U.S. patent number 3,700,276 [Application Number 05/118,000] was granted by the patent office on 1972-10-24 for multiple container carrier.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Illinois Tool Works, Inc.. Invention is credited to Mindaugas Julius Klygis.
United States Patent |
3,700,276 |
Klygis |
October 24, 1972 |
MULTIPLE CONTAINER CARRIER
Abstract
A carrier device for use with multiple container carriers for
retaining and transporting a plurality of multiple container
carriers.
Inventors: |
Klygis; Mindaugas Julius
(Evergreen Park, IL) |
Assignee: |
Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
(Chicago, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
22375962 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/118,000 |
Filed: |
February 23, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
294/87.2;
206/144 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
71/504 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
71/50 (20060101); B65d 025/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;294/33,87.2
;220/104,85H ;206/65C,655 ;224/45P ;16/111 ;229/52A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Blunk; Evon C.
Assistant Examiner: Carson; W. Scott
Claims
I claim:
1. In combination, a pair of multiple container carriers, each of
said carriers formed from a resilient, flexible, elastic plastic
material and having two adjacent rows of three apertures
interconnected by a web, the portions of said web between said rows
and said apertures having holes therein, said carriers arranged in
a longitudinal side-by-side relationship, a carrier device
comprising a substantially U-shaped member with the legs thereof
directed downwardly over and spanning said pair of carriers, and
means on said legs of said U-shaped member interlocking with said
holes and the opposing edge portions of said pair of carriers to
form a unitary container carrier arrangement.
2. In a combination as defined in claim 1, and integral handle
means formed in the cross member of said U-shaped element for
transporting said unitary container carrier arrangement.
3. In a combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said last
mentioned means comprises three tabs formed on each of said legs of
said U-shaped member, said three tabs on each leg being aligned
transversely of said rows with the center tab substantially between
said pair of carriers and the end tabs over said holes in said web,
and means on said tabs providing an interlocking arrangement of
said center tabs with the opposed edge portions of said webs and of
said end tabs with opposed edge portions of said holes.
4. In a combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said means on
said tabs providing an interlocking arrangement comprises
downwardly converging side edges formed on said tabs acting as cams
to deflect said opposed edge portions of said webs and said holes
upon downward projection of said carrier device over pair of
carriers and further comprises notches formed in said side edges of
said tabs above said converging side edges for receiving said
opposed edge portions of said webs and said holes upon further
downward projection of said carrier device over said pair of
carriers.
5. A carrier device formed from a sheet of plastic material in an
inverted U-shape comprising a rectangular central member and
integral side members depending from opposite longitudinal edges of
said central member, a handle member formed in said central member
as a strap with the ends thereof integrally connected to said
central member, a plurality of tabs integrally formed to depend
from each of said side members in a longitudinally spaced apart
relationship in the planes of said side members, each of said tabs
having the opposite side edges coverging downwardly, and the
integral connections of said tabs to said side members being
substantially narrower than the spacing between the upper ends of
said opposite side edges of each of said tabs.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a carrier device for use with multiple
container carriers such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,835.
Container carriers of that patent are extensively used for the
multi-packaging of containers, usually metal beverage containers,
which are generally commercially sold in multiples of six. The
present invention cooperates with a number of such multiple
container carriers to form a single package of total the number of
containers carried in multiple container carriers. With two such
carriers each carrying six cans or containers, a convenient unitary
package of twelve containers would be provided. The present
invention contemplates the cooperation of the carrier device with
the finger holds and longitudinal side edges of the individual
multiple container carriers.
The carrier device of the present invention further includes an
integral handle for convenient transporting of the unitary
pack.
