FR2525184A1 - Cardboard bottle basket - uses rectangular blank to form tapered box section with head notches and window pairs for bottle bodies - Google Patents

Abstract

The bottle basket is of a cut and folded corrugated cardboard, e.g., construction, being made from a rectangular blank of which two parallel sides are connected to form a closed trapezoidal box section. The height is nominally less than that of a bottle (2), the length is a function of the number of bottles carried and the width of the base (12) is less than the base dia. of a bottle. Pairs of aligned oblong windows (5,5') in the lower lateral faces (13,14) locate the laterally overhaning segments of each bottle, and rectangular notches (6) in the top locate individual bottle heads whilst allowing some variation in bottle height. The head joint may comprise an overlap formed by a tuck under flap (21) and a doubling of the head panels (18,18'), using aligned finger holes (17,27) to secure the assembly.

Description

Bottle basket obtained by folding and assembling,
manual or mechanical. of a blank in semi material
rigid like stinks of corrugated cardboard.

 The present invention relates to a bottle basket obtained by folding and assembling, manually or mechanically, a blank of semi-rigid material such as corrugated cardboard, this basket being intended to contain at least one bottle, preferably three, which may have different shapes and sizes.

 Bulle aims more particularly at the creation of a basket making it possible to replace the packaging of bottles in shrinkable plastic, the presentation of which is less and less appreciated and which also have many drawbacks relating in particular to the protection of the bottles. against shocks, gripping of the packages thus formed and the storage capacity.

 Selle s1appîique noted but not exclusively the packaging of bottles intended for sale, in large areas and which are, therefore, presented in large quantities, stacked in containers or in the form of pal and tisable loads. It is therefore important, within the framework of a good commercial policy, to compensate for the lack of attractiveness of this type of presentation, by attractive packaging which particularly enhances the bottles.

 The object of the invention is therefore to achieve this result; to this end, it offers a basket, of simple design, low clumping, which can be produced from a single blank, preferably in corrugated cardboard, either manually or automatically, using mechanical means.

 More precisely, the bottle basket according to the invention consists of a strip of rigid material, of substantially rectangular shape, assembled at two of its opposite sides, so as to produce a closed loop having a substantially prismatic shape, preferably the elm of a truncated prism, of height slightly less than that of the bottles and of length as a function of the maximum number and diameter of the bottles.

 This basket therefore includes a large base which serves as a support for the bottom of the bottles, of width less than the diameter of the belly of the bottles, and a small base provided with transverse cutouts through which the necks of the bottles pass. This small base has a width, preferably close to the diameter of the necks.

For each of the bottles, the opposite lateral faces of the basket have oblong cutouts substantially centered in a plane perpendicular to the generatrices of the loop, namely
- two lower oblong cuts starting from the large base, ending, preferably by a rounding, at a height corresponding to the upper end of the belly of the bottle and having a width less than the diameter of said belly
- two upper oblong cuts starting from the small base of the loop and ending, preferably by a rounding, at a height corresponding to the base of the neck of the bottles, and
a transverse cut formed on the small base and connecting the two upper oblong cuts, the two upper oblong cuts and the transverse cut having a width at least equal to the diameter of the necks.

The advantages of the basket described above are manifold:
- first of all, this basket is particularly attractive, thanks to its cutouts which particularly highlight the bottles, and the possibilities of printing corrugated cardboard. it is clear that the label placed on the belly of the bottles as well as the cap and / or the seal will be visible and highlighted in particular.

- one basket enables a multitude of dimensions and shapes of bottles to be packaged, which constitutes an important advantage for manufacturing and for storage. Consequently, a basket could advantageously be used to present an assortment of three different bottles;
- the combination of the upper oblong cutouts and the cutouts formed on the small base, cutouts through which the necks of the bottles pass, so as not to limit the height of the bottles. Despite this, the setting of the necks of the shortest bottles is well ensured. Whatever the height of the bottles, stacking does not undergo any deformation, no packing in the basket;
- the maintenance of the necks by these cardboard cutouts has simplified the upper part of the basket.

