[0001] This invention relates to a carrier for packaging containers in two rows of each
at least two pieces, which carrier is provided with a handle member and a supporting
member connected therewith, provided with supporting rings, each for letting through
and holding a container, arranged in two rows of each at least two pieces and interconnected
to form one whole, from each of which supporting rings two elongated, strip-shaped
members of equal length extend, which substantially lie in the median perpendicular
plane of the row of associated supporting rings and are attached to a bearing ring
at some distance from the supporting rings, and which bearing rings juxtaposed in
a row are interconnected to form one whole.
[0002] Such a carrier is known from FR-A-1 124 724. As described therein, the two rows of
bearing rings are connected with each other in the same manner as the two rows of
supporting rings to form one whole. Each bearing ring is provided with an annular
element which can let through and hold a container and with at least one strip-shaped
member which extends at a short distance below the annular element, and on which the
bottom of a container can rest. In order to enable the containers to be placed in
such a carrier, each container supplied must be lifted up and moved from above through
a supporting ring and an annular element of a bearing ring until the bottom of the
container contacts the strip-shaped member.
[0003] Moving the containers from above into the supporting and bearing rings not only means
that during the filling of a carrier each container must be lifted up and handled,
but also that a label affixed to the container may soon be damaged during the movement
along the supporting and bearing rings. In addition, the containers are often packaged
in the carriers when the label on the container is still wet, which considerably increases
the risk of damage to the label when placing the container in the carrier.
[0004] The object of the invention is to design a carrier of the type described in the opening
paragraph such that it can be filled with containers in a relatively simple manner
without incurring the risk of damage to the label caused by contact between the container
and the carrier.
[0005] According to the invention this object is attained in a carrier of the type described
in the opening paragraph by making the strip-shaped members so flexible that, on the
one hand, they can be given such a configuration that each bearing ring is substantially
located outside a straight cylinder defined by the inner peripheral area of the supporting
ring with which that bearing ring is connected by the strip-shaped members and, on
the other hand, such a configuration that the axis of the bearing ring substantially
coincides with the axis of the supporting ring with which that bearing ring is connected
by the strip-shaped members.
[0006] These steps result in a carrier, in which, by tilting the rows of bearing rings outwards,
which is possible through the flexible strip-shaped members, the containers can be
placed without necessitating contact of a label affixed to them with parts of that
carrier. This is simply realized when according to a further embodiment of the invention
the containers are supplied on a supporting surface in two juxtaposed rows, the carrier,
of which the rows of bearing rings are tilted outwards, is moved with its supporting
rings over the containers so far that the bearing rings connected therewith, which
during this movement of the carrier are in juxtaposition to the left and right of
the containers, are brought to below the supporting surface in line with the rows
of supporting rings located above, after which the supporting surface is drawn from
between the containers and the bearing rings, so that the containers sink down with
respect to the carrier and come to rest on and in the bearing rings. Thus, after the
carrier has been partly placed on the containers, it is folded around them to envelop
those containers.
[0007] When such a carrier is picked up by hand by lifting it up at the handle member, the
two rows of containers will in general support each other through their weight. Shocks
or undulating movements, however, may have the result that the rows of containers
move away from and towards each other. In order to avoid this, it is preferable according
to a further embodiment of the invention that means be present with which the two
rows of bearing rings can be interconnected in a mutually adjacent position.
[0008] The two rows of bearing rings can be held together in various manners in the ready-for-use
position of the carrier, e.g. via detachable press or snap connections. According
to a further embodiment of the invention, however, it is preferable that the means
for connecting two rows of bearing rings have a semipermanent character, such as a
glued or welded joint or a mechanical joint via deformable cramps or rings.
[0009] When the handle member is formed by a rod-shaped member extending substantially parallel
to the supporting member, and which is connected with the supporting member by further
strip-shaped members extending in line with the former strip-shaped members, there
is readily provided a favourable transfer of force from the bearing rings to the rod-shaped
member to be gripped by hand.
[0010] The further strip-shaped members may be mounted, constructed and designed in various
ways. Thus it is possible that no further strip-shaped members extend from the outer
supporting rings of the two rows, so that the handle member concentrates in the central
part of the carrier. If in that case the bearing capacity of the further strip-shaped
members is considered too small, it may be provided that from each end of the rod-shaped
member a curved strip-shaped member extends which terminates at the meeting point
of two adjacent, outer supporting rings.
