Carrier-opener Combination

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a carrier-opener combination including a carrier and a plurality of containers having ends provided with tear-out portion, the carrier being constructed as a one-piece molded member having a plurality of T-shaped openings as viewed in horizontal plan in each of which is adapted to be disposed an enlarged head of one of the tear-out portions, each head having a longitudinal axis of a larger dimension than a transverse axis, and each of the openings or channels including an arm of the T which is generally of the size of the longitudinal dimension whereby each enlarged head and its associated opening is interlocked by imparting relative rotation between the container and the carrier.

Description

Containers, such as bottles or cans, are packaged in a variety of carriers or cartons, one of which is the conventional"basket-style" carrier which includes a carrying handle along a longitudinal center line of the carrier and a plurality of container compartments which are normally arranged in pairs to form well known four-pack, six-pack, etc. packages. Carriers of this type are generally used to package glass or similar fragile containers, and are not normally used for packaging metallic cans.

The wrap-around style carriers are generally constructed from paper stock or similar foldable material, and are simply wrapped about a plurality of containers to again form four-pack, six-pack, etc. packages. Such wrap-around carriers are employed both for frangible and nonfrangible containers, be they bottles or cans, and can be used with or without longitudinal and transverse dividers.

More recently metallic containers of the so-called easy opening type have been packaged in carriers formed from apertured heat-shrinkable plastic material. In this case, the containers are simply inserted into the apertures of the sheet material, the sheet material is then heated, and the material thereby shrinks to adequately grip the containers to permit the same to be carried by the carrier in four-pack, six-pack, etc. arrangements.

Each of the conventional carriers just described has proved relatively efficient for its only purpose, namely, to provide a package for a predetermined number of bottles, cans or similar containers. Apart from performing this function and the ancillary function of maintaining the containers in longitudinal and transverse spaced relationship in some instances, conventional carriers are in no way otherwise associated in a functional manner with their associated containers.

In keeping with this invention, a primary object thereof is to provide a novel carrier-opener combination which includes a carrier and a plurality of containers, the containers having ends provided with conventional tear-out portions or tear strips each of which includes an upstanding neck terminating in an enlarged head having transverse and longitudinal axes but being devoid of conventional pull tabs, the carrier including means in the form of channels for securing each enlarged head to the carrier whereby the tear-out portions can be removed by simply applying a relative opening force between the carrier and the containers, but more specifically the enlarged heads are secured to the carrier by sliding the same in generally T-shaped channel means and subsequently rotating each container to register each enlarged head with its longitudinal axis generally normal to the center line of each leg of each T-shaped channel.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel carrier-opener combination of the type heretofore set forth including abutment means abutting a longitudinal edge of each enlarged head within its associated channel for preventing pure sliding removal of the heads from their seated positions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel carrier-opener combination of the type aforesaid including means biasingly urging each longitudinal edge of each enlarged head against its associated abutment means, the last-mentioned biasing means being defined by resilient means gripping an upper peripheral seam of each container.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claimed subject matter, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carrier-opener combination of this invention, and illustrates a plurality of generally transversely disposed channels in each of which is interlockingly engaged an enlarged head of a removable or tear-out portion of each of the can end units.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carrier-opener combination of FIG. 1, and illustrates the manner in which each tear-out portion is removed simply by applying a downward and outward force to the associated container bodies.

FIG. 3 is a bottom horizontal plan view of the carrier of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the containers being shown in phantom outline, and more clearly illustrates the generally T-shaped configuration of the channels or slots with cross-arms thereof adapted to interlockingly receive the enlarged heads of the end units.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 4--4 of FIG. 1, and illustrates the manner in which a pair of the enlarged heads is interlocked to the carrier, as well as means for removably securing each container to the carrier by an uppermost peripheral double seam thereof.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 5--5 of FIG. 4, and more clearly illustrates the construction of the slot means particularly defining shelves for underlyingly supporting the enlarged heads of the end units.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along line 6--6 of FIG. 5, and illustrates the manner in which each container is interlocked with its associated channel by first sliding the head thereof into its associated channel with the longitudinal axis of the head coincident with the channel center line and thereafter rotating each container to obtain the interlocked position illustrated in solid lines.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 7--7 of FIG. 2, and illustrates the manner in which each tear-out portion is automatically removed from its associated end unit upon the removal of a container from the carrier.

