TOP GRIPPING CARTON

Abstract: An article carrier of the top gripping type which includes a main panel (28) comprising a plurality of apertures (106, 108, 110), oppositely disposed tabs (96, 98, 100) extend from inwardly sloping side walls to support the articles (A) and a handle structure (H) which is hinged to a top part of the carrier and foldable from an upright position of use to a stowed position.

Description: TOP GRIPPING CARTON The invention relates to an article carrier which is used for securing a plurality of articles such as bottles in a group. More particularly, the invention relates to an article carrier of the top gripping type which attaches to the tops of articles thereby to secure the articles in an array. One aspect of the invention provides an article carrier of the top-gripping type which carrier comprises a handle panel hinged to a top part of the carrier and foldable from an upright position of use to a stowed position in which it extends adjacent a side wall of the carrier and means being provided to hold the handle in its stowed position. Another aspect of the invention provides an article carrier for securing a plurality of articles, such as bottles, which carrier comprises a base panel having a plurality of apertures to receive said articles, a handle panel, said handle panel being connected to top gripping means , said top gripping means being formed from inwardly sloping first and second side walls, each said side wall being connected to said base panel along their lower edge and wherein said handle panel extends f om the upper edge of each said side wall, wherein said top gripping means includes a pair of complementary top gripping apertures struck from respective ones of. said side panels and extending into said handle panel and a pair of article receiving tabs extending from the lower edge of each of said apertures and adapted operatively to engage and retain part of an article received in said pair of article receiving tabs, and a handle locking tab extending from a free edge of said first side wall. According to a feature of this aspect of the invention, said article carrier may provide a handle panel adapted to receive said handle locking tab, thereby to maintain said handle panel and said first side wall in a face to face relationship . According to another feature of this aspect of the invention, said article carrier may provide a pair of article receiving tabs adapted to receive a pair of guides extending from storage shelving thereby to hold said article . Yet another feature of this aspect of the invention may provide an article carrier wherein said top gripping means comprises a plurality of top gripping apertures and article receiving tabs . Yet a further feature of this aspect of the invention may provide an article carrier wherein said second side wall extends beyond said base panel in an outward direction. Another aspect of the invention provides a blank for forming an article carrier. Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a carton blank according to one embodiment of the invention; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an erected carton formed from a blank shown in Figure 1 ; FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the erected carton being loaded onto guides; FIGURE 4 is a side view of the carton being supported by guides; FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a carton according to another embodiment; and FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the erected carton shown in Figure 5 in a stowed position. Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a carton blank 6 for forming a top gripping carton made from paperboard or similar foldable sheet material. The blank 6 comprises a series of outer panels 7,8 and inner panels 9, 10 hinged one to the next. Thus, outer panels 7, 8 comprise side panel 12, top gripping panel 14, handle panels 16, 18, 20, 22, top gripping panel 24, side panel 26, and base panel 28, hingably connected one to the next along fold lines 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72 and 74 respectively. Top gripping panel 14 includes an aperture 90 positioned in a central portion of top gripping panel 14 and extending into handle panels 16,18. In addition, a pair of apertures 92, 94 are struck from fold line 60 being positioned on either side of aperture 90 and extending into handle panels 16, 18. Tabs 96, 98 and 100 are struck from top gripping panel 14 and extend substantially into apertures 90, 92, 94 respectively, being shaped to provide an opening between said tabs and top gripping panel 14. Turning to handle panel 18, there is a tab 102 struck from score line 104 and positioned in a central portion of handle panel 18. Aperture 90 extends substantially to the free edge of tab 102. Handle panel 16, 18 and top gripping panel 14 are symmetrical to handle panels 20, 22 and top gripping panel 24 respectively about fold line 66 whereby these panels are of similar construction and not therefore more specifically described. Base panel 28 comprises three apertures 106, 108, 110 to each receive an upper portion of an article. The apertures are substantially circular with aperture 108 being positioned in a central portion of base panel 28 and apertures 106, 110 being positioned on either side of and substantially equidistant from aperture 108. Tab 112 is struck from side panel 26 and extends into aperture 108. Apertures 106, 110 are adapted to extend between fold lines 74 and 76. Aperture 108 extends to fold line 76 from tab 112. A central interrupted fold line L connects the opposing free edges of base panel 28 and passes through apertures 106, 108, 110. Inner panels 9, 10 to support the aforesaid outer panels 7, 8, are connected to base panel 28 along fold line 76 being symmetrical with outer panels 7, 8 about central fold line L. Thus inner panels 9, 10 comprise side panel 30, top gripping panel 32, handle panels 34, 36, 38, 40, top gripping panel 42 and side panel 44 hingably connected one to the next along fold lines 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88 and 89 respectively. Top gripping panel 32 includes an aperture 120 positioned in a central portion of top gripping panel 32 and extending into handle panels 34, 36. In addition a pair of apertures 122, 124 are struck from fold line 78, being positioned either side of aperture 120 and extending into handle panels 34, 36. Tabs 126, 128 and 130 are struck from inner top gripping panel 32 and extend substantially into apertures 120, 122, 124 respectively, being shaped to provide an opening between said tabs and top gripping panel 32. Handle panels 38, 40, top gripping panel 42 and side panel 44 are symmetrical to handle panels 34, 36, top gripping panel 32 and side panel 30 respectively about fold line 84 whereby these panels are of similar construction and therefore not more specifically described. Fold lines 80, 82, 86, 88 are interrupted by apertures B, C, D, E being optionally incorporated to assist in ease of folding. A carton K is constructed with reference to Figures 1 and 2, inner panels 9, 10 are folded about fold line 76 and 84 until the free edge 140 of side panel 30 comes into contact with fold line 74, thereby forming a tubular shaped structure with base panel 28. Outer panel 8 is folded about fold line 74 and brought into a face to face relationship with inner panel 10 thereby moving folding tab 112 out of alignment with aperture 108. Outer panel 7 is then folded about fold line 66 and brought into a face to face relationship with inner panel 9. Outer panels 7, 8 are connected together with inner panels 9, 10 by glue or other means known in the art . The handle structure H, illustrated in Figure 2, is then formed by folding handle panels 34, 36 and handle panels 38, 40 about fold lines 80, 88 respectively until handle panels 34, 36 are brought into a face relationship with handle panels 38, 40 respectively and are connected together by glue or other means known in the art . Articles A are inserted through each of apertures 106, 108, 110 thereby displacing tabs 96, 98, 100 out of their general plane until the distal edges of the tabs come into contact with the underside of the neck flanges of each article 142, 144, 146 respectively. Thus, the articles are held in position by aforesaid tabs, as shown in Figure 2. To enable the articles A to be stored on guides, as illustrated in Figure 3 and 4, handle structure H is folded about fold lines 70 and 68 such that handle structure H is in a face to face relationship with top gripping panel 24 and side panel 26 respectively. Handle structure H is restrained in a stowed position by tucking tab 102 between article A and tab 112. Thus the neck flanges 142, 144, 146 from each respective article is exposed to allow pairs of guides 148, 150, 152 respectively to be introduced to respective ones of flanges thereby supporting the articles A as shown in Figure 4. To use the handle structure H again, tab 102 is undipped from corresponding tab 112 so that handle structure H can be folded away from the face to face relationship with side panel 26 and into a substantially upright position as shown in Figure 2. In one embodiment, as illustrated in figure 1, side panel 12 may be extended to increase the area for graphics display. Referring to figures 5 and 6, there is shown another embodiment of the invention in which handle panel 212, extends along a reduced portion of the tubular structure 210. The other panels are of similar construction to the embodiment described earlier and are not therefore more specifically described. In this embodiment, tab 214 is struck from side panel 216 and is adapted to receive tab 218 from handle panel 212. Articles A are inserted according to the method substantially as outlined above. Likewise, to enable the articles A to be stored on guides, handle panel 212 is folded about fold lines 220, 222 such that handle panel 212 is in a face to face relationship with side panel 216. Handle structure 212 is restrained in a stowed position by tucking tab 218 into the aperture formed when tab 214 is moved out of alignment with side panel 216 illustrated in Figure 6. Thus, neck flanges 230, 232, 234 from each respective article is exposed to allow pairs of guides (not shown) to be introduced to respective ones of flanges thereby supporting the articles A. The present invention and its preferred embodiments relate to an article carrier which is shaped to provide satisfactory strength to hold the bottles securely but with a degree of flexibility so that the load transferred to the handle is absorbed by carrier. The shape of the blank minimises the amount of paperboard required. The carrier can be applied to an array of bottles by hand or automatic machinery. It is anticipated that the invention can be applied to a variety of carriers and not limited to those of the top gripping sort .

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An article carrier of the top-gripping type which carrier comprises a handle panel hinged to a top part of the carrier and foldable from an upright position of use to a stowed position in which it extends adjacent a side wall of the carrier and means being provided to hold the handle in its stowed position. 2. An article carrier for securing a plurality of articles, such as bottles, which carrier comprises a base panel having a plurality of apertures to receive said articles, a handle panel, said handle panel being connected to top gripping means, said top gripping means being formed from inwardly sloping first and second side walls, each said side wall being connected to said base panel along their lower edge and wherein said handle panel extends from the upper edge of each said side wall, wherein said top gripping means includes a pair of complementary top gripping apertures struck from respective ones of said side panels and extending into said handle panel and a pair of article receiving tabs extending from the lower edge of each of said apertures and adapted operatively to engage and retain part of an article received in said pair of article receiving tabs, and a handle locking tab extending from a free edge of said first side wall. 3. An article carrier according to claim 2 wherein said handle panel is adapted to receive said handle locking tab, thereby to maintain said handle panel and said first side wall in a face to face relationship. 4. An article carrier according to claim 3 wherein said pair of article receiving tabs are adapted to receive a pair of guides extending from storage shelving thereby to hold said article. 5. An article carrier according to any of claims 2 to 4 wherein said top gripping means comprises a plurality of top gripping apertures and article receiving tabs. 6. An article carrier according to any of claims 2 to 5 wherein said second side wall extends beyond said base panel in an outward direction. 7. An article carrier or unitary blank substantially as hereinbefore described by reference to or as illustrated in any of Figures 1 to 6. 8. A unitary blank for forming an article carrier according to claim 1.

Inventors: AUCLAIR JEAN-MICHEL, GARNIER JEAN-MICHEL, AUCLAIR, JEAN-MICHEL, GARNIER, JEAN-MICHEL
Applicants: AUCLAIR JEAN MICHEL, GARNIER JEAN MICHEL, MEAD CORP, AUCLAIR, JEAN-MICHEL, GARNIER, JEAN-MICHEL, THE MEAD CORPORATION
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B65D71
IPC codes: B65D71