Article Carrier

Abstract

A basket style article carrier is disclosed having a bottom wall, side walls joined to opposite side edges of the bottom wall, end wall panels joined to the end edges of the side walls and extending inwardly therefrom, riser panels foldably joined to the inner edges of the end wall panels and extending inwardly of the carrier, a handle secured to the riser panels at one end along vertical fold lines and at the other end by a pair of positioning flaps foldably joined to the other end of the handle and disposed in inwardly enveloping relation relative to the adjacent riser panels which are interconnected with each other, and partition structure secured to each side wall and to the riser panels on each side of the handle, the partition structures being formed by supplemental separate blanks.

Description

Bottle carriers of the type in which the handle is foldably joined integrally at one end of the carrier with upstanding riser panels and at the other end of the carrier is glued to the riser panels are difficult to manufacture due to the fact that the handle tends to collide with machine elements and to be brushed away from the side and end walls of the carton at the end of the handle which is not integral with the riser panels. In order to overcome this difficulty it has been the practice in some instances to construct the cutting dies in such manner as to retain a plurality of interconnections between the handle panel on each side of the carrier handle and the adjacent side wall. Such interconnections are commonly referred to as nicks. While the nicks may function satisfactorily, it is possible that they may prove to be variable in strength and reliability during manufacture of the carton and when the carrier is complete and is ready to be set-up in the user's plant ready for loading, such nicks may interfere unduly with such setting-up operations.

According to this invention the aforementioned difficulty is eliminated by the expedient of providing retaining flaps at the end of the handle along the end edges thereof which flaps are folded into enveloping relationship with the riser panels at that end of the carton and the riser panels are interconnected at their upper edges along a medial fold line. By this means the handle is effectively secured relative to the riser panels and side walls and the aforementioned difficulties are eliminated.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a set-up carrier constructed according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the main blank utilized in forming the carrier of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a separate supplemental blank which is manipulated to form transverse partitioning structure on either side of the handle of the carrier;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but which shows the supplemental blanks of FIG. 3 secured in position with respect to the main blank;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are plan views of a main blank and its associated separate partition structures and which views depict four different folding and gluing operations through which the blanks of FIG. 4 are manipulated in order to form the complete collapsed carrier as depicted in FIG. 8 and in which FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a set-up carrier and which depicts the positions of the parts of the supplemental blank of FIG. 3 when the carrier is set up.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a side wall to which the bottom wall 2 is foldably joined along fold line 3. A medial fold line 4 is formed in bottom wall 2 and notches 5 and 6 are formed at the ends of fold line 4. End wall panels 7 and 8 are foldably joined to the end edges of side wall 1 along fold lines 9 and 10 respectively. Riser panels 11 and 12 are foldably joined to end wall panels 7 and 8 along fold lines 13 and 14 respectively. A locking notch 15 is formed in riser panel 11 and a similar locking notch 16 is formed in riser panel 12. These notches cooperate with one or the other of the notches 5 and 6 to hold the carrier in set-up condition as is well known. Handle panel 17 is foldably joined to riser panel 12 along fold line 14 and to handle panel 18 along fold line 19. A flap 20 is struck from panel 17 and foldably joined thereto along fold line 21. A supplemental fold line 22 is formed in flap 20.

Positioning flaps 23 and 24 are foldably joined to handle panels 17 and 18 along fold lines 25 and 26 and to each other along fold line 27 and serve according to the invention to enclose and position the handle relative to the adjacent interconnected riser panels. A cutaway portion 24A is formed in flap 24 and such portion extends into flap 23 as indicated at 23A. Positioning edge 23C defines an edge of the cutaway area. Fold line 24B and a similar fold line 23B are formed in flaps 24 and 23. A flap 28 is struck from handle panel 18 and foldably joined thereto along fold line 29. An additional fold line 30 is formed in handle panel 18. Riser panel 31 is foldably joined to riser panel 11 along medial fold line 31A and riser panel 32 is foldably joined to handle panel 18 along fold line 34. Notches 35 and 36 are formed in riser panels 31 and 32 respectively. End wall panels 37 and 38 are foldably joined to riser panels 31 and 32 along fold lines 33 and 34 respectively. Side wall 39 is foldably joined to end wall panels 37 and 38 at its end edges identified by the numerals 40 and 41 and a glue flap 42 is foldably joined to the bottom edge of side wall 39 along a fold line 43.

