This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/US2008/050971, filed Jan. 14, 2008, entitled “Basket Carrier Including Open-Top Basket,” which designates the United States of America and which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/880,269, filed Jan. 12, 2007, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/880,202, filed Jan. 12, 2007, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/880,221, filed Jan. 12, 2007.
Conventional open-top, paperboard baskets for carrying containers such as bottles and cans are often difficult and uncomfortable to carry. Particularly, the handles of traditional basket carriers often include thin-walled members with relatively sharp edges that cause discomfort to a person gripping the handle. In addition to being uncomfortable to grip, the handles in traditional basket carriers can often inflict cuts and abrasions on the hands of people carrying them.
Conventional open-top baskets typically also leave the containers held therein largely unprotected, as significant portions of the containers are not covered by the basket.
In view of the issues discussed above, it is desirable to provide a basket carrier including an open-top basket having an improved handle that is comfortable for gripping. It is also desirable to provide such a basket carrier with a detachable lid for covering the basket and protecting the containers held therein.
The entire disclosures of International Application No. PCT/US2008/050971, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/880,269, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/880,202, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/880,221 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as though fully set forth herein.
A basket carrier for carrying containers, such as bottles or cans, is disclosed. The basket carrier includes an improved basket and an improved lid for covering the basket.
According to one exemplary embodiment, a basket carrier includes a basket and a lid covering the basket. The basket may comprise a first basket side wall, a second basket side wall extending parallel to first basket side wall, a first basket end wall extending orthogonally between the first and second basket side walls, a second basket end wall extending between the first and second basket side walls parallel to the first basket end wall, a bottom wall extending between the first and second basket side walls and the first and second basket end walls, container compartments for holding containers, and a handle extending parallel to the basket side walls between the first and second basket end walls. The handle may include one or more grip openings for gripping the handle. The lid may include a horizontally extending lid top wall positioned over the handle, a downwardly extending first lid side wall foldably connected to a first lateral side of the lid top wall and positioned over the first basket side wall, a downwardly extending second lid side wall foldably connected to a second lateral side of the lid top wall and positioned over the second basket side wall, and a handle opening disposed in the lid top wall to allow a hand to access the handle.
According to another exemplary embodiment, a basket for carrying containers includes a first side wall, a second side wall extending parallel to first side wall, a first end wall extending orthogonally between the first and second side walls, a second end wall extending between the first and second side walls parallel to the first end wall, a bottom wall extending between the first and second side walls and the first and second end walls, a handle extending parallel to the side walls between the first and second end walls, first container compartments disposed on a first side of the basket; and second container compartments disposed on a second side of the basket. The handle may include a first handle portion and a second handle portion positioned against each other in back-to-back relationship. The first handle portion and the second handle portion may each be formed as a substantially flat panel. The handle may also include one or more first handle flaps formed in the first handle portion and one or more second handle flaps formed in the second handle portion and aligned with the one or more first handle flaps. The one or more first handle flaps may be at least partially separable from the first handle portion and the one or more second handle flaps may be at least partially separable from the second handle portion to form an opening for gripping the handle. The one or more first handle flaps and the one or more second handle flaps may further be foldable to form substantially flat gripping surfaces extending transversely to the first and second handle portions.
According to another exemplary embodiment, a basket lid may include a horizontally extending top wall, a downwardly extending first side wall foldably connected to a first lateral side of the top wall along a first fold line, a downwardly extending second side wall foldably connected to a second lateral side of the top wall a second fold line, and a handle opening disposed in the top wall and laterally offset from a central axis of the top wall extending parallel to the first and second fold lines, wherein the handle opening is configured to receive a person's hand.
Exemplary embodiments of blanks for forming a basket and a lid according to are also disclosed.
Other embodiments and aspects will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in view of the following.
