Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6371287
-
Patent Number
6,371,287
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, October 3, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, April 16, 200222 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Yu; Mickey
- Mohandesi; Jila M.
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CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 206 162
- 206 167
- 206 170
- 206 180
- 206 181
- 206 188
- 206 193
- 206 198
- 206 200
- 229 11712
- 493 228
- 493 229
- 493 237
- 493 240
- 493 88
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International Classifications
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a basket carrier that provides full protection for the bottles being carried, and which can be glued on a straight-line gluer. The provision of nicks (i.e., temporary bridges) between the handle panels and the side walls serves to keep the handle panels in proper alignment during the folding and gluing operation on the gluer. These nicks are easily broken when the carrier is opened to receive bottles in the bottling plant. The present invention also utilizes nicks between the partition panel and the handle ply to hold them in contact but yet prevent bunching of paperboard during the folding and gluing process.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to basket carriers with full protection for bottles and a four-ply handle. These carriers have been designed so that this can be folded and glued on a straight-line gluer. A small nick is provided between each side wall and the adjoining ply of the handle panel to maintain the handle panel in proper position in respect to the carrier during the folding and gluing operation. Small nicks are provided in the cut line between an adjoining handle ply and partition panel to make folding on a straight-line gluer feasible The present invention also relates to a method of folding and gluing of full protection basket carriers of this invention.
2. Background of the Invention
Basket carriers with full protection for the bottles have been around for many years. These have normally had to be glued on right-angle gluers in order to ensure that all of the panels and flaps that were being glued were in proper position when glued. The timing involved in a right-angle gluer facilitated the folding and gluing of these carriers. It would be desirable if full protection basket carriers could be folded and glued on straight-line gluers as it reduces the cost and the complexity of the folding and gluing process and eliminates the need for timing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a full protection basket carrier with a four-ply handle that can be folded and glued on a straight-line gluer and to provide a method for such folding and gluing.
The objects of this invention have been achieved in a full protection basket carrier. The blank has a nick between a ply of the handle panel and adjoining side wall which stays intact during the folding and gluing operation and is only broken when the basket carrier is opened to receive bottles. The blank has nicks in the cut line between an adjoining handle ply and partition panel to make folding on a straight-line gluer feasible. A method has also been developed for folding and gluing these carriers on a straight-line gluer.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a plan view of the blank for forming the first embodiment of the full protection basket carrier of this invention.
FIG. 2
is a plan view of the blank in which the partition panels have been folded onto the side walls in the first step of folding and gluing the carrier of this invention.
FIG. 3
is a plan view of the blank in which the end flaps have been folded over the partition panels.
FIG. 4
is a plan view of the blank that has been folded into a folded carrier.
FIG. 5
is a perspective view of the carrier of this invention which has been opened for receiving bottles.
FIG. 6
is a plan view of the blank for forming the second embodiment of the full protection basket carrier of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention are basket carriers that provide full protection for the bottles being carried. These carriers can be formed from a single piece of foldable material, such as the blank cut out of paperboard. The layout of the blank is basically rectangular, which results in economizing the amount of paperboard used. These carriers can be used for carrying from four to twelve bottles. They are especially designed to carry six bottles. These carriers are characterized by having a nick between each side wall and an adjoining ply of the handle panel for keeping the handle panel in proper position during the folding and gluing operation. This nick is designed to remain intact until the carrier is opened for receiving bottles. In addition, these carriers have four-ply handles in which a handle ply is attached at its top end to a partition panel by small nicks in the cut line about which the plies are folded to construct the multi-ply handle.
A method for folding and gluing these cartons has been developed for carrying out the operation on a straight-line gluer.
1. First Embodiment of the Invention
FIG. 1
is a plan view of one embodiment of this invention. The blank is represented by the numeral
10
. End flap
12
is foldably connected to side wall
14
by fold line
16
. Side wall
14
is foldably connected to glue flap
18
by fold line
20
. There are heel apertures
22
which are designed to receive a portion of the heel of the bottle when it is loaded into the carrier.
Side wall
14
is connected to end flap
24
by fold line
26
, and in turn is connected to end flap
28
by fold line
30
. End flap
28
is foldably connected to side wall
32
by fold line
34
. Side wall
32
is connected to bottom panel
36
by fold line
38
. Side wall
32
is connected to end flap
40
by fold line
42
. End flap
40
is foldably connected to riser panel flap
44
by fold line
46
.
