U.S. patent application number 11/121991 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-22 for bottle tray.
This patent application is currently assigned to K. Hartwall Oy Ab. Invention is credited to Perret, Markus, Ramberg, Herrick.
Application Number | 20050279651 11/121991 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32338368 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050279651 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Perret, Markus ; et
al. |
December 22, 2005 |
Bottle tray
Abstract
This publication discloses a bottle tray (1) for single bottles
and bottles bundled into a multipack package, such as a multipack
package comprising bottles in at least two parallel rows and a
carrier/sleeve enclosing the bottles, the top surface of the bottle
tray (1) having thereon bottle pockets (2) in at least two parallel
rows to accommodate bottles in a multipack and first support
members (3) for supporting the multipack laterally from two
opposite sides, and the bottom of the bottle tray (1) being
provided with support surfaces (5, 6) for supporting the bottle
tray (1) to bottles underlying the bottle tray (1). Second support
members (4) are provided on the top surface of the bottle tray (1)
for supporting bottles placed in the pockets (2), whereby the
second support members (4) are adapted into the spaces between the
parallel rows of pockets formed between the first support members
(3) and have a height smaller than that of the first support
members (3).
Inventors: |
Perret, Markus; (Esbo,
FI) ; Ramberg, Herrick; (Helsinki, FI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Assignee: |
K. Hartwall Oy Ab
|
Family ID: |
32338368 |
Appl. No.: |
11/121991 |
Filed: |
May 5, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/203 ;
206/427; 220/516 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 71/70 20130101;
B65D 2501/24324 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/203 ;
206/427; 220/516 |
International
Class: |
B65D 071/00; B65D
001/36 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 7, 2004 |
FI |
20040653 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A bottle tray (1) for single bottles and bottles bundled into a
multipack package, the multipack package comprising bottles in at
least two parallel rows and a carrier/sleeve enclosing the bottles,
the top surface of the bottle tray (1) having thereon bottle
pockets (2) in at least two parallel rows to accommodate bottles in
a multipack and first support members (3) for supporting the
multipack laterally from two opposite sides, and the bottom of the
bottle tray (1) being provided with support surfaces (5, 6) for
supporting the bottle tray (1) to bottles underlying the bottle
tray (1), characterized by having second support members (4) on the
top surface of the bottle tray (1) for supporting bottles placed in
the pockets (2), said second support members (4) being adapted into
the spaces between the parallel rows of pockets formed between said
first support members (3) and a height smaller that of the first
support members (3).
2. The bottle tray of claim 1, characterized in that the second
support members (4) are adapted into the spaces remaining between
four adjacent pockets (2) as the pockets are aligned in two
parallel rows.
3. The bottle tray of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the
second support members (4) extend to a height not smaller than 2 mm
from the bottom surface (8) of the pocket (2).
4. The bottle tray of any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that
the second support members (4) extend to a height not greater than
40 mm from the bottom surface (8) of the pocket (2).
5. The bottle tray of any one of foregoing claims, characterized in
that the first support members (3) extend to a height not smaller
than 3 cm from the bottom surface (8) of the pocket (2).
6. The bottle tray of any one of foregoing claims, characterized in
that the first support members (3) extend to a height not greater
than 10 cm from the bottom surface (8) of the pocket (2).
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a bottle tray according to the
preamble of claim 1 for single bottles and multibottle packs. This
kind of low-height bottle tray comprises bottle pockets for
receiving bottles bundled into a multipack package and support
members for supporting such a multipack from at least two
sides.
[0002] Handling of bottles generally takes place with the help of
various bottle trays. Bottle trays are employed, e.g., for storage
and transport of bottles in the brewery industry as well as in the
wholesale and retail business. Typical examples of bottles suitable
for transport in bottle trays are plastic bottles such as PEN and
PET bottles filled with beverages. Obviously, the bottle may also
be of glass or of both glass and plastic combined. Bottles are
further used for storage of liquids and other materials.
[0003] On their top side, bottle trays have concavities, partitions
and other support members for supporting the bottom of bottles to
be placed in the bottle tray. Conventional bottle trays are
described in patent publications, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,002.
Bottle trays known from such publications have the pockets
supporting the bottles delineated by vertical pillars. However,
this kind of bottle tray is ill suited for supporting multipacks
packaged in a shrink film carriers, because the bottle tray pillars
entering the spaces between the bottles of the multipack sever the
plastic shrink film of the carrier, whereby the pack may be torn as
it is removed from the bottle tray. Multipacks packaged in shrink
film carriers can be placed in bottle trays free from support
members that need to fit into the spaces between the bottles.