The handle which is usually used to close the upper part of the baskets currently in use could also be removed thanks to the use of a different closing mode. Thus, no protruding handle on the top of the basket can hinder stacking. However, despite the absence of a handle, manual gripping is made possible by at least two perforations made in the upper part of at least one of the lateral faces of the basket, in the interval between the oblong cuts superieurea. The diameter of these perforations is provided in such a way that fingers can be passed through them.

 As previously mentioned, the bottle basket according to the invention is obtained from a single blank in a semi-rigid material such as corrugated cardboard.

This blank consists of a strip, of rectangular shape, provided with a series of transverse fold lines delimiting a succession of substantially rectangular areas, namely
- at least one area constituting the large base of the basket;
- two areas connected on either side of the large base by folding lines and constituting the two lateral faces of the basket, these two areas comprising aligned along a same axis Sox tdinaluloss the lower oblong cutouts adjacent to the folding lines of the large base, the upper oblong cutouts adjacent to the fold lines of the small base and possibly the holes for the passage of the fingers located between the upper cutouts, and,
- At least one range constituting the small base of the basket and connected to the two above-mentioned ranges by fold lines, this range comprising, for each of the bottles, a cut-out connecting the two above-mentioned upper oblong cut-outs.

 The basket is shaped on the bottles it must contain.

 It can be fixed either at the small base, preferably in the case of mechanized mounting, or else at the large base, preferably in the case of manual mounting.

According to a characteristic of the invention, in the case of a mechanized assembly, the aforesaid blank may include:
- a first (central) area constituting the large base of the basket;
- two areas (second and third) connected by fold lines on either side of the first area, these two areas constituting the two lateral faces of the basket;
- two areas (fourth and fifth) of width equal to that of the small base, respectively connected by fold lines to the above second and third areas, these two areas comprising cutouts extending the upper oblong cutouts of the two lateral faces of the basket, and
- preferably, a sixth track, connected by a fold line to the fourth (or fifth) track
forming the tenon intervals of the other series.

It should be noted that this introduction, which is carried out
preferably towards the inside of the basket cannot be
kill only in the case where the two ranges are presented
fitted with their tenons at an insertion angle
determined, the return to flat of these two ranges after ace
pretension then causing a locking of the assembly.

This flat position is then kept due to the
weight of the bottles which come directly to bear on
the large base thus formed.

Embodiments of the invention will be
described below by way of nonlimiting examples,
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 shows a blank from which can
beech made a basket with three bottles in a fashion
mechanized;
Figures 2 and 3 are two perspective views
to illustrate the stages of assembling a basket,
from the blank shown in Figure 1s
Figure 4 is a schematic perspective of a
basket made by means of the blank shown in Figure i;
FIG. 5 represents a blank suitable for
manual production of a basket with three bottles;
Figure 6 is a perspective view for
to illustrate the method of assembling a basket from
of the blank shown in Figure 5s
Figure 7 shows, in perspective with cutaway
partial, a basket made using the blank shown
figure 5.

As previously mentioned, the bottle basket
represented on these drawings (figure 4 and figure 7) is
consists of a strip of corrugated cardboard assembled
to produce a closed loop of substantially practical shape, that is to say comprising:
- a large base 1 on which come to bear
the bottles 2, this large base 1 having a
width less than the diameter of the belly of the bottles 2.

by means of a fold line, this sixth range comprising oblong cuts, of shape and dimensions equal to those of the upper oblong cuts res of the lateral faces of the basket
In this case the assembly and the fixing of the basket is obtained, after having placed the bottles on the first range and having folded the second and third ranges, by folding the fourth range in the intervals of the necks of the bottles, parallel to the first range by folding the sixth shelf against the necks of the bottles, then folding and fixing, for example by gluing, the fifth shelf on the fourth shelf, these latter two areas forming, once fixed, the small base of the basket.

