Patent Application
20070295622
The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
With reference to
Handle reinforcement portion 12 is formed at a first end of the elongate blank 10 and is attached, opposite a fold line 20, to handle portion 11. Handle 11 is formed with a major dividing wall 21, which connects to a first base portion 22 through fold line 23. First base portion 22 in turn connects to a first sidewall 14, through fold line 24, which itself is formed with roof 13, and divided therefrom by fold line 25. Roof 13 is further divided into first and second roof sections 60, 61, mirrored by fold line 30, wherein first roof section 60 sits between fold lines 25 and 30. Accordingly, second roof section 61 is attached to a second sidewall 14′ through fold line 31, and said second sidewall 14′ is divided from second base portion 32 by fold line 33. Second base portion 32 is formed with a minor dividing wall 34 and is divided therefrom by fold line 35. Fold lines 20, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 33 and 35 are substantially parallel.
Additionally, handle portion 11 and handle reinforcement portion 12 further comprise a complementary cut-out and flap 40. In the embodiment shown, an edge proximate fold line 20 of the partial cut-out of handle portion 11 forms a fold line so that the cut-out defines flap 40. When the carrier 9 is in an assembled state, this arrangement allows the flap to be folded back through the handle portion 11 and the cut-out of the handle reinforcement portion 12 to provide a more comfortable handle grip through which a user may place their hand for holding the carrier 9. It will be recognised by the skilled person that flap 40 may alternatively be formed on handle reinforcement portion 12.
Fold line 30, bridges and divides roof 13 into roof sections 60 and 61 and further comprises a slot 41 with dimensions suitable to allow simultaneous passage of handle portion 15 and handle reinforcement portion 14 therethrough. Additionally, a locking tab 42 is formed integrally with slot 41 and engages a complementary locking slot 43 formed at the base of handle portion 11. In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the tab and slot may be positioned respectively on the opposite side of slot 41 and at the base of handle reinforcement portion 12. In a further alternative embodiment, complementary tab and slot arrangements may be provided on both sides of the carrier 9 for added stability. As shown in
Blank 10 further includes a plurality of pairs of bottle engaging flaps 44 the roof 13. The flaps 44 allow a bottle to be inserted therethrough and into the body of the carrier, and grip a bottle so inserted around its neck or body. The flaps 44 also prevent adjacently placed bottles from knocking against each other when the carrier is in use. Each flap 44a, 44b of a pair comprises a portion hingedly attached to the surrounding roof 13 along a hinge line 46 (
Additionally, first and second base portions 22, 32 of blank 10 also comprise tabs 45 in the form of feet to prevent a loaded carrier from slipping, for instance in the boot of a car whilst in transit. In the embodiment shown the feet 45 are formed along fold lines 24 and 33, though it will be recognised that they could be formed anywhere within the base portions 22,32.
Blank 10 may also include separator flaps (not shown) formed in the first and second base portions 22, 32. In a bottle carrier designed to accommodate six bottles the separator flaps longitudinally divide the bottom portions 22,32, into thirds. In the assembled configuration the flaps are folded into the body of the carrier to provide a means of separating the bases of adjacent bottles placed therein. Prior to assembly of the carrier 9, glue is applied to sections 50 to 53 of blank 10. Sections 50 to 52 lie on an opposite face of blank 10 to section 53. Alternatively, it will be recognised that the regions of the blank to which glued sections 50 to 53 adhere may also be glued. During assembly handle portions 11 and 12 are folded so that glued section 50 lies therebetween to adhere the two handle portions together. The thus formed handle is then passed through slot 41 of roof 13, and all fold lines lying therebetween are folded accordingly to form a first side of carrier 9. End barriers 54, formed from cut-outs 46 which span sidewall 14 and first base portions 22, are folded upwards so that glued portions 51 adhere the barrier to the dividing wall 21. Minor dividing wall 34 of the second end of blank 10, distal to the handle portion, is then folded along fold lines 31, 33 and 35, to form a symmetrical carrier 9, and adhered to dividing wall 21. End barriers 55 of the second thus formed side, and formed from cut-outs 46′, are folded upwards so that glued portions 52 adhere the barrier to minor dividing wall 34, which is itself adhered to dividing wall 21. Once the glue has set, the handle portion may be passed back through slot 41 to provide a flat configuration of carrier 9, which is suitable for packing, storage and shipment.
In the expanded configuration, as seen in
When a carrier according to the present invention has been formed it can be folded flat for storage and shipment, by passing the handle portion back through the slot formed in the ridge dividing the first and second roof sections. The carrier is easily expanded for use, and in its expanded form, the sidewalls of the carrier are pressed down over a locking tab at the base of the handle to maintain the expanded configuration. In use, bottles can be placed in the carrier and are received therein by pushing the base of the bottle through bottle engaging flaps in the carrier roof which connects the respective sidewalls and which provides a means of separating adjacent bottles. The bottle engaging flaps grip the body or neck of a bottle located within the carrier to prevent clanking whilst the carrier is being used to carry a number of bottles, or whilst the carrier is in transit within a vehicle.
A modified carrier is shown in blank form in
Additional reinforcement may optionally be applied to minor dividing wall 34 and the operatively lower part of the major dividing wall 21, as shown by the shaded portions in
As a further modification, the bottle-engaging flaps are redesigned. The upper portion 47 is omitted such that each flap has a single portion 71, hingedly formed with the roof portion 13, with an aperture 72 formed above. The provision of an aperture 72 together with flaps 71 maintains good frictional engagement with a bottle, carton or other container, but improves the obviousness of the location of the bottle-receiving apertures for the end user.
Further, a modified carrier having feet 45 in accordance with a third aspect of the invention is shown in
As may be seen, therefore, the present invention provides numerous advantages. It may be assembled easily and inexpensively, and is capable of accommodating bottles of a range of different sizes and shapes. The design of the carrier is such that it will provide stable storage means and will prevent bottles from knocking together and breaking during transit. It may be formed with a single die, using conventional manufacturing equipment. It uses around 12% less material than conventional carriers which are in common use, may be folded flat for shipment, and can be easily expanded and assembled by the user.
In
It is described how this blank can be transferred to a folded condition of the carrier in which it can be handed to an end user. Furthermore, it is described how the carrier can be converted from the folded condition to the use condition.
The upper side in
The blank can be produced from cardboard or corrugated cardboard with the corrugation being aligned length wise or width wise. The blank comprises several cutting lines and a number of folding lines. Furthermore, a number of areas are glued to a number of other areas. The blank is shown as it is after it has been cut out. The folded condition in which the carrier is, from which it can be folded out to the use condition, is a condition in which the blank is brought after a number of folding and gluing operations. The folding and gluing operations for converting the blank from the cut out condition to the folded position is described below.
In order to transform the blank from the shown position in
The lackluster side of section 102 is folded along folding line 107 and glued against the lackluster side of section 3 such that the same is positioned adjacent to the back of section 103 that is bounded by the dotted line 108. By means of this operation a handle or grip of two layers of cardboard with the opening 104 of section 102 comes into being, further comprising a foldable flap 105 of section 103 that is foldable along folding line 106. Furthermore, the blank is folded along the folding line 114, 115, 116 in such a way that the lackluster parts are placed adjacent to one other, especially the parts 109 against the perspective parts 111, 112, 131 and a part of 129.
Furthermore, the blank is folded along the folding lines 140 that are extending in prolongation of the handle opening 121, in such a way that the shiny side of section 9 is brought in a position adjacent to the lackluster side of amongst others section 129A and other sections.
The areas that are indicated with A,A; B,B; J,J; I,I (
The area 109B is folded along folding line 141A and glued against area 109A that is bounded by a dotted line 141 and that is part of section 109. In this operation, the shiny sides are glued together.
Furthermore, the flaps 133, 133A, 132, 132A are folded and glued together with the lackluster side against the lackluster part of the blank towards which these flaps are folded. These folding and gluing operations provide a reinforcement which helps prevent tearing of the cardboard of the carrier during use under strain of the weight of e.g. cans or bottles that are placed in the carrier.
The above concludes the folding and gluing operations. The carrier is brought in the folded condition and ready for use and an operation for bringing the carrier in the use condition.
The carrier comprises a number of folding and cutting lines that contribute to its usability according to the present invention as will be described below.
The cutting lines are as follows. The cardboard of the blank is cut along the lines:
123, 123A for forming of feet for providing a resistance against sliding and/or bumping because of sliding during use;
119 for folding down flaps that are defined by cutting lines 119 and by folding lines 18, which flaps help providing openings for placing e.g. bottles. Several openings are defined in the blank;
120 for indicating positions for placing bottles in the carrier;
124 for allowing fingers through the vertical wall for folding out flaps 127, 127A along folding lines 126, 126A for pulling out the attached walls to the folded out position of the carrier;
142 for allowing protrusion 122 to engage with this slot 42 when the folded out use condition of the carrier is reached;
144, which are cut-outs for enabling a separation between folding out of the carrier between the parts 112, 112A, 113, 113A and the parts 131 and 131A in which the parts 131, 131A form the bottom of the carrier positions of which the bottles are supported and the parts 112, 112A, 113, 113A provide a sideway support to the bottles that are supported by the parts 131, 131A.
The advantages of this embodiment or several aspects of this embodiment are:
by pulling the flaps 127, 127A, the surfaces 129, 129A are pulled away from each other and the folded out position is attained without the risk that the folding lines 37, 37A fold inwards, because of which the carrier would not fold out to the position of use. In an alternative way of folding out the device, in which the user tries to fold out the carrier by pushing down the folding line 40, the folding lines 137, 137A are likely to fold inwards does blocking the folding out operation;
tearing of the cardboard is prevented by the reinforcements of the folded flaps 132, 132A, 133, 133A;
the folding lines 118 are straight because of which the openings for the bottles can be folded open easily;
the opening 124 contributes to the operation for folding out the carrier in that in a simple manner, the user can reach the flaps 127, 127A for performing the pulling operation for folding out the carrier. Alternatively, instead of adding the flaps 127, 127A, simple openings at substantially this location can provide a similar means for pulling out these sidewalls.
In
In this embodiment, the folding lines 118,119 are straight for easy folding of the respective flaps before or during placing of bottles.
In the above, the present invention is described by means of several preferred embodiments. Different aspects of different embodiments are to be considered to be described in combination such that all combinations that can readily be made by a person skilled in the art are to be considered to be disclosed. These preferred embodiments are not limiting for the scope of protection of this text. The conferred rights are determined by the annexed claims.
