US3815732A - Container carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to improvements in manually transportable carriers for accommodating a plurality of containers, as for example, bottles and the like, and more particularly, to container carriers of the reuseable type comprised of a single folded sheet of material. The end walls of the carrier comprise integral brace members connected between the bottom wall and the side walls of the carrier. These brace members are further slidably interlocked in slots in the center wall of the carrier.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Klygis et a1.

1 1 CONTAINER CARRIER [75] Inventors: Mindaugas Julius Klygis, Evergreen Park; Michael Warren Brezette, Schaumburg, both of 111.

[73] Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc., Chicago,

22 Filed: Sept. 18,1972

[21 Appl. No.: 289,909

521 u.s.c1 206/163,'206/170, 206/183, 229/52 BC 51 1111. C1. ..B65d 75/04 [58] Field of Search.... 229/28 BC, 52 BC; 220/105, 220/109,110,ll1,ll2, 113,114,115

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,335,022 11/1943 OReilly 229/52 BC X 1 June 11, 1974 2,390,020 ll/1945' Wesselman 229/28 BC X 2.527.025 10/1950 3,111,223 11/1963 3,359,873 12/1967 Carle ct a1. 220/102 X Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant ExaminerStephen P. Garbe 5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention relates generally to improvements in manually transportable carriers for accommodating a plurality of containers, as for example, bottles and the like, and more particularly, to container carriers of the reuseable type comprised of a single folded sheet of material. The end walls of the carrier comprise integral brace members connected between the bottom wall and the side walls of the carrier. These brace members are further slidably interlocked in slots in the center wall of the carrier.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures $815732 sum 10E 2 PAIENTEDJuu 1 1 m4 F/G. i l

PATENIEBJUIII 1 m4 SHEH 2 01 Z CONTAINER CARRIER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned primarily with improvements in container carriers of the manually transportable type adapted to support a plurality of containers such as bottles and the like in two adjacent rows. The present invention is an improvement over the invention disclosed and claimed in the co-pending application of M. .l. Klygis et al., for Container Carrier, US. Pat. Ser. No. 219,328, filed Jan. 20, I972. The noted Klygis et al. application discloses a multi-pack container of novel, collapsible and expandable form which greatly facilitates the ease with which containers may be inserted within the expanded carrier and subsequently removed therefrom so as to permit subsequent collapsing of the carrier to a relatively small, flat multiply structure. The noted Klygis et al. application further discloses a novel arrangement for economically producing the carrier, and, to the end, contemplates that a minimum quantity of suitable sheet plastic material may be employed without impairing efficiency in the retention of the containers supported thereby. The preferred material for the subject application is a plastic material which may be easily heat sealed.

The present invention is an improvement over the carrier of the noted Klygis et al. application in the arrangement of the end braces which retain and prevent the bottles from accidentally falling from the ends of the carrier. In the subject invention each of the ends braces are formed from two strips which are slit from stock with the ends remaining attached and with portions sealed together within slots formed in the center wall of the carrier. The arrangement of the present invention permits the carrier to be stamped or otherwise cut from a sheet of the preferred plastic material. The cut sheet is then folded into a multi-layered flat assembly. In that folded condition the various necessary areas where adjacent layers of the sheet must be interconnected are exposed and the completed carrier is then easily formed in a heat sealing press by merely closing the press on the folded flat assembly to heat seal various certain areas. After heat sealing the carrier may be unfolded into a container receiving configuration by drawing the handle structure outwardly of the remainder of the carrier.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved end brace assembly in a carrier of the type disclosed in the co-pending U.S. Pat. application to M. J. Klygis et al., Ser. No. 219,328, filed Jan. 20, 1972.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the carrier with a plurality of bottles therein;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the package shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the carrier of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the bottles removed and with the carrier in a folded flat condition;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the structure shown in FIG.

3; and,

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the carrier in an unfolded condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings more in detail. wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be seen that the preferred embodiment of a container carrying device of the type contemplated by the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive. is designated generally by the numeral 14. A detailed description of the method for forming the carrier from the sheet material need not be discussed in detail herein. reference being made to the noted co-pending Klygis et al. application.