[0011] The carrier may then have a height substantially equal to that of the containers
if the further strip-shaped members, seen transversely to a row, lie at an acute angle
to the plane of symmetry extending perpendicularly to that row, preferably an angle
between 5° and 20°. The rod-shaped member may be located at the height of the upper
sides of the containers. When the rod-shaped member is gripped by hand, the further
strip-shaped members will spring towards each other, so that sufficient space is formed
above the containers to enable transport of the carrier without contact of the hand
with the containers.
[0012] A reliable support of a container on a bearing ring can be obtained if the bearing
rings are formed by disk rings arranged at the ends of the strip-shaped members facing
away from the supporting rings, each disk ring preferably having a j-shaped cross-section,
which j-shape is form-connected with the lower side of the container.
[0013] With reference to practical examples shown in the accompanying drawings the carrier
according to the invention and the method of placing this carrier around a group of
containers will now be discussed and explained in more detail.
In these drawings:
Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a carrier according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the carrier shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the carrier shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 illustrates a plurality of carriers shown in Fig. 1, stacked in a transport
and storage position;
Figs. 5 - 7 illustrate the method of placing the carrier of Fig. 1 around a group
of containers;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a group of containers placed in a carrier shown in
Fig. 1;
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a group of containers placed in a carrier according
to a second embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a group of containers placed in a carrier according
to a third embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 11 is a front elevational view of a storage or display position of a group of
containers placed in a carrier according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;
and
Fig. 12 is a front elevational view of a carrying position of a group of containers
placed in a carrier shown in Fig. 11.
[0014] The carrier shown in Figs. 1-3 comprises a supporting member consisting of six supporting
rings 1 arranged in two rows of each three supporting rings 1, the supporting rings
of a row being interconnected by a strip-shaped member 2, which at the place of attachment
to a supporting ring 1 extends perpendicularly to the plane of passage of that supporting
ring 1. Moreover, each strip-shaped member 2 extends in the area adjacent to the supporting
ring 1 in a plane constituting the median perpendicular plane of a row of three interconnected
supporting rings 1. A similar strip-shaped member 2 is located at each end of a row
of supporting rings, so that each row of three supporting rings is connected with
four strip-shaped members 2.
[0015] Each strip-shaped member 2 terminates at one end at a handle member 3 and at its
other end at a bearing ring in the form of a disk ring 4, of which, in total, six
are present in two rows of three each, the strip-shaped members 2 being connected
with the disk rings 4 in a similar configuration as is the case with the supporting
rings 1, although the strip-shaped members 2 terminate at the disk rings 4. Further,
as may be apparent from Fig. 1, each strip-shaped member 2, in side view, has an approximately
S-shaped configuration, such that in case no external forces are exerted, the disk
rings 4, in top view, are located on both sides of the two rows of supporting rings
1, as may be most clearly apparent from Fig. 3.
[0016] The handle member 3 extends parallel to the rows of supporting rings 1 and forms
one whole with the six ends of the strip-shaped members 2, so that the two rows of
supporting rings 1, and consequently also the two rows of disk rings 4, are interconnected
via the strip-shaped members 2 and the handle member 3.
[0017] The carrier may be manufactured as one whole from one and the same plastic material,
in which the sizes of the different parts of the carrier must be so chosen and the
plastic material must have such material properties that the handle member 3, the
supporting rings 1 and the disk rings 4 are sufficiently rigid to reliably hold a
number of containers corresponding to the number of supporting rings 1, while further
the strip-shaped members 2 are highly flexible.
[0018] This high flexibility promotes as compact as possible storage and transport of the
carriers, because they can be brought into a more stretched form and thus stacked,
as may be apparent from Fig. 4, in which five carriers are shown in expanded form
and stacked relation. It will further be apparent from Fig. 4 that the carriers can
be compressed into an even flatter stretched form.
[0019] With reference to Figs. 5-7 the placing of a group of six containers 5 in the above
carrier will now be elucidated.
[0020] The containers 5 juxtaposed in two rows are supplied on a supporting element 6. Subsequently,
a carrier is supplied from above, as shown in Fig. 5, in such a manner that the supporting
rings 1 move over the containers 5, while the disk rings 4 are laterally displaced
along the containers 5. The displacement is continued until the supporting rings 1
have moved over the containers 5 so far that the disk rings 4 can be swivelled to
below the supporting element 6, as shown in Fig. 6. In this position each supporting
ring 1 must be located above a label 7 affixed to a container 5, so that a supporting
ring 1 moved over the container 5 cannot damage this label 7. It will also be clear
that a label 7 will no more be damaged by a disk ring 4 moved at some distance along
the container 5, which disk ring 4 is then swivelled to below the supporting element
6 and, consequently, to below the container 5.