As shown in
The handle portions 20d, 40d each optionally include a pair of adjacent handle grip elements or flaps 28. The handle grip elements 28 are each formed by a substantially U-shaped cut line 29 having endpoints 29a, 29b, a convex fold line 30 extending between the endpoints 29a, 29b, and a concave fold line 31 extending between the endpoints 29a, 29b below convex the fold line 30. As will be described later, the handle grip elements 28 can be partially separated from the handle portion 20d and folded to expose handle openings 172 (
The upper panel 20 includes a plurality of laterally-spaced, diagonally extending container compartment cut lines 21, 22, 23 positioned bellow the handle portion 20d, and a plurality of laterally-spaced, longitudinally extending interior fold lines 24, 25, 26. The cut lines 21, 22, 23 preferably extend entirely or substantially entirely through the thickness of the blank 10 such that the cut lines 21, 22, 23 can be opened to form compartments 190 (
The outermost container compartment cut line 21 extends from a lower end 21a, which intersects the fold line 32, to an upper end 21b. The outermost interior fold line 24 extends from the upper edge of the panel 20 and is bisected into an upper segment 24a and a lower segment 24b by the cut line 21. The middle cut line 22 extends from a lower end 22a, which intersects a lower end of the interior fold line 24, to an upper end 22b. The middle interior fold line 25 extends from the upper end 21a of the cut line 21 to a lower end 23a of the innermost container cut line 23. The fold line 25 is bisected into an upper segment 25a and a lower segment 25b by the cut line 22. The container compartment cut line 23 extends from its lower end 23a to an upper end 23b. The innermost interior fold line 26 extends from the upper end 22b of the cut line 22 to the bottom edge of the panel 20, where it intersects the lateral fold lines 73, 82. The fold line 26 is bisected into an upper segment 26a and a lower segment 26b by the innermost container compartment cut line 23.
The panel 20 also includes a series of longitudinally extending slits or fold lines 36 extending between the upper end 23b of the cut line 23 and the upper edge 27 of the panel 20. The slits/fold lines 36 facilitate folding of the end wall portion 20b.
As can be understood from the foregoing description and
Still referring to
The innermost container compartment cut line 41 extends from a lower end 21a, which intersects the central fold line 34, to an upper end 41b. The innermost interior fold line 44 extends from the upper edge of the panel 40 and is bisected into an upper segment 44a and a lower segment 44b by the cut line 41. The middle cut line 42 extends from a lower end 42a, which intersects a lower end of the interior fold line 44, to an upper end 42b. The middle interior fold line 45 extends from the upper end of the cut line 21 to a lower end 43a of the outermost container compartment cut line 43. The fold line 45 is bisected into an upper segment 45a and a lower segment 45b by the cut line 42. The outermost container compartment cut line 43 extends from its lower end 43a to an upper end 43b. The outermost interior fold line 46 extends from the upper end 42a of the cut line 42 to the bottom edge of the panel 40, where it intersects the lateral fold lines 93, 102. The fold line 46 is bisected into an upper segment 46a and a lower segment 46b by the outermost container compartment cut line 43.
The panel 40 also includes a series of longitudinally extending slits or fold lines 56 (similar to slits/fold lines 36) extending between the upper end 43b of the cut line 43 and the upper edge 47 of the panel 40.
The side wall portion 40a is defined by the area outlined by the lower portion of the fold line 34, the lower portion of the cut lines 41, 42, 43 the line segments 44b, 45b, 46b, and the fold line 93. The end wall portion 40b is defined by the area outlined by the line segment 46b, the upper portion of the cut line 43, the slits/fold lines 56, the upper edge 47 of the panel 40, the outer lateral edge 49 of the panel 40 and the fold line 102. The end wall reinforcement portion 40c is formed in the area outlined by the upper portion of the fold line 34, the upper edge 47 of the panel 40, the line segment 44a and the lower portion of the cut line 41. The handle portion 40d is defined in the area outlined by the line segments 44a, 45a, 46a the upper edge 47 of the panel 40, the slits/fold lines 56 and the upper portions of the cut lies 41, 42, 43. The divider panel portion 40e is formed in the area outlined by the upper portion of the cut line 41, the lower portion of cut line 42, the line segment 44b and the line segment 45a. The divider panel 40f is defined in the area surrounded by the upper portion of the cut line 42, the lower portion of the cut line 43, the line segment 45b and the line segment 46a.
The panel 40 may also be provided with an adhesive in the schematically illustrated region 48 near the outer lateral edge 49 of the end wall portion 40b for attaching the adhesive flap 60 thereto, as shown in
Due to the arrangement described above, the cut lines 21, 22, 23/41,42,43 and the fold lines 24, 25, 26/44, 45, 46 together allow folding of the side wall portion 20a/40a, the end wall portion 20b/40b, the end wall reinforcement portion 20c/40c and the transverse divider wall portions 20e, 20f/40e, 40f, and allow partial separation of the side wall portion 20a/40a from the end wall reinforcement portion 20c/40c, the handle portion 20d/40d and the transverse divider wall portions 20e, 20f/40e, 40f to form three container compartments 190 (
Still referring to
The bottom adhesive flaps 80, 100 may be generally trapezoidal in shape to provide clearance with respect to the upper panels 20, 40 during folding of the blank 10 to erect the basket 110. The adhesive flaps 80, 100 may also include schematically illustrated adhesive regions 84, 104 on their inner surfaces for securing the bottom closure flaps 70, 80 to the adhesive flaps 80, 100.
