GB1587173A - Rectangular carrier made from a folded blank - Google Patents

Description

(54) RECTANGULAR CARRIER MADE FROM A FOLDED BLANK (71) We, MARDON, SON & HALL LIMITED, a British Company of Caxton House, Redcliffe Way, Bristol BS99 7PB, England, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a rectangular carrier made from a blank of stiff material and providing two sets of compartments for housing articles, e.g. bottles. The invention also relates to the blank provided with its fold lines.

The blank material may be cartonboa, corrugated or solid boxboard, or a stiff plastics material.

According to the invention there is provided a multi-cell carrier formed from a blank, the carrier comprising two sets of side-by-side cells, a base member and a handle portion, the cells of each set having a respective common rear wall, the base member being formed of two panels secured together, which panels are each connected by respective oppositely disposed bottom fold lines to respective intermediate flaps, said intermediate flaps comprising extensions of two oppositely disposed side walls of the carrier, wherein the two sets of cells are connected together by the base member and the rear walls of each set of cells are held in facial contact with each other.

By way of example the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which, Figure 1 shows a flat foldable blank for making a 4-compartment open-top carrier, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the blank folded to a tubular form, Figures 3, 4 are perspective views showing stages in the making of the carrier, Figure 5 is a perspective view of the completed carrier, and Figure 6 shows a flat foldable blank for making a 6-compartment open-top carrier.

Referring to Figure 1, a flat blank of cartonboard is cut to shape and provided with fold lines shown in chain line. The surface shown is the finished surface of the blank. The marked areas 10, 11 represent future adhesive areas on the opposite sur face of the blank.

The blank may be regarded as having three main portions, viz. a first portion for forming one set of two cells or compart ments, a second portion for forming a base member, and a third portion for forming another set of two cells or compartments.

The two set forming portions are similar except that one portion includes locking flap means, and so corresponding parfs in these two portions are given the same reference numeral but with the addition of a suffix a in respect of one of them.

The first portion comprises a pair of side wall panels 14, 15, a rectangular wall panel 16 formed with a- slot 17, two further wall panels 18, 19 which during erection of the blank are bonded together by adhesive to form a side wall, a partition panel 20, and a bond panel 21 of L-shape formed with a slot 22 which during erection of the blank becomes aligned with the slot 17. The third portion is similar but includes locking flap means consisting of a flap 24 hinged to the bond panel 21a and hingedly supporting a barbed exteiision 25, and a flap 32 hinged to the wall panel 1 6a' and hingedly supporting a barbed extension 33.

The second portion which is to form a base member connecting the first and third portions comprises wall panels 30, 31 which during erection of the blank are bonded together by adhesive to form an outer wall, and two sets of gusset flaps 34 connected by an intermediate flap 35 which during erection of the blank provide infolded side walls for the base member. The base member is formed with an octagonal cut-out 36 which assists folding of the blank. The blank may be erected to form an open-top rectangular carrier in the following manner.

Adhesive is applied to the blank along the parallel areas 10, 11. and then the blank is folded substantially flat firstly about fold line 40 and subsequently about fold line 41.

As a result panels 21, and 21a becdme bonded to panels 16, ahd 16a respectively whilst panels 18, 30 and 18a become bonded to panels 19, 31 and 19a respectively, thereby forming a tubular member in a substantially flat collapsed condition suitable for storage or transport.

When required, the collapsed tubular member is opened out to a tubular form of rectangular cross-section as shown in Figure 2. The two hand-holes 17, 17a are grasped and brought together, see Figures 3 and 4, causing the two sets of flaps 34, 35 to fold inwards to become substantially parallel with the panels 30, 31 and the two wall panels 16, 16a to come into facial contact with one another. The wall panels 16, 16a are then held together by the flaps 24, 32 which are folded over the tops of the panels 16, 16s and then downwards, their barbed extensions 25, 33 being folded back through the aligned slots 17, 17a and secured by engagement of their barbed shape behind panel 21.

The resulting carrier is shown in Figure 5.

