Carrier for mainly parallelepipedic packages

Abstract

 A carrier for liquid packages of the Brik Pak and Pure Pak type consists of a receptacle formed by four walls and a handle substantially parallel to the axis of the receptacle and which is centrally arranged on a receptacle wall, there being a receptacle flange (3, 31) arranged for supporting a package in the carrier/receptacle. The handle (2) is divided into two substantially like halves (20, 21). The receptacle wall (13, 14) onto which the handle (2) joins is divided substantially in the partition plane of the handle. The walls (10; 11; 12; 13,14) of the receptacle are foldably connected to each other at the corner edges (41-44) of the receptacle. The handle halves (20, 21) are foldably connected to the respective wall part (13,14). Means (50, 51) are arranged at the wall parts for preventing edges of the wall parts from mutual displacement in a direction normal to the wall parts (13, 14). Means (24, 25) are arranged for preventing the handle halves (20, 21) from mutual displacement in their plane and for making it more difficult for the wall parts to part from each other in their plane transverse the partition line (47) between the wall parts (13, 14). In this way the carrier is erectable from a substantially flat blank (1) including the cohesive walls (10, 11, 12), wall parts (13, 14) and handle halves (20, 21).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a carrier for mainly parallelepipedic packages, and includes a receptacle formed from four side walls and a handle centrally arranged on a receptacle wall and substantially parallel to the axis of the receptacle, the latter having an inwardly directed bottom flange for carrying the package in the receptacle.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Carriers of the type mentioned find use with packages of the Brik Pak and Pure Pak type, i.e. cartons containing milk, juice and the like. Carriers of the kind mentioned are already known but have a series of disadvantages. A primary disadvantage is that the carrier is relatively voluminous, so that considerable space problems are experienced at the point of sale, with respect to storage and display of the carrier. The known carriers, which are manufactured from plastics, have been provided with lightening holes, inter alia to save material, and this has resulted in that the carriers easily catch in each other when they are stored together. Another disadvantage is that the carriers also take up large space for the consumer, in such as storage space in kitchens and the like. Yet another disadvantage is that the handle attachment tends to be weak since, for may reasons, it is attempted to maintain uniform material thickness in the plastics material of the carrier. A further disadvantage is that the tool for manufacturing such a plastics carrier is expensive.

[0003] An object of the invention is to provide a carrier with which one or more of the mentioned disadvantages is completely or partially eliminated.

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A carrier for parallelepipedic packages includes a receptacle formed from four walls, with a handle centrally arranged on a receptacle wall and essentially parallel to the axis of the receptacle, and an inwardly directed flange at the bottom edge of the receptacle for supporting a package in the receptacle, the carrier being essentially distinguished in that the handle is divided into two substantially similar parts or halves, in that the receptacle wall to which the handle is connected is divided substantilly in the dividing plane of the handle, in that the walls of the receptacle are erectably connected to each other at the corner edges of the receptacle, in that means are provided at the wall parts to prevent the edges of the wall parts from being mutually displaced in a direction normal to the surface of the wall parts, and in that means are arranged to prevent the handle halves from being mutually displaced in their plane and to prevent the wall parts from parting in their plane transverse the division line of the wall, whereby the carrier is erectable from a carrier blank including the collapsible and cohesive walls and handle halves which may be disposed in a common plane.

[0005] Through the inventive implementation of the carrier, the disadvantages mentioned in the introduction, which are associated with previously known carriers of the kind in question, are eliminated, and the carrier may be transported and displayed in the form of flat, erectable blanks, the consumer being able simply to erect them into the carrier's operative shape, whereafter the consumer can collapse the carrier into a sheet-shaped blank which requires small storage space. In the sales outlet the carrier blanks can be packed separately in the form of a flat, generally rectangular product which to advantage can be offered for sale and displayed, suspended via a handle half on a generally horizontal wall--mounted bar, as is usual for many articles in the retail trade.

[0006] The handle is suitably U-shaped, with both its legs connected to the receptacle wall in question. In their longitudinal extension the handle halves can have a generally U-shaped cross section, the web of which is connected to the respective wall portion and the legs disposed to face the outstanding legs in the opposite handle half of the carrier. The flange for supporting packages in the receptacle may have a height from the wall corresponding to the height of the outstanding legs of the handle halves. The blank for the carrier will thus substantially comprise a sheet of material with a uniform thickness of such as 1.5 mm, from which flange portions project to the same height as the legs in the U-shaped cross section of the handle halves.

