US4601390A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Collapsible hand carrier for bottles
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1985-01-28
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Granted: 1986-07-22
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Expires: 2005-01-28
Abstract
Abstract A collapsible hand carrier for bottles of standard size. When fully erected, the carrier has a box-like form and an internal array of cells to accommodate the bottles. The structure of the carrier is formed of flexible panel material and is defined by a pair of side panels provided with complementary handle extensions, a pair of end panels hingedly joined to the end edges of the side panels, and a bottom panel hingedly joined to the bottom edges of the side panels and disconnected from the end panels. The end and bottom panels each include a center fold to create a gusset whereby the carrier may readily be collapsed into the flat state for storage or shipment, or expanded into the erected state for use as a carrier. Cut into each corner of the carrier formed at the junctions of the side and end panels is a pair of parallel slots. These are spaced from the top and bottom edges of the panels and extend horizontally from the center fold on the related end panel and a vertical fold line on the related side panel to create a snap-in corner section. When pressed in at its corner junction, the section reverses itself to set up within the carrier interior a cell adapted to accommodate a single bottle. The central region between the four corner cells functions as a compartment to receive an additional bottle or other items.
Inventors
- 👤 Roberta Rosenthal
- 👤 Hilaire H. Dubourcq
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 11:52
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D71/00; B65D71/0003; B65D71/0022; B65D2571/00; B65D2571/00123; B65D2571/00129; B65D2571/00135; B65D2571/00141; B65D2571/00333; B65D2571/0037; B65D2571/00432; B65D2571/00456; B65D2571/00648; B65D2571/00654; B65D2571/0066; B65D2571/00709; B65D2571/00722; B65D2571/00728; B65D2571/00783; B65D2571/00833; B65D2571/00932
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
234 words
A repeatably usable collapsible hand carrier for bottles of standard size, the carrier being fabricated of flexible panel material and having a structure comprising: A. front and rear side panels provided with complementary handle extensions; B. left and right end panels hingedly joined to the end edges of the side panels; C. a bottom panel hingedly joined to the bottom edges of the side panels and disconnected from the end panels, the bottom panel and the end panels all having a center fold to create a gusset whereby the carrier may be collapsed after use into a flat state by pressing the side panels together, and in doing so, causing the bottom panel and the end panel gussets to fold out, and the carrier may be erected for reuse by pulling the side panels apart; and D. four snap-in corner sections formed at the junctions of the side and end panels, each section being defined by a pair of parallel slots spaced from the top and bottom edges of the panels and extending horizontally from the center fold of the related end panel and a vertical fold line on the related side panel, whereby when the hand carrier is erected and a corner section is pressed in at its junction, the section then reverses itself to set up within the interior of the carrier a corner cell adapted to accommodate a single standard bottle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
234 words
A repeatably usable collapsible hand carrier for bottles of standard size, the carrier being fabricated of flexible panel material and having a structure comprising: A. front and rear side panels provided with complementary handle extensions; B. left and right end panels hingedly joined to the end edges of the side panels; C. a bottom panel hingedly joined to the bottom edges of the side panels and disconnected from the end panels, the bottom panel and the end panels all having a center fold to create a gusset whereby the carrier may be collapsed after use into a flat state by pressing the side panels together, and in doing so, causing the bottom panel and the end panel gussets to fold out, and the carrier may be erected for reuse by pulling the side panels apart; and D. four snap-in corner sections formed at the junctions of the side and end panels, each section being defined by a pair of parallel slots spaced from the top and bottom edges of the panels and extending horizontally from the center fold of the related end panel and a vertical fold line on the related side panel, whereby when the hand carrier is erected and a corner section is pressed in at its junction, the section then reverses itself to set up within the interior of the carrier a corner cell adapted to accommodate a single standard bottle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A hand carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carrier is formed from a single blank of panel material which is die cut to define the panels and the slots therein, the hinges which join the panels and the center fold being defined by score lines in the blank.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A hand carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said front and rear side panels are provided with complementary hand extensions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A hand carrier as set forth in claim 3 wherein said handle extensions are formed by trapezoidal extensions from the side panels each having an opening therein to accommodate the fingers of a hand.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
100 words
A hand carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein the pair of parallel slots which define the front left corner section of the carrier is at a different level than the pair of slots which define the front right corner section, the pair of slots which define the rear left corner section being at a level corresponding to the level of the pair which defines the front right corner section, the pair of slots which define the rear right corner section being at a level corresponding to the level of the pair which defines the front left corner section.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
A carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bottom panel has a width which is smaller than the width of the end panel, whereby when the carrier is erected, the end panels create a triangular bay and the carrier then has a stretched octagonal form.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein the width of the bottom panel matches the width of the end panels, whereby when the carrier is erected, it then has a rectangular form.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said panel material is formed of a single ply corrugated board having plastic film faces.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A carrier as set forth in claim 1 whose dimensions are such as to accommodate quart size bottles.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A carrier as set forth in claim 1 in which the material of the structure is a solid plastic and the hinges thereof are living hinges created by score lines in the panel material.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-07-21 | 1990-01-20 | 1990-07-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-07-21 | 1994-01-20 | 1994-07-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-07-21 | 1998-01-20 | 1998-07-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |