Patent Publication Number: US-4318476-A

Title: Article carrier

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to top gripping type article carriers which are economical to manufacture, easy to open, and have an increased promotional capability. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In general article carriers of the top gripping variety are known in the art as evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,528,697; 3,640,563; 3,860,281; and 4,180,191, all of which are owned by the assignee of this invention. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     According to this invention, an article carrier is provided and comprises bottom panel elements arranged to define a bottom aperture, face contacting inner and outer side walls converging upwardly from each side of the bottom panel elements, a pair of apertures formed respectively in the inner and outer side walls, a pull tab extending between the bottom aperture and the aperture formed in the outer side walls, and a cut line formed in the corresponding inner side wall adjacent the pull tab and extending between the aperture formed in the inner side walls and the bottom aperture. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an article carrier formed according to this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the carrier shown in FIG. 1 is formed; 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 depict intermediate stages through which the blank is manipulated and glued in order to form the complete and collapsed carrier shown in FIG. 5; and 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an erected carrier with one of the pull tabs torn away. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     In the drawings the numerals 1a, 1b, and 1c depict the bottom panel elements of the carrier to one of the side edges of which inner side wall 2 is foldably joined along interrupted fold line 3. In like manner outer side wall 4 is foldably joined to bottom panel elements 1a, 1b, and 1c along interrupted fold line 5. In addition bottom panel elements 1a, 1b, and 1c are provided with interrupted medial fold line 6. For the purpose of receiving portions of the articles to be packaged, apertures 7 and 8 are provided and are defined by bottom panel elements 1a, 1b, and 1c. 
     To complete the basic elements of the blank, inner side wall 9 is foldably joined to inner side wall 2 along medial fold line 10. Inner side walls 2 and 9 are provided with interrupted bend lines 2a and 9a. Also outer side wall 11 is foldably joined to outer side wall 4 along medial fold line 12. According to a feature of this invention ad panel 13 is foldably joined to outer side wall 11 along fold line 14 and is provided with cut score line 15 which is parallel to fold line 14. 
     For the purpose of transporting the carrier, hand gripping apertures 16 and 17 are formed in inner side walls 9 and 2 respectively. Additionally, hand cushioning flaps 18 and 19 are foldably joined to inner side walls 9 and 2 along fold lines 20 and 21 respectively. Also finger gripping apertures 22 and 23 are formed in outer side walls 4 and 11 respectively and are provided with hand cushioning flaps 24 and 25 which are foldably joined to outer side walls 4 and 11 along fold lines 26 and 27 respectively. 
     For the purpose of receiving and retaining the upper neck portions of the packaged articles, carrier apertures are provided. More specifically apertures 28 and 29 are formed in inner side walls 2 and 9 and are disposed astride medial fold line 10. In like manner apertures 30 and 31 are formed in outer side walls 4 and 11 and are disposed astride medial fold line 12. 
     According to a feature of this invention, cut lines 32 and 33 are formed in inner side wall 9 and extend respectively from the upper edges of apertures 28 and 29, as viewed in FIG. 2, upwardly to the free edge of inner side wall 9. In addition each cut line 32 and 33 is provided with frangible nicks a and b. Essentially nicks a and b constitute small paperboard connections between adjacent portions of the blank and simply serve the purpose of holding the portions of the blank along each cut line 32 and 33 in the proper relative positions as the blank is manipulated and glued during the manufacturing process. 
     For the purpose of opening the carrier and gaining access to the packaged articles, pull tabs 34 and 35 are provided. In order to facilitate removal of the pull tabs during the carrier opening operation, each pull tab is provided with a pair of severance lines x and y. Additionally, thumb tabs 36 and 37 form the end portions of pull tabs 34 and 35 respectively and are in effect struck from apertures 7 and 8 respectively. 
     In order to form the carrier from the blank shown in FIG. 2, initially inner side wall 9 is elevated and folded over along medial fold line 10 to occupy the position shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter an application of glue is made to the exposed portion of inner side wall 9 disposed between interrupted bend line 9a and the lower edge thereof as shown by stippling in FIG. 3. Thereafter the elements of the blank disposed above medial fold line 6 are elevated and folded over to occupy the positions shown in FIG. 4 and inner side wall 9 is adhered to outer side wall 4. Then an application of glue is made to the exposed portion of inner side wall 2 between interrupted bend line 2a and fold line 3 as shown by stippling in FIG. 4. Following this operation the elements of a blank disposed above medial fold line 12 are elevated and folded over into the positions shown in FIG. 5. By this operation inner side wall 2 is adhered to outer side wall 11. The carrier as shown in FIG. 5 is in its completed and collapsed condition. 
     In order to set up the carrier from the condition shown in FIG. 5, it is simply necessary to fold bottom panel elements 1a, 1b, and 1c into a flat plane. As this occurs the pair of side walls of the carrier are automatically moved apart. Then it is simply necessary to lower the carrier onto the articles to be packaged whereby the flanged neck portion of each article is maneuvered into an interlocked relationship with the lower edge of the respective upper carrier apertures identified in the drawing generally by the letters C and D. The carrier then appears as shown in FIG. 1. 
     In order to open the carrier and thereby release the articles contained therein, it is simply necessary to grasp thumb tabs 36 or 37 and pull upwardly. By this operation the respective pull tab 34 and 35 is torn along severance lines X and Y thereby exposing cut lines 32 and 33 respectively as shown in FIG. 6. Then the article is simply removed from the carrier since nicks a and b are easily broken and offer no resistance to the removal of the article. Therefore by this invention the carrier pull tab is operable even though it is positioned on the outer side wall of a double side wall constructed carrier. This allows portions of the pull tabs to be struck from the apertures formed in the bottom wall such as elements 7 and 8. Otherwise portions of the pull tabs would be formed on the extreme end of the blank which would require a considerably larger amount of carrier material. 
     According to another feature of this invention, ad panel 13 is foldably joined to the lower edge of outer side wall 11. This feature allows for greater promotional flexibility than is usually found in the traditional top gripping type carrier. In addition cut score line 15 allows ad panel 13 to conform to the shoulder configuration of the packaged articles and in turn allows the lower portion thereof to lie in flat face contacting relation with the inner surface of a case when carriers are packaged in multiples of two or more. Also ad panel 13 provides cushioning between fragile articles such as bottles when the carriers are packed in a multiple carrier configuration. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     By this invention, a conventional top gripping type article carrier is provided with a convenient opening means without the expenditure of an unnecessarily large amount of carrier material and at the same time provides additional carrier promotional means.