WO2003068633A1

WO2003068633A1 - Egg carrier and egg package

Info

Publication number: WO2003068633A1
Application number: PCT/AU2003/000130
Authority: WO
Inventors: Timothy Neil Drew
Original assignee: Timothy Neil Drew
Priority date: 2002-02-15
Filing date: 2003-02-07
Publication date: 2003-08-21
Also published as: AUPS058002A0

Abstract

An egg carrier and egg package is disclosed which includes a conventional dozen or half-dozen egg package. A sleeve (13) is provided over the package and has an upper panel (30) and a bottom panel (32). The upper panel (30) has an integral handle (52) so that the sleeves can be located on the egg carton and therefore enable the egg carton to be easily carried whilst at the same time providing a fastener for holding the egg carton in the closed condition.

Description

EGG CARRIER AND EGG PACKAGE

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an egg container carrier, and to an egg package including a container having a plurality of eggs and a carrier on the container.

Background Art

Eggs are usually packaged in a container made from cardboard or plastic material which comprises a first half and a second half which are joined together by an integral hinge line. The first half is generally in the shape of a rectangular lid, and the other half forms a base having a number of separate cavities, each for containing an egg. The eggs project up above the cavities, and when the lid of the container is closed, the eggs are concealed in the package. Usually the lid is secured shut by location of a tab on the base locating in a recess in the lid.

Whilst such packages do usually securely support the eggs contained in the package, sometimes gripping and carrying the package can result in the lid separating from the base of the package and therefore the lid opening, which can cause eggs to drop out of the base and break.

Summary of the Invention

The object of the invention is to provide a carrier and a package including such a carrier which overcomes this problem.

The invention, in a first aspect, may be said to reside in an egg carton carrier including: a sleeve section for sliding over the egg carton so that when the sleeve section is on the egg carton, a lid of the carton is prevented from moving to an open position; and a handle portion coupled to the sleeve section to enable the sleeve section, and therefore the carton when located in the sleeve section, to be carried by gripping the handle portion.

Thus, according to this aspect of the invention, the sleeve section which slides over the carton holds the lid closed and the package comprising the carton and the carrier, when located on the carton, can be easily carried from place to place by simply gripping the handle and lifting the carrier and carton.

The invention may also be said to reside in an egg package and carrier including: a carton having a lid section and a base, the lid section being hingedly coupled to the base so the lid section can move between an open and closed position, the base supporting a plurality of eggs, and wherein, when the lid is closed, the eggs are secured in the container, and when the lid is open, the eggs are accessible so the eggs can be removed from the container; a carrier located on the container, the carrier having a sleeve section which slides onto the container, and is a tight fit about the container, thereby preventing the lid from moving from the closed position to the open position; and a handle portion coupled to the sleeve section to enable the sleeve section, and therefore the container, to be moved from one place to the other by gripping the handle portion.

Preferably the sleeve section includes a tab which is deformable from a position substantially flush with a portion of the sleeve section, to a position inwardly of the sleeve section, so that the tab can locate between portions of the carton to prevent sliding movement of the carrier relative to the carton after the carrier has been located on the carton. Preferably the handle portion is formed integral with the carrier, and includes a cut-out for receiving the fingers of a user to enable the handle to be gripped, and the carrier and carton lifted.

Preferably the sleeve section has an upper panel, a bottom panel, a first side extending between the upper panel and the bottom panel, a second side extending between the upper panel and the bottom panel, and each of the first side and second side being formed from a first panel section and a second panel section which are arranged in a V-shaped configuration when the carrier is located on the carton, so as to match the transverse cross-sectional shape of the carton and thereby form a tight fit on the carton.

Preferably the handle section is integral with the top panel of the carrier.

Preferably the carrier is formed from a blank having a plurality of fold lines which define the upper surface, the bottom surface, and the first and second panels of the first and second side walls.

Preferably the blank includes a flange portion having adhesive for gluing to the upper panel when the blank is folded to form the carrier.

Preferably the carrier is of substantially the same length as the carton to which the carrier is to be applied. In one embodiment, the carrier is therefore of a length equal to a carton for supporting a dozen eggs, and in another embodiment, the carrier is of a length equal to the length of a carton for supporting half a dozen eggs.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described. by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carrier and egg carton according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a view of the embodiment of Figure 3 with the carrier partially on the carton;

Figure 4 is a view with the carrier fully arranged on the carton; and

Figure 5 is a view of a blank from which the carrier of Figures 2, 3 and 4 is formed.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments With reference to Figure 1, an egg' carton 10 and carrier 12 are shown. In this embodiment, the carton 10 supports a dozen eggs and is of conventional design. The carton 10 includes a base 14 and a lid 16. The base 14 has a plurality of cavities 18, each for containing a single egg, which projects up above the respective cavity 18, and which is enclosed when the lid 16 is closed on the base 14. The carrier has a sleeve 13 and an integral handle 52.

The lid 16 is preferably coupled to the base 14 by an integral hinge line so the lid can pivot to an open position to allow access to be gained to the eggs within the carton, and then to a closed position, as shown in Figure 1. As is also conventional, the lid 16 may have recesses or detents 20 which receive tabs 22 located on a panel (not shown) connected to the base 18 for holding the lid 16 in a closed position. Although the detents 20 and tabs 22 serve to hold the lid 16 in the closed position, it is possible, when the carton is gripped, particularly if the carton is gripped solely by the lid 16, that the lid 16 may be deformed in such a fashion that the tabs 22 can release from the detents 20, thereby causing the lid 16 and base 14 to separate (in other words, for the lid 16 to unwantedly open) and for the eggs supported in the cavities 18 to fall from the container.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the sleeve 13 of carrier 12 slides over the closed container 10 and holds the lid 16 in the closed position when the carrier 12 is gripped and the package formed from the container 10 and carrier 12 transported from one place to another. In view of the location of the carrier 12 over the container 10, the lid 16 cannot open, thereby substantially eliminating unwanted separation of the lid 16 from the base 14 and the loss of eggs from the base 14 in such an occurrence.

The sleeve 13 has an upper panel 30 and a bottom panel 32. The upper panel 30 and bottom 32 are joined by side walls 34 and 36. Each side wall 34 and 36 comprises a first panel section 38 and a second panel section 40 which form a relatively shallow V-shaped configuration. The carrier

12 therefore defines a cavity 50 which is of substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the container 10 so that the carrier 12 can slide onto the carton 10.

The upper panel 30 has the integral handle 52 which is coplanar with the upper panel 30 and extends outwardly of the side wall 36. The handle 42 has a cut-out 54 for receiving the fingers of a user so that the handle 52 can be gripped and the package formed of the container 10 having the carrier 12 located on it, can be easily carried from one place to another.

In the preferred embodiments, the carrier 12 is of the same length as the carton 10 to which it is to be applied. However, in other embodiments, the carrier 12 could be shorter than the carton to which it is applied. The wall 34 is provided with a tab 58 which is cut from the panels 38 and 40 when the blank is formed, and which bridges those panels, so that when the carrier 12 is located on the container 10, the tab 58 can be pushed inwardly of the cavity 50 to locate between pairs of cavities 18, for example, those marked 18 ' in Figure 1. When the tab 58 is pushed inwardly, the tab 58 takes up an orientation which is generally opposite the V-shaped orientation of the panels 38 and 40, so that the tab projects into the cavity 50 in between the cavities 18.

This assists in locking the carrier 12 to the container 10 and prevent further sliding movement of the carrier 12 relative to the container 10.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, except that in this embodiment, the carrier 12 is intended to locate on a carton which supports half a dozen eggs. Like reference numerals indicate like parts to those previously described.

Figure 3 shows the carrier 12 of Figure 2 partially located on the container 10.

Figure 4 shows the carrier 12 of Figure 2 fully located on the container 10. As can be seen from Figure 4, the sleeve is a relatively tight fit on the container, and the location of the carrier 12 on the container 10 forms a package which is very easy to pick up and move from one place to another because of the handle 12, and also serves to securely hold the lid 16 of the container 10 in a closed configuration against the base 14, thereby preventing spilling of eggs out of the container 10 when the container 10 is lifted and carried from one place to another. As is also apparent in Figure 4, the tab 58 has been deflected inwardly, leaving cut-out 58^* in the panel 38, with the tab 58 locating between two of the cavities 18 of the container 10 to resist further sliding movement of the carrier 12 relative to the container 10.

When it is desired to gain access to the eggs in the container 10, the carrier 12 is removed from the container 10. The carrier 12 can be removed by manipulating the tab 58 out from between the cavities 18 ' so the carrier 12 can be slid off the container 10, or the carrier could be simply torn off the container 10 if desired. Once the carrier 12 is removed from the container 10, the lid 16 can be opened in the conventional fashion.

Figure 5 shows a blank from which the carrier 12 is formed. Preferably the carrier 12 is formed from cardboard and the blank is rectangular in configuration, having a length in the direction of arrow A which matches the size of the carton 10 to which the carrier 12 is to be applied. The blank shown in Figure 5 is intended for the container shown in Figures 2 to 4.

