US3432029A - Partition for containers - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 1969 w. M. BROWN 3,432,029

PARTITION FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 11, 1966 38 INVENTOR 4| 4| 4 WILLIAM M. BROWN BY r ,-//4 JMYZ wagg gum/ RNEYS March 11, 1969 w. M. BROW N 3,432,029

PARTITION FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 11, 1966 INVENTOR WILLIAM M. BROWN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure is directed to a wrap-around tubular carrier and a separate partition supported upon the necks of containers packaged therein. The partition functions to maintain the containers in predetermined aligned relationship, and the top panel and partition have aligned fingerreceiving openings to permit the carrier to be manually grasped and carried.

Carriers of the type to which this invention is directed are formed from carrier blanks which are generally constructed from paperstock material. The blanks have neckreceiving openings in top panels thereof, and generally terminate at opposite longitudinal end portions in closure panels provided with cooperative latching means for maintaining the carriers in a generally tubular configuration. The containers, such as bottles, and a carrier blank are assembled by first positioning the carrier blank above a plurality of the bottles with the neck-receiving openings in the top panel in registration with the bottle necks. The blank is then lowered to permit the necks of the bottles to project through the neck-receiving openings of the carrier blank. Such bottles generally include crown caps or closures which are of a larger diameter than the narrowest diameter of the bottle necks. The neck receiving openings in the carrier blank are therefore of a suificient diameter to readily pass the crown closures therethrough.

Thereafter the carrier blank is wrapped about the bottles until the closure panels are disposed in generally underlying parallel relationship to the top panel. Toward the end of the wrapping operation tabs of one of the closure panels are introduced through openings in another of the closure panels to maintain the bottles and the carrier in assembled relationship.

One major disadvantage of a wrap-around carrier of this type is the inability thereof to maintain the bottles in accurate predetermined. relationship both prior to and after the packaging operation. Once the bottle necks have been passed through the neck-receiving openings of the carrier the bottles are free to shift relative to one another because of the oversize nature of the neck-receiving openings. The edges of the neck-receiving openings are spaced from the bottle necks and therewith define annular gaps or spaces across which the necks can move as the bottles shift in the carrier. If the bottles shift prior to the wrapping of the carrier blank thereabout, it is diflicult to consistently register the neck-receiving openings with the bottle necks. Without such registration one or more of the bottle necks would not pass through the neck-receiving openings of the carrier blank and it would be impossible to complete the assembly of the bottles and the blank. Equally as important is the undesirable shifting of the bottles during shipment and handling. If the shifting is excessive axial endmost ones of the bottles can become dislodged and fall out of the carrier. This shifting of the bottles also results in the undesirable loose confinement of the bottles within the carrier if, for example, the carrier blank is wrapped tightly about the bottles in one position and they thereafter shift transversely closer to each other. This shifting and attended loosening of the carrier "ice can eventually result in the unlatching of the lower closures.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a novel wrap-around carrier of the type heretofore described which avoids the above and numerous other disadvantages inherent in conventional wraparound carriers, the invention being characterized by the provision of a partition member in the carrier adjacent a top panel of the carrier, and the partition member including means for maintaining package containers, such as bottles or similar articles, in predetermined spaced relationship to one another in the carrier.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel wrap-around carrier which includes a top panel, a plurality of openings for receiving necks of bottles packaged in the carrier, a partition member in the carrier adjacent the top panel, the partition member being a sheet material blank and including opposite free edge portions, and the free edge portions including a plurality of notches for at least partially surrounding and contactingly engaging the outer surfaces of the bottle necks whereby the bottles are maintained in a particular orientation relative to each other.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel wrap-around carrier of the type heretofore described wherein the partition member includes means in alignment with finger receiving opening means of the carrier top panel for permitting access to the interior of the carrier to the partition during conventional manual handling of the carrier.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel wrap-around carrier of the type heretofore described which includes lower closure panels disposed generally parallel to the top panel, and means wedged between transversely adjacent bottle bottom portions for forcing the adjacent bottom bottle portions away from each other whereby latching means of the closure panels are maintained in forceful latching engagement and the carrier is maintained in tight embracing relationship with the bottles.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of the carrier of this invention with portions thereof broken away for clarity and illustrates a partition member maintaining a plurality of bottles in transverse and longitudinal alignment in the carrier.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of lower closure panels of the carrier, and illustrates a plurality of cooperative latching tabs and openings for securing the carrier in assembled relationship relative to the bottles.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the openings and associated tabs of the closure panels of FIGURE 2, and illustrates the manner in which the tabs are passed through the openings toward a latched position of the closure panels.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken generally along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, and illustrates tab means wedged between transversely adjacent bottles and the manner in which the partition member maintains the bottle necks transversely spaced a predetermined distance from each other.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 55 of FIGURE 4, and more clearly illustrates the relationship'of the various components of the carrier.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken generally along 3 line 6-6 of FIGURE 1, and illustrates a tab disposed between each transverse pair of the bottles.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken generally along line 7-7 of FIGURE 4, and more clearly illustrates the configuration of the partition member and finger-receiving openings therein in alignment with finger-receiving openings of the carrier top panel.