However, this bottle tray type is not suited for transport of
individual bottles, because the bottles tip/tilt readily due to the
insufficient support provided thereto. Hence, these bottle trays
cannot be used for transporting, e.g., empty reusable bottles
returned to a shop back to a beverage factory, but rather the
bottle trays must be hauled back empty thus consuming extra space
in the vehicle performing the transport.
[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a bottle
tray suited for the transport of both single bottles and
multipacks.
[0005] The goal of the invention is attained by providing the top
surface of the bottle tray with first support members serving to
support a multipack placed in the pockets of the bottle tray from
two opposite directions. In addition to these, situated between the
first support members and aligned between two adjacent bottle
pocket rows are adapted second support members serving to support
bottles placed in the bottle pockets, the second support members
having a height smaller than that of the first support members.
[0006] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second
support members are adapted into the spaces remaining between the
four adjacent pockets as the pockets are aligned in two parallel
rows. Resultingly, the second support members give support to the
bottles placed in the pockets thereabout. Advantageously, second
support members are adapted at each point embraced by the four
adjacent pockets delineated by the above-mentioned first support
members. In a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the
second support members extend maximally to the same height as the
curved portion between the side and bottom of the bottle type
intended to be transported in the tray.
[0007] More specifically, the bottle tray according to the
invention is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing
part of appended claim 1.
[0008] The invention provides significant benefits.
[0009] The bottle tray according to the invention can support both
individual bottles and multipacks without causing damage to the
carrier of the multipack. Hence, the bottle tray can be used for
transport of multipacks from a beverage factory to a shop and for
return of empty bottles from the shop back to the beverage
factory.
[0010] In the following, the invention is examined in more detail
with the help of the exemplifying embodiments and making reference
to the appended drawings in which
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a bottle tray according to the invention in a
perspective view taken obliquely from above;
[0012] FIG. 2 shows the bottle tray of FIG. 1 in a perspective view
taken obliquely from below;
[0013] FIG. 3 shows the bottle tray of FIG. 1 in a top view;
[0014] FIG. 4 shows the bottle tray of FIG. 1 in a bottom view;
[0015] FIG. 5 shows the bottle tray of FIG. 1 in a side elevation
view;
[0016] FIG. 6 shows the bottle tray of FIG. 1 in an end elevation
view; and
[0017] FIG. 7 shows a partially enlarged view of four adjacent
bottle compartments aligned in two parallel rows on the bottle tray
top surface and of a second support member adapted in the space
therebetween.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the bottle tray illustrated therein is
designed to hold 24 bottles. As a rule, bottle trays are intended
to accommodate at least 4 bottles, typically 6 to 144 bottles. The
bottle tray 1 is made of a polymeric material. Bottles to be placed
in the bottle tray 1 may be single bottles and/or packaged into
multipacks. A multipack is made by bundling multiple bottles into a
pack with the help of a carrier. The carrier may be of shrink film
or paperboard. The bottle tray 1 according to the invention is
particularly suitable for bottle packages of the multipack type
having the bottles placed in two parallel rows and enclosed in a
shrink film package. The bottles are located in the package with
the sides of adjacent bottles facing each other. The shrink film
covers the bottom, sides and ends of the multipack. Typically, this
kind of multipack contains at least 4 bottles, maximally 12
bottles. The indexing conveyor according to the invention is also
suited for use with other types of multipacks including packages
wherein the bottles are connected to each other by means of a
carrier made of paperboard or the like packaging means adaptable
about the bottle necks.
[0019] To accommodate bottles to be placed into the bottle tray 1,
the top side of bottle tray 1 is provided with bottle pockets 2,
each one of them being dimensioned to hold one bottle. Single
bottles and/or multipacks are placed into the pockets 2 resting
therein on their bottoms. The bottom shape of pocket 2 is compliant
with the bottom shape of the bottle, whereby the bottle placed into
the pocket 2 self-centers itself thus securing its upright position
on the bottle tray 1. The bottle tray 1 illustrated in the diagrams
is suited, e.g., to the transport of beverage PET bottles having a
central recess at the bottle bottom. Then, the center portion 7 of
the bottom in the pocket 2 is made convex to help the bottle act
self-centeringly when placed into the pocket 2. The convex center
portion 7 of the pocket 2 is surrounded by a groove 8 capable of
accommodating the rim of the bottle bottom.