[0007] One handle half can have tubular projections from the inside of the web of its cross section. These projections are preferably arranged along the web as well as the legs of the U-shaped handle half. The other handle half may then have cylindrical projections on the inside of the web of its cross section, fitting into the tubular projections. The coacting projections may suitably have a length such that they produce a locking effect if a person attempts to part the handle halves with folding movement.

[0008] Each of the wall halves preferably has a pair of projecting tongues fitting into correspondingly formed depressions in the opposing wall half. The tongues suitably have a thickness corresponding to half the wall thickness and are situated on the inside of the wall. The depressions are similarly arranged with a thickness corresponding to half the wall thickness and are arranged on the inside of the wall. The tongues and depressions will thus coact to prevent the eges of the wall parts from being mutually displaced in a direction normal to the wall parts in the erected carrier. The handle halves with their coacting projections prevent relative gliding between the handle halves in their plane of division, and the height in cross section of the handle halves results in that the connections thereof to the receptacle wall in question are well separated. This means that in the erected state of the carrier the handle is very stiffly connected to the carrier wall in question, with respect to bending relative this wall in relation to an axis parallel to the axis of the receptacle.

[0009] By the implementation of the inventive carrier, the blank for it may thus be produced with a material thickness corresponding to the thickness of the walls, even in the projections (which may be tubular with the same wall thickness as the receptacle walls) on the handle halves and with relation to the package-supporting flange and the projecting flanges of the handle halves. This means that the carrier in accordance with the invention can to advantage be produced from plastics without the need of material concentration which can cause sinking etc. By enabling the blank for the carrier in accordance with the invention to be produced in the form of a substantially flat uniformly thick sheet of material, one side of which is substantially smooth, and the other side of which has the flange parts and the projections and flanges of the handle halves, the configuration of the tool for producing it will be simplified, and the tool cost minimized due to the minor necessary thickness of the blank. The thickness is determined by the projections on the handle halves.

[0010] An exemplifying embodiment of the carrier in accordance with the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing.

DRAWING

[0011] Fig. 1 is a plan view of one side of a blank for a carrier in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a section along the line II-II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section along the line III-III in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horisontal view of a carrier, erected from the blank according to Figs 1-3. Fig. 5 is a view taken along the line V-V in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section along the line VI-VI in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section along the line VII-VII in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a section along the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 4.

EMBODIMENT

[0012] Fig. 1 illustrates a substantially flat blank 1, ejection moulded in plastics for a carrier which can be erected from the blank and is usable for generally parallelepipedic packages, usually such as contain a liquid and primarily of the type Brick Pak and Pure Pak.

[0013] The blank 1 is rectangular and includes three wall parts 10,11,12 joined to each other via creases 42,43, the parts 11 and 12 via creases 41 and 44 each being joined to its wall half 14 and 13, these wall halves 13,14 together forming a wall in the carrier. The walls 10-12 have a central depression, reducing material consumption for the blank and exposing information on the package. A yoke-like handle half 20,21 joins via creases 40,45 onto the respective wall half 14,13. At the right-hand side of the blank in Fig. 1, there are a plurality of upstanding flanges 3,31 which, in the erected condition of the carrier, support the package in the receptacle of the carrier formed by the walls and wall parts. The handle halves 20,21 are formed, as is apparent from Figs. 1-3 with a U-shaped cross section, the web 23 of which is in the same plane and has the same thickness as the walls and wall parts 10-14. The legs 22 of this cross section have the same height as the flanges 3 and 31.

[0014] The sections of the handle halves have on their insides tubular projections 24,25 fitting into each other. The projections 24,25 are arranged in both the web and legs of the U-shaped or yoke-like handle halves 20,21,-and have a length of mutual engagement such that they produce a binding effect if it is attempted to part them with a pivoting movement, especially about an axis parallel to the creases 40-45.

