Paperboard carrier with container release provision

A carrier for closed ended containers arranged in side-by-side positions, the carrier comprising:

• a) a flat paperboard sheet embossed with rings defining areas in said flat sheet for the placement of closed ended containers;
• b) tab means spaced in side-by-side positions and distributed around in each area defined within said embossed rings and being sufficient in number to fill said areas defined by said rings, each tab means except one having terminal ends to define an aperture in each of said areas within each embossed ring;
• c) said one tab means in each of said areas defined within each embossed ring having a terminal end in the form of an enlargement sufficient to close said aperture;
• d) said embossed ring forming hinge connections for each of said tab means in each of said areas to permit all of said tab means in said defined areas to project out of said flat paperboard sheet in response to receive the closed ends of said containers;
• and
• e) spaced scores in said flat paperboard out side of said embossed ring and aligned with said one tab means in each of said areas, said spaced score lines permitting said one tab means in each of said areas to be torn out of said flat paperboard to release the associated container closed end.

In a container carrier of paperboard material having outer boundary edges defining the area of the carrier, and container receiving apertures spaced inwardly from the boundary edges and sized to engage the container beads, the improvement comprising:

• a) tab means hingedly formed in the paperboard material and distributed to define a plurality of container receiving apertures;
• b) pull tab extensions on one of said tabs in each of said container receiving apertures sized to close said container receiving apertures;
• c) score lines extending from each said pull tab extension and extending to an ending spaced from the nearest boundary edges to retain said pull tab extensions in said carrier;
• and
• d) hinge means in the paperboard material to allow for elevating all of said tab means, as well as said pull tab in response to the insertion of containers in receiving apertures of the carrier.

A method of constructing a paperboard carrier for containers utilizing a flat paperboard sheet having marginal edges defining the area limits of the sheet, the method including:

• a) delineating small areas spaced apart in the sheet to receive containers;
• b) preparing each delineated small area with a ring of tabs having forms projecting radially inwardly from outer ends in a circular relationship to inner ends defining a small area substantially concentric with the outer circle;
• c) selecting one of said tabs to terminate at its inner end with an enlarged surface filling the smaller concentric area;
• d) forming hinging connections at the outer end of the ring of tabs including the selected one of the tabs;
• e) forming score lines directed from alignment with said selected one of said tabs and extending from the hinging connection at the outer end of the selected one of said tabs toward the marginal limits of the sheet;
• and
• f) severing said tabs from each other and from said selected one of said tabs whereby insertion of a container in each delineated small area forces said tabs to blossom out of the flat sheet and the enlarged surface to project above the flat surface.

A paperboard carrier for packaging containers arranged in side-by-side positions and apertures in the carrier each having a closed margin sized to accommodate the filler ends of individual containers, said carrier comprising:

• a) flat paperboard carrier having a circular array of tabs for receiving and supporting groups of containers from the filler ends, said array of tabs having base ends delineating container receiving apertures, said tabs projecting radially inwardly from the base ends to inner terminal ends forming circular open spaces in said apertures;
• b) one of said tabs in each of said array of tabs being formed with an inner terminal end occupying said circular open space in said apertures;
• c) an embossed ring in said flat paperboard carrier surrounding the base ends of said array of tabs, said embossed ring forming a hingable connection for the base ends of said tabs;
• d) score lines formed in said paperboard carrier in alignment with said one tab and extending outwardly from said embossed ring to define tear-out strips in said paperboard carrier;
• and
• e) said array of tabs being responsive to the insertion of a container filler end into each of said array of tabs to forcibly pivot said tabs out of the paperboard carrier to support the container filler ends, said enlarged terminal end of said one tab pivoting into position alongside the filler end of the containers to be accessible as a handle to tear out said one tab from the paperboard along said score lines to form a container release path from said carrier.

A carrier for closed ended containers arranged in side-by-side positions, the carrier comprising:

• a) a flat laminated paperboard sheet embossed with rings defining areas in said sheet for the placement of closed ended containers;
• b) tab means spaced in side-by-side positions and distributed around in each area defined within said embossed rings and being sufficient in number to fill said areas defined by said embossed rings, each tab means except one having base ends at said embossed rings and terminal ends which define an opening in each of said areas within each embossed ring;
• c) said one tab means in each of said areas defined within each embossed ring having a base end at said embossed ring and an inner terminal end in the form of an enlargement sufficient to fit in said opening, in said areas within each embossed ring;
• d) said embossed rings forming hinge connections for said base ends of each of said tab means in each of said areas to permit all of said tab means in said defined areas to be projected out of said paperboard sheet to create a conic support to receive the closed ends of said containers;
• and
• e) spaced scores in said flat paperboard outside of each said embossed ring and aligned with said one tab means in. each of said areas, said spaced score lines permitting said one tab means in each of said areas to define a tear-out strip in said paperboard between said score lines to release the associated container closed end.

In a carrier for containers having filler end closures and bead formations adjacent each filler end, the container carrier consisting of paperboard material having outer boundary edges defining the respective sides defining the area of the carrier, and container receiving apertures spaced inwardly from the boundary edges and sized to engage the container bead formations, the improvement comprising:

• a) tab means hingedly formed in the paperboard material and distributed to define a plurality of container supports in the container receiving apertures;
• b) pull tab extensions on one of said tabs in each of said container receiving apertures sized to fit into said container receiving apertures;
• c) score lines extending from said pull tab to an ending spaced from the nearest boundary edges to retain said pull tab extensions in said carrier;
• and
• d) hinge means in the paperboard material to allow for elevating said tab means into container bead supports, as well as elevation of said pull tab in response to the insertion of containers in receiving apertures of the carrier.

A paperboard carrier for containers having filler end closures and bead formations adjacent the filler end closures, the carrier comprising:

• a) laminated paperboard sheets having a first paperboard sheet bonded to a second paperboard sheet;
• said bonded sheets having outer margins defining the area limits of said carrier;
• b) said first paperboard sheet being formed with spaced apart circular embossed rings each surrounding a plurality of tab elements which project radially inwardly from said embossed rings to terminal ends surrounding openings in said first paperboard sheet;
• c) one of said tab elements having an enlarged terminal end disposed in said opening in said first paperboard sheet;
• d) said second paperboard sheet being formed with spaced apart apertures having circular rims aligned to register with said embossed rings, said apertures exposing said tab elements to view in said first paperboard sheet through said registered apertures;
• e) radially directed score lines formed in said first and second paperboard sheets to be in overlying registration and aligned to extend from a position adjacent said embossed ring opposite said one tab element having said enlarged terminal end to outer ends adjacent said outer margin of the carrier;
• and
• f) all of said tab elements in said first paperboard sheet being hingedly displacable by a container pressed against said tab elements to force said tab elements to project through said apertures in said second paperboard sheet to engage with the container bead formation, said one tab element projecting its enlarged terminal end into position to effect tearing out said laminated paperboard sheets along said aligned score lines and container release from said carrier.