US3744704A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Foldable carrier for bottles, glasses and the like
Assignee: Smurfit Diamond Packaging Corp
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Filing: 1971-12-02
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Granted: 1973-07-10
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Expires: 1991-12-02
Abstract
Abstract A foldable carrier for articles such as bottles, glasses, and the like comprising a horizontal base, a partition, article retaining sections, a carrying handle, and optional locking tabs, and a blank for forming said carrier.
Inventors
- 👤 G Struble
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 18:07
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D71/00; B65D71/0003; B65D71/0029; B65D71/0048; B65D71/0051; B65D71/0055; B65D71/40; B65D71/46; B65D71/48; B65D2571/00; B65D2571/00123; B65D2571/00129; B65D2571/00135; B65D2571/00141; B65D2571/00246; B65D2571/00253; B65D2571/00259; B65D2571/00265; B65D2571/0029; B65D2571/00333; B65D2571/00339; B65D2571/00432; B65D2571/00456; B65D2571/00475; B65D2571/00648; B65D2571/00654; B65D2571/0066; B65D2571/00709; B65D2571/00716; B65D2571/00833; B65D2571/00913
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
212 words
A foldable carrier for articles such as bottles, glasses and the like comprising a horizontally extending base upon which articles to be carried may be supported, a vertical partition extending upwardly from said base bisecting said base whereby articles to be carried on opposite sides of said partition may be maintained out of contact from each other, two pairs of article retaining sections extending upwardly from said partition, a lower pair of said retaining sections being hingedly connected to said partition, an upper pair of said retaining sections being hingedly connected to said lower pair of retaining sections, each of said upper and lower retaining sections being provided with article receiving apertures, each of said upper retaining sections and each of said lower retaining sections being adapted to be flexed away from a corresponding retaining section on opposite sides of said partition and towArd a retaining section hinged thereto to vertically line up said article receiving apertures to facilitate insertion or removal of articles, said upper retaining sections being hingedly connected to a carrying handle extending vertically upward therefrom, and article spacing means extending downwardly from said carrying handle in vertical alignment with said article receiving apertures, to optionally lock said upper and lower retaining sections in proximate relationship to each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
212 words
A foldable carrier for articles such as bottles, glasses and the like comprising a horizontally extending base upon which articles to be carried may be supported, a vertical partition extending upwardly from said base bisecting said base whereby articles to be carried on opposite sides of said partition may be maintained out of contact from each other, two pairs of article retaining sections extending upwardly from said partition, a lower pair of said retaining sections being hingedly connected to said partition, an upper pair of said retaining sections being hingedly connected to said lower pair of retaining sections, each of said upper and lower retaining sections being provided with article receiving apertures, each of said upper retaining sections and each of said lower retaining sections being adapted to be flexed away from a corresponding retaining section on opposite sides of said partition and towArd a retaining section hinged thereto to vertically line up said article receiving apertures to facilitate insertion or removal of articles, said upper retaining sections being hingedly connected to a carrying handle extending vertically upward therefrom, and article spacing means extending downwardly from said carrying handle in vertical alignment with said article receiving apertures, to optionally lock said upper and lower retaining sections in proximate relationship to each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
92 words
A foldable carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein said article spacing means comprises at least one tab member with a horizontal cross bar on the end thereof to form an inverted T, opposite ends of the horizontal bar being adapted to pass through the article receiving aperture of at least one of the lower article retaining sections and hook against portions of the lower retaining section defining the aperture through which said bar is adapted to pass and thereby optionally lock said upper retaining sections in proximate relationship to each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
A foldable carrier as defined in claim 2 wherein said lock tab comprises two separable layers whereby said layers may be flexed apart so that separate horizontal bar portions of said lock tab may be passed through article receiving apertures of said lower retaining sections on opposite sides of said partition into locking condition.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A foldable carrier as defined in claim 3 wherein said locking means comprise a plurality of locking tabs arranged to provide a balanced and stable locking relationship between said upper and lower retaining sections.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A foldable carrier as defined in claim 4 wherein said article receiving apertures are die cut.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
A foldable carrier as defined in claim 5 characterized in that each of said upper and lower retaining sections on opposite sides of said partition are hingedly connected to each other by a vertically extending bridge of substantial dimension upon which product indicia may be printed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
120 words
A blank for forming a foldable carrier for articles such as bottles, glasses and the like, said blank comprising in combination a plurality of panels defined by mutually parallel fold lines, said plurality of panels including a panel for forming a bottom layer of an article supporting base, a plurality of panels for forming coplanar portions of a top layer of an article supporting base, a partition, a lower article retaining section, an upper article retaining section, and a carrying handle, said article retaining sections including die cut apertures into which articles may be inserted in the assembled carrier, and tab elements extending from said carrying handle into the apertures of said panel for forming a lower article retaining section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
120 words
A blank for forming a foldable carrier for articles such as bottles, glasses and the like, said blank comprising in combination a plurality of panels defined by mutually parallel fold lines, said plurality of panels including a panel for forming a bottom layer of an article supporting base, a plurality of panels for forming coplanar portions of a top layer of an article supporting base, a partition, a lower article retaining section, an upper article retaining section, and a carrying handle, said article retaining sections including die cut apertures into which articles may be inserted in the assembled carrier, and tab elements extending from said carrying handle into the apertures of said panel for forming a lower article retaining section.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The blank according to claim 7 further characterized in that said tab elements are each in the form of an inverted T.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
45 words
The blank according to claim 8 further characterized in that said blank is generally rectangular in shape, and said panel for forming the bottom layer of an article supporting base is the central panel in the blank and corresponding panels extend from opposite sides thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The blank according to claim 9 including an adhesive applied to surface portions of each of said panels for forming half of a top layer of an article supporting base, a partition, a carrying handle, and vertical portions of said tab elements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The blank according to claim 9 comprising a panel extending between and in integral hinged relationship with said upper and lower retaining section forming panels.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
56 words
The blank according to claim 7 further characterized in that said blank comprises two generally rectangular sections, one section of which is longer than the other section, said sections being separate from each other except for integral hinge portions bridging adjacent ends of respective panels of said sections for forming said partition and said carrying handle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The blank according to claim 12 wherein said longer section includes panels for forming some of the coplanar portions of a top layer of the article supporting base and the entire bottom layer of the article supporting base.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The blank according to claim 13 wherein said other section includes a panel for forming one of the coplanar portions of the top layer of the article supporting base.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
The blank according to claim 14 including an adhesive applied to one side of said panels of said longer section for forming some of the coplanar portions of the top layer of the article supporting base.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The blank according to claim 15 further characterized in that said tab elements are each in the form of an inverted T.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
The blank according to claim 16 including pre-cut folding locking lugs provided on the panels for forming said partition and said carrying handle at the end of said panels opposite from the respective integral hinge portions thereof.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
The blank according to claim 17 wherein the pre-cut folding locking lugs formed on one of said sections are larger than corresponding locking lugs formed on the other of said sections.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
82 words
A foldable carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein said carrier comprises two substantially vertical sections which extend upwardly from said base and form parts of said vertical partition, said article retaining sections and said carrying handle, said two substantially vertical sections being separate from each other except for integral hinge joints at one end of each of said partition and said carrying handle, whereby said two substantially vertical sections are adapted to be selectively swung together or away from each other.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
91 words
A foldable carrier as defined in claim 19 wherein said article spacing means comprises at least one tab member with a cross bar on the end thereof to form an inverted T, opposite ends of the horizontal bar being adapted to pass through the article receiving aperture of at least one of the lower article retaining sections and hook against portions of the lower retaining section defining the aperture through which said bar is adapted to pass and thereby optionally lock said upper retaining sections in proximate relationship to each other.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
A foldable carrier as defined in claim 20 wherein said partition and said carrying handle includes folding locking lugs at the end opposite from the integral hinge joints thereof.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
54 words
A foldable carrier as defined in claim 21 wherein at least one of said folding locking lugs is larger than a cooperating folding locking lug whereby when said larger folding locking lug is folded into locking position in the recess vacated by the smaller folding locking lug said larger lug is inherently locked therein.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-09 | 1977-01-08 | 1977-07-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-09 | 1981-01-08 | 1981-07-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-09 | 1985-01-08 | 1985-07-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |