GB2238285A

GB2238285A - Top gripping article carrier

Info

Publication number: GB2238285A
Application number: GB8925557A
Authority: GB
Inventors: P Domansky; A Saulas
Original assignee: Mead Corp
Current assignee: Mead Corp
Priority date: 1989-11-11
Filing date: 1989-11-11
Publication date: 1991-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 2009-11-11
Also published as: KR100196116B1; KR910009534A; JP3053858B2; EP0428354A1; GB8925557D0; MX173339B; GB2238285B; ES2103268T3; JPH03176374A; MY105307A; BR9005701A; EP0428354B1

Description

1 TOP GRIPPING ARTICLE CARRIER - 1 a C:3 This invention relates to an

article carrier of the topgripping type for retaining a group of articles e. g. bottles in closely clustered relationship thereby providing a package which facilitates portage of the articles.

EP-A-0 188 327 discloses an article carrier of the top griping type comprising a tray like structure adapted to be applied in inverted condition to the tops of a plurality of articles particularly bottles. The carrier has a top panel formed with two rows of apertures each adapted to receive and retain a bottle to be carried, a pair of side wall panels and a pair of end wall panels depending from the top wall panel. 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. This carrier is supplied in flat but pre-formed condition i.e. the carrier is pre-glued and requires erecting into its tray-like structure for use.

1 k form a tubular Dluralitv of EP-A-0 189 328 discloses another form of top-gripping bottle carrier which does not require pre-gluing but which is held in its erected form by locking tabs which cooperate with the bottles. The carrier is formed from a single elongate blank of paperboard and has a series of panels joined along transverse fold lines. The blank includes terminal panels at opposing ends thereof and which, when assembled, provides a top and a base interconnected by spaced side wall panels and together structure. The top and base each have a article receiving apertures with the apertures in the top disposed in registry with the apertures in the base. The carrier includes retention tabs which are provided on at least one of the terminal panels, the retention tabs are hinged adjacent the free marginal edge of the apertures in the base, respective terminal panels are folded over said edge inwardly through an adjacent base aperture to extend within said tubular structure so as to maintain the carrier in erected condition when a bottle has been inserted through the aperture in the base and the f lange or cap thereof positioned in the registering apertures in the top whereby the retention tab is maintained in folded condition by the bottle.

i A The present 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 such as bottles, 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 f rom 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 in that said carrier is maintained in its erected tray like form by cooperation between the corner gusset panels and the articles held in the carrier adjacent thereto.

Three embodiments 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 first paperboard blank for forming a top gripping type bottle carrier according to the invention; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the top gripping carrier applied to a group of six bottles; 1 FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a second blank for forming another top gripping type bottle carrier according to the invention; 01 FIGURE 4 is a schematic end view of the erected carrier about to be applied to a group of bottles; FIGURE 5 is a schematic view similar to Figure 4 but in which the clip is shown applied to the top portions of the bottles; FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the top gripping carrier formed from the blank shown in Figure 3 applied to a group of six bottles; FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a third paperboard blank for 20 forming yet another top-gripping type carrier according to the invention; i FIGURE 8 is a detailed view of a gusset panel of the blank shown in Figure 7; and 2 FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the top gripping carrier formed from the blank shown in Figure 7 applied to a group of six bottles.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 a blank 10 formed from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material which. comprises a top panel 12 in which is formed a group of six apertures al-a6 each of which is adapted to, receive the neck portion of a bottle or other article to be received in the carrier. To this end each of the apertures al-a6 is surrounded by a series of slits "S" and nicks "N" which together provide deformable flaps Id' around the periphery of the aperture. These deformable flaps are displaced as a bottle neck passes through the aperture when the carrier is loaded and thereafter are able to engage beneath the cap or neck flange of the bottle to retain the bottle its position in the bottle group and locked to the top panel of the carrier. These particular details of this type of carrier are typical of those known in the art.

The carrier blank further comprises side wall panels 14 and 16 which are hinged to the top wall panel along longitudinal fold lines 18 and 20 respectively and end wall panels 22 and 24 which are hinged to the top wall panel along transverse fold lines 26 and 28 respectively.

At each of the corners of the blank, the side walls are integrally hinged to the end walls. Thus, for example, side wall 14 is hinged to end wall 24 by means of a pair of qimiler triangular gusset panels 30 and 32. Gusset panel 30 is hinged to side wall panel 14 along a fold line 34 and likewise gusset panel 32 is hinged to end wall panel 24 along a fold line 36. The gusset panels 30 and 32 are hinged together along fold line 38. Gusset panel 30 carries a locking flap 40 which is hinged to gusset panel 30 along fold line 42 at the free edge of the panel. The other corner constructions of the blank are similar in that each comprises a pair of similar gusset panels hinged together and include a locking tab extending from and hinged to one of the gusset panels. Therefore none of the other corner constructions are described in any further detail herein.

In order to form the blank into the top gripping carrier "C" shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, the side and end wall panels are raised in the same direction relative to the top wall panel 12 to form a tray like article, and 1 Z during such folding the joined gusset panels at each corner of the blank are folded towards one another.

