AU701475B3 - Carrier for container - Google Patents

Description

-4 P:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\690160.SPE- 18/6/98 -1- CARRIER FOR CONTAINER This invention relates to a carrier suitable for use in the carriage of containers such as bottles or the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved carrier for containers which can be readily fitted and removed from the container.

According to the present invention there is provided a carrier for a container, the container including a container body part and a neck part, the neck part including a carrier mounting portion, the carrier including a main body which includes a mounting section for releasably attaching the carrier to the container and a clip section for releasably attaching the 9..

carrier to a support, the mounting section including two spaced apart generally resilient arm members each having a free end portion, the arm members at least partially defining a mounting recess therebetween with an access mouth at the free end portions of the arm members providing access to the mounting recess, the mounting section, being adapted to 9*e snap fit onto the carrier mounting portion of the container when in a mounted position, the clip section of the carrier extending generally laterally to one side of the mounting section so S -that in the mounted position at least a section thereof abuts against the container body.

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:Preferably, the container includes two locating elements with the carrier mounting S.i portion of the neck part of the container being disposed between the locating elements. The resilient arms may include opposed bearing faces which in the mounted position abut against respective ones of the locating elements.

Preferably, the clip section includes a generally resilient leg which extends generally laterally to one side of the mounting section and is configured so that in the mounted position it abuts against the container body part in a stressed condition which urges the leg into contact with the container body.

P:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\690160.SP 18/6/98 -2- There may further be provided a locating shoulder on the mounting section of the carrier adjacent one of the bearing faces. The arrangement is such that in the mounted position, the locating shoulder abuts against a peripheral edge of one of the locating elements of the container.

The mounting section of the carrier may be in the form of a generally flat element with the resilient arms being disposed in a common plane. Preferably, the resilient leg of the clip section of the carrier extends laterally of that plane. The arms preferably extend from one end of the mounting section and the resilient leg from the other end. Preferably, the leg is slightly inclined towards the arms. Thus when in the mounted position at least the free end portion of the leg is forced against the wall of the container body as that it is in a •ago stressed conditioned as a result of its resilience.

ooi V The clip section of the carrier may further include a tongue at the free end of the lag which can be gripped by the user's fingers. The clip section is preferably adapted to be .attached to a user's garment such as a belt or the like.

The carrier may be in the form of a unitary structure which may be formed from any suitable material such as plastics or metal.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will hereinafter be described with reference o to the accompanying drawings and in those drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carrier according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective of the carrier shown in Figure 1 attached to a container in a mounted position; and Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the carrier and container shown in Figure 2.

P:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\690160.SPF 18/6/98 -3- Referring to the drawings there is shown a carrier generally indicated at 10 which comprises a main body 20 which is of a unitary structure preferably formed from plastics material and comprises a mounting section 20 and clip section 40. The mounting section 22 is a generally flat element having a pair of resilient arm members 23 and 24 projecting from one end thereof, the arm members having free ends 25 and 26 which are spaced apart so as to define a mouth 28 providing access to a recess 30. The arm members 23 and 24 have upper and lower bearing faces 31 and 32. A locating shoulder 34 is provided on the upper side of the mounting section 22.

The clip section 40 comprises a resilient leg 42 which extends laterally from the other end of the mounting section 22. As is best seen in Figure 3, the resilient leg is inclined angularly so that its free end portion approaches a plane containing the mounting recess The clip section 40 further includes a tongue 44 which can be gripped by the users fingers.

0 The carrier 10 is adapted to be used with a container 50 as shown in Figure 2 which is in the form of a bottle which comprises a container body part 42 and a neck part 53 which defines the container outlet. The neck part 53 includes a carrier mounting portion which has an outer diameter slightly less than the dimension of the recess 30. The arrangement is such that the resilient arms can snap fit onto the carrier mounting portion 55 and be held firmly in place as a result of providing a tight fit between the two parts when the resilient arms are in stressed condition. There is further provided upper and lower locating elements 56 and 57 in the form of flanges which assist in locating and holding the arm members of the mounting section in place when in the mounted position. In the mounted position the locating shoulder 34 is adapted to engage the peripheral edge of locating flange 56.

The carrier 10 is configured so that when in the mounted position the resilient leg 42 at its free end abuts against the wall of the container body and is stressed so that the resilient force urges it towards the wall. This arrangement tends the stress the whole carrier so that the mounting section 22 is held firmly in position.

P:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\690160.SPE 18/6/98 -4- The clip section 40 is adapted to be secured to a support such as for example, a garment of a user such as a belt or the like.

Finally, it is to be understood various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

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P:\WPDOCS\DYS\SPECIE\60160.SPE [8/6/98 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS 1. A carrier for a container, the container including a container body part and a neck part, the neck part including a carrier mounting portion, the carrier including a main body which includes a mounting section for releasably attaching the carrier to the container and a clip section for releasably attaching the carrier to a support, the mounting section including two spaced apart generally resilient arm members each having a free end portion, the arm members at least partially defining a mounting recess therebetween with an access mouth at the free end portions of the arm members providing access to the mounting recess, the mounting section, being adapted to snap fit onto the carrier mounting portion of the container when in a mounted position, the clip section of the carrier extending generally laterally to one side of the mounting section so that in the mounted position at least a section thereof abuts against the container body.

2. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein the container includes two locating elements with the carrier mounting portion of the neck part of the container being disposed between the locating elements; the resilient arms including opposed bearing faces which in the mounted position abut against respective ones of the locating elements.

3. A carrier according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the clip section includes a generally resilient leg which extends generally laterally to one side of the mounting section and is .o configured so that in the mounted position it abuts against the container body part in a stressed condition which urges the leg into contact with the container body.

Dated this 18th day of June, 1998 FAMPLAS PTY LTD.

By Their Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISION CAVE