CA2511641C

CA2511641C - Container carrier

Info

Publication number: CA2511641C
Application number: CA 2511641
Authority: CA
Inventors: Bernard Skolik; Jens Eckermann; Hilger Scheelcke
Original assignee: A&R Carton Bremen GmbH
Current assignee: Graphic Packaging International Europe Netherlands BV
Priority date: 2002-12-24
Filing date: 2003-11-06
Publication date: 2009-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 2023-11-06
Also published as: BR0317773A; CN100519358C; BR0317773B1; HK1087675A1; WO2004058593A1; DE20219949U1; AU2003283359A1; CA2511641A1; CN1741944A; MXPA05006886A

Abstract

A container carrier made of at least one foldable flat material, comprising:
- a box-shaped carrying container having a bottom wall, side walls, end walls, and an upper-sided opening, - a middle wall disposed between the side walls in the carrying container, with folded-out transverse flaps which define compartments for the containers, - a carrying handle disposed at the top of the middle wall and projecting from the opening of the carrying container, and - at least one longitudinal flap hinged to the middle wall which is turned into at least one opening of the middle wall that is formed by folding out the transverse flaps and closes them at least partially.

Description

Container carrier This invention relates to a container carrier, specifically for receiving bottles which comprises a box-shaped carrying container and a middle wall disposed therein with folded-out transverse flaps which form compartments for the containers.
Such basket-type container carriers having an upper opening and a carrying handle on the middle wall which protrudes beyond the opening ("open basket carriers") are known. It is further known to manufacture such container carriers from a single cut-to-size panel of a foldable flat material that forms the carrying container and middle wall, or from two flat cut-to-size panels of a foldable flat material one of which defines the carrying container and the other of which defines the middle wall.
Container carriers made of two flat cut-to-size panel of a foldable flat material are described, for example, in DE-OS 28 36 826, in DE-OS 30 33 773, DE 196 02 358 Cl, and WO/01/00500 Al.
The disadvantage of known container carriers is that there are openings in the area of the folded-out transverse flaps in the middle wall. Bottles or other containers are likely to strike against each other while being inserted or transported.
This can result in breakage or annoying noise while bottles or other containers are being transported.
Accordingly, it is the object of the invention to provide a container carrier which has more beneficial properties with regard to the charging with containers and the transport thereof.
One aspect of the invention is a container carrier made of at least one foldable flat material. The container includes a box-shaped carrying container having a bottom wall, side walls, end walls, and an upper-sided opening. A middle wall is disposed between the side walls in the carrying container. The middle wall has folded-out transverse flaps which define compartments. The middle wall also has a carrying handle disposed at the top of the middle wall and projecting from the opening of the carrying container. At least one longitudinal flap is hinged to the middle wall which forms at least one opening of the middle wall by folding out the transverse flaps and closes them at least partially. The middle wall has middle wall portions which are collapsed about a vertical middle folding line for hinging the transverse flaps. At least one of the transverse flaps is folded out of each middle wall portion. A first of the middle wall portions has hinged thereto at least one longitudinal flap at the end distal from the middle folding line. A second of the middle wall portions has at least one longitudinal flap turned out of the second middle wall portion between the middle folding line and one of the transverse flaps. At least one of the longitudinal flaps disposed between the middle folding line and the transverse flap are turned out of an area of the second middle wall portion that is located opposite a handle opening of the first middle wall portion. The carrying container is manufactured from a first cut-to-size portion of foldable flat material and the middle wall is manufactured from a second cut-to-size portion of foldable flat material.
The inventive container carrier made of at least one foldable flat material comprises:
- a box-shaped carrying container having a bottom wall, side walls, end walls, and an upper-sided opening, a middle wall disposed between the side walls in the carrying container, with folded-out transverse flaps which define compartments for the containers, a carrying handle disposed at the top of the middle wall and projecting from the opening of the carrying container, and - at least one longitudinal flap hinged to the middle wall which is turned into at least one opening of the middle wall that is formed by folding out the transverse flaps and closes them at least partially.
Any contact is avoided between bottles or other containers on different sides of the middle wall since the inventive container carrier has a longitudinal flap turned into the opening of the middle wall. This reduces the risk of breakage while the container carrier is being charged and avoids annoying noise while the container carrier is being transported. Those benefits are achieved in a particularly economical manner because the longitudinal flap forms part of the middle wall. The advantage in manufacturing the container carrier is that the longitudinal flap requires to be turned into the opening about its hinge. The container carrier is suited for manufacture on machines running at a particularly high speed.
According to an aspect, the longitudinal flap is hinged to the middle wall perpendicularly to the transverse flaps. This allows to save material and is particularly beneficial for the folding process during manufacture.
According to an aspect, at least one longitudinal flap is hinged to the middle wall on either side of the hinge of the transverse flaps. This favours a closure of the at least one opening to a large extent when the material is used economically.
According to an aspect, the middle wall has middle wall portions which are collapsed about a vertical middle folding line for hinging the transverse flaps wherein at least one transverse flap is folded out from each middle wall portion and at least one middle wall portion has hinged thereto at least one longitudinal flap at the end distal from the middle folding line and/or at least one middle wall portion has at least one longitudinal flap turned out of the middle wall portion between the middle folding line and the transverse flap. This can realize a particularly strong middle wall with largely closed openings when the material is used economically.
According to an aspect, the longitudinal flap disposed between the middle folding line and the transverse flaps is turned out from an area of the middle wall portion that is located opposite a handle opening of the other middle wall portion.
This allows to use an area, which requires to be removed anyhow for a handle opening, as a longitudinal flap, which favours an economical use of the material.
According to an aspect, the longitudinal flap is coupled to the middle wall or carrying container at a distance from its hinge. This ensures the closure of the opening and further stabilizes the container carrier.
To this effect, according to an aspect, the longitudinal flap hinged between the middle folding line and the transverse flaps is fixed between the two middle wall portions at a distance from its hinge. The flap is preferably fixed on at least one side of the longitudinal flap which is oriented transversely to its hinge.
According to an aspect, the flap is fixed next to hinge areas of the transverse flaps.
According to an aspect, the middle wall is coupled to end wall tabs projecting from the insides of the end walls of the carrying container and the longitudinal flap is coupled to at least one end wall tab. This also fixes the longitudinal flap in the opening. Thus, a longitudinal flap may be fixed which is hinged to the edge of the middle wall distal from the central folding line.
According to an aspect , the flap is additionally fixed between hinge areas of two transverse flaps.
According to an aspect, the carrying container is manufactured from a first cut-to-size portion of foldable flat material and the middle wall is manufactured from a second cut-to-size portion of foldable flat material. The foldable flat material concerned can particularly be cardboard.
According to an aspect, the carrying container and/or the middle wall is/are manufactured from kraft cardboard.