Each set of two side-by-side compartments is defined by a pair of oppositely disposed side walls 14, 15 (14cur, 15a) a third side wall formed by bonded panels 18, 19 (18a, 19a), an inner side wall formed by panel 16 (16a) and bond panel 21 (21a) which partly overlaps it, part of the base member, and a partition panel 20 (20a). The two sets of compartments are connected at their bottom ends by the collapsed trough member or base member which closes their bottom ends and are held in back-to-back relationship by a median handle portion constituted by the upper slotted portions of the panels 16, 16a, 21, 21a and the locking flap means 24, 25 and 32, 33.

A bottle may be placed in each of the four compartments. The partition panels 20, 20a and the panels 16, 16a, keep the bottles safely apart.

The carrier provides a stiff protective box for the bottles with a reinforced base of board. The U-shaped sling construction provided by the uninterrupted panels 18-19, 30-31 and 18a-19a ensures that the carrier construction is not damaged by the bottle weight nor by upward removal of the bottles through the open tops of their respective compartments.

In a modification of the carrier the locking flap means 24, 25 and 32, 33 are omitted and instead the panels 16, 16a are bonded together by adhesive.

In a further modification of the carrier the side panels 14, 15 (14a, 15a) and 18, 19 (18a, l9a)l have the same height as the panels 16, 16a.

In practical economic terms the carrier will have two sets of either two or three compartments each. Figure 6 shows the finished surface of a flat blank designed to produce a carrier having two sets of three compartments each. The three parallel marked areas 10, 11, 12 represent future adhesive areas on the opposing surface of the blank. The Figure 6 blank is correspondingly larger than the Figure 1 blank but otherwise has much in common with it, the main differences being provision of the partitioning panels as shown near the left hand end of the blank. Consequently, the panels or flaps which correspond substantially to those shown in Figure 1 are given the same references and the following description will be directed towards the left hand end of the blank.

In Figure 6 the hand-hole slots 22, 22a are formed in the head portions of Tshaped bond panels 45, 4Sa which are connected at their shank ends by two short strap panels 47, 46.

The bond panels 45, 45a support along their aligned shank portions two partition panels 49, 49a which in turn support three connected bond panels 50, 50a, SOb. There are two oblong cut-outs 48.

The blank of Figure 6 may be erected to form an open-top rectangular carrier in the following manner. Adhesive is applied to the blank along the area 10 and then the blank is folded substantially flat about fold line 51. As a result, panels 45a and 45 become bonded to panels 16a, and 16 respectively. Applying pressure at the fold line 51 the three lines of panels 1 spa, 15 and 19a, 31, 19 and 20a, 20 are swung bodily over until the panels 20a, 20 make facial contact with panels 45a, 45 respectively. Adhesive is applied to the blank along the areas 11, 12 and then the blank is folded about fold line 52 so that the panels 18a, 30 and 18 overlap and become bonded to panels 50a and 19a, 50b and 31, and 50 and 19 respectively. The result is a tubular member in a substantially flat collapsed condition.

When required for use, the tubular member is opened out to a tubular form of rectangular cross-section and then erected to form a carrier in the same manner as described with reference to the earlier Figures. The resulting carrier which has basically the same construction as that of Figure 5 has two sets of three compartments each, the compartments in each set being separated by two partition panels 20a, 49a or 20, 49.

In each blank the parallelism of the lines or areas of adhesive facilitates manual or automatic erection of the blanks.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A multi-cell carrier formed from a blank, the carrier comprising two sets of side-by-side cells, a base member and a handle portion, the cells of each set having a respective common rear wall, the base member being formed by two panels secured together, which panels are each

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. to panels 19, 31 and 19a respectively, thereby forming a tubular member in a substantially flat collapsed condition suitable for storage or transport. When required, the collapsed tubular member is opened out to a tubular form of rectangular cross-section as shown in Figure 2. The two hand-holes 17, 17a are grasped and brought together, see Figures 3 and 4, causing the two sets of flaps 34, 35 to fold inwards to become substantially parallel with the panels 30, 31 and the two wall panels 16, 16a to come into facial contact with one another. The wall panels 16, 16a are then held together by the flaps 24, 32 which are folded over the tops of the panels 16, 16s and then downwards, their barbed extensions 25, 33 being folded back through the aligned slots 17, 17a and secured by engagement of their barbed shape behind panel 21. The resulting carrier is shown in Figure 5. Each set of two side-by-side compartments is defined by a pair of oppositely disposed side walls 14, 15 (14cur, 15a) a third side wall formed by bonded panels 18, 19 (18a, 19a), an inner side wall formed by panel 16 (16a) and bond panel 21 (21a) which partly overlaps it, part of the base member, and a partition panel 20 (20a). The two sets of compartments are connected at their bottom ends by the collapsed trough member or base member which closes their bottom ends and are held in back-to-back relationship by a median handle portion constituted by the upper slotted portions of the panels 16, 16a, 21, 21a and the locking flap means 24, 25 and 32, 33. A bottle may be placed in each of the four compartments. The partition panels 20, 20a and the panels 16, 16a, keep the bottles safely apart. The carrier provides a stiff protective box for the bottles with a reinforced base of board. The U-shaped sling construction provided by the uninterrupted panels 18-19, 30-31 and 18a-19a ensures that the carrier construction is not damaged by the bottle weight nor by upward removal of the bottles through the open tops of their respective compartments. In a modification of the carrier the locking flap means 24, 25 and 32, 33 are omitted and instead the panels 16, 16a are bonded together by adhesive. In a further modification of the carrier the side panels 14, 15 (14a, 15a) and 18, 19 (18a, l9a)l have the same height as the panels 16, 16a. In practical economic terms the carrier will have two sets of either two or three compartments each. Figure 6 shows the finished surface of a flat blank designed to produce a carrier having two sets of three compartments each. The three parallel marked areas 10, 11, 12 represent future adhesive areas on the opposing surface of the blank. The Figure 6 blank is correspondingly larger than the Figure 1 blank but otherwise has much in common with it, the main differences being provision of the partitioning panels as shown near the left hand end of the blank. Consequently, the panels or flaps which correspond substantially to those shown in Figure 1 are given the same references and the following description will be directed towards the left hand end of the blank. In Figure 6 the hand-hole slots 22, 22a are formed in the head portions of Tshaped bond panels 45, 4Sa which are connected at their shank ends by two short strap panels 47, 46. The bond panels 45, 45a support along their aligned shank portions two partition panels 49, 49a which in turn support three connected bond panels 50, 50a, SOb. There are two oblong cut-outs 48. The blank of Figure 6 may be erected to form an open-top rectangular carrier in the following manner. Adhesive is applied to the blank along the area 10 and then the blank is folded substantially flat about fold line 51. As a result, panels 45a and 45 become bonded to panels 16a, and 16 respectively. Applying pressure at the fold line 51 the three lines of panels 1 spa, 15 and 19a, 31, 19 and 20a, 20 are swung bodily over until the panels 20a, 20 make facial contact with panels 45a, 45 respectively. Adhesive is applied to the blank along the areas 11, 12 and then the blank is folded about fold line 52 so that the panels 18a, 30 and 18 overlap and become bonded to panels 50a and 19a, 50b and 31, and 50 and 19 respectively. The result is a tubular member in a substantially flat collapsed condition. When required for use, the tubular member is opened out to a tubular form of rectangular cross-section and then erected to form a carrier in the same manner as described with reference to the earlier Figures. The resulting carrier which has basically the same construction as that of Figure 5 has two sets of three compartments each, the compartments in each set being separated by two partition panels 20a, 49a or 20, 49. In each blank the parallelism of the lines or areas of adhesive facilitates manual or automatic erection of the blanks. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A multi-cell carrier formed from a blank, the carrier comprising two sets of side-by-side cells, a base member and a handle portion, the cells of each set having a respective common rear wall, the base member being formed by two panels secured together, which panels are each

connected by respective oppositely disposed bottom fold lines to respective intermediate flaps, said intermediate flaps comprising extensions of two oppositely disposed side walls of the carrier, wherein the two sets of cells are connected together by the base member and the rear walls of each set of cells are held in facial contact with each other.

2. A carrier according to claim 1, wherein the rear walls of the sets of cells are formed with aligned slots near an open top of the carrier so as to provide a hand-hole for the handle portion.

3. A carrier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear walls are held in facial contact with each other by an adhesive.

4. A carrier according to claim 2, wherein the rear walls are held in facial contact with each other by means of locking flaps from one set of cells which are folded over the top of both rear walls then downwards and back through their aligned slots.

5. A carrier substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-5 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A blank shaped and provided with fold lines substantially as shown in Figure 1, or Figure 6, of the accompanying draw ings.

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