GB2417482A

GB2417482A - Box support for a wine box or similar

Info

Publication number: GB2417482A
Application number: GB0418869A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan David King
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-08-25
Filing date: 2004-08-25
Publication date: 2006-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2024-08-25
Also published as: GB0418869D0; GB2417482B

Abstract

A support for a wine box or similar to assist in dispensing the contents comprises a sleeve on which the box may be supported. The sleeve may be supplied as a close fitting removable sleeve on the wine box or as a separate item. The support may have sections removed from side walls or bent inwardly or downwardly to locate the box and an internal support platform for the box may be provided. A slot in the platform may give access to a carrying handle when the sleeve is located over the box and a part of the sleeve may be removed to accommodate a dispensing valve of the box if the sleeve is replaced over the box. Alternatively, Fig. 10, a top wall may be folded over the sleeve to form a platform for supporting the box and a projecting panel (11) may form a mat for receiving a wine glass.

Description

24 1 7482

BOX SUPPORT

The invention relates to a support for a box containing wine or other fluid in order to assist in the dispensing of the contents.

Wine in boxes is well known and is generally contained in a collapsible bag inside a cardboard container fitted with a handle on the top and a dispensing valve that before the box is opened is usually inside the box and projects from the side of the container at a low level when dispensing. Therefore to dispense wine into a glass the wine box has to be lifted up by the handle above the glass, using one hand, and the valve operated by the other hand, or alternatively the container may be supported on the edge of a shelf or table and the valve operated. Both of these methods are inconvenient. The present invention relates to a close fitting sleeve provided on the outer surface of a wine box that can be removed to provide a support of sufficient height for the wine box that the dispensing valve on the wine box can be operated using one hand only. This support sleeve could be used for any box like container of a liquid to be dispensed and while the invention will be described with respect to a wine box, the support sleeve could equally be applied to boxes containing other fluids to be dispensed such as milk, fruit juices, soap, or oil for example. The support sleeve is described as being provided on a wine box but could be provided as a separate unit in a collapsed, erectable form.

According to the invention there is provided a support for a wine box comprising a sleeve of cardboard, plastic or any other suitable material, which may preferably be close fitting on a wine box while going through the retail process and being transported, which can be removed from the wine box, placed on a convenient surface and used to support the wine box while the contents are being dispensed The sleeve could also be supplied as a separate unit from the wine box. The sleeve may have sections removable from or cut out of the end or an internal platform, to support the wine box, the internal platform may have a section removed in order to give access to the container handle. The sleeve may have other removed or removable sections, for example to enable the sleeve to be replaced on the container after the valve is made to project.

A wine box supporting sleeve will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE I shows the close fitting support sleeve removed from its container.

FIGURE 2 shows the wine box positioned on top of the sleeve in the dispensing position.

FIGURE 3 shows the sleeve with sections of two opposite side walls removed to accommodate the container so that the two become a consolidated unit.

FIGURE 4 shows the sleeve with sections of two of the sidewalls turned inwards to give additional support to the sides ofthe container.

FIGURE 5 shows the sleeve with sections of two of the sidewalls turned downwards to give additional support to the base of the container.

FIGURE 6 shows a sleeve with an internal support platform that holds the cordainer in place; this may have a slot in the internal support for the container handle to pass through for carrying.

FIGURE 7 shows a sleeve with a portion removed in order to accommodate the dispensing valve when replaced on the container.

FIGURE 8 shows a wine box support unit, which may be supplied with the wine box or as a separate item, in a collapsed form, and erected to form a stand.

FIGURE 9 shows a wine box support unit, as in Figure, 8 erected FIGURE 10 shows a similar support to that in Figs. 8 9 but with a portion extending from and forward of the base of the stand, to act as a mat for a glass or other receptacle to prevent staining of the supporting surface.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure I the close fining sleeve 1 is supplied with a wine box 2 or as a separate item; this could give more security to the product and provide additional surfaces on which advertising, recipes or other matter may be printed.

To use this supporting sleeve it is removed from the container and placed on a table or other surface and the wine box placed on top of the sleeve, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 3 shows a sleeve with portions removed from two opposite sides, which may either be removed in manufacture or be perforated to be removed when the sleeve is to be used. These cutouts form a close fit on the wine box and will therefore grip the container giving the whole more stability. Altemadvely the sides may be perforated so that the resulting flaps may be turned inwards, to provide more support to the sides of the container as shown in figure 4 or the base as shown in figure 5.

Figure 6 shows a sleeve with an internal support platform. The wine box could be supplied inside the sleeve with the platform at the bottom, beneath the container or with the platform on top of the container with a slot 3 removed to give access to the carrying handle. In use, the sleeve is removed and container stood on the platform at the shallow end of the sleeve, Figure 6 also illustrates a part 4, on one side of the sleeve, which may either be removed in the manufacture or be perforated to be removed when the sleeve is to be replaced on the wine box, in order to accommodate the dispensing valve now protruding from that side of the wine box, as shown in Figure 7.

The embodiments shown in Figures I and 7 could be reinforced by having a bottom or a top panel, to add rigidity.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 show a further embodiment of the invention in which the support is provided in a collapsed form either strapped to a wine box at point of sale or is supplied separately by the retailer. Figure 8 illustrates the collapsed stand having sides 5 and 6, a front 7 and a back 8, with a top 9 which, unseen the stand is erected is folded down between the sides 5 and 6 onto edge 10 on the front side 7, as shown in Figure 9. Thus stabilising the whole slncre.

Figure 10 shows an embodiment similar to that in Figure 8 and 9 but with a bottom panel I I which can be bent outwards to form a surface on which a wine glass or the like may be stood while being filled. Part I I thus forming a mat that will keep the underlying surface clean and free from drips or spillages s

Claims

CLAIMS: Claim 1 A support for a wine box or the like comprising a sleeve

of cardboard, plastic or other suitable material, which preferably may be close fitting on a wine box or the like while going through the retail process and being transported, which can be removed from the wine box or the like, placed on a convenient surface and used to support the wine box or the like while the contents are being dispensed.

Claim 2 A support for a wine box or the like as in Claim I and having sections removed from one or both sides in order to receive the wine box or the like when dispensing Claim 3 A support for a wine box or the like as in Claim 1 and having sections of the top of two opposite side walls bent inwards to give additional support to the sides of the container.

Claim 4 A support for a wine box or the like as in Claim I and having sections of the top of two opposite side walls bent downwards to give additional support to the base of the container.

Claim 5 A support for a wine box or the like as in Claim I and having a portion of one wall removed or removable to enable the sleeve to be replaced when the dispensing valve is protruding from that side ofthe wine box or the like.

Claim 6 A support for a wine box or the like as in Claim I and having an internal platform to bear the wine box or the like when dispensing.

Claim 7 A support for a wine box or the like as in Claim 4 and having a slot in the Irma platform to provide access to a caTTying handle.

Claim 8 A support for a wine box or the like comprising an erectable five siW box of cardboard, plastic or other suitable material in which four sides form the base and the fifth side is bent down between two of the side walls to be supported on the opposite wall and thus form the platform for the wine box or the like.

Claim 9 A support for a wine box or the like comprising as in Claim 6 and having a sixth panel which can be positioned in front of the support box in order to provide a surface to receive drips from the wine box or like or spills from the receptacle.