Patent Publication Number: US-2007119724-A1

Title: Containers&#39; carrier with multiple hooking system.

Description:
The present invention refers to a container carrier, that is, a device designed to be used to carry one or more, usually a group of cups, soda cans, food containers, etc. The container carrier has a folding laminated structure, and can be disposable. The container carrier can be used as a carrying tray for containers packaging both liquids and/or solids, and permits multiple similar models to be joined to increase the transportation capacity and with its large outer area, to be used as an advertising medium.  
      There are many situations where it is needed to carry cups with drinks, sugar bags, spoons, etc. in such quantity that it is very difficult not to drop some of the contents during the journey. This happens in situations in which we lack a tray or bag to make this trip safer, and the user is forced to perform balancing acts with his/her hands.  
      Sometimes a transportation medium for these containers is improvised with carton trays assembled from paper containers, or even cigarette carton boxes. The latter is most often observed in urban business areas, where it can be seen how a customer carries for his fellow employees several cups of coffee in a cigarette carton box.  
      There are some foldable and disposable bag models in the industry conceived for the transportation of food containers, but they lack important qualities that make the model, the object of this memorandum, truly useful and necessary.  
      The device for the transportation of containers that the present memorandum proposes has been conceived to improve the characteristics of the models that are used nowadays for the transportation of cold and/or hot drinks as well as food products, presenting an outer surface from such characteristics that its use as an advertising medium would allow the production costs to be reduced so much that the device could be given free of charge to restaurants or cafes. This way the customers can carry the items they purchase to any place they wish, in a safe and comfortable manner, and at the same time displaying direct advertising.  
      The model that is described in the present memorandum has a semi-rigid laminated element, pre-cut accordingly so, and by a simple, suitable, and improved folding process, we can configure a rectangular prismatic unit with circular holes in its upper surface that act as molds for the cups needed to be carried and, which sides are used as an advertising medium and the surface may carry assembling printed instructions, cup content indicator and insertions to carry spoons. The model also has vertical flaps that are used to act as not only to hook the structure but to be also used to attach it to other containers&#39; carrier units. 
    
    
      To support the description above, and with the purpose of better understanding the characteristics of the invention, it is attached to the present descriptive memorandum, as an integral part of it, a series of drawings with an illustrative and non limiting-purpose, in which the following has been represented:  
       FIG. 1 .—Shows in angle view the model ready to be used,  
       FIG. 2 .—Shows the development plan of the base sheet for the creation of the model,  
       FIG. 3 .—Shows the form in which the model is supplied disassembled for distribution,  
       FIG. 4 .—Shows a view from below of the final form of the base of the assembled model,  
       FIG. 5 .—Shows in angle view two models joint by the side flaps and  
       FIG. 6 .—Shows an angle view of a simple containers&#39; carrier with a slot that corresponds with the model object of the present memorandum and  
       FIG. 7 .—Shows an angle view of two models joint by the side flaps and carrying an additional attached containers&#39; carrier. 
    
    
      As it can be seen in the figures, the drink carrier is formed by a laminated body in which are defined: two lateral sides ( 1 ), two frontal and back sides ( 2 ) that are folded to form the openings for the cups ( 3 ) and the model handle ( 4 ), multiple attaching and hooking flaps ( 5 ), slots for the hooking flaps ( 6 ), holes for the spoons ( 7 ), contour joining flaps ( 8 ), contour joining glue area ( 9 ), base joining area ( 10 ) over the area ( 11 ) and base union area ( 12 ) over the area ( 13 ).  
      The model as it is shown in  FIG. 1  is obtained from the  FIG. 2  plate. Making the union with an appropriate glue or other securing means, of flap  9  with the union of the areas  10 - 11  and  12 - 13 , the model can be folded until it is shaped like the one shown in  FIG. 3 , of a smaller surface and totally flat for its distribution.  
      Due to the unions made over the base plate, assembling is very simple as a quick turn to the left it is only needed to do in order adjust the model bottom as shown in  FIG. 4 , join the two handles ( 2 ) to the center and push them down until the flaps coincide ( 5 ) with the attachment slots ( 6 ), making possible for the model to achieve its final shape as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
      The handles ( 4 ) have a perforated contour that folds in once the fingers press in to carry the model.  
      In order to be able to carry spoons, the horizontal surface that surrounds the cups openings ( 3 ) presents a square opening ( 7 ) where they can be introduced.  
      The width of the hooking slots ( 6 ) is designed to allow for the introduction of the attaching flap ( 5 ) of another model like the one in the present memory, so by having two models attached by the flap and slot we have a drink carrier for up to four drinks, as we see in  FIG. 5 .  
      Thanks to this last option, the handle ( 4 ) that is shown in the figures presents an asymmetric disposition with respect to the frontal vertical axis, so it is recommended to attach the slot and flap of the two models with the openings of the closest models, as it is shown in  FIG. 5 , which facilitates transporting both models with the same hand.  
      An additional container that has a slot that is compatible with the attaching flap ( 5 ) as it is shown in  FIG. 6 , is possible to add to a combination of two carriers so it widens the options of carrying more items, as it is shown in  FIG. 7 .  
      The inner surface of the model carries imprinted information, of any kind, such as assembling instructions, ads, restaurant recipes, etc. The outer surface may be used totally as an advertising medium. Within the essence of the invention, it is possible to vary of details, protected as well, and so the amount of orifices for the cups could change, as could the shape of the hooking system or attachment of the structural joints and, of course, whatever the dimensions and materials used to produce it are.