[0020] On the top surface of the bottle tray 1 illustrated in the
diagrams, the pockets 2 are aligned in four parallel rows. The top
surface of the pocket 1 is provided with first support members 3
serving to support the bottles in pockets 2 from the sides. The
first support members 3 encircle the periphery of the top surface
of the bottle tray 1. An additional set of first support members 3
is provided centrally on the top surface of the bottle tray 1 so as
to divide the tray top into two equal areas. Thus, between the
support members 3 situated at one side of the bottle tray 1 and
those at the center thereof are formed two parallel rows of pockets
2 and, respectively, also two rows of pockets 2 are formed between
the support members 3 situated at the other side of the bottle tray
1 and those at the center thereof. The multipack is placed onto the
bottle tray 1 into the space formed between the support members 3
situated at one side of the bottle tray 1 and those at the center
thereof, whereby the first support members 3 give support to the
multipack from two opposite sides. The bottoms of the bottles in
the multipack fall into the pockets 2 formed between the support
members 3 situated at one side of the bottle tray 1 and those at
the center thereof.
[0021] For additional support to the bottles placed into the
pockets 2, the top surface of the bottle tray 1 is also provided
with second support members 4 with a height smaller than that of
the first support members 3. The second support members 4 are
adapted into the spaces between the first support members 3
situated at the sides of the bottle tray 1 and those at the center
thereof so that the second support members 4 are located in the
space remaining between each four adjacent pockets (i.e., in the
space remaining between the succession of pockets 2 aligned in two
adjacent rows). Advantageously, each one of such spaces remaining
between the four adjacent rows of pockets 2 are provided with these
second support members 4. Resultingly, each one of the support
members 4 gives support to four bottles placed in separate pockets
2. In the embodiment illustrated in the diagrams, the number of
second support members 4 is five between the center of the bottle
tray and the first support members 3 at the left side thereof, as
well as five between the center of the bottle tray and the first
support members 3 at the right side thereof. The second support
members 4 are so shaped that they give support to the bottles
placed in any of one of the pockets 2 situated about the support
members.
[0022] When a multipack formed with the help of a shrink film is
placed into the bottle tray 1, the portion of shrink film covering
the multipack bottom remains, on one hand, between the pocket 2 and
the bottle inserted therein and on the other hand, above the second
support members 4. To avoid severing the shrink film, the height of
the second support members 4 shall be made smaller than that of the
first support members 3 that are adapted to give lateral support to
the bottles of the multipack and/or single bottles. The height of
the second support members 4 must be determined to suite the
height, diameter and shape of the bottle type intended to be
accommodated by the bottle tray 1. Advantageously the second
support members 4 may extend maximally to the same height as the
curved portion between the side and bottom of the bottle type
intended to be transported in the pocket 2 of the bottle tray.
Typically the second support members 4 extend to the height of 2 mm
minimum from the bottom surface of pocket 2, however, not higher
than 40 mm from the bottom surface of pocket 2. Herein, any
reference to the bottom surface of pocket 2 must be understood to
mean the level or point which accommodates the bottom portion of a
bottle inserted into the pocket 2 that bears the weight of the
bottle when it is placed upright on a level surface. In the
embodiment illustrated in the diagrams, this bottom surface of
pocket 2 is formed by groove 8.
[0023] Analogously, the height of the second support members 4 must
be determined to suit the height, diameter and shape of the bottle
type intended to be accommodated by the bottle tray 1. To obtain a
sufficiently secure supporting effect, the first support members 3
are adapted to extend at least 3 cm from the from the bottom
surface of the pocket, however, not higher than 10 cm from the
bottom surface of the pocket. Typically the first support members 3
extend to the height equal to 1/8 to 1/3 of the height of the
bottle type intended to be transported in the bottle tray 1.
[0024] The bottle trays 1 according to the invention are stackable
on each other after they are loaded with bottles. The bottom
surface of the bottle tray 1 has support surfaces 5 formed as
recesses on which the bottle tray 1 rests supported by the
caps/closures and/or mouths of the underlying bottles. As is
evident from FIG. 2, at the side of the first support surfaces 5 on
the bottom of the bottle tray 1 are made second support surfaces 6
that support the bottom tray 1 in the lateral direction as the tray
1 rests on the underlying bottles. The bottom of the bottle tray is
further provided with ridges 9 shaped so as to meet the side of the
cap/closure of the underlying bottle, whereby the lateral support
of the bottle tray is further improved.
* * * * *