Basket carrier for bottles and blank therefor

Abstract

An article carrier ( 10 ) of the basket type is adapted to accommodate a plurality of articles, such as bottles (B). The carrier ( 10 ) comprises a base ( 22, 36 ), opposed side ( 14, 28 ) and end ( 12, 16; 26, 30 ) walls and a medial partition structure ( 52, 56, 62, 64 ) and handle means (H) by which the carrier ( 10 ) can be lifted and carried. The bottles (B) are received on both sides of the medial partition structure ( 52, 56, 62, 64 ) of the carrier ( 10 ). The medial partition structure ( 52, 56, 62, 64 ) is formed from a pair of internal medial partition panels ( 52, 56 ) hinged together along a first fold line ( 60 ) and having a pair of abutments ( 96 ) provided internally adjacent the fold line ( 60 ). A pair of external medial partition panels ( 62, 64 ) are attached to the internal medial partition panels ( 52, 56 ). The handle means (H) is formed of a first pair of handle panels ( 86, 88 ) hinged together along a second fold line ( 90 ) and having a pair of corresponding handle apertures ( 98 ) therein. The first pair of handle panels ( 86, 88 ) are slidably movable within the pair of external medial partition panels ( 62, 64 ) and have a pair of shoulders ( 94 ) arranged to correspond to the pair of abutments ( 96 ). The handle means (H) is therefore movable between a lower retracted position and an upper, extended position.

1 . An article carrier for accommodating a plurality of articles, comprising a base, opposed side and end walls, and handle means by which the carrier can be lifted and carried, the handle means comprises a pair of opposed parallel upright guide panels and an upright handle member disposed at least in part between the guide panels for upward and downward sliding movement, wherein the handle member has a pair of shoulders and wherein an upper stopper for engagement with the shoulders is disposed along upper edges of the guide panels to limit upward movement of the handle member.  
   
   
       2 . A carton as claimed in  claim 1  wherein a lower stopper for engagement with the handle member is disposed below the handle member to limit downward movement of the handle member, by abutment against a lower edge of the handle member.  
   
   
       3 . The carton as claimed in  claim 1  wherein a pair of guide strips are disposed along the opposed side edges of the handle member to guide upward and downward movement of the handle member.  
   
   
       4 . A carton as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the handle structure further comprises an upright primary member which is disposed between the guide panels, and the primary member provides both the handle member and the upper stopper.  
   
   
       5 . A carton as claimed in claims  2  wherein the handle structure further comprises an upright primary member which is disposed between the guide panels, and the primary member provides the handle member, the upper stopper and the lower stopper.  
   
   
       6 . A carton as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the handle structure further comprises an upright primary member which is disposed between the guide panels, and the primary member provides the handle member, the upper stopper and the guide strips.  
   
   
       7 . An article carrier of the basket type for accommodating a plurality of articles, comprising at least one base panel, opposed side and end walls, a medial partition structure and handle means by which the carrier can be lifted and carried, said articles being receivable on both sides of said medial partition structure of the carrier, wherein said-medial partition structure is formed from a pair of internal medial partition panels hinged together along a first fold line and having a pair of abutments provided internally adjacent the fold line and a pair of external medial partition panels hinged together and attached to the internal medial partition panels, wherein the handle means is formed of at least a first pair of handle panels hinged together along a second fold line and having a pair of corresponding handle apertures therein, the first pair of handle panels being slidably movable within the pair of external medial partition panels and having a pair of shoulders arranged to correspond to the pair of abutments, wherein the handle means is movable between a retracted position where the second fold line is substantially collinear with the first fold line and an extended position where the pair of shoulders abut the pair of abutments and the handle apertures are further from the base of the article carrier than in the retracted position.  
   
   
       8 . A carrier according to  claim 7 , wherein the handle means further comprises a pair of external handle panels hinged together and having a pair of corresponding handle apertures therein, the external handle panels being attached to the first pair of handle panels such that the handle apertures are substantially in line with each other.  
   
   
       9 . A carrier according to  claim 7 , further comprising temporary connections between said handle means and the medial partition structure which temporary connections shear when strain is put onto the handle means with respect to the medial partition structure.  
   
   
       10 . A carrier according to claims  7 , further comprising at least one partition panel provided between each of said side walls and the medial partition structure.  
   
   
       11 . A carrier according to claims  7 , further comprising at least one securing panel hingedly coupled to an end wall and attached to the medial partition structure to secure the handle means, within the medial partition structure.  
   
   
       12 . A blank for forming an article carrier of the basket type, the blank comprising a first series of main panels, hingedly coupled together for forming a first side panel a first pair of end panels and a first base panel of the carrier, a second series of main panels hingedly coupled together for forming at least a second side panel, and a second pair of end panels of the carrier, the blank including, at a first end thereof, a first internal medial partition panel hingedly connected to the first series of main panels and a second internal medial partition panel hingedly connected to the first internal medial partition panel and to the second series of main panels, each of the internal medial partition panels having an internal handle panel struck therefrom having a handle aperture therein, such that the internal handle panels are hingedly connected together and to provide a pair of shoulders on the internal handle panels and a pair of corresponding abutments on the internal medial partition panels, which abutments are spaced from the corresponding shoulders the blank further comprising a pair of external medial partition panels hingedly connected together and to the internal medial partition panels and being located, in the blank between the first and second series of main panels.  
   
   
       13 . A blank according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the external medial partition panels has an external handle panel struck therefrom, with each external handle panel having a handle aperture therein.  
   
   
       14 . A blank according to  claim 12 , further comprising temporary shearable connections between said internal and external handle panels) and the respective internal and external medial partition panels.  
   
   
       15 . A blank according to claims  12 , further comprising at least one transverse partition panel struck from each of the internal medial partition panels.  
   
   
       16 . A blank according to of claims  12 , wherein the blank comprises, at a second end thereof remote from the first end, a pair of securing panels hingedly coupled to the respective first and second series of main panels for attachment to the internal medial partition panels.  
   
   
       17 . A basket style carton having a composite centre partition structure, the partition structure comprising a pair of partition panels and a pair of handle panels struck from the partition panels, wherein the partition panels are secured together along their coated sides and wherein the handle panels are secured together along their uncoated sides, the partition panels are interconnected along their common upper edge and folded about the upper edge to have the coated sides secured together, the handle panels are interconnected along their common upper edge and folded about the upper edge to have the uncoated sides secured together.  
   
   
       18 . The carton as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the handle members are disposed for movement between extended and stowed positions with respect to the partition panels, and wherein the upper edges are aligned with each other when the handle panels are in the stowed position.  
   
   
       19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . The carton as claimed in claims  1  wherein the handle structure further comprises a reinforcing layer member formed from the guide panels and secured to the handle member.  
   
   
       21 . (canceled)