US 5,328,024 A · Two-piece bottle carrier

Abstract

A bottle carrier of the type employing tabs surrounding bottle neck openings to support the underside of bottle flanges. The carrier is comprised of an inner clip member and an outer shroud, each having aligned bottle neck openings and tabs. The outer shroud incorporates side panels which fold around adjacent bottles and are adhered to the inner face of the end panels. The side panels are moved into place by the pulling action of gusset panels as the latter are folded into position at the inner face of the end panels. The outermost bottle support tabs are of greater height than the innermost tabs to accommodate bowing of the carrier during lifting, and the other tabs have angled edges adapted to contact the bottle flanges when the carrier is lifted. The inner clip includes short flaps underlying the side and end flaps of the outer shroud.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A carrier package containing bottles, each bottle having a neck portion which includes an outwardly projecting shoulder, comprising:

an upper support panel overlying and engaging a lower support panel;
the support panels containing aligned openings through which the necks of the bottles extend;
a plurality of support tabs connected to the upper support panel by fold lines extending along portions of the periphery of each bottle opening, the support tabs having
side panels connected to the upper support panel by first fold lines, the side panels having end portions;
end panels connected to the upper support panel by second fold lines;
and
gusset panels connected to the adjacent side and end panels by fold lines, the gusset panels and the end portions of the side panels underlying and being adhered to the end panels.

4 more elements

Blank element for forming a carrier for supporting packaged bottles, each bottle having a neck portion which includes an outwardly projecting shoulder, comprising:

a first blank including a lower support panel containing openings for receiving the necks of bottles to be packaged;
a second blank including an upper support panel containing openings for receiving the necks of bottles to be packaged, the upper support panel adapted to overlie the lower support panel and the bottle neck openings in both support panels adapted to be aligned in a carrier formed from the blanks;
a plurality of support tabs connected to the upper support panel by fold lines extending along portions of the periphery of each bottle opening, the support tabs having edge for engaging the underside of the shoulders of bottles to be packaged;
side panel flaps connected to the upper support panel by first fold lines, the side panel flaps having end portions;
end panel flaps connected to the upper support panel by second fold lines;
and
gusset panels connected to the adjacent side and end panel flaps by fold lines, the gusset panels and the end portions of the side panel flaps being adapted to underlie the end panel flaps in a carrier formed from the blanks.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Two-piece bottle carrier

Life of this patent

Two-piece bottle carrier

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29