US3685647A

US3685647A - Container having registering means, carrier therefor and package thereof

Info

Publication number: US3685647A
Application number: US73136A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gerald Erickson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-09-17
Filing date: 1970-09-17
Publication date: 1972-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-22

Abstract

A container having registering means formed at one end which makes it possible for the container to be locked in a carrier properly oriented with a cluster of other similar containers. A container carrier having upper and lower connected container engaging means for engaging and locking together a cluster of containers and means interengaging with the registering means formed on the container. A cluster of said containers locked together in said carrier to form a package.

Description

[15] 3,685,647 [451 Aug. 22, 1972 United States Patent Erickson [54] CONTAINER HAVING REGISTERING 3,139,824 7/1964 Derrickson................215/1 C MEANS, CARRIER THEREFOR AND 3,298,514 1/1967 Erickson..................206/65 C PACKAGE THEREOF P' E Le as 72 Inventor: Gerald Erickson, Po. Box 6175, ummer Surfside, Fla. 33154 Sept. 17,1970

Attorney-Brumbaugh, Graves, Donohue & Raymond ABSTRACT A container having registering means formed at one [22] Filed:

[ 1 pp 0 end which makes it possible for the container to be locked in a carrier properly oriented with a cluster of other similar containers.

[52] US. Cl...............206/65 E, 206/65 CT, 220/102 [221;] A container cam-er having upper and lower connected 1 1 l9 0 0 252 container engaging means for engaging and locking together a cluster of containers and means interengaging with the registering means formed on the container.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS A cluster of said containers locked together in said carrier to form a package.

4 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures 3,203,580 8/1965 Erickson........... .........220/102 3,033,403 5/1962 Adel]...................215/1RUX PATENTED M1922 I972 INVEWOR. ALD ERICKSON 22 23 QMJZWL v f his ATTORNEYS oriented relative to one another, for example, so that their labels or brand names will face outwardly and be clearly visible.

This invention is an improvement over the bottle, bottle carrier and package of bottles described in the Erickson US. Pat. No. 3,298,514, issuedJan. 17, 1967. The novel bottle described and claimed in that patent has upper and lower chimes integrally formed thereon to make it possible for the bottle to be locked in a carrier designed for locking together a plurality of conventional cans.

The object of the present invention is to provide a container, a container carrier and a novel package which make it possible to package a plurality of containers in a carrier with the containers properly oriented so as not to obscure the containers, their labels or their brand names.

This object is achieved by forming interengaging registering means on the carrier and on each container. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the interengaging registering means serve not only to orient each container in the desired position relative to the carrier but as the means for locking the respective end of the container within the carrier.

The present invention provides a neat package in which the labels, brand names or other indicia on the containers are conspicuously and uniformly displayed and not obscured by an outer wrapping.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention reference can be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

P10. 1 is a perspective view of the novel package of the present invention showing the containers locked in the carrier; and

H6. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the containers taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The novel container of the present invention is illustrated in the drawing in the form of a bottle which includes a cylindrical, substantially vertically disposed side wall having an upper tapered neck 11, a top wall 12 extending outwardly from the lower end of the neck and a bottom wall 13. The neck portion of the bottle is adapted to receive a cap 14.

The carrier, generally designated 15, for locking together a plurality of the bottles includes upper bottle engaging means 16, lower bottle engaging means 17 and a plurality of connections 18 between the upper and lower bottle engaging means for maintaining the bottle engaging means in locking engagement with both ends of the bottles.

In the particular embodiment of the carrier shown in FIG. 1 there are a pair of upper bottle engaging means joined by a connection 19 and a pair of lower bottle engaging means 17 joined by a connection 20. This particular bottle carrier is suitable for locking together six bottles in a package. However, the carrier may include only a single upper bottle engaging means and a single lower bottle engaging means for locking together a group of four bottles, or the number of such bottle engaging means may be increased to lock together more than six bottles in a package.

The carrier is preferably molded in one piece of a flexible plastic material, preferably linear or high density polyethylene.

The carrier is shown in FIG. 1 equipped with a handle 21 integrally formed with the carrier with the ends connected to the upper bottle engaging means 16. In lieu of a handle, however, it may be desirable to provide finger holes through the upper bottle engaging means.

In the particular embodiment of the bottle shown in the drawing a downwardly depending peripheral rim or chime 22 is formed at the lower end of the bottle. This depending chime is accommodated within a channel 23 of the lower bottle engaging means 17. This interlock between the channel of the carrier and the chime of the bottle supports and locks the lower end of the bottle in the carrier. In this respect the structures of the lower end of the bottle and of the lower bottle engaging means are the same as the respective structures of the bottle and carrier disclosed in the above-identified patent.

The upper wall 12 of the bottle has one or more dimples 24 therein for registering the bottle in proper orientation with respect to the carrier and the other bottles of the package. This dimple is engaged by a de pending protuberance or nipple 25 formed on the upper bottle engaging means 16. When the protuberance of the carrier enters into the appropriate dimple of the bottle, the bottle is not only locked into the carrier but it is also registered in proper orientation with respect to the carrier and the other bottles.

In the preferred embodiment, four dimples are formed in the top wall of the bottle, spaced apart. However, only one of the dimples is utilized for holding and registering the corner bottles of the package, and only two of the dimples are used for holding and registering the bottles intermediate the corner bottles. If the label, brand name or other indicia on the side wall of the bottle is to be visible from each side of the package in proper registration with respect to the other bottles, such label, brand name or indicia should be placed on the side wall of the bottle opposite the two dimples which would be used to lock an intermediate bottle in the carrier. With the label, brand name or indicia so located in relation to the dimples, it does not matter whether the bottle is packaged as an intermediate bottle or as a corner bottle as long as the appropriate dimple, or dimples, is used to lock the bottle in the carrier.

Although in the preferred embodiment of the invention the dimples are provided on the top walls of the bottle and chimes are formed on the bottoms of the bottles, it is understood that the dimples can be formed on both the top and bottom walls of the bottle or that the dimples may be formed on the bottom walls and the chimes formed on the top walls. Also, in the preferred embodiment the dimples are formed in the bottles and the protuberances on the bottle engaging means of the carrier. However, the projections can be formed on the bottles and the dimples in the bottle engaging means of the carrier, although such arrangement may detract from the appearance and feel of the bottle.

The package is assembled by forcing the bottle between the upper and lower bottle engaging means. The flexibility of the bottle engaging means will enable them to be forced apart until the lower chime of the bottle enters into the appropriate channel of the lower bottle engaging means and the appropriate dimple, or dimples, is engaged by the appropriate protuberance or protuberances. Once this interlock has properly registered the bottle, it cannot be accidentally displaced out of proper registration.

The invention has been shown in a single preferred form and by way of example only and many modifications and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the invention has been described as applicable to a bottle, whereas it is applicable to containers in general. The invention, therefore, is not to be limited to any specified form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are expressly set forth in the claims.

lclaim:

l. A one-piece carrier made of resilient plastic material for locking together a cluster of bottles to form a package, each of said bottles having an indentation formed in at least one end thereof for the dual purpose of supporting and orienting the bottle relative to the carrier for display purposes, comprising an upper bottle engaging element engageable with the upper ends of a plurality of said bottles, a lower bottle engaging element engageable with the lower ends of a plurality of bottles, a flexible connection integrally connecting the upper and lower bottle engaging elements and maintaining both elements in locking engagement with the bottles, the upper and lower bottle engaging elements each having resiliently bendable corners to receive and lock the bottles between the elements, and interlocking projections formed on the comers of at least one of said bottle engaging elements, each projection being of complementary shape and interlocking with the indented formation in each of the bottles, said interlocking projections serving the dual purpose of locking the bottles in a cluster and properly orienting them in the desired positions relative to one another and to the carrier.

2. A carrier as set forth in claim 1 including at least a pair of bottles locked in side-by-side relationship to form the package, each bottle including a side wall, an upper neck containing a pour opening, an upper surface around the periphery of the neck and integrally connected with the side wall and at least one indented formation formed in the upper peripheral surface of substantially complementary shape to an interlocking projecting means carried by the upper container engaging means.

3. A carrier as set forth in claim 1, in which there are four interlocking projections formed on the bottle engaging element and arranged in a square at angles apart to lock together and orient four bottles, each having four indentations arranged in a square pattern at 90 apart.

4. A carrier as set forth in claim 1, including at least four bottles locked in side-by-side relationship to form the package, each bottle having four recesses at the end thereof spaced in a square pattern 90 apart and in which there are four interlocking projections spaced on the respective bottle engaging element in a square pattern 90 apart.

Claims

1. A one-piece carrier made of resilient plastic material for locking together a cluster of bottles to form a package, each of said bottles having an indentation formed in at least one end thereof for the dual purpose of supporting and orienting the bottle relative to the carrier for display purposes, comprising an upper bottle engaging element engageable with the upper ends of a plurality of said bottles, a lower bottle engaging element engageable with the lower ends of a plurality of bottles, a flexible connection integrally connecting the upper and lower bottle engaging elements and maintaining both elements in locking engagement with the bottles, the upper and lower bottle engaging elements each having resiliently bendable corners to receive and lock the bottles between the elements, and interlocking projections formed on the corners of at least one of said bottle engaging elements, each projection being of complementary shape and interlocking with the indented formation in each of the bottles, said interlocking projections serving the dual purpose of locking the bottles in a cluster and properly orienting them in the desired positions relative to one another and to the carrier.

3. A carrier as set forth in claim 1, in which there are four interlocking projections formed on the bottle engaging element and arranged in a square at angles 90* apart to lock together and orient four bottles, each having four indentations arranged in a square pattern at 90* apart.

4. A carrier as set forth in claim 1, including at least four bottles locked in side-by-side relationship to form the package, each bottle having four recesses at the end thereof spaced in a square pattern 90* apart and in which there are four interlocking projections spaced on the respective bottle engaging element in a square pattern 90* apart.