Transverse partition structure may constitute a pair of supplemental separate blanks such as that depicted in FIG. 3. The blank of FIG. 3 comprises a medial panel 44 which is generally of T-shaped configuration and when assembled in the finished carrier the medial panel 44 is arranged with its horizontal part defined by projections 44A and 44B secured to the riser panels and with its vertical part extending downwardly. As is apparent from FIG. 3, medial panel 44 is downwardly tapered for economy. Foldably joined to the medial panel 44 along the sides thereof are transverse panels 45 and 46. These panels 45 and 46 are foldably joined along fold lines 47 and 48 to the side edges of medial panel 44. A pair of flaps 49 and 50 are foldably joined respectively along fold lines 51 and 52 to the edges of transverse panels 45 and 46 respectively which are remote from medial panel 44. These flaps 49 and 50 are manipulated and secured as by glue to a side wall of the carrier to form support for the end of the partition structure. Projections 44A and 44B and flaps 49 and 50 constitute flap portions for securing the partition structure to the riser panels and side walls.

Interposed between the adjacent edges of transverse panel 46 and flap 50 is a web panel 53 which is in general alinement with the fold line 52 and which is foldably joined to transverse panel 46 along fold line 54 and to flap 50 along fold line 55. A short transverse cut 56 defines the bottom most extremity of web 53. At the other end of the supplemental blank, a web panel 57 is foldably joined to transverse panel 45 along fold line 58 and to flap 49 along fold line 59. A short slit 60 defines the bottom edge of web panel 57.

In order to manipulate the supplemental blank of FIG. 3 into the condition necessary for its application to the main blank, the transverse panel 46 is folded downwardly along fold line 48 into a position of flat face contacting relation underneath the medial panel 44. During this folding operation web panel 53 and flap 50 remain in the plane of transverse panel 46. An application of glue is made to the underneath surface of flap 50 as represented by stippling in FIG. 3 and an application of glue is made to the underneath surface of flap 49 so that these flaps are adhered to side wall 1 with parts occupying the positions indicated in FIG. 4.

For use on the other side of the carrier, the transverse panel 45 of a blank of FIG. 3 is folded downwardly along fold line 47 to occupy a position of flat face contacting relationship to the medial panel 44 and an application of glue is made to the flaps 49 and 50 so as to cause the supplemental blank to adhere to side wall 39 as depicted in FIG. 4. The blanks of FIG. 4 are ready for folding and gluing operations to complete the carrier. Of course the glue application could be made to the side walls 1 and 39 in appropriate areas rather than to the flaps of the supplemental blank if so desired.

To form the carrier from the blanks of FIG. 4, an application of glue is made to the left hand end of handle panels 17 and 18 and to the inner ends of riser panels 11 and 31. Similarly an application of glue is made to the horizontally disposed projecting part 44B of the medial panel 44 of the supplemental blank secured to side wall 39 and the projection 44A of the other supplemental blank as indicated by stippling in FIG. 4. Following this application of glue, the end wall panels 7 and 37 are swung upwardly along with riser panels 31 and 11 and toward the right along fold lines 9 and 40 so that riser panels 11 and 31 adhere to handle panels 17 and 18. Wide riser panel 31 adds reinforcement to the handle and by connecting with panel 44 adds the equivalent of a strut under the handle. Then riser panel 31 in the region indicated at 31B becomes affixed to horizontal end portion 44B of medial panel 44 associated with side wall 39 and the blanks then appear as shown in FIG. 5.

For the purpose of enveloping the riser panels 31 and 11, the positioning flaps 23 and 24 are folded upwardly and toward the right along fold lines 25 and 26 and into contact with the handle panels 17 and 18 and with the riser panels 31 and 11 after glue is applied as indicated by stippling in FIG. 5. The weakened fold lines 23B and 24B allow for a measure of flexibility in positioning flaps 23 and 24 and facilitate folding of these flaps should their edges tend to hang up on the upper edges of end wall panels 7 and 37 and of the side walls 1 and 39. The riser panels 12 and 32 are also swung upwardly and toward the left along the fold lines 14 and 34 and the parts then occupy the positions depicted in FIG. 6. This operation causes the part 12A of riser panel 12 to become adhered to the projecting part 44B of the horizontal portion of medial panel 44 to provide added strength under the handle medially of the carrier and to reinforce the handle by the wide riser panel 12. The blank then appears as shown in FIG. 6. In this condition the positioning edge 23C is in substantial coincidence with fold line 31A between riser panels 31 and 11. When the carrier is completed, the handle structure is held in secure parallel relation to the upper edges of the side walls 1 and 39 because the riser panels are effectively enveloped between the handle and positioning flaps and more specifically the handle is held by edge 23C which is trapped inside the interconnected riser panels.

The bottom panel 2 is folded along fold line 4 and the carton appears as in FIG. 7.

In order to complete the carrier, an application of glue is made to the blank as indicated by stippled areas in FIG. 7 and the side wall 39 riser panels 32, 31 and the end wall panels 37 and 38 together with the supplemental blank associated with side wall 39 are elevated and folded forwardly along the medial fold lines 19 and 27 so that the parts then occupy the positions indicated in FIG. 8 which constitutes a complete and collapsed carrier.

During this latter folding operation, the right hand end 44A of the supplemental blank which is secured to side wall 39 becomes secured to riser panel 12 in the area thereof designated 12A so that riser panel 12 is affixed to the horizontal part of the medial panel 44 of the supplemental blanks on both sides of the carrier. In like fashion at the other end of blank 44, the projection 44A of the supplemental blank which is secured to side wall 1 becomes adhered to the area 31A of riser panel 31 and the area 31A is thus secured to the medial parts of both supplemental blanks. Of course glue flap 42 is secured to an edge of bottom wall 2 and the inner surfaces of the handle panels are secured together as well as the face contacting portions of the associated riser panels as is well known in the art. The lower portions of riser panels 12 and 32 are in flat face contacting relation and together are as thick as the blank of FIG. 3 to meet governmental requirements. This double thickness of riser panels extends up above the shoulders of the packaged bottles to provide adequate bottle protection and separation while the wide upper parts of riser panels 12 and 31 reinforce the handle and connect with parts 44A and 44B of the supplemental blanks.

As is apparent from FIG. 9, the transverse panels 45 and 46 extend from the medial panel 44 transversely of the carrier and constitute partitioning structure which is secured to the side wall 1 by flaps 49 and 50. Should the article disposed between the transverse panels 45 and 46 be tilted toward the left as viewed in FIG. 9, the web panels 57 and 53 simply tend to aline themselves with the transverse panels 45 and 46 so that the effect of this arrangement is to render the transverse panels 45 and 46 extensible thereby to accommodate tilting of the article disposed therebetween. As explained this tilting action provides hand gripping room adjacent to the medial panel 44.

From the description thus far it is apparent that the downwardly extending parts of medial panel 44 and of transverse panels 45 and 46 are tapered in a downward direction. From FIG. 3 it is apparent that the pair of supplemental blanks may be struck from a single blank in nested relation with the downwardly tapered portions of one blank interposed between and alongside the downwardly tapered portions of the other blank. In this manner economy in the use of material is effected. Furthermore an extremely low handle is provided according to this invention which also effects significant economy in the use of material. Strength is not jepordized due to the fact that riser panels 31 and 12 are secured to the ends of the horizontal projection of each medial panel so that substantial strength is provided in the region immediately below the handle by virtue of securement of projections 44A and 44B to the riser panels.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An article carrier comprising a bottom wall, opposed side walls joined to said bottom wall along opposite side edges thereof, end wall panels joined to the ends of said side walls and extending transversely inward therefrom, riser panels joined at the inwardly extending edges of said end wall panels and extending inwardly of the carrier medially thereof, a pair of face contacting handle panels foldably joined to each other along their top edges and foldably joined respectively to the riser panels at one end thereof along fold lines which are alined respectively with the fold lines between such riser panels and the associated end wall panels, the riser panels at the other end of the carrier being interconnected with each other along their top edges along a medial fold line and being disposed in flat face contacting relation with the inner surfaces of said handle panels, and a positioning flap foldably joined to the end edge of one of said handle panels adjacent the interconnected riser panels and folded into flat face contacting relation with the inner surfaces of the associated handle and riser panels so as to envelope such riser panel between said flap and handle panel and so that a positioning edge of said flap engages said interconnected riser panels substantially at said medial fold line therebetween thereby to secure said handle panels in parallel relation to the top edges of said side walls.

2. An article carrier according to claim 1 wherein a second positioning flap is foldably joined to the end edge of the other of said handle panels adjacent the interconnected riser panels and folded into flat face contacting relation with the inner surfaces of the associated handle and riser panel so as to envelop such riser panel between said second positioning flap and the associated handle panel.

3. An article carrier according to claim 2 wherein said second positioning flap is cut away in the region thereof adjacent said positioning edge of the positioning flap which is adjoined to said one handle panel.

4. An article carrier according to claim 3 wherein said positioning flaps are foldably joined to each other along their top edges and in the region thereof which is disposed longitudinally inward of the carrier relative to said positioning edge and to said cutaway portion of said flaps.

5. An article carrier according to claim 4 wherein a weakened fold line is formed in each of said positioning flaps and disposed in spaced relation from the edges thereof remote from the top edges thereof.