wall 7a, 7b and each corresponding central wall 11a, 11b are respectively equipped with at least one slit 15, such slits 15 being mutually arranged in pairs and facing the related perimeter and side walls to form holding grooves of at least one perimeter portion of the corks.
In particular, it is clear that the bottle-holder 1 can be made simply and at any time by bending the rigid panel or the die-cut sheet, thereby allowing a simple and optimum storage of the rigid panels and the quick creation of the bottle-holder 1 only when it is necessary to use it.
It is obvious that the number of receiving seats 3a, 3b (such as for example eight, arranged on two parallel rows of four seats each, in the example embodiment of the bottle-holder 1 shown in the Figures) can be extremely variable and defined by specific technical needs, such as the diameter of bottles, or commercial needs, such as for example the number of bottles that have to be marketed through a single bottle-holder 1.
In a preferred variation thereof, the bottle-holder 1 could further be equipped with at least one pre-cutting line 17 that transversally crosses all surfaces, walls and bulkheads composing the bottle-holder 1, in such a way that this latter one can be divided and separate the desired number of bottles, though always keeping them in the same bottle-holder 1 structure. The bottle-holder 1 according to the present invention, as previously described, thereby allows being able to keep from the top a variable number of bottles arranged in a double row. Moreover, it is possible to provide that the handle can be bent to allow stacking many bottle-holders 1 one over the other.
The present invention further refers to a die-cut sheet 20, like the one shown for example in FIG. 3, equipped with bending and cutting lines for making a bottle-holder 1 according to the present invention like the previously described one. For a better understanding of the Figure, the shown embodiment points out with marked lines the bending lines and with dashed lines the cutting lines.
With particular reference then to FIG. 3, it is possible to note a die-cut sheet 20, for example made of cardboard, in which portions have been obtained, by suitably inserting bending and cutting lines, related to a first surface of a bulkhead 9, a first central wall 11a, a first abutment surface 5, a first perimeter side wall 7a, a lower surface 2 equipped with at least two openings of the receiving seats 3a, 3b, a second perimeter side wall 7b, a second abutment surface 5, a second central wall 11b and a second surface of a bulkhead 9.
Obviously, the portions of perimeter side walls 7a, 7b and the portions of central walls 11a, 11b are equipped with openings suitably arranged in slits 15 defined by first cutting lines 21. Similarly, the openings of the insertion seats 3a, 3b are defined by suitable second cutting lines 23. The same openings of the handles 13 of the bulkhead 9 are defined by third cutting lines 25.
In particular, the first surface of the bulkhead 9 is connected to the first central wall 11a by interposing at least one first bending line 27, the first central wall 11a is connected to the first abutment surface 5 by interposing at least one second bending line 29, the first abutment surface 5 is connected to the first perimeter side wall 7a by interposing at least one third bending line 31, the first perimeter side wall 7a is connected to the lower surface 2 by interposing at least one fourth bending line 33, the lower surface 2 is connected to the second perimeter side wall 7b by interposing at least one fifth bending line 35, the second perimeter side wall 7b is connected to a second abutment surface 5 by interposing at least one sixth bending line 37, the second abutment surface 5 is connected to a second central wall 11b by interposing at least one seventh bending line 39 and the second central wall 11b is connected to the second surface of a bulkhead 9 by interposing at least one eighth bending line 41.
In order then to make the bottle-holder 1 according to the present invention starting from the die-cut sheet 20 of FIG. 3, it is necessary to:

bend the perimeter side walls 7a, 7b with respect to the lower surface 2 respectively along the fourth and the fifth bending lines 33, 35;
bend the first and the second surface of the bulkhead 9 with respect to the respective central walls 11a, 11b respectively along the first and the eighth bending lines 27, 41;
bend la first and the second abutment surface 5 with respect to the respective perimeter side walls 7a, 7b respectively along the third and the sixth bending lines 31, 37 in order to take them substantially parallel to the lower surface 2;
bend le central walls 11a, 11b with respect to the respective first and second abutment surfaces 5 respectively along the second and the seventh bending lines 29, 39 in order to take the first and the second surface of the bulkhead 9 substantially orthogonal to the lower surface 2.

