US20100326859A1 - Bottle carrier - Google Patents

Bottle carrier Download PDF

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Publication number
US20100326859A1
US20100326859A1 US12/822,414 US82241410A US2010326859A1 US 20100326859 A1 US20100326859 A1 US 20100326859A1 US 82241410 A US82241410 A US 82241410A US 2010326859 A1 US2010326859 A1 US 2010326859A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
bottle carrier
side walls
bottles
carrier
base wall
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US12/822,414
Inventor
Alan J. Cook
Gerald R. Koefelda
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Rehrig Pacific Co Inc
Original Assignee
Rehrig Pacific Co Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Rehrig Pacific Co Inc filed Critical Rehrig Pacific Co Inc
Priority to US12/822,414 priority Critical patent/US20100326859A1/en
Assigned to REHRIG PACIFIC COMPANY reassignment REHRIG PACIFIC COMPANY ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KOEFELDA, GERALD R., COOK, ALAN J.
Publication of US20100326859A1 publication Critical patent/US20100326859A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D71/06—Packaging elements holding or encircling completely or almost completely the bundle of articles, e.g. wrappers
    • B65D71/08—Wrappers shrunk by heat or under tension, e.g. stretch films or films tensioned by compressed articles
    • B65D71/10—Wrappers shrunk by heat or under tension, e.g. stretch films or films tensioned by compressed articles and provided with inserts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D71/70—Trays provided with projections or recesses in order to assemble multiple articles, e.g. intermediate elements for stacking

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to bottle carriers.
  • Bottles such as beverage bottles, are often shipped to stores in a short corrugated cardboard tray.
  • the bottles are shrink-wrapped to the tray.
  • the bottles, tray and shrink wrap are shipped as a unit.
  • the cardboard tray is often not recycled. Further, for sale of individual bottles, it is not easy to remove the bottles from this package and put them on a shelf.
  • a bottle carrier includes a base wall and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from side edges of the base wall. Front and rear openings are defined at front and rear ends of the base wall between the side walls. Upper edges of the side walls may protrude outwardly to form lips.
  • a plurality of bottles may be supported on the base wall between the side walls.
  • a wrap such as shrink-wrap, may be wrapped around the bottles and the side walls, below the lips of the side walls to retain the bottles in the carrier.
  • the wrap may include a tear strip to facilitate removal of the wrap from the carrier. After removing the wrap, the bottles can be slide off the base wall onto a shelf. The carrier can then be recycled.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle carrier according to one embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the bottle carrier of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 3 shows the bottle carrier of FIG. 1 with a bottle placed therein and with shrink-wrap.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates the bottle carrier with a plurality of bottles therein and with shrink-wrap retaining the bottles in the carrier.
  • FIG. 5 shows a pair of stacked, loaded bottle carriers.
  • FIG. 6 shows a first step in unloading the bottles from the bottle carrier.
  • FIG. 7 shows a second step in unloading the bottles from the carrier.
  • FIG. 8 shows a third step in unloading the bottles from the carrier
  • FIGS. 1-8 An bottle carrier 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-8 .
  • the bottle carrier 10 includes a base 12 and side walls 14 extending upward from side edges of the base 12 .
  • the side walls 14 can be integrally formed with the base 12 , such as by thermoforming, injection molding or other suitable process.
  • the side walls 14 can include large window openings 16 (i.e. the area of the window openings 16 is larger than the remaining area of the side walls 14 ).
  • a lip 18 projects outwardly from the uppermost edges of the side walls 14 .
  • the side walls 14 may extend solely from the side edges of the base 12 and nothing extends upward from a rear edge of the base 12 .
  • the front edge of the base 12 may also be free of any upward protrusion, as are the rounded corners of the base 12 .
  • the upper surface of the base 12 is generally flat and smooth, other than an optional hole 20 (or other handle) formed near one at least end of the base 12 . As shown in FIG. 2 , cap-receiving recesses 22 are formed in the lower surface of the base 12 .
  • bottles 30 such as beverage bottles 30
  • a wrap such as shrink wrap 32
  • the wrap 32 may be of the same material and type as the plastic shrink wrap currently used for containing large packs of beverage bottles in corrugated cardboard trays.
  • the wrap 32 is retained on the side walls 14 in part by the lips 18 at the uppermost edges of the side walls 14 .
  • the wrap 32 includes a tear strip 34 with tear lines 36 (weakened portions, such as perforated portions) to facilitate removal of the wrap 32 .
  • the loaded carrier 10 can support a similar loaded carrier 10 thereon, with the caps of the bottles 30 received in the recesses 22 ′ of the base 12 ′ of the upper carrier 10 ′ to increase the stability of the stack.
  • the loaded carriers 10 and bottles 30 are shipped to a store in this manner. At the store, the carrier 10 and bottles 30 can be set on a shelf.
  • the tear strip 34 is then pulled downward as shown in FIG. 6 , thereby separating the tear strip 34 from the remainder of the wrap 32 along the tear lines 36 and thereby splitting the wrap 32 permitting the wrap 32 to be removed, as shown in FIG. 7 .
  • the carrier 10 is then slid out from under the bottles 30 by pulling on the handle 20 in the base 12 , leaving the bottles 30 on the shelf in the store.
  • the bottles 30 can be loaded onto the store shelves more easily than with prior art methods.
  • the carrier 10 can then be reused or recycled.