Handle panel
48
is interconnected to handle panel
50
by fold line
52
. Handle panels
48
and
50
are supported by handle support panels
54
and
56
, which are interconnected to the handle panels by fold lines
58
and
60
, respectively. Handle support panels
54
and
56
are foldably connected to end flaps
40
and
12
by fold line
62
and
64
, respectively. Handle panels
48
and
50
are temporarily attached to side walls
32
and
14
by nicks (i.e., temporary bridges)
66
and
68
. These nicks hold the handle panels
48
and
50
in proper position during the folding and gluing operation. Their function will be discussed in more detail infra. Handle panels
48
and
50
have hand apertures
70
and
72
, respectively. Hand aperture
70
may have a cushioning flap
74
connected to handle panel
48
by fold line
78
. Similarly, hand aperture
72
may have a cushioning flap
76
connected to handle panel
50
by fold line
80
.
Partition panels
82
and
84
are respectively attached to handle panels
48
and
50
by nicks
85
in cut line
86
. These nicks
85
facilitate the folding of partition panels
82
and
84
about cut line
86
during the folding and gluing of the carrier. The nicks
85
are needed to hold the partition panels
82
and
84
as part of the blank
10
. At least two spaced apart nicks are needed and preferably four nicks are used. The cut line
86
is necessary so that the folding can be completed on a straight-line gluer without bunching of the paperboard around cut line
86
. Partition panels
82
and
84
have hand apertures
88
and
90
, respectively. Partition panels
82
and
84
have cell dividers
92
A-D struck from the partition panels. These cell dividers are foldably attached to their respective partition panels by fold lines
94
A-D. Glue tabs
96
A-D are foldably attached to cell dividers
92
A-D by fold lines
98
A-D, respectively. Strengthening flaps
100
and
102
are attached to partition panels
82
and
84
by fold lines
104
and
106
, respectively. Partition panels
82
and
84
are foldably attached to each other by fold line
108
.
A. Folding and Gluing the Carrier
The blank
10
is moved down the conveyor belt of the straight-line gluer transversely, i.e., parallel to fold lines
30
and
108
. Partition panels
82
and
84
are flipped over along cut line
86
onto handle panels
48
and
50
, and side walls
32
and
14
, respectively. This is a simple procedure because of cut line
86
and nicks
85
, which allow the partition panels
82
and
84
to be easily flipped and to remain in flat contact with the blank
10
. Glue may be applied to handle panels
48
and
50
to hold the handle panels to the partition panels
82
and
84
. Completion of this step is shown in FIG.
2
. Glue tabs
96
A-D are glued to side walls
32
and
14
. End flaps
12
and
40
are flipped inwardly, as shown in FIG.
3
. The carrier is then flipped along fold lines
30
and
108
, and riser panel
44
is attached to end panel
12
with tab
13
; extending through aperture
43
and glued to end flap
40
. The tab serves to prevent end flaps
12
and
40
from opening outwardly. The bottles serve to keep the end flaps
12
and
40
from opening inwardly. Partition panels
84
and
82
are glued together to form the completed carrier as shown in FIG.
4
.
This folding and gluing operation can be completed on a straight-line gluer because all of the folds are either transverse or longitudinal in relation to the conveyor belt of the straight-line gluer. The folding of partition panels
82
and
84
is facilitated because the nicks
85
hold the panels to handle panels
48
and
50
and cut line
86
allows partition panels
82
and
84
to be simply flipped over. No special steps are necessary for the partition panels
82
and
84
to lay flat against handle panels
48
and
50
. There is no necessity to have these particular operations timed as they can be completed when they reach the proper station along the conveyor belt.
One of the problems with straight-line gluers is that panels or flaps of cartons tend to get out of line as they proceed down the conveyor belt. It has been found that this problem is eliminated by the provision of nicks
66
and
68
between handle panels
48
and
50
, and side walls
32
and
14
, respectively. These nicks are sufficient to hold the handle panel in proper position during the folding and gluing operation.
The carrier can be filled with bottles in the bottling plant by opening the carrier which breaks the nicks
66
and
68
. The carrier is then lowered over a group of bottles, and glue flap
18
is glued to bottom panel
36
to complete the filling and erection steps. This carrier has a single bottom panel
36
held in place by a glue flap
18
.
2. Second Embodiment of the Invention
FIG. 6
is a plan view of the second embodiment of this invention. This blank is similar to the first embodiment except it has flaps that form the bottom panel rather than a large bottom panel. The blank is represented by the numeral
110
. End flap
112
is foldably connected to side wall
114
by fold line
116
. Side wall
114
is foldably connected to glue flap
118
by fold line
120
. There are heel apertures
122
, which are designed to receive a portion of the heel of the bottle when it is loaded into the carrier.
Side wall
114
is connected to end flap
124
by fold line
126
, and in turn connected to end flap
128
by fold line
130
. End flap
128
is foldably connected to side wall
132
by fold line
134
. Side wall
132
is connected to bottom flap
136
by fold line
138
. Side wall
132
is foldably connected to end flap
140
by fold line
142
. End flap
140
is foldably connected to riser panel
144
by fold line
146
.
Handle panel
148
is interconnected to handle panel
150
by fold line
152
. Handle panels
148
and
150
are supported by handle support panels
154
and
156
, which are interconnected to handle panels by fold lines
158
and
160
, respectively. Handle support panels
154
and
156
are foldably connected to end flaps
140
and
112
by fold lines
162
and
164
, respectively. Handle panels
148
and
160
are temporarily attached to side walls
114
and
132
by nicks
166
and
168
. These nicks hold the handle panels
148
and
150
in proper position during the folding and gluing operation. Handle panels
148
and
150
have hand aperture
170
and
172
, respectively. Hand aperture
170
may have a cushioning flap
174
connected to handle panel
148
by fold line
178
. Similarly, handle aperture
172
may have a cushioning flap
176
connected to handle panel
150
by fold line
180
.
Partition panels
182
and
184
are respectively attached to handle panels
148
and
150
by nicks
185
along cut line
186
. As is the case of the first embodiment, these nicks
185
facilitate folding the partition panels
182
and
184
about cut line
186
over onto handle panels
148
and
150
, respectively. Partition panels
182
and
184
have hand apertures
188
and
190
, respectively. Partition panels
182
and
184
have cell dividers
192
A-D struck from the partition panels. These cell dividers are foldably attached to their respective partition panels by fold lines
194
A-D. Glue tabs
196
A-D are foldably attached to cell dividers
192
A-D by fold lines
198
A-D, respectively. Strengthening flaps
200
and
202
are attached to partition panels
182
and
184
by fold lines
204
and
206
, respectively. Partition panels
182
and
184
are foldably attached to each other by fold line
208
. Glue flaps
210
and
212
are attached to partition panels
182
and
184
by fold lines
214
and
216
, respectively.
A. Folding and Gluing the Carrier
The blank
110
is moved down the conveyor belt of a straight-line gluer transversely, i.e., parallel to fold lines
130
and
208
. Partition panels
182
and
184
are flipped over onto the handle panels
148
and
150
and side walls
132
and
124
, respectively. Cut line
186
allows the partition panels to lay flat against handle panels
148
and
150
, yet the nicks hold the partition panels
182
and
184
to the blank. Glue may be applied to handle panels
148
and
150
to hold the handle panels to the partition panels
182
and
184
. Glue tabs
196
A-D are glued to side walls
132
and
114
. End flaps
112
and
140
are flipped, and riser panel
144
is interlocked to end flap
112
by tab
113
(which is glued to end flap
140
) entering aperture
145
from the outside of aperture
145
. Partition panels
182
and
184
are glued together to form the finished completed carton.
In order to prevent the handle panels from getting twisted or improperly aligned as they proceed down the conveyor belt, nicks
166
and
168
, between handle panels
148
and
150
and side walls
132
and
114
, respectively hold the handle panels in proper position. These nicks are sufficient to hold the handle panels in proper position, but yet are easily broken when the carrier is set up in the bottling plant.
Opening the carrier in the bottling plant breaks the nicks
166
and
168
. Glue flaps
210
and
212
are glued to glue flaps
136
and
118
, respectively to form the bottom of the carrier.
While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A glued folding basket carrier for carrying a plurality of bottles comprising:a. a bottom panel with side and end walls with each wall extending from the bottom panel to a top edge of the wall, one end wall being composed of two end flaps, with one end flap being attached to a riser panel which has an aperture and the other end flap has a tab which help hold the end wall in a closed position when said tab is inserted into said aperture and glued to the end flap attached to the riser panel; and b. a multi-ply handle extending above the top edges of the side and end walls with at least one ply attached to the top edge of each side wall in at least two spaced apart locations with at least one nick therebetween temporarily attaching a ply of a handle to the top edge of each adjoining side wall, and c. a pair of partition panels with each panel being attached to a handle ply by at least two nicks.
- 2. The basket carrier of claim 1, wherein each partition panel is attached to an adjoining handle ply by at least four nicks.
US Referenced Citations (7)