Abstract:
An integrally molded carrier for balanced lifting and carrying of multiple containers by their necks includes a substantially planar web having multiple nodes defining multiple aligned annular support rings, the web being provided with a flexibly attached U-shaped handle attached to one side of the web. Annular neck-engaging flanges integral with the web are arranged around the inside of the support rings for releasably engaging the necks of containers.

Description:
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/602,371 filed Jun. 23, 2003, now abandoned, the priority of which is claimed pursuant to 35 USC 120. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Multiple bottle carriers for holding and carrying bottles or jugs by their necks are well known. A common type of commercially available carrier is fabricated from thin gauge sheets of plastic. The thin planar sheet is die-cut to provide holes for engaging the necks of the containers and holes for grasping the carrier, and is thermo-formed into a three-dimensional shape to provide structural integrity to the carrier. There are several problems with this carrier. First, the thermo-formed plastic sheet shrouds the container, obscuring visibility of the product and product labels. Second, the thin gauge and sharp edges of the plastic material makes the carrier uncomfortable to carry. 
   An integrally molded carrier for carrying multiple containers by their necks is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,397. The carrier disclosed therein is designed to carry six large bottles, typically one-gallon plastic jugs containing a liquid such as milk, fruit juice or water. While such products are sold in bulk in packs of six, it is advantageous from a pricing standpoint for retailers to sell 64 ounce or half-gallon bottles three to a package. 
   Carrying handles for three or four bottles, however, are awkward and difficult to use. An example of such a carrier is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,295, which discloses an in-line design bottle carrier capable of carrying three bottles by their necks by means of three uniformly spaced split collars mounted within a frame interconnected by a single row of longitudinally extending rigid bars. The carrier features two loops that function as handles, which must be pulled up substantially simultaneously and drawn together before they may be grasped by the user, making the balanced lifting of three bottles awkward. These handles also tend to stick up above the necks of the bottles, making the bottle/carrier combination difficult to ship. Finally, the &#39;295 carrier is also difficult to apply to groups of three bottles with automated equipment. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides an integrally molded carrier for balanced lifting and carrying of up to three or four containers by their necks. The carrier includes a substantially planar web having three or four nodes defining three or four annular support rings. A flexible annular neck-engaging flange integral with the web is arranged within each annular support ring for releasably engaging the necks of containers. The centers of the annular support rings are substantially aligned along a common axis. A substantially U-shaped handle is flexibly attached to one side of the web at points on either side of the center annular support(s), and is capable of lying in the same plane as the web. 
   The web design and the flexibility of the single handle at its points of attachment to the web provide a balanced carrier that enables up to three or four containers to be lifted by hand and easily carried. The design also permits the three or four containers to be balanced relative to the handle so that their weight is distributed evenly. Finally, the planar configuration of the carrier when not in use permits high speed machine application of the carrier to sets of bottles and allows multiple carriers to be easily stacked together for shipping. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective top view of an exemplary carrier of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the carrier of  FIG. 1  engaging three containers by their necks and showing the handle oriented at substantially right angles to the web. 
       FIGS. 3–4  are perspective top views of two other exemplary carriers of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective top view of another exemplary carrier of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals generally refer to the same elements, there is shown in  FIGS. 1–4  carriers  10  and  10 ′ for carrying up to three or four containers such as bottles that include a substantially planar web  11  having three or four nodes preferably formed from a flexible material such as plastic, preferably high density polyethylene (HDPE), and most preferably recyclable HDPE. The three or four nodes of web  11  are substantially aligned along a common axis. 
   Web  11  includes an inner portion which is continuous and flat and optional peripheral support ridges  12  along its periphery between the three or four nodes to provide structural rigidity. Each of the three or four nodes are provided with identical flexible neck-engaging annular support rings  13  that are integral with web  11 . 
   Each neck-engaging annular support ring  13  is provided with a circumferential ridge  14  to give structural rigidity, and with an annular flange  16 . Annular flange  16  is flexible for ease in placing over and removing the same from, for example, a bottle neck, and may be joined to circumferential ridge  14  by radial ribs  17 . Annular flange  16  is preferably frusto-conically shaped so as to flex in an upward direction when the carrier is pushed in a downward direction over, for example, the necks of bottles and then to bear at an upward angle against the weight of the bottles when the carrier is lifted. Annular flange  16  is optionally provided with inner edge portions  19  that are substantially flat, which make it easier to engage and disengage bottle necks. Annular flange  16  may also be provided with sets of reinforcing radial ribs  17  and sets of radial relief slots  18 , the latter permitting the annular flanges greater flex when the necks of bottles are either engaged or disengaged. Annular flange  16  may also be discontinuous or articulated, shown by the reference A in  FIG. 3 , to facilitate the carrying of heavier bottles, and outer neck-engaging rings  13  may be provided with pry tabs  32  to further facilitate application and removal of rings  13  to and from the necks of bottles. 
   Other types of neck-engaging flanges may work as well. For example, flat flanges, not conically shaped, may have enough structural rigidity to grasp and hold the necks of bottles. Nor is it necessary that the flanges be set apart from the annular supporting ribs by radial ribs; the web and the flanges may be integral if the web material is strong enough. 
   The carrier  10  and  10 ′ is provided with a generally U-shaped handle  20  that has two arms  22  and a grip portion  24 . Handle  20  is optionally reinforced with inner and outer reinforcing ribs  26  and  28 , respectively. Handle  20  is flexibly attached to one side of web  11  on either side of the center neck-engaging ring(s)  13  and substantially equidistantly between the centers of the three or four neck-engaging rings  13  at the flex points  30 . Because of its attachment to one side of web  11 , handle  20  may lie in the same plane as the web when not in use, thereby facilitating stacking multiple carriers for shipment and for feeding carriers to high speed machine applications to sets of bottles. Flex points  30  are preferably aligned with the common axis of both (i) the three or four nodes and (ii) annular support rings  13  so as to provide an axial balance point for the carrier. Because of its flexible attachment at two points, handle  20  is free to pivot about 90° relative to web  11  and annular support rings  13  without twisting, which promotes a balanced lift and carry. This is shown in  FIG. 2 , which depicts carrier  10  in use. 
   Another embodiment of the inventive carrier is depicted as carrier  10 ″ in  FIG. 5 , wherein U-shaped handle  20  is flexibly attached to web  11  at two flex points  30 ′ that are substantially immediately adjacent the two outboard or distal annular support rings  13 , the flex points being substantially aligned with both (i) the common axis of the three nodes and (ii) the annular support rings  13 . Handle  30  may be provided with a single inner reinforcing rib  26 . Annular flanges  16  are also preferably provided with at least one discontinuity A. 
   The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.