Abstract

A bottle carrier includes a base wall and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from side edges of the base wall. Front and rear openings are defined at front and rear ends of the base wall. Upper edges of the side walls may protrude outwardly to form lips. A plurality of bottles may be supported on the base wall between the side walls. A wrap may be wrapped around the bottles and the side walls to retain the bottles in the carrier. The wrap may include a tear strip to facilitate removal of the wrap from the carrier.

Description

  • This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/220,190, filed Jun. 24, 2009.
    • BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  • The present invention relates generally to bottle carriers.
  • Bottles, such as beverage bottles, are often shipped to stores in a short corrugated cardboard tray. The bottles are shrink-wrapped to the tray. The bottles, tray and shrink wrap are shipped as a unit. The cardboard tray is often not recycled. Further, for sale of individual bottles, it is not easy to remove the bottles from this package and put them on a shelf.
    • SUMMARY
  • A bottle carrier includes a base wall and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from side edges of the base wall. Front and rear openings are defined at front and rear ends of the base wall between the side walls. Upper edges of the side walls may protrude outwardly to form lips.
  • A plurality of bottles may be supported on the base wall between the side walls. A wrap, such as shrink-wrap, may be wrapped around the bottles and the side walls, below the lips of the side walls to retain the bottles in the carrier. The wrap may include a tear strip to facilitate removal of the wrap from the carrier. After removing the wrap, the bottles can be slide off the base wall onto a shelf. The carrier can then be recycled.
    • BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle carrier according to one embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the bottle carrier of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 shows the bottle carrier of FIG. 1 with a bottle placed therein and with shrink-wrap.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates the bottle carrier with a plurality of bottles therein and with shrink-wrap retaining the bottles in the carrier.
  • FIG. 5 shows a pair of stacked, loaded bottle carriers.
  • FIG. 6 shows a first step in unloading the bottles from the bottle carrier.
  • FIG. 7 shows a second step in unloading the bottles from the carrier.
  • FIG. 8 shows a third step in unloading the bottles from the carrier
    •  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
  • An bottle carrier 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-8.
  • Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottle carrier 10 includes a base 12 and side walls 14 extending upward from side edges of the base 12. The side walls 14 can be integrally formed with the base 12, such as by thermoforming, injection molding or other suitable process. The side walls 14 can include large window openings 16 (i.e. the area of the window openings 16 is larger than the remaining area of the side walls 14). A lip 18 projects outwardly from the uppermost edges of the side walls 14. As shown, the side walls 14 may extend solely from the side edges of the base 12 and nothing extends upward from a rear edge of the base 12. Further, the front edge of the base 12 may also be free of any upward protrusion, as are the rounded corners of the base 12. The upper surface of the base 12 is generally flat and smooth, other than an optional hole 20 (or other handle) formed near one at least end of the base 12. As shown in FIG. 2, cap-receiving recesses 22 are formed in the lower surface of the base 12.
  • Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, bottles 30, such as beverage bottles 30, are placed on the base 12 of the carrier 10. A wrap, such as shrink wrap 32, is wrapped around the bottles 30 and side walls 14 to secure the bottles 30 to the carrier 10. The wrap 32 may be of the same material and type as the plastic shrink wrap currently used for containing large packs of beverage bottles in corrugated cardboard trays. The wrap 32 is retained on the side walls 14 in part by the lips 18 at the uppermost edges of the side walls 14. Referring to FIG. 4, the wrap 32 includes a tear strip 34 with tear lines 36 (weakened portions, such as perforated portions) to facilitate removal of the wrap 32.
  • As shown in FIG. 5, the loaded carrier 10 can support a similar loaded carrier 10 thereon, with the caps of the bottles 30 received in the recesses 22′ of the base 12′ of the upper carrier 10′ to increase the stability of the stack.
  • The loaded carriers 10 and bottles 30 are shipped to a store in this manner. At the store, the carrier 10 and bottles 30 can be set on a shelf. The tear strip 34 is then pulled downward as shown in FIG. 6, thereby separating the tear strip 34 from the remainder of the wrap 32 along the tear lines 36 and thereby splitting the wrap 32 permitting the wrap 32 to be removed, as shown in FIG. 7.
  • The carrier 10 is then slid out from under the bottles 30 by pulling on the handle 20 in the base 12, leaving the bottles 30 on the shelf in the store. Thus, the bottles 30 can be loaded onto the store shelves more easily than with prior art methods. The carrier 10 can then be reused or recycled.
  • In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.