A novel carrier-opener combination constructed in accordance with this invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and includes a one-piece, integral molded plastic carrier 11 and a plurality of containers C, which in the present embodiment of the invention forms the usual six-pack arrangement. However, it is to be understood that the number of containers C united with the carrier 11 to form the package 10 may be varied as desired. Each container C is illustrated as being of a three-piece construction, namely, each container C includes a bottom closure or end unit (not shown), secured to a generally cylindrical body 12 by a lower double seam 13 while an upper closure or end unit 14 is likewise secured to the body 12 by an upper double seam 15. Each end unit 14 is of a generally conventional construction from the standpoint of being provided with a generally triangular line of severance or score line 16 (FIG. 6) defining a removable or tear-out portion 17. A portion of the tear-out portion 17 adjacent the axis of the end unit 14 is formed into an upstanding neck 18 which terminates in an enlarged head 20. As is best illustrated in FIG. 6, the enlarged head 20 includes a pair of longitudinal edges 21, 22 which are appreciably larger than a pair of transverse edges 23, 24, the latter of which are slightly rounded. The end unit 14 is completely devoid of the usual pull-tab for removing the tear-out portion 17 by applying an opening force to the enlarged head 20.

The carrier 11 includes a body 25 having a top wall 26 provided with a pair of generally circular finger-receiving openings 27 which facilitate the lifting and carrying of the carrier 11, as well as its associated containers C.

As is best illustrated in FIG. 3, the carrier body 25 includes a pair of undulating transverse edges 30, 31 and longitudinal edges 32, 33 which are interrupted by generally U-shaped slots 34. Each slot 34 is defined by a wall 35 (FIG. 5) depending downwardly from the top wall 25 and terminating in inwardly directed lip 36 which releasably interlocks with each of the double seams 15 in the manner best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings.

A lower surface 37 (FIGS. 3 and 5) of the top wall 25 tapers toward the center 38 of each of the slots 34 and approximately centrally thereof is provided with transversely opening channel means generally designated by the reference numeral 40.

The channel means are disposed in transverse pairs, as is best illustrated in FIG. 3, and each channel means or slot 40 includes a generally shallow rectangular slot 41 (FIG. 5) set off at its lower edge by opposing transversely extending shelves or supports 42, 43 (FIGS. 5 and 6). The shelves 42, 43 widen at innermost portions 44, 45, respectively, to provide supports for the under sides of the opposite transverse edge portions 23, 24 of the enlarged heads 20 in the manner best illustrated in FIG. 6, which will be described more fully hereinafter. Each shelf 42, 43 is defined in part by vertical walls 46, 47, respectively, which function as abutment means for abutting the longitudinal edge 21 of each of the enlarged heads 20 to prevent the same from being drawn accidentally or inadvertently outwardly of the channel means 40.

Reference is now made particularly to FIG. 6 which illustrates the manner in which one of the cans C is united to one of the channel means 40. This is accomplished by aligning the enlarged head 20 with the channel means 40 with the center line C/L of the latter in coincidence with the longitudinal axis L of the enlarged head 20. The under surface (unnumbered) of the enlarged head 20 is slightly above the upper surfaces of the shelves 42, 43 and thus by imparting sliding movement in the direction of the uppermost dashed unnumbered headed arrow in FIG. 6 the enlarged head 20 can be moved toward the center 38 of the slot 34. During this movement the double seam 15 is guided along and upon the inner surfaces (unnumbered) of the wall 35 and the lip 36. Eventually the double seam is fully received within the U-shaped slot 34, but at this time the enlarged head 20 remains in its position with its longitudinal axis L in coincidence with the center line C/L and with a portion of the transverse portion 23 of the enlarged head 20 still within the narrow portion of the channel 40. This position is illustrated by the dotted and cross-hatched area in FIG. 6, it being noted that the transverse edge portion 23 is positioned above, as viewed in FIG. 6, the abutment means or walls 46, 47. In order to fully seat the enlarged head 20 upon the enlarged portions 44, 45 of the shelves, the container C is further moved into the slot to a position at which the axis (unnumbered) of the neck 18 passes beyond the axis 38 of the slot 34. This is permitted due to the resilience of the walls 35, 36 which temporarily move downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 6, until the transverse edge portion 23 passes beyond the walls 46, 47 after which the can body can be rotated in the direction of the lowermost unnumbered dotted headed arrow in FIG. 6. After being so rotated the inherent reboundable nature of the material from which the walls 35, 36 are constructed allows the latter to rebound back to the original position shown in FIG. 6 which brings the longitudinal edge 21 of the enlarged head 20 into abutment with the walls 46, 47. In this fully seated position the longitudinal axis L of the enlarged head 20 is, of course, generally normal to the center line C/L of the slot means 40 and the under side of the transverse edges 23, 24 are fully supported by the shelf portions 44, 45. The abutment means or walls 46, 47 preclude any one of the containers C from being withdrawn from the channels 40 by pure sliding movement.

When it is desired to remove one of the tear-out portions 17 from its associated end unit 14, it is merely necessary to grasp one of the containers C in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 7 and apply an opening force to the same in the direction of the unnumbered headed arrows in the latter-noted figures. This is a downward and outward pulling force which is transmitted through the enlarged head 20, the neck 18 and the tear-out portion 17 to the score line 16 which ruptures the starting end (unnumbered) thereof and eventually results in the entire removal of the tear-out portion 17 from the associated end unit 14. The contents of the container C may now be dispensed in any conventional fashion desired.