[0021] After swivelling the two rows of disk rings 4 to the position shown in Fig. 6 the
disk rings 4 are interconnected by means of one or a plurality of coupling elements
8. The coupling element 8 shown is made of plastic material and is fixed to the disk
rings 4 through glueing or welding at a place where two disk rings 4 from adjacent
rows are closest to each other. It will be clear that the two rows of disk rings 4
may also be interconnected in various other manners. For instance, there may be provided
elements to be coupled via a snap connection or deformable metal elements. Moreover,
the disk rings may be provided at suitable places with projections which after swivelling
the two rows of disk rings towards each other come into mutual contact and can thus
be connected together. In case the disk rings 4 are so designed that after swivelling
them towards each other they come into mutual local contact, the disk rings 4 can
be simply interconnected by welding or glueing them together.
[0022] After interconnecting the two rows of disk rings 4 the supporting element 6 is drawn
from below the containers 5 by an active movement of that element or by moving the
containers 5 further. As soon as the supporting element 6 releases the bottom of a
container 5, this container will sink down, as shown in Fig. 7, to rest on the disk
ring 4, which is preferably of such configuration with an upwardly extending edge
that the container 5 is centered with respect to the disk ring and is then supported
while being secured against lateral displacement. After complete removal of the supporting
element 6 each container 5 is supported by a disk ring 4 and kept in this supporting
position by cooperation of the disk ring 4 with a supporting ring 1 positioned in
line above the disk ring 4.
[0023] When the container 5 comes to rest on the disk ring 4, the label 7 moves away from
the supporting ring 1. Thus a carrier can be placed on and around a container 5 without
coming into contact with the label 7, which is of special importance if the containers
5 come from a bottling plant and have been provided with a label 7 immediately before
placing them in the carrier, because then the label is still wet, so that it can soon
be damaged.
[0024] It should be noted in this respect that it is also possible to omit interconnection
of the two rows of disk rings 4. In general, the weight of the containers 5 will then
ensure that the position shown in Fig. 7 is retained, also when the carrier with containers
is lifted up at the handle member 3, although in case of shocks or undulating displacement
of the carriers there is a risk that the two rows of containers will move apart and
then strike against each other. If this is held allowable, e.g. because of a suitable
design of the supporting rings 1 and the disk rings 4, then it is preferable to start
from an initially different design than that of the carrier shown in Fig. 1. This
modified carrier, in case no external forces are exerted on it, is shaped as shown
in Fig. 7, in other words the strip-shaped members 2 are straight between the supporting
rings 1 and the disk rings 4. It will be clear that in order to place such a carrier
around the containers 5 the two rows of disk rings 4 must be moved to the position
shown in Fig. 5 by actively guiding them before the moving on of the supporting rings
1 commences. Besides, such a carrier may also be used when applying coupling elements
8. The strip-shaped members 2 will then have less tendency towards rebounding and
will retain the position shown in Fig. 7 in a tighter condition, which may look better
from an aesthetic viewpoint.
[0025] The carrier with containers 5 placed therein, obtained by the above method, is perspectively
shown in Fig. 8. The handle member 3 shown therein extends over the full length of
a row of three containers 5. Such a length of the handle member 3 is not necessary
for picking up and carrying the carrier. If, e.g. from a viewpoint of material economy,
a shorter handle member is preferred, then this wish may be complied with by the design
as shown in Fig. 9, in which the length of the handle member 13 is equal to the diameter
of a supporting ring 1. The outer strip-shaped members 12a then terminate at the height
of the supporting ring 1, while between two containers 5 a similar strip-shaped member
12a is continued by a strip-shaped member 12b extending substantially straight between
the supporting rings 1 and the handle member 13.
[0026] In case such a construction is not deemed sufficiently strong, the embodiment as
shown in Fig. 10 may be chosen, in which the handle member 13 is connected with the
supporting rings 1 by six strip-shaped members 12c which all start from an end of
the handle member 13 and extend in the form of an arch to a meeting point of two supporting
rings 1.
[0027] In case the space between the upper ends of the containers 5 is deemed too narrow
to grip the handle member by hand, so that in case of transport of the carrier the
upper ends of the containers 5 could rub against the fingers of the hand holding the
carrier, the embodiment shown in Figs. 11 and 12 may be chosen, in which a handle
member 23 is provided the length of which exceeds the diameter of a supporting ring
1. The ends of the handle member 23 are connected via four strip-shaped members 22b
with the four meeting points of the supporting rings 1 of both rows, so that, seen
in side view, the handle member 23, the middle supporting ring 1 and the two strip-shaped
members 22b extending between them are trapezium-shaped, as clearly shown in Fig.
11. The outer supporting rings 1 and disk rings 4 are connected at their outer sides
by strip-shaped members 22a extending between them.
