Abstract:
An integral carrier for carrying multiple containers by their necks is disclosed that has a plurality of annular neck-engaging structures and a pair of centrally located opposing finger loops that promote a balanced distribution of weight for ease in carrying and handling.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Six-pack or multiple bottle carriers which hold bottles or containers by their necks to allow them to be carried are well known. The bottles typically have labels to advertise their contents. A common type of commercially available prior art 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 of the plastic material makes the carrier uncomfortable to carry. Further, the thin gauge material requires a substantial amount of structural surface area to support the containers. This tends to further hide the product in the containers and advertising on the labels.  
         [0002]     Another carrier design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,962. It has keyhole-shaped neck retainers and sharp edges on both the neck retainers and the finger holes. This carrier is also uncomfortable to carry due to its sharp edges. In addition, the rigid keyhole-shaped neck retainers are difficult to fit over the neck flanges of the containers, and likewise it is difficult to remove the containers from the carrier due to the rigid key hole-shaped neck retainers.  
         [0003]     Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,397 discloses a six pack carrier design that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art. However, that carrier design allows the outboard containers to sag a bit due to inadequate support for them when the loaded carrier is lifted by the carrier&#39;s handholds.  
         [0004]     What is needed is a carrier that is comfortable to carry, allows for excellent visibility of the product in the containers and the labels on the containers, allows for easy application and removal of the containers from the carrier, and provides good balance in carrying and handling containers.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     There are essentially two aspects to the present invention, both of which comprise an integrally-molded carrier for carrying multiple containers by their necks by grasping a pair of opposing finger loops.  
         [0006]     In a first aspect, the carrier has a substantially planar web defining a pair of centrally located annular support openings. Each support opening has a finger loop disposed therein with the two finger loops in substantial mirrored alignment. Each finger loop is attached to the annular opening at two points tangent to the two outermost container neck-engaging structures. The carrier has a plurality of annular neck-engaging structures integral with the web and arranged around the periphery of the support openings. Each of the neck-engaging structures has a respective circumferential rib and a plurality of flanges projecting inwardly from the circumferential rib for releasably engaging the necks of the containers.  
         [0007]     In a second aspect, there is provided a plurality of the same type of neck-engaging structures as noted above, the neck-engaging structures being secured together by smaller gap-bridging elements and having a pair of centrally disposed larger gaps that accommodate a pair of finger loops in substantial mirrored alignment. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary carrier of the invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the carrier of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the carrier of  FIG. 1  shown in place on multiple containers.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another exemplary carrier of the invention, showing the upward flexing of the finger loops as it is lifted by a hand. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]     Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals generally refer to the same elements, there is shown in  FIGS. 1-3  an integral carrier  10  for carrying multiple containers. Carrier  10  has a web  12  that is substantially planar. Web  12  has a pair of centrally located annular support openings  14 . Each support opening  14  is surrounded by a support rib  16  and has a finger loop  18  situated therein. Surfaces  18   a  and  18   b  of finger loops  18  are preferably radiused to provide comfortable gripping surfaces for carrying the carrier. Each finger loop  18  flattens at its points of attachment to the support rib  16  to increase upward flexibility upon lifting. The points of attachment of finger loops  18  to the support rib  16  are tangent to the outermost neck-engaging structures  20 .  
         [0013]     A plurality of identical annular neck-engaging structures  20  are integral with the web  12  and are arranged around the periphery of the support openings  14 . Each neck-engaging structure  20  has a respective circumferential rib  22 . Each circumferential rib  22  has a radiused upper and lower surface  22   a  and  22   b , respectively. Each neck-engaging structure  20  further has a plurality of flanges  24  projecting inwardly from circumferential rib  22  for releasably engaging the necks  26  of the containers  28 . The flanges  24  are oriented upwardly and comprise sections of a truncated cone. The inner edges  25  of flanges  24  form a circle and engage the necks  26  of the containers  28 , allowing carrier  10  to secure and support the containers.  
         [0014]     Interconnecting each of the neck-engaging structures  20  are external ribs  30 . External ribs  30 , like support ribs  16  and circumferential ribs  22 , have radiused upper and lower surfaces. These interconnecting ribs add dimensional support to the carrier, much like I beams in a framed structure.  
         [0015]     In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of flanges  24  is 20-25 mils, the thickness of ribs  16 ,  22  and  30  and web  12  is 60 mils each, and the height of ribs  16 ,  22  and  30  is 180 mils. Support ribs  16  surrounding the support openings  14  and external ribs  30  interconnecting the neck engaging structures  20  preferably have the same radius.  
         [0016]     In a second embodiment, there is shown in  FIG. 4  an integrally molded carrier  11 , also designed for carrying multiple containers. Carrier  11  comprises a plurality of neck-engaging structures  20  with smaller gaps  13  between them that are bridged by bridging tabs  15  and a pair of radial ribs  17 , tabs  15  and ribs  17  securing the neck-engaging structures  20  to one another. Neck-engaging structures  20  are substantially the same design as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 . Larger gaps  19  are created by omitting radial ribs  17  on either side of tab  15 ′, thereby allowing sufficient room to accommodate a pair of opposing finger loops  18 . Finger loops  18  preferably also have radiused upper and lower surfaces  18   a  and  18   b  and are flat at the points of attachment to the outer neck-engaging structures  20 .  
         [0017]     The carrier is manufactured using high pressure injection molding of heated and liquified polymer into a three-dimensional cavity, and is preferably made of a flexible material such as a polyolefin. In a most preferred embodiment, the polyolefin is high density polyethylene (HDPE) that has a tensile strength from about 4000 to about 5000 psi, and a brittleness temperature of less than −30° C. This material is readily recyclable, in contrast to the material used to make conventional die-cut thermo-formed carriers.  
         [0018]     The carrier of the present invention concentrates structure into three-dimensional ribs, thereby reducing the surface area required to support containers. At the same time, this minimal surface area provides for a quality appearance while utilizing less material. The carrier is essentially planar and so does not obscure the container or product therein or labels, but instead provides high product and label visibility.  
         [0019]     In addition, the thick ribs and radiused edges of the ribs and pair of opposing finger loops provide outboard points of attachment for superior comfort for lifting and carrying the carrier, and superior balance for carrying and handling containers. The carrier also provides superior release of the containers. The circumferential ribs around the angled, thin conical flanges provide support for the containers. The thin flanges easily flex to allow the containers to be removed by either lifting the carrier relative to the container or pulling the container down and away from the carrier.  
       EXAMPLES  
       [0020]     Carriers of substantially the same designs shown in  FIGS. 1-2  and  4  were fabricated by injection molding from HDPE having a specific gravity of 0.962, with a tensile strength of about 4800 psi (33 mPa), a flexural strength of about 7000 psi (48 mPa) and a brittleness temperature of approximately −30° C.  
         [0021]     The so-fabricated carriers were easily and quickly secured over the annular flanges of six 12-ounce bottles ( FIG. 1  embodiment) and over six 12-ounce aluminum cans ( FIG. 4  embodiment) by placing the neck-engaging structures  20  over the bottle necks/can tops and pushing them down until the flanges  24  of the neck-engaging structures engaged the annular flanges  26  on the necks of containers  28  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The carrier secured and supported the containers, yet readily disengaged by simply pulling the containers downward and away from the carrier.  
         [0022]     The same basic neck-engaging structures with opposing finger loops may be incorporated into other multiple container carriers, such as carriers for fewer or more than six containers.  
         [0023]     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.