The carrier 14 shown in the drawings is symmetrical about the line 15 shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. However. it is contemplated that the portion of the carrier which forms the center wall and handle assembly need not be made up of two identical sections but may comprise a single center wall section joined to the center bottom wall of the carrier. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the carrier 14 in its folded condition comprises two outwardly disposed panels 16. Each panel 16 comprises a side wall and one half of the bottom wall of the carrier. The upper side edges of the panels 16 are integrally joined at the line 15 with the central area being open to present a window or slot to permit the handle assembly to project therethrough. The lower edges of each of the panels 16 are integrally connected to the lower marginal edge of one of a pair of panels 17. The panels 17 form the center wall and handle assembly for the carrier. As mentioned above, one panel 17 may terminate a short distance above the lower marginal edge thereof.

Each panel 16 comprises an upper section 16a and a lower section 16b. The portions 16a and 16b are contiguous on a fold line 18. Each section 16b forms onehalf of the bottom wall of the carrier, and each section 16a forms one side wall of the carrier 14. The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings is intended to carry eight containers such as bottles 20 (or such other number as it is designed for) of FIGS. 1 and 2, and for that purpose the upper portion of each of the side wall portions 16a is provided with four adjacently disposed openings or apertures 21. The apertures 21 are substantially egg shaped to circumferentially engage the bottles 20 when the carrier is in an open or unfolded position such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Brace members 22 are cut or slit from the side marginal edge portions of the side and bottom wall sections 16a and 16b. The upper end of each brace member 22 is integrally connected to a side wall section 16a. The lower end of each brace member 22 is integrally connected to a bottom wall section 16b. The brace members 22 are further out from the sheet material of the carrier so that the portions of the brace members 22 intermediate the ends thereof curve inwardly of the side wall sections 16a to form inwardly projecting corners 22b. The invention contemplates an alternative embodimend wherein the upper end of each brace member 22 is out free from the side wall sections and terminate immediately above the inwardly curved corners 22b.

The panels 17 which form the center wall of the carrier 14 may be conveniently provided with apertures 23 to reduce the weight of the carrier. The panels 17 are further provided with apertures 24 adjacent the side marginal edges of the panels 17. The apertures 24 have a length sufficient to include or encircle corners 22b of the brace members 22 in both the folded condition of the carrier 14 as shown in FIG. 3 and in the open condi tion of the carrier as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5.

The upper portions of the panels 17 are preferably reduced in width to form upwardly extending handle sections 25. The handle sections 25 in each panel 17 are provided with apertures 26 which when superimposed form a convenient and comfortable opening for receiving a persons hand. Tab 27 may be provided by material from within one or both of the apertures 26, beingjoined to the handle section 25 along fold line 28. The tab or tabs 27 are provided for distributing the weight of the carrier and the bottles carried therein over a relatively wide portion of a persons hand in carrying the package, as well as to retain the apertures 26 in the handle sections 25 in aligned relation.

Bottom sections 1611 are provided with spaced apart apertures 30 adjacent to the line ofinterconnection between the panels 16 and 17. The apertures 30 are provided to permit the panels 17 to be heat sealed together at spaced areas 31 when the carrier is in the folded flat condition shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Obviously in the aforedescribed alternative embodiment wherein one panel 17 terminates a short distance above the fold line between panels 16 and 17 the short panel 17 must have a height sufficient to include apertures 30. In addition to the heat sealing at areas 31, the handle sections 25 may be conveniently heat sealed together at areas 32 which are exposed through the apertures 21, and the corners 22b of the brace members 22 are heat sealed together at areas 33. The heat sealing of the brace members 22 at areas 33 forms integral joints between adjacent brace members 22 within the apertures 24.

When the heat sealed center wall of the carrier formed by the panels 17 is projected upwardly relative to the panels 16 so that the handle section 25 is moved above the fold line 15, with a contemporaneous folding of the panels 16 along fold lines 18, the carrier will be arranged into the open bottle-receiving configuration shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5..As the folded flat carrier is manipulated to the open configuration, the integral connections are comers 22b of brace members 22 will move downwardly in the apertures 24 to the position shown in FIG. 5. As may be seen in FIG. 5, the brace members 22 in the open configuration or condition of the carrier 14 define a substantially X-shaped brace assembly across the open ends of the carrier 14 with the center of the brace assembly 22 effectively locked to the center wall of the carrier. This arrangement positively and securely holds the end bottles when positioned in the carrier 14 against any slipping or shifting out therefrom even under extreme jostling or swinging of the carrier and bottle package during transport by a person holding the package at the handle section 25. In

the aforedescribed alternative embodiment wherein the brace members 22 terminate immediately above the comers 22b, the configuration of the brace assembly in the open condition of the carrier will be a downwardly open V-shape.

