Carrier for bottles and the like

Claim 1

A CARRIER FOR A PLURALITY OF BOTTLES AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A COMPARTMENTED MEMBER INTEGRALLY FORMED PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING PERIPHERAL WALL, BOTTOM WALL AND CENTER PORTIONS, SAID CENTER PORTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING WALL PORTIONS COOPERATING WITH THE PERIPHERAL WALL TO DEFINE A PLURALITY OF BOTTLE-RECEIVING COMPARTMENTS THEREBETWEEN FOR HOLDING BOTTLES RECEIVED IN SAID COMPARTMENTED MEMBER IN SPACED-APART RE LATIONSHIP; AND A HANDLE MEMBER OF SPRING-LIKE RESILIENT SYNTHETIC PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A LOWER PORTION SECURED TO SAID COMPARTMENTED MEMBER AND HAVING A LOOP PORTION EXTENDING UPWARDLY OF SAID COMPARTMENTED MEMBER, AND FORMING A LOOP EXTENDING ABOVE SAID COMPARTMENT MEMBER WITH ITS APEX SPACED THEREABOVE IN THE UNRESTRAINED POSITION OF SAID LOOP PORTION, SAID LOOP PORTION BEING DIMENSIONED TO PROJECT ABOVE THE TOPS OF ASSOCIATED BOTTLES RECEIVED IN SAID COMPARTMENTS FOR CONVENIENT GRIPPING AND HANDLING OF THE CARRIER, SAID SPRING-LIKE RESILIENT MATERIAL PROVIDING MEANS FOR RESILIENT FLATTENING OF THE CENTER OF SAID LOOP PORTION TO THE TOPS OF ASSOCIATED BOTTLES RECEIVED IN SAID CARRIER BY PRESSURE APPLIED THEREON AND BOWING OF THE PORTIONS THEREOF ADJACENT THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID COMPARTMENTED MEMBER OUTWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID PERIPHERAL WALL FOR CONVENIENT STACKING OF A PLURALITY OF CARRIERS AND FOR STORAGE OF A CARRIER IN CONFINED AREAS, SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID HANDLE MEMBER REMAINING IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME VERTICAL POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID COMPARTMENTED MEMBER UPON FLATTENING OF SAID LOOP PORTION, SAID MEANS PROVIDING INHERENT SPRINGABILITY OF SAID LOOP PORTION INTO THE INITIAL LOOP POSITION THEREOF UPON RELEASE OF THE FLATTENING PRESSURE APPLIED THEREON.