The container is stamped or cut from cardboard sheet and the opening or cut-out 54 is also formed by stamping concurrently with the formation of the sheet. Fold lines 61, 62 and 63 are provided to form the wall 36, with the fold line 62 forming the transition between the panels 38 and 40 of the side 36 and the fold line 63 forming the transition between the panel 38 of the side 36 and the bottom 32. Fold lines 64, 65 and 66 form the side 34, with the fold line 64 forming the transition between the bottom 32 and the panel 38 of the side 34, the fold line 65 forming the transition between the panel sections 38 and 40 of the wall 34 and the fold line 66 forming the transition between the panel 40 of the side 34 and the upper portion 30.

As can be seen in Figure 5, a flange section 70 is provided between the fold line 61 and end 72 of the blank. The flange 70 is provided with an adhesive strip 74 so that when the blank is folded into the configuration shown in Figures 1 to 4, the adhesive strip 74 can adhere to the underside of panel 30 in the region identified by reference numeral 80, so as to hold the carrier 12 in the

folded and assembled configuration shown in Figures 1 to 4.

Concurrently with stamping or cutting of the blank shown in Figure 5, the tab 58 is also cut so that when the carrier 12 is located on the container 10, the tab 58 can be pressed out of the panel 38 in the manner previously described.

Prior to folding of the blank into the assembled configuration shown in Figures 1 to 4, the blank could be printed with appropriate details to identify the brand of the eggs, and other information which would normally be contained on a container 10.

A number of the packages formed from the containers 10 and the carriers 12 can be stored in side-by-side configuration with the handle 54 of one package simply locating over the upper surface 30 of an adjacent package so that the containers 10 are in side-by-side relationship, as would be the case if the carrier 12 was not included. Thus, inclusion of the carrier 12 does not take up any additional space when the packages 12 are transported from a producer to a retail outlet. The packages formed from the containers 10 and carriers 12 can be displayed on a shelf in a similar fashion, and when a person wishes to purchase a container of eggs, the handle 54 can merely be gripped and the package comprised of the container 10 and carrier 12 lifted with the eggs being carried by the person inserting his or her fingers through the cut-out 54 and simply gripping the handle 52. Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described by way of example hereinabove.

Claims

1. An egg carton carrier including: a sleeve section for sliding over the egg carton so that when the sleeve section is on the egg carton, a lid of the carton is prevented from moving to an open position; and a handle portion coupled to the sleeve section to enable the sleeve section, and therefore the carton when located in the sleeve section, to be carried by gripping the handle portion.

2. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the sleeve section includes a tab which is deformable from a position substantially flush with a portion of the sleeve section, to a position inwardly of the sleeve section, so that the tab can locate between portions of the carton to prevent sliding movement of the carrier relative to the carton after the carrier has been located on the carton.

3. An egg package and carrier including: a carton having a lid section and a base, the lid section being hingedly coupled to the base so the lid section can move between an open and closed position, the base supporting a plurality of eggs, and wherein, when the lid is closed, the eggs are secured in the container, and when the lid is open, the eggs are accessible so the eggs can be removed from the container; a carrier located on the container, the carrier having a sleeve section which slides onto the container, and is a tight fit about the container, thereby preventing the lid from moving from the closed position to the open position; and a handle portion coupled to the sleeve section to enable the sleeve section, and therefore the container, to be moved from one place to the other by gripping the handle portion.

4. The package of claim 3 wherein the sleeve section includes a tab which is deformable from a position substantially flush with a portion of the sleeve section, to a position inwardly of the sleeve section, so that the tab can locate between portions of the carton to prevent sliding movement of the carrier relative to the carton after the carrier has been located on the carton.

5. The package of claim 3 or 4 wherein the handle portion is formed integral with the carrier, and includes a cut-out for receiving the fingers of a user to enable the handle to be gripped, and the carrier and carton lifted.

6. The package of claim 5 wherein the sleeve section has an upper panel, a bottom panel, a first side extending between the upper panel and the bottom panel, a second side extending between the upper panel and the bottom panel, and each of the first side and second side being formed from a first panel section and a second panel section which are arranged in a V-shaped configuration when the carrier is located on the carton, so as to match the transverse cross-sectional shape of the carton and thereby form a tight fit on the carton.

7. The package of claim 6 wherein the handle portion is integral with the top panel of the carrier.

8. The package of claim 3 wherein the carrier is formed from a blank having a plurality of fold lines which define the upper surface, the bottom surface, and the first and second panels of the first and second side walls.

9. The package of claim 8 wherein the blank includes a flange portion having adhesive for gluing to the upper panel when the blank is folded to form the carrier.

10. The package of claim 3 wherein the carrier is of substantially the same length as the carton to which the carrier is to be applied.