[0028] When such a carrier filled with containers is picked up by hand, the handle member
23 will bend outwards through the weight of the containers while the strip-shaped
members 22b simultaneously hinge to a straight, vertical position, as shown in Fig.
12.
[0029] There is thus obtained a carrier which in the display or storage position hardly,
if at all, rises above the containers, while in the event of picking up the carrier
by hand the space created by bending outwards of the handle member 23 and hinging
of the strip-shaped members 22b is sufficient to enable manual transport of the carrier
at the handle member 23 without the upper ends of the containers 5 needing to contact
the fingers of the hand.
[0030] It is self-evident that within the scope of the invention as laid down in the attached
claims many modifications and variants are possible. Thus, for instance, the supporting
rings could be designed as in FR-A-1 124 724 or provided with optionally open-worked
tubular members which extend to near the lower sides of the labels on the containers.
Further, both the handle member and the strip-shaped members extending therefrom to
the supporting rings may be designed in various other manners, both for aesthetic
reasons and from a viewpoint of strength. In the practical examples shown, one strip-shaped
member extends from the place between two adjacent supporting rings to a corresponding
place between two bearing rings. If required, there may also be two strip-shaped members,
while a supporting ring and a bearing ring may also be interconnected by strip-shaped
members at places other than the places shown. It is also possible to couple the two
rows of bearing rings at a place other than the meeting point of two bearing rings,
e.g. by interposing a strip-shaped coupling element between the outer strip-shaped
members or by placing around the bearing rings a band connected therewith. In the
above practical examples, swivelling of the bearing rings from the side to below the
containers was made possible by the flexibility of the strip-shaped members. Of course,
it is also possible to use less curved or straight strip-shaped members hinged with
respect to the supporting rings and/or the bearing rings.
1. A carrier for packaging containers in two rows of each at least two pieces, which
carrier is provided with a handle member and a supporting member connected therewith,
provided with supporting rings, each for letting through and holding a container,
arranged in two rows of each at least two pieces and interconnected to form one whole,
from each of which supporting rings two elongated, strip-shaped members of equal length
extend, which substantially lie in the median perpendicular plane of the row of associated
supporting rings and are attached to a bearing ring at some distance from the supporting
rings, and which bearing rings juxtaposed in a row are interconnected to form one
whole, characterized in that the strip-shaped members are so flexible that, on the
one hand, they can be given such a configuration that each bearing ring is substantially
located outside a straight cylinder defined by the inner peripheral area of the supporting
ring with which said bearing ring is connected by the strip-shaped members and, on
the other hand, such a configuration that the axis of the bearing ring substantially
coincides with the axis of the supporting ring with which said bearing ring is connected
by the strip-shaped members.
2. A carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that means are present with which
the two rows of bearing rings can be interconnected in a mutually adjacent position.
3. A carrier according to claim 2, characterized in that the means for connecting two
rows of bearing rings have a semipermanent character, such as a glued or welded joint
or a mechanical joint via deformable cramps or rings.
4. A carrier according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle
member is formed by a rod-shaped member extending substantially parallel to the supporting
member, and which is connected with the supporting member by further strip-shaped
members extending in line with the former strip-shaped members.
5. A carrier according to claim 4, characterized in that no further strip-shaped members
extend from the outer supporting rings of the two rows.
6. A carrier according to claim 5, characterized in that from each end of the rod-shaped
member a curved strip-shaped member extends which terminates at the meeting point
of two outer supporting rings.
7. A carrier according to claim 6, characterized in that the further strip-shaped members,
seen transversely to a row, lie at an acute angle to the plane of symmetry extending
perpendicularly to said row, preferably an angle between 5° and 20°.
8. A carrier according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing
rings are formed by disk rings arranged at the ends of the strip-shaped members facing
away from the supporting rings.
9. A carrier according to claim 8, characterized in that each disk ring preferably has
a j-shaped cross-section.
10. A process for packaging a plurality of containers in a carrier according to any of
the preceding claims, arranged in two rows of each at least two pieces, characterized
by supplying the containers on a supporting surface in two juxtaposed rows, moving
the carrier, of which the rows of bearing rings are tilted outwards, with its supporting
rings over the containers so far that the bearing rings connected therewith, which
during this movement of the carrier are in juxtaposition to the left and right of
the containers, are brought to below the supporting surface in line with the rows
of supporting rings located above, after which the supporting surface is drawn from
between the containers and the bearing rings, so that the containers sink down with
respect to the carrier and come to rest on and in the bearing rings.
11. A carrier with containers placed therein, obtained by using the process according
to claim 10.