[0015] At their free edges the wall parts 13,14 have tongues 50 and depressions 51 so that the tongues 50 on the one wall half engage in the depressions 51 in the other wall half and vice versa. As is apparent from Figs 2 and 3, the tongues 50 and depressions 51 are disposed with a thickness corresponding to half the wall thickness. In the illustrated embodiment the tongues 50 and depressions 51 are arranged onthe wall thickness half which is exposed in Fig. 1. The crease joints 40,45 of the handle halves 20,21 to the wall halves 14,13 are along a line at a distance from the free straight edge 47 of the wall halves 14,13 corresponding to the section height of the handle halves 20,21. There is thus a slit between the inner edge of the handle yoke and the respective wall half 14 and 13 up to the creases 40 and 45.

[0016] Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a view from above of a carrier which has been erected from the blank illustrated in Figs 1-3. It can be seen from Fig. 4 and also from Fig. 3 that the flange portions 3 and 31 are bevelled at the crease corners 41-44 of the carrier so as not to hinder erecting the carrier into the illustrated embodiment. Fig. 5 illustrates how the tongues 50 are exposed on the inside of the receptacle, and Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate how the adjacent coacting pairs of tongues and depressions in the axial direction of the receptacle lock the wall parts 13,14 against relative movement either way in the direction normal to the wall parts 13,14. It is further apparent from Figs 6 and 7 that the crease connections 40,45 of the handle halves 20,21 to the respective wall portion 14,13 are well separated so that in combination with the coaction of the projections 24,25, the resulting handle 2 is given a connection to the wall formed by the wall parts 13,14 which is very resistant to bending. Fig. 8 illustrates the straight contact line 47 between the wall parts 13,14 on the outside of the receptacle. However, it should be clear that instead of arranging the tongues 50 and depressions 51 on the inside part of the receptacle wall of the carrier, these may be placed on the outside of the receptacle.

Claims

1. Carrier for mainly parallelepipedic liquid packages, including a receptacle formed by four walls and a U--shaped handle (2) substantially parallel to the axis of the receptacle, and arranged centrally on a receptacle wall, the handle (2) being parted into two substantially like halves (20,21), the receptacle wall (13,14) to which the handle (2) joins being divided substantially in the partition plane of the handle, the walls (10-14) of the receptacle being foldably connected to each other at the corner edges (41-44) of the receptacle, each handle half (20,21) being foldably connected to the respective one of said wall parts (14,13), means (50,51) being arranged at the wall parts (14,13) for preventing the edges (47) of the wall parts (14,13) from mutual displacement in a direction normal to the wall parts, and means (24,25) being arranged for preventing the handle halves (20,21) from mutual displacement in their plane and for making it more difficult for the wall parts (14,13) to part in their plane transverse the partition line of the wall, whereby the carrier is erectable from an essentially flat bland (1) including the cohesive walls (10-12), wall parts (13,14) and handle halves (20,21), characterized in that the blank (1) is of plastics and is ejection moulded, that at least one, and preferably all, the walls and wall parts have a fixed integral flange (3) at a common free blank edge, said flange (3) being adapted so that in the vertically oriented carrier/receptacle erected from the blank (1) said flange supports a package, the free cross-sectional area of the receptacle corresponding to that of the package, in that each of the handle halves (20,21) has a flange (22) at least along its one free edge, the handle flange being deflected from the flat surface of the flat blank so that the handle flanges bear against each other in the assembled handle of the erected blank, whereby, in the erected carrier the distance between the joints of the handle halves (20,21) to the respective wall part (14,13) are mutually spaced at a distance corresponding to twice the flange width of the handle halves (20,21) and that the means (24,25) for preventing the assembled handle halves from mutual displacement in their plane and for making it more difficult for the wall parts (14,13) to part in their plane transverse their mutual joint include projections (14,25) integral with the handle halves (24,25) and directed towards each other in pairs, one (24) of which is tubular and the other (25) adaped for fitting into the tubular one (24) when the handle halves (20,21) are assembled to each other.

2. Carrier as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the blank (1) has the form of a substantially flat uniformly thick sheet from which the flanges (22,3) and projections (24,25) are upstanding from one side of the blank and that the foldable connections between the walls and wall parts and between the wall parts and the handle halves have the form of impressed creases made on the blank substantially solely on said one side.

3. Carrier as claimed in claim 1 or 2 characterized in that at least some of the projections (24,25) are arranged in the legs of the handle halves and implemented with a coacting length such that in the erected state of the carrier they make it more difficult, by a binding effect, the folding out of the handle halves about the joint line between their webs.

Drawing