Bottle carrier

Claim 1

A carrier for a plurality of bottles arranged in a row, said carrier formed from a sheet of resilient deformable plastic material, said sheet of plastic material having four fold lines therein in a parallel spaced apart relationship, to form five panel sections, the third panel section being located centrally of said carrier with the second and fourth panel sections being contiguous thereto along the opposite longitudinal marginal edges thereof, the first panel section being contiguous to said second panel section and including one longitudinal edge of said sheet, the fifth panel section being contiguous to said fourth panel section and including the other longitudinal edge of said sheet, said third panel section including a plurality of bottle encircling apertures therein arranged in a row extending longitudinally of said third panel section, 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 fifth section being folded beneath said second section and said first section being folded over said fourth section whereby the fold line between said first and second sections defines the apex of said prism and the fold line between said fourth and fifth sections is disposed immediately beneath the apex of said prism, a second plurality of apertures through said first and second sections, said second plurality of apertures arranged in a row longitudinally of said first and second sections and intersecting the fold line between said first and second sections, a third plurality of apertures formed in said fourth and fifth sections, said third plurality of apertures arranged in a row longitudinally of said third and fourth sections and intersecting the fold line between said third and fourth sections, said second and third plurality of apertures being dimensioned larger than the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated with said carrier, said second plurality of apertures lapping said third plurality of apertures to define openings through the apex of said prism above respective ones of said apertures in said base section with said openings being dimensioned in a direction transversely of said sections less than the diameter of the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated therewith, means between said first and fourth panel sections for releasably securing the outer 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 portion 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.