Abstract:
A carrier device with article receiving compartments on either side of a central wall ( 31 ) and handle portion ( 14 ). The handle being separate from the central wall and moveable relative thereto between a raised position and a lowered position. The handle can be retained in either the raised or lowered positions by hook formations ( 22 ) and is connected to the carrier device by interconnecting webs ( 17 ) extending from the side walls.

Description:
[0001]    This invention relates to containers for articles and more particularly to basket style containers usually for carrying bottles. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Basket style containers normally have a central lengthwise extending wall which leads into an upstanding handle portion. On each side of the central wall is an open topped compartment section for receiving a number of bottles. Further, divider walls generally are also provided inside each compartment section so as to define individual pockets for each bottle. When fully erected, the container has a base, a pair of end wall means generally perpendicular to the central wall and a pair of side walls generally parallel to the central wall and hingedly connected to the end walls. 
         [0003]    It is common for the containers to be supplied to an end user, such as a beverage manufacturer, in a flat condition either fully glued or glued except for a pair of base panels. The end user then runs the containers on a packing machine which opens the containers and inserts the bottles, having closed the base panels where necessary. 
         [0004]    In EP-A-1319607 there is provided a paperboard basket type carrier device having a lengthwise extending central wall, article receiving compartments on both sides of the central wall and a handle portion, each receiving compartment being defined by a base wall, a side wall substantially parallel to the central wall, a pair of end walls extending between and hingedly connected to the side wall, and the central wall with compartment dividers being folded out from the central wall and adhesively secured to the side walls, the handle portion being separate from the central wall, being movable relative thereto between a raised position and a lowered position and being connected to the remainder of the carrier device by means of interconnecting webs extending from the pair of side walls, a releasable interconnection being provided between the handle portion and the remainder of the carrier device to retain the handle portion in its lowered position. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    According to the present invention there is provided a paperboard basket type carrier device having a lengthwise extending central wall, article receiving compartments on both sides of the central wall and a handle portion, each receiving compartment being defined by a base wall, a side wall substantially parallel to the central wall, a pair of end walls extending between and hingedly connected to the side wall, and the central wall compartment dividers being folded out from the central wall and adhesively secured to the side walls, the handle portion being separate from the central wall, being movable relative thereto between a raised position and a lowered position and being connected to the remainder of the carrier device by means of interconnecting webs extending from the pair of side walls, a releasable interconnection being provided between the handle portion and the remainder of the carrier device to retain the handle portion in its lowered position and the releasable interconnection comprising a hook formation formed on each of a pair of downward extension of the handle portion and a cooperating edge formed in one of the compartment dividers at a location adjacent the central wall, one extension being provided on each side of the central wall. 
         [0006]    An interconnecting web can be provided at each lengthwise end of each side wall and also the interconnecting webs are of multiple thickness. Conveniently creases are provided in the interconnecting webs to facilitate movement of the handle portion between its raised and lowered positions. 
         [0007]    The base wall can have a central fold extending from one end wall to the other. 
         [0008]    The downward extensions can have an angled cutaway lower edge portion below the hook formations and also the downward extensions can have an angled cutaway lower edge portion at the end opposite the hook formations. 
         [0009]    In addition, each cooperating edge is constituted by the folding of one of the compartment dividers. 
         [0010]    An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a blank for producing a basket type carrier device according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the assembled carrier device in a flat-folded condition. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective side view of the carrier device being opened up. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective side view of the carrier device in a further opened up condition. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective side view of the carrier device in a fully opened condition ready to receive articles. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the loaded carrier device with the handle lowered. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the loaded carrier device being carried with the handle raised. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    In the figures there is shown a paperboard blank  10  for producing a basket-type carton  11  for carrying a number of articles as a multipack. In the arrangement shown, the articles are bottles  12  having bottle closures  13  and the carton  11  is designed to carry a total of six bottles  12  in two rows of three. It will be evident on reading the specification, however, that other articles could be carried and there could be more than three articles in each row. 
         [0019]    The blank  10  provides two main handle panels  14  which are connected along a fold line A-A. The main handle panels  14  each have a handle aperture  15  complete with a tuck flap  16 , which is known for providing added comfort when the loaded carton  11  is being carried. 
