Carrier and method
View Patent ↗A foldable carrier for beverages and other objects has a pair of folding receptacles extending outwardly from a central vertical support panel structure. Horizontal slits are formed in the side walls across two or four corners of the carrier, and the resulting horizontal strips of material are bent inwardly to form dividers for separating objects from one another in the receptacles. If the slits are positioned just below the upper edges of the side walls, bending the strips inwardly effectively forms compartments of reduced height to facilitate the accommodation of objects of varying height, and/or displaying additional areas of the beverage containers and their labels.
1. A carrier having a vertical support panel structure,
a pair of foldable receptacles, each extending outwardly from and secured to said vertical support panel structure,
each of said receptacles having a plurality of side walls and a separate foldable bottom wall structure secured to said side walls,
said side walls including a first side wall which, when unfolded, extends away from said vertical support panel structure and which is linked along a vertical fold line to a second side wall which extends substantially parallel to and spaced from said vertical support panel structure when unfolded,
said first and second side walls having at least two vertically-spaced horizontal parts, one of said parts having first and second sections, said first section extending from said vertical support panel along said first side wall to said fold line, and said second section extending from said fold line along said second wall to a distance from said fold line substantially equal to the distance of said second wall from said vertical support panel structure, and
in which each of said receptacles has four of said side walls, and said bottom wall structure includes a flange extending outwardly from the lower edge of each of said side walls and being linked to said side wall along a fold line, adjacent ones of said flanges being secured to one another and the ones of said flanges located in two opposite corners of said bottom wall structure being folded along diagonal fold lines.
2. A carrier as in claim 1 in which each of said receptacles includes a third side wall linked to said second side wall along a second vertical fold line and extending outwardly from said vertical support panel structure when unfolded, said second and third side walls having at least two vertically-spaced horizontal parts, one of said parts having first and second sections, said first section extending along said third wall from said vertical support panel structure to said second vertical fold line, and along said second wall from said second fold line to a distance from said second fold line substantially equal to the distance of said second wall from said vertical support panel structure.
3. A carrier as in claim 1 in which said one horizontal part is folded inwardly when said carrier is unfolded so that said second section forms a divider for said receptacle.
4. A carrier as in claim 1 in which said one horizontal part forms at least a portion of the upper edge of each of said first and second side walls, whereby said one part can be folded inwardly to form a divider for said receptacle, and to reduce the heights of said first and second side walls.
5. A carrier as in claim 1 in which said vertical support panel structure includes a pair of panels secured together, the lower portion of each forming one of the side walls of one of said receptacles, each of said panels having a handle hole in its upper portion.
6. A carrier as in claim 1 in which one of said flanges extends a substantial portion of the distance across said bottom wall structure and is positioned, during unfolding of said carrier, so that one of its side edges bears against one of said side walls so as to hold said receptacle open to receive objects to be carried.
7. A carrier having a vertical support panel structure,
a pair of foldable receptacles, each extending outwardly from and secured to said vertical support panel structure,
each of said receptacles having a plurality of side walls and a foldable bottom wall structure secured to said side walls,
said side walls including a first side wall which, when unfolded, extends away from said vertical support panel structure and which is linked along a vertical fold line to a second side wall which extends substantially parallel to and spaced from said vertical support panel structure when unfolded,
said first and second side walls having at least two vertically-spaced horizontal parts, one of said parts having first and second sections, said first section extending from said vertical support panel along said first side wall to said fold line, and said second section extending from said fold line along said second wall to a distance from said fold line substantially equal to the distance of said second wall from said vertical support panel structure,
in which each of said receptacles has four of said side walls, and said bottom wall structure includes a flange extending outwardly from the lower edge of each of said side walls and being linked to said side wall along a fold line, adjacent ones of said flanges being secured to one another and the ones of said flanges located in two opposite corners of said bottom wall structure being folded along diagonal fold lines,
in which one of said flanges extends a substantial portion of the distance across said bottom wall structure and is positioned, during unfolding of said carrier, so that one of its side edges bears against one of said side walls so as to hold said receptacle open to receive objects to be carrier, and
in which said one flange has a tab extending from said side edge and said one side wall has a slot positioned to receive said tab when said bottom wall structure is partially unfolded.