The process of erecting a basket 110 from the blank 10 is illustrated in
Next, as shown in
As shown in
The end wall reinforcement portions 20c, 40c form reinforcing walls disposed parallel to the end walls 40b, 20b in back-to-back relationship with the end walls 20b, 40b. As can be seen in
Referring to
The handle 170 is configured such that the handle portions 20d, 40d form substantially flat handle panels aligned in a back-to-back configuration with the grip elements 28 in the handle portion 20d being aligned with the grip elements 28 in the handle portion 40d.
Referring to
Turning to
As best shown in
The web panels 230 each include a rectangular panel member 232 foldably connected to the top wall panel 210 along a laterally extending fold line 214. Each web panel 230 further includes a pair of gusset members 234 foldably connected to the rectangular panel member 232 and one of the side wall panels 220. Each of the gusset members 234 is connected to a respective one of the panel members 232 along a longitudinal fold line 236, which is collinear with a respective one of the fold lines 212. Each gusset member 234 is also connected to a respective one of the side wall panels 220 along a diagonal fold line 222.
The top wall panel 210 includes a handle opening 216 which is sized and shaped to expose the handle 170 of the basket 110 and to accommodate a person's hand when the blank is formed into the lid 300 on the basket. The handle opening 216 has an oval shape and extends lengthwise in the longitudinal direction of blank 200. The opening 216 is laterally offset from a central longitudinal axis Y (extending parallel to the fold lines 212) of the top wall panel 210 to provide better access to the handle 170, as will be described in more detail later. A plurality of openings 224 are provided near laterally inner regions of the side wall panels 220 for receiving the tops of containers C held within the basket 110. The openings 224 are spaced to correspond to the container compartments 190 in the basket 110. As shown in
Thus, as indicated in
Referring to
Thus, as shown in
To remove containers C from the carrier 400 with the lid installed, the containers C can be pulled through the openings 224. As containers C are pulled through the openings 224, the weakening patterns 226 will partially separate from the side walls 320, thereby expanding the openings 226 to facilitate removal of the containers.
Access to the containers C can also be gained by detaching the side walls 220 from the adhesive flaps 250 along lines of weakness 252, such that the adhesive flaps 250 remain attached to the side walls 20a, 40a of the basket 110 and the remainder of the lid 300 is removed from the basket 110.
In accordance with the exemplary embodiments, the cartons (i.e., basket and lid) may be constructed of paperboard, for example. The paperboard webs used to form the blank may be thicker and heavier than ordinary paper. The blanks, and thus the carton and lid, can also be constructed of other materials, such as cardboard, or any other material having properties suitable for enabling the cartons to function at least generally as described above. For example, the blanks may be formed from coated solid unbleached sulfate (SUS) board. The blanks can also be laminated to or coated with one or more web-like materials at selected panels or panel sections.
One or more panels of the blanks discussed above can be coated with varnish, clay, or other materials, either alone or in combination. The coating may then be printed over with product, advertising, and other information or images. The blanks may also be coated to protect any information printed on the blank. The blanks may be coated with, for example, a moisture barrier layer, on either or both sides of the blanks.
In accordance with the exemplary embodiments, a fold line or line of weakness can be any substantially linear, although not necessarily straight, form of weakening that facilitates folding therealong. More specifically, but not for the purpose of narrowing the scope of the present invention, fold lines include: a score line, such as lines formed with a blunt scoring knife, or the like, which creates a crushed portion in the material along the desired line of weakness; a cut that extends partially into a material along the desired line of weakness, and/or a series of cuts that extend partially into and/or completely through the material along the desired line of weakness; and various combinations of these features. In situations where cutting is used to create a fold line, typically the cutting will not be overly extensive in a manner that might cause a reasonable user to incorrectly consider the fold line to be a tear line. A pattern of weakness can be any pattern which serves as a form of weakening to facilitate folding or tearing.
The term “line” as used herein includes not only straight lines, but also other types of lines such as curved, curvilinear or angularly displaced lines.
In the present specification, a “panel” need not be flat or otherwise planar. A “panel” can, for example, comprise a plurality of interconnected generally flat or planar sections.
In the present specification, reference is made to various directions, such as “vertical,” “lateral,” “longitudinal,” variations thereof. It should be understood that such descriptions are provided to facilitate understanding of the relative orientation of various elements described herein, and are not intended to be limiting.
The foregoing description of the invention illustrates and describes the present invention. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only selected embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is capable of use in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings, and/or within the skill or knowledge of the relevant art.
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