Thus with reference to the corner construction between side wall panel 14 and end wall panel 24 the fold line 38 between gusset panels 30 and 32 is displaced inwardly towards the centre of the top panel 12 so that gusset panels 30 and 32 are brought towards one another whereby fold lines 34 and 36 approach one another to form the corner OCR" of the carrier. However, in order to ensure that the carrier is secured in its erected position, the locking tab 40 is folded about fold line 42 across the free edge of gusset panel 32 and is thereby brought into a position intermediate one face of the gusset panel 32 and the adjacent face of the end panel 24. When the necks of bottles "B" are introduced into the top gripping carrier then shoulder portions of the bottles bear against the folded corner gusset arrangement and trap the folded panels against either one of the end or side wall panels adjacent to the bottle shoulder so that the folded gusset panels cannot spring open. Thus the carrier is maintained in its erected condition and the side and end wall panels are maintained against the shoulders of the bottle group.

Other fold lines, for example, fold lines "V' shown in the side wall panels 14 and 16 and fold lines I'fl" shown in the end wall panels 22 and 24 are provided to allow those panels to conform more closely to the shape of the bottle shoulders at the corner portions of the carrier and indeed produce for the carrier a somewhat "rounded" or "bevelled" corner appearance.

Referring now to Figures 3 to 6 of the drawings, Figure 3 shows a further blank 101 which is similar in a number of respects to the blank shown in Figure 1 of the drawings and therefore like parts are designated like reference numerals with the addition of the suffix "a".

However, in this embodiment the locking tab 40 is omitted from the corner gusset panels and instead elongate locking panels 44 and 46 are hinged to the respective longitudinal edges of side wall panels 14a and 16a along fold lines 48 and 50 respectively. The carrier of this embodiment is erected in a manner which is similar to that previously described in that each of the corner gusset panel pairs Is displaced -inwardly so that in each case the folded corner gusset bears against the adjacent side wall panel of the carrier. For instance, the folded gusset panels 30a and 32a are folded against side wall panel 14a. Thereafter, each of the locking panels 44 and 46 is folded inwardly about the respective fold lines 48 and 50 against the exposed S faces of the adjacent gusset panels. Therefore, by way of example, the face of panel 44 presented to the viewer of Figure 3 will be folded into overlapping relationship with the exposed face of gusset panel 32a when the, combined folded corner gussets comprising gusset panels 30 and 32 are laid flat against the side wall panel 14a. Thus, when the bottles are introduced into the top gripping carrier then any unfolding movement of the locking panels 44 and 46 is resisted by the shoulder portions of the bottles present in the carrier and therefore cooperation between the locking panels and the bottle shoulder portions holds the article carrier in its erected condition.

Referring now to Figures 7 to 9 of the drawings, Figure 7 shows a blank 10b formed from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material for forming another type of top gripping carrier according to the invention. The blank shown in Figure 7 is similar in a number of respects to that shown in Figure 1 of the drawings and accordingly like parts are designated like reference numerals with the addition of the suffix "b". However, again in this arrangement the locking tab 40 is omitted and a different locking arrangement is adopted to keep the carrier in its erected condition. Referring now more - 10 specifically to Figure 8 of the drawings, the corner gusset arrangement Incorporating gusset panels 30b and 32b is shown in more detail. In the blank shown in Figure 1 the fold line 38 which hinges the gusset panels together substantially bisects the angle (X subtended between fold lines 34 and 36. In the arrangement of Figures 7 to the equivalent position of what would be fold line 38 is shown by the notional bisector of the angle 0(b subtended between fold lines 34b and 36b by the line "S". In this embodiment an opening 'W' is formed across each hinged pair of corner gusset panels and in the case of gusset panels 30b and 32b extends between fold lines 34b and 36b. Thus, an "inner" pair of gusset panels 30bl and 32bl is formed between the top panel and the aperture A and, the inner gusset panels being hinged together along a fold line 52 which is displaced to one side of the notional bisector line S.

Similarly, a pair of "outer" gusset panels 30W ' and 32b 1 1 is formed between the aperture A and the edge defining that corner of the blank. These "outer" gusset panels are hinged together along a fold line 54 which is displaced from the bisector line S to the opposite side to that of the fold line 52.

25The article carrier of this embodiment is erected in a manner similar to that described with reference to Z1 1 c - 11 Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings and thus upon folding of the side and end panels of the blank relative to the top panel the gusset panel pairs also are displaced Inwardly. Thus, for instance gusset panel pair 30b and 32b are moved towards one another. However, in view of the offset fold line arrangement, the "outer" gusset panel pair:0b'' and 32b11 are displaced together tow4rds side panel 14b of the blank whereas the "inner" gusset panels 30W and 32bl are folded together against the end wall panel 24b of the blank.

Accordingly, when bottles are introduced Into the carrier as previously mentioned then shoulder portions of the bottles bear against each of the inner and outer gusset panel pairs so that they are trapped between the bottle shoulder and the respective side and end wall panels of the carrier and thereby prevent the corner construction of the carrier from becoming unfolded.

Claims

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 such as bottles, 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 in that said carrier is maintained in its erected tray like form by cooperation between the corner gusset panels and the articles held in the carrier adjacent thereto.

-1 Publ shed 1991 at The Patent ()Mcc. State House. 66/71 High Holborn, London WC I R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from Saks BranZ. Unit 6. Nine Mile fbint. CWmIelinf2cb. Cross Keys. Newport. NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid. St Mary Cray. Kent,