         [0020]    Each main handle panel  14  is hingedly connected at each lengthwise end to an interconnecting web  17 . Reinforcing panels  18  which have handle reinforcing portions  19  and web reinforcing sections  20  are hingedly connected to the respective main handle panels  14  and to the interconnecting webs  17  along fold lines B-B and C-C. Each main handle panel  14  also has an extension  21  which terminates in a hook formation  22  at one end. 
         [0021]    Each interconnecting web  17  is hingedly connected remote from the handle panel  14  to a side wall  23  which in turn is hingedly connected at its lower edge  24  to a main base panel  25  at one side and a secondary base panel  25  in the form of a glue panel at the other side. Alternatively, interlocking formations could be employed to secure the base, as is known in the industry. Each side wall  23  has an interconnecting web  17  at each lengthwise end. The main base panel  25  has a lengthwise fold  41  which is centrally disposed between the side walls  23  when the carton is assembled. 
         [0022]    At each end edge  26  of each side wall  23 , a partial end wall  27 ,  28  is hingedly connected. Hingedly connected along folds  29  to each partial end wall  27 ,  28  is a partial center wall  30 ,  31 . Lateral dividers  32 ,  33  are cut from the partial center walls  31  to be hinged about folds  34 ,  35 . Each lateral divider  32 ,  33  has an adhesive tab  36  cut therefrom which tab is hingedly connected to the lateral divider by means of fold  37 . 
         [0023]    Assembly of the carton  11  is as follows. First, the reinforcing panels  18  are folded about folds B-B and C-C and adhesively secured to the inside of the main handle panels  14  and the interconnecting webs  17 . Next, the partial center walls  31  are folded through 180° about folds  29  so as to lie against the adjacent partial end wall  28  and the side wall  23 . Glue is applied to the adhesive tabs  36  of the lateral dividers  32 ,  33  to secure them to the respective side walls  23 . 
         [0024]    The other partial center walls  30  together with their associated partial end walls  27  are then folded through 180° about the edges  26 . Glue is applied to the upper part of the partial center walls  30  to secure them to the respective partial center walls  31  which is overlapped. 
         [0025]    The part-assembled carton  11  is then folded about fold A-A and the two reinforced handle panels  14  are adhesively secured to each other, but the extensions  21  are not secured to each other. Also adhesively secured together are the parts of the partial walls  30 ,  31  around, but not including, the lateral dividers  32 ,  33 . The base panels  25  can then be secured relative to each other either before or after bottles have been inserted into the article receiving compartments defined by the partial end walls, the center wall, the side walls and the base panels. Each extension  21  remains on the outside of its respective center wall. 
         [0026]    It will be clear that the assembled carton  11  can in this embodiment be assembled into a flat condition which can be opened up when articles are to be inserted. 
         [0027]    When the carton  11  is opened up, hook receiving edges or notches  38  become apparent where the lateral dividers  33  hinge out of the plane of the partial center wall  31 . The handle section  14 ,  21  is attached to the article receiving compartments only by means of the four reinforced interconnecting webs  17 . The handle section  14 ,  21  is, therefore, movable up and down relative to the center wall  30 ,  31  of the carton  11 . The pair of extensions  21  which, when assembled, extend downwardly from the main handle panels  14  on both sides of the center wall are dimensioned such that the hook formations  22  can engage in the notches  38  so as to retain the handle section  14 ,  21  in a lowered position. The extensions each have at each end an angled cutaway  42  below the hook formation  22  to allow passage of the lateral divider  33  when the pack is being opened up and the handle lowered as shown clearly in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The provision of unglued extensions  21  both either side of the central wall gives the pack symmetry and helps to keep the central wall central. Generally, with the bottles  12  inserted, the main handle panels  14  do not project above the bottles when the handle section  14 ,  21  is in its lowered position. This is ideal for storage and stacking. 
         [0028]    An end user can, however, grasp the handle by way of the handle apertures  15  and lift the handle. The interengagement of the hook formations  22  in the notches  38  is readily overcome to allow the handle section  14 ,  21  to move upwardly such that the handle apertures  15  are above the bottles  12 . Optional creases  39  in the interconnecting webs  17  may be provided to facilitate the movement between the lowered and raised positions. 
         [0029]    The carton  11  illustrated has a four ply handle area  14  with reinforced webs  17 , but the reinforcement may not be necessary depending on the weight to be carried and the strength of the paperboard. Also, the carton  11  could be readily modified to carry more or even less bottles than the six illustrated.