Patent ID: 7427010

Claim:
A wrap-around container carrier loaded with a plurality of containers filled with a liquid comprising: (a) a carrier with a top panel, opposite side panels and a bottom panel, with the bottom panel formed from an inner bottom flap and an outer bottom panel foldably attached to an outer secondary locking flap, said outer secondary locking flap overlapping a portion of the inner bottom flap, said flaps being held together by a single locking system, in which at least one secondary male lock is formed as an extension of the outer secondary locking flap, the inner bottom flap having a secondary female opening for each secondary male lock, said opening formed by a slit and interconnecting fold line which forms a female flap in the female opening, said female flap leaning against the secondary male lock which extends through the female opening to assist in holding the secondary male lock in the vertical locked position in respect to the inner bottom flap so the lock does not become accidentally disengaged; the top panel including top end restraining panels comprising top end flaps, tuck-in panels, triangular shaped web panels, triangular gusset panels, and holding flaps; the top end restraining panels restraining the containers in the carrier; (b) the plurality of liquid containers having a rectangular or square cross-section and including a top, a bottom, and flexible side walls connecting the top and bottom and being aligned in two rows in the carrier with one wall of each container being adjacent a side panel of the carrier; (c) with each secondary male lock and corresponding secondary female opening in the carrier being located between said liquid containers in each row; and (d) the secondary male locks in the corresponding secondary female openings having further assistance in being held in the locked vertical position by the slight bulging outwardly of the side walls of the containers which are adjacent the side panels of the carrier, said bulging caused by the weight of the liquid in the containers which in turn results in corresponding bulges in the side panels of the carrier which creates tension in the carrier that pulls and holds each secondary male lock in the vertical locked position between the containers in each row, the weight of liquid in the containers resulting in inner side walls of each said container being held tightly against each other in straight vertical positions, pulling the containers in each row towards each other.