Multi-pack carrier for bottles

A carrier for holding a plurality of bottles in at least two columns;

• the bottles each having a body, a neck extending upwardly from the body, a mouth at a top of the neck, a closure closing said mouth, and a flange adjacent said mouth, said flange having a lower surface defining a chime at a point where said flange and said neck intersect;
• said carrier including a top panel and at least one side panel;
• said top panel including:
• a first ply defining a first array of surrounding apertures, and a second ply defining a second array of container receiving apertures, said apertures of said first and second arrays being concentric with each other;
• one of said first and second plies having a plurality of slits extending radially from said apertures, said slits defining bottle retaining tabs which engage said bottle when bottles are inserted in said carrier to retain said bottles in said carrier;
• and
• a release mechanism for facilitating the removal of bottles from said carrier;
• said release mechanism including:
• a release tab extending between said surrounding apertures of said first ply of said carrier top, said release tab including a release tab leader and a release tab body, said release tab leader extending from an edge of said first ply to a point adjacent said surrounding aperture, said release tab body having a width at least as great as a width between said surrounding apertures, such that said release tab defines at least a portion of said surrounding aperture;
• and
• release openings between adjacent container receiving apertures in said, second array of apertures in said second ply of said carrier top panel, said release openings being positioned between a first and second column of said apertures.

A carrier for holding and transporting a plurality of long-necked, flanged bottles;

• said bottles each including a bottle body, a neck extending upwardly from said bottle body, a mouth at a top of the neck, a closure closing said mouth, and a flange adjacent said mouth, said flange having a lower surface defining a chime at a point where said flange lower surface intersects said neck;
• said carrier being generally quadrilateral in vertical cross-section;
• said carrier including:
• a top panel, a bottom panel, and two side panels, said panels being operatively connected to define a sleeve;
• said top panel having at least a top ply and a second ply;
• said top ply defining a plurality of surrounding apertures through which said bottle necks extend, said second ply defining a plurality of container receiving apertures formed concentrically with and having a diameter smaller than said surrounding apertures of said top ply, said second ply including a plurality of slits extending radially from said container receiving aperture to define a plurality of tabs;
• said bottom panel having continuous and uninterrupted edges extending between said side panels;
• said bottom panel defining a plurality of openings concentric with said apertures in said top panel, said bottom panel being spaced from said top panel, said openings having an edge which frictionally engages a surface of said bottles when bottles are placed in said carrier and which force increases when said carrier is lifted;
• said openings being spaced such that said bottle bodies are in firm contact with each other when said bottles are placed in said carrier;
• said side panels having a height such that said top and bottom panels are placed in tension when said bottles are placed in said carrier such that an arc is induced in said top panel and said bottom panel when said bottles are inserted in said carrier,
• wherein when said carrier is attached to a group of bottles to define a package of bottles, the package of bottles is firmly bound together by the force of the arched panels;
• a contact between said bottles being reinforced when said carrier is lifted to substantially prevent said bottles from moving relative to each other when said carrier is moved during handling or transportation to substantially prevent damage of said bottles.