TOP GRIPPING CARRIER FOR BOTTLES

Abstract: An article carrier of the top-gripping type comprises a top panel (16) having a bottle neck-receiving aperture (200) and a bottle-releasing aperture (216). The neck-receiving aperture (200) has a lower edge (60) for engagement with a bottle neck and an opposing upper edge (300) for pressing the bottle neck against the lower edge (60) of the neck-receiving aperture. The carrier further comprises frangible means (212) for tearing at least a portion of the top panel (16) adjacent to the neck-receiving aperture (200) to allow the bottle neck to be disengaged from the lower edge (60) of the neck-receiving aperture. The frangible means (212) extends between the bottle-releasing aperture (216) and the neck receiving aperture (200).

Description: TOP GRIPPING CARRIER FOR BOTTLES Background of the Invention 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 one or more arrays. Summary of the Invention One aspect of the invention relates to an article carrier of the top-gripping type comprising a top panel having a bottle neck-receiving aperture and a bottle- releasing aperture. The neck-receiving aperture has a lower edge for engagement with a bottle neck and an opposing upper edge for pressing the bottle neck against the lower edge of the neck-receiving aperture. The carrier further comprises frangible means for tearing at least a portion of the top panel adjacent to the neck-receiving aperture to allow the bottle neck to be disengaged from the lower edge of the neck-receiving aperture. The frangible means extends between the bottle-releasing aperture and the neck receiving aperture. The tearing means prevents the upper edge of the neck-receiving aperture from completely destructed, and thus the upper edge is capable of pressing the bottle neck against the lower edge even after the top panel is torn by using the tearing means. For this reason, the carrier of the invention is reusable and is particularly useful to return empty bottles to retail stores or the like. Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a plan view of a carrier blank according to one aspect of the invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a carrier formed from the blank as shown in FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carrier in FIG. 2, showing its lower portion. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a blank 10 for forming a top gripping carrier made from paperboard or other similar material. The blank 10 comprises a series of panels 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 connected one to the next. More specifically, top panel 16 includes a pair of opposite shoulder strips 14 and 18 extending along the opposite side edges of top panel 16. These strips 14 and 18 are foldably joined to the body of top panel 16 along interrupted fold lines 62 and 64, respectively. Side panel 12 is foldably connected to shoulder strip 14 along an interrupted fold line 60. In like manner, side panel 20 is foldably connected to shoulder strip 18 along an interrupted fold line 66. Skirt strip 22 is foldably connected along fold line 68 to side panel 12 and includes a series of fold lines 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 to assist in being folded about a portion of a row of articles when the carrier is in a set up condition. Likewise, skirt strip 24 is foldably connected along fold line 76 to side panel 20 and includes a series of fold lines 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88 to assist in being folded about a portion of another row of articles when the carrier is in a set up condition. Internal partition band 26 is foldably connected to skirt strip 22 along a pair of aligned fold lines 90 and 92 and is separated therefrom by cut line 94. Likewise, internal partition bond 28 is connected to skirt strip 24 along a pair of aligned fold lines 96 and 98 and is separated therefrom by cut line 100. As shown in FIG. 1, there are four neck-receiving apertures 200, 202, 204 and 206 formed in the opposed quadrants of top panel 16. Apertures 200 and 202 each is struck in part from shoulder strip 14 and terminates at fold line 60, and thus the lower edge "L" of each aperture is defined by the upper edge of side panel 12. A central portion of the top panel 16 includes a substantially circular bottle-releasing aperture 216. This aperture 216 is adapted to receive the fingers of users as well as to receive a handle which will be described later. Tear lines 116 and 118 extend between the upper edge "U" of the receiving aperture 200 and the releasing aperture 216, and thus they define therebetween a tear strip 212. In like manner, tear lines 120 and 122 extend between the upper edge "U" of the receiving aperture 202 and the releasing aperture 216, and thus they define therebetween a tear strip 214. Pull tabs 208 and 210 are foldably connected to tear strips 212 and 214 respectively along fold lines 112 and 114. These pull tabs 208 and 210 extend into receiving apertures 200 and 202, respectively. A tongue 222 is struck from top panel 16 and extends from fold line 62 towards releasing aperture 216. Support panels 30 and 32 are foldably connected to top panel 16 and side panel 12 along fold line 102. Likewise, support panels 34 and 36 are foldably connected to top panel 16 and side panel 12 along fold line 104. Support panels 30 and 34 include lower receiving apertures 224 and 226 adapted to be aligned or registered with neck-receiving apertures 200 and 202 when the carrier is in a set up condition. Support panels 30 and 34 also include lower releasing edges 228 and 230 designed to extend along at least portions of the perimeter of the bottle-releasing aperture 216 when the carrier is in a set up condition. Support panels further include frangible lines 232 and 234 extending between the lower receiving aperture 224, 226 and the lower releasing edges 228 and 230. These frangible lines 232 and 234 are designed to underlie the tear strips 212 and 214 respectively when the carrier is in a set up condition. Support panels 32 and 36 are shaped to be aligned with side panel 12 when the carrier is in a set up condition. Top panel 16 and support panels 30, 32, 34 and 36 are symmetrical about center fold line 250, whereby the other half of top panel 16 and support panels 38, 40, 42 and 44 are of a similar construction and not therefore specifically described. Handle panel 46 and handle-reinforcing panel 48 are formed from support panels 34, 36, 42 and 44 and are separated therefrom by cut line 252. These panels 46 and 48 in cooperation are adapted to form a two-ply handle for the carrier. Handle panel 46 is foldably connected to handle-reinforcing panel 48 along fold line 254. Fold lines 256, 258, 260, 262, 264, 266, 268 are incorporated into handle panel 46 and handle-reinforcing panel 48 to provide means for enabling the two-ply handle to pop up when in use. The action of the "pop up" means is disclosed in PCT/US95/09430. As illustrated in FIGS . 2 and 3 , the carrier is constructed by first forming the two-ply handle H. To create the handle H, handle panel 46 and handle-reinforcing panel 48 are folded about fold line 254 into a flat face- contacting relationship. Support panels 30, 32, 38, 40 and 34, 36, 42, 44 are folded about fold lines 102 and 104 respectively into a flat face-contacting relationship with top panel 16 and side panels 12 and 20. Side panels 12 and 20 are folded into an approximately perpendicular relationship with top panel 16 along fold lines 60, 62, 64 and 66. Internal partition band 26 is folded about fold lines 90 and 92 to bring its opposite the end sections 126 and 130 into a face-contacting relationship respectively with the opposite end sections 124 and 128 of skirt strip 22. Those brought into the flat ace-contacting relationship are glued together as shown in FIG 3. In like manner, internal partition band 28 is folded about fold lines 96 and 98 to bring its opposite end sections 136 and 138 into a face-contacting relationship respectively with the foldable sections 132 and 134 of skirt strip 24. Those brought into the flat face-contacting relationship are also glued together as shown in FIG 3. The opposite end sections 140 and 142 of skirt strip 24 are glued to the opposite end sections 126 and 130 of internal partition band 26 while internal partition bands 26 and 28 are glued together at their respective center sections 144 and 146. By this means, a grouping strap for encircling the group of bottles is created along with internal partition means for dividing the bottles into two rows. As shown in FIG. 2, the articles are inserted into neck-receiving apertures 200, 202, 204, 206 such that the neck flanges 300, 302, 304, 306 are engaged on their undersides by lower edges LI, L2 , L3 , L4 respectively and pressed against lower edges LI, L2 , L3 , L4 by upper edges Ul, U2, U3, U4. Pull tabs 208, 210 and the other two pull tabs abut top portions of the articles . These tabs and the associated tear strips can be removed to allow easy removal of the articles. The handle H is free to pop up through the central aperture as described earlier. The present invention relates to a bottle carrier which is shaped to provide satisfactory strength to hold the bottles securely but with a degree of flexibility so that load transferred to the handle is absorbed by the carrier. The shape of the blank minimizes 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 comprising: a top panel having a bottle neck-receiving aperture and a bottle-releasing aperture, said neck- receiving aperture having a lower edge for engagement with a bottle neck and an opposing upper edge for pressing said bottle neck against said lower edge; and frangible means for tearing at least a portion of said top panel adjacent to said neck-receiving aperture to allow said bottle neck to be disengaged from said lower edge, said frangible means extending between said bottle- releasing aperture and said neck receiving aperture. 