At tat time, it is possible to strengthen, if necessary, the assembly of the bottle-holder 1, for example by mutually gluing or stapling the first and the second surface of the bulkhead 9.
It is clear that the above steps to make the bottle-holder 1 according to the present invention can be performed simply and quickly manually by an operator; it is however also clear that the same steps could be performed automatically, where it is necessary due to high volumes, by automatic or semi-automatic packaging lines, substantially known in the art and adapted to be suited to handle the bottle-holder 1 according to the present invention. The same die-cut sheet 20 could be subjected to the process according to the present invention starting from stretched or already partially pre-glued in some of its parts.

Claims

Bottle-holder (1) made by bending a single die-cut sheet or rigid panel, characterised in that it is equipped with at least one lower surface (2) equipped with at least two receiving seats (3a, 3b) for a neck of a bottle, each one of said receiving seats (3a, 3b) being surmounted by at least one abutment surface (5) laterally linked to said lower surface (2) through at least one respective perimeter side wall (7a, 7b) and centrally to at least one bulkhead (9) through at least one respective central wall (11a, 11b).
Bottle-holder (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said die-cut sheet is made of cardboard.
Bottle-holder (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said bulkhead (9) is orthogonal to said lower surface (2) and to said upper surface (5).
Bottle-holder (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said bulkhead (9) is equipped with at least one through-opening (13) operating as handle.
Bottle-holder (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said upper surface (5) is an abutment surface for corks of said bottles inserted into said receiving seats (3a, 3b), and next to each one of said receiving seats (3a, 3b), each one of said perimeter side walls (7a, 7b) and each corresponding one of said central walls (11a, 11b) is equipped with at least one slit (15), said slits (15) being arranged mutually in pairs and facing towards said related perimeter and side walls, to form holding grooves of at least one perimeter portion of said corks.
Bottle-holder (1) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that it is equipped with at least one pre-cutting line (17) transversally crossing all said surfaces, walls and bulkheads to be able to be divided.
Die-cut sheet (20) for making at least one bottle-holder (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it comprises portions related to a first surface of a bulkhead (9), a first central wall (11a), a first abutment surface (5), a first perimeter side wall (7a), a lower surface (2) equipped with at least two openings of the receiving seats (3a, 3b), a second perimeter side wall (7b), a second abutment surface (5), a second central wall (11b) and a second surface of a bulkhead (9).
Die-cut sheet (20) according to claim 7, characterised in that said first surface of said bulkhead (9) is connected to said first central wall (11a) by interposing at least one first bending line (27), said first central wall (11a) is connected to said first abutment surface (5) by interposing at least one second bending line (29), said first abutment surface (5) is connected to said first perimeter side wall (7a) by interposing at least one third bending line (31), said first perimeter side wall (7a) is connected to said lower surface (2) by interposing at least one fourth bending line (33), said lower surface (2) is connected to said second perimeter side wall (7b) by interposing at least one fifth bending line (35), said second perimeter side wall (7b) is connected to said second abutment surface (5) by interposing at least one sixth bending line (37), said second abutment surface (5) is connected to said second central wall (11b) by interposing at least one seventh bending line (39) and said second central wall (11b) is connected to said second surface of a bulkhead (9) by interposing at least one eighth bending line (41).
Die-cut sheet (20) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said portions of perimeter side walls (7a, 7b) and said portions of central walls (11a, 11b) are equipped with openings of said slits (15) defined by first cutting lines (21).
Die-cut sheet (20) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said openings of said inserting seats (3a, 3b) are defined by second cutting lines (23).
Die-cut sheet (20) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that openings of handles (13) of said bulkhead (9) are defined by third cutting lines (25).