Bottle carrier
United States Patent [:91 Klygis 1 BOTTLE CARRIER {75] Inventor: Mindaugas Julius Klygis, Evergreen Park, Ill.  
 [73] Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc., Chicago.  
 Ill.  
 [22] Filed: July 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 375,424  
 [52] US. Cl. 206/158; 206/427; 294/87.2  
 [51] Int. Cl B651! 75/00; 365d 85/62 [58] Field of Search 206/140, 144, 150, 158. 206/427; 294/872 [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1.968.877 8/1934 Cuhberley 206/144 3,016,259 1/1962 Lawrence 294/87 2 3,123,213 3/1964 Kulig 206/158 3.325.004 6/1967 Wanderer 206/150 3.501.082 3/1970 Lock 206/140 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert W. Beart; Edward L. Benno [57] ABSTRACT A carrier for a plurality of bottles arranged in a row.  
 [ Apr. s, 1975 The carrier is made from a resilient deformable plastic sheet material and the carrier blank folds and mechanically locks into a prism-like shape in which the end faces are triangles. Aligned apertures through the base and apex of the carrier provide an interlocking relationship of the carrier with the bottles such that the side walls of the carrier are resiliently bowed outwardly to project the marginal edges of the apertures in the apex of the carrier firmly against the underside of the cap portion enlargements of the bottles and with the marginal edges of the apertures in the base of the carrier being firmly circumferentially urged downwardly against the diverging neck portions of the bottles. The bottle gripping apertures in the apex of the carrier are defined by a continuous or discontinuous straight edge at one side of the blank and an overlapped section of the other side of the blank which has apertures substantially larger than the enlarged cap portions of the bottles. Simple tabs permit the carrier to be unlocked and the apertures in the overlapped section may then be raised over and above the enlarged cap portions of the bottles to permit the carrier to be easily lifted from the bottles. The carrier may be reused by mechanically interlocking the tabs in the tab receiving apertures and by projecting the carrier downwardly over the bottles until the apex apertures snap below the enlarged cap portions of the bottles 7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BOTTLE CARRIER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The subject invention is directed to carrier constructions for a plurality of bottles and particularly for beverage bottles which have enlarged cap or crown portions and downwardly enlarging or diverging neck portions beneath the cap portions. The invention is further directed to such carriers in which the bottles are held by the neck portions thereof and depend or hang from the carrier in the transport of the resulting package. The invention is additionally directed to such carriers which may be reused. In other words. carriers which after being removed from the bottles may be easily reassembled and again placed on the bottles to again form a convenient package such as for example in the returning of empty bottles to a store from which the original package had been purchased.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The carrier of the invention is a simple and economical carrier that can be used and reused for carrying returnable or non-returnable bottles and is intended for use with a plurality of bottles arranged in a row. The carrier firmly holds the bottles by the neck portions thereof in a depending condition and against pivoting in the carrier. The carrier is made from a resilient. deformable plastic sheet material, such as high density polyethylene. The carrier blank has various apertures therein anti tabs which cooperate with three fold lines to permit the blank to be folded and locked into a bottle carrier for a plurality of bottles arranged in a row. The assembled carrier is in the general shape ofa prism having end faces which are triangles, and has a length sufficient to span the row of bottles. Reductions to practice of the carrier have shown that the carrier can be conveniently used for 2, 3, 4 or more bottles arranged in a row. The carrier is applied to the row of bottles by projecting it downwardly over the tops of the bottles. In the initial projection of the carrier downwardly over the bottles, the base of the carrier. which has apertures of a substantial size therein, engages the enlarging or diverging neck portions ofthe bottles substantially below the cap portions. In the further downward projection of the carrier over the bottles, the apex of the carrier. which has apertures therein with opposed upwardly and inwardly inclined edges. is cammed over the enlarged cap portions of the bottles to lock beneath the cap portions. In the locking of the apex apertures beneath the cap portion enlargement, the opposed side walls of the carrier are bowed outwardly and. by virtue of the resiliency of the material, the longitudinally extending sides of the apex apertures are urged upwardly into firm locking engagement with the underside of the cap portion enlargements and the marginal edges of the apertures in the base of the carrier are firmly urged downwardly and circumferentially about the enlarged neck portions of the bottles to firmly hold the bottles in axial parallel alignment against pivoting to permit safe. convenient transport of the resulting package.  
  The resulting package is carried by grasping finger gripping means such as apertures which are formed in the opposed side walls of the carrier with the bottles in a depending condition from the carrier.  