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a
simple carrier device for multiple separation carriers which is
quickly and easily applied, provides a convenient carrying
arrangement for multiple container packs, permits easy separation
of the carrier device from the multiple container carriers, or easy
removal of the individual containers from the unitary carrier
pack.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a carrier device for multiple container carriers such as
shown, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,835.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are
obtained by the provision of a carrier device formed from a sheet
of rigid or semi-rigid plastic, in which certain depending tabs are
provided for interlocking cooperation with a certain portions of
known multiple container carriers. When two multiple container
carriers with the containers therein are arranged in a longitudinal
side-by-side relationship, the carrier device is positioned over
and transversely of the multiple container carriers. The carrier
device is then projected downwardly to snap the tabs into locking
engagement with the pair of multiple container carriers. The
individual containers are easily removed from the subject invention
and the multiple container carriers by pulling and deflecting the
individual containers downwardly and outwardly of the multiple
container carriers. The carrier device may also be pulled from the
multiple container carriers to separate the carriers for use of the
containers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a carrier constructed according to the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a pair of multiple container carriers
cooperating with the carrier device of the present invention to
define a single unitary carrier package;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the structure shown
in FIG. 2 and taken substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG.
2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The carrier device of the present invention is shown at 10 in FIG.
1 in the form in which it is cut or otherwise formed from a sheet
of plastic material. The plastic material is preferably rigid or
semi-rigid and may be a material such as polyethylene. The carrier
device 10 has a length sufficient to span the finger holds of a
pair of multiple container carriers such as those shown in the
noted patent.
The multiple container carriers are shown at 11 in FIG. 2 and
generally comprise a flat unsupported sheet of plastic material
provided with a plurality of spaced apertures, generally six in
number. The apertures are somewhat smaller than the diameter of a
can with which the carrier is to be assembled, and the plastic
material generally is a resilient, flexible, elastic material which
will not readily tear. Polyethylene is a preferred example. The
carriers 11 are applied over the tops of the cans 12 so that the
carriers 11 are positioned immediately below the top bead of the
cans 12. Finger holes 13 are provided in the carriers 11
longitudinally centrally thereof and between each group of four
apertures. The edge portions of the carriers 11 about the finger
holes 13 and at the inter-connecting web portions form relatively
stable horizontally extending edges. These edges may clearly been
seen as the cross-sectional areas shown in FIG. 3.
The carrier device 10 of the present invention is further formed to
have a central portion 14 and two integral side portions 15. In
using the device, the side portions 15 are folded downwardly to
depend from the central portion 14, as may be seen in FIGS. 2 and
3.
Areas of the central portion 14 are cut away or otherwise removed
to form a convenient, integral handle 16.
The lower edge portions of each of the side portions 14 are formed
to have a number of integral tabs 17. In the preferred embodiment
there are three uniformly spaced tabs 17 on each side portion 15.
The side edges of the tabs 17 are formed to generally converge in a
downward direction to act as cams to spread the edge portions of
the carriers 11 when the device 10 is projected downwardly over a
pair of carriers 11 aligned as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The upper
side edges of the tabs 17 are provided with notches which interlock
with the edge portions of the carriers 11 when the device 10 is
completely depressed as particularly shown in FIG. 3. It should be
noted that in the interlocked condition of the device 10 with the
carriers 11, the two center tabs 17 engage the longitudinal side
edges of the opposed carriers 11 between pairs of the cam retaining
apertures. The other tabs 17 each engage the opposed edges of one
of the finger holes 13 of the carriers 11.
It is apparent from the foregoing that in use, the device 10 as
shown in FIG. 1, but with the side portions 15 in a depending
arrangement, is simply projected downwardly over multiple container
carriers 11 as shown in FIG. 2 to interlock the device 10 with the
carriers 11 in the manner shown in FIG. 3. The resulting unitary
package is a simple, convenient arrangement for retaining and
transporting the containers 12. The carriers 11 are firmly and
positively held together by the device 10, and the individual
containers are easily removed from the package when desired. In
many arrangements of carriers 11 on containers such as cans, the
carriers 11 are applied axially below the chimes of the cans. In
such arrangements and with the device 10, the device 10 will be
aligned substantially on the upper surfaces of the cans and a
plurality of such unitary packages may conveniently be vertically
stacked.
Although only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been
specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be
understood that changes can be made within the spirit and scope of
the invention, as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *