Plastic jacket for containers

Claim 2

An integral one piece molded carrier adapted for engaging and embracing a substantial portion of each of a plurality of containers arranged upright in a substantially side wall abutting relationship comprising an elastomeric material of flat stock thermoformed and having vertically disposed walls defining celllike compartments whose vertical axes correspond with the axes of said arrangement of plural containers, a horizontal wall integral with all of the vertical walls of said compartments and connected near the upper end of said compartments, means on said horizontal wall adapted for lifting and supporting the carrier, annularly disposed, radially inwardly projecting yieldable means along the interior surface of said vertical wall of each compartment, the interior diameter across said compartment of said yieldable means being slightly less than the outer diameter of a portion of the container adjacent its upper end to be received in said compartment to engage and support said container therein, a vertical skirt wall adapted to embrace the outer extending side wall portion of said plurality of containers and retain them in a cluster, the skirt wall being integral with said vertical walls of the compartments, and a second horizontal wall below said first mentioned horizontal wall and integral with said vertical skirt wall.

Claim 3

The carrier defined by claim 1, including a top wall on each of said compartments and integrally connected to said vertical wall thereof, said annularly disposed yieldable means of each compartment being spaced vertically below said top wall thereof.

Claim 4

The carrier defined by claim 1, wherein said annularly disposed, radially inwardly projecting, yieldable means comprises a continuous, endless, annular bead-like projection adapted for engagement with said container to support the latter in said carrier.

Claim 5

The carrier defined by claim 1, wherein said vertical skirt wall provides an interference, tight fit with said plural containers, adapted to hold said containers in side wall contact, one to the other, preventing any substantial sidewise relative movement of the containers in the carrier.

Claim 6

The carrier defined by claim 4, wherein said compartment vertical walls and said vertical skirt wall together are greater than one half the height of the containers that are to be received and supported in the carrier.

Claim 7

The carrier defined by claim 1, including a second vertical wall connected integrally between said first and second horizontal walls, said second vertical wall being disposed horizontally inwardly from the perimeter defining vertical skirt wall of said carrier and joined with said first horizontal wall to provide support for the carrier.

Claim 8

In combination, a grouping of plural containers in upright position and in close wall to wall engagement, each of the containers including a bottom wall, body wall and an annular upper end portion, and a one-piece carrier for said grouping of containers, said carrier being integrally formed of a thermoplastic and including plural upright annular walls defining individual upright cavities for receiving the upper end of said containers, annularly arranged, yieldable projection means extending radially inwardly of each of said cavities near the top end thereof, said means engaging said annular upper end portion of each container for supporting each container in its respective cavity, a vertical skirt wall in surrounding engagement with the body walls of the grouping of containers restraining the containers against substantial lateral movement in the cavities and with respect to each other, and first and second horizontal wall means respectively connecting (1) each or sAid upright annular walls adjacent said projection means thereof and (2) said annular walls above said vertical skirt wall for structurally interconnecting said cavities and reinforcing said carrier.

Claim 9

In combination, a grouping of plural containers in upright position and in close wall to wall engagement, each of the containers including a bottom wall, body wall and an annular upper end portion, and a one-piece carrier for said grouping of containers, said carrier being integrally formed of a thermoplastic and including plural upright annular walls defining individual upright cavities for receiving the upper end of said containers, annularly arranged, yieldable projection means extending radially inwardly of each of said cavities near the top end thereof, said means engaging said annular upper end portion of each container for supporting each container in its respective cavity, a vertical skirt wall in surrounding engagement with the body walls of the grouping of containers restraining the containers against substantial lateral movement in the cavities and with respect to each other, and first and second horizontal wall means respectively connecting (1) each or sAid upright annular walls adjacent said projection means thereof and (2) said annular walls above said vertical skirt wall for structurally interconnecting said cavities and reinforcing said carrier.

Claim 10

The combination defined in claim 7, wherein said containers comprise glass bottles which have at their upper ends a neck portion and top mouth opening, the mouth opening having a closure member secured thereover and engaging the neck portion to close the bottle mouth, the said yieldable projection means on the wall of each of said cavities engaging an annular portion of the closure providing suspending support for the bottle in said cavity of the carrier.

Claim 11

The combination defined in claim 8, wherein the bottle body wall has an annular surface covering extending from adjacent the bottom wall axially over a major extent of the body of the bottle, the vertical skirt wall extending down along the body of the bottles to at least join the annular surface covering on the bottle bodies, the combination of the carrier and said annular covering on the bottles providing a protective layer for the glass bottles from their bottom end to the closured end.

Claim 12

The combination defined in claim 9, wherein the annular covering on the bottles comprises a layer of thermoplastic.

Claim 13

The combination defined in claim 10, wherein said layer of thermoplastic is opaque, thereby providing light shielding protection to contents of the bottles in the carrier.

Claim 14

The combination defined in claim 7, including means on said horizontal wall means for lifting and carrying said carrier.

Claim 15

The combination defined in claim 7, wherein the one-piece carrier includes a further vertical wall means integrally connected with the second horizontal wall meand and the first-mentioned horizontal wall.

Claim 16

The combination defined in claim 7, wherein said one-piece thermoplastic carrier is comprised of a thermoplastic selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride, the one-piece carrier having the characteristic of being at least a semi-rigid member.

Claim 17

A one-piece receptacle for retaining an array of containers comprised of at least a pair of adjacently positioned containers having a circumferential enlargement portion near one end thereof and arranged in upright side-by-side relationship, said receptacle comprising an integral cover element having an endless upright perimeter wall adapted to extend around the array of containers for covering at least a portion of their axial length, individual cell-like compartments defined by an annular wall extending above said upright perimeter wall and each said compartment adapted to nest over the top of a container of said array, said compartments being integrally joined with said upright perimeter wall by a first horizontal wall means, bead-like means annularly disposed and projecting inwardly on the interior of said compartment wall adjacent the top of each said compartment, a second horizontal wall integrally connected with the compartment walls adjacent the top thereof, said bead-like means defining a minimum diameter across said compartment that is less than the exterior diameter of said enlargement portion of the container to be received in said compartment and engageable with its said enlargement portion at said one end to support the container in said compartment, and means on said cover element for hand grasping and carrying the one-piece receptacle and contents supported in the compartments thereof.

Claim 18

A one-piece receptacle for retaining an array of containers comprised of at least a pair of adjacently positioned containers having a circumferential enlargement portion near one end thereof and arranged in upright side-by-side relationship, said receptacle comprising an integral cover element having an endless upright perimeter wall adapted to extend around the array of containers for covering at least a portion of their axial length, individual cell-like compartments defined by an annular wall extending above said upright perimeter wall and each said compartment adapted to nest over the top of a container of said array, said compartments being integrally joined with said upright perimeter wall by a first horizontal wall means, bead-like means annularly disposed and projecting inwardly on the interior of said compartment wall adjacent the top of each said compartment, a second horizontal wall integrally connected with the compartment walls adjacent the top thereof, said bead-like means defining a minimum diameter across said compartment that is less than the exterior diameter of said enlargement portion of the container to be received in said compartment and engageable with its said enlargement portion at said one end to support the container in said compartment, and means on said cover element for hand grasping and carrying the one-piece receptacle and contents supported in the compartments thereof.

Claim 19

The one-piece receptacle of claim 15, wherein said integral cover element is thermoformed from a thermoplastic material.

Claim 20

The one-piece receptacle of claim 16, wherein said thermoplastic comprises polyethylene.

Claim 21

The one-piece receptacle of claim 17, wherein said polyethylene is selected from medium and high density compositions thereof.

Claim 22

The one-piece receptacle of claim 15, wherein said cover element includes a top closure wall on each of the compartments, said top wall thereof being connected with the first horizontal wall means and the compartment defining wall such that each compartment is closed at its top end and open at its lower end for receiving therein said containers in their upright position.

Claim 23

The receptacle of claim 15, wherein said bead-like means comprises a discontinuous snap bead in the wall of each compartment, said bead defining a C-shaped ring, providing the minimum internal diameter of the compartment, the open end of the discontinuous C-shaped bead defining a slot-like area of a larger internal diameter of the compartment.

Claim 24

The receptacle of claim 20, wherein said C-shaped ring in the wall of each compartment is located therein such that the open end of the discontinuous bead is facing inwardly of the upright perimeter wall of the receptacle and said slot-like area is disposed in each compartment substantially opposite said upright perimeter wall.

Claim 25

A combination comprising a grouping of a plurality of containers, each in upright position, having a base, body portion, upwardly tapered neck portion, an annular rim portion on the neck portion defining an upper end opening for the container, and a closure applied over the upper end opening and said rim portion, and a carrier for said containers in suspended relation, said carrier including plural annular, upwardly tapered wall individually extending adjacent the necks of said containers, first horizontal wall means integral with each of said annular walls and overlying the necks of the containers, an inwardly facing, bead-like means on each of the tapered walls, said means having an inwardly facing circumference slightly less than the external circumference of said closure circumference on the container, said bead-like means being disposed under the rim of the container, a peripheral skirt wall integral with each of said tapered walls and extending peripherally around said grouping of containers, said skirt wall extending downwardly along at least an axial portion of the body of the containers, second horizontal wall means integral with said tapered walls and spaced from said first horizontal wall means, and means on said second horizontal wall means for hand carrying the carrier and containers, the containers being in suspended relation from the bead-like means of the respective tapered walls and the grouping of containers being engaged by said peripheral skirt wall preventing lateral displacement of the containers within the carrier.

Claim 26

A combination comprising a grouping of a plurality of containers, each in upright position, having a base, body portion, upwardly tapered neck portion, an annular rim portion on the neck portion defining an upper end opening for the container, and a closure applied over the upper end opening and said rim portion, and a carrier for said containers in suspended relation, said carrier including plural annular, upwardly tapered wall individually extending adjacent the necks of said containers, first horizontal wall means integral with each of said annular walls and overlying the necks of the containers, an inwardly facing, bead-like means on each of the tapered walls, said means having an inwardly facing circumference slightly less than the external circumference of said closure circumference on the container, said bead-like means being disposed under the rim of the container, a peripheral skirt wall integral with each of said tapered walls and extending peripherally around said grouping of containers, said skirt wall extending downwardly along at least an axial portion of the body of the containers, second horizontal wall means integral with said tapered walls and spaced from said first horizontal wall means, and means on said second horizontal wall means for hand carrying the carrier and containers, the containers being in suspended relation from the bead-like means of the respective tapered walls and the grouping of containers being engaged by said peripheral skirt wall preventing lateral displacement of the containers within the carrier.

Claim 27

A combination comprising a grouping of a plurality of containers, each in upright position, having a base, body portion, and an annular rim portion at the upper end of the container, and a carrier for said containers in suspended relation, said carrier including plural annular, upstanding walls individually extending adjacent the upper end of said containers, an inwardly facing, bead-like means on each of the annular upstanding walls, said means comprising a discontinuous C-shaped ring in each of the annular walls and having a minimum internal diameter on each said annular wall less than the external diameter of said upper end of the container, said bead-like means being disposed under the rim of the container, a peripheral skirt wall integral with each of said upstanding walls and extending peripherally around said grouping of containers, said skirt wall extending downwardly along at least an axial portion of the body of the containers, a horizontal wall means of said carrier integral with said upstanding walls, and means on said horizontal wall means for hand carrying the carrier and containers, the containers being in suspended relation from the C-shaped rings on the respective upstanding annular walls and the grouping of containers being engaged by said peripheral skirt wall preventing lateral displacement of the containers within the carrier.

Claim 28

A combination comprising a grouping of a plurality of containers, each in upright position, having a base, body portion, and an annular rim portion at the upper end of the container, and a carrier for said containers in suspended relation, said carrier including plural annular, upstanding walls individually extending adjacent the upper end of said containers, an inwardly facing, bead-like means on each of the annular upstanding walls, said means comprising a discontinuous C-shaped ring in each of the annular walls and having a minimum internal diameter on each said annular wall less than the external diameter of said upper end of the container, said bead-like means being disposed under the rim of the container, a peripheral skirt wall integral with each of said upstanding walls and extending peripherally around said grouping of containers, said skirt wall extending downwardly along at least an axial portion of the body of the containers, a horizontal wall means of said carrier integral with said upstanding walls, and means on said horizontal wall means for hand carrying the carrier and containers, the containers being in suspended relation from the C-shaped rings on the respective upstanding annular walls and the grouping of containers being engaged by said peripheral skirt wall preventing lateral displacement of the containers within the carrier.