Claims (14)

1. A bottle carrier comprising:
a base wall; and
a pair of opposed side walls extending upward from side edges of the base wall, the side walls defining an open front end and an open rear end of the carrier.
2. The bottle carrier of claim 1 wherein the sidewalls each include a lip projecting outwardly from an upper edge.
3. The bottle carrier of claim 2 wherein each side wall includes a large opening therethrough.
4. The bottle carrier of claim 3 wherein the base includes a plurality of cap-receiving indentations on a bottom surface.
5. The bottle carrier of claim 4 further including a plurality of bottles on the base.
6. The bottle carrier of claim 5 further including a wrap around the bottles and the exterior of the side walls below the upper lips of the side walls.
7. The bottle carrier of claim 6 wherein the wrap includes a tear strip.
8. The bottle carrier of claim 7 wherein the front and rear openings are sufficiently large for the plurality of bottles to slide out of the bottle carrier after removal of the wrap.
9. The bottle carrier of claim 1 wherein an upper surface of the base wall is generally flat and smooth.
10. The bottle carrier of claim 1 further including a plurality of cap-receiving indentations on a lower surface.
11. The bottle carrier of claim 1 wherein the base wall includes a rear edge with no upward projections along the rear edge.
12. The bottle carrier of claim 11 wherein the base wall includes a front edge with no upward projections along the front edge.
13. The bottle carrier of claim 12 wherein the base wall includes rounded corner edges between the side edges and front and rear edges, with no upward projections along the rounded corner edges.
14. The bottle carrier of claim 1 wherein the base wall and side walls are thermoformed from a single sheet of plastic.
US12/822,414 2009-06-24 2010-06-24 Bottle carrier Abandoned US20100326859A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US12/822,414 US20100326859A1 (en) 2009-06-24 2010-06-24 Bottle carrier

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US22019009P 2009-06-24 2009-06-24
US12/822,414 US20100326859A1 (en) 2009-06-24 2010-06-24 Bottle carrier

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20100326859A1 true US20100326859A1 (en) 2010-12-30

Family

ID=42712549

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US12/822,414 Abandoned US20100326859A1 (en) 2009-06-24 2010-06-24 Bottle carrier

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20100326859A1 (en)
EP (1) EP2266890A1 (en)
MX (1) MX2010007084A (en)

Citations (21)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1626943A (en) * 1926-05-21 1927-05-03 Lyons Gordon Thomas Dispensing device
US2091126A (en) * 1935-06-08 1937-08-24 Alexander S Speer Container
US3206020A (en) * 1963-04-09 1965-09-14 Du Pont Multiple container package
US3219183A (en) * 1963-09-27 1965-11-23 Union Carbide Corp Multi-container packaging
US3425544A (en) * 1965-10-14 1969-02-04 Reynolds Metals Co Package construction
US3656614A (en) * 1970-05-04 1972-04-18 Anderson Bros Mfg Co Package and blank therefor
US3747750A (en) * 1971-04-08 1973-07-24 Mead Corp Shrink film package and stabilizing device therefor
US3747749A (en) * 1970-08-24 1973-07-24 Ganz Brothers Inc Shrink pack with easy opening device
US3883000A (en) * 1972-03-13 1975-05-13 Dow Chemical Co Shipping package
US4050579A (en) * 1976-11-01 1977-09-27 Arenco Machine Company, Inc. Package for orienting a plurality of articles
US4747486A (en) * 1987-03-25 1988-05-31 Benno Edward L Multipackage of containers in a tray
USD297916S (en) * 1984-01-20 1988-10-04 Wolfgang Gloyer Package of containers
USD327970S (en) * 1989-09-11 1992-07-14 Yazaki Industrial Chemical Co., Ltd. Stackable container for bottles
US5452794A (en) * 1994-05-05 1995-09-26 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Package comprising containers, carrier, and tray
US5813540A (en) * 1994-11-10 1998-09-29 Douglas Machine Limited Liability Company Shrink film-encased double-tiered package
US5887717A (en) * 1992-06-09 1999-03-30 Delkor Systems, Inc. Package assemblies for containers
US6039181A (en) * 1995-05-02 2000-03-21 Whiteside; G. Michael Transit packaging having reduced content
US6896129B2 (en) * 2002-09-20 2005-05-24 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Banded container package with opening feature
US7237671B2 (en) * 2003-09-16 2007-07-03 General Mills, Inc. Multiple packaged good article package
US20070215505A1 (en) * 2006-03-17 2007-09-20 Walker Terry D Shrink-Wrap Packaging Incorporating Reinforced Integral Handle
US20080314771A1 (en) * 2007-06-25 2008-12-25 Daniel Barbalho Tray for containers