According to another characteristic of the invention, in particular in the case of manual mounting, the above blank may include:
- A first central area constituting the small base of the basket, this area comprising cutouts for the passage of the necks of the bottles;
two areas (second and third) connected by fold lines on either side of the first area, these two areas constituting the two lateral faces of the basket, and
- Two areas (fourth and fifth) united with fixing means, and which form after assembly and fixing, the large base of the basket.

 The means of fixing these fourth and fifth tracks can be varied (stapling bonding, etc.).

However, Invention offers a method of attachment perfectly suited for manual mounting, which consists of providing the free terminal edges of the areas forming the large base of the basket with two series of tenons with heads, the tenons of one of the series being offset from to the studs of the other series. In this case, the assembly is carried out by inserting the studs of one of the series into the enlarged base of the cutouts.
- two opposite lateral faces 3, 4, slightly curved, presenting two series of cutouts, upper 6 and lower 5, allowing the body and the neck of the bottles 2 to be drenched respectively, and
- A small base 7 through which can pass, by cutouts 8 connecting the upper cutouts of the side faces 3, 4, the necks of the bottles 2.

It should be noted that for each bottle the opposite lateral faces 3, 4 of the basket have in the same plane perpendicular to the two bases:
two lower oblong cutouts, starting from the large base 1 and ending with a rounded 9, at a height corresponding to the upper end of the belly of the bottle 2 and having a width less than the diameter of this belly, and
- two upper oblong cutouts 6, 6r starting from the small base 7 and ending, preferably by a rounded 10, at a height corresponding to the base of the neck of the bottle 2.

 The transverse cutout 8 formed on the small base 7, which connects the two upper oblong cutouts 6, 6 is also centered in the same plane and has a width equal to the diameter of the necks.

The blank shown in Figure 1, from which the basket is made (Figure 4) in a mechanical fashion, consists of a strip of corrugated cardboard 11 of substantially rectangular shape, divided into six areas by means of transverse fold lines, namely
- A central area 12 constituting the large base of the basket;
two areas 13, 14 extending on either side of area 12, and connected to these by fold lines 15, 16, these two areas 13, 14 each being provided with three lower cutouts 5, 5 and three upper cutouts 6, 6fi1a plunges 14comproving further two circular gripping holes 17 located in the two zones between the upper holes 6, 6 ';
- two areas 18, 18 respeetivemexlt connected to areas 13 and 14r by fold lines 19, 20, these two areas being intended to be glued together on one another to form the small base of the basket 7, and comprising three transverse cuts 8 , 81 extending the upper cuts 6, 6>, and
- A pad 21 connected by a fold line 22 to the pad 18, this pad 21 comprising oblong cuts 23, of shape and size substantially equal to those of the oblong upper cuts 6 of the side faces of the basket. This range also comprises circular holes 27 intended to come in line with the circular gripping holes 17 of the range 5 '.

 it should be noted that the lower oblong cutouts 5, 5 formed on the areas 13 and 14 may advantageously comprise a lower edge 28, adjacent to the area 12, of concave shape, preferably circular. Thus once the basket is mounted, the large base 1 is laterally extended, at the level of the lower oblong cutouts 5, 5, of circular protruding elements substantially matching the circumference of the bottom of the bottles 2 which protrude outside the basket.

This gives better protection of the bottom of the bottles 2 and better stability of the basket when it rests on its large base.

 Figures 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the method of folding and assembling the blank when making a basket containing three bottles 2.

 During a first phase, the three bottles 2 are placed on the planned locations of the large base 1 (track 12), the blank being flat.

 The blank is then folded along the fold lines 15, 16, 19, 20, 22, first of all folding the pads 13, 18, 21, so that the pad 13 is encased on one side , the belly of the bottles 2, the track 18 is inserted between the necks of the bottles 2 parallel to the large base 1 and the track 21 is folded against the necks of the bottles 2.