If it is desired to remove the now-removed tear-out portion 17, it is merely necessary to reverse the operation heretofore described relative to assembling the containers C to the carrier 25. As an alternative procedure, the tear-out portion 17 need be moved downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 6, toward an opening (unnumbered) beyond the shelves 44, 45 after which the enlarged head 20 will leave the shelves and freely drop from the carrier. This can be best visualized in FIG. 7 which, assuming that the tear-out portion 17 has been completely removed in the manner illustrated, it is merely necessary to move the head to the right in this same figure until the same drops downwardly and thus outwardly from the under side of the carrier 25.

While preferred forms and arrangements of parts have been shown in illustrating the invention, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Claims

I claim:

1. A carrier-opener combination including therewith a plurality of containers having removable portions each of which includes an upstanding neck terminating in an enlarged head having transverse and longitudinal axes, a carrier body having a plurality of channel means for slidably receiving an associated enlarged head with its longitudinal axis generally coincident with a center line of its associated channel means, an inboard portion of each channel means defining a shelf for underlyingly contactingly supporting each enlarged head, and enlarged recess means at each inboard portion of a size at least equal to the longitudinal axis of said enlarged heads whereby said containers can be rotated within said enlarged recess means to a position at which each longitudinal axis is transverse to its associated channel means center line and longitudinally opposite end portions of said enlarged heads are supported by said shelves.

2. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 1 including abutment means abutting a longitudinal edge of each enlarged head when the latter is seated upon an associated shelf for preventing pure sliding removal of the heads from their seated positions upon said shelves.

3. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 1 including abutment means abutting a longitudinal edge of each enlarged head when the latter is seated upon an associated shelf for preventing pure sliding removal of the heads from their seated positions upon said shelves, and means biasingly urging each longitudinal edge against its associated abutment means.

4. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 1 wherein each container includes an upper peripheral seam, and said carrier body includes means releasingly engaging said seams.

5. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 1 including abutment means abutting a longitudinal edge of each enlarged head when the latter is seated upon an associated shelf for preventing pure sliding removal of the heads from their seated positions upon said shelves, each container includes an upper peripheral seam, and said carrier body includes means for performing the combined functions of releasingly engaging said seams and urging each longitudinal edge against its associated abutment means.

6. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said channel means and enlarged recess means cooperatively define a generally T-shaped outline in horizontal plan.

7. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said channel means and enlarged recess means cooperatively define a generally T-shaped outlined element in horizontal plan, each T-shaped element is defined by a stem and a cross bar, and said elements are arranged in a plurality of transversely adjacent pairs with the stems of each pair of elements directed away from each other.

8. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said channel means and enlarged recess means cooperatively define a generally T-shaped outline in horizontal plan.

9. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said channel means and enlarged recess means cooperatively define a generally T-shaped outlined element in horizontal plan, each T-shaped element is defined by a stem and a cross bar, and said elements are arranged in a plurality of transversely adjacent pairs with the stems of each pair of elements directed away from each other.

10. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said channel means and enlarged recess means cooperatively define a generally T-shaped outline in horizontal plan.

11. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said channel means and enlarged recess means cooperatively define a generally T-shaped outlined element in horizontal plan, each T-shaped element is defined by a stem and a cross bar, and said elements are arranged in a plurality of transversely adjacent pairs with the stems of each pair of elements directed away from each other.

12. A carrier adapted for use with a plurality of containers each of which includes a removable portion having an upstanding neck terminating in an enlarged head having transverse and longitudinal axes comprising a carrier body having a plurality of channel means for slidably receiving an associated enlarged head with its longitudinal axis generally coincident with a center line of its associated channel means, an inboard portion of each channel means defining a shelf for underlyingly contactingly supporting each enlarged head, and enlarged recess means at each inboard portion of a size at least equal to the longitudinal axis of said enlarged heads whereby said containers can be rotated within said enlarged recess means to a position at which each longitudinal axis is transverse to its associated channel means center line and longitudinally opposite end portions of said enlarged heads are supported by said shelves.

13. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 12 including abutment means abutting a longitudinal edge of each enlarged head when the latter is seated upon an associated shelf for preventing pure sliding removal of the heads from their seated positions upon said shelves.

14. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 12 including abutment means abutting a longitudinal edge of each enlarged head when the latter is seated upon an associated shelf for preventing pure sliding removal of the heads from their seated positions upon said shelves.

15. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 12 including abutment means abutting a longitudinal edge of each enlarged head when the latter is seated upon an associated shelf for preventing pure sliding removal of the heads from their seated positions upon said shelves, each container includes an upper peripheral seam, and said carrier body includes means for performing the combined functions of releasingly engaging said seams and urging each longitudinal edge against its associated abutment means.

16. The carrier-opener combination as defined in claim 12 wherein each of said channel means and enlarged recess means cooperatively define a generally T-shaped outline in horizontal plan.