A novel carrier constructed in accordance with this invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10, and includes as a separate element thereof a partition or partition member, generally designated by the reference numeral 15.

The carrier 10 is formed from a generally rectangular carrier blank (unnumbered) of paperstock material which is folded to define a generally tubular carrier body 16. The body 16 is defined by a top panel 17 having opposite downwardly diverging shoulder panel portions 18, 20. The shoulder panel portions 18, 20 are joined to a central panel portion 21 of the top panel 17 along respective fold lines 21, 22. A plurality of identical circular openings 23 are formed in the top panel 17, and the openings 23 are both transversely and longitudinally aligned, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. The openings 23 are each of a diameter which is sufiiciently large to permit crown caps or closures C of containers B, such as bottles having necks N, to pass therethrough.

The central panel portion 21 of the top panel 17 also includes two generally opposed U-shaped cuts 25, 26 which define respective tabs 27, 28 depending toward the interior of the carrier body 16. The openings 25, 26 function to permit the carrier 10 to be manually grasped and carried.

A side panel 30 is joined to the top panel 17 along a fold line 31 while another side panel 32 is joined to the top panel 17 along a fold line 33. The side panels 30, 32 are generally identical and each terminates at an identical discontinuous fold line 34 which is interrupted by a plurality of arcuate downwardly projecting tabs 35 which are slit at 36.

The panels 30, 32 are joined to identical lower shoulder panels 38 defined by the discontinuous fold line 34 and another discontinuous fold line 40. The lower shoulder panels 38 are interrupted by a plurality of generally moonshaped openings 41.

An innermost closure panel 42 is joined to one of the lower shoulder panels 38 along its associated fold line while an outermost closure panel 43 is joined to the other lower shoulder panel 38 along the associated fold line 40.

The inner closure panel 42 is provided with three substantially identical latch receiving openings 44 through 46. Each latch receiving opening 44 through 46 is gen erally square-shaped in outline and includes a pair of upwardly diverging cut lines 47, 48, as viewed in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

The outer closure panel 43 is divided medially by a discontinuous fold line 50 which is interrupted by a plurality of shallow U-shaped cut lines 51 through 53 which define spaced latching tabs 54 through 56, respectively. Bottle wedging tabs 57 through 59 are integrally joined :to the outer closure panel 43 along respective fold lines 60 through 62, and each wedging tab 57 through 59 is in longitudinal alignment with an associated one of the latching tabs 54 through 56, respectively. The latching tabs 54 through 56 serve to securely latch the carrier body 16 in the tubular configuration thereof, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, while the wedging tabs 57 through 59 function to force lower end portions of transversely adjacent ones of the bottles B away from each other, as will be more apparent hereafter.

The partition or partition member 15 is best illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 7 of the drawings, and is formed of generally flat, planar paperstock or similar sheet material. The partition 15 is of a generally elongated configuration and is defined by a pair of opposite parallel free transverse edges 70, 71 and a pair of scalloped longitudinal edge portions 72, 73. The longitudinal edge portion 72 of the partition 15 is provided with three generally semi-circular notches 74 through 76 which open away from a longitudinal center line of the partition. The notches 74, merge with a fold line 77 which is generally parallel to the longitudinal center line of the partition 15 while another similar fold line 78 merges with the notches 75, 76. A pair of tabs 80, 81 projecting away from the longitudinal center line of the partition 15 are joined thereto by the respective fold lines 77, 78. The tab 80 includes a pair of edges 82, 83 which diverge toward the respective notches 74, 75 while edges 84, of the tab 81 diverge toward the notches 75, 76. The edges 82 through 85 define means for guiding the necks N of the bottles B into the notches 74 through 76, as will be more readily apparent hereafter.

The opposite longitudinal edge portion 73 of the partition 15 similarly includes a plurality of generally semicircular notches 86 through 88. The notches 86, 87 are joined by a fold line 90 while the notches 87, 88 similarly merge with a fold line 91. The fold lines 90, 91 are in spaced transverse parallel relationship to the respective fold lines 77, 78. A tab 92 is joined to the partition 15 along the fold line 90 while another tab 93 is joined to the partition 15 along the fold line 91. The tabs 92, 93 project away from the center line of the partition 15, and are in transverse alignment with the respective tabs 80, 8-1. The tab 92 is also defined in part by guide edges 94, 95 which diverge toward the notches 86, 87 respectively. Guide edges 96, 97 of the tab 93 similarly diverge toward the respective notches 87, 88.

A central panel portion 98 of the partition 15 is defined by the notches 74 through 76, 86 through 88, the fold lines 77, 78, 90 and 91, and the transverse edges 70, 71. The central panel portion 98 is cut out to define a pair of finger-receiving openings 100, 101 which are located along the longitudinal center line of the partition 15.

During the assembly of the bottles B and the carrier body or blank 16, the bottles B are first automatically oriented or pre-positioned by conventional means (not shown) to locate the necks N and crown closures C in predetermined transverse and longitudinal alignment. The spacing between the necks N and the crown closures C corresponds to the spacing and alignment of the notches 74 through 76 and 86 through 88 of the partition 15. The partition 15 is then manually or automatically positioned between the bottle necks N with each of the notches 74 through 76 and 86 through 88 partially surrounding and contactingly engaging the outer surfaces of the necks N as is best illustrated in FIGURES l and 7 of the drawings. The bottles B are thereby maintained in predetermined transverse and longitudinal alignment by the notches 74 through 76 and 86 through 88. It should be particularly noted that the radius of each notch corresponds generally to the external radius of each bottle neck (FIGURE 7) and that the radius of each notch is smaller than the radius of each of the neck-receiving openings 24 in the carrier top panel 17. The bottle necks N are therefore snugly engaged by the notches 74 through 76 and 86 through 88 and are confined against moving longitudinally of the partition 15 or transversely toward each other.

If the bottles B are slightly misaligned during the time the bottles are assembled with the partition 15 the edges 82 through 85 and 94 through 97 engage the outer surfaces of the necks of misaligned bottles and progressively guide any such slightly misaligned bottle necks into the notches 74 through 76 and 86 through 88. This guiding action of the edges 82 through 85 and 94 through 97 assures that each of the bottles B is maintained in precise alignment prior to the application of the carrier blank 16 thereto.

After the partition 15 and the bottles B have been assembled in the manner just described, the carrier blank 16 is lowered upon the bottles B to effect the passage of the necks N and the crown closures C to the fingerreceiving openings 24. The carrier body 16 is then tightly wrapped about the plurality of bottles B in the manner heretofore described. During this Wrapping operation the shoulder panels 18, 20 contact the tabs 80, 81 and 92, 93, and urge the tabs downwardly to a position in angular relationship to the central panel 98, as is best illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings.

As the closure panels 42, 43 are drawn toward each other, beneath the bottom portions (unnumbered) of the bottles B, the side panels 30, 32 urge the bottom portions of transversely adjacent bottles B into contacting engagement. However, the necks N are prevented from moving transversely toward one another due to the partition 15. At this time the tabs 54 through 56 are inserted through the respective openings 44 through 46 and the tabs 57 through 59 are similarly inserted through the respective openings 44 through 46, as is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings relative to the tabs 54, 57 being inserted through the opening 44. During this latching engagement the tabs 54 through 56 are brought into overlying relationship with the inner closure panel 42 adjacent each of the openings 44 through 46, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. The latching tabs 54 through 56 form the primary interlock between the closure panels 42, 43 which is augmented somewhat by the tabs 57 through 59 whose notched edges (unnumbered) overlie the inner closure panel 42 adjacent each of the cut lines 47, 48. As the tabs 57 through 59 are urged through the openings 44 through 46, respectively, each tab is wedgingly, forcefully inserted between the contacting bottom portions of transversely adjacent bottles to urge the bottom portions thereof transversely away from each other. This action urges the bottom portions of the bottles B into intimate engagement with the moonshaped cut outs 41 in each of the lower shoulder panels 38, as is best illustrated in FIGURES l and 4 of the drawings. In this manner the carrier body 16 is tightly wrapped about the bottles B and the latter are virtually precluded from accidentally or inadvertently being dislodged from the carrier 10.

As was heretofore noted the notches 74 through 76 and 86 through 88 prevent the bottle necks from moving longitudinally or transversely toward one another at the completion of the formation of the carrier 10. The necks N are likewise prevented from moving transversely away from each other because of the upper shoulder panels 18, 20 and the side panels 30-, 32, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. The bottom end portions of the bottles B are likewise prevented from shifting transversely toward each other due to the wedging engagement of the tabs 57 through 59 between tranversely adjacent pairs of the bottles. Longitudinal shifting of the bottom end portions of the bottles B is prevented by means of the moon slots or cut outs 41 in the panels 38. In this manner the carrier is not only a tight assembly of the components 15, 16 and B, but both upper and lower end portions of the bottles B are precluded from shifting longitudinally and/or transversely relative to each other in directions parallel and/or normal to the longitudinal center line of the carrier body 16.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provisions have been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is again directed to the fact that additional 'variations may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A partition particularly adapted for maintaining necked containers oriented in a Wrap-around carrier of the type having finger-receiving openings in a top panel thereof which are adapted to be grasped to carry the carrier comprising a generally uniplanar blank of sheet material adapted to be supported upon and solely by the necks of containers, said blank including opposite free terminal edge portions, means defined by said edge portions for at least partially surrounding and contactingly engaging the outer surfaces of a plurality of containers adapted to be packaged in the carrier whereby the containers are maintained in a particular orientation relative to each other, and said partition includes means for providing at least a single opening for alignment with at least one of the carrier openings to permit the carrier to be manually grasped and carried.

2. The partition as defined in claim 1 wherein said surrounding and engaging means are notches, a tab between adjacent ones of said notches projecting away from a center line of the partition, and at least one adjacent pair of tabs having edges converging toward the center line and merging with an associated one of said container engaging means to define guide means for guiding a container into said container engaging means.

3. The partition as defined in claim 2 including fold lines joining said tabs to a main portion of said blank, and said fold lines being disposed generally parallel to said center line.

4. The partition as defined in claim 1 wherein means are provided for guiding portions of articles into contact with at least some of said article contacting means.

5. The partition as defined in claim 1 wherein said blank includes a plurality of oppositely directed tabs, and said tabs are each joined to said blank along spaced parallel fold lines whereby the tabs are adapted to be folded to a position in angular relationship to a central portion of the blank.

6. In a wrap-around carrier of the type particularly adapted to house a plurality of containers, the carrier including top, bottom and side panels imparting an open ended tubular configuration to said carrier, the improvement comprising a separate partition member in said carrier adapted to be supported adjacent said top panel by a plurality of containers adapted to be housed therein, said partition member including means for maintaining packaged containers in predetermined spaced relationship in said carrier, said partition member being a sheet material blank, said blank including opposite free edge portions, said means being defined by said edge portions, and said means being both transversely and longitudinally aligned.

7. In the wraparound carrier as defined in claim 6 including means associated with at least one of said firstmentioned means for guiding a container into registration with said at least one means.

8. In the wrap-around carrier as defined in claim 6 wherein said means are a plurality of notches, and the notches at one of said edge portions open in a direction opposite to the notches at an opposite one of said edge portions.

9. 'In the wrap-around carrier as defined in claim 8 wherein said partition member further includes at least a pair of oppositely directed tabs, and means are provided for facilitating the bending of said tabs in a direction away from the top panel.

. 10. In the wraparound carrier as defined in claim 8 wherein each notch is in alignment with an associated one of said neck-receiving openings.

11. A package of the type particularly adapted to house a plurality of bottles comprising a wrap-around carrier including a top panel, side panels joined to said top panel and depending therefrom, a closure panel joined to each side panel, means maintaining the wrap-around carrier in a tubular configuration, a plurality of containers in said carrier, said containers having upwardly directed necks, means separate and apart from said carrier and internally thereof adjacent said top panel supported by said containers for maintaining said containers in transverse and longitudinal alignment and for preventing the necks of transversely adjacent containers from shifting toward each other.

12. The package as defined in claim 11 wherein said means adjacent said top panel is a generally horizontally disposed sheet material partition member, and said partition member includes a plurality of notches receiving the necks of said containers.

13. The package as defined in claim 11 wherein said means adjacent said top panel is a generally horizontally disposed sheet material partition member, said partition member includes a plurality of notches receiving the necks of said containers, tabs are disposed between and outboard of adjacent pairs of said notches, and said tabs include edges converging toward a center line of said partition member for guiding said container necks into said notches.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,320,440 6/1943 Kruea et al 20665 JOSEPH R 8 11/ 1944 Brogden 20665 7/1961 Fallert 20665 11/ 1963 Chapman et al 229-42 4/1964 Weiss 206-65 7/1965 Weiss 229--40 12/1965 Weiss 20665 4/ 1966 Weiss 22940 6/ 1967 Weiss 20665 LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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