8. A carrier having a vertical support panel structure,
a pair of foldable receptacles, each extending outwardly from and secured to said vertical support panel structure,
each of said receptacles having a plurality of side walls and a foldable bottom wall structure secured to said side walls,
said side walls including a first side wall which, when unfolded, extends away from said vertical support panel structure and which is linked along a vertical fold line to a second side wall which extends substantially parallel to and spaced from said vertical support panel structure when unfolded,
said first and second side walls having at least two vertically-spaced horizontal parts, one of said parts having first and second sections, said first section extending from said vertical support panel along said first side wall to said fold line, and said second section extending from said fold line along said second wall to a distance from said fold line substantially equal to the distance of said second wall from said vertical support panel structure,
in which each of said receptacles has four of said side walls, and said bottom wall structure includes a flange extending outwardly from the lower edge of each of said side walls and being linked to said side wall along a fold line, adjacent ones of said flanges being secured to one another and the ones of said flanges located in two opposite corners of said bottom wall structure being folded along diagonal fold lines,
in which one of said flanges extends a substantial portion of the distance across said bottom wall structure and is positioned, during unfolding of said carrier, so that one of its side edges bears against one of said side walls so as to hold said receptacle open to receive objects to be carrier, and
in which said one flange extends completely across said bottom wall structure and has at least one tab extending outwardly from one edge in a direction perpendicular to said vertical support panel structure, and a slot in the one of said side walls towards which it extends to receive said tab to hold said one flange in place.
9. A carrier as in claim 1 in which each of said vertically spaced parts is folded along said fold line when said carrier is folded, the upper part being folded inwardly to form a folded divider, and the other of said vertically spaced parts being folded outwardly to form said first and second side walls when said carrier is unfolded.
10. A method of erecting a folded carrier to receive objects to be carried, said carrier comprising
a vertical support panel structure,
a pair of foldable receptacles, each extending outwardly from and secured to said vertical support panel structure,
each of said receptacles having a plurality of side walls and a foldable bottom wall structure secured to said side walls,
said side walls including a first side wall which when unfolded, extends away from said vertical support panel structure and which is linked along a vertical fold line to a second side wall which extends substantially parallel to and spaced from said vertical support panel structure when unfolded,
said first and second side walls having at least two vertically-spaced horizontal parts, one of said parts having first and second sections, said first section extending from said vertical support panel along said first side wall to said fold line, and said second section extending from said fold line along said second wall to a distance from said fold line substantially equal to the distance of said second wall from said vertical support panel structure,
comprising the step of unfolding said carrier by pushing opposite side edges of the folded carrier towards one another, and selectively performing a further step selected from the group consisting of:
(a) pushing said one part to fold it inwardly during or after unfolding said carrier;
(b) aligning the two sections of said one part in the same plane with one another when said carrier is folded, and placing a barrier to block the outward bending of said upper part during unfolding;
(c) aligning the two sections of said one part in the same plane with one another when said carrier is folded, and leaving secured to said vertical support panel structure the first section of said one part when folding said carrier; and
(d) folding said upper part inwardly at the edge of the folded carrier at which said second side wall is folded over onto said first side wall.
11. A method as in claim 10 in which each of said receptacles has four of said side walls, and said bottom wall structure includes a flange extending outwardly from the lower edge of each of said side walls and being linked to said side wall along a fold line, adjacent ones of said flanges being secured to one another and the ones of said flanges located in two opposite corners of said bottom wall structure being folded along diagonal fold lines, in which one of said flanges extends a substantial portion of the distance across said bottom wall structure and is positioned, during unfolding of said carrier, so that one of its side edges bears against one of said side walls so as to hold said receptacle open to receive objects to be carried, including the step of using automatic filling equipment to fill said receptacles with beverage containers.
12. A carrier as in claim 1 in which each of said first and second sidewalls is separated into at least three vertically disposed parts, an upper part, a lower part, and an intermediate part, said one part being said intermediate part.