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1162258A (en) * 1966-11-23 1969-08-20 Reed Paper Group Ltd Improvements relating to the Packaging of Articles
DE1586611A1 (en) * 1967-07-22 1970-06-25 Eckes Fa Peter Standing, stacking and disposable transport packaging for bottles, cans and the like.
DE2159258A1 (en) * 1971-11-30 1973-06-07 Carstens Kg Johannes PACKAGING, IN PARTICULAR FOR BOTTLES
GB9302248D0 (en) * 1993-02-05 1993-03-24 Formold Ltd Storage and/or transit stacking of articles
US20050139502A1 (en) * 2001-07-11 2005-06-30 Dale Andersen Innovative shipping package

Patent Citations (22)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1626943A (en) * 1926-05-21 1927-05-03 Lyons Gordon Thomas Dispensing device
US2091126A (en) * 1935-06-08 1937-08-24 Alexander S Speer Container
US3206020A (en) * 1963-04-09 1965-09-14 Du Pont Multiple container package
US3219183A (en) * 1963-09-27 1965-11-23 Union Carbide Corp Multi-container packaging
US3425544A (en) * 1965-10-14 1969-02-04 Reynolds Metals Co Package construction
US3656614A (en) * 1970-05-04 1972-04-18 Anderson Bros Mfg Co Package and blank therefor
US3747749A (en) * 1970-08-24 1973-07-24 Ganz Brothers Inc Shrink pack with easy opening device
US3747750A (en) * 1971-04-08 1973-07-24 Mead Corp Shrink film package and stabilizing device therefor
US3883000A (en) * 1972-03-13 1975-05-13 Dow Chemical Co Shipping package
US4050579A (en) * 1976-11-01 1977-09-27 Arenco Machine Company, Inc. Package for orienting a plurality of articles
US4930633A (en) * 1984-01-20 1990-06-05 Gloeyer Wolfgang Multiple pack for a plurality of cylindrical containers
USD297916S (en) * 1984-01-20 1988-10-04 Wolfgang Gloyer Package of containers
US4747486A (en) * 1987-03-25 1988-05-31 Benno Edward L Multipackage of containers in a tray
USD327970S (en) * 1989-09-11 1992-07-14 Yazaki Industrial Chemical Co., Ltd. Stackable container for bottles
US5887717A (en) * 1992-06-09 1999-03-30 Delkor Systems, Inc. Package assemblies for containers
US5452794A (en) * 1994-05-05 1995-09-26 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Package comprising containers, carrier, and tray
US5813540A (en) * 1994-11-10 1998-09-29 Douglas Machine Limited Liability Company Shrink film-encased double-tiered package
US6039181A (en) * 1995-05-02 2000-03-21 Whiteside; G. Michael Transit packaging having reduced content
US6896129B2 (en) * 2002-09-20 2005-05-24 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Banded container package with opening feature
US7237671B2 (en) * 2003-09-16 2007-07-03 General Mills, Inc. Multiple packaged good article package
US20070215505A1 (en) * 2006-03-17 2007-09-20 Walker Terry D Shrink-Wrap Packaging Incorporating Reinforced Integral Handle
US20080314771A1 (en) * 2007-06-25 2008-12-25 Daniel Barbalho Tray for containers

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
MX2010007084A (en) 2011-01-05
EP2266890A1 (en) 2010-12-29

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AS Assignment

Owner name: REHRIG PACIFIC COMPANY, CALIFORNIA

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:COOK, ALAN J.;KOEFELDA, GERALD R.;SIGNING DATES FROM 20100624 TO 20100702;REEL/FRAME:024644/0992

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION