Wrapper, carrier, and handle assembly and package comprising same and containers

A wrapper, carrier, and handle assembly for wrapping partially and carrying substantially identical containers as a package, such as substantially identical bottles, the assembly comprising

• (a) a wrapper formed from a paperboard sheet, folded, and seamed so as to have a bottom wall, two lateral walls providing expansive surfaces for labelling, and struts extending across the wrapper, above the bottom wall, the struts including two struts dividing the package and the containers in the package into two endmost regions and an intermediate region,
• (b) a carrier formed from sheet-form, resilient, polymeric material so as to have band segments defining container-receiving apertures in a generally rectangular array, which comprises two longitudinal rows and at least three transverse ranks including two endmost ranks and at least one intermediate rank, the carrier having a longitudinal midline between the longitudinal rows of container-receiving apertures, and
• (c) a handle attached to the carrier and extending upwardly from the longitudinal midline of the carrier,
• wherein the wrapper, carrier, and handle respectively are sized, shaped, and assembled so that the carrier is disposed above the bottom wall and below the struts, so that the container-receiving apertures of the endmost ranks are disposed within the endmost regions of the package, so that the container-receiving apertures of each intermediate rank are disposed within the intermediate region of the package, and so that the handle extends upwardly between two of the struts, through the intermediate region of the wrapper.