  The resulting package is easily opened to remove the bottles from the carrier by pulling the tabs from their interlocking apertures. The apex of the carrier then becomes apertures of a size larger than the cap portions of the bottles and the opened carrier is then merely lifted from the bottles.  
  The carrier of the invention is also easily reassembled for carrying bottles, such as for returning empties to the store, by overlapping one side portion of the carrier over the other, and manually snapping the tabs into their interlocking apertures. The carrier is then merely pushed downwardly over the bottles as previously described to again lock the carrier and the bottles together as a package.  
  The primary object of the present invention; is to provide a simple reusable carrier for a plurality of beverage bottles having enlarged cap portions and downwardly diverging neck portions. which is easily assembled into a locked condition for application to the bottles, easily unlocked for removal from the bottles. and which in the locked and applied condition to the bottles, will firmly hold the bottles in a row for hand transport by gripping the carrier with the bottles in a depending condition therefrom.  
  Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent upon a perusal of the hereinafter following specification and drawing.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of a carrier blank constructed according to the invention;  
  FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a package showing the carrier of FIG. I in an assembled condition and ap plied to three bottles in a row; and,  
  FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the structure shown in FIG. 2 and taken substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The carrier blank l0 shown in FIG. I is punched or otherwise formed from a sheet of plastic material of uniform thickness. The carrier blank 10 is an embodiment of the invention for three bottles. As will be apparent from the hereinafter following detailed description, the carrier may be varied by one skilled in the art to accommodate a smaller or greater number of bottles. In reductions to practice of the invention. one suitable material has been found to be high density polyethylene in sheet thicknesses of 0.032 or 0.040 inches in thickness. High density polyethylene has the proper resiliency and deformability to permit the carrier blank 10 to be folded and locked into the assembled condition, to effectively interlock with a plurality of bottles. especially heavy beverage bottles, to be easily disassembled and removed from the bottles, and to be easily re-assembled for repeated use.  
  The carrier blank 10 is provided with three spaced apart and parallel fold lines l2, l4 and 16. The fold lines l2, l4 and 16 divide the carrier blank 10 into four panel sections 20, 22, 24 and 26.  
  Panel section 20 includes one longitudinal edge of the carrier blank and is contiguous to panel section 22 on fold line 12. The outer longitudinal edge of panel section 20 is provided with a pair of integral tabs 30 which extend outwardly therefrom in the plane of panel section 20. Each tab 30 has opposed ears 32 which extend in directions longitudinally of the panel section 20. Although the cars 32 on the tabs 30 are shown as substantially semi-circular, the invention contemplates other forms for the tabs 30. For example, the tabs 30 may have the general shape of an arrow head. The panel section 20 further includes the major portions of a plurality of apertures 34. In the present embodiment. the apertures 34 are three in number to provide a car rier embodiment of the invention for three bottles. The apertures 34 intersect and make the fold line 12 discontinuous. Portions of the apertures 34, about one-fourth of the width thereof measured transversely of the panel sections 20 and 22. extend into panel section 22. The apertures 34 are substantially square in shape and the length of a side thereof is greater than the largest diameter ofthe cap portion of the bottle intended to be associated therewith. The apertures 34 may have other shapes but must have an opening larger than the en larged cap portion of the bottle intended to be associated therewith to permit the carrier in the unlocked condition to be simply lifted from the bottles.  
  Panel section 26 includes the other longitudinal edge. indicated at 36, of the carrier blank and is contiguous to panel section 24 on fold line 16. The edge 36 in the embodiment shown in the drawing is a substantially straight line. Panel section 26 has a width which is substantially equal to the distance between the inner marginal edge of the apertures 34 at 34a and fold line 14. This width arrangement of the panel section 26 relative to the position of the inner edge 34a of the apertures 34 provides that in the folded condition ofthe carrier. the edge 36 and the edges 34a will be substantially the same distance from the apex of the defined prism. The invention also contemplates that the straight edge 36 of the panel section 26 may also be interrupted. In other words. straight line segments may be provided transversely opposite to the inner edges 34a with the areas between the segments being cut out of the panel sec tion 26. Such an embodiment can be advantageous where savings of material are desired.  
  Panel section 22 is contiguous to panel section 24 along fold line 14. Panel section 24 is provided with three circular apertures 38 which are arranged in a spaced-apart parallel relationship longitudinally of the panel section 24 and substantially in transverse align ment with the apertures 34. The invention contemplates that the apertures 38 may have other shapes which are the equivalent of the circular shape of the preferred embodiment. In the present embodiment. the apertures 38 are tangent to the fold lines 14 and 16, however, it is contemplated that the fold lines 14 and I6 may be spaced apart a greater distance than the diameter of the apertures 38. The apertures 38 have a diameter less than the outer diameter of the bottle intended to be associated therewith at a point measured axially downward of the bottle from the underside of the enlarged cap portion, a distance substantially equal to the vertically projected width ofthe panel section 26 when the carrier is folded into its prism shape.  
  The panel sections 22 and 26 are further provided with longitudinally extending finger gripping apertures 40. The finger gripping apertures 40 are arranged as mirror images of each other in the panel sections 22 and 26 and are further positioned respectively one between the center aperture 34 and center aperture 36, and the other between center aperture 38 and the outer straight edge 36. Each of the finger gripping apertures 40 is further provided with a flap 42 extending along the longitudinal edge thereof toward one of the apertures 34 and outer edge 36, and foldable from the plane of the panel sections 22 and 26 to provide a substan- 5 tially wider finger engaging area than is provided by the edge or thickness of the material of the blank 10.  
  Panel section 26 is provided with a pair of tab interlocking apertures 44. The tab interlocking apertures 44 are positioned in a spaced-apart relationship longitudilt) nally of the panel section 26 on opposite sides of the finger gripping aperture 40 therein and substantially in transverse alignment with the tabs 30. The tab interlocking apertures 44 have widths, measured in a direction longitudinally of the panel section 26, which are substantially equal to the width of the tabs 30 absent the ears 32. The invention further contemplates that a greater or smaller number of tabs 30 and tab interlocking apertures may be provided if desired.  
  In assembling the carrier, the panel sections 22 and 26 are folded upwardly in the same direction from the panel section 24 so that the panel section 24 defines the base of the carrier. The panel section 20 is then folded along the fold line 12 and is brought over the panel section 26 in a lapped arrangement to cause the panels 22 35 and 26 to form the side walls of the carrier with the general shape ofa prism having end faces which are triangles. The ears 32 of the tabs are then projected or snapped through the tab interlocking apertures 44 so that the panel section 20 extends generally downwardly 30 from the apex formed by the fold line 20 and generally parallel and against the side wall 26. In the assembled condition of the carrier, the segments of the straight edge 36 transversely opposed to the edges 34a and the edges 34a define openings, of a size measured in a direction transversely of the carrier, which are substantially smaller than the maximum diameter of the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated therewith. That size of those openings is also smaller than the outer diameter of the intended bottles immediately below the enlarged cap portions.  
  In the foregoing described assembled condition of the carrier it is merely necessary to downwardly project the carrier over the row of bottles intended to be associated therewith. Such bottles are shown at 46 in FIGS. 2 and 3. The enlarged cap portions of the bottles 46 are indicated at 48. The downwardly diverging neck portions of the bottles 46 are indicated at 50. In the initial projection of the carrier downwardly over the three.  
 50 bottles arranged in a row, the inner periphery of the apferentially engage the enlarging or diverging neck portions 50 of the bottles 46. Further downward projection of the carrier by a force applied on the apex of the car rier will cause the edges 34a of the apertures 34 and the straight edge 36 of the panel section 26 to cam over and lock immediately beneath the enlarged cap portions 48.  
  The side edges 34a and 36 are slightly deformed outwardly as may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The resiliency of the material in the described assembled carrier will cause the edges 34a and 36 to be firmly urged against the necks of the bottles immediately beneath the enlarged cap portions 48.  
  When the openings defined by the edges 34a and 36 are disposed beneath the enlarged cap portions 48 as described. the side walls of the carrier will be bowed outwardly longitudinally thereof as shown in FIG. 3.  
 ertures 38 in the base of the carrier will firmly circum-v This bowing of the side walls of the carrier produces an extremely stable and substantially rigid package. The resiliency of the side walls urges the apex of the carrier and the defined edges of the openings in firm locking contact with the necks ofthe bottle 46 beneath the cap portions 48 and further urges the base portion of the -arrier downwardly relative to the bottles 46 to firmly hold the bottles 46 with the longitudinal axes thereof parallel and against pivoting. The finger gripping apertures 40 in the side walls of the carrier do not disturb the firm resilient locking and holding arrangement of the carrier on the bottles 46 when the carrier is handtransported by a person grasping the carrier with hig fingers in finger gripping apertures 40 and with the bot tles 46 in a depending condition from the carrier.  
  The carrier is easily removed from bottles 46 by a person pulling the central portion of the tabs 30 outwardly of the side wall 26 of the carrier to pull or snap the ears 32 of the tabs 30 out of the tab interlocking ap ertures 44. When the tabs 30 have been unlocked from the apertures 44, the panel section 20 is easily raised to substantially transversely separate the edges 34a and 36 and the carrier may then be merely lifted from the bottles 46.  
  When it is desired to reuse the carrier, it is merely necessary to lap the panel section 20 over the panel section 26 and snap the tabs 30 in the apertures 44. With the carrier again in an assembled condition. it is merely necessary to project the carrier downwardly over the bottles as previously described to reform the defined carrier-bottle package.  
  Having described the invention, it is to be understood that changes can be made in the described embodiment by one skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.  
 I claim:  
  1. A carrier for a plurality of bottles arranged in a row, said carrier formed from a sheet of resilient de formable plastic material, said sheet of plastic material having three fold lines therein in a parallel spaced apart relationship to form four panel sections. the third panel section having the second and fourth panel sections contiguous thereto along the opposite longitudinal marginal edges thereof, the first panel section being contiguous along one longitudinal marginal edge thereof to said second panel section and including one longitudinal edge of said sheet, said fourth panel section including the other longitudinal edge of said sheet. said other longitudinal edge of said sheet comprising a plurality of straight edge segments. said third panel section including a plurality of bottle encircling apertures therein arranged in a row extending longitudinally of said third panel section and in transverse alignment with said plurality of straight edge segments, said carrier being foldable into the configuration of a prism having triangular end faces with said third panel section defining the base of said prism and with said second and fourth panel sections defining the side walls of said prism. said first panel section being folded over said fourth section whereby the fold line between said first and second panel sections defines the apex of said prism. a second plurality of apertures through said first and second panel sections, said second plurality of apertures arranged in a row longitudinally ofsaid first and second panel sections and intersecting the fold line between said first and second panel sections, said second plurality of apertures being positioned in transverse alignment with said apertures in said third panel sec tion, said second plurality of apertures being dimensioned larger than the enlarged cap portions ofthe bottles intended to be associated with said carrier. said plurality of straight edge segments being spaced substantially the same distance from the fold line of said fourth panel section as the longitudinally extending marginal edges of said second apertures which are within said second panel section are spaced from the fold line of said second panel section to said third panel section to define openings through the apex of said prism axially above respective apertures in said base section with said openings being dimensioned in a direction transversely of said carrier less than the diam eter of the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated therewith, means between said first and fourth panel sections for releasably securing said one longitudinal edge of said first panel section to said fourth panel section, said apertures in said base section being of a size capable of being received over the neck portions and below the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated with said carrier. whereby said carrier is projectable downwardly over a plurality of bottles intended to be associated therewith with said apertures in said base section circumferentially engaging the neck portions of said bottles below the enlarged cap portions thereof and with said openings deformed and resiliently gripping the portions of said bottles immediately below the enlarged cap portions.  
  2. A carrier as defined in claim 1, wherein said second and fourth panel sections have a transverse width dimensioned to cause said second and fourth panel sections to be bowed outwardly when said carrier is projected downwardly over a plurality of bottles intended to be associated therewith with said apertures in said base portion circumferentially engaging neck portions of said bottles below the enlarged cap portions thereof and with said openings deformed and resiliently gripping the portions of said bottles immediately below the enlarged cap portions.  
  3. A carrier as defined in claim 1 and finger gripping means formed in said second and fourth panel sections for transporting said carrier and any bottles therein.  
  4. A carrier as defined in claim 1, wherein said means between said first and fourth panel sections for releasably securing said one longitudinal edge of said first panel section to said fourth panel section comprises a plurality of tab interlocking apertures formed in said fourth panel section in a longitudinally spaced apart re lationship thereof, and a plurality of tabs integrally formed on said one longitudinal edge of said first panel section and shaped to mechanically interlock in said tab interlocking apertures when said first panel section is folded over said fourth panel section and said tabs are projected into said tab interlocking apertures.  
  5. A carrier as defined in claim 4 wherein said tabs are formed to have ears projecting from opposite sides thereof in directions longitudinally of said first panel section.  
  6. A carrier as defined in claim I, wherein said plurality of said bottle encircling apertures in said third panel section substantially tangentially engage the fold lines along the longitudinal sides of said third panel section.  
  7. A carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein the marginal edges of said second apertures which are within said second panel section are substantially straight lines.