The insertion and removal of bottles 20 from the carrier may be easily seen from the drawings.

I claim: 1

l. A container carrier formed from a folded sheet of material and foldable alternatively into a substantially flat storage condition and an open container receiving condition, said carrier comprising a pair of side walls joined at the upper side edges thereof, a plurality of container receiving apertures formed in each side wall and arranged in a row between the ends of said side walls, a bottom wall divided into two separate sections and foldable along the line of division with each of said sections further foldably joined to the lower edge of one of said side walls, a center wall foldably joined to both of the bottom wall sections along said line of division, said center wall extending between said side walls and through the upper side edges thereof to terminate in a handle, whereby said separate sections of said bottom wall and said side walls are folded against the opposite sides of said center wall in said flat storage condition of said carrier, an end brace assembly for each end of said carrier, each end brace assembly comprising a pair of brace members, each of said brace members joined at one end thereof to the end marginal edge of one of said side walls, each of said brace members joined at the other end thereof to the end marginal edge of one of said bottom wall sections, said brace members having lengths permitting substantially flat engagement of said brace members on opposite sides of said center wall in said flat storage condition of said carrier, said center wall have elongated apertures at each end thereof, means joining each pair of said pairs of brace members together intermediate the ends thereof and within one of said apertures, and the longitudinal axes of said elongated apertures aligned vertically of said center wall to permit said means joining each pair of said pairs of brace members together to vertically move within said apertures contemporaneously with any folding of said carrier between said flat storage condition and said open container receiving condition.

2. A container carrier as defined in claim 1, wherein the material of said carrier is a heat sealable plastic material and wherein said means joining said brace members together comprises a heat sealing of said brace members to form the junctions.

3. A container carrier as defined in claim 2 wherein said junctions of said brace members are exposed in directions perpendicular to the plane of said carrier when the side walls and bottom wall section are folded against said center wall in said flat storage condition.

Claims (3)

1. A container carrier formed from a folded sheet of material and foldable alternatively into a substantially flat storage condition and an open container receiving condition, said carrier comprising a pair of side walls joined at the upper side edges thereof, a plurality of container receiving apertures formed in each side wall and arranged in a row between the ends of said side walls, a bottom wall divided into two separate sections and foldable along the line of division with each of said sections further foldably joined to the lower edge of one of said side walls, a center wall foldably joined to both of the bottom wall sections along said line of division, said center wall extending beTween said side walls and through the upper side edges thereof to terminate in a handle, whereby said separate sections of said bottom wall and said side walls are folded against the opposite sides of said center wall in said flat storage condition of said carrier, an end brace assembly for each end of said carrier, each end brace assembly comprising a pair of brace members, each of said brace members joined at one end thereof to the end marginal edge of one of said side walls, each of said brace members joined at the other end thereof to the end marginal edge of one of said bottom wall sections, said brace members having lengths permitting substantially flat engagement of said brace members on opposite sides of said center wall in said flat storage condition of said carrier, said center wall have elongated apertures at each end thereof, means joining each pair of said pairs of brace members together intermediate the ends thereof and within one of said apertures, and the longitudinal axes of said elongated apertures aligned vertically of said center wall to permit said means joining each pair of said pairs of brace members together to vertically move within said apertures contemporaneously with any folding of said carrier between said flat storage condition and said open container receiving condition.

2. A container carrier as defined in claim 1, wherein the material of said carrier is a heat sealable plastic material and wherein said means joining said brace members together comprises a heat sealing of said brace members to form the junctions.

3. A container carrier as defined in claim 2 wherein said junctions of said brace members are exposed in directions perpendicular to the plane of said carrier when the side walls and bottom wall section are folded against said center wall in said flat storage condition.

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