Next, the area 14 is folded, which encases the other side of the bottles 2, then the area 18 ′, which is folded over the area 18. Simultaneously, the areas 18 and 18 ′ are fixed. which thus form the small base 7 of the basket.

 it is clear that this mode of folding and closing by gluing on the top of the basket, lends itself perfectly well to mechanization of the assembly. In this case, the machine used will be able to distribute the blanks, fold them and glue them at good rates.

 However, the invention also proposes a manual version, easy to format and which could - in addition allow users to test the commercial efficiency of the basket, before possibly choosing the micanis? Bl- formula.

 According to this version, the basket is made from a blank of the type shown in FIG. 5.

This blank includes more particularly:
- A central area 30 constituting the small base 7 of the basket, this area comprising cutouts 8 for the passage of the necks of the bottles;
two areas 31 and 32 connected by fold lines 33, 34 on either side of the first area 30, these two areas 31 32 constituting the two lateral faces 3, 4 of the basket and
- two areas 35, 36 provided with fixing means, which form, after assembly and fixing, the large base 1 of the parnier
it will first be noted that the cutouts 5, 5t, 6, Ç2, 17 made on tracks 31 and 32 can be strictly identical to those made on tracks 13 and 14 of the blank shown in FIG. 1.

 Furthermore, the fixing means equipping the pads 35 and 36 consist of two respective sUries of studs all 37, 38 made at the transverse edges 39, 39 'of the blank, the studs 37 assigned to one of the edges 392 being dUcales relative to the tenons 38 assigned to the other border 39.

 More precisely, the studs 37, 38 have a substantially rectangular shape with cut external angles and whose base adjacent to the corresponding border 39, 39 ′ is narrowed thanks to two notches or two re-entrant slots 40, 41 aligned on the border 39, 391 of the said beach. The intervals between two consecutive studs 37 or 38 then have a substantially T-shaped shape, the length of the head of which corresponds to the width of the studs 37, 38.

 From this blank, the basket can be assembled as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

 The bottles are placed flat in the slots provided on one of the side faces (tracks 31 or 32), then the small base (track 30) is folded down between the necks and then the second side face (track 31) against the belly of the bottles.

 One of the two pads 36 is then folded against the bottom of the bottles and then the pins 38 of the other pad 33 are engaged by the slots or the notches 40, 41 provided for this purpose. This operation can only be carried out easily if the two areas 33, 36 are arranged so that they make an angle between them of about 130 to 160 * (insertion angle).

 Once the introduction is complete 11 together of the two areas 35, 36 which then form the large base 1 of the basket, is disposed substantially flat and sty is held by the bottom of the bottles.

 In this position the two areas 35, 36 are locked thanks to the fact that the edges of the slots 40, 41 (or notches) adjoining the base of the liana studs 37 of the series come into abutment against the corresponding edges of the studs 38 of the other series.

Claims (8)

RZVENDICATIONS  1.- Bottle basket obtained by folding and manual or mechanical assembly of a blank in semi-rigid material such as corrugated cardboard, this basket consisting of a substantially rectangular farm band, assembled at two of its opposite sides, so to produce a closed loop having a substantially prismatic shape, preferably the shape of a truncated plug, of height slightly less than that of the bottles and of length depending on the number and maximum diameter of the bottles, the large base (1) of this basket on which the bottoms of the bottles (2) rest having a width less than the diameter of the bottle ven (2) and the opposite lateral faces (3, 4) of the basket having, for each of the bottles (2), two cutouts respective lower oblongs (5, 5ss) substantially centered in a plane perpendicular to the generatrices of the above loop, these cutouts (5, 5 ') starting from the large base (1) of the basket, ending, preferably this by a rounding, at a height corresponding to the upper end of the belly of the bottle (2) and having a width less than the diameter of said belly, so that the belly of the bottle (2) can be embedded in said cutouts (5, 5) cocaracterized in that, for each of the bottles (2), the opposite lateral faces (3, 4) of the basket further comprise two respective upper oblong cutouts (6, 61) starting from the small base (7) of the basket and preferably ending in a rounded shape, at a height corresponding substantially to the base of the neck of the bottle, and in that the two upper oblong cutouts (6, 6t) are connected by a cutout transverse (8) formed on the small base (7) of the basket, through which the neck of the bottle (2) can pass, so that the height of this bottle (2) can be variable.  2.- Basket according to RevenAication 1, characterized in that at least one of the lateral faces (3) of the basket comprises, in the interval between the upper oblong cutouts 6, at least two perforations (17) used for gripping .  3.- Basket according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is produced from a blank of substantially rectangular shape, provided with a series of transverse fold lines limiting:  - at least one area constituting the large base (1) of the basket;  - two areas connected on either side of the large base (1) by fold lines and constituting the two lateral faces (3, 4) of the basket, these two areas comprising, aligned along the same longitudinal axis, the cutouts lower oblongs (5, 5s) adjacent to the fold lines of the large base (1), the upper oblong cutouts (6, Ó2) adjacent to the fold lines of the small base (7) and optionally the holes (17) for the passage of the fingers, located between the upper cutouts (6), and,  - At least one range constituting the small base (7) of the basket and connected to the two above-mentioned ranges (3, 4) by fold lines, this range comprising, for each of the bottles (2), a cutout (8) connecting the two aforesaid upper oblong cutouts (6, 6 ').  4.- Basket according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in particular in the case of mechanized mounting, the above blank comprises:  a first (central) area 12 constituting the large base (1) of the basket;  - two areas (13, 14) (second and third) connected by fold lines (15, 16) on either side of the first area (12), these two areas t13, 14) constituting the two lateral faces (3, 4) from the basket  - two areas (18, 18 ') (fourth and fifth) of width equal to that of the small base (7) respectively connected by fold lines (19, 20) to the above second and third areas (13, 14) , these two areas (18, 18t) comprising cutouts (8) extending the upper oblong cutouts (6) of the two lateral faces (9, 4) of the basket, and  - Preferably, a sixth pad (21), connected to the fourth (or fifth) pad (18) via a fold line (22), this sixth pad (21) comprising oblong cutouts ( 23), firm and of dimensions equal to those of the upper oblong cutouts (6, 6e) of the lateral faces (3, 4) of a basket, the fourth and fifth tracks being intended to be fixed to one another, for example by gluing, to form the small base.  5. Basket according to claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that, in particular, in the case of manual mounting, the above blank comprises:  - A first central area (30) constituting the small base (7) of the basket, this area (30) comprising cutouts (8) for the passage of the necks of the bottles (2);  - two areas (31, 32) (second and third) connected by fold lines (33, 34) on either side of the first area (30), these two areas (31, 32) constituting the two faces opposite lateral sides (3, 4) of the basket and consequently comprising the lower oblong cutouts (5, 5X) and the upper oblong cutouts (6, 6s) extending the cutouts (8) of said first area (30), and  - Two areas (35, 36) (fourth and fifth) which form, after assembly and fixing, the large base (1) of the basket.  6.- Basket according to claim 5, characterized in that the aforesaid areas (35, 36) comprise fixing means consisting of two series of pins to tSte (37, 38) respectively extending the free end edges (39, 39 ' ) of the aforesaid fourth and fifth areas (33, 36) of the blank, the tenons (37) of one of the series being offset with respect to the tenons (38) of the other series, and in that the assembly is obtained by introducing the tenons (37) from one of the series into the enlarged base of the cutouts forming the intervals of the tenons (38) from the other series.  7.- Basket according to claim 6, characterized in that the introduction of the pins (37) in the enlarged base of the cutouts forming the intervals of the pins (38) is carried out at an angle of 130 to 160.  8.- Basket according to one of claims 6 and 7, characterized sn that the aforesaid tenons (37, 38) have a substantially rectangular shape, with external angles possibly felled and whose base adjacent to the adjoining beach (35, 36 ) is located in the hopper thanks to two notches (40, 41) or two re-entrant slots aligned on the edge (39, 39 ') of said area (35, 36).