According to an aspect, the carrying container and/or the middle wall is/are manufactured from recycling cardboard.
The joints of the various components of the container carrier can be adhesive joints wholly or partially. Furthermore, joints which are possible can be hooked joints, stamped through joints, staples and the like.
The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
Fig. 1 shows flat-spread cut-to-size portions of a carrying container of a middle wall of a container carrier in a bottom view;
Fig. 2 shows the container carrier in an raised position in a partial section in an oblique perspective top view.
The cut-to-size portion 1 shown in Fig. 1 for a carrying container (hereinafter also referred to as "1 ") is integrally manufactured from an externally painted recycling cardboard. The portion has an end wall portion 2', a side wall 3', and an end wall portion 4' hinged to each other transversely. At its lower longitudinal edge, the side wall 3' has a bottom wall 5 which is longitudinally subdivided by a central folding line 6. The central folding line 6, in turn, has a receptacle 7 for a hook.
The cut-to-size portion further has an end wall portion 2", a side wall 3", and an end wall portion 4" which are also hinged to each other transversely. A
bottom tab 8 is hinged to the lower longitudinal edge of the side wall 3".
The transverse sides of the end wall portions 2', 2", which are located opposite the hinges thereof to the side walls 3', 3", have hinged thereto end wall tabs 10', 10" at 9', 9". Accordingly, the transverse sides of the end wall portions 4', 4", which are located opposite the hinges to the side walls 3', 3", have hinged thereto end wall tabs 12', 12" at 11', 11 ".
In contrast, the end wall tabs 12', 12" are standing back on their base and have a hooked portion 13', 13" there.
The cut-to-size portion 1 has two portions 1', 1" which are coupled to each other via a longitudinally extending central folding line 14. The portion 14' thereof is I