2. The article carrier according to claim 1, wherein said frangible means extends from said upper edge to said bottle-releasing aperture. 3. The article carrier according to claim 1, wherein said tearing means comprises a tear line formed in said top panel . 4. The article carrier according to claim 1, wherein said tearing means comprises a tear strip defined by a pair of substantially parallel tear lines formed in said divider panel . 5. The article carrier according to claim 4, wherein said tearing lines extends from said upper edge to said bottle-releasing aperture. 6. The article carrier according to claim 4, wherein said tear strip includes a tab formed from material that is struck from said top panel to define said neck-receiving aperture. 7. The article carrier according to claim 6, wherein said tab extends into said neck-receiving aperture when said bottle neck is out of said neck-receiving aperture. 8. The article carrier according to claim 4, further comprising a support panel disposed under said top panel in flat face-contacting relationship, said support panel including a lower receiving aperture disposed in registry with said neck-receiving aperture, and a lower releasing edge extending along at least a portion of a perimeter of said bottle-releasing aperture, said support panel having a frangible line underlying said tear strip. 9. The article carrier according to claim 8, wherein said frangible line extends between said lower receiving aperture and said lower releasing edge. 10. The article carrier according to claim 1, wherein said top panel includes a bevelled shoulder strip, and said neck-receiving aperture is formed in part in said shoulder strip to have said lower edge disposed at a lower vertical position than said upper edge. 11. The article carrier according to claim 10, further comprising a side panel joined at an upper edge thereof to said shoulder strip, said neck-receiving aperture extends entirely across said shoulder strip and terminates at said upper edge of said side panel such that said lower edge of said neck-receiving aperture is defined by said upper edge of said shoulder strip. 12. The article carrier according to claim 1, wherein said bottle-releasing aperture is a hand aperture for receiving fingers to hold said carrier. 13. The article carrier according to claim 1, wherein said top panel has a plurality of bottle neck-receiving apertures, and said frangible means is provided for each of said neck-receiving apertures to extend between said each neck-receiving aperture and said bottle-releasing aperture. 14. The article carrier according to claim 13, wherein said top panel is generally rectangular in shape, said bottle-releasing aperture is located at a center of said top panel, and said neck-receiving apertures are disposed around said bottle-releasing aperture. 15. An article carrier of the top-gripping type comprising: a top panel having a plurality of article- receiving apertures for retaining articles; a pair of opposed side panels foldably joined to and extending downwardly from opposite side edges of said top panel; an endless grouping strap formed integrally with said carrier to encircle said articles; and internal partition means disposed within said grouping strap to divide said articles into at least two groups , said grouping strap comprising a pair of skirt strips joined respectively to lower edges of said side panels and connected together to form said endless grouping strap, said partition means comprising a pair of partition bands formed respectively from said skirt strips. 16. The article carrier according to claim 15, wherein each of said partition bands is foldably joined to a respective one of said skirt strips along a pair of aligned fold lines separated from each other by a cut line and is folded about said aligned fold lines to receive one of said at least two groups of said articles between said each partition band and said respective skirt strip. 17. The article carrier according to claim 16, wherein said partition bands are secured together at intermediate portions thereof.

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