Bottle carrier

Claim 2

A blank for forming a one-piece multiple cell bottle carrying carton that has cells, each of rectangular cross-section and cross-sectional size equal to at least the full diameter of a bottle to be carried therein, comprising a pair of handle panels connected together along a common first fold line and having a set of separator strips connected to each said handle panel at locations across said handle panels from said common fold line along a series of second fold lines disposed transverse to said first fold line; with a side-forming carton panel being connected to each said set of separator strips along a third series of fold lines transverse to said first fold line; a pair of end panel portions connected to each said side panel along fourth fold lines disposed transverse to said first fold line; and a bottom panel portion connected to a first said side panel along a fifth fold line parallel to said first fold line; with said bottom panel portion being of a lesser dimension measured in the direction of said fifth fold line than the dimension of each said side panel measured between fourth fold lines thereof, and tab means for securing said bottom panel portion to a second said side panel.

Claim 3

The blank of claim 1, wherein two end panel portions of similar construction are disposed opposite each other on opposite sides of said first fold line at each end of said side panel, with each end panel portion having a tab connected thereto along one of a series of sixth fold lines.

Claim 4

The blank of claim 2, wherein a cut-away portion is provided in each of two of said end panel portions that are disposed opposite each other on opposite sides of said first fold line; said cut-away portions being complementally configured with respect to end tabs connected to the remaining two end panel portions along fold lines, at opposite ends of said side panels from said cut-away portions.

Claim 5

The blank of claim 3, wherein each said end panel portion is provided with a cut-away portion and a tab portion complementally coNfigured relative to a tab portion and a cut-away portion respectively at the opposite end of each said side panel.

Claim 6

A folded bottle carrier for receiving bottles in open-topped cells thereof, wherein each cell is of a rectangular cross-section and cross-sectional size equal to at least the full diameter of a bottle to be carried therein, comprising a pair of opposed sidewall panels, a pair of opposed end walls connected to said sidewall panels along fold lines, a handle portion comprising handle panels connected to each other at their upper edges by a fold line, said handle panels being connected to said end panels and extending therebetween, generally parallel to said sidewall panels, a bottom wall connected to said sidewall panels along at least one fold line on one side of said bottom wall, a plurality of separator panels extending between said sidewall panels and adjacent ones of said handle panels defining bottle-receiving cells and connected to said sidewall panels and handle panels along fold lines, with at least one of said end walls comprising a pair of end panels, each end panel extending halfway across said end wall, with a cut-out in said one end wall, symmetrically disposed with respect to the center of said end wall, said cut-out extending downwardly to the lower ends of said end panels, wherein said bottom wall is of a lesser dimension measured between opposed end walls, than the distance between said opposed end walls, and with said bottom wall being located closer to said one end wall having said cut-out therein, than to the other said end wall.

Claim 7

A folded bottle carrier for receiving bottles in open-topped cells thereof, wherein each cell is of a rectangular cross-section and cross-sectional size equal to at least the full diameter of a bottle to be carried therein, comprising a pair of opposed sidewall panels, a pair of opposed end walls connected to said sidewall panels along fold lines, a handle portion comprising handle panels connected to each other at their upper edges by a fold line, said handle panels being connected to said end panels and extending therebetween, generally parallel to said sidewall panels, a bottom wall connected to said sidewall panels along at least one fold line on one side of said bottom wall, a plurality of separator panels extending between said sidewall panels and adjacent ones of said handle panels defining bottle-receiving cells and connected to said sidewall panels and handle panels along fold lines, with at least one of said end walls comprising a pair of end panels, each end panel extending halfway across said end wall, with a cut-out in said one end wall, symmetrically disposed with respect to the center of said end wall, said cut-out extending downwardly to the lower ends of said end panels, wherein said bottom wall is of a lesser dimension measured between opposed end walls, than the distance between said opposed end walls, and with said bottom wall being located closer to said one end wall having said cut-out therein, than to the other said end wall.

Claim 8

The carrier of claim 5, wherein said end wall having a cut-out therein has separator tabs connected to end panels thereof along fold lines, with said separator tabs being joined together beneath said handle portion to define an article separator member between adjacent end cells.

Claim 9

The carrier of claim 5, wherein the end wall opposite the end wall with said cut-out comprises a pair of end panels, each having separator tabs connected thereto along fold lines, said tabs being disposed together in inwardly directed relation of the carton beneath the handle portions, with said tabs cooperating to define a separator member between adjacent article-receiving cells at the adjacent end of the carrier, said separator member having a major portion disposed above the bottom wall that is of a dimension measured inwardly of the carrier from the adjacent end thereof that substantially equals the distance between said end wall opposite the cut-out end wall and the adjacent end of said bottom wall in the vicinity of said separator member.

Claim 10

The carrier of claim 7, wherein said separator member is provided with tab lower end portions protruding inwardly of the carrier in engagement with a central end portion of said bottom wall.

Claim 11

The carrier of claim 7, wherein the carrier is provided with six article-receiving cells, with three cells being disposed on opposite sides of said handle portion.

Claim 12

The carrier of claim 7, wherein the carrier is provided with eight article-receiving cells, with four cells being disposed on opposite sides of said handle portion.

Claim 13

A material construction including a plurality of article carrier blanks disposed in flat form as cut components of a single sheet of material, said blanks being disposed in a row, with blanks in the row being serially arranged in their cut condition adjacent each other, with each blank including handle-forming panels connected along a common first fold line, separator strips connected to said handle panels along a series of second fold lines, side panels connected to said separator strips along a series of third fold lines, end panels connected to said side panels along a series of fourth fold lines, and separator panels connected to said end panels along fold lines at opposite leading and trailing ends of each said blank, with cut-out portions being provided at opposite leading and trailing ends of each said blank in each said end panel and in eaCh said separator panel, with the leading end of one blank being complementally configured with respect to the immediately adjacent trailing end of an adjacent said blank, with said separator panels being of identical outline construction as an adjacent cut-out portion of an adjacent said blank, along a common outline separating said blanks, whereby there is no material disposed between said adjacent blanks that would not be used to form one of said adjacent blanks.

Claim 14

A material construction including a plurality of article carrier blanks disposed in flat form as cut components of a single sheet of material, said blanks being disposed in a row, with blanks in the row being serially arranged in their cut condition adjacent each other, with each blank including handle-forming panels connected along a common first fold line, separator strips connected to said handle panels along a series of second fold lines, side panels connected to said separator strips along a series of third fold lines, end panels connected to said side panels along a series of fourth fold lines, and separator panels connected to said end panels along fold lines at opposite leading and trailing ends of each said blank, with cut-out portions being provided at opposite leading and trailing ends of each said blank in each said end panel and in eaCh said separator panel, with the leading end of one blank being complementally configured with respect to the immediately adjacent trailing end of an adjacent said blank, with said separator panels being of identical outline construction as an adjacent cut-out portion of an adjacent said blank, along a common outline separating said blanks, whereby there is no material disposed between said adjacent blanks that would not be used to form one of said adjacent blanks.

Claim 15

The construction of claim 11, wherein there are two immediately adjacent rows of said blanks, and each blank in a row is provided with a bottom panel extending from a side panel, laterally of the remainder of said blank, with bottom panels of adjacent said blanks in a given row being defined at least in part by cut lines at each end of said bottom panel extending transverse to said first fold line, and spaced from each other the distance of the length of a bottom panel as measured between its said cut lines and wherein said immediately adjacent rows of said blanks are similarly configured with respect to said above-mentioned blanks, arranged with the bottom panels of blanks in one of the said adjacent rows disposed between the blank bottom panels of the other said row of blanks and with ends of said bottom panels of said adjacent rows extending transversely to said first fold line and being defined by said cut lines at ends of said bottom panels of the other said row, whereby no material is disposed between blanks in adjacent rows that would not be used to form bottom panels of blanks in said adjacent rows.

Claim 16

The construction of claim 12, wherein blanks in one said row have their leading and trailing ends facing in opposite directions respectively with respect to the leading and trailing ends of blanks in the other said row.