a means to couple the end wall tabs 12', 12" to each other. Furthermore, its portion 14" interconnects outer handle portions 15', 15" which are transversely hinged to the end wall tabs 10', 10" at 16', 16". The outer handle portions 15', 15" have handle openings 17', 17" and handle tabs 18', 18" which can be folded out. In addition, the outer handle portions 15', 15" are detachably fixed to the upper edges of the side walls 3', 3" which face each other and end wall portions 2', 2" via bridged-over punched apertures.
Inner handle portions 20', 20" are hinged to the transverse sides of the outer handle portions 15', 15" opposite the hinges 16', 16" thereof at 19', 19" and are coupled to each other by the portion 14"' of the central folding line 14. The line is interrupted by punched apertures, i.e. an arrow-shaped one 21' and an oval one 21 ".
Next to the inner handle portions 20', 20", the cut-to-size portion 1 has major punched apertures 22', 22" so that after a turning motion about the hinges 19', 19"
against the outer handle portions 15', 15" handle tabs 20"', 20" of the inner handle portions 20', 20" come into congruency with the handle tabs 18', 18". For the rest, however, the handle openings 17', 17" will remain free. To turn the inner handle portions 20', 20"
about the hinges 19', 19" they are merely coupled to the side walls 3', 3" and end wall tabs 12', 12" via bridged-over punched apertures.
The latter have wheel-like punched apertures 23', 23" next to the portion 14' of the central folding line 13 at the free transverse side.
In turn, the cut-to-size portion 24 shown in Fig. 1 for a middle wall (hereinafter also designated "24") is integral, but is punched from a non-painted recycling cardboard. The cut-to-size portion has two sections 24', 24" which are longitudinally hinged to each other via a central folding line 25 which is interrupted by (partially) oval punched apertures 26, 26". At one end of the central folding line, the cut-to-size portion 24 has a protrusion 27 which is complementary to the tip of the arrow-shaped punched aperture 21'.
Adjacent to the central folding line 25, the sections 24', 24" each have a handle portion 28', 28" one 28" of which has a handle opening 29. The other one 28', at an appropriate point, has a longitudinal flap 30 which is hinged to transversely extending tabs 31', 31" on the side opposite the central folding line 25 in a longitudinal direction at 32, 32". Moreover, the longitudinal flap 30 has a longitudinally projecting tongue 33 with a radius which corresponds the adjoining area of the handle opening 29.
The handle portions 28', 28" each have a lateral coupling portion 34', 34"
which is extended away from the central folding line 25. Further, a lower coupling portion 35', 35" extends from the base of the lateral coupling portions 34', 34"
approximately in parallel with the central folding line 25.
The lateral coupling portions 34', 34" have hinged thereto transverse flaps 38', 38" via hinges 36', 36" and 37', 37". The flaps are provided with transverse flap coupling tabs 39', 39". Moreover, transverse flaps 42', 42" are hinged to the handle portions 28', 28" at 40', 40" and to the lower coupling portions 35', 35" at 42', 42".
The flaps, in turn, have transverse flap coupling tabs 43', 43".
Another longitudinal flap 44 is hinged to that longitudinal side of the section 24' which is distal from the central folding line 25, namely via a transversely protruding tab 45 at 46. At a distance from the tab 45', the longitudinal flap 44 has another transversely protruding tab 45" which is separated from the transverse flap 42' by a punching line.
For an assembly of a container carrier, the cut-to-size portion 24 is placed ready with its inside facing upwards. Further, the cut-to-size portion 24 is positioned with its upper side against the inside of the cut-to-size portion 24 so that the outer edge of the cut-to-size portion 24 that is adjacent to the lateral coupling portions 34', 34" comes to lie next to the folding lines 9', 9" of the cut-to-size portion 24 and the central folding line 25 is disposed above the portion 14" of the central folding line 14.
The longitudinal flap 30 hereby is placed above the handle opening 17' and the handle opening 29 is placed in congruency above the handle opening 17". As a result, the transverse flap coupling tabs 39', 39", 43', 43" are pasted to the side walls 3', 3" and so are the handle portions 28', 28" to the outer handle portions 15', 15".

The longitudinal flaps 30, 44 are turned against the inside of the cut-to-size portion 24 so as to partially overlap the transverse flaps 38', 42' in a longitudinal direction.
Subsequently, the inner handle portions 20', 20" are turned about the folding lines 19', 19" against the inside of the outer handle portions 15', 15" and handle portions 28', 28" and are pasted thereto. This causes material of the inner handle portions 20', 20" which is on the central folding line 14"' to engage punched apertures 26' to 26"' on the central folding line, and vice versa. The protrusion 27 comes to lie accurately in the arrow tip of the punched aperture 21'. This avoids excessive material accumulations. In addition, the handle portions 20', 20"" come into congruency with the handle tabs 18', 18", as a result of which they can be pasted thereto.
Afterwards, the end wall portions 4', 4" with the end wall tabs 12', 12"
suspended thereon are turned about. This causes the end wall tab 12' to be pasted to the adjoining marginal area of the longitudinal flap 44. Further, this causes the end wall tabs 12', 12" to be pasted to the inner handle portions 20', 20" in the area sidewards of the marginal punched apertures 23', 23". As a result, the area of the end wall tabs 12', 12" comes to lie between the marginal punched apertures 23', 23".
Accurately on the tip of the punched aperture 21', which avoids excessive material accumulations also in this place.
Further, the end wall tabs 10', 10" are turned against the handle portions 28', 28" and lateral coupling portions 34', 34" and are pasted thereto.
Subsequently, the cut-to-size portions 1 and 24 are jointly folded together about the superimposed folding lines 14, 24, which pastes the end wall tabs 10', 10"
together, the end wall tabs 12', 12" together, the inner handle portions 20', 20"
together, the handle portion 28" to the tabs 31', 31" of the longitudinal flap 30, and the lateral coupling portion 34" to the marginal area of the longitudinal flap 30 adjacent to the tab 3 1' and to the marginal area of the longitudinal flap 44 adjacent to the tab 45.

The bottom wall 5 was also folded about the central folding line 6 before so that the bottom wall tab 8 will be pasted to the turned portion of the bottom wall 5.
Before the portions requiring pasting together are folded the pasting lines and pasting areas are applied to at least one of those portions.
The above-described pasting and folding process can be advantageously performed by the package manufacturer, wherein the longitudinal axis of the cut-to-size portions may remain in the direction of passage. It is possible to achieve high passage speeds.
The container carrier thus folded and turned is shown in a raised position in Fig. 2. The position is attained by forcing the folded hinges 9', 9" of the end wall portions 2', 2" and the hinges of the side walls 3', 3" against the end wall portions 4', 4" of the flat-lying container carrier. This causes the transverse flaps 38', 38", 42', 42" to be turned away from the middle wall 24 and any bridges of punching lines which still might exist to be broken up. It further causes the bottom 5 to be spread apart and, along with the receptacle 7, to be hung into the hook 13', 13"
composed of two pasted cardboard plies in order to stabilize the raised structure.
The raised container carrier 1, at its top between the side walls 3', 3" and end walls 2', 2" and 4', 4", has an opening 47 from which a carrying handle 48 extends which is formed by the handle portions 15', 15", 20', 2", 28', 28". The carrying handle is defined by a cardboard which is folded in a maximum of six plies above each other. The opening 45 allows to introduce bottles therethrough into the compartments limited by the transverse flaps 38', 38", 42', 42". The bottles will not strike against each other while being introduced because the openings in the middle wall 24 which are made accessible by the transverse flaps 38', 38", 42', 42"
are closed by the longitudinal flaps 30, 44 which also stabilize the entire container carrier. Nor can annoying glass noise be heard during a transport.

Claims

Claims:

1. A container carrier made of at least one foldable flat material, comprising:
- a box-shaped carrying container having a bottom wall, side walls, end walls, and an upper-sided opening, - a middle wall disposed between the side walls in the carrying container, with folded-out transverse flaps which define compartments, - a carrying handle disposed at the top of the middle wall and projecting from the opening of the carrying container, and - at least one longitudinal flap hinged to the middle wall which forms at least one opening of the middle wall by folding out said transverse flaps and closes them at least partially, - wherein the middle wall has middle wall portions which are collapsed about a vertical middle folding line for hinging said transverse flaps wherein at least one of said transverse flaps is folded out of each middle wall portion, a first of said middle wall portions has hinged thereto at least one longitudinal flap at the end distal from the middle folding line, a second of said middle wall portions has at least one longitudinal flap turned out of said second middle wall portion between the middle folding line and one of said transverse flaps, and said at least one longitudinal flap disposed between the middle folding line and said transverse flap is turned out of an area of said second middle wall portion that is located opposite a handle opening of the first middle wall portion, and - the carrying container is manufactured from a first cut-to-size portion of foldable flat material and the middle wall is manufactured from a second cut-to-size portion of foldable flat material.

2. The container carrier according to claim 1 wherein at least one longitudinal flap is hinged to the middle wall on either side of the hinge of the transverse flaps.

3. The container carrier according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the longitudinal flap is coupled to the middle wall or carrying container at a distance from its hinge.

4. The container carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the longitudinal flap hinged between the middle folding line and the transverse flaps is fixed between the two middle wall portions.

5. The container carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the middle wall is coupled to end wall tabs projecting from the insides of the end walls of the carrying container and the longitudinal flap is coupled to at least one end wall tab.

6. The container carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the carrying container and the middle wall are manufactured from kraft cardboard.

7. The container carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the carrying container and